God's Blessings Can Be Lost

GOD’S BLESSINGS CAN BE LOST

by Bo Dunford

altered by Luther Sexton

“DON’T FOOL AROUND AND LOSE IT”

Scripture: Judges 16:15-21

Judges 16:20 “And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him.”

INTRODUCTION:

Our lives today are full of questions! * We question the matter of security! Am I secure in Christ? Some denominations teach “once in grace, always in grace.” To the best of my ability, the Bible does not teach this doctrine. There are clear teachings that I can shipwreck my faith by making a conscious decision to do things my way and leave the Lord out of my plans!

Certainly, there are some blessings that can be lost!

* The Bible records many spiritual blessings which men received from God, and then lost!

* Let us look at some of them today:

I. Power with God can be lost.

II. Joy of Salvation can be lost.

III. Your testimony can be lost.

IV. Your “first love” can be lost.

V. Souls can be lost.

I. POWER WITH GOD CAN BE LOST!

* In our Scripture text today, we find a man who lost the power he had with God!

* He did so because he made some mistakes! * Let’s examine the life of Samson.

A. He was a man called by God to a deliverance ministry! * Judges 13:24-25

1. Birth announced by an angel. Judges 13

2. The Spirit of the Lord moved on him. Judges 13:25

B. Samson’s Fall Was Caused By Several Factors. We are not immune. These things could

happen to us too, so beware!

1. First, he broke his separation unto the Lord!

a. He fooled around with the enemies of God.

READ II Corinthians 6:14 – 18

6:17 “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith

the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.”

b. In chapter 14 he marries a wife from the Philistines.

c. In chapter 16, he spends the night with a prostitute.

Judges 16:1 “Then went Samson to Gaza, and saw there an harlot, and went

in unto her.”

d. Later in the same chapter, he falls in love with Delilah.

Judges 16:4 “And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the

valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.”

2. He frustrated the will of God for his life by his failure to live a holy life.

God has called us to live a life of holiness ... Heb.12:14 "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:"

3. He sinned through presumption!

a. He presumed that because God had called him, . . .

b. And because he’d done exploits in the name of the Lord, he would be

forgiven, no matter what he did.

c. He fell because his life was controlled by fleshly desires.

4. The power of God restored in his life by repentance, but paid a high cost for it!

a. He died with his enemies after they had put out his eyes.

Judges 16:21 “But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him

down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house.”

Judges 16:30 “And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed

himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life.”

b. Have you lost the power of God from your life?

C. Far too many Christians live their life on the battery system.

1. Some kids have these battery operated cars.

a. When the battery is charged all was well!

b. But when the battery goes dead, so goes the car.

2. There are Christian believers who seem to run their spiritual life & service on that

same system.

a. They go to an altar and ask God to give them a deeper life and when they

get up from the altar, they are altogether different ... for several weeks.

b. But something happens to them and their battery goes dead, and instead of

coming to church and getting their battery charged so they can keep on

going, they stay away from the charger!

D. Often, we do not realize how important little things are!

1. Samson did not.

a. Perhaps he thought that most of his sins were unknown.

b. A famous explorer in South America was once driven back and forced to