The Temple Of Doom

THE TEMPLE OF DOOM

Judges 16:18-30

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR

1. Two men who lived in a small village got into a terrible dispute that they could not resolve. So they decided to talk to the town sage. The first man went to the sage’s home and told his version of what happened. When he finished, the sage said, "You’re absolutely right."

2. The next night, the second man called on the sage and told his side of the story. The sage responded, "You’re absolutely right."

3. Afterward, the sage’s wife scolded her husband. "Those men told you two different stories and you told them they were absolutely right. That’s impossible—they can’t both be absolutely right." The sage turned to his wife and said, "You’re absolutely right."

4. LESSON: Some people really like to avoid a conflict. It’s not always possible.

B. TEMPLES OF DOOM

1. THE MOVIE. Set in 1935, professor, archaeologist, and legendary hero Indiana Jones was back in action in his second adventure, Indiana Jones & the Temple of Doom. After fleeing from Chinese gangsters, Indy and his sidekicks crash-land their plane in India and enter a small distressed village. There a village elder tells them of the theft of three stones of magic power and the disappearance of the village’s children – all taken to a gigantic mountaintop palace. Under the palace Indy finds a vast underground system of caverns that lead to an ancient terrorist cult long thought dead, whose center is The Temple of Doom! A great showdown ensues where Indy and his friends are involved in a shootout, a runaway mine car, the collapse of an underground dam, and at a rope bridge that threatens to kill Indy, his friends, and the cult. Indy ultimately rescues the lost children, wins the girl, and conquers the Temple of Doom.

2. THE REAL TEMPLE OF DOOM IN THE BIBLE. There’s a Temple of Doom in the Bible that’s not the creation of Hollywood or myth, but history. This actual story, unlike the movie, is tragic because it tells of both victory and defeat.

3. And this Biblical Temple of Doom has reference to our own lives as it represents the bitter struggle between the flesh and the spirit. The death of the carnal “self” in Samson & us means the genesis of the spiritual, self-sacrificing life that is pleasing to God. Let’s look at the Book of Judges and be reminded of the story.

C. TEXT

18 When Delilah saw that he had told her everything, she sent word to the rulers of the Philistines….20He [Samson] awoke from his sleep and thought, "I'll go out as before and shake myself free." But he did not know that the LORD had left him. 21 Then the Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes and took him down to Gaza. Binding him with bronze shackles, they set him to grinding in the prison. 22 But the hair on his head began to grow again after it had been shaved. 23 Now the rulers of the Philistines assembled to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god…saying, "Our god has delivered Samson, our enemy, into our hands." 25 While they were in high spirits, they shouted, "Bring out Samson to entertain us." So they called Samson out of the prison, and he performed for them. When they stood him among the pillars, 26 Samson said to the servant who held his hand, "Put me where I can feel the pillars that support the temple, so that I may lean against them." 27 Now the temple was crowded…all the rulers of the Philistines were there, and on the roof were about three thousand men and women….28 Then Samson prayed to the LORD, "O Sovereign LORD, remember me. O God, please strengthen me just once more, and let me with one blow get revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes." 29 Then Samson reached toward the two central pillars….Bracing himself against them, his right hand on the one and his left hand on the other, 30 Samson said, "Let me die with the Philistines!" Then he pushed with all his might, and down came the temple on the rulers and all the people in it. Thus he killed many more when he died than while he lived.

D. TITLE & THESIS:

WE REFER TO THIS PLACE AS “THE TEMPLE OF DOOM” BECAUSE IT’S WHERE…

I. WHERE DOOM CAME ON SAMSON

A. SAMSON STARTED OFF GOOD

1. Samson was a CHILD OF PROMISE; promised from God in answer to prayers prayed by the Israelites for deliverance from the Philistines, who had oppressed them 30 years.

2. Samson was a MIRACLE CHILD, because his parents were way past child-bearing age, and his mother was barren.

3. Samson was CONSECRATED AS A NAZARITE, by special covenant and was announced as a Israel’s Deliverer before he was born.