BETTER FAITH - Part 6 of 7
Hebrews 11:30-40
I. SAMSON WAS MADE STRONG (Judges 13-16)
1. Miraculous birth (13:2-5) Godly parents (13:8-23, 14:3)
2. Spirit of the Lord stirred him
To pursue a wife of the Philistines (13:24-14:3) To kill the lion (14:6) To kill thirty men (14:19) To break his ropes and kill a thousand men with a jawbone (15:14-15)
3. Poor decisions with women (wife in Timnah - 14:15-17; harlot - 16:1; Delilah - 16:5-17)
4. Called upon the Lord (15:18-19, 16:28-31)
5. His strength came from God and in his prayer he was made strong once more.
II. SAMUEL WAS RIGHTEOUS (1 Samuel 1-16)
1. Man of God
Set apart for God even before birth (1:11, 22-28; 2:11, 18-19)
Prophet of God (3:19-21)
Victorious in battle by prayer (7:7-14)
Called for repentance and served the people as judge (7:3-6, 15-17)
Sought the things of God even when the minority (8:4-22)
2. Servant of Israel
Anoints Saul as king of Israel (9:15-21)
Signs confirmed the word of God (12:12-18)
Seeks the best for the people (12:19-25)
Boldly spoke truth (13:13-14; 15:15:22-35)
Anoints David as king of Israel (16:1-13)
3. Faith drove Samuel to pray, preach, warn, anoint, and be bold.
III. DAVID WAS MIGHTY IN BATTLE (1 Samuel 16-17)
1. David had a big heart (16:7)
2. The Spirit of the Lord came upon him (16:13)
3. David honored king Saul (16:23; 24:6, 12; 26:9-12)
4. He was a servant (17:12-19)
5. He knew God could not be taunted as so did not fear (17:26, 32, 36)
6. He killed Goliath that all “may know that there is a God in Israel” (17:45-54)
7. Faith helped David see passed 9ft. Goliath to the bigger Living God.
IV. THEY QUENCHED THE POWER OF FIRE (Daniel 3)
1. Hananiah (Shadrach), Mishael (Meshach) and Azariah (Abed-nego) were told to bow down and worship a golden image or else be burned in fire (3:1-6)
2. They refused and said “God is able” (3:12-18)
3. They were thrown in the fire which was heated 7 times greater (3:19-22)
4. The men were spared as one like a son of the gods was with them (3:23-27)
5. Nebuchadnezzar exalted the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego (3:29)
V. DANIEL SHUT THE MOUTH OF LIONS (Daniel 6)
1. Daniel had an extraordinary spirit and was a great incorruptible worker (6:1-5)
2. King Darius, a friend of Daniel, signs an injunction condemning him (6:6-9)
3. Daniel continues to pray to God and is caught (6:10-15)
4. King Darius shows great faith (6:16-18)
5. God shut the mouths of the lions and opened them on the wrong doers (6:22-24)
6. Darius exalted the God of Daniel (6:25-27)