“God’s plan with God’s man”
Title: “God’s plan with God’s man”
FCF: questioning God’s means and methods
D-Theme: God’s plan with God’s man
M-Thrust: as God’s called we must surrender to His mercy
App: Since it is God’s plan with God’s man we must surrender to His mercy as God’s called
Comment: a few favorable comments @ Melrose—but Tony said a loud amen when I suggested that maybe some were weary with the series
Subject: God’s sovereignty
Date: 07-01-28.01
Text: Judges 14:1-20
1Now Samson went down to Timnah, and saw a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines. 2So he went up and told his father and mother, saying, “I have seen a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines; now therefore, get her for me as a wife.” 3Then his father and mother said to him, “Is there no woman among the daughters of your brethren, or among all my people, that you must go and get a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?” And Samson said to his father, “Get her for me, for she pleases me well.” 4But his father and mother did not know that it was of the Lord—that He was seeking an occasion to move against the Philistines. For at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel. 5So Samson went down to Timnah with his father and mother, and came to the vineyards of Timnah. Now to his surprise, a young lion came roaring against him. 6And the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and he tore the lion apart as one would have torn apart a young goat, though he had nothing in his hand. But he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done. 7Then he went down and talked with the woman; and she pleased Samson well. 8After some time, when he returned to get her, he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion. And behold, a swarm of bees and honey were in the carcass of the lion. 9He took some of it in his hands and went along, eating. When he came to his father and mother, he gave some to them, and they also ate. But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey out of the carcass of the lion. 10So his father went down to the woman. And Samson gave a feast there, for young men used to do so. 11And it happened, when they saw him, that they brought thirty companions to be with him. 12Then Samson said to them, “Let me pose a riddle to you. If you can correctly solve and explain it to me within the seven days of the feast, then I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothing. 13But if you cannot explain it to me, then you shall give me thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothing.” And they said to him, “Pose your riddle, that we may hear it.” 14So he said to them: “Out of the eater came something to eat, And out of the strong came something sweet.” Now for three days they could not explain the riddle. 15But it came to pass on the seventh day that they said to Samson’s wife, “Entice your husband, that he may explain the riddle to us, or else we will burn you and your father’s house with fire. Have you invited us in order to take what is ours? Is that not so?” 16Then Samson’s wife wept on him, and said, “You only hate me! You do not love me! You have posed a riddle to the sons of my people, but you have not explained it to me.” And he said to her, “Look, I have not explained it to my father or my mother; so should I explain it to you?” 17Now she had wept on him the seven days while their feast lasted. And it happened on the seventh day that he told her, because she pressed him so much. Then she explained the riddle to the sons of her people. 18So the men of the city said to him on the seventh day before the sun went down: “What is sweeter than honey? And what is stronger than a lion?” And he said to them: “If you had not plowed with my heifer, You would not have solved my riddle!” 19Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon him mightily, and he went down to Ashkelon and killed thirty of their men, took their apparel, and gave the changes of clothing to those who had explained the riddle. So his anger was aroused, and he went back up to his father’s house. 20And Samson’s wife was given to his companion, who had been his best man.
• Introduction
• 2006 was a year of surprises for Sylvester Stallone. First, he many by resurrecting his hero, Rocky Balboa, for one last film. And while promoting the film, Stallone shocked Christians with the revelation that his faith in Jesus Christ had not only impacted the writing of the first Rocky film, but also his decision to create the final movie was inspired by his renewed commitment to Christ.
• “I was raised in a Catholic home, a Christian home. And I went to Catholic schools and I was taught the faith and went as far as I could with it. Until one day, I got out into the so-called real world, and I was presented with temptation. I kinda, like, lost my way and made a lot of bad choices.”
• Those bad choices ultimately left him unsatisfied so that he was increasingly drawn back into his Christian heritage. “The more I go to church,” he said, “and the more I turn myself over to the process of believing in Jesus and listening to his Word and having him guide my hand, I feel as though the pressure is off me now.”
• As part of his transformation, Stallone realized another poor choice that had guided his previous life: self-reliance. “You need to have the expertise and the guidance of someone else,” he said. “You cannot train yourself. I feel the same way about Christianity and about what the church is: The church is the gym of the soul.” [1]
• When I was a young boy Samson was my Bible hero…
• I had one of those picture book bibles…
• That told the stories primarily with pictures…
• And I was always fascinated with Samson’s great strength…
• And how he pulled that building down…
• Able to push the pillars out from under the roof…
• But as I’ve grown older becoming a student of the Bible…
• The image of Samson in my mind has become tarnished…
• For I find in him a man operating out of wrong motive…
• Serving his flesh and carnal purposes/desires…
• Rather than serving and building the Kingdom of God…
• For many in my generation Sylvester Stallone is the same…
• A man who portrayed the unlikely hero Rocky Balboa…
• But with a personal and private life less than desirable…
• And for many who observe from a distance…
• Who have worked hard to instill values and morals…
• We wonder why they have taken the course they have…
• We wonder where God is in the processes of their lives…
• We might begin questioning God’s means and methods…
• Take for instance this story of Samson from Judges 14…
• How is God @ work in this man…?
• How is he accomplishing his divine purposes…?
