February 1, 2015
Ministry:
In the last hymn, the last 2 verses spoke of our response to the Lord’s Word and giving ourselves wholly to Him. Here in John 1:38 - 39, John the Baptist was able to point His disciples to the Lord. What was their response? To follow Him. He gave them an invitation to be with Him, but He didn’t give them an address. Where does He live? Read Ephesians 3:17 and Isaiah 57:15. This one that inhabits eternity became flesh and dwelt among us; He dealt with sin so He could live in our hearts. Read John 1:39. He doesn’t give a place, but He makes the place by being the person. He dwells in our heart individually, but we can meet together collectively with Him, because “where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them.” Read vv. 39b - 42. Each of us has a new name and the Lord knows our name. Read v.43-46. It is wonderful to see the different responses of those brought into the enjoyment of His presence. Read Proverbs 8:30. The Lord walked the earth and found delight with those who came to Him. Read v. 32-33. When those people found the Lord, they also found eternal life. What wonderful privileges we have been given! And what is our response? When we find Him, we find life and life more abundantly. Life, faith, and purpose are all privileges found in Him!
Hymn 330–A message came from Heaven
Prayer
We’ve just sung “a message came from heaven.” That message is the message of salvation. A message is usually something said or written, but the message we had this morning came in person through Jesus.
You need a messenger, though, to bring a message. John the Baptist was a messenger, and he told people, “Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.” That’s a wonderful message, but sometimes the messages messengers have to bring aren’t so pleasant.
One type of messenger is a preacher. Today let’s look at a preacher who lived near the beginning of the Old Testament. He was actually one of the first preachers; his name was Noah. 2 Peter 2:5.
Noah, of course, is famous for building the ark, but he also built something else. He built an altar. We’ll look at both of these, and the event that happened between them: the flood.
Genesis 5:28, 29. The name Noah means “rest”. In Noah’s day, the world was a wicked place (Genesis 6:5), and in a sad state. Men thought only of evil. God saw all the evil people and their wickedness, and brought Noah a message. He told him that He was sending a flood to judge the earth, and to therefore to build an ark.
Genesis 6:8,9. In Noah, God found someone that He could talk to, and one who would listen. Noah had a real desire to please God. He was just, perfect, walked with the Lord, was a witness for Him, and enjoyed his fellowship. Noah was a man God could give a message to. We can also walk with God, have faith in and fellowship with Him, and find favor and grace in His eyes. It starts by accepting His salvation.
Genesis 6:12. God would talk to Noah—communicate with him—and Noah would listen. We can have communication with God through His word and prayer. When we read the Bible God is talking to us, and we talk to God by prayer.
Noah was not necessarily highly educated, but he followed God. When God told Noah to build an ark, Noah built an ark. Noah built it, but God designed it. He also designed a message for Noah to preach that was both bad and good. Judgment was coming for the ungodly, but for the godly there was deliverance. There is judgement coming soon for this earth as well, but we have the good side of Noah’s message, too. There is a way of deliverance through the cross of Christ. Jesus is our ark, in which God offers refuge.
God promised to keep Noah safe, and God has made promises to us. He has promised to return to take us to be with Himself, and He will keep that promise.
We to can walk with God the way Noah did. John the Baptist’s disciples followed the Lord; and then went and called more to come and follow Him.
It was the grace of God that provided a refuge for Noah. The Bible begins with grace, but it also ends with grace, as seen in Revelation 22:21. Adam and Eve were the first to find grace, after they sinned.
Genesis 6:22. Noah did what God said, even though it took 100 years to build the ark. He was obedient, and didn’t complain. He had obedience of faith. Lots of people wish that they had more faith, but what they really need is the obedience of faith. Romans 1:2-3, 5. We don’t need obedience to the law, but to faith. Obedience is connected inseparably to faith.
The book of Romans opens and closes with the obedience of faith. Romans 16:24-27. We know how much faith Noah had because we can see what he did. We need to obey what the Lord tells us to do. We don’t need a lot of faith, just the obedience of faith. That’s how Noah could serve God. He listened and obeyed, and that gave him the opportunity for service. You can’t serve the Lord if you don’t obey Him, for a servant has to have a master!
While he was building, Noah preached. You wonder what was going on in his heart as he built the ark.1 Peter 3:18-20. Maybe he though of everyone else around him. Our God is “long-suffering and not willing that any should perish.” Noah had to tell others of the deliverance that was available to them. It took 100 years to build the ark, and no doubt many people heard the message of the coming flood, but only eight people believed it and were saved.
In Genesis 7:1 the Lord told Noah to come into the ark; the only place of refuge from judgment. Still today God invites people to come to Him for salvation. He wants many to come and be saved from impending judgement. Noah’s invitation was to “whosoever”, just as the message of salvation is.
Genesis 7:5. Noah heeded God’s call. He knew what was coming, for He believed and obeyed God. It’s good to find a place of safety when the storm rages around us. Genesis 7:16, 23. All the wicked around Noah perished, but he and his family—the godly—were safe. We who are saved are doubly safe; for not only are we in the Lord’s hands, but we are also in the Father’s hands. “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.” (John 10:28-29).
Genesis 8:1. God thinks on and remembers us, just as He didn’t forget Noah. All the privileges that Noah had with God are possible for us, if we will listen, obey, and communicate with God.
Genesis 8:15. God spoke with Noah, and it’s wonderful that He still talks to us today through his word. We must listen and obey!
Genesis 8:18-20. After the judgment was past and all was safe, Noah built an altar. The Lord told him how to build the ark, but no one told him to build the altar. His heart just told him to do it. That’s what made it so special to the Lord: Noah voluntarily did something as a response from his heart for what the Lord had done for him.
The altar represents a place where we can approach God. Noah could come before God because of his sacrifices. Ephesians 5:2. This morning we connected with the Lord through the sacrifice of Jesus dying on the cross for us. It’s only through this sacrifice that we can approach God.
Noah response was fitting, because He owed God something. We definitely owe God something for what He did for us! The Lord smelled a sweet odor coming from Noah’s sacrifice. Another translation is “savour of rest”. The ark had rested on the mountain, and the judgement had been exhausted, so now there could be rest. We can rest in the work that Christ finished for us. Genesis 8:21-22. What was God’s response to all that Noah did? Genesis 9:1: He blessed him!
Noah’s response to what God had done for him was a proper response; a response of thanksgiving. What is our response to all that God has done for us?
Hymn 363 – Long ago a flood was coming
Prayer