His hand clave unto the Sword

His hand clave unto the Sword

Text: 2 Samuel 23:8–10

8 These be the names of the mighty men whom David had: The Tachmonite that sat in the seat, chief among the captains; the same was Adino the Eznite: he lift up his spear against eight hundred, whom he slew at one time. 9 And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David, when they defied the Philistines that were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel were gone away: (Now here is where I want to take my text this evening) 10 He arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword: and the Lord wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to spoil.

Introduction: * Here in this passage of Scripture we have the story of a mighty soldier for King David, one of his chief three, that fought and won a great battle in his service for the king.

* This great warrior for God, Eleazar, faught with the Philistines until he was tired, and the Bible ways that “his hand was weary.”

* Even though this great man of God was weary he kept on fighting until He won the victory for God!

* Now I believe that nothing written in the Bible is without significance. * I believe everything that God has in His Holy Book is there for a reason.

* The Bible is not a collection of what people thought about God this evening, the Bible is the very Word of God!

* God told Moses one day, Moses, I want you to get a pencil and a piece of paper and take some notes. I want you to write down my words. And God began to say “In the beginning was the heaven and the earth, and the earth was without form and void.” * Now in our test this evening, God saw fit to record a phrase that I would like to use to make a comparison. * The Bible says that Eleazar with the Philistines until his had was weary and hand clave unto the sword.

* The reason this man won a great victory for God this evening is because, even though he was tired, even though he was out numbered, even though he may have been discouraged, his hand clave to the sword.

* I image that when this great battle was over, the other soldiers had to peel his fingers away from the handle of that sword!

* Tonight brother Joshua, we are in a great battle for the eternal souls of men, and I am standing here in this pulpit, at this time in history, to declare from the Word of God that if we are to have victory in this great battle with Satan and his angels for the souls of men, WE MUST, LIKE ELEAZAR, CLEAVE UNTO THE SWORD OF THE WORD OF GOD WITH ALL OUR HEART!

* Erie Church of God- you will never have success as a church unless you cleave to the Bible! * Blue Springs Baptist Church, you will never please God this evening unless you are totally committed to the Bible!

I. We must remain committed to the inspiration if the Scriptures tonight.

2 Peter 1:16–21

16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 Corinthians 15:1–8 (KJV 1900)

Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: 5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: 6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. 7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. 8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. 18 And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. 19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: 20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

* Tonight the Bible does not contain the word of God. The Bible is the Eternal, without error, perfect word of God!

2 Timothy 3:13–4:4 (KJV 1900)

13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. (Watch out for the compromisers) 14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; (Hold fast to the sword of the Word of God) 15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

4 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; 2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

* We live in a time in which the Bible is under attack even in our so called “Christian” schools and universities!

* Even our supposedly “Christian” denominations are denying the Inspiration of the Scriptures in the day in which we live!

* I remember in the early days of my father’s ministry, when my father was reading a piece of denomination literature describing the crossing of the Red Sea.

* My father went to the church, gathered all the Sunday school literature that was there and burned a great bon fire in the parking lot. The next Sunday Dad resigned as pastor and left the denomination. My father was never part of an association or denomination again in his 40 years of ministry! * I, like my father, will not be a part of any denomination that does not believe that every word of this Bible is the verbally inspired Word of God!

* Back in those days, the early 60 and 70’s those who changed what the word of God said in order to make the Bible more “palatable,” to those who would doubt the inspiration of the Scriptures, were called liberals, cowards, and compromisers. *Today they have a new name a more dignified name! We call those same old Bible compromisers “politically correct.”

* We now have a movement within several supposedly “Christian” denominations to accept those who practice the sin of homosexuality into our membership and even ordain the as pastors and bishops!

* These new age, “itchy ear” , Bible denying kind of “so called churches” have adopted the worlds new age gospel of “political correctness.”

* For the church to strive to be politically correct is to strive to please the world!

* I have a word for the Bible for those Christians and churches that feel they need to be “politically correct…”

James 4:4 (KJV 1900)

4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

* Political correctness is just another term for cowardice.

* Listen to the definition form Wikipedia of cowardice and see if it does not fit those weak-minded, limp wrist, milk-toast liberals who think the church needs to be “Politically Correct…”

* “Cowardice is the perceived failure to demonstrate sufficient mental robustness and courage in the face of a challenge. Under many military codes of justice, cowardice in the face of combat is a crime punishable by death. The term describes a personality trait which is viewed as a negative characteristic and has been shunned and disdained within most if not all, cultures. While courage is typically viewed as its direct opposite, is generally rewarded and encouraged.

Cowards are usually seen to have avoided or refused to engage in a confrontation or struggle which has been deemed good or righteous by the wider culture in which they live.

On a more mundane level, the label may be applied to those to those who are regarded as too frightened or overwhelmed to defend their rights of those of others from aggressors in their lives.”

* Brother Joshua, If you and are are going to be successful in winning the battle for the souls of the people in our community, our hands must cleave the sword of the Word of God!

- We must persuade our church members to read the Bible!

- We must preach the Bible as the Eternal, in-fallible, perfect, complete Word of God!

