ARE YOU STRONG OR WEAK ?
By : Ng Wah Lok
Text : 1 Sam 16:6-7, Gal 5:22-26, Judges 16
When Samuel was sent to anoint the new king of Israel, he learned that God’s measure of a person was different than man’s.
1 Samuel 16:6-7 – When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, "Surely the LORD’s anointed stands here before the LORD." 7But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."
The same is true today. God’s measure of a Christian is often different than that applied by many people.
A. Wrong way to measure the strength of a believer
1. Attendance at the services of the church.
2. Participation in church activities.
3. Leadership abilities.
At most, these are only indicators that the person may be a strong Christian but we cannot conclude conclusively just based on these external indicators.
Illustration.
a. Companies – ENRON, Bank Bumi – good accounts and cash flow. But the company was rotting inside and people could hide losses in their books.
b. Buildings – eg Petronas Towers – One of the Tallest Twin Towers – but remember the foundation is not seen. It is deep.
- Learn for Discovery – Extreme Engineering.
The problem with this type of “measurement” in 1-3 is that we are evaluating strength from external factors. But God evaluates strength by external factors. I Sam 16:6-7
B. Correct way to measure the strength of a believer.
Galatians 5:22-26 Gal 5:22-26 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
1. Does the person has the life of the Holy Spirit ?
- Spiritual activity inside the person – prayer life, word, worship, operate in gifts
2. Does the person have fruit of the Holy Spirit ?
- Love , joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.
- Character is more important than gifts themselves
- Fruit speak of an inner change in our lives
Illustration.
Young people – follow their parents to church when they are young. But if they do not encounter God when they are young, they will not be in church when they are old
Vision for young people- as big as our Sunday Service.
Meekness – strength under control . Eg Jesus and Moses was considered meek.
- Moses opened the red sea.
- Jesus at the garden of Gathsemane healed the man’s ear.
Reformation from the inside leads to
transformation on the outside.
Let us look at some examples of strength and weakness from the Bible.
1. STRONG MAN WHO BECAME WEAK : SAMSON
Strength of Samson – slays a thousand Philistines with a jaw bone
Judg 15:16 Then Samson said:"With the jawbone of a donkey, Heaps upon heaps, With the jawbone of a donkey I have slain a thousand men!"
Judges 16:1 – goes for a harlot named
Judges 16:4 – Loves a Philistine woman named Delilah
Judges 16:6 – Samson flirted around with the source of his strength
Judg 16:6 So Delilah said to Samson, "Please tell me where your great strength lies, and with what you may be bound to afflict you."
a) v7 – bind me with 7 fresh bow strings.
b) V11 – bind me with new ropes that has never been used.
c) V13 – Weave 7 locks of my head into the web of the loom
d) V17 – If I am shaven, my strength will leave me.
Samson flirts with his strength. You can notice that is his third revelation, he allowed his hair to be touched. It came closer and closer to the source of his strength. Finally at Delilah’s fourth attempt, he revealed the true source of his strength.
When God departed from Samson, all his strength was gone.
Judg 16:20 And she said, "The Philistines are upon you, Samson!" So he awoke from his sleep, and said, "I will go out as before, at other times, and shake myself free!" But he did not know that the LORD had departed from him.
When we lose the life of the Holy Spirit inside us, our strength disappears.
The saving grace in Samson’s life was that God forgave him of his sin and his strength returned and he could push down a large pillar. In his death, he killed more Philistines than all of his lifetime
Judg 16:30-31 Then Samson said, "Let me die with the Philistines!" And he pushed with all his might, and the temple fell on the lords and all the people who were in it. So the dead that he killed at his death were more than he had killed in his life. And his brothers and all his father’s household came down and took him, and brought him up and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of his father Manoah. He had judged Israel twenty years.
2. WEAK MAN THAT BECAME STRONG : DAVID
1 Samuel 16:10-11
– David was the youngest in the family.
- He was merely a shepherd boy
At this point of time, David was regarded as a “nobody” and “weak”.
1 Sam 16:10-11 Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, "The LORD has not chosen these."11 And Samuel said to Jesse, "Are all the young men here?" Then he said, "There remains yet the youngest, and there he is, keeping the sheep."
1 Sam 16:13
- Anointed with a horn of oil.
- Spirit of the Lord came on him
1 Sam 16: 13 So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came upon David in power. Samuel then went to Ramah.
1 Sam 17 – David slays Goliath and cuts off his head.
The secret to David’s life is in his walk with God and especially his worship.
a) 1 Sam 16:18, 23 – speaks of David being a very anointed in his worship.
As David’s life grew strong, another strong man, King Saul grew weak.
1 Sam 16:14 Now the Spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD tormented him.
Conclusion.
A. Wrong way to measure the strength of a believer ( external measure)
1. Attendance at services of the church.
2. Participation in church activities.
3. Leadership abilities.
B. Correct way to measure the strength of a believer.
1. Does the person has the life of the Holy Spirit ?
2. Does the person have fruit of the Holy Spirit ?
1. STRONG MAN WHO BECAME WEAK : SAMSON
- flirted with his strength and life of the Holy Spirit
- Spirit departed from him.
2. WEAK MAN THAT BECAME STRONG : DAVID
- Life of the Holy Spirit – prayer , worship, word of God.
