Noah-A Qualified Life (Part A)

We have an advocate with son by consent, by design, by edict of God the father.

It's not said with thunder and lightning and trauma about it though. It will be when we are in heaven will be quiet in heaven for the space of about an hour would be quiet. I think would just be blown away, so we know when Christians keep grace in the front seat law in the backseat fruit comes. This is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of Genesis. Please stay with us after today's message here. More information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching, but for now let's join Pastor Rick in the book of Genesis chapter 6 as he begins his message.

No qualified life. Have your Bibles.

Let's turn to Genesis chapter 6 character is Noah and the section of his life that we want to addresses his qualifications are his qualifications and so the title is Noah a qualified life. I say it that way because you can take this text that were going to use and concentrate on different parts. Here's the text Genesis chapter 6 verse nine, Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God for how you could just focus on the walking with God make a whole sermon out of that, but that's not the objective tonight is qualifications are clearly stated he is remembered, perhaps unfortunately as the one who made the Archean little else by so many the art that he built but not the life that qualified him for the building of the ark life that qualified him to be used by God for the very things that he accomplished and why he is a special character in the Scripture, he would be in the category of hero anyone. The contract to build the ark.

Not because he was the low bid, but because he had the high character and those of the kind of things that leap out to me when I read such a verse. He was a just man, perfect in his generation, Noah walked with God will talk about all of that as we move through this. But that high character.

It attracts us scares us. It attracts us because we want to have that we want to be that righteous influence where we find ourselves, but we find out that we are easily tripped up by sin and that it it's not as easy as it sounds. And yet, in spite of that is still our ambition to the grave.

Vanessa thought of the message to the lost world yet we do, we do have a high standard. Yes sweet we don't make it but we keep the high standard but what you do is you toss the high standard you start making your own and as a result sin rules. This was the way it was in the days of Noah character qualified him character built on faith, and of course, so much so that even after four full chapters that Moses dedicates to know Peter in the New Testament makes a very important addition to our knowledge about Noah. After after Moses is done. Centuries later, 1600 1700 years later, almost here comes Peter and he makes this statement in the power of the Holy Spirit. Second Peter chapter 2 verse five Noah one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly. What we know about the flood.

We knew about the ungodly.

But what we did not know is that Noah was a preacher of righteousness what he was a tax. Noah was a just man in the Hebrew a more accurate translation of that Hebrew word translated just man is righteous Noah was a righteous man perfect in his generation, God's characteristic way of meeting evil when he is going to move on.

It is, we learn from the flood of Noah Sodom and Gomorrah.

The Armageddon's characteristic way with evil is to meet it, not with half measures but with the simultaneous extremes to extremes at the same time. First, when we are very familiar with, and the second number vary from judgment and salvation.

That's how God deals with evil judgment ends and salvation. You are either with him or you are against him. Now there's there is more to the story but that's where the story ends in each individual has a say so as to how it will end for them but as we been going through this life and times of the people of the Bible. The times that they live in have very much to do with the life that they lived a person who they were.

The application to our lives so dark and so violent were these days that Noah lived in that God promised two things.

First, a literal flood of judgment to wipe them off the face of the earth. That was the first promise that was the judgment then the wrath was so severe that when it was over, he promised never to do that again. That's how severe the judgment was. That's how keen on what God was doing God was well aware of how extreme this was an putting into the human experience measures that would prohibit him from having to exercise such ferocity and judgment ever again. Genesis chapter 9 verse 11.

No turn in which you can write it down, thus I establish my covenant with you guys speaking nor never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood. Never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth. You catch the emphasis coming from the mouth of God.

Never again. Never again.

This is not who I am. This is not what I want to do but I did do it and I did it intentionally, but I'll never do it again. You see, during this time, the deep things of Satan dominated mankind as comes out very clearly in the Scripture look with me to Genesis chapter 6 will take verses five through seven, and then will do.

Verse 11 says then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually in the Lord was sorry that he had made man on earth and he was grieved in his heart, so the Lord said I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, man and beast, creeping thing, and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them that's anthropomorphic it's God expressing the breaking his heart in terms that we will understand without him ever becoming human and actually experiencing a regret as if he made a mistake then verse 11. The earth also was corrupt before God and the earth was filled with violence. What we have the effect that this wickedness this violence.

