Sampson the Powerless

(S1) — The Worlds Strongest Man

In his hometown, Toccoa, GA, he was remembered only as a mid-sized young man of 5’9” tall; far from the worlds strongest man. also afflicted with a chronic kidney ailment.

After dropping out of colleague, he began to lift weights in his parent’s garage. to develop himself physically; not “store bought” but weights; made from concrete and a steel bar. He also lifted heavy iron wheels and metal safes filled with rocks. 

Despite his limited stature, history of health problems, and lack of formal training, Paul Anderson would go on to be widely recognized as “the strongest man in the world.”

Two national championships, the world’s title in 1955, and a Gold in the the 1956 Olympics. His records; a full squat of 1,206 lbs., a bench press of 628 lbs., a clean and press of 485 lbs., and a back lift of 6,270 lbs.

Paul Anderson was for a time, the strongest man in the world

(S2) — Series

Joshua’s death/Judah is now leading the Israelite’s to God’s promise of a new way of life. They discover there are enemies in the land, of which they were to take down the alters to their Gods

Judges 2:3 they will become traps for you, and their gods will become snares to you.’”

So, Like a parent protecting a child; knowing whats best, wanting them to do everything you can to keep them on the straight and narrow

God raises up Judges. Why?

Judges 17:6 “In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.”

Cycle of obedience/disobedience {2:10-19}

Judges is a book of heroes (12)

12 men/women, raised up by God to help rescue Israel from its oppressors

Deborah (prophet)—defeated Sisera and the Canaanites

Gideon (Oak tree)—destroyed his families idols/defeated the Midianites

Jephthah (mighty warrior)—defeated the Ammonites

Not all of them lead the people in God’s ways...

Judges 13:1 “the Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight, so the Lord handed them over to the Philistines, who oppressed them for forty years.”

Yet God would use them to do amazing things for his glory and the peoples good.

(S3)

Samson the strong man; A Nazarite from birth would judge Israel for 20 years.

Well known for his strength

...ripping a lion’s jaws apart with his bare hands...

…tearing loose the doors of a city gate and lifting them to his shoulders

Freeing himself from being bound by new ropes, freshly made bow strings, and having seven braids of his long hair pinned to a loom.

We may be familiar with how eventually the long-haired Samson tells Delilah the secret to his strength. Is handed over to the Philistines, is bound taken captive and has his eyes plucked out.

Powerless in the temple of their pagan God, his hands on two center pillars, he cries out to God who grants him a final request. The pillars come down on all 3000 of their enemies in the coliseum and he goes with them.”

The strong-man Samson was truly a hero among the people. Yet, he was powerless without God. Sampson’s story reveals the weak side of a strong man

The dangers of a heart not fully surrendered to God

Pray—Bibles

(S4) — {Judges 13}

We start where Samson’s story begins; as a Nazarite from birth

Nazarite would vow for a time or for life to commit themselves to God’s purpose. There were rules of engagement...{Num. 6:1-21}

In addition to never cutting their hair, is abstaining from alcohol (fruit of the vine), and never touching a dead body.

The Nazirite vow could be for a time or for life; in Samson’s case.

Vows of Ordination

Samson from birth would not only grow up to be strong, but he was...

(S5) —

CHOSEN by God for a special purpose

“to be consecrated for a period of time to complete a vow to God. The Nazirite devoted himself to self-imposed discipline in order to perform some special service.

His calling is greater than his God-given strength; set apart; for God’s purpose

13:5 “You will 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.””

Disciples’ discovery that their purpose is greater than just following Jesus around…

John 15:16 “You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit,

The same is true of those who profess themselves as Christians…

Not only is Samson chosen, but we learn the source of his strength...

13:25 And the Lord blessed him as he grew up. And the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him...

(S6) — The source of his strength

The SPIRIT of God in him.

Encounter the Spirit (Book Study)

Samson was destined for greatness...everything going for him; chosen by God, the Sprit of God his strength.

