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alright I hope you're awake you're gonna need to buckle up
were diving deep now
um we started by we're gonna be in the book of Genesis again we started by
talking about
the creation narrative with Adam and Eve and then we moved into
understanding something about Cain and Abel in the progression have said that
happened
that we saw in Genesis chapter three and then moving on into Genesis chapter 4
and today we're going to talk a bit about the flood story
with Noah and we're going to see what we can see in terms of
um what this is trying to teach us and i wanna give us at least a little sampling
you probably know some of the story
but i wanna give us a sampling I'm not gonna read the whole story because it's
four chapters in the book of Genesis so I'm gonna
just take some samples of the story we're going to get a sense for what's
going on there
beginning in Genesis chapter 6 starting in verse number five
says this the Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become
on the earth
and every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the
time and the Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth in his
heart was deeply troubled
so the Lord said I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I've created
in with them
the animals the birds and the creatures that move along the ground for I regret
that I have made them
but Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord in this is the account of Noah and
his family
Noah was a righteous man blameless among the people of his time and he walked
faithfully with God
Noah had three sons Shem, Ham and Japeth, now the earth was corrupting gots items for
the violence and God saw how corrupt the earth had become for all the people on
earth had corrupted their ways
so God said to Noah I'm going to put an end to all people for the earth is
filled with violence because of them
I'm surely going to destroy both them and the earth so make yourself an ark
of cypresswood make rooms and coat it with pitch inside and out this is how you are to
build it
the ark's to be three hundred cubits long fifty cubits wide and thirty cubits high
make a roof for it leading below the roof and opening one cubit high all around put a
door in the side of the ark and make a lower middle and upper decks
I'm gonna bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens
every creature that has breath of life in it everything on earth will perish
but I will establish my covenant with you when you enter the ark
you and your sons and your wife amd your sons wives with you
you to bring into the ark to have all living creatures male and female to keep
them alive with you
to every kind of bird every kind of animal and every kind of creature that
moves along the ground come
to you to be kept alive in your to take every kind of food it's to be eaten and
stored away as food for you and for them
know what did everything just as God commanded him then if we jump over to
chapter 7
beginning in verse 15 it says this pairs of all creatures that have the breath of
life in them came to know and entered the Ark
the animals going in were male and female love every living thing is God
commanded Noah
then the Lord shot him in for forty days the flood kept coming on the earth and
as the waters increase they lifted the ark high above the earth
the waters rose an increase greatly on the earth in the ark floated on the
surface
of the water and then chapter 8 beginning in verse 13 says this
by the first day of the first month no a six hundred and first year that
600 first-year life he lived quite old quite a long time
the water had dried up from the earth know then remove the covering from the
ark and saw that the surface of the ground was dry and by the 27th day of the
second month the earth was completely dry
then God said to Noah come out at the ark you and your wife and your sons and
their wives
bring out every kind of living creatures with you the birds sea animals and all
the creatures that move along the ground so they can multiply on the earth to be
fruitful and increase in number on it
so Noah came out together with his sons and his wife and sons wives and all the
animals and all the creatures that move along the ground in all the birds
everything that moves on land came out of the ark one kind after another
the Noah built an altar to the Lord and taking some with all the clean animals
and clean birds
he sacrificed burnt offerings on it
alright so we've taken a look at least at some pieces of the story in
my guess is that you know the story and it's interesting because
I don't know if you did this see those of you who have had kids
or though of you may be when you were kids if you had the nursery and
all decked out in Noah's ark gear
in my house it was like Noah-paloosa
when Trace was born I mean we had we had Noah you know
