Participants:
Series Code: NP
Program Code: NP210612S
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00:13 Good morning, church family. Morning.
00:15 Hope you've been able to enjoy some, 00:17 enjoy this warm weather outside 00:19 and get to the beach a little bit. 00:20 It's been very warm here in Michigan. 00:23 We had a youth vespers last night on the beach 00:25 and got to enjoy some of that. 00:27 It was very, very nice. 00:29 I want to invite you to turn to someone next to you and say, 00:33 I'm glad you're here in church today. 00:42 We want to welcome everyone 00:43 whether here or you're watching online. 00:45 It's going to be an awesome time 00:48 worshiping together. 00:49 And our call to worship is this, 00:51 you can turn your attention to the screen 00:53 and we'll read it together. 00:55 The Lord is our shepherd, we have everything we need. 00:59 He gives us new strength. 01:02 He guides us in right path as He promised. 01:06 He welcomes us as honored guests 01:09 and fills our cups to the brim. 01:12 His goodness and love is with us at all times 01:16 and his house shall be our home forever. 01:20 Let us worship God. Amen. 01:24 Let's bow our heads as we open this morning. 01:27 Father God in heaven, we are here to worship You. 01:31 We're leaving the stresses of this week behind 01:34 here on Sabbath to rest, to draw closer to You. 01:39 Send Your Spirit to be here with each and every one of us 01:43 in a very present way, God. 01:45 In your name, I pray. Amen. 02:10 I was lost in shame Could not get past my blame 02:15 Until He called my name 02:19 I'm so glad He changed me 02:21 Darkness held me down 02:23 But Jesus pulled me out 02:26 I'm no longer bound 02:29 I'm so glad He changed me 02:31 See I'm, 02:33 Now a new creation in Christ 02:39 The old has gone, 02:41 There's new life 02:44 I live by faith, 02:46 Not by sight 02:52 There is a new name written down in glory 02:57 And it's mine, 03:00 Yes, It's mine 03:04 I've met the Author 03:06 Of my story 03:08 And He's mine, 03:11 Yes, He's mine 03:14 Sin had left me blind 03:16 But Jesus opened my eyes 03:19 Now I see the light I'm so glad He changed me 03:24 Now I'm walking free 03:27 I've got the victory See 03:30 It's all over me 03:33 I'm so glad He changed me 03:35 See I'm, 03:37 Now a new creation in Christ 03:43 The old has gone, 03:45 There's new life I live by faith, 03:51 Not by sight 03:56 There is a new name written down in glory 04:01 And it's mine, 04:04 yes, It's mine 04:07 I've met The Author of my story 04:12 And He's mine, 04:14 Yes, He's mine 04:17 There is a new name written down in glory 04:22 And it's mine, 04:25 Yes, It's mine 04:28 I've met the Author Of my story 04:33 And He's mine, 04:36 Yes, He's mine 04:39 I know who I am 04:41 because the I Am tells me who I am 04:45 I know who I am 04:46 because the I Am tells me who I am 04:50 I know who I am 04:52 because the I Am tells me who I am 04:55 I know who I am 04:57 because the I Am tells me who I am 05:01 I know who I am 05:02 because the I Am tells me who I am 05:06 I know who I am 05:08 because the I Am tells me who I am 05:13 There is a new name Written down in glory 05:19 And it's mine, 05:21 Yes, it's mine 05:25 I've met the Author Of my story 05:29 And He's mine, 05:32 yes, He's mine 05:35 There is a new name Written down in glory 05:40 And it's mine, 05:43 Yes, It's mine 05:46 I've met the Author of my story 05:51 And He's mine, 05:53 yes, He's mine 05:56 And He's mine, 05:59 Yes, He's mine 06:01 And He's mine, 06:04 Yes, He's mine 06:20 Great is the Lord 06:22 He is holy and just By His power 06:25 We trust In His love 06:28 Great is the Lord 06:30 He is faithful and true 06:32 By His mercy He proves He is love 06:37 Great is the Lord 06:39 And worthy of glory 06:41 Great is the Lord 06:43 And worthy of praise 06:45 Great is the Lord 06:47 Now lift up your voice 06:49 Now lift up your voice 06:52 Great is the Lord 07:00 Great is the Lord 07:12 Great is the Lord 07:14 He is holy and just By His power 07:17 We trust in His love 07:21 Great is the Lord He is faithful, And true 07:24 By His mercy He proves He is love 07:29 Great is the Lord And worthy of glory 07:33 Great is the Lord 07:35 And worthy of praise 07:37 Great is the Lord 07:39 Now lift up your voice Now lift up your voice 07:43 Great is the Lord 07:52 Great is the Lord 08:00 Great are You Lord And worthy of glory 08:04 Great Are You Lord And worthy of praise 08:09 Great are You Lord 08:10 I lift up my voice I lift up my voice 08:15 Great 08:18 Are You Lord 08:23 Great 08:27 Are You Lord 08:30 Great are You Lord 08:35 Great are You Lord 08:56 Our scripture reading today 08:58 is from Psalm 138:3 09:03 and Proverbs 28:1. 