Heb 11:1-7

1 Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. 2 Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation.

3 By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.

4 It was by faith that Abel brought a more acceptable offering to God than Cain did. Abel’s offering gave evidence that he was a righteous man, and God showed his approval of his gifts. Although Abel is long dead, he still speaks to us by his example of faith.

5 It was by faith that Enoch was taken up to heaven without dying—“he disappeared, because God took him.” For before he was taken up, he was known as a person who pleased God. 6 And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.

7 It was by faith that Noah built a large boat to save his family from the flood. He obeyed God, who warned him about things that had never happened before. By his faith Noah condemned the rest of the world, and he received the righteousness that comes by faith.”

We’ve seen the last few times how three Old Testament men illustrate how faith grows in stages. We’ve looked at:

Abel’s worship, which modeled total surrender to God and His requirements.

Enoch’s walk of faith exemplified a life of rich fellowship with God.

And this time we’re going to see how…

Noah’s witness models how to maintain our testimony, even in a wicked, disobedient world.

With these three men we see faith’s progress from a life surrendered to God, to one that is controlled by God, finally to one witnessing for God.

NOAH

First, Noah received a warning of coming judgment.

”By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family.” (Heb 11: 7)

The Genesis account:

Genesis 6: 9-14 “This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God. Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth. Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight and was full of violence. God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. 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. So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out.”

Genesis 6-10 are dedicated to the life of Noah, the great flood, and Noah’s descendants.

We’re told three key things about the life of Noah:

He was righteous.

He lived a blameless life in front of the people of his day.

And, like Enoch, he walked with God.

As Noah walked with God he received a word that shook him to the core. “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them.”

Can you imagine that! And it would happen with an occurrence that had never before taken place on earth—rain.

Gen 2:5-6 “When no plant of the field was yet in the earth and no herb of the field had yet sprung up, for the Lord God had not [yet] caused it to rain upon the earth and there was no man to till the ground, 6But there went up a mist (fog, vapor) from the land and watered the whole surface of the ground.”

Like Noah, we too have been given a sure word of prophecy that an event never before seen will soon take place—the rapture of the church and the return of Christ to rule the world in righteousness.

Let’s look at three aspects of Noah’s testimony to his generation:

His preparation was a testimony to the world.

Noah received God’s word and was moved to action. “…in holy fear (Noah) built an ark.”

Noah’s preparation was a daily witness to his generation of the coming judgment of God.

For over a century he faithfully worked away on the ark. With each stroke of his hammer Noah was saying, “Judgment is coming. Get right with God while you can.”

Likewise, our own preparation to meet Christ is a daily reminder to the world that Jesus is coming again. Judgment will certainly fall and one must get right while God’s grace is available.

“But you beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keeping yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Jude 1:20)

Noah was moved with godly fear to prepare himself. In doing so he “testified” to his generation. So we too are to be moved with godly fear and prepare ourselves to meet the Lord:

“The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed." (Romans 13:10-11)

"Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 1:7-8)

"But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body." (Philippians 3:20-21)

"It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope--the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:12-13)

His words were a testimony to the world.

5 And God did not spare the ancient world—except for Noah and the seven others in his family. Noah warned the world of God’s righteous judgment.”—2 Pet 2:5

What was Noah’s message?

He warned of God’s coming judgment.

He pointed to the ark as the only answer.

As Noah pointed to the ark on a daily basis, so are we to point to the only place of safety as God’s judgment approaches—the Lord Jesus Christ.

In Noah’s day there were not several possibilities. Only one thing could save you—the ark. Jesus said,

“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father but through Me.”—John 14:6

“Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”—Acts 4:12

Noah had only one answer, one solution, one place of safety—the ark. Likewise our message to this present generation is the same.

Finally,

Noah testified with great patience.

No one took him seriously, yet he patiently testified for over a century.

5 “…and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people…” 2 Pet. 2:5

Noah, “…prepared an ark for the saving of his household.”

The people of Noah’s day were utterly unmoved by his message:

“And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: 27 They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.”—Luke 17:26

The testimony of Noah didn’t faze them at all. It was business as usual until judgment fell.

Yet Noah patiently testified.

SUMMARY:

By his testimony—his walk, his faith, and his obedience, Noah condemned the world.

Abel’s worship, Enoch’s walk, and Noah’s testimony are an example for us to do the same!