Lessons of Noah
Saved by Grace, Faith, and Obedience
10/05/08 AM
Text: Genesis 6:1-22
INTRODUCTION:
The world knows little about the Bible, but nearly everyone is familiar with Noah’s ark. There are those who never read a Bible but have heard of Noah’s Ark. There are jokes, cartoons, and movies about the search for the ark; jewelry, toys and even nursery room wallpaper; all kinds of things with a Noah’s Ark theme.
Knowledge of the flood is global. Accounts of the flood are found on every continent and with almost all peoples of the world ancient accounts of a catastrophic flood have been found; anthropologists have collected roughly 275 early flood stories.
The story of Noah and the ark is a classic children’s story, taught in the youngest of bible classes. Kids enjoy hearing about the animals, the rainbow, and how God rescued Noah. However, the story also contains great lessons for adults as well. This is the true story about how God saved man.
In this way, it is illustrative for us today as well. The principles that we find in this story of salvation are the same principles God uses today. Let’s look at this true story about man’s salvation and note how it parallels the story of our salvation today.
I.Noah was saved by Grace
A.The situation in Noah’s day.
1.Read Genesis 6:1-7
a.Genesis 6:8 (NASB) “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.”
b.Noah was saved by Grace
(1)Grace or favor: Heb., chen, from a root meaning “to bend or stoop,” so to mean unmerited favor of a superior person to an inferior one.
(2)this is the first occurance of the word “grace” in the Bible
(3)Through one man, who by God’s grace stood out from the wickedness of his day, the future of mankind was promised.
2.The presentation of God’s grace to Noah was through a covenant.
Genesis 6:17 - 18 (NASB) “Behold, I, even I am bringing the flood of water upon the earth, to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life, from under heaven; everything that is on the earth shall perish. But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall enter the ark - you and your sons and your wife, and your sons’ wives with you.”
B.The situation in our day.
1.All have sinned.
Romans 3:23 (NASB) or all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
a.Our sin merits eternal punishment.
Romans 6:23 (NASB) For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
2. We are saved by grace.
a.Read Titus 3:3 - 7
b.Ephesians 2: 8 (NASB) For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
a.Were it not for that great act of grace, we would not be saved.
b.This is the grace of God.
3.The presentation of God’s grace to us today is through the New Covenant of Jesus.
a.Matthew 26:28 (NASB) for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.
b.Read Hebrews 9:11-15
II.Noah was saved by Faith
A.Noah’s faith.
1.God called Noah to action for things unseen
a.Noah had likely never seen rain.
b.Noah had never seen every animal in the world.
c.Noah had never seen a structure like the one God told him to build.
d.Noah had never seen such a structure float.
2.But God spoke directly to Noah and he trusted in the word of God.
a.Hebrews 11:7 (NASB) By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.
B.Our faith.
1.Our faith is in things unseen.
a.We have never seen Jesus.
b.We have never seen someone raised from the dead.
c.We have never seen heaven or hell.
d.But just as Noah trusted in the word of God, so we do as well.
2.Hebrews 1:2 tells us God speaks to us today through Jesus, his Son.
a.So we put our trust in the word of the Resurrected Savior.
Romans 10:17 (NASB) So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
3.Today we are saved by faith.
a.John 3:16 (NASB) “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
III.Noah was saved by Obedience
A.Noah’s faith was not a deedless faith.
1.Noah’s obedience.
a.1) Genesis 6:22 “Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did Hebrews”
b.2) Genesis 7:5, 7:9, 7:16 says the same thing. That Noah did what God commanded.
c.3) But Noah did what God commanded for the purpose that God commanded it–to be saved.
d.4) This is obedience.
B.Our faith is not a deedless faith either.
1.Our obedience.
a.John 14:15 (NASB) “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.
b.1 John 5:3 - 4 (NASB) For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world - our faith.
c.James 2:14 -18
2.We are saved by faith and obedience today.
a.Just as Noah believed and obeyed for the reasons that God told him, so must we.
Acts 2:37 - 39 (NASB) ”Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do? Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
IV.Noah was saved from Destruction
A.Noah’s salvation from destruction.
1.Genesis 7:21 - 23 (NASB) All flesh that moved on the earth perished, birds and cattle and beasts and every swarming thing that swarms upon the earth, and all mankind; of all that was on the dry land, all in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, died. Thus He blotted out every living thing that was upon the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky, and they were blotted out from the earth; and only Noah was left, together with those that were with him in the ark.
B.Our salvation from destruction.
1.What kind of destruction can we expect to come?
a.2 Thessalonians 1:6 - 9 (NASB) For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,”
b.Read Revelation 21:1-8
c.We have part in that new world through our belief in Jesus and our baptism into Him.
1 Peter 3:21 (NASB) Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you - not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience - through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
Conclusion:
The flood was awful, but God will not ignore sin. Just as the season of grace expired in Noah’s day, it will one day end for us and on that day Jesus will return. In Matthew 24:37 Jesus warns, “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.”
Along with a final judgment upon sin, a new heaven and a new earth will be fashioned. Our lesson today has shown us that just as Noah was saved, we can be saved from destruction as well by grace, faith, and obedience.
Invitation
If you are a Christian but have fallen away
God’s grace is still available.
To avoid destruction, one must be faithful and obedient.
If you are not a Christian this morning . . .
God’s plan for your salvation is the same as Noah in principle.
But God has a different method today.
Heed the plan that it has for man’s salvation today!
Hear the word; Romans 10:17 “Faith comes by hearing…”
Believe with all your heart; Hebrews 11:6 “For without faith it is impossible . . . .”
Repent of your sins (Acts 17:30).
Confess Jesus as the Son of God (Matthew 16:16).
Be baptized for the remission of your sins (Mark 16:15,16).
