Copr. Bruce N. Cameron, J.D., 1996.
INTRODUCTION: LAST WEEK WE DISCOVERED THAT SELF-DENIAL WAS THE LINK BETWEEN DIET AND OUR SPIRITUAL WELL-BEING. THIS WEEK WE LOOK AT THE ISSUE OF HOW IT IS WE EXERCISE SELF-DENIAL, HOW WE BECOME SELF-CONTROLLED. TEMPERATE. LETS GET INTO IT.
I. SAMPSON
A. OPEN YOUR BIBLES TO JUDGES 13. LAST WEEK WHEN WE TOUCHED ON THE NAZIRITE VOW. I FORGOT TO MENTION THAT IT WAS STEVEN FOX WHO BROUGHT UP THE ISSUE THREE WEEKS AGO. LETS LOOK AT THE STORY OF A MAN WHO UNDERTOOK THIS VOW. OPEN BIBLES TO JUDGES 13:2-5 READ.
B. WHAT WAS THE NAZIRITE VOW? (NOT DRINK FERMENTED DRINK, OR ANY PART OF THE GRAPE, NOT CUT HAIR AND NOT TOUCH DEAD ANIMALS. SEE NUMBERS 6:1-5 FOR MORE ON THE NAZARITE VOW)
C. DID THE NAZARITE VOW RELATE TO TEMPERANCE? (WE WOULD SAY THAT NOT DRINKING FERMENTED DRINK WAS BEING TEMPERANT, BUT HARDLY BE ABLE TO SAY THAT FOR THE GRAPE SKINS OR RAISINS. THE ISSUE MUST HAVE BEEN, ONCE AGAIN, SELF DENIAL)
D. FOR SAMPSON, HIS NAZIRITE VOW STARTED WITH HIS MOTHER, DOES THAT SEEM TO RELATED TO TEMPERANCE? (HIS MOTHER WAS WATCHING HER DIET. NORMALLY THIS DIET RESTRICTION WAS FOR THE NAZARITE, NOT HIS OR HER MOTHER. BUT WE KNOW TODAY THAT IT WAS HEALTHIER FOR SAMPSON.)
E. THE TEACHERS' HELPS OF OUR LESSON USE SAMPSON AS AN EXAMPLE. LETS LOOK AT A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES FROM HIS LIFE:
F. READ JUDGES 16:1-3. WE SEE TWO THINGS ABOUT SAMPSON: THAT HE VISITED PROSTITUTES; AND THAT HE WAS STONG ENOUGH TO CARRY OFF THE ENTIRE GATE OF A CITY -- DOORS, POSTS AND TOP BAR.
1. DO YOU THINK THAT HIS DIET GIVE HIM HIS STRENGTH?
2. DID HIS DIET CAUSE HIM TO BE SELF CONTROLLED? (THIS TEXT SHOWS THAT THERE IS MORE TO IT THAN DIET. JUST AS I DOUBT THAT DANIEL LOOKED THAT MUCH BETTER IN A FEW DAYS BECAUSE OF HIS DIET, SO I DOUBT THAT DIET DID IT FOR SAMPSON. IT WAS GOD INTERVENING FOR SAMPSON.)
G. READ JUDGES 14:1-3. DOES THIS SHOW A SELF-CONTROLLED AND TEMPERATE LIFE ON THE PART OF THE SON? (NO!)
1. READ JUDGES 14:8-9. WHY DIDN'T HE TELL HIS PARENTS THAT THE HONEY CAME FROM A LION'S CARCASS? (NUMBERS SAYS THAT SOMEONE WHO TAKES THE NAZARITE VOW MUST NOT GO NEAR A DEAD BODY. THIS STORY REVEALS THAT SAMPSON DID NOT STRICTLY STICK TO THE NAZIRITE VOW.)
H. WHAT LESSON DO WE DRAW FROM SAMPSON? DOES YOUR DIET MAKE YOU SELF-CONTROLLED?
1. WHAT ESSENTIAL INGREDIANT IS SAMPSON LACKING? (HE HAS NO SELF-DENIAL. SELF-DENIAL IS A CONCEPT THAT INCLUDES WHAT WE EAT, BUT IT GOES FAR BEYOUND THAT AS SHOWN IN THIS STORY.)
I. LETS LOOK AT ANOTHER EXAMPLE: TURN YOUR BIBLES TO EXODUS 16:15-18, 31. HOW WOULD YOU RATE MANNA AS A DIET?
1. LETS SEE WHAT THIS DID FOR THE LIFE OF THESE PEOPLE: READ EX. 17:1-4. DID THIS DIET TRANSFORM THEIR LIVES?
J. IF DIET ALONE WILL NOT DO IT, LETS EXPLORE WHAT WE CAN DO TO PROMOTE TEMPERANCE AND GODLY LIVING IN OUR LIVES. OUR LESSON SUGGEST THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL STEPS.
