Samson: The Player God Used

IT IS NOT TOO LATE: God Uses Broken People Sermon Series

“Samson: The Player God Used” (Part #7)

KEY PASSAGE: Judges 16:18–22 (NASB) | Supporting Scripture: Hebrews 11:32

Father God, we thank You for Your presence in this church. We pray that Your Holy presence continues to abide in this church each time we come together to worship You in spirit and truth. We pray that our children and young people will remember for years that their church led (oriented) them toward God. Give us the discipline and the courage to bear witness to You, the living God, in a world that has lost its way. I ask this, believing, in the name of Jesus, our Savior, Amen.

Tithe and Offering

Well, it is time for tithes and offerings, and I want to encourage you to be faithful in your giving so that our church leaders and ministries can faithfully do God’s work. Giving is a big part of our Sunday worship experience, and we do this every Sunday. Our giving demonstrates our gratitude (thanks) to God for sending His Son Jesus to die for our sins. So, let’s give to God and do it cheerfully and joyfully. God bless you. Ushers, please pass around the offering plates. Worship band, please lead us in worship as we collect our tithe and offering.

Welcome

Please stand up, greet some folks around you, and welcome them to worship. We welcome you to our Sunday Worship Service. We also welcome all who join us online. Let's clap for our online viewers.

Announcement

Church leaders, please mark your calendar for our church’s monthly leadership meeting on Saturday, July 20th, at noon here at the church. Our Women’s Night is this Saturday, July 20th, at 7:00 p.m. at the church. Women, please be sure to attend the Women’s Night. Men’s Breakfast is at the church on Saturday, July 27th, at 10:00 a.m. To all the men, please attend the Men’s Breakfast. And for our weekly activities here at the church. Remember, Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. is our church’s weekly BIBLE STUDY. Please join us on Wednesday night to STUDY THE WORD OF GOD. Our church corporate prayer meeting is every Saturday at 8:00 a.m.

PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION

Father, I pray that the Holy Spirit teaches and guides us as we bring forth Your faithful word that is full of power to Your people this morning. You have spoken on this subject in our text for today, and I pray we will follow Your instructions. I pray that the tithes and offerings will be used to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. May Your word inspire and strengthen everyone. And may the words of my mouth and the meditations of all our hearts be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, our Rock, and our Redeemer. Amen.

Declaration of Faith in God

Let us stand and say the Declaration of Faith in God together.

SERMON INTRODUCTION

I want to start my message today by talking about football. In football games, there is halftime. Half-time in a football game or any sport is a time of resting and assessment (assessment of the first half of the game). It is a short break in the middle of a game to re-gather and re-look at things. How have things been going in the first half? What adjustments need to be made for the second half of the game? While the first half is important (critical and crucial), it is not a determining factor in a football game. Many football teams have been ahead at halftime but lost when the game was over. By the time the game was over, things had turned around.

There are four quarters in a football game that make up two halves, but it is not until the final whistle is blown that we can make a final statement about how things turned out in a football match. Now, I don’t know what quarter of your life you are in right now. And you don’t know when the final whistle will be blown in your life. Some people here who think they are in the first quarter are in the fourth quarter, and some folks here today who may think they are in the fourth quarter are in the third quarter because, unlike a football game, Christians don’t have a stopwatch that lets us know when the game is going to end.

But our sermon series has been called “It Is Not Too Late.” And I want to suggest that if you are still here this morning, the game is still on, and the clock is still ticking. (Watch This Now) Therefore, your past doesn’t have to define your future. Your past life doesn’t have to determine where God is taking you. Perhaps, until this point, life has been a losing proposition for you, a series of mistakes, sins, setbacks, detours, failures, and disappointments. But you are still here, so it is not too late. The final whistle has not blown; the game in your life is still on.

We have shown you numbers of lives of numbers of people in the Bible who were broken where life created a Catch-22 for them, but whom God raised up to use in a marvelous way for His glory and purpose. And here is some good news: God still has plans for you. Brokenness is God-denying (stripping) us of our self-sufficiency. It is God bringing us to the end of ourselves. Brokenness is making John 15:5 a reality in our lives, “Without Me, [Jesus said] you can do nothing.” The problem is that it is easy to say it is a whole different ballgame to live that way, that without Jesus, we can do nothing.

Our final personality (character) for this series is a well-known biblical character named Samson. When you read the four chapters of Samson’s life recorded in the Book of Judges, chapters 13, 14, 15, and 16, you wonder how this man made it to the hall of faith in Hebrews chapter 11. When you read all the great names in the hall of faith, Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, you know, all of the names of the great people tucked in there is Samson. You might be tempted to think he doesn’t belong there when you read his story. Homeboy doesn’t belong anywhere. However, Samson is prominent in the chapter that talks about the great men and women of faith in Hebrews 11.

