God Means What He Says - Genesis Part 13

You know I'm sure many of us here in Washington will remember that when Pres. George H.

W. Bush was our president. He popularized a three word saying here in this town.

I'm sure many of you remember what it was, he would say read my lips, and what he meant by this is, you can take what I say to the bank. I don't bluff. I mean what I say well that's what were going to talk about today because were in a series on the book of Genesis and were looking at Noah's flood and I can't think of anything in the Bible that proves that God means what he says anymore than the floor somewhere to go back umpteen thousand years and were going to see what happened back then and there were going to bring all of that forward them up and talk about okay so what difference does this make for you and me so little bit of review before we dig in.

And remember that when Noah was 500 years old.

God told him he was going to wipe out all life on earth with a flood, but God also told him to build an ark to save his family and to save every species of animal here on the earth, so for the next 100 years.

Noah worked on the yard and while he did second Peter chapter 2 verse five says he was also a preacher of righteousness, meaning that while he was building the ark. He preached everyone around him to his friends to his neighbors to his relatives to the people who came by making fun of them and laugh and adding he preached all of them about the fact that the flood was coming. He preached to them that they needed to repent and turn to God.

Any preached to them that they should not dismiss what he was saying because God meant what he said well for hundred years everybody ignored and now we pick up the story. Genesis chapter 7 verse one then the Lord said to Noah go into the are you and your whole family and take with you.

Seven of every clean animal inmates a mailing estimate and two of every unclean animal, a male and it's made to keep their various species alive throughout the earth, as it were up up up up about the whole director. What is the seven stuff I mean want to go to any toy store in America there are two drafts to pigs to lions to dogs was the seven stuff well, let's talk about that for second in the Old Testament, the Bible distinguished between clean animals and unclean animals.

Clean animals were animals that the Jewish people were allowed to eat and that they were allowed to sacrifice and worship the God examples of this or she and towels and chickens. And then there were the unclean animals which obviously were animals that they were not allowed to even they were not allowed to sacrifice some examples are snakes, crocodiles, pigs, and so the reason that Noah took seven of the clean animals is because Genesis 820 says that Noah built an altar to the Lord and taking some of the clean animals and birds piece sacrificed burnt offerings to the Lord. In other words, my friends, if you don't only take into of all the clean animals and then he sacrifice them on this altar after the flood, they would've gone extinct.

That's why he took seven so there were extras that will I make sense.

Will the Bible always makes sense friends because I now verse four, seven days from now God said, I will send rain on the earth for 40 days and 40 nights, and I will wipe from the face of the earth. Every living creature that I have made and Noah was 600 years old when the floodwaters came upon the earth, and Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons wives entered the ark to escape the waters of the flood and in the 600th year of Noah's life. All the springs of the great deep burst open and the floodgates of the heavens were opened the and rain fell on the earth for 40 days and 40 nights.

Please notice here that the Bible tells us where all the water came from for the flood. There were two sources source number one. The Bible says was the floodgates of the heavens rain for 40 days and 40 nights, but there was a second source, the Bible also said the springs of the great deep burst open.

This was subterranean water water that came from under the earth's crust and in actuality, this was the primary source of water for the flood, not the rain.

You can't rain enough water in 40 days to make as much water as it needed to do the flood verse 13.

On that very day.

Noah and his sons Schama Ham, and Japheth together with their wives entered the ark, and then the Lord shut them in some translations will say and then the Lord locked the door shut the door. This very interesting statement incident that Noah did not lock the door shut the door. God shut the door in such a way that Noah nor anyone else could open it from the inside or from the outside. Now why did God do that will friends the Bible doesn't say for sure but my suspicion is this because he knew that as the floodwaters were going to rise people were going to come outside the ark and try to get in there were going to be on the side and scratch on the side and Noah being this godly compassionate man that he was if he could've open the door he would open the door for God and want the door open. They had 100 years. If they wanted to get right with God.

