Wake Up! the Story of Samson — Shane Idleman

The Call to Wake Up Spiritually

Title is a wake up the title. The message is wake up sleepyhead. Wake up. And you've heard that phrase before. My dad used to tell me all the time and often it was always to go somewhere right. Or to do something.

I remember duck hunting early in the morning getting to the blind early fishing early wake up. Wake up sleepyhead. Or going to work work in the morning. Right. You have to come in and wake me up. Wake up sleepyhead.

And the reason I want to talk about this is we need to wake up. There are things to do sometimes and we need to be shaken sometimes we need to be woken up. We need to look at life the way it is being thrown at us and be able to discern what God's Word says and what's happening.

Here's the interesting thing. When you know what God has called you to do it makes it a little bit easier. And I know he's called me to wake up men. I know he's called me to preach tough messages so I don't get my feathers ruffled and say why don't you like this other pastor.

They're nice and it's always about grace and love and and reaching out to our neighborhood and they never upset me. Well that's good. That's their calling. God has not called me to do that now. Granted we need all of those things encouragement grace.

But I'm seeing in our culture we need sometimes to be woken up more than we need to be put to sleep. And that's what this is. I'm going to focus on actually from Judges 16 Judges chapter 16 we're going to talk about Samson.

Samson’s Strength and Failure

Now even unbelievers know who Samson is. Don't they. You mentioned the word Samson and you think of strength but you also think of failure. You think of a mighty man of God but also a man who fell in many different ways.

And it's going to take me exactly two minutes to read this and I don't want to just browse through this and pick out certain things. I want you to feel the full weight of this story and hoping we can be challenged because and I've said this before you we we will rarely change unless we're challenged.

We will rarely change unless we get a wake up call. The person who needs to do something about their health. It's not until the doctor says something or they feel something or their kids say something.

The man who needs to change his marriage is not until the wife packs her bags and says listen I'm leaving because of this. It's not until those things that we wake up. And this is on my heart because I don't know maybe your life is different but I hear a lot of the tragedies that are out there.

Just recently I tried to reach out to a man who left his wife and two young children. One is a recent newborn and they're just moving on with plan B. I've got their girlfriend and and I'm glad that's over with.

We're going this forward as if God is going to bless that another family that I have known for years. Just they both sit down and they told their kids they're getting a divorce and the kids the pain in the kids faces.

Little kids 5 to 10 12 I think is the oldest and we just see the devil. I see the devastation and I can name not talking about this church or just in general. I know a lot of people in this valley I can name probably a dozen marriages right now that are falling apart and going to divorce and without a shadow of a doubt no hesitation.

What I'm about to tell you either all of those could be repaired easily easily. But they're too proud and arrogant to make the change. I can tell them oh guys this is easy to fix. No it's not she doesn't know.

No no humble yourself. And one of the marriages actually they don't go. He doesn't go here they go here. So it's it's okay to open up and I try to be careful on where I draw the line because people hear it on the radio.

Oh you're talking about me. I'm so mad at you and you know. So I try to be careful but I want to bring real life experiences in and he actually this guy wanted to me out a couple years ago because he said you only beat up on the men.

You only beat up on the men. You don't tell the wise to do anything. Now anybody who's heard me preach would know that. That's not necessarily correct. But the problem is his own heart. Right. He didn't want to be convicted.

He didn't want to change. He wanted her to change. So that's coming out now. They are heading for divorce. I think it's already been filed. All these people have to do is humble themselves and repent and wake up.

And you can. They can restore their marriages. Now it takes two. I understand that but often when the man leads the woman follows. I've seen enough I've talked to enough people. When the man leads the woman follows.

God has given us the design. But as men and I've been there before I've done that it's pride gets in there and I'm not doing that. Who does she think. I am I. And in this prop I think the most dangerous thing on the planet is the prideful heart.

And that's why we we need a wake-up call. Many times not all of you are married. Some of you are older some of you are younger. But the story of Samson speaks volumes to men. I'm not gonna go into a lot of what happened in his history but I'm gonna pick up at chapter 16 verse 16.

Delilah, Temptation, and Spiritual Slumber

You know Delilah. Many of you know Delilah. And you might say I don't know what you're talking about. Shane. Well we all have a Delilah. There is something that the enemy has sent that the main purpose of it is to take you out.

