An Ark-Ie, Ark-Ie. Series

Intro:

1. A 320-year-old Strad-i-var-ius cello [chel-o] that had been missing for 3 weeks has been returned to the Los Angeles Phil-har-mon-ic Orchestra after it avoided becoming the world's most expensive CD rack.

The instrument was accidentally left outside the owners home. Nearby video surveillance cameras revealed that a bicyclist had stolen it. Recently, 29 year-old nurse, Melanie Stevens, found the $3.5 million dollar instrument made by master craftsman An-to-nio Strad-i-vari, lying beside a trash bin about a mile from where it was stolen.

Melanie found the instrument inside its silver coated plastic case and put it in her car's trunk for 2 days. Then she asked her boyfriend, who is a cabinetmaker, to either repair the instrument or convert it into a unique CD holder.

Melanie did not know the significance of the instrument until she saw a news report about it. She said, "I had the idea to possibly put a hinge on the front. He would install little shelves inside. It would be a very elaborate CD case. I know it sounds crazy."

Robert Cauer, a Los Angeles-based instrument restoration specialist said, "The valuable instrument is damaged but repairable and should be back in service by this fall. The thought that this prized instrument could have been turned into a CD holder is so abominable, I get sick when I hear it."

2. The Bible says, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." Ephesians 2:10

God has a specific work for every believer to do, to miss that work and give our life to something else - is like turning that chel-o into a CD holder!

3. Noah's God given Work.

Trans:Last week we saw that Noah Walked with God, anybody who really Walks with God is going to be Working for God also.

Gen. 6:14-7:9

I. FIRST HIS WORK WAS COMMISSIONED BY GOD. 6:14

"Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood; you shall make the ark with rooms, and shall cover it inside and out with pitch - his work originated with God.

Jesus is a perfect example of this:

"Jesus *said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work." John 4:34 (NASB)

38 "For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me." John 6:38 (NASB)

"I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do." John 17:4 (NASB)

We all have different assignments - some like Billy Graham are given the work of a public ministry; other like F.F. Bruce are given to a private work of ministry.

He wrote, "For many years now, the greater part of my time, has been devoted to, the study and interpretation of the Bible, in academic and non-academic settings alike. I regard this, as a most worthwhile and rewarding occupation. There is only one form of work, I should rate more highly; that is the work of an evangelist, to which I have not been called."

The point is, every believer has been commissioned by God to do something. That work will glorify God! Mt. 5:16

II. FURTHERMORE, HIS WORK INVOLVED THE CONSTRUCTION OF AN ARK. 15-16

15 "This is how you shall make it: the length of the ark three hundred cubits, its breadth fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. 16 "You shall make a window for the ark, and finish it to a cubit from the top; and set the door of the ark in the side of it; you shall make it with lower, second, and third decks

Ryrie, "Although we do not know for certain the length of the cubit mentioned here, later in history it was about 18 in. A vessel of such dimensions would have a displacement of about 20,000 tons and gross tonnage of about 14,000 tons. Its carrying capacity equaled that of 522 standard railroad stock cars (each of which can hold 240 sheep). Only 188 cars would be required to hold 45,000 sheep-sized animals, leaving three trains of 104 cars each for food, Noah's family, and "range" for the animals. Today it is estimated that there are 17,600 species of animals, making 45,000 a likely approximation of the number Noah might have taken into the ark."

I wonder how many today would criticize Noah Ministry? Consider his basic ministry was (1) building a boat! How spiritual is that! (2) After 120 years of warning people about the coming flood - no one outside of his family responded! In a day when Numbers = success, we would deem Noah a colossal failure.

When need to evaluate things from God's perspective - Compare Noah to Jonah. Jonah was clearly carnal and rebellious - yet he saw a great Revival where many people were saved...