Once upon a time, there was a family of mice who lived all of their lives in a large piano. Often, the music of the instrument filled the dark spaces of their world with beautiful melodies, countermelodies and harmonies.
At first, the mice were very impressed. They drew comfort from the thought that there was Someone close, but invisible, who made the music. They referred to Him as the “Great Unseen Player.”
Then one day, a daring mouse climbed up part of the piano and returned very thoughtful. He had found tightly stretched wires of graduated lengths, which trembled and vibrated, producing the beautiful music they all heard. As he shared his discovery, the mouse family began to revise all their old beliefs. Now, only the unenlightened could believe in an “Unseen Player” anymore.
Later, another mouse ventured even further into the piano. He discovered hammers, numbers of them dancing and leaping on the wires, which caused the wires to vibrate, producing the beautiful music they all heard. It was a more complicated theory, but it confirmed their idea of a purely mechanistic universe. The “Unseen Player” was only a myth, invented by the weak among them, who needed a crutch to lean on in times of adversity (James S. Hewett, citing Leadership Journal, in Illustrations Unlimited, p.187).
Eventually, more mice scattered throughout the piano, and each returned with their own theories about how the music was made. They had seen leather and felt and wood. Others had seen rods and levers and screws. Their puny minds were too small to comprehend it all, so they concluded that no one really knows (or could know) the truth about how the music was made. They decided that the “truth” really didn’t matter, and that whatever “truth” worked for each mouse was fine. All that was necessary was to enjoy the music and get along.
All the while, they gave no thought to the “Unseen Player,” who continued to play despite their ignorance.
That is a good picture of western civilization over the last several hundred years. In the Middle Ages, people had an unquestioning belief in the God of the universe. Then modernists made some discoveries and suggested a purely mechanistic view of the universe. Now, post-modernists sincerely believe that truth doesn’t matter, and that all we have to do is get along.
Except, people are fighting more and more these days. Our society has grown more contentious as there is increasing polarization over many issues. It’s because people ignore the “Unseen Player” to their own disgrace and harm.
He is the key to it all, and without Him nothing works at all. He built the piano. He put it all together, and He is the only One who can bring melodious harmony to our world. Without Him, there is only discord and disharmony.
The people in Noah’s day discovered that. They ignored God, just like we do today, and it only brought them a violent, self-destructive society. That’s why God sent a world-wide flood. He had to clean out His creation.
So how can you function in such a world? How can you operate in a world gone mad with irrational thought and self-destructive lifestyles? Well, if you have your Bibles, I invite you to turn with me to Genesis 7, Genesis 7, where we get some insight on how to live in a world gone mad.
Genesis 7:6-11 Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters came upon the earth. And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him went into the ark to escape the waters of the flood. Of clean animals, and of animals that are not clean, and of birds, and of everything that creeps on the ground, two and two, male and female, went into the ark with Noah, as God had commanded Noah. And after seven days the waters of the flood came upon the earth. In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened (ESV).
Here, we find that the water came from the earth as well as the sky. World-wide volcanic and seismic eruptions burst open the “fountains of the deep.” The water canopy (Genesis 1:6-7) above the earth cut loose…
Genesis 7:12-20 And rain fell upon the earth forty days and forty nights. On the very same day Noah and his sons, Shem and Ham and Japheth, and Noah’s wife and the three wives of his sons with them entered the ark, they and every beast, according to its kind, and all the livestock according to their kinds, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, according to its kind, and every bird, according to its kind, every winged creature. They went into the ark with Noah, two and two of all flesh in which there was the breath of life. And those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him. And the LORD shut him in. The flood continued forty days on the earth. The waters increased and bore up the ark, and it rose high above the earth. The waters prevailed and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the face of the waters. And the waters prevailed so mightily on the earth that all the high mountains under the whole heaven were covered. The waters prevailed above the mountains, covering them fifteen cubits deep (ESV).
That’s more than 20 feet over the highest mountain! Today, Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world, is 29,021 feet high. Imagine 29,041 feet of water! This is a world-wide, catastrophic event, with no area left untouched.
