A Strategy For Offering God's Salvation

Video - We Are Marshall (Coach meets the three living members)

Introduction

I. The world had become exceedingly wicked.

A. Men and women did not obey God, but rather did as they wished.

B. Men and women did not love their neighbors, but rather looked out for only number one, namely self, saying, “What can I get out of this life.”

C. Lawmakers were few, law followers were even fewer, but lawbreakers were many.

D. It sounds a lot like today, or any other day for that matter, BUT

E. Relatively speaking, the world was only a few years old.

II. In fact Genesis 6:12 says - “12 And God looked on the earth, and behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth.”

A. Genesis 6

B. The world began with the story of Genesis one, and one chart I looked at developed a time line that said from creation to Noah was only about 1500 years or so.

III. To our way of thinking 1500 years seems like an awfully long time, but wonder with me for a moment,

A. 1500 years from Adam and Eve, I wonder how many people had been born?

B. 1500 years, from the time God walked the earth with man, yet God was still communicating with some men.

C. 1500 years, since the first command of God was broken, and creation has so deteriorated that God was going to destroy every living thing,

IV. But what did God do?

A. In his mercy, He found one man who the bible says was a “righteous, blameless man in his time.” (Gen. 6:9, NASB)

B. God found one man, that would be obedient to even the wildest of ideas and God said, “make (or build) an Ark.”

V. Show video (Gaither Music) (Build an Ark)

VI. So what was this Ark that Noah was told to build?

A. Was it not a type of Christ?

1. All who entered were offered salvation from the coming flood.

B. Even though there were probably thousands, maybe even millions of people alive, how was this salvation made possible?

1. Through a personal invitation of God.

2. Through personal obedience to the Word of God.

C. God said,

1. Build an ark, according to MY specifications.

2. You, your wife, your sons and their wives are invited to enter into this salvation experience, because the rest will be destroyed.

D. Notice,

1. The only person that the bible says was “righteous and blameless” was Noah, yet because of his obedience, a few others were saved.

2. Now don’t misunderstand,

a. I’m not saying that salvation comes to others because of the obedience of the righteous.

(1) Each person must make his own decision.

(2) Even Noah’s family had to decide

(a) I will accept the invitation, or

(b) This guy is crazy.

b. But in one sense, I am saying,

(1) Salvation came to others based on Noah’s obedience to God’s word.

(2) No obedience, would mean, no Ark, which would have meant no salvation for anyone.

VII. I wonder how many people were pounding on the door of the Ark when the waters began to rise!!!

VIII. Consider this as well,

A. God called upon Noah to be obedient to His strategy, and build an Ark, which probably seemed just a bit silly to most folks, if not Noah himself.

B. There were specific plans laid out by God, by which salvation would come,

1. A specific type of wood was called for, Gopher; not oak or pine or anything else.

2. Cover it inside and out with pitch or tar, because the ride will be long and hard.

3. This many decks,

4. This many windows,

5. This many floors,

6. But only one window, AND

7. Only one door by which entrance will be gained.

C. And Noah built an Ark, and offered God’s salvation to a specific group of people, at a specific time in history.

IX. I don’t want to stretch this analogy to far, but in creating “The Connection” we are attempting to follow a strategy for offering salvation.

X. This morning I would like to share with you a bit of the strategy for reaching our community with a message from God.

XI. We want to Build and Ark,

XII. Strategy Step Number One - “It doesn’t take a multitude to accomplish something great with God”

“It doesn’t take a multitude to accomplish something great with God”

I. How many people were responsible for building the ark?

A. Genesis 6:14 - “Make for yourself an ark...”

1. God gave the responsibility for offering salvation to one man, Noah.

2. Now I have no doubt that Noah must have had some help.

a. Maybe his sons and daughter-in-laws helped.