Sermon Series: “The Story of Noah: You’re Gonna Love It!”

October 13, 2024

Sermon Part 1: “A Call To Repentance Illustrated Through Noah!”

How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! (Rom. 10:14-15)

Praise the Lord Saints and Rejoice Forevermore for the Day of the Lord is coming!

Introduction:

Jesus Christ is coming again to rapture His Church. You have heard me preach before about my ardent desire that every family receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, and to be saved from the wrath and judgment of God that is coming on the earth. Please keep afresh in your thought-life what the Apostle Peter wrote at II Peter 3:10-13:

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

The Day of the Lord is coming! Knowing that the earth is going to be dissolved with fervent heat, as born-again Christians, we are the “Preachers of Christ’s Righteousness.” (II Cor. 5:20) Preaching Righteousness is the act of proclaiming what is true and right, and then by the power of the Holy Ghost, living it out before the people of the world. This is true love on display; to walk in truth, and to do what is right.

The Anointed King Jesus Christ is the truth and the right way; the only way to God. (John 14:6) And, we are to preach Christ and live Christ’s life before all people. Jesus was made to be sin for the whole world, so that all people might receive His Righteousness; and walk in the supernatural favor, power, and blessings of God. (II Cor. 5:21) This is what we should want for everyone, including our enemies, to come and be reconciled to God through Christ. Jesus saved us, so with all diligence let us also work with Him to call every person to repentance and receive God’s Salvation through Jesus Christ. Let the Church say Amen!

No matter how societal values and norms may change around the world, and the hearts of people wax cold towards God and His Word, we are to stand and preach Righteousness. Any time you stand for God’s Word there will be opposition. In fact, Righteousness is a lifestyle that distinguishes us as true Christians and invites opposition from the world. In the last beatitude in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount He said, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake.” (Matt.5:10). 

As we introduce this new Series on the Story of Noah, his life is an excellent example of a Preacher of Righteousness. In my humble opinion, Noah’s faith in God is “unparalleled” in All of Scripture. I encourage you to read the story of Noah captured in Genesis Chapters 5-9, and observe Noah’s “blind” obedience to God in the midst of ungodliness worldwide. Noah, whose name means, “rest” or “comfort,” God used to save and regenerate the world after seeing the corruption of the earth and deciding to destroy it. 

At Noah’s birth, his father Lamech prophesied that, in contrast to the world’s evil, Noah would represent righteousness and bring rest and peace in the midst of God’s judgment. (Gen. 5:28-29) Let us fully breathe in Noah’s servanthood to God, for he stands as an example of how we should serve God with a “perfect heart” in the beauty of Holiness. (God’s Morality/Word of God) (I Cor.10:11)

A Word About Almighty God

What most of mankind has failed to understand about Almighty God, and even many born-again Christians, is that God is an examiner of the “intents and motives of the heart” of His beloved creation mankind. (I Sam. 16:7) God does not search the heart of man for the purpose of condemning and punishing him. Rather, God is hoping (expecting) to find a longing in man to meet and get to know Him, to fellowship with Him, and do what is pleasing in His sight. So that God may perform wondrous works in and through the life of man. Works that were created and ordained by God before the world began. (Eph. 2:10) In essence, God searches the earth looking for people who love Him. The writer of II Chronicles 16:9 makes this clear. The writer says:

For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is perfect toward Him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.”

Did you catch that? God is searching the whole earth examining the hearts of people for perfection toward Him. Not always expecting perfect performance, but a complete heart. Perfection means “completeness” toward God. Hearts that believe He is God, only to be worshipped and adored, to be obeyed in all things He Commands, to be thankful unto Him, and to proclaim His name and glory before the heathen. Yes, that’s a perfect heart! God desires for us to walk with Him in love; God in love with you, and you in love with Him.

Further, the Scripture says that God examines the heart for perfection for the purpose of “showing Himself strong on their behalf.” To give to those who love Him supernatural favor. To work through them to show the world that He is God, and there is none besides Him!