This corruption had on God. Would we would cover that in verses six and seven. But what we need to really zoom in on is that here in these verses, with devastating force. Evil is presented as being extensive and intensive in the very words look at me again in verse five it says great in the earth every intent, only evil continually.

Again, great every only continually, that is God's commentary on the times Noah lived in verse 11, he says, those times were corrupt and they were filled with violence. Satan's seed had been busy and it had been successful Satan. He doesn't change either he cannot change. He is who he is and who he is is evil so to the extent that only eight people on earth survived God's wrath. Because of this man because of Noah qualified life. The influence of that character. The potential that each one of us hold within ourselves what we may not be as righteous as Noah, but we may be righteous enough to do what God needs us to do wherever he finds us because you see God receive this into his kingdom. That was long before we were ever born. He already had plans to use those who would come to him. Another fair indicator of the hardship attending the life and times of Noah is found in chapter 5 of Genesis in verse 29 and they reread and he called his name Noah, saying, this one will comfort us concerning our work and the toil of our hands because of the ground which the Lord is cursed. Now those are the words of my Mac father of Noah would get back to him later. But out of this 29th verse, what we understand is that the ground was not freely giving itself food was difficult to come by. There were famines there were tough times. They wanted relief. These are the days that he was born into. They lamented their day and they hope for relief in the name Noah means relief needs comfort.

That's why his dad named him Noah and then in these difficult times of violence and corruption. There were the nestled now we read about them and let's look at verse four of chapter 6 it says there were giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came into the daughters of men. They bore children to them, and those who were the mighty men who were men of old, men of renown. I do not believe that these now many good men of God do not share this view but I'm not alone in my view.

But I don't care family. What I believe. I do not believe that these are mystical beings. If these were angelic beings coming down, corrupting men than God should put a flood on them. That would be violated just as another going all that is tempting as it is for the were giants, there in the Hebrew is an excellent the King James primarily others to put the King James chooses to translate that word as giants, but the idea really is. Tyrants these were bullies is found even in the definite or the etymology the origin of the word, but methyl him were bullies who fell upon others and enslave them. That's why they were men of renown. They were slave owners. They were corrupt they had success in even corrupting the line of Seth. They were successful in mixing the righteous with the wicked. We call it Lebanon. There is nothing good about it. Word methyl him comes from the Hebrew root meaning to fall upon that to those men were, they were around for a long time and they brought hardship on others while they enjoyed life. This is not something that should be difficult to believe. We see it all the time it's all through history the elite class enslaving others violence, the evil emphasized by the narrator.

The violence in the evil emphasized by the narrator was because of the naff LM the tyrants the bullies so Noah came along after hundreds of years of this lifestyle on the earth evil seemed to be something that could not be uprooted could not be done away with. I don't have any problem with any of that to me. All of this is real. I can see fragments of it today. If you live in certain parts of the world.

It's all you know how many people in history have been born in slavery and have died a slave and have lived a slave's life simply because we happen to belong to a part of civilization and history, which has been relatively stable, does not give us the right to forget evil like man is capable of executing on his fellow man. Think of the Mayan Empire.

The Aztecs violence in the name of religion, the enslaving of other people simply to offer them as human and living sacrifices cutting out their hearts when they were still alive and that's just one little town so we can understand why I can understand why God's heart was grieved in his heart.

Men had rejected him in the outcome was that men were suffering profusely so bad it was that there really was not a solution for except to wipe it out.

That is what God did. He wiped it out.

So what is those days have to do it. Our days they were in many ways identical Matthew chapter 24 verse 27. Listen to this, it remember again God when he makes a statement. He expects the listener to say God said it is accurate, it is true, is probably greater than what I can grasp and therefore God just makes a statement and he doesn't try to insist upon his yes no really, really, believe me. Hell is hot hot hot. He does not do that. He says I'm telling you son ending its worm does not die and he expects the listener to say this is not good.

The Bible is clumsy in its attempt to describe heaven's throne to see if crystalline gold streets in the reflection. What does that do for me. Nothing.

