Lust is a way for us to satisfy our normal desire in a way that it wasn't intended. Sex outside of marriage may have many same ingredients, but it does a lot of harm. It isn't how sex was intended, and the result is poison. It poisons our lives, our relationships.
That Girl is Poison ... The Remix
Looking at Samson and the life of Samson. Was called to do good things, but forfeited his calling to the poison of sex, love, and adultery.
Delilah was poison to Samson.
4 Areas of Samson's Life
Sunrise: Judges 13
He shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hands of the Philistines. Samson is the last judge. Samson would begin, but he never finishes. Israel needed a hero, God sent them Samson. Samson "shining like the sun". Samson was a fun guy to be around. 15:16 - Samson wrote his own riddle. His life was so promising. His parents were good, Christ-loving people.
Nazarite vow put on him - Numbers 6
1 - didn't cut hair
2 - never touch wine
3 - never touch dead body
Example needs to be set in our own home for our own kids. Samson's parents tried to set the example.
God would gift Samson with everything he needed. But he would never accomplish all that God had for him. The Holy Spirit came upon him.
Splendor: Judges 14-15
Samson began to get things his way. He started relying on himself rather than God. Relied on his ability rather than God. He went after the Philistine's for the wrong reasons, nothing to do with God, was because they weren't nice. Samson began to compromise. Had a weakness for the ladies, he struggled with lust.
Samson was a Jew, shouldn't have been associating with the Philistine's, but did take their women.
Samson killed a lion, but wasn't supposed to touch the dead, yet visited the lion. Touched the lion to eat honey which bees had built in there.
Samson went to a wedding feast with his Philistine wife. In a rage, Samson killed 30 men.
Samson's anger eventually leads to 30,000 men after him. They bind him and take him. The Spirit of the Lord takes over and Samson frees himself.
Compromise will lead to more compromise. It isn't how close to sin can I get, but how far from sin can I run. We do not want to stand on the line, run as far as possible. Samson didn't run far enough. God allowed Samson to drift off course.
Shadows: Judges 16:1-22
Samson went to a harlot. Samson went to a vineyard and went to Delilah. Delilah was a prostitute. She was more dangerous than 1,000 men. He was willing to compromise sex and lust. Delilah was working for the Philistines. She used him for power. "Where do you get your power?" Samson didn't see she was using him, he played with the temptation. Samson tells her. That night, Delilah cut his hair. Samson gives up all of his potential and greatness for a few moments of pleasure. 20 years gone in 20 minutes. Samson couldn't master himself. Samson was taken down by a woman and a nap.
16:20 - He did not know that the Lord had departed him.
Sometimes the one who is dying spiritually is the last to see it. The Philistines took him, gauged out his eyes, and bound him.
Compromise will always lead you to be blinding, bound, and grinding. Samson kept compromising without realizing God wouldn't let him run forever.
Samson could never master himself, so he was mastered by sex and lust.
Sunset: Judges 16:23-31
God doesn't leave Samson this way. Samson called to the Lord, Remember me. Our God is a god of restoration and of second chances. They put Samson on display. During this time, Samson made his way back to God.
16:22 - however the hair of his head began to grow again after it had been shaved.
In this process, Samson had blindly made his way back to God
16:28 - Lord, remember me
Samson died with the Philistines. He took out more Philistines in his death than in his life.
God gave Samson a second chance, despite his constant compromising, despite being unable to finish what he had begun. God allowed him one last moment of glory and use.
Saint-like status despite being a major sinner.
Hebrews 11: men and women with great and amazing faith.
What to Take
1. Giftedness does not equate godliness.
Samson was the most gifted man in all of Israel. Samson had everything, but he didn't have character. He didn't realize he had a calling.
God has given you gifts and abilities, you can't squander those. You can't squander the potential God has given you to serve him. Use your gifts for God's glory.
So much better to be a dull, boring person with a heart for God, than to be completely gifted and dynamic and not have a heart after God.
One day your giftedness will not be able to compensate for your lack of godliness. Through the fire and storm, it's the godliness that keeps you headed on the right path. Holiness in your life will help you stand, your love for God.
Have a landmark so you don't drift off course. That landmark is Jesus. If he's not on the compass of your life, you're just going to drift.
2. When it comes to sin, it's kill or be killed.
Samson didn't kill the sin in his life. Samson didn't fall in a day. It took years of spiritual neglect in his life. Years of compromise, messing with sin led to the day that held his fall. Familiarity of sin blinded him.
The adjective doesn't have to be lust, whatever is your poison to your spiritual walk. The seed someone planted in your life long ago. You are created in the image and likeness of God, there is no reason to hurt yourself over the seed of poison. Get rid of what is poisoning your life, be men and women of God who are willing to stand up. If God formed you, God has a plan for your life. He wants to change you and use you. God has so much for you, he has the Holy Spirit to give to you. God is here to guide and direct us. You have to protect the call of God on your life.
While God has created us to have a sex drive, God doesn't want us to let sex drive. You can't give the keys to lust, they will drive you into a ditch. God wants to give you so much more. Get married and figure it out, make up for lost time. Have an undefiled marriage bed.
Kill or be killed. Take drastic measures. Get rid of what poisons you.
3. Hair cuts don't last forever.No matter how bad the haircut, it grows back. 16:22. Some consequences lasted until the grave, but God was still willing to use him. His greatest success came after his greatest failure. Samson had the most expensive haircut in human history. Gave away freely what nobody could ever take. As his hair grew back, so did God's forgiveness. God is willing to forgive. No matter what areas you've given away, or compromised in, your hair grows back. The spirit of God comes to change you. Psalm 30:5 God's anger only lasts a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime. While there may be weeping in the night, joy comes in the morning. Jesus loves you. God can change your life, He can take those past haircuts and remove them. If you've already given up parts of you, discouraged, bummed out, wherever God is, there is hope. Wherever Jesus is, there is restoration. Wherever God is, there is always a second chance. There is always a new beginning. There might be consequences, but God can give you a new sunrise. God can use consequences to His glory.
Haircuts don't last forever. Don't be willing to compromise. Stand up for honor, purity, the things for God.
Samson wasted so much potential, being mastered by sin. God was still willing to use him. The same can happen to you.
That Girl is Poison (Samson) Link
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