Saints, God does not change. He is the same today, yesterday, and forever. (Heb.13:8) Since the time man was created, until the end, when God will say time no more, He is searching for people whose hearts are willing to love and obey Him in all things. Right now, God is roaming the earth wanting to show Himself strong. Even now, in this Worship Service, God is searching our hearts to see whose heart is perfect towards Him. To show forth His mighty power to do miracles, signs, wonders, and many other favors for our sakes. 

Also, I say to each of you here today, that God did not save you merely to sit in pews on Sundays. He saved you, to use you as an instrument to spread Christ’s Righteousness in the earth. (II Cor. 5:18) If you love God with your whole heart, go ahead now and tell God that you are a “willing vessel to be used as He sees fit, and to show Himself strong on your behalf!”

In Noah’s day, well over 2000 years before Jesus Christ ministered on earth as the Son of Man, the “Eyes” of the Lord went to and fro across the earth searching the hearts of the people of the earth. Looking for hearts that were perfect towards Him. But, to God’s utter disgust, with the exception of Noah, He found none. Think about that for a moment. There was only “one man” on the entire planet that God found, who had a perfect heart towards Him and walked with Him, Noah. (Gen. 6:5-8) In fact, look at Genesis 6:5. This is what God observed about the condition of the hearts of mankind in the days of Noah.

And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

When God examined all of the hearts of men in the earth, He found that “every thought” and “imagination” of their heart was only evil, and set on doing wickedness. The people of the earth in Noah’s day were corrupt and had no desire for God. They only sought to do what was wrong and to live out lies. Thus, as man goes, so goes the whole earth. When the hearts of mankind are cold toward God, there can only be “war” in the earth. Satan ruled the hearts of the people and was determined to turn and keep their hearts hostile toward God. Thus, there could only be a steady state of conflict between family, neighbors, and throughout the lands. The love of evil sets the world on fire, both literally and figuratively speaking. 

This is the world that Noah lived in. At Genesis 6:12 it says God looked on the earth and beheld that, “all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.” Wherever Noah traveled there was wickedness and violence. There was no place of peace in the earth, the likes of which even we have not seen in modern times. But, sadly today the world, including America, is headed in the same direction. Oh let us pray, that God would send forth Preachers of Righteousness, like Noah, into His Vineyard to reap the lost before it is too late!

Noah “A Preacher of Righteousness” Who’s Example We Should Follow

In his second Epistle of Peter, Chapter 2, the Apostle Peter provides several past examples of God’s judgment. One of them is the Flood described in the Book of Genesis. In referencing the flood, Peter refers to Noah as “a preacher of righteousness.” The Greek word for preacher is better translated, “herald” and refers to an official entrusted with making public proclamations, especially those that are of a transcendent nature. Umm, about Noah, Peter was saying that his Message to the people of his time was unique and far beyond human logic and understanding; far beyond the limits of ordinary human experience. His preaching was full of wisdom and power as Noah brought from Heaven the Message of God to the people!

In like manner, we as born-again Christians, have been authorized by the Anointed King Jesus to go into the world and herald the gospel to every creature. All who will believe in Jesus and His finished works on the cross, and receive water baptism, will be saved, and those who reject Jesus will be damned. For those who would believe in Jesus, signs and wonders will follow them. (Mark 16:15-18) For God promises to show Himself strong on their behalf.

Now, the Holy Bible does not give to us the exact content of what Noah preached to those around him, other than the mention of “righteousness.” We have no written record in the Bible of Noah’s preaching for the 500-years that he lived prior to his children being born, nor during or after God instructed Him to build an Ark. (Gen.5:32 & 6:14) 

However Scripture tells us that Noah was a “just man, perfect in his generations, and that he walked with God.” (Gen. 6:9) And, as Peter noted, Noah was a preacher of Righteousness. Therefore, we can safely say Noah was a proclaimer of truth and doer of that which was is right in the sight of God. Being a just and truthful man of God, we can also say that Noah spoke to the people that which he had heard from God.