Genesis 7:21-24 And all flesh died that moved on the earth, birds, livestock, beasts, all swarming creatures that swarm on the earth, and all mankind. Everything on the dry land in whose nostrils was the breath of life died. He blotted out every living thing that was on the face of the ground, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens. They were blotted out from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those who were with him in the ark. And the waters prevailed on the earth 150 days (ESV).
The flood waters rose more than 20 feet above the highest mountain, and they killed every living thing that moved. Don’t forget it! If you’re going to function in a world gone mad, you must…
REMEMBER THAT GOD SENT A WORLD-WIDE FLOOD.
God sent a deluge that engulfed the whole earth. It was not just a local flood. Oh no. It was a flood that swamped the entire planet and destroyed every living thing in its path.
“So what?” somebody says. “So what, that there was a worldwide flood? That’s ancient history. What in the world does that have to with my life today?
Well, if there was a worldwide flood, it would mean, 1st of all, that contemporary thought is wrong. A worldwide flood washes away the foundation of all modern and post-modern thought. It washes away the philosophical underpinnings of our violent and self-destructive society. So ignore its ignorant and harmful philosophies. Walk away from our culture’s destructive way of life.
RESIST THE URGE TO SUBMIT TO THE WORLD’S DEMANDS.
For underlying all contemporary thought is the theory of evolution. And underlying the theory of evolution is the presupposition of uniformity. In other words, evolutionists assume that the development of the earth followed a regular, uniform process throughout its entire history. They believe, therefore, that we can extrapolate the natural processes which we now observe into the distant path and determine the age of the earth.
For example, if we observe that the Colorado River cuts a millimeter out of the Grand Canyon every year, then we can calculate the age of the Canyon simply by measuring how deep it is. If the Canyon is 2,000 meters deep, cut at a rate of one millimeter every year, then we can assume that the Canyon is 2 million years old.
That’s how scientists calculate the age of the earth at 4.5 billion years (give or take a few million). They assume uniformity, what happens to the age of the earth if there was a major catastrophe? What happens, if instead of a little river trickling through Arizona over millions of years, you had millions of tons of water rushing through the state at one time? It would cut the Grand Canyon in a matter of days, not millions of years. In fact, that’s what happened when Mt. Saint Helen’s erupted in Washington State. It cut a canyon 1/3rd the size of the Grand Canyon in a matter of hours.
If there was a major catastrophe, like a worldwide flood, the assumption of uniformity goes out the window, the age of the earth is reduced from billions of years to thousands, and the theory of evolution is completely undermined.
The question is: Do we have any evidence to back up the biblical account of a worldwide flood? You bet we do. The evidence is very clear.
Tell me, if there was a worldwide flood that killed every living thing on the face of the earth, what would you expect to see afterwards? You’d expect to see “millions of dead things, buried in rock layers, all over the surface of the earth” (Ken Ham). What, in fact, do we see to this day? “Millions of dead things, buried in rock layers, all over the surface of the earth.” We call them fossils, and they are everywhere. There are shark teeth fossils in the middle of Kansas, and there are large animal fossils, with tropical plants still in their stomachs, in the polar icecaps.
Fossils do not prove evolution at all, especially since there are no transitional forms in the fossil record. No. On the contrary, the very existence of fossils proves a creation-catastrophe scenario, such as that described in the Bible. The very existence of fossils points to a worldwide flood, not to uniformitarian assumptions at all.
Suppose your kitty cat dies, and you want to preserve his memory by letting him fossilize in your backyard. What’s going to happen if you let his carcass lay they there for the natural, uniform processes to work. Will your kitty cat turn to rock? No! He’ll start stinking real bad. Then, after a while, he would slowly waste away. The bugs and the critters would come after it, and even if you could keep them away, the process of decay would take over, and eventually, there would be nothing left.
Uniform processes do not make fossils, but huge amounts of water, instantly burying millions of animals under tons of sedimentary rock, does. The existence of fossils all over the world points to a worldwide flood.
Oil deposits all over the world also point to a worldwide flood. They too come from dead animals, buried deep under the surface of the earth.