Whether it's same sex attraction whether it's attraction for females whether it's it's pride it's arrogance. It's it's it's a you name it there's a Delilah. What's your Delilah. Because here's how Delilah works.

It's how she took Samson out. And that's why it doesn't probably not real specific on what she looked like. Because it can be for some it's a it's a 12-packer shock top. For others it's going back to pornography.

I've known men I friends of mine they're not really anymore. Because it's hard to be friends with somebody who don't want to doesn't want to change. Or. But they'll they would stop in in in Hollywood and go into those bars or pick up a prostitute and get home to their home.

Sorry I blew it. And their wives. Oh it's okay. You know better you know next time. And what is that. That's enabling. See they're not woken up. They're not rattled to their core. And these are Christian men and name now I want to be careful there because I think Christian men can fall like the prodigal son.

But there can't be a habitual pattern of sin that you just enjoy and I'm not gonna do anything about because that's the heart the heart that's drawn to God has to break free of that. They're miserable in that they want what what God has for them.

But they're caught in this and and that's what happened with Samson. And it came to pass when she pestered him daily. Anybody relate to that. I don't say yeah because I know who your spouse is. And it came to pass.

I can't relate to that. Right. No Morgan's great. It's thank God for this thank God for her. Because I don't I'm not can't relate to some of this for sure. And it came to pass when she pestered him. Delilah pestered him daily with her words and pressed him so that his soul was vexed to death.

Have you ever been to the point where you've like the drop of rain on the rooftop Robert says. And this pestering and pestering I've had enough. I'm out of here. That's what he's feeling right now I am I'm being pestered.

Then he told her all that was in his our heart. And he said to her no razor has ever come upon my head for I have been a Nazarene a Nazarite to God from my mother's womb. If I am shaven then my strength will leave me and I shall become weak and be like any other man.

When Delilah saw that he told her all his heart. She said she sent and called for the Lords of the Philistines saying come upon Samson. He's told me all of his heart. So the Lords of the Philistines came up to her and brought the money in her hand.

And then she lulled him to sleep on her knees and called for a man and had his his hair cut. Then she began to torment him and his strength left him. And she said to the Samson the Philistines are upon you Samson.

So he awoke from his sleep and said I will go out as before at other times and shake myself free. See there's a long history. Here's she would keep asking where's your strength. Lie where's your strength.

Like oh it's in this oh it's in this oh it's in this. And she kept asking he finally I'm gonna get to the reason. Why. In a little bit I think. But he finally revealed his heart. He says it's no big deal my head shaven.

It's no big deal. I'm going to fight the Philistines just like I have before. And he got up to fight the enemy. But he did not know that the Lord had departed from him. And I often quote that if you've been coming any length of time I often quote where the Bible says that there's a King James that he knew not that the Spirit of Lord he he wists not that the Spirit of Lord had departed from him.

Now it's interesting. Old Testament the Spirit of Lord can depart from a person. New Testament we know that we have the Holy Spirit at conversion but we can quench and grieve the Holy Spirit to such a degree that it feels like he's gone Lord where are you at.

You've departed from me. Then the Philistine took him. The Philistines took him put out his eyes and you can research how they used to gouge out the eyes they would hold. I don't want to get into it. But they would hold the person down strap him down and they would actually remove their eyes.

I mean talk about it shows the depravity of sin and where that can lead. So they removed his eyes and brought him down to Gaza. Gaza depending on your pronunciation. Then they bound him with bronze fetters.

They tied him and he became a grinder in the prison. So in the prison they would grind the wheat and they would grind. They would they were with the oxen. They would tread and the wheat would be pressed and grind it so they would have flour to work with.

So Samson this mighty man of God this deliverer of Israel one of the judges the Bible initiated judges to rule the land. This mighty man of God is now grinding in the prison and he's putting all this food together for the Philistines.

Samson’s Humiliation and Restoration

However I'm going to circle that one. That's what I love about God. However however the hair of his head began to grow again and after had been shaven after had been shaven. Now the lords of the Philistines gathered together to offer great sacrifice to Dagon their God and to rejoice.

And they said our God has delivered Samson into our hands. Samson our enemy he is here. Let's make sport of him. Let's watch him make let's make fun of him as we watch him. And if you just keep reading there I encourage you to read Judges 16 to 9.

