Full Obedience - Genesis Part 12

You know without a doubt one of the best known Bible stories in all the world is the story of no law, and the are virtually every child in America knows this story virtually every toy store in America has a Noah's Ark is somewhere in almost any time it rains for more than a few days at a time. You'll always hear somebody say well you know it nonstop rain in Sumer going to have to build an ark. Now we're in a study of the book of Genesis and today we come to the part of that blog where God begins to tell us about Noah and the ark, and the flawed. In fact, God spends several chapters telling us about the flawed and no in the yard, which means obviously that God must think the flawed and the associated events with it are pretty important in all of human history, and indeed they are folks to flood forever altered the climate of this planet.

It forever altered the geographical distribution of people on this planet.

It forever altered the existence of a number of species on this planet and really it literally altered all of human society. On this planet. However, there is a problem. The problem is that for most Americans know law is no more than a mythical figure. The flawed is a scientific joke and the ark is just a nice children's toy. I suppose if you are nonbeliever in Jesus. This is an okay position for you to hold friends for those of us who say that we believe in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. This is a totally unacceptable position for us to hold and let me tell you why.

It's because the Bible makes it clear that the Lord Jesus Christ believe God that the Bible's account of Noah and the flawed was historically true, and he believed that it was scientifically accurate exactly the way the Bible presents it.

Listen Matthew chapter 24 Jesus said for just as it was in the days of said Noah, so shall it be in the days of the second coming of the Son of Man, for in the days before the why flawed people were eating and drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the very day that Noah entered the why ark and they knew nothing about what was to happen until the flood came and took them all away. This is how it will be. Jesus said at the coming of the Son of Man.

The point that I want us all to see is that every claim that the book of Genesis makes regarding the events of the flawed Jesus believe Jesus believe that Noah was a real person. Jesus believed that there was a real flawed Jesus believe that Noah entered a real ark. Jesus believe that the flawed really came and that it really took everyone away. Not friends of Jesus was wrong about this. If either he didn't know that it was all a fable, or if he knew it.

And yet misrepresented, it is truth to us anyway. Either way, it means that Jesus is not the sinless son of God.

It means his death on the cross did not pay for our sins, and it means that those of us who believe in him do not have eternal life, and we are not going to have in the bottom line is that there is an awful lot riding on whether the events of Noah was flawed really are absolutely true.

Now I believe they are absolutely true and that's how I'm going to teach it to you.

So with that little bit of introduction, here we go ready to look at the Bible as it begins to narrate to us the story, the true story of Noah and the flood now just a little bit of review, remember what we learned last week we learned that the godly line of Seth began intermarrying with the ungodly line of Cain and the result was that all of human society descended into ungodliness and violence crime and brutality. The only exception. By the time we get to Genesis 6 was a man named Nolan Genesis 6 verse nine, Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time and he walked with God verse eight and Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord, not because he was lucky or not because he was a teacher's pet but because Noah had decided to make God number one in his life so here we go now. We got Noah identified and now it's time to see what God said to verse 11, chapter 6 now the earth was corrupt in God's sight and full violence for the people on earth had corrupted their ways. So God said to Noah, I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them.

And so I am surely going to destroy both them and the your now return back to Genesis 5 verse 32 we learned that Noah was 500 years old when God told him about the coming flawed and then if we turn forward to Genesis chapter 7 verse six we learn that Noah was 600 years old when the floodwaters actually came upon the earth, so 100 years before it happened.

God told Noah what was coming. How cool would that be to know what's happening. 100 years from now, just think what you could do with that information friends with that information you could become rich with that information, you could control the markets. With that information, you could amassed an enormous power you could acquire amazing influence. Just think if you knew the world was going to be destroyed in 100 years, you could go out and buy every piece of real estate your heart desire.

Take 101 year balloon payment. Just think what you could do if you knew the future that was funny, I thought, well, anyway, Noah didn't do that. He knew the future, but he didn't use it for personal benefit to the contrary, he used it to try to benefit other people to preach repentance and faith to them to try and save them from destruction to beg them to turn to God before it was too late.

Look first Peter chapter 3 verse 20 says as God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. Second Peter chapter 2 verse five. During those hundred years. Noah was a preacher of righteousness. Noah went out every day trying to reach people and tell them what was coming and begged them to turn to God so they could be delivered. Hey you know what if you're a righteous man or woman before you know the future if your godly man or woman before you know the future, you remain a righteous and godly man or woman after you know the future will after telling of the flood was coming now. God tells them about this OR watch verse 14.

