Beyond Your Wildest Dreams:
Look: There is a Rainbow
December 2, 2007 Jay Davis Robison GENESIS 9:8-16
Have you ever regretted doing something?
As soon as it happened I knew I was in big trouble
When I was youth minister I did not do victim games
Those designed to make someone look silly here’s why
At an event when new youth came in, “Initiated” them by bringing
in one by one put in circle, With rest of group surrounding them, Said sit here to kid Then in circle stone silence, never said anything Finally the person cracked, whatever they said supposed to be
What they would say when alone with opposite sex
Debby gregarious 6th grader leader new youth sat her in circle silence
Finally said, “What are you doing?” everyone laughed especially
Her older brother Chuck because the joke was on his sister
Everyone except Debby who left the party crying and ran home
During summers lived with Debby’s family closest friends in church
I’d have to explain to 6ft 6 in Gary how I made his little girl cry
I blew it I needed a rainbow
If you’ve ever done something then regretted it in good company
Look at Genesis 6:5-6 CEV The LORD saw how bad the people on
earth were and that everything they thought & planned was evil. He was very sorry that he had made them,
If there is ever a time for rainbows it is now
Rainbows are not pretty frivolous
They are visual signs that God has given us a second chance
The Rainbow is A HARBINGER OF HOPE
After God created human beings, God discovered
That we often took part in willful disobedience
God sent rain in Noah’s day as consequence of human sin
I don’t believe rain not so much God’s wrath as God’s tears
Noah his family and two of each animal in ark upon leaving ark
As a symbol of the new start, God sent a rainbow, when see it
Vs 15 NKJV I will remember My covenant which is between Me
and you and every living creature of all flesh; the waters shall
never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. Vs 15 NKJV
Word for rainbow in Hebrew same word for warrior’s bow
Symbolism of God hanging fighting bow in clouds
Saying “I’m not angry any more through fighting hanging up bow.”
Advent beyond our wildest dreams reminder we can begin again
Rainbow of Genesis 9 is a reminder of the hope God gives us
1. Live in Hope BECAUSE GOD IS DEPENDABLE
Can endure word of judgment because we live by hope
Put up with any hardship if we have hope
Hope gives us perspective for future, man wrote on inside of wife’s Wedding ring, “Nothing but hope.”
Noah’s world WAS TURNED UPSIDE DOWN
None of the rest of us will live to see the whole world flood Rained 40 Days and 40 Nights Gen 7:11-8:14 tells us Noah on Ark for over a year
When they got out of the ark I wonder what happened first time they sinned again Wait no God please don’t destroy again God wanted Noah to know you can count after storms of life
What are the changes you have lived through? Maybe not as dramatic as Noah, but people at TBC been through some stuff like Wars, Civil Rights Movement, and 9/11, many of you have lived through the death of loved ones, $$ ruin Divorce, handicap, remember the rainbow, God reaching out
2. Hope Sustains US WHEN THE WORLD FALLS APART
The world as Noah knew it was gone all the animals & people His home and possessions were gone except those on ark He was having to begin life again from group up
In a sense all major losses in life are losses of worlds When you have such losses everything seems bleak You loss colors your whole existence
Some have built worlds around family, position, or bank account problem is that all of those are impermanent Dream homes can burn, mates will die, job can be over Why we must build our lives on personal relationship with God
You cannot see a rainbow UNLESS YOU HAVE SOME RAIN Duke McCall former Pres of Southern Seminary after wife died Someone said to him sorry you lost your wife he said I know where she is I am the one that is lost
And God helps us in the rebuilding of our lives Look again at Vs 16 CEV in midst of the rain When the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and I will remember the agreement that continues forever between me and every living thing on the earth." Rainbow is God’s way of saying there is still hope I care for you The rainbow does not take away the pain immediately But helps us rebuild on God’s care
3. Hope is secure BECAUSE OF GOD’S PROMISE
What the heart of the story is all about Rainbow is a guarantee of God’s promise, Covenant Hebrew word bereeth alliance, pledge, compact God initiates the promise, God is reaching to us,
God has made us RECIEVERS OF HIS PROMISE Promise of God agreement w\us, Because of God’s love for us, not because we have anything to offer God God reaches to us in relationship why Jesus came wants to love us
God’s promise is not dependent ON OUR GOODNESS Flood was the result of God’s grief pathos over human sin God is grieved by our sin God promised to never destroy the world again by a flood
The promise of God’s love and care continues despite sin Don’t have to read much farther in Genesis before read about Noah getting drunk, and making a fool of himself
At that God could have said, that’s it you sinned I don’t want anything to do with you any more Unlike us, God’s love not based on anything we do
The covenant of God remained and grew God promised Abraham You will be great nation based on 10 commands & we fouled it up Finally in Jesus Christ see ultimate expression of God’s covenant Taking on human flesh to find way for relationship And that relationship what build whole life around
What promises are you building your life on today? 1 JOHN 1:9, If we confess our sin, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and cleanse us for unrighteousness HEBREWS 13:5, I will never leave you nor forsake you MATTHEW 6:33 Seek ye 1st kingdom of God & his righteousness and all the other things in life added unto you, As a church
MATTHEW 16:18, Thou art the Christ, upon this rock build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it
ISAIAH 55:11 Cast your bread upon the water & it will not come back to you void but will accomplish what I wish Do you ever look for rainbows?
I sure do on a lightly raining day, if any sun look for rainbow
Wonder what would happen if we did same looking for Son Susan Blader argues No two people see the same rainbow.
Rainbow formed by raindrop that acts like a prism, separating sunlight into it’s individual color components if you looking at rainbow person right next to you see rainbow from different set of drops.
