This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God. Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth. Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. This is how you are to build it…”(Genesis 6:9-15)
The Lord then said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteous in this generation. Take with you seven of every kind of clean animal, a male and its mate, and two of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate, and also seven of every kind of bird, male and female, to keep their various kinds alive throughout the earth. Seven days from now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living creature I have made.”
And Noah did all that the Lord had commanded him. Noah was 600 years old when the floodwaters came on the earth. And Noah and his sons and his wife and sons’ wives entered the ark to escape the waters of the flood. (Genesis 7:1-7)
I know of no aspect of life that can bring greater joy and greater frustration than trying to Build Winning Families. Strong, winning families don’t just happen. They are the product of a Biblical pattern, unwavering perseverance, and authentic living.
Divorce, abuse, and single parent families all mark the perilous nature of families in our day. Isn’t it time we got back to the blueprint of how to Build Winning Families? Today’s message will do just that.
We’re all familiar with the marketing concept, “Learn to think outside the box.” In everyday language it suggests expanded thinking. It is used in the corporate world as a metaphor to get a manager to think more creatively. The food industry has saddled this analogy and ridden it to million dollar sales. I am going to ask you to think outside the realm of the familiar, to think outside the box.
Remember this important truth: God may want to use your family in an unusual way. God wants to use your family as an instrument of His grace through which He can unleash His creative plans and projects. The story of Noah is an excellent illustration of this. Will you, like Noah, respond with obedience? Or will you succumb to Satan’s subtle hissings that everything is okay? Will he lull you to sleep with his trappings of deception? Christians in America are being lulled to sleep even as I speak.
Will you “get off the dime” and be used of God to rescue the perishing? My prayer is that the following insights will startle you enough to make the appropriate changes in your life.
Ø Addiction and pornography is a national epidemic among Christian men.
Ø One Christian author states that the divorce rate in the church is now 8% higher than among the people of the world.
Ø Billy Graham’s research says that at least 90% of all Christians in America are living defeated Christian lives (1).
As Americans, if we are truly honest with ourselves, we can come to only one conclusion: America is in trouble. The people of Noah’s day were in trouble, and we are in trouble. But God has a message of hope that provides us with His wisdom about what to do in these perilous times.
Families of Faith Learn How to Win in Difficult Times
God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people eon earth had corrupted their ways. So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth.” (Genesis 6:12-13)
Noah lived in a time remarkably similar to ours. People in Noah’s day were hardened toward spiritual matters, and that would be a fair assessment of our culture today. Headlines in the morning paper or the evening news telecast remind us how difficult and cynical the world can be.
The opening verse of chapter 6 tells us that the population in Noah’s day was increasing. It has been suggested that as many as one million people lived on the earth at that time. When the number of people increases, you can be sure that in a fallen world problems are not far behind. When people increase problems increase.
Just one verse after informing us of the census, the author begins to tell us how difficult and wicked the times became. They were painful days. Violence pervaded every part of society. Moral decay and contamination filled the lives of humanity. Compromise was everywhere. Sin was on display.
The Bible says that right before the Second Coming of the Lord, things will be like they were in the days of Noah. Get ready friend, He is coming. Before this day is over you could be stepping into eternity. One of the great prophecies indicating the return of Jesus is the similarity of Noah’s day and ours.
As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the son of man. (Matthew 24:37)
A few headlines from the local paper (The Everett Herald, Everett, Washington, July 13, 2002) should cause us to lift up our eyes for His return.
Ø Death penalty is sought for woman
Prosecutors will seek the death penalty for an Everett women accused of recruiting 5 teenagers, including her daughter, to murder her employer.
Ø Odometer fraud common, fed says
More than 450,000 people every year buy used vehicles with mileage gauges rolled back, spending thousands of dollars more than they should, according to a federal study of odometer fraud.
Ø Terror cell search expands
Law enforcement official says FBI agents are searching for Americans and others they suspect of advising al-Qaida cells operating underground on U.S. soil in preparation for another terrorist attack.
Ø Priest and church sued over alleged abuse
A King County man who says an Everett priest sexually molested him sued the priest and the Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle on Thursday, alleging that church officials were negligent in failing to prevent the abuse.
Ø Rape charges inspire lecture aboard Lincoln
With three of their shipmates facing rape charges, more than 2,700 sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln quietly listened Friday as police and prosecutors outlined the potential penalties of sexual misconduct.
