Last week we addressed the wickedness in the days up to Noah. Why weren’t there more people on the ark? I believe because the peoples’ hearts had become hard and didn’t believe the warnings of the coming destruction. Last week we looked at the progression down the path of hard-heartedness:
Forgetfulness > Deception > Disobedience > Unbelief
This not only takes place individually, but collectively, where an entire family, people group, or nation moves from forgetfulness to unbelief over the course of time. Perhaps you see this in your family’s heritage: where you have godly ancestors, but over the course of generations, your family forgot the Lord, fell into deception and disobedience and then unbelief. The Lord rescued you to put a stop to your unbelieving lineage, and wants to use you to begin, yet again, a lineage that honors and serves the Lord God! We see this concept in Deuteronomy 5…
Deuteronomy 5:9-10 “You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand [generations] of those who love me and keep my commandments.”
So, that is where we are in the ancient Genesis account: forgetfulness, deception, disobedience, unbelief. God’s judgment is coming with the flood. Not a local flood; a catastrophic, dreadful, earth-shattering, world-wide flood.
And that is where we are in our modern day account: forgetfulness, deception, disobedience, unbelief. God’s judgment is coming with the fire. Not a local fire; a catastrophic, dreadful, earth-ending fire.
To talk about the flood without talking about the fire is irresponsible. Remember, Jesus connected the two…
Matthew 24:36-38 “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 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; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away.”
Latest prediction of God's judgment on the earth: May 21, 2011. This date is 7,000 years from Noah’s flood. We may roll our eyes or scoff at people who try to predict the end of the world, but we have to remember, it will take place on a specific day, and that day is coming. It may or may not be May 21, but there will be a day in history when God pours out his judgment; just like there was a day in history when God sent the flood.
How do we know the second judgment is fire?
2 Peter 3:6-7 “By water also the world at that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.”
So we’re in the same boat as Noah and his family. They awaited God’s worldwide judgment of water and we await God’s worldwide judgment of fire.
Let me highlight some key moments of Genesis 6 & 7:
In Genesis 6:3, God begins the final countdown to his worldwide judgment: “Then the Lord said, ‘My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days will be a hundred and twenty years.’” The flood is coming in 120 years. Has God begun the final countdown to his worldwide judgment of fire?
And then in Genesis 6:13 “God said to Noah, ‘I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. So make yourself an ark of cypress wood…’”
For Noah, God puts in motion his plan of salvation – an ark. For us, God has put into motion his plan of salvation – Jesus. We’ll talk more about this next Sunday.
In Genesis 6:22 we see the faith of Noah, “Noah did everything just as God commanded him.” God provided the plan of salvation, Noah put his faith in God and this plan – this is saving faith! The same saving faith God requires of us – to put our faith in God and his plan of salvation through Christ.
Now we move into Genesis 7: God instructs Noah to go into the ark with all the various animals.
Once Noah is in the ark, God gives him more details in Genesis 7:4-5 “’Seven days from now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living creature I have made.’ And Noah did all that the LORD commanded him.”
When Noah first starting building the ark, all he knew was that God’s judgment was coming. But now, God told him when it was coming…in seven days! In 2 Peter 2:5 God calls Noah a preacher of righteousness. What was his message to the people? “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life?” No! “God’s judgment is coming! Repent! Be reconciled to God!”
It reminds me of Jonah’s message to the people of Nineveh: “Forty more days and Nineveh will be destroyed” (3:4). A much different reaction though: “The Ninevites believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth” (3:5). The people of Nineveh repented.
I think many people today would be surprised to know what Jesus’ first message was. Matthew 4:17 “From that time on (after his baptism) Jesus began to preach, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.’”
Every day this world gets closer to the coming fire. As we get closer, there ought to be more urgency in proclaiming the message: God’s judgment is coming! Repent! Be reconciled to God! Oh, we need more preachers of righteousness!
I know this is a difficult message. It’s a far cry from the warm fuzzy feel good sermons that are readily available today. But Church, we know what’s coming! Someone put it this way: “We’re on the Titanic and we know the ship is sinking, but we’re busy rearranging the deck furniture!” Noah knew the flood was coming. Church, we know the fire is coming. We need to warn people!
Turn to 2 Peter 3 and let’s find out how we can become an effective preacher of righteousness for our generation just as Noah was for his.
Don’t let anything keep you from proclaiming the message!
Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles. First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, "Where is this 'coming' he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation." (2 Peter 3:1-4)
The enemy will do everything possible to keep the message of repentance from crossing our lips. One way is to send scoffers. If you take evangelism seriously, it won’t be long until the scoffers appear.
You believe that stuff?
The Bible is full of contradictions you know!
Where is this second coming your Savior promised?
Church, if we are going to be preachers of righteousness, we cannot allow anything to keep us from proclaiming the message to anyone and everyone who will listen! In fact, when the scoffers come we ought to rejoice knowing that Scripture told us this would happen.
In the midst of the busyness of life, remind yourself of what’s coming.
But they deliberately forget that long ago by God's word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. (2 Peter 3:5-7)
There are so many distractions today and if we’re not careful these distractions can become our priorities. We’re rearranging the furniture while the ship is going down! The fire is coming! And if we begin to wonder if God could do such a thing, remember the flood!
Make the most of the time we have!
But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:8-9)
God’s delay is for our good – more and more people can hear the good news!
Colossians 4:5-6 “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”
Be zealous in warning people of the coming judgment
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. (2 Peter 3:10)
Don’t sugarcoat; stop dancing around the issue. Proclaim the truth! Preach the message. Their response is not your concern; your obedience is.
Don’t just talk it; walk it.
Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. (2 Peter 3:11-14)
Knowing the end is coming, we ought to examine ourselves to make sure we’re in a right relationship with the Lord. Work out our salvation with fear and trembling. Will he find us faithful at his return?
And it’s not just about us being saved from the fire! Remember the promise of a new heaven and a new earth! So let us live holy and godly lives! Let us do our work on earth with one eye on the sky waiting for our Savior and his promises. Let us make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with Him!
In both these judgment accounts, we see God’s holiness and his love at work. God’s holiness demands justice; his love moves him to extend mercy and grace. God’s holiness brought the flood; God’s love provided the ark. God’s holiness will bring the fire; it’s God’s love that provided Jesus.
This is what we celebrate this morning in communion: God’s holiness, God’s love. God’s holiness demanded payment for our sin; God’s love took that payment upon himself.
End with Communion.