sheet covers on the crib than we had little Noah figurines around you know
on the walls and we had
a Noah's Ark border I mean really how can you go wrong with
animals and boats when you've got little kids right there like
perfect some but if we're not careful what can happen is maybe
when we look back and we think back on those kind of times we have a tendency
may be too sentimental eyes no was
story and we look back and we go our man I love no story because it gives me such
warm feelings about
I remember my kids were little we decked the nursery all out with noah's gear and
all that kind of stuff
and if we're not careful um it can actually lead us maybe to the wrong
things the
the actually not what the point of Noah's story is if we're not careful right
because it's not a story just to be sentimental eyes to look back on
in fact are I would say this to you, you might want to jot this down it's pretty
important
what Noahs' story does is it points forward
not backward ok, this is something that I need for you to remember because what
we're gonna be talking about
Noah's story points forward not backward
in other words even when we read the story today
what happens for a lot of us is we start trying to
conceptualize the story of Noah's Ark and we
we look back and we want to think about things related to that story which again
by the way are really good so there's some people that are really interested
in going you know
someplace in Turkey to see if they can find the ark itself
you know postured at the end at the foothills or somewhere on
mount ararat and so you know you like watching those documentaries I think
they found the ark
and all those kinds of things more power to you that's awesome
there's other people that like to um take the dimensions of the ark which is
basically about a football field and a half too long
and a reasonably high and and somewhat wide and figure out you know how many
actually kinds of animals could they have had on there how many could they
are fed and how much food today upheld during that time what's up
hey more power to you and some people actually like to
to think through you know building up model replicas of the ark and say yes
because you walk around on awesome
great more power to you some people like to have debates like with a particular
science guy and maybe a guy who believes in some different
and they like to host debate online and talk about a bunch of things and
in at some points really miss the point on both sides
a minute some points get it exactly right but none the less they like that
more power to him
here's the thing I'd say to you with all the stuff surrounding
the Noah's story and I'm for our looking into all those those are worthy of
discussion and all those kinds of things what I don't want you to do is they
don't want you to miss the point in the story
if you missed the point historian trying to figure out well you know what I think
that the
they're probably if we measure a cubit and keep its from about this part of my arm to
this to tip my fingers
and we look at a cubit we figure out how how many animals could have been there a
few but why
could I fit a llama next to if you start doing all that you're gonna probably
miss the point of the story
alright and I don't want you to miss the point the story because really know a
story points forward
not backward and I want you to make sure that you grab hold that's what we're
gonna do today
is we're actually gonna look at Noah's story through a different lens
I'm not just gonna walk through each element of the story which I could
and what you could but what I'm going to do something to take the New Testament
writers
who commented on Noah's story in and by by the way I'm basically gonna do a
summary
of all the New Testament writers comments on this story
because they are now teaching us what it is they want us to gain
from this story that we learned about right that there is this
there's this flood and Noah was preserved and he and his family
so what did the New Testament writer say looking back on this story if we look
through that lens
what did they have to say to us here's what I'm gonna tell you America a go
ahead and tell you in advance that Noah's story points
forward not backward and we're gonna see that through three different lenses that
we're gonna look through okay here's the first one
Noah's story points forward to faith
that's the first thing we learned when we start looking at what the New
Testament writers have to say about the story of Noah
that Noah's story points forward to faith
I want you to pay attention to what the writer of Hebrews said in chapter 11
verse number seven
by faith Noah when warned about things not yet seen
in holy fear built an ark to save his family
by his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is
in keeping
with faith. Isn't that a great statement there
basically by faith Noah what he did
being warned about things not seen