It talks about that the lords of the Philistines and all the people were gathered on this great platform to watch. And the Samson's hair begin to grow back. His strength begin to grow grew back. He met a little lad a little boy and he said son lad lead me to the pillars that hold up the Colosseum.

And he was being led to these pillars. And he put his hands on the pillars and he said Oh God avenge me for my two eyes. God avenge me for these Philistines. And he pushed with all his might and that whole Colosseum came down.

And the Bible says that the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew at his life. So he killed more people at his death when that whole place came down than all of his victories being a judge.

Discouragement as a Weapon

So what do we do with that. Well a couple things I want to pull from this. The first thing I mentioned he was pestered. He was pestered. And the title the message is wake up. Well wake up to. This discouragement has a purpose.

You're not just being pestered. You're not being discouraged at work. The greatest I believe one of the greatest weapons the enemy has is discouragement. When he discourages me I'm not effective. He tried to discourage me to plan a church.

He tried to discourage me to come here. He tried to discourage me to even go in a ministry. He's well I've I've I've wanted to quit a dozen times over discouragement pestering. Do you ever have a word like Popeye once he said I can't I can't take it anymore.

I can't I can't take it anymore. Be careful. Be careful when that starts to happen in your life because that's often the first step of breaking a man down. That's what happened with Samson. I think personally is she kept pestering him and pestering.

And he said fine. My strength lies in my hair. And I guarantee he knew the Philistines were coming each time. I don't think he really knew that was going to happen. I think he was so prideful and self-confident.

You can shave off my hair. But you know that's what they say. But see the power wasn't in the hair. The power was in the consecration. See it's never in something you you do for for religious purposes.

It's in the consecration. Samson was not supposed to touch a dead thing. He went and got honey out of a dead carcass. He was supposed to be sexually pure. He'll go marry a Philistine he laid with the whore at Geza or something like that.

I mean you read this guy said what is wrong with this guy. I mean he's just this consecration. He was. He was flipping about. So she was pestering him and pestering him. And he said okay I'm just gonna get rid of this pestering even though he was losing his consecration.

So here's the key you have to offset the discouragement. When you're getting discouraged something has to offset that discouragement. Why do you think most of my messages are focused on prayer in the word and pray praising God and worshiping and all these things.

Why. Because that refocuses your heart. Because we come you come in discouraged. Or is it just me. I mean my goodness the I get letters in the mail no address no name. But they was really to chew me out.

And I'm just discouraged and this. And you're you know you and just discouragement in the world and the kids growing up in the society. And and and just I'm so discouraged about things what's happening.

And you have to be careful because that discouragement is often the first step towards your Delilah to listening to your Delilah. Because when you're encouraging the Lord you're not gonna be an easy target.

Are you. You never are. It's that discouragement. So be careful whatever is discouraging you how to offset that get back into the Word of God. Obey the Word of God and pray make those things part of your day.

Making God’s Word a Daily Discipline

And you're gonna say well Shane no kidding. You talk about that often. Well I want to put a little different twist on it. One of the questions that came in was this. How do I stay committed to God's Word every day.

Now many of you can answer the same question. And when I answer these questions I want to be very careful because I don't want people to have the perception of other. Shane up there walks on water. The pastor does everything right.

It's not like that. It's not like that all I'm I'm. I'm a leader among equals. That's all I am with the Elder Board and I'm the leader lead pastor. But among equals we are equal as men we are. We struggle with the same things.

But what you have to do this Eric is the only thing that encourages me is encouraging people in the Word of God. That's it. YouTube doesn't Facebook doesn't. A lot of things don't encourage me. So you have to spend time in God's Word.

So the question how do you stay committed to God's Word every single day. Well obviously in there's every day doesn't happen sometimes if they're sick or things going on but it becomes who you are. See here's the problem.

And you the word time with God needs to become. It needs to become who you are. Nobody has ever asked me Shane how do you find time for Facebook. How do you stay committed to your television and your internet and YouTube every day.

How do you. You don't because it's part of who you already are. So that's how you stay committed is it becomes who you are. I am Bill Mike David Chris John. I am a man of God. I read the Word of God. It's who I am.

