As In the Days of Noah
CCCAG
9-19-21
Scripture- Matt 24:36-44, Genesis 6, 7
Does anyone remember the old Billy Joel song called “We Didn’t Start the Fire?”
It was one of the most famous music videos of all time. In the video, He lists several dozen historical events that have occurred in his lifetime, most of them were fairly negative or had bad outcomes.
The last stanza says,
"Wheel of Fortune", Sally Ride, heavy metal suicide
Foreign debts, homeless vets, AIDS, crack, Bernie Goetz
Hypodermics on the shore, China's under martial law
Rock and roller, cola wars, I can't take it anymore
We didn't start the fire
But when we are gone
It will still burn on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on
Well, Billy Joel was wrong in that last line. It’s not going to go on and on and on. The bible tells us very explicitly that sooner or later the sin of the world will reach a breaking point that occurs God’s wrath just as in the Days of Noah, and then Jesus will return to set things right.
We are going to talk about that this morning, and look at what Jesus said was coming on the earth.
Turn to Matthew 24. Jesus and his disciples are walking toward the temple mount in Jerusalem. The temple was plated with gold and when the sun hit it the light would be blinding. Most of the disciples were country boys and not used to seeing large structures at all, much less one so bright you could barely look at it.
In many ways, the disciples represent us here in church today- so focused on this world that we fail to consider that this is not our true life. We are spiritual beings having a temporary earthly existence inside these bodies, and that our future home is so much more glorious and that is where our focus really showed be pointing.
Jesus knew this and He took this moment to get their eyes of of this world, and consider the next.
Jesus’ disciples had just asked HIM when He was going to return, and what that day will look like. They wanted to know when their lives here on earth would get a lot better, and Jesus instead points out to them that all of these things in this life that they love and think they can’t do without will disappear one day.
Jesus then tells them very specific events that will happen in the near future, and into the future you and I now exist in. Then He gets specific about the time right before he returns here in Matthew 24 Vs 36
Matt 24:36-44
36 "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 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; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.
42 "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
Prayer
Something stood out to me this week as I was preparing this message and that was this line, “Such as in the days of Noah”.
What does that mean?
What secrets does the scripture have to tell us the type of world we will be living in at Christ’s return?
Let’s find out. We are going to spend the rest of our time in Genesis Chapter 6, 7 and let’s look at a few of the signs we will see.
This will not be a very long message in light of our fellowship meal, but I thought it would be a good thing to look at given our current world climate.
There are three principles we are going to see right away that are going to be the signs of the Day’s of Noah that Jesus refers to here-
The first thing is found in 6:11
Gen 6:11-13
11 Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight and was full of violence. 12 God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways.
What word do you see repeated there?
The word corrupt.
As I do with almost every sermon, I look and see what the original text tell us, so I look at the Hebrew word for Corrupt, and this is what I found.
The Hebrew word Shaw-khath' means to allow what was once good and right to spoil. The corruption they are talking about here is one of neglect. If you go home today, and take a freshly bought milk carton out of the refrigerator, pour a glass of milk and drink it within the expiration date, it will be good, refreshing, and wholesome for you.
However, if you leave that same carton of Milk outside in the sun, in July for a week, what is going to happen when you open that carton?
You are probably going to vomit from the smell that comes out of that carton.
Why?
How could something be certified as pure cause sickness and disease in only a week?
Because of neglect.
What this shows us is the first principle of the day of Noah- the once Godly people one the earth neglected to keep themselves pure.
In the language of Jesus Christ to the church of Laodicea, they had become lukewarm. They had mixed the fire of the Holy Spirit with the cool water of the world, and become a disgusting, corrupt, and frankly speaking, stench in the nose of God.
Isaiah lived in a very similar time. In his day, the people were doing the right thing, with the wrong motivation. They went through the motions of their religion, while looking at the clock so they could get back to their sinful and rebellious lives.
Keep in mind- in this age people worshipped God through animal sacrifice- that is what the law prescribed for them, and how God expected them to act in that time.
Yet, this is what God had to say about them doing what HE told them to do:
Isa 1:11-13
11 "The multitude of your sacrifices — what are they to me?" says the Lord.
"I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals;
I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.
12 When you come to appear before me, who has asked this of you,
this trampling of my courts?