The interpretation of the first few verses of Genesis 6 has been the subject of much discussion. Even though this passage has been difficult for even the best of scholars to interpret, the message is clear: those who came from Godly lineage turned their hearts toward sin repeatedly and their hearts were evil all the time.
The Lord saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain (Genesis 6:5-6).
It’s interesting to note that of all the sins God could have chosen to highlight, He showed His disgust and disapproval of those sins associated with taking mates.
…and they married any of them they chose…Genesis 6:2b
As a church, we are called to provide direction and leadership for God’s people. One area we take very seriously is how and who we unite in marriage. God loves marriage. It’s His desire that most people be married; but there is a right and wrong way to go about this. Let me highlight a few of what I believe to be the most common mistakes made by couples planning marriage.
Ø Failure to get pre-marital counseling
Ø I am saddened by the number of people who are willing to go ahead with marriage against the parents’ clear warning against such a decision.
Ø When divorce has taken place, more often than not, there has not been an adequate biblical study of the issues surrounding divorce and remarriage.
Ø If a person has been divorced, a season of healing and counseling should follow before a new relationship is even considered.
Marriage must be entered using a process and plan that pleases God and gives careful attention to any unique issues surrounding the relationship. Marriage has suffered greatly at the hands of the world and the church. It is one of the clear indicators that the Lord’s return is imminent.
Families of Faith Follow God’s Prophetic Plan for Their Lives
This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God. Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth. (Genesis 6: 9-10)
Even though the ancient world, like ours, was filled with heartache, there was an exception to the norm. His name was Noah. When everyone else was swimming downstream into an abyss of sin, Noah was headed upstream, in large part because of his godly heritage. Noah’s family included such spiritual giants as Enoch, his great-grandfather; Methuselah, his grandfather; and his father, Lamech, who gave him the name Noah, which means rest.
When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah. And after he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. (Genesis 5:21-22)
In American universities and other institutions of higher learning, there is an ongoing argument that “environment dictates character.” In these verses we learn that it is godly heritage that really influences character. Noah’s life was like a beautiful rose that blossomed in an inhospitable desert. In the midst of ungodliness, Noah was a God-fearing man steadily raising his family on a daily diet of faith and obedience.
There is no substitute for a godly heritage. It’s one the greatest gifts you can receive or give to your children. Do everything within your power to pass on your faith, to raise your family in a way that honors Christ. It may be their only hope in a dark world like Noah’s and ours.
Have you noticed that God was able to pull off His plan with just one man and one family? That gives me hope! Even if I feel my impact is insignificant, God can still use it to accomplish His wonders. Don’t despise small things for God. Looking down from heaven and seeing a world given over to sin, God found a man that pleased Him.
But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. (Genesis 6:8)
Do you know what is at the heart of the gospel message God wants you to instill in the lives of your children? It is a life of faith and obedience. But let’s save these two insights for later.
I can’t go any deeper into the story without showing you a truth about God’s great patience with sinful humanity. Before God would send the planet to a watery grave, He would give mankind the maximum time to repent and change.
Remember I said that Noah came from godly seed? We saw in Genesis 5:21-22 that Enoch had a son named Methuselah. Most know Methuselah because of his longevity; he lived 969 years, longer than any other human being, and 13 times longer than Psalm 90:10 says is the average lifespan.
When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah. Altogether, Methuselah lived 969 years, and then he died. (Genesis 5:21, 27)
But there is something else significant about Methuselah - his name. Methuselah means, “When he is dead it shall be sent”(2). Hidden in the name of Enoch’s son was a message from God clearly stating, “When this child dies, a flood of My judgment will be released on this planet.” There was a prophetic warning and a picture of God’s patience all wrapped up in the birth announcement of that bundle of joy. It was as if God was saying to Enoch, “See that baby? When he dies, the windows of heaven will open and life as you know it will be altered like never before.”
God has a word from heaven for your family. Find it. Follow it. Testify to God’s work in your life.
Families of Faith Anticipate An Hour of Deliverance Because of Obedience
And Noah did all that the Lord had commanded him. And Noah was 600 years old when the floodwaters came on the earth. And Noah and his sons and his wife and sons’ wives entered the ark to escape the waters of the flood. (Genesis 7:5-7)
Noah must have been overwhelmed when he heard the Lord’s plan for mankind. But before he could struggle with the implications, God had Noah strapping on a tool belt. Soon he was involved in a construction project so unusual, so bizarre that it drew the attention of entire the community. And it went on for 120 years!
