Oh For Grace*- Divine Connection

(Noah’s life was transformed by grace in a wicked world)

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Genesis 6:8–9 “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.”

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Introduction (New Year, Same Old Wickedness)

When we consider the sum total of all the present evil in our day. It becomes quite concerning and disheartening to just about anyone you come across. You hear conversations between strangers

The story of Noah is a story of faithful endurance in the midst of great wickedness.

Wickedness

Genesis 6:5 “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”

The text says that every intent of the thoughts of mans heart was only evil continually: Which means there was no aspect of man’s nature that was not corrupted by sin.

Jesus said, “as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be” (Matthew 24:37). In other words, the conditions of the world before the coming of Jesus will be like the conditions of the world before the flood:

Just it was then, so it is now:

• Exploding population (Genesis 6:1)

• Sexual perversion (Genesis 6:2)

• Demonic activity (Genesis 6:2)

• Constant evil in the heart of man (Genesis 6:5)

• Widespread corruption and violence (Genesis 6:11) Another school shooting this week.

Our challenge as the church is that We have to be careful not to become desensitized by the evil around us. We cannot begin to accept wickedness as the norm. Whether inside or outside the church.

Application:Lot pitched his tent towards sodom and a few verses down he is at the gate in a prominent position.

The Church can become victims to spiritual quicksand. If we are not careful we will find ourselves Mixing the profane and the holy.

We need to feel what God feels, and we need to sense what God senses when we look out on the world. Here is what the text says:

Genesis 6:6–7 “And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.”

The Lord was sorry that He had made man … He was grieved in His heart:

And God is grieved now

But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord: ONE MAN!

While God commanded all the earth to be cleansed of this pollution, He found one man with whom to begin again:

Verse 9 says Noah is able to stand out among the wicked. Because He is righteous, blameless, and walks with God.

Noah made the decision that he was not going to blend in and be contaminated. He took a stand to be righteous in the midst of an evil and ungodly world.

God has called us to Stand Out! Be Different, Be Apostolic, Be holy, Be Separate, Be loving, be kind one to another, forgiving one another.

Ephesians 4:32 “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”

But what causes Noah to stand out righteous among the midst of a world filled with wickedness? - (GRACE)

To answer this question we must go back to the preceding verse, verse 8, where we are told, “But Noah found favor (or grace) in the eyes of the Lord.”

Divine favor is not something Noah earns; it is something he finds.

“Noah found favor with the Lord” (6:8). Because Noah was a recipient of grace, he was spared from the judgment (in contrast to those who thought they had achieved immortality).

Grace is unmerited favor; in fact, when the word “grace” or “favor” is used, it usually means that the recipient deserves the opposite of the favor. It is not that Noah was the most righteous person on the earth and so God decided to save him. No, he was a sinner, and God saved him from the judgment by his grace. The note in 6:9 about his righteousness begins the next section of the book; it describes the life of the man who received grace.

Its easy to read the text and conclude that Noah found favor with God because he was righteous and lived a blameless life. But that is not the case and, in fact, to read it that way is to get it backward. Verse 9 does not come before verse 8, , “Noah did not find grace because he was righteous.” Actually, Noah’s righteousness was the product of his having found favor and is therefore the proof of that favor, not its ground.

The biblical principle, is that the grace of God always comes before anything. We imagine in our unsanctified state that God loves us for what we are intrinsically or for what we have done or can become. But God does not love us because of that, nor is he gracious to us because of that. On the contrary, he loves us solely because he loves us. He is gracious to us only because he is.

Application - The Logic of Grace

Later on in the Bible we find this stated in classical language. God is speaking through Moses and is telling the people the cause of his loving them.

He says, “The Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But it was because the Lord loved you and kept the oath he swore to your forefathers” (Deut. 7:7–8).

God did not love Israel because they were numerous, but, the sentence goes on to say, he loved them because he loved them. What kind of logic is that: I love you because I love you? It is the logic of grace. Grace is grace. If grace were based on anything in us, it would not be grace. In fact, it would not operate even as something less than grace, for there is nothing in us that can possibly draw forth God’s favor. Yet grace does go forth to us and others, who are undeserving.

