"Fool Me Twice" Judges 16:1-22

 

This story from Samson’s life is one of the best known Bible stories. We may think that Sampson was a dimwit and in many ways we would be right. Yet in Sampson we find common ground, a fatal flaw, which we all have.

People don’t want to repent of sin they want to manage it.
Sampson get some pleasure out of breaking free of the Philistines.
Vs 20 like all the other times I will shake myself free.
4 tries to get him

Those who fail to study history and learn from it are doomed to repeat it.
If you always do what you’ve always done, you will always get what you have always got.
Insanity is doing the same thing over and expecting different results.
2 Peter 2:20-22
Hebrews 6:4-8

How can we effect change in our lives?
look at where it takes you.
Make a decision to repent.
Take steps to not return there.
Enlist the help of godly people.

Judges 15: 1-20

Samson is the reluctant judge. Given great strength by God yet instead of delivering Israel from the Philistines he is out partying with them. So God sets events in motion to force Samson hand. This set of strange set of events are the work of God through the choices of men. If we look at them, we find that God is using the choices of men to bring judgement to the world today.

1.       The anger of Samson
a. leaving the wedding
b. she married the best man
c. 300 foxes terrorist attacks
d. a deal gone bad
e. 100 men with a jaw bone

2.       God in control
a. omnipotent, omniscience, omnipresent.
b. Providence
c. Job 12:23 Psalm 22:28 psalm 33:10
d. a world of terror, mass shootings, Americas longest war
e. global warming, fires, earthquakes and powerful storms
f. political events, protest
g. wake up world!
h. 1960 turmoil and 1970 revival

3.       What can we do with this information
a. self-exam
b. a God exam
c. share the good news
d. God’s desire is that none should perish
e. John 12:47, 1 peter 3:15, rom 5:8, John 3:16&17
f. is the final judgement coming soon?
g. Matthew 24:36, 2 peter 3:9

h. be ready and save as many as you can

Judges 14:15-18 “Fool Me Once”

Judges 14:15-18 “Fool Me Once”

I am doing pre-marriage counseling with a couple. The woman has been married 3 times. I asked her what had happened to the other 3 marriages. She said the first divorce she was sure was his fault, the second divorce she thought she might have some responsibility. After the third divorce she came to realize she might be doing something wrong. Her fourth marriage didn’t last a month.

We like to think we are different than other people, stronger, smarter, the traps that catch other people’s lives will not catch us. We can text and drive and still be safe because we know what we are doing.

Sampson is playing a dangerous game. Samson is getting married to a Philistine. Her clan does not seem to be fighting the Israelites but they are surrounded by those who are. Oh mom those rules about marriage don’t apply to me because I’m Samson. Then he starts playing with them, with his little riddle game.

Unknown to Samson is the fact the forces of evil are working behind the scenes to get at him. They threaten his wife’s family to win the game.

1 Corinthians 15:33 (NIV2011)
³³  Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”

Proverbs 6:27 (NIV2011)
²⁷  Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned?

 

Matthew 6:22-24 (NIV2011)
²²  “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. ²³  But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
²⁴  “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

 

1 Peter 5:8 (NIV2011)
⁸  Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

In the 1950’s we started a game with the Soviet Union, each of us building and refining nuclear weapons with the philosophy of deterrent. Assured destruction would prevent war. But it did not. Even worse is that no one ever conceived what would happen if those weapons where to fall into the hands of people who were willing to blow themselves up for their cause. Also no one ever considered that once these weapons were created there would be no way to truly destroy them.

We will see that Sampson will not stop playing his deadly games with the Philistines and it will bring him more pain than loosing a bet. Oh is Samson would have had someone he would listen to tell him to stop playing with fire.

The Good news is that Jesus has made it possible to stop playing the game. What ever the trap whatever the game we can choose to stop, turn around before any more damage gets done.

This is the good news for you, for your family and for the people you meet, Jesus makes something different possible. Jesus offers all of us and all of them, a new way and a new life. This is Jesus’ message to the world and your message to the world as well.

Judges 14:3 “Right in My Eyes”

Judges 14:3 “Right in My Eyes”

We used to live in the Land of the Christians. But today we live in the land of the Philistines. We used to take basic morals as the norm. But today we live in a country of relative morality, and relative truth. Even many churches are compromised by the values of the world around them. The reason for it is found in the words of Samson, “She is right in my own eyes”

1.       The people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord
a. servants to the Philistines
b. each doing what was right in their own eyes or mind
c. left God’s way behind

 

2.       Samson
a. no vision or message from God
b. No seeking the will of God
c. Samson knows that the Israelites are not to intermarry
d. right in my own eyes
e. behind the scenes God is at work

 

3.       What if…
a. What if Samson lived a holy life?
b. What if he chose to Lead Israel by the Spirit God gave him.
c. What if he had lead Israel to do what was right in Gods’ eyes and not their own.

 

4.       The United States has left God behind.
a. Embezzlement, identity theft, fraud, robberies
b. Biblical values of sex only between a man and woman who are married, sex with everyone and anyone.
c. twisted minds carrying out mass shootings
d. ordinary people carrying guns in their pockets and purses
e. doing what is right in their own eyes

 

5.       Ephesians 4:17-24
a. futility of their minds and thinking.
b. Christians living in disobedience to God
c. You cannot play with sin and not get burned.
d. sinful things we have done are seared into our hearts and minds forever.

