Judges Sermon Series - Part 8
Sermon follow-up 2/24/25
Introduction
The story of Samson reveals how God works through flawed humans to accomplish His purposes and points us to Jesus. Even before Israel cried out for help during their 40-year oppression by the Philistines, God was already preparing their deliverer.
How Does God Work Before We Realize It?
Samson was unique among judges as the only one called before birth. His miraculous birth story parallels other important biblical figures like Isaac, Samuel, John the Baptist, and ultimately Jesus. These impossible births demonstrate how God's salvation work depends entirely on Him, not human capability.
How Does Samson's Story Point to Jesus?
While Samson's birth removed his mother's shame, Jesus' birth brought shame to Mary - showing how Christ took on shame to bear it for us. Additionally, while Samson only "began to save" Israel, Jesus completed the work of salvation for all believers.
What Does It Mean to Fully Surrender to God?
Through Manoah's interaction with the angel, we see humanity's tendency to try controlling and manipulating circumstances rather than fully trusting God. This raises an important question: Are we trying to fit Jesus into our existing life, or surrendering our whole life to Him?
Why Is God Worthy of Our Worship?
The story culminates in Manoah and his wife's worship after witnessing God's power. True worship both invites God's presence and evidences His work in our lives. His incredible power - demonstrated through creation, miracles, and most importantly salvation - makes Him worthy of complete surrender and praise.
Life Application
Introduction
The story of Samson reveals how God works through flawed humans to accomplish His purposes and points us to Jesus. Even before Israel cried out for help during their 40-year oppression by the Philistines, God was already preparing their deliverer.
How Does God Work Before We Realize It?
Samson was unique among judges as the only one called before birth. His miraculous birth story parallels other important biblical figures like Isaac, Samuel, John the Baptist, and ultimately Jesus. These impossible births demonstrate how God's salvation work depends entirely on Him, not human capability.
How Does Samson's Story Point to Jesus?
While Samson's birth removed his mother's shame, Jesus' birth brought shame to Mary - showing how Christ took on shame to bear it for us. Additionally, while Samson only "began to save" Israel, Jesus completed the work of salvation for all believers.
What Does It Mean to Fully Surrender to God?
Through Manoah's interaction with the angel, we see humanity's tendency to try controlling and manipulating circumstances rather than fully trusting God. This raises an important question: Are we trying to fit Jesus into our existing life, or surrendering our whole life to Him?
Why Is God Worthy of Our Worship?
The story culminates in Manoah and his wife's worship after witnessing God's power. True worship both invites God's presence and evidences His work in our lives. His incredible power - demonstrated through creation, miracles, and most importantly salvation - makes Him worthy of complete surrender and praise.
Life Application
- This week, examine areas of your life where you might be trying to maintain control rather than fully surrendering to God. Ask yourself:
- Am I trying to fit Jesus into my life or is my whole life surrendered to Him?
- What areas am I holding back from God's control (time, money, relationships)?
- How can I move from just knowing about God to truly worshiping Him?
- Challenge: Identify one area where you've been maintaining control and intentionally surrender it to God through prayer and practical steps of obedience.
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