NOAH: THE TRUE STORY
INTRO TO TOPIC: Discuss the Noah movie starring Russell Crowe that’s now in theatres.
HUMOUR: All I ever need to know I learned from Noah.
• Don’t miss the boat.
• Remember that we are all in the same boat.
• Plan ahead. It wasn’t raining when Noah built the Ark.
• Don’t listen to critics; just get on with the job that needs to be done.
• Speed isn’t everything; the snails were on board with the cheetahs.
• Remember the Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.
• No matter what the storm, when you are with God there’s always a rainbow waiting.
OPENING TEXT – A LOOK AT THE LAST DAYS: (Matt. 24:35-42, NKJV).
“35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. 36 "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. 37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. 42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.”
THE BIG IDEA: The true story of Noah teaches us something about the justice and mercy of God, and how His grace can save us from His wrath.
I. NOAH AND THE WICKED WORLD:
“5 Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. 7 So the Lord said, "I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them." 8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. 9 This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God.” (Genesis 6:5-9).
• Even though when God created the world, it was originally very good, through Adam’s sin, death and the curse entered into the world.
• Why did God flood the Earth? Death is the penalty for sin.
• “(God) did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly.” (2 Peter 2:5).
• Many people focus on God’s judgment of the wicked in this story, but miss His GRACE.
• God’s desire was that the people would repent and be saved, but they didn’t listen.
• As we’re living in a wicked world today, we too can be like Noah and walk with God.
• NOAH: “By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.” (Heb. 11:7).
II. NOAH AND THE ARK:
• Unbelievers say, “Noah could have never fit all of the animals on the ark!”
• If you ask them, “How big was the ark?” they will say, “I don’t know.”
• Ask, “How many animals did Noah have to fit on the ark?” they say, “I don’t know.”
• It’s unfortunate that most pictures representing the ark are cute little boats with giraffe heads sticking out the windows causing people to doubt the ark could have been real.
1. HOW BIG WAS THE ARK?
“And God said to Noah, "The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Make yourself an ark of gopherwood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch. And this is how you shall make it: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. You shall make a window for the ark, and you shall finish it to a cubit from above; and set the door of the ark in its side. You shall make it with lower, second, and third decks.” (Genesis 6:13-16).
QUOTE: “The Ark measured 300 x 50 x 30 cubits which is about 459 x 75 x 44 feet, so its volume was 1.54 million cubic feet… This is the equivalent volume of 522 standard American railroad stock cars, each of which can hold 240 sheep.” (522 stock cars x 240 sheep each = 125,280 total sheep).” (Jonathan Sarfati of Answers in Genesis).
• This ark was huge – it had three decks! It was no little tug boat…
2. HOW MANY ANIMALS DID NOAH HAVE TO FIT ON THE ARK?
“And of every living thing of all flesh you shall bring two of every kind into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female.” (Genesis 6:19).
How many animals approximately would that be?
“The total number of land-dwelling mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibian species is less than 20,000 or so. The number of "kinds," the Biblical designation, is probably much smaller. For instance, of the 9,000 bird species, approximately 400 are hummingbirds, with only minor differences in color, size, and habitat. Very likely, they all come from only one or a few kinds, thereby dropping the total number.” (John Morris, Institute for Creation Research).
• Many experts say that there are about 8,000 kinds of animals.
• For example, there were probably only two dog kinds on the ark.
III. NOAH AND GOD’S COVENANT PROMISE:
NOAH: “Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did.” (Genesis 6:22).
“Then the Lord said to Noah, "Come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation. You shall take with you seven each of every clean animal, a male and his female; two each of animals that are unclean, a male and his female.” (Genesis 7:1-2).
• The Lord invited Noah into the ark where he and his family would be saved.
• Notice: there were seven clean animals that were taken: Three pairs for greater variety in breeding, and one animal for sacrifices.
TIMELINE:
“And the rain was on the earth forty days and forty nights.” (Gen. 7:12).
“And the waters prevailed on the earth one hundred and fifty days.” (Gen. 7:24).
“Then God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the animals that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters subsided.” (Gen. 8:1).
• QUOTE: “To remember in the Bible is not merely to recall to mind; it is to express concern for someone; to act with loving care for him.” (NASB Study Bible).
“Then Noah built an altar to the Lord, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.” (Gen. 8:20).
THREE PROMISES FROM GOD:
“Then the Lord said in His heart, "I will never again curse the ground for man's sake, although the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth…” (Gen. 8:21).
“While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, Cold and heat, Winter and summer, And day and night Shall not cease.” (Gen. 8:22).
“Thus I establish My covenant with you: Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood; never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth." And God said: "This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations. I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth.” (Gen. 9:11-13).
CLOSING CHALLENGE: (2 Peter 3:3-10).
“3 knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, 4 and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation." 5 For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, 6 by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. 7 But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. 8 But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.”
JESUS IS THE ARK: Altar call for salvation: Come to Jesus (the ark) and be saved!
Just like God provided an ark for Noah and his family – and anyone else who might have believed his preaching – so too God has provided an ark to save us from the coming judgment: Jesus. When we are ‘in Christ’ we are safe from God’s wrath!
Beausejour Community Church Website: www.beausejourchurch.ca
Pastor Chris Jordan’s Blog: http://pastorchrisjordan.wordpress.com/
