SAMSON

INTRO

Hebrews 12:1 NLT

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.

TODAY, WE’RE KICKING OFF A BRAND NEW SERIES CALLED RUNNING WITH THE GIANTS WHERE EACH WEEK, WE IMAGINE WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE IF ONE OF THE GREAT HEROES OF FAITH STEPPED DOWN FROM THE HEAVENLY GRANDSTANDS, RAN A LAP WITH US, AND SHARED WHAT THEY LEARNED WHILE THEY WERE IN THE RACE.

HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE LOOKED BACK AND THOUGHT..WHAT WAS I THINKING?

TODAY, WE’RE KICKING OFF A BRAND NEW SERIES CALLED RUNNING WITH THE GIANTS WHERE EACH WEEK, WE IMAGINE WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE IF ONE OF THE GREAT HEROES OF FAITH STEPPED DOWN FROM THE HEAVENLY GRANDSTANDS, RAN A LAP WITH US, AND SHARED WHAT THEY LEARNED WHILE THEY WERE IN THE RACE.

TODAY, WE’RE STARTING WITH A MAN WHOSE STORY IS AS TRAGIC AS IT IS POWERFUL - SAMSON.

Judges 13:5 NLT

You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and his hair must never be cut. For he will be dedicated to God as a Nazirite from birth. He will begin to rescue Israel from the Philistines.”

OVERVIEW OF SAMSON!!

Judges 14:2–3 NLT

When he returned home, he told his father and mother, “A young Philistine woman in Timnah caught my eye. I want to marry her. Get her for me.” His father and mother objected. “Isn’t there even one woman in our tribe or among all the Israelites you could marry?” they asked. “Why must you go to the pagan Philistines to find a wife?” But Samson told his father, “Get her for me! She looks good to me.”

When you're 15 and somebody tells you they love you, you're going to believe them.

Taylor Swift

ONE THING I THINK HE WOULD SAY IS…

YOU DON’T HAVE TO LOSE YOUR EYES TO BE BLIND.

LONG BEFORE SAMSON LOST HIS VISION…HE HAD ALREADY LOST HIS WAY.

AND YET, HE MADE THE HALL OF FAME OF FAITH IN HEBREWS 11.

NOT BECAUSE HE LIVED PERFECTLY, BUT BECAUSE HE FINISHED DIFFERENTLY.

BIG IDEA

SAMSON’S STORY TEACHES US: WE CAN BE SPIRITUALLY BLIND AND NOT EVEN REALIZE IT.

BLIND TO GOD’S PURPOSE

BLIND TO THE POWER OF RELATIONSHIPS

BLIND TO THE NATURE OF GOD.

BUT HE ALSO TEACHES US SOMETHING ELSE…

FAILURE IS NEVER FINAL WITH GOD!

HIS MOTHER KNEW THAT HE WAS TO BE SET APART AS A NAZIRITE AND DELIVER ISRAEL FROM THE PHILISTINES.

AND YET…

HE LIVED CARELESSLY

HE PLAYED WITH SIN

HE IGNORED GODLY COUNSEL

AND EVENTUALLY…HE LOST EVERYTHING.

BUT GOD WASN’T DONE WITH HIM YET.

AND GOD IS NOT DONE WITH YOU YET.

1. YOU CAN BE BLIND TO GOD’S PURPOSE FOR YOUR LIFE

SAMSON WAS BORN WITH DIVINE PURPOSE—BUT NEVER FULLY LIVED IN IT. MANY PEOPLE TODAY WITH CALLING ON THEIR LIFE, BUT NO CLARITY IN THEIR STEPS.

A. GOD CREATED YOU ON PURPOSE, FOR A PURPOSE.

SAMSON WAS SET APART BEFORE BIRTH — A NAZIRITE, CALLED TO LEAD.

SAMSON IGNORED THE CALL AND LIVED BY IMPULSE, NOT INSTRUCTION.

LIKE SAMSON, WE CAN LIVE UNAWARE OF OUR PURPOSE.

