Samson:
A Double-Minded Man
Judges 16
Introduction:
Samson has long been a negative example held up before children and adults. He is a negative example of ... uncontrolled passion, an undisciplined life, a disobedient servant, and a carnal believer.
But the truth is that Samson was a jumble of contradiction. Chapter 15 is a record of that contradiction.
On the one hand On the other hand
Samson sinned in marrying thePhilistine woman
He straightened up and judged Israel for 20 years
He decided to go to his wife, to do the right thing by her
He destroyed people's livelihood out of a childish fit of rage
His sense of justice burned He handled it badly, murdering in him many
He was ready to sacrifice self for But yet he went down to
his people Delilah
He won his greatest victory He died in needlessly
for God
The bible speaks a great deal about people like Samson.
James 1:8 says that a double-minded man is "unstable in all he does" and that such a person "should not think that He will receive anything from the Lord."
The Lord is so displeased with the double-minded that He promises that they will receive nothing good from Him.
But who are the double-minded? How can we know that we are not?
We don't want to be because the consequences are dire... nothing from God.
Well, we can find out by looking at some other passages... and a song.
Psalm 119:112-113 In this section David helps us immensely because he gives us a picture of the single minded man. In 112 David says, "My heart is set on keeping your decrees, to the very end.
The sihngle minded man is the man who has his desires, his affections, his goals SET ON OBEDIENCE TO GOD.
Maybe Vince Gill can help us out a lot at this point too, because he gives us a picture of the double-minded man... He sings a song that says, "I've got two loves in my life now. A true love and one that's brand new. I'm not really sure that I know how, to keep one and tell one we're through. I can't sleep at night, I toss and I turn, I keep losing sight of the lessons I've learned. Well, I'm standing at the cross roads, with just one concern... which bridge to cross, and which one to burn.
The double-minded man is a person that cannot decide, who can not commit, who cannot burn his bridges....
The double minded man is the one who puts his hand to the plow, but tries to plow while looking backward.... he is the man who goes back and forth while crossing the bridge... unable to decide which way to go... and even when he finally gets to one side stands there looking back across to the other side and wishing he was there... his body is here but his mind is over there.
This is the man who truly wants to "have his cake and eat it too."
And because he is unable to make a decision.... he spends all of his time going back and forth and always longing for the greener grass on the other side.
How many ladies would abide this situation: A husband who is double-minded about two women. He goes back and forth, from bed to bed.
and when he is with one, he is wishing he was with the other............ 1 in a million.
How would she feel? Just like David felt in v113... "I hate double-minded
men." AND GOD HATES THEM TOO!!!!!!!!!!!
You understand why a wife would hate a double-minded husband.
You understand that David was a general and he needed men that he could count on, men who were dedicated, men who were single-minded. As a
general he would hate soldiers that would turn and run.
And God hates his children to be wishy-washy, double minded. He accused
the church at Laodicea, in the book of the Revelation. He accused them
saying, "I know by your deeds you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that
you were either one or the other. so because you are lukewarm- neither
hot nor cold- I am about to spit you out of my mouth."
SO.... HOW CAN WE STOP BEING DOUBLE-MINDED?
A lesson from Samson may help us.
To Be Single-Minded Requires....
1. A DEFINING MOMENT
There must be a defining moment of choice in your life when you choose
to be single-minded. • •
Most people are double-minded not because the made a conscious decision
to be doubleminded, but because they did not make a conscious decision “NOT TO BE'' doubleminded.
Like congress passing it's pay-raise last week.... had to make a motion and
vote to stop it. .
Double-minded is natural and normal. It happens without any effort.
Single mindedness is UN-natural, UN-normal, not the norm... it is breaking
out of the rut, out of the mold, going against the flow, and takes as much effort as swimming upstream.
It requires a moment in time when you come to yourself and decide that you
are ready to change… committed to change.
Two verses are helpful:
Psalm 119:112.. My heart is set on keeping your decrees, to the very end.
Judges 16:30 Then Samson said, "Let me die with the Philistines."
David and Samson had defining moments of decision.
FOR DAVID.... it was sitting in sackcloth and ashes for days and days, grieving over his sin and the consequences. It was during that time, I believe
the scriptures show, that David was broken over his sin... adultery, murder, lying, and man-slaughter. He was grieved to see the destruction in his own wake and knew that he, and he alone, was responsible. The guilt drove him
to the point of decision (Ps 51) that HE WOULD CHANGE.... and he
would have one life goal now--- To follow him whole-heartedly and to lead others to do the same.