So then it becomes part of every day. I mean you go to bed early so you can get up early to read the Word. You make certain decisions so you can spend time in the Word. Everything is is revolving around.

God is my priority. So see if God is my priority he's on the calendar first. So that's how I stay committed. Is that's a spiritual discipline that must be initiated. That's priority number one. That's how you stay encouraged is it becomes a part of who you are.

I mean what's your favorite thing. Does your wife ever say. You know how do you watch NASCAR all the time. How do you watch baseball. The time I don't know how I do that. I mean it's who you are. It's what's in your heart.

So that's the best way to overcome discouragement is to encourage yourself. As you're being discouraged you have to be encouraged. And then we see the biggest point here. Number two compromise. What happened to compromise.

The Gradual Danger of Compromise

Or what happened to Samson. What compromise is is you have a certain standard. Don't you. We have a standard. I mean you would never you know many people it's in this room. You would never cheat on our spouse.

We would never do certain things. Right. There's a standard. And then the discouragement comes in the pestering the compromise the out of God's Word. And we start to lower that standard. And then that standard becomes the new standard.

And then we lower that standard. And before we know it we're down here swimming in a cesspool of sin. And we don't know how that happened. It happened because compromise. Same thing with Samson. He he he laid with the whore.

The King James says I can say it. Right. He laid with this lady. No big deal. Right. He's eating out of a dead carcass. God says don't do. That's forbidden. He's doing all he's married a pagan wife. A couple things there.

The grace of God. God's not just died. Just doesn't. Okay. You're dead as soon as you start compromising. Okay I've had enough of you. It's a loving God drawing us back. That's another reason why I preach messages like that.

Because I catch people all the time that they're in this midst of falling and it draws them back to God. So compromise is setting that standard and then dropping that standard and dropping that standard.

That's what we happened. And that's what happened in Samson's life. So be careful men when you're pestered you're discouraged. And then that line starts to drop and that's why I have there's a lot of lines in my life for let's say females for example I don't counsel women women women basically you know maybe older little kids and their moms or something.

I have my wife do that. And I coach a little league baseball team. Right. There are some single moms in their 30s. I email them include my wife let my wife have. It's just it doesn't go that I can't even think of one female that there's an attraction to even even a mental relational.

I don't. There's just not there. It doesn't exist. Because you have to have those boundaries because the potentials there right. You see what I'm saying. The potentials there it's in the heart. But these things setting up boundaries the websites I've mentioned before that I have it's called covenant eyes.

And every website that I visit goes to my wife's email on a certain day of the week anything that's questionable. Victoria's Secret Sports Illustrated whatever it was to go to her email because I want these.

It's like like I'm not trying to be super spiritual. I want these boundaries. So that line of compromise doesn't start to drop. And when it starts to drop you start to do things and end up places you never thought you would.

So we see discouragement. He's being pestered. He's giving in to compromise. He he he he was consecrated to God set apart for God and begin to begin to minimize what that really meant. And that's why I think messages like that are a good reminder.

Guys consecration is important. Holiness is important. Man when you get that you should listen to sermons a hundred years ago my god those guys could preach the holiness of God the fear of God. The consecration.

Read the old Methodist circuit writers. They would go into a town and they would bring that town to their knees because the fear of God was on that place. And the holiness. It's not weirdness and being legalistic it's a heart that says God.

I have to follow you at all costs because it's either holiness or hell they would say. Now I'm careful because I'm not talking about this perfect little. You know you got this image of this holy person.

It's just saying Lord I don't want the filth of the world. I want to be consecrated to you. I want to be set apart to you. There's nothing wrong with that. Here's what happens when you get away from that.

That's when you see all the mess that the church is in. When you get away from the consecration the holiness aspect you will see that the church has the highest divorce rate high. Just as much as the world if not more so especially in America now.

I think this is many years ago. But recent statistics show me one out of 1 ,200 will end up in divorce. Who read the word together and pray one out of 1 ,200 I mean that's pretty good odds. Why is that.

Because you're selfless yourself off. You're not focusing on self. You're into God's Word. You're getting encouraged into God's Word. Something me my wife have done 730 every morning we're praying together.

We have a list and some mornings. Do I want her coming in and praying. No. I've got 10 ,000 things to do. I'm irritated. I've got 14 emails. People chew me out. You know all kinds of it's like I don't want to pray right now.

