2 CARPENTERS WHO SAVED THE WORLD
Heb. 11:7; Mk. 6:1-3
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR: THE UMBRELLA
1. A man was in the habit of carrying an umbrella wherever he went. When, (unfortunately) his last good umbrella broke, he decided to take all of his umbrellas to a shop to have them repaired.
2. On the bus returning home from the shop he unconsciously picked up the umbrella of the woman sitting next to him, purely out of habit.
3. "Stop, thief!" she immediately cried. He quickly surrendered the umbrella and got off the bus much embarrassed.
4. The next week, when he was returning from the shop with his pile of repaired umbrellas, he got on a bus and just so happened to sit down right next to the very same woman.
5. She gave him an icy stare and said, "Had a good day, huh?"
6. We’re going to read about another man who needed an umbrella.
B. UNIQUE PROFESSION OF CARPENTRY
1. The title to this morning's message is, "The Two Carpenters Who Saved The World."
2. Carpenters are unique individuals – and not just because of their zesty personalities.
3. They are known for their saws, measuring instruments, their hammers, nails, and that they build things.
4. It's an honorable profession and Carpenters usually take great pride in their work.
5. However, carpenters aren’t in one of the life-saving professions. So it seems odd that God would choose them to save the world. But he did! Read with me.
C. TEXTS & THESIS
1. “By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.” Heb. 11:7.
2. “Jesus left there and went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples. 2 When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. “Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given him? What are these remarkable miracles he is performing? 3 Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.” Mk. 6:1-3.
3. We’re going to look at some parallels and differences between these two Carpenters.
4. Follow along as we look at "The Two Carpenters Who Saved The World."
I. PARALLELS: NOAH’S TIME & OUR TIME
A. HORRIBLE SIN
1. NOAH’S CALL/TIME
a. Noah was the world's most unlikely Savior. He lived in a time of unparalleled sin.
b. "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him at His heart. And the Lord said, "I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth." Genesis 6:5-7. Also verse 11, "The earth was filled with violence…"
2. OUR TIME
a. Luke 17:26, “Just as it was in the Days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man.”
b. Who will deny that in our day, a "flood" of immorality is sweeping the globe?
c. In one year in the USA, there are:
1). 80,000 incidences of child sexual abuse;
2). 11 million violent crimes;
3). Nudity and profanity standard on prime time TV;
4). 1½ million babies aborted yearly;
5). Average child sees 11,000 acts of violence on TV;
6). Homosexuality is promoted and glorified in government, education, media, and corporations.
d. And if you think it's bad here (USA), believe me, immorality and violence are even worse abroad!
e. Our generation equals or surpasses the generation of Noah.
B. JUDGMENT PRONOUNCED
1. 11 Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. 12 God saw how corrupt the earth had become….13 So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them….17 I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it…will perish.” Gen. 6:11-13, 17. God's wrath was expressed as a flood of water.
2. Just as surely as God pronounced judgment on Noah’s generation of a flood of water – AND IT CAME – so God has pronounced a judgment of fire upon our generation!
3. Has God changed? Will God judge other generations and turn a blind-eye to us? No!
4. 4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment; 5 if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah…and 7 others; 6 if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes….7 By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.” 2 Peter 2:4-6; 3:7.
5. As Billy Graham once said, "If God doesn't punish America, then He’ll have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah!"
C. A SAVIOR SENT
1. But God is not willing that any one should perish, but that all should come to eternal life.
2. So He sent a Savior – Noah – to his generation, and one to our Generation, Jesus Christ.
3. However, their manner of saving the world was completely different.
II. MANNER OF SALVATION
A. HUMOR: WHY NOAH WAS SO SLOW
Noah was a very SLOW CARPENTER! It took him 120 years to build the ark! You wouldn't want Noah to build your house – you'd be dead before he got finished!
If Noah lived in America in 2014, we’d know why: God would say, "I'm about to start the rain! Where is the Ark?"
1. "Forgive me, Lord," begged Noah, "I was told I needed a Building Permit and the Boat Inspector required I install a sprinkler system on the Ark."
2. "The homeowners association sued me because the Ark exceeding the height limitations for my neighborhood.”
3. "Getting the wood was another problem. There's a ban on cutting local trees because the Spotted Barn Owl is an endangered species. And Green Peace volunteers started camping in the trees I wanted to cut.”