SERMON EXPOSITION

Time will not allow me to discuss Samson’s life in detail this morning. During your Bible study reading time, I encourage you to read chapters 13 to 16, which tell the whole story of his 20-year career as a judge in Israel. But he does start very powerfully in chapter 13 of Judges, and a summary can be stated just by reading verses 4 and 5. Verse 5 says, “For behold …” the angel is talking to Samson’s mother, “… you shall conceive and give birth to a son, and no razor shall come upon his head, for the boy shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel from the hand of the Philistines.” The angel of God said to Samson’s mother you will have a baby boy, and he will be dedicated to God. That is what the Nazirite vow was all about. Dedication to God. This was a unique set-apart role that God was calling her son to.

By the way, parents, that is why you want to dedicate your children to God. You want to set them apart to God as early as possible for God's protection. Why? Because the devil wants to set them apart to him fro his use and purpose. So, they will be set apart; the question is, which direction: In God’s or Satan’s direction? The Nazirite vow said no razor shall come upon his head, and this growing hair will be the secret and symbol of his strength, according to verse 5.

Samson would have the power of Superman and the courage of Bruce Willis to deal with people who don’t want to do the right thing, but he would also have the elegance (charm) of Denzel Washington. Samson was every man’s nightmare and every woman’s desire (hope and dream) because he had a lot going on for him. He would have been a star today because of all he had going for him. But there was one thing different about him: the Nazirite vow. Like most parents today, Samson’s mother had to explain to him that you are not like every other kid.

You belong to the God of Israel. I was barren, but God supernaturally allowed me to get pregnant and give birth to you, and God said I want him to carry out my purpose. So, what is that purpose? Well, it said in verse 5 that his purpose was to deliver Israel from the hands of the Philistines. The judge was supposed to deliver Israel from their enemy in the Book of Judges. In other words, Samson had a kingdom contract with God. Samson had a divine assignment because God set him apart to a Nazirite vow for a unique purpose.

Well, the Nazirite vow doesn’t exist anymore because of Jesus Christ. The Bible calls set people (people of God) as being sanctified. Jesus said in John 17 verse 17, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.” It means being set apart for the unique purposes of God, and every saint is supposed to be sanctified. Every Christian is supposed to be set apart for God’s unique calling on your life.Believers are set apart for God, and believers do only what God wants and hates all that God hates.

Throughout Samson’s career, you will see a phrase that pops up over and over again, like in Judges chapter 13 verse 25, “And the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him.” In chapter 14, verse 19, “The Spirit of the Lord came upon him mightily.” In chapter 15, verse 14, “And the spirit of the Lord came upon him mightily, so the ropes broke that were on his arms.”

In other words, Samson had access to spiritual power because he was set apart for God. He had power against his enemies because the Spirit of God came upon him. (Watch this now) Every believer today in the new age, the age of the Spirit, the age of grace, the church age has the Spirit of God within them experienced by them when they are living a sanctified life. That is living separated, unique, and different. If God has set you apart as unique and different, once you lose your uniqueness and your difference, you lose your power.

Today, we are dealing with a generation of powerless Christians because they are unsanctified. They have messed with their sanctification (the Nazirite vow) that set them apart from the world. Samson’s road to losing his power started with a marital compromise. He lived by sight and not by faith. According to First John 2:16, he was controlled by “the lust of the eyes” rather than the Law of the Lord. (Stay with me church) In Judges, chapter 14, verse 1, “And Samson went down to Timnah and saw a woman in Timnah, one of the daughters of the Philistines.” We are told that Samson wandered four miles into the enemy territory, where he was captivated by a Philistine woman and decided to marry her.

Samson married a Philistine woman outside of God’s will. You see, the Law of God was crystal clear, and that is, you were not to marry a pagan. Why? Because you would establish (watch this) a covenant with another god. Now, time won’t let me get into that so (deep), but when you get married from a spiritual standpoint, you are not just living with somebody else. If they don’t have your God (If they don’t believe in your God and believe that Jesus is the Son of God), you are living with another god.

You say, well (Pastor Elijah), isn’t that just in the Old Testament? Open your Bible to 2 Corinthians 6:14. It says, “Be not unequally yoked together with a non-believer. (unbeliever)” Because it is not a mix of two people, it is a mix of two gods, which is an inevitable spiritual conflict. In John 15, verse 19, the Bible says, “We are to be in the world but not of the world.”

So, God is not calling us to a solitary life when He says to be Nazirite, separate, or set apart. God is calling us to live in this world, but He is calling on us to a value system that is different from the world in which we live. One reason for our powerlessness today is that far too many Christians have become both in and of the world.

