From Sunshine to Darkness

Happy Sunday. Next week our beginner sermon series on The Sermon on the Mount, found in Matthews chapters 5, 6, and 7. I look forward to this study, and we'll be there for a long time, I imagine. Please pray for me as I prepare these messages. I also want to thank many of you who have sent donations recently to David Shivers Ministries. It's a 501c3; your donations are tax deductible and most appreciated.

Men and women are different in many, many ways. One way is in the movies that they like. The phrase "chick flick" comes to mind, and my wife loves them, and I would rather not watch them. I want to watch John Wayne, something with some action. As a boy, I liked watching movies where the Cavalry would come to the rescue.

At least a thousand years before Jesus was born, we read of a child who came into this world to rescue God's people from captivity. Today we're going to look at the life of Samson. You'll find his story in the Book of Judges, beginning in chapter 13. There we are told that the Israelites were handed over to the Philistines. Why? Because the God's people were evil in God's sight, so he was disciplining them.

This had lasted for 40 years when Samson came to the rescue. The account of his birth is special. An angel appeared to his mother. We don't know her name; she's only referred to as Manoa's wife. Manoa was Samson's father.

She was told that although she was Barren, she would have a son. She was instructed that her son would be a Nazarite and that he would rescue Israel from the Philistines. As you likely know, he was never to cut his hair. Angelic visit, Samson's mother told her husband Manoa what had occurred. He wanted a visit for himself, and later in Judges 13 He Got what he wanted.

Samson was born, and he had a bright future. The name Samson, in fact, means Sunshine. His future was so bright. He grew to be strong, a great warrior. Sadly, he also grew to be disobedient.

It said to me, Samson, the sunshine that was sent into a dark world to dispel Darkness, chose Darkness at times. Horrible things happen when we choose Darkness over light. Samson had a sin problem. He wasted much of his time hanging out with the wrong crowd, and he wasted much of his time time chasing women of bad character.

And Judges 16, we're told that Samson fell for a woman named Delilah. Delilah was hired by the Philistines as a spy, really, to learn how to defeat Samson. They paid her 1100 pieces of silver. Samson resisted at first, and he wouldn't tell her a secret, but as The Story Goes, he later told her that it was his hair. If it was cut, he would lose his amazing strength.

And as he was sleeping, Delilah cut his hair, and his strength left left him. We're told that when he woke up, he didn't realize that the Lord had left him. That's in verse 20 of Judges chapter 16. In verse 21 we find that the Philistines gouge out, gouged out Samson's eyes.

It's a tragic story. Sunshine chose Darkness. Sunshine could no longer see. The hero is conquered. Over the years I've seen some tragic stories myself.

I've seen people choose Darkness. I have seen Heroes become zeros. What I really want us to see here today is the danger of sin. Samson sinned and sinned until one day the Lord left him. There was no more power.

Some believe that you can lose your salvation, and they point to Samson as proof. It's not good proof. Samson is mentioned in Hebrews chapter 11:32 as a hero of faith. Today I'm thankful that God's grace was greater than Samson's sin. You need to know, too, that his grace is greater than your sin.

I love Judges 16:22. There we are told, "But before long his hair began to grow back." I gave Samson his strength back for one final mission. We'll never know what more Samson could have done had he resisted temptation. This world may have been a much better place.

Samson's story has been written; it's over. Our stories are still being written, aren't we? Too called to be sunshine in this Dark World. In Matthew 5:16 we're told, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your father which is in heaven." We should live that way.

By the way, those words are found in the sermon on the mountain. We Begin that next week. Until then, be light to the dark you encounter. Pray with me.

Lord, thank you for the sunshine that we see in people whose lives are different than, who have changed us. Help us to be that very way: light to people that need to see light, to our family, to our friends, to our neighbors, to our co-workers, wherever we are. Father, help us to live to the potential you have for us. In Jesus name, amen. God bless.