When Getting Even Does Not Get You Ahead

The sin that caused the elder brother of the prodigal son to be puffed up, pointing out what his wayward brother got and asserting what he, the faithful one, deserved.

The sin that caused Samson to fight whenever anybody crossed him.

It is a little sin that, if not controlled, can cause big damage.

This morning I want to talk about Samson's sin. I want to talk about the sin of pride.

A GOOD PRIDE AND A BAD PRIDE

Let me suggest that there is a good form of pride and a bad one.

Bad pride is the kind that God hates.

According to proverbs 6:16, God hates six things, and pride is the first.

Proverbs 6:16-19 (KJV) 16 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:

1. 17 A proud look,

2. a lying tongue,

3. hands that shed innocent blood,

4. 18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations,

5. feet that be swift running to mischief,

6. 19 A false witness that speaketh lies,

7. he that soweth discord among brethren.

But there is also good pride.

Good pride is the kind that makes you feel good about a job well done.

A bad pride stems from self-righteousness – look at what I did.

A bad-good pride stems from God's consciousness – look at what the Lord did for me.

At the heart of bad pride is the notion that I’m better than you, what I think is right and what you think is wrong.

At the heart of bad pride is the notion that I’m smarter and know more.

I am superior, and you are inferior.

A bad pride poses the arrogant question, “who are you?”

“Who are you to tell me?”

At the heart of bad pride is the notion, “Don’t you know who I am?”

Psalm 10:4 explains that the proud are so consumed with themselves that their thoughts are far from God:

“In his pride, the wicked does not seek him; in all his thoughts, there is no room for God.”

A proud man is so consumed with asserting his position; his superiority is his rightness that there is no room for God to reveal his wrongness.

Nobody is right all the time.

Nobody is smarter than everybody else all the time.

This kind of pride is the opposite of the spirit of humility:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3).

The “poor in spirit” recognize their utter spiritual bankruptcy and inability to come to God aside from His divine grace and mercy.

A humble man recognizes that God’s grace and mercy brought him through, and he can say that I’m living each moment because of you.

Proverbs 16:18-19 tells us that:

“pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.”

Why is pride so sinful?

Pride is a sin because it has kept many people from accepting Jesus Christ as their Savior.

Pride keeps us from admitting our sins and acknowledging that in our strength, we can do nothing to inherit eternal life.

Pride is giving ourselves credit for something that God has accomplished.

Pride is taking the glory that belongs to God alone and keeping it for ourselves.

Pride is essentially self-worship.

Anything we accomplish in this world would not have been possible without God enabling and sustaining us.

PRIDE AND ANGER GO TOGETHER

But I can’t talk about pride this morning without talking about his two first cousins.

If you think pride is bad, wait until he and his first cousins get together.

They are like peas in a pod.

When you see one, you are bound to see the others.

When pride shows up, his cousins are not far behind.

Pride’s first cousin is called anger.

Most of the sins in human life are either directly or indirectly

connected with pride and his cousin.

Pride will keep you from being saved.

Pride will cause you to lie to someone else to save yourself.

Pride will cause you to steal what belongs to somebody else because you think you deserve it – or her or him.

Pride and his cousin anger have gotten many people killed.

Pride and anger go together.

Pride says I didn’t get what I deserve. Therefore, his cousin's anger shows up.

Pride says you didn’t treat me right, and then his cousin anger emerges.

Pride says you didn’t listen to my opinion, accept my views, give me my props, and then anger shows up.

I said last week, and I believe that it is worth repeating:

Pride says:

I am better than you.

I make this much money.

I have a college degree.

This is my church.

I pulled myself up.

I got a good job.

I make a lot of money.

I am the president of that group.

I am the pastor of that church.

I am the head of that organization.

I, I, I,. . .

I can’t even walk without God holding my hand.

I can’t even breathe without God blowing the breath of life through me.

When pride and anger get together, they can make a physically strong man spiritually weak.

Pride sent Ahab to bed crying because he could get Naboth vineyard.

Pride cause David to kill Urriah so he can get Bathsheba.

Are you aware that most sins, including stealing, drunkenness, lying, etc.,

Cannot continue in hell. However, the Bible says an angry man will

continue to be angry even in hell; he will be gnashing or grinding his

teeth in anger even in hell (Mat 8:12).

Pride and anger go together.

At the heart of Samson’s downfall was the combination of pride and anger.

Pride and anger, if left unchecked, tend to pull in their third cousin, and his name is revenge.

ENCOUNTERING THE TEXT

It was pride, anger, and revenge that got Samson killed.

Have you ever the expression “revenge, oh sweet it is.”

Revenge is many things, but the sweetness is not one of them.

At the heart of revenge is the notion that when you get them back, you get ahead and win.

The foundation of revenge or justification for revenge is that getting them back will make me feel better.

But I want you to know that “Getting Even Will Not Get You Ahead.”