this is what the writer of Hebrews is trying to convey to us he's not just
telling us hey Noah is a man of faith and he is to be commended
what he is saying to the people he's writing to which were struggling Jewish
Christians
and what ultimately we gain from that is this
is that we're not just looking at Noah's faith being commended but that we are
supposed to be a people
who trusting in God for things we have not yet
seen. now I'm not talking about um the weird brand of theology that says what
we can do is we can call into reality every single thing we ever want to
create in reality all we have to do is call it into reality even though we
don't see it
we can make it a good luck with that I'm
I've tried that actually before it just didn't work maybe it's me
or maybe it's God going stop being weird
because that's not at all what the point of what we're talking about
and Hebrews is is all about faith is being sure of what we hope for and
certain of what we
do not see and the reminders that the writer of Hebrews said that
in holy fear Noah built an ark in other words he had a reference for God and God
said this is what I'm going to do
and even though it's something no I have not seen he trusted God by faith
and he said okay God I believe you and I'm going to live in light of that reality and
I'm gonna act in light of that reality
for me in you when we look at the story of Noah realizing that it points
forward and we see Noah's faith that should be a reminder not for us to look
backwards and just commend Noah for his faith
but that we're supposed to be a people of faith just like Noah
so why am saying that is because ultimately
we have one major huge monster promise
in the New Testament that we are waiting on that we haven't seen
and that we are trusting is going to happen and that is the return
of Jesus that basically the New Testament points to the reality that not
only did he come did he live did he died the rise from the dead that he is sent
to the father
but there is still a remaining promise that we have yet to see
and that is that he is going to return and so what we are to do is we are to
live
by faith in the reality that God son is going to come again
and that we are to act based on
that reality much like no it did when he
was told by God to build an ark for something that he was warned about that
he had yet to say
and so the New Testament tells us that there is something coming
that we have not yet seen but that we are to make sure that we
act in faith and that we live in faith-based
on the return of Jesus that being said let me give you a second chance to look
through
Noah's story points forward not only to faith
but it also points forward to what is to come
in other words Noah's story is a picture for us in the Old Testament
of what ultimately is going to come
in fact when we begin reading the words of Jesus he says it this way and that
Matthew chapter 24
but about that day or hour no one knows not even the angels in heaven nor the
son but only the father
as it was in the days of Noah
so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man
for in the days before the flood people were eating and drinking in marrying and
giving in marriage
up to the day Noah entered the Ark and they knew nothing about what would
happen until the flood came and took them all away
that is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man
two men will be in the field one will be taken in the other left
two women will be grinding with a hand mill one will be taken
and the other left I find it interesting that sometimes there is a
a particular brand of theology that goes to this passage of Scripture to talk
about
yep here's a picture of what we would call the the catching away are the
rapture of the church
I don't think that's all what's being portrayed in this passage of Scripture
in fact
because as it was in the days of Noah so it will be in the day the coming of the
Son of Man
what he said in the days have no was this is that there were some
who were on left on an ark and were spared
and then the others were taken away and then he says there will be
two in a field one will be taken away and one will be left is not talking about
being taken away in this great
I'm out here he's talking about being taken away swept away in judgment it's the same
context it's being used
when you read this passage of Scripture that they would be taken away and the
others left
and so when we look at this what we see is that Jesus is saying
as it was in the days of Noah so it will be in the day at the coming
of the Son of Man and what we see in the days of Noah is that God was dealing
with
wickedness God was dealing with violence in wickedness that was flowing from the
heart of humanity
that had rejected him in fact listen to that
listen to the culture of the days of Noah when we looked at it before in Genesis
chapter 6
