Samson Part 2 Series

Sermon Part 2 – Samson

Thesis: Samson is a lot like us in that he blows it a lot. He does the wrong thing, with the wrong people at the wrong time. Samson continued to make the wrong choices in his life and in the end he squandered his God given gifts and anointing! Yes God used him but could you imagine what he could have done for the Kingdom of Heaven if he made the right choices for his life?

Key point: “Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay and cost you more than you want to pay.”

Samson’s life reflects this truth.

Introduction:

Years ago I read a book written in the 50’s by Dehaan which was titled: “Whatever happened to Sin?” His book described a generation that no longer called sin – sin. I actually found the book in a public library. He wrote about how the current culture disregarded sin and the ultimate price this country would pay by pretending it did not exist.

In the early ‘70s, psychiatrist Karl Menninger wrote a book entitled Whatever Became of Sin? Once again looking at a culture filled with sin but pretending it did not exist anymore. He stated: “[Sin] was once a word on everyone’s mind, but now rarely if ever heard. Does that mean that no sin involved in all our troubles - sin with an “I” in the middle? Is no one any longer guilty of anything? Guilty perhaps of a sin that could be repented and repaired and atoned for...? Anxiety and depression we all acknowledge, and even vague guilt feelings; but has no one committed any sins? Where, indeed, did sin go? What became of it?”

The question is even more relevant today in our sin filled culture. What ever happened to sin it is all over Tv and in movies but it is not called sin. The celebrities’ never use the word sin but we have show’s which focus on people’s sins called Jerry Springer show. Which usually end up with a brawl on camera and the crowd applauding the action. The idea of sin lies in the corner of people’s minds disregarded as relevant in our modern – know it all world of progress. Many think we have out grown sin. Many today are redefining sin and some are even proud of their sin. Even some churches have jumped aboard the “No sin” message for the sake of being positive and inspirational. And so they are well liked by everyone especially the world.

Has sin disappeared? Has sin sunk? Or is it still peaking its head out of the dark murky water of life – It’s there hidden in the murky water – not recognized but ready to bite your left off or arm off. It’s like the bull sharks who seem to attack in the murky water and maul innocent lives just trying to have fun.

The pop thinking on sin is captured in a newspaper headline: To hell with sin when being good is enough.

This old newspaper headline reveals the belief of the media today, many leaders of today, a philosophy of today.

People know what sin is they just don’t believe in it anymore. God has been recast on TV as not hating sin. A very sad and sick movie came out years ago which was called “Everything is okay!” describes the life of a father who goes and sees his kids who are deeply entrenched in sin but in the end they are all okay!

Such is the view of the media, the culture and of some Christians.

But the Bible tells us this:

Isa 5:20: Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.

Romans 12:9: Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.

2 Timothy 3:1-5: 1But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.

2People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—5having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.

So in the Bible sin is a big deal and we need to call sin – sin and stay away from it so let’s dive back into Samson and learn from his mistakes and his sins.

Scripture Text for today: Judges 14:1-20

Samson’s Marriage

1Samson went down to Timnah and saw there a young Philistine woman.

2When he returned, he said to his father and mother, “I have seen a Philistine woman in Timnah; now get her for me as my wife.”