Fabulous faith #03
Noah: A faith that separates
Hebrews 11:7 11/06/05
Without a doubt, one of the most famous ships that ever sailed was the H.M.S. Titanic. In her day, she was a state of the art Ocean liner, 882.5 ft long; her beam 92.5 ft. and 60.5 ft from water line to boat deck. She consisted of 9 decks. She was designed to remain afloat with any 2 compartments flooded, possibly three.
She could carry 329 passenger’s first class, 285 passengers 2nd class, and 710 passengers 3rd class. On her maiden voyage across the Atlantic, she carried 2227 on board. When she sank on April 15, 1912, of her 2227 passengers and crew, only 705 survived. It was widely regarded that the “Olympic Class” liners were largely unsinkable and were themselves lifeboats. In fact, the boast was made that the Titanic was the unsinkable ship. The White Star Company, who had designed the massive ship, gave a public statement that “not even God could sink the Titanic.” Yet, on April 15, 1912, the Titanic did sink. In a matter of hours more than 1500 people lost their lives in the icy waters of the North Atlantic. It turned out that the Titanic was not an unsinkable ship.
As we continue our walk through Hebrews discovering the characters of fabulous faith, this morning we want to focus on the man Noah. I believe what we find in the man Noah is a faith that separates. There is a faith that separates and that is what we want to talk about this morning.
Now for our first point I want us to look at THE PRIORITY THAT NOAH ESTABLISHED.
We find the beginning of the story of Noah in Genesis 6:5-6, we read, “And the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord repented that He had made man on the earth, and He was angry to His heart.”
Even when the earth was at its darkest, Noah established a priority that is worth speaking of and following as life’s example. It says in Hebrews that Noah was warned of God that judgment was coming and he needed to prepare. He heard the Word of God. The Word of God asked Noah to do something that seems unreal and odd for there had never been rain on the earth. Judgment was going to come in the form of a flood and destroy all living things. That was the Word that Noah heard.
But I want you to see that he not only heard the Word of God but heeded the Word of God. Noah’s walk of faith became a working faith even if it caused others to laugh and make fun and scorn. His belief in God caused him to behave as God had asked.
How that is needed in our world today. I believe James is right when he says, you say you have faith; I will show you my faith by my works. Faith is not just an attitude but actions that demonstrate your beliefs in God. The Bible says that Noah moved with fear; meaning that Noah moved with obedience. Noah heeded the Word of God.
I want you to see not only the priority that Noah established but also THE PROVISION THAT NOAH EMBRACED.
You will find this in Genesis 6:13-22. In those Scriptures, God told Noah to build a ship and how he was to seal the ship. He was to build the ship from gopher wood and make rooms inside the ark. Noah was also to put tar, pitch inside and out. He was told not only how to seal the ship but also the size of the ship. The ship was to be 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high. The ship weighed 13,960 pound. Modern ship builders say the dimension of the ship was made to float. But what I want you to see is that the ship was big enough to accommodate anyone that wanted to get on board. Even while the people were laughing at Noah, the ship was built big enough for them to get on board. The ship was saying whosoever will, let him come aboard and be safe from the judgment that is on the way.
That is exactly what the cross means today. The death of Jesus on the cross and faith in His finished work has made it possible for us to come aboard and be saved from the judgment that is on the way. Every day that Noah went out to do his work on the ship was a testimony to those around that judgment is coming. Every day that Noah woke, he was closer to the coming of the judgment.
I know every Lord’s Day I preach the Gospel message that the time is coming when the preaching will be over and judgment of God for the rejecters is on the way. I can only offer the ship, Jesus the only safety, and the way on board is faith in Jesus but it is up to you to get on board. I am so glad that at the age of 31 I made the decision to climb on board. The ride has been rough at times but I know where she will land one of these days.
That brings us to our final point. We have talked about the priority that Noah established and the provision that Noah embraced. Now I want you to see THE PROMIISE THAT NOAH ENJOYED.
For 120 years Noah preached that judgment was coming in the form of a flood. Can you imagine the ridicule that he received? People would come out and say, why Noah, there is not a cloud in the sky and you say it is coming a flood to destroy the world. He would not only preach but was preparing a ship for safety for his entire family. He preached by word and by deed.
Apparently, none of the people believed the message that Noah was preaching. There was only 8 people to escape the flood; Noah, his wife and his three sons and their wives. Not a lot of converts for 120 years of preaching is it? But you know; Noah’s task was to preach the truth and leave it to the Holy Spirit to impart that truth.
Now why did God bless Noah? I believe we find it in verse 7 of Hebrews chapter 11, “By faith Noah.” Noah got saved the same way we do today, by faith. Is the object of your faith Jesus? Do you believe Jesus for your salvation? Do you know Jesus?
