Before There Were Kings 1 - God Rescues Noah

Reading: Genesis 6:9-22
Noah did everything just as God commanded him. Genesis 6:22 (NIV)

I.   Noah was Blameless in a corrupt time

     A.  Noah lived in Immoral times

           1.  “Every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time.” v.5

                 a.  People can be pretty bad.

                 b.  These people were worse than most you’d meet.

           2.  God’s “heart was filled with pain” v.6

                 a.  This is what evil does to God’s heart. It hurts him like a brash sound hurts our hears, like a hammer hurts our thumb.

                 b.  The idea that God can be hurt is one that seems strange at first.

           3.  The earth was full of violence. v.11

                 a.  Violence is from the word violate: to abuse, to force.

                 b.  People were failing to see the image of God in each other, or if they did, they despised it. (See 9:6)

     B.  He was a Righteous Man

           1.  Noah was a candle in a stormy night.

                 a.  2Peter 2:5: a preacher of righteousness

                 b.  God found everyone to be totally evil. Everyone except one man: Noah.

           2.  Not a perfect man — a faithful man.

                 a.  Righteous doesn’t mean perfect,

                 b.  As Paul put it the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith Phil.3:9

     C.  Noah Walked with God

           1.  He lived his life with God as a constant companion.
Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. 1Thes.4:1

                 a.  Noah made his relationship with God a priority in his life.

           2.  Though no one around him did, he did.

                 a.  Noah was profoundly alone. He really was the only one trying to please God.

                 b.  The temptation to give up and be like everyone else may have been great.

           3.  We may also be in the minority, or even alone at work or with our friends.

II.  God Rescues Noah

     A.  God decides to Wipe out evil

           1.  God cannot simply ignore evil — evil fills his heart with pain (v. 6).

                 a.  

           2.  The evil was universal and there was no hope they would ever improve.

           3.  God wipes them out with a flood.

     B.  God extends Grace to Noah (1Peter 3:17-22)

           1.  Noah finds favor (grace) in God’s eyes.

                 a.  That grace extends to Noah’s children, who apparently didn’t find favor with God, as Noah did.

           2.  God searched high and low and found one man who was not so blinded by sin he could no longer see.

     C.  God’s gives a Plan for rescue

           1.  God rescues Noah from a flood by giving him the plans for an ark (floating box).

                 a.  This same word is used for the thing that Moses’ Mom put him in.

           2.  God rescues Noah from the surrounding corruption by getting rid of the corruption.

                 a.  1Peter 3:20 and Hebrews 11:7 both describe the ark as a vessel of salvation for Noah and his family.

                 b.  The other side of God’s anger at sin is his protection from it on behalf of His people.

           3.  Though God won’t flood the earth again, judgement and rescue are coming.
But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. 2 Peter 3:5-7

III. Noah Obeys God

     A.  Noah does What God says

           1.  If we were to read on we’d find v.22 echoed by Noah’s example.

                 a.  Noah builds the ark God told him to build.

                 b.  Noah gathers the animals 2X2 — all, not some, maybe he didn’t want snakes.

           2.  Even though it made no sense to anyone around him to build that ark.

                 a.  Build a huge landlocked ship?!

                 b.  God was angry?! What could happen?

           3.  There are times people won’t understand what we’re doing.

                 a.  As we build the vessel of our salvation, there are people saying “be practical.”

                 b.  The vessel of our salvation is trust in the saving work Jesus.

     B.  Noah did it the Way God told him.

           1.  Noah didn’t try to improve on God’s plan.

                 a.  He built according to God’s specs.

                 b.  He probably didn’t build it as perfect as a piece of fine furniture.

           2.  When it comes to our salvation, we’d better stick with God’s plan!

                 a.  By grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone.

                 b.  Our faith doesn’t have to be as polished as those of our spiritual heroes.

     C.  Noah does it When God tells him.

           1.  Noah begins building when he gets his orders.

                 a.  Noah enters the ark when God tells him to enter. (7:5)

                 b.  He stays in the ark until God tells him to leave. (8:14-18)

           2.  Today is the day for faith-building. Today is the day of salvation. Today is the day you choose whether to float or sink.

                 a.  God has a plan to rescue you too.

                 b.  What are you going to do with His plan?

The Bottom Line:

Hymn: #281 Never Alone