SERMON OUTLINE:
Chapter 5: Just a list of names?
• 2 men who followed
• 3 recurring Words.
Chapter 6: Just waiting to happen!
• The fact of the flood.
• The purpose of the flood
• The grace of God
SERMON BODY:
Ill:
• As you are sitting on two sides of the room;
• Let’s have a game of word tennis.
• I will ask a question and somebody on your side must answer;
• The question then goes to the other side who will answer/hit it back.
• We will see who gets the point and who loses.
• Obviously you cannot repeat an answer;
• And I am looking for British Prime Ministers.
• So can this side start me off?
• TRANSITION: One name that never comes up is that of Herbert Asquith.
• He served as the Liberal Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1908 to 1916
• He once spent a weekend at the Waddesdon;
• Which is the estate of the 19th-century wealthy Rothschild family.
• As Asquith was being waited on at teatime by the butler,
• The following conversation ensued:
• "Tea, coffee, or a peach from off the wall, sir?"
• "Tea, please," answered Asquith.
• "China, India, or Ceylon, sir?" asked the butler.
• "China, please." answered Asquith.
• "Lemon, milk, or cream, sir?"
• "Milk, please," replied Asquith.
• "Jersey, Hereford, or Shorthorn, sir?" asked the butler.
• TRANSITION: sometime the choices we make are trivial!
• But at other times they are important,
• There will be people in hospitals this day,
• And the choices they make will result in life or death!
The subject I have been asked to speak on is Noah (You leave me no choice):
• And as surely as eggs are eggs;
• The human race gave God no choice;
• Concerning the action he took in Genesis chapters 6-9.
• Now before we come to the sad and bad news of chapter 6;
• Let’s scan through chapter 5 and see what led God to this decision.
Chapter 5: Just a List of Names?
• Chapter 5 is a list of names.
• And you might be thinking we have enough names of our own.
Ill:
• The top5 UK boys' names for 2016 were:
1. Oliver
2. Jack
3. Harry
4. George
5. Jacob
• The top 5 UK girls' names for 2016 were:
1. Amelia
2. Olivia
3. Emily
4. Isla
5. Ava
• TRANSITION: on first reading chapter 5 is a list of names.
• And it might seem as interesting as reading a telephone directory.
• But it is not just a list of names it is a genealogy.
(1). 2 Men Who Followed.
• We have listed here ten men
• The list starts with Adam and ends with Noah.
Ill:
• Now without looking at your Bibles;
• Question: Can you remember any of the other 8 men mentioned?
• Answer:
• (Adam), Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, Enoch, Methuseleh, Lamech (Noah)
• It is more than a list of names;
• Because it is a record of ten men and in particular two men who lived by faith;
• In a time of increasing unbelief and widespread wickedness.
• These two men in particular stand before us as giants of the faith,
• Men who refused to follow the prevailing cultural trends of their day.
• In a world were men are pursuing all kinds of evil,
• These men followed the way of the Lord.
ill:
• Years ago you used to see a T-shirt sold in Christian bookshops.
• It was a lot of aggressive fish (sharks, piranha’s etc.) swimming in one direction.
• And the Christian fish symbol swimming in the other direction.
• It was a simple idea that made a good point;
• Those who follow Jesus are swimming against the tide,
• And we can expect a few bumps and bashes along the way.
• TRANSITION: In a world were men are pursuing all kinds of evil,
• These two men followed the way of the Lord.
Note:
• When the writer of Hebrews chapter 11 wanted to list the heroes of faith,
• He took two names from this list,
• Question: Anyone know which two?
• Answer: Enoch and Noah.
(2). 3 recurring Words.
• Eight times in Genesis 5 a certain phrase is repeated;
• We are told “and he died.”
• Adam died. Seth died. Enosh died. Kenan died.
• Mahalalel died. Jared died. Methuseleh died. Lamech died.
• And in a few chapters time we are told about a 9th (Noah’s death later in Genesis)
• Quote:
• “Death is an appointment not an accident”
ill:
• John Wesley the 17th century cleric and theologian who,
• With his brother Charles helped founded the Methodism Church.
