Faith Full Service

Introduction - In this amazing record of those who lived by faith, God has given us many differing examples of those who have triumphantly lived the faith life.

We have seen two other records in this passage and now we come to a third record that the penman submits to you and I to examine.

Biblical New Testament faith remember is defined for us in Hebrews 12:2 “2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

These Hebrew Christians desperately needed to continue in the faith that was delivered unto them.

And so it is with you and I as well. We must be faith full Christians if we are to please God.

Look with me in Hebrews 11:6–7 “6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. 7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.”

Noah is said to be a generational link in the family of biblical faith.

Believed God

Feared God

Obeyed God

Waited Upon God

Glorified God

Just like Enoch, we could speak of many different areas of the faith life, but I would like us to consider this morning, Noah’s example of “Faith Full Service”

Let’s Pray

The necessity of faith in the life of a Christian cannot be overstated. In fact, all that we do should be in faith.

The Word of God states in Romans 1:23 “…for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.”

In other words, we must in all points and in all areas of our life be looking to our all-wise Creator and Savior.

Romans 14:8 “8 For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s.”

And I pray it is that we are getting the idea, the biblical truth, that God is emphasizing and that is to live consciously in His presence.

This matter of the crucial necessity of faith is given in this illustration.

Illustration - Imagine that you are out in the middle of a lake and there are two rowboats and you are standing with one foot in each boat. One boat, however, is filled with holes and is sinking fast. It is obvious that unless you do something you will soon be in the lake. The boat with the holes represents ourselves with all of the leaks caused by sin. The boat without holes represents Christ. It should be obvious that with one foot in each boat we shall end up in the same place that we would have ended up in had we had both feet in the boat marked “self.” The only safe place to be is to have both feet firmly planted in the boat marked Christ.

Abel, from the very beginning of time demonstrated— really a first record of faith— following Adam and Eve.

And then, down the line, the seventh from Adam—- His name was Enoch demonstrated a faith full witness.

Here in our text, we have Enoch’s great grandson- Noah, who generationally demonstrates a life of faith.

This record is vitally important, particularly to you and I.

Did you know that the Lord references this record of Noah specifically to pay attention to concerning the last days?

Matthew 24:37 “37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”

What do we see in this record of Noah? We see a picture of faith full service.

Notice with me in the text that faith full service first of all is:

I. Rooted In A Relationship with God

The writer here in Hebrews sums up the truth concerning Noah and His actions. He informs us that Noah was warned of God.

This presupposes that He had a relationship with God.

Turn with me to Genesis 6.

Notice with me, what the Genesis record states about Noah in verse 9.

Genesis 6:9 “9 These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.”

Three truths are mentioned here about the relationship Noah had with God.

A. Noah was just.

Justification is a legal term which means to be declared righteous.

In our text in Hebrews 11:7, the Bible declares that Noah was an heir —-or recipient of the righteousness which is by faith.

His righteousness before God was the fruit of His faith in God.

Service to God can only be acceptable to Him following a relationship to God. And a relationship to God can only take place by God’s grace through faith.

So many people in this world are trying to service God, without a relationship to God. Those who are lost in tresspasses and sins believe that they can serve enough to make themselves right with God.

Listen the example of Noah in the Word of God ought to show us that this is not the case. Before God asked Noah to do anything, the Bible declares that He was a just man—- a saved man…

I know I ask this question often, but are you a child of God? You cannot serve God until you deal with your separation from God because of your sin.

Here Noah is a just man. But we see also:

B. Noah was perfect in his generations.

What a challenging statement!

Now you and I are told very specifically not to compare ourselves one with another.

And this is not what the Lord is telling us. Noah did not compare Himself with the rest of the world, but rather God gave His assessment of Noah with the rest of the world.

Did you know that if we are to render any kind of service to God, we must walk rightly before Him?

This comment by the Holy Spirit is declaring to you and I, that we cannot use the excuse that our lack of holy living is because we live in such a wicked day.

Notice also that the Bible declares that:

C. Noah walked with God.

Two men before the flood are declared to have walked with God. Enoch, the seventh from Adam walked with God and was not for God took Him. And here Noah walked with God.

How did Noah know that judgment was coming? Well, we see that Noah had a relationship with God.

A faith full servant is one who is saved by God grace through faith. He is just. A faith full servant is one who is not defined by the culture of wickedness around Him and we see that a faith full servant will hear from God and know truth because He walks with God.

But secondly, I want us to know this about Noah’s faith full service it was a:

II. Response In Reverence to God

Noah had a reverential fear of the Lord. What does that mean to fear God?

Oftentimes, we can understand this in our human relationships somewhat in dealing with the reverential fear we have toward our parents.

How much more we see this in Noah’s response to the Lord?

