1 00:00:03,400 --> 00:00:06,100 Welcome to the Liberty Baptist sermon archives. 2 00:00:06,300 --> 00:00:09,100 The message you're about to hear was preached at Liberty, Baptist 3 00:00:09,100 --> 00:00:13,100 Church in Eastern Massachusetts. You can find out more about us 4 00:00:13,100 --> 00:00:17,400 or contact us at my Liberty, Baptist dot org or just look us 5 00:00:17,400 --> 00:00:19,800 up on Facebook. And now, we hope that this 6 00:00:19,800 --> 00:00:22,200 message from God's word will be a blessing to you. 7 00:00:24,600 --> 00:00:28,500 Please turn in your Bibles to Judges chapter number 13, this 8 00:00:28,500 --> 00:00:30,400 evening. Some of you remember the old 9 00:00:30,400 --> 00:00:33,200 commercial it said this a mind is a terrible thing to waste. 10 00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:37,800 You remember that a mind is a terrible thing to waste and the 11 00:00:37,800 --> 00:00:40,500 thought behind that is basically this. 12 00:00:40,800 --> 00:00:43,800 It's a waste when there's potential to do great things, 13 00:00:44,100 --> 00:00:47,800 but that potential isn't realize a mind is a terrible thing to 14 00:00:47,800 --> 00:00:51,500 waste. Potential is a wonderful thing 15 00:00:51,500 --> 00:00:54,500 in a lot of ways. Every year, the NFL has As a 16 00:00:54,508 --> 00:00:56,300 draft. Now, the other sports do too, 17 00:00:56,300 --> 00:00:59,100 but it seems like the NFL is the one that people pay attention to 18 00:00:59,100 --> 00:01:03,500 the most where teams look forward to a class of draft 19 00:01:03,500 --> 00:01:06,100 picks. And it's probably the only time 20 00:01:06,100 --> 00:01:10,400 where every NFL teams fan bases, happy during the NFL draft 21 00:01:10,500 --> 00:01:13,700 because even if you are year was bad, even if the season before 22 00:01:13,700 --> 00:01:16,400 was bad. There's now hope because you 23 00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:20,200 have a crop, a class of draft picks that are going to come to 24 00:01:20,200 --> 00:01:23,100 your team, and hopefully, make an impact for the next year. 25 00:01:23,100 --> 00:01:26,300 There's a team that just Stop picked a starting quarterback 26 00:01:26,300 --> 00:01:29,500 that is going to maybe just change the direction of that 27 00:01:29,900 --> 00:01:33,100 organization or it could be that they were needing some wide 28 00:01:33,100 --> 00:01:35,800 receiver help and they selected a couple of wide receivers. 29 00:01:35,800 --> 00:01:39,600 It really could make an impact they and and everyone in that 30 00:01:39,600 --> 00:01:43,000 draft has all the potential in the world but then something 31 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:45,200 happens, will he start playing games? 32 00:01:45,900 --> 00:01:49,700 And all of a sudden some of those draft picks end up far 33 00:01:49,700 --> 00:01:53,400 exceeding, what people thought they would be able to do for 34 00:01:53,400 --> 00:01:58,500 instance, a Tom Brady, or for instance, and Aaron Rodgers that 35 00:01:58,500 --> 00:02:02,800 far exceed those expectations, that others have of them. 36 00:02:02,900 --> 00:02:07,000 But there's also a large class of pics that were supposed to do 37 00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:11,400 a lot of things and then do anything and there's a term for 38 00:02:11,400 --> 00:02:14,700 that in the NFL and it's a term we use maybe in other parts of 39 00:02:14,700 --> 00:02:18,100 life, as well as this. They were a bust, they were a 40 00:02:18,100 --> 00:02:22,500 bust, they should have had a great career, they should have 41 00:02:22,500 --> 00:02:24,000 been able to change an organization. 42 00:02:24,000 --> 00:02:27,000 They should In game changers in many different ways, but they 43 00:02:27,000 --> 00:02:30,700 didn't realize the potential that was inside of them, for 44 00:02:30,700 --> 00:02:32,700 whatever reason. And because of that, they'll be 45 00:02:32,700 --> 00:02:35,100 labeled. Sure an NFL player for the rest 46 00:02:35,100 --> 00:02:37,600 of their lives because they did have a cup of coffee in the 47 00:02:37,600 --> 00:02:40,800 National Football League, but in the end to always be remembered 48 00:02:40,800 --> 00:02:46,000 as a NFL bust, they didn't live up to the potential that they 49 00:02:46,000 --> 00:02:50,400 were touted to have, you know, one of the things that each of 50 00:02:50,400 --> 00:02:53,200 us or it's hard for me to swallow, as a pastor sometimes 51 00:02:53,200 --> 00:02:58,000 is knowing this that God has given each of us, talents and 52 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:01,600 gifts. But yet with all the potential 53 00:03:02,100 --> 00:03:04,400 that can be found within a church building at any given 54 00:03:04,400 --> 00:03:08,500 time, with all the potential that can be found in a Believer, 55 00:03:08,900 --> 00:03:13,700 there are some that truly never live up to the potential of what 56 00:03:13,700 --> 00:03:18,100 God has called them to be. There are some who are mediocre 57 00:03:18,100 --> 00:03:21,700 their lackluster, their lukewarm Christians and that was never 58 00:03:21,700 --> 00:03:24,100 God's design. That was never God's plan for 59 00:03:24,100 --> 00:03:26,500 them. In fact, God gifted them to be 60 00:03:26,500 --> 00:03:31,600 much more than a lukewarm mediocre Christian, a so much so 61 00:03:31,800 --> 00:03:35,100 that we put it this way that God gave them, the greatest start 62 00:03:35,100 --> 00:03:38,700 possible when he gave them his holy spirit, to live inside of 63 00:03:38,700 --> 00:03:42,400 them, to be able to do that, which seemingly was impossible 64 00:03:42,400 --> 00:03:45,600 for them before they got saved. But yet despite all that 65 00:03:45,600 --> 00:03:49,000 potential Nothing much really happened. 66 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:51,400 Because of that. Could we put it this way? 67 00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:56,700 Spiritually, they were a bust. That was never God's plan that 68 00:03:56,708 --> 00:03:59,400 was never God's design. In fact, God, help them and 69 00:03:59,400 --> 00:04:01,400 enabled them to be much more than that. 70 00:04:02,400 --> 00:04:06,200 It's hard as a pastor to watch knowing that there are some that 71 00:04:06,200 --> 00:04:09,600 could do great things for God. But yet, or just mired in 72 00:04:09,600 --> 00:04:13,900 mediocrity, I was given this quote this afternoon and 73 00:04:13,900 --> 00:04:17,100 unwittingly it fit along, very well with what I was preaching 74 00:04:17,100 --> 00:04:18,500 here tonight. So, I'm just gonna read this 75 00:04:18,500 --> 00:04:21,000 text from my phone. This was Charles Spurgeon. 76 00:04:21,000 --> 00:04:23,300 He said this, why is it that some Christians, although they 77 00:04:23,300 --> 00:04:26,000 hear many sermons? Make but slow advances in the 78 00:04:26,008 --> 00:04:29,300 Divine life because they neglect their closets and do not 79 00:04:29,300 --> 00:04:31,500 thoughtfully. Meditate on God's word, they 80 00:04:31,500 --> 00:04:34,000 love the wheat, but they do not grind it. 81 00:04:34,300 --> 00:04:37,200 They would have the corn, but they will not go forth into the 82 00:04:37,200 --> 00:04:40,200 fields and gather it. The fruit hangs upon the tree 83 00:04:40,300 --> 00:04:43,300 but they will not pluck it. The water flows at their feet 84 00:04:43,300 --> 00:04:47,800 but they will not stoop to drink it from such Folly Deliver Us O 85 00:04:48,100 --> 00:04:50,200 Lord. It's a great thought knowing 86 00:04:50,200 --> 00:04:54,000 that there are those who have the desire the potential to do 87 00:04:54,000 --> 00:04:57,300 great things for Oh God but yet because it does require some 88 00:04:57,300 --> 00:05:01,100 level of work and it does require some level of self 89 00:05:01,100 --> 00:05:04,700 denial because of that they never unlock the potential of 90 00:05:04,700 --> 00:05:07,100 what God called them to be friends. 91 00:05:07,200 --> 00:05:12,300 We speak this evening of Samson, Now we understand that this 92 00:05:12,300 --> 00:05:15,200 could be said of us tonight, but I first want to look at Samson 93 00:05:15,200 --> 00:05:18,000 here in the word of God. Now we have to be careful in how 94 00:05:18,000 --> 00:05:20,300 we present Samson. I'll be honest with you, even in 95 00:05:20,300 --> 00:05:21,900 preaching it. I want to be careful in how I 96 00:05:21,900 --> 00:05:24,000 present Samson. Do you here tonight and over the 97 00:05:24,000 --> 00:05:26,900 next few weeks because Samson wasn't all bad. 98 00:05:27,300 --> 00:05:30,600 In fact, Samson, in many ways was a man of faith. 99 00:05:30,800 --> 00:05:35,200 I know that because Hebrews 11 tells us, he was a man of Faith. 100 00:05:35,200 --> 00:05:38,600 There's no doubt about that. Over the 20-year judgeship that 101 00:05:38,600 --> 00:05:42,000 he had. He He had trust and faith in God 102 00:05:42,000 --> 00:05:45,300 that allowed God to use him in amazing ways, but who we put it 103 00:05:45,308 --> 00:05:49,700 this way tonight. God, desired much more out of 104 00:05:49,700 --> 00:05:55,400 Samson than what Samson delivered God, granted Samson 105 00:05:55,600 --> 00:05:59,300 such great ability that in many ways. 106 00:05:59,300 --> 00:06:02,600 He squandered these great gifts that God gave him. 107 00:06:02,600 --> 00:06:05,500 And I want to look at this here tonight, but I also want to draw 108 00:06:05,500 --> 00:06:09,600 some conclusions to help us. Not be mired in mediocrity to 109 00:06:09,800 --> 00:06:13,600 Not just have potential to serve God but then just sit around as 110 00:06:13,900 --> 00:06:17,200 nothing more than a Divine lumps. 