Sermonic Theme: “Everybody Is Not Your Friend” with the undercutting theme of “Smiling Faces Tell Lies”
Now whichever theme suits your need, you have a choice. Everybody Is Not Your Friend, or Smiling Faces Tell Lies.
This sermon is one of great difficulty and pain to preach because when my mind cascades back into my own history, I can identify with the theme of everybody is not your friend and smiling faces do and will tell lies.
At times I look back and ask myself the question: “How could I have been so naive to be deceived by so called friends, and even sometimes my own blood.”
I know this is not a sermon for a lot of amen’s, but I’m being obedient and bringing forth that which God Almighty has given me!
I know you’re saying in the back of your minds, how can a preacher, have feelings such as those?
Can I just park here for a minute? You aren’t holy polely 24-7 or Ms Thang or Mr. Bigshot.
Some of you right now are probably mad with some Negro or Negroette that ticked you off on the job that either said or did something you didn’t like.
I know you don’t want sail on my ship, but I’m going sail it anyway!
We’re going to a look at man that had everything going for him. He had everything going for him because he had a special assignment. I’m talking about that brother called Samson.
In Hebrew the name Samson is called Shimshon (shim – shun) which means little sun. The Greek spell his name Samp-son and in Latin and English it’s spelled Samson.
He was an Israelite of the tribe of Dan, and was the son of Manoah. Now Samson was special.
First of all Samson was special because his birth was announced to his mother who was barren at the time by an angel. The angel told her that this son was going be a Nazirite from birth and that the Lord had chosen him to deliver Israel out of the hands of the Philistines.
So you see Jesus’ birth was not the only birth that was announced by an angel.
Now what makes Jesus’ birth so supernaturally special is that an immaculate conception induced His birth.
Now what are you talking about preacher? An immaculate conception is when the Holy Spirit impregnates a woman.
Jesus is the one and only one ever to be born of that nature because of what took place between Mary and the Holy Spirit.
The second reason why this man Samson was special is because God had a special assignment for him. If you will turn to the book of Judges 13:4-5 verse.
It reads:
4 Now see to it that you drink no wine or other fermented drink and that you do not eat anything unclean, 5 because you will conceive and give birth to a son. No razor may be used on his head, because the boy is to be a Nazirite, set apart to God from birth, and he will begin the deliverance of Israel from the hands of the Philistines."
Whenever God chooses you for an assignment, He sets you apart from everybody else and has special favor upon you. He gives you everything you need to do the job. The Bible says that God knew us before we were even created.
How do I know…. well if God is Omniscient which means He is all knowing and have all knowledge, He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, He created the heavens and the earth from nothing, He knows what I don’t know and He sees what I cannot see, and thinks what I cannot think. The Bible says that His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts.
Now Samson was set apart to do a special work for God, but he had a problem. Almost from his beginning, he was a slave to passion. Samson loved beautiful women. He didn’t mean to mess up, but he lost his focus.
Since God had chosen him for a special work, he was set apart from what everyone was doing. (I do think that that’s what we are to be about as Christians).
But Samson thought he was missing out on the fun. In his mind when he was praying to God, he thought his buddies were at the party. Hey God! What about me? When can I have some fun? All I’m doing is killing a few thousand Philistines here and there.
Can’t you find somebody else to do this job for a while? I want to try some knotty head they’re drinking. Come on God. I know about the bird, thunder bird wine, I want what’s on the vine Richard’s wild Irish Rose Wine. I heard that Remy Martin goes down smooth. Hey God, when can I get my chance.
What Samson failed to realize is that everything that glitters is not gold. And you see that old sly lying Satan will use the pleasures of this world to deceive you. Oh yes he will. You must know how to resist the devil.
Well preacher, tell me how to resist the devil. If you look at James 4:7 it says “Submit yourselves then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
So one day Samson went to the Valley of Sorek and saw this fine mama called Delilah. Delilah is the type of woman that Rick James would call “A Super Freak.”
