Community of Faith: Sporadic Faith

January 28. 2007

Opening Text: II Timothy 2:11-21

 Get Real about our Community of Faith: Sporadic Faith (Samson)

Hebrews 11:32, Judges 13-16

Proposition: God’s faithfulness is greater then our faith and motivates us to increase our faith.

Introduction: Simon Birch and Joe Wentworth - God is going to use me as a hero.

  I.  Story of a vow broken

- When the vow breaks the dredel will fall.

Numbers 6

- Touches the lion

- feast in a vineyard town

- Five braids are shaved

In every saint there is always to be found something reprehensible.  Nevertheless, although faith may be imperfect and incomplete it does not  cease to be approved by God."

 II.  Story not of battle or war, but of beautiful women

- Wife

-30 men - Fields set ablaze -1000 men

- Prostitute Story

- Tears the gates off the hinges, and carries them up the top of the hill

- Delilah

- Many more in death than in life

III.  Story of God’s faithfulness despite our faithlessness.

- The story isn’t about his moral failure or his commando defeat of the Philisitnes.

- It’s the relationship with God

- Spirit comes upon him

- How he kills the lion (14:6)

- How he kills the thousand men (15:14)

- How he brings the house down (16:28-30)

- One He prayed too (15:18-19)

- One who called him (14:18)

It’s an example for us

II Timothy 2:11-13

Hebrews 12:1-2

Name after name, right on down the list - every one of them accomplished something significant or endured something difficult out of faith and faith alone. In spite of timely problems and in view of timeless possibilities, they managed "by faith" to do the right thing. Refusing to be discouraged by their failures or disqualified by their flaws, they found some way to be faithful to run another lap, to stay in the race. Now they are in the stands, cheering for the Hebrews."

They are in the stands, but where are you?  Are you trying to deny that you can’t keep the laws and vows perfectly.  Assuring yourself that you can stand before God based on your own merits?  Let me then remind you today, that if Samson this great hero couldn’t do it, what makes you think you can?

Or maybe you like Samson think that you can accomplish more on your own then you can with a group.  Notice that in the story he judges during the time of the Phillisitines, the delivery is not finished by one man.  Faith is lived in a community with others.