Noah’s Salvation and Ours

Introduction

We invite you now, if you will, to get your Bibles, in particular your Old Testaments, and join me in the book of Genesis. Genesis chapter six will be our starting place this morning. And as always, you will be benefited by opening up your own Bible and studying along with us. If you didn’t bring a Bible, there should be one in the pew in front of you. And so let’s open up God’s word as we uh endeavor to study in that this morning. But before we do that, will you indulge me in just a couple minutes of some uh personal remarks? As we’ve been announcing and will continue to announce, this week is another change back to uh our regular routine of services. We’ll be meeting in the building Wednesday night uh for Bible classes for all ages, Wednesday night at seven o’clock.

We’ll be back here in the building. Uh if you’re joining us on live, you can watch online. You can watch that live uh on our YouTube channel uh as well. But as we’re transitioning so thankfully back into uh our regular routine, uh regular services, uh the full complement of those services in the building, uh I feel like it’s appropriate for for me to express some gratitude to the congregation here and to some particular ones in the congregation here for the above and beyond that has been done by so many, really by all, uh, through what we’ve been going through. This has been, this is an understatement. Uh, this has been a strange time, and it’s been a difficult time and a trying time for many of us, but I want to applaud you for the way that we generally have approached this and endured this and done this.

We haven’t missed a beat in some regard. The first Sunday of the lockdown, we were online and live streaming and conducting our services the best that we could with normality. And much of that credit goes to you. For those men who were willing to come to show up at the building and to lead singing, lead a prayer, lead us in the Lord’s Supper remembrance, we appreciate that. We appreciate that when we’re here together, but under those difficult circumstances, we surely appreciate that. To our A V crew up there in the Crow’s Nest, Mark and Tony and Janelle, they’ve been here every time. And not just while we’re live streaming and conducting services, they’ve been up here throughout the week plugging and unplugging and wiring and rewiring things and figuring out things and doing all of those things, just giving of their time and of their talents and their energies so that we could stay digitally connected at least as well.

And so many, I won’t mention the names of the teachers because I will probably leave someone out, but uh for those of you who stepped out of your comfort zone and went online with us and became video stars of your own accord in teaching Bible classes, uh, some of those streamed live, some of those recorded and chronicled uh on our YouTube page so that we could stay in the book, and so that we could stay connected. We certainly appreciate that, and we could not have done that uh w without you to our deacons, uh to Marion, to El, so many who have just done so much uh to get us through, to limp us along, and to be able uh to still worship uh the best that we could under these circumstances and to be stay connected uh the best that we could uh throughout this.

Again, I I just tip my hat to you uh and thank you so much. And to our shepherds uh who have uh guided us through this whole difficult process and have guided us with dedication and devotion, and really in a sense, just kind of having to find our way through these uncharted waters. We certainly appreciate Ralph and Jim and Walcott and the guidance that they’ve given us and the work and the dedication that they’ve done and the extra devotion. Uh it’s been difficult for them. And the burden that they’ve borne and and and the the level of kind of disagreement some of us have had and in what we’re doing, why we should do it, and then the disparity of of opinions and and really disparity in approach to the whole idea of COVID.

Some were so fearful uh of this disease, and on the other end of the spectrum, some of us were acting like we wanted to catch it. And so we had different opinions with that. And our shepherds had to guide us through that in the best way that they knew in accordance with the will of God. And we certainly appreciate their work and their guidance through all of this. And to everybody who has weathered this storm the best that we could and tried to stay connected to one another, but most importantly, try to stay connected to God and his word through this all. We are certainly appreciative of every member of this family. And we’re so encouraged as we are transitioning back into our normal full schedule.

Almost every service. We have someone coming back. And that’s just so wonderful, encouraging, and we’re so thankful for that, and so thankful for everything that you’ve done throughout all of this. And I just want you to know that it did not go unnoticed and did not go unappreciated. I, and I know I’m speaking for so many, want to extend my appreciation and my love to all of you through all of that that we’ve done.