Come on now don’t try to act like at one time you weren’t a Rick James fan.
Let’s just stop pretending and keep this thing real: Because before we all got saved, and as quiet as it’s kept, we all were looking for that super freak. I’m just being real this morning.
Samson ….being that he was a slave to passion, was beginning to turn his focus away from the purpose that God had put in his life. When God gives you an assignment, you better hang on in there until God says “It’s is finished.”
When Christ was on the cross, He didn’t throw in the towel because he knew the salvation of the world was on his shoulders. He had to seal the fate of man by the shedding His blood. That’s why He said “It is finished.”
What poor Samson failed to realize is that God had given him a special job to do that would magnify His name.
But because he was so into himself on what he wanted to do, what he wanted to see, and what he wanted to partake in.
He was so messed up in his own mind, and being into his own iddio-sincricies and selfishness that doing God’s will and fighting the Philistines was not his top priority.
He had to have her. Delilah was now on the top of his list. You better beware when you decide to move God from the number one position in your life to the number two position. God is a very jealous God and He does not want any other gods to come before Him.
Samson fell in love with Delilah and the rulers of the Philistines caught wind that Samson was spending some very enchanting evenings with Delilah.
They told Delilah that if she could coax Samson by any means necessary into telling her where all of his strength comes from, each one of the rulers would give her eleven hundred shekels of silver.
Now Samson was in love with Delilah and he thought she was in love with him. Samson though Delilah had his back. Samson thought Delilah was in his corner.
You better be ever so careful of who you allow in your space. You can’t tell everybody your business. Even with church folk.
You tell somebody something in confidence and before you can get home….”Child did you hear that Na Na was out with Mookie’s husband? I don’t know but don’t say anything about it.
Even on your job, you got to be careful what you say to people because you don’t know who knows who. The Bible says, “to watch as well as pray.”
Now Delilah in her mind was planning to use every charm she had to try to entice Samson into tell her his secret to his strength.
Can I stop her for a minute? Now let’s see what kind of woman Delilah really is Delilah. Now she claims she loves Samson; but yet, she is accepting money as payment to persuade Samson to tell her his secret.
So therefore she is selling herself for payment for some information, and to use any means necessary to get it, that makes her a harlot. In other words she is a prostitute. The Greek word for prostitute is Porne’. Porne’ is the root word for pornography.
Don’t get mad with me, it’s in the book, read it for yourself. This stuff is better than the Guiding Light, or As the world turns.
So one night, Delilah got all perfumed up; smelling good, looking good, got Samson’s favorite food and drink. Had a little Barry White and some Luther Van Dross playing in the background with one candle burning instead of six for low light, and a stick of sweet smelling incense smoldering on the table.
Samson, you know you love me and you know I love you. Right? I need to know everything there is about you. Where does all of that strength of yours come from?
Come on Delilah, let’s have some fun and talk about that later. No I want to know now.
Okay! If anyone ties me with seven fresh thongs that have not been dried, I’ll be weak like any other man.
Now thongs are strips of leather or hide used on sandals to hold them on the foot. It’s fits between the toes and across the side of the foot.
Delilah informs the Philistines of what Samson shared with her in confidence. Remember I said in confidence. You got to be very careful who you share deep stuff with in confidence because everybody is not your friend!
Delilah worked on Samson and got him like she wanted him. Tied him with the fresh thongs. She had several men hidden in the room waiting for her signal.
She yells out, Samson, the Philistines are here. Samson awakes up from his sleep, jumps up, snaps the fresh thongs like they were pieces of thin string, and kills the Philistines.
Delilah looks at what Samson has done and sees that he really did not reveal to her where is strength really comes from, girlfriend has a temper tantrum.
She says, “I thought you said that you loved me. You lied to me and made a fool of me. Come on Samson and tell me your secret. Now if you tell me I’ll forget all about this lie you told me. It was just a little white one. It’s not big.
