May 21, 2023 Sermon Notes and Questions

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May 21, 2023 Sermon Notes and Questions

Posted on May 4, 2023 Posted By: Marisza Sheldon Categories: Message Notes, Weekly Program

Don’t You Judge Me!-Judges

“Slipping Into Darkness-Samson”

Judges 13:16

May 21, 2023

Justin Scarberry

Message Notes:

 

Matthew 7:1 NKJV

“Judge not, that you be not judged.

 

Judges is the period of time after Joshua entered into the Promised land until the time of the Kings.

 

The Israelites were instructed to wipe out everyone in the Promised Land.  Like the sin in our life when we don’t completely wipe it out we slowly start drifting away from God.

 

God sent in judges to deliver His people from oppression.

 

Samson was set apart from birth to do God’s will

 

Judges 13:1-5

Now the sons of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord handed them over to the Philistines for forty years.2 And there was a man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was infertile and had not given birth to any children. 3 Then the angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, “Behold now, you are infertile and have not given birth; but you will conceive and give birth to a son. 4 And now, be careful not to drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any ]unclean thing. 5 For behold, you will conceive and give birth to a son, and no razor shall come upon his head, for the boy shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb; and he will begin to save Israel from the hands of the Philistines.”

Nazarite Vow

  1. No wine
  2. No touching dead things
  3. No haircuts

 

Samson slowly starts to depart from God’s will:

 

Reference Judges 14:1-19

Samson’s pride is leading to his destruction

Proverbs 16-18 NKJV

Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.

 

Reference Judges 16:1-11

 

Samson’s pride lead to his destruction.

 

Do you find yourself at times slipping away from God’s Will?

 

 

 

  1. What function do judges perform in society today? How does that differ from the judges in the book of Judges?

  2. Can you think of a time when you were not as close to God? What are some of the characteristics of that time in your life?  Did you drift away all at once or was it more of a slow process?

  3. Read Matthew 7:1, what do you think this verse means? Read Matthew 7:2-5, does this change at all the answer to the first part of this question?  Are Christians to judge others?  Why or why not.

  4. Read Judges 14:1-7, do we at times stay close to the sin that could destroy us? What are some excuses we can use of why it’s ok to hold onto sin?

  5. Judges 16 describes the various temptations that Samson dealt with. What are some ways we are tempted in our own lives?  Does Satan use others in our life to get us to fail?

  6. What is pride? Is pride a sin?  When temptation leads to sin that we fall into, what are some ways it can destroy our Christian walk? Is there ever a time when temptation stops?

  7. If you had to make a list of things that Samson did in his life that were good, what would be on the list? If you had to make a list of things Samson did that were not good, what would be on the list?  Could you make similar lists for your own life?

  8. Does God allow sin? Can God be around sin?  Why or why not? Why do you think God does not judge us immediately every time we sin?  What should we do when we give into temptation and sin?

  9. Please pray for folks you know who may have drifted away from God. If you have found yourself drifting, would you consider reaching out to someone in the church to help you get back on track?