Did Noah's Flood Really Happen? - Genesis Part 15

There is a yearning up in the evangelical world today is a yearning for what is real Disneyland up on the loose in our churches is not making and cannot make serious Disciples of Christ.

It is time to reach back into the word of God as we have not done for generation and find a serious faith for our serious times.

The modern marketing approach to Christianity downplays theology and Bible knowledge and then we act dumbfounded when commitment and passion for Christ evaporates under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The apostles gave the church the definitive statement of what the Christian faith is they delivered it to us in the form of doctrine. Christians therefore are people who know this doctrine. They believe in, they have it they hold fast to it.

They guarded it and they contend earnestly for it today. However, there is an abysmal ignorance of biblical truth in evangelical churches the doctrines of the New Testament.

Arterra incognito. In most churches. Christianity is about many things now, but increasingly biblical truth is not one of them in shorts. We have lost the conviction that the word of God in the hand of God is sufficient for the people of God. Now here McLean Bible church. We are determined to be different. We believe the Bible cover to cover and we preach the Bible from cover to cover and we submit to the authority of the Bible from cover to cover more than that. We want every one of you here to have this very same view of the Bible. However, this is key. Don't miss it. In order for us to embrace the Bible in this way, we must believe that it's every word is the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth now this is what were going to talk about today because nowhere is the trustworthiness of the Bible more attack than when it comes to the issue of Noah's flood. I mean, atheistic scientists say never happened. Unbelieving scholars say never happened.

Liberal theologians say never happened. So the question foundational questions we want answers, we begin today is did know was flawed really happen the way the Bible says and after I've proven to you today that the answer to that question is yes, then we want to bring all of that forward and talk about okay so what differences that make than in your life and my life today so are you ready I buckle your seatbelts or body ready to go now let's begin by admitting that for those of us who know Christ in a real and personal way. The most convincing evidence that Noah's flood really happen is the fact that the rest of the Bible says that it happened.

Noah's flood is referred to as a factual event by Joba chapter 22 by Isaiah chapter 54 by David Psalm 104 and by Peter in both first Peter and second Peter but even more importantly than that, the Lord Jesus Christ himself considered Noah's flood to be a literal event. Listen.

Matthew 24 verse 37 Jesus said, 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, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and took them all away now. If I'm a follower of Christ. This puts the whole issue to rest for me.

The fact that the Lord Jesus said it's real, and the rest of the Bible says it's real. I say fine. End of discussion.

Folks wouldn't be nice if we could go look at geological data and wouldn't it be nice if we could go look at biological data and wouldn't it be nice if we could go look at anthropological data and find the footprints of the flood all over this data will we can. That's the good news and that's what I want to show you now, let's begin by talking about the geological data. In particular, about two items.

First, all the sedimentary strata's of rock. We have around our globe and second about all the coal deposits that we have on earth. First, the sedimentary strata of rock layer after layer after layer of mud piled up sometimes hundreds of feet deep. Dr. Henry Morris was a PhD in hydrology and hydraulics said and I quote, according to the law of hydrodynamic selectivity. A flood of the magnitude described in Genesis would of necessity produce horizontal superimpose layers of materials selected by the moving warders according to their specific gravity and sphericity.

He went on to say thoughts as various currents moved across the earth during the months of the flawed. A great series of sedimentary strata would've been formed in various parts of the earth. In some cases to depths of hundreds of feet" you say do what what in the world was that I heard what you said. Time flies idea would just say what you say, friends, listen just take Dr. Morse's word for it. Okay, that the sedimentary rock that we find all over the earth is exactly what we would expect to find if Noah's flood had happened the way the Bible says it did and to the contrary, if Noah's flood did not happen. All of this sedimentary layering across the globe would be inexplicable. We wouldn't even have an explanation for how it all happened. And then there the coal deposits. We know there coal deposits all over our world big coal deposits but here's the question how to get there.

Had to get there friends. We know in order to make coal. It takes enormous quantities of vegetation suddenly being covered quickly by layer after layer of mud and dirt and then being compressed by an astronomical weight of water well you so that's all right though, isn't coal being made today. I mean if calls being made today we don't have any big flood going on today. I mean, what about that well. Listen to Dr. Morris and I quote he said the dismal Swamp of Virginia perhaps the most frequently cited case of a potential modern coalbed has formed only 7 feet of Pete to date, hardly enough to make a single respectable seam of coal. Furthermore, Morris says there is no evidence that Pete is actually being transformed into coal anywhere in the world today. He concludes to the contrary, he says all known coal beds seem to have been formed in the distant past, and are not continuing to be formed up in the present." The point is that to make all of the coal deposits that we find throughout the entire world demands a cataclysmic water event such as only Noah's flood could have produced, let's move on out of the biological data. In this regard, I want to talk to you about the fossil record. We all know that we have hundreds thousands of fossils that have been discovered over the last several hundred years. We have fossils of this with every single bone being visible. We have fossils of invertebrates like jellyfish and lunges and trilobites memorandum from high school. Okay, we even found entire whale fossils but but here's the problem. This kind of fossilization.

