Heavens Hero Noah Series

Heaven’s Hero, Noah

Noah as one of heaven’s heroes stands out as a man who heard the word of God and by faith responded to it. For 120 years Noah continued to trust and depend upon God while he obeyed God’s commission to build an ark and preach to an ungodly generation without any proof that God’s word would come to pass

2 Peter 2:5

if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others;

THE FOUNDATION OF NOAH’S FAITH

The apostle Paul says "faith comes from hearing the message" Rom 10:17, the foundation of Noah’s faith was the word of God, he received a message or a warning from God and so his response was to believe in God. Some people believe in God because their family are Christians, some because their friends are Christians and some because they fear Hell. However, family, friends and fear cannot save a person from Hell it is only faith in Christ that will save a person. A person’s reason for believing in God should be because they have heard and responded to the word of God (Lk 8:15, Jam l:9, Prov 8:34). Whenever God’s word goes forth it calls for a faith response, it demands that we take God at His word to save, protect, provide etc

Luke 5:3-4

He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.

When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch."

Acts 27:21-26

After the men had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said: "Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me and said, ’Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’ So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island."

What was the faith response of Peter and Paul ?

THE FOCUS OF NOAH’S FAITH

Faith needs something to aim at, as scripture says "without a vision the people will perish" Prov 29:18, without God’s revealed vision, word, or promise our faith has nothing to focus upon. Because God’s vision or promise is often "far away" "not yet seen" or something that will take place in the future we need to bring and keep the promise or vision of God in the focus of our faith in God. God revealed to Noah His coming judgement upon mankind in the form of a flood. This flood was to take place in 120 years time although Noah did not know the t i me of it coming. A flood had never been experienced before on the earth, Noah did not have any scientific arguments to prove that a flood was coming, "there were no weather men on television in the days of Noah". All Noah to had to support his message and mission was the foundation of his faith, the word of God. Noah’s message and mission was hilarious to the people of his generation. The message of the Gospel and the coming of Christ as Judge of the living and the dead may sound unbelievable even hilarious to our generation. All we have to support our message is the revealed promise of Christ to return which is the foundation of our faith, the focus of our faith yet we don’t know the day of His return to take us home.

"As Noah laboured at the ark, doubtless, the world looked upon him as an enthusiastic fanatic, as one who was putting himself to a great deal of needless trouble. What was there to portend such a calamity as the Deluge ? Nothing at all. All things continued as they were from the beginning of creation. History furnished no analogy whatever. Not only had there never been any previous flood, but even rain was unknown. What then could induce Noah to act in the way he did ? Nothing but the testimony of God. Faith is the eye of the spirit. It is that which visualises the unseen; it is that which gives tangibility to the invisible; it is that which makes substantial the things hoped for."