Believe For It - Standing Alone

Stacey Philpot - The boy who stood alone at the flagpole.

5 When the Lord saw that human wickedness was widespread on the earth and that every inclination of the human mind was nothing but evil all the time,

6 the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and he was deeply grieved.

7 Then the Lord said, “I will wipe mankind, whom I created, off the face of the earth, together with the animals, creatures that crawl, and birds of the sky—for I regret that I made them.” 8 Noah, however, found favor with the Lord. - Genesis 6:5–8

7 By faith Noah, after he was warned about what was not yet seen and motivated by godly fear, built an ark to deliver his family. By faith he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. - Hebrews 11:7

Each character in Hebrews 11 lived a life that proved what faith can do.

Abel - The man with the right heart.

Enoch - The man who pleased God.

Noah - The man who stood alone.

God’s command would not have made sense to anyone in Noah’s day.

Rain hadn’t happened before, much less a flood.

120 year gap between God’s command and rain storm.

Building a boat on dry land.

Noah lived in an evil age. There was no one else in his generation that God wanted to save from the flood.

“Minimalism” - Draws certain roots from Judaism. Living with less than 100 possessions. Don’t live for everything that matters to others in your life, but focus on what matters best to you. The focus of minimalism is not so much on what you give up, but making priority on what you want to keep.

“What serves me the best?” (It’s almost the nicest way to live selfishly.)

Until the rain came, listening to God did not serve Noah well.

1. Faith often stands apposed to popularity or self-preservation.

The scriptures read of Noah having “godly fear”.

Noah had a reverent fear for the words of God.

Not slavish fear.

The opposite of skepticism.

Reverential fear apposed to wordly sneering.

Christian parenting is a challenge.

“Therefore, consider Gods kindness and severity: severity toward those who have fallen but God’s kindness toward you—if you remain in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off.” - Romans 11:22.

The flood is a miracle. The ark is a miracle. Animals are a miracle.

Noah's faith is the greatest miracle.

Faith requires a willingness to take God seriously.

Are you willing to stand alone or live sacrificially?

2. Majority opinion’s are unstable.

The world was condemned because of sin.

Noah spent 120 years in preparation.

No one repented or changed their opinion.

Nativity Live Parking

2 Peter 3:1–13

THE DAY OF THE LORD

3 Dear friends, this is now the second letter I have written to you; in both letters, I want to stir up your sincere understanding by way of reminder, 2 so that you recall the words previously spoken by the holy prophets and the command of our Lord and Savior given through your apostles. 3 Above all, be aware of this: Scoffers will come in the last days scoffing and following their own evil desires,

4 saying, “Where is his ‘coming’ that he promised? Ever since our ancestors fell asleep, all things continue as they have been since the beginning of creation.”

5 They deliberately overlook this: By the word of God the heavens came into being long ago and the earth was brought about from water and through water. 6 Through these the world of that time perished when it was flooded.

7 By the same word, the present heavens and earth are stored up for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.

8 Dear friends, don’t overlook this one fact: With the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. 9 The Lord does not delay his promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance.

10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief;, on that day the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, the elements will burn and be dissolved, and the earth and the works on it will be disclosed., 11 Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, it is clear what sort of people you should be in holy conduct and godliness

12 as you wait for the day of God and hasten its coming., Because of that day, the heavens will be dissolved with fire and the elements will melt with heat. 13 But based on his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.

“Noah walked with God; he didn’t only preach righteousness, he acted it. He went through water and didn’t melt. He breasted the current of the unpopular opinion of his day, scorning the alike the hatred and ridicule of the scoffers who mocked at the thought of there being but one way of salvation.” - Charles Studd, British Missionary

We get to decide who is Lord of our life.

Hell is full of people society would agree with.

3. Righteousness Stands Alone.

Noah believed God and obeyed, saving his family in the process.

“heir”, the consequences of sonship flow from faith.

(dikaisyne) Noah is the first person in scripture to receive this distinction.

The ark saved Noah's life, but his sin remained.

“There is but one church in which men find salvation, just as outside the ark of Noah, it was not possible for anyone to be saved.” - Thomas Aquinas.

Salvation is one way, truth, and life.

To accept Jesus as Lord will men and women the reputation of being “one-dimensional” in thinking.

The summary of one’s life has less to do with how they lived, but rather where they stood. Christ is the firm foundation.