When the Weak Become Strong, Part 1

Today on Summit life with Judy Greer. If you require answers to the why, what questions to believe is about the reason I know that is because it's been my struggle favor my Christian life of always been the kind of guy who feels like he needs to know the why, what I'm always asking God for explanation so that I can believe that he's going to God's. I do not get nuts when I should get Revelation life after author and as always I'm your host Molly Witt events know the Bible is filled with fascinating stories about heroes and villains real life descriptions of men and women who struggled just as we do. Did you know that the stories aren't intended just to teach us moral lessons or simply to entertain us ultimately designed to point us to the person work of God the father and his son Jesus Christ today on Summit life. Pastor JD invites us to look at one of the most familiar characters in the Old Testament. His life teaches us that God can accomplish amazing things through ordinary people. When they finally submit to his leadership. If you'd like to follow along with the transcript of each message you can find them free of charge@jdgreer.com so let's get started. Pastor JD. Title today's message when the week became strong as we move through our series your book of Judges we come to one of the most interesting stories in the Bible maybe one of the most well known stories in the Bible and that is the story of Samson.

Now I say the word Samson.

What do you think of about 40 years ago psychologist about these things hold word association games.

The idea was they could identify your subconscious thought patterns by working your mind quickest when another word was said. They don't use much anymore but they would say things like a heart and he said passion that would indicate one thing about you if you had broken that would indicate another note the word you came up with was always violent than that meant that you probably had a violent streak in you, or you when I say I'll get the first for the compromise. Capone or Bundy that will choke underwear thief. I think most of the time if I but if I say outline your first thought is call Ben that indicates maybe you have a problem. So at all of our campuses right now were to do this is one of the experiment was a little bit. How would you turn your neighbor the matter which one right or left, whichever one looks nicer turn your neighbor and I want you to say the first word that comes don't filter it costs, but don't filter what comes to say the first for the comes your mom and I sampled one of the screen. When I said the word night night FIVE so I heard the guard day I made her relax. A big, hard, lonely somebody down here said of the Roundtable different kind of night on about this one about the word all campuses your neighbor church. I honestly don't even want to know what you said when when I said I would but this one biceps biceps. I'm pretty sure I heard somebody say Hank Murphy so you go, this one, what word or image comes to mind when I say Samson Samson. I heard strong longhair heard below. Somebody down there so that we usually think of string third kind of massive bodybuilder when we think about Samson but you know there's a question as to whether Samson was well-built at all as it is not supposed to be a picture of the ultimate mail. He was supposed to be a picture of what God could do in his people to the power of his spirit Samson story comes for the end of the book of Judges. In fact, Samson is can be the last judge specifically talked about in Judges and really get a lot more material on Samson and we do any of the other judges get three whole chapters work and that is because Samson's life sums up the entire message of Judges and then point just beyond judges he got shut down and then point just beyond it is going to give you a picture of what God's salvation in his people.

Looks like you been all through this journey now now to change the tempo and you're gonna see a better picture as God brings together all these things on how he is going to save you see by this point in the book of Judges chapter 13 we can conclude that Israel's cycle of disobedience is permanent and you pick up on the cycle. Here's how it goes. Every time you got them walking with God. That's what we call fellowship and they forget who God is and so their hardest to do several other gods and they go into idolatry and God allows them to be enslaved by the gods of the worshiping and that stage enslavement leads them to bitterness and they cry out in repentance to God and God raises up and deliver a judge who delivers them and restores them back to fellowship with and they forget and they repeat the cycle again and again and again and maybe for the first several chapters of Judges we think well soon to learn their lesson. But they never do. It just goes over and over. And by this point, the book of Judges we are ready to despair.

We are ready to throw up our hands and give up on Israel when suddenly in chapter 13. The narrative structure of Judges changes and we get this really in-depth story that as I'm going to show you is loaded with symbolism to see and hear a picture of how God saves watch this chapter 13 Arrigo and the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord.

And so the Lord gave them into the hand of the Philistines for 40 years now 40 of the longest amount of time that they been enslaved, and 40 in the Bible represents judgment and completion.

So this is like ultimate judgment and the Philistines are the ultimate judge errors. They are bad people, I mean really bad. First are extremely sophisticated.

The Philistines were building multistory buildings and bridges across rivers at a time when Israel was basically just hang out with the seat.

Second, they were really depraved. They built their entire civilization on piracy and conquest. Almost all the wealth that they obtain they obtain by stealing.

They were in every way a militarized society. There parties were epic for their debauchery.

