If You Had Only Known

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IF
YOU HAD ONLY KNOWN

Theme;
When God's Grace runs out!

Text.
Luke 19:41 And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept
over it,

Luke
19:42 Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy
day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid
from thine eyes.

Luke
19:43 For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall
cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on
every side,

Luke
19:44 And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children
within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another;
because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.

Intro;
God has always made known to man the limits of His Grace, but only
those whose hearts are tuned to the guidance of His Spirit know when
the time is near..

I.
Israel didn't know the opportunities that faced her because she
refused to open her eyes and see Christ.

A.
They had the prophets

1.
Concerning His birth. Isa 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself
shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a
son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

2.
Concerning his miracles. Micah 7:15 According to the days of
thy coming out of the land of Egypt will I show unto him marvellous
things.

B.
They had the witness of the angelic host. Luke 2:13 And
suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host
praising God, and saying,

Luke
2:14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will
toward men.

Luke
2:15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them
into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even
unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the
Lord hath made known unto us.

C.
They had the pictures of the Law.

D.
They had the testimony of the Father. Mat 3:17 And lo a voice
from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well
pleased.

E.
They had the witness of the Holy Spirit.

F.
They had the witness of the Son concerning himself. John 3-4

G.
Yet Israel and the world still close their eyes to the Christ. 1
Cor 2:8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they
known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

H.
The day of Israel's opportunity ended when she said, "We will
not have this man to rule over us."

II.
The day of the lost is appointed.

A.
Today is the day of salvation.

B.
The lost MUST come while God gives the opportunity. When the gates of
hell are opened and all restraint removed, it is too late.

C.
Today the lost have the opportunity to know;

1.By
the Word of God

2.
By the preaching of the Gospel.

D.
Sooner or later, God will say,"It is enough."

III.
The day of service is appointed..

A.
Eph 5:16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

This
can only be done by using each day for Him.

B.
There comes a time when labor is over. John 9:4 I must work
the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh,
when no man can work.

C.
The way to serve is appointed.

2
Tim 2:5 And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not
crowned, except he strive lawfully.

Eph
2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good
works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Eph
3:21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all
ages, world without end. Amen.

D.
When God is done waiting on us, we become castaways.

1
Cor 9:27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection:
lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself
should be a castaway.

IV.
There is a day of judgment appointed. Acts 17:31 Because he
hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in
righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath
given

A.
God will wait no longer. Rev 10:6 And sware by him that
liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that
therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the
sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no
longer:

B.
At a time men do not expect it. Ezek 11:3 Which say, It is
not near; let us build houses: this city is the caldron, and we be
the flesh.

C.
2 Pet 3:4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for
since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from
the beginning of the creation.

Remember
they waited 120 years for the flood to occur and it finally did!

V.
If they had only known!

A.
The destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. Foretold in Deut.28: This
was why Jesus wept over the city.

B.
If OUR nation could only know. Deu 32:41 If I whet my
glittering sword, and mine hand take hold on judgment; I will render
vengeance to mine enemies, and will reward them that hate me.

C.
The torment of the damned. Luke 16.

D.
The chastising hand today and the rebuke at the judgment seat. If
they had only known.

E.
The tribulation about to come upon the world!