Faith That Builds

#39 of the top 100 all time quotes from a movie is, “If you build it, he will come.”

The movie came out on April 21, 1989.

Kevin Costner starred as a corn farmer named Ray Kinsella. (Fun fact, the last name came from the author of the book in which the movie was fashioned after.)

Ray kept hearing a voice saying the same words over and over again, “If you build it, he will come.”

The point, he is led to plow under his corn and build a baseball diamond.

For a farmer, precious farming land is not something you turn into a ball field; especially with the bank banging on your door.

But Ray does as he is told and out of the corn beyond the fields come all of these deceased baseball players.

Now you may wonder why I would speak about an old baseball movie on a Sunday morning...

Our text this morning is about a man, who was a farmer, who received a message to build something that would have certainly caused the bewilderment of his neighbors.

Let’s read our text.

Hebrews 11:7 ESV

7 By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

By Faith

Verse 7 records a literary inclusio — in essence, it is bracketed between a repetition at its beginning and ending.

When we have repetition in the Word it is to bring our attention towards God’s communication.

The two words of our inclusio, here, remind us of the context of the passage.

Each character we are looking into in these weeks are recorded/memorialized because of there fleshed out faith.

Genesis 6:13–17 ESV

13 And God said to Noah, “I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth. 14 Make yourself an ark of gopher wood. Make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch. 15 This is how you are to make it: the length of the ark 300 cubits, its breadth 50 cubits, and its height 30 cubits. 16 Make a roof for the ark, and finish it to a cubit above, and set the door of the ark in its side. Make it with lower, second, and third decks. 17 For behold, I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life under heaven. Everything that is on the earth shall die.

So the faith of Noah is fleshed out, in the words of Spurgeon, as a “filial fear.” Like a son towards his father.

Hebrews 11:7 (ESV)

7 By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear...”

In essence, there is a “holy dread in disobeying God...” — Spurgeon

This is the type of fear that brings us toward the pragmatic elements of our faith.

It is action driven by faith and reverence for the one giving the directive.

Genesis 7:11 ESV

11 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.

Habakkuk 2:4 ESV

4 “Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.

Secondly,

Serve to Build!

Hebrews 11:7 (ESV)

7 By faith Noah... in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household...”

Genesis 6:22 ESV

22 Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him.

Proclaim to Win!

Hebrews 11:7 (ESV)

7 By faith Noah...By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.”

1 Peter 3:20 ESV

20 because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water.

2 Peter 2:5 (ESV)

5 if he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly;

Genesis 6:9 ESV

9 These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God.

Hebrews 6:12 ESV

12 so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Ezekiel 14:14 ESV

14 even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver but their own lives by their righteousness, declares the Lord God.

Walking Away, But In...

Have a practical faith.

Serve for the purpose of building.

Proclaim Christ with deeds & Word.