They had 100 years to do it. Once the flood came, it was too late and God wanted to make sure it remained too late now there's a very important lesson here that the Bible teaches us about who our God is friends. This teaches us that our God is a God of patients in our God is a God of mercy for hundred years he was patient and merciful with the people of Noah's day. But this also teaches us that when God's mercy runs out and folks God's mercy always runs out sooner or later when people's burning. This teaches us that our God is a God who means what he says about judgment well what happened next.

For 17 so for 40 days and nights. The flood kept coming on the earth, and as the waters increased.

They lifted the ark high above the earth and the waters rose greatly on the earth and all the high mountains under the entire heavens were covered to a depth of more than 20 feet every living thing that moved on the earth perished everything on dry land that had the breath of life in its nostrils died every living thing on the face of the earth was white out.

Only Noah was left, and those with him in the ark, and the waters flooded the earth for 150 days not you remember last week we mentioned that there are some theologians and there are some scientists who believe that the flood was not the way the Bible describes it, they don't believe that the flood was a universal flood. They believe it was only a local flood in Mesopotamia, you know, the Tigris and Euphrates. You guys went to elementary school. You got that right yes okay that it was just there so let's answer that question. Let's stop for a moment and answer the question, was the flood really a universal worldwide event, the way the Bible describes will I believe it was and I have six reasons why and I'll tell you what they are right now. Reason number one why I believe the flood was universal is because of the Bible's vocabulary regarding the flood. The Hebrew word to choose for Noah's flood means a horrendous disaster. A cataclysm, there is another Hebrew word for a normal flood is never used of Noah's flood, and they want to go in the New Testament because the New Testament mentions the flood to what we find is the very same thing is true there is a normal Greek word for flood never used of Noah's flood. The word that is used in the New Testament, the Greek word for Noah's flood, is the very same Greek word that we get our English word cataclysm from my point is that the vocabulary of the Bible certainly doesn't understand what happened here just to be some local flood number two reason number two why I believe the flood was universal is because as we said last week. If this was just a some local flood. Noah didn't need to build an ark. He didn't need to build a big R heating availability are all God had to do was appear to them insanely. Noah get out of Dodge as a flood, go West young man go to America just get out of town so you're not here, but this is what God told Noah was that you need to build this huge are the get two of every animal. Why because Friendswood God was planning to send was not some local flash flood what he was planning to send was a worldwide global cataclysmic event number three. Reason number three why believe the flood was universal, the way the Bible says is because of the depth of of the flood. Genesis 719 says all the high mountains under the entire heavens were covered to adapt of over 20 feet mount Ararat were Genesis 8 says the flood came to rest is over 17,000 feet above sea level. It was covered by more than 20 feet, you realize that means the water. There was 3 miles deep. Hey, that doesn't sound like a local flood to me doesn't do you. The fourth reason that I believe the flood was universal was because of the duration of the flood.

Genesis 7 verse 24 says the floodwaters lasted on the earth for hundred and 50 days what local flood in you ever seen that lasted 450 days.

Reason number five I believe the flood was universal is because of the universal terminology the Bible uses about the flood. Genesis 719. All the high mountains under the entire heavens were covered even mount Everest verse 21. Every living thing that moved on the earth perished verse 23, only Noah was left. That doesn't sound like a limited event to me. And finally, the reason I believe it was a universal flood way the Bible says is because of the confirmation of the New Testament in the New Testament.

Jesus said in Matthew 24, 39, the flood came and took them all away and second Peter chapter 3 verse six says by water the world, the world not Mesopotamia. The world of that time was deluged and destroyed. So let's summarize because of all these reasons, the Bible clearly tells us that Noah's flood was not a local flood just happened in Mesopotamia.

Rather, it was a cataclysmic earth shattering event that inundated the entire glow.