They pioneered this thing called.Ms. amidst word that literally means a week long drinking feast you thought that UNC Chapel Hill students admitted that but they did not.

The Philistines admitted that there are also big in the pork which of course the Israelites always unclean, but the Philistines filled the countryside with big farms. They were unspeakably cruel but endearing beer bacon and barbarism.

That's all you can remember the Philistines.

They represent the enemies of God at their strongest 40 years. The number of completion. The ultimate enemy. The ultimate judgment numerically, culturally, economically and militarily. They are superior to Israel in every way person is a certain manifold of the tribe of the day night Sue's name was Manoa and his wife was barren and had two children means of the Lord appeared the woman and said are behold you shall conceive and bear a son, now stop me show you.

I will give you five-ish observations about your salvation from the first two verses that lay up the whole part of salvation right there in those details ready. Here's the first one what's missing between verses one to IPO description of their enslavement, their judgment. Verse two is where God begins to raise the judge.

What's missing between wanting to.

There is no cry for repentance. You see, by this point in the book of Judges God is no longer waiting on them to seek him because he knows we wait for that is never going to happen. By this point if they're going to be delivered is not because they seek him, but because he sees them.

Check this out this is the first time a judge is promised before birth. In order to really save them. He's going to have to start from scratch is the first judge, they get promised before he was born third. This promise is given to a barren woman she is nearing old age and she has no kids. I've explained to you before the baroness in those days was the sign of ultimate devastation for a woman now in our day. It's difficult, of course, also but back then it was devastating because all of their hope for the future was bound up in their kids, their society was agrarian, which meant that the more sons you had the more workers you have for the farm and thus the more income you generate for your family.

This is also a day remember before 401(k)s and on Social Security so the more children you have, the more likely you are to be taken care of in your old age for the nation itself economic and military help was directly corresponded to how many children are born so women would have lots of babies and if they could have bought the baby they were thought of as national heroes, but women who could not have children were seen as essentially useless Old Testament scholar Walter Bergman says this baroness in ancient text symbolize hopelessness without children, there was no foreseeable future for yourself for your family or for your people. Now course, we today don't think like this.

We put our hope for the future and where we graduated from, what kind of job we have much money we have in the 401(k) but think of it from this woman's perspective she's got no security. She's got no hope she's got no future. She's got no prospects. There's 1/4 detail were never told her name whenever it went, which is odd when you think about how many other details are in the story.

If using the verse you versus you know the dad's name.

You know that dad's naming of the drive there from. Why would the woman not good night she's never referred to by name it's always just the woman is it that the narrator just know her name out I was and is not likely based on how much else he notes it is as if he is intentionally not using her name to show that she is obscure. She's nameless and just a minute you're gonna get some clues that she is not a God seeking woman at all. She's not righteous she's not exemplary. Here is the lesson about salvation and it is so important. God brings his salvation to all people were not crying out in repentance who have no talents or gifts or righteousness to distinguish them from other people to people with no hope and no future and no prospects in themselves. It's as I've often told you God does not love the lovely God makes lovely those he loves. He does not save the strong make strong those he saves. He does not use the righteous because there are no righteous image righteous. Those that he chooses which is good news for you because no matter who you are, what you done what circumstance you find yourself, and how weak you feel what mistakes you feel like you've made. There is hope for you see that hope is not to be found by you turning over a new leaf.

It's not going to be found in you to use the metaphor becoming pregnant in your old age and escaping your baroness that good news can be found by you receiving God's choice in you, which is given as a gift and dependent on his power not your right back to Karen Summit life Jamie Greer yeah we work hard here at Summit like to stay engaged when you are faithful listeners and one way to be sure to stay plugged in by following Costantini on social media, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, all tools that can help spread the good news the gospel each and every day with daily encouragement and shareable wisdom you can send a message of hope to those you love simply by following us tonight.

Search for pastor Jamie Greer on your social platforms or visit our website for links to his daily content. Was he right now@jamiegreer.com JD GR a R.com.

Now let's return for the conclusion of today's message. Once again it is one of the most humbling and the sweetest trees to me all the Bible, God set his affection on the just because there was no reason. Deuteronomy chapter 7 letter.

This is where God first explains of Israel.

It was not because you are more in number than any other people, but the Lord set his love on you and shows you, for you were the fewest of all the peoples. It would, but will because you are awesome one because you were were better because you were sophisticated or more cultures are even more righteous than others.

Things were true, why did the Lord choose you and love you birthday it is because the Lord loves you.