111 00:06:17,200 --> 00:06:20,100 Just kind of waiting for heaven to come along that God has 112 00:06:20,100 --> 00:06:23,500 created us, and God has enabled us to be much more for him. 113 00:06:23,500 --> 00:06:26,800 But there's some things that get in the way of our god-given 114 00:06:26,800 --> 00:06:28,300 potential. Would you stand, please for the 115 00:06:28,300 --> 00:06:30,900 reading of God's word or in a reading, Judges chapter 13, 116 00:06:31,200 --> 00:06:33,600 beginning in verse number 24, I don't want to scare you. 117 00:06:33,600 --> 00:06:36,000 I'm not getting Wild on you tonight, but once we get to the 118 00:06:36,008 --> 00:06:37,200 end of the chapter going to keep reading. 119 00:06:37,200 --> 00:06:38,900 Okay, so, don't don't get scared on me. 120 00:06:38,900 --> 00:06:40,700 All right. Elrod to read more than one 121 00:06:40,700 --> 00:06:41,800 chapter at a time. Okay. 122 00:06:44,600 --> 00:06:48,000 It says this in Judges 13 24 and the woman bear a son and of 123 00:06:48,000 --> 00:06:51,300 course, that is the unnamed mother of Samson manoah's wife 124 00:06:51,500 --> 00:06:54,500 and the woman bare a son and called his name Samson and the 125 00:06:54,500 --> 00:06:56,700 child grew and the Lord blessed him. 126 00:06:57,000 --> 00:07:00,200 And the spirit of the Lord began to move him at times in the camp 127 00:07:00,200 --> 00:07:05,000 of Dan between zorah and eshtaol and Samson went down to Timnath 128 00:07:05,000 --> 00:07:08,000 and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughter of the Philistines 129 00:07:08,000 --> 00:07:10,800 and he came up and told his father and his mother and said, 130 00:07:10,900 --> 00:07:13,300 I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the 131 00:07:13,308 --> 00:07:18,100 Philistines now, For get her for me to wife, then his father, and 132 00:07:18,100 --> 00:07:21,300 his mother said unto him. Is there never a woman among the 133 00:07:21,300 --> 00:07:24,500 daughters of thy Brethren or among all thy people, that thou 134 00:07:24,500 --> 00:07:26,800 goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised. 135 00:07:26,800 --> 00:07:31,100 Philistine, 's, and Samson said unto his father, get her for me 136 00:07:31,400 --> 00:07:33,500 for. She plays it with me well. 137 00:07:33,600 --> 00:07:36,300 Now, Mark that phrase right there because it's important 138 00:07:36,400 --> 00:07:40,200 for, she pleases with me. Well, but his father, and his 139 00:07:40,200 --> 00:07:42,700 mother knew not that it was of the Lord and that he saw an 140 00:07:42,700 --> 00:07:44,200 occasion against the Philistines. 141 00:07:44,400 --> 00:07:47,200 For at that time, the Philistines had dominion over 142 00:07:47,200 --> 00:07:48,700 Israel. I just want to say here for a 143 00:07:48,700 --> 00:07:50,400 moment. This does not mean that God 144 00:07:50,400 --> 00:07:54,000 approved what Samson was doing, but it does mean that God is big 145 00:07:54,000 --> 00:07:56,900 enough to take our mistakes and to be able to use them to 146 00:07:56,900 --> 00:07:58,800 further his program in his glory. 147 00:07:58,800 --> 00:08:01,700 So, let's just make sure we're clear about that verse number 5. 148 00:08:01,700 --> 00:08:04,900 Then when Samson down and his father and his mother to Timnath 149 00:08:04,900 --> 00:08:07,900 and came to The Vineyards of Timnath, and behold, a young 150 00:08:07,900 --> 00:08:11,400 lion roared, against him and the spirit of the Lord came mightily 151 00:08:11,400 --> 00:08:14,700 upon him and he rent him as he would have rent a kid. and he 152 00:08:14,700 --> 00:08:17,800 had nothing in his hand but he told not his father, his mother 153 00:08:17,800 --> 00:08:21,200 what he had done, then he went down and talked with the woman 154 00:08:21,200 --> 00:08:25,300 and there's this phrase again, she pleased Samson well and 155 00:08:25,300 --> 00:08:27,900 after a time he returned to Taker and he turned aside to see 156 00:08:27,900 --> 00:08:31,000 the carcass of the lion and behold, there was a swarm of 157 00:08:31,000 --> 00:08:34,799 bees and honey in the carcass of the lion and he took there for 158 00:08:34,799 --> 00:08:38,200 their of in his hands and went on eating and came to his father 159 00:08:38,200 --> 00:08:40,900 and mother and he gave them and they did eat and he told them 160 00:08:40,900 --> 00:08:44,400 not that he had taken the honey out of the carcass of the The 161 00:08:44,408 --> 00:08:48,200 lion, you may be seated. Haley, will you in a moment? 162 00:08:48,200 --> 00:08:49,700 Just get me another bottle of water, please. 163 00:08:49,700 --> 00:08:53,200 Thank you for that. Well, it may seem strange for us 164 00:08:53,200 --> 00:08:56,100 to just read from one chapter into another this evening. 165 00:08:56,100 --> 00:09:00,700 I believe, reading from chapter 13 in to chapter 14, gives us a 166 00:09:00,700 --> 00:09:04,700 contrast to see two different portions of Samson's life that I 167 00:09:04,700 --> 00:09:07,300 think are important for us to look at and first tonight, if 168 00:09:07,300 --> 00:09:08,600 you're writing this down, is this? 169 00:09:08,700 --> 00:09:11,200 I see number one? Sampson's, great potential. 170 00:09:11,500 --> 00:09:14,200 I see Sampson's, great potential that's represented there. 171 00:09:14,600 --> 00:09:18,600 In really all of chapter number 13 but particularly in chapter 172 00:09:18,600 --> 00:09:22,400 verses number 24 and 25 after the birth of Samson and it says, 173 00:09:22,400 --> 00:09:25,700 and the woman bare a son and called his name Samson. 174 00:09:25,800 --> 00:09:27,900 Thank you. And the water and the child grew 175 00:09:27,900 --> 00:09:30,600 and the Lord blessed him. And the spirit of the Lord began 176 00:09:30,600 --> 00:09:34,900 to move him at times in the camp of Dan between zorah and 177 00:09:34,900 --> 00:09:38,200 eshtaol. We could put it this way 178 00:09:38,200 --> 00:09:40,500 tonight. Samson was born in a spiritual, 179 00:09:40,500 --> 00:09:42,200 with a spiritual spoon in his mouth. 180 00:09:42,500 --> 00:09:46,000 Samson was born with, great advantage, and great privilege. 181 00:09:46,000 --> 00:09:47,400 Some of us would say this evening. 182 00:09:47,400 --> 00:09:50,600 Wow, I wish that I had had to Head Start spiritually in life 183 00:09:50,700 --> 00:09:52,400 that Samson had. Maybe you didn't grow up in a 184 00:09:52,408 --> 00:09:54,900 Christian home, you didn't grow up in a Christian environment or 185 00:09:54,900 --> 00:09:57,600 you didn't have loving parents, or maybe it wasn't that you 186 00:09:57,600 --> 00:10:00,200 found Jesus Christ. Until later in your life. 187 00:10:00,300 --> 00:10:02,400 Here is a man who had Godly Parents. 188 00:10:02,400 --> 00:10:07,500 He didn't just have parents that new Of God, they were Godly 189 00:10:07,500 --> 00:10:11,300 Parents, who were interested in, raising him in the nurture and 190 00:10:11,300 --> 00:10:15,400 admonition of the Lord, he had the blessings of God upon him in 191 00:10:15,400 --> 00:10:16,700 his life. You say, well, how do you know 192 00:10:16,700 --> 00:10:17,900 that? Well, the end of verse number 193 00:10:17,900 --> 00:10:20,100 24, it says, and the Lord blessed him. 194 00:10:20,100 --> 00:10:21,600 I mean, that's pretty simple right there. 195 00:10:21,700 --> 00:10:24,300 It doesn't take a real Theologian to realize that God 196 00:10:24,400 --> 00:10:27,900 was blessing him because God's word says that God was blessing 197 00:10:27,900 --> 00:10:31,300 him and beyond that, it said that he had the spirit of God 198 00:10:31,400 --> 00:10:33,500 move upon him in verse number 25. 199 00:10:33,500 --> 00:10:35,900 And this is important to us because you'll remember that the 200 00:10:36,000 --> 00:10:38,100 Of the holy spirit in the Old Testament. 201 00:10:38,100 --> 00:10:41,400 Before Jesus Christ died was buried and resurrected is 202 00:10:41,400 --> 00:10:44,300 different than it is. Now now, we understand that the 203 00:10:44,308 --> 00:10:47,500 Holy Spirit indwells, the believer, you'll find that the 204 00:10:47,500 --> 00:10:51,700 Bible is full, in the Epistles of references, to the fact that 205 00:10:51,700 --> 00:10:54,100 the Holy Spirit lives inside of us, he's the earnest of our 206 00:10:54,100 --> 00:10:56,600 inheritance, the literal down payment of Heaven that lives 207 00:10:56,600 --> 00:10:59,700 inside of us, but that was not the case in the Old Testament 208 00:10:59,700 --> 00:11:02,300 and Jesus eluded this. John when he's talking, the 209 00:11:02,308 --> 00:11:04,300 disciples before he goes to the cross. 210 00:11:04,400 --> 00:11:07,400 In the Old Testament, the hole. Lee Spirit would move at certain 211 00:11:07,400 --> 00:11:10,100 times and certain Seasons come upon a man or a woman. 212 00:11:10,100 --> 00:11:14,400 And then depart in the same manner, we see that at the life 213 00:11:14,400 --> 00:11:17,200 of Samson, we're going to see it near the end of Samson's life. 214 00:11:17,300 --> 00:11:19,800 One of the great examples of this assault you'll remember 215 00:11:19,800 --> 00:11:22,500 that there were times that Saul had the spirit of the Lord move 216 00:11:22,500 --> 00:11:24,600 upon him. He did great things for God, but 217 00:11:24,600 --> 00:11:26,900 there were also times that he disobeyed God and because that 218 00:11:26,900 --> 00:11:29,200 the spirit of the Lord departed from him and then he was 219 00:11:29,200 --> 00:11:31,900 bothered and then it was the spirit of Satan who then moved 220 00:11:31,900 --> 00:11:33,400 upon him. And it was David who played the 221 00:11:33,400 --> 00:11:35,800 harp, that brought peace and calm to his heart. 