“By Faith Noah…”
Hebrews 11:7
This morning as we continue to through Hebrews 11:
- we keep seeing average unimpressive people
- that stepped out in faith and God used them in a big way
- And every time God shows Himself to be worthy of trust
One big thing we are to notice and learn is that…
When God speaks:
- we must be ready to follow where He leads us
- and it may not be a job we want,
- it will probably be challenging
We must say like the HYMN:
- where He leads me, I will follow
- I’ll go with Him, with Him
- ALL THE WAY
What impresses God is our TRUST and Faith in Him
A grandchild was sitting:
o on her grandfather’s lap listening
o to the Bible story of Noah’s Ark,
o asked “Were you in the Ark, grandpa?"
He chuckled and replied, “Why, no I wasn’t.”
There was a pause, and:
the child looked up at him confused and asked,
“Then why weren’t you drowned?
The text today is Hebrews 11:7
God told Noah to build an ARK:
- that would save both Noah and his family and
- two of every type of land animal.
- for 120 years Noah built the Ark and preached God’s message
The heroes of the faith:
? in Hebrews 11 are examples are for us to follow
? We are to be motivated by their faith.
? we are to duplicate this God trusting loyalty.
We can look at these people of faith:
- and recognize that what they accomplished
- was beyond their own ability and resources
- and we are supposed to notice it was God that made all the difference.
God is not looking for people who:
- are the smartest, strongest, most beautiful
- God is looking for people who will TRUST HIM
- who will be loyal to HIM and go where He leads them
We ought to include this question in our prayers:
“Lord, is there something you want me to do?
- that I am not doing, that you want me involved in?
- is there something I am doing that is outside of your will for my life?
We need to be on board with whatever:
- it is that God has in mind for us individually
- or whatever God has in mind for this local Church
Right now we are going learn from NOAH:
? about God pleasing faith and
? how stepping out in faith means trusting God
Please stand for the reading of God’s word.
“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.”
- Hebrews 11:7 (NKJV)
It is likely you know the story of Noah:
- in a short time after God created the world
- mankind became increasingly wicked
- God’s world had largely rejected and forgotten God
“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.”
Genesis 6:5
God decided that He was done:
- putting up with the sin of the world.
- God would destroy all the people of earth
- but there was one man who brought God pleasure
- and it is Noah’s faith that saved him and his family
God gave Noah specific instructions:
- to build an enormous ship
- that would save two of every kind of animal
- and the Ark would also save Noah’s family….
Besides Noah’s family of 8:
- how many were killed in the flood?
- all of them.
- some say 8 million people
Noah was motivated by “godly fear”:
- it is wise to have a right fear of the Lord,
- after all “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”
I don’t use my circular saw often:
- but I know what it is capable of
- it can cut a board and cut me
- so when I pick it up, I am mindful to handle it correctly
God is so much more capable than my skillsaw:
- we need to treat God with holy respect and fear
- I have not terror of God, but
- I am aware of what He is capable of
The Godless, Faithless and the lukewarm believer
have reason to be terrified of God…after all they are His enemies by there own choice.
Noah had a Godly fear of the Lord:
- and that positioned Noah and God in proper relationship
- God spoke, Noah obeyed
- Noah did not delay or disappoint
Noah’s faithfulness is best displayed:
- by the contrast it makes with
- the rest of his world, the sin, evil, perversion and pride
- who had no fear of the Lord and died in their sins…
Building the Ark took 120 years:
- this is back when people often lived 700 plus years
- in addition to Ark building,
- the Bible says that Noah was a preacher of righteousness
Preaching righteousness in a sinful society is a sure way to be an outcast.
For 120 years Noah:
- followed God’s blueprint
- in preparation for a flood was unseen while he built
- in fact this will be the first unfolding of God’s Judgment on a grand scale
1. By Faith Noah built an ark.
Noah built this HUGE ship:
- based on God’s word alone
- His actions were not based on modern wisdom
- He went to work alone
We do not see:
- Noah trying to negotiate with God
- or asking God if a smaller boat would do
- Noah just heard God’s word and went to work
We must remember:
- that while God seeks a relationship with us
- and we are told to boldly pray
- God is not waiting for our advice, He is waiting for our FAITH and TRUST
The task of building and ARK:
- would have accelerated to completion
- if others had put their shoulder to the plow
- the same is true today
We can accomplish more together…as a united body…
WE are living in the days of Noah right now:
- evil is rampant
- lovers of money and lovers of self is unbridled
- still there is no lack of work for the Lord’s people
Jesus said to his disciples,
“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
Matthew 9:37-38 (ESV)
Arlington Christian Church is to be commended:
- for being a working Church
- you are not a lazy Church
- but we must remember that disciple making is our main business.
What good will it be:
- for us to have a beautiful building
- that sits empty
- as soon as this generation passes
Now is the time:
- to make bold moves in faith
- asking for God’s blessing and direction
One sure way to get God’s blessing is to do what He said to do…
- we have a whole book directing us
- it is a detailed example of God’s faithfulness
- throughout thousands of years….
Jesus was given all the authority in heaven on Earth:
- and He said that we are to
- Go and Make disciples.
- in 120 years of preaching,
Noah only saved his family:
- yet he was commended by God for His faithfulness:
- obedience is our job, outcome is God’s job.
