Project Build An Ark Series

God’s Call to Change the World Part 2

Sunday, July 8, 2007

July Message Series:

“God’s Call to Change the World”

Today’s Message: “Project: Build An Ark”

Play Clip (Evan Almighty ea_clip_5)

Introduction

9 This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God. 10 Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth. 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. 13 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. 14 So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. 15 This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high. 16 Make a roof for it and finish the ark to within 18 inches of the top. Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks. 17 I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish. 18 But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark--you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you. 19 You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. 20 Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive. 21 You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them." 22 Noah did everything just as God commanded him.

Genesis 6:7-22 (NIV)

The bible tells us that God called Noah to work with him by building a gigantic boat called an ark. Project “Build-An-Ark” measured over one and a half football fields long and took the best part of one hundred and twenty years to complete! In similar fashion, God has called each of us to the enormous task of building lives that can literally change the world. Project “Build-A-Life” measures over 24,000 miles (the circumference of the earth) and takes an entire lifetime to complete! And like Noah, the only way we can ever hope to complete this daunting assignment is by answering God’s call to work with Him. And in today’s message, that’s exactly what we’re going to look at; answering the call to work with God.

Like Noah, God has called us to change the world.

Last week we noted that the 1st Component of this “call” is: The Call to Walk with God. In today’s message we’re going to look at the 2nd component of God’s call to change the world which is . . .

“The Call to Work With God”

13 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. 14 So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out.

Genesis 6:13-14 (NIV)

Like Noah, God has Called You To Change the World By Working With Him.

God’s Call on Noah’s Life Shows Us . . .

Three Prominent Truths About Working With God

1st Prominent Truth About Working With God …

1. God is Actively Working in the World Today.

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.

Genesis 6:5 (NIV)

The very first truth that we need to grasp when we consider the call to work with God, is the fact that God is actively involved and working in the world today. Why is this so important? Because there are many alleged intelligent people who seem to think that God is not really active in our daily affairs. They look at creation as though God has basically wound up a celestial clock, left us to ourselves and will return when his alarm goes off. Theologians refer to this false belief as “Deism”. Don’t fall for it my friends. Because just like in Noah’s day, nothing escapes God’s sight. Listen to Hebrews 4:13:

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everythingis uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.