A Sobering Truth

Judges 16.20

The Spirit of God leaving a man.

This a very sobering passage.

Paul speaks of these Last Days. He writes to Timothy, his son in the Gospel, 1 Timothy 4:1 "The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons."
He speaks of Demas in his second letter to Timothy 2 Timothy 4:9-10 Do your best to come to me quickly, for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica.
1 Timothy 1:18-19 Timothy, my son, I am giving you this command in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by recalling them you may fight the battle well, holding on to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith.
1 Timothy 6:9-10 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

It is always sad and sobering when we see people fall. If we know them it can effect us personally for years, sometimes for our whole life.

I don't know exactly why but it is the extremely talented, gifted and capable people who seem to fall into the snares of the enemy. I am always concerned about talented young men who go into the ministry. They seem to be a mark for Satan. Those with great potential often stumble over the very gifts God gave them.

Few have had the potential Samson was given.
He squandered much of his life.
He played with temptation.
He didn't keep his vows to the LORD.
Psalm 15:1, 4 Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain? who despises a vile person but honors those who fear the Lord; who keeps an oath even when it hurts, and does not change their mind;

What happened to Samson? What pitfalls does have life have which we need to avoid? Looking soberly and seriously at this passage what lessons can we learn?


1. Don't Be Blind to Your Own Spiritual State.
When tape recorders first came out..."That's not me!"

Pictures that do not look like you.

Buddy always trying to get out.

What are your weaknesses? What are your strengths?
The fuller the cup the more easily is it to spill the contents. The higher the spiritual privilege the more need for lowliness of walk before God. The stronger we are the greater the temptation to trust in our strength. The more frequently the Spirit of God moves us the more powerfully will the world and the flesh oppose us.

In falling in love with Delilah he deliberately steps into the fires of trial. This was clearly an unequal yoke; from the very first she sought his ruin as a Nazarite (vv. 5, 6)

Avoid people who want to you to compromise.

Beware of the temptation to step you off the good path. So much of this
is wrapped up in faulty reasoning. Thinking we are exceptions to something clearly stated in the Word of God.

Samson did this when he ate that honey out of the lion's carcass. He



2. Life Becomes A Grind Without God's Spirit. 16.21
From consequences of decisions made.
From the wickedness of people.
From disillusionment.

You've got to grind, grind, grind
At that grindstone.

A picture of sin.
A picture of America, today, in many ways. Stressed out


3. So Many are like Samson: Wasted Potential

It is as easy for God to work with one man as with three hundred (Judges 7:7)
Judges 7:7 The Lord said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the others go home.”
Gideon found out it was as easy for God to give victory over the Midianites with 300 as with 32,000. Unfortunately Samson never shared victory. He was a one man show. He was a lone ranger leader. Not God's model.

The mighty enemy-shaking power of the presence of the Lord was gone. He is now but a withered branch, fit to be cast into the fire at the hands of men (John 15. 6). When the Spirit of God is grieved our defence as servants is gone (Num. 14. 9) . When the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, at that moment he began to fall (I Sam. 18. 12) . His strength lay not in his locks, but that head that had never felt the touch of a razor was a witness of his consecration to the will of God. In losing his hair he lost his testimony for God.

Broken and humiliated.

My heart breaks today over the lives that have been wasted. Souls with such great abilities, far beyond anything I ever dreamed of, who lay wasted today, broken down, deceived and fruitless.

Pray for those in danger, today.
Souls in danger.
Pray for Pastors.
Pray for young me and women who love Christ.

Psalm 119:9 How can a young man keep his way pure?By guarding it according to your word.
2 Timothy 2:22 Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

Pray this prayer for the young people today, the next generation.