Samson was physically strong but weak in character and commitment. There is much we can learn from his story and much we can learn about the grace of God at work in his life as recorded in Judges 16. What are some of the things in our time that can make us spiritually weak or vulnerable? How does the book of Judges lead us to look for the perfect savior in Jesus Christ? Join Pastor Jim for this final study from the Samson narrative.
Sermon Notes
We become spiritually vulnerable when we…
1. Focus on the externals
“The heart that has really tasted the grace of Christ, will instinctively hate sin.”
J.C. Ryle
2. Retreat into isolation
“Love cannot exist in isolation: away from others, love bloats into pride. Grace cannot be received privately; cut off from others it is perverted into greed. Hope cannot develop in solitude; separated from the community, it goes to seed in the form of fantasies. No gift , no virtue can develop and remain healthy apart from the community of faith.”
Eugene Peterson
3. Flirt with Temptation
“I can’t keep the birds from flying over my head, but I can prevent them from building a nest in my hair.”
Martin Luther
4. Fail to acknowledge our vulnerabilities
“Hubris is not simply arrogance, but presumption born of the illusion of invulnerability.”
Os Guinness
5. Disregard the distance between ourself and God
“The Bible is not an end in itself, but a means to bring men to an intimate and satisfying knowledge of God, that they may enter into Him, that they may delight in His presence, may taste and know the inner sweetness of the very God Himself in the core and center of their hearts.”
A. W. Tozer
The Pursuit of God