it says the earth was corrupt in God's sight and was followed violence
God saw how corrupt the earth to become for all the people on earth had
corrupted their ways and so God said to Noah
I'm gonna put an end to all people for the earth is filled with violence
because of them
and I'm surely going to destroy both them and the earth
in other words God as we have established from the very outset he's
righteous
he's holy when we look at these past couple of weeks we've seen
that in the midst of all these things that have happened regarding sin God is
not just gonna wink at it and go
ahh too bad he's gonna deal with sin this is who God is God is just he is
righteous he is holy
and God ultimately is going to be the one who is going to set everything
right he is going to balance the ledger
that that is going to happen in Jesus says as it was in the days of Noah
so it will be in the day at the coming of the Son of Man
that there is going to be a flood of God's judgment
that is going to come and it's going to clear things
up but even in the midst of that here's what we know:
what we know that in the midst of God sending judgment as he did in the time
of Noah
that God still knows how to save those who are his
that's what he showed us in preserving Noah and Noah's wife and Noah's sons and
their
wives that God knows how to preserve those who are his
in fact when Peter makes a reference in second peter
to Noah listen to how he frames this entire conversation and second Peter
chapter two
he says if God didn't spare angels when they send but sent them to hell
putting them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment
if he didn't spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly
people but protected Noah
a preacher of righteousness and seven others if he condemned the cities of
*** and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes
and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly
and if the rescued Lot a righteous man who was distressed by the depraved
conduct of the lawless for that righteous man
living among them day after day was tormented in his right just sold by the
lawless deeds he saw and heard
if this is so then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials
and to hold the unrighteous for punishment
on the day judgment you see here's here's part of the encouragement in this
story there is a
there's a downside in the fact that Jesus says
at as it was in the days of Noah so it is going to be
in the coming of the Son of Man that there is going to be a
a flood of judgment that is going to pour across the earth
and God is going to deal with the cleansing or the cleaning up of this
place and he's going to balance the ledgers and he's gonna make
that which was wrong right and he's gonna fix this thing
but in the midst of that torrent in the midst of that flood
God knows how to preserve those
who are his he knew how to do that with no and no its family
and he will know how to do that with those who are his own
he knows how to preserve us and so ultimately
what happened with no is this is that the flood the
while while becoming most people's judgment
became Noah and his family's salvation
and in the coming of the Son of Man while Jesus coming will be
judgment for many it will be the salvation
those who are his this is a picture
that we are getting from the story of Noah looking through some different
lenses but
I need to get you to a third picture here in this one is going to be a man
have to develop a little bit more right
so Noah's story everything points forward not backward right it points us forward to
faith
it points us forward to what is to come and here's the last thing
Noah's story points forward to new creation
this is what the story points forward to
now some of you're aware and you probably may be sought on the Superbowl
you saw a clip in the Super Bowl or whatever but
you're aware that there's a movie coming out about Noah
I think Russell Crowe's playing Noah it's like gladiator Noah
right on I'm good with that I'm not necessarily making a recommendation for
the movie I have not seen a pre-screening
I'm going to see the movie when it comes out because I'm really interested
whenever
these types of movies come out but
I'm curious as to what themes they'll really be developing
in the movie itself and how close to some of the themes that emerge from the
story the real things that really teaches
how well they'll capture those but I do know that at least one theme seeing the
seeing the trailer I know that at least one theme that I was hoping to see
is at least mentioned in there how much it's developed I don't know
but it's at least mentioned in there take a quick snapshot at this 30-second
trailer and see if you can find
a great flood is coming, the storm cannot be stopped
it can be survived, i have to protect
my family
and save the innocent
do you want to live fetch your mother
protect them all
is this the end of everything?
