The Integrity of Enduring Obedience, Part 2

When you ask someone to tell you about the Bible. Your name will likely mention award in our filled with animals knows escape from the flood is an adventure this forever attached to his name, but today on Insight for living Chuck Swindoll reminds us that there's another facet story that inspires our walk with God will look at Genesis chapter 6 where we gain insight to the personal disciplines and virtues that Mark was lying. Chuck titled today's message the integrity of enduring obedience begin with prayer call out to you today we wait upon you as David roach. I waited patiently on the Lord and he inclined to read and heard my cry. He lifted me up and horrible.

Place my feet upon a rock. Establish my going and put a new song in my mouth even praise to our God. Maybe we'll see and fear and trust in you. We wait on you Lord to rescue us.

Ours is a world of corruption marked by frequent acts of violence open murder in the streets. Deceptive kidnappings, harsh treatment of children. There are those who are predators who would do harm to the young, and there seems to be so little restraint, not just abroad but in our own land, rescue us, Lord, rescue us, we come, just as we are. We haven't somehow dressed up to come before you.

We do not bring animal sacrifice we come through Christ who is our mediator and we call upon you for help.

There are so many who suffer today, the pandemic hasn't left another phase is struck some lie dying in their beds today. There are those who nurse them care for them, help them.

There are others suffering other illnesses summer in dark places, with little hope of change. There are those who wait upon you for treatments that will enable them to recover from cancer and other illnesses. Those we love and care about or going through times like this in.

We pray that you would rescue them. Give them the discipline to stay with the treatments to see them to the end use those treatments to bring hope and do what only you can do bring healing. There are those who represent us, Lord, and difficult places, encourage them, use them speak through them. Bless them. Thank you for the joy of ministry that we share in together meet our needs. Father through the faithful giving of your people. Remind all of us that our whole is only you and so we come, just as we are before God who loves us and his son, who gave himself we pray through Christ all this people said listening to Insight for living to search the Scriptures with Chuck Swindoll. Be sure to download your searching the scripture studies by going to Insight world.or/study Chuck titled his message the integrity of enduring obedience know is a man I'm calling a person with the integrity of enduring obedience. There's a reason to given the title. But before I get there.

Let's notice how the story begins note was left out of the picture altogether, that we, the reader have a very privileged position in this narrative we get to stand right alongside the living God as he talks to us in his word about what he sees and what he plans to do about this is before he even encounters no in the account I'm looking at Genesis chapter 6 verse five and really it's a frightening scene look for yourself. The Lord observe the extent of human wickedness on the earth. He saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil. What we have here is the great truth of universal human depravity were not too deep into the Scriptures are we just six chapters just begun. The sixth chapter and already the civilized world is shot through with depravity. We read that the Lord saw this reason I mentioned a privileged position is because no one else sees it except the Lord Edward given the opportunity through the narrative stand alongside and to hear him as he describes what he sees in this fifth verse he goes on, look for yourself. So the Lord was sorry he had ever made them and put them on the earth. The new living translation says it broke his heart. The Hebrew text says literally.

He grieved unto his heart. When we grieve deep within our hearts.

The colloquial English response or description is.

It breaks our hearts.

He's looking at the whole world.

No one else can do that. But when you are omnipresent God and you are the omnipotent one who created the world. You have no difficulty seeing everything is there and he's never lied to us, nor could he be a holy so he tells us the truth here is earth that is holy, given to evil.

God saw that the inhabitants of the earth only evil continually Hebrew text reads evil the whole day is that an interesting way to put it meeting all day all night every day every week every month every year constantly habitually evil words.

So begins turn our attention to God's plan, which he tells us about before he even tells Noah so the Lord was sorry verse seven he goes on to say, I will wipe the human race.

I have created from the face of the earth. That's his right. Since he is sovereign. We live in a day that worships earth. Unfortunately, rather than worshiping the one who created earth where you worship the creator. You understand he has the right to due with earth.

However, he pleases without even explaining his reason.

But in this case, he explains it. Because of this universal depravity of humanity, I will destroy every living thing all the people all the large animals all the small animals. Even the birds of the sky, I'm sorry I ever made them. I am grieved deep within my heart. We stand there and sort of taken our breath away as we hear the story unfold in the scriptural text and then we see suddenly.

But first time the word grace appears in the Scriptures is in this eighth verse of the Genesis 6 Noah found grace.

It's really a play on the word is the consonants in reverse.

The Hebrew term is and it's translated grace. Noah found the Lord's grace how good of God to notice he still looking. He still observing. He doesn't miss anything silent yes absent. No, he finds Noah and gives us an account of the band why I would shout the word but no your reading your Bible and you see the word like but Noah found grace read on and you'll see why because he was a righteous man.

He was blameless as a person living on earth at the time.

Amazing.

Every other one is corrupt.

Violence is everywhere evil at every turn, but no. But no, not what integrity the entire world situation does not in any way turn his head or draw him into it. His focus is clearly fully and constantly on the Lord is God infecting not only is declared, not sinless but blameless before the Lord, and he walks in close fellowship with God. He's a father of Shem, Ham, and J for three sons, not God saw the earth was corrupt and filled with violence. He observed all the corruption of the world.

So God said up till now Noah has no idea of what we already realize because we were the ones from the narrative, who were brought into the story not know this is Noah's first occasion to hear God's plan and the Lord says to him, I decided to destroy all living creatures for their fill the earth with violence. Yes, I will wipe them all out along with your no pushback from the what no resistance, no argument.