II. STEPS
A. READ ACTS 3:19. THE BACKGROUND FOR THIS IS THAT PETER AND JOHN PERFORMED A MIRACLE AND THE PEOPLE CAME RUNNING UP TO THEM, AND PETER STARTED TO TELL THEM ABOUT THE GOSPEL.
1. THE FIRST THING HE TOLD THEM TO DO IS TO REPENT. WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO TO BE ABLE TO REPENT?
2. IS IT HUMAN NATURE TO REPENT? (NO. WE ARE ANXIOUS TO JUSTIFY OURSELVES.)
3. THE WORD TRANSLATED "REPENT" IS "METANOEO" WHICH MEANS TO "change your mind." CAN WE CHANGE OUR MIND, CHANGE OUR ATTITUDE? (NO. SO THE FIRST STEP TO SELF-DENIAL IS AN ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT.)
B. READ JOHN 15: 4-5. WHAT DOES THIS TEXT SUGGEST IS THE FIRST STEP TO BECOMING MORE SELF-CONTROLLED? (BE CONNECTED TO CHRIST)
1. IS "SELF-CONTROLLED" THE BEST TERMINOLOGY TO USE? (NO BRANCH CAN LIVE BY ITSELF. WE MUST BE CONNECTED WITH CHRIST TO BE ABLE TO BEAR ANY FRUIT. THE WHOLE TERM, "SELF-CONTROLLED" SEEMS TO BE CONTRARY TO THIS IDEA.)
2. WHAT DO WE DO TO BE CONNECTED TO CHRIST? (JOHN 15:7&10 GIVE US SOME HINTS. V.7 SUGGESTS THAT CHRIST'S WORDS REMAIN IN US. v. 10 SUGGESTS THAT WHEN WE OBEY WE REMAIN IN HIS LOVE.)
3. IT SEEMS AT A MINIMUM THAT THIS MEANS TO REMAIN IN CONTACT WITH JESUS. THROUGH READING AND HEARING HIS WORD. THROUGH STRIVING TO DO HIS WILL. THROUGH PRAYER.
C. NEXT TURN TO 2 PETER 1: 4-10. PETER STARTS OUT TELLING US THAT WE CAN PARTICIPATE IN "THE DIVINE NATURE" (WHICH SOUNDS A LOT LIKE BEING CONNECTED TO THE VINE) AND THUS ESCAPE THE CORRUPTION OF THE WORLD.
1. TELL ME THE STEPS THAT PETER SUGGESTS?
2. FIRST: FAITH. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? (IF YOU GO BACK TO THE TEXT IN ACTS, PETER SUGGESTED THAT THE PEOPLE SHOULD REPENT BECAUSE THEY HAD REJECTED AND KILLED CHRIST. YOU WOULD ONLY REPENT IF YOU BELIEVED IN HIM. SO FAITH AND REPENTANCE SEEM TO BE BOUND TOGETHER.)
3. SECOND: GOODNESS (KJV-VIRTUE) I LOOKED AT THE GREEK DEFINITION OF THIS AND IT SEEMS TO MEAN PROPER BEHAVIOR AS OBSERVED BY OTHERS. SO THE SUGGESTION IS THAT THE FAITH MAKES A DIFFERENCE IN THE WAY WE LIVE.)
4. THIRD: KNOWLEDGE. WHAT DO YOU THINK THIS SUGGESTS FOR US? (LIKE THE BRANCH/VINE CONNECTION. THAT WE MUST BE LEARNING OF CHRIST, WE MUST BE KEEPING IN CONTACT WITH HIM.)
5. FOURTH: SELF-CONTROL. NOW THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT. WHY IS IT FOURTH ON THE LIST? (BECAUSE IT RESULTS FROM THESE OTHER, AND PRIOR STEPS. SELF-CONTROL FLOWS OUT OF THESE OTHERS, AND NOT VICE VERSA.)
6. FIFTH: PRESERVERANCE (KJV-PATIENCE). THE HEBREW HERE MEANS LITERALLY, "A REMAINING UNDER." WHAT DO YOU THINK IS REQUIRED OF US BY THIS TERM? (THAT WE STICK WITH THE PROGRAM. WE CONTINUE WITH THE PRIOR STEPS.)
7. SIXTH: GODLINESS: WHOA! WHAT IS REQUIRED HERE? (THE WORD MEANS TO BE "DEVOUT" "PIOUS." IF WE CONTINUE WITH THE PROGRAM, IT SEEMS THAT PETER IS TELLING US THAT WE WILL, IN FACT, BE TRANSFORMED.)
8. SEVENTH AND EIGHTH: BROTHERLY KINDNESS AND LOVE. WHY ARE THESE LAST? IS IT BECAUSE THEY DO NOT COME NATURALLY?
III. NEXT WEEK: RUTHLESS KILLERS