Finding the Faith of Our Heroes
Part 3: Noah and the Ark
Hebrews 11:1-7; Genesis 3:15; Genesis 6:8; Genesis 6:14-16
Sermon by Rick Crandall
(Prepared September 4, 2023)
BACKGROUND:
*In Hebrews 11, we are studying some of the greatest Old Testament heroes of our faith. But remember that the heart of our faith must always be the goodness and greatness of God. In Mark 11:22 Jesus tells us to "HAVE FAITH IN GOD," so Christians, our faith is not in our faith. Our faith is not in our own power or goodness. Our faith is in GOD, because all good things are possible with Him. God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is big enough, and good enough to take care of every need we will ever have.
*From Hebrews 11:1, also remember that "faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." The original word for "substance" there has the idea of something strong enough for us to stand on. And faith in Jesus Christ is the only firm foundation for our lives. Biblical faith is not just positive thinking or having a positive attitude. Biblical "faith is the substance of things hoped for." This means that right now, our faith in Jesus Christ is our rock-solid foundation forever.
*But biblical faith is also the "evidence of things not seen." In other words: biblical faith gives us proof of the spiritual things that we cannot see with our eyes. Faith opens us up to a whole new dimension in life. Right now, we cannot see God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Heaven, or angels with our physical eyes. But faith opens our spiritual eyes, and we can see. This is the kind of faith that everyone desperately needs. And the heroes in Hebrews 11 can help us understand how this godly faith changes our lives. Please think about that as we read Hebrews 11:1-7.
MESSAGE:
*Proverbs 22:6 tells us to "train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." Today we will look at one of the first Bible stories we teach our children to train them up in the ways of God.
*And Noah's story has great lessons for children. But it also has crucial faith lessons for us today, because Hebrews 11:6 tells us that "without faith it is impossible to please God." Faith in God is essential, and Noah shows us how it changes our lives.
1. FIRST: WHEN WE HAVE FAITH, WE WILL LISTEN TO GOD'S WARNINGS.
*Verse 7 says, "By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household. . ." Noah was warned by God about the future flood, and by faith, Noah listened to God's warning.
[1] GODLY FAITH LETS US SEE THE REALITY OF GOD'S WARNINGS.
*God's warning about the flood seemed like nonsense to the unbelievers around Noah. Today's skeptics feel the same way about hell. To most of them, hell is a fantasy made up by ignorant Bible believers. But hell is as real as we are. We know this is true, because Jesus often talked about hell, and it is impossible for God to lie.
*Faith makes the Lord's warnings real to us, and Noah believed God's warning because he trusted in the Lord. Noah had faith in the Lord. And it took a lot of faith to believe God's warning, because, it certainly had never flooded like that, and according to Genesis 2:5-6, it may have never even rained. (1)
*But Noah believed God's warning, because he knew that God is good. Noah also knew that God loves us, and cares for us. And the reason God warns us is because He doesn't want us to get hurt.
*Maurice McCarthy wrote that "Everything Noah did to get ready was done because of his simple faith or belief in what God said. It was not because Noah could see the weather reports, or because such an event had happened before, or because this was the popular thing to believe. No, it was simply because God had warned Noah of something to come, and he put his trust in God's Word."
*Albert Barnes explained that the strength of Noah's faith can be measured by the following facts: God's warning was for a very distant future event. There was no outward evidence for a flood. And there is no question that Noah received much ridicule and scorn from his neighbors. He was regarded as a dreamer and a fanatic. But by faith, Noah listened to God's warning. (2)
[2] FAITH LETS US SEE THE REALITY OF GOD'S WARNINGS. BUT FAITH ALSO GIVES US PROPER REVERENCE FOR GOD.
*Verse 7 tells us, "By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear. . ." Noah built the Ark, because by faith he was "moved with godly fear." That's talking about proper reverence for the Lord, and faith raises our reverence for God. Faith gives us the right attitude toward God. Faith gives us humble reverence for God. And that's another reason why we are willing to listen to the Lord's warnings.