But you have to work through that. I'm just opening up because all of you know you've been there. You're not just walking on clouds and let's just pray for next hour and a half. Let's fast today while we're at it you know.

No it doesn't happen. But you've got to fight for those things. We have a devotional with the family we try to. We're trying to every other other other night make sure we're all home at 5 o 'clock. I'm going through the Bible.

Just what I've learned that day. And sermon preparation just something quick because the kids are little. But you've got to bring that. I don't care. If you're making noise you can go sit in your room be quiet sit down.

You're gonna. It's just constant battling for things that are important. You go sit them in front of a TV for three hours. They'll be quiet. But when you start to do things report so you have to fight for those things.

The consecration the holiness. And that's one of the times when I get most discouraged in my own personal life because that brings up another question. Somebody asked is what is my biggest struggle. What is your biggest struggle.

Struggling to Remain Filled with the Spirit

And the biggest struggle for me is not staying filled with the Holy Spirit. I desire that man when I leave here Sunday after church man I'm just I could just preach again. I could go to church again. Then Monday rolls around.

The kids are complaining they're sick. Things are happening. Money's my day off which rarely works out. And and what happened. God now I'm not filled again. And and I know we can't I but I think I think that's probably the biggest struggle for me is wanting to stay filled the Spirit of God and not being pulled by the flesh.

There's a website setting captives free. It said this when your sin is hidden many things happen first. There's deception. And that you can handle this yourself. Have you been there. I can handle this myself.

I can handle this myself. Pride. That's pride. When you're at that point you no longer look to the Lord for help. Then they're ashamed because you're living a deceptive dual life. This always happens.

Their sin. They don't want to confess. They don't want to bring anybody's attention because it's not spiritual right. I mean can't confess our sins even though it's biblical. And we all sin. We know we all struggle with something.

So then you try to hide it. I can deal with this on my own. And then pride comes in. That's why that doesn't work. Because you can't deal with pornography necessarily on your own. You can't deal with alcoholism on your own.

You can't do because it's already has not been working. So break dealing with it on your own and just not gonna tell anybody. I'm just gonna deal with it. Then you stay frustrated in the cycle of failure when you expose it and let people pray for you.

I believe God can move in a powerful way. And the three things for guys you've already heard this before girls gold and glory. Right. So in case you're wondering that's where you're the big struggle is gonna be.

That's your Delilah gold. Girls are glory. It's easy to remember the lust of the flesh the lust of the eye the pride of life. That's where the deception is gonna come in the pestering the compromise. And then we see in him.

Recognizing Vulnerable Moments

This is interesting. In in the addiction world there's something called a halt halt. It's a lot of people go back or relapse when they're either hungry angry lonely or tired. And I thought that's not just implying for addiction that applies for Christians.

Any of you tired right now gonna fall asleep hungry lonely hungry lonely tired. Be careful because those are opportune times. See we see the enemy working here pestered compromise an opportune time. He's ready now to open up his heart.

I see an opportune time. He's not gonna attack Samson when he's got a jawbone and he's killing the Philistines. He's gonna walk him down one step at a time. And that's what we see here. So be careful when you're angry tired hungry and lonely those are opportune times for the enemy.

Trusting God Regardless of Circumstances

And then the question came in to what is the greatest lesson you've learned the best advice and the worst advice. The greatest lesson I've learned is to trust in God no matter what. Trust in God no matter what.

Because the enemy will use discouragement to knock you off. Course trust in him no matter what. The greatest lesson the greatest advice I've ever ever been given is right here in the Word of God the worst vice advice I've ever been given is out there in the world.

It never it never pays. That was an easy question. And therefore I'm getting to the last point. His spiritual strength left interesting pestered discouragement compromise gives in. And now his spiritual strength leaves.

Spiritual Strength and the Loss of Vision

And you know have you ever just walking around. You feel like a spiritual zombie just going through the motions. I mean gosh I guess I'll read but I don't want to. It's just I don't know she I guess I'll go to church today.

I don't know we got anything else on the calendar. And that's why the new trend. I mean it's been in America now it's been going like this it people don't attend church regularly anymore. It's like two Sundays a month is the normal now because of I mean when you're hungry for God you can't get enough of church.