From some Passages of Scripture in the Bible, as well as from other religious materials, we can get an idea of what Noah may have preached to the ungodly world He lived in concerning God’s judgment and repentance. First, examine Genesis 6:11-13, which provides the description of the corruption of the world in Noah’s Day, and God’s judgment to destroy the earth. The account reads as follows:

 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

As I mentioned before, the whole earth was filled with wickedness and violence, and Noah, his family with him, were the only godly people on the planet. (Gen. 6:8-9). In His grace, God Commissioned Noah to build an Ark and made a Covenant to preserve himself, his family, and two of every living thing, male and female on the earth from the upcoming judgment by water. (Gen. 6:14-19) For the righteous are never forsaken, nor seed left begging bread. (Ps.37:5)

Noah never questioned God’s Commandment to build an Ark. He just went and did it exactly as Commanded. Check out Genesis 6:22: “Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.” Noah demonstrated his love for God by keeping and doing all the Commandments of God.

Likewise, Jesus said if we love Him, we will keep His Commandments. (John 14:15) If we love Jesus, then all that He has Commanded we will do. If there is any Commandment of God, whether for example it be, to love and forgive one another, preach the gospel to the lost, support those in need, give unto the Church, or to remove your foot from sin and iniquity; immediately go and do as the Anointed King Jesus has required of you to do!

Bible Scholars have estimated that it took Noah and his family many years to complete the construction of the Ark, with some experts estimating that it may have taken up to 75-years, 100-years, or even as much as 120-years to complete. I agree with experts who say it took Noah 120-years. In Genesis 6:1-7, with focus on Verse 3, when God judged that man’s days would be “an hundred and twenty years,” God was not setting what the life- span of human beings would be going forward. Rather, this was the length of time God gave Noah to build the Ark before He would destroy the earth with water due to the greatness of wretchedness of all men in the earth. Though God had pronounced judgment on the earth, in the excellence of His mercy, He was giving mankind time to repent and turn to Him.

In Christian Circles, for years, we have incorrectly preached that mans’ life-span is 120-years. But this totally conflicts with Scripture. Noah for example lived another 350-years after the flood and a total of 950-years. (Gen. 9:28-29) His son Shem lived to be 600-years. (Gen.11:10-12) Later, Abraham lived to be 175-years, Isaac 180-years, and Jacob 147-years. (Gen. 25:7, 35:28, & 47:28)

Other than the judgment God placed on the disobedient children of Israel for continually sinning against Him in the wilderness, (“70-years, and if by reason of strength 80-years,” recorded at Psalm 90:10) there is no specific life-span that God has given for man to live. Rather, we have the Covenant Promise from God to live a long satisfied life; for those who dwell in the secret place of the Most-High God, as stated in Psalm 91:1 and 16.

Further, it is not difficult to conceive that the Ark would have taken many decades to construct given its massive size required by God, and the limited available labor pool: Noah and his three sons. (Gen. 6:14-16) The Ark spanned about 510-feet, which is about the length of two football fields long. (Gen. 6:14-16) 

This naturally would have afforded Noah the opportunity to share with all of the people around him the “reason” for the Ark’s construction. Surely, Noah would have been asked by observers what he was building and why? Noah would have told them, that God told him to build an Ark, because the earth was going to be flooded with water, and all left behind would perish.
This reminds me of the Scripture we are to keep at heart, and that is, to be “ready always to give an answer to every person who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.” (I Pet. 3:15) As such, we should always be ready to share with people the reason why we are living the Christian life; because the Anointed King Jesus Christ is coming again to rapture His glorious Church, and those left behind will be destroyed with a world dissolved by fervent heat. Afterwards, we look forward to a New Heaven and Earth wherein there is nothing but Righteousness!

Although the Bible does not specifically tell us, as Noah preached Righteousness to the ungodly people of the earth, He likely endured many persecutions. For Scripture tells us that “all who would live godly shall suffer persecution.” (II Tim. 3:12) Many are the afflictions of the righteous and God delivers them from them all. (Ps.34:19) Since the whole world was judged corrupt by God, we can envision that the life Noah lived was polar opposite of the ungodly. In preaching and life-style, he would have been thought of as a religious fanatic, an extremist, peculiar, and branded unpopular. In today’s terms, he would have been called a “holier than thou,” or a “holy-roller.”