But the strongman was weak; he had not fully surrendered his heart to God.

Samson’s Weakness Revealed (4)

(14) He goes to a Philistine town, against his parents wishes. A young woman catches his eye.

— His parents object; “Isn’t there even one woman in our tribe or among all the Israelites you could marry?

Judges 14:3–4 “Samson told his father, “Get her for me! She looks good to me.” (His father and mother didn’t realize the Lord was at work in this, creating an opportunity to work against the Philistines, who ruled over Israel at that time.”)

Samson may have been a strong man, but in sleeping with the enemy…

(S7) —

I. He fails to EMBRACE his true identity

His wife didn't worship their God—A failed marriage from the beginning

2 Corinthians 6:14 “Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness?”

(ch. 14) He encounters a lion…

To cover it up he tries to deceive the Philistines with a riddle. It doesn’t go well...he uses his strength to kill 30 men.

Samson breaks his vow by touching the dead; fails to embrace his true identity

Do our lives truly project that we follow Jesus?

Or, do we just go to church…unwilling to embrace what it really means to be a Christian who is a disciple...?

Samson may have been a strong man, but he fails to embrace his identity.

Judges 16:1 “One day Samson went to the Philistine town of Gaza and spent the night with a prostitute.”

Samson may have been a strong man, but…

(S8) —

II. He isCAPTURED by the desires of his heart

Psalm 37:4 “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.”

“We love the idea that the Father will give us what we desperately long for. But unfortunately, we can focus on the wrong things, and miss the psalm’s context. God’s greatest interest is not to indulge us, but rather to give us more of Himself.” In Touch Minsitries

When we consume God and he us, our appetite changes and so do our desires

2 Corinthians 3:18 “And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.”

A subtle reminder to all who follow Jesus; unless we surrender our heart fully to God; we may look strong on the outside, but we can remain morally weak on the inside.

(S9) — Rotted Cross

This week, the cross outside our church fell. Not because of a storm, not because someone hit it—but because the wood at the foundation had slowly rotted away. On the surface, it still looked like a strong symbol of faith. But underneath, it was decaying—and eventually, that hidden weakness brought it down.

Because Samson had not fully surrendered his heart to God who choose him, Samson was captured by the desires of his heart.

Judges 16:2 “Word spread that Samson was there, so the men of Gaza gathered together and waited all night at the town gates. They kept quiet during the night, saying to themselves, “When the light of morning comes, we will kill him.””

Following the desires of his heart, he is called to the carpet...found out, he uses his strength the only thing he has to try to save himself.

Judges 16:3 “Samson got up, took hold of the doors of the town gate, including the two posts, and lifted them up, bar and all. He put them on his shoulders and carried them all the way to the top of the hill across from Hebron.”

Samson may have been a strong man, but he is…

(S10)

III. CONVICTED by his secret...

Samson was spiritually weakened by his unconfessed SIN. Not sure how he thought hiding from God was a good idea.

Adam/Eve in the Garden

Scripture is very clear, that we cant hide from God

Luke 8:17 “For all that is secret will eventually be brought into the open, and everything that is concealed will be brought to light and made known to all.”

Daniel 2:22 “He reveals deep and mysterious things and knows what lies hidden in darkness, though he is surrounded by light.”

When one is convicted and responds to it; healing and restoration can begin

Wesley Class Meetings/accountability

Samson may have been a strong man, but with his unconfessed sin, he is convicted by his secret

(16:4) —Trying to get it right, he falls in love with a woman from his birth place; the valley of Sorek. But, Samson has met his match in Delilah.

— Lead astray by her own desires; offered a boat load of money to help the Philistines discover the source of his strength (550 yrs wages)

Back and forth in their deception…its clear this marriage is going nowhere. 3 times his strength is not revealed

—Breaking free of seven fresh bow strings—freshly woven ropes—from seven braids of his hair pinned in a loom

3 times until Samson is lured in by her deception; telling her the truth the long-haired self gratifying Samson, reveals the secret of his strength to Delilah.