So make for yourself an ark of gopher wood. God says make rooms in it coated with pitch inside and out, and this is how your to build it. It's to be 450 feet long 75 feet wide and 45 feet high. Make room for make an opening for light by finishing the ark up to 18 inches from the top put a door in the side and make three decks inside for God says I'm going to bring floodwaters on the earth if we go forward to. Genesis 7 God says I'm going to send rain on the earth for 40 days and 40 nights. By the way Noah had never seen rain will talk more about that second and everything on earth will perish, but I will establish God says my covenant with you, Noah, and you will enter the are you and your sons and your wife and your sons wives eight people and you are to bring into the ark to of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive, two of every kind of burden of every kind, a domesticated animal and of every kind of wild animal. They will come to you, that you may keep them alive and you are to take every kind of food you need and store it away for you and for these animals. Okay, so let's stop for a moment. Now let's talk about the ark showing you know until the 19th century the ark was the largest man-made structure ever to float on water and really the ark was a barge.

It was not a ship because it had no means of propulsion like a ship does it had no steering mechanism like a ship does the ark was made for one purpose and one purpose only, and that was to flow is there. I logged either what you say but I'm just curious in all of archaeology in all of history and all of whatever. Do we have any indication at all any proof at all that this boat actually really existed. Well we do there a few years ago we discovered from ancient Babylon, an inscription called Gilgamesh epic. It's written about 2000 BC and it's the story of a great flood hello that destroyed all life on earth hello except for the life of one man and his family name Gilgamesh hello in the way he escaped was by getting into a big floating would box that wrote on the top of the water. Hello hello folks, this pagan epic has absolutely nothing to do with the Bible. And although it's skewed in many of its details.

Nonetheless, here we have in the Gilgamesh epic and independent historical witness that there was a great universal flawed, that destroyed every body but one man and one woman who were saved in a big floating would box precisely the way the Bible says and this isn't the only flawed legend.

We have found in a number of ancient cultures we have found flood legends skewed as they are, but still testifying to the biblical account of Noah's Ark and the flood that the. Let's go back to the ark for minute Adriana Miss Dr. Henry Morris has calculated that this gigantic box called the ark that the dimensions that the Lord laid out in the Bible would've made it literally unsinkable.

And what's more, he calculated that the volume of this barge was enormous 1,400,000 ft.³ to be exact to put that in modern terms. That is the volume of 522 railroad boxcar. Now there are 17,600 species of mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians in the world today, and Dr. John Whitcomb is calculated that they all too awful to of each one could be accommodated comfortably in 150 boxcars which means no.

I have a lot of room for him and his family and all the food friends are was astronomical in size.

No wonder it took Noah 100 years to build it to several online I hear what you say but I got a couple of objections got a couple what about okay asked what my first one is on. What about the fact that so many theologians and scientists say that the flawed was a local event that it was confined to Mesopotamia only. Well friends were to talk more about this over the next two weeks, but let's just notice right here in Genesis 6 that a gigantic boat like the ark would've been completely unnecessary to save Noah from a local flood back no boat at all. Would've been necessary to save them from a local flood all God would've had to do was appear to him and say no to get out of Dodge going to have a local flood here run to the hills son the reason that God told Noah to build this enormous ark was because what he was about to send on the earth was not some local catastrophe, but a worldwide cataclysmic event is there. I woman then what about the fact that all these animals you know that they were supposed to be on the ark. I mean, how in the world did Noah go out and capture two of every animal on the face of the year. Willie did the Bible never says he did what the Bible says chapter 6, verse 20 God said they will come to you Noah that you may keep them alive. The Bible says that God did something in the hearts of all these animals.

I don't know what he did and so as a result, one male and one female, all showed up docility and reported for duty to the ark and all Noah had to do was just politely usher them on board.

Is there while I remember way with the not out one last what about and that is not what about the onboard behavior of all these animals. I mean, how in the world did Noah control all these animals on the ark of me having to keep the walls from Eaton the sheep and the snakes from Eaton the mice and the liens for meeting him. I do this well I don't know Bible doesn't say one possibility is that God sent a spirit of hibernation on all these animals for the year that they were on the ark I needed what Their activity down I would've kept their need for food down. It would've kept them Eaton one another down right you say lawn come on, you don't think that's reaching for friends if God can make bears hibernate wanting to make everything else hibernate. I mean, that's a possibility. I don't know.

All I know is it worked.

So let's summarize all still with me about okay okay let's summarize here we have God's instructions to Noah to build this dark and what I want you to see as we close out the passage is Noah's response. Verse 22 Genesis 6 the Bible says and Noah did every thing, just as God had commanded him. And just in case we missed the point in the next chapter.

Chapter 7 God says it again, and Noah did what's the next word all all the Lord had commanded. Now that's as far as were going to go in our passage were to stop now were going to ask our most important question for all you guys at Loudoun and at Bethesda and in the edge all of you guys out of Prince William and on the Internet. Everybody here Tyson's are we ready okay.

