A Superhero Loses His Cape-Part B

There is a human tendency to not deal with our issues we all have our issues we all got our stuff and one of the human protection devices that we have is to define so somebody gets a little too close to our issue when we feel uncomfortable.

We deflect the change the subject and some are very good at deflect Masters of war. They make jokes about it. They try to make light of it and when you live that way. You just become more isolated and more alone doesn't solve the problem in this life we as believers will completely escape the grip of sin that is pushing on, we have to deal with the true confession today. Don't connect with Skip lines Skip explores the life of Samson encourage you to lead with reverence for the Lord before we begin, choose a resource that will give you the tools you need to live in the power of the Holy Spirit counselor comforter advocate helper. These are some of the names for the Holy Spirit found in the Bible. The Holy Spirit isn't a warm fuzzy feeling or a vague cosmic force. He's a person who loves you and cares for you and wants to empower you to be everything God calls you to be here. Skip, I think I think there's a lot of questions with heard the term Holy Spirit. Obviously they have a very vague idea of who the Spirit of God is and what he supposed to do in their lives.

We want to help you better understand the Holy Spirit by sending you expound Holy Spirit iDVD study from pastor step and for a limited time, so also send you a booklet by Lenny HiTec called in power discover your spiritual gifts.

Both resources are our way to say thanks for your gift of $25 or more to help keep this Bible teaching ministry on the air connecting into God's life changing trip.

Call now to request more copies of these resources. 800-922-1888.

Give online securely connectwithskip.com/offer. Okay, let's dive into today's judges chapter. This is after some time. When he returned to get her. He turned aside to see the carcass of the lion, and behold, a swarm of bees and honey were in the carcass of the lion. He took some of it in his hands and he went along, eating when it came to his father and mother. He gave some to them and they also ate.

But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey out of the carcass of the line so he's traveling down to Tim now with mom and down. Dad and evidently he leaves the main road and goes through a vineyard without them.

The lion attacks them and you know the story there's a question what's the Nazirite doing in a vineyard that I want to refresh your memory, I Nazirite Val which Samson took involved three things number one you don't cut your hair you little girl.

So there like the original hippies, but with the purpose.

The idea of the long hair was a sign of humiliation. That's number one number two I Nazirite wasn't allowed to touch a corpse because they would become defiled. So even if a relative died. They couldn't be around a corpse which means they wouldn't have. Participation in the funeral of even a parent, so it was quite about to take quite a sacrifice to make. Third, I Nazirite could drink no intoxicating drink at all.

No wine, no intoxicating drink could eat no grapes could eat no raisins at all. Nothing from the fruit of the line is just interesting to note that he is walking through a vineyard.

It's dangerous for Nazirite should even walk through the vineyard because just kinda placing yourself in a comfortable position to break your bounty and some grapes. Maybe not a big deal, but to a Nazirite. It is another principle I find is one that I see some Christians will ask questions like, hey can I do that and still be a Christian is okay if I get involved in this and still be a Christian site, wrong line of questioning this. I like how far up to the edge. Can I get but some believers will sail their ship so close to the lake of fire that their sales gets cinched. You want to live that way. Samson is living that way.

According to verse nine on his way back he takes honey from alliance corpse. Now again I remind you of the bow that is taken he is Nazirite and one of the things Nazirite can do is touch a corpse so reaching in and grabbing honey from a corpse of a lion is something that will break his bow is becoming to file.

Now he's ceremonially defiled. He's already relationally defiled, disrespecting his parents.

He's already morally defiled, is always thinking about is what he can see with his eyes and looking at a Philistine check. She's pretty now is ceremonially unclean.

All that to say here's a Nazirite who is not taking his vows very seriously and there's a good reason for because they're not important to him.

They're just not that important to him.

Maybe one time they were, but they're not now. I meet people all the time who will say all I used to go to your church effect you dedicated me when I was a baby and I was asked to work. We made it a worry me are you. You still dedicated to the Lord, are you following the value I've had a few setbacks I go to church twice a year, Easter and Christmas. I'm there count on me and you see whatever past experience you had.

Whatever past expression of faith. You have made.

It's all invalid unless it's translated into the present experience. Jesus said, many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name that we not cast out demons in your name. Have we not done wonderful things in your name and I will declare to them, I never knew you depart from me, you who practice lawlessness. The problem that Samson had with women was really a problem. Samson had with God. God wasn't first in his life.

God was in supreme in his life. The Bible is a word for that is called idolatry. Anything or anyone that replaces supreme devotion to God is an idol so I know that God is your God by creation. You're here, you're alive, he created you. I know that for many of you, God is your God, by redemption, he saved you. My question is, is God, your God, by devotion, are you devoted to him will I been dedicated to God. Great. Are you devoted to him now Samson was not. He disregarded his God. Listen to the third step he takes is going downhill with every step he distanced his friends. He distanced his friends in verse 10, not provocative versus and as we read them. I want you to notice what is there and what's not there verse 10, so his father went down to the woman and Samson gave a feast of their four young men used to do so and it happened when they saw him, that they brought 30 companions to be with him. I notice what's there. First of all there's a feast and the word for feast.

