Noah: A Faith That Pleases God

Noah the Risk Taker

Prayer / Announcements

What is the best risk you have ever taken? Courtney, we dated 4 months. She already had a son, some told me to move on, but I took a risk because I knew she was who I wanted to spend my life with.

We are starting a new series. Think of it as a bible character series. We will be looking at the faith of key people in the Bible. Noah, Joshua, Rahab, David, John the Baptist, and Stephen.

This week we take a look at Noah. You are probably familiar with this narrative because of what Noah built, we would typically call this Narrative in the Bible Noah’s……Noah’s Ark. Right, if you drive about an hour north of here you can see his ark, or at least what bible historians think it looks like.

The story of Noah is a story of faith and obedience, although the narrative that surrounds him is not one that is necessarily a fun happy story. We like to think that it is, in fact it is a great kids story that we love. It does make a great story, it has a strong plot, animals, its perfect for illustrations, as long as you gloss over the dark, brutal, violent demise of not only all human beings but all living creatures world wide.

I love the comedian Tim Hawkins take on it.

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We are not going to focus on the flood narrative per se, but try and focus more on Noah, as a man, and his faith.

Hebrews chapter 11 is known as the “hall of faith” and within the that hall lies a portrait of Noah. His faith and obedience that led to action is recognized here.

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Hebrews 11:7 “7 By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.”

Noah had a faith that pleases God.

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Genesis 6:5–9 “5 Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. 7 So the Lord said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. 9 This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God.”

1. God Sees the Heart

Look at the accusation that we see here. Wickedness was great, every intent of the thoughts was evil continually. So much so that the Lord was sorry, or some versions say repented. We’ll come back to that.

Every intent or imagination was evil. The human mind outside of Christ is a sinful thing.

Matthew 5:27–28 “27 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

He also talked about hating your brother being likened to committing murder, at least the judgement of it.

Paul writes in Romans.

Romans 1:21–23 “21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.”

They worshipped the image of creation. Today we do the same thing. How many people care more about a dog being abused or malnourished, but have no problem disassembling a baby limb by limb inside a mothers womb.

A.W. Tozer says: “The essence of idolatry is the entertainment of thoughts about God that are unworthy of Him.” he later says talking about this passage in Romans. “Then followed the worship of idols fashioned after the likeness of men and birds…but this series of degrading acts began in the mind.”

The Gospel redeems even our minds, through sanctification by the filling of the Holy Spirit.

Jeremiah prophesied about this. Jeremiah 31:33 “33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.”

2. Sin Grieves God

Back to what we I said earlier. God repented, or was sorry. This language is used in several OT places, but I want to be careful to point out that God does not change His mind, neither does He change. So what is being said here.

God process emotions far different than we do. We probably know the scripture that talks about His ways, and Thoughts? His ways and thoughts are higher, and so are his emotions. See this tied to the rest of the verse. He was grieving.

God is not just Love, he is Perfect Love, but He is also Perfectly Just. Look at it this way if your spouse, or one of your children are brutally murdered, and they find the person that killed them. This person was brought before a judge and they said, I didn’t know better, and I will never do this again, and the judge lets them go…..are they a Just Judge? or Unjust?

God has to righteously judge, the earth, and He will have to do it again some day in the future. Here we see Him deeply grieving over the fact that He has to judge the wickedness of man.

Matthew 24:37 “37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.”

When you read this, doesn’t it sound a lot like where we are at today? Jesus Himself talks about the parallels that will be when His Second coming is slated to happen.

That leads us to Verse 8. “Noah found grace in the eyes of God”

3. Grace Breaks Through Darkness

Gods Riches At Christ’s Expense - Such a true statement. Grace is not something earned. It is something extended. Given.

Romans 5:20 “20 Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more,”

Grace is always abounding in the world. In this case it was Noah, and it was for the good of mankind, for the salvation of humanity. Now it is us. God extends Grace to us, by and through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. We are extended grace so we can tell people to get in the ark before the flood, before God’s wrath and judgement destroy this sinful world.

He is a righteous judge which means no one will escape His judgment unless they are covered by the blood of Christ.

Noah found grace, or favor in God’s sight. Was he perfect, no. But he stood out. Think about the culture we live in.

In what areas of culture are we as believers pressured to fall in line with?

Its easy to follow the crowd, its hard to stand out, or stand against the crowd. Verse 9 Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations, Noah walked with God.

What is impressive about Noah is not the flood, or the ark but that in a culture that was wicked and evil, he was able to walk with God.

