When the Weak Become Strong, Part 4

Today on Senate length with Jeannie Greer you desire, letter or spirit led, because you cannot be both. And if you're going to follow Jesus, you are going to learn to say no to what you want because you always say yes to what he wants and were conflicts with what you want to put his or her yours and some of you are being ravaged by the end because you cannot control your anger impulses.

You cannot control your lust and you cannot control your pride and they just speak you move your like a city is broken down like their author and religion. Jeannie here. I'm your host Molly and we are so glad you're back with us today. We continuing our teaching series titled broken saviors by looking at the life of one of the most well-known Old Testament figures seems incredible strength made him seem larger-than-life and therefore hard to relate to, but we are finding out that we got more in common with him than we think. Just like Samson. We have all fallen into the trap of our own desires.

So what's the answer now if you missed any of the messages in this study called broken saviors. Be sure to catch up right away@jeanniegreer.com. Our website is full of free resources to help you grow in your relationship with Jesus right now let's rejoin Pastor Jamie in Judges chapter 14. Wake up and you look in the mirror you are looking at the greatest enemy of both yourself and what God wants to do through you and your family. The problem is not that God's power is not abundant and available to you. The problem is that you and I are own worst enemy.

The first week you look at Samson's birth this week were to look at his life and his death you haven't done so already, take out your Bible printed on scroll down to Judges chapter 60 when Samson went to Gaza Gaza. Mary saw a prostitute he went into her will. Now is not just for the Philistine girl he's with a Philistine prostitute. In other words, he is getting more more brazen incident with listings. Find out what is doing verse two. They surrounded the place and set an ambush for him. They kept quiet all night same way in the morning and will kill them for three to Samson lie until midnight midnight heroes and took hold the door to the gate of the city that you post and pulled them up barn all put them on the shoulders and cleared the top of the hill that is in front of you brought now after this he loved a woman whose name was everybody.

That's right verse five and the lords of the Philistines came up to her and said to her, seducing tell us where his great strength lies how we can overpower Delilah's is a Samson tell me where your strength lies how you might be bound. One might subdue you for 17 so we told her all of his heart. I've been a Nazirite to God for my mother's womb of my head were shaved my strength would leave me and I shall become we can be like any other member sightsee and allow Saul and recognize that he told her all his heart and she sent and called for the Philistines said he told me all his heart, given verse 19 she made him sleep on her knees. She called a man and had them shave off the seven locks up his head. Verse 20 and she said the Philistines on you Samson. Any one from a sleep and he said I will go out just like other times I will shake myself free, but he did not know that the Lord had left him. Verse 21. The Philistine sees them and gouged out his eyes and brought them down the gods. They bound him with bronze shackles in the ground at the meal in the prison.

Verse 22, with the hair of his head begin to grow again after it had been shave verse 23 now the lords of the Philistines gathered offer a great sacrifice to Dagon, their God, and to rejoice in our God gave us Samson our enemy in our hand. This big party when the people saw Samson, they begin to worship their God bring about may start mocking him and making him do tricks and Samson is standing there in all this mock recess of the young man who is leading them by the hand he said let me fill the pillars on which the house rest that a mailing against them.

Samson calls out to God and he says God I know that I send.

I know that I got myself in the situation, but one more time one more time. Give me that strength and let me be avenged against the Philistines and Samson grass. The two middle pillars and with the house rest of the leave is weighed against them is right him and the ones left him and the other mini ballot all the strength of the house fell upon the Lord, and upon all the people who were in it and him as well to the dead, whom he killed through his death were more than those of you killed your his life know what is it that we are supposed to learn from Samson's life is Samson is supposed to represent all of the people of God, what are you what I supposed to learn. I have three at least three major things here.

Here is number one.

We are our own worst enemy. The problem is not that God has not made a strong enough.

The problem is not that God has not given us power and promise and blessing. The problem is we have an internal weakness in our character that causes us to sabotage the good blessing and the power that God was to bring through us.

So let me break down Samson's weakness for you.

In the five basic components and introduce them to you a few weeks ago. These are the five basic components of weakness. Specifically, male weakness, but I would say it applies to men and women alike. Number one, Samson is impulsive.

He is commanded by his lies he gets hungry so we get angry so he strikes out or walks away. He sees a girl that he wants and so he takes her dad one thing alone will destroy your life how to read this article this week about texting and driving. You probably read an article like this before.