its the beginning of everything
alright the reason you're not gonna miss it is the last thing that was said
right that's why I wanted this 30-second clip
she says is this the end of everything and he says
it's the beginning of everything that
I'm so glad the captured that if they would have miseds that I've been like
I don't know what I would've done right I was
I'm at a loss I have no idea what I would have done but I wouldn't have been happy
just put it that way you don't wanna see me when I'm not happy but they're
getting that right at least at least it's mentioned in there don't know how
much they'll develop it but
it's why I'm mentioning to you that what nor know what story does is it points
us forward to new creation there's really just one last place
that in the New Testament mentions this the and I mention that Matthew 24 Luke
also mentions the same kind of material and I did mention that because it's
basically saying the same thing but there's one other place where no a story
is mentioned in the New Testament
and I want us to to camp there for just a few minutes
its in 1st Peter chapter three um in it says this
for Christ also suffered once for sends the right choice for the unrighteous to
bring you to God
he was put to death in the body but made alive in the spirit and after being made
alive he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits
to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of
Noah
while the ark was being built in it
only a few people 8 in all were saved through water
and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also
not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge a clear conscience toward
God
it saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ
now it's an interesting thing what this passage does and I'm not gonna unpack
the whole passions
the whole passage but what what we see here is this idea that peter has
that says the story of Noah
is like a re-
creation story that really the stoic story of Noah
is almost like telling the story of creation
all over again that if we begin to look at what we studied earlier in Genesis
chapter 12 and three
we will find that no was story is basically a
somewhat of a retelling or a
recreation narrative of what we saw with Adam n Eve
in fact for just uh for just a second at least let me kinda take you into that
water for just a minute no pun intended and listen to the creation story that we
see in Genesis one two and three
compared to the story that we see in Noah
in Genesis one very first verse is it says this
in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth and now the earth was
formless and empty
and darkness was over the surface of the
deep the idea there is that there was a
chaotic water existence that was going on in the world and so in the know a
story we obviously see a flood
a chaotic water existence and then in Genesis chapter 1 verse 2 if we see the
whole of that it says this
in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth and the earth was formless
and empty and darkness was over the surface of the deep end the Spirit of God
was hovering over the waters
interestingly in Genesis chapter 8 first number one it says this
God remembered know and all the wild animals and all the livestock that were
with him in the ark and sent a
wind over the earth and the waters receded
the word for spirit and wind are basically the same word by the way
that's used there so you've got this picture of the Spirit of God hovering
over the waters
and then separating out the waters and in the know a store you have winded that
is sent so that the waters recede
and then in Genesis chapter 1 verse 28 it says this
God blessed them a talking to Adam and Eve and said to them be fruitful and
increase in number fill the earth and subdue it
rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living
creature that moves on the ground
and then you recall what happened in Genesis chapter eight in the know what
stories they came out then God said to Noah come out at the ark you and your
wife and your sons and their wives
bring out every kind of living creature that is with you the birds the animals
and all the creatures that move along the ground so that they can
multiply on the earth and be fruitful
an increase in number on it to you here in the language are you seeing the
replay now
of the Noaj story being a replay of the creation story right
now there's more Genesis chapter 3 verse number six says
when the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food in pleasing to
the eye and also desirable for gaining wisdom she took some and eight and she
also gave some to her husband who was with her and he ate it
what you see in the creation narrative as you see how fruit
was the downfall for them
and ultimately when Noah leaves the ark and he's starting to set up shop and
setup life
fruit is also his downfall in kind of a
second fall so to speak here's what it says in Genesis 9
when Noah woke from his wine
and found out what his youngest son had done to him in other words he gets sloppy drunk
and he did that on the fruit of the vine
then Genesis chapter 2 says this and his wife were both naked and they felt no
shame
in other words they were naked and unaware guess what you see in Genesis
chapter 9
Noah drank some of his wine he became drunk and he lay uncovered
inside his tent he was naked and unaware
but then Genesis 3 verse 7 about Adam and Eve says the eyes of both
Adam and Eve were opened and they realize they were naked
and they sewed fig leaves together made coverage for themselves and then it goes
on to show
not only did they finally see what was going on but that purses
ensued you remember that what we taught you and then it says the same thing in
Genesis 9
after Noah woke up and he realized what had happened he said cursed be Canaan
the lowest of slaves will be to his brother's alright so
sorry for the Biblical ninja moves right there for just a second but I wanted you
to see this picture okay that maybe had picked up on before
that this is like a a retelling of this story so to speak
and then without diving may be too deep again forgive the
the metaphor here but without diving too deep for give
the idea that we haven't even touched on the reality of the ark itself
in the story that the ark itself gives us some pictures that when we start to
