Long Story Short 3 – Noah and a Single Plan
to Save the World

 

Redemption Church Plano, Tx

Welcome back to Redemption Church of Plano Texas. We exist for 4 reasons – Love, Grow, Serve, Go.
My name is Chris Fluitt and I am glad to share the Word of God with you.

 

Long Story Short

In week 1 we talked about creation and how sin messed it all up.

In week 2 we talked about 2 brothers, Cain and Abel and how blood is necessary to cover our sin.

 

There is a common thread that runs throughout your Bible. Do you know it?

 

John 5:39 (NIV) You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me,

#LONGSTORYSHORT #ALLaboutJESUS

 

9 generations after Adam the world was a messed up place.

 

A Messed-Up World

9 generations removed from Eden.

How messed up was the world?

 

Genesis 6:5 (NIV) The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.

What started with a single sin of disobedience had grown to take over the world.

Sin is bad. Sin messed up the world.

Remember how God created the world and said it was good?

Genesis 6:6-7 (NIV) 6 The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. 7 So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.”

 

 

Did you know God could have regrets?

God regretted making humanity. But God still loved humanity and wanted to save humanity.

So God looked for someone he could use

Genesis 6:8 (NIV) But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

Favor – First understanding of grace.

Grace – receiving a good gift you don’t deserve.

In the middle of a messed-up world, God still had grace.

 

When we are messed up and sinful, God still has grace.
God speaks to Noah…

*Genesis 6:14 (NIV) So make yourself an ark of cypress wood;

 

One Plan to Save the World

A graceful God looks on a messed-up world, with messed-up people on it, and God finds 1 man and gives him 1 plan to save the world.

There is only 1 plan to save the world.

God tells Noah –

• Build and Ark
• How to build it
• Bring his family
• God will bring animals

This is THE ONE AND ONLY PLAN.

Genesis 6:17 (NIV) I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish.

This sounds bad. How is this grace?

Judgment & Grace

Judgment and Grace can exist at the same time.

 

Judgment was the flood. The flood was to wash away sin from the Earth.
Grace was a single plan to escape destruction.

God is a graceful judge.

Sin will be judged.
Grace provides a plan for salvation.

What is the plan for salvation in the Noah story? The Ark.

God tell Noah to build an ark. God gave Noah specific directions on how to build the ark.

• The size of the Ark.
• The materials – Gopher wood.
• How many animals would be allowed on the ark.
• There would be a roof, 3 deck levels, and 1 door.

Are God’s instructions important?
Is it ok to altar God’s instructions?

God gave Noah instructions on how to save himself, his family, all mankind, and all the animals.
It would not be wise to make changes to God’s plan.

How do we know God’s plan?

 

The Bible reveals God’s plan

If you want to know God’s plan, read your Bible.

Do not try to altar God’s plan. Obey God’s command.

God’s word tells us to…

• Pray
• Worship
• Love
• Forgive
• Live in community
• Tell other people about Jesus

Do you know God’s plan?  Are you obeying God’s plan? Are you altering God’s plan.

 

Happy Father’s Day

On this Father’s day I want to hold up Noah as a Father who received God’s plan, obeyed God’s plan, and saved his family.

Noah built the Ark. The ark had 1 door. There was only one way into that ark.

Genesis 7:15

The animals came. Noah did not have to bring them. God brought them and they entered the ark.

WAIT… HOW DID THEY ENETER THE ARK?  The door.  THE DOOR WAS OPEN.

 

THE DOOR WAS OPEN

You know who can go through an open door?  Anyone.  Whoever chooses to come through the door can come.

A flood of judgment was coming, but there was an open door for anyone who wanted to be saved.

Noah built the ark… It would have been impossible to see this ark and not at least wonder “WHAT IS GOING ON?” It took decades to build that ark. (50-120 years)

2 Peter 2:5 calls Noah a preacher of righteousness.

Noah actively preached about the coming flood and the judgment of a righteous God as he built the ark.

All this time the door was open.

 

God Shut the Door

The door was open, but there came a moment where God would decide to close the door.

Genesis 7:16 The Lord shut him in

The rain started to fall, and it was too late to get on the ark.

When God decided to close the door, only those people and animals on the ark could be saved from the flood.

 

Grace & Judgement

Grace and Judgment are present in this story.

There is a time for open door grace.  There is a time for closed door judgment.

 

When the door closed, those on the inside where thankful…
When the door closed, those on the outside where fearful…

Perhaps both were regretful…
Inside – I should have told more people.
Outside – I should have listened. 

 

40 days of rain.

150 days the waters flooded the earth. (Gen 8:3)  The ark rested on Mount Ararat.

As the waters dried up Noah set out 2 birds in order to see if they could find any place to land.

Noah released a raven. The raven never returned but kept wandering. (Sin causes us to wander like Cain)
Noah released a dove. It found no place to land on earth so it returned… Noah released the dove a 2nd time and this time it returned with an olive branch. (the dove symbolizes the Holy Spirit and the olive branch symbolizes Peace)

 

When Noah and his family finally leave the ark, they worship God.  They offer God a sacrifice to praise and thank God.

And then this appeared…

 

They had never seen a rainbow. What is the purpose of the rainbow.

Gen 9:13

 

A covenant is a promise, agreement, pledge, alliance…

When God gives a covenant, he also gives a visual sign of the covenant.

Every time we see the rainbow we are reminded of God’s promise to never flood the world again.

 

Long Story Short

What is this story supposed to teach us? What is the point of Noah and the Ark?

As we read these stories we need to ask, what is God trying to show us?

Remember that Jesus said these stories testify of Him.

 

#LONGSTORYSHORT #ALLaboutJESUS

This story is all about Jesus.

 

REMEMBER…

There was 1 plan to save the world. The ark…

 

Jesus is the ark

Jesus said “I am THEY WAY, THEY TRUTH, and THE LIFE… Now one comes to the Father but by me.”

Jesus is the only way to be saved from judgment.

Jesus is the open door of grace. He says “I AM THE DOOR.”

The ark had a door opening on its side.

On the cross Jesus was pierced with a spear on his side.

 

Just like anyone can come through an open door… Jesus is our open door and he says “ANYONE CAN COME.”

 

The Flood is Baptism

Jesus told us to preach the gospel and baptize people in water.

1 Peter 3:20 tells us that Noah and his family were saved THROUGH WATER and that this water symbolizes Baptism that now saves us.

 

Just like the flood washes away the sinful acts of the world… baptism into Jesus washes our sins away.

 

Have you been baptized?  TEXT LINE – 469-467-8111

Questions?
You want to be baptized?

 

Are you on the ark?

Jesus is the ark. The 1 plan to save the world.

Grace is belonging to Jesus.

Judgment is going through life without Jesus.

 

Heaven is for those who enter through the door that is Jesus.

Hell is a place who refuse Jesus.

 

Are you on the ark?

Yes – Who do you know that is not on the ark? Have you told them?

No – Come through the door.