I¡¦M JUST TALK¡¦IN ABOUT TONIGHT
JUDGES 16: 1-21
NOVEMBER 25, 2001 LAST SUNDAY BEFORE ADVENT
INTRODUCTION: Toby Keith ¡§I¡¦m just talk¡¦in about tonight¡¨ Song lyrics
TRANSITION THOUGHT: Our text for this morning has a lot in common with the song. We live in a culture that is obsessed with pleasure and obsessed with self -gratification. The story has been the same for thousands of years, so don¡¦t think this is something new. Samson is just a shining example of what not to do. And the waters get real muddy when you think about the Judge of Israel. Maybe he fits in the category of ¡§he who is without sin cast the first stone.¡¨ Have you ever wondered about this fellow? Is he a saint or a sinner? Did he die and go to heaven or did he go south, way down south for eternity? Just what did he do wrong and how might we learn from his ¡§Example¡¨ that we might do different?
THESIS SENTENCE: Loss of moral integrity brings an end to the powerful potential of the child of God.
What can we learn in the win/loss category concerning Samson?
I. SAMSON LOST HIS VIRTUE (VV. 1-4)
A. What virtue is:
1. Virtue can be defined as morality, integrity, chastity, goodness, and uprightness. 2. Virtue for Samson was also his responsibility as a Nazirite.
3. The vow of a Nazirite (NUMBERS CHAPTER 6) consisted of abstinence from all fermented beverages and the eating or touching of anything unclean. One other stipulation is that the person¡¦s hair may not be cut.
4. Samson had a huge list of responsibilities, he was also born in to a great promise, ¡§He will begin the deliverance of Israel from the hands of the Philistines (13:5)¡¨ as announced by an angel of the Lord!
5. Even his birth was a gift of God to a woman sterile and childless.
6. Virtue for Samson was going God¡¦s way for God¡¦s will and God¡¦s purpose of Deliverance!
B. What virtue is not:
1. Samson had a few problems.
2. Samson wanted what Samson wanted.
3. There are at least three women that caught Samson¡¦s eye and not one of them was what God had in mind.
a. Samson saw a Philistine woman when he went down in the VALLEY. Though his parents did not want this, he married a foreigner anyway. NOTICE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU GO BELOW YOU RAISING (14:1). Also note the number of deaths that occurred because of this disobedience (14:19-15:16) b. Our text begins with a sexual impropriety by Samson that seems to confirm that he had a problem with Lust. When he saw a woman, he wanted her and not later, but now (16:1-2)!
c. Verse 4 of our text tells of the same old song and dance now, Samson sees another woman, and guess what, he was bewitched and they did not marry, but lived outside of God¡¦s plan and desire.
4. The point to all of this is that God had a plan for Samson, But Samson had a plan for Samson and Selfish ambition and desire robbed him of his virtue. NO Long was Samson the Man that God intended him to be.
5. The Story only gets worse!
WHAT MORE CAN SAMSON TEACH US NOT TO DO?
II. SAMSON LOST HIS VISION
A. WHEN VISION IS PRESENT.
1. When vision is present, we see the possibilities.
2. When vision is present, we know where we are going and where we have been. 3. When vision is present, God¡¦s kingdom advances.
4.When vision is present, we walk with the Lord.
B. WHEN VISION FADES.
1. When Samson was first controlled by his lust, he did the right thing. He married and followed some degree of morality.
2. After the demise of his first wife, Samson lusted again, and this time he directed his passion to a prostitute.
3. The third time Samson was consumed with lust, he ends up living with a woman whose sole goal is to bring about his demise (16:4-15)!
4. Did you follow the conversations between Samson and Delilah in these verses? How stupid or arrogant can a man be? At least Delilah was an honest woman, she told him up front what she wanted to know and each time he toyed with her she called in the Philistines and revealed the desired Goal to him.
5. Can I tell you that this is the way sin works! The more you dabble, the duller you are. The more you try to rely on your own strength, the weaker you become. In the end, you vision is all but gone and you are willing to say and do anything THE ENEMY WANTS YOU TO DO!
