Spofford

Spofford
Recapture Your Passion
Session 2
9/28/2013

A certain man of Zorah, named Manoah, from the clan of the Danites, had a wife who was childless, unable to give birth. The angel of the Lord appeared to her and said, "You are barren and childless, but you are going to become pregnant and give birth to a son. Now see to it that you drink no wine or other fermented drink and that you do not eat anything unclean. You will become pregnant and have a son whose head is never to be touched by a razor because the boy is to be a Nazirite, dedicated to God from the womb. He will take the lead in delivering Israel from the hands of the Philistines." (Judges 13:2-5 NIV)

God had a plan for Samson even before he was born.
Samson was consecrated to God as a Nazarite.
Nazarites took vows as a sign of commitment to God.
Big sin is often a result of accumulated "smaller" sins or bad decisions.

Samson went down to Timnah and saw there a young Philistine woman. When he returned, he said to his father and mother, "I have seen a Philistine woman in Timnah; now get her for me as my wife." His father and mother replied, "Isn't there an acceptable woman among your relatives or among all our people? Must you go to the uncircumcised Philistines to get a wife?" But Samson said to his father, "Get her for me. She's the right one for me." (Judges 14:1-3 NIV)

Samson goes against the counsel of his parents and pursued what his heart desired.
Are we willing to listen to the counsel of others, who love us and are wiser than us?
One of the greatest things that we can have as brothers is an accountable partner. Someone who can tell us honestly about what is going on in our lives.
Everyone needs 3 people in their lives:
1. Paul - a mentor
2. Barnabas - a friend
3. Timothy - a men-tee
Are we investing ourselves into other people's lives?
The greatest resource in the church is the church.

Samson was led by what he saw, not by what he got.
What looks right in our eyes is often short-sighted.
Strive for holiness, not happiness, which appears like a mirage.

Samson went down to Timnah together with his father and mother. As they approached the vineyards of Timnah, suddenly a young lion came roaring toward him. (Judges 14:5 NIV)

Samson put himself into temptation by going to the vineyards as he was not supposed to drink.
What we justify today we will regret tomorrow.

The Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him so that he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as he might have torn a young goat. But he told neither his father nor his mother what he had done. (Judges 14:6 NIV)

Samson covered up what he encountered.
When we try to hide something from others, we have to consider that we are doing something wrong.

Some time later, when he went back to marry her, he turned aside to look at the lion's carcass, and in it he saw a swarm of bees and some honey. He scooped out the honey with his hands and ate as he went along. When he rejoined his parents, he gave them some, and they too ate it. But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey from the lion's carcass. (Judges 14:8, 9 NIV)

The honey itself was not unclean but once it touched the carcass, it became unclean, and Samson had to cover it up.
Ultimately Samson was a failure, but God's purposes were still fulfilled.
Samson's passion was confused and corrupted.
If our passion is misdirected, we will never completely fulfill our potential and God's purpose in our lives.
The church belongs in the community, not in a building.
Ask ourselves, "who am I investing in?"