It was basically saying that everybody now knows the problems with texting and driving. We've all heard the stats it repeated him just in case you didn't always said you are 23 times more likely to have an accident. When you have a phone in your hand and when you don't.

23 times. They said that texting and driving slows down your response time behind the wheel more than drinking and marijuana combined text about your kids what you got your car. You might as well go and tell them you can drink smoke marijuana and think about the wielder that's about what it we know that we know that nobody can easily commence as dangerous but will still do. This article was that why do people keep doing it when they know in this and here's why. What was fascinating is that because in the moment that the text comes in the impulses I have to respond I need to go to see this back. I got up I know what she's doing.

I got a push is on base but I gotta see what he said because it is what you think back and we can't control the impulse we are willing to put our lives our family's lives other people's lives at risk because we are too impulsive. Now the whole point of this is not don't text and drive that is a point you should make sure that you don't but what if you think about that as a metaphor for your life that it is your inability to control impulse that ultimately is how the enemy destroys you. Proverbs 25, 28 a person without self-control is like a city that's been broken down his left without walls Thursday, city walls Out wild animals get the criminal to get out the enemy. You have a city without walls, any enemy could just walk in and ravage the place a person without self-control may know everything there is to know they may have great intentions like many of you, but if you say no to the desires of your hearts. The enemy is going to ravage you like he did.

Samson I know so many people, Christians whose one criteria for decisions they make. If it pleases me. Well, when you make a decision. What's more dominant in your thinking what pleases me or what pleases God. Think back to the major decisions in your life what you chose to major in where you went to college to you Mary, were you chose to live. What is the dominant doctors that what pleases you. Will pleases God. Samson hope that his decisions would also please God.

Samson made sure that his decisions would please him are you desire, letter or spirit led, because you cannot be both. And if you're going to follow Jesus, you are going to learn to say no to what you want because you always say yes to what he wants and were conflict with what you want to put his or her yours and some of you are being ravaged by the end because you cannot control your anger impulses. You cannot control your lust impulsive. You cannot control your pride impulses. It just speaks and you move and your like a city is broken down, without walls with Lisa number two compromise compromise. Samson treated the commands of God casually my breaking them think about you not hear him asking himself also with us were hurt a little wine beer was utter a lot of people do that. Oh well, maybe I should unite touch something that I've done it before and nothing happened cut my hair. How could my hair possibly be connected to my string didn't make any sense when you and I evaluate the commands of God. It met the same question we ask. I just don't see what harm is going to have were going to cause what if listen to this. What if the harm was not in the consequences of the action itself. What if the harm was driving out the presence of God from your life. What is the compromise is you making integrity. What if it's true you can get away with. What if it's true that everybody else is doing it. What if it's true that you don't see what harm it could cause because everybody in this business. Does that.

What if the harm that a cause was a drove off the handle blessing of God on your business. What if you are like a I don't see what harm looking a little pornography is it's a little harmless fun is not affected my marriage for maybe I'm not even there.

What harm could it cause. What if the harm is that it's causing the spirit of God to remove his hand a blessing off of that part of your life. You see, my parents taught me when I was in high school and for started to make money this and here's why you give to God. Here's what you do. The first first got because you want the blessing of God and that part of your life.

And so for all these years, and whenever made money. I give God the first fruit. It's not like makes my knees like your earning God's blessing is that you can be sure that you'll drive it out. However, if you steal from God, and you want God's blessing over this part of your life is all these years of done that and I've told you before, you cannot out give God. God has always put his hand a blessing on that and it's something that I do because I know that I want his spirit more than I want anything I want his spirit and my ministry thrown his fear to my marriage. I want to spirit my parenting. I want his spirit in my finances. I want the blessing of his spirit everywhere, which means that I will not compromise God's laws and standards. Even if I can get away with it because the greatest danger is that the spirit of God pull back his hand a blessing for what we do. Samson teaches you all ever the blessing of the presence of God for granted. What if the real harm was on the consequences of you were the real harm was in the God that you offended God lately changes are. We all have, I return in repentance is needed since that time.