In fact, the flood probably qualifies as the single most awesome physical event ever happened to planet Earth. Up to this moment in time. So, may I ask you when God said he was going to send the flood did he mean it. Did he mean it sure did. Now that the stars were to go in our passage because it's time for us to ask our most important question you know what this is so are you ready right now I need I need to. Today's the first year anniversary. The one-year anniversary of our Bethesda campus not watching right now, but they were in the earlier two services and so I ask everybody to give them a special anniversary present by giving them an incredibly loud. So what you salon your shameless iron, but the result was they didn't really really good today so you guys got to monitor you guys gotta rise up this is that you gotta reach deep okay this is one of these were your throat hurts after you doing okay are you ready I now come on, you've never ever lost. I will tell you that Steve MRI they've never lost, ever. So don't make today the first year we go 1203.

You guys are unbelievable. Give yourselves a hand. You guys are unbelievable.

They see we got to get one of those leaders do this thing. You got a meter you did, how they do 93 while I need make those grades in school, that's awesome. Okay, I so where are we with saying the flood line. I know there was a flood. Everybody knows it was a flood. I'm willing to admit the flood was universal.

What difference does any of this make to my life. Clean animals unclean animals.

We need a snake anyway. What is making me well is talk about you know I was 12 years old or thereabouts. I went to a Little League field that was near our house and I with a friend and we got involved in a pickup game of baseball and during the game. I got into this verbal altercation with one of these kids on the other team. I did know who this kid was and so back in those days.

I had a bad habit of settling things with my fists and so I was arguing with this guy and my friend who knew me, knew what was coming and he said to me, Lonnie. That's what they called me, executed, and then he said Lonnie I know this kid will do it well. Kid looked at me because I he could see I was get ready hitting and he said to me he had this look of cold steel in his eyes and he said to me if you start this I will finish it. I promise you, you know folks over the years I discovered that when somebody looks at you with a look like that in says I will finish it.

I learned to be leery of those people back then I was too stupid to know that and so I hauled off and hit him in the mouth with everything I had and I gotta tell you it was a really good punch.

I mean I really hitting the problem is that was the only punch I landed in the whole fight. This kid destroyed me. He decimated me he wiped home plate with me. I mean, I have never been so bad in my whole life.

This kid and I learned another lesson I learned that when you're dealing with people it's really important to figure out early on who means business when they say something and who does is our good friend Kenny Rogers says you got to know when to hold on and you got to know when to fold friends.

Well let me just say to you that God is one of those people who means business when they say some number 2319 God is not a man. The Bible says that he should lie, nor a human being that he should change his mind. Does God speak and then not act. That's a rhetorical question.

The answer is of course he asked if he says it does he promise and then not fulfill. Jeremiah 428 when I have spoken. God says I will not relent and when I have decided I will not turn back. This is why Titus chapter 1 verse two says our God cannot lie to listen to me there's a difference between saying God does not lie in God cannot lie to say God does not live is wonderful but it means there's always the possibility he could, but the Bible says God cannot lie because of his nature because of his character. Because of this personhood because of his holiness. He is incapable of lying. God says something, he means what he says now knowing this has some massive implications for us as human being and we could maybe talk for the rest of the week about these implications, but I just want talk about to today. The first one is I want to say that this has some massive implications for people who have never received and trusted and believed in Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. Listen to what God says. John 336 whoever believes in the son of God, that is Jesus Christ has eternal life, but whoever rejects the son will not see eternal life with God's wrath hovers on that person.

Mark 1615 go and tell the good news to every person. Whoever believes will be say, but whoever does not believe will be damned.

First John 511 and this is the record that God has given us eternal life in this life is in his son. He who has the son has eternal life, and he who does not have the son of God does not have eternal life as simple can you say it, but that but just in case we missed it. Second Thessalonians 1 verse eight.

The Bible says God will punish those who do not know God and who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and excluded from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power. Peter said second Peter 39. God is not slack when it comes to keeping his promise, as some people think is there was at me.

It means that pay lots of people here these warnings from God, but they look around and they're still alive and they're still breathing and everything seems to be fine and her health is still good and so they think will God. God is really not serious about this. He slack as Peter said about his promise, hey folks, is that sound familiar Will it should. This is exactly the mistake that the people of Noah's day may know was that the floods coming. It's going to wipe everybody away. You need to repent so you can get on the ark and people looked around and said flood any flawed arenas in a cloud in the sky.