222 00:11:36,000 --> 00:11:39,200 And so we can put it this way. Sometimes we take for granted 223 00:11:39,200 --> 00:11:41,700 the fact that the Holy Spirit lives inside of us I would have 224 00:11:41,700 --> 00:11:44,300 to imagine Old Testament. Believer would not have that 225 00:11:44,300 --> 00:11:48,300 same type of interaction because it was not a given that you 226 00:11:48,300 --> 00:11:50,900 would have the Holy Spirit come upon you. 227 00:11:51,000 --> 00:11:52,700 Like it is for us when we get saved. 228 00:11:52,700 --> 00:11:55,300 It's a guarantee for you that when you get saved the Holy 229 00:11:55,300 --> 00:11:57,400 Spirit lives inside of you. If you say, well, Pastor, the 230 00:11:57,400 --> 00:11:59,600 Holy Spirit doesn't live inside of me, my answer that is, well, 231 00:11:59,600 --> 00:12:02,800 you ain't saved because that's what the Bible says, but in the 232 00:12:02,800 --> 00:12:04,400 Old Testament, that wasn't the case. 233 00:12:04,500 --> 00:12:08,100 So he has this great Privilege. He has this great potential 234 00:12:08,100 --> 00:12:11,900 Godly Parents, blessings of God upon him, and the spirit of God 235 00:12:12,000 --> 00:12:15,900 began to move upon him, and that Spirit would continue to work in 236 00:12:15,900 --> 00:12:19,200 him all throughout his ministry. For 20 years, the reason I know 237 00:12:19,200 --> 00:12:22,700 is boy, spoiler alert Delilah is going to end up cutting his 238 00:12:22,700 --> 00:12:23,800 hair. Who is she? 239 00:12:23,800 --> 00:12:25,200 You'll find out in a couple months. 240 00:12:25,500 --> 00:12:29,000 She cuts his hair and the Bible says that when she cut his hair 241 00:12:29,100 --> 00:12:31,400 and he woke up, he didn't understand that the spirit of 242 00:12:31,400 --> 00:12:34,400 the Lord had departed from him. And so that gives us a little 243 00:12:34,400 --> 00:12:36,800 bit of an understanding of how the ministry of the Holy Spirit 244 00:12:36,800 --> 00:12:40,200 would have work at that time. You know, Sampson reminds us of 245 00:12:40,200 --> 00:12:43,100 many Bible characters. And again I'm always careful how 246 00:12:43,100 --> 00:12:45,100 I use that term character because we're talking about real 247 00:12:45,100 --> 00:12:48,700 people but he's reminiscent of many Bible characters who had 248 00:12:48,700 --> 00:12:52,200 great potential to serve God, I think of made a banner by who, 249 00:12:52,300 --> 00:12:55,000 who grew up with Aaron as a father, and Moses. 250 00:12:55,000 --> 00:12:58,600 As an uncle Aaron, the first high priest of Israel and Moses. 251 00:12:58,600 --> 00:13:01,900 Well, Moses, the leader of Israel out of Egypt. 252 00:13:02,000 --> 00:13:05,000 Nadav and avihu would Growing up in a home with great potential. 253 00:13:05,200 --> 00:13:08,200 I just mentioned Saul Saul was the very first king of Israel 254 00:13:08,200 --> 00:13:11,800 and on top of that he had Samuel as his Minister and Samuel as 255 00:13:11,800 --> 00:13:15,500 his priests and Samuel as his prophet and what potential Soul 256 00:13:15,500 --> 00:13:19,100 had, when the whole of Israel selected him of course, Lord 257 00:13:19,100 --> 00:13:21,200 selected him. But they were so excited about 258 00:13:21,200 --> 00:13:23,600 coordinating him and saying, God, Save the King. 259 00:13:23,600 --> 00:13:27,400 He had every Advantage possible. So, did I think of Demas in the 260 00:13:27,400 --> 00:13:30,500 New Testament who traveled with Paul, he would have been one of 261 00:13:30,500 --> 00:13:33,700 the traveling Companions of Paul, how would you You like to 262 00:13:33,700 --> 00:13:37,000 literally sit at the feet of Paul and learn of Jesus Christ, 263 00:13:37,000 --> 00:13:39,400 who I believe, sat at the feet of Jesus Christ. 264 00:13:39,400 --> 00:13:41,400 In Heavenly places for three years. 265 00:13:41,400 --> 00:13:44,100 I mean can you imagine what great advantage that would be 266 00:13:44,100 --> 00:13:45,700 for you? That far exceeds any Bible 267 00:13:45,700 --> 00:13:48,800 College that far exceeds any Seminary to literally sit at the 268 00:13:48,808 --> 00:13:51,400 feet of the Apostle Paul and around the campfire at night, 269 00:13:51,400 --> 00:13:54,800 learn more about, Jesus Christ. Now be an amazing thing. 270 00:13:55,200 --> 00:13:59,200 You want to talk about a day and how about Judas Who literally 271 00:13:59,200 --> 00:14:01,200 walk with me. Maybe the only thing better have 272 00:14:01,200 --> 00:14:05,000 sitting around for three years or four years with Paul would 273 00:14:05,000 --> 00:14:08,300 have been for sitting around three years with Jesus Christ 274 00:14:08,300 --> 00:14:11,700 and being able to see the Miracles and to be able to see 275 00:14:11,700 --> 00:14:15,000 the compassion and be able to see things that you can't 276 00:14:15,000 --> 00:14:18,600 explain with what you have seen with your natural eyes and what 277 00:14:18,600 --> 00:14:21,000 you're hearing with your ears and to be around that all the 278 00:14:21,000 --> 00:14:23,100 time. But each and every one of those 279 00:14:23,100 --> 00:14:26,100 people that I gave you were people with potential that 280 00:14:26,100 --> 00:14:28,100 didn't realize their potential NATO. 281 00:14:28,300 --> 00:14:31,600 Been a by who went into the Tabernacle of the Lord and 282 00:14:31,600 --> 00:14:33,800 offered what the Bible called? Strange Fire. 283 00:14:33,800 --> 00:14:36,800 Whatever it was, they offered something that they knew they 284 00:14:36,800 --> 00:14:39,300 ought not to offer. God killed them for it. 285 00:14:39,300 --> 00:14:43,000 So we understand went slowly into madness and he ended up 286 00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:45,300 persecuting David and persecuting anyone who was 287 00:14:45,300 --> 00:14:49,100 aligned with David, he thought everyone was against him, he 288 00:14:49,700 --> 00:14:52,300 consorted with a which near the end of his life, to try to hear 289 00:14:52,300 --> 00:14:55,400 from God because he couldn't hear from God himself anymore, 290 00:14:55,700 --> 00:14:58,900 the man dissolved into madness and at the the end of his life 291 00:14:58,900 --> 00:15:01,700 killed himself on the battlefield because he thought 292 00:15:01,700 --> 00:15:03,900 the Philistines were going to slay him know. 293 00:15:03,900 --> 00:15:06,200 He was a man with great potential but a man who didn't 294 00:15:06,200 --> 00:15:10,300 realize that potential at the end of 2nd, Timothy Paul says of 295 00:15:10,300 --> 00:15:14,500 Demas, he says, but Demas has forsaken me, having loved this 296 00:15:14,500 --> 00:15:16,900 present World, I'll show you one of the saddest verses you'll 297 00:15:16,900 --> 00:15:19,300 find in the Bible. Is that verse about Dimas? 298 00:15:19,300 --> 00:15:22,900 That Dimas literally said to Paul see you later because he 299 00:15:22,900 --> 00:15:25,700 loved the world more than he loved the ministry of Jesus 300 00:15:25,700 --> 00:15:27,200 Christ. What potential? 301 00:15:27,200 --> 00:15:30,300 But what a waste And Judas, we need say no more but to 302 00:15:30,300 --> 00:15:33,000 understand that he had such great advantage to walk with 303 00:15:33,000 --> 00:15:37,000 Jesus Christ, but yet the Son of Perdition died hanging himself, 304 00:15:37,000 --> 00:15:40,700 and then getting carried along, headlong the rope breaking. 305 00:15:40,700 --> 00:15:43,600 And having his literally body burst on the Rocks. 306 00:15:43,600 --> 00:15:47,400 Below his name was a byword to all those in those days. 307 00:15:47,500 --> 00:15:50,200 And his name is a byword today. So much that nobody wants to 308 00:15:50,208 --> 00:15:53,800 call their kid, Judas. All the potential in the world 309 00:15:53,900 --> 00:15:56,100 and nothing in each of these cases. 310 00:15:56,100 --> 00:16:00,100 Potential doesn't translate into successful service for God. 311 00:16:01,400 --> 00:16:04,700 In each of these cases, potential didn't translate into 312 00:16:04,700 --> 00:16:08,400 successful service, for God. Know what I've seen through the 313 00:16:08,400 --> 00:16:11,800 years, I've seen a lot of Christians, like the old saying 314 00:16:11,800 --> 00:16:17,200 goes, they blow in, they blow up and they blow out They come in 315 00:16:18,200 --> 00:16:19,700 maybe sometimes they think they're going to teach 316 00:16:19,700 --> 00:16:21,200 everybody. What Christianity is about even 317 00:16:21,200 --> 00:16:23,100 though they just barely figured it out themselves. 318 00:16:24,100 --> 00:16:25,800 And then before, you know, it with all the potential in the 319 00:16:25,808 --> 00:16:29,900 world, they're going the potential being gonna realize, I 320 00:16:29,900 --> 00:16:32,000 say this not gleefully. I say this was not a hint of 321 00:16:32,008 --> 00:16:35,700 sarcasm of my voice as a pastor breaks, my heart to think. 322 00:16:35,700 --> 00:16:38,700 There are some that God has gifted with great potential, 323 00:16:39,000 --> 00:16:41,300 some with one Talent, some with five talents, some with ten 324 00:16:41,300 --> 00:16:42,900 talents. Remember the parable of the 325 00:16:42,900 --> 00:16:47,300 talents each gifted differently but each gifted by God listen, I 326 00:16:47,300 --> 00:16:49,000 give you a gift. You can like our you don't have 327 00:16:49,000 --> 00:16:50,600 to like it but you've been gifted by God. 328 00:16:51,300 --> 00:16:55,200 Which every single one of us who are saved, have been to use 329 00:16:55,200 --> 00:16:58,700 those gifts and service for the savior, I've seen it happen 330 00:16:58,700 --> 00:17:02,000 where people don't realize their potential, I've seen 10 Talent 331 00:17:02,000 --> 00:17:04,200 Believers. I mean I'm talking about some 332 00:17:04,200 --> 00:17:06,900 that is just like they look at something and they can do it for 333 00:17:06,900 --> 00:17:11,500 the Lord they say it. They have all this potential but 334 00:17:11,500 --> 00:17:13,800 yet they take these talents and they hide them under a bushel. 