I come on now deep breath. There we go to raspberry saline lawn so I mean everybody knows the story of Noah and the ark. I mean, what difference is made to meet tomorrow morning when I go out and get on the Beltway.

There are no arcs on the Beltway.

What difference does any of this make want to help you with that right now you know without a doubt the Bible. Regards, Noah was one of the greatest men of God ever to live.

For example, Isaiah mentions him in Ezekiel chapter 14 of the Bible says that Noah is was one of the three most righteous men ever to live, along with Daniel and Joe in the New Testament Peter mentions him twice.

We've already seen that in the Gospels, the Lord Jesus Christ mentions him. And when we look in Hebrews chapter 11, the Cooperstown of the Bible. The spiritual Hall of Fame. We final Noah. There biggest live.

Hebrews 11 verse seven by faith Noah, when he was warned about things not yet seen in holy fear built an ark. So here's a question for today.

What made Noah's thoughts are spiritual giant in the eyes of Almighty God will friends the answer is right here in Hebrews chapter 11 Hebrews 11 extols Noah for his full obedience to God.

It says here that Noah hadn't even seen some of the things God was talking about, but it didn't matter if you obey God fully anyway. Say what you mean by that will remember. First of all, I said to you earlier. Noah had never even seen rain.

Genesis chapter 2 verse six is a before the flood, a missed used to come up from the ground and water the whole surface of the earth.

God said hey Noah, and I have it rain for 40 days and 40 nights.

Noah said was that you know what rain was, you know what the matter built the ark.

Anyway, second remember Noah had no empirical proof that this flood was coming. I mean, when he was 500 years old hundred years before it happened. Everything look great.

Everything looks fine. Everything look all you know I'm sure he looked around and said there's no indication of a flood anywhere didn't matter.

Noah built an ark and finally, while Noah was building the ark, don't you think he was an object of amazing ridicule and mockery. I mean the ark, you can't hide this thing in the garage yesterday when I'm saying things out there ON the opening. Noah was up there every day, beaten planks and what ever beams in don't you think people came from all around and it was a tourist attraction.

People came by and yelled again. What are you doing when you not the world is ending the world that day. I know when you finish that one. When you build one you don't think people came by like that. Of course they did. And yet, in spite of that would Noah do Noah built an ark.

Why this is what God told that's why the great distinguishing characteristic of Noah's life was that he obeyed God. He did what God told him to do fully, deeply, completely and without question it. No one knew how to do more than just walk with God. No one knew how to obey God. Now let's bring all of this forward and talk about us today. The Bible says Hebrews chapter 13 verse eight that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday today and forever. Another words, God doesn't change folks. What impressed the Lord in Noah's day about Noah is the same thing that impresses the Lord in our day. About us, namely obedience full obedience lesson Jesus said why do you call me Lord, Lord, and do not what's the word do what I said Jesus said in John 1317 if you know these things.

Happy are you if you why do them.

James says be what doers of the word not hearers only and finally in Matthew seven the end of the sermon on the Mount, Jesus said the wise man or woman is the person who hears these words of mine and why does them, I me I could keep going, but I think the point is clear.

God finds his greatest pleasure. Listen now in people who are serious about obeying him and the only kind of obedience that is real obedience in the mind of God is full obedience. What my favorite stories in the Bible is first Samuel chapter 15 the story of King Saul and omission, the God sent him more. Here was the mission verse two God said I will punish the Amalekites for how they waylaid the Israelites when they came out of Egypt.

Now he said to Saul, go attack the Amalekites and utterly destroy them all men, women and children cattle. She donkeys you see when the Israelites came out of Egypt at the Exodus and they were marching across the Sinai Deuteronomy 2518, the Amalekites attacked all the stragglers at the rear. Those who were faint and weary, the elderly, the disable the weekday, the Amalekites had no fear of God. This may God mail Exodus 1714 then the Lord said to Moses, write this in a book as a memorial and tell it recited to Joshua that I will utterly blot out the memory of the Amalekites from under the heavens. You know, many times you'll hear people say, the God of the Old Testament is different than the God of the New Testament, the God of the Old Testament was a mean God. He was a vindictive God. He was a capricious God.

He was a cruel God that his theological baloney to listen any that nonsense and no point to this passage and say he told Saul to go kill children to go kill women to go kill animals yeah friends.

There was a reason was because God was being capricious and cruel. No, no, this was an act of righteous judgment that God had said he was going to carry out and that now he was prepared to carry out against the people who had earned it. Don't kid yourself.

Alright, so Saul went defeated the Amalekites. Verse nine but Saul spared the king.