And when you're on this path of spiritual strength leaving see. So that's why I love the Word of God. Everything I'm talking about is not meant necessarily to be. You know wake up and upset. It's meant to renew your spiritual life.

So thank God for every negative email. There's ten positive emails of people being transformed because they're woken up out of their spiritual sleep. So we see that his spiritual strength left. So that's what will happen.

You will compromise. You will be. You'll be a pester. All these things. And then like Samson he knew not that the Spirit of the Lord had departed from him. So think about it. Samson gets up. He's going to fight the Philistines.

And he gets wiped out his eyes taken out. What happened. The Spirit of the Lord had departed from him. So wake up in this area too. If you're saying it won't happen to me it will happen to you. It will.

Number five. He lost his vision. The final thing when his eyes were taken out he was called to be a deliverer. But now he needed deliverance. This mighty man of God do you see the parallels. This mighty man of God called to be a deliverer was now needing deliverance.

Have you ever been there where you're called to do something. Now you're not used to control it. But now it's got you. You used to be this mighty man of God. And now it's got you. And I want to remind every man in this room you are called.

You are called to lead your families. You are called to initiate prayer. You're called to guard your families. If you're a young adult your guard. You are called to pursue purity. Not have the girl pursue purity.

You pursue purity. You're the. You're the. You're the supposed to initiate going to church. You're supposed to obey the spiritual warrior covering. How many wives are they get up and pray for the family.

The husband's watching NASCAR. They go to church. Or husband sits at home. Man you are called to do that. But I don't feel like it. It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter what you feel like. The wonderful thing about spiritual disciplines is the once you do it then you start to feel like it.

The feelings come. So you are called to do it. I was just reading recently I've got to check it out. I looked at it looked pretty accurate. But the batting the Battle of Gettysburg did you've heard of that.

Most of you hopefully they recovered 27 ,000 rifles. 24 ,000 of them had never been shot. Misfire. Didn't clean their weapons out in the field and dirt the mud. Obviously we have much more accurate weapons today.

And but can you imagine that. And I just thought of how many men. They're not cleaning their weapon. They're not. They're not ready for battle. They're not shooting the gun that God has given them. And we have to be challenged.

We have to wake up to that fact. Shouldn't the conditions of our families cause us to wake up. He was led. A young man led him a little boy a lad. The Bible says a lad. We don't know the age of that. The lad led him by his hands by his hand and led him to the place back to strength.

And the whole Coliseum came down. Now with those is the wake-up call. Here's the closing. But his strength came back when he humbled himself. He called on the Lord. So he called on the Lord. He humbled himself and God began to work in his heart.

The Spiritual Slumber of Families

Now I was gonna play this clip at Father's Day because it fits perfect. But I couldn't get it off of my mind. Last two weeks to play it this morning. It's just seven minutes and it's it's life-changing.

If you allow it to to to really speak to you.

Relationships are everything God has given all of us people in our lives that are important to us. We have people in our lives that we can't do without. We have spouses that hold us up when we're down.

We have children that that that take our heart with them as they go through the world. We have friends. We have relationships. But like this man in our service this morning who is asleep. This man is in a spiritual slumber.

They tried to wake him up at the beginning of the service. They couldn't wake him up. You know who's put this man to sleep. Satan. Many of you today have been lullabied to sleep. The devil the spirit of the world has got you.

He's got you too busy for God. He's made you a spiritual couch potato. He's got you into pornography and drugs and alcohol. He's lullabied you to sleep and you're sleeping. And that's right where the enemy wants you.

We usually have children in our lives maybe children from exes or whatever. It doesn't matter but those kids are going through hormonal changes and they need their dad. They need their mother and he wants to play ball.

He's trying to wake his dad up saying dad please just play with me. You won't believe the times I do a funeral and very seldom very seldom. But it does happen occasionally the kids will come up and they'll say my dad never was too busy for me.

He was always there for me. But that's not usually the case today. We have dysfunctional families everywhere. Parents who are caught up in their own sins. They're asleep and their kids need them. But you know what.

The devil's never too far. Today we have kids as young as 10 and 11 getting onto pornography. They need to hear from their dad. They need their dad to be there with them to talk with them and spend time with them and to know what they're doing and what they're not doing.