My friends is not occurring anywhere on the earth today. I mean today when a fish dies. It doesn't sink to the bottom of the ocean get covered in tons of sediment and then turn into a fossil either gets eaten by scavengers or else it just naturally decays. Remember the millions and millions of Buffalo that were shot on the planes in the late 1800s and the early 1900s by everybody in all the white men going by on the trains you member that that and they were left all those carcasses were left just a rock on the open plain. Isn't it interesting we don't have a single Buffalo fossil from any of that and let me tell you why. It's because in order to produce fossils. Animals must suddenly be killed and then immediately covered with tons and tons of sediment. The point is that the every day environmental conditions that are operating today. Simply do not produce fossils, which is why not are being made today only the cataclysmic events of Noah's flood can adequately explain the fossil record that we find all over the earth but it can explain the fossil record and it does explain the fossil record. Last of all, have a happy anthropological data here were talking about all the flood legends and flood stories that abound in societies all over the world.

Dr. James E. Strickland, who taught at Georgia State University, wrote an article entitled a statistical analysis of flood legends, and here's what he said and I quote, he set up a worldwide catastrophe took place one would expect to find some record of this deluge in ancient records. This he says is exactly the case legends.

He goes on to say and mythologies of nations and tribes around the world tell of a time when the entire earth was devastated by water anthropologist Dr. Strickland says have collected at least 59 flood legends from North America, 46, from Central and South America, 31, from Europe, 17 from the Middle East and 37 from the South Sea Islands and Australia.

That's 190. I'll save you the trouble and they all agree on three points. He says number one, the worldwide flood destroyed both men and animals number two that there was a vessel of safety and number three that an extremely small remnant of people survive." No one of the most famous of these flood legends is the Babylonian flood story will show you a picture of one of the tablets on which this appears.

It dates from 2000 BC and here's how the story goes, the story tells us that the gods decide to tell a fellow here on earth named not to strip. I do like your mom. The name you that would not dispute RA was a day that that they told me that they were going to send a great flood on the earth and what to say not to skim from the flood. One of the gods told him to build a boat and told them the exact dimensions of the boat sold not to stream bills this boat and he seals it with pitch and then he and his entire family. Go overboard in their say.

Eventually the boat comes to rest on a mountain and not just him sends out from the boat a Raven and a dog, and when the two birds don't come back, who not to steam comes out with his family and bills and alter and makes a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the gods. Sound familiar almost exactly the Genesis story for similar and there are stories like this all over the world and society after society.

How do we explain this law tell your friends we explain this by saying these are corruptions of the true and accurate account of the flood that the Bible contains and remember most of these stories were written before these societies ever had any contact with the Bible so these stories represent an extra biblical outside of the Bible independent historical witness that the Bible is telling us the truth when it tells us there was a huge flood I meet up on hundred 90 different cultures have a story about a cataclysmic flood, then it stands to reason there was a cataclysmic flood just like the Bible presents and so can we summarize okay let's summarize and say that when we look at the data from geology.

That is the sedimentary rock strata around the earth and the coal deposits. We look at the data from biology that is the fossil record and we look at the data from anthropology, that is 190 flood stories in societies around the globe. What we see is the footprint of the flood everywhere. In fact, apart from Noah's flood.

Much of what we find in geology. Much of what we find in biology and much of what we find in anthropology doesn't even make sense. So where does this leave us friends leaves us encouraged in our faith encouraging our faith in the veracity of the word of God.

Our faith in the trustworthiness of the word of God.

Our faith that the word of God is telling us the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth that you want a little bit extra reading on this. You want a little more study. I recommend you pick up the book of Genesis flood mortared off Amazon and you can dig in deeper. But the bottom line is, the flood happened exactly the way the Bible says and its footprints are everywhere on this earth. Now that brings us to another question that is not to the flood happened.

But there's another question we need to ask now you know what this question yes you do all of us here know what this question is so I have to tell you I asked everybody else today to give us a pre-snow. So what I am shameless and they were pretty good there pretty good so but you guys, you can't lose ever write. That's right that's right so all you on the Internet. All of us here. Let's hold up our reputation. Here we go you're ready, now want to go through a you guys are awesome.

I swear you are. I'm not Steve my line to them that they win every single week. Now you got you guys are unbelievable. I love you I love you I love you are now why don't Moody greatest evangelist of the 19th century, more than 100 years ago said this and I quote he said what we need today is men and women who believe the Bible from the crown of their heads are to the soles of their feet. Men and women who believe the whole love.

