FAITH OF NOAH

Hebrews 11:7 (NIV) 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.

Genesis 6:5-14 (NIV) The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. {6} The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. {7} So the LORD said, "I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth--men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air--for I am grieved that I have made them." {8} But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD. {9} This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God. ... {12} God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. {13} 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. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. {14} So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out.

Genesis 6:22 (NIV) Noah did everything just as God commanded him.

Genesis 7:5 (NIV) Noah did all that the LORD commanded him.

What do we Know about Noah? He built the ark. He got drunk after his cruise. Perhaps a few other details of his life. The Holy Spirit used Noah as an example of faith.

What kind of man was Noah? What is your impression? Scripture says: "Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God" "Blameless among the people of his time" He walked upright among his peers (contemporaries)

This gives me inspiration! Even when everyone around you is evil, you can live a godly life. We also read that Noah "walked with God" Enoch is another man that walked with God Remember there are some implications from the expression of "walking with God." They move in the same direction! They walked at the same pace. Noah obeyed God

Did you know that Noah was a great-grandson of Enoch? Enoch - Methuselah - Lamech - Noah By the way the name Noah means "COMFORT" Perhaps his father, Lamech, was so wearied by society that he looked for comfort from his son Noah.

Moses, by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, tells us that Noah was perfect. He stood out from his contemporaries!! We stand out in 2 ways: Be worse than those around you or Be superior to those around you. Obviously, Noah was superior!!

Because of his righteousness, God gave him a special message. "I'm going to destroy the world" God, simply, told Noah what was coming. God was revealing His plan to Noah.

That, to me, is both good and bad. Good in that God has confidence in him and he would be spared the immanent destruction. Bad in that is can be a real burden to know calamity will fall on your neighbors & those around you. It is a burden to have to carry the garbage of our family and loved ones. I think that only a mother or parent can know the pain of carrying the burden of your loved ones.

God told Noah the bad ness. Noah responded like a truly godly individual, Genesis 7:5 (NIV) "Noah did all that the LORD commanded him." Noah was wise! Noah trusted God - IMPLICITLY!!

Noah lived in a time of great wickedness Mankind had sunken to a despicable low!! Genesis records that "every imagination of the thought of his heart was only evil continually" THEY WERE DREAMING UP WAS OF DOING EVIL. Sounds like today!! They were inventors of evil! They were obsessed, they were possessed. Their thoughts, Imaginations, Visions, Dreams and Concepts were evil. Not just for an hour or a day, but CONTINUALLY.

Nowhere in Scripture do we see the same depravity. Not even in Sodom and Gomorrah This is the setting of Noah's life

In the center of all of this corruption, Noah walked with God. Don't tell me you are alone in your walk with God!! There are millions of believers and "points of light" Noah lived in a dark world!! His life was a brilliant contrast to those around him. Noah was faithful in his world

Take courage from Noah and go into your world as a light of hope! Because if his faith, God revealed a little of the future to Noah Noah OBEYED God in all that the LORD commanded him. He built the ark in obedience to God. He and his family were saved because he obeyed God

It was a act of FAITH. Faith because he had never seen rain and may have never seen a body of water big enough to float his boat. Noah lived his life with confidence in God. Noah did more than just act in faith!! NOAH'S LIFE WAS A LIFE OF FAITH. The Christian life is more than an act of faith. It is a life of Faith.

You will never be able to convince me that it wasn't hard for Noah!! The very life of a righteous man will convict the world of their sin!! Convicted men can be really mean! Evil men were all around and they walked by and ridiculed him. "Your building a what?"

Noah did not have a "prayer partner" to go to for encouragement. There was no man to encourage him. Was he tempted to give up? - Absolutely! His family may have been just as critical as the neighbors. In spit of the pressure, HE WALKED WITH GOD!!

Noah's faith was not passive! FAITH IS ACTIVE. Faith in God will move us in God's direction. Faith follows the path that God lays out.

Noah walked with God. Noah worked with God. We really don't have an excuse to not follow the ways of God! WE DO NOT HAVE TO GIVE IN TO THE TEMPTATIONS OF THIS WORLD! WE CAN BE RIGHTEOUS IN OUR EVIL WORLD. I am not saying that it will be easy!! Our environment should not dictate how we live!! No matter how bleak things look, God is working. No matter how black things look, God is working. He has not forgotten you or your need. He has not forgotten the righteous. Nor will he ever forget the righteous.

Man may laugh and mock, but we can walk with God just as Noah did. We can be faithful!! God sees you today and will be with you!

Be encouraged! You are not alone. We have much more to encourage us than did Noah. STAND for God