335 00:17:15,599 --> 00:17:19,000 Some of us would say, boy if I could do that, I would I wish I 336 00:17:19,000 --> 00:17:20,599 could do that. So I would do it for the Lord, 337 00:17:20,599 --> 00:17:23,700 but they hide it under a bushel. I've observed some who have 338 00:17:23,700 --> 00:17:27,400 acknowledged a special calling on their life but then because 339 00:17:27,400 --> 00:17:32,200 time makes them afraid or because they grow lukewarm, even 340 00:17:32,200 --> 00:17:33,900 though they have the special call in their life, you know 341 00:17:33,900 --> 00:17:35,200 what they do, they start to walk it back. 342 00:17:35,700 --> 00:17:37,000 Maybe that wasn't what I was thinking. 343 00:17:37,500 --> 00:17:41,200 If that wasn't what I think for a year and a half, I lived with 344 00:17:41,200 --> 00:17:43,600 the fact that I knew God called me to preach, but I didn't want 345 00:17:43,600 --> 00:17:46,700 to preach. I Ooh, that's not what I wanted 346 00:17:46,700 --> 00:17:48,400 to do. So what did I do? 347 00:17:48,400 --> 00:17:50,800 I just kind of mired myself and mediocrity. 348 00:17:50,800 --> 00:17:52,600 I wasn't going to realize my potential. 349 00:17:52,900 --> 00:17:54,700 I'm not saying that I couldn't have done something else for a 350 00:17:54,700 --> 00:17:57,500 living, but I would say this, nothing else would have mattered 351 00:17:57,500 --> 00:17:59,100 because I knew what God had called me to do. 352 00:17:59,400 --> 00:18:00,700 Nothing else would have mattered. 353 00:18:00,900 --> 00:18:02,800 I wouldn't have realized my potential. 354 00:18:02,900 --> 00:18:04,800 Well what if you'd made a million dollars while I'm not 355 00:18:04,800 --> 00:18:07,900 now, but I tell you this, I have realized my potential if I made 356 00:18:07,900 --> 00:18:10,000 a million dollars and didn't do what God called me to do. 357 00:18:11,900 --> 00:18:13,900 There are so many that now, how does this happen? 358 00:18:14,700 --> 00:18:17,800 How do people get themselves in this situation? 359 00:18:18,300 --> 00:18:21,400 Why I think that we see from our text tonight, this thought 360 00:18:21,500 --> 00:18:24,600 you'll never realize your full potential for God, When Your 361 00:18:24,600 --> 00:18:29,400 Personal Pleasures, Trump gods revealed will for your life, you 362 00:18:29,400 --> 00:18:31,900 will never realize your full potential for God. 363 00:18:32,100 --> 00:18:37,200 When Your Personal Pleasures Trump, the Lord's revealed will 364 00:18:37,900 --> 00:18:40,800 have thine own way. Lord have nine own way. 365 00:18:41,400 --> 00:18:43,800 Thou Art, the Potter. I Am The Clay as long as you'll 366 00:18:43,800 --> 00:18:45,100 do. What I tell me that, you know, I 367 00:18:45,100 --> 00:18:49,000 tell you to do. But that's often what Christians 368 00:18:49,000 --> 00:18:54,000 with great potential but nothing realized will say. 369 00:18:54,400 --> 00:18:56,700 So number one, I see Sampson's great potential but number two, 370 00:18:56,700 --> 00:18:59,300 I see this Samson's. Greater problem Samson's, 371 00:18:59,300 --> 00:19:00,900 greater problem. This is where the contrast takes 372 00:19:00,900 --> 00:19:03,900 place. Chapter 13 tells us how Sampson 373 00:19:03,900 --> 00:19:07,300 had all the advantages. But chapter 14 tells us how the 374 00:19:07,300 --> 00:19:10,100 advantages start to unravel in his life. 375 00:19:10,100 --> 00:19:11,600 Look at all the things that happened. 376 00:19:11,600 --> 00:19:14,500 Just in these nine short verses that we just read. 377 00:19:14,600 --> 00:19:17,600 First of all, we see he wanted a wife of the Stains. 378 00:19:17,600 --> 00:19:20,800 Now why is that a problem? They're called the uncircumcised 379 00:19:20,800 --> 00:19:23,600 Philistine. The reason why is because they 380 00:19:23,600 --> 00:19:27,100 were a people of that land who did not believe in Jehovah. 381 00:19:27,100 --> 00:19:29,600 God, I have to mention this almost. 382 00:19:29,600 --> 00:19:32,700 Every time I preach and talk about the intermarriages of the 383 00:19:32,700 --> 00:19:35,600 land and have to remind people every single time that God was 384 00:19:35,600 --> 00:19:38,800 not against interracial marriage and God was not against mixed 385 00:19:38,800 --> 00:19:40,700 marriage. That was not the point of that, 386 00:19:40,700 --> 00:19:43,300 what God was against. And God is still against today. 387 00:19:43,300 --> 00:19:45,700 By the way, is having marriages, where there are those who are 388 00:19:45,700 --> 00:19:49,200 unequally yoked where There are those who are unbelievers and 389 00:19:49,200 --> 00:19:51,300 Believers, joking, themselves together? 390 00:19:51,400 --> 00:19:53,400 I'm not talking about people who get saved and then all of a 391 00:19:53,408 --> 00:19:55,500 sudden, they're saved and their spouses not. 392 00:19:55,500 --> 00:19:56,900 That's different. You supposed to stay with your 393 00:19:56,900 --> 00:19:59,700 spouse, love on your spouse and win them to Christ through their 394 00:19:59,700 --> 00:20:01,200 love. But, but the understanding is 395 00:20:01,200 --> 00:20:04,000 this is that you as a saved person should not go and 396 00:20:04,000 --> 00:20:07,000 willingly find an unsaved person and try to bring them together 397 00:20:07,000 --> 00:20:10,500 as one because you have different directions that you're 398 00:20:10,500 --> 00:20:12,600 going. And let's be honest, the Jews 399 00:20:12,600 --> 00:20:15,300 and the Philistines were going different directions and so God 400 00:20:15,300 --> 00:20:19,300 said this, don't marry together. Unless there was a Philistine 401 00:20:19,300 --> 00:20:22,400 who became part of the household of the Jews by believing in 402 00:20:22,400 --> 00:20:24,400 Jesus Christ, you said oh that never happen. 403 00:20:24,500 --> 00:20:26,800 Well, there's a just happens to be a few of them in the line of 404 00:20:26,800 --> 00:20:30,200 Jesus Christ. One like a ray, have the Harlot, 405 00:20:30,300 --> 00:20:35,000 another like Ruth, who would have been able to say, I am not 406 00:20:35,000 --> 00:20:38,300 of the Jewish people but I realized the god of the Jews is 407 00:20:38,300 --> 00:20:42,100 the God of all and the God of all is now the god of me. 408 00:20:42,200 --> 00:20:45,800 That's why Ruth said under his wings, will I come to trust and 409 00:20:45,800 --> 00:20:50,100 that's why she Today is in the line of Christ and Ruth and Boaz 410 00:20:50,100 --> 00:20:53,700 married would end up having a son, who would have a son, who 411 00:20:53,700 --> 00:20:55,500 would have a son, who would have David? 412 00:20:58,100 --> 00:21:01,600 But we also understand that the Israelites in general, we're not 413 00:21:01,600 --> 00:21:05,300 to marry the Philistines, by the way, Deuteronomy 73 through for 414 00:21:05,300 --> 00:21:08,400 says, the reason why neither shalt thou make marriages with 415 00:21:08,400 --> 00:21:10,800 them die daughter. Thou shalt not give unto his 416 00:21:10,800 --> 00:21:14,000 son, or his daughter shalt thou, take unto thy son for they will 417 00:21:14,000 --> 00:21:18,100 turn away thy son from following me that they may serve other 418 00:21:18,100 --> 00:21:21,800 gods. So will the anger of the Lord be 419 00:21:21,800 --> 00:21:23,900 kindled against you and Destroy these suddenly? 420 00:21:24,000 --> 00:21:25,800 Well, Pastor is that really the way it is? 421 00:21:25,800 --> 00:21:29,800 I don't know a Solomon. Because Solomon had 1000 wives 422 00:21:29,800 --> 00:21:32,900 and concubines. Many of them turn his heart away 423 00:21:32,900 --> 00:21:36,400 from God of course first of all the problem of having 999 too 424 00:21:36,400 --> 00:21:40,500 many wives but on top of the fact that many of them did not 425 00:21:40,500 --> 00:21:43,200 believe in God and before you know it Samson in a bid to make 426 00:21:43,200 --> 00:21:45,500 them all happy because I mean imagine if you were one of a 427 00:21:45,508 --> 00:21:48,000 thousand there's a lot of reasons not to be happy and do a 428 00:21:48,000 --> 00:21:50,700 bid to make them happy. He would build temples to their 429 00:21:50,700 --> 00:21:52,800 gods. To try to appease them. 430 00:21:52,800 --> 00:21:54,700 So, no, you weren't supposed to intermarry. 431 00:21:54,800 --> 00:21:57,700 And so here's what we see here. It says, in verse number 2, I 432 00:21:57,700 --> 00:22:01,800 have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines 433 00:22:01,800 --> 00:22:05,000 now, therefore, get her to me for wife, but that's not the 434 00:22:05,000 --> 00:22:07,200 only problem that he was going to intermarry with the 435 00:22:07,200 --> 00:22:10,500 Philistines. He also broke his vow that 436 00:22:10,500 --> 00:22:15,000 Nazarite vow, That was supposed to be so important that we read 437 00:22:15,000 --> 00:22:19,100 in last message last week and talked about, although briefly, 438 00:22:19,400 --> 00:22:21,800 but he broke his down. You say, well, how did that 439 00:22:21,800 --> 00:22:23,600 happen? Well, it said in verse number 5, 440 00:22:23,600 --> 00:22:26,900 that he was going down through the vineyard and goes and comes 441 00:22:26,900 --> 00:22:29,400 into conflict. Efrain Tatian with a lion and he 442 00:22:29,400 --> 00:22:32,400 rips that line apart like a kid. So just like a harmless little 443 00:22:32,400 --> 00:22:35,400 goat, he ripped that line up, like it was nothing and then 444 00:22:35,400 --> 00:22:39,100 went through that, same Vineyard a few weeks, or months later and 445 00:22:39,100 --> 00:22:42,600 as he does, so he looks into the carcass of the lion and sees. 446 00:22:42,600 --> 00:22:46,700 Honey, that is a honeycomb inside the carcass and says, 447 00:22:46,700 --> 00:22:49,100 hey, you know what? That honey looks pretty good. 448 00:22:49,300 --> 00:22:52,200 Now, this isn't the illogical but I just had this on my mind 449 00:22:52,200 --> 00:22:55,300 all week. First of all, That's disgusting. 