God’s Call to Change the World Part 1
Sunday, July 1, 2007
The Life of Noah: Hearing God’s Call
"Hey You; Yeah, You!"
But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.
Genesis 6:8 (NKJV)
Introduction
Welcome to Gateway Bible Church. Today we are starting a new message series entitled, “God’s Call to Change the World”. Over the next few weeks in July we’re going to be looking at the life of Noah and how God called and used him to change the world.
In the movie, “Evan Almighty”, Evan Baxter has been elected to congress on his promise to change the world and has recently moved his family to Northern Virginia. God, (played by Morgan Freeman) appears to Evan Baxter (played by Steve Carrell) and tells him that He has chosen Evan to build an ark to save people from a coming flood.
(Play Clip: ea_clip_2)
I know that it sounds like a cliché, but it’s true that one person really can change the world. In fact, that’s exactly what God wants to do through you … change your world. Like Noah, God has a very specific call on your life that if heeded, can change your world for the better.
So if God has really (and I mean really) called us to be difference makers and world changers, just where do we start? And how does it all work? Enter the real and (I might add) the original Noah. Noah is a terrific example of how God calls and uses us to change the world. And the very first thing that I know about Noah is found in Genesis 6:9:
Noah was a righteous man, blameless among
the people of his time, and he walked with God.
Genesis 6:9 (NIV)
God’s call on Noah’s life to be a world changer started first with the call on his life to walk closely in fellowship with Him. And the same goes for us. God’s call for us the change the world starts with His call to walk with him. (God has to first change us before He can use us to change the world.)
So, the 1st Component of God’s Call on Your Life to Change the World is the Call to Walk With Him.
From the account of Noah in Genesis 6-7, God’s Call to Walk With Him Involves Three Essential Steps:
God’s Call to Walk With Him Involves . . .
1. Stepping Out of the Dark and Into the Light.
The first essential step in walking with God is to step out of the darkness and into the light.
Noah had to take that step. And it’s a very big one to say the least. Notice if you will, verse eleven in Genesis six:
Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence.
Genesis 6:11 (NIV)
In fact, listen to how the preceding verses describe the culture and environment in which Noah and his family lived:
5 The LORD saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. 6 The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. 7 So the LORD said, "I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth--men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air--for I am grieved that I have made them."
Genesis 6:5-7 (NIV)
Needless to say, Noah’s generation was totally wicked; and not in the good sense of the word as is sometimes used today. It was so bad that God literally decides to wipe them out and is completely grieved and hurt that even created man. Can you imagine that? I must confess that there are sometimes when I wonder how close our generation is to being characterized in the same fashion. Darkness ruled the day! In Ephesians 4:18-19 Paul give us a description of what darkness looks like when he said:
18 They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. 19 Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.
Ephesians 4:18-19 (NIV)
Day in and day out, these are the people that Noah lived, interacted and dealt with. And it only stands the reason that he would be affected by their wickedness. It only stands to reason that he would be tempted to come over to the dark side of their depravity. And no one would have thought any less of him. In fact, I’m sure they would have liked him better. But even in the midst of a wickedly dark and depraved world, God’s voice still called out. But no one was listening. No one that is except for one man. Noah. Crazy old Noah. The crazy old man who still held on to antiquated beliefs about God; right and wrong, good and evil. In direct contrast to the wickedness all around him, the bible says that . . .
8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD. 9 This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God.
Genesis 6:8-9 (NIV)
Noah took intentional steps in a different direction. He chose to listen to the voice of God who called him out of darkness into his wonderful light. He knew that “everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness” (2 Timothy 2:19). And so he did.
Here’s the point. No matter how dark it gets; no matter how prominent evil appears, God’s voice beckons us to come out of the darkness and follow his light. Peter tells us in his first letter that . . .
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
1 Peter 2:9 (NIV)
If we’re going to be world changers and difference makers, then we must walk with God. And the first stride in walking with God is to take a step of faith that moves out of the dark and into his light. Jesus said,
"I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will
never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
John 8:12 (NIV)
Even in the midst of the dark and wicked world that we live in, God’s voice is ringing out. Everywhere you go and everything you see, God is calling to you to . . .