He loved God before, he served God before, he was used of God
before.... BUT HE NEEDED A MOMENT OF DECISION TO STOP
BEING DOUBLE-MINDED!
Because of the defining moment... David's life is not defined by his sin...
(even though he sinned later) but as "A man after God's own heart."
For Samson, it came as he sat bald, and bound in the Philistine prison.
His eyes poked out, leaving him helpless. His hands and feet were bound
and he was powerless to break free. As he sat there he had a chance to do
some heavy reflection. And what he saw he did not like. And it was then
that he began to rededicate himself The scripture says, "His hair began to grow." And then, as he stood in the temple, led by a child, mocked, and
spat on.... He made a decision to serve God totally&. "To the very end."
He was single-minded. •
Because of his defining moment, Samson is not defined by his sin or
his weakness. The New Testament remembers him as a man "Whose
weakness was turned to strength." Heb. 11
Many of you have never had a defining moment of decision, You have never sat in sack cloth and ashes, broken over your
sin.
You gloss it over by saying, "Everybody is doing it." Or "It is not as bad
as Joe", or It's not so bad and after all, God will forgive it."
You have had a moment of decision asking for salvation.... BUT NOT
FOR DEDICATION!!!!!!!!
You will not become a Single-minded person until you are first broken
by your sin and then have a defining moment of decision when you decide,
at whatever cost, YOUR JD;ART ISSET ON FOLLOWING HIM, ON KEEPING HIS DECREES, TO THE END.
2. A RE-ORIENTATION
Again two verses are appropriate:
24:15 "CHOOSE for yourself, TillS DAY, whom you will follow, BUT AS FOR ME and my household, we WILL SERVE THE LORD.
Luke 9:23 If any man would be my follower, HE MUST DENY HIMSELF AND TAKE UP HIS CROSS DAILY AND FOLLOW ME.
Joshua said, "THIS DAY" and Jesus said "DAILY"
It is so easy to become double-minded, the world calls to us, the flesh appeals
to us, Satan tempts us, etc.
We need to be like a man making a cross-country journey in the pioneer
days of this country. He would get up in the morning and take him
compass, orient himself to his desired direction, pick a point on the
horizon, and head for it. Along the way he would constantly RE-ORIENT
himself by checking with the compass, just to be sure he was still on course.
CONSTANT RE-ORIENTATION IS THE KEY TO SUCCESS.
(_(
The same is true for the person who would be single-minded. It requires a DAILY ORIENTATION AND RE-ORIENTATION.
You have to get up in the morning and orient yourself(point towards East). It may be your quiet-time, it may be a short prayer before you get out of the bed to RE-DEDICATE yourself to God. It may be a few moments to meditate on CHRIST-LIKENESS that day, what temptations you will face, how you need to handle them, people problems and how to gain the victory there.
Pick some short term goals on the horizon-- I want to tell mark that I am praying for him... I want to meditate on this scripture... I want to be on guard for Satan's attack in a certain area.
And because it is so easy to get off course, get our mind on other things. we need to check every so often to see if you are still on the right course. The course is to be serving God in whatever we think, say, or do.
Samson never ORIENTED himself... He never started out by seeking God's will or God's ways.
He oriented his whole world around his desires. He had no moral compass... just his carnal nature, wherever it led.
And even when he started out right, he would always get off course and NEVER REORIENTED himself.
If there is a third lesson in all of this it is this...
3. THE VALUE OFACCOUNTAB/LITY
Accountability is a great thing. It keeps you on course.
Accountability means having check in stations along the course that give you feed-back as to how you are doing, give advice for improvement, or give encouragement.
The scripture says that "A cord of three is not easily broken."
A.A. uses this, so does over-eaters Anonymous, and Jesus sent the disciples out two-bytwo.
The greatest asset you can have on your Christian journey, other than the presence and help of the Holy Spirit, is a godly, spiritually growing friend who will hold you accountable, who will lift you up in prayer, and who understands what you are dealing with.
Samson had great physical strength and never needed help, not even when the odds were 1000 to 1… but spiritually, he was a weakling who could not handle 1 on 1.
Notice the difference between David and Samson.
David had the DEFINING MOMENT OF DECISION Samson did not
David ORIENTED AND RE-ORIENTED Samson did not
David had ACCOUNTABILITY Samson did not
(Jonathan and Nathan)
What about YOU ???????????????
