Lord I Hear You Calling
HHM Pastor Jim Parisi July 14, 2002
Have you ever been woken in the middle of the night feeling the Spirit of God so physically powerful in your presence that you just had to sit up and listen?
You knew that there was no way you were going back to sleep for a while.
Knowing with out a doubt that there is was something that the Lord was personally commissioning you… to do for Him.
Many men and woman of the bible like - Abraham – Jacob – Joshua – Deborah – Ester – Isaiah - the 12 Paul
Have had this same appointment with Fate
Even one man before he was born…. John the Baptist. Was called of God we see in Matthew 3 to prepare the way of the Lord… prepare for the coming of Jesus Christ the messiah
We could say that these people were called by God to His “Special Service”
Individuals that God desired for a specific Task, in a specific time, for his Holy purpose
Most of them were just ordinary Folks
Trying to live a life acceptable before God
People with all these different lives / Who lived in varied times
They all had at least one thing in Common, A Tuned Ear to hear the Voice of God….
And a willingness to serve their GOD
One who stood for such a purpose called of God was Noah.
He was one of the first men , who was summoned by God to this “special service”
God for His Purpose. Commissioned Noah
Noah became A Man with a Plan a Man with a mission became a man with an appointment in History
We all know something about Noah and his ark
You know the little 371 day cruise to nowhere that it rained 40 days and nights straight.
The one where you could bring you pets along.
Little children sing songs about the animals marching in two by two.
Let us start in Genesis 6 and see how and why the Lord recruited Noah
Most see Noah’s life as a man who was involved in One Great Flood
I see it another way I see Noah as a man whose life was involved in not one…. but two tragic Floods…
One the flood of water and number two the flood of evil
The Earth with Man inhabiting it was young
The peoples sin was grieving God Let’s Look
Gen 6:5 -9
5 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.
6 And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. 7 So the Lord said, "I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them."
8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. 9 This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations Noah walked with God.
Sin in this day was consuming the earth and its people
God was showing an expression of his sorrow for the state of mankind
Mankind the expression of God… which he created out of the love and want for fellowship with man … had turned into this vile stench in the nostrils of God
God was sorry that the people chose sin and death instead of a relationship with Him HIS heart was heavy
The day Noah lived in was a day that the world was possessed by wickedness and immorality
Men began to multiply upon the face of the earth - This was the effect of the blessing,
Genesis 1:28 God blessed them and told them, "Multiply and fill the earth and subdue it. Be masters over the fish and birds and all the animals.",
And yet man’s corruption so abused this blessing,
That the one time promise of having authority over all the earth and its creatures had become a curse.
Man was on the tightrope to nonexistence
He was in a place with
God that there was no more Grace.
and God was going to destroy man,
because man was a disappointed to Him
But one man found favor in the eyes of God Noah
Aren’t we glad there is always one man?
Noah was the contrast to all of the sin that the earth had absorbed.
Not that Noah was sinless No not at all
Noah was a man that whole-heartedly loved and obeyed God
Noah was one man that stood as a friend of God
A man of patience, consistency and obedience
Like Enoch Gen 5:22 Noah walked with God
His life was a continual pattern in serving God
His life was a total disparity of all that sin had become in the earth
And God was pleased with Noah and let humanity continue for ONE “just” Man
Noah and His family would survive the great waters so that the human race would continue on its course to Christ.
Like Noah, we too live in a world surrounding us by sin and evil.
Church it is going to come down to this one ideal
Who is influencing whom?
Are we the church influencing the world or are they influencing us?
Are we going to choose to live by Gods Order and Leadership and choose eternal life?
Or are we going to our deaths blindly lead like sheep in to the caldron of the worlds sins.
Noah was building no canoe
Try seeing this massive undertaking
it was one and one half football fields long and as tall as a four-story building
It was exactly six times longer as it was wide
Modern shipbuilders use this same ratio today to build ships.
And this huge mass of timber and pitch
This behemoth of a vessel
Was built probably miles away from any known water
by a few faithful men who believed Gods promise and obeyed His covenant.
A covenant is a promise and Noah had a promise from God
Anytime you have a promise from God you can take that to the Bank
How reassuring that God’s convenient promise is within us through Jesus Christ.
Now after God commissioned Noah and Noah understood the PLAN,
Noah got right to work
That’s the way it is……. God Gives you a plan ….you get moving on it
Vs 22 says Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did.
Now Noah and his sons are building the Ark
Many were seeing the ark being built and mocking Him
Like today, the world mocks the things of God because they just cannot see the Lords wisdom
However, there was a day coming, and it was coming soon
Maybe if they where quiet for a moment and started to change their ways… they too would of heard God speak.
They could have changed the heart of God
The People needed to repent, come back to God and be obedient to his will
Obedience is a long-term commitment.
Serving God is a life long Quest.
Today there are thousands of people being warned of Gods inevitable Judgment.
Yet most do not believe it will ever happen to them
Don’t go into the world with Gods message and think that they are going to welcome you with open arms
Tell you to sit at the head of the table
Feed you the choice cuts of meat
Don’t go into the world an look for their favor… with the gospel on your lips
Thinking they will elect you to be the head of their organization
Those who don’t believe will try to sway YOU and tell you there is no God and to deny Him
Enticing you from your love of the word and His fellowship
Telling you it’s not the way it is these days that’s old fashion
The ways of God are out of touch with today’s understandings
Church God is forever Jesus is alive today yesterday and forever
He is a new breath every day and it’s up to us to seek his Will
But remember as you go out there that Noah had Gods promise
Noah had gods favor
Not a bad place to be in when it’s you alone against the world
This will inspire you while going into the highways and byways to speak His truth
For no weapon that is formed against you shall prosper
Remember Gods covenant with Noah was to keep him safe
Noah was Gods man for the day
He didn’t worry abut things like wood or pitch or even the animals and how he was going to round them all up
He was a man of Great faith a man called to Gods Special Service
he new that if god ordained a situation it would happen
He knew it was gods plan and all he had to be is obedient to gods will
Church GOD will take care of the details while you are doing your part for the Kingdome
Most of the time we worry and do the opposite of what Noah did
Worrying about the details that we have no control over
Meanwhile we are neglecting the specific thing’s God has call us to do
The important little things that bless god
We get so caught up in idea of what will the world say
We forget it was God who sent us to do the Job at hand
Church the Lord is calling us to do his will His way
This is so we don’t feel the burden or the weight of the progression
All we to do is go with the flow and let God steer the Ship
How much easer is it then to have a promise and be part of the team
That’s what the world lacks team
In addition, I’m proud to say here today that I’m part of Gods team
Can you say that in your hearts?
Can you say lord use me to further your gospel?
Can you say Lord I will serve you and know you are in control?
Church Let’s become more like Noah concentrating on what God has given us and leave the rest to HIM…
What do you say church ….is it time to rely on God amen
