It's Not Over Yet!

Introduction

Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations 3148 Hopeless Case for Strabo

We are reminded of the old story by Strabo, the Greek philosopher. A musician was playing in a public place and, as he thought, holding his audience spellbound. But after a while the market bell sounded, and instantly all but one of his listeners left, for they did not want to miss the opportunity the market afforded. The musician turned to his solitary, as he thought, admirer, and complimented him for having a soul above merchandise, so that he was not drawn away by the market bell.

“Master,” the old man said, “I am hard of hearing. Did you say the market bell had rung?”

When he was assured it had, the man said, “Then I must be off.” And away went the last man, unrestrained by the bonds of harmony.

—Spurgeon

The church today is like the man who was hard of hearing.

We sit spellbound, listening to the melody of the pleasures of sin and the comforts of this world.

Because we have not heard the bell ringing saying, “Behold the Bridegroom cometh. Go ye out to meet Him.”

We still have work to do to prepare our lives. And we still have work to do the prepare a world that is perishing in ignorance.

Body

The second coming of Jesus Christ is the the keynote of the Scriptures.

Titus 2:11–14 (KJV 1900)

11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,

12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

Notice the complete presentation of our salvation in Christ, past, present, and future.

“that blessed hope” - The very keynote of the Holy Scriptures is the second coming of Jesus.

Can you hear the keynote? Are you living in the right key?

The promise of the second Coming of Jesus has been the hope and joy of God’s people past and present.

Enoch

Jude 14–15 (KJV 1900)

14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,

15 to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

Job

Job 19:25–27 (KJV 1900)

25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, And that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:

26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, Yet in my flesh shall I see God:

27 Whom I shall see for myself, And mine eyes shall behold, and not another; Though my reins be consumed within me.

Israel

Isaiah 9:2 (KJV 1900)

2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: They that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.

Isaiah 9:6–7 (KJV 1900)

6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: And the government shall be upon his shoulder: And his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, Upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, To order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice From henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

Us

Isaiah 60:2 (KJV 1900)

2 For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And gross darkness the people: But the Lord shall arise upon thee, And his glory shall be seen upon thee.

Isaiah 60:19 (KJV 1900)

19 The sun shall be no more thy light by day; Neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: But the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, And thy God thy glory.

Isaiah 62:11 (KJV 1900)

11 Behold, the Lord hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; Behold, his reward is with him, And his work before him.

Because what Jesus began with His life, death, and resurrection, and what He continues as our High Priest in the Sanctuary above, He’s coming back to complete as our Conquering King.

John 19:30 (KJV 1900)

30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

Revelation 21:6 (KJV 1900)

6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

Too many of God’s people are living like everything is “done,” not realizing that it’s just been “finished.”

1 Peter 3:18 (KJV 1900)

18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

1 Corinthians 13:9–12 (KJV 1900)

9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

Revelation 22:4 (KJV 1900)

4 And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.

It’s not over yet!

Conclusion

2 Samuel 14:1–13 (KJV 1900)

1 Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart was toward Absalom.

2 And Joab sent to Tekoah, and fetched thence a wise woman, and said unto her, I pray thee, feign thyself to be a mourner, and put on now mourning apparel, and anoint not thyself with oil, but be as a woman that had a long time mourned for the dead:

3 And come to the king, and speak on this manner unto him. So Joab put the words in her mouth.

4 And when the woman of Tekoah spake to the king, she fell on her face to the ground, and did obeisance, and said, Help, O king.

5 And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, I am indeed a widow woman, and mine husband is dead.

6 And thy handmaid had two sons, and they two strove together in the field, and there was none to part them, but the one smote the other, and slew him.

7 And, behold, the whole family is risen against thine handmaid, and they said, Deliver him that smote his brother, that we may kill him, for the life of his brother whom he slew; and we will destroy the heir also: and so they shall quench my coal which is left, and shall not leave to my husband neither name nor remainder upon the earth.

8 And the king said unto the woman, Go to thine house, and I will give charge concerning thee.

9 And the woman of Tekoah said unto the king, My lord, O king, the iniquity be on me, and on my father’s house: and the king and his throne be guiltless.

10 And the king said, Whosoever saith ought unto thee, bring him to me, and he shall not touch thee any more.

11 Then said she, I pray thee, let the king remember the Lord thy God, that thou wouldest not suffer the revengers of blood to destroy any more, lest they destroy my son. And he said, As the Lord liveth, there shall not one hair of thy son fall to the earth.

12 Then the woman said, Let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak one word unto my lord the king. And he said, Say on.

13 And the woman said, Wherefore then hast thou thought such a thing against the people of God? for the king doth speak this thing as one which is faulty, in that the king doth not fetch home again his banished.