It the things that they do understand and the things they don't understand."

And you know what folks these words are just as true in 2012 as they were more than 100 years ago. I just spent 20 minutes giving you compelling scientific evidence that Noah's flood happened just the way the Bible says and my logic follow my logic here is that if we can trust the Bible about something as extraordinary and atypical as a worldwide cataclysmic flood, then it's merely makes sense that we can trust the Bible about everything else that it says and so if the Bible is utterly true and if I'm a person like Moody says, who believes the Bible from the crown of my head to the soles of my feet.

I believe the whole of it.

So what difference then should that make in my everyday life will I got three to tell you so here they are number one.

The first difference if the Bible is utterly and absolutely true. The difference number one.

It should make is that it means that as a follower of Christ. The Bible must have total authority over every facet of my personal life. Joshua chapter 1 verse seven God said be careful to do what's the next word okay all the law my servant Moses commanded you. Do not turn from it to the writer to the lab. Do not let this book of the law depart from your mouth meditate on it day and night, that you may be careful to do what's the next word. Everything written with the Bible telling us here will Bible is telling us is that God wants every part of our lives down to even the tiniest details of our lives to be live in obedience to the word of God. You know many of you know that while Brenda and I were away on vacation. We met with this young lady that we share Christ with because you're one of my prayer warriors. I have the privilege of having over thousand people who pray for my family and me and II that is a great privilege and if you sound in order. Prayer warriors don't worry about it next week in the bulletin were going to give you chance to sign up and become a prayer warrior but I sent out an urgent prayer request to my prayer warriors asking them to pray for this young lady and let me tell you how it works. We went to restaurant one night Brenda and I and when was time to pay the bill in the little folder they bring you iPod put a CD of my life story and also gave her a really big tip well I figure if I give a really big typical make her feel obligated to listen to the CD. I don't care why people listen.

I just wanted to listen right yeah okay so anyway she listen and she got in touch with us and she said I want to come and talk to you and Brenda and she came over to two and met with us for two hours and at the end of the two hours to powder heads with us and pray the sinners prayer and asked Jesus in her heart that was wonderful now. The minute we were gone with the sinners prayer. The minute we open our eyes.

I said to her I said now you need to understand there is a new authority in your life is no longer how you feel.

That's not the authority for your life anymore.

It's no longer what you want to do. It's no longer what your friends tell you that you should do and it's no longer what's most asked immediate and comfortable for you to do the new authority in your life is what does God tell me in the Bible to do everything in your life now that is the authority and you know folks. For those of us were followers of Christ right today here the same thing is this is true. Our authority in life is the word of God.

If it's utterly true, then it is to be the authority source for our life and because of the authority of the Bible over our lives and means some things for us as followers of Christ did mean that we must run our business affairs righteously, not just legally, righteously, and means that we must keep our word even to our own hurt. It means that we must fill out our 1040s. Honestly, it means that we must control our mind and our words and our thoughts around members of the opposite sex, and means that we must return good and not revenge and not evil. When people treat us wrong, it means that we must forgive people when they've heard us even if we don't feel like forgiven him because of the authority of the Bible in our life means that we must thank God for our circumstances every single day by faith, whether we feel like it or not, and it means that we must act with integrity, even when our competitors and other people are not acting with integrity, etc. etc. etc. as Jesus said if you're a follower of Christ. Matthew four verse four man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God and my friends.

The bottom line is if the Bible has not brought this kind of radical change to your lifestyle and to your behavior that you have not yet given it the authority that it demands and that it deserves in your life. It's just that simple. Number two. The Bible is really true. The second thing difference it makes is that it means that the Bible should be our roadmap. The Bible should be our secret to living a meaningful, satisfying, successful life. Joshua chapter 1 verse eight goes on. God said be careful to do everything written in the word of God that he says for then you will be prosperous and then you will have good success. Where ever you go. Psalm one verse two. Blessed is the man or woman whose delight is in the law of the Lord and who meditates upon it day and night.

He or she will be like a tree planted beside rivers of water, which yields its fruit in due season and whose leaf does not wear their love and what ever he or she does will prosper in a way that we have people in our world, my friend spending billions and billions of dollars every year trying to get on the formula for successful living with infomercials and we have astrology and we have self-help books and we have pop psychology and we have all these investment schemes and you know the saddest part of all is there spending all these billions and billions of dollars when thanks to the Gideons what they're looking for the answer to their question is in the drawer of every hotel in America if the BDI BLE real fulfillment in life.

Real success in life.

Real meaning in life comes from knowing the Bible and believing the Bible and with the help of the Holy Spirit and to the best of our ability, obeying the Bible every day and look.