pause and we think about
how this is actually pointing forward not backward that it's not just
a means to an end itself but it's actually pointing us
somewhere I mean we're just for second for fun here
Genesis chapter 6 it says this in verses 13 through 16 we've already covered this
territory but I want to remind you again listen to the language
God said to Noah I'm gonna put an end to all people for the earth is filled with
violence because of them and I'm surely going to destroy both them in the
earth
so make yourself an ark of cypress wood make rooms in it and coat it with pitch
inside and out this is how you to build it the arc is to be three hundred cubits
long fifty cubits wide and thirty cubits
high make a roof for it leaving below the roof in opening one cubit hi all around
put a door in the side of the ark and make a lower
middle and upper desks now
this is talking about the actual constitution of the ark itself
and lest I spend too much time here let me just point out a couple
things like we could point out more
in this story about what it's pointing forward to
but let me just point out a couple of things about this art that maybe we can
see from this passage of Scripture
the first thing I notice is this is that this was a
a joint work it was human
and divine the ark was
God told Noah I want you to build it but God said I'm going to tell you how to
build it
I'm the architect for how this is going to be so this is going to be a joint
human and divine effort
obviously when we ultimately see who Jesus Christ is as represented in the ark
we will see that Jesus Christ is both human and divine
born of a woman but born
og the Spirit of God there's a second thing that I noticed
about the ark when I look at this passage of Scripture
and it simply this that there is one door
that's it not multiple entries just one
and in fact Jesus said himself of I am
the door I am the gate
Jesus said I am the way the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father
except through me
Jesus made these very statements in here in the ark we have kinda of a
a setting that shows us it's pointing us forward to something to watch the common
ultimately to
to new creation but we see the ark as a picture
of the reality of who Jesus is not only in the fact that it's both
human and divine and not only in the fact that there is only one door but
then it says about the ark that it was covered in pitch
now if you don't know what pitch is, pitch is basically a tar type substance
alright
that you put this ark together in and it's made of wood cypress wood to be
exact
but then it is coated with a tar-like substance
substance so that it will be seaworthy
because this thing was basically like a big humongous box
floating on the water it was like a massive barge
that was gonna be able not just to withstand the flight itself but what
actually flowed itself above the storm on the top of the water
but was coated in pitch so that it would be
safe and secure and so that everything in it would not be
waterlogged and drowned well that word in the Hebrew language coughfar
to coat in pitch translated means this
to cover or to atone
that's what the picture means that's what the statement is
in fact we see the very same type of usage when you switch from Hebrew to
Greek
when we look at what Paul said in Romans chapter number three said
God presented Christ as a sacrifice of
atonement of covering through the shedding
of his blood to be received by faith. what you have
in this picture of the ark is you have a picture up the salvation through Jesus
is you've got a picture of human and divine that has
only one door in terms of its safety but his covered so that all that are within
it
are secure this is a picture of what the blood of Christ does
for those of us who are believers that his shed blood makes atonement
it covers our sin
and then there's kinda last thing that I pick up in there so many more that we
could spend time on the last thing is that
the ark was the only thing that could survive the flood
and so I reminded you a moment ago there's a flood coming
in only the ark can survive the flood
and so I those are just a few things I won't spend too much time on that
because I don't want to get too far removed from what we're saying here on
this third thing that we're looking at
because what we're looking at is this reality that know a story points forward
to new creation and we're looking at what Peter said
about that reality the Peter talked about
that in these days where God was being patient
in the time where Noah was building the ark in a flood came and
there were eight in all who were saved by water
not talking about a baptism to just remove dirt from us
but talking about our the cleansing of our consciences
so to speak but I don't get too far away in fact let's look back at that passage
for just a moment
in 1st Peter he says this after after being made alive
Jesus went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits to those who were
disobedient long ago when God waited patiently
in the days of Noah while the ark was being built in it only a few people
eight in all were saved through water in this water symbolizes baptism now saves
you also
not the removal a dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God
listen
it saves you by the resurrection
of Jesus Christ. Peter was somehow linking
the idea of Noah's story
to the resurrection of Jesus
its if he knew something maybe we were missing
mysteries make me wanna look right
so I began to dig around a little bit and think about it obviously just in the
story itself we can see the picture
but even more specifically I think that there's something for us to look at
because ultimately
the resurrection is pictured not only in a metaphorical sense in Noah's story but
in an actually very
very specific sense far more specific than you and I probably
understand in fact in Genesis chapter 8 when we've
looked at that passage in fact we read it says in verse is three and four
that the water receded steadily from the earth this is out after know was you
know the flood is come and all that kinda stuff it's as the water receded steadily
from the earth
at the end of the 150 days the water had gone down
and on the 17th day
above the seventh month
the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat.