09:08 The Bible says, 09:10 "When I called, You answered me. 09:14 You greatly emboldened me." 09:18 "The wicked flee though no one pursues, 09:23 but the righteous are as bold as a lion." 09:45 I must tell Jesus 09:50 All of my trials 09:56 I cannot bear 10:00 These burdens alone 10:09 In my distress 10:12 He kindly 10:15 Will help me 10:19 He ever loves 10:23 And cares for His own 10:31 I must tell Jesus 10:36 I must tell Jesus 10:42 I cannot bear 10:45 These burdens alone 10:54 I must tell Jesus 10:59 I must tell Jesus 11:04 Jesus can help me 11:09 Jesus alone 11:16 I must tell Jesus 11:22 All of my troubles 11:28 For He is a kind 11:34 Compassionate friend 11:41 If I but ask him 11:47 He will deliver 11:53 Make all of my troubles 12:00 Quickly an end 12:09 I must tell Jesus 12:17 I need a savior 12:24 One who can help 12:28 My burdens 12:32 To bear 12:37 I must tell Jesus 12:44 I must tell Jesus 12:51 He all my cares 12:56 And sorrows 13:02 Will share 13:10 I must tell Jesus 13:15 I must tell Jesus 13:21 I cannot bear 13:25 These burdens alone 13:34 I must tell Jesus 13:40 I must tell Jesus 13:45 Jesus can help me 13:51 Jesus alone 13:58 Jesus 13:59 can help me 14:05 Jesus alone 14:13 Jesus alone 14:43 Thank you usher. 14:46 I must tell Jesus. 14:55 I scribbled down as fast as I could. 14:57 Jesus can help me, Jesus alone. 15:00 How about an amen to that? 15:02 Amen! Amen. Amen. 15:04 Thank you. 15:05 Musicians, 15:10 you swept us heavenward in worship. 15:14 I want to thank my friend, Chuck Reed 15:17 for that powerful rendition as well. 15:20 Ken at the Oregon. 15:22 Christ is all and in all. 15:24 That's the theme in all of the music 15:26 we've been listening to. 15:28 We need it. 15:31 We're going to plunge into this morning's teaching 15:36 and we need that reminder we just heard. 15:39 Let's pray together. 15:41 Oh, Jesus, we must tell you 15:46 of our deep need. 15:49 Christ is all in all. 15:51 You are everything we need. 15:54 May that recur to us that thought 16:00 As we plunged into this moment, 16:01 We pray in Your name. 16:04 Amen. 16:05 So here's a riddle for you. 16:09 What is as strong as a lion 16:14 and as weak as a kitten? 16:20 Once upon a long ago time, there was a childless couple. 16:25 The wife was moving through her daily routine 16:28 when all of a sudden 16:33 towering above her, 16:35 a majestic being dressed in white. 16:40 He looks down into that startled face 16:44 and he says, 16:45 "You, my lady 16:48 are going to have a baby boy, 16:52 but I have some instructions for you. 16:55 Listen to me carefully 16:58 because prenatal influences are what they are. 17:03 Number one, 17:05 you will drink no wine 17:07 or other fermented drink. 17:11 Am I clear? 17:15 Number two, 17:19 you will eat nothing unclean. 17:22 Number three, 17:26 your baby boy will be on the same diet 17:30 and drink as you are. 17:34 And number four, 17:36 I want that boy to never get a haircut." 17:47 It's gone. 17:49 The wife is so astounded, 17:52 she races to her husband who's in the field. 17:55 And she comes, 17:58 you are not going to believe 18:00 what just happened to me at the house. 18:04 She knows her husband 18:07 because he doesn't believe. 18:11 In fact, he goes to God. 18:14 He says, "God, I don't know what's going on here, 18:17 but I need to get this straight. 18:19 Could you send the same man that my wife says 18:21 she heard to me, 18:26 then we'll be fine." 18:28 And I'm telling you what, gentlemen. 18:30 I don't know why we have such a hard time 18:33 accepting the thought that God would go to our wives 18:36 before He comes to us. 18:42 Everybody knows the story. 18:44 The story of Samson, who, by the way, 18:47 got, only one haircut in his life. 18:51 I love being on a university campus 18:53 because it's fun to watch these men buns cropping up. 18:56 Have you been seeing these? 18:59 These are guys who think that 19:00 they're on the Samson trail now. 19:04 I'm wearing that man bun. 19:06 No, it won't be the same as Samson, trust me. 19:12 The story of Samson, 19:15 world famous, 19:16 but you know what? 19:17 We always skip the prenatal beginning 19:20 to the story. 19:21 And so, with your permission, 19:24 I want to go to Judges Chapter 13. 19:28 Grab your Bible, please. 19:30 Judges Chapter 13. 19:34 And we'll pick it up 19:37 right here in verse 6. 19:41 Judges 13:6, 19:45 "Then the woman went to her husband 19:47 and told him, 19:49 'A man God came to me 19:50 and he looked like an angel of God, 19:52 very awesome." 19:53 Well, I like that. 19:55 "I didn't ask him where he came from, 19:57 and he didn't tell me his name. 19:58 But he said to me, 20:00 'you will become pregnant and have a son. 20:03 Now then drink no wine 20:04 or other fermented drink 20:06 and do not eat anything unclean, 20:08 because the boy will be a Nazirite of God 20:11 from the womb 20:13 until the day of his death.'" 20:15 Hit the pause button right there. 20:17 Some people believe that John the Baptist 20:20 with similar instructions to his prenatal father 20:24 was a Nazirite. 