Biblical Instruction For End Time Living: The Example Of Noah Series

Introduction

I don’t think I am wrong when I say that this generation has moved further away from God than other generation in modern history. And because of that my view regarding the timing of the end times has changed. When I first got here at Bala Chitto in 1994, I believed with all my heart the biblical doctrine that Jesus is going to return again but I felt like it was somewhere in the distant future. And I cannot pinpoint the exact time, but it was sometime within the last ten years, I changed from thinking that Jesus’ return is in the distant future to soon. And unfortunately, I would have to tell you that within the last two to three years, I changed my position once again from soon to real soon. Jesus could very well come during our lifetime. I believe that!

And if I believe in my heart that Jesus’ return is real soon, then I have an obligation as your pastor to instruct you as to how the Bible says we should live as we approach the end. So, today, I am beginning a new series entitled “Biblical Instruction for End Time Living”.

Today, I want to look at a man who was living in his end time. His name was Noah. In his end time, his world was going to be destroyed by a great flood. In our end time, the world is going to be destroyed by fire. But Jesus tied these two events together in Matthew 24 which we will read in just a moment.

But understand this: the way that Noah lived in his end time is the way that you and I should be living in our end time. So, let’s see what lessons we can learn from Noah’s life.

Scripture

Matthew 24:37-44 (NKJV)

37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.

38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark,

39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.

40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left.

41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left.

42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.

43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.

44 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

Points

#1

NOAH LIVED WITH A HOLY REVERENCE FOR GOD WHEN THE WORLD AROUND HIM DIDN’T REVERENCE GOD. YOU AND I SHOULD LIVE WITH A HOLD REVERENCE FOR GOD EVEN AS OUR WORD HAS TURNED IRREVERENT TOWARD GOD.

Hebrews 11:7 (NKJV)

7 By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

The Scripture says that Noah moved with great fear. In other words, Noah had a holy reverence for God.

So, the question I need to ask myself is how would I show a holy reverence for God?

First, it begins with attending worship. Remember God instructed Moses to go to Pharaoh and tell him: Let my people go so that they may worship me. God requires our worship. But according to Outreach Magazine April 10, 2018 edition less than 20% of people who refer to themselves as Christian attend church regularly. As we approach the end times, I need to make sure that I find myself coming together with other Christians on a regular basis to worship Jesus. I need to guard against falling into the habit of skipping worship. I need to quit coming up with excuses that I feel justify my lack of attendance. What do you think God will say about those excuses?

Secondly, reverence is seen in how we treat God’s name. Do we allow God’s name to be used in a joking way or do we allow God’s name to be used in a rant of cursing and swearing? We all know the third commandment: “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.” (Exodus 20:7 NASB). Let me show you how tolerant we have become. Donald Trump, our 45th President, if you listened to many of his speeches, he would use God’s name in vain somewhere in his speech, but I didn’t hear the Christian community rise up in arms against that type of language. I don’t hear Christians rise up against the movie industry for producing movie after movie which in some way defames the name of Christ. And I can tell you that there is not a comedy that does not belittle the name of Christ for the sake of laughs. At the end time, we need to stand up for the name of Jesus and if someone is making funny of Jesus, we need to speak up and tell them not to be talking about my Savior that way.