We’ve learned how to zoom and join together in those kind of settings. And in a sense, I’ll miss that. In fact, we may continue doing some of that, not during our regular Bible classes, but maybe on a Tuesday, Thursday. Who knows? We might get to get back together on Zoom and do some type of Bible studies and togetherness through all of that and take some of the things that we’ve learned and apply it in different ways. And to those of you who’ve been joining us online, we have Christians and others from all over the country and all over the world who we’ve made acquaintance with and have gotten to know and feel like there’s a connection there is. We don’t feel like it, there is a connection there through the internet, and we certainly appreciate you and are so thankful to you.

And reach out to us. We’ve given you our email address. I’ll do it again, Southbumbee at gmail.com. Reach out to us, just say hey, uh, and let us know that you’re watching and studying. And if you have any questions or concerns or needs, reach out to us, uh, and we’ll be glad to study God’s word with you and to do whatever we can together. But I just want you to know that I appreciate you so much. And as we said, every end of every Zoom class, I love every one of you. And that’s certainly true, and that has just been emphasized and uh reinforced through all of this. So thank you and I love you. We’re gonna talk this morning about an important biblical character in the Old Testament, and that’s you know who we’re going to talk about, because I’ve asked you to turn to Genesis chapter 6.

I’m gonna talk about Noah. You know, Noah is an interesting story for so many reasons. Noah lived in, here’s another understatement for you, he lived in interesting times. Sad times. You know, we talked about it a little bit in our Bible class this morning. We have this mentality, this incorrect historical viewpoint that the time we’re living in right now is the worst time ever. Morally, spiritually, in regard to wickedness and sin. Now, don’t misunderstand me. There’s certainly wickedness and sin out there, and I might get argue it’s the worst in my lifetime, and maybe even my parents or grandparents’ lifetime. But it would be simply short-sighted to say that this is the worst that it’s ever been. Think of Noah’s day. It says, read with me, will you, in Genesis chapter 6, verse 5, then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in all the earth.

And that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and he was grieved in his heart. And so he 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 made them.

But God saw that they were only eight people worth saving.

There’s more than eight people. If I’m any judge of things, there’s more than eight people worth saving today. And even if our population has grown exponentially, and you want to do the percentage, I still say it’s far worse than Noah’s dying than it is now. And yet there was Noah. Noah is such a profound and important biblical character and biblical story for us on so many levels. Number one, he teaches us that we can be that one. That if everybody else has only evil in their heart continually, if everything else grows more and more wicked and ungodly and unrighteous, that I can be that one. And that my family can be that one. That I don’t have to give up and give in. Because we didn’t finish the reading.

Look at the last verse of that context in verse eight. But Noah, after describing the rampant wickedness, the universal ungodliness, it says in verse 8, but Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Noah stood out. And more importantly, Noah stood out in the eyes of God. And so this morning, in a very simple lesson, I want us to talk about Noah’s salvation of that day and how it corresponds and correlates almost perfectly to ours. Noah did it, and so can we.

1. Noah Was Saved by Grace

Noah, the New Testament tells us was a preacher of righteousness. And I believe for the entire 120 years that he labored. He was a preacher of righteousness, and no doubt Noah would have loved to have had to build onto that ark to add more souls to save. But Noah saved himself and his family, and so can we. So there’s one lesson from Noah, but there’s other lessons. When we talk about that, Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. God saw fit to save Noah. And so let’s talk about Noah’s salvation and how it might line up with ours today. The first and most obvious one was what the text tells us is that Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Noah was saved by grace.

We can’t talk enough about the grace of God. Of God’s loving kindness toward us. Do we need to look again at the definition of grace? I know you know it, but it might help to think about again what the word grace means. Grace is the idea of something that is given. Freely and lovingly given. And in the context of God’s relationship to man and God’s grace to man, we add another layer to that definition that it becomes not only a gift, but an undeserved gift. We sometimes define it as unmerited favor. The New Testament would use phrases such as, while we were still his enemies. God sent his son to die for us. Now we’re going to talk about some of the qualities and the characteristics of Noah that made him stand out from the crowd.