Samson may have been a strong man, but he is…

(S11) —

IV. COMPROMISED by his unbridled passion

19 “Delilah lulled Samson to sleep with his head in her lap, and then she called in a man to shave off the seven locks of his hair. In this way she began to bring him down, and his strength left him.”

There is a chink in Samson’s armor—it was his strength

Because…he failed to EMBRACE his identity, he is CAPTURED by the desires of his heart, CONVICTED by his secret sin, and COMPROMISED by his unbrIdled passion…

He is handed over the Philistines, who take him captive and pluck his eyes out and restraining him to the pillars of their temple God

Sampson, chosen by God, the power of God in him, living only for himself discovers there is...

(S12)

CONSEQUENCE in using his strength for only his purpose

Not only losing the source of his God-given strength but losing his life.

When Terry became a Christian, he decided to turn everything over to God. He gave his career to God. After graduation from college, he went into full-time youth ministry work. With his winning smile and approachable personality, Terry quickly endeared himself to the young people of his church.

He gave his marriage to God. Terry married a beautiful Christian woman who pledged to work side-by-side with him in the daily chores of his ministry. She understood the demands of church work and was willing to make the needed sacrifices.

He gave his children to God. Two precious children. He read to them from the Bible, taught them all about Jesus, and prayed with them every night before bedtime.

He gave his possessions to God. His house was always open to the kids he ministered to. On more than a few occasions, Terry opened his home and his wallet to a stranger in need. If you needed to borrow his car, all you had to do was ask.

But there was one part of Terry that he just couldn’t seem to turn over to God. It was the part of him that wanted desperately to be liberated from the constraints of ministry, marriage, children, and responsibility...that wanted to be free. So one day, Terry decided to leave. Without noticea clue as to why or where he went. His car was found on a dirt road outside of town, with his wallet and keys on the ground beside it. No note, no explanation, no sign of abduction. No Terry. An investigation would eventually find him in a faraway state with a different life and a different lover.

The part of Terry that he couldn’t give up was the one part that Jesus most needed to change. He couldn’t surrender himself and his desires to God

When we turn from God’s grace and purpose for our lives...we like Sampson discover that misusing our God-given gifts has consequences—weakened by our own strength, like Samson, we are powerless without Christ.

1 Peter 5:8 “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.”

Sampson the strong was strong...was weak morally and spiritually because he had walked away from God’s purpose in his life—Not fully surrendering his heart to God.

Have you fully surrendered your heart to God? If so, what does that look like in your life? If not, what can it look like?

(S13)

28 “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.”

Notice he does seek God’s forgivness only his revenge

An unrepentent heart is a weak heart for God

And still God grants him a final request and he takes out all 3000 in the coliseum along with himself

God’s purpose is greater than Samson’s weakness!

Paul Anderson credits all his success to God. In fact, it was during the Olympics that a personal crisis led him to call out to God for help. Running a 104 degree fever, too weak to compete; as weak as a kitten. He confessed his sins to God, asked the Lord’s forgiveness. As a result he felt a wave of God’s presence come over his soul and a renewed strength to his body. He went on to win the Gold Medal for the United States.

Later after listening to the testimony of someone who was in a wheel chair, he committed his life to Jesus Christ.

“He continued to do power lifting and demonstrations of his strength. But it was no longer to glorify himself, but to testify of Christ’s saving power. In 1961 Paul and his wife Glenda founded a Youth Home for troubled children. He continued this ministry until his death in 1994. In addition to this Paul Anderson traveled widely around the country, giving as many as 500 exhibitions and presentations of the gospel in a single year. His recurring testimony...

He is known still today as the Gospel Giant of Georgia

“I’ve been called the strongest man in the world, yet I cannot survive one day without Jesus Christ in my life.”

(S14) — {2 Corin. 12:9}

Samson’s story tells us that God will do what is his desire despite our weaknesses.

What will you do with what God as given you? Will you surrender your whole heart to Christ and God’s purpose?