God Will Have The Final Word

GOD WILL HAVE THE FINAL WORD

Ezek. 12:25; 1 Cor. 15:24

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR: Indecisive Vs. Definite

1. A man charged with vagrancy was brought before the judge. "Are you a resident of this city?" asked the judge, to which the man replied, "Now and then."

2. The judge then asked, "Where do you live?" and the man answered, "Here and there." "What do you do for a living?" said the judge and the man replied, "Oh, this and that."

3. The judge had had enough of the man's frivolous answers, so he banged the gavel and sentenced the man to jail. "What! When will I get out?" he cried. The judge said, "Sooner or later."

B. QUESTION: WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO GET THE “LAST WORD?”

1. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN IN A DEBATE? In debates, getting the last word often means that you win the debate. If your opponent can’t overturn your argument, it may prove that that you’re correct because you presented the clinching argument. Debates are like boxing matches. Getting to land the final blow on your opponent in a fight could well put them out of the ring. They’ll be down for the count.

2. MY GRANDMA ALWAYS GOT THE FINAL WORD. My Grandma used to say, “And that’s the word with the bark on it.” That meant there wasn’t going to be any more discussion on the subject; her decision was final and incontrovertible! [The bark is the outside of the tree.]

3. When God declares something, you better get used to it or adjust yourself to the idea, because that’s the way its going to be.

C. TITLE: “God Will Have the Final Word”

I. SCRIPTURES THAT TEACH GOD WILL HAVE THE FINAL WORD

A. GOD’S WILL SHALL PREVAIL

1. Isaiah 43:13, “Yes, and from ancient days I am he. No one can deliver out of my hand. When I act, who can reverse it?”

2. Ezekiel 12:25, “For I am the Lord: I will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall come to pass; it shall be no more prolonged: for in your days, O rebellious house, will I say the word, and will perform it, saith the Lord God.

3. “Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.” 1 Cor. 15:24-25.

B. THE OLDEST BEING IN THE UNIVERSE

1. We’re not the ones calling the shots! How long have we been on earth? 30-40-60-70-80 years? That’s just a speck of dust in the trillions of years of eternity. God is called the Ancient of Days. He’s before all, and after everyone has passed away, He will still be ruling.

2. Do WE have power over the elements? No! There’s only one divine being, Creator, Sustainer – who exists outside of time and who’s Being is self-generating, and He needs nothing. He can speak and it happens!

3. Isa. 7:6-7, The Syrians said, “Let us invade Judah; let us tear it apart and divide it among ourselves....” But God answered in verse 7, “Yet this is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘It will not take place, it will not happen.’”

4. Aren’t you glad it’s God calling the shots?

II. AN EXAMPLE OF GOD HAVING THE FINAL WORD:

A. THE DAY OF THE LORD

1. The Old Testament prophets foresaw a day/time in which Jehovah would come in a public and cosmic event to punish the wicked. For the wicked it will be a "day of calamity" (Jeremiah 46:21), a "day of distress" (Habakkuk 3:16), a "day of judgment" (Joel 3:12), and a "Day of wrath" (Ezekiel 7:19). The origin of the "Day of the Lord" lies in the conception of Jehovah as a victorious warrior, and bring destruction on the enemies of God. 2 Th. 1:7,8, Zech. 14:3.

2. HUMOR/ ILLUS. A street preacher went to visit a sophisticated church. The refined pastor preached about the need to believe in Christ, concluding with, “If you don’t believe, then at death you will experience a horrendous eschatological event!” After the sermon the street preacher asked the pastor, “Did you mean to say that unbelievers will go to Hell?” He said, “Yes!” “Then why didn’t you just say that?!”

B. THE DAY OF THE LORD FOR BELIEVERS

1. But the Day of the Lord will also be a day of joy and blessing for God's people, for in that day we will be delivered (Obadiah 15-17; Joel 2:32; 3:17-21). “Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.”

2. The devil himself will be imprisoned and then thrown into the lake of fire forever. Then God will create a new universe and earth – where sin & Satan have never been, and then will begin a time of peace and joy unlike anything except for the original Garden of Eden and everyone will be servants of God.