This message was preached at Word Of Grace Church on September 25th 2022 by Colin D'Cruz. For the audio & video please click here. To listen to the worship please click here.A Life of Faith - Noah
We've been going through Hebrews 11 for a few weeks now. How many of you did Precise Writing when you were in school? If a prize is to be given for Precise Writing, it should be given to the writer of Hebrews.
Hebrews 11:7 - By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.
Many verses from about Noah from Genesis chapter 6 we're condensed into just one verse in Hebrews.
Noah was one of the greatest men in the Bible. Genesis chapter 6 talks about the Ark, animals and many more things. Doesn't that sound fun? But it actually talks about salvation.
Genesis 6:9 - This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God.
Think about this. If it is about you, what would be written. This is the account of ______.
So Noah was righteous, blameless and walked with God. He had a right relationship with God. It must be the same with us too. Our hearts and actions need to be right with God.
What was the state of the Earth during Noah's time? It was evil.
Genesis 6:5-6 - The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled.
In Genesis chapter 1, each time God created something, he said it was good. When he made Adam and Eve, he said it was very good.
Those days, people used to live for 900+ years. God saw the wickedness of people.
Genesis 6:7 - So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.”
The people created by God became evil and wicked. God regretted that he made human beings and he decided to wipe them away from the face of the Earth.
What else was bad?
Genesis 6:1-3 - When human beings began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of humans were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. Then the Lord said, “My Spirit will not contend with humans forever, for they are mortal; their days will be a hundred and twenty years.”
Who are these sons of God? They are the fallen angels. Those days, along with the humans, fallen angels lived too. They married humans and gave birth to the Nephilim.
The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.
The Nephilim were mighty in size, strength and wickedness.
Angels look like humans -
Hebrews 13:2 - Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.
Job 1:6 - One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them.
Job 38:7 - while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?
Genesis 6:11-13 - Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth.
God saw that the Earth was corrupt and was filled with violence and wickedness. So he said to Noah that he was going to put an end to all the people.
Genesis 6:14-16 - So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be three hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide and thirty cubits high. Make a roof for it, leaving below the roof an opening one cubit high all around. Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks.
So God told Noah to build an ark which is big, huge and massive with many rooms. The ratio of length, breadth and height was the ideal ratio for ships. That was the largest vessel ever built till the 19th century.
1. Noah was a man of faith
Hebrews 11:7 - By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.
Noah was a man of faith. From verse 7, what can we say are the things that were not yet seen? Rain! There was no rain during those days. But when God told him about the rain, Noah believed Him And started to work.
The destruction that God spoke about was not a local flood. It was the greatest destruction in the whole world. The greatest ever.
The Bible talks about another destruction.
2 Peter 3:7 - By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.
Now, it takes great faith to build such a big vessel. He built it in holy fear.
If you compare now, people in Christ will be saved towards the end just like how Noah's family which was in the Ark was saved.
Matthew 24:37-39 - As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
People during Noah's time didn't know about the flood till the last minute. It is going to be the same when Jesus comes again.
Ephesians 2:8-10 - For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
It is not works but faith that is needed for salvation. And then the works follow salvation.
2. Noah preached God's righteousness
2 Peter 2:4-5 - For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment; if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others;
Noah's life shows walk of faith and works of faith.
How many converts did Noah have? Just his family.
We need to share our faith with people. Our responsibility is to be faithful in how we live and also preach the gospel.
God said to Noah not only to build the ark but bring two of all the living creatures.
Genesis 6:19 - You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you.
What would Noah have thought? How could he bring in all the wild animals?
Genesis 6:20 - Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive.
God said they would come to Noah. And they did come.
Genesis 7:8-9 - Pairs of clean and unclean animals, of birds and of all creatures that move along the ground, male and female, came to Noah and entered the ark, as God had commanded Noah.
The whole ark had a covering. The covering was made of pitch so that water doesn't seep inside the ark.
The pitch represents the blood of Jesus.
2 Peter 3:3-7 - Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.
There's another judgement that's coming up. It is not going to be by water but by fire.
What's our response?
i.) Am I saved?
ii.) Am I doing the works of faith?
Salvation is now. If there's anyone who hasn't put their faith in Jesus, today is the day. If you have already put your faith in Jesus, put your name in the verse account of ___ and ask about your works.
One day you will be rewarded for your works of faith.
Word of Grace is an Evangelical (Born Again), Spirit-filled (Charismatic), Reformed, English speaking church in Pune that upholds the Bible as God's inspired Word for life. We are a church community that has people from every part of India and parts of the world. We are here to put the Great Command and the Great Commission into practice by equipping and releasing every member into works of service. Word of Grace is a part of a wider international family of Churches called RegionsBeyond.To know more about us please log onto www.wordofgracechurch.org.
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