#4~ Heb.11:7 NOAH 6-29-14
@@@James 2:14 -- @@@ Gen 6:13--22
Today we'll continue our study of Heb.11: -- often called the "hall of faith" chapter.
We've already talked about Abel, and Enoch, so today we'll think on and talk about Noah, all 3 of these men were before the flood. -- Antediluvians.
* In Abel we saw the way of faith; (offering the right kind of sacrifice, which was pointing to Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God}
* Enoch illustrated the walk of faith; he lived a godly life that was pleasing to God. -- Enoch is typical of the church, in that he did not go through the Flood, which is a type of the tribulation, he was translated, the Church; because we have faith in God's word, will be translated, that is, we'll be raptured before the tribulation.
* Noah is the witness of faith, he was directed by God to build an ARK, God told him that He was going to destroy all that breathed on the earth with a flood because all that man thought about was wickedness continually, in faith Noah obeyed. -- the flood had no effect on the sea creatures.
Noah or no one else knew what rain was, it had never rained, but never the less he had faith that what God said about rain would come to pass.
>Gen. 2:5 -- for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, --
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* Listen as I read today's text found in Heb.11:7.
7By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.
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We see here that Noah was warned of something that had never happened before. --- His faith was shown in not only agreeing that the flood would come, but in doing what God told him to do regarding the flood. - He was moved with godly fear.
LISTEN; He prepared an ark: we notice that Noah's faith was shown by his works.
~ As believers, our faith will be seen in their WORKS, we don't work to be saved or to keep us saved, but Christians will do good works because they are saved.
~ Doing good works is what determines the rewards we'll receive at the Judgment seat of Christ; our salvation was Gods gift because we believe in and receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior. --- We do no works to receive salvation or to keep saved. -- our salvation is God's business, not ours.
>Rom. 6: 23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
* Paul say's this about works and faith.
> Eph.2:8-10 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: -- 9Not of works, lest any man should boast. -- 10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Paul said, (I'm paraphrasing now) "by the grace of God we are saved through our faith, in Him of course.
In verse 10 he said, "That God has foreordained that we should walk in good works." -- In other words, now that we're saved, let others know it by seeing our good works.
~ LISTEN, there are some people that say James and Paul disagree about "works and faith" but there is no disagreement. --@@@James 2:
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@@ James 2: -- Listen closely to the choice of word's James uses.
14What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
~ Notice at the end of verse 14 we read, "can faith save him?"
~What James means here is, [can that man's kind of faith save him?]
James does not state that the hypothetical person "has saving" faith, but a man may say he hath faith. --- It distinguishes the one who "possesses saving faith" from the one who merely "professes he has faith."
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Listen, just because a person might say that he has faith is not proof that he has saving faith, the Buddhist have faith in what ever they believe, I have faith that my truck will get me home but it may quit before I leave the parking lot.
And then James gives an example of what he means.
15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 16And one of you say unto them, "Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled;" notwithstanding ** (be that as it may) ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; (in this case, clothing and food) what doth it profit?
~ Saying a few nice words don't fill the need, their still naked and hungry, one man said, "Faith alone saves, but a faith that saves is never alone."
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17Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
James is saying, as the worthlessness of well-wishers reveal their selfishness, so barrenness in a professing believer's life exposes his insincerity. --- 17 Faith that doesn't lead us to do good deeds is all alone and dead!
18Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
James is saying, suppose someone disagrees and says, "It is possible to have faith without doing kind deeds." --
James says, I would answer, "Prove that you have faith without doing kind deeds, and I will prove that I have faith by doing them."
We don't do good works so God can see our faith, He already knows, but we do good works so our fellow man can see it.
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One sure thing about James Jewish readers was monotheism, (that means they believed there was only One God.)
James 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
"Thou believest that there is one God;" but doctrine alone does not save.
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-- Always remember that the books of Hebrews, James, Peter, and Jude, were written primarily with the Jewish believers in mind.
In Hebrews -- Jewish history and religion, are everywhere in the background of Hebrews.
In James verse1-- James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.
The epistles of James and I Peter were written in order to deal with the persecution of Jewish believers scattered abroad.
Jude was written from within the Land of Israel to Jewish believers scattered abroad.
Jude 5 I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, ---
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@@@ 20But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
21Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
22Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
23And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. 24Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
~ James is pointing out the difference in the one who "possesses faith" from the one who simply "professes that he has faith."
~ So James does not contradict Paul, but both affirm that saving faith results in a changed life as evidenced by works.
Listen; Paul and James are in perfect harmony in their teaching on faith.
When Paul speaks of works, it is works of the Law. He says in
Romans 3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
He is saying in effect, -- the Law is a mirror--it reveals you are a sinner-- the works of the Law cannot save.
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James also says that you have to have something more than just the works of the Law.
Vs.10- For whosoever shall keep the whole law and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
One man said, "Man cannot be saved by perfect obedience, for he can not perfectly obey.