Our service to the Lord, if it is going to be full of faith, must be in response to our worship of the Lord.

Notice in verses 11-16.

Genesis 6:11–16 “11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. 13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. 14 Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch. 15 And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits. 16 A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it.”

Do you think Noah feared and respected the Words of God?

Here the Lord tells Noah He will destroy the earth and those who reject Him.

He tells Noah to build a roughly 450 foot boat that is 75 feet wide and roughly 45 feet tall— that’s four and 1/2 stories. If we are speaking about a royal cubit—- the ark was perhaps as tall as 51 feet in height.

Just to give you and idea of the size of this kind of structure, we are talking about a boat that is 1.5 football fields in length.

Looking back at our text verse… listen carefully

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

Now there is alot of debate as to whether or not this is a reference to rain falling from the sky or not… but one thing we do know for sure— there had never been a catestrophic flood like what was about to take place.

This was world changing event— this flood of which the Lord spoke (Genesis 6:17) was something the world had never seen.

Now we can look out through the lens of history and understand a little of what is coming when the meteorologist mentions the word hurricane… or we an understand just as we expierenced when the weatherman mentions a snow storm…

But Noah had to respond in reverence to Almighty God by faith in something the Bible says was “...not seen as yet…”

And we must ask our selves the question this morning concerning our service to the Lord as well. Is our service to the Lord a response of faith in His Holy Word? Or are we just trying to get something from God?

To what end are we serving the Lord?

To what purpose are we serving the Lord?

Is our service to the Lord because we believe God and fear Him?

Or are we just doing what we have always done and have lost sight of the purpose behind all that we do.

Friends, what is the why behind your doing?

Noah had a relationship to God therefore He was a faith full witness, His service was in response to His reverence of God, but notice here thirdly, Noah:

III. Rested In the Righteousness of God

The Bible tells us in Hebrews 11:7 that Noah “…prepared the ark…”

I wondered how hard Noah had to work to build that Ark?

I wonder how much ridicule and scoffing Noah received?

I wonder how many tried to hinder Noah as He preached righteous those hundred and twenty years…

I wonder how many days did Noah had to remind Himself that judgment was indeed coming.

Noah had to daily—- rest in the righteousness of God.

Can I ask the question this morning? Are you resting daily in the right ways of God?

You say what is it going to take to service the Lord being full of faith? Friend, you must live in the right ways of God.

Are you willing to pay the price of obedience to the Lord daily— your entire life in service to Him?

Noah rested in the righteousness of God. We see a wonderful result of this kind of faith full service. Noah—-

IV. Rescued The Remnant of the godly

You know in the days of Noah, the Bible tells us that Noah preached righteousness. (2 Peter 3:5)

For 120 years I believe based on Genesis 6:3 “3 And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.”

That is —-one hundred and twenty years till judgment.

Noah not only through His service, but through His testimony those many years preached righteousness to a lost world.

I can imagine, when the day of judgment came it was a sad sight indeed to see only Noah’s sons and their wives enter into the Ark.

But thank the Lord for the remnant of the godly.

What would have happened if Noah had not completed the Ark?

What would have happened if Noah just had given up?

From those eight people come the table of all nations.

n other words, the fact that you and are here today is a result of Noah’s faith full service to the Lord.

Did you know this, that even greater is the fact that Jesus Christ is direct descendant of Noah?

In Luke 3:36 we read in the line of Christ these words… “… which was the son of Noe, which was the son of Lamech,”

God always has a way— even in spite of man, but realize that because of Noah’s service we find humanity continuing in the book of Genesis and later on the line of Christ through the lineage of Noah.

But lastly, I want us to realize the importance of faith full service to the Lord… Noah’s faith full service

V. Repeated The Reliable Path To God

Just like Enoch, in the Genesis record, we discover that Noah walked with God.

The Bible tells us in 2 Peter 1:19–21 “19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: 20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”

This book—- the Bible declares to us the reliable path to God…

As we close— are you repeating by your life the reliable path to God. We have Noah’s record given to us in the Scriptures.

The Bible says in Romans 15:4 “4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.”

But I wonder, are we transferring that example of faith to the generations that are coming behind us?

Are we serving the Lord in such a way— that those who come behind us —are learning that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope…

I am afraid that as we look around today— there is a generational gap of faith. Enoch walked with God…. Noah walked with God… Abraham walked with God — on down the generational line.

How is your service for the Lord? Is it faith full service?

We have see that Noah’s service was

Rooted in Relationship With God

Secondly, His Service was a Rightful Response In Reverence to God.

Noah thirdly had to Rest In The Righteousness Of God—

Noah’s Faith Full Service Rescued The Remnant of the Godly

And lastly, Noah’s Service Repeated The Reliable Path To God.