That is the real lesson. How do we survive in culture, without becoming evil, or giving ourselves over to the wickedness around us. How do we carry out the great commission, how do we be salt, how do we be light.

Matthew 5:16 “16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

How do we do that? Noah found the secret….he walked with God. Paul tells us Galatians 5:16 “16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.”

4. Noah walked with God.

How do you live by faith in a world driven by sight and emotion?

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Genesis 6:17–22 “17 And behold, I Myself am bringing floodwaters on the earth, to destroy from under heaven all flesh in which is the breath of life; everything that is on the earth shall die. 18 But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall go into the ark—you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you. 19 And of every living thing of all flesh you shall bring two of every sort into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female. 20 Of the birds after their kind, of animals after their kind, and of every creeping thing of the earth after its kind, two of every kind will come to you to keep them alive. 21 And you shall take for yourself of all food that is eaten, and you shall gather it to yourself; and it shall be food for you and for them.” 22 Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did.”

5. Faith Obeys Even When It Doesn’t Make Sense

Noah receives the instructions, for what to do. God has already given instructions on how to build the ark, which we skipped over for time sake, this is a continuation. I am going to flood the earth. You go into the ark and take your family. Two of every kind of animal. And food.

I find it interesting that he tells them to get food, and he says I am not going to go get it for you or provide it. Moses is writing Genesis, and the people are out of Egypt, and most likely eating manna. They wake up each day and voila food shows up. Noah could have opened the window each day and grabbed a basket full of food, but no God says get it yourself.

He gives him all this instruction, which we don’t have time to get into how crazy it is, or time consuming or costly, and what do we see Noah do?

V.22 All God commanded. Faith. This is the faith James is talking about. Faith without works is dead. True Faith provokes action.

Think about it this way. V.18 God makes a covenant. He is saying you can trust me, like the song “I’ll take you at your word, cause your good on your promise”

God establishes a covenant, I am going to wipe out humanity, but not you. You are going into the ark….Just one problem. There has to be an Ark. Noah had to build it in Faith.

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How are obedience and God’s offer of rescue related? How is this similar to the rescue we can find in Jesus? In Jesus God provided the Ark we just have to have the faith to get in.

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Genesis 8:20–22 “20 Then Noah built an altar to the Lord, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21 And the Lord smelled a soothing aroma. Then the Lord said in His heart, “I will never again curse the ground for man’s sake, although the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done. 22 “While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, Cold and heat, Winter and summer, And day and night Shall not cease.””

6. God Keeps His Promises

After just over a year, on the ark, it’s time to get off. Really this starts in verse one of chapter 8. Genesis 8:1 “1 Then God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the animals that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters subsided.”

God remembered, not that He forgot, but rather He honored His covenant. He told Noah that He was going to save him and his family, and God’s promises are sure.

7. Worship is the Right Response to Salvation

Noah is the first person in the bible mentioned to build an altar. He built an altar to sacrifice, he brought extra clean animals, he was sacrificing to God who demonstrated His infinite power, righteous judgment, and incredible grace.

Verse 21 is especially important. The sacrificial system and all its intricacies has not yet been revealed to them. But look what it says about the sacrifice. The Lord smelled a “soothing aroma”, or some versions a “sweet savour” He’s not like man that smoked beef smells great, I’m getting hungry. No it is the heart posture of Noah. It is the willingness to sacrifice, to honor God.

8. Sacrifice Pleases God

Ephesians 5:2 “2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.”

2 Corinthians 2:15 “15 For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.”

We are the fragrance, in Christ. What do we do about that. Like Noah we offer a Sacrifice.

Romans 12:1 “1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.”

9. The Ark Points Us to Christ

The ark was God’s means of rescue during judgment. Jesus is our Ark—our rescue from sin and death. Just as Noah had to enter the ark by faith, we must enter into relationship with Jesus by faith. God didn’t just spare Noah; He made a way for all to be saved—then and now.

10. Our Generation Looks Like Noah’s

Jesus said, “As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be at the coming of the Son of Man” (Matthew 24:37). Our culture mirrors Noah’s world in many ways—violence, rebellion, idolatry. Like Noah, we’re called to live righteously in the middle of unrighteousness and to invite others into the rescue while there’s still time.

Application

In a world that pressures you to conform, will you choose to walk with God?

Faith means doing something—how are you putting faith into action this week?

Noah prepared for what hadn’t yet happened. What’s one way you can prepare spiritually for challenges you can’t see coming?

Noah built an altar. Where in your life does God deserve gratitude and sacrifice?

The ark was God’s plan of rescue. Jesus is our Ark today—have you stepped in?