Building the Ark was a big project:
- do you suppose God gave Noah a credit card for expenses?
- it is more likely Noah used his own money
- to accomplish God’s plan.
Faithfulness will cost us time and money…
? The Christian today wants Christ’s Church to grow
? But a good many want it to grow,
? Only If it doesn’t cost them anything.
Noah understood that everything he owned:
- originally belonged to God
- and God always supplies our needs
- to accomplish His purposes
It is all too common:
- For God to bless a person
- only for that person to spend all they have
- buying themselves things and experiences
- while neglecting God’s house and needs.
The Church must turn off the selfie mode:
- you know the camera mode that takes a picture of your smiling face
- we must change our view to see the face of God
- to seek God’s will and God’s purpose….
Turn off the “selfie mode”
2. By Faith Noah condemned the world.
Living a Godly life can make you unpopular:
- If you refuse to drink with the boss, you may miss out on a promotion
- hold the line on what the Bible says, you may lose friends
- When people discover you are serious about your faith, you become less popular
Everyone around Noah:
- saw Him build the Ginormous Ark, for the flood and the rain….crazy Noah
- Noah preached against the evil and sin, that everyone else loved and lived
People are generally fine with your faith:
- until it shines on their sin
- after all what fellowship does light have with darkness
We need to bring back:
- speaking the truth boldly to those who hate the trutch
- bring back a willingness to be ostracized for our faith
- and to shine God’s light into the darkness
2 Peter calls Noah a “preacher of righteousness”:
- meaning he was calling people to repentance
- to leave their wicked ways and obey
- basically to repent or die.
We know that Noah’s message was not well received:
- how do we know people ignored Noah’s message?
- because he preached for 120 years
- and only 8 people, in his own family
- we saved from God’s wrath….
Noah is not the only preacher:
- who had an unpopular message
- delivered to an extraordinarily wicked society
- Jonah also brought a message of JUDGMENT
The greatest revival sermon is from the book of Jonah:
- reluctant Jonah went to Nineveh
- Nineveh being exceedingly wicked by any standard
- heard Jonah’s message and REPENTED.
The city of Nineveh:
- Heard the message
- believed God’s wrath was coming and
- humbled themselves…
Listen to Jonah’s sermon:
- soak it in,
- appreciate his style and eloquence
- see if this sermon would be accepted in a city today…
“And Jonah began to enter the city on the first day’s walk. Then he cried out and said, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!”
- Jonah 3:4 (NKJV)
Jonah walks through the large city and says:
- God is going to destroy this place in 40 days
- God will wipe you off the map
- you are all going to die.
Listen to the response of the city…
“So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them.”
- Jonah 3:4 (NKJV)
Jonah and Noah preached the same sermon,
but got different responses…
3. By Faith Noah became heir of the righteousness.
Noah built the Ark:
- or did Noah build the Ark?
- who gave Noah the ability to build?
- who provided the resources for the building?
Let me redirect our thinking:
- God did not praise Noah for his hard work
- God was not impressed with his carpentry skills
- God praised Noah’s faith….
God values availability more than he values ability:
- the world is full of talented people
- God is not looking for talent
- God is looking for loyal people who will act when He says “GO!”
Noah’s faith moved him to build the Ark:
- His trust in God’s ability
- His fear of the Lord
- His loyalty to God built the Ark
The lesson here is that:
- Faith always produces works and
- that Faith without works is dead faith
- living faith is active faith…dead faith is well…dead and useless
Noah became an heir of righteousness by faith:
- First an inheritance is something that is gifted, not earned
- generally you need to be family to inherit
- so God moved Noah into His family based on Noah’s faith…
In all the world:
- are we people that God can count on?
- Can God trust us to be LOYAL?
“For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.”
- 2 Chronicles 16:9 (NKJV)
God has a limited selection of people:
- who are loyal to Him
- who are available to Him
- who will stick with a task until it is done
Jesus is our Ark, He is our vessel of Salvation
? Those in Christ will be saved,
? those outside of Christ are lost,
The people in the days of Noah:
- who were drowned in the flood for their lack of faith
- I bet they wish they could turn back time and get on the ARK
But the offer of salvation is a limited time offer:
- now is the time of salvation
- soon is the time of judgment
Since Jesus is our saving “Ark”
How do we get “into Christ”?
- when and where are we
- moved from the “lost” column to the “saved” column
- at the point of baptism
“Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized (immersed) into His death?”
- Romans 6:3 (NKJV)
“For as many of you as were baptized (immersed)
into Christ have put on Christ.
- Galatians 3:27 (NKJV)
Luke describes what will be happening when Jesus returns:
“And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: 27 They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.”
- Luke 17:26-27 (NKJV)
That sounds like America 2023:
- people are having fun in their sin
- celebrating, ignoring God, perverting God’s ways
- ignoring the message that destruction is coming
And they all perished for their lack of faith:
- they thought God’s patience would never run out
- they would not trust or believe
- they would not obey
How about you?
- will you trust in God?
- will you be loyal to God alone?
Most everyone today:
- thinks that God will not judge or punish sin
- that God in fact is asleep or dead
- but the truth is so much different…
We are saved by faith in Christ or not saved at all… Let us pray
