The Christian Context for Samson

Reformation is needed in almost every day.

If all within years of founding the Corinthian congregation needs to see them reformed. We can't be surprised the churches need reforming regularly in the history of the church.

Sometimes that reform is more the nature of a revitalization, but I think people have, especially in America, been to content to be satisfied with entertainment and with shallowness and we need a seriousness about God about Christ and about his word and I think should be drawn again to passionate interest in the word is gonna take a major Reformation of the church today. My hope is that this series will serve the church by causing people to reflect on what the church ought to be.

According to the word of God, the necessity of reforming the church teaching series with W. Robert Godfrey visit Lincoln here.org/teaching series to learn more today on Renewing Your Mind as you read the life of Samson and judges and you think, well, maybe Sampson was worthy of the Lord, but the Lord sees things differently and Samson for all his faults, was a sinner saved by grace Samson story is full of sin, despair, tragedy, turned to the New Testament book of Hebrews: the home. Sampson's name is right there what's referred to as the Hall of Fame which we make today on Renewing Your Mind. Your teaching fellow, Dr. Robert Godfrey else's view Samson story in the light covenant for turning out to the New Testament and what the New Testament teaches us about the life of Samson and the meaning of the life of Samson. I think Hebrews helps us to stand back and look at the life as a whole and its real spiritual significance because Hebrews uses Samson along with others to try to encourage Christians and we want to see what that encouragement is we know that the apostle Paul in Romans 15 said that all of Scripture was written so that we might be encouraged and that we might endure and real sense. Hebrews is a book about being encouraged to endure.

That's probably the occasion for the writing of the letter to the Hebrews. The occasion being that there were some Jewish Christians who seem to be abandoning Christianity to go back to Judaism, and in the context of the first century that's maybe not so surprising because the numbers of Christians were tiny compared to the number of Jews so you would left a big significant influential religion in the Roman world to be part of a little insignificant religion and Judaism had special privileges in Roman law to practice their religion requires Christianity in the first century was illegal in the Roman world, which meant sometimes Christians were persecuted, but all the time they had to worry about how the government was going to relate to them and then some of the Jews apparently according the Hebrews began to think what you know Judaism is really a lot more impressive than Christianity.

We have a temple, one of the glories of the ancient world and our temple is shaded with gold on the top and when the sun shines on it it it it's magnificent all who approach it are are awestruck with the size and glory of our temple and when you see the high priest appear in public in his robes. It's so impressive and Jews began to say how we lost something. Have we lost something important. We've certainly lost a religion of visible glory for a religion that talks about things unseen and so the whole book of Hebrews is in the sense of book about the right use of the eyes, and so it shouldn't surprise us that eventually the book of Hebrews comes to Sampson is one of those who need to be an example to us of the right and the wrong uses of the eyes, and so Hebrews is is almost a long sermon calling on the people of God to persevere in the faith, not to drift away to keep looking to Christ who has will read in Hebrews 12 is the author and finisher of our faith. And so the book of Hebrews keeps coming back to Christ Jesus. Better is the better temple. He's the better priest is the better sacrifice. He's the better covenant so by becoming a Christian, you haven't lost anything but you gained is what Hebrews is saying.

Therefore, we have to keep looking to Jesus and looking to the promises of Jesus know what's one of the characteristics of promises well there heard usually and not seen, and that's one of the characteristics of faith that looks the promises that are not yet visibly fulfilled.

But, in which we have to hold have to trust and and what Hebrews is saying in many many ways is the Christian life is a matter of trust that we have a family in our congregation in Escondido whose father was part of the Dutch resistance during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands and on the last day of the German occupation of that part of the Netherlands. She sat his family down to dinner and they read from Hebrews chapter 4 a call to perseverance and faith, and a declaration there yet remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God and that father went out and died on the last day of the German occupation, but what resonated in the years of his family was that promise there yet remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. There is a life beyond this life for the people of God's life we can't see.

It's a life that only promised and so we have to hold onto those promises we have to trust in those promises and we have to look beyond what we can see and that such a theme for the book of Hebrews, looking beyond trusting the promises seeing the promises looking to the unseen, you know that's repeated several times in Hebrews 11 now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen and we turn our churches into things that are too much for things seem we can run into trouble because we have to be looking to the words of the promise of what's not seen overlooked down in verses 13 and 14 as this is developed, we read these all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on earth for people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland seeking a better home is what is implied there, and so we have to be looking beyond what we see here and then down in verse 27 by faith Moses left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible.