20:27 Some people also believe that the boy Prophet Samuel 20:29 was a Nazirite. 20:31 Some even suggest that Jesus was a Nazirite 20:34 at some point during His life among us. 20:38 A Nazirite is an individual 20:41 who has been set aside for God 20:45 and give special attention to diet, drink, 20:50 and appearance. 20:52 And by the way, a Nazirite can be a she, it can be a he. 20:56 There is no gender distinction, 21:00 and the Nazirite has been simply declared 21:02 the possession of God 21:04 for a holy divine mission. 21:09 I need to hit the pause button right here 21:10 and kind of wonder out loud with you. 21:15 Do you suppose the remnant of the faith community 21:20 at the end of time, 21:21 in some sort of similar way, 21:24 maybe divine the intended 21:25 to give careful attention to their diet, 21:31 what they eat 21:33 to what they drink, 21:37 and to how they appear? 21:40 Somehow that appearance 21:41 being modest in glory 21:46 to the Lord Jesus. 21:49 I'm just wondering just, 21:51 I'm just saying out loud that if God's... 21:56 Could it be the God's people at the end of time 21:58 are to be like Samson's family, 22:00 are to be like Samson himself, 22:01 a young Samson devoting ourselves, 22:04 our bodies, our diet, 22:07 our drink, our appearance, 22:09 devoting it to the Lord Jesus Himself. 22:14 I'm just saying and just wondering. 22:18 Now back to that riddle. 22:19 What is as strong as a lion 22:22 and as weak as a kitten? 22:26 Let's go 22:28 because Samson's life is a morality tale, 22:31 sad and tragic told in two parts, 22:35 episode one and episode two. 22:36 Let's go to episode one. 22:37 Episode one will be titled 22:39 a girlfriend, a lion and the jawbone of a donkey, 22:42 because the moment we meet the post puberty Samson, 22:46 he is hankering for a girl among the Philistines. 22:50 We notice his language of demand to his parents. 22:54 So turn the page, Judges 14:1, 22:58 "And so Samson went down to Timnah 23:01 and saw there a young Philistine woman." 23:05 Oh, different religion, different worldview, 23:11 different values, 23:13 turns out she's different in everything, 23:14 except she's beautiful. 23:19 And Samson announces to mom and dad. 23:21 Verse 2, 23:22 "When he returned, he said to his father and his mother, 23:25 'I have seen a Philistine woman in Timnah, 23:28 now get her for me as my wife." 23:35 Samson has an appetite. 23:37 In this case, it is an appetite for sex. 23:41 In and of itself it's not a wrong appetite. 23:43 We've all been created with appetite for sex 23:45 within us. 23:47 But isn't, but it is an appetite, 23:48 as we all know, that has to be controlled. 23:52 And self-control as we quickly find out with Samson 23:56 is not his strength. 23:58 In fact, the lack of self-control 24:03 is his terrible and deadly weakness. 24:11 "His father and mother replied" to the boy, 24:14 hey listen, Samson, 24:15 "isn't there an acceptable woman 24:17 among your relatives or among all our people? 24:20 Please, you must not go to the uncircumcised Philistine 24:24 to get a wife? 24:25 But Samson said to his father, 24:27 'Get her for me. 24:29 She's the right one for me.'" 24:35 And with that the two chemicals in Samson's body 24:39 manifest themselves in spades for the rest of his life. 24:42 What are the two chemicals, Dwight? 24:45 Testosterone and adrenaline, 24:49 because the rest of Samson's life 24:50 is sex and killing. 24:55 And he's the judge of the people of Israel. 24:59 Yep. 25:00 God takes them anyway He gets them. 25:06 Well, a few days later, they're heading down 25:08 to the Philistine town to fetch that young woman. 25:11 When a young lion, 25:12 ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, 25:14 by the way that bell always goes off 25:15 when we have the first encounter 25:17 with today's animal. 25:18 Last week, the ding, ding, ding was for a donkey. 25:20 Today it's for a lion, right? 25:24 A young lion leaps out of the shadows 25:27 straight to Samson. 25:30 And he instantly reacts. Here it is. 25:32 Verse 6 and 7, 25:34 "And the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon Samson, 25:37 so that he tore the lion apart with his bare hands 25:41 as he might have torn a young goat. 25:43 But he told neither his father nor his mother," 25:45 he must've been ahead on the path, 25:46 "what he had done. 25:48 Then he went down and talked with the woman, 25:49 and he liked her." 25:51 Forget the lion. 25:56 What is stronger than a lion 25:59 and weaker than a kitten? 26:01 The story goes on. 26:05 "Some time later 26:06 when he went back to marry her, 26:08 he turned aside to look at the lion's carcass 26:10 and in it he saw a swarm of bees 26:13 and some honey." 26:14 Wow! 26:16 "He scooped out the honey with his hand 26:17 and he ate it as he went along. 26:18 And when he rejoined his parents, 26:20 he gave them some, and they too ate it. 26:23 But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey 26:26 from the lion's carcass." 