450 00:22:56,400 --> 00:22:58,400 I've been wanting to say that all week or I feel so much 451 00:22:58,400 --> 00:23:00,200 better about that. I mean, you're looking inside a 452 00:23:00,200 --> 00:23:02,200 car, I don't care. If it's just bones, I don't care 453 00:23:02,200 --> 00:23:04,100 what it is, but I'm not going around. 454 00:23:04,100 --> 00:23:05,600 Looking inside a roadkill saying, I wonder if there's 455 00:23:05,600 --> 00:23:07,700 something good in here to eat. I mean, that's what that's 456 00:23:07,700 --> 00:23:09,800 literally what he did. And so, he looks in the carcass 457 00:23:09,800 --> 00:23:11,900 of the lion. He says, well there's honey in 458 00:23:11,900 --> 00:23:14,100 there and he dipped his hand into the carcass. 459 00:23:14,100 --> 00:23:15,800 I don't care what he thought he touched or what he thought. 460 00:23:15,800 --> 00:23:18,200 He didn't touch. He's eating carcass honey. 461 00:23:18,300 --> 00:23:21,700 And so he takes that honey. He eats it and he goes to Mom 462 00:23:21,700 --> 00:23:23,400 and Dad and said, hey, here's some honey. 463 00:23:23,400 --> 00:23:25,000 I think you're going to like it and they liked it. 464 00:23:25,000 --> 00:23:26,100 He didn't tell him where it came from. 465 00:23:26,200 --> 00:23:28,300 Um, one of the reason he didn't tell them where it came from. 466 00:23:28,300 --> 00:23:31,900 Was because by reaching into that carcass and scooping out 467 00:23:31,900 --> 00:23:34,400 that honey, he broke his Nazarite vow. 468 00:23:35,100 --> 00:23:38,200 You say well I don't see that anywhere in the Nazarite vow 469 00:23:38,200 --> 00:23:41,200 either in Numbers, Chapter 6 or in Judges chapter 13 where we 470 00:23:41,200 --> 00:23:43,900 read last week. Well, here's the issue to have a 471 00:23:43,900 --> 00:23:47,100 dead carcass would be to have something that was ceremonially 472 00:23:47,100 --> 00:23:49,500 unclean. He was told not to touch the 473 00:23:49,500 --> 00:23:51,400 things that were unclean and should the minute. 474 00:23:51,400 --> 00:23:54,800 That he put his hand into the carcass and pulled out that 475 00:23:54,800 --> 00:23:56,000 honey. He is now broken. 476 00:23:56,200 --> 00:23:59,400 And the Nazarite vow, it was a clear violation. 477 00:23:59,500 --> 00:24:03,100 So how does this happen? How does he take a woman of the 478 00:24:03,100 --> 00:24:06,000 Philistines that he knows? He's not supposed to have 479 00:24:06,000 --> 00:24:08,000 including the fact that his parents told him you're not 480 00:24:08,000 --> 00:24:10,500 supposed to do this? How does he take of the honey 481 00:24:10,900 --> 00:24:13,500 that he looks in there? I mean it says honey, I mean how 482 00:24:13,500 --> 00:24:17,000 great could it be to literally break your vow that you have 483 00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:19,600 kept all of these years for carcass honey? 484 00:24:19,900 --> 00:24:22,700 Why would you do that? Well, I think the answer is 485 00:24:22,700 --> 00:24:24,500 right in that verse that I mentioned to you. 486 00:24:24,600 --> 00:24:27,100 Just a few moments ago, I said, A mark in your mind. 487 00:24:27,100 --> 00:24:30,100 It's in verse number 3, and it's in the final words of the verse. 488 00:24:30,200 --> 00:24:36,900 It says this, get her for me for she pleases me, well, and it's 489 00:24:36,900 --> 00:24:40,700 reiterated in verse 7, she pleased Samson. 490 00:24:40,900 --> 00:24:46,600 Well, Why did he not fulfill? Fulfill the potential of what 491 00:24:46,600 --> 00:24:49,900 God had called him to do? Because he allowed his Personal 492 00:24:49,900 --> 00:24:53,500 Pleasures to Trump. What God had called him to do in 493 00:24:53,500 --> 00:24:55,600 his life? Because it pleased him? 494 00:24:55,600 --> 00:24:58,800 Well, he was going to do it, it didn't matter what his parents 495 00:24:58,800 --> 00:25:01,700 said, it didn't matter what God said, he blew through all the 496 00:25:01,700 --> 00:25:05,100 guardrails in his life and he said, you know, I know what God 497 00:25:05,100 --> 00:25:08,700 wants, I know what his way is, but I'll tell you this, I'll 498 00:25:08,700 --> 00:25:13,200 have it my own way. Not have thine own way but I'll 499 00:25:13,200 --> 00:25:17,000 have it my own way and that's what brother Turner used to call 500 00:25:17,000 --> 00:25:20,000 Burger, King Christianity. I'll have it my way. 501 00:25:20,600 --> 00:25:23,100 You know, you can go to Burger King and have no pickles and no 502 00:25:23,100 --> 00:25:26,200 onions and no lettuce but when it comes to the word of God you 503 00:25:26,200 --> 00:25:28,800 can't pick and choose when it comes to God's calling upon your 504 00:25:28,800 --> 00:25:31,000 life. We must take it all for who it 505 00:25:31,000 --> 00:25:34,200 is for who he says he is and what he has said, it is in the 506 00:25:34,200 --> 00:25:36,800 word of God or we have to leave it behind. 507 00:25:36,800 --> 00:25:39,600 It's either all or nothing. You say that sounds like that's 508 00:25:39,600 --> 00:25:43,100 a really Well that just sounds like something that doesn't make 509 00:25:43,100 --> 00:25:44,800 a lot of sense. Pastor I mean everything has 510 00:25:44,800 --> 00:25:47,200 mistakes and you kind of in life you have to filter through 511 00:25:47,200 --> 00:25:49,700 things and pick and choose and understand and certainly I 512 00:25:49,700 --> 00:25:52,100 understand that's the case when it's a doctor you have to do 513 00:25:52,100 --> 00:25:55,400 that when it's a work situation you have to understand that when 514 00:25:55,900 --> 00:25:58,600 it's any of those life situations you have to do that 515 00:25:58,600 --> 00:26:01,400 but when it comes to the word of God, we don't get to pick and 516 00:26:01,400 --> 00:26:03,800 choose when we allow our Personal Pleasures and our 517 00:26:03,800 --> 00:26:06,900 personal ideas and what pleases us, well to Trump, the word of 518 00:26:06,900 --> 00:26:10,800 God, we do not well in the Christian life, and you will 519 00:26:10,800 --> 00:26:13,400 never Fulfill your potential when it's all about what you 520 00:26:13,400 --> 00:26:16,200 want and what you want to do and what works best for you. 521 00:26:16,300 --> 00:26:19,200 And here's Samson and he blows through all of these guardrails 522 00:26:19,200 --> 00:26:21,100 that God's put up. By the way, God put up a lot of 523 00:26:21,100 --> 00:26:24,000 guardrails to keep him from trouble in the first place, I 524 00:26:24,000 --> 00:26:26,700 just wrote These down, he gave him god-breathed Commandments, 525 00:26:27,200 --> 00:26:28,400 you know, he had the word of God. 526 00:26:29,100 --> 00:26:31,200 We know at least you had the Books of Moses at that time. 527 00:26:31,500 --> 00:26:33,600 He obviously did have judges if he'd had judged you could have 528 00:26:33,600 --> 00:26:35,300 read about what was coming up. It said more, I shouldn't eat. 529 00:26:35,300 --> 00:26:38,000 That carcass hunting, it's pretty bad but he didn't have 530 00:26:38,000 --> 00:26:38,600 that. Did he? 531 00:26:38,800 --> 00:26:41,200 But he did have the books of Moses, as well as the It 532 00:26:41,200 --> 00:26:43,700 commands of the Angel of the Lord, that were given to his 533 00:26:43,700 --> 00:26:46,900 parents in the previous chapter. He had God-fearing counselors. 534 00:26:47,000 --> 00:26:49,600 His parents were people who loved the Lord, and wanted to 535 00:26:49,600 --> 00:26:52,800 nurture him, and treat him in the things of the Lord. 536 00:26:52,800 --> 00:26:55,400 In the proper way, he had a god-given conscience. 537 00:26:55,600 --> 00:27:00,400 Romans 2:15 tells us that our conscience Bears witness to us. 538 00:27:00,400 --> 00:27:03,300 So, even if we don't have the Holy Spirit living within us, 539 00:27:03,300 --> 00:27:06,300 some of you will remember that before you got saved, even your 540 00:27:06,300 --> 00:27:08,900 conscience would tell you what, times, this isn't right now. 541 00:27:08,900 --> 00:27:12,800 Our conscience can be Romans. Sir one seared with a hot iron 542 00:27:12,800 --> 00:27:14,800 mean that after a, while you ignore your conscious long 543 00:27:14,800 --> 00:27:17,900 enough, you know, you're in big trouble if that's the case, like 544 00:27:17,900 --> 00:27:20,500 cauterizing a wound that you can't feel anymore. 545 00:27:20,500 --> 00:27:24,100 You can literally cauterize, I believe your conscience by doing 546 00:27:24,100 --> 00:27:26,200 wrong. So long, and there are some that 547 00:27:26,200 --> 00:27:29,100 God gives up in Romans chapter 12, a reprobate mind, the Bible 548 00:27:29,100 --> 00:27:31,600 says, and you'll see the sin that they get themselves into 549 00:27:31,600 --> 00:27:34,100 when that happens. But Samson, had a god-given 550 00:27:34,100 --> 00:27:37,800 conscience. He also had this god-ordained 551 00:27:37,800 --> 00:27:41,000 common sense. You know, I think Common Sense 552 00:27:41,000 --> 00:27:44,100 isn't so common anymore and there's time we probably need to 553 00:27:44,100 --> 00:27:46,700 talk about it anymore because just what do you think something 554 00:27:46,700 --> 00:27:48,300 is just common sense? You say? 555 00:27:48,300 --> 00:27:50,500 Well they don't seem to think so. 556 00:27:52,000 --> 00:27:57,700 But think about this. Sometimes people say, you know, 557 00:27:57,700 --> 00:28:02,900 Pastor, I just don't understand, you know, I don't go to the bars 558 00:28:02,900 --> 00:28:05,500 and, you know, I just look, I'm not gonna drink, you know, 559 00:28:05,500 --> 00:28:07,100 hanging around with the people I used to park but I'm not gonna 560 00:28:07,100 --> 00:28:08,400 party. Like I used to pasture. 