Conclusion of the Matter

The message was brought by Bro. Reynolds Frye.

Ecclesiastes 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

When you hear the conclusion of the matter and take Jesus into your heart, you’re on the right track.  If you don’t come to the conclusion that there is evil in the world, that there are those who don’t like you just because you came to church today, you may find yourself in trouble.  Many don’t like what Jesus has to offer and want nothing to do with him.  There is only one person who can sustain us, only one person who gives joy and peace.  That person is the Lord Jesus Christ.  Can you imagine someone not wanting that or wanting us to have it?

In the book of Daniel, King Nebuchadnezzar did evil.  He wanted people to look at what he had done; he wanted people to look at him and not give the Lord credit for anything.  He went against God.  He had a dream that he didn’t understand and called upon his people to explain it.  He was very troubled by it.  When out of God’s will, you will be troubled.  No one could interpret the dream, so Daniel was called upon.  The King knew Daniel had the Spirit of God upon him.  Nebuchadnezzar had seen a tree that grew up into the heavens.  He told them I saw, and behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was great. The tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth: The leaves thereof were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all: the beasts of the field had shadow under it, and the fowls of the heaven dwelt in the boughs thereof, and all flesh was fed of it. I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and, behold, a watcher and an holy one came down from heaven; He cried aloud, and said thus, Hew down the tree. (Daniel 4)

There is a devil out there, but we can stand against him through Christ who strengthens us.  The world can’t take away our hope.  We must be careful to not get off track.  Nebuchadnezzar thought he had it all.  In his mind he knew more than God, so the Lord came on the scene to show him something.  The tree was to be cut down; he was to be cut down.  Only the root would survive.

Verses 33 states the same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles’ feathers, and his nails like birds’ claws.  He was cut down, but God wasn’t finished with him yet.  Verse 34 says and at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth forever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation.  When it was over, the King wanted to tell how great God is and how little he was.  The blessing of knowing God is more than a new house or any other things we acquire in life.  The King had to come to that conclusion.

In Acts 9 we read of another man who had something to learn.  Saul did all he could to help the devil along.  He was a terrible man before he was saved.  One day he was headed to have more Christians imprisoned.  A great light shined and blinded him.  He fell to the ground.  The people heard a voice but saw no one.  He was taken to a house, and a man named Ananias was told to go pray for him.  He was afraid.  Verse 13 says that Ananias said Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem.  However, the Lord had a job for Saul.  He told Ananias to go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.  Saul is known to us as Paul, and he became one of the great men of God.  His teachings still amaze the world today.

In Romans 8:37-39 Paul wrote nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The Lord loves us.  To tell others about that love brings joy to the Lord.