• On one occasion John Wesley was riding in a horse and carriage;
• And alongside him sat a man who was on his way to be hanged.
• Wesley saw that the man was trembling and asked him: "Are you afraid?"
• "Yes I am" the man replied.
• "Are you afraid of death?" asked Wesley.
• The Highway man replied:
• "No, I have faced death a 100 times as a highway man,
• But I am afraid of what lies beyond".
• TRANSITION: This list of names actually reminds us that for the believer;
• Death is not some black chasm to be feared,
• Death is the gateway into something far better.
Ill:
• John & Betty's Stamm were American Christian missionaries to China,
• They worked with the China Inland Mission (CIM), during the Chinese Civil War.
• In 1934 they were arrested and murdered (beheaded) by Communist Chinese soldiers.
• They were martyred for the faith and you can read their story in the book:
• ‘John And Betty Stam: Missionary Martyrs’ by Vance Christie.
• And among their few personal belongings was this poem:
• Called, ‘Afraid? Of What?’ And written by E. H. Hamilton
To feel the spirit's glad release?
To pass from pain to perfect peace,
The strife and strain of life to cease?
Afraid? Of that?
Afraid? Of what?
Afraid to see the Saviour's face,
To hear His welcome, and to trace,
The glory gleam from wounds of grace,
Afraid? Of that?
Afraid? Of what?
A flash - a crash - a pierced heart;
Brief darkness - Light - O Heaven's art!
A wound of His a counterpart!
Afraid? Of that?
Afraid? Of what?
To enter into Heaven's rest,
And yet to serve the Master blessed?
From service good to service best?
Afraid? Of that?
Afraid? Of what?
To do by death what life could not -
Baptize with blood a stony plot,
Till souls shall blossom from the spot?
Afraid? Of that?
• TRANSITION: For the believer;
• Death is not some black chasm to be feared,
• Death is the gateway into something far better.
Note:
• Eight times in Genesis 5 we are told “and he died.”
• Adam died. Seth died. Enosh died. Kenan died.
• Mahalalel died. Jared died. Methuseleh died. Lamech died.
• And we are told about Noah’s death later in Genesis
• Now if you can count that brings the tally to 9;
• And we have 10 men mentioned.
• One man called Enoch did not die.
• We read about him in chapter 5 verses 21-24.
• Quote: verse 24:
“ Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.”
• The phrase “God took him away” means that instead of dying,
• He was lifted off the earth while he was alive;
• And was taken directly into God’s presence.
• One moment he was on earth, the next he was in heaven.
• Hebrews chapter 11 verse 5 comments on this incident.
“By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God”
• Genesis says he walked with God;
• The book of Hebrews says he lived by faith and he pleased God.
• He and Noah are the only two people in the Bible;
• Who are specifically said to have walked with God.
Ill:
• Walking can be defined as a series of small steps in the same direction;
• Over a long period of time.
• When everyone else was walking away from God;
• Doing their own thing, two men walked in the opposite direction.
• Reminds me of the illustration Jesus used:
• (Matthew chapter 7 verses 13-14):
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”
• In the New Testament letter of Jude (verses 14-15);
• We are told Enoch was a preacher of righteousness,
• He declared the truth of God to an ungodly generation.
• If he walked with God in such moral darkness, we can too.
• I like what one person said regarding Enoch:
• “One day Enoch and God had walked so far that God said,
• “Why don’t you come home with me?””
• And Enoch walked beyond space and time into eternity.
• He “was not” because God took him off the earth;
• And allowed him to enter heaven without experiencing death
• Quote Martin Luther:
• "Every man must do two things alone: he must do his own believing, and his own dying".
Chapter 6: Just waiting to happen!
• We are all familiar with the expression “An accident waiting to happen’
• Someone is in a dangerous situation in which an accident is very likely,
• It is caused by their or someone else’s folly.