Today this is the MetLife and will be right back with the rest of her teaching in just a moment, sometimes we have big questions about God himself and we need to know how to give solid answers in these difficult moment in our newest resource pastor JD quickly answer some of those questions that keep us up at night okay to get divorced. Is there such a thing as unanswered prayers. You may recall volume 1 of this book called honest questions click answers from two years ago we do still have some copies of that first book available as well. If you missed getting give a gift today by calling eight 663-3550 T training or go online to shady career.com and reserve this resource today. Now, let's return for the final moments of today's teaching number three Samson is unteachable. Nobody can persuade to do something different. He knows best. As partners best which connects a number 40. The loan will treat both of these together since they corresponded you notice that nobody's a part of Samson's life in all the stories is alone is a one-man show. He's Reckitt Ralph's waterfront destroying stuff is my question for you or people close enough to your life they can actually speak into it about this or you correctable with the people that are closest to you, your spouse, your kids, your parents when they say that you respond well to criticism when they say that your teachable people have of your spouse right now to shake your head. They know you're not about this. What areas are off limits for people to comment on in your life you know people like this you don't already know, but others want to talk about that would not you critique my parenting talk about my marriage to talk about my business whatever area is off-limits to criticism in your life is exactly the area that the enemy is destroying because you are walking in pride your unteachable you dislike Samson and that's what Proverbs 81 and isolated man will always begin assert himself whatever part of your life. You isolate and make immune from criticism. You will always begin to serve yourself. It's like the phrase I gave you couple weeks ago. Things are grown a secret garden. Always grow mutants. There is no such thing as an isolated healthy Christian people who get serious about Jesus, get serious about the church because the church is God's plan. A rally works in your life. God will not change your life. The preaching alone, it changes your life to community things that grown a secret garden always were mutant.

He was a loner. He was unteachable.

Number five. He was proud James was proud to see that at least three ways they he assumed he never loses strength be.

He never gave God glory for never seeing he felt entitled to use his blessing for his purposes. Let me ask you this. Do you go through life thinking always have these opportunities always have this ability may money I'll always have the strength.

James four. Are you somebody who says tomorrow do this and then I'll retire there and then I'll buy this and then I'll live there and Jane says all such boasting is foolish for you do not know what tomorrow brings.

Your life is like a vapor that appears for a moment and vanishes away, and one statement by God. One moment God takes it all away if you walk in pride. You assume that tomorrow will be just like today and you're not concerned with the will of God are concerned with pleasing yourself about this question. Do you use your gift to direct more attention to yourself or to God right now, your talents, your abilities are.

They mainly spent in pursuit of you in your kingdom or in pursuit of the kingdom of God and the glory of God. Do you realize your gifts and opportunities are all on loan from God use for his purposes. If you get ready going to college. Here's a question if you get ready going to college. Had you honestly said to God. God hear my talents. Here's what I'm good at.

Where do you want to use them, or are you only making decisions based on how you think you can build your own kingdom. If you are in business right now you ever come to a point you said the God. These skills these opportunities they come from you.

How do you want me to use this business the skill. How do you want me to use it for your kingdom. I am not saying that when you asked that God can put most of you in a full-time Christian ministry, lightning, and like most of you, he's not going to do that. What I am saying is that when you understand that strength has been given to you by God for a purpose you'll start to ask God not what do I take with these opportunities and sprinkle.

What do you have for them in walking humility, not trying to record as a company that's the essence of Samson's weakness and that virus destroyed him and the incredible power that God had given him to blessing the safe, and that same weakness that same profile weaknesses is what's destroyed from is not the power strength is not bear the blessing is there the grace of God is there is that you sabotage yourself. Which leads me to number two, the world needed somebody greater than Samson the world needed somebody greater than Samson number. Recent such as this is the last or the book. It's the finale only starts out so well. Miraculous birth all gun comes really strong for me also. But you love it when you get the finale of something like you readers when you read a book. It's a good mystery novels on you that last chapter you like it had was a house can resolve right so here you come to the finale of the book of Judges and it starts out so well imagine your Israelite reading this and you get to the end and you're like what that's how it is. There's got to be more to this story and then 1100 years later, Jesus of Nazareth shows up and you're paying attention you start to notice that there's all these things that are similar between Jesus and Samson, both of them are more miraculously Jesus was born a virgin, like Samson, Jesus was given incredible strength to power over demons and disease and death could speak a word and destroy the like Samson, Jesus was betrayed by somebody who acted like his friend and handed them over to the Gentile oppressors like Samson, Jesus was chained up and tortured and put on public display in mock like Samson, Jesus would die with his arms outstretched like Samson through that death when it looked like he was defeated he actually defeated the enemy, but I like Samson, Jesus wasn't putting James for his sin. Jesus was put in change for ours.