Key Phrase: Believe in Me! That’s exactly what Noah did. He believed in God.
Noah shows us the 2nd step that is essential to walking with God and it’s found in Genesis 6:22 which says,
Noah did everything just as God commanded him.
Genesis 6:22 (NIV)
God’s Call to Walk With Him Involves . . .
2. Stepping Out of Defiance and Into Obedience.
The 2nd step to walking with God is stepping out of defiance and into obedience. This is a major step when it comes to walking with God. It answers the question, “Am I going to live life my way or God’s way?” And our natural tendency is to defy God and do our own thing. When God called Noah to build the ark, Noah had a decision to make. He could either compete with God or cooperate with God. He could either defy God or obey God. The bible tells us that he chose to obey God. He did everything just as God commanded. And before you think it was easy, you need to realize that it took Noah 120 years to build the ark. 120 years! Talk about perseverance, diligence and endurance! When God called, Noah obeyed. Oh how God loves an obedient heart. Because an obedient heart reveals love. In fact Jesus said,
"If you love me, you will obey what I command.
John 14:15 (NIV)
What about you? How would you respond if God were to call you to change your world by leaving your current profession and position and go into an entirely different field of work? Well that’s exactly what happened to our own Steve Tang. And he’s been kind enough to come and share with us this morning how that happened.
When I hear stories of obedience like Steve’s, I think of 2 Chronicles 16:9 which says,
For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to
strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.
2 Chronicles 16:9 (NIV)
God’s voice continues to call out to us today, summoning us to obey him no matter what the cost.
Key Phrase: “Trust Me Enough to Obey Me!”
God’s Call to Walk With Him Involves . . .
3. Stepping Away from the World and Into the Ark.
The LORD then said to Noah, "Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteous in this generation.
Genesis 7:1 (NIV)
The third step that Noah shows us about walking with God is to step away from the world and into the ark. In Genesis 7:1 we read,
The LORD then said to Noah, "Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteous in this generation.
Genesis 7:1 (NIV)
After 120 years of building the ark the time came for Noah and his family to say good-bye to everything and everyone they knew; to leave it all behind and to make their abode in the ark. Can you imagine just for a moment what that must have felt like? The entire family walks up the long platform and into the ark, not really knowing just exactly what was going to happen, when it was going to happen or even if it were going to happen. And by the way, did I mention that when they went into the ark, it wasn’t even raining yet? Say good-bye to the world, say hello to your new home and oh, by the way, your neighbors are really a bunch of animals. So far, Noah had trusted God by . . .
•Stepping out of the Culture of Depraved Darkness & into God’s Light.
•Stepping out of Inborn Defiance and into Faithful Obedience.
But this last step of walking with God was a real test. It tested what Noah really valued in life. Choose where to make your abode. In the world or in the ark. And although the world was familiar to them, it was going to be destroyed. God was calling them to the unfamiliar and the uncertain; but it was the call of salvation. The ark was God instrument to save them. Noah chose the ark. And the rest is history.
You and I are faced with the same choice. We have to choose where we are going to make our abode; in the world or in the A.R.K. And God’s A.R.K. for you and I are:
The Arms of the Redeemer King. His name is Jesus. And his voice still rings out in a dark and defiant world, saying,
Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself,unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
John 15:4 (NKJV)
I think the apostle Paul put it best when he stated in Colossians 3:3 . . .
For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.
Colossians 3:3 (NLT)
That’s the 3rd Step in Walking With God. You have to step away from the world and into the arms of a redeeming king. Like he did for Noah, his greatest desire is to save you from destruction. The destruction of sin and selfish living and the destruction of eternal separation from God. And so he calls to you today:
Key Phrase: Abide in Me! Choose to make your abode or your home with me.
Conclusion:
37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will 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 knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
Matthew 24:37-39 (NIV)
I can think of no better way to start of this new message series than for each of us to commit ourselves to the three steps exemplified by Noah’s life:
1. Stepping Out of the Dark and Into the Light.
2. Stepping Out of Defiance and Into Obedience.
3. Stepping Away from the World and Into the Ark.
Let’s pray to that end this morning.