C. WHEN VISION IS LOST.
1. Verse Seventeen is one of the saddest notes in our text. In this verse, we see Samson, now completely blind to the reality around him. What person in their right mind would betray himself to the enemy?
2. Once more, Delilah is true to form and Samson, now putty in her hand is betrayed in the hand of the enemy.
3. Verse 21 reveals the physical conclusion to a spiritual reality. It also reveals the reality of sin. It blinds, binds, and grinds.
ILLUSTRATION: FB Meyer wrote in his book, David, ¡§The greater the man, the dearer price he pays for a short season of sinful pleasure.¡¨
4. When Vision is lost, we can no longer find our way and others will lead us where we do not want to go.
SAMSON HAS NOW LOST HIS VIRTUE AND HIS VISION, WHAT MORE CAN SIN DO?
III. SAMSON LOST HIS VITALITY
A. When vitality is present.
1. What do you remember from your childhood of the Stories about Samson? What was it that made him so famous?
2. In chapter 14 verses 5 and 6, we read of Samson tearing a young lion apart with his bare hands. Now this is the kind of thing that will get you qualified for the tough man contest.
3. Verse 19 of chapter 14 tells that Rambo, I mean Samson killed 30 men all by himself, just because he did not want to pay the bookie off. This guy could have his own action figure.
4. Chapter 15 verse 15 is really Samson¡¦s claim to fame. With the Jawbone of a donkey he killed 1000 Philistines.
5. So just what is Vitality? Our text teaches it as a twofold reality. The First is that of unbelievable Strength. BUT, from where did the strength come?
6. Each time Samson was endued with Strength, it was because the Spirit of the Lord was upon him.
7. The Apostle Paul said, ¡§I can do everything through him who gives me strength (Ephesians 4:13).¡¨ Do you think he knew the story of Samson?
8. When vitality is present, GOD IS PRESENT IN POWER AND STRENGTH! HIS WILL IS ACCOMPLISHED!
B. When vitality is Lost
1. When we are drawn away after our own lusts, we can find all kinds of reasons to justify our actions. Samson kept flirting with Sin until he not only lost his vision, he lost his vitality!
2. Verse 19 tells the sad story. Delilah had a man come in and shave Samson¡¦s hair after she had put him to sleep. The verse ends with these words, ¡§And his strength left him.¡¨
3. If this isn¡¦t bad enough, verse 20 hits rock bottom. Samson awoke, thinking he was still the man he used to be, only to find that he was not. The sad endnote to this verse reads, ¡§But he did not know that the Lord had left him.¡¨
4. Sin is a silent killer. The deeper we go the greater its delusional power over us. Samson was so deceived that he had not even realized that he had pushed God right out of his life. The very presence of God was gone and Samson did not even feel it!
5. In the end Samson dies in the presence of his enemies. Yes, he took more with him, but Suicide ended up being his escape from his sin.
6. After the death of Samson, God no longer answered the prayers of his people for a leader. The book of Judges ends with Samson being the last judge and the children of Israel following after other gods, doing as they saw fit. They had no King! 7. What might have been the outcome of the book of Judges? What might have been the outcome of the Judge Samson? What if Samson would have followed in the plan that God had for him?
CONCLUSION: Samson lost his VIRTUE, his VISION, and ultimately his VITALITY. The cause, he chose self over God. He chose vice of virtue. He chose pleasure over principle. Samson Chose blindness over Vision, and bondage over freedom. How alike Samson are we? What is it that is leading us away from being all God has heralded us to be? What is it that is tempting us to give up with God uses as our Greatest strength? REPENTANCE IS THE KEY: A 180„a TURN WOULD HAVE MADE THE DIFFERENCE FOR SAMSON.
CLOSING HYMN #334 ¡§COME, YE SINNERS, POOR AND NEEDY¡¨ RON
BENEDICTION: 2 CORINTHIANS 13:14
