Narnia: Why Do I Keep Tripping Over The Same Thing? Series

Why Do I Keep Tripping Over The Same Thing?

Part 1

Admitting the Stronghold

(if you e-mail me a request, I will send you the power point for this sermon)

Why Do I Keep Tripping Over The Same Thing?

Part 1

Admitting the Stronghold

The Story of Samson

A. Beginning in Judges chapter 13, we begin to read the story of a very special man named Samson

a. According to the scripture, Samson was chosen even before he was conceived in his mother’s womb—think about that

i. Samson’s mother was barren and could not have any children, but an angel visited Samson’s mother and father and declared that they would have a son, a very special son…

1. he was to be a Nazirite to God—which means dedicated or consecrated

2. he was chosen to deliver Israel from the Philistines

3. he was born with a very important destiny

ii. and since he was to be special, the angel gave Samson’s parents very specific instruction on how to raise this special newborn baby

1. he was never to drink any wine of any kind

2. he was never to eat or drink anything that was made from the grapevine

3. he was never to come near anything that was dead

4. and he was never to cut his hair

iii. Samson was to be separate—different—and he was to live a separated life

1. Samson was not an ordinary man

2. he was called out for greatness

b. So as we read on, we find that Samson was given a very special gift, Samson was very strong—probably the strongest man that has ever lived

i. Some of his feats of strength include…

1. He carried away the gates of a city

2. He caught 300 foxes and set there tails on fire

3. He killed one thousand men with a donkey jawbone

4. And that is just to name a few

c. And the source of his strength was not in his physical body—nobody could possibly be as strong as Samson was in themselves…

i. It was not because he lifted weights and worked out

1. And his strength didn’t lie in the particulars of the vow he made to be a Nazirite

2. his strength did not lie in his hair

3. his strength did not lie in any bargain he had struck with God

ii. but Samson’s strength came from the presence of God and the spirit of God that was in his life

1. on every occasion that Samson needed his special strength, the Bible says that “the spirit of the Lord” came upon him.

a. every time

2. never could he have—or did he—do any of this on his own

a. it was the power of God that would come over him and work in him

b. it was the anointing of God on his life

i. because Samson was chosen

ii. because Samson was set apart

iii. because God loved Samson and God loved his people

c. Samson’s strength came from the love and grace of God

d. Now as you read the story of Samson, you will find that Samson was an extraordinary man with an extraordinary gift…

i. but Samson also had an extraordinary weakness

1. Samson liked the ladies

a. and not just any ladies, Samson liked the wrong kind of ladies

b. it seems that Samson was intrigued by what was forbidden to him

2. Samson was born to defeat the Philistines, but instead he kept getting involved with Philistine women

a. he married a Philistine woman in chapter 15

b. he visited a Philistine harlot in chapter 16

c. and then he fell in love with another Philistine named Delilah in chapter 16

i. and everyone of these relationships ended up in disaster

3. And understand that It was absolutely forbidden by God for an Israelite to marry or to become involved with a heathen woman—and it was especially forbidden for Samson being a Nazirite

a. But Samson always played around with sin

b. he always flirted with the forbidden

c. he was always pushing the parameters of right and wrong

d. Samson was playing a very dangerous game

ii. And when the enemies of Samson finally discovered his weakness—they began to exploit it to try and ensnare and destroy him……and it worked

1. so let me read you a small excerpt from the story of Samson that explains it all…

a. these verses explain how easily it is to get caught up in the deception of sin

b. these verses explain how the enemy is always working to capture and destroy us

c. and these verses explain the consequence of sin.

Judges 16:4-21 (NLT)

4 Later Samson fell in love with a woman named Delilah, who lived in the valley of Sorek.