22nd November 2022

22nd November 2022

Pray (ACts)

Read (Hebrews 11v7)

Message (Scott Woodburn)

The earth was an incredibly wicked place in the days of Noah, so much so that the Lord decreed that He would bring destruction upon sinful humanity. But in the midst of the rebellion and depravity Noah was described as a righteous man blameless in his generation. Noah like Abel and Enoch before him was a man of faith.

What did Noah's faith look like? The Lord God warned Noah of the judgement to come and although Noah could only imagine the scale of God's judgement, he believed God and out of reverent fear he started to build the ark (v7). The fear of God was evident in Noah's life and the fear of God is the beginning of all wisdom (Proverbs 9v10).

The fear of God doesn't cause you to run and hide under the bed because God is some sort of tyrant. 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.

I'm sure the act of building an ark brought much ridicule upon Noah's shoulders. Imagine building a boat in your garden and warning people that you were doing it because God's judgement was coming. You'd be the talk of Ballynahinch - "Did you hear about the mad man who says a flood is going to destroy the world? What a fool!"

But Noah was no fool. He couldn't see the coming flood but he believed God and built an ark in response. This ark had a dual purpose. Firstly, the ark was a visible reminder of God's coming wrath. It took Noah decades to build the ark and as it grew before the eyes of the people they had an opportunity to enquire about salvation. They had an opportunity to repent and flee from God's wrath. Yet out of all the people on the earth only Noah and his family would board the ark and be saved.

Not much has changed. How many churches will preach the Gospel this coming Lord's Day? In Ballynahinch you can barely walk 100 metres without finding a fellowship where the Gospel is loved and proclaimed. But the churches aren't full, the people do not heed the warning and repentance is seen as word of a by gone age. My friends you must heed the warning of the Gospel. The one who rejects Christ will not be saved and they will surely see hell. Christ is the true ark and all who rest in Him will be brought safely through the coming storm of God's judgement.

Secondly, the building of the ark made Noah an heir of righteousness which comes by faith (v7). How was Noah saved? By grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. Noah believed the promises of God even though he couldn't yet see the substance. Noah was considered righteous not by works but by faith. The earth remains an incredibly wicked place but the Lord has promised that He will never again flood the earth. Instead the next judgement will be by fire and on the great and terrible day of Christ's return there will be nowhere to hide...except in Christ.

He is our ark and He has already set sail - He is coming and coming soon - blessed are all who take refuge in Him.

Pray (acTS)

Sing

WSC
Q4 What is God? God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.
​