So there is the visible Pharaoh who claims to be God and seems to have all power and gives Moses in order and Moses said no. However powerful you are however visible. You are however splendid you are I'm serving a God who is unseen, that I believe is more powerful and more splendid so you know this is this is how Hebrews is developing and then in Hebrews 11 verse 25 again speaking about Moses, we read that he chose rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin, and that we can certainly pause there and think about Sampson. Sampson did not always avoid the fleeting pleasures of sin, and his life is representative that taught the people of God have to be on guard about that. The fleeting pleasures of sin can be seductive and deceptive and we have to learn that Sampson learned very slowly learned and finally only at the end of this life, and does so Hebrews is is creating a whole spiritual picture here for us.

That is so critical and in particular, then it says that we need to learn. As Christians, that strength comes out of weakness. Strength comes out of weakness. Hebrews 11 verse 34 where there's this whole better start reading up a little further than that.

That's guarded. Hebrews 1132 and what more shall I say for time would fail me to tell of here we are in the book of Judges Gideon Barrick Sampson Jeff, the David and Samuel the prophet's who through faith.

Conquered kingdoms enforce justice, obtain promises, stopped the mouths of lions quench the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword was all that mean who were made strong out of weakness made strong out of weakness. That's it. That's a thing the Paul develops, particularly in second Corinthians, Paul, who's been challenged that he doesn't amount to much and pull sort of admits it on the amount to much.

He is not cool like the super apostles. He is not tall and good-looking like the super apostles.

He doesn't perform miracles set the drop of a hat like the super apostles and he says to the Corinthians. Don't be deceived, that their apparent strength is real strength because God acts out of weakness to accomplish strong thanks and Paul eloquently summarizes that in second Corinthians 12 nine and 10. My grace is sufficient for you, my power is made perfect in weakness.

Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

For the sake of Christ. And I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then Armstrong and I think that word of Paul illustrated in the life of Sampson that he's really at his strongest when he is at its weakest and most humiliated is a really important lesson for us in America today because American Christianity has had a long run of strength in our culture, but about two weeks ago I was in the bookstore. My wife always says when we travel we go from bookstore to Cemetery Cemetery bookstore and I found a book there just published entitled the end of white Christian America and it's not as analytical as I'd hoped it would be but is full of statistics in an interesting way, showing how America is changing and the role of Christian values in America is changing dramatically and I thought how do we react to that. How do we feel about that. While some American Christians, and, of course, there ought to be an end to white America. America ought to be a multiracial country where everyone is equal.

But how do we feel as Christians that it may be the end of a Christian America.

You know, I think there are two basic reactions to that one reaction that we see too often is an angry reaction.

I'm mad. There were losing our prerogatives on mad that were losing our influence. I'm mad that these people have changed my country.

Now there's some legitimate seeds of anger and politics but fundamentally, Christians are called to be angry and I think we as Christians need to say at this moment right before going to be weaker than, let's pray to the Lord that that will actually be an occasion for us to be strong and let's act in love. Let's show the love of Christ, so that will win people to us. Let's not depend on having law enforce what we think is right. Be nice if that happened, but let's show how important Christian values are in living life so that in a world where the family is under attack. Let's show families that are full of love and stability and an blessedness in a world where education seems to be running off the rails. Let's raise children to be well educated and disciplined and thoughtful that if we can do those sorts of things I think are really going to shine in this world.

I think someone once said we should be lights of the world. I think I even know who said that and what does it mean to be a light in the world. He doesn't need to be talking all the time in a way that's unconvincing when compared to your life but to me it means to be living for Jesus and and letting his law flow through us. And if that means we're weak them were just like the apostle Paul and he accomplished a lot of good for the Savior.

So I I think we have to try to retool. It's not easy to retool, especially in-year-old is IM.

It's not easy to retool but I think we have to retool to say okay if were not in charge anymore, let's bear witness because it can be a lot of people who come to the conclusion the agenda that America's following is not working.

It's really an agenda of death, not of life. It's really an agenda of bondage, not freedom. So let us be the people who raise an agenda of love and life and liberty asking to draw people to the Lord. Maybe not everybody probably not everybody but I think we can make a difference.

That way, and I think that's what the New Testament is reminding us about that.

We need that despite our weakness to be consecrated to the Lord to serve the Lord to give our lives over to the Lord and that's why at the end of this Philistine.