For the next 12 decades Noah would spend his time in ideal working conditions building an ark of safety. As we are going to see, God is about to do the incredible to accomplish the unusual, as one author says (3). Let’s go over to Noah’s house and get a glimpse of what consumes his concentration and time for the next 120 years.
Build An Ark
If God ever asked a person to do the unusual, it was Noah. “Noah? Noah!” “Yes, Lord?” “Build a giant boat 500 miles from the nearest body of water. It’s going to rain soon and everyone except your family will perish.” Noah thinks: what’s a boat? What’s rain? He’d never seen rain. A giant canopy in the heavens and regular provision from the ground provided all the moisture the world needed.
Noah and God must have had some interesting discussions about all this. The ark was God’s idea for divine provision, a shelter of safety from impending judgment. Then, in Genesis 7:1, God instructs Noah to, “Come thou and all thy house into the ark.” (KJV) This is the first time the word come is used in the Bible. This great word for invitation is used over 500 times (6). The word go, used in the NIV, is too strong; it conveys a command. But the word come conveys an invitation.
Two thousand years ago Christ provided an ark of safety for each believing person through His death on an old Roman cross. Friend, get smart today. Accept God’s ark of safety and way of escape from impending judgment. Believe. He’s asking you to come. Accept God’s offer to rescue you.
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become the children of God, even those who believe in His name (John 1:12).
This Is How You Are To Build It
In verses 15-16 of chapter 6, we get a glimpse of some of the architectural plans Noah would have to submit for county approval. He out lived several examiners. Imagine all the environmental issues he violated. And he built this thing in his front yard! It was 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high. Imagine building a 4-½-story barge in the wheat fields of Kansas.
Maybe a couple of modern day explanations will help us appreciate what’s going on in the text.
Whitcomb and Morris, in their very insightful volume, The Genesis Flood, have provided some helpful information by describing the capacity of the ark:
“The Ark had a carrying capacity equal to that of 522 standard stock cars as used by modern railroads or of eight freight trains with 65 such cars each” (4).
Go home today and walk off those dimensions in your neighborhood and see how many of the neighbors’ houses this would take up if God asked you to build an ark.
What would the neighbors say? “Mabel, you’re not going to believe this. He’s dragging more wood into his yard. Now that is one strange family. When is this thing going to end? I don’t think this is covered in our neighborhood covenant agreement.” And imagine the teasing the kids would take at school, on the playground, out on the ball field.
Noah’s example teaches us how to step out in faith and trust God. He wants to do the unusual through you so He can accomplish the impossible. Your family is highly favored to be in that relationship. Step out as a family this week and do something unusual for the glory of God.
Then Noah Built An Altar
Then Noah built an altar to the Lord. (Genesis 8:20)
This verse is a whole message in itself. God’s servants are associated with building altars. As Jack Hayford says, “An altar is a place where you arrange hard things before the Lord,” (5) and Noah had some hard things to arrange before the Lord. Consider these:
Ø In His mercy God spares us all the sad details, but a million people have just perished under Noah’s boat. That was a hard thing to stomach.
Ø Noah’s family is alone in a wide and empty world.
Ø After the flood, the earth was completely different with seasons, strange weather patterns, and unfamiliar mountains towering over their lives. In the distance were unknown valleys, carved out by the receding floodwaters.
Ø The only sounds were those of animals scurrying away from the ark.
This is when Noah built an altar before the Lord. Out of obedience. Out of reverence. Out of his desperate need for God in this new arena of life. Building the altar kept him from cracking up.
God asks us to lay everything on the line and risk doing the unusual. This is the only life worth living. When you live outside the box you please God. When was the last time you did something for the first time for Jesus’ sake? Start today!
God Blesses Those Who Do The Unusual
1. Teach your family that God’s ways are higher than man’s. Expect the unusual to be the usual.
2. When you live by faith, you get God’s attention and His provision.
3. Flee the temptation to live in luxury and security; abandon it for availability.
End Notes
(1) Bob Fraley, Caught in the Web of Deception, a small booklet sent to pastors promoting the author’s literature.
(2) Arthur Pink. Gleanings in Genesis. Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois. 1981, pg. 88.
(3) Chuck Swindoll. The Strong Family. Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids Michigan, 1991, pg. 257.
(4) Ibid, pg. 262.
(5) Jack Hayford, National Religious Broadcasters Regional Meetings. Oct 1999. Colorado Springs, Colorado.
(6) Bob Fraley, Caught in the Web of Deception, a small booklet sent to pastors promoting the author’s literature.
Edited by Diane Gardner
