Hebrews 11:7 | Trusting in the Ark of Our Salvation

Cal’s favorite character was Noah. You can read about his life in Genesis 6-9. The author of Hebrews summarizes his life in this way:

Hebrews 11:7, “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.”

This verse highlights Noah’s faith in God. Noah was a man who in the midst of a corrupt generation, “found favor in the eyes of the Lord” (Gen. 6:8). Noah was warned about a coming judgment to earth. He and his family were saved because they trusted in God’s mean’s of salvation by entering the ark.

Sermon title: Trusting the Ark of our salvation.

Main Idea: Jesus is the ultimate Ark that provides salvation from sin and death.

How was Noah saved?

Noah trusted God’s Word.

Christian faith is much more than believing in God. It’s believing God.

It means that rather than trusting my own feelings & perception, I allow God to define reality.

Brainwash? NO!

V.3 Faith begins by using our thinking and reasoning = arrive to understanding.

Here’s the bottom line: there are two voices that will define reality for you: yours or Gods.

Scripture confronts us with the reality that you and I were designed to understand reality from our creator. We were created to rely on him for meaning as to who we are and what life is all about.

“The only other option for our daily living is to look to our Creator for our identity, for meaning in life and for parameters for our daily living. To do this you have to believe that God is the ultimate and reliable source for everything that is good, true, right, holy, trustworthy and wise. And when you believe this, you obey God even in moments when it doesn’t make sense and when you’re not at all sure how things will turn out.” Paul Tripp

v.7 “By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen.”

What events?

Gen 6:13-17, “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. Make yourself an ark of gopher wood. V.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.”

God warned Noah about events unseen. Get ready! And so he did.

He allowed God to define reality rather than his feelings & perception (no rain, clear skies, birds chirping, perhaps people laughing at him).

“I chose to trust God’s Word!”

Cal chose to trust God’s Word. He trusted in Christ as his Lord and Savior.

John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

What about you?

Noah trusted God’s means of salvation

What did Noah do when God warned him about the upcoming judgment coming to the earth? Noah, “in reverent (holy) fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household.”

Salvation takes place on God’s terms/instructions (Ark specifics) (song, “build an arky.”) This was a huge ark!

There was no way to hide it (I wonder what they are building?)

It was no small task: it’s going to take decades and lots of resources. Obedience to God is a walk of faith where I completely surrender my will to God’s will.

I wonder if people mocked Noah? (historical & geographical context defied human logic).

Noah and his household (a total of eight people) trusted God’s means of salvation: the ark.

Jesus is the ultimate Ark that provides salvation from sin and death.

Conclusion: Let me read you again Hebrews 11:7 “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.”

What does it mean that he condemned the world?

It simply means that His life and his words were a living testimony that had trusted God.

I know this because the last sentence in v.7 tells me that Noah “became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.”

An heir- someone who freely receives something someone else earned.

Religion says, you must first do in order to receive. The gospel says, “In Christ you are an heir – you freely receive a righteousness that is not your own.” He became sin…

How you receive it? It comes by faith. It’s from God. You simply open your hand receive it (faith).

Response: There is judgement coming. Get in the ark. Jesus is the ark. Noah was saved by a wooden boat. Jesus saves by a wooden cross.

Jesus is the ultimate Ark that provides salvation from sin and death.

Noah build an ark not only for his own salvation but for the salvation of his own household.

This doesn’t mean that salvation is a family package. My dad was a Christian, that means I’m also a Christian.

Salvation is an individual choice. Noah’s children also made an individual decision.

Can you imagine Noah’s joy to know that his children and his daughters-in-law had also trusted God’s word.

Cal would also love that for his family.

3 John 4 “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.”

And also

Acts 2:37–41 “Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” 40 And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” 41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.”

Jesus is the ultimate Ark that provides salvation from sin and death.