the 17th day the seventh month
is an interesting day the 17th
of Aviv or what it would come to be known as
Nissan the 17th day the seventh month is significant because
what happened a little bit later much later in fact hundreds of years later
when Moses
was going to be leading the people out of Egypt hundreds of years later
he was going to do so in what was the seventh month kinda month of completion
so to speak
but God did something unique in Exodus chapter number 12
and let me should let me show it to you listen what it says
the Lord said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt this month
the seventh month is to be for you
the first month the first month of the year
and then give some instructions about taking the laminate instituting the
Passover you remember that story in Exodus
he's instituting the Passover and he talks about the lamb and
gathering the lamb on a particular day and ultimately slaying the lamp
and then he says in verse 6 take care of them until the 14th day of the month
when all the members of the community in Israel must slaughter them
at twilight so what happened was
you got the seventh month of the Hebrew year
that God changed to the first month
and in so doing he instituted what we call the
the Passover sign and set on a particular day you were going to
slay the animal slay the lamb
on that day
when we fast forward into the New Testament what we realize is that Jesus
was the Passover lamb and that Jesus died
and on the 17th day
of what used to be the seventh month that is now change to the first month
he got up from the dead
the same time that Noah's Ark
landed safely through the flood
is the same day that Jesus the Son of God the
ark of our salvation rose from the grave
Noah's story points forward
not backward the reason I tell you that is because
what we have when we begin looking in these opening passages of Scripture when
we're looking for Jesus
in the midst of these opening passages in the creation narrative and Cain Abel
and Noah's story what we see is this is that Jesus
is the new and true
Adam and Jesus is the new and true
Noah because what he does in his resurrection is death and resurrection
is he sets in motion
new creation this is what he does
where he is now listen to this as the new and true Noah
he is gathering all the different kinds
to be safely on the ark
that's why when we alternately get to the end and the consummation of the
story in the book of Revelation
here's what we'll read in Revelation chapter 5 listen to it
it says and they sang a new song to Jesus you are worthy to take the
scroll and open it seals because you were slain in with your blood you purchase
for God listen into this
persons from every tribe and the language and people and nation just like
Noah was taking
every different kind and and was bringing them safely on the ark so to
Jesus
does the exact same thing and he will make them to be a kingdom
and priest to serve our God and they will reign on the earth
you see I told you I was gonna kinda dive in headlong and I'm doing that for
a reason because what i'm showing you is this
is that God's eternal purposes in Christ
can be seen in the story of Noah if you get too large down
deep in trying to figure out everything looking backwards
you're going to miss the exact a reason that the New Testament commentators put
it
in their dialogue so that we would look forward to the reality of what God in
Christ is doing in the world
but I say that to say this
ultimately what that point is to is a stark reality and I do not want you to
miss this
and here's the reality: because of all the points us two
Jesus will return
and when he does he will be both Ark
and Flood
Jesus will return when he does
he will be both ark and flood
the question that you need to respond to today is this
which one will you find yourself in
because you will either find yourself in the flood
of God's righteous judgment
or you will find yourself
in the ark of salvation
Jesus the Christ bow your heads with me for a moment
before you move and if you don't have to move but ask you not to encourage the
people around you
before you move that statement that I just made to you I want you to I want
you to deal with
Jesus is going to return and when he does
he will be both ark and flood
and the question is which one will you find yourself in
you cant save yourself you can't with an act you know I'm
I'm gonna somehow do enough good things that God is not going to have a choice
God's got a choice because if you choose a pathway other than the single door
that he's made to himself which is Jesus
