Faith Finishes

Faith Finishes

TEXT: Genesis 6:1-22; Hebrews 11:17

INTRODUCTION:

The story of Noah and the ark is more common that our favorite nursery rhymes. In our nursery here at the church, the theme is a large boat full of animals riding above an ocean filled with colorful fish with a beautiful rainbow in the background. An anthropological survey of the stories of world cultures reveals that almost everyone has a flood story - the story of a universal flood brought about as God's judgment on human sinfulness. Imagine a flood so great that the entire world was wiped out, and only eight people and a sampling of animals were saved. It would make such an impact that the world would never forget. There was such a flood, and it was hard for ancient cultures to forget.

The writer of Genesis paints the scene of the preflood world as characterized by violence and wicked imagination. The thoughts of their hearts were only evil continually, and they were continually hurting one another. It sounds much like the news headlines of 2022. It grieved the heart of God that His Image was being so distorted in the world He had made. The reason God hates sin is because of what it does to us. We were made to represent Him, and we so often fail to do so.

The pre-flood world was also characterized by a lukewarm acceptance of the status quo and an ignorance of what was coming.

Jesus warned that:

Matthew 24:36-41 (KJV)

"No one knows about that day or hour [of His Coming], not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 37 As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark. 39 And they were oblivious, until the flood came and swept them all away. So will it be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40 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."

The main point Jesus makes as he looks back to Noah's day and ahead to the world before His Coming is that everyone will be acting like everything is okay. They will just be going about business as usual, unaware of what is impending. They will be doing so well in life that they miss the warning signs. They will not feel the tremors before the earthquake of judgment. They will ignore the warnings of preachers of righteousness until their situation is beyond repair.

Then there were those who became scoffers. Peter says:

2 Peter 3:2-7 (ESV)

"...remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, 3 knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. 4 They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” 5 For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, 6 and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. 7 But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly."

Our world has tried to forget the flood to the place that certain groups have taken the symbol of God's promise not to ever destroy the world with a universal flood again as a symbol for their own sinful cause. We can be forgetful to the place we become scornful. God have mercy upon us.

Jesus really is coming. It is not a weird belief. It is one of the cornerstones of the Christian faith!

The world before the flood was bad. The world in which we live is too.

The writer of Genesis ends his description of the preflood world with words that should fill our hearts with faith. He writes:

Genesis 6:8 (KJV)

"But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD."

Where sin abounds, grace much more abounds (Romans 5:20).

Ephesians 2:8-19 (KJV)

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."