• No one in the text is questioning God’s means and methods…
• But we read this story sensing that in it is displayed…
• God’s plan with God’s man…
• We know it is God’s plan…
• The angel of the Lord came to visit Manoah and his wife…
• We know he is God’s man…
• He is a Nazirite from birth…
• But how does Samson’s life and exploits glorify God…
• And how does his life help us to live ours for God’s glory…
• And I believe the answer is in the display of God’s mercy…
• And as God’s called we must surrender to His mercy…
• But you know that we can’t surrender to his mercy…
• Until we see it in even the most unlikely circumstances…
• So we will look first at…
• God’s Means
• And by God’s means I intend…
• How a result is obtained or an end is achieved
• …method, a course of action, or an instrument by which an act can be accomplished or an end achieved. [2]
• So for us to begin to understand God’s means…
• We must have a look @ what end he has in view…
• …what is God’s end for Israel here in Samson’s day…?
• Is it not for them to worship God and him alone…?
• To serve the Lord and be found faithful…?
• For Israel to be blameless and righteous and holy…?
• What is God’s purpose now in the light of the cross…?
2 Peter 3:9
9The Lord is not …willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
John 3:17
17For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
John 6:40
40And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”
• God’s purpose is that men and women be saved…
• That they come to the knowledge of eternal life…
• That they know Jesus Christ…
• That they repent of their sin…
• That they go to heaven when they die avoiding hell…
• And what was the means God used for that purpose…?
• What method, course of action, or instrument
• Did God choose to achieve the end he had in view…?
• It was the cross of Jesus Christ…!
• Which for those in the world who have understanding…
• Is absolute foolishness…
• Why on earth would God choose to execute his own Son…
• Offering him as a sacrifice for sin…
• In the most heinous way imaginable…?
• It is absolute foolishness…!
• Isn’t that what Paul wrote in…
1st Corinthians 1:18
18…the message of the cross is foolishness to [the] perishing…
• And so might it be when we look @ the story of Samson…
• With his long hair and his wild women and hot temper…
• How is it that God is accomplishing his end—his purpose…
• Through such a man…?
• Couldn’t he have found someone better…
• More sophisticated—more refined—more committed…?
• Wouldn’t there have been more wisdom in someone else…
• Someone we could look to and relate to…
• Someone more educated—polished—whatever…?
• But isn’t that exactly the point…?
• God will use the means that most often is opposite…
• What we think is or should be…
• Saying…
1st Corinthians 1:20
20Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
• And God does that so his mercy will be on display…
• So that God’s called would surrender to His mercy…
• But we struggle to surrender to his mercy…
• Until we see it—even the most unlikely circumstances…
• So now we will look at…
• God’s Methods
• God’s means can include his method…
• But his method is slightly different…
• For it is the plans followed to accomplish a goal[3]
• The means might speak more to the objects used…
• Whereas His method is the plans followed or used…
• Have you ever questioned God’s methods…?
• Have you ever wondered how it is he was @ work…?
• Have you ever wondered what his plan was for you…
• Or if he even had a plan thinking if this was his plan…
• Then in your opinion it really wasn’t a good one…?
• What was God’s plan in having Samson marry a Philistine…?
• How could it be that this was of the Lord…?
• How is this going to give the Lord an occasion…
• To move against the Philistines…?
• What was God’s plan in having Samson kill a lion
• And violating his Nazirite vow …
• When he took of the honey giving some to his parents…?
• If you were an Israelite in those days observing…
• Would you have wondered about what God’s plan was…?
• Why throw a big party for your enemy…?
• Why offer them the riddle…?
• Where is all of this heading…?
• And how is this man whose priorities seem so out of whack…
• Whose passions seem so out of control…
• And whose promises seem to be so unimportant…
• How is this guy supposed to be an example to us…
• Of godliness and righteous living…
• And how, just how God are you going to use him…?
• But you see the end in view for Israel is God’s mercy…
• And the end in view for you and I is God’s mercy…
• Because it is God’s mercy—his kindness and his goodness…
• That leads us to repentance…
• It is his mercy that leads us into life…
• So let us consider God’s mercy…
• And the words from Paul’s letter to the church @ Rome…
• God’s Mercy
• God’s mercy is always in view in his work of redemption…
• As he works in the world to accomplish his purposes…
• This passage in Romans is somewhat troubling to me…
• Because it would suggest that there are those born…
• Who God has raised up for eternal damnation…
• That they don’t have real freedom in choosing their path…
• That their destiny is destruction…
• But there is plenty of scriptural evidence elsewhere…
• That makes it plenty clear that man is without excuse…
• Even as we saw last week in Romans chapter 1
• And that if we come to the place were God is using us…
• Not as a vessel of mercy but as a vessel of judgment…
• It is because of the choices we have made throughout life…
• Extemporaneous exposition of Romans 9:17-24
• Who are you to question O man…?
• Are we to question the ways of God…?
• Are we to question God’s plan…?
• Are we to question God’s man…?
• I am not suggesting there be no accountability…
• But consider Samson—it is clear that he was God’s man…
• And that he accomplished God’s purposes…
• Even in the midst of his weaknesses and arrogance…?
• How much good would it do…?
• Application
• Life reflection and accountability
• Conclusion
• questioning God’s means and methods
• God’s plan with God’s man
• as God’s called we must surrender to His mercy
• Since it is God’s plan with God’s man we must surrender to His mercy as God’s called
----
[1] Citation: Stuart Shepard, “The Gym of the Soul,” Citizenlink.com (11-15-06); submitted by David Slagle, Atlanta, Georgia
[2] Excerpted from The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Third Edition Copyright © 1992 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Electronic version licensed from Lernout & Hauspie Speech Products N.V., further reproduction and distribution restricted in accordance with the Copyright Law of the United States. All rights reserved.
[3] Excerpted from The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Third Edition Copyright © 1992 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Electronic version licensed from Lernout & Hauspie Speech Products N.V., further reproduction and distribution restricted in accordance with the Copyright Law of the United States. All rights reserved.