"ARE YOU THIRSTY?"
JUDGES 15:18-20
INTRO: On a hot, dry day a tall cool drink of water really hits the spot. Especially if we have been working in the garden or mowing the lawn, or doing any other type of strenuous activity. Our bodies must have water to survive and this is especially true on hot arid days or when we have been doing physical labor. Spiritually we need the water of the word to survive the barren wasteland in which we are living.
Proverbs 25:25 says, "As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country." The Word of God is good news that can quench our thirsty souls! We need to drink deeply of it on a daily basis! Matthew 5:7 tells us, "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” We need that hunger, that thirst after God to survive in these perilous days in which we are living!
Samson was a physical giant, but a spiritual midget. So much of his life recorded in the Scriptures shows his reliance upon the flesh not on the spirit! After slaying a thousand Philistines who had invaded Judah, Samson nearly perished from a lack of water. In this moment of great distress, he cried unto God for help and God answered him and through a miracle provided the needed water which "revived" Samson! This was his finest hour. (John G. Butler. Samson: The Weak Strong Man. p. 117). Instead of relying on the flesh he cast himself on God and God provided miraculously. Oh, what more mighty exploits could he have done if he had rested on the spirit more in his life. What a lesson he is for us to "Walk in the Spirit" and “not fulfill the lust of the flesh." Samson was thirsty and God revived him. We need that kind of spiritual "thirst” in our Churches today!
I want to title the message tonight by asking this question, “ARE YOU THIRSTY?” Please note four things in the message with me tonight:
(1) THE PERSON TO BE REVIVED
JUDGES 15:18—“And he was sore athirst... and said... now
shall I die for thirst."
- THE PREDICAMENT. Samson desperately needed to be revived with water because of the physical exertion he had used in slaying a thousand Philistines. It was during the time when the weather was hot and dry, near wheat harvest (v1). The combination of heat and exertion had him dehydrated in the extreme! (John G. Butler. Samson: The Weak Strong Man. p. 118). He was so dry and dehydrated he thought he might die. A serious possibility for severe dehydration can kill a person. Samson was at the point of death he needed reviving!
- THE PROBLEM. Samson needed "reviving" with water because he was physically and emotionally drained. God's people today need revival for one of two reasons:
Weakness. I am speaking of those who have exhausted themselves working in the Lord's service. If you work hard all day you need to rest to regain strength and vigor. Spiritually, from time to time, we need to restore ourselves spiritually! This is done by:
1) Daily Bible Study.
2) Daily Prayer Time.
3) Dedicated Worship Attendance.
Most church members will rust out, not wear out. Few of us
work as hard as Samson and become as exhausted as he was!
The average church member's greatest struggle is to stay awake
during the preachers sermon! (John G. Butler. Samson: The
Weak Strong Man. p. 118). God's people will exert great effort to
worldly pursuits - ball games, jobs, hunting trips, but little is
given to God! Colossians 3:1-2 tells us, “If ye then be risen with
Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on
the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on
things on the earth.” The sad fact is though that many of those in
need of revival today, too often fit in the second category.
Wickedness. Folks, in the days in which we are living, it is getting harder and harder to distinguish the lost in this world from the average Church member. Too much of the world has invaded the church! "Worldliness is an accepted part of our way of life. Our religious mood is social instead of spiritual. We have lost the art of worship. We are not producing saints. Our models are successful businessmen, celebrated athletes, and theatrical personalities. Our homes have turned into theaters, our literature is shallow, and scarcely anyone appears to care." (Albert M. Wells, Jr. Inspiring Quotations-Contemporary & Classical. p. 219).
(2) THE PRAYER TO BE REVIVED
JUDGES 15:18—“And he was sore athirst, and called on the LORD,
and said, Thou hast given this great deliverance into the
hand of thy servant: and now shall I die for thirst, and fall
into the hand of the uncircumcised?”
*This prayer of Samson was a excellent prayer. It was offered in a way in
which God could answer! Note!
- THE HUMBLE NATURE OF THIS PRAYER. When offering this prayer Samson showed humility uncharacteristic of himself. Note the emphasis on self earlier in this chapter. In v16the emphasis is on "I". In the a slaughter of the Philistines he showed self-sufficiency. Now in great need he sees himself as he is helpless! "I" cannot save. Only God can save! (John G. Butler. Samson: The Weak Strong Man. p. 119). Many times when we are on the mountaintops we become full of pride, but it is when we find ourselves in the valleys, that we realize we can do nothing without God! We cannot experience revival in our lives or in our churches until God's people are willing to humble ourselves! (2 Chronicles 7:14).
- THE HONORABLE NATURE OF THIS PRAYER. Samson gave great honor to God in this prayer (John G. Butler. Samson: The Weak Strong Man. p. 120). He recognized:
The Strength God Gave (v18). He praised God for the victory. God gives us the victory it is not of ourselves! If we fail to acknowledge God in his previous works, our prayer won't yet very far!
The Servant God Had Made Him (v18). Samson in calling himself "Thy servant” exalted God, not self! Whatever we do, we must give God the glory! 1 Corinthians 10:31b says, “…whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” When we pray we must pray like a servant. It is not ours to demand or dictate or order God to do this or that! We must remember God's position and ours. He is Almighty! We are but His servant!