Now wait a minute to God telling to spare the king how hello no of course he did, and Saul spared the best of the animals to God telling to spare the animals now so it was coming back with the king and the animals and Samuel the prophet shows up verse 13 and Saul says to Samuel. Blessed are you of the Lord. Samuel, I have carried out the Lords command have obeyed God.

Samuel said really disable what then is this bleating of sheep that I hear in this lowing of oxen in my ear.

Now the understand what he saying he saying Samuel is if you really obeyed the Lord finally, there would be no sheep left alive to bleat there would be no oxen left alive to low okay you got that yes okay this is hysterical. Okay. And Saul says although he says I there.

The best she here comes to sacrifice to the Lord our God, and Samuel says to him, really is going to tell the Lord delight as much and sacrifices, as he does in obeying the voice of the Lord. Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice friends to obey is better than go to church to obey is better than put money in the offering plate to obey is better to sing in the choir or be baptized or teach Sunday school to obey is better than anything the whole, behold, Samuel says you didn't really obey God. You only partially obeyed God and because you have rejected command of the Lord saw that I didn't rejected.

Samuel said you didn't carried out 100% yes you did because you rejected the command of the Lord is rejected, you from being king folks we still have the same problem today that Saul had way back then.

The problem of the giving God incomplete partial obedience is out on the wood would he mean what I mean. We read the word of God. We ask God to speak to us.

We pray we ask God to show us what to do and then when he does it's hard. It's humbling if it's embarrassing if it presses us out of our comfort zone if it makes no sense to us or if we just don't flat want to do it. What we do well we reinterpret what God told us we readjust what God told us we procrastinate. God told us, or sometimes we just ignore what God told us friends look to hear this is not how you please God. This is not how you get favor in the eyes of God. This is not the way Noah live in. This is not the way God wants you and me to live. The bottom line when God asks you and me to do something he wants us to do it exactly the way he tells us to do. It doesn't matter if we understand doesn't matter if we can figure it out.

Doesn't matter if it's embarrassing. Doesn't matter if it's humiliating.

It doesn't matter God wants it done the way he said he wants so let's conclude today with a question, here's my question for you. What is a follower of Christ has God been asking you to do. Has he been asking you to go seek somebody's forgiveness and humble yourself in front of them, even though it may be embarrassing or humiliating, or has he been asking you to forgive somebody else and frankly you don't want to do it. Hey has God been asking you to speak to somebody about their need for Christ. But you know if you do, you're going to pay a price for doing hey has God asked you to stop dating some person that you know you have no business dating or to stop sleeping with your boyfriend or your girlfriend or your fiancé because you know it's displeasing to God as God ask you to confess and to end that adulterous relationship you've got going all order come clean and get help with that pornography, habit, or to stop watching that stuff late at night on Cinemax and HBO and Showtime is God asking you to give to the work of the Lord at a certain level and you been arguing and sandlot want to give that much money to the work of the Lord is God been asking you to get serious about beating that drinking problem that gambling problem that smoking problem that drug problem that's dishonoring Christ in your life or has he been asking you to surrender your life to full time service in the ministry or has he been asking you to set aside time for family devotions and for your own quiet time with God been asking her lesson. I know it takes the power the Holy Spirit to do this, but friends the power of the Holy Spirit will never be activated in our lives to we make up our mind. Verse we are going to fully obey God. That's when the Holy Spirit's power gets activated. Nice. There will nobody can obey God perfectly all the time. Well, you're right, that's true friends. God is not looking for people who were perfect in their obedience to him. God is looking for people who are passionate about their obedience to him. People who walk out of their house every day. Like Noah, deadly serious about obeying God.

No matter how big or how small the issue.

Maybe they may not get it 100% right, but by golly, they go out of their house and they're trying to get 100% right. Every day, remember what we said the only obedience that God considers real obedience is full obedience. It's pretty Lord Jesus, so this message reminds me of something you said your disciple said to them once. This is a hard saying and who can hear it in today's message is a hard message the Lord please help us remember that we don't conform the word of God to our behavior know no.

Hopefully we conform our behavior to the word of God and some of us here have been giving you partial obedience and some of us here have been giving you no obedience in things that you been asking us to do well what we've learned today is that this is not the way to please you. This is not the way to bring the favor of God on our lives and this is not what got no one in the Hebrews chapter 11.

So Lord I want to pray that you would confront us strongly as people who say their followers of Christ, and that you would press the word of God. Home to us today and that you would give us the courage if we needed to go out and turn no obedience or partial obedience, both of which, in your mind of the same thing in the full obedience help is not be like Saul, like Noah, or we will need courage to do that and we will need your help.

So give it to us. Give us that passion that we can look at you and say Lord we have done everything to the best of our ability just the way you asked us or change our lives because we were here today and we were impacted by the eternal Word of God.

We pray these things in Jesus name God's people said Amen