*Our nation desperately needs more reverence for God. We need more reverence for God. And really, can we ever have too much reverence for God? Of course not. Proverbs 15:16 says, "Better is a little with the fear of the Lord, than great treasure with trouble."
*By faith Noah was moved with godly fear, because he saw that God's severe judgment was coming on the world. Over two hundred years ago Thomas Jefferson wrote, "I tremble for our country when I reflect that God is just." And by faith we can see God's judgment coming down the road today. (3)
*Not that we rejoice over the downfall of the ungodly. God surely doesn't. In Ezekiel 33:11 God told the prophet, "Say to them: 'As I live,' says the Lord God, 'I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?'"
2. WHEN WE HAVE FAITH, WE WILL LISTEN TO GOD'S WARNINGS. WE WILL ALSO TRUST IN GOD'S WISDOM.
*Verse 7 tells us that Noah "prepared an ark for the saving of his household." But who knew how big the boat needed to be? Who provided the plans that were exactly right? -- The Lord of course.
*Please listen to this summary from Genesis 6:14-16 in the Living Bible. There the Lord told Noah:
14. Make a boat from resinous wood, sealing it with tar; and construct decks and stalls throughout the ship.
15. Make it 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high.
16. Construct a skylight all the way around the ship, 18 inches below the roof; and make 3 decks inside the boat: a bottom, middle, and upper deck, and put a door in the side.
*God knew exactly what needed to be done, and Noah trusted in the wisdom of God, so he followed God's plan to the letter. Noah built the Ark 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high with three separate decks. A ship that big was not built again until 1884 when the ocean liner Erturia was launched in Liverpool England by the Cunard Line.
*Denn Guptill gave this insight on God's plan for the Ark: "Experts tell us that the rectangular dimensions of the Ark are indicative of an advanced design in ship building. The fact that it was six times longer than it was wide, and only 45 feet high would have made it incredibly stable on the ocean, and virtually impossible to overturn." Who could have designed something like that, if it wasn't God?" (4)
*God did have a perfect plan for the Ark, and by faith, Noah followed God's plan to the letter. It is always a good idea to follow God's plan for our lives! And think about this question: Who steered the boat? It was God the whole time. The Ark didn't even have a rudder. Noah had no idea where they were going, but he trusted in the Lord, and so should we! (5)
3. WHEN WE HAVE FAITH, WE WILL TRUST IN GOD'S WISDOM, AND WE WILL START WORKING FOR THE LORD.
*Faith motivates us and energizes us to serve the Lord according to His perfect will for our lives. Again, vs. 7 says, "By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark. . ."
*Noah and his family prepared an ark. That was an amazing amount of work! And they did all of that work by faith. John Hamby said, "Every tree he cut down shouted faith. Every board he sawed shouted faith. Every swing of his hammer shouted faith. Every seam he sealed with tar shouted faith. But do our works reflect our faith? Faith will lead us to work for the Lord, to serve the Lord any way we possibly can.
*The only thing that kept Noah working on the Ark for a hundred plus years was strong faith in God. Remember: The ark was 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high. In other words, it was one and a half football fields long, and four stories high! Can you imagine the mockery and jeering that Noah must have faced as he built this huge ship?
*Everybody else refused to believe Noah's witness concerning the coming flood. But by faith, Noah went right on working and witnessing, building the Ark, and warning of the coming judgment. Then as a final act of faith, Noah and his family stepped inside the Ark, and GOD closed the door." (6)
*Do our works reflect our faith? One of Susan Skidmore's coworkers was a counselor at their school. That grandmother told Susan about the prayer her little grandson had prayed at dinner one day. He had recently learned the story of Noah at church, and after thanking God for the food, he said, "And Lord, if you need someone to build an Ark. I'll do it!" That's the kind of faith God wants us to have: A faith that is willing to work for the Lord. (7)
4. WHEN WE HAVE FAITH, WE WILL DO THE LORD'S WORK, AND WE WILL HELP MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN OUR WORLD.