26:29 So they throw a wedding reception 26:31 and Samson challenges this Philistine, attendance. 26:35 Yo, guys, I have a riddle. 26:38 If you can solve this riddle, 26:40 30 changes of garment I will get for you 26:43 and 30 pieces of linen. 26:45 If you cannot solve this, 26:47 I will get from you 30 changes of garment 26:50 and 30 pieces of linen. 26:51 Is that a deal? 26:53 Deal! 26:54 So what's the riddle? 26:55 All right, listen carefully. 26:57 Here it is. 26:58 "He replied, 'Out of the eater, 27:01 something to eat, out of the strong, 27:04 something sweet." 27:06 But NIV did a great job in making this rhyme. 27:08 Didn't they? 27:09 This is Hebrew. 27:12 "For three days those Philistine attendance 27:15 could not give the answer." 27:17 Oh, man! 27:19 They finally go to the bride and they tell her, 27:22 you find the answer or we're going to kill you. 27:25 They obviously worked for the mafia. 27:32 The girl is scared stiff. 27:34 She puts on an academy award winning performance 27:37 of tears and pleadings. 27:39 You've got to tell me 27:41 what is the answer to the riddle? 27:46 At the end of the feast, 27:49 the Philistine guys announced the answer 27:51 Samson gave to his pleading bride 27:55 because the guy that is stronger than a lion 27:58 is weaker than a kitten. 28:02 And she squealed on him 28:05 and he is so ticked. 28:08 He immediately goes out slays 30 Philistine men, 28:11 disrobes them, 28:13 brings the 30 changes of garment back 28:17 and then storms back to live with mom and dad. 28:19 Adios. 28:23 And so the Philistines gave his wife away 28:25 to one of his attendance. 28:26 And when Samson learns that 28:28 he goes postal. 28:32 Now they didn't have the SPCA back then 28:35 that would be the Society 28:36 for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. 28:40 And Samson gets a hold by hand 28:43 of 300 fox 28:47 and he ties their tails together two by two. 28:51 And then he takes a burning torch 28:52 and puts a burning torch in every pair of tails. 28:57 And then he turns them loose in the dry end of summer grain 29:01 that represents the harvest for the Philistine nation. 29:05 And they destroy it by starting fires. 29:14 And by the way, the Philistines go back to that girl 29:17 that spilled the beans. 29:19 They burn her and her father down as well. 29:22 Yeah, sad. 29:24 And Samson hears that, look out, 29:26 because here comes a reign of terror. 29:28 "Samson said to them, 'Since you acted like this, 29:31 I swear that I won't stop until I get my revenge on you. 29:35 And he attacked them viciously and slaughtered many of them. 29:38 Then he went down and stayed in a cave 29:40 in the rock of Etam." 29:44 That's in Judah. 29:46 Philistine's marshal a massive army, 29:49 and they go marching into Judah and they said, 29:51 "We want you to hand over to us, 29:54 that guy named Samson, do you understand?" 29:57 And the Judahites go to Samson. 29:59 They say, 30:00 "Samson, you got to surrender. I'm telling you my man, 30:01 we're going to all be destroyed if you keep this up." 30:03 Samson says, 30:04 "Okay, I will be surrendered by you 30:06 on one condition 30:07 that you will not when my back is turned to you, 30:09 you will not turn on me. 30:11 Fair enough. 30:12 They bind him with flax, 30:14 they turn him over to the Philistines 30:16 and there is this mighty roar of joy, 30:21 just like thread. 30:23 And then the famous incident, 30:25 everybody in the planet knows this story. 30:27 Finding a fresh jawbone of a donkey, 30:30 he grabbed it and struck down a thousand men." 30:33 Gone. 30:35 Mr. Adrenaline 30:37 and testosterone rules. 30:42 Wow! 30:46 What is stronger than a lion and weaker than a kitten? 30:50 We're ready now for episode two. 30:51 There are only two of them. 30:53 This one's entitled. 30:54 This one's titled 30:55 a prostitute and a girlfriend and a blind man. 31:00 The last line of 15 says, for 20 years, 31:02 he ruled as a judge over the children of Israel. 31:06 But the very next verse, 31:07 after 20 years in ministry, here's the next verse. 31:10 "One day Samson," 16:1, "went to Gaza," 31:13 we've been hearing a lot about Gaza in the news, 31:15 "where he saw a prostitute. 31:17 He went in to spend the night with her." 31:19 I'm sorry to report. 31:24 The enemy spies heard he was inside the city. 31:27 The gates are locked. 31:29 They're waiting for morning. 31:30 They will get him when he wakes up. 31:33 But he gets up in the middle of the night, 31:35 fools everybody, 31:37 tiptoes out, the gates are locked. 31:39 He rips them off the foundation, 31:41 hoist them on his back, dumps them on a hilltop. 31:47 Gone again, we missed him. 31:51 How sad. 31:55 Sometime later... 31:57 I mean, it just keeps in spades happen. 31:58 "And he fell in love with a woman 32:01 in the Valley of Sorek 32:02 whose name was Delilah." 