561 00:28:09,600 --> 00:28:13,200 Did you notice where was Samson? When this whole Escapade with a 562 00:28:13,200 --> 00:28:16,500 lion happen? Go back and look real quick. 563 00:28:16,500 --> 00:28:18,800 What we're was Samson audience participation today. 564 00:28:20,200 --> 00:28:22,600 Where was he? Anybody he was on his way the 565 00:28:22,608 --> 00:28:24,600 Philistines, but he was going through a place. 566 00:28:25,700 --> 00:28:30,200 He's going through somewhere. He's going to Timnath all right, 567 00:28:30,400 --> 00:28:32,900 but this happened in a location B tovah. 568 00:28:34,500 --> 00:28:37,200 A Vineyard. Hey, B. 569 00:28:37,200 --> 00:28:38,900 Tova question. Number two. 570 00:28:39,800 --> 00:28:43,000 What are they growing Vineyards? What do they grow in? 571 00:28:43,000 --> 00:28:46,100 Vineyards. Oh, grapes, that's right. 572 00:28:46,200 --> 00:28:49,800 Grapes. What does our man Samson? 573 00:28:50,900 --> 00:28:56,900 Is he supposed to be avoiding? The product of the grape, he's 574 00:28:56,900 --> 00:28:59,800 literally supposed to avoid the product of the great god-given 575 00:28:59,800 --> 00:29:02,700 Common Sense would say this I probably don't need to go 576 00:29:02,700 --> 00:29:05,400 through a Vineyard. If he had not gone through the 577 00:29:05,408 --> 00:29:08,300 vineyard, he would have seen the line and he hadn't seen the 578 00:29:08,300 --> 00:29:10,000 lion. He wouldn't have killed it and 579 00:29:10,000 --> 00:29:12,800 he would have gone back later on and seeing the carcass and 580 00:29:12,800 --> 00:29:15,000 heating up the carcass honey and violated his Val. 581 00:29:15,000 --> 00:29:19,000 If he had just said this, God has told me not to do something 582 00:29:19,100 --> 00:29:23,600 so my god-given common sense says don't get close to it and 583 00:29:23,608 --> 00:29:26,800 it's amazing to me as Believers. How often people want to get as 584 00:29:26,800 --> 00:29:30,900 close to the line as possible without going over it as if sin 585 00:29:30,900 --> 00:29:33,300 is just this line that needs to be crossed and as long as you're 586 00:29:33,300 --> 00:29:35,800 on this side, Side of line. It's okay, listen. 587 00:29:35,900 --> 00:29:40,000 Anything that is unrighteousness is sin and there is no line in 588 00:29:40,000 --> 00:29:42,400 the middle, like the sliding scale, where we go back and 589 00:29:42,400 --> 00:29:44,500 forth, listen, that's what it is. 590 00:29:44,500 --> 00:29:47,700 And so we don't need to put ourselves in situations where 591 00:29:47,700 --> 00:29:50,800 we're going to get ourselves to a place where we will please 592 00:29:50,800 --> 00:29:52,800 ourselves. Well, instead of trying to 593 00:29:52,800 --> 00:29:55,200 please the Lord, he had no business being going through a 594 00:29:55,208 --> 00:29:56,900 Vineyard. You say, well, there's nothing 595 00:29:56,900 --> 00:29:59,400 that says he shouldn't have gone through a Vineyard. 596 00:29:59,400 --> 00:30:02,900 Well, common sense says he shouldn't have We don't say that 597 00:30:02,900 --> 00:30:05,700 the word of the Lord told him not to but Common Sense 598 00:30:05,700 --> 00:30:08,000 shouldn't have and there are some things listen that for some 599 00:30:08,000 --> 00:30:10,300 of you are trigger points and there's some things that you 600 00:30:10,300 --> 00:30:13,900 know, that Satan will use for you as a problem and you maybe 601 00:30:14,000 --> 00:30:15,700 will defend yourself at certain times, they will. 602 00:30:15,700 --> 00:30:17,200 It's not like God says, I couldn't do it. 603 00:30:17,300 --> 00:30:19,900 Listen god-given common sense says, if this is a problem for 604 00:30:19,900 --> 00:30:22,400 you, in your life, stay away from it because it's going to 605 00:30:22,408 --> 00:30:25,700 keep you from the potential. You're going to ruin that 606 00:30:25,700 --> 00:30:28,100 potential that God has for you to do great things for him 607 00:30:28,200 --> 00:30:30,300 because you'll end up getting into things that you ought not 608 00:30:30,300 --> 00:30:34,700 to stay out of the vineyard. You just stay away from it, your 609 00:30:34,700 --> 00:30:37,300 Vineyard may be different from Samson's Vineyard stay away from 610 00:30:37,300 --> 00:30:39,000 it and don't defend it by the fact. 611 00:30:39,000 --> 00:30:41,100 Well, the Bible doesn't say anything that's just legalism 612 00:30:41,100 --> 00:30:42,300 one. You don't know what legalism 613 00:30:42,300 --> 00:30:44,600 means if that's what you think, because legalism talks about 614 00:30:44,600 --> 00:30:47,900 adding into salvation but secondly, we also realize that 615 00:30:47,900 --> 00:30:50,800 no, it's not legalism, it's one of the weights that we saw from 616 00:30:50,800 --> 00:30:53,800 Hebrews chapter 12, I just need to put it aside for Samson, you 617 00:30:53,800 --> 00:30:56,000 know, if God doesn't want me to touch the great product, I 618 00:30:56,000 --> 00:30:57,300 probably should stay away from the grapes. 619 00:30:59,100 --> 00:31:04,100 We don't have many, you know, grocery stores here today in our 620 00:31:04,100 --> 00:31:06,700 state. When one of the few things that 621 00:31:06,800 --> 00:31:09,300 you know, I believe honors God here in the state. 622 00:31:09,300 --> 00:31:12,400 We don't have any grocery stores that sell alcohol, very few of 623 00:31:12,400 --> 00:31:13,300 them. I thank the Lord that I'm sure, 624 00:31:13,300 --> 00:31:15,500 that'll change at some point and every other state I've lived in 625 00:31:15,700 --> 00:31:18,000 alcohol is a main part of the grocery store. 626 00:31:18,800 --> 00:31:22,200 I could walk through an aisle at the grocery store that has beer 627 00:31:22,200 --> 00:31:24,100 and wine in it. Not even think anything of it 628 00:31:24,600 --> 00:31:26,200 but that's something for you. You know what you ought to do. 629 00:31:27,000 --> 00:31:30,000 I walk down that aisle, stay away from me, stay away from the 630 00:31:30,000 --> 00:31:31,100 store. I just go in the pack, you'll 631 00:31:31,100 --> 00:31:32,800 get a bag ice. Go to 7-Eleven. 632 00:31:32,800 --> 00:31:34,300 Instead, you'll do yourself a favor. 633 00:31:34,300 --> 00:31:37,300 All right. Stay out of the vineyard because 634 00:31:37,300 --> 00:31:41,700 it could end up costing, you what God is trying to do and 635 00:31:41,700 --> 00:31:44,900 perform in your life and you'll never realize your full 636 00:31:44,900 --> 00:31:48,000 potential for God, When Your Personal Pleasures Trump, the 637 00:31:48,000 --> 00:31:50,500 Lord's revealed. Will you can blow past the 638 00:31:50,500 --> 00:31:53,500 privilege of the guardrails God has given you your life but the 639 00:31:53,500 --> 00:31:56,400 end result is that your potential will go large. 640 00:31:56,600 --> 00:32:01,200 Be untapped by God. But let's address this. 641 00:32:02,300 --> 00:32:05,700 You might say tonight but but Pastor, Samson did great things. 642 00:32:06,700 --> 00:32:07,900 We're going to read in the next chapter. 643 00:32:07,900 --> 00:32:11,700 Some really great things that Samson did you just mention 644 00:32:11,700 --> 00:32:15,000 that? He's in Hebrews chapter 11 And 645 00:32:15,000 --> 00:32:18,000 that's true. However, verse for does show us 646 00:32:18,000 --> 00:32:21,300 that that does not mean that that was an approval of his 647 00:32:21,300 --> 00:32:24,900 actions by God, just because God used his actions. 648 00:32:25,400 --> 00:32:28,800 And just because he did do great things over the 20 years and he 649 00:32:28,800 --> 00:32:32,900 did for the Lord, doesn't mean that he realized his full 650 00:32:32,900 --> 00:32:36,000 potential for God. Let me ask you this. 651 00:32:37,100 --> 00:32:40,800 If he's not with Delilah in a few chapters, does he have to 652 00:32:40,800 --> 00:32:42,600 die as a blind man? Who is a prisoner of the 653 00:32:42,600 --> 00:32:44,400 Philistines? Know. 654 00:32:45,900 --> 00:32:48,400 Did his life story have to end like that? 655 00:32:48,700 --> 00:32:50,800 No. Why did his life story? 656 00:32:50,800 --> 00:32:56,500 And like that personal pleasure, trumped the will of God. 657 00:32:57,100 --> 00:32:59,200 He looked at Delilah and said this, she pleased with me. 658 00:32:59,200 --> 00:33:03,300 Well, And that was obviously his trigger point for Satan women. 659 00:33:04,300 --> 00:33:07,800 He pleases me. Well, now God did you Samson, 660 00:33:07,800 --> 00:33:09,900 mightily and I thank the Lord for that. 661 00:33:10,700 --> 00:33:13,600 But God used Samson, despite his sin and not because of it. 662 00:33:14,200 --> 00:33:16,600 It's fair to suppose that God may have used Samson in a far 663 00:33:16,600 --> 00:33:19,100 greater way. If he had made him if Samson and 664 00:33:19,100 --> 00:33:21,900 made himself a clean vessel, this is what it says in second 665 00:33:21,900 --> 00:33:25,000 Timothy to 20 and 21 but in the great house there are not only 666 00:33:25,000 --> 00:33:27,900 vessels of gold and of silver but also of wood and of Earth 667 00:33:27,900 --> 00:33:29,700 and some to honor and some to dishonor. 