It’s Got a hold of me and won’t let go
Illus: Can you see him running, he is running with all his might. Look at the beads of sweat popping out on his forehead. Each step that he takes is labored; he is exhausted from the struggle. Can you see the fear in his eyes as he looks back over his shoulder? Something’s got a hold on him and won’t let go. It’s like some invisible force that has attached to him and won’t let him go. No matter how hard he fights it, it’s still there. The relentless enemy keeps drawing the prey closer and closer. As the victim is reeled in, like a fish that has taken the lure, the emotions of shame and disgrace overshadow his soul. The thoughts, ”Oh my God, Oh My God why did I fall in this trap” pierce his fear shattered mind.
All the Angels of Heaven begins to weep as another one is overcome by that deadly beast; TEMPTATION.
Text: Judges 16:1-21
One day Samson went to Gaza and saw a prostitute there. He went in to spend the night with her. 2 When the people of Gaza heard, “Samson has come here!” they surrounded the place and waited for him near the city gate all night. They whispered to each other, “When dawn comes, we will kill Samson!”
3 But Samson only stayed with the prostitute until midnight. Then he got up and took hold of the doors and the two posts of the city gate and tore them loose, along with the bar. He put them on his shoulders and carried them to the top of the hill that faces the city of Hebron.
4 After this, Samson fell in love with a woman named Delilah, who lived in the Valley of Sorek. 5 The Philistine rulers went to Delilah and said, “Find out what makes Samson so strong. Trick him into telling you how we can overpower him and capture him and tie him up. If you do this, each one of us will give you twenty-eight pounds of silver.”
6 So Delilah said to Samson, “Tell me why you are so strong. How can someone tie you up and capture you?”
7 Samson answered, “Someone would have to tie me up with seven new bowstrings that have not been dried. Then I would be as weak as any other man.”
8 The Philistine rulers brought Delilah seven new bowstrings that had not been dried, and she tied Samson with them. 9 Some men were hiding in another room. Delilah said to him, “Samson, the Philistines are here!” But Samson broke the bowstrings like pieces of burned string. So the Philistines did not find out the secret of Samson’s strength.
10 Then Delilah said to Samson, “You made a fool of me. You lied to me. Now tell me how someone can tie you up.”
11 Samson said, “They would have to tie me with new ropes that have not been used before. Then I would become as weak as any other man.”
12 So Delilah took new ropes and tied Samson. Some men were hiding in another room. She called out to him, “Samson, the Philistines are here!” But he broke the ropes as easily as if they were threads.
13 Then Delilah said to Samson, “Again you have made a fool of me. You lied to me. Tell me how someone can tie you up.”
He said, “Using the loom, weave the seven braids of my hair into the cloth, and tighten it with a pin. Then I will be as weak as any other man.”
While Samson slept, Delilah wove the seven braids of his hair into the cloth. 14 Then she fastened it with a pin.
Again she said to him, “Samson, the Philistines are here!” Samson woke up and pulled out the pin and the loom with the cloth.
15 Then Delilah said to him, “How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when you don’t even trust me? This is the third time you have made a fool of me. You haven’t told me the secret of your great strength.” 16 She kept bothering Samson about his secret day after day until he felt he was going to die!
17 So he told her everything. He said, “I have never had my hair cut, because I have been set apart to God as a Nazirite since I was born. If someone shaved my head, I would lose my strength and be as weak as any other man.”
18 When Delilah saw that he had told her everything sincerely, she sent a message to the Philistine rulers. She said, “Come back one more time, because he has told me everything.” So the Philistine rulers came back to Delilah and brought the silver with them. 19 Delilah got Samson to sleep, lying in her lap. Then she called in a man to shave off the seven braids of Samson’s hair. In this way she began to make him weak, and his strength left him.
20 Then she said, “Samson, the Philistines are here!”
He woke up and thought, “I’ll leave as I did before and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the LORD had left him.
21 Then the Philistines captured Samson and tore out his eyes. They took him down to Gaza, where they put bronze chains on him and made him grind grain in the prison.
Temptation has caused many to fall
When we give in to temptation, we offend the Holy Ghost and loose our influence on other people. Our confidence becomes shaken and we are rendered in- effective in our battle against the Devil, so resist temptation and don’t give Satan a door into your life!
Temptation comes in many forms (wrong sex, drugs, alcohol, porno, perversion, idols, etc.)
Body: How to get loose, before he’s got you
1.Temptation is a system, devised by Satan to trap you
a) First you look (Your eyes need to be protected)
b) Second you think about it
c) Then you are consumed with a desire for it
d) Next you justify it
e) Then you wait for the opportunity
f) LOOK OUT! as you grab it; it grabs you
2. Temptation originates from Satan
3. Temptation is always wrapped in a beautiful package
4. Temptation comes to our weakness, and at our weakest time.
5. Temptation are based on lies
a)(the grass is greener)
b) no one will find out
c) It’s not really that bad
d) everybody is doing it
6. Temptation works on our feelings and emotions
a) someone did you wrong, so this is alright
1) they cheated me; so I’ll take this
b) what’s fair for the goose; is fair for the gander
c) I really deserve this
d) our relationship is bad
e) I don’t need to go to Church today
7. Temptation over rides our better judgement
a) we know better
8. Surrendering to temptation is SIN: SIN separates us from GOD.
9. Giving in to temptation is addictive
a) When we give in to a temptation; the next temptation is harder to resist.
10. Jesus makes a way of escape from all temptation
Conc.:
James4:4-8 4 So, you are not loyal to God! You should know that loving the world is the same as hating God. Anyone who wants to be a friend of the world becomes God’s enemy. 5 Do you think the Scripture means nothing that says, “The Spirit that God made to live in us wants us for himself alone.” 6 But God gives us even more grace, as the Scripture says,
“God is against the proud,
but he gives grace to the humble.” Proverbs 3:34
7 So give yourselves completely to God. Stand against the devil, and the devil will run from you. 8 Come near to God, and God will come near to you. You sinners, clean sin out of your lives. You who are trying to follow God and the world at the same time, make your thinking pure
James 5:8-9
8 Control yourselves and be careful! The devil, your enemy, goes around like a roaring lion looking for someone to eat. 9 Refuse to give in to him, by standing strong in your faith. You know that your Christian family all over the world is having the same kinds of suffering.
James 1:12-1512 When people are tempted and still continue strong, they should be happy. After they have proved their faith, God will reward them with life forever. God promised this to all those who love him. 13 When people are tempted, they should not say, “God is tempting me.” Evil cannot tempt God, and God himself does not tempt anyone. 14 But people are tempted when their own evil desire leads them away and traps them. 15 This desire leads to sin, and then the sin grows and brings death.
1Corinth 10:12-131 2 If you think you are strong, you should be careful not to fall. 13 The only temptation that has come to you is that which everyone has. But you can trust God, who will not permit you to be tempted more than you can stand. But when you are tempted, he will also give you a way to escape so that you will be able to stand it.
A/C:
