ARE YOU IN THE ARK?

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ARE YOU IN THE ARK?

Genesis 7:23 NKJV
23 So He destroyed all living things which were on the face of the ground: both man and cattle, creeping thing and bird of the air. They were destroyed from the earth. Only Noah and those who were with him in the ark remained alive.

INTRODUCTION:

God told Noah to build an ark b/c He was going to send rain & flood the earth.
Up until now, Noah & everyone living at this time had never seen rain…and the nearest body of water was probably 500 miles away.
But by faith Noah built the ark… and in , God tells Noah seven days before the rain ever begins to fall to get into the ark with his family…and Noah obeys.
And as a result of his obedience…he & his family were spared from God’s judgment.
But think about this - there were no storm clouds in the sky when God told them to get in the ark.
There were no rain drops falling when God said to go into the ark…Noah & his family obeyed God by faith.
For seven days they sat there with all the animals before the flood waters ever came on the earth.
It must have been a faith trying time…but when the rains began to fall & the ark began to rise…I am sure they were glad to be in the ark.
But think of how terrible it must have been for all of those who were outside of the ark.
For 120 yrs., Noah had preached & warned them of God’s judgment…but they laughed & ridiculed…but now Noah is safe & they are being swept away under the waters of judgment.
As the rain began to fall, they probably began to beat on the door wanting to get in…but Noah couldn’t let them in b/c God had shut the door.
Tonight, I want to look at and focus on the ark & how it represents JC.
And when we are in Him…He protects us from the judgment of God that is to come.

1) GOD’S JUDGMENT IS COMING

Genesis 6:7 NKJV
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.”
Genesis 6:7
Genesis 6:13 NKJV
13 And God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
Gen. 7:4
Genesis 7:4 NKJV
4 For after seven more days I will cause it to rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and I will destroy from the face of the earth all living things that I have made.”
Gen. 7:10-12
Genesis 7:10–12 NKJV
10 And it came to pass after seven days that the waters of the flood were on the earth. 11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. 12 And the rain was on the earth forty days and forty nights.
These verses demonstrate that God had had enough of man’s sin & wickedness…so He sent the flood as judgment.
The flood demonstrates that even though God is patient…eventually His patience comes to an end & His judgment comes.
NOTE: God can’t overlook sin forever…Sin must be judged b/c God is holy & righteous.
In , we read that b/c of man’s continual wickedness & rebellion God was going to send the flood as judgment.
And in , the flood comes just as God told Noah.
NOTE: God does what He says…And just as He judged the whole earth with the flood…He will one day judge the whole earth again.
God is not a man that He should lie…If God says it, He means it.
And the bible warns us in the NT…that judgment is coming again…and the earth will destroyed one more time.
2 Peter 3:7 NLT
7 And by the same word, the present heavens and earth have been stored up for fire. They are being kept for the day of judgment, when ungodly people will be destroyed.
2 Peter 3:10–13 NLT
10 But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment. 11 Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, 12 looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames. 13 But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness.
2 Peter 3:10-1
Revelation 21:1 NLT
1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone.
Just as sent the flood as judgment in Noah’s day…God is going to send judgment again in our day.
In fact, Jesus said it would be as it was in the days of Noah when He returns.
And we can that taking place in our society right now.
It’s business as usual…No one is thinking about God.
Violence, corruption, & wickedness is ever increasing in our society.
I believe the church is about to leave this world & God’s judgment is about to come.
God’s judgement came suddenly & swiftly.
Noah had been preaching & warning everyone for 120 yrs…but when the flood came, it was swift & sudden.
Genesis 7:11–12 NKJV
11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. 12 And the rain was on the earth forty days and forty nights.
Gen.
This day started just like any other day…but suddenly waters from underneath & from above appeared.
The phrase “windows of heaven” means “floodgates...”
In other words, this was a downpour of rain…It came of out of nowhere and it lasted for 40 days & nights.
NOTE: God’s future judgment will be swift & sudden.

2) GOD’S JUDGMENT DOESN’T COME WITHOUT WARNING

Noah was a preacher of righteousness…and for 120 yrs. he warned the people of his day that God’s judgment was coming.
He walked with God & testified by his conduct
But he witnessed for God by his commitment to God in a difficult society
Like Noah, we should be warning people that God is going to judge the world.
We warn them by sharing the Word of God with them.
We warn them by telling them that God has provided a way of escape.

3) GOD’S JUDGMENT CAN BE ESCAPED

The story of the flood shows us that before He brings judgment...God graciously provides a means of escape from His judgment.
God graciously provides a means of escape from His judgment.
The ark that Noah built was a place of safety & security…It was a place of protection from the storm that was raging on the outside.
But notice this - the ark wasn’t Noah’s idea - it was God’s.
NOTE: Noah didn’t think up the idea of the ark himself.
The ark was God’s initiative.
He revealed it to Noah...He designed it and gave him the directions he needed.
No human plan would have saved Noah or anyone else.
There was no means of escape except the means God provided, and it was sufficient.
The ark Noah built was a real boat…but it’s also a picture of JC & the salvation that He provides.
Notice with me how the ark speaks of Jesus.
Its Substance – Gopher wood – cypress, it’s almost indestructible…it’s durable, & will not rot.
Wood is a picture of humanity in the Bible.
This wood pictures the humanity of Jesus Christ.
Just as those trees had to be cut down to build Noah’s Ark, Jesus had to be cut down to provide a place of sanctuary for you and me, . (Ill. The agony and glory of Calvary!)
Its Security – After the Ark was built, it was covered with “pitch.
This word is used seventy other times in the Old Testament and each time it is translated “atonement.
It literally means a covering.
The wood alone couldn’t keep the water out…so there had to be a covering.
The word “atonement” brings to mind the shedding of blood, .
Think about this - It’s not the humanity, or the life of Jesus that saves us, it’s His death and the shedding of His blood!
He didn’t come to just us set an example, He same to die, .
It is the blood that seals us and keeps us safe from the wrath of God, !
Its Size – The Ark was 450’ long, 75’ wide and 45’ high.
It could contain three million cubic feet!
It was plenty big enough to hold all who would desire to enter.
This is a picture of the sufficiency of Jesus!
He is able to save all who will come to Him, .
There is room at His cross for anyone!
Its Shape – It wasn’t shaped like a boat, it would have looked like a floating coffin.
This speaks to us of the fact that Jesus died for us and when we receive Him, we die to the world.
When Noah entered the Ark, he was identifying with death.
When we come to Jesus, we are identifying with His death on the cross and our own death to sin! ()
Its Structure – The Ark had one door; one window and three stories.
These elements are a picture of salvation.
The one door was set low so that all could enter, .
The window was high so that all would have to look up, .
The three stories remind us that salvation is a work of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
It also reminds us that when a person is saved, their whole person – body, soul and spirit- is changed, !
Its Sustenance – Noah was saved by the ship and he was also satisfied in the ship.
He had everything in the Ark that he would need to survive the flood.
In Jesus, the believer will find satisfaction for the soul.
He is bread to the hungry and water to the thirsty.
Those who come to Him will find that He is all they need to be satisfied, .
Its Schedule – The Ark came to rest on the seventeenth day of the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar.
Why is that important? The seventh month is when the Passover takes place.
Jesus died as they were offering the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month.
He was raised three days later – the seventeenth day of the month.
The Ark rested on the same day Jesus would rise again from the dead.
Its Supply – Noah’s name means “rest.
When Noah entered the Ark, he found rest, safety and salvation.
Being in the Ark saved his life...believing in Almighty God saved his soul!
Can you see how the Ark pictures Jesus? If you can, then please understand this: the wrath of God is about to be poured out on this world in which we live.
There is only one place where safety and salvation can be found.
We don’t have an Ark, but we do have a Savior and His Name is Jesus.
He died for our sins on the cross…and He rose from the dead.
NOTE: You can adopt any religion you choose; follow any plan you wish; believe any doctrine you want to; but if you are ever going to be saved, you must receive Jesus Christ as your Savior! Yes, it sounds like a narrow plan and it is. It is, however, the only way any soul will ever be saved, ; ; ; ; .
NOTE: People can adopt any religion they choose...follow any plan they wish...believe any doctrine they want to...but if they are ever going to be saved...they must receive JC as their Savior!
It may sound like a narrow plan and it is…but it’s the only way anyone will ever be saved.
John 14:6 NKJV
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
; ; .
; .
Acts 4:12 NKJV
12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
Jesus is our ark of safety but we must accept His invitation…just like Noah accepted God’s invitation into the ark.
Genesis 7:1 NKJV
1 Then the Lord said to Noah, “Come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation.
"Come" - this is the first time this word is spoken in the bible…but it's not the last time…from cover to cover, God says "come."
This invitation was open to everyone in Noah’s day…and it’s open to everyone in our day.
For seven days Noah was on that ark waiting for the flood…and God left the door open & had anyone wanted to come in…they could have walked in & God would have saved them.
NOTE: The door is still open today…and God is still calling to people to come to Him.
Isaiah 1:18 NKJV
18 “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.
Matthew 11:28 NKJV
28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Revelation 22:17 NKJV
17 And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.
Rev. 22:
The invitation to come is being extended to everyone & anyone who will listen.
The ark of Jesus offers security & safety just like the ark Noah was on.
Genesis 7:16 NKJV
16 So those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him; and the Lord shut him in.
When God called, Noah heeded the Lord’s voice...He entered the Ark and found safety and security.
We’re told that when it came time for the floods to come, God Himself “shut him in.
I want you to notice a couple of amazing truths here.
1. God did not say “Go into the Ark”. God said “Come into the Ark”. He did not say, “Go into the Ark and I’ll be watching you”. He said, “Come into the Ark and I will be with you!” There is a big difference! Now, look ahead to . Here, God says, “Go forth of the Ark…” Do you see it? God said, “Come in here with me” at the beginning and He was still in there with them at the end! Noah was as safe in that Ark as God was! If that Ark had gone down, God would have gone down too! God was there in the beginning; He was there through the dark days of wrath; and He was there when they landed on the mountains of a new day! The same is true for us too!
Notice that God didn’t say “Go into the Ark”.
God said “Come into the Ark”.
He didn’t say, “Go into the Ark and I’ll be watching you”.
He said, “Come into the Ark and I will be with you!
There is a big difference!
Now, look at .
Genesis 8:16 NKJV
16 “Go out of the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons’ wives with you.
Here, God says, “Go out of the Ark…
Do you see it? God said, “Come in here with me” at the beginning and He was still in there with them at the end...Noah was as safe in that Ark as God was!
If the Ark had gone down, God would have gone down too...God was there in the beginning...He was there through the dark days of wrath...and He was there when they landed on the mountains of a new day!
The same is true for us too!
NOTE: God shut them in.
He controlled the door and He determined who went in and who stayed in.
He sealed them in and they were safe there until they arrived at their destination.
We as the people of God have been “sealed for the day of redemption,.
We are safe and secure.
Noah was kept safe in that Ark by the power of God.
The Lord saw to it that the Ark rode the waves safely and reached its intended destination.
And those of who are in Christ are also kept by the power of God, .
NOTE: I believe that God can keep us & sustain us until the very end.
In Him, we are safe & secure.
Our only hope is in Christ.
Gen. 7:
Genesis 7:23 NKJV
23 So He destroyed all living things which were on the face of the ground: both man and cattle, creeping thing and bird of the air. They were destroyed from the earth. Only Noah and those who were with him in the ark remained alive.
NOTE: Outside of Christ, we will perish…but in Christ, we will live forever.

4) GOD’S JUDGMENT IS COMPLETE

Genesis 7:21–23 NKJV
21 And all flesh died that moved on the earth: birds and cattle and beasts and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, and every man. 22 All in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, all that was on the dry land, died. 23 So He destroyed all living things which were on the face of the ground: both man and cattle, creeping thing and bird of the air. They were destroyed from the earth. Only Noah and those who were with him in the ark remained alive.
Gen. 7:21-
Nothing escaped God’s judgment except Noah & his family…and the animals that were in the ark.
Every other person & every other animal perished.
They had as much opportunity to escape as Noah did but they rejected God’s warning…and it cost them their lives.
God did what He said He would do - He destroyed everything.
These verses say - all flesh died…”all in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, all that was on the dry land, died...”
God destroyed all living things…He didn’t send a partial judgment…but He sent the full force of His judgment.
God didn’t leave anything undone…and when He brings judgment in the future…He isn’t going to leave anything undone.
In fact, I believe the flood was a worldwide flood…rather than a localized flood.
If it were simply a local flood, God could have told Noah to leave the area.
Also, the waters were above the mountains (24 ft) - which speaks of a global flood.
Another reason is that fossils of sea life have been found in different parts of the world.
So, a local flood doesn’t make sense.
And, if the flood was local…the end time fire would be local as well…and that’s not the case.
NOTE: God sent complete & total judgment in Noah’s day…and He’s going to do it again in the future.
We don’t know the time…but it’s coming.

CONCLUSION:

Noah survived b/c he believed God and entered the Ark by faith.
He could have doubted the integrity and ability of the Ark.
He could have failed to believe the promises of God.
Noah could have stayed outside…and if he had, he would have died with the rest!
But, when God’s invitation came to him, Noah entered the Ark by faith and he was saved.
Are you in the ark? Are you in Christ?
Noah & his family were the only ones who lived b/c they were in the ark.
Genesis 7:23 NKJV
23 So He destroyed all living things which were on the face of the ground: both man and cattle, creeping thing and bird of the air. They were destroyed from the earth. Only Noah and those who were with him in the ark remained alive.
Gen. 7:
Are you in the ark? Are you in Christ?
Noah & his family were the only ones who lived b/c they were in the ark.
NOTE: The only way to escape what’s coming is to be in Christ.
He is our ark of safety & security.
Our good works won’t help us…Our religious deeds won’t help us.
It’s only through JC that we can find refuge & salvation from the judgment ahead.
Notice that on the ark…there was only one door.
Jesus is the door. ()
If you enter by Him, you will be saved.
So, I ask you tonight - Which side of the door are you on?
Let’s pray!!!
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