Furthermore, the Geologic Column itself gives clear evidence of a worldwide flood. Again, let me ask the question: If there was a worldwide, catastrophic flood, what would you expect to happen? Such a flood would destroy every mountain and hill on the face of the earth and redeposit the eroded material in stratified, sedimentary rock.
What in fact do we see? Stratified, sedimentary rock all over the world, with no erosion between the layers. That means that each layer was laid quickly and in rapid succession, before any erosion could take place.
The Geologic Column, along with the fossils and oil deposits all over the world, point to a catastrophic worldwide flood. Thus, the assumption of uniformity, which underlies the theory of evolution, is impossible to hold. Contemporary thought, with its moral relativism and self-destructive lifestyle, is out the window.
So ignore its ignorant and harmful philosophies. Walk away from its destructive way of life. Resist the urge to submit the world’s demands. Instead…
SUBMIT TO GOD ALONE.
Focus on the day when you will give an account of yourself to your Creator. Live for the day when you will explain yourself to the Sovereign Judge of the entire universe.
For God alone is in charge. He is the Sovereign Lord. The text is very clear: GOD sent the flood. It was not some “accident” of nature. In Genesis 6:13, God said, “I have determined to make an end to all flesh.” “I will destroy them with the earth.” And in verse 17 “I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth.” Psalm 29:10 says, “The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD sits enthroned as King forever.” God is the Sovereign Lord. He is King of His creation, and He can do with it whatever He wants.
Early on Saturday March 12, 2005, when Ashley Smith, a single mother returned to her suburban Atlanta apartment from a nearby convenience store, Brian Nichols ambushed her. Nichols was the focus of the biggest manhunt in Georgia history, wanted for the murders of four individuals in a killing spree that began the day before.
In the hours that followed Ashley engaged the fugitive in conversation. She told him her husband had died four years earlier and that if anything happened to her, her five-year-old daughter wouldn't have a daddy or a mommy. Nichols untied her.
She proceeded to pull out her Bible and a copy of The Purpose Driven Life. Nichols agreed to her request to read to him. Opening Warren's book to where she'd left off, she began to read the first paragraph from Day 33 of the 40 Days of Purpose. The passage deals with the gifts and talents God gives each person to fulfill a unique life purpose.
Ashley looked into his face and told him he needed hope for his life. Nichols responded, “Look at me, look at my eyes. I am already dead.”
She countered, “You are not dead. You are standing right in front of me. If you want to die, you can. It's your choice.”
Then Ashley said, “You are here for a reason. You're here in my apartment for some reason.”
Attempting to get him to turn himself in, she said, “You need to be caught for this. You need to go to prison, and you need to share the Word of God with them, with all the prisoners there.”
When Nichols heard about God’s purpose for his life and saw Ashley’s faith in God and her genuine concern for him, he was willing to contemplate turning himself in. Nichols told Ashley he believed she was an angel sent from God because he was lost, and that God had led him right to her. Later, he allowed Ashley to leave the apartment, and the brave woman called 911 (CNN.com, 3-14-05; www.PreachingToday.com).
No matter who you are—a single mom barely getting along, a criminal running from the law, or just a nondescript nobody—no matter who you are, God made you for a purpose.
He alone is in charge, so resist the urge to submit to this world’s demands and submit only to Him. Pursue His purpose for your life. Otherwise, you may find yourself swept away when God judges the world again.
For indeed, God will clean up the earth again. As the Sovereign Judge, He must get rid of the sin. He must purge his creation from the evil that has ruined it. The first time He did it with water. The next time He will do it with fire.
2 Peter 3 says, “The heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly” (2 Peter 3:5-7).
That day, God says, “will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed” (2 Peter 3:10).
God will purge the earth with fire someday, and in a day when you least expect it.
On March 26, 2000, Seattle's famed Kingdome, a 25,000 ton-structure, imploded. Seattle authorities had hired Maryland-based Controlled Demolition Incorporated (CDI) to do the job.
CDI took extreme measure to ensure no one was hurt. They had experience with over 7,000 demolitions and knew how protect people. Engineers checked and rechecked the structure. The authorities evacuated several blocks around the Kingdome. They put safety measures in place to allow the countdown to stop at any time if there was concern about safety. The accounted for all workers, each by radio, before they detonated the explosives. And they used a large public address system to announce the final countdown. In short, CDI took every reasonable measure and more to warn people of the impending danger (Seattle Times, 3-27-2000; www.PreachingToday.com).
