They did not know

There are some things we cannot know.

There are some things we should know.

There are some things we had better know.

Matt. 24:36-39 - But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. 37  But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38  For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 39  And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

It is impossible for us to know when Christ will return in the rapture, but we should be able to tell by looking around us that the time is near.

The people in the days of Noah knew not until the flood came and took them all away.  How could they not know since Noah was a preacher of righteousness and he build the gigantic ark?  Can they not see?  Can we not see today?  Can people not hear the clear gospel message.

According to Genesis 6:15 the ark was 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide, and 30 cubits tall.  If a cubic is 18”, the ark was 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet tall.  This is not a small structure!

Tell the story of the fellow trying to pass me and cross the railroad tracts when the train was coming.  He said he didn't see the train.

As I turned off the south service road onto highway T at Foristell, MO. I saw there was a train coming because the warning lights were flashing.  I didn’t see the train, all I saw was the flashing warning lights.  I noticed there was a car on my left at the Texaco station, waiting to go south on "T".  I pulled up and stopped.  Another car came up behind me, and I noticed in my rear view mirror that he kept looking at the car on the left.   I Assumed that he wanted to pull into the Texaco station, so I pulled up slightly, being careful to stay well away from the crossing.  When I looked back in my mirror, the car was nowhere to be seen, but when I looked back to the front, he was passing me!  Two things happened at the exact same time.  Just as the train passed in front of me, I saw the back of his car, which had now stopped.  He then put his car in reverse and backed back behind me, where he should have stayed.  I watched him in my rearview mirror as he repeatedly looked nervously at the car on his left, the car waiting to go south on “T” that was waiting at the Texaco station.  The man looked at the driver of that car, shrugged his shoulders and raised his hands and I read his lips as he mouthed the words to the driver on our left, "I didn't see the train!"  I thought how could he miss the warnings?

1.   There was a car stopped in front of him.

2.   There was a car stopped on his left, waiting to go south.

3.   The red lights of the rail road crossing were flashing.

4.   The bright white light on the train was on.

5.   The whistle of the train was very, very loud.

The railroad company could do nothing more.  They could have put a flag man at the crossing, but if the driver hadn’t seen the other six warnings, it is very doubtful in my mind that he would have seen the flag man.  Their warnings should have been very adequate.

God's warnings should also be very adequate.

God’s Warning to the lost.

There is an internal warning God has placed inside all of us concerning the fact that there is a God and that we will all be judged by Him.

Romans 1:20-21 - For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 21  Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

The "internal" warnings God has given have to be totally disregarded by mankind.  They have to deny those things they already know, and "walk around" the warnings God has placed in front of them in order to go to an eternity in a burning, fiery, everlasting destructive hell.

There is a warning God gives lost people about their lost condition, but many people forsake those warnings.  People can know the truth, but unless they pay attention to the truth, they will pay the consequences.

Luke 16:27-31 - Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: 28  For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. 29  Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. 30  And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. 31  And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

The rich man went to hell, but he knew the preaching of the gospel was what was needed for the salvation of sinners.  He knew it was too late for him, but it wasn't too late for his five brethren.  He knew he had turned his back on God's gospel, and wanted Abraham to send Lazarus to preach to them.  Abraham declared if they wouldn't hear Moses and prophets, they wouldn't hear Lazarus.  Today, if the lost won't hear the preachers of their time, they wouldn't believe even if one went unto them from the dead.

God’s Warning to the saved.

Rev. 3:17 - Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

Hoshea 4:6 - My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.

Matt. 24:42 - Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

I Thess 5:1 - But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. 2  For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 3  For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. 4  But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. 5  Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. 6  Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.

Yet ye say:  From the book of  Malachi.

Mal. 1:2 - They didn’t know God loved them.  Today, many people talk a lot about much they love God.  Instead, they ought to be greatly awed by how much God loves us.

Mal. 1:6 - They have despised the name of God, yet do not know it.

Mal. 1:7 - They offer polluted offerings (bread), but say they didn’t know it.

Mal. 1:12 - They have profaned the name of the lord, yet say they didn’t know it.

Mal. 2:14 - they have caused much sorrow, yet say they didn’t know it.

Mal. 2:7 - They have wearied the Lord with all their words, yet say, “How did we weary Him?”  The rest of the verse explains what was happening.

Mal. 3:8 - They had robbed God, yet didn’t know it.

Mal. 3:13 - They had stout words against God, yet said, “How have we spoken against the Lord?”  Verse 14-15 explains what they were saying.

400 years later, Israel still hasn’t figured out what they don’t know.  Christ came and preached the Sermon on the Mount to people who didn’t know what God’s Word said.

1.      Matthew 5:21,22 - Compare “…it was said…” to “…I say…” (Comparing bring angry and murder.)

2.      Matthew 5:27,28 - Compare “Ye had heard that it was said…” to “But I say unto you…”  (Declaring what  men say adultery is and what God says it is.)

3.      Matthew 5:32,32 - Compare “It hath been said…” to “…I say unto you…”  (Comparing what the Bible says about divorce and what God says about it.)