Noah silent. Becky stays silent for chapters in the account so the Lord goes further. Verse 14 he is a rescue plan. Rescue is available to any who will get into it. Build a large boat from Cyprus would waterproof it with tar inside and out, then construct Dixon stalls throughout it. Amazing plan for escape. Here the dimensions verse 15, 450 feet wall football field is 300 feet long, so it's a football and 1/2 long 75 feet wide. A little less wide than a football field and we read 45 feet high 4 1/2 storage I should talk with our maintenance crew this week and found out how high this ceiling is. I would guess is fairly close to that. I may be a little more. This is one sizable barge there's no steering mechanism because there would be no spirit.

It's a floating vessel made only to flow in. Noah is told to build the reason I chocolate that is because in another place of the Scriptures we read knowing is not a shipbuilder.

He is a preacher of righteousness. So this preacher is told Bill. This massive boat Charles Rodriguez study Bible and the footnote adds that it had the capacity of carrying as much is 522 railroad stock cars 522. Each stock market hold about 240. She packed into each car to give you some idea of capacity. This is one big boat. It would take hundred 20 years to build, during which time Noah continues to preach and there is not one convert Noah and his sons, their wives and Noah's wife. Eight people, not one from the crowd around the former church. We were we were packed to the gills. People didn't follow our instructions so they park all over and places often where they shouldn't.

So our neighbors. Peter's to put it mildly, and we tried our best to win them over and encourage our people to park where they should, but but they didn't. Being depraved so they followed their own whims and it just made the neighbors angry. I was preaching back then on no and in the art and decided I would go out and measure it in the parking lot so I took the necessary tools with me to measure them and I had a marker and not marked off here and then I walked it way down 450 feet in. When I reached down to market off down here felt the presence of someone near me saw his shadow first into figured it was a neighbor.

They tended to come out when I went outside to to they wanted to visit with me and this man was no exception. Send you the preacher here in Austin. I said yeah I am and I shook his hand. He reluctantly stripmining and said what are you doing I said well I'm actually measuring the arc. He said, with an expletive on the ballot. Your nonfiction build one of things here are you of his bed not have cars parked all over but 400 wherever Noah built it. It got the attention of everyone think about.

Furthermore, boats weren't built in that area was in the boatbuilding area for the board. It never rained water came up from within the earth until the flood, so they're not been writing. Therefore, there never been a flood and then never seen a boat like this we can you imagine the mockery you imagine people who have been described for us rather vividly in verses six, seven and eight of this passage as they would yell at Noah faithfully building the boat faithfully driving the pigs year after year faithfully erecting the ship until its full size. Not one convert when a person is a preacher of righteousness. He is faithfully declaring the good news there is hope beyond this life.

But there is a way of escape, and so when the door was put into place. I am certain that Noel would take advantage of that moment and remind those who are watching with their mouths open.

By now that this door is the way to escape the flood that's coming. But of course they doubted there would be a flood. No reason to believe they thought Bill was losing it.

After all of the time the orchids built a 600 years old.

He's getting up in years and they're taking it start to happen years old.

Noah still pounding away on his boat. Not one convert interesting. There were no pigs provided on the boat hull to hold onto. If you miss the door. You had no more chance of survival than those dear people in Afghanistan clinging to the wheel wells on the fuselage of these giant airships as the rolling down the runway about you like. I stared and clucked her tongue and thought him. Noah's case get told them. In fact in the last verse of this six chapter reveals what I call him Amanda enduring obedience integrity of enduring obedience.

So Noah did everything exactly as God commanded eggs at 600 years old trying to convince people to get onto a boat to escape a great flood. You can imagine the pushback. Noah received them yet. Noah persisted. Chuck Swindoll has much more to show us about this fascinating chapter of Noah's life, and we urge you to join us again next time. When Chuck continues his message about the integrity of enduring obedience. This of course is insight for living before we close all make it a point to remind you that this teaching series has never been heard before on the daily broadcast. Although this program has been carried on radio stations for more than 42 years were still blessed to offer a listening audience fresh new studies in God's word this heritage. This longevity is due in part to the faithful friends who financially sustain insight for living and if you're among those who give were deeply grateful for your generosity effect, we represent thousands around the world who call and write to thank us, knowing that their gratitude is really directed toward you. We couldn't provide insight for living without your faithful giving as God prompted to join the family of supporters today. We invite you to give a donation by calling us if you're listening in the United States dial 1-800-772-8888 and remember no gift is too small. Every contribution is channeled into helping us reach more people with insight for living so please call us again if you're listening in the United States dial 1-800-772-8888 or go to insight.org/donate and then finally, as a complement to your worship experience in your local church this coming Sunday. Remember you can also celebrate with Chuck Swindoll by viewing the worship service of stone briar Community Church online is not only includes Chuck's full-length sermon with the sacred music congregational singing as well defined all the instructions for video streaming. The weekly worship service@insight.org/Sunday numbering more than ever insight for living ministries is determined to serve as a lavish garden for people all around the world long to smell the aroma of God's will is a safe place where imperfect simple people are forgiven toward the truth and redeem there's a simple and effective way to leverage your supportive Chuck's Windows ministry become a monthly companion in this emotionally charged hero were shouting matches were commonplace for people feel voiceless and overlooked in would you be among those who give generously so that we can spread the fragrance of God's grace to those second chance become a monthly companion today if you're listening in the United States. Call 1-800-772-8888 or go to insight.org/monthly together. Let's introduce God says oh my power again if you're listening in the United States.

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Join us when Chuck Swindoll concludes his message about the integrity of enduring obedience Monday on insight for living.

The preceding message the integrity of enduring obedience was copyrighted in 2021 and 2022 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2022 by Charles R. Swindoll.

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