In Hebrews 1138 a list that includes Sampson. We are told, the world was not worthy of a read the life of Sampson and judges and you think, well, maybe Sampson was worthy of the Lord, but the Lord sees things differently and Sampson for all his faults, was a sinner saved by grace and the world is not worthy of any sinner saved by grace because the Lord is taking us out of this world and away from this world. At the same time ascending us into this world to serve him so there's a remarkable character here and and again as we read that list.

Think of how many of these things apply to Sampson as well as to others who through faith conquered kingdoms will Sampson sort of did that did me recently conquered the Philistines for a time enforce justice.

That was his concern in that final prayer, obtained promises, the Lord promised for him to be a judge and he was a judge stopped the mouths of lions will stop the mouth of at least one lion quench the power of fire escape the edge of the sword were made strong out of weakness became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight authors suffered marketing and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment that will certainly Sampson wasn't they were stoned, they were sewn into they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats and destitute, afflicted, mistreated, of whom the world was not worthy wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth and all of these though commended through faith, did not receive what was promised.

What was promised that they didn't receive Jesus they didn't live to see Jesus, and of course the point of Hebrews is how much more blessed we are when Sampson or even Samuel or even David because while David could see Jesus from afar. David was a prophet. David wrote in ways that talked about the Savior of the truth is, David could not see Jesus as clearly as we see Jesus.

And what a perfect status for us. How, what, what an inspiration that ought to be for us and so we ought to see that privilege rather sees that privilege and and rejoice in it in and live in it to know that we can look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, the one who has come to be the perfect judge and the final priest and the great prophet and the what's left the obedient king. He's the one and were privileged to have seen it meant, and to know about them. I say well we haven't seen was at a slip of the tongue. We may have to edit the tape themselves. Some of the time Paul says you seen Jesus when your for his word perched when you've heard the promises declared Jesus is in the far and distant Savior is a Savior who spent displayed before us in the preaching of the gospel so that we know so their environment so the call to him and and so you know when we look at Sampson we have all these privileges.

We have all of this. This wonder for us and and perhaps we look at Sampson we can apply to him. What is said of Abel in Hebrews 11 for and through his faith, though he died, he still speaks and that's a wonderful thing to be said really about all of the Old Testament faithful that though their dead, their lives to speak to us and what they speak to us is listen to the law of God pursue holiness pursue consecration to the Lord do that in Christ. Strength and honor your strength. Do it faithfully according to his word and do it knowing that you forever need his mercy and his grace and his forgiveness.

We live in a world that is so confused about these things.

Even though there so simple and the Scripture were so clear and the Reformation aware justified and made right with God by the work of Christ alone which we receive as an act of grace alone through faith alone. We contribute nothing to being justified and made right with God. But at the same time we are called to be a sanctified people and to be growing in grace to be growing in holiness, by the strength of the Holy Spirit to be more and more conformed to the image of the sun and and too often Christianity seems to split into two parts that the justification people who become indifferent to holiness and the sanctification people who miss the gospel and that's not the character of the religion.

The Bible teaches. The Bible teaches a religion of justification and sanctification the Bible as Psalm 99, said teaches a religion of a God who is forgiving and merciful but avenges wrongdoing. We can never be indifferent to sin. We can never become comfortable with sin. Jesus died for sin. That's how serious and in Jesus lives to help us live for him having given us new life by his grace. So Sampson I hope will stay with you and will encourage you and occasionally challenge you and direct you. But above all remind you that were called to live by faith and not by sight called to live by promise that were called to live in Christ and in Christ will find: praise God praise God. Indeed, we are encouraged by this New Testament view of Sampson.

He failed.

He said he made a mess of things that we see in the book of Hebrews that God's grace was sufficient for him. Thanks for joining us for Renewing Your Mind on this Tuesday. I believe Webb and we have been pleased to feature a message from Dr. Robert Godfrey series on the life of Sampson. We learn how to see Sampson as an example of faith. It is a beautiful picture of the gospel and would be happy to send you this full series 10 lessons on two DVDs.

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The series is titled the life of Sampson R number is 800-435-4343 and her web address is Renewing Your Mind.org we take a moment here to thank you for listening to Renewing Your Mind and supporting litigator ministries. Our goal is to help growing Christians learn more about the Bible in order to communicate that truth to others. We see ourselves as a discipleship ministry and that this program has been a help to you. We are grateful we want as many people as possible to know the life-changing truth that we find in Scripture. There are many religions out there opposed to Christianity, but they all have a common theme I hope you'll join us tomorrow is our guest teacher Dr. Peter Jones helps us understand paganism as Wednesday here on Renewing Your Mind