But it is even more wonderful than that. For it is not merely that we are undeserving. We are deserving, but of precisely the opposite. We are sinners deserving God’s wrath. Yet, as Paul says, “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). Noah found this grace, and it changed his life accordingly.

DEFINE GRACE- Grace is commonly defined as the unmerited favor of God. However, God’s grace is more than just unmerited favour. Grace is the willingness of God to show (Love, mercy, power, favor and every good things He has for us).

Grace is a gift of God:

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:8–9)…because of the surpassing grace God has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! (2 cor 9:14–15)…and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. (Rom 5:15)For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift… (Rom 3: 23 )

Grace is power:

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Cor 12:8–9 )And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. (1 Peter 4:10)

People can be full of grace:

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14 )

A question for thought; can you say Jesus was full of ‘unmerited favour?

And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. (Act 6:8)For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles — assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you. (Ephesian 3:1)

Believers can grow in grace:

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 3:13)Obedience to the gospel of Christ and generosity bring surpassing graceto believers. (2Corinthians 9:6–15)But as you excel in everything — in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you — see that you excel in this grace of giving also. (2 Corinthians 8:7)

Believers are saved by the grace:

But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will. (Act 15:11)…made us alive together with Christ — by grace you have been saved. (Ephesians 2:5)For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people. (Titus 2: 11)Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace. (2 Thessalonians 2:16 )

The ungodly can fall from grace:

…ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. (Jude 1:4 ESV)See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled;(Hebrew 12:15)…for God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (1 Peter 5:5 )You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. (Galatians 5:4)

God’s hand is gracious on those who seek Him:

The gracious hand of God is on everyone who looks to him, but his great anger is against all who forsake Him. (Ezra 8:22)And because the gracious hand of my God was upon me the king grants my request. (Nehemiah 2:8)

Grace is the divine will of God:

…so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. (Hebrews 2:9)But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. (1 Corinthians 15)

We need desperately need grace

How do we find this Grace?

Grace relies on faith:

Romans 5:1–2 “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”

We have access to Grace by Faith!

Romans 4:16 “Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,”

We are recipients of the promises given to Abraham through faith by grace.

Where did Noah’s Faith come from ?

Noah’s Background gives us a little insight into Finding Grace - He was exposed to hunger and Faith which finds Grace

Noah was the last descendant in the godly line of Adam through Seth. By the time of the flood every one of these ancestors had died, but, like the righteous in all ages, their works lived after them—in this case in Noah, who had learned his lessons well. When Noah was born, six of these ancestors were still living: Enosh, Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, Methuselah, and Noah’s father, Lamech. We do not know a great deal about these men, but we can be sure that Enoch’s preaching of a coming judgment would still be remembered and that the meaning and significance of Methuselah’s name (“when he is gone it will come”) would have been in Noah’s thoughts constantly. No doubt he would have been taught the ways of the Lord by Lamech, his father. This Lamech was a godly man (cf. the Lamech of chap. 4), for when he thought of the hardness of his labor and the pain of his toil, he recognized that this was the result of God’s curse on the ground as partial judgment of the sin of Adam. Since Noah means “comfort” or “rest,” it may be that Lamech named his son “rest” in anticipation of that final rest from labor promised to the people of God.

Noah grew up in an environment of faith and by the grace of God became what he is said to have become. We are told, “Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God” (Gen. 6:9). It was because of this that he was able to stand for God and with God against the ungodliness of the pre-flood generation.

Application:

I submit to you that we can only preserve the pure DNA, and fabric of the apostolic church BY THE GRACE OF GOD.

Proportion Statement

There are three areas in which God’s grace changed the life of Noah. If we can find grace in God’s eyes we will endure the wickedness of our times.

Genesis 6:9 NIV

Noah was a righteous man,

blameless among the people of his time,

and he walked faithfully with God.

First, he is said to have become “a righteous (or just) man.”

Noah is the first man in the Bible of whom this is said, though he is not the first person who was so. It is important that this is said here in connection with the first mention in the Bible of God’s grace, for it is the first fruit or expression of grace.

Grace leads to righteousness.

This righteousness does not only mean our position in God but also our actions as a child of God.

The Lord Jesus Christ said the same thing when he said to those who were professing to love him, “If you love me, you will obey what I command” (John 14:15). So did the apostle John when he wrote to those of his day, “We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands” (1 John 2:3).