In the same way, your Heavenly Father has taken every reasonable measure, and more, to warn you of His final judgment. He warns you through your conscience. He warns you through His Word. And if you are hearing this message, He is warning you right now.
Please, heed His warning today! Get out of this world’s system, which is destined for destruction, and get into the refuge He provides through faith in His Son.
For God is in charge, and He WILL clean up the earth some day. But more than anything else, He wants to save you today. He wants to protect you. He wants to care for you. He is the Sovereign Judge of the Universe, yes, but He is also the Savior of all who trust Him.
When Noah, his family, and all of the animals got into the ark, Genesis 7:16 says, “The LORD shut him in.” GOD shut the door of the ark. He shut all the unbelievers out in judgment, but He shut Noah and his family in. He shut His people in the ark of safety.
In December 2016, Legacy, a small fishing boat cruising near Bodega Bay, California ran into a whale entangled in crab pots. The three fishermen on Legacy didn't have time to call for help. Valentine Parnell, one of the fishermen, said they noticed the whale “absolutely trapped,” with its blowhole spouting. Ken Garliepp, Legacy's deck boss, said, “It was cutting into him to where he was bleeding, so I don't know how long it would have been 'til he's getting ripped apart by sharks. He definitely needed help.”
With no time to waste, the men, using boat hooks, snagged lines and started cutting. Piece by piece, the old lines slowly came off. At first the whale resisted, but then something miraculous happened. Parnell said, “It would come and it would roll over and be like, almost showing us where the lines were on its fins.”
Garliepp added, “Once we started getting stuff cut off, it was like he knew we were trying to help him, you know." Once freed, it swam around the boat several times, staying close. The fishermen said it seemed to be saying thanks.
Back on shore, getting ready to head back out, the captain and the crew of the Legacy were still thinking about how they saved the life of a dying whale. Parnell said, “To see this massive, beautiful creature, that could absolutely crush you, but doesn't… It was the most intense thing I've been a part of…” (Don Ford, “Fishermen Help Rescue Whale Entangled Near Bodega Bay,” CBS SFBayArea News, 12-8-16; www.PreachingToday.com)
If fishermen cared so much for a whale, think about how much God cares for you. He went to great lengths to cut you free from your sin. He sent His Son to die on a cross for you, which not only released you from the penalty of sin, but also from its power in your life. Please, stop fighting Him today and trust Him to set you free.
God is in charge, and He will clean up the earth someday. But before He does, He wants to take care of you. Please, surrender to Him today. Just relinquish control and let Him cut the old lines of sin away.
In July 2001, H&R. Block offered walk-in customers a chance to win a drawing for a million dollars. Glen and Gloria Sims of Sewell, New Jersey, won the drawing, but when an H&R Block representative phoned them with the good news, they refused to believe it.
H&R Block tried several times to contact them, but each time the Sims thought it was just a scam, so they hung up the phone or trashed the special notices that came in the mail.
Some weeks later, H&R Block called the Sims one more time to let them know that the deadline for accepting the million-dollar prize was nearing, and that the story of their refusal to accept the prize would appear on an upcoming NBC “Today Show.”
That got Mr. Sims’ attention, so he decided to investigate further. A few days later, he appeared on the “Today Show” himself to tell America that he and his wife had finally accepted the million-dollar prize.
Mr. Sims' said, “From the time this has been going on, H&R Block explained to us they really wanted a happy ending to all this, and they were ecstatic that we finally accepted the prize” (NBC Today Show, 7-09-01; www.PreachingToday.com).
How many times has God gotten a hold of you, and you’ve brushed Him off as some sort of scam? God offers you something much bigger than a million dollars. He offers you an eternal relationship with Himself. He is the Sovereign Judge of the Universe, but He also wants to be your Savior.
Don’t brush Him off anymore. Don’t be like Mr. Sims or those mice in the piano. Instead, trust the Lord with your life. Trust the Sovereign Judge of the Universe, who also wants to be your Savior.