That doesn't mean that you and I will have trouble in life. This doesn't mean we won't have adversity in life.

Moses had adversity. Joseph had adversity. Abraham had adversity. So did Ruth.

So did Naomi. So did Esther Hale talk about adversity.

What about our old friend Joe. What were saying here to go is if we will trust God through that adversity and if we will keep obeying God through that adversity. When the dust clears on the side, God will see to it were on top of the heap. Just like he did for every single one of these people number three if the word of God is utterly true. The number three.

It means that the Bible is telling us the truth about what's on the other side of the great John chapter 3 verse 13 I love what Jesus said.

He said no one no one has ever gone into heaven, and that is come back and tell us what's there and how to prepare for, except for the one who came from heaven. That is the Son of Man, Jesus himself, and therefore my friends of the Bible is utterly true. What Jesus says about the afterlife in the Bible is the one and only source of reliable information anywhere in the world about what's on the other side of the great hey don't you pay any attention to people who go down from long tunnel and see a bright light don't you pay any attention to people who tell you that they died spent an week's 10 hours in heaven, and now evidently like that you know if they were telling you anything that differs from what Jesus tells you in the Bible about what's on the other side of the grave tone you believe it and don't you hitch your wagon to it some other religion tells you something different. Some of the religious leader tells you something different than Jesus says in the Bible and all you believe it is Jesus or nobody knows what's on the other side with me. What did Jesus say he said John 14 six I am the way the truth and the life.

Nobody gets to heaven except through me. But you know what, for those of us who've already trusted Christ, and were planning to go through him.

There's more.

He says more, he says in John 640 for this is the will of my father.

This is God's will will that every one who believes in me, everyone shall have eternal life, and I will will I love that word, I will raise that person of at the last day. Jesus said, John 1125 I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even if you guys here on earth. Don't you worry about dying here on earth you're going to live because I am the resurrection, Jesus said, you know, I'm not too long ago I was over gentleman's house who was getting close to death as a matter fact he actually passed 12 hours after I was there visiting. We were up in his bedroom with several family members. He was sitting on the side of his bed, barely able to talk at that point and I said to him I called them by name because I knew and I said no, listen. I said because of what Jesus said in the Bible because you believe it. You know you're going to heaven right you know that you have eternal life right.

There's no doubt right and he gathered everything he had. Chrissy could barely talk and he said very quietly, no doubt friends as one of the last things this gentleman ever said on earth but I'll tell you there was a calm in that room there was a a piece in that room there was a tranquility in that room. There was no fear in that room.

No terror in that room. No screams of agony facing death in that room and let me tell you where that sense of confidence in that room came from. It did not come because this man had read and believe Newsweek. It did not come because he had read and believe.

Time magazine or Sports Illustrated or because he had read and believed Forbes or people magazine or the Washington Post God no cane because this man had read and believe the Bible he had read and believed the words of Jesus. This is my father's will. I will raise you up at the last day you will have eternal life. I am the resurrection and the life you are not going to die.

You can live. You just leave and earth. That's all folks, this is the kind of confidence God wants you and me to have as followers of Jesus were ready to leave and we get it by believing the Bible is telling us the truth and then believing what the Bible says that's how were able to look death right in the eyeballs say you know what I'm afraid you afraid you because you may be the king of terrors. This Jesus is the King of Kings.

Not afraid you. So let's conclude when it comes to believing that the Bible is the trustworthy, utterly true word of God. I love what Peter said second Peter chapter 1 verse 16 he said, for we have not followed cunningly devised fables.

In other words, he says the Bible is not a hoax hoax game, but as Jesus said, John 1717 God's word is truth, and that being so, three differences, it should make in our life is the number one.

The Bible therefore must have total authority over every facet of your life in my life. It means number two that the Bible must be the roadmap we use for successful living and a means number three that the Bible must be our one and only source of reliable information about what's on the other side of the grave and how to make sure that were prepared for friends member what Jesus said. He said heaven and earth will pass away, my word will never pass away.

Many said you build your house on the rock of my word. And even though the winds of this life may blow against it.

Even though the waves of this life might smash against the that house will stay because it's built on the word of God, my God, help us to spray heavenly father we need as the church in this individual followers of Christ to hear messages like this because there are so many people who are undermining and undercutting casting doubt on the truth of your word and are not just unbelievers either their pastors and theologians seminary teachers Christian leaders who are undermining the authority of Scripture or Jesus, help us to be smarter than they help us to understand that we may not have all their intelligence and we might not have all of their educational background. But if we build our life on the Bible when the dust clears, we will be glad we did so, Lord Jesus. May the Bible be that rock that we build everything in our life upon our behavior, our plan for the afterlife are roadmap for success. The word of God give us that confidence in your word and we pray these things in Jesus name. What is God's people say amen