Neither can a man be saved by imperfect obedience because God will not accept it.
So the only solution is the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, and both James and Paul emphasize that.
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* BACK TOO NOAH -- let's read our text verse again;
Hebs. 11:7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.
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~ How did Noah condemn the world? -- Possible by his faith actions, or by his preaching, perhaps both. --
~ 2 Pet. 2:5 -- that Noah was a preacher of righteousness, --
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* God told Noah to build an ark because of a coming flood.
LISTEN AS I READ;
@@@ Gen 6:13--22 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
14Make thee an ark of gopher wood; (most likely cedar or Cyprus) rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.
~ The Pitch evidently was a Tar like substance. -- The ARK was shaped like a huge box, probably with a flat bottom.
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15And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, (450 ft. long) the breadth of it fifty cubits, (75 ft. wide) and the height of it thirty cubits. (45 ft. tall) --- 18 inches is a cubit.
16A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit (1 ½ ft.) shalt thou finish it above; -- from what information I found, say's this window, 1 ½ inches wide, went all the way around the top of the ARK, to allow the smell to escape, but we're not sure.
---- and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it.
17And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die. -- again we don't believe this would include fish- etc.
18But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives with thee.
19And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female.
20 Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive.
21And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and thou shalt gather it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them.
22Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.
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* Noah lived in a day of grace -- and so do we.
In Noah's case, the door of salvation remained open for 120 years.
>Genesis 6: 3And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.
~ And since Noah was a preacher of righteousness, (2 Pet. 2:5) he surely warned the sodomites along with all the other wicked people.
* There are two sides to Noah's message:
There is salvation for all who will enter the ark. -- The Ark is a type of Christ.
>John 6:37-39 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. -- 38For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. -- 39And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
>Matthew 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. -- Safe in Jesus.
The other side of Noah's message is; there is judgment for all who will not enter the ark.
>John 5: 40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.
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In our case the door of grace has been opened for over 2000 years, since Pentecost.
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"The Ark" was not a maneuverable object, Noah had no control over it at all, it was a vessel meant to float such as a log. -- It comes to rest on Mt. Ararat.
>Gen. 8:4 And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains ** of Ararat.
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ARARAT; is the mountainous region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea where Noah's ark rested when the Flood subsided. -- Ararat referred to the whole mountainous area; its use, however has gradually come to be restricted to the huge volcanic mountain at the borders of Turkey, Iran, and the Soviet Union.
~ Some people believe that Noah's ark still rests on Mount Ararat, there have been occasional expeditions launched to find it. -- but because of shifting glaciers, avalanches, hidden crevices, and sudden storms make the mountain so difficult to climb that it is referred to by the native inhabitants of that region as "the Painful Mountain."
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~ Jesus said that just before His return the world would again be like Noah's & Lot's days, wickedness and evil on every hand.
>Luke 17:26-27 And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. -- 27They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.
~ Eating and drinking that Jesus mentions here are two things that we must do to survive, but what He's pointing out is, the generation of Noah was living as if God did not exist when judgment was imminent. -- Listen, It's even worst today than then.
Noah lived and labored for the Lord in a time of great spiritual and moral darkness and wickedness, and so do we.
* Jesus goes on to mention the days of Lot as He's telling how it will be.
>> 28-29 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; -- 29But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.
~The Sodomites of today are supposedly getting married, men to men, and women to women. -- Even our government has many homosexuals in office,
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LISTEN; -- One of the 1st official acts of Barrack Obama upon becoming President of the U.S. was to issue a proclamation designating June, "the traditional month of Brides," as LGBT or (homosexual month)
According to Obama this was done to honor this minority segment of the U.S. population (1.7 percent) as this nation's most important citizen.
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None in Sodom were panicking, selling out their property and getting out of town, and the reason was, they just didn't believe it.
God would not destroy the city until Lot had been taken out of it. Neither will He bring the Great Tribulation upon this earth (which immediately precedes the coming of Christ to the earth) until He takes His own out of the world.
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Noah lived in a day of grace -- and so do we. -- In Noah's case, the door of salvation was open for 120 years --
1st Pt.3:20 -- when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
* Noah lived and worked in a day of terrible apostasy -- and so do we.
Gen. 6:7 And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.
~ The word "repented" does not mean that God made a mistake in His dealings with men, but rather indicates a change in divine direction resulting from the actions of man.
Listen, God is omniscient; that means he knows everything.
"Repenteth me" is an "an-thro-pop-athic" (a human emotion applied to God) description of the pain that is caused to the love of God by the destruction of His creatures
The plan of salvation was decided before this world was created.
Eph. 1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, -- And since the sacrifice for human sin was provisioned even before the world was created, it necessarily follows that our Creator knew we would transgress long before Adam and Eve were placed in Eden. -- LISTEN, if this word "repenteth" means that God regretted that He had created man, that would mean that He made a mistake, and we know He don't make mistakes.