668 00:33:29,800 --> 00:33:32,800 If a man therefore Purge himself of these he shall be a vessel 669 00:33:32,800 --> 00:33:35,800 unto honor sanctified. And meet for the Masters use and 670 00:33:35,800 --> 00:33:38,500 prepared unto every good work. If you want to be a vessel that 671 00:33:38,500 --> 00:33:41,000 the Lord can use. You have to be a clean vessel 672 00:33:41,000 --> 00:33:43,900 and I understand we're not going to be perfect here in this earth 673 00:33:43,900 --> 00:33:45,800 and I understand that. But sometimes we use that as an 674 00:33:45,800 --> 00:33:48,100 excuse, and then just go ahead and do what our Personal 675 00:33:48,100 --> 00:33:50,600 Pleasures want us to do. But no, God says this. 676 00:33:50,600 --> 00:33:54,200 Purge yourself of those things. And be a Sanctified set apart 677 00:33:54,200 --> 00:33:56,700 vessel that can be filled with the spirit, to be able to be 678 00:33:56,700 --> 00:34:06,200 used for God's honor and God's glory. so, we have to think 679 00:34:06,200 --> 00:34:08,900 about this tonight. How much different would 680 00:34:08,900 --> 00:34:12,699 Samson's life have been if he had said what Jesus said in the 681 00:34:12,699 --> 00:34:15,900 garden? Luke 22:42. 682 00:34:17,199 --> 00:34:20,800 Father, if thou be willing remove this cup from me, 683 00:34:21,600 --> 00:34:25,500 nevertheless not my will, but thine be done. 684 00:34:26,699 --> 00:34:30,400 May I ask you how different human history would have been If 685 00:34:30,400 --> 00:34:34,900 Jesus personal pleasure and I understand all the theological 686 00:34:34,900 --> 00:34:37,699 implications, I may be oversimplifying this but just 687 00:34:37,800 --> 00:34:40,000 follow what I'm trying to say overall tonight. 688 00:34:41,800 --> 00:34:45,400 That when Jesus says, not thy will not my will but thy will be 689 00:34:45,400 --> 00:34:48,699 done that because of that, we were able to be saved. 690 00:34:50,100 --> 00:34:53,400 Do you realize what we can do for God when we say not my will 691 00:34:53,900 --> 00:34:55,600 but thy will be done Have Thine Own Way. 692 00:34:55,600 --> 00:34:59,800 Lord Have Thine Own Way, a clay not trying to jump off the 693 00:34:59,800 --> 00:35:02,400 wheel. A clay not fighting the hands of 694 00:35:02,400 --> 00:35:05,600 the one who is forming him on the wheel, but a clay who is 695 00:35:05,600 --> 00:35:11,600 moldable able to be used of God and then as a vessel to do what 696 00:35:11,600 --> 00:35:16,000 God has him to say have not, not my will but thine be done. 697 00:35:16,300 --> 00:35:17,900 You know, you're never too old for this prayer. 698 00:35:19,000 --> 00:35:20,500 Not my will but thy will be done. 699 00:35:20,500 --> 00:35:22,800 And I also say this, you're never too young for this prayer. 700 00:35:23,900 --> 00:35:25,700 Not my will but thy will be done. 701 00:35:26,300 --> 00:35:28,500 You're never too experienced as a Christian. 702 00:35:29,200 --> 00:35:32,600 You never to Elder of a Christian to say well not my 703 00:35:32,600 --> 00:35:35,800 will but thy will be done and you're never too young in the 704 00:35:35,800 --> 00:35:40,100 faith. To say not my will but thy will 705 00:35:40,100 --> 00:35:43,600 be done. You know, there's a phrase that 706 00:35:43,600 --> 00:35:46,500 goes along with this that I think would help us tonight. 707 00:35:46,700 --> 00:35:48,600 I'm going to give you this and we'll be done. 708 00:35:51,700 --> 00:35:55,400 It was probably seven or eight years ago that a couple 709 00:35:55,400 --> 00:35:56,900 different things were happening at the same time. 710 00:35:56,900 --> 00:36:03,000 One, I completed, my chaplaincy program through a organization 711 00:36:03,000 --> 00:36:06,100 out in the midwest, as I Was preparing to be able to help be 712 00:36:06,100 --> 00:36:08,700 a chaplain here in Easton and it looked like for a while, but 713 00:36:08,700 --> 00:36:10,100 that was really something was going to happen. 714 00:36:10,100 --> 00:36:12,600 I already done my first ride along with the sergeant here in 715 00:36:12,600 --> 00:36:15,800 town. I'd actually gone to the local 716 00:36:15,800 --> 00:36:19,300 lock up to be able to look around and walk around with one 717 00:36:19,300 --> 00:36:21,500 of the wardens for the day. All part of Chaplaincy 718 00:36:21,500 --> 00:36:23,700 preparation. And so, I had that going on. 719 00:36:23,900 --> 00:36:26,900 Also, at the same time, we had just got our church van and we 720 00:36:26,900 --> 00:36:29,300 had bought it, but we hadn't been able to register it 721 00:36:29,300 --> 00:36:33,200 properly yet, because of the fact that the church was 722 00:36:34,600 --> 00:36:38,600 organizing and we had to change our name legally from what we 723 00:36:38,600 --> 00:36:41,200 were before to Liberty, Baptist Church of Easton with the state. 724 00:36:41,200 --> 00:36:43,600 And we really couldn't register the van until we had that work 725 00:36:43,600 --> 00:36:45,200 taken care of. And so, there were several 726 00:36:45,200 --> 00:36:48,400 months where our church van was literally sitting out in the 727 00:36:48,408 --> 00:36:50,800 parking lot without plates. Just sitting there waiting. 728 00:36:50,900 --> 00:36:54,000 Going to be able to run it and I remember it was about 3:00 in 729 00:36:54,000 --> 00:36:57,000 the morning or so sometime in the winter. 730 00:36:57,000 --> 00:37:00,500 Several years ago when I got a call and I slipped on my phone 731 00:37:00,500 --> 00:37:03,100 and said, Easton police department and immediately I 732 00:37:03,100 --> 00:37:07,100 woke up I was like this is it it's time. 733 00:37:07,900 --> 00:37:10,800 It's Chaplain time and so I'm trying to find my clothes. 734 00:37:10,800 --> 00:37:12,800 I'm getting ready. I'm going out in the other room 735 00:37:12,800 --> 00:37:15,900 and I'm and I'm going to call back and I'm still really not 736 00:37:15,900 --> 00:37:17,300 quite with it. Because like three in the 737 00:37:17,300 --> 00:37:20,000 morning for me is like, Three in the morning. 738 00:37:20,000 --> 00:37:22,900 And so I'm not quite with it yet and so I was like, hello. 739 00:37:22,900 --> 00:37:25,700 This is is Pastor Rivero, is everything okay? 740 00:37:26,200 --> 00:37:31,200 And they said are you the owner of a green Ford Econoline van 741 00:37:31,800 --> 00:37:36,200 and I said, excuse me, still not really making the connection 742 00:37:36,200 --> 00:37:40,000 said, are you the owner of a green Econoline van and I said 743 00:37:40,000 --> 00:37:44,400 oh well our churches he said well I want you to know tonight 744 00:37:44,400 --> 00:37:49,000 that there's been a crime in your vehicle has been involved 745 00:37:49,300 --> 00:37:52,300 That crime this evening and so immediately my mind starts going 746 00:37:52,300 --> 00:37:53,900 to what what's going on here. What's this? 747 00:37:53,900 --> 00:37:55,200 All about? I thought I was going to help 748 00:37:55,200 --> 00:37:56,800 someone with a crime and I'm the victim of a crime. 749 00:37:56,800 --> 00:37:59,300 Well, that took a turn immediately. 750 00:37:59,500 --> 00:38:02,700 Well, it ended up that because that Dan had sat there for so 751 00:38:02,700 --> 00:38:05,500 long, the battery was dead. Well, that's not a problem 752 00:38:05,500 --> 00:38:06,700 because the van wasn't going anywhere. 753 00:38:06,900 --> 00:38:10,900 Someone at 3:00 in the morning, was trying to take the van, 754 00:38:10,900 --> 00:38:13,600 steal, it pulled away. So they're trying to hotwire it 755 00:38:13,600 --> 00:38:16,000 and they didn't realize that the battery was dead. 756 00:38:16,000 --> 00:38:18,100 Now I'll be honest with you, they were able to hotwire it. 757 00:38:18,100 --> 00:38:19,100 I probably would give him a medal. 758 00:38:19,200 --> 00:38:21,200 Well, I mean that would have been incredible if they had the 759 00:38:21,200 --> 00:38:22,900 ability to be able to hotwire this hand. 760 00:38:23,100 --> 00:38:27,700 But so anyway, a Cruiser pulls up and, you know, here's a guy 761 00:38:27,700 --> 00:38:31,400 trying to hotwire a van with no plates and he says, sir is 762 00:38:31,400 --> 00:38:32,400 everything. All right, he goes on to. 763 00:38:32,408 --> 00:38:34,500 This is my van. I'm just trying to get it 764 00:38:34,500 --> 00:38:37,300 started and he says, well why doesn't your vein have any 765 00:38:37,300 --> 00:38:39,400 plates? And his only answer was to drop 766 00:38:39,400 --> 00:38:41,900 everything and run. And so he ran about three or 767 00:38:41,908 --> 00:38:46,700 four blocks to the South probably maybe stop by Ralph and 768 00:38:46,700 --> 00:38:48,800 Tom's, who knows, but going that direction. 769 00:38:49,200 --> 00:38:51,600 He's picked him up, they caught him and there was no problem, 770 00:38:51,600 --> 00:38:56,200 but the police called me to be able to inform me that the 771 00:38:56,200 --> 00:38:58,300 Church of the victim of crime. They had trouble tracking me 772 00:38:58,300 --> 00:39:00,400 down because it was still registered the previous owner. 773 00:39:00,500 --> 00:39:02,100 They called the previous owner 3:00 in the morning who, by the 774 00:39:02,107 --> 00:39:03,900 way, was a very appreciative of it, who gave him. 775 00:39:03,900 --> 00:39:05,500 My number and said, don't even own it anymore. 776 00:39:05,500 --> 00:39:07,600 Call this guy. So I get the phone call. 777 00:39:08,200 --> 00:39:11,400 Anyway, I was still kind of psyched up at being able to help 778 00:39:11,400 --> 00:39:13,500 as a Chaplain. And I'm still kind of confused, 779 00:39:13,500 --> 00:39:14,800 and it's till 3:00 in the morning. 780 00:39:15,300 --> 00:39:18,400 And so he explains all this to me and, and he says, all right. 