Power of Promises
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Intro
Intro
Good Morning
What an awesome week it has been!
We had fun. We’ve eaten a lot. We’ve learned new skills, and developed old ones. But my prayer more than anything in the whole wide world is that you’ve grown in your walk with Christ, especially through our singing, studying the scriptures, and our accountability during small group time.
This morning we wanna wrap up our power series by talking just for a bit about “the Power of promises”.
That God would use the ministry here for you to be saved, grow in your walk with Christ.
A Promise
is a Binding offer or commitment on the part of one person or people to another.
Build a deeper relationship with each other and our Leaders.
The value of such promises depends upon the reliability and trustworthiness of the person who makes the promises. Scripture stresses the total reliability of God, including his promise to bestow his Spirit and urges believers to demonstrate the same trustworthiness in their dealings with one another.
Have lots of fun.
So in other words: for promises to be kept, it would depend on the character and power of the promise-maker.
So let’s jump back into the text, the book of Judges 16:22-31, and see what’s there for us.
Verse 22 reads
22 But the hair of his head began to grow again after it had been shaved.
23 Now the lords of the Philistines gathered to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god and to rejoice, and they said, “Our god has given Samson our enemy into our hand.”
Do you see what’s going on here? Although Samson is chosen by God for a specific purpose, he fails when he tries to do things by his own power. And now as we see in the text, he not only brings shame to himself and his people, but most critically he brings shame to God.
Verse 24
24 And when the people saw him, they praised their god. For they said, “Our god has given our enemy into our hand, the ravager of our country, who has killed many of us.”
When i became a christian, i thought that i’d never fall, that nothing will happen to me, but soon enough i failed, i trusted in my own power, and it failed me just like Samson.
You know, i don’t know how, i don’t know when, but if you are a human being, you’re gonna fail. And believe it or not your failure does not only affect you, it affects your family, friends, your church, and ultimately your God.
Verse 25
25 And when their hearts were merry, they said, “Call Samson, that he may entertain us.” So they called Samson out of the prison, and he entertained them. They made him stand between the pillars.
it’s just sad when a mighty man of God can be reduced to the world and the devil’s plaything when we trust in our own power.
Let’s continue
26 And Samson said to the young man who held him by the hand, “Let me feel the pillars on which the house rests, that I may lean against them.”
27 Now the house was full of men and women. All the lords of the Philistines were there, and on the roof there were about 3,000 men and women, who looked on while Samson entertained.
28 Then Samson called to the Lord and said, “O Lord God, please remember me and please strengthen me only this once, O God, that I may be avenged on the Philistines for my two eyes.”
29 And Samson grasped the two middle pillars on which the house rested, and he leaned his weight against them, his right hand on the one and his left hand on the other.
30 And Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines.” Then he bowed with all his strength, and the house fell upon the lords and upon all the people who were in it. So the dead whom he killed at his death were more than those whom he had killed during his life.
31 Then his brothers and all his family came down and took him and brought him up and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of Manoah his father. He had judged Israel twenty years.
what a powerful story!
notice
v. 26 – that kid was REALLY dumb.
v. 31 – they buried him where the Lord had originally stirred in his heart.
And the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him in Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.
v. 31 – they buried him where the Lord had originally stirred in his heart.
And he was dead – His body crushed under the weight of MASSIVE stone pillars.
And he was dead – as dead as every person in every graveyard. His body crushed under the weight of MASSIVE stone pillars.
He died BLIND // He died alone // and he died a man of FAITH.
Faith you say ?
Samson?
Seriously ?
Faith?
Wasn’t he like a womanizer, flirtatious, strong, bro?
Yeah – I said it – he was a man of faith.
Yeah – I said it – he was a man of faith.
Look back at his last moments – verse 28 was The only time he prayed in the story
The only time he trusted anything other than his own strength.
When Samson had it ALL taken away – he found out his real strength was never in his biceps, or his triceps, or his pecs, or his traps, or his gluts or his abs
Samson realized his power was never in himself but always in the Lord
His strength was ALWAYS in the Lord.
I don’t want you to leave here thinking Samson was the Hero in the story, He was not.
Samson broke the Nazirite vow, his promise to God, he went down to nothing.
Samson broke the Nazirite vow, his promise to God, he went down to nothing,
Yes in the end he finally showed that he believed that the LORD was his strength.
But make no mistake. God was the one who kept his end of the deal. God kept his promise.
He said he would have raised up Samson to begin to save Israel remember.
In fact in there is a list of MEN and WOMEN of faith in the Bible – Pharaoh isn’t in there, Cain isn’t in there, a TON of characters ARENT in there.
Power is defined as the quality which enables individuals to achieve their aims.
– a man of faith. A man who believed in the promises of God and acted upon their truth.
I go a step further and define power as:
The quality which enables individuals to achieve their aims
the quality which enable you to achieve God’s aim for our good.
3 POWER PROMISES.
3 POWER PROMISES.
Saving Power -
But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,
God makes available his saving power for you to take hold of.
2. Strengthening power
1. The AVAILABILITY PWR Promise //
He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.
– He gives POWER to the faint and to him who has no might he increases strength
3. PERSONAL Power
2. The ACTION POWER Promise //
For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power.
4. PERSONAL Power
– for the Kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in POWER.
3. The NOW PWR Promise //
No man has power to retain the spirit, or power over the day of death. There is no discharge from war, nor will wickedness deliver those who are given to it.
–
PERSONAL Power
No man has POWER to retain the spirit, or POWER over the day of death.
4. The PARADOX PWR Promise //
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
– My grace is sufficient for you, my PWR is made perfect in weakness.
5. PERSONAL Power
5. The PERSONAL PWR Promise //
for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
– For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of PWR and love and self-control.
The Biblical record is full of people HOLDING onto and GRABBING the POWER of God as their own.
The Biblical record is full of people HOLDING onto and GRABBING the POWER of God as their own.
The Biblical record is full of people HOLDING onto and GRABBING the POWER of God as their own.
Jacob the father and namesake of Israel – said to his son – Reuben you are preeminent in PWR
God said to Moses – I have raised you up – to show you my PWR
Joshua said to his people – You are a numerous people and have great PWR
David prayed – YOURS O LORD – is the greatness and the PWR and the glory and the victory and the majesty.
Ezra said – the PWR of God’s wrath is against all who forsake him.
After losing his family, career and money Job said – God prolongs the life of the mighty by his PWR
Daniel said to the greatest king of his time – only from GOD do you have POWER over the world
Micah said – BUT AS FOR ME, I AM FILLED WITH POWER, WITH THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD.
Jesus said – you will see me seated at the right hand of POWER and coming on the clouds of heaven.
GOD is the only source of true POWER in this world
WE are God’s PEOPLE and have his Spirit of POWER in our hearts
WE are a force of POWER for God in this world.
No more weak Christians. Only Christians with POWER.
The goal of this adventure is threefold:
That God would use the ministry here for you to be saved, grow in your walk with Christ.
Build a deeper relationship with each other and our Leaders.
Have lots of fun.