- We must proclaim and stand strong in the truth that the Bible is the God-breathed Word of God direct from the mouth of God to the ears of his people!

- Our education is not going to win the battle! - Our wonderful personalities are not going to win the battle! - All the money, and fine church buildings in the world will not win the battle! - All the programs, seminars, and Sunday school campaigns are not going to win the battle!

- Joshua, you need to protect your time with the Word of God tonight!

- Church- you need to enable your pastor to have plenty of time to Pray for the church and study the Bible tonight!

Acts 6 (KJV 1900)

6 And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration. 2 Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables. 3 Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. 4 But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word. 5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch: 6 Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them. 7 And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.

* Brother Joshua, they only way that you and I are going to win the battle for the lost in this community is for our hands to cleave to the sword of the Word of God!

- When people get tired of hearing the Bible, we need to preach it some more! - When people get tired of learning the Bible, we need to teach it some more! - When people don’t want to hear what the Bible says about their sin, we need to tell them again!

II. This Bible must be precious to us again tonight!

* I love the Bible tonight! * I remember researching the relationship of Heavy Metal music and the occult when I was a young man and taking the Bible to be with me at night. * I remember a missionary friend reading the Bible to a demon possessed girl day and night until the demons left and she gave her heart to the lord.

* You ought to love the Bible tonight!

* You ought to read the Bible!

* You ought to teach the Bible to your children!

* You ought to take the Bible to your neighbor! * The Bible should be the most precious possession tonight! * I read a story a couple of days ago that I would like to share with you… --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alexander Duff, first foreign missionary of the Church of Scotland, got off to a rough start. He was young, only 23, and bright and innovative. But on his way to India in 1829 with his new wife, he was shipwrecked—not once but twice! The most serious wreck occurred when his ship, the Lady Holland, was within a few miles of India.

At 10 o’clock at night, Duff was half-undressed when a shock and shudder ran through the vessel. He rushed to the deck where the captain met him with terrifying words, “Oh, she’s gone! She’s gone!” The ship split apart, but a portion clung precariously to a reef. Through the night the passengers huddled in terror in the surviving portion, expecting every moment to be swept away. They were saved the next day, but their clothes and prized possessions were lost, including Duff’s entire library of eight hundred volumes.

Later, standing on the shore and looking sadly toward the reef, Duff saw a small package bobbing atop the water. He watched and waited as it floated close enough for him to wade out and retrieve.

It was his Bible. Of all his precious books, it alone survived. His heart soared, for he took it as a sign from the Lord that this one Book alone was worth more than all the others put together. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * William Tyndale and many other of the men of his day hazarded their lives so that the Bible could be read by the man.

* William Tyndale’s prayer as he was dying at the hands of the executioner was that God would open the eyes of the King of England so that the common man would have the Bible in his own language.

* One year after William Tyndale’s death, the King of England made the decree that an English Bible would be placed in every church to be used for common worship.

* More than 300 saints of God, including women and children, gave their lives under the reign of “Bloody Mary,” and were burned at the stake, for their love for the Bible!

* What would you give up for the Bible today?

III. The Bible must be powerful to us agian!

Hebrews 4:10–12 (KJV 1900)

11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. 12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

* The reason that we are not seeing very many people saved in our churches is not because of a lack of power. We have all the power necessary to see people saved- The Word of God. *All the atom bombs in the world put together tonight cannot save a single soul!

* There is more power in the Word of God that all the power of the forces of nature tonight! * I think of the man called Legion that Jesus cast a legion of devils out of. There was no power that could change that man! Even chains could not hold him.

* My friend the chains of sin are holding our friends and neighbors tonight! The need to be set free, but they are powerless to free themselves!

* Our friends and neighbors have a terrible, awful, deadly disease called sin tonight! There is no cure in all the world tonight! Alas our family, friends and neighbors are dying of the awful disease of sin tonight!

* The church has the power to heal them! The church the only medicine that can cure lost and dying soul tonight, but it is locked up in the church house and nobody will dispense it!

* The reason people aren’t getting saved in our churches is not because there is a lack of power to save tonight!

Isaiah 55:10–11 (KJV 1900)

10 For as the rain cometh down, And the snow from heaven, And returneth not thither, But watereth the earth, And maketh it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: 11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: It shall not return unto me void, But it shall accomplish that which I please, And it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. * Our churches have no power because all the power is still in the barn!

* We are like great barns full to the top with the seed of the Gospel tonight, but no one is going out to sow the seeds!

* The power to win the battle for the souls of men is in the preaching of the Word of God!

John 1

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. 11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

Romans 10:13–17 (KJV 1900)

13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? 17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

* Folks, if we just meet week after week , waiting for the community to walk into the church and get saved, our community will die and go hell while we stand by and watch!

* Somebody has got to go out of the church and win some souls for Jesus! John 17:15–18 (KJV 1900)

15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. 18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.

Jude 22–23 (KJV 1900)

22 And of some have compassion, making a difference: 23 and others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.

Acts 2:46–47 (KJV 1900)

46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, 47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

II. This Bible is perfect! III. This

We are guardians of the Word of God.