there are not multiple doors onto the ark
of Christ's salvation there's one
and if you're hearing you have never turned from your sin and and put your
faith and trust in Jesus
I'm saying this to you out of love
and saying this to you out of love there will be
a flood I'm not talking about in a literal water sense
I'm talking about a flood of God's judgment on the earth
and if you have chosen any other pathway other than faith in Christ
maybe its your own works maybe trust in kind of your
your religious behavior maybe you trusted in the fact that you've done
some kinda religious traditional
particular thing
I'm telling you none of that will withstand the flood only Jesus
he is the ark and if you've never before turn from your sin and and put your faith
and trust in him
I'm asking you do that today
mabye you cry something like this in your heart if this is what you sense
that you want to secure that relationship with Christ
this isn't about just kind of getting insurance from the flood
that's not what this about it all it's about laying your life down and saying Jesus all of me
for all of you
I will follow you with all my heart I'm yours
if that's what you mean in your heart then pray something like this just right
there in your heart pray something like this
has to be your words your faith but pray this
Jesus I know I cant save myself
I know only you can save me that through your death
you paid for my sin you covered it
you forgive it and through your resurrection
you make me new
so I put my faith in you
you are my only ark of salvation
as our heads about eyes are closed if you're hearing you say Jerry Ijust prayed
that with you
and we get different venues Lockport people online
people in the Worship Center but in any of those places if you just prayed that with
me would you say
I'll be honest with you Jerry i'd I've never before really come to that place in my
life but today
I'm serious about that decision would you just if that's you
would you put your hand up and say hey that was me just in this room in
in these Worship Center at the Lockport campuses pull apart don't be ashamed
thanks man
just put up high leave it there for second dont be ashamed, I'm thrilled for you
guys in the back thanks
thank you stood up all over the room god bless you folks
taken a moment to to look all the way around in any these rinsing put your
hands down thanks
if you meant business I want you to act on it
because remember our faith is not something that we just kinda sit on
or that we look at other people's faith ago okay that's kinda neat we act on
that faith
we act on it and so wherever you are whatever campus
when I dismisses in just a moment if you're on the Crosspoint Campus
this room or East Worship Center I want you to come by the Fireside Room
some pastors in there some folks in there that would love to talk to you for
just a few minutes
not forever you have to hang around for 45 minutes or anything just
a few minutes we want to send you home sons gonna help you
its not a dark room it's not creepy nobody's weird which will help
you
alright who want to send you home with something is going to help you in your
journey of faith
something's going to point you to places in the scripture you can learn what it
means to really follow after Jesus Christ
so let's do that if you're on this campus
you come by the Fireside Room John a lot for campus pastor josh is gonna tell
your
how he wants to connect with you if you're online
just check that box it says knowing Jesus
and we'd love to follow up with you so father
we've heard much today as we have looked at the story
of Noah and the reminder that it points us to the reality of new creation
and I pray that we would remember the sobering reminder that you Lord Jesus
are coming in that we have faith that you are coming
as you said you would we believe having not yet seen we still believe
and we trust that when you do come that you will be
both the flood and the ark
and so we cast ourselves at your mercy
I thank you God for those people who've indicated that they want to really know
you to genuinely come into relationship with you
after you give them the courage to follow through on that decision
and that God you'd give all of us the depth of faith to be reminded
that we are to live life in light of
the return of our Savior
who will settle the score
and who will right the ledger
and so in so doing we want to be people who graciously and lovingly
shared a great news that people
have an invitation to the ark of salvation
help us live life in that light we pray in Jesus name
amen God bless you folks