Using the circular statement there, but what will I do love it because I love you.

Love is a need a reason love is his own reason, I often explain a version of this to my kids are not the night went when I'm putting down the bed. I'll on El Salvador's will routine minute. The routine and I'll stop and I'll say is that he love you and they'll say yes he does, is it wise that you love you and I'll say is it because you're beautiful and begin their train will say no and one of them will almost always a but we are beautiful and I was a yes you are.

Is that why daddy loves you know it. Is it because you're smart no, but we are smart. Yes you are smart with you two or three characteristics and I'll say that he love you for these reasons and also knows about is that he love you know say because he is her daddy because we are his daughters see there's a sense in which my love is given my kids not based on who they are what they accomplish.

My love is just giving them just because it's the way the father loves a child. It doesn't need an explanation is not depended on the morning something. In fact, when I see them struggle. It makes me love them more in the know that the heavenly father looks at his people and says I love you just because not because of this because of that she the reason it's comforting to me as I know that if God did not choose me when I was righteous. She's not gonna leave me when I struggle because a lot of times and I thought my life. I have a tendency look up a God and I say God are you going to discard me are you going to give up on me and God says I didn't choose you because you are doing okay. I chose you. When you are at your lowest on my to let you go when you struggle.

I realize now for 26 years of walking with Jesus, but I'm not holding on to him nearly as tightly as he is holding on to me. And the reason that I have made it in the reason that I will make it is not because of the strength of my grip on him.

It's because of his grip on me and he will never let go.

Not ever. That's what you see in verses 1 to 3 years. Verse four therefore be careful and bring no one a strong drink and eat nothing unclean by the way, there's all we know she's not righteous. She should need to be told that she should be eating anything ongoing. Anyway, she's not living as a righteous Israelite for behold, you shall conceive and bear a son and a raise or whatever, but as ever the child will be a Nazirite to God from the womb. We talk about the Nazirite vow for a moment, Nazirite bowels really intense thing about like an intense fast you essentially three major rules.

Number one, you could never cut your hair anywhere in your body for any reason number two you could not drink anything literally from the vine, alcoholic or otherwise, which meant no Cabernet, no coronas, there still is no Miller light not even two Buck Chuck from Ralph Trader Joe's amended all that was all limit even Welches unfermented grape juice would've been off-limits, which means that's all that drink is so you had to drink milk or water. That was all you could touch number three you could not touch any dead bodies of any kind. Usually people would only commit to the Nazirite bowels for a short period of time would like an intense fast because it was so light consuming Sampson does it from his birth from the day that he was born. He never touched any of his hair, which me that he would look something like a mix between Duck Dynasty meet ZZ Top. I am but it's all designed to show you that this Savior. They got is going to send is absolutely distinct from the world. What's this for five and he shall begin to save Israel from name of the Philistines began is the most important word in the whole Sampson story but that's an odd word right, he begins it finishes, which is really where when you consider the fact that he's the last judge talked about in Judges so we got the beginning of a salvation by a judge who has no money that comes after him and then the book of Judges ends and we are left asking the question what he began it completed and now you're reading the Bible the right way because now you're seeing that this thing that he began is not to be completed in the book of Judges is not to be completed to the New Testament. That's the way the Bible intends for you to read it. Was he going verse six to summarize what happens here.

This angel after she a neighbor of Manolo's wife, Noah, like his back and tells me no one I know what a believer is that we even have a strong drink a little too much MLS of all we asked Angel this is really the jet you were hallucinating. Only a single come back and so on. Danger comes back to him and was life, and minerals lifelines gets to know what the first one first things Manoah says to the angel verse 50. Please let us detain your prepare young goat for you. In other words eat together for the angel God will not do it because eating in those days was a sign of fellowship and peace and there is no peace between God and Israel from Megan eat with you so verse 12 Manoah begins to pepper the angel with questions when your words come true, what is to be the child's manner of life and what is to be his mission. Verse 17. What is your name so that when your words come true. We may honor you. What's he wanting to know the details and I will be always know how this can work out why this what can happen over here. Finally, this is so important.

Verse 18 the Lord interrupts him and says what you asked my name seem it is wonderful wonderful is a word in the Old Testament that is used almost exclusively for God. It means divine. Let me point something out here because this is so common whenever God reveals himself to people we help.

Manoah responds how God responded, so typical that I will tell you that if you don't get this principle you will not make it in the life of faith we always want details, and God perceives that are asking of the details is so we can figure out whether not his plan is trustworthy and good answer got interrupted. I might go see the details. The question is do you trust my character, why do you ask my name seem it is wonderful. Is that enough for you. Manoah wants to know more about what to do.