Everything looks great.

What flood are you talking about big mistake in God doesn't want people to make that mistake today, listen second Peter goes on to say God is not slack in regard to his promise to judge people who reject Christ and spurn Christ watch. Rather, God is being patient, not wanting anyone to perish, but wanting everyone to come to salvation.

He was patient for 100 years with the people of Noah's day in friend if you're alive today have never believed in Christ is being patient with you, but the day of the Lord will come sooner or later friends. For every one of us the clocks for the hip triple zeros and when it does, God is going to do what he promised he did what he promised with the people of Noah's day and he's going to do what he promised to every person who spurns Christ now we can fix that problem if you're here today in your neck condition and were going to give you a chance to fix it in just a moment will be back, but first remember I said there are two massive implications that come out of knowing that God means what he says about judging unbelievers and that is the second one is that this means that all of our friends and all of our relatives in all of our coworkers, and all of our neighbors in all of our acquaintances. We do know Christ. It means that the UPS man in the FedEx woman and the clerk at the grocery store and the salesperson at the mall and our doctor in our dentist and lawyer in our accountant.

Every one of them who doesn't know Christ is facing a catastrophe in eternity that makes the flood look like a walk in the park and it also means that Jesus meant what he said when he said to us as followers of Christ. Mark 1615 go and tell the good news to say the next two words with me every person, every person you know. Recently I was at the Dulles Airport and this gentleman who works for the airport, came up to me you know you could tell the union old way was dressed and he said to me he said you don't remember me, do you come across him like Sir, I really apologize. I'm so sorry. No, I don't remember you, sir.

I said I'm sorry he said about a year ago. He said you gave me a CD of your life story how you came to believe in Jesus. I said what did you listen to it because if you did and I got another one with me right here I give you another because no no no I listening said… Listen to it over and over and over again. He said in three months ago I gave my life to Jesus isolated you gave your life to Jesus because you listen to my CD and he said we hear whilst you give amount reply right yeah you say lawn. You're my hero. You give out your CDs everywhere you go you get it right. You're my hero now.

Sorry friends is not true is not true. I need to be honest with you with you and tell you that I don't always get this right. Sometimes I hesitates sometimes I shrink back I was on a plane this week ago actually going to, in this case to San Francisco for Jews for Jesus board meeting and I set the whole time right next to me was another Jewish man you say Heidi know he was Jewish. He was Jewish. Trust and so he never said a word to me, the whole flight I never said a word to him the whole flight. I was working on this message whole flight. The one I'm giving to you today we get, we land were getting coming in for a landing and is closing everything up and the Lord said, you should give this guy seated and I said Lord I don't think so. He had talked to me the whole time. Jewish Lord he's not will be interested in this.

We I we have no basis to for me to offer to them. We were in a conversation. And besides all that, only time I would be able to give it to them is when we stand up to get off the plane were all bunched together and then a whole bunch of other people go to hear me offered to him and it's going to be a moment in you know what I'm saying Lord is just going to be a moment standing right there so I don't think so. In the Lord not argued about this for probably 10 minutes. Finally he said you know the message you're working on right.

I suggest you would tell everybody they need to share their faith right yeah and the Lord said, you are such a hypocrite. I said that's true Lord but I still do not want to give this guy so we get there we land stand.

I'm looking right in the guys eyeballs and I start thinking you know what this guys going to hell if you know Jesus got serious about that does not again this guys facing a disaster in eternity. God means what he says and he ends up missing heaven. He's going to remember and so I'm either there was a moment that I stood 6 inches from him and didn't even give them a fighting chance. So I reached out to my bag and I got a CDL license or I said I'm a Jewish person who believes in Jesus and I said I have a CD of my life story about how I came to believe in Jesus and I like to share it with you and I be honored if you would accept, and I braced myself and he reached out and took it and said what he said thank you very much he said I would love to hear this.