REVENGE, PRIDE, AND ANGER WILL GET YOU ISOLATED

Look at Samson! He got the Philistine back, but eventually, he ended up in the cave alone.

Do you notice that Samson did not have friends or companions, and the people he thought were on his side turned against him?

Every great figure in the Bible had a companion or someone to counsel them.

David had Jonathan as a friend and Nathan as a counselor.

Lot had Abraham as a mentor.

Paul had Barnabus as his spiritual Father.

Job had his friends as counselors – they gave bad counsel, but they were at least there for him.

Moses had Joshua to succeed him.

Joshua had Aaron accompany him.

Jesus had his disciples beside him.

But Samson had no one.

We read in verse 8 that after he got through fighting the Philistines.

And even his people turned.

Judah turned him over to the Philistines to save themselves.

Don’t be surprised if you end up in a cave all by yourself if everything causes you to get angry.

Don’t be surprised if you end up in a cave all by yourself if pride, anger, and revenge are leading you instead of the Holy Spirit. Anger will always lead you in the wrong direction.

Revenge will cause you to be isolated.

REVENGE WILL CAUSE YOU TO DO FOOLISH THINGS

Revenge will cause you to do foolish things.

When Samson’s wife told them his secrets, he lost a bet. He then traveled 30 miles to kill someone else to steal their clothes to pay off his bet.

Anger will cause you to do foolish things. Getting even does not get you ahead.

When Samson discovered that his bride had told his secret, he got angry and went home to live with momma and daddy – the same momma and daddy that told him not to marry that woman.

Anger will cause you to do foolish things. Getting even does not get you ahead.

When he went home to live with momma and daddy, his Father in law assumed that he did want his daughter, so he gave Samson’s bride to the best man instead.

Some of us watch soap operas for entertainment but read your Bible if you want to see drama.

Getting even does not get you ahead. It causes you to do foolish things.

When Samson found out that the Father in law had given her to the best man, he got angry and tied the tales of 300 foxes together and sent them running through the town and burned up their harvest.

When the Philistines discovered he had done this, they killed the father-in-law and daughter to pay Samson back.

When Samson heard this, he took the jawbone of a donkey and defeated their army.

Revenge is many things, but the sweetness is not one of them.

Getting even will get you many things, but it does not get you ahead.

Revenge does not get you ahead. Revenge causes you to do foolish things.

In verse # 7, Samson says when I get through, it will be over.

When it comes to revenge, it is never over.

Violence begets violence.

Revenge spirals until it is out of control.

Some people feel justified in seeking revenge.

I heard a story the other day about a man and his wife getting divorced. Out of revenge, he bulldozed over the house so she could not have it. He then stated that he was justified because he got a permit to bulldoze the house.

You may have a license to do wrong, but you don’t have the right to do wrong.

Revenge escalates until it's out of control.

Tit for tat.

You kill my dog; I’ll kill your cat.

Mahatma Gandhi said, “an eye for an eye leaves everybody blind.”

In verse 11, he says, I am going to do to them as they have done unto me. Samson has been wronged, so he seeks vengeance, and the Philistine decides that he is going to pay him back.

Getting even will not get you ahead.

Getting even will get isolated. Getting even will get you and cause you to do foolish things.

GETTING EVEN WILL INTERFERE WITH YOUR WORSHIP

Revenge, anger, and pride will interfere with your worship.

This is one of the most striking things about Samson’s life.

He was:

1. Handpicked by God,

2. Raised by righteous parents who loved the Lord,

3. Shaped in his formative years according to disciplines of the Nazirite vow, moved by God’s spirit,

4. Given courage and strength to fight the Lord’s battle,

Yet not once do we see any indication that he had meaningful devotional life.

Not once do we see him worshipping the Lord.

Not once do we hear him singing praises. In verse number 16, he sang praises to himself for what he had done.

As far as we know, he didn’t even pray unless he was in desperate trouble.

The reason Samson didn’t worship God is that worship is, ultimately, an act of humility.

When you bow before the Lord, you acknowledge that He is greater than you.

When you bow before the Lord, you’re confessing your weakness.

You’re admitting that you need His help.

Proud people like Samson have a hard time doing that.

Notice the first time he prays in verse 18; he prays for himself because he is thirsty.

The next time he prayed in chapter 16, he prayed for strength to fight his enemies.

Only when he suffered in the flesh was he ready to give God the glory.

Only when he got mad was he willing to fight for God.

He did pray to tell the Lord thank you. He prayed because his back was up against the wall.

When he was down, he called on the Lord; when he was up, he served himself.

BUT LOOK AT GOD!

Samson didn’t pray because he loved the Lord. He prayed when thirsty, but God gave him water and revived his spirit.

God honored him, even though he was wrong.

Samson was chosen to be a deliverer, but he was defective.

God chose him to be his people's Savior, but he was a lover of himself.