4. "When I started gathering the animals, the SPCA filed on me for confining too many wild animals within that space. It was classified as cruel and inhumane."
5. "Then the Environmental Protection Agency ruled that I couldn't build the Ark until they'd conducted an environmental impact study on Your proposed flood."
6. "I'm still trying to resolve a complaint with the Human Rights Commission on how many minorities I'm supposed to hire for my building crew."
7. "The labor unions say I can't use my sons as workers. They insist I have to hire only union workers with ark-building experience."
8. "To make matters worse, the IRS seized all my assets, claiming I'm planning on leaving the country illegally without a visa."
9. "So, forgive me, Lord, but it’s going to take at least 10 years more for me to finish this ark."
10. "Suddenly the skies cleared, the sun began to shine and a rainbow stretched across the sky." Noah looked up in wonder and asked, "You mean you're not going to destroy the world?"
11. "Not right now," said the Lord. "The Government has beat me to it!" [That’s, of course, fiction. The truth is…]
B. NOAH’S METHOD
1. The only way you could be saved in Noah's day was to get inside a box 450 feet long, 150 feet wide, and 45 feet high, with one window in it. It was God's provision – physically.
2. And you weren’t alone. You were in there with every other critter in the world! There were no electric lights nor any ventilation system. (Hoo-wee!)
3. Everyone else drowned. There was not a second option. It was not something you could argue about. It was obey or perish.
C. JESUS’ METHOD
1. In our day a different judgment is coming – FIRE! FIRE DERIVED FROM GOD’S WRATH ABOUT SIN.
2. Is there an escape from this coming disaster? Yes! God has raised up another Carpenter!
3. But this Carpenter – God's Son – took God's wrath on Himself on the Cross and appeased God.
4. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!” Rom. 5:8-9.
5. 1 Thess. 1:10 says, "Jesus, which delivers us from the wrath to come."
6. JESUS CHRIST IS THE ARK, NOW! Those "in Christ" (trusting in Him for salvation) will be saved from the flood of wrath to come (as fire).
7. Question is: "Will You Get in the Ark?"
III. NOAH’S GENERATION ALL PERISHED
A. HOW MANY DIED?
1. The people in Noah's day rejected their Carpenter and perished.
2. The TALLY (if the population were the same as today):
6 billion, 999 million, 999,000, 992 DEAD; 8 ALIVE!
3. Jesus said, 13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Matthew 7:13-14. God offers a Narrow Escape.
4. I read of a soldier on a battlefront who was relieved by another soldier from his lookout post. Moments later, a shell landed and exploded and his replacement was killed. It could have been him. We also are in a place of danger.
B. WHY DID THE PEOPLE NOT GET ON THE ARK?
1. Some didn't realize it was really God's way of salvation. It seemed illogical, crazy. They didn't realize God had appointed Noah to make the way of escape.
2. Others didn't believe the rain/wrath of God would fall. "It won't happen." But it did! They lived to regret it.
3. There came a day they were beating on the walls of the Ark, but the door was shut. It was too late.
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION
1. Years ago, the ship, Central America, was on a voyage from New York to San Francisco. During the trip, the ship sprung a serious leak.
2. A ship passing 10 miles away altered course and came alongside. Its captain offered to help.
3. The captain of the Central America said, "Just stay nearby to morning. When it's light, we’ll transfer passengers."
4. The other captain said, "Let me take your passengers on board NOW!" But the Central America captain refused. So the other ship moved a short distance away.
5. During the night, the side of the ship collapsed and it sank in only a few minutes.
6. All on board perished because it was thought they could wait until later to be saved! Are we making the same mistake? (Knight’s New Illus., p. 519.)
B. THE CALL
1. Bow your heads. Time is running out for you. It will soon be too late. Get in today while there's still time – before the rain starts.
2. Jesus is knocking at your heart’s door today – let Him in so you can be saved.
3. Will you dare to believe? "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16.
4. With every head bowed and every eye closed, “Have you accepted the work of your Carpenter?”
a. “Pastor, I need to escape the wrath to come."
b. "Pastor, I want to accept Jesus Christ's sacrifice on the Cross so I can be saved."
5. To be saved – just as Noah built an ark to the saving of his house, we can be instruments of God as well. We can make a way for others to be saved.
6. How many of you would say, "I want to be a Noah to my generation?"