I listen to it today, my car and then the lady standing in front of them said, I want to assure and then I turned to the two guys right behind his message would you guys like 12 and the first guy said not on your life.

True, but the other guy took one fly was the reason for free before, wait a minute, folks, please I don't deserve those applause. No, I argued with God for 10 minutes. I want to give that CDL I don't deserve those applause though don't do that. But listen friends I had cotton balls in my mouth and my armpits were wet and my blood pressure was up just like yours is when you're thinking about whether you should share Christ. I am a human being like you are, you know, I knew every body within hearing distance was going to be watching to see me and I knew what was going to happen you do to but I cannot shake the fact that this guy standing 6 inches from me that he needed a fighting chance and maybe I'd be the only person ever medically given one folks I want to challenge when you go out of your house every day to remember.

God means what he says about your friends or relatives or coworkers or neighbors.

People you meet, run into the person at Starbucks God means what he says when they leave this world turning Christ. They're going to hell they're going to be dammed and separated from Jesus for all of eternity and we may not see it now because God is a God of mercy, but it is going to happen, we need to be missionaries every day. We need to take what Jesus said serious is that we don't you believe the Holy Spirit needs to open the opportunity.

Of course I do.

Of course I do. But I don't believe in using that as an excuse to keep our mouth shut since the last time the Holy Spirit opened the opportunity for you was 8 1/2 years ago sums wrong but I just saying closing friends that the way the early church toward Jerusalem up with the gospel.

You have a did it. It wasn't because they had a bunch of new programs and nobody ever seen before.

It was because they had a bunch of people who were excited and exhilarated about going out and being a missionary every day in Jerusalem. That's how they did it, and folks of work and accomplish our mission and tear Washington DC up for the Lord Jesus is not going to be because we have new programs occurs on the radio but not a sermon, just a thought. It's going to be because we become an army of missionaries excited about sharing our faith with the people of Washington DC. That's my dream for us as a church and army of missionaries. That's how you infect the town for Christ and I hope you'll take up the challenge. Who question number one does Jesus want you to be sharing him with in question number two is with his help.

Are we willing to do. I hope the answer is yes. Now for those of you who never trusted Christ member I told you were given a chance to do this, I didn't forget about our heads do that right now is free. What I have found in our eyes closed and nobody looking around if you're here today and you've been spurning Christ rejecting Christ, and you understand today the perilous position that you're in and you want to switch.

That is what were going to do with the press short little prayer. I'm gonna pray one phrase.

The time out loud, you're going to pray silently the same phrase and all were basically going to do was tell God it's time to switch sides spurning Christ to believing. So here we go. You pray silently pray out loud, Lord Jesus, I come to you today because I want to switch sides. I want to stop being a person who spurns your offer of mercy in Jesus and I want to be a person who embraces Jesus in your offer of mercy through him. And so today I give up every other remedy that I've ever trusted to pay for my sins and to get me into heaven. And today I embrace the blood of Jesus Christ shed on the cross to pay for my sin. I invite you into my life today to be my personal Lord and Savior. From this point on and for all eternity. In Jesus name I pray and thought I want to pray for the folks to pray that prayer you would confirm in their hearts as they sit here that a great transaction is taken place in the heavenly places that they have passed in your site from us burner of Christ to a believer in Christ and that they have escaped all the things you said you were going to do just burners of Christ and now they have inherited all the wonderful things that you said you do for believers in Christ you mean what you say from believers just like you do.

Spurning more for those of us here have already done this, I pray that you would grip our hearts grip our hearts, Lord, with the spiritual future of people who leave this world without Jesus and may that grip us so deeply that we are willing to bust through the membrane of embarrassment and wet armpits.

Cotton balls in the mouth and hesitancy and willing to speak up for you and give them a fighting chance. Lord make us an army of missionaries in Washington DC and everywhere we go for your glory and we pray this in Jesus name.

And God's people said Amen