What does it for me is when he says someone death is normal. Sorrow that does it for me but still they do not get me to what is awaiting us. The glory, the splendor, today you will be with me in paradise. And if you only knew before you got to this crossbow outlaw if you only knew God had for you. You'd never have died in helpless death, but it says here in verse 37 but as the days of Noah were, so will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark. See the days of the end will not be much unlike the days they were at the end for those antediluvian's that means those people who lived before the flood of Noah. Do we believe that tyrants dictators great wickedness. Every only continually do we believe Scripture record we live like we believe the record I believe most born-again Christians really want to do it and I believe many of them do so will be with the rapture in the midst of hard times in the midst of violence in the midst of corruption as it was in this day when there stood one who was qualified as a qualified life made a difference for seven other souls. Genesis chapter 6 verse eight but Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord the church that's the New Testament church were told in the book of acts that they continued to grow in the grace of God. Noah found grace. The church is found grace Noah saved from the judgment, the church will be saved from the judgment. What is God supposed to do video record these things and and give them to us than it wouldn't be much faith and then people would corrupt that also because such is the nature of the fallen nature of man, and so Noah the man those are his times, but no other man found grace in the eyes of the Lord our text again. Verse nine Noah was a righteous man perfect in his generation, Noah walked with God literally with God.

He walked to and fro.

That's closer to the Hebrew emerges not only as the best bed generation, but as a remarkably complete man where it says that he was righteous that primarily has to do with his man were to experience it was righteous towards other men. When the day came when he had to hire people to help build the ark was no way he and his boys could have built that are I'm invisible miracle that God could get posted of your ark. But though he had cut would and he had to get people to help you, and I'm sure people didn't mind working for him because he was fair was a righteous man, but the perfect perfect in his generation. That is God word what God saw when he saw Moses was a man who would actually walk with him because he was submitted to him in the two can walk could be any other way with anything less than that.

So these words is descriptive of qualified life for God's purposes to save lost souls. And it's not supposed to intimidate us, because because it's a critical because the key is grace on deserved kindness. That's what grace is, you don't really deserve this, but it's more than that. It's not only undeserved kindness. It does no violation to justice is a maker of things wrong into right grace is is holy. It is high, it is expensive. Hebrews chapter 4 verse 15. This verse is given to us that we would not lose heart, that we would not save club who can be a righteous man perfect in his generation. Walking with God, with all the temptation around swirling around all the failures who can could even do it. I quit to enter set that spirit of defeat. We have such verses as this in Hebrews chapter 4 verse 15 for we do not have a high priest that is Jesus Christ who cannot sympathize with our weakness but was in all points tempted as we are yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly into the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need is a time of need. One week I've not failing when I've already failed again and again and again, this doesn't come with a shelf life it doesn't say you get 18 forgiven Susan. That's it. The high priest ministers continually morning and evening evening the sacrifices were offered, all speaking of the coming of Christ in his finished work, the high priest role was to intercede. He is the go-between.

He is the one that speaks to God on behalf of men, whereas the proffered speaks to men on behalf of God. But here, he being both here he is presented as high priest is no higher is not above him. This happens to be our high priest who is also our God acting as our intercessor, our go-between, the one who is our advocate. When John said in his first letter.

If we sin you can insert it regardless of how many times though you cannot insert their carelessly.

We have an advocate with the father, son, by consent, by design, by edict of God the father. It's not said with thunder and lightning and trauma about it though. It will be when we are in heaven there be quiet in heaven for the space of about an hour would be quiet. I think would just be blown away, so we know when Christians keep grace in the front seat and law in the backseat fruit comes at no point is grace a surrender of righteousness. Noah was a righteous man. He was perfect before God.

He walked with God because he found grace with God. There was a relationship, a reality bigger than anything that could strip this man down. Paul says it this way were sin abounded, grace will this not have what it says about the Greek's the reek. But anyway I get, you know, it gets a little intense appear sometimes I have to have like a Rick commercial and just cannot break it is. I don't know if I've lost you not just because I enjoy the scripture like I do. I don't know if you're saying I've heard this before. Ephesians chapter 3 verse seven of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of his power wasn't that Paul was killing Christians and then he was saved. Okay did stop going after Christians but it was still a sinner is to save now. This course changed and in his heart when he felt malice towards the Christian check grace whereas before he acted feeling of contempt and hatred so he was able to write with sin abounded, grace did much more. It's super abounded move you've been listening to cross reference radio daily radio ministry of Pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel in Mechanicsville, Virginia. Pastor Rick is teaching from God's Word each time you tune as we mentioned at the beginning of today's broadcast is teaching is available free of charge at our website.

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