We try to get gods to compromise and cooperate, and we lose our faith and the awesomeness of the power given to us by God. If you are dealing with something powerless in your life, raise the question, am I compromising with the Philistines? He told his mother and father. I am summarizing the story here to get to this woman called Delilah. His mother and father said, no, we can’t do that. That is a Philistine woman. He said I don’t care; I want her anyway. Samson also likes to play games. When you read these four chapters of Judges, you will see they are full of puzzles (riddles). Samson likes to joke, play around, and tease. But he was playing around (Watch this) with a deadly snake trying to bite him.

So, Samson marries out of God’s will, which becomes the first step of confusion in his life. Chapters 13, 14, and 15 of Judges show Samson’s accomplishments. He does some wonderful (amazing) things. But in the meantime, he discovers he can be a player. Samson was a player. He can be a player because he has found that women love Samson.

In chapter 16, we read, “Now Samson went to Gaza and saw a prostitute there and went into her.” So now he is with woman number two. In verse 4, he meets a woman named Delilah. The word Delilah means delicate. Delilah was soft to the touch. But remember Samson is a player because verse 4 says, “And it came about that he loved the woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.” Samson should have been aware of his danger and, like Joseph in Genesis 39:12, fled as fast as possible. But his passion had grasped him; sin had anesthetized (numbed) him, and he could not act wisely (rationally).

Watch this: after Samson meets Delilah, we are told in verse 5 that the Philistine leaders offered to pay Delilah a substantial sum of money if she would entice Samson and learn the source of his great strength and power. Delilah was a gold digger, and she wanted the money from the highest bidder. So, Delilah goes to Samson, and she says, time number one, what is your strength? What is the source of your power? Tell me why you are so different and unique from other men.

Well, remember Samson likes to play games; he likes riddles, so he tells her his strength is something it is not. She calls the Philistines on Samson, and he jumps up. And he lied to her the first time. Delilah says, “Time number two.” Come on, Samson, you are messing with me. You are messing with you other half. You are messing with your old lady. “Tell me, what makes you so strong, sweetheart? If you love me, tell me the source of your power.” He lies to her again for the second time.

The third time, the same thing happened. Then we get to time number four. Verse 15 of chapter 16, “Then she said to him, how can you say I love you …” She is working on him now. “How can you say I love you when your heart is not with me?” You don’t love me. You have never loved me. You say you love me, but you don’t mean it. “You have deceived me these three times and have not told me where your great strength is.” If you love me, why are you hiding your secret from me? Watch this, verse 16 says, “It came about when she pressed him daily.”

The word here is “nagging.” Has any man in here been pressed daily by your wife? Brother, you have a long day ahead of you. The Bible says Delilah pressed Samson daily. Delilah got on his last nerve. You know the Bible says in Proverbs 21:9 that “It is better for a man to live on the rooftop …” “… than to live in the house with a nagging woman.”? Proverbs 27:15 says, “That the constant talking of a woman is like the drip of water from a faucet.” This is in the Bible. I am not making this up.

So, “She constantly berates him day after day and urged him so that his soul was annoyed to death.” In verse 17, Samson tells Delilah the secret of his power. “So, he told her all that was in his heart and said a razor shall never come on my head for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother’s womb. If I am shaved, then my strength will leave me, and I will become weak, and I will become like other men.”

The Bible says that “God’s people are to be peculiar.” That doesn’t mean we are strange (weird), but it does mean we are different. Not like everybody else. “When Delilah saw …” verse 18, “… that he had told her all that was in his heart, she called the lords of the Philistines saying, “Come up once more, for he has told me all that was in his heart.” Then the lords of the Philistines came there, brought the money, and put it in her hands.” Verse 19 is interesting. “She made him sleep on her knees.” “And called for a man, and he shaved off the seven locks of his hair. Then she began to afflict him, and his strength left him.”

Samson’s love affair with Delilah turned into affliction. Samson’s love affair with Delilah turned into domestic violence.

Now, the power is not in his hair but in the Spirit of the Lord coming upon him. When Samson lost his hair, the presence of the Lord left him. The Spirit of God left him, and he was as weak as other men. Samson’s power and strength were from God and not from his hair, but the hair symbolized his Nazarite vow (set apart).

SERMON APPLICATION

The Spirit of the Lord came upon Samson because his hair symbolized his vow, which was his dedication to God. So, when he lost his hair, he lost his vow, which means he was no longer functioning in his commitment (dedication). Samson no longer had access to God’s power. Let’s put it this way. If you are a Christian and you are operating outside of your calling, you are operating outside of God’s power. When you operate outside of your separation as a follower of Christ, you operate outside of where the spirit flows. You don’t lose the Spirit of God, but you lose the Spirit’s power (and that is the presence of God in your life).

Many churches today meet on Sundays, but Jesus doesn’t show up. Just because you have church on Sunday morning doesn’t mean Jesus is in the sanctuary. Jesus is only in the church if it is sanctified (the vow is intact); the church is set apart, and the separation is there. Let’s look at how bad things have become for Samson. Verse 21 of chapter 16 says, “They put out his eyes.” Your eyes are one of the most sensitive parts of your body. Samson’s eyes are plucked out, and he is a blind man.

