Sermon Tone Analysis

*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