7 Life Lessons From Samson

7 LIFE LESSONS FROM SAMSON

Judges 15-16

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR: Samson Jokes

1. Samson was probably the best actor in the Bible. His last performance actually brought the house down.

2. Who is the world history's worst hairdresser? Delilah. She gave Samson such a bad haircut that he never got another haircut the rest of his life!

3. Finally, Samson said that he ‘made donkeys out of the Philistines’ by jawboning with them!

B. TEXT

[Samson said,] ‘I won’t stop until I get my revenge on you.’ He attacked them viciously and slaughtered many of them” Judg. 15:7-8. “We’ve come [3,000 men of Judah] to tie you up and hand you over to the Philistines” 15:12. “One day Samson went to Gaza, where he saw a prostitute. He went in to spend the night with her" 16:1. “Samson [blinded and in shackles] said, ‘Let me die with the Philistines!’ Then he pushed with all his might, and down came the temple on the rulers and all the people in it. Thus he killed many more when he died than while he lived.” 16:30.

C. THESIS

1. The Apostle Paul said in 1 Cor. 10:11 that O.T. events “happened as examples and were written down...FOR US,” NIV. This means that God used the patriarchs as living parables to teach us how to live and how NOT to live.

2. This being the case, I’ve noticed seven lessons in the life of Samson that we can apply to our lives to help us run our race better and without stumbling.

3. The title of this message is “7 Life Lessons from Samson.” The first point is...

I. CHRISTIANS DON’T HAVE TO BE PERFECT TO BE USED

A. THE TRUTH ABOUT BIBLE HEROES

1. If God required perfection in order for people to be used by Him, then NO ONE would be used, because no one is perfect except God Himself. I believe even the angels are imperfect (since one-third of them were deceived) and make innocent mistakes like we do. But (thank God), God accepts all grades of imperfection among His servants.

2. Somewhere we got the idea that the people God chose to work through in the Bible we’re very saintly or had perfect lives or were people always dominated by great faith.

3. But the truth is that most of the Bible “heroes” were people filled with doubts and fears and weaknesses. They often wondered if God was really going to come through for them. They struggled with life’s difficulties just like we do.

4. They felt inadequate to do what God had called them to do. They felt unworthy; they couldn’t figure out why God would choose them.

B. IMPERFECT PEOPLE WELCOME

1. We can draw strength from their examples. If God could use them, then there’s a real possibility God could use us! If God doesn’t require perfection or mountain-moving faith, then heck, WE might be a candidate for God to use.

2. ILLUS.: THE PERFECT MAN & WOMAN

a. The story is told of a perfect man who met a perfect woman. They had a perfect wedding and their life together afterward was, of course, perfect.

b. One snowy Christmas Eve this perfect couple was driving along a winding road when they noticed the abominable snowman in distress. Being the perfect couple, they stopped and gave him a ride.

c. Alas, a few miles later they had a wreck and only one of them survived the accident. Who was the survivor? Answer: The perfect woman. She's the only one that really existed in the first place: everyone knows there’s no such thing as an abominable snowman or a perfect man.

d. A Male's Response: If the other 2 didn’t exist, then the perfect woman must have been driving and that explains why there was a car accident! [Source Unknown.]

3. Thank goodness, God doesn’t expect us to be perfect!

II. GOD USES THE PEOPLE HE HAS AVAILABLE

A. WHY GOD USES FAULTY PEOPLE

1. Think of all the bad qualities of Samson; ignorant, bad tempered, lustful, revengeful, lazy, indulging in illicit pleasure, braggadocios/ prideful, etc. Why would God put His Spirit upon such a person? Why use him?

2. I knew a pastor who was, overall, a good pastor. But if you got close to him, you found out that he was insecure, somewhat of a bully, at times jealous, and other times he was mean. He had several prejudices. I asked the Lord, “Why do you use him?” And the Lord said to me, “I have to use what I’ve got.”

3. Why did the Lord use Samson? King Saul? Jeroboam? David? Jehu? Doubting Thomas? James & John who wanted to call down fire on people?

4. Wouldn’t it be nice if the most articulate, the nicest looking, the best educated people offered themselves to be used by God? But they don’t. Oh, there’s a few, but most of the time God has to use those who are broken and reclaimed.