We must not hurry over this truth. It applies not merely to Noah but to us as well, and it is meant to check presumption in our lives. We have a tendency—we who know theology—to dismiss the force of a word such as this by applying it to our standing before God, rather than our actions. Since the word can rightly be translated “just” and since we know that we are justified through the work of Jesus Christ received by faith, we tend to think of this as justification and therefore dismiss its force. “After all,” we say, “wasn’t Noah a justified man? and aren’t we also justified by the work of Christ? That’s all there is to it.” But that is not all there is to it.

Noah was certainly justified by God through his faith in the coming Redeemer, who was the Lord Jesus Christ. We are justified in the same way. But that is not what these verses are talking about. What they are talking about is something we desperately need to know: namely, that if we are justified, we will begin to act justly. If we do not act justly, then our claim to be justified is mere presumption, and our faith, such as it is, is merely that dead faith of which James speaks, a faith that will justify no one

James 2:14–26 KJV 1900

What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

Do we act justly? Do we show the righteousness of God in areas of personal integrity, business, family life, and general morality?

We may notice here that Noah is not merely said to have been “a righteous man.” He is also said to have been “a preacher of righteousness”

2 Peter 2:5 “And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;”

He preached righteousness exactly as his great-grandfather Enoch had done before him. The reason he could do this is that he himself was righteous. We may draw the conclusion that the reason why we do not have more preaching of righteousness in our day is that those who profess the name of Christ are often not living righteous lives.

What a need there is for us to live righteously and commend righteousness in our age! The world itself is crying out for it.

Our world in 2024 is Crying out for Righteous living and righteous preaching!!!

The second area in which God’s grace is said to have changed the life of Noah is in his relationship to others of his time.

Noah was a righteous man,

blameless among the people of his time,

and he walked faithfully with God.

Noah is said to have been “blameless.”

Which is probably related to how people of Noah’s time perceived him. Not only did Noah act uprightly before the Lord but also that he acted in such a way as to appear blameless in the eyes of the watching world.

Titus 2:11–12 “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;”

Do we do that? Or do we compromise our profession by speech and conduct that cause the world to conclude that we are no different from it?

It’s takes grace to forgive

It takes Grace make us Respond in kindness even when hurt

It causes us to forgive when affected by wickedness and wicked people

Fresh encounter with grace- His grace is sufficient (Health)

Grace that pardons

2 Corinthians 12:7–9 “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

We need that sufficient Grace sometimes to deal with our own personal issues.

Before we can get along with others we must first learn how to get along with ourselves

Not having the grace to deal with our crises will affect the grace we show to others.

What do you mean? Hurt people hurt people.

Some are plagued with infirmity.

Some are plagued with grief and loss of a loved one.

If you have ever been to the ER for any type of physical medical emergency, they will ask you first where you are feeling the pain, how bad is the pain etc. But then they will ask you, do you feel depressed do you have thoughts of giving up. Why? Because they know that the untreated physical pain can become the source of harm not just to yourself but to others.

And the reason why we need grace to deal with us is so we can have the grace to help others!

The Story Behind Tis So Sweet

There are hymns whose messages of hope and comfort resonate through the ages, touching the hearts of countless souls and drawing them closer to their Savior. One such beloved hymn is ‘Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus, a song that has stood the test of time and continues to inspire congregations worldwide. The story behind this beautiful hymn is one of tragedy and triumph, an illustration of God’s redemptive power at work. It serves as a testimony to God’s unchanging love amid life’s storms.

The Life and Calling of Louisa M.R. Stead

The author of this treasured hymn was Louisa M.R. Stead, born in England in 1850. As a young girl, she experienced a strong desire to become a missionary. At around 21 years old, she immigrated to America and resided in Cincinnati, Ohio for some time. While attending a camp meeting in Urbana, Ohio, her calling to be a missionary intensified; however, her ambitions to serve in China were hindered by her frail health.

Tragic Drownings Inspire a Timeless Hymn

On a summer day around 1880, Louisa and her husband, George, took their young daughter Lily to Brighton Beach on Long Island Sound for a picnic outing. While enjoying their day together by the seashore, they were suddenly alerted by cries for help from a young boy struggling against the tide offshore. Without hesitation, Louisa’s husband plunged into the water in an attempt to save him.

