Rev. David Holwick X
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey
August 5, 2001
Judges 16:18-30
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I. The comic book ad that gripped a nation.
A. Old-fashioned artwork but highly effective.
Skinny guy is sitting on beach with a young girl.
Big brawny bully kicks sand in his face.
"What are you going to do about it, pipsqueak?"
(This scenario haunted me for years...)
Skinny guy buys "Charles Atlas" bodybuilding program.
Returns to beach, beats up bully.
Who wouldn't want to have this kind of power?
B. Even Christians admire strength.
Ministry that visited our area in Ohio a few years back:
"John Jacobs and the Power Team.
The Ultimate Demonstration, The Ultimate Message."
Poster had 7 beefy guys with crusader swords.
Head guy has Bible. #260
Several churches in our area have weight-lifting clubs.
You can get buff for God with Pastor Pete Ammerman at
Hillside Lutheran Brethren.
C. Strength is important but it is not the ultimate.
1) One of strongest men in history was Samson.
a) He killed lions with his bare hands.
b) He could rip doors off of city gates.
c) He killed literally hundreds of Philistines.
d) Yet he was undone by his weakness for women.
2) Where does YOUR strength come from?
II. Samson led a compromised nation.
A. The local Israelites made peace with the Philistines.
1) Militarily they couldn't defeat them.
a) The tribe of Dan even re-located rather than fight them.
2) They traded with the Philistines.
3) They intermarried with the Philistines.
B. The Israelites did not support Samson.
1) Urged him to stop provoking Philistines, don't rock boat.
2) He never had a fellow soldier, much less an army.
C. Low morality - each did as he saw fit. Judges 17:6
1) No standards or leadership.
2) Much like our society today, except we take polls first.
III. Samson was a compromised leader.
A. Set apart from birth for special spiritual role.
1) Nazirite.
a) (doesn't have anything to do with Nazareth)
b) Someone who is set apart for God's service.
1> Could be a short-term vow, such as Paul took.
2> For Samson it was life-long.
c) No contact with dead bodies, no booze, no short hair.
2) He had unusual strength when under Spirit's power.
a) Raises interesting theological issues since most
of his Spirit-led acts were violent and
self-centered.
b) However, the nation of Israel benefited in end.
3) Samson broke all three Nazirite vows.
a) Don't go near dead body. (dead lion)
b) Don't drink. (probably did this at wedding ceremony)
c) Don't cut hair. (with the infamous Delilah)
B. He was a strong man marked by weaknesses.
1) His biggest weakness was women.
a) Prostitutes, low-lifes, Philistines.
2) His appetites in general did him in.
C. He ended his life with a desperate act.
1) Only judge who failed to deliver Israel from enemies.
2) He never becomes a spiritual leader.
3) He dies a blind suicide, but takes a thousand Philistines
with him.
IV. Application for Christians.
A. With God, we can do anything. Philippians 4:13
1) "I can do all things through him who gives me strength."
2) Christians have more spiritual power than they realize.
B. One person can make a difference.
1) Samson caused a ruckus but end result was clearer identity
for Jewish nation.
2) Israel came to see they could not accommodate enemies.
C. God can work around our weaknesses to bring about good.
1) Hebrews 11 lists Samson as a hero of God.
a) (note that other scoundrels are listed, too)
2) But don't use his example to rationalize your weaknesses.
a) Just because good results, doesn't justify sinfulness.
b) God can use a rock to accomplish his will, or a Hitler.
Isaiah 10:5-13
3) God's work must be done by God's person, God's way.
D. Compromise, and it will catch up with you.
1) God's will will be done no matter what.
2) How much more could you accomplish if obedient?
a) Example of President Clinton and wasted opportunities.
b) Samson himself ended up destroyed.
E. Your relationships matter.
1) Samson is not only believer to have problems with other sex.
2) The sad case of Rev. Truman Dollar.
a) Email this week - did I know what happened to him?
1> Dollar had pastored one of the largest churches in
Detroit, Michigan.
2> He wrote the monthly editorial in Jerry Falwell's
magazine, The Fundamentalist Journal.
b> I had heard of his fall into sin in 1988.
1> Rather bizarre - he made explicit calls to a woman.
2> His son overheard one call, told youth pastor.
3> Truman was confronted, but it appeared he continued.
c) National media got hold of story.
1> Intense humiliation.
2> Had to resign from his church.
3> Lost their home.
d) He went through a process of restoration with other
Christians.
1> A leading Christian magazine [Leadership Journal]
covered the case in 1992.
2> As I did research on it on the internet, I came
across a single cryptic clue in an online sermon.
2> That pastor confirmed the tragic conclusion - Truman
Dollar took his own life in 1996.
3) Do your relationships honor Christ? All of them?
V. Society needs our consistent testimony.
A. National Public Radio interview with Southern writer this week.
1) His exposure to church and Bible shaped him.
2) He no longer believes the same way, but Jesus and Scripture
are still very important to him.
3) He especially appreciates the morality.
B. Our integrity is absolutely necessary.
Louisiana pastor Mark Brister says the world's low standards
for ethical living have created a moral abyss.
Truth is made relative to the whims of public opinion.
And unfortunately in too many cases the church has failed to
uphold God's standard for truth.
"We have moved away from virtues to what are called values."
He says values shift from day to day as they have no connection
to any "moral tether."
"The integrity of a life surrendered and committed to the Lord
Jesus Christ is the best weapon that you have --
consistently, faithfully loving the Lord Jesus Christ."
#3532
C. Are you strong? Spiritually strong?
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SOURCES FOR ILLUSTRATIONS USED IN THIS SERMON:
# 260 Poster: "John Jacobs and the Power Team." Posted in Coshocton
County, Ohio, in May 1988.
# 417 "Expose the Sins of Leaders, by Dr. Robert Sumner, Biblical
Evangelist, September 1988, page 8. The Leadership Journal
article is "Restoring a Fallen Colleague," by Edward G. Dobson
with response by Truman Dollar, Winter 1992, Vol. XIII No. 1,
page 106.
#3532 "God's Pleasure Must Be Standard," by Lee Weeks, in Baptist Press
(through America Online), February 5, 1996.
These and 18,000 others are part of a database that can be downloaded,
absolutely free, at http://www.holwick.com/database.html
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