Given that the people of the world were full of corruption, Noah’s trust in God and preaching, would have seemed to the people; mock-able, laughable, and they would have dismissed his words as foolishness.

Oh, I can just imagine how the crowds must have gathered and harassed Noah and his family for years as they were building the Ark. Perhaps rhetorically saying things to Noah like, “The earth will be destroyed with water?” “When Noah, when will it rain? It’s been years, even decades since your prediction. But not a drop of rain has fallen, you are a lunatic Noah, give it up, they may have shouted!”

As born-again Christians, some people of the world may laugh us to scorn too, as we await the Day of the Lord. But Saints, remember I Corinthians 1:27. The Apostle Paul wrote:

“But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things that are strong.”

When Noah preached, it is likely that devils and demons possessing the people trembled with fear, and would express themselves through the people in hostility against Noah. For the Bible says this about the work of the Word of God on human beings at Hebrews 4:12. The writer notes:

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Thus, Noah’s call for repentance among the ungodly would likely have caused the people to stop-up their ears, grind their teeth, and perhaps even gnash on him!

Additionally, religious literature outside of the Holy Bible, such as the Jubilees and works like Josephus’ Antiquities make mentions of Noah’s preaching. But I will mention one literary work in particular from ancient history called the Sibylline Oracles that described Noah’s preaching this way:

“Single among all men, most just and true,
Was the most faithful Noah, full of care
For noblest works. And to him God himself
From heaven thus spoke: ‘Noah, be of good cheer
In thyself and to all the people preach
Repentance, so that they may all be saved.
But if, with shameless soul, they heed me not
The whole race I will utterly destroy” (Book I, lines 155–161).

Also, in the New Testament, there are two references to Noah from which we can gain insights into the subject matter of Noah’s preaching, respectively from Hebrews 11:7 (King James and Amplified Versions) and I Peter 3:18-20.

By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

 By faith [with confidence in God and His word] Noah, being warned by God about events not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his family. By this [act of obedience] he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness which comes by faith.

The writer of the Book of Hebrews says that Noah took actions to go and build the ark “by faith.” Faith only speaks and holds on to that which God has spoken until it comes to past, because God is faithful who has promised. (Heb.10:23) Noah believed God’s warning that all flesh had been corrupted and was going to be destroyed. The Bible says because, “we believe, therefore we speak.” (II Cor. 4:13) Thus, with confidence in God, in Righteousness, Noah preached to the people exactly what God had told him in hopes they would repent and be saved from the flood.

The second Scripture, I Peter 3:18-20, is simply amazing. Look closely at what Peter wrote about Jesus Christ after dying on the cross and descending into the lower parts of the earth:

18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.

Peter states that it was Jesus Christ Himself who, in the Spirit, preached “to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. We take this to mean that, when Noah preached
Righteousness to the ungodly people of his time, he did so by the power of the Spirit of Christ. That is, it was Christ’s Message, delivered in the power of Christ that Noah proclaimed.

My, my, my, as I mentioned earlier, God in His infinite love and mercy, even after His Announcement to Noah of judgment and destruction by water of all flesh; “patiently” waited 120-years for the people to repent of their sins and return to Him. God sent the Spirit of Christ upon Noah to preach Righteousness unto the people for the world itself was at stake.

Can you even imagine the wisdom and power of Noah’s preaching as Christ preached through him for all those years he was building the Ark? I imagine that as God was with Moses, so Jesus was with Noah, that he opened his mouth and Jesus spoke for him! (Ex. 4:12) Noah’s Message to the people would have been full of the expression of forgiveness, love, and God’s plan for their lives to give them peace and hope.

But, unfortunately the people rebelled against the truth, refused the Ark and drowned in the flood in their sins. As the Scripture says “he (Noah) condemned the world.” (Heb.11:7). In the 600th year of Noah’s life, the Ark was completed and God brought forth “the waters from fountains of the greet deep broken up and the windows of heaven were opened,” and it “rained upon the earth for forty-days and forty-nights.” (Gen. 7:11-12)

Noah’s family, and the animals chosen, went in two by two, and after which “God shut Noah in!” (Gen.7:16) Imagine the screams and horror of the ungodly left behind. Noah was proven right, and the ungodly world found wrong and paid the wages of their sinful actions, which is death. (Rom. 6:23)

Oh but Saints, still we must not lose sight of the words of the Apostle Peter, at I Peter 3:18-20, for God’s love never fails.