God says wait a minute.

This is who I am.

This is listen. If you require answers to the why and what questions to believe your never to make it is about a sudden given. If you require detailed explanations God, why did this happen why big body bad things happen to good people what's going to happen in the future. What can happen in my life was a world like this.

If you require that before you can trust God and feel at peace. You're not to make it the reason I know that is because this is been my struggle with a fervor for my Christian life. I've always been the kind of guy who feels like he needs to know the why and what I'm always asking God why don't get this, and I'm asking God for exclamation so that I can believe that he's good. And God said you not get next donation you get Revelation, the question is do you believe I'm good because my name is wonderful as is have not should be very recently at all these questions as I got older. Send is what can happen here and I want you doing hasn't got out of this meeting given God.

This is an exact number this thing by scientists who who asked the question was in this UI.

How does this apply the stain on the site is asked the question how much power would it take to generate the matter that was necessary to create the food required to feed the 5000 people I know. Okay, it's a nerd question but to hang with me, Jesus, on the hillside for 5000 evil toddlers into fish which means he generated a bunch of food I do nothing right will matter and energy cannot be created or destroyed. Therefore, there was a lot of energy that had to go into producing that matter to the scientist is asking how much energy would require to make that new matter. So using AE estimated 1/2 pound of food for each person.

8 ounces of food answers is using 8 ounces of food per person using the equation equals MC squared energy equals mass times constant speed of light squared.

Here's how much energy it would've taken to produce that new matter was in this it would say he said, using that equation, it would take all the electoral power on earth. Working at 100% output 100% of the time for four straight years to create the energy to it to create that meal Jesus did that without breaking a sweat son consume 600 millions times of matter per second, it generates enough energy in one second to supply all US energy needs for 13 billion years in one second, God spoke the sun into existence got to let there be light and there was like, here's my question and not really in place to question the ways of such a God. I demand explanation. God says look at creation and you tell me about my wonderful name and then you start asked me questions like you don't really understand what you're capable of understanding what I'm doing right now I think about God's compassion for me demonstrated the cross and got the grill you look at the cross and look at what I did to save not only did I forgive you your second chance act to pay the price for your rebellion and you can require some other explanation to see if I'm good. This is my name is wonderful and a question for you is, is that enough for you or you can require explanation because I'm going to give it your I'm going to give you Revelation there are many of you that are in the struggle faith right now and what God gives you as a revelation of his beautiful name. Look at what he create a look at his Majesty look at our look at his oldest look of the cross and you decide. Is that enough for you.

Can you follow him because of his wonderful name, verse 19, so Manoah took the young goat with the grain offering and offered on the rocks below are the one who works wonders heightened night dinner together. He's often a sacrifice which is more appropriate. Verse 20. When the flame went up toward heaven from the altar the angel the Lord went up and the flame of the altar.

Manoah and his wife fell at their faces on the ground in the Manoah said to his wife is going to humorously think about it face down in the dirt, you know, Manoah comes as we shall surely die for. We have seen God. As I said him of the Lord, meant to tell us he would not accept the burnt offering and a grain offering at her hands shows all these things were now such things to these these methods of trashed Samson's mom. Up until now.

Well, something absolutely amazing about her. She responds in a way that puts her among the greatest women of faith in the she says simply. I trusted these obviously good and I'm ready to obey all that he is gone I will do all that you say, because God is not coming to you, requiring you to do something for him. He wanted to do something for you and through you, which means the only answer is yes, Lord your word limit my teaching the Bible teaching pastor Jeannie Greer to share this message with a friend were to catch up with programs you may have missed in this series, we invite you to listen online@jeanniegreer.com as our culture becomes more and more post-Christian and secular. It can be hard to have mercy for one another when were confronted with difficult topics in question. We've put 16 honest questions quick answers into a bug to help give you words of grace when discussing hard things. Questions like key leisure salvation and how can I trust Christians when so many are hypocritical.

We love to get you a copy today of this latest resource, honest questions, quick answers, volume, tail events, volume 1, when it was offered a couple of years ago asked about when you get today by calling 86 thank five T-20 8665 T-20 forgive and request online clear.com while you're on the website. You can also sign up for our ministry update information about new resources and latest delivered straight to your inbox greatly to stay connected with something like sign up and go team cheating clear.com by Molly Witt events come back same time writing when pastor Jeannie right here on