32:04 The world knows her name. 32:06 "The rulers of the Philistines went to her and said, girl, 32:09 'See if you can lure him 32:11 into showing you 32:12 the secret of his great strength 32:13 and how we can overpower him, 32:15 so we may tie him up and subdued him." 32:17 And here's the deal. 32:18 Each one of us will give you 1100 shekels of silver." 32:21 There were five cities, five princesses, five times, 32:24 1100 shekels of silver, 32:26 we're talking major money. 32:28 "So Delilah said to Samson, 32:32 'Oh, Samson tell me the secret of your great strength 32:37 and how you can be tied up and subdued.'" 32:44 And Samson makes a fool of her. 32:47 He comes up with three goofy answers. 32:49 And none of them work, of course. 32:55 But she lays on the tears. 32:58 This man who was strong as a lion and weak as a kitten, 33:00 she lays on the tears and the pleadings. 33:03 And guess what? 33:04 Guess what? 33:06 You're not going to believe this. 33:08 Again, 33:10 "And she said to him, 33:12 'How can you say, I love you,' when you won't confide in me?' 33:17 This is the third time you made a fool of me 33:20 and haven't told me the secret of your great strength. 33:25 With such nagging 33:27 she prodded him day after day 33:30 until he was sick to death of it. 33:34 So he told her everything. 33:38 'No razor has ever been used in my head,' he said, 33:42 'Because I've been a Nazirite 33:43 dedicated to God from my mother's womb. 33:46 If my head were shaved, 33:47 my strength would leave me 33:49 and I would become 33:50 as weak as any other man.'" 33:55 And once again, 33:58 the betrayer lulls him to sleep. 34:01 I don't know, strokes his locks, 34:03 kisses him until he's asleep. 34:08 And then while he's asleep 34:10 takes that razor 34:12 and all seven of his braids 34:15 are severed from his head. 34:19 And it is always for me such a sad verse 34:22 to now have to read 34:24 because it goes like this. 34:26 "Then she called, 'Samson, the Philistines are upon you.'" 34:28 That has been her ruse every time. 34:31 "'He woke from his sleep and he thought, 34:33 'I'll go out as before and I'll shake myself free.' 34:35 But he did not know that the Lord had left him. 34:38 Then the Philistines seized him, 34:40 gouged out his eyes and took him down to Gaza. 34:43 Binding him with bronze shackles, 34:44 they set him to grinding grain in the prison." 34:48 What a sad and tragic ending 34:51 to a life that promised so much. 34:56 What is stronger than a lion and weaker than a kitten? 35:01 Samson and you and me 35:04 without self-control. 35:09 That's it. 35:11 It's obvious from his story 35:13 that Samson could not say 35:16 no to his appetite. 35:20 And it was his downfall. 35:23 Oscar Wilde, the gay playwright, 35:27 once confessed his own weakness. 35:30 It's become a line known everywhere. 35:35 I can resist everything 35:37 except temptation. 35:42 We laugh, but it's the truth. 35:47 Samson could say no to everything 35:52 except his appetite. 35:56 He could not say no. 36:00 He'd say no. 36:02 He couldn't to the clamorings of his cravings. 36:07 That's the whole point. 36:10 He had no self-control 36:14 over appetite. 36:16 That's the bottom line to this tragic morality tale. 36:20 And let's be honest. Come on. 36:23 Saying no to appetite 36:24 in any of this mere myriad forms, it can be food. 36:26 it can be sex. 36:27 it can be money who knows, drink, 36:29 when culture, when the culture around us 36:31 and the society that within which we live 36:33 seem to be continually saying yes to appetite 36:36 in all its myriad forms. 36:38 To say no is a huge challenge 36:41 for the disciple and follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. 36:43 I get it. 36:45 I understand that 36:46 we are like a tiny little island in a sea, 36:48 awash with appetite. 36:55 While even our friendly little Taco Bell, 36:57 God bless them. 36:59 Continually reminds us that its lights are on, 37:04 that little neon sign in the window, 37:08 open late for taco time. 37:10 By the way, there's no Taco Bell 37:12 in the United States 37:13 that is closed before midnight, not one. 37:16 Some will go all night long. 37:19 You go to the Taco Bell website. 37:21 Here's their line. 37:24 Whether you need a late night dinner 37:27 or have a midnight craving, 37:29 we have you covered. 37:33 That is America right there. 37:37 We got it. We got you covered. 37:40 Bring that appetite on in. 37:42 I don't care what time it is. 37:45 And so for America, tragically, 37:48 the formula for instant gratification 37:51 of appetite goes something like this. 37:53 This is America's credo. 37:56 Feel your stomach 37:57 wherever, whenever 38:02 and with whatever you want. 38:05 There is no, no. 38:10 That's America today. 38:17 Question, 38:19 what is stronger than a lion and weaker than a kitten? 