Title: Samson Rises Again
Contents
Samson rises again
(Judges 16:23-31)
Samson, the protagonist of today's sermon, knows the name of Samson well even those who do not know God. The name Samson means sun. All the names of people in the Bible have meaning. Samson's name means the sun, which means that he is as essential as the sun. The background of the times in which Samson lived was that he had been tormented by the Philistines for 40 years. The reason the people of Israel suffered this way was because the people of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, did not live according to the word, and sinned, so God disciplined them through a rod called the Philistines. Because Israel was tormented by the Philistines for 40 years, it was pity for Israel, so God sent Samson to them. Samson was a man set apart as a Nazarite, and he must live a clean and holy life as a man dedicated to God. However, Samson failed to lead a separate life.
What was the cause of his failure?
1. I did not manage my weaknesses well.
Everyone has weaknesses. Samson had a weakness for women. Actually, it's not wrong for men to like women. If you are a normal person, of course, women are good. The problem is that it is wrong to develop into lust. I see many male believers losing their faith because of their lust for women. Therefore, you need to know what your weaknesses are and manage them well to turn them into strengths.
2. Because they did not know their strengths.
A greater cause of failure than Samson's failure to manage his weaknesses was that he did not know his strengths. In Judges 16:6, Samson's strength is not the hair of his head, but the power of the Holy Spirit. But Samson did not know the power of the Holy Spirit. This was a big problem. Samson knew that his strength was in the hair of his head, but his life was a failure, and his eyes were pulled out and he turned a millstone to become a plaything. However, the Bible speaks of hope even in despair. Verse 22 tells us that the hair on our head grows back. This means that he is starting to recover again.
What is the secret to his recovery?
1. It is restored when one's identity is clear.
The reason Samson failed to overcome Delilah's temptation was because his identity was not clear. However, Samson was restored when he realized that he was a Nazarite, a people of God, and that the Holy Spirit was with him.
2. It is repentance.
In Luke 15, when the prodigal son repented, he was recognized as a son, Jonah escaped from the extreme crisis when he repented in the belly of a fish, and when Ahab repented, God did not bring disaster. Recovery from sin is repentance. The absence of repentance is a disguised peace. Even if prayers are answered, sins must be resolved. Our Lord also spoke of repentance at the beginning of his public ministry, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
3. Prayer.
In verse 28, Samson's prayer is found, and the characteristics of Samson's prayer and the object of his prayer are clear. Although the content of his prayer was simple, the subject of his prayer was clear. The title of the prayer was a prayer for the glory of God. In verse 30, the glory of God appeared and restored as a result of prayer. This is the power of prayer.
Summary There are times in life when you succeed and times when you fail. But it should never end in failure. I have to get up again. Like Samson in today's text, I hope that you will clarify your identity, repent of your sins, pray, and rise again.
-Summar of the Sunday afternoon sermon on November 27, 2011-