The Ark

Introduction

Continuing with our series titled Emmaus

On the road, his disciples do not recognize him

He tells them that all of the Old Testament talks about him

We too often are like the disciples who don’t recognize Jesus right in front of us. But when we do, our words should be the same as the disciples when Jesus revealed himself to them: did our hearts not burn within us.

(Pull up graphic)

Thus far, we’ve seen through the story of Jacob’s ladder that Christ is our Bethel

He is the means by which heaven and earth meet, and because of Christ, heaven has been opened

Through the story of Moses and the bronze serpent on the pole, we’ve seen how Christ is our healer

Last week, through the story of Moses’ intercession, we’ve seen how Christ is our intercessor

Because he has stepped in the gap for us, we can now see the glory of God

Tonight, we’re onto our fourth story

We’re going to see through the story of Noah’s ark how Christ is our Savior

Intro

How do you read the Bible?

I’m not asking how you literally read the Bible. I guess I mean when you read the Bible, what are you looking for?

When I was a teenager going to Cascade Christian High School, the thing I was looking for in the Bible was how to become a better, more moral and more Christ-honoring person

Was I wrong for that? Is that how some of you primarily read the Bible?

Something I’ve been obsessed with recently is this idea of Moralistic Therapeutic Deism (I like big words that make me sound smart)

According to an article I found in the Gospel Coalition, this is what MTD believes: “God is a cosmic therapist and divine butler, ready to help out when needed. He exists but really isn’t a part of our lives. We are supposed to be “good people,” but each person must find what’s right for him or her. Good people will go to heaven, and we shouldn’t be stifled by organized religion where somebody tells us what we should do or what we should believe.”

In other words, if your main goal with being a Christian or reading your Bible is to become a better person, then you basically ascribe to this idea of moralistic therapeutic deism

And while I wouldn’t suggest Moralistic Therapeutic Deism is heretical by any means, I would also say that it leads to a lifeless and uninteresting Christianity

Think about it, what is the one complaint raised against school?

“I’m never gonna use this”

So for a lot of people, school is useless because the stuff you’re learning doesn’t apply to the real world

However, another reason why people become discouraged by school is because it’s too hard

If something is too hard for you to grasp, you tend to become discouraged and either study harder, or you despair and doom scroll on your phone instead

So you either disengage or become discouraged because it’s too difficult, or you tune it out because it’s useless

And I suspect that a lot of us have a tendency of doing that with Christianity as well

David killing Uriah - doesn’t apply to me

Jesus telling us to forgive our enemies - too hard

Daniel praying - I want to pray more and be unashamed in my faith, but then you fail in both 2 days later and become discouraged

I have bad news and I have good news

Bad news: You are not “off the hook” when it comes to being moral

Jesus says “if you love me, you will keep my commands”

We ought to heed what the Bible has to say about living a good moral life, and then live that way

Good news: The Bible isn’t just a guidebook to morality. There’s so much more to the Bible that leads to a vibrant, joy-filled life as a Christian

There are 4 things you need to look for when reading the Bible

The first two have to do with learning, the second two have to do with our response

What can I learn about God

What can I learn about myself

How do I respond

Where do I see Christ

Let’s do this with our passage today

Summary

The evil of man becomes so pervasive that God is filled with sorrow over the creation of His own image bearers

Genesis 6:5–6 “The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart.”

So the Lord determines to blot them off the face of the earth by sending a flood

But, he doesn’t give up on them. He chooses one man: Noah and his family, to build an ark and on it put two of each animal so that they are able to re-populate the earth

So Noah does so, God sends the flood, everyone is wiped out, but Noah and his family are saved

And when Noah again steps foot on dry land, he builds an altar, and the Lord makes a covenant with him, saying that He will never again flood the earth

What Can I Learn About God

God hates sin and is a righteous judge

Gee God, isn’t this a bit of an overreaction?

We ought not to judge God based on our own standards of what is right and wrong. We shouldn’t look at this story and question God’s character, we should look at this story and realize how wicked of a thing sin actually is

(Going to the doctor for pain in your left arm)

Why do we trust doctors more than God?

He is longsuffering

God’s covenant with Noah

Genesis 8:21–22 “And when the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma, the Lord said in his heart, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done. While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.””

It’s not just a covenant that God won’t flood the earth again, it’s a covenant promise that God will endure with his people

He’s never going to start over again

Despite all their sin and all their rebellion, He will never again start over

This covenant shows that God’s plan is not one of destruction, but one of restoration

What Can I Learn About Myself

Be aware of continuous sin that takes root in the heart

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

Some of you have probably found yourself in a cycle of sin and backsliding where you have no desire to live a holy life and your only goal in life is to please the desires of the flesh

Be aware of that in yourself, don’t let it get to that point

Your mission in life is to be fruitful and multiply

Look down at chapter 9. God tells Noah to “be fruitful and multiply” twice

For Noah it was obvious

There’s no one left, so literally fill the earth with image bearers once again

But also, be fruitful. May it not be that I have to look at image bearers again and see that every intention of the heart is evil continually. Bear fruit

So how does this apply to us?

WHEN YOU’RE MARRIED, have kids. Literally fill the earth

But for everyone else in this room, fill the earth with Christians (the Great Commission)

And finally, be fruitful. We have not been called to be a people whose hearts are nothing but evil continually, we have been called to bear fruit

How Do I Respond

Be fruitful and multiply

Hebrews 12:1 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,”

Have faith

Noah had faith that what God said was true, and Noah had faith that God would protect him and his family

We ought to place our faith in God as well.

He will see us through

He will forgive your sins even when you don’t feel like you can be forgiven

His plans are nothing but good

He does hold all authority and all power in His hands

Where Do I See Christ

Christ is the flood water

Revelation 6:15–17 “Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?””

God is the one who sends the flood waters, he’s the only one who has a right to judge

And if this makes you feel uncomfortable, there’s no shame in that. In fact, I’d be a little worried if it didn’t make you at least a little uncomfortable

Christ is our Savior

Our instinct is to picture ourselves inside the ark with Noah. But if we're honest, apart from grace, we belong outside. We were not righteous by nature. We were among those who had exchanged God for idols, who loved ourselves more than our Creator, who deserved the very judgment that fell upon the earth.

And yet, this is the wonder of the gospel.

He doesn't merely build a refuge from judgment—He becomes the refuge. On the cross, the floodwaters of God's righteous wrath did not pass around Him; they fell upon Him. The judgment that should have swept us away overwhelmed the Son of God instead.

When we trust in Christ, we are united to Him. We are brought safely through judgment, not because we are righteous, but because He is. The ark carried Noah through the flood. Christ carries His people through the judgment they deserved and into a new creation.