A Time For Rainbows

Beyond Your Wildest Dreams:

Look: There is a Rainbow

December 2, 2007 Jay Davis Robison GENESIS 9:8-16

Have you ever regretted doing something?

As soon as it happened I knew I was in big trouble

When I was youth minister I did not do victim games

Those designed to make someone look silly here’s why

At an event when new youth came in, “Initiated” them by bringing

in one by one put in circle, With rest of group surrounding them, Said sit here to kid Then in circle stone silence, never said anything Finally the person cracked, whatever they said supposed to be

What they would say when alone with opposite sex

Debby gregarious 6th grader leader new youth sat her in circle silence

Finally said, “What are you doing?” everyone laughed especially

Her older brother Chuck because the joke was on his sister

Everyone except Debby who left the party crying and ran home

During summers lived with Debby’s family closest friends in church

I’d have to explain to 6ft 6 in Gary how I made his little girl cry

I blew it I needed a rainbow

If you’ve ever done something then regretted it in good company

Look at Genesis 6:5-6 CEV The LORD saw how bad the people on

earth were and that everything they thought & planned was evil. He was very sorry that he had made them,

If there is ever a time for rainbows it is now

Rainbows are not pretty frivolous

They are visual signs that God has given us a second chance

The Rainbow is A HARBINGER OF HOPE

After God created human beings, God discovered

That we often took part in willful disobedience

God sent rain in Noah’s day as consequence of human sin

I don’t believe rain not so much God’s wrath as God’s tears

Noah his family and two of each animal in ark upon leaving ark

As a symbol of the new start, God sent a rainbow, when see it

Vs 15 NKJV I will remember My covenant which is between Me

and you and every living creature of all flesh; the waters shall

never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. Vs 15 NKJV

Word for rainbow in Hebrew same word for warrior’s bow

Symbolism of God hanging fighting bow in clouds

Saying “I’m not angry any more through fighting hanging up bow.”

Advent beyond our wildest dreams reminder we can begin again

Rainbow of Genesis 9 is a reminder of the hope God gives us

1. Live in Hope BECAUSE GOD IS DEPENDABLE

Can endure word of judgment because we live by hope

Put up with any hardship if we have hope

Hope gives us perspective for future, man wrote on inside of wife’s Wedding ring, “Nothing but hope.”

Noah’s world WAS TURNED UPSIDE DOWN

None of the rest of us will live to see the whole world flood Rained 40 Days and 40 Nights Gen 7:11-8:14 tells us Noah on Ark for over a year

When they got out of the ark I wonder what happened first time they sinned again Wait no God please don’t destroy again God wanted Noah to know you can count after storms of life

What are the changes you have lived through? Maybe not as dramatic as Noah, but people at TBC been through some stuff like Wars, Civil Rights Movement, and 9/11, many of you have lived through the death of loved ones, $$ ruin Divorce, handicap, remember the rainbow, God reaching out

2. Hope Sustains US WHEN THE WORLD FALLS APART

The world as Noah knew it was gone all the animals & people His home and possessions were gone except those on ark He was having to begin life again from group up

In a sense all major losses in life are losses of worlds When you have such losses everything seems bleak You loss colors your whole existence

Some have built worlds around family, position, or bank account problem is that all of those are impermanent Dream homes can burn, mates will die, job can be over Why we must build our lives on personal relationship with God

You cannot see a rainbow UNLESS YOU HAVE SOME RAIN Duke McCall former Pres of Southern Seminary after wife died Someone said to him sorry you lost your wife he said I know where she is I am the one that is lost

And God helps us in the rebuilding of our lives Look again at Vs 16 CEV in midst of the rain When the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and I will remember the agreement that continues forever between me and every living thing on the earth." Rainbow is God’s way of saying there is still hope I care for you The rainbow does not take away the pain immediately But helps us rebuild on God’s care