Introduction:
Looking at the crime in Baltimore City, it seems as though people have a one track mind, and that is to do wrong. Society leans towards the things of darkness rather than the things of light. Society has compromised the thing that God has ordained between a man and a woman, and that is “marriage.”
Marriage, which has been ordained by God has taken a shift from a man and a woman to a man and a man or a woman to another woman. Society no longer seeks to do what is right in the eyes of God. If anyone who seeks to do right in the eyes of God, they are looked upon as an “odd” ball or who does he /she think hey are? With that note, that brings me to my first point.
Development:
First Point: Integrity Comes With a Cost
Noah lived in troubled times. This was probably the most troubled times in human history. Man had become corrupt and wicked. There was great wickedness on the earth. Now great wickedness not only means that sin multiplied, it also means that sin became more and more extreme and terrible. This was so because sin became more mean and vile. Sin became more destructive and terrifying. Sin became more evil and devilish. Sin became more fleshy and carnal. Sin became more obscene and flagrant. Sin became more filthy and foul.
Since the Fall of Adam in the garden, man had become more exceedingly sinful and bolder in sin. My brothers and my sisters isn’t that what we see occurring in our society today? The gays or homosexuals are no longer just out of the closet, they’re demanding that they receive the same rights as heterosexuals when it comes to same sex marriages and benefits.
God is not pleased with this type of behavior. In Galatians 15:19-21 it says, The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
1 Thessalonians 4:3 says, It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable,
There was not a Godly person left on earth other than Noah and his family. The bible says in Genesis 6:9 that Noah was a righteous and blameless man among his people. Noah loved God, Noah believed God, and Noah walked with God. The bible even states in Hebrew 11:7 that Noah was a man of great faith.
No matter what standards society had set, Noah did not waver in his level of integrity. God honored his integrity.
Second Point: The Reward of Integrity/Faith
God saw that man’s wickedness was great upon the earth. By great is meant that man’s wickedness multiplied. Man committed more and more sin, more and more acts of wickedness.
Society was not getting better, not becoming more and more righteous and godly; but society was becoming more lawless and crime-ridden. Lawlessness and crime, immorality and corruption were increasing more and more every year, not decreasing. The wickedness of man had swept the earth—swept every place where man was. Sounds like Baltimore Maryland.
God regrets that He ever made man. Genesis 6:5 says that the great wickedness of man had multiplied and become extreme and terrible, that it was no longer bearable.
But there was one man who would remain true to God up until the day of his death. That man was Noah.
In Genesis 6:8 it says that Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Since Noah did not waver in his integrity and he faith in God, God was extremely pleased with Noah.
What does this mean? It means that Noah believed God’s promise concerning the godly seed, the coming Savior. Noah believed that God was going to preserve a godly people and send the Savior through that people. Therefore, God showered His grace and His favor upon Noah.
God had mercy upon Noah and chose Noah to be the person to be saved through the coming judgment. Noah’s faith in the promise of God, his faith in the coming Savior, is what saved him and his family.
Ephesians 2:8-9 says that Noah was saved by grace through faith in the coming Savior. Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord because he believed God, believed God’s promise of salvation through the promised seed, the coming Savior.
As you study you will find that this is the first time grace or favor is mentioned in the Bible.
Because of Noah’s integrity and faith in God, God had favor upon him and his family. God spared him and his family. God instructed Noah to build an ark. God told Noah after the ark was completed, to have two (male and female) of every animal on earth. As Noah was building the ark, the people ridiculed him. They laughed and made fun. But just like the song writer wrote, It’s Going To Rain, It’s Going To Rain.
Conclusion:
Just before I take my seat, looking at Noah from the eyes of sinful people, Noah was wrong. He was wrong in his talk, he was wrong in his walk, and he was wrong in his beliefs.
If loving you is wrong, I don’t want to be right. In the eyes of society, they were right in the sins that they were committing, they were right in the sexual immorality, they were right in the killings and stealing. But If Loving You Is Wrong, I Don’t Want To Be Right.
I’m so glad, that there is a God that sits high and looks low.
I’m so glad that there is a God who is faithful and just.
I’m so glad that there is a God who is a burden barer.
I’m so glad that there is a God who looks at the heart of men because they speak one thing and mean another.
I’m so glad that there is a God who has compassion.
I’m so glad that there is a God who has mercy.
I’m so glad that there is a God that will give you what you need when you need it.
I’m so glad that there is a balm in Gilead.
If peace is what you need, there is a balm in Gilead.
If more love is what you need, there is a balm in Gilead. That Gilead is Jesus.
I know that the balm in Gilead is true because of what that man man did.
That man had no sin. That man helped every body He could. That man taught every body He could. That man’s name is Jesus. He took that walk down the road of Golgotha to place called the Hill of the Skull, better known as Cavalry. He carried that old rugged cross. As the blood flowed from His body while carrying that old rugged cross, Jesus did not let that distract Him. He was steadfast and unmovable to the cause.
When He arrived at the top of that old hill called “Cavalry,” they made Him lay down on that old rugged cross and began to drive the nails in His hands and His feet. The crucifixion itself was the most horrible of deaths.
As the first nail went in His left hand, He knew that nail was representing the Father which was in heaven, as the second nail went in His right hand, He knew that that nail was representing Himself, the sacrificial Lamb of God, and as the third nail went into His feet, He knew that it was representing the Holy Spirit which was soon to come.
As they raised Him up high, he was stretched wide. There were two thieves hanging there with Him. One was on the left and one was on the right. I see three nails in the body of Jesus the Christ, I see three persons hanging on the Hill of the Skull, I see three nails in each of the thieves. The number three represents the Trinity, the Triune God, the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit.
There was the pain of the driven spikes forced through the flesh of Jesus’ hands and feet. There was the weight of His body jolting and pulling against the spikes as the cross was lifted and rocked into place. There was the scorching sun and the unquenchable thirst gnawing away at His dry mouth and throat. There was the blood oozing from His scourged back, His thorn crowned brow, His stick beaten head. In addition, just imagine the aggravation of flies, gnats, and other insects.
As Jesus hung on that old rugged cross, through it all, He was still steadfast and still unmovable. Jesus was conscience and fully aware of everything that was going on around the cross. He heard the remarks that were being about Him, He heard the lies that were being said about Him, but He still stayed steadfast and unmovable.
I just would like to use my spiritual imagination if I may. Just as death was about to enter the body of Jesus the Christ, the thief on the right made a confession to Jesus. Jesus hearing the man on His right, told death, “Hold up death, I’m no running from you I came to you willingly. I’m just putting you on pause for a minute.
Just like when we are watching a DVD movie or a video tape and we may have to leave the movies for a few minutes and don’t want to miss anything, we hit the pause button so that the movie will stop and upon our return we press the play button for the movies to resume were we left off.
This is what the thief on the right said in Luke 23:41-43, And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.
Shortly after this Jesus gave up the ghost. There were many people that just knew that it was all over for the Jesus the Christ. Saturday morning they just knew that Jesus was done. Saturday night those same people just knew that Jesus was done. But early Sunday morning, something supernatural took place. Early Sunday morning Jesus got up. Jesus got up with all power in His hands. Say yes. Say yes.