Now Samson using his wits in the wrong way told another lie. He said if anyone ties me with new ropes that have never been used; I’ll be as weak as any man.
Delilah just new she had him this time. She set the stage like she did before, with the dime lighting, smelling good, looking good, good food and drink.
Samson, falling for the trickery again, goes to sleep. While he’s asleep, Delilah ties him up with the new ropes and yells again: Samson, the Philistines are here!
Samson awakes from his sleep, jumps up for a second time, snaps the new ropes off of him like they were threads, and again kills the Philistines.
Delilah looks at him, puts her hands on her hips, shakes her neck as she speaks: Now Samson, you have lied to me again and again you have made a fool of me. Now tell me, how can you be tied?
Samson looks at her again and using his wits in the wrong way says: “If you weave the seven braids of my hair into the fabric on the loom and tighten it with a pin, I’ll become as weak as any other man.
Delilah sets the stage again with Samson. I began to look at Samson and wonder what in the world is this man thinking about.
Twice the Philistines have come upon him in the same place while he was doing the same thing with Delilah.
My mother use to say “Every shut aint sleep,” and “Every goodbye aint gone.”
When Samson falls asleep, she weaves his seven braids into the fabric on a loom and tightens it with a pin.
Again she calls out: “Samson, the Philistines are here.” He awakens from his sleep, jumps up and kills the Philistines for a third time.
Delilah knew for a fact that Samson was playing her. She said to him how can you truly love me if you are lying to me. I just want to be close to you.
Day after day Delilah nagged him about his secret. Samson grew tired of the nagging and finally gave in. (Now you know the book of Proverbs talks about a nagging woman.)
Samson said to her that no razor can touch his head because God had set him apart since his birth. If his head is shaven, his strength will leave him.
Oh Delilah had him now. She sent word to the Philistine rulers and said if you come back just one more time, you can capture Samson. He has told me everything.
So the rulers of the Philistines returned once again with the silver in their hands. Delilah, for a final time set the scene with the dim lighting, the sweet smell of the incense burning, smelling good, looking good, and having his favorite food and drink.
She had him to lie down and to put his head in her lap, and she rocked and rubbed Samson to sleep. She then signaled for a man to come into the room and shave his head and his strength left him.
She called out one last time, “Samson, the Philistines are here.” He awoke from his sleep, jumped up and thought that he would kill the Philistines like he did before.
But Samson did not know that God was not with him this time. He tried to fight as he had done, but to avail he was captured.
Samson had to learn several painful lessons.
One: Keep God First In Your Life
Two: Everybody Is Not Your Friend and Smiling
Faces Do and Will Tell Lies.
When God is number one in your life, he will give you everything that you need. Like the song that my mother-in-law sings: “God’s Got Everything That You Need” If Peace Is What You Need, My God’s Got It.
God will also be your guide in life. The scripture says in Proverbs 3:5-6…. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.
Poor Samson forgot who his true friends were. He thought it was Delilah, but she deceived him. She was a lie from the very beginning.
But I know a name. He’s a friend to the friendless. A mother to the motherless.
Can I call His name? Can I call His name?
Jehovah : the self existent one.
Elohim: The True God
El Shaddai: The Almighty God
Jehovah Nissi: The Lord Is My Banner
Jehovah Shalom: The Lord is Peace
Jehovah Tsidkenu: The Lord Our
Righteousness
Jehovah Jireh: The Lord Will Provide
Jehovah Rapha: The Lord That Healeth
HIV: Heaven In View
HIV: Holy Ghost In My Veins
Let me back this thing up and show you what I’m working with.
I’m working with the Father:
the one who sits high and looks low
the one who is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.
I’m working with the Son:
The one who went to calvary and died for my
sins.
But on the third day, He got up with all power in his hands
And I’m working with the Holy Ghost:
He is the one that talks with me
He is the one that comforts me
He is the one that puts a little pep in my step.