B. WHEN YOU DON’T KNOW YOUR PURPOSE, YOU’LL SETTLE FOR DISTRACTION.

Proverbs 29:18 NLT

When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild. But whoever obeys the law is joyful.

WHEN PURPOSE ISN’T CLEAR, COMPROMISE FEELS ACCEPTABLE.

VISION ALWAYS LEADS TO DISCIPLINE—IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHY YOU’RE HERE, ANYTHING GOES.

C. YOU HAVE A PURPOSE BEYOND YOUR CAREER—IT’S A KINGDOM PURPOSE.

YOU DON’T NEED A PULPIT TO BE IN MINISTRY—JUST OBEDIENCE.

OUR GROWTH TRACK EXISTS TO HELP PEOPLE SEE CLEARLY WHAT THEY WERE CREATED TO DO. NEXT WEEK!

THE CHURCH DOESN’T JUST NEED MORE VOLUNTEERS…YOU NEED TO WALK IN PURPOSE.

2. YOU CAN BE BLIND TO THE POWER OF RELATIONSHIPS

SAMSON’S BAD RELATIONSHIPS DIDN’T JUST HURT HIM, THEY DESTROYED HIM.

A. RELATIONSHIPS WILL EITHER DEFINE YOU OR DESTROY YOU.

SAMSON REFUSED TO LISTEN TO HIS PARENTS WARNING.

SAMSON PURSUED WHAT LOOKED GOOD, NOT WHAT WAS GOOD.

OUR FRIENDS ARE EITHER PULLING US TOWARD PURPOSE OR AWAY FROM IT.

B. BAD RELATIONSHIPS AREN’T JUST UNHELPFUL—THEY’RE DANGEROUS.

1 Corinthians 15:33 NLT

Don’t be fooled by those who say such things, for “bad company corrupts good character.”

WE OFTEN UNDERESTIMATE HOW POWERFUL RELATIONAL INFLUENCE REALLY IS.

SAMSON’S DOWNFALL DIDN’T START WITH DELILAH, IT STARTED WITH DISOBEDIENCE TO WISE COUNSEL.

C. THE RIGHT RELATIONSHIPS WILL SHARPEN YOUR CALLING AND SHAPE YOUR DESTINY.

Proverbs 13:20 NLT

Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble.

HEALTHY COMMUNITY BRINGS ACCOUNTABILITY, CLARITY, AND COURAGE.

THIS IS WHY SMALL GROUPS MATTER— YOU NEED PEOPLE IN YOUR CORNER BEFORE YOU NEED RESCUE.

3. YOU CAN BE BLIND TO THE NATURE OF GOD

SAMSON ASSUMED GOD’S GRACE WOULD ALWAYS BAIL HIM OUT—UNTIL ONE DAY…IT DIDN’T. HE THOUGHT GOD WOULD KEEP SHOWING UP EVEN IF HE KEPT WALKING AWAY.

A. GOD IS PATIENT, BUT HE IS ALSO HOLY.

Judges 16:20 NLT

Then she cried out, “Samson! The Philistines have come to capture you!” When he woke up, he thought, “I will do as before and shake myself free.” But he didn’t realize the Lord had left him.

GOD’S GRACE ISN’T A LICENSE TO LIVE RECKLESSLY.

THERE IS A SPIRITUAL COST TO DISREGARDING GOD’S INSTRUCTION.

B. DON’T CONFUSE GOD’S SILENCE WITH HIS APPROVAL.

JUST BECAUSE NOTHING BAD HAPPENED YET DOESN’T MEAN IT NEVER WILL.

GOD IS A LOVING FATHER—BUT ALSO A JUST KING.

Romans 6:1 NLT

Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace?

C. THE FEAR OF THE LORD IS WHAT KEEPS US GROUNDED.

Isaiah 11:2 NLT

And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.

A HEALTHY RESPECT FOR GOD LEADS TO SPIRITUAL MATURITY.

THE MORE CLEARLY YOU SEE GOD, THE MORE SERIOUSLY YOU TAKE YOUR WALK.