But none of that erases the fact that Noah was saved by the grace of God. The instructions, I’m giving you a hint of where we’re going here, the instructions that God gave Noah, and Noah diligently carried out, were given by God’s gift and his loving kindness to him. And so it is with you and I. Turn with me, if you will, in the New Testament to the book of Ephesians, chapter 2, a familiar text. In fact, I’m going to give you a heads up. Every text we’re going to look at this morning is going to be very familiar. In Ephesians chapter 2, the Apostle Paul wants us to know that we like Noah, who are living in our own ungodly condemned world. Now we started this lesson by saying it was not as bad as Noah’s day.

But let’s not diminish the badness. When the Apostle Paul, by inspiration, pinned the book of Ephesians, things were bad in the first century Roman culture. Not as bad as Noah’s day, but there was wickedness rampant. When we read these words in 21st century America, it may not be as bad as Noah’s day. It may not be as bad as the Roman days of the first century. But it’s pretty bad, isn’t it? Wickedness and ungodliness. And it seems to be increasing and increasing. Hatred and violence seems to be increasing and increasing. But throughout all of those generations of ungodliness and wickedness, one constant remains. And that’s the goodness, the holiness, and the loving kindness and grace of God. Ephesians chapter 2, and in verse 8, the apostle says, For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.

For by grace you have been saved. Don’t ever forget or diminish that. And in talking of the grace, back up one verse in Ephesians 2. It’s not just a little bit of grace, it’s not just enough grace to get us by. In Ephesians 2, speaking of the plan that was culminated in Christ Jesus, he says in verse 7, that in the ages to come, he, the Father, might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. The exceeding riches of his grace. God is not poor when it comes to grace, and God is not stingy when it comes to grace. Now, Paul would caution us in places such as Romans chapter 6 that we cannot misconstrue that generosity and that wealth and try to push it to its limits.

But we do need to rejoice in the tremendous bounty of God’s wonderful grace. That whatever sin we have committed, in whatever volume we have accumulated those sins, God has more than enough grace.

God is not us. Thanks be to God. We would, what’s the old saying? We would throw the baby out with the bathwater, wouldn’t we?

2. By Faith, Noah

In Noah’s day, just kill them all. In Moses’ day, just kill them all. In the first century, in the 21st century. But God, as he would remind Jeremiah, as God’s people were being carried away into captivity, God would remind us that he can see the godly as well as the ungodly. And we can find grace in the eyes of God. And so it was grace that saved Noah. But look with me. Stay in the New Testament and go to the book of Hebrews, chapter 11. It’s no surprise to us that Noah’s name shows up in Hebrews chapter 11. And in not just chronicling these men and women of faith, but in setting them before us as an example, Noah makes the list in Hebrews chapter 11, where it says of him and his faith in verse 7.

By faith, Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household by which he condemned the world and became heir of righteousness, which is according to faith. By faith, Noah. What saved Noah? It was his faith.

That’s, by the way, what made him stand out in the midst of that ungodly, unrighteous world. And hint, that’s what will make us stand out. That’s what will make us the recipients of God’s bountiful grace in this wicked and godless generation. It’s our faith. Go back to Ephesians 2. We emphasize the word grace there in Ephesians 2, verse 8, where it says, For by grace you have been saved through faith. And that not of yourselves.

Some of our religious friends have misunderstood Ephesians 2 and in verse 8, when it says, For by grace you’ve been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is a gift of God. Some have said the it there is faith. Faith is a gift of God. In other words, faith is not something you do in response to the will, the word, the actions of God. Faith is something that God will thrust upon you. God will give you faith. There’s nothing you can do. If God selects you, he’ll give you faith. That’s not what Paul is saying. First of all, that’s grammatically impossible in this context. The it is referring to the grace, the gift of salvation. Faith here and everywhere else in the Bible is man’s response.

3. Grace, Faith, and Obedience: Just Be a Disciple

By faith, Noah. The faith was Noah’s in response to the goodness and the kindness and the gift giving of God. Faith is our response to God. You know, we could argue all day about what saved Noah, couldn’t we? Was it the Ark? Was it grace? Was it faith? You know, we in our human capacity, we have the ability to do more than one thing at a time, can’t we? Most of us can chew gum and walk at the same time. We can multitask, we can do a few things. Don’t we think the most powerful being in all of the universe, the creator of the universe, can do more than one thing at a time? That it can be sometimes all of the above. That it can be grace.