38:21 Answer, and appetite out of control, 38:27 which is why we need deliverance 38:30 from the other lion. 38:34 I think at that moment, when those two lions met, 38:36 faced off in the wilderness. 38:38 And by the way, I'm not talking about Mufasa 38:40 and Scar. 38:44 They hear on villain of the lion king. 38:49 Scar, the lion want to be king. 38:51 Everybody has learned to hate 38:54 and his hyenas. 38:58 Holy Scripture knows just as well of a wanting, 39:03 of a wannabe lion king. 39:05 Every single one of us 39:06 faces off with every single day. 39:12 Never forget these words. 39:14 1 Peter 5:8, be alert. 39:17 Yo, reader, you reading this right now. 39:21 The voice of Peter from the grave, 39:23 "Be alert and of a sober mind." 39:27 Keep your wits about you. 39:29 You don't understand 39:30 what you're living in the middle of. 39:32 "Be alert and of a sober mind. 39:33 Your enemy, the devil prowls around like a roaring lion 39:37 looking for someone to devour." 39:42 Be alert. 39:44 Stay sober. 39:46 Do you know why? Do you know why a lion roars? 39:50 Let's ask the Cleveland Zoo. 39:52 One of the great zoos in the land. 39:54 We'll go to their website and ask them, 39:55 why does a lion roar? 39:57 Interestingly, there are only four species 40:00 of the Panthera genus that can roar 40:03 lion, I never knew this before. 40:06 Lion, tiger, leopard and jaguar. 40:10 The bones in the voice box of these cats 40:14 can extend and stretch more than other species, 40:17 which helps create the deep loud." 40:23 The roar sound. 40:24 "Cheetahs, snow leopards, puma, and other species 40:27 have anatomy closer to smaller cats, 40:29 even house cats. 40:31 so they have vocalizations that sound more like a common, 40:38 just a purr." 40:40 Why does a lion roar? 40:42 Well, let's ask it. 40:44 'Lions are very social for large carnivores, 40:47 living in prides in the wild. 40:49 Male lions will use their roar 40:51 to scare off intruders 40:52 and warn the pride of potential danger. 40:54 It's also a show of power among the other males. 40:57 Lion roars can be heard for up to five miles away. 41:03 Five miles. That is a roar. 41:10 You can understand 41:12 that when a lion moves in for the kill, 41:15 the roar is intended to paralyze the hapless victim. 41:20 You're going to start, come to me now. 41:24 And the truth of the matter is 41:25 you and I have a roar inside of us. 41:28 We got a roar inside of us and that roar has a name. 41:30 And that roar is called appetite 41:32 and the wannabe lion king 41:35 taps into that appetite constantly. 41:42 You, did you hear that roar? 41:46 That's your stomach is rumbling. 41:48 You know why it's rumbling? 41:49 Because it's hungry, yield to it. 41:52 I can make that louder, roar. 41:54 How do you like that? 41:56 Yield to it. 41:58 Succumb. 42:00 Let me have power over you. 42:03 Choose to follow that appetite. 42:05 Forget what they've told you. 42:07 You got to have it now. 42:09 You're right. You were created this way. 42:13 Oh, my, the roar of a lion to paralyze its victim. 42:18 Sometimes we are paralyzed by the sound of our appetite 42:22 and we have no courage to resist it. 42:26 Am I telling the truth or what? 42:29 We all have an appetite. 42:31 Appetite is not measured by your weight. 42:35 Appetite is measured by your humanity. 42:39 And if you are human, 42:41 okay, how skinny you think you are, 42:44 you have an appetite, 42:48 and you're in the game with us. 42:50 Nobody gets a pass. 42:55 It's time to call in the real lion king. 43:00 When Satan found him, 43:01 he remembers he looked more like a scarecrow 43:02 than a lion king. 43:04 I mean, he is skin and bones. 43:06 He's been fasting. 43:07 That means going without food for 40 days and nights. 43:14 I can see you don't even have to. 43:15 You don't even have to tell me. 43:19 I can see you're hungry. 43:21 I would be hungry too If I'd gone this long. 43:24 I'll tell you what? 43:29 You can make food right here. 43:31 Karen's been making homemade bread 43:32 during this pandemic, 43:34 a whole new dimension to our marriage in life. 43:37 And it's wonderful. 43:42 Why don't you go ahead? 43:45 Was there a roar inside 43:47 of the other lion king? 43:54 Of course, there was. 43:58 How could Jesus pull this off? 44:00 Watch. 44:01 "As by the indulgence of appetite, Adam fell," 44:04 we've all fallen right here on the field of appetite, 44:07 "so by the denial of appetite, 44:09 Christ must overcome 44:10 from the time of Adam to that or Christ, 44:12 self-indulgence had increased 44:14 the power of the appetites and passions 44:16 until they had almost unlimited control." 44:19 That is the United States right there, 44:21 unlimited control now. 44:24 Wherever, whenever, whatever, eat it. 44:28 "Thus man and women 44:29 had become debased and diseased, 44:31 and of themselves it was impossible 44:33 for them to overcome. 