781 00:39:18,400 --> 00:39:20,700 Well, you know, You know, Pastor in the morning, you know, just 782 00:39:20,700 --> 00:39:23,200 come down, the station will work everything out of the van should 783 00:39:23,200 --> 00:39:25,800 be fine, but we do just need to get a statement from you. 784 00:39:25,808 --> 00:39:28,100 About the van, work, some details out. 785 00:39:28,200 --> 00:39:32,500 And I don't know what it, what it was about, being up all this 786 00:39:32,500 --> 00:39:35,600 going on, all the swirling, my mind, I'm still so tired and 787 00:39:35,600 --> 00:39:38,900 immediately, you know, I mentioned to him that I, you 788 00:39:38,900 --> 00:39:41,400 know, I thought, you know, I would serve in a police chaplain 789 00:39:41,400 --> 00:39:43,700 all these things. And I said something that I feel 790 00:39:43,700 --> 00:39:48,000 like I've seen in movies and television before, but I said, I 791 00:39:48,000 --> 00:39:50,900 said, this is what I said. And I said, well, thank you. 792 00:39:50,900 --> 00:39:53,800 I said I serve at the pleasure of the Easton Police Department. 793 00:39:55,800 --> 00:40:00,300 and then I hung up and I thought That's one of the weirdest 794 00:40:00,300 --> 00:40:02,900 things that's ever come out of my mouth and my life. 795 00:40:03,400 --> 00:40:06,700 I serve at the pleasure of the Easton police department, but 796 00:40:06,700 --> 00:40:12,300 that's like a phrase that people use in police or in politics, 797 00:40:12,500 --> 00:40:17,100 especially if you're talking about a cabinet, the cabinet 798 00:40:17,200 --> 00:40:22,900 serves at the pleasure of the president, technically, in a 799 00:40:22,908 --> 00:40:25,200 police department, you serve at the pleasure of the chief. 800 00:40:25,200 --> 00:40:29,400 And that means that if Chief says do or don't or come or Go. 801 00:40:29,500 --> 00:40:31,500 That's what you do. It's really not up to you. 802 00:40:31,500 --> 00:40:34,500 You do what they say because you serve at their pleasure. 803 00:40:34,800 --> 00:40:37,800 If the president says, I want you to sign this bill or a sign 804 00:40:37,800 --> 00:40:41,100 this treaty or not, or I want you to draw up this this 805 00:40:41,400 --> 00:40:44,200 legislation or not. It's not up to you service but 806 00:40:44,200 --> 00:40:45,200 you don't want to do it. That's fine. 807 00:40:45,200 --> 00:40:47,600 He's just going to fire you and by the way, history is born that 808 00:40:47,600 --> 00:40:48,600 out. That's the way it works. 809 00:40:49,200 --> 00:40:52,800 But I love that phrase, maybe a little too much apparently from 810 00:40:52,800 --> 00:40:57,400 that night. I serve at the pleasure of You 811 00:40:57,400 --> 00:41:04,200 realize we serve at the pleasure of the Lord Jesus Christ. we 812 00:41:04,200 --> 00:41:06,800 ought to realize that, but I feel like a lot of Christians 813 00:41:06,800 --> 00:41:11,500 don't we often times serve at the pleasure of our pleasure. 814 00:41:14,200 --> 00:41:15,600 Lord. I serve at the pleasure of my 815 00:41:15,600 --> 00:41:18,600 pleasure. Say, well, let's take a little 816 00:41:18,600 --> 00:41:20,900 too far. She pleases me. 817 00:41:20,900 --> 00:41:27,800 Well, I serve at the pleasure of my pleasure, do you realize that 818 00:41:27,800 --> 00:41:31,500 I believe God derives, great pleasure from our obedience 819 00:41:31,900 --> 00:41:34,600 knowing that we're able to reach souls for Christ knowing they 820 00:41:34,600 --> 00:41:37,100 were able to do the things God calls us to do that. 821 00:41:37,100 --> 00:41:40,200 We literally are to serve at the pleasure of the Lord, and that 822 00:41:40,200 --> 00:41:41,800 means if he wants us here, we're here. 823 00:41:41,800 --> 00:41:45,300 If he wants us to go, we go. If he says, come, we come. 824 00:41:45,300 --> 00:41:48,000 If he says go, we go. If he says, talk, we talk. 825 00:41:48,000 --> 00:41:50,000 If he says, hold your mouth, we hold our mouths. 826 00:41:50,000 --> 00:41:52,500 We serve at his pleasure, but I'm afraid far too. 827 00:41:52,700 --> 00:41:55,300 Many Christians serve at the pleasure of pleasure and because 828 00:41:55,300 --> 00:41:57,900 of that what ends up happening is not much ends up happening. 829 00:41:57,900 --> 00:41:59,500 There's wheat that doesn't get taken in. 830 00:41:59,700 --> 00:42:01,200 There's fruit that doesn't get plucked. 831 00:42:01,200 --> 00:42:04,200 There's water at our feet, that doesn't get drawn up that all of 832 00:42:04,200 --> 00:42:07,100 these things that God has potential for us to do and all 833 00:42:07,100 --> 00:42:09,700 these things that God has gifted us to be able to do. 834 00:42:09,700 --> 00:42:12,800 We don't end up doing and because of that people are 835 00:42:12,800 --> 00:42:14,800 spiritual busts. Now, I would never look at a 836 00:42:14,808 --> 00:42:17,600 person and say, you're a spiritual must because, let's be 837 00:42:17,600 --> 00:42:20,000 honest, there have been times in all of our lives, that that 838 00:42:20,000 --> 00:42:22,500 could be labeled against us. I have no desire to look. 839 00:42:22,700 --> 00:42:25,600 Someone and say that that's for God to decide in God alone. 840 00:42:25,700 --> 00:42:28,000 But I do have to wonder the Judgment seat of Christ for some 841 00:42:28,000 --> 00:42:30,200 who are saved, who think they're getting gold and silver and 842 00:42:30,207 --> 00:42:31,800 precious stones. And their think there's some of 843 00:42:31,800 --> 00:42:35,100 God's choice is servants wonder if God will look at them and say 844 00:42:35,100 --> 00:42:38,200 sure, you acted with two talents, but I gave you a 10, 845 00:42:38,200 --> 00:42:41,200 you wasted 8, what did you do with those eight give account 846 00:42:41,200 --> 00:42:43,400 for them, you say, God, won't ask for account. 847 00:42:43,500 --> 00:42:46,600 He asked for the account of the one, from the man who broke it 848 00:42:46,600 --> 00:42:49,500 and buried it in the earth. And he said this, you didn't do 849 00:42:49,500 --> 00:42:51,300 right with it, give it to the other one. 850 00:42:51,400 --> 00:42:54,000 I'm going to deal. Oh with you separately because 851 00:42:54,000 --> 00:42:57,300 you didn't trust me to be able to get the Returns on the 852 00:42:57,300 --> 00:43:00,000 investment of what I gave you with the one. 853 00:43:00,200 --> 00:43:04,600 So tonight, do we serve at the pleasure of pleasure Or do we 854 00:43:04,600 --> 00:43:07,300 serve at the pleasure of our savior? 855 00:43:08,200 --> 00:43:11,300 Sometimes you're too busy. Skipping Around The Vineyards. 856 00:43:12,400 --> 00:43:16,300 We're too busy looking at what we want to look at and doing 857 00:43:16,300 --> 00:43:19,900 what we want to do. And then when God asks us to do 858 00:43:19,900 --> 00:43:24,700 something, or the church asks us to do something where the pastor 859 00:43:24,700 --> 00:43:28,500 asked us to do something. It's almost as if someone's 860 00:43:28,500 --> 00:43:31,800 asked you to construct the Hoover Dam by yourself. 861 00:43:32,900 --> 00:43:38,000 Brick by Brick. When we realize what was asked 862 00:43:38,000 --> 00:43:41,700 of Jesus Christ by the father, was to go and be born to a 863 00:43:41,707 --> 00:43:46,700 virgin to live for 33 years to die in a cruel cross. 864 00:43:47,300 --> 00:43:50,400 To know that he would go under go suffering, that no human 865 00:43:50,400 --> 00:43:53,400 being has ever suffered and to undergo suffering, not just 866 00:43:53,400 --> 00:43:56,500 physically, but spiritually that no one's ever gone through that. 867 00:43:56,500 --> 00:43:59,000 Literally the connection, I believe between Father and Son 868 00:43:59,100 --> 00:44:02,100 for several hours were severed there because of the sinfulness 869 00:44:02,100 --> 00:44:05,100 that was brought Upon Jesus Christ, which is why he said my 870 00:44:05,200 --> 00:44:07,300 God my God. Why hast Thou forsaken me? 871 00:44:07,300 --> 00:44:09,300 The only time in the word of God, he doesn't call him father. 872 00:44:10,600 --> 00:44:13,600 And we look at those great sacrifices that were made, but 873 00:44:13,600 --> 00:44:16,400 yet it was for the joy that was set before him. 874 00:44:16,408 --> 00:44:20,000 Hebrews chapter 12, he says not my will but thy will be done. 875 00:44:20,900 --> 00:44:24,500 But for God's children, it's about my pleasure. 876 00:44:25,100 --> 00:44:28,200 What I want, we've got it backwards friend, and until we 877 00:44:28,200 --> 00:44:32,100 get it right this nation won't see Revival churches won't see. 878 00:44:32,100 --> 00:44:34,100 Revival families won't receive Revival. 879 00:44:34,100 --> 00:44:37,100 I'm not saying I've got it all figured out, I don't, but I want 880 00:44:37,100 --> 00:44:39,300 to do better. I want to move forward and doing 881 00:44:39,300 --> 00:44:42,100 that means. My Personal Pleasures, cannot 882 00:44:42,100 --> 00:44:47,300 Trump, gods revealed will, and God's reveal word in my life. 883 00:44:48,400 --> 00:44:51,000 Thank you for listening to this sermon from the pulpit of 884 00:44:51,000 --> 00:44:53,900 Liberty, Baptist Church. If this message was a blessing 885 00:44:53,900 --> 00:44:57,400 to you, or if there's any way we can serve you, please let us 886 00:44:57,400 --> 00:45:02,200 know by contacting us at info. At my Liberty Baptist dot org. 887 00:45:02,300 --> 00:45:06,400 Or you can visit us this Sunday at 800 Washington Street and 888 00:45:06,400 --> 00:45:08,700 East. And Massachusetts, may the Lord 889 00:45:08,700 --> 00:45:11,000 bless you as you grow in his word. 890 00:44:48,400 --> 00:44:51,000 Thank you for listening to this sermon from the pulpit of 891 00:44:51,000 --> 00:44:53,900 Liberty, Baptist Church. If this message was a blessing 892 00:44:53,900 --> 00:44:57,400 to you, or if there's any way we can serve you, please let us 893 00:44:57,400 --> 00:45:02,200 know by contacting us at info. At my Liberty Baptist dot org. 894 00:45:02,300 --> 00:45:06,400 Or you can visit us this Sunday at 800 Washington Street and 895 00:45:06,400 --> 00:45:08,700 East. And Massachusetts, may the Lord 896 00:45:08,700 --> 00:45:11,000 bless you as you grow in his word.