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ECCLESIASTES 8:11-13

"IN THE FINAL END"

Intro: Often life seems unfair, many good people suffer, many wicked people prosper. Often the
       forces of evil seem stronger than the forces of good. People seem to get by with evil.
       It's the final score that counts.

I. BECAUSE SENTENCE AGAINST AN EVIL WORK IS NOT EXECUTED SPEEDILY, " THIS LEADS THE WICKED TO
   FATAL MISTAKES.
        A. They think that God doesn't know. "Is their knowledge in the most high?"
                1. Man seeks to be so clever in hiding his guilt.
                        a. He creates his cover alibis.
                        b. He covers his tracks.
                        c. He hides the evidence.
                        d. He isn't caught, he assumes no one saw him - fatal mistake.
                2. He that created the eye, can He not see?
                3. David.
        B. He thinks that God doesn't care.
                1. They mistake the long-suffering of God as approval.
                2. They feel God is too remote to notice.
                3. God to them is an impersonal force, not a caring Father.
                        a. Jesus said, "He knows the number of the hairs on your head."
                        b. Far from being remote or uncaring, He knows meaningless trivia.
                4. Your every sin grieves the heart of your loving Father.
        C. They think that God won't judge.
                1. They discard the warnings of God's Word of the judgment to come and create
                   plausible rationales.
                        a. How could a God of love destroy the world?
                                1. He could sent a flood.
                        b. How could a God of love send a man to hell forever?
                                1. If you even mention hell from the pulpit your mail bag will
                                   be full of complaining letters of accusations of hell fire
                                   and brimstone.                      
                                2. Do you know what one of those hell fire brimstone preachers
                                   said? Mark 9:43.
        D. "Their hearts are fully set to do evil."
                1. Men give themselves over to a life of sin.
                2. It becomes a way of life for them.
                3. No fear of God in their hearts.
                4. Their conscience is seared with a hot iron.

II. "I KNOW IT SHALL BE WELL WITH THEM THAT FEAR GOD."
        A. The future is filled with uncertainty.
                1. Survival has become big business in the U.S.
                2. People see a breakdown coming in our society.
                        a. Total economic collapse.
                        b. Devastating earthquake.
        B. I know it shall be well with them that fear God.
                1. The fear of God is the wise choice.
                2. What is it to fear the Lord?
                        "The fear of the Lord is to depart from evil."
        C. I know it will not be well for the wicked.