Tragically, both drowned as Louisa and Lily watched helplessly from the shore—their world shattered before their eyes; despair threatened to engulf them both after experiencing the terrible loss of their husband and father.

In those darkest moments following loss and grief so profound, Louisa turned to the one constant in her life: her Savior Jesus Christ.

‘Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus: A Beacon of Hope

As Louisa Stead poured out her heart through prayer and tears, a divine inspiration began to stir within her soul. It was then that the refrain of this hymn was born:

‘Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, Just to take Him at His word; Just to rest upon His promise, And to know, ‘Thus saith the Lord.’

Through these verses, Louisa expressed her complete reliance on God’s promises and found peace and solace in trusting the Savior who had carried her through every trial. The hymn became a beacon of hope for both Louisa and Lily as they navigated their grief together.

The lyrics were set to music by William J. Kirkpatrick, a Methodist Gospel hymn writer who published over sixty hymnals. It first appeared in Songs of Triumph, published in 1882 by the National Publishing Association for the Promotion of Holiness.

The Enduring Impact and Legacy of the Hymn

The impact of ‘Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus is evident not only by its popularity but also by its ability to touch hearts within churches across cultural barriers. It remains an enduring testament of unshakable faith amid adversity and serves as a reminder that we are never alone when we place our trust in our loving Savior as every Christian believer should.

As you sing or listen to this cherished hymn today, may you find strength and solace in knowing that you have a Savior who loves you deeply and will carry you through every storm life brings your way.

1 Peter 5:10 “But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.”

Finally, Noah is said to have “walked with God.”

Noah was a righteous man,

blameless among the people of his time,

and he walked faithfully with God.

We remember that in the case of Enoch, of whom it is also said that “he walked with God,” :

1) his awareness of the coming judgment of God,

2) the ungodliness of his generation, which was the cause of the flood, and

3) his walk with God.

The more Noah thought of the judgment of God, the more he was aware of the ungodliness of those around him.

The more he was aware of their ungodliness, the closer he walked with God.

The closer he walked with God, the more aware he was of judgment. Again, the closer he walked with God, the more aware he was of evil and unrighteousness. This is what happened to Noah. He walked with God, and this led him to live blamelessly and preach righteousness.

Alexander Maclaren said, “This communion is the foundation of all righteous conduct. Because Noah walked with God, he was ‘just’ and ‘perfect.’

If we live habitually in the holy of holies, our faces will shine when we come forth. If we desire to be good and pure, we must dwell with God, and his Spirit will pass into our hearts, and we shall bear the fragrance of his presence wherever we go.…

We begin communion with him, indeed, not by holiness, but by faith. But it is not kept up without the cultivation of purity.”

I like that word “cultivation,” because cultivation means work. It takes work to be godly. Noah’s name means “rest.” He entered into rest in due course, as all who know God do. But he had years of hard labor, both physical and spiritual, before he did.

Even if we have to walk alone.

It’s the revelation of His Grace that pardons that aids my walk with God

It causes me to praise and worship

Micah 6:8 “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; And what doth the Lord require of thee, But to do justly, and to love mercy, And to walk humbly with thy God?”

By His Grace (Praise and Inspiration)

We will make it.

Thirsty for Grace

Evil around us affects our walk with God and our prayer and our worship.

Evil in our churches affects the way we impact the lost.

Wickedness around us affects our Worship

Lose the focus talking about the evil of our day

immune to the evil

Desensitized by the evil

We need to know how God feels

Democrats and Republicans - Who is on the Lord’s Side

Shall we continue in sin that Grace me abound.

How can I find this Grace?

Hebrews 4:15–16 “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

1 He was obedient (Men Let’s make a Ark of safety for our Family’s salvation)

2 He Built Altars (He had a relationship with God)

3 He preached salvation (Evangelize even when there is rejection)

Come boldly and Let the Lord apply His Grace to your life.

Be Born again of the water and of the Spirit.

Acts 2:38 “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

Songs

Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus.

Grace grace, God’s grace, grace that will pardon and cleanse within.

Not to get contaminated by this world

Not distracted

Not lose faith

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