1 Samuel 13:19-20
Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears: But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his share, and his coulter, and his axe, and his mattock.
The Israelites made a great mistake by not having any smiths in their country to sharpen their swords. Instead, they went to the Philistines to get their swords sharpened. The Philistines were their enemies; these people hated the God of Israel. Because Israel had no smiths in the land, they found themselves with no way to defend themselves against their enemy, which was what the Philistines wanted.
Sadly, many are going to the Philistines to get their Sword sharpened when their Sword does not need to be sharpened. When I talk about the Sword, I am talking about God’s Word, the King James Bible. We wonder why we are losing so many to false doctrine, and the reason is because so many use the smiths of the Philistines to teach their people, and their people learn the doctrine of the Philistines instead of the doctrine of God’s Word. Too many people go to the liberals to sharpen their Sword when our Sword does not need to be sharpened. We have a King James Bible that is the inspired and preserved Word of God, and we don’t need any Philistine to teach us what our Sword says when they don’t even use our Sword.
My friend, it is times we realize that it was the Philistines who taught Israel how to carry the ark the wrong way; so why are we going to the Philistines to sharpen our sword? We have learned too much from the Philistines in our churches, and that is why we are copying their methods. We wonder why our churches are dying, and the reason is because we have tried to copy the way the Philistines build churches, but their way won’t build a strong independent, old paths Baptist church.
It is time we stop trying to sharpen our Sword with the smiths of the Philistines. We have a Holy Spirit to sharpen the Sword in our lives, and that is why we need not run to liberals to understand God’s Word. The Holy Spirit can do a great job of explaining His Word to us if we will yield to Him. If we are not careful, the doctrine of the Philistines will creep into our lives if we continue to read their books and commentaries to explain God’s Word instead of letting the Holy Spirit be the teacher of God’s Word. Let me ask you: is it not the Holy Spirit who guides us into all truth? If the Holy Spirit guides us into all truth, I don't need the liberal’s books, commentaries, or conferences to tell me what God’s Word says.
Moreover, there are plenty of our own smiths that can sharpen our Sword without us running to the Philistines. I have made it a practice in my life not to read books, listen to preachers, or go to any conference of someone who does not believe what I believe or is going in the same direction I am going. I have adopted the mindset that you cannot take in the good of liberals and spit out their bones. I have found everyone who had this mindset has eventually choked on the bones of liberalism. Instead, I run to men who believe like me to read their books and copy their methods of soul winning and church building. I have learned that their methods still work today if I will work their methods. If you will come to the same conclusion I came to many years ago, you will save yourself from the doctrine of the Philistines, and God can use you to reach many people for Christ the right way.
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