• Well, Genesis chapter 6 reveals something waiting to happen,
• It is not an accident it is the result for mankind’s actions,
• Their rebellion against the God who made them.
• And when God saw the wickedness of human beings;
• His heart was saddened and he took appropriate action,
• He would send a flood and give humanity the chance to start again.
(1). The Fact of the Flood.
Ill:
• Did you know that almost every region on earth has a flood story;
• Documented as history or legend.
• H.S. Bellamy in ‘Moons, Myths and Men’
• Estimates that altogether there are over 500 Flood legends worldwide.
• Ancient civilizations such as (China, Babylonia, Wales, Russia, India, America,
• Hawaii, Scandinavia, Sumatra, Peru, and Polynesia);
• All have their own versions of a giant flood.
What is also amazing is these flood tales;
• They all contain common elements that parallel the Biblical account;
• i.e. The warning of the coming flood,
• i.e. The construction of a boat in advance,
• i.e. The storage of animals,
• i.e. The inclusion of family,
• i.e. And the release of birds to determine if the water level had subsided.
e.g.:
• Ancient Chinese writings refer to a violent catastrophe that occurred on earth;
• And a flood that covered the highest mountains.
• The Chinese character for a boat combines vessel with person and the number 8.
• There were of course 8 persons in Noah's ark.
• TRANSITION: Almost every region on planet earth has a flood story;
• Documented as history or legend.
There is plenty of geological evidence that also supports the flood story;
• The geological evidence for a flood is undeniable;
• The question is was it caused by God as recorded here in Genesis chapter 6-9;
• Or was it an event that happened in their theory of the ‘evolution of the world’
• You can ‘Google’ a variety of websites to find out more;
• ( http://creation.com/noahs-flood )
(2). The Purpose of the Flood.
“There began to be many human beings on the earth. And daughters were born to them. 2 The sons of God saw that the daughters of human beings were beautiful. So they married any of them they chose.”
• These two verses teach that there was a population explosion;
• Men were marrying women and the numbers of people started to increase.
• This is a snapshot of everyday life.
• We would call it “business as usual.”
• And yet, we should note that this is the calm before the storm
Note: verse 4 is a real ‘mind-strainer’ of a verse.
• Genesis 6 begins by naming two opposing groups:
• “The sons of God” and “the daughters of men.”
• There is a real divergence of opinion as to what this verse means;
• And scholars and preachers all struggle as to what it means.
• The three most popular understandings are:
• (a). The cosmologically mixed races view.
• That is the ‘Nephilim’ the ‘sons of God’ mentioned in verse 4;
• Are fallen angels (demons) who had sex with humans.
• “The sons of God” are fallen angels – demons.
• And “the daughters of men.” are humans.
• The offspring of this sexual union were a hybrid;
• Somewhere between humans and angels;
• A distorted ‘image of God’ creature.
• The N.I.V. calls these offspring ‘Nephilim’
• Older English Bible translations use the word ‘giants’.
• We don’t know exactly what is meant;
• It is just a new term for a new creature.
• (b). The religiously mixed races view.
• That is the godly children of Seth (Sethites) inter-mixed with the pagan Cainites.
• Therefore they polluted themselves with the idolatry and lifestyle of the Cainites.
• In the previous chapters (4 verses 1-24),
• We are find that the children of Cain (Cainites) lacked positive spiritual attributes.
• They were earthly, selfish, sensual, and an authority unto themselves.
• In contrast the children of Seth (Sethites), however,
• Had qualities of consecration, devotion, communion, service,
• And righteousness toward God (4 verse 25).
• And so that is the godly children of Seth (Sethites);
• Inter-mixed with the pagan Cainites.
• Therefore they polluted themselves with the idolatry and lifestyle of the Cainites.
• (c). The sociologically mixed races view.
• Some take the view that the evil male aristocrats (the powerful and wealthy);
• Plundered the beautiful female common women.
• I would suggest that is the weakest interpretation of these verses;
• But many hold to it.