The Hebrew word in the text for feast is a drinking feast day. So once again he's taken the bow of a a bow of the Nazirite Nazirite don't drink intoxicating drink.

This dudes having a beer bash as a bachelor party.

Yes, young men used to do so, but not Nazirite young man that this young man. So this Nazirite has a drinking party at intoxicating beverages will certainly be a part of that and notice his dad is with him.

Now I don't know why his dad is with them, but I notice it as it is in the text so I deal with it. One commentator says. Perhaps his father was there to reach out to his son. In one sort of last attempt to stop a marriage that he couldn't sanction is just a way to say please sign don't don't do this, so that's what's there.

What I want you to see is what's not there.

There are 30 Philistine men in the groom's party that he doesn't even know they give him 30 dudes off the street to be part of the wedding party if he doesn't know her. He certainly doesn't know them.

They just bring them in, here's my question.

Where are his friends were Samson's friends. Why didn't he he bring his own. Listen carefully in Jewish weddings.

There was a group of men called the friends of the bridegroom Jesus even mentions that in Matthew nine the friends of the bridegroom where the friends of this bridegroom, it suggests to me that Samson didn't bring any of his friends that are round up 30 Philistine's to be his new best friends for his own wedding. So why didn't he bring his friends. Well either. He didn't have any or they didn't want to come with him and be a part of this wedding. One of those two options either. He didn't have any. Or they didn't want to come and be a part or you just didn't tell anybody, so he didn't bring his own friends. One thing we know for sure about Samson. Whether you read in chapter 13, 14, 15 or 16 is this guy was a loner noted know anybody like that giving up. Sure loner, there's no record of him marching with an army are working with a band of soldiers we never read of him strategizing with other leaders. We never see him surrounded by good friends. He always acts alone always alone and that is not good that is not healthy. Proverbs 18 verse one. A wise or sees me a man who isolates himself seeks his own desire. He rages against all wise judgment that is Samson.

He's isolated himself. He rages against wise judgment. His parents is God's vows is acting alone a person like that is as easy pickings, easy prey for the enemy nor the things I love about computers is this thing called spellcheck one-handed drives me nuts especially with my smart phone because it's like thinking is smarter than I am and I write a word and it corrects it and it sends it was like no, I didn't mean to say that it yet to then correct the correction right, but when I work in a Word document like a my computer.

I love spellcheck because I'm not always the best speller I try to be, but I forget how things are spelled and so it kinda sucks was no your wrong and there's three options you can pick from these three words they need these words be good for you. I go to. Actually, I like that one. Okay, get out, spell the right to think would be great to have spellcheck in life like mistake. Check your you going around anything and every day. Some, but you may not want to do that is out of a bad move. I would give you three options to choose from when that be great. Jason you have that there call friends, real friends will do exactly that your spellcheck there your mistake, check your your good friends who know you will say I see you walking down a bad road. I know you I know your background and I love you enough to get in your grill and tell you not good.

You may want to check another option.

Another road Samson had parents who he disrespected and he probably had friends whom he distanced pushed away so you can see these downhill steps. He disrespected his parents. He disregarded his God. He distances friends. Let me give you 1/4 step downward. In this chapter he downplayed his failure.

Let's pick it up in verse 12. This is now the wedding feast. Samson said that them. These 30 new best friends let me pose a riddle to you if you can correctly solve and explain it to me within the seven days of the feast that I will give you 30 garments and 30 changes of clothing, but if you cannot explain it to me that you shall give me 30 linen garments and 30 changes of clothes and they said they impose a riddle that we may hear it and he said to them out of the heater came something to eat and out of the strong came something sweet that for three days they could not explain the riddle, but it came to pass on the seventh day that they said to Samson's wife entice your husband that he may explain the riddle to us or else we will burn you and your father's house with fire.

Can I just say you don't want guys like this at your wedding. Have you invited us in order to take what is ours is that not so then Samson's wife wept on him and said you only hate me, you do not love me, you posed a riddle to the sons of my people but you have not explained it to me and he said to her, look, I have explained it to my father or mother should I explain it to you so she wept on him. The seven days while there feast lasted and it happened on the seventh day that he told her because she pressed him so much and she explained the riddle to the sons of her people. So the men of the city said to him on the seventh day before the sun went down. What is sweeter than honey and what is stronger than lion and he said to them, if you had not plowed with my have for you would not have solved my rib now. This marriage is not off to a very good start. He's got a wife is crying for their honeymoon. He's got 30 guys who want to kill his wife and father-in-law and he calls his wife the cow right so is not good stuff happening wedding feast lasted for seven days during the seven day feast. As a matter of protocol, it was standard practice to post riddles to have little word games.

The two have little conversations that would be like a battle of the wits. A friendly battle of the wits was very commonplace.

What I want you to notice is the subject of Samson's riddle. What is the subject. It's the honey he took from the carcass of a lion. In other words, Samson constructed his riddle based on the experience of his own sin.

He made a joke out of his sin. It's very lighthearted that it works its way into a riddle and is bad enough that he disobeyed God, but it takes a special kind of callousness to make a joke out of disobeying God like and figured out culture husband. She tells the riddle and the wedding feast is about over.