For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.

For even the wicked who perished in the days of Noah’s Flood, who were held captive in prison by Satan in hell, along with all the other Old Testament Saints, Jesus Christ after His death on the cross, descended into the lower parts of the earth and preached the gospel to them. Having the keys of death and hell, Jesus led captivity captive to glory. (Rev.1:18 & Eph. 4:8) Jesus died for the “just and unjust that He might bring us all to God!” Praise God, Jesus Lord’s over the living and the dead! Yes, to the utmost Jesus saves!

We do not know how many, if any, of the ungodly people during Noah’s Flood held captive in hell repented and received Christ as Lord, and thereafter were quickened and raised up together with the Lord and seated together with Him in heavenly places. (Eph. 2:1-5) But, all were given the opportunity to repent and be reconciled to God through Jesus Christ. What a mighty God we serve!

But let’s get back to Noah, and say one more thing about his Message of Righteousness that is very important for us to follow. Noah’s actions of obeying God unequivocally in building the Ark served as a powerful witness. Noah didn’t just stand around proclaiming Righteousness, but was also busy living righteously by doing what God had told him to do; building an Ark to save himself, his family, and the animals. Yes, Noah practiced “Wordless Preaching” to the ungodly and unbelieving people of his age. He bore witness to his righteous life by his faithful works. Noah was letting his light shine bright before men so they could see his good works.

Think about it Saints. Every swing of the hammer and pounding of a nail in building the Ark, over the many years, was a call to the people to repent, and a declaration that judgment was coming. The sounds of sawing and smell of lumber were messaging individuals and families to repent; because the “rain is coming.” Still the people rejoiced in their folly.

Like Noah, we must be all about doing our Father’s business. Jesus told us to let our lights so shine before men that they might see our good works and glorify Father God in Heaven. (Matt. 5:16) We must love one another as Christ loved us, and use the gifts and talents God has given to us to bring glory to God. The ungodly of our age should be able to see your righteousness at work continually. How Christ lives through you at work, school, church; and everywhere you go should permit people to observe not only your holy conversation but your godliness, which is Wordless Preaching.

Finally, in Jesus’ earthly ministry as the Son of Man, He recounted for His followers, and for us today, the fact that Noah’s contemporaries ignored the Message that would have saved them from destruction. Likewise, the Lord has warned us and our contemporaries of making the same mistake. At Luke 17:26-27, Jesus said:

Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.

The point of Peter referencing Noah and others like him in his second Epistle is that, if God did not spare the ancient world who rejected Noah’s warnings, how much less can He be expected to spare those who dismiss His calls to repentance today through Jesus Christ?

In closing Saints, Noah continued to preach Righteousness and with his life example of blind obedience to God’s Word until the Ark was finally built, and God shut the door. In like manner, we must preach the gospel to every creature and live for Christ. Forever prayerful and beseeching people everywhere to repent of their sins and come to Jesus Christ and receive eternal life. We must never give up sounding the alarm in hope that all sinners, even the most ardent atheist and agnostics included, will turn from their wicked ways and receive Jesus Christ through our heralding of Righteousness and good works.

The late great gospel singer Mahalia Jackson, sung a song about Noah’s Flood entitled, “Didn’t it Rain.” Some of the lyrics are as follows:

Didn’t it rain, children?
Talk about rain, oh, my Lord
Didn’t it, didn’t it, didn’t it, oh, my Lord
Didn’t it rain?

Didn’t it rain, children?
Rain on my Lord
I didn’t it, didn’t it, I didn’t it, oh
Oh, my Lord
Didn’t it rain? Rain, rain, rain, rain, rain

Like Noah’s Flood, the Day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night. Thus, to everyone in the world we must preach, “…Behold, now is the acceptable time, now is the day of salvation.” (II Cor. 6:2) Amen to the preaching of God’s Word.

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