*"By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household." Noah's faith made all the difference in the world for his family. Noah's faith also made a difference that stretches all the way to our generation, because all of us are his descendants! And Noah's faith made a difference that will last forever, because of the untold millions who have been saved since the flood.
5. WHEN WE HAVE FAITH, WE WILL HELP MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN OUR WORLD, AND WE WILL INHERIT GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS.
*Many of us have a last will and testament. They spell out what we wish to happen after we die. In these wills, people usually list their spouses and their children, maybe some other relatives, or even friends to inherit their possessions when they die.
*They are our heirs, -- and God has heirs too. The only natural heir of God the Father is the Lord Jesus Christ, because in John 3:16, Jesus is the "only begotten Son" of God. God the Son Jesus Christ always has been and always will be the only begotten Son of God the Father, so Jesus is God the Father's only natural heir.
*But the great news of the Bible is that all of us can be God's heirs too! We can be God's heirs forever, but only by faith. So vs. 7 says, "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."
*Faith in Jesus Christ is the only thing that can make us children and heirs of God. That's why Romans 8:16-17 tells Christians: "The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs; heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ." Hallelujah! -- Faith alone puts us in the family of God, because only faith can give us the righteousness that satisfies God. "By faith Noah became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith."
*Also notice that by faith, Noah "condemned the world." God is reminding us here that Noah wasn't just nailing nails during those many years. 2 Peter 2:5 tells us that Noah was "a preacher of righteousness." Ken Trivette explained that Noah's words condemned the world, because they rejected God's message of salvation. Noah's walk condemned the world, because the way he lived revealed the condemnation they deserved.
*And Noah's work condemned the world, because as Chris Talton explained: "Noah's neighbors had a constant reminder for over 100 years that the flood was coming. They heard the constant clink of the hammers. Every time they looked out their windows, that giant ark was casting a shadow over their homes. They saw and heard the truth, but they chose to ignore it. John 3:17 tells us that Jesus did not come into the world to condemn the world, but to save it. But when people refuse the truth, when you reject what Jesus did on the cross for our sins, then you stand condemned before God." (8)
*But by faith Noah became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith. It wasn't Noah's work that saved him, and it certainly wasn't the fact that he was sinless. In Genesis 9:21, we see that Noah got drunk after the flood.
*But by faith Noah became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith. God explains how saving faith works in Romans 3:20-26. There the Bible says:
20. Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
21. But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,
22. even the righteousness of God which is through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference;
23. for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
24. being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
25. whom God set forth to be a propitiation (that is, the one who takes away the wrath of God) by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed,
26. to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
*By faith, Noah "became heir of the righteousness, which is according to faith." Noah became heir of the righteousness that was ultimately provided through the cross of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. But Genesis 6:8 in the KJV also says, "Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD." Where did Noah find grace? He found it in God! He found it by realizing and trusting that God is full of love, mercy, and grace to everyone who will put their hope in Him.
*Noah was saved by God's grace through faith in the LORD's promise in Genesis 3:15 that one day a saving Seed would be born to totally defeat the devil. Thank God that Jesus Christ did come to die on the cross for our sins! And He rose again in victory over sin and death. Now Jesus offers salvation and eternal life to everyone who trusts in Him.
*Jesus came to offer salvation not just from a flood, but from everlasting torment in a terrible lake of fire. By faith Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord, and that's what God wants for us. But we have to follow God's plan of having faith in the cross of Christ.
*Chris Talton explained that "There were no lifeboats on the Ark. There was no 'plan B.' If this Ark didn't work, then all was lost. Noah's total faith and trust had to be in God's one way of salvation. It's the same for us today. There is no 'plan B' apart from Jesus. We have to place all of our faith in Him." (5)
*Larry Thompson described what might have happened in the final days before the flood. The ark was finished and stood with open door, gleaming with its final coat of tar. Suddenly one of Noah's sons came running to give the news: "Dad, your grandfather has just died, and they want you to preach his funeral.