There is a human tendency to not deal with our issues we all have our issues we all got our stuff and one of the human protection devices that we have is to deflect so if somebody gets a little too close to our issue when we feel uncomfortable.

We deflect we change the subject and some are very good at deflecting masters of it or they make jokes about it.

They try to make light of it and when you live that way. You just become more isolated and more alone doesn't solve the problem. This is another step downward for Samson. He disrespected his parents. He disregarded his God. He distances friends and now he downplayed his failure. Look at the fifth and final one.

In this chapter he decimated his enemies.

I mean, he decimated his enemies. Look at verse 19. Then the spirit of the Lord came upon him mightily, that sounds good to watch what he does with that power. And he went down to Ashkelon and killed 30 of their men enter their apparel and gave the changes of clothing to those who would explain the riddle, so his anger was aroused.

Notice that phrases anger was aroused and he went back to his father's house and Samson's wife was given to his companion. That's his best man who had been his best man broke. Samson is a man with a cold heart and a hothead to pay his debt goes 23 miles away 23 miles away to Ashkelon kills 30 dudes are not even a part of the party. Nobody knows that he doesn't know them. The 30 companions don't know them. He kills them, steals their Armani suits and brings them back to pay off his debt, this is Gavin anger problem.

He goes from Devcon for the Devcon one he goes nuclear. It's like okay I lost the bet to go kill 30 people pay off my debt, who are unrelated.

Why did he go so far away it's pretty easy to figure out because he could travel back faster than the news would travel back what he had done. Now, in order to get 30 pairs of garments 30 sets of clothing from 30 dead men. You have to touch the corpse which makes you defiled further right so he just keeps going down this path, we don't have time to look at it, but in the very next chapter.

On another occasion, Samson because he's angry to get even takes 30 foxes ties their tails together light them on fire, so that animal abuse, lets them go through a field and the fire of the tails of the foxes gets the crops going in it burns all of the Philistines crops this dude has an anger issue okay after he kills 30 men. He doesn't even go to consummate the marriage he goes back to his parents home were told and look at the last verse. Look what happens while he is away his wife, Mary's best man made a sound like a Jerry Springer show. It's been said, those who fly into a rage, always make up bad landing. This is a very bad landing.

This is bad choice after bad choice after bad choice you ever wonder how people like this with such potential such empowerment by God spirit such a godly family and godly upbringing can end up like this you are seeing the high cost of low living since were doing a series and crash and burn and we want to learn from those who fell, we want to learn to fly. Let me give you three quick take away points for this message for your life. Number one take God seriously take God seriously.

His parents made a vow and committed their son to the Lord with their son squandered that want to find something on her some interesting never once will you find Samson praying until the end of his life when he is chained to pillars and he finally looks upward and he prays to God, let me avenge my enemies, and he kills himself, and he tells them it's only time we find him bring and I know people who are like that they really don't care much about spiritual things until there's a death until there's a crisis until there's a loss until there's a health issue. You know it's it's like when a September 11 happens everybody standing around singing Kumbaya and praying for one week and that's it then it fades away. Take your God seriously. Second take away truth.

Choose your friends wisely take your God seriously, but choose your friends wisely in the absence of Samson bringing good friends along 30 bad friends were put in their place because there's a vacuum. Somebody once said, if you want to soar with the eagles. You can run with the turkeys. My dad used to say things like that to me and you eventually will become like the people you hang out with two you become. And then third, make your choices cautiously. You know, one of the things you understand and studying the life of Samson is how Paul said he was so impetuous he was.

I see a girl water yeah but no, I will honor in the news about a little kill 30 people me these is all over the map you so impulsive is not cautious he didn't take his parents advice. He didn't take any time to pray about it at all close with a proverb proverb chapter 8 verse five. Let me read it to you. It's just it's just good practical stuff is is you are simple gain, prudence. You are foolish gain understanding. He saying why is you can do this wise up. Listen to it and that in the message translation says listen you idiots learn good sense. You blockheads shape up that for straight talk from God's word superpowers don't make superheroes really makes a superhero is when a person is empowered by the spirit of God in daily life to reach the potential that God's design for each. Each of us to fulfill its message crash and now to tell you about how you can keep encouraging messages like this coming your way as you help connect others to God's word.

The book of Judges reminds us of an important truth. God can use anyone to accomplish his work in the world and we have an opportunity for you to partner in the work he's doing through this broadcast. There are certain costs associated with running a radio program like this but because of generous listeners like you were able to cover those expenses and get God's word out to you and more people. Here's how you can join that work today. You can get online@connectwithskip.com/donate.

That's connect with.com/donate or call 800-922-1888, 800-922-1888. Thank you tomorrow Skip shares how you can take hold of the gifts and opportunities God has given you might want to look at this is King Saul's excited utterance words he probably wouldn't say otherwise, or admit to anyone but here he says. Indeed, I have played pool and aired exceedingly tragic admission banner statement of anyone who would squander the call of God on that person's admission of a person who would've said I could have been used powerfully by God, but I was busy admission of a leader who went presentation of connection communication through ever-changing time