Some Fool's Building a BoatGod blesses those who ignore circumstance and obey in confident hope.
Introduction - They told him he wasn't good enough. He was too slow and too small to compete with men who were bigger and faster. "You're not good enough to play for us. Turn in your helmet." Faith in God sustained him in the dark days when he prepared to get on with life. Then a call came. Another team was interested in him. When he retired in 1989 he had set three records in professional football. The Hall of Fame player—the man whom they had said was a loser because he was too small and too slow—had caught 819 passes for 13,089 yards and 100 touchdowns. But the most important thing in his life is not being in the Hall of Fame. It is his relationship with Jesus Christ. God specializes in winning with losers like Steve Largent of the Seattle Seahawks.
People become victors when they give their lives to God in faith. There was another loser who became a big winner. He was a disappointment to his parents. His wife doubted him when he invested their life savings in a crazy building scheme. He was a loser in the eyes of his family, his neighbors and his wife. Noah became a winner because he was on God's side.
The book of Hebrews lists this oddball, in the Hall of Fame. In Hebrews 11 we find Noah, a loser in the world's eyes, extolled as one of the God's heroes. In verse one we read,
1} Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we
do not see."
7} By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built
an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became
heir of the righteousness that comes by faith."
V 1 says that God's winners—people of faith—are those who ignore circumstances and obey God. Their confidence in his power. Their hope in his promises. Verse seven says that's the kind of man Noah was. Let's think about Noah this morning and consider what we need to do in order to be a winner with God.
Noah's confidence was in God.
Noah had never seen a flood. Noah was confident in God. He believed God's about the flood even though he was clueless about the why and the what. The whole earth had become polluted. The Flood was God's way of cleansing a polluted world and starting again with a clean one.
Noah didn't know all this at the time. All he knew was that God had said he was gonna send a flood. Now that was a problem because Noah didn't know what a flood was. In fact, he didn't even know what rain was!
At this time in history God had arranged things so that the plants and fields were watered by a mist that used to rise up from the ground. Genesis 2:5,6 says, "and no shrub of the field had yet appeared on the earth and no plant of the field had yet sprung up, for the LORD God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no man to work the ground, but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground."
When it came to boats and floods, Noah was a newcomer.
Noah believed God's warning.
But there must have been something about God's warning that convinced Noah about the truth of the matter. When God said, "Noah! Get busy ‘cause I'm sending a flood. Start making a big boat;" Noah believed. Noah's response to God's revelation of a pending flood gives us an important insight into the nature of faith. Remember, Noah had no knowledge base and no previous experience with regard to rain, floods or boats. Faith enabled him to know and understand something beyond the limits of his personal experience.
The human mind can't believe what seems false. If faith is not guided by truth, it becomes superstition. Faith is accepting as true, God's revelation about things that are beyond our ability to know ourselves. It is the acceptance of someone as trustworthy or dependable. One who believes, accepts God as trustworthy and believes his word and his promises.
Noah had confidence in God's power and in God's truthfulness. When God said, "Get a big umbrella" Noah started shopping. He had confidence in God's ability to make water fall from the sky.
As individuals, we need confidence in God's promises. There's a lot of things that God tells us in this book.
If you're good at archaeology, history, geography and paleontology you can check a lot of these things out. But most of the things in here are beyond your ability to know and understand by yourself. How's your confidence in God? Even though you can't figure it yourself, do you accept as certain knowledge his promise?
As a church we need confidence in God's promises. He will raise up laborers. He will bring people to salvation. He will provide the resources we need to obey. He will be with us in our attempts to minister. We will be in a place that glorifies the name of Jesus.
Confidence in God is an absolutely critical component of biblical faith. Noah was confident in God. Noah also had hope in God. Hope is another important part of faith. Hope is looking forward to something expectantly. Noah was sure of God when he looked forward to God's promised deliverance. Noah's hope in God was sure. Noah's hope was sure. Noah obeyed God.
Noah had a choice. He could have said: I don't know nothing about no
flood. Or I've got some other stuff I wanna do. Sorry, I don't do arks and
animals." We need to understand that common sense and personal convenience
aren't part of God's call.
The world's a better place because Michelangelo did not say, "I don't
do ceilings."
The world's a better place because Martin Luther did not say' "I don't
do doors."
The world's a better place because John Wesley didn't say, "I don't
do preaching in fields."
The world's a better place because Moses didn't say, "I don't do Pharaohs
or mass migrations."
The world's a better place because Rahab didn't say "I don't do enemy
spies."
The world's a better place because Ruth didn't say, "I don't do mothers-in-law."
The world's a better place because Samuel didn't say, "I don't do mornings."
The world's a better place because David didn't say, "I don't do giants."
The world's a better place because Peter didn't say, "I don't do Gentiles."
The world's a better place because John didn't say, "I don't do deserts."
The world's a better place because Mary didn't say, "I don't do virgin
births."
The world's a better place because Paul didn't say, "I don't do correspondence."
The world's a better place because Mary Magdalene didn't say, "I don't
do feet."
The world's a better place because Jesus didn't say, "I don't do crosses."
The world is a better place because Noah obeyed God. He did not say: "I don't do arks and animals." The world will be a better place as we obey God! Noah believed God's promise. Noah built the ark because he believed God's promise. Noah believed his family would be safe in the ark. Noah believed God would protect them in the flood.
Noah's confidence was in God.
Noah believed God's warning.
Noah's reward came from God.
Noah looked beyond the world. A major stumbling block that hinders the educated, scientific mind is the story of Noah and the Flood. Noah was unimpressed with the world's approval. Noah shows us that the crowd is often wrong. Noah stood against public opinion for 120 years. His outward life matched his convictions; He practiced what he preached.
To stand against a crowd, and for Jesus, requires: courage, action, a consistent life, obedience, a knowledge of God's instructions. Because of his confidence in God he was rewarded with his family's rescue.
Here we have a fool who built a boat in the face of opposition.
What's it gonna take to get you moving?