The Scorn That Would Follow If He Perished (v18b). Samson also honored God by his concern that God would be scorned by the Philistines if Samson's thirst was not quenched. Samson's concern here is not selfish, but for the glory of God! We should ask ourselves why do we pray for revival? Is it so we can tell others how much our numbers have grown? Or is it for the glory of God? So many of our prayers are selfish and have not God's glory in view at all. Our prayer for revival should be "Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee." (PSALM 85:6).
(3) THE PLAN FOR BEING REVIVED
JUDGES 15:19—“But God clave an hollow place that was in the jaw,
and there came water thereout; and when he had drunk, his spirit
came again, and he revived: wherefore he called the name thereof
Enhakkore, which is in Lehi unto this day.”
*Revival always comes through God's provision. Notice:
A. THE PROVISION OF WATER FROM GOD. We read in Judges
15:19a—“But God clave an hollow place that was in the jaw, and there
came water thereout...". It was God who provided the water Samson so
desperately needed. Samson could not provide it himself. Many times
we have the idea that if we have the right preacher or the right singer or
sing the right songs, revival will follow, but only God can bring revival
to His people. God does not need favorable conditions to provide our
need. Samson needed water and there was no well available so God
made one. We must not limit God by our circumstances. We must not
believe that things are impossible. ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE WITH
GOD! God is not limited by circumstances. God will do whatever is
necessary to meet our need.
B. THE PARTAKING OF THE WATER BY SAMSON. It tells us in Judges
15:19b—“... and when he had drunk, his spirit came again, and he
revived...". God does not work miracles when we do not need them.
God provided Samson with water, but Samson had to drink it - God did
not put water in Samson by a miracle. (John G. Butler. Samson: The
Weak Strong Man. pp. 124-125). God does not spoil us as his children.
God will see to it that we will have to exert plenty of responsibility if we
are going to receive his provisions. God will provide the water, but
Samson must partake of it or he will perish. Samson's revival from
water speaks to us concerning the water of the Word. Samson needed
physical revival, and the water provided it. Mankind needs spiritual
revival, and the water of the Word will provide it. (John G. Butler.
Samson: The Weak Strong Man. p. 125).
God has given us the WORD to meet our needs, but to benefit from it
we must partake of it. Too many times, we take a sip here and a sip
there from it, but let us drink deeply from it that we might be revived.
In our distress, let us pray as the psalmist, "I am afflicted very much;
quicken (revive) me, O LORD, according unto thy Word." (Psalm
119:107).
(4) THE PRODUCT OF BEING REVIVED
JUDGES 15:20—“And he judged Israel in the days of the Philistines
twenty years.”
- THE RESPONSE TO TRUE REVIVAL. When Samson was revived we see the very next thing he did was judge Israel (v20). This is a very important product of revival: service. If we are truly revived this is always the case. Revival is simply a renewal of obedience to the things of God! God does not save us, free us, revive or bless us in any way without service being in mind.
ILLUS: If all the sleeping folk will wake up,
If all the lukewarm folk will fire up,
If all the dishonest folk will confess up,
If all the disgruntled folk will cheer up,
If all the depressed folk will cheer up,
If all the estranged folk will make up,
If all the gossipers will shut up,
If all true soldiers will stand up,
If all the dry bones will shake up,
If all the church members will pray up...
Then we can have a revival! --R. G. Lee
(Bible Illustrator For Windows. Version 3.0f. Copyright
1990-1998, by Parsons Technology, Inc. All Rights
Reserved).
- THE REALITY OF TRUE REVIVAL. When we experience true revival things will change in our lives. Note two things about Samson's service:
His Readiness. This revival brought change to Samson. It readied him to be a judge of Israel. Before this he was prideful and arrogant. Now not only was he revived physically, but by his prayer we see he was revived spiritually. This was important. Although it was important that he was revived physically, if he was to judge Israel rightly he had to be revived spiritually. Our readiness to serve God depends on our spiritual condition. We may have gifts, talents, and many other advantages, but until we rest in God's grace and power we are not ready to serve God.
His Rejection. In Joshua 15:10-13 we see that Samson was rejected by his own nation. How often do we see men rejecting that which God would honor. I have seen Churches that would not call a man of God as Pastor unless he had formal seminary training or a Bible college degree. Listen folks, some of the greatest men of God that I have ever meet have been men that in the eyes of this world weren’t very distinguished! They may have not had a seminary degree or a Bible college degree, but they did have what mattered most: THE POWER OF GOD! Paul wrote in 2 Corithians 4:7—“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” Though we are weak, God uses us to spread his Good News and gives us power to do His work. Knowing that the power is His, not ours, keeps us from pride and motivates us to keep daily contact with God, our power source. Our responsibility is to let people see God through us (Living Letters From the Life Application Bible. p. 86). We, as servants, may be rejected by men, but that does not mean that God doesn't have a place of service for us. When Samson turned to seek God, though rejected by his own people, God put him in his service.
CLOSING:God can use us when we humbly make ourselves available for his service. If we want revival in our church, in our homes, and in our country, we must get a thirst for God again. Psalm 42:1-2 says, "As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, Oh God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God; when shall I come and appear before God?"
Are you thirsty? Then come humbly and kneel before God and make yourself available for his service.