 

6.       But there is hope
a. Make a commitment not to live by your own eyes but by God’s
c. Pray for the revival of our community and our nation.
d. Encourage those around you to be transformed by God.
e. if you have never made a decision….

Judges 13:2-5 “The Man of Promise”

Judges 13:2-5 “The Man of Promise”

In the town where I grew up is a hydroelectric plant on the river. In a neighboring town of Midland Two massive companies, Dow Chemical, and Dow Corning gobbled up power. A decision to provide power for future growth was made and a nuclear power plant was started. The promise of job expansion made the future look bright. The old Hydro plant feel into neglect, and the Nuclear plant feel victim to protesters and construction scandals. There is now a half completed Nuclear plant in Midland, and a leaking dam in Sanford, where I grew up. The promise of power, the promise of jobs, the promise of the future all lost to mismanagement.

This is the story of Sampson in the book of Judges. I will take several weeks to look at His story for in it we can find the story of our lives, our church, even our country.

We start with verse 1 and The recurring theme of Judges, “the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord”. The people who have all the promise of God cannot stop from doing evil. They trade in God’s sure win game plan for one of their own. The result is the rise of the Philistines. In the midst of oppression by the Philistines God sends a deliverer, Sampson.

1.       Manoah
a. barren wife
b. a special child
c. a Nazirite (to separate) to separate yourself for God
d. Samson’s mother is not to drink wine or eat unclean food.
e. Samson is to never cut his hair.

2.       Paul makes this kind of vow Acts 18:18
a. they offer a sacrifice
b. pay a vow price to get their head shaved
c. upon completion of the vow their hair is cut by the priest and burned on the alter.

3.       God has set Samson apart
a. Samson’s power is in his being separated to God (Holy)
b. all of God’s power was available to him.

4.       We are the people of promise
a. Matthew 16:18 the gates of Hell shall not….
b. John 1:12 to all who believe

c. Romans 8:17
d. Romans 1:16

5. Midland
a. three-mile island
b. protest
c. embezzlement
d. even sabotage

Like Sampson we are a church dedicated to God! Like Sampson we possess the promise of God to deliver people from their oppressors. Our nation has been blessed with great power that comes from God. Our nation holds hope for all the world. How we use this power, that promise, will not just effect our lives but the lives of all who live around us. Will we deliver hope, power, forgiveness and light to our darkened world? Or will we be a half finished edifice to our failure? How will we use the power of God?

Judges 11:29-40 “What You Vow”

Judges 11:29-40 “What You Vow”

Two men in the life raft…..

We make vows all the time. We take a vow to be a good church member, to serve and support the church. We take Vows to become an Elder, Deacon, or Pastor. We take a vow when we join the military, testify in court, get married and many more. Some vows are spoken while others are written. Some are solemn, serious, even mystical, while others are flippant. In this passage we find the seriousness with which God takes our vows to Him, even the foolish ones.

Jephthah is the son of Gilead and a prostitute who is raised by Gilead’s wife. But when his half-brothers grow up they kick him out of the family. Doing so they cheat him out of his inheritance. Later when the brothers need a warrior to defeat the Ammonites the brothers come back and ask Jephthah lead them into battle. Jephthah forgives them and takes up the mantle of leadership with all seriousness for He is a man of his word.

1.       Jephthah’s vow
a. if they win….
b. and they do…….
c. Jephthah fulfills his word at the breaking of his heart.

2.       Vows in the Bible
a. Ex 24:3 “everything the Lord has spoken we will do
b. Samson’s mother and Samuel’s mother
c. Ananias and Sapphira Acts 5

3.       People of the Word and people of your word
a. God wants us to be people of our word
b. Number 30:2, Deut 23:23, Ecc 5:4, Ps 22:25
c. Mal 3:8
d. Mat 12:36
e. Matt 5:33-38
f. be careful to do all you vow to the Lord.

4.       God keeps His promises
a. I will never leave you or forsake you Heb 13:5
b. I go to prepare a place for you. John 14:3
c. If you confess your sin 1 John 1:9
d. At the table Matthew 26-29

Jephthah was a person of his word even at the cost of his daughter’s life. God calls us to be people of our word. When we are people of our word God and people take notice. Today also God has made you a promise. No matter what happens in life you can always trust God’s word, you can always come to Him, His words of forgiveness and love are words you can trust.

Judges 8:22-28 Gideon’s Snare

Judges 8:22-28 Gideon’s Snare

Great people often fail. Gideon has won great battles and saved Israel from it enemies. The people want to make him king. Gideon refuses with “The Lord will Rule over you.” This is strange considering Gideon’s next move. In our walk with Jesus we have victories. In the midst of victory another danger waits to catch us.

Gideon request Gold for an Ephod. It could be pride or some other reason but God did not tell him to do it.

Ephod was a breast plate, Though the word is used of clothing as well as something that could be hung up and used as an idol.

Gideon’s ephod weighed in over 42 lbs.

Elvis Presley was famous for costumes they started in at 42 lbs. and went as high as 75 lbs.

Gideon sets up this breast plate in his town for all to see. Israel is soon worshiping it.

The ephod becomes a snare, a trophy of sorts to honor Gideon’s victories.

God cut the army so Gideon and all Israel would know who had won the battles.

God knew Gideon’s heart..

Romans 11:17-22

Romans 12:3

King Saul falls to spoils of war and vanity

David falls to Lust and power

Solomon falls to wealth, power and women

Ephesians 6:10-18

Our victories come by Grace and the Holy Spirit. Thank God for the victories great and small. Thank Him for the things He has done and the things He has yet to do.