Note:
• Please don’t get side-tracked by what we don’t know;
• At the expense of what we do know!
• What we do know is that God saw a world of people who were inwardly corrupt,
• Outwardly violent, and upwardly rebellious.
Ill:
• If you pick up a newspaper or watch the TV news tonight;
• Expect to see the same three things!
• Inwardly corrupt human beings,
• You will find stories of all kinds of greed and selfishness.
• “The heart of the problem is the problem of the human heart”
• Outwardly violent human beings
• Violence often dominates the headlines
• From acts of terrorism to drunken jobs fighting in the street.
• Upwardly rebellious human beings
• We are not just like sheep who have wondered away;
• We are also like the prodigal son waving our fist at God saying;
• “I’m off (leaving you behind) to do my own thing!”
• TRANSITION: Remember we are reading about the tenth generation from Adam.
• It didn't take very long for sin to spread and to spoil the human race.
Note: God’s verdict on all of this (vs 5-6).
“The Lord saw how bad the sins of everyone on earth had become. They only thought about evil things. 6 The Lord was very sad that he had made human beings on the earth. His heart was filled with pain.”
• This has to be one of the saddest verses in the Bible;
• It communicates God’s feelings so clearly,
• And explains why God had no choice but to do what he did (vs 7).
“So the Lord said, “I created human beings, but I will wipe them out. I will also destroy the animals, the birds in the sky, and the creatures that move along the ground. I am very sad that I have made human beings.””
(3). The grace of God.
• Verse 8:
• “But the Lord was very pleased with Noah.”
Verse 9 tells us why:
“Noah was a godly man. He was without blame among the people of his time. He walked faithfully with God.”
• Noah heard God's Word, believed God's promise of protection,
• And as you will see next week, he proved his faith by his works.
• Verse 9 and also the New Testament (Hebrews chapter 11 verse 7).
• Make it very clear Noah was saved through faith;
• Of course, all the people of God are saved this way.
“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.”
• There was only one way to be saved from the coming judgement and destruction,
• And that was by entering the ark;
• And the ark had only one door.
• It is a picture of the salvation we have in Christ.
Ill:
• I mentioned earlier on the story of John & Betty's Stam;
• The martyred Christian missionaries to China,
• They also had a little child, a baby girl called Helen.
• Who was also arrested with the parents and kept from them.
• One of the other prisoners was being released from Jingde Prison,
• And he overheard the soldiers discussing what to do with the Stams’ baby.
• The men didn’t want to listen to her constant crying,
• And could see no use in preserving her life,
• So they decided to kill the baby for their own convenience.
• The prisoner, whose name remains unknown, stepped forward and said:
• “Why kill her? What harm has she done?”
“Are you a Christian?” shouted one of the Reds.
• “No, I am not,” was the man’s answer. “I am a prisoner you just released.”
“Will you die for this foreign baby?” they asked.
“I will,” answered the strange criminal.
• And as a result the Stam’s for a short time were allowed their baby;
• But as they hugged their baby daughter,
• They saw this prisoner hacked to pieces before their eyes.
• Helen Priscilla Stam’s life was spared;
• Because of the sacrifice of the life of this Chinese prisoner.
• TRANSITION: The Bible makes it so very clear;
• That you and I can also be saved from God’s judgement,
• Through the death of another – Jesus Christ God’s Son!
We need to:
• ‘A’ - admit:
• We too are inwardly corrupt, and upwardly rebellious.
• The Bible calls that sin.
• ‘B’ – believe.
• We take God at his word that Christ died and paid the penalty for our sins!
• And the ark had only one door.
• It is a picture of that apart from Christ there is no other way to be saved.
• ‘C’ – confess
• The Bible says we are to believe in our hearts but confess him with our lips.
• (Romans chapter 10 verse 9)
• ‘D’ – do
• If you have never called upon the name of the Lord;
• Then do it now!
SERMON AUDIO:
https://surf.pxwave.com/wl/?id=oD4t4w3kgUeISkVFNSnO9dhlWpK6hs8L
