Isaiah 8:20

1. Intro.
1. when man will not learn of God, his folly becomes exceedingly great
1. if men despise the wisdom of God, He allows them to prove their own ignorance
2. when men do not bow before God, they immediately build themselves an idol
3. when men do not receive the Scriptural testimony of creation, they form theories a thousand times more ridiculous
4. for man to reject God’s solution to a problem, and to accept one of their own solutions is absurd
2. when man leaves the Sacred Book, where do they go? - Isa. 8:19
1. in Isaiah’s time they sought out familiar spirits & wizards that did peep
2. they sought for things concerning the living, among the dead
3. an amazing fact: those who scoff at faith are the most gullible
3. I pray that each of us will be more wise, and not forsake the good old path, nor leave the way that God has prepared for us
4. if we despise the guidance of an unerring Father, we might travel among thorns or fall on dark mountains
5. it is important that we hold fast the doctrines of truth (the Word of God)
1. many smooth talkers are building large assemblies, though their words are as false as God’s Word is true
2. there is a fake & deceitful love growing up among us, which attempts to gag the mouths of honest reprovers
1. it will be hard to rebuke the impostor when he arises
2. it will be difficult to expose the falsehood, even though it may be apparent
6. where is the anchor that will hold us fast? - Isa. 8:20
2. things to bring before the Law for examination
1. knowledge learned early in life
1. early in life we learn the traditions & customs of the family and church
2. as men, we should not be fed with doctrine as we were in our infancy
3. as adults, we have the right & responsibility to judge all that we have heard, by the Bible
4. read the Bible as if we have never heard a preacher or been taught by a parent
5. we do not violate any principle of love by rejecting the spiritual training of our family to receive the truth
2. the preacher
1. the masses of people think that every one of us is right
2. it is treason to common sense to believe such a thing
3. we all have the right to be heard, but we cannot claim the right to be believed
4. if our words are not in accordance with the Sacred Book, believe us not
5. it is not what I say, but what God saith, that we are commanded to receive
3. all books
1. this is an age of book making & book writing
2. with all the literature that is available today, our Bibles do not get read much
3. we need to be wise, and give the Bible the largest share of our time
4. it is God’s Word, not man’s comments on God’s Word, that saves souls
3. some good effects gained by a careful study of the law and testimony of God
1. if we study the Word of God, we will be able to detect error
1. it is easy to have the wool pulled over our eyes, when we do not know what the truth is
2. we are not fit to sit upon a judges bench because we do not know the intricacies of the law
3. no man can judge the things he hears rightly, unless he knows "thus saith the Lord"
4. some would say that the Bible is to difficult to understand it
1. the Bible is so plain that anyone who is willing to understand it may do so
2. the simpler a man is ,the more easily he can understand it
3. all the learning that a man receives is more of a hindrance than a benefit
2. if we study the Bible, we will be able to speak with confidence when disputing a matter
1. nothing gives a person power in speech as does confidence
2. a "thus saith the Lord" is an argument that no man can answer
3. it makes a man seem very foolish when he speaks against a "thus saith the Lord"
3. if we study the Bible, we will get a rich harvest of blessing to our soul
1. the truth is so great, that God has blessed every word of Scripture
2. "he that walketh among wise men will be wise"
4. why we should make everything subject to the Word of God
1. many false prophets have gone forth into the world
1. there are some professed teachers, who are either ignorant of the truth or determined to deceive
2. these kind of teachers we would be better off without
2. remember that ministers may be the instrument by which Satan blindfolds our eyes & leads us to hell
1. even when we think we are heaven bound
2. go to the law and the testimony, and whatever does not agree has no light in it
5. what I believe (go to the Bible and see if it is true)
1. all men are sinners and deserving of hell
2. all men are lost and in need of a Savior
3. there is only one way of salvation: Jesus Christ