Samson was a strong man-made week there was own sin.

Jesus was the mighty God, who voluntarily became weak to save us from the chains of our sin he was mocked in our place persecuted in our place, died in our place. That's good news because we are all like Samson were all people have been driven by a lust for people who compromise and are proud to live for ourselves and not God. Jesus was wounded for that and bound for that. The chastisement for our sin was put upon him. And when we behold that it changes us when you see that Jesus was given for you and you open yourself up to the Jesus can live in you. It infuses into you fortitude of character that gives you the ability to be strongly Samson was weak when you see that Jesus accepted you freely by his grace because he page ability even though you live like Samson live.

It is then that you are freed from the power of the impulses and the insecurity that made you weak like Samson. Which brings me to number three. The third and final thing we can learn from Samson's life. It is never too late to cry out to God. It's never too late to cry out to God when Samson calls out to God. He's as low as you can possibly get right decent Dagon's temple grounds blinded grinding at the mill and from the middle of Dagon's temple. He calls out to God for that. Verse 22 comes in here his head only started to grow. That's important because it's a symbol God's mercy is like Samson's hair grow new every morning and they keep growing back even worse sin has shortened them away for many of you you Stornoway God's mercy from your life that he just kept rolling back and just kept coming back and it's actually there this morning, even from the middle of Dagon's temple or you are right now in the midst of being blinded in grinding the monotony. One act of faith is God's grace never left. It started to grow back in your life and it's an ass and left you to review.

See that video that went viral couple weeks ago of a homeless man C&S Sarasota Springs, Florida art gallery puts out the some piano on the sidewalk in this homeless man comes up, sits down a little. Mark Wilhite met Papa for whatever it's worth. Like I thought that Matt probably just pull that off as a joke know it wasn't his men sits down this message down and you're expecting is a homeless man.

The man starts playing the most full music turns out it's come sail away by sticks, but he is risen from the 70s and so he starts playing it and it just blows everybody what ever it is like this is Michael's other phone and they start the film and the posted on YouTube and as of yesterday having at 16 million views well gives this guy.

This ability to tell a story turns out in 1998. He had wanted to depression his wife committed suicide in the next Marine. His wife committed suicide at a newborn son and so I turned to drugs and alcohol and things kept going wrong. As we got deeper to drugs and alcohol until eventually he lost his home, the social services came and took away his son when his son was three years old because he couldn't take care of them anymore since the time even living on the street will say this video semi-start to go fund me account for him and a meager $60,000 in it now but soon be available to him when he gets out of rehab his old college that he dropped out of was kicked out of his offered him a scholarship. Now to come back and finish his education and they've reunited him with his son for the first time in 15 years. Not over this story is going to go because these things don't always turn out well.

Realize that but it's when I heard that story watched something beautiful about the picture of it all, but here you got a God that this song stayed with him since he was a kid. It was always in their need to set down and just let it out and that song became the source of new life. God's grace over your life is like that song it's never left it's still in there started to grow back after sin shorted away, and all you have to do is turn and embrace. I don't know this guy story is turn out over turns out well, but I know where your story can turn out if you just turn to begin to embrace that song. But God is summer reuses the day that you were born that song is amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me they got is always been faithful. He's never let you go. He's always watched you and when you walked away. And when you put yourself in day God's temple is Singing the song. If you turn and you embrace that song will change means incurring about your listening to Senate life Bible teaching ministry of pastor there and theologian James Greer the final week to get volume 2 of our latest resource titled honest questions like answers this new book by Pastor JD new question and answers like how important is correct doctrine. Can you lose your salvation and how can I trust Christians went so many are hypocritical.

Let's make sure that you get this valuable resource as soon as possible.

Will send it to you as our way of saying thanks for your financial gift of $35 or more to support this ministry and for a small additional donation.

We also have volume 1 available for those who missed it the first time.

Be sure to ask about it when you call 866-3352 26 5T 20 or give online career.com you can also write. Remember to include a note for honest questions, quick answers, volume 2, are addressed in your ministry, PO Box 12290, Carolina 277 09 my monthly benefits will begin the message in our study we are learning about calls Christian when right here on my