4. FAILURE IS NEVER FINAL

DESPITE HIS DOWNFALL, SAMSON WASN’T FINISHED. HE PRAYED ONE MORE TIME…AND GOD GAVE HIM STRENGTH AGAIN.

A. REDEMPTION IS POSSIBLE — EVEN AFTER REGRET.

Judges 16:28 NLT

Then Samson prayed to the Lord, “Sovereign Lord, remember me again. O God, please strengthen me just one more time. With one blow let me pay back the Philistines for the loss of my two eyes.”

GOD’S POWER RETURNED, NOT BECAUSE SAMSON WAS PERFECT, BUT BECAUSE HE WAS HUMBLE.

THE PRAYER “ONE MORE TIME” IS ALL GOD NEEDS TO MOVE IN YOUR LIFE.

B. HOW YOU FINISH MATTERS MORE THAN HOW YOU STARTED

HEBREWS 11 INCLUDES SAMSON — NOT BECAUSE OF HIS MISTAKES, BUT HIS FINAL MOMENT OF SURRENDER.

YOU CAN LIVE DECADES IN DYSFUNCTION AND STILL DIE IN DESTINY.

DON’T LET YOUR PAST DISQUALIFY YOUR FUTURE, LET IT BECOME YOUR TESTIMONY.

C. WE SERVE A “ONCE MORE” KIND OF GOD

Proverbs 24:16 NLT

The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again. But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked.

WHAT THE ENEMY SAID DISQUALIFIED YOU, GOD CAN USE AS YOUR GREATEST VICTORY.

IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO SURRENDER, START OVER, AND FINISH WELL.

CONCLUSION/CLOSE

IF SAMSON WERE HERE TODAY, I THINK HE’D LOOK YOU IN THE EYES AND SAY:

I DIDN’T FINISH STRONG BECAUSE I WAS STRONG—I FINISHED STRONG BECAUSE I SURRENDERED.

DON’T WAIT UNTIL YOUR EYES ARE GONE TO OPEN THEM.

PRAYER

LORD, OPEN OUR EYES. HELP US SEE CLEARLY—OUR PURPOSE, OUR RELATIONSHIPS, YOUR HOLINESS. WE DON’T WANT TO WALK IN BLINDNESS. AND FOR THOSE OF US WHO FEEL LIKE IT’S TOO LATE..THANK YOU THAT YOU ARE A ONCE MORE KIND OF GOD.

AMEN.

COMMUNION

1 Corinthians 11:23–26 NLT

For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord himself. On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and said, “This is my body, which is given for you.* Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this in remembrance of me as often as you drink it.” For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again.

GIVING MOMENT

IF YOU’VE NEVER GIVEN TO THE LOCAL CHURCH, WE’D LOVE TO INVITE YOU TO JOIN THE GREATER STORY GOD IS WRITING AND KNOW THAT WHEN YOU GIVE TO CHURCH AT SOUTHSHORE, YOU GIVE THROUGH CHURCH AT SOUTHSHORE. SOME OF YOU HAVE BEEN GIVING TO CHURCH AT SOUTHSHORE FOR A WHILE HERE AND THERE, BUT THIS PLACE IS NOT YOUR CHURCH HOME AND IS A PRIORITY TO YOU. AND SO LIKE YOU INVEST IN OTHER THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO YOU LIKE YOUR STREAMING SERVICES AND MORE, YOU WANT TO GIVE CONTINUALLY TO THE MISSION OF THIS PLACE. AS YOUR FAITH IN GOD CONTINUES TO GROW, YOU ARE REALIZING THAT GOD WANTS YOU TO TRUST HIM WITH ALL OF YOUR RESOURCES AND MOVE TOWARDS GIVING 10% OF YOUR INCOME. THIS IS WHAT THE BIBLE CALLS A “TITHE”. THE TITHE IS NEITHER A STARTING POINT OR A STOPPING POINT, BUT A STRONG MEASURE OF OUR DISPLAY OF TRUST THAT GOD OWNS EVERYTHING AND WE TRUST HIM.