*At the service Noah began to speak: "You know my grandfather's name was 'Methuselah'. His name means, 'when he dies the end shall come,' and 'his death shall bring judgment'. No one has lived longer than his 969 years.
*All of this time God has been waiting for you to repent. But now the time is at hand, because 'when he dies the end shall come.' Surely the long-delayed judgment of God is coming. But salvation has been provided for you all. Who will come and seek refuge in the Ark? Who has the courage to be responsive to the call of God today? -- All that is needed is one simple step of faith."
*One final time, the world laughed and rejected the call of this godly leader. Then they watched Noah and his family walk up the ramp into the ark. And God shut the door behind them. Through the many years that Noah was building the Ark, God was reaching out in mercy to give the world opportunity to repent. But now God's judgment would fall. And it was too late for them all. (9)
CONCLUSION:
*I am so thankful that it was not too late for me. Most of us are Christians here today. Aren't you glad that it wasn't too late for you! And if you have never put your faith in Jesus Christ, it's not too late for you today! Call on our crucified and risen Savior to save you now, as we go back to God in prayer. And no matter what kind of floods may come into your life, always keep trusting in the Lord who made a way for Noah.
(1) John Phillips on Genesis 2:5-6: "The statement here has given rise to much speculation. What was the planet like in the distant dawn of time? Why did people live to such great ages as did the antediluvian patriarchs? What is meant by the statement that in Adam’s day the earth was watered by a mist and not by rain? Probably those questions can never be satisfactorily answered. One theory is that once the earth was completely covered by a canopy of ice. Thus ensphered, it enjoyed a uniform greenhouse temperature, light was diffused, the harmful rays of the sun were screened out, energy consumption was less, and the earth was watered by a dewlike mist. According to that theory the Flood was caused by the collapse of the canopy. (15)
-(Footnote15. This theory was espoused by Theodore Schwarze, a renowned scientist and fellow of the prestigious American Association for the Advancement of Science. See Theodore Schwarze, The Marvel of Earth’s Canopies (Westchester, Ill.: Good News, 1957) - Source: EXPLORING GENESIS by John Phillips, Kregal Publications, Grand Rapids - "Agronomy Reviewed" - Genesis 2:5-6 - Downloaded to "Bible Study 6" from Olive Tree Bible Software, Inc.")
(2) Adapted from "Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible" - Source: SermonCentral sermon "Noah Prepared an Ark to the Saving of His Household" by Maurice McCarthy - Hebrews 11:7
(3) Sources:
-Adapted from SermonCentral sermon "Evan Almighty - The Story Behind the Movie" by Denn Guptill - Hebrews 11:7
-Thomas Jefferson, Notes on the State of Virginia Query xviii: Manners (1784) - https://quotesexplained.com/i-tremble-for-my-country-when-i-reflect-thomas-jefferson/#SnippetTab
(4) Adapted from SermonCentral sermon "Evan Almighty - The Story Behind the Movie" by Denn Guptill - Hebrews 11:7
(5) Adapted from SermonCentral sermon "The Voyage of Faith" by Chris Talton - Hebrews 11:7 - 11/26/2001
(6) Adapted from SermonCentral sermon "The Pathway of Faith" by John Hamby - Hebrews 11:1-7
(7) Adapted from SermonCentral Sermon: "God Pleasing Faith" by Edward Skidmore - Hebrews 11:1-13
(8) Sources:
-KERUX SERMON COLLECTION - ID Number: 27 - PREACHER: Rev. Ken D. Trivette - LOCATION: Temple Baptist Church, Chattanooga, Tennessee - MAIN TEXT: Hebrews 11:7 - Title: Noah: A Life Of Faith
-Adapted from SermonCentral sermon "The Voyage of Faith" by Chris Talton - Hebrews 11:7 - 11/26/2001
(9) Adapted from SermonCentral sermon "Leaders Make a Difference" by Larry Thompson - Hebrews 11:7 - 2003