44:34 In man's behalf," oh, here it comes, 44:36 "Christ conquered in the wilderness 44:39 by enduring the severest test. 44:41 For our sake, yours and mine, 44:44 He exercised a self-control stronger than hunger or death." 44:49 Do you understand that? Hunger or death. 44:51 That self-control that He exercised 44:54 was stronger than death itself. 44:56 He would die before yielding, 44:59 but that's not you and that's not me. 45:01 Die before yielding. 45:05 You say, ah, come on Dwight, 45:07 of course, of course, of course, 45:08 because we're talking about Christ. 45:10 Of course, He's going to be. 45:11 Of course, He's going to exercise, 45:12 His self-control stronger than hunger and death. 45:14 You're missing the whole point. 45:17 That is you. 45:19 That is me. 45:23 Yes, I can do it. I just cannot. 45:24 Yes, you can. Yes, you can. 45:27 You can. 45:28 Don't you give me this, I can't do it. 45:30 There's one more line. 45:32 I'll read it for you right now. 45:33 "Let him who is struggling against the power of appetite. 45:37 Let her who is struggling against the power of appetite 45:40 look to the savior 45:41 in the wilderness of temptation. 45:43 See Him in His agony upon the cross." 45:45 Go to Calvary. 45:46 You want to see somebody who's dying 45:48 with appetite within him, 45:50 listen to Him as he cries out, 45:51 "I'm thirsty. I need something to drink. 45:56 "He has endured all that 45:58 it is possible for you and me to bear. 46:01 His victory is ours." 46:03 Do you see that? 46:05 What are those last four words? 46:06 His victory is ours. 46:09 Do you understand that? 46:10 In fact let's isolate that last line right there. 46:12 Let's say it out loud together. 46:14 His victory is ours. 46:17 Come on. You can do that stronger. 46:18 His victory is ours. It's ours. 46:22 His victory is ours. In fact let's change it. 46:24 Forget ours, let's just put this 46:26 in the first person singular. 46:30 His victory is mine. 46:32 Come on, say that with me. 46:33 His victory is mine. 46:36 His victory is mine. 46:38 It's my victory. 46:40 He gained it. I can't. 46:43 I lose every time. 46:44 This power, this paralyzing roar 46:48 that comes over me from the wannabe lion king 46:51 gets me every time. 46:53 I'm trying to tell you, my friend, 46:54 those four words are your door out 46:59 of being devoured. 47:02 His victory is mine. 47:09 Fifteen second testimony. 47:12 I have found Jesus 47:15 to be able to immediately step in 47:18 and subdue that roaring appetite 47:22 when I call for help. 47:26 Do you know what this word means, 47:27 H-E-L-P? 47:28 Tell me, what does that word means, 47:30 H-E-L-P? 47:31 If you cry out, H-E-L-P, what are you asking for? 47:35 Intervene. 47:37 Boy, I love that story of John. 47:39 I love that story. 47:41 Man, I listened to it twice. 47:44 I got so paralyzed 47:45 by the fear of being on my belly, 47:47 getting into that cave pit that I said, 47:49 oh, I cannot believe it 47:51 that John is that kind of a man. 47:53 He got into that thing. 47:55 Yeah. 47:57 That's good, Chris. 47:59 But I love the way John ended it. 48:01 He said, they rip the ceiling apart 48:02 and deliverance came from above. 48:06 I'm telling you with appetite. 48:08 That's the gospel truth. 48:09 Deliverance comes from above. 48:12 You just cry the name, Jesus. You haven't tried it yet. 48:15 I have, because I have a problem with appetite. 48:19 Jesus, I'm asking you, 48:22 I can't do this. It's just too strong. 48:26 Do something. And I have seen Him. 48:28 I promise you, 48:31 I have seen Him, gone. 48:34 What happened? It's gone. 48:36 Didn't you ask me to do it? 48:39 I helped you. 48:41 We sell Jesus way too short. 48:44 We sell Him far too short. He can't do that. 48:48 Yes, He can because you can. 48:51 His victory is mine. 48:53 Embrace that victory. 48:57 Call on Him. Oh, I love this. 48:58 I've memorized this, Psalm 50:15, God is speaking. 49:01 "Call on me in the day of trouble 49:03 and I will deliver you, and you will glorify Me." 49:08 Memorize that line. Psalm 50:15. 49:11 Call on me just ask me, H-E-L-P, 49:15 I get it. I'll be there. 49:18 If you want me, I'm there. 49:24 That is it. 49:26 What Samson could have had, 49:29 you and I can have 49:31 today and right now. 49:35 For may I remind you that Calvary's lion king 49:38 is no figment of Disney's imagination. 49:41 There really is a lion king 49:43 and a mighty apocalypse just throws the curtain aside 49:46 so that we can see Him. 49:48 Then one of the elders in the Book of Revelation 5:5, 49:50 "And one of the elders said to me, John boy, 49:53 'Do not weep! 49:55 See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, 49:58 The root of David," that means King, Messiah King, 50:01 "the lion of the tribe of Judah, 50:03 the Root of David, the lion king has triumphed." 50:07 That's what the elder is saying. 