Sunday Review: Noah – A Working Faith

23 Sep Sunday Review: Noah – A Working Faith

Yesterday, we continued our series on the “Heroes of Faith.” We looked into the eyes of Noah and witnessed a great man of working faith.

The Bible tells us in Hebrews 11:7, “By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.”

This is an amazing account of a man who believed, walked and worked for God for hundreds of years; in spite of the facts, he walked by faith.

From the life of Noah, we learn several things about a faith that works:

1. You can walk with the Lord in a wicked world.  (Please note the context in Genesis 6)

The first five verses of Genesis 6, share with us-

• Marriage was demonized,
• Life was minimized and
• Violence was idolized.

The point Scripture makes is this: The world had gone wild. The world had turned their back to God. Their sin was so grievous the Lord even felt sorry that he had made man on earth. The Lord says in Genesis 6:7, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping things and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.’

But hang on to Genesis 6:8, “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.” This is the first time grace is mentioned in the entire Bible. In the midst of a world gone wild, there was one who found grace in the eyes of the Lord. It is like when the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 5:20, “where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.”

Noah was a sinner just like all of the others. He wasn’t saved by his righteousness; he was saved by God’s grace. Left to his own way and his own works, Noah would have drowned and died just like all of the rest, but just like Enoch, Noah responded to the Word of God and received the grace of God and as a result he, like Enoch, “walked with God.”

This ought to be a great encouragement to you today. To know that no matter how wicked the world may be, no matter how sinful society may become, because of God’s grace we can walk with the Lord in a wicked world.

2. When God speaks, obey immediately and completely.

God gave Noah the instructions on how to build this boat, and we’ll go through that in just a minute, but here’s what I want you to see. In verse 22 it says, “Thus Noah did. . .” He didn’t debate it. He didn’t discuss it. He didn’t try to deny it. He simply did it. But here’s the thing. It had never rained. Hebrews 11:7 says, “By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen…” God told Noah that He was going to destroy the entire world by a flood – but it had never even rained. Noah had never seen it rain. He had never felt a drop of rain. But because God said it, Noah believed it and spent the next hundred years building that ark. He obeyed God immediately.

He also obeyed God completely. Genesis 6:22 says, “Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did.”

Why is this little phrase so important? Because the ark is a picture of Jesus. It’s a picture of salvation. You see, not only was salvation preached and proclaimed. It was pictured. How? The cypress wood that was used is one of the hardest, most dense woods in the entire world. It is a picture of the incorruptibility of the Lord Jesus. It had three floors, showing us that He was body, soul and spirit. It was completely sealed with pitch, which by the way is the same word for atonement in the Old Testament. And there was only one door, only one way in to that ark of salvation.

3. Make Sure your family is on board.

Hebrews Chapter 11. “By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, (He was mindful of the Word of God and as a result was moved by fear, so that he) prepared an ark for the saving of his household…”

Genesis 6:18, shares how only Noah’s family was on the ark.  II Peter 2:5 says, “But saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly.”

Noah preached for over 100 years and only had 7 people saved, but he was a tremendous success. Why? He got his family on board. Let me tell you something, whatever else you do, make sure you and your family are on board. Make sure those little boys and girls; teenagers, even your grown children know Jesus, love Jesus and walk with Jesus.

Whatever else you do Dad; whatever else you do Mom, make sure that your family is on board.

4. Actions speak louder than words. Hebrews 11:7

What do we remember Noah for, his preaching or his building? He’s remembered for building the ark. Dr. James Merritt says, “When someone has faith that works, he will show by his life, the works of faith.”