Sermon Central
-
A Just And Perfect Man
Contributed by Ron Hicks on Sep 13, 2006 (message contributor)
Summary: Who is this guy, in this particular time frame in history? I mean, the only one in the whole world that believed God.
A JUST AND PERFECT MAN
Heb ll:7
7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.
Heb ll:7
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 comes by faith.
NIV
Who is this guy and in this particular time frame in history?
Gen 6:11-14
11 Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight…. (we say, "I don’t see anything wrong with this or that.")
Prov 12:15
15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes.
Prov 14:12-13
12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
....and was full of violence. 12 God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways.
Gen 6:9
Noah was a righteous man, (he lived right) blameless among the people of his time, (they couldn’t put a finger on anything in his life) and he walked with God.
NIV
My reply is Lord help us to be like this.
I can just visualize Noah in his prayer closet hearing,
13 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. NIV
By faith Noah- He dared to believe God.
Wouldn’t it have been easier to go with the flow?
I mean, who else believed in a god?
Noah and his family were the only ones, in the whole world.
Isn’t there always at least one someone in the crowd that, have some weird ideas?
Talk about dealing with peer pressure and popular opinion.
Popular opinion leads to destruction.
Look where it’s leading us today. As far away from God as it can.
Flaunting homosexuality (gay marriages)
Abortion
Conditioning (humanism)
Do you believe God?
Is your behavior and pursuit of Him evidence that you do?
Or are you a church go-er, living the same lifestyle as the sinner?
Noah received a warning from God about something that seemed unrealistic.
It had never rained before. But it did. Big time.
God does not have to give us warnings, but He does because He love us .
He gives us warnings concerning;
Sin. How deadly and destructive it is now and how it will be for the sinner for eternity.
Rom 6:23
23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Ezekl8:4
the soul that sinneth, it shall die.
Warnings concerning the rapture, (signs)
3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
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.
44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
NIV
This warning stirred his emotions-scared him.
What moves you? How graphic do I have to get. Isn’t the truth enough?
This warning moved him into action.
He didn’t act from a fear of losing his life, but from the fear of God; and that fear was attributed to faith.
He began to do something about his present condition.
He began to build an ark.
God was providing a means of salvation and he was taking advantage of it.
If we really fear God, what are we doing about our present condition?
17 And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear :
And let that fear call you to humility, purity, holiness.
This warning compelled him to evangelize.
Knowing what we know about salvation (the mercy of God), heaven (wonderful) and hell (horribly indescribable), shouldn’t we compel people to come to Jesus?
2 Cor 5:11
11 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men;
Every person in the world died, but it wasn’t because Noah didn’t try. He preached 120 years.
the longsuffering of God waited ...., while the ark was a preparing,
How he must have wept the day the rains came.
Do you have love ones who are not in the ark of safety? How about friends?
Do we let day after day go by without saying anything to them about Jesus?