13 Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to me.
New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations — I cannot bear your evil assemblies.
NIV
That’s why the first principle of the Days of Noah is a fallen church.
That is what will bring judgment faster than anything those outside these walls can do- when God’s people turn what is supposed to be a loving relationship with HIM into an external form of religion that in the end denies God.
That’s the 1st principle.
The Second principle can be found in Genesis 6:3
Gen 6:3
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."
Focus with me on the word “contend” in the NIV. If you have KJV open, it will be the word “strive”
The Hebrew word there is “Deen” and it means judgement. To paraphrase Genesis 6:3 it would read, Then the LORD said, “My Spirit will not forever restrain judgment, but eventually my forbearance and mercy will come to an end, and that will be in 120 years.”
That gives a huge timestamp in Genesis. From the time God said these words, the clock started toward judgment.
What drew that judgment? What caused it-
The first principle- a lukewarm people.
A people who failed to allow the Spirit of God to exist within them, and the consequence was violence.
Look at Genesis 6:3 again- “God says His Spirit will not contend with man”
I’m going to use a graphic example here. It’s an example that might cause some to relive a very traumatic experience and its not my intention to cause you pain, but what is happening here is the spiritual equivalent to an abhorrent natural crime.
What happened here right before the flood is that one of two things or both happened-
Either the evil line of Cain met the righteous line of Seth and corrupted them, (Explain Genesis 4- Cain kills Abel and is banished away from Seth)
or that supernatural beings, angels or archangels, became human and took human female wives and produced and offspring that mocked God’s spirit within man.
With the exception of Noah and his family, all of Seth’s family line who were the God fearing and believing people were corrupted and essentially spiritually raped and possessed evil spirits and what was left of the image of God in humanity was ruined and now existed in mockery to Him.
That is why God destroyed it.
Foundation to get to the next point-
Do you know what one of the fastest growing religions is in America?
The nones- those who reject any formal religion. The second is Islam. The 3rd is Wicca or witchcraft.
The spiritual line of America has corrupted itself with pagan religion and spiritual experiences, and now the image of God in humanity is stained, spoiled and corrupted.
God’s image now effaced.
That’s why Jesus’ best friend on this earth, Simon Peter remind us that
1 Peter 4:17
For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?
But it is not all bad news. Yes, judgment is inevitable.
You may say when? When is this going to happen?
Peter also tell us this-
2 Peter 3:3-9
3 First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. 4 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." 5 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. 6 By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. 7 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.
8 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. 9 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.
NIV
This brings us to the Third principle of the day of Noah
There is still hope. There is hope that we can escape the flood of judgment that will come on this earth.
God has given us an ark for our flood, and His name is Jesus Christ.
You know, the whole Noah and the Ark story is the bible’s earliest and most clear example of God’s love for us, and that He will always give us a way to escape the consequences of our sins.
I want you to look at Genesis 6:14
Gen 6:14-15
14 So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out.
You might think, I don’t see any great spiritual revelation here John. In English, you are right. But again, when you look at the Hebrew language version, God is giving us a hint to the coming Savior.
The word for pitch in Hebrew is OT:3722
kaw-far' (English word Cover)
That word’s primary meaning is atonement. In other words, God’s ark for us today is found in the atonement seen in Jesus’s life and sacrificial death for us.
Jesus is our ark during these troubled times.
Jesus is our refuge when everything else grows dark.
Jesus is our only hope when the fire of judgment comes. It took that judgement upon HIMself so that it never touches us.
“For God made him that had no sin to be sin for us, so that we may have the righteousness of God.”
Since Jesus Himself said that we are now living in the days of Noah- I ask you this question- is he your ark today?
Is he the only refuge you run to when times get tough.
Is Jesus your one and only hope when you stand before God to be judged for the deeds done while in the body.
If you haven’t trusted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, I point you to one final verse- John 3:16-20
John 3:16-21
16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.
All Rise
Does verse 20 describe you today? Are you afraid to come into the light because you are afraid of your deeds being made public?
God takes no pleasure in the death of those who are rebellion against Him. He has given you a way out- turn from your darkness and into his wonderous light- the light that is found in accepting Jesus as your LORD, God, Savior, and King.
Prayer