And at the same time, it can be faith. And at the same time, it can be obedience. We’ll look at a couple verses here in just a moment that will illustrate that point. That it was Noah’s obedience. Well, how can it be all of these? Really? We want to question God’s ability to multitask? To make it more than one thing? I’ve made this comment before, but I’ll make it again right now. When it comes to these matters, the matters of us submitting to God, the matter of me having my soul saved from my sin and going to heaven when I die, if we just want to simplify it that much.

Start being disciples. Now here’s what I mean by that. Theologians have wrestled for centuries about how to make grace, faith, and obedience compatible with one another. Doesn’t one rule out the other? How can you have one and then the other? And we try to wrestle with that as theologians. How can God, how can God say, how can it be a free gift if there’s something I have to do to get it? Quit being a theologian or trying to be. Just be a disciple. God says, do it, so do it. I don’t have to understand all of the intricacies of the majesty of the mind of God. Now, don’t misunderstand me. I think Noah’s story completely illustrates how it can be all of the above. But even if I can’t figure it out, even if I can’t reconcile how they work together, grace, faith, and obedience, I don’t have to figure it out.

You know, I’ve accepted that in life. I’ve accepted ignorance. I don’t have any idea how I can take a piece of paper and insert it in a fax machine, and that same piece of paper shows up in your office, and I’ve still got mine. I don’t know how that works. But I accept it.

Oh, I remember science class. That kind of idea of the refracting of light and it hitting and bouncing and changing. I didn’t understand it then. I still don’t.

But I don’t have to.

I think I’ve got that. But even if I don’t, I don’t have to. My attitude needs to be that of a disciple. Speak, Lord, for your servant here. What would you have me to do? Whatever it is.

4. According to All That God Commanded

You remember there in Hebrews chapter 11, we read about Noah. Hebrews 11, verse 7, by faith, Noah being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household. Faith, James and Paul and all the New Testament writers would argue, moves us to action. And then that what it said in the original story, go back to Genesis 6 and look at verse 22. It said, beginning of the story, in the midst of that wickedness, Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. And so what did God do? The short version is God saved Noah. But there’s really more to that story, isn’t there? God gave Noah instructions of what to do. Of what to build and how to build and with what to build it.

And then look at Genesis 6, verse 22. Thus Noah did. According to all that God commanded him, so he did.

What would have happened if Noah would have said, no? I don’t want to build an ark. What if Noah would have said, okay, but I’ll build an ark, but that’s too big. I don’t like gopher wood. Mahogany is a much nicer wood. We don’t need two of every kind of animal. Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. By faith, Noah moved with godly fear, did exactly what God told him to do. Did Noah understand everything about the plan of God? Or did Noah just say, What would you have me to do? What about you and I? Living in our own ungodliness and wickedness. I want to find grace in the eyes of the Lord. I want to be rescued from this. It’ll be by grace.

It’ll be by my faith in God. It’ll be by me humbly saying, God, what should I do? And when God says, repent and be baptized, will I say, no?

Conclusion

Or will I say, yeah, but I’ll I just, according to all that God commands me, so I will do. We live in the midst of a lost and dying world. And I’m no prophet, but given enough time, it might get as bad as Noah’s day. What will I do? Me and my little family. What will I do? I hope I’ll find grace in the eyes of the Lord. I hope I’ll be moved by godly fear and by faith. I’ll do what He’s commanded me to do.

Won’t you obey the commandments of God to hear His Word, believe in Him, confess your faith before men, and to be baptized this very morning? Peter, interestingly enough, in 1 Peter chapter 3, verse 20 and 21, makes a connection, does he not, between the water of Noah’s day and the water of baptism? And says simply and plainly, Baptism now saves us. How? Why? How can baptism save me if it’s a grace and it’s a gift? And I thought it was faith that saved me. Just be Noah and get in the water and do all that God has commanded you so that you might find grace in the eyes of the Lord. If we can help you this morning as you come to God for salvation, why not let it be known right now as together we stand and sing for me?