God called him to perform a very important task, but he was an imperfect vessel.

Look at somebody seated next to you and tell them you aren’t perfect.

Now tell the person next who told you that you are not perfect, “you ain’t perfect either.”

Imperfect people have no business throwing stones.

Imperfect people have no right to point fingers.

Imperfect people have no right to be prideful.

Imperfect people are not justified in their anger.

And after God blessed him, he was still selfish.

He named the place “the whale of one who cries.”

He does not name it after God.

He named it in honor of his own needs.

How could God use a man like Samson?

He was a defective deliverer.

He was an imperfect vessel.

But the story is not about the acceptability of Samson; it is about the extraordinary power of God.

God can use weak people. God can work through an imperfect vessel like Samson.

Getting even will not get you ahead.

You are so busy trying to win that you fail to see what you are losing.

You are so busy trying to be right that you are blinded to your wrong.

Despite Samson’s waywardness, God still got his way.

Samson’s plotting did not get in the way of God’s plan.

Despite his anger, spite of his pride, and his revenge-seeking, God still got the glory. But to use Samson, God had to work around him.

CELEBRATION

Pride says I know everything.

But I have learned that when you get to the point when you can say that I don’t know anything, then God does not have to work around you; he can work through you.

When you get to the point when you can say I don’t understand,

I can’t fix it,

I can’t handle it,

I can’t pick myself up,

That’s the point where God steps in.

But as long as you are your own God.

God has to work around you instead of through you.

You have to humble yourself.

I remember Job said – he said that I heard you with my ears, but now I see you with my eyes.

You see, in the Bible, the eyes represent understanding.

Many people hear the sermon and the Word of God but don’t understand because their pride gets in the way.

Many people have heard sermons about love; pride keeps them from understanding how to love.

Many people have heard sermons about forgiveness, but anger keeps them from understanding how to forgive.

Why? Because the Word of God is in their heads, but it's not in their hearts yet.

And when the Word gets out of their head and gets into their heart, they will not only hear with their ears but also understand it in their spirits.

Let me say it differently. You can hear the sermon but still be lost. You can come to church without coming to Jesus.

You can go to the worship service but never have a worship experience.

When the Word gets out of your head and in your heart, you understand better by and by the things you thought you understood.

I don’t care how often you go to church or how many times you show up for Bible study; you can attend Sunday school every Sunday, but if it's not in your heart, it's not going to do you any good.

And if the Word of God gets into your heart, there will be a change after a while.

If the Word gets into your heart, there will be a change in your life.

The Word will cause you to repent.

But are you aware that before you can repent, you have to confess?

But to confess, you have to humble yourself.

Pride will keep you from confessing your sins.

And that presents a real problem for some people.

Some people are so perfect that they have never done anything wrong.

Ever met anybody like that?

I don’t mind telling you that I have made many life mistakes and am not afraid to tell you.

And the Word says that we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God, but the gift of God is eternal life.

When you agree with what the Word says, repentance begins. After you agree, you turn around and go in the other direction.

Getting even will not get you ahead.

People may talk about you like a dog.

They may turn their backs on him.

But don’t get even, because whatever you so, that also shall you reap.

Rather them get them back, take them to the Lord.

Has anybody ever been there?

You prayed for the folks that did you wrong.

Don’t talk about them, don’t fight against them, pray for them, pray for them, pray for them.

And if you pray for them, God will bless you.

Pray!

Talk about you, pray.

Stab you in the back, pray.

Lied on you, pray.

Don’t half speak to you, pray.

Gossip about you, pray.

Scandalize your name, pray.

And the Bible says that God turned Job’s situation when he prayed for his friends.

Oh, there is still power in the Word of Prayer.

And how many of you realize that when you pray for somebody else, you get blessed in the process?

When you witness to someone else, you get blessed in return.

When you reach out to someone else, you lift in return.

But I don’t know about you; God has been too good to me to give up now.

He brought me a mighty long way.

And I’m not going to let this world steal my joy,

he can’t destroy my faith,

he can’t kill my spirit,

he can’t sap my sap,

because I realize that in the end, God will give me double for my trouble.

For all the nights I couldn’t sleep – he’s going to let me sleep just a bit better and a little longer.

For all the friends I lost, God’s going to give two to replace the one, and they are not going to be a so-called friends – they are going to be real friends.

For all the money you’ve lost when you lost your Job – God’s going to give you a better job with better benefits.

He gave Job double what he had before.

God’s going to give you double for your trouble.

I came to tell that despite the old sapsucker and because of my Savior, I still got joy after all I’ve been through.

Joy in the morning when I wake up.

Joy when I lay down to go to sleep at night.

Joy when I’m sick

Joy when I’m well

Joy when I have friends

Joy when I don’t

Joy in poverty

Joy in prosperity

Joy in good times

Joy in the bad times

Because the joy of the Lord is my strength

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