Christians can have the same problems as non-Christians. Christians have and can have the same defeats as non-Christians, and I am not talking about just normal trials, but I am talking about where the enemy is calling the shots because the enemy is calling the shots in Samson’s life. The enemy is telling the player, Samson, what game we are going to play. We are going to play the game we ask you to play because our god beat your God. Church folks would say, “Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.”

SERMON ILLUSTRATION

Even though Christians are dedicated to God, some of us here today were devoted to God, perhaps in our churches or growing up with our parents. Then, we went to college, adopted the world system, and became as blind as they were. We became as bound and defeated as they were because we left—our Nazirite vow, our sanctification. I want to call your attention to verses 22 and 28. Verse 22 says, “However … the hair of his head began to grow again after it was shaved off.”

Watch this now: what Samson lost, he lost because of sin. You can only regain what you lost because of sin by repentance. Samson is getting a repentant hair growth. Samson’s hair is growing back, not just because it got cut off, but because he, in his broken state, is getting back right with God. When you are in a broken state, when you are in a broken mind, you need to do one thing, and that is to get right with God. That is the only way you can explain why Samson shows up in Hebrews chapter 11, verse 32 as a man of faith. In his messed up condition, his broken life, and his bound situation.

Samson prayed to God in verse 28 and asked God to remember him and strengthen him. And some of us here today are asking God to give me my life back. Give me my peace back. Give me my blessing back. Give me my joy back. Give me my hopefulness back. Give me my victory back. Give me back my family. Give me my unity back. Take me off of these pills. Take me off of these drugs. You can’t see any solution, and you are bound. You can’t see any freedom, and things are going bad, things are going down south, but it says, [however] in verse 22. I want to zero in on the word “however.”

See, there is a [however] word for the Christian who has been broken by the sinfulness of their circumstances, and your [however] word that gets your hair back is the word repentance. When you agree with God about where you have gone wrong, and you turn back and get back on the right road, that is called repentance. God is turning it around. If you ever get God back in His rightful place so your hair starts to grow, so the repentance brings you back into fellowship with God, you can discover that no matter what the score of your life is right now, the game is not over because God has a way with two minutes left of being able to score multiple times.

Conclusion

The story of Samson closes by saying, “He had judged Israel for twenty years.” Then, in the New Testament, Samson appears in Hebrews chapter 11 verse 32 as a great man of faith. Why? Because when Samson repented and made it right with God, God did great things through him, even in the last two minutes of his life. My challenge is for you to get God back in His rightful place in your life so your hair can start to grow. Repentance will bring you back into fellowship with God. You will discover that no matter what the score of your life is right now, the game is not over because God has a way to score multiple times in two minutes.

Faith Appeal and Call to Action

The word that I want to leave you with today as we conclude our sermon series is, “Don’t you give up. Don’t you quit? Don’t you throw in the towel? Don’t you run away? Don’t you say it will never be me? You say, but I am blind, I am bound, and I am grinding at the other god. The other god is calling the shots in my life. I am a failure and defeated. I messed up. I have ruined my reputation.

All that may be true, and it was also true for Samson, but there was one ray of light in the darkness. Samson renewed that dedication to God; sure enough, the Bible says God restored him. Samson prayed one last prayer. And he said to God, this last time, show up and show out for me, and if it costs me my life, let me go out of here with a blaze of fire for God. In the last part (half) of his life, the common criminal on the cross in Luke 23 asked Jesus to save his life, and he trusted in Jesus with his life. And sure enough, Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” Let us trust in God.

So, “Don’t you give up? Don’t quit, but come home by growing your hair and coming back to your commitment to God and your dedication so God can let you see that the latter can be greater than the former because you have come back to Him.” And if you are still here, God is not done with you. If you are here today and you are not a Christian – It is Not Too Late for You. You can come to Jesus right now and accept Him as your sin-bearer and all your sins will be forgiven.

Ask God to forgive you for your rebellion against Him based on what Jesus Christ did on the cross by dying and paying your sins in full. When you surrender your life to Jesus, tell Him you want to follow Him from this day forward, and He will come into your heart.

Let’s stand on our feet, praise the Lord, and commit our lives to Him.

Benediction

I pray, heavenly Father, through the power of the only One who can give us freedom, that You would cement the principles of standing alone against temptation in our minds. Help us during the times of darkness, when the bait is dropped, when we are all alone and no one but You is watching. I pray that You would do real work and bring us to a radical decision in areas that need urgent attention. In the name of the One who is able to keep us from stumbling, who will present us faultless - Jesus Christ, our Lord – we pray. Amen. God bless you. We will see you next week at 10:30 a.m.