18th January 2023
Pray (ACts) Read - Hebrews 11:7 (take some time and read Genesis 6:1-9:28) Message Alan Burke Noah in the midst of a wicked world that grieved the Lord was to build an ark in faith of things unseen. He was thus warned of what lay ahead by God and in response he built the ark. He simply believed in the word of God and build and ark in response. Adam and Eve in the garden failed to believe the word of God but Noah by faith believed and built the ark. For God had forewarned him about the judgement. In Genesis we are given the details of that vessel, the ark that Noah built. Just like throughout Scripture it doesn’t tell us everything we might want to know, but I tell you this much, even thought the text doesn’t explicitly tell us this in the book of Genesis is that Noah would have been ridiculed by men for two reasons. The first obviously is building an ark. Secondly all the while Noah though his actions, and more than likely his words was telling people about the judgement of God and showing his faith in that word even in the mist of the wickedness of the earth. By faith Noah built an ark. An ark that would have spoken of the coming judgement of God because of the wickedness of the people, it would have taken decades to build and would have grown before the eyes of the people, they would have had ample opportunity to enquire about the salvation that it spoke off. The people of that day had every opportunity like today to repent and flee from the coming judgment of God but what we discover is that only Noah and his family boarded the ark and were saved. Little has changed, today there are churches littered across this land that proclaim of the coming judgment of God against the wickedness of man, but many are declining, many do not want to hear the warning or repent of their sin. Instead they choose to ignore, to ridicule, to mock the faith of those who look to the word of God and the promises of God who by faith trust in him and the salvation that He offers in the Christ. For Christ is the true ark and all who rest in Him will be brought safely through the coming storm of God’s judgment. Hebrews also reminds us that Noah did this “in holy fear”. This ‘holy fear’ that Noah had was not to do with the flood itself but to do with Noah’s relationship with God. The word of God reminds us that the fear of God is the beginning of all wisdom (Prov 9:10), that the Lord has compassion on those who fear him, His love is towards those who fear him (Ps 103:13, 17). Not the fear of terror but a filial fear. God’s people are to fear him, walking in His ways keeping His commandments, they are to remember the Lord in all our ways, to fear Him and obey His commands, fearing the Lord is to know Him and respond accordingly. The true fear of God acknowledges God as Lord and Saviour and it seeks to honour Him above all things. The true fear of God knows God as Father and seeks to please and obey Him rather than to sin against Him. Noah feared God rightly and sought to honour Him in the midst of a wicked generation. For all of us we should fear God rightly, seeking to honour Him in the midst of a wicked generation, we will fail but enterally we will be victorious through faith in Christ. For Noah looked to Him, the one who was promised who would come, we look to the one who has come and will come again. We have the benefit of knowing much more of what God has done and was doing, for Christ has come. For those before he came, the saints of the Old Testament they trusted in the promises of God, of the one that would come. Noah was saved by the work of Christ and we are saved by the work of Christ. Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q53 Which is the third commandment? The third commandment is, Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. (Exod. 20:7)
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Alan
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