50:09 He is able, those are the elder's words. 50:11 He is able. 50:13 Then John says, 50:14 "I saw a Lamb looking as if it had been slain." 50:16 Wait a minute, you just told me that He's the Lion King. 50:19 He's the Lion from the tribe of Judah. 50:21 Now I see a Lamb, 50:22 because the lion is the lamb, that's why. 50:25 And the lamb is a lion. 50:27 They're one and the same. 50:29 One will die for your appetite. 50:33 One will die for your appetite 50:35 and the other will deliver you from your appetite. 50:40 And it's the same Jesus from stem to stern. 50:44 Amen. 50:48 Call on me. 50:52 His victory is mine. 50:53 Help. 50:56 Oh, but I'm glad the story ends this way. 51:01 And that's why the weak and failing, 51:03 the fallen 51:05 but repentant Samson dies in a way, sadly, 51:10 he never lived. 51:11 He died trusting in his savior, it's true. 51:15 Brought the whole temple down on top of him. 51:19 He died with all of the enemy, 51:21 he died, but guess what? 51:24 When God decided 51:26 to write the Bible's hall of fame, 51:27 hall of faith chapter, 51:28 he informs you and me today 51:31 in that hall of fame today, Sampson. 51:35 In fact, I'm quoting right now, 51:36 "By faith, Samson gained what was promised." 51:41 Can I get an amen to that? 51:44 This is the man that was as strong as a lion 51:46 and as weak as a kitten, 51:48 but he comes to Jesus, the last breath. 51:52 God isn't looking for an excuse to lose you, 51:54 He's looking for an excuse to save you. 51:56 And if you foolishly decide, 51:58 I'm going to wait till the end of my life. 51:59 Well, I hope you have your cognitive powers then, 52:03 but if you do and you come to Him, 52:06 He will take you. 52:08 It would be stupid to wait till the end of your life, 52:11 to be consumed by this wannabe lion king 52:13 while you're waiting for the real king to come, 52:16 why would you give your life to the wannabe? 52:18 Why would you do it? 52:20 You wouldn't. 52:21 Now, if you were thinking, you wouldn't. 52:24 And guess what? 52:25 By faith in the same savior, 52:28 you and I will end up in the same hall of fame 52:30 with Samson for forever and ever. 52:34 Amen. 52:37 That's it. 52:39 Nobody leaves here a victim today. 52:44 Every man, woman and child 52:45 who leaves today leaves a victor, 52:47 because His victory is mine. 52:52 Connect card invites you to affirm 52:56 that pmchurch.org/connect. 53:00 Number one, I claim Jesus' victory 53:02 over appetite for my own. 53:06 Man, I do. 53:07 Don't. you want to. Come on. 53:09 Number two, 53:11 I reject the wannabe lion king 53:13 and offer every realm of my life 53:14 to the true Lion King of Heaven. 53:16 I want to go on record before heaven right now. 53:18 I must tell Jesus. 53:19 Thank you gentlemen for singing that 53:21 I must tell Jesus, 53:22 I want to go on record. 53:23 I want to be the Lion King's subject, 53:26 not the wannabes. 53:28 And finally number three, 53:30 by His amazing grace. 53:32 Come on up guys, by His amazing grace, 53:35 I wish to join Samson and God's Hall of Fame, 53:37 God's Hall of Faith. 53:39 Me too. 53:40 There's a place reserved for you. 53:42 There's a place reserved for me 53:45 because of amazing grace 53:46 and the Lion King, who says, 53:47 "I'll take you, give me your life. 53:51 I'll take you and I'll deal with him myself." 54:34 Amazing grace! 54:40 How sweet the sound 54:45 That saved 54:48 A wretch 54:50 Like me! 54:55 I once was lost, 55:01 But now 55:04 Am found Was blind, 55:09 But now 55:12 I see 55:18 The Lord 55:21 Has promised 55:24 Good to me 55:29 His word 55:32 My hope 55:34 Secures 55:40 He will my shield 55:46 And portion 55:49 Be as long 55:54 As life endures 56:02 Through many dangers, 56:08 Toils and snares 56:12 I have 56:15 already come 56:23 'Tis grace hath 56:27 Brought me safe 56:31 Thus far and grace 56:36 Will lead me home 56:43 'Tis grace hath 56:47 Brought me safe 56:52 Thus far And grace 56:57 Will lead me home 57:13 I want to take an extra moment 57:15 to thank you for joining us in worship today. 57:16 It's by the continuous support from viewers like you 57:19 that we're able to bring you this program. 57:21 Today, I want to invite you though to share with us 57:23 how this ministry has blessed you. 57:25 I get inspiring notes, emails from viewers, 57:27 literally all over the world telling me, 57:29 look, Dwight, God has been blessing me this way. 57:31 He's been doing this. 57:32 I would love to hear from you as well. 57:34 Just visit our website, you know it, 57:36 newperceptions.tv 57:38 and click on the contact link at the top of the page. 57:40 Send me a note. 57:42 Let me know what God has been doing 57:43 right now in your life. 57:45 Once again, thank you for being with us today. 57:48 I hope you join us right here next time. 57:50 And until then, 57:51 may the God of grace journey with you 57:53 every step of the way. |
Revised 2021-07-09