Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

The flood is one of the most disturbing parts of history, if you slow down and think about it.

It’s easy for a Christian who’s been around the church for any period of time to believe that the story of Noah and the flood is so elementary that it is beneath them.

But, this is no simple children’s story.

’ve spent some time this week looking at some of the historical depictions of the Great Flood by a few artists.

They picture mom’s holding their babies over their heads trying to keep them above water as long as possible.

They show stacks of people and animals frantically rushing together to the highest ground possible until a few of them can remain before the last tip of the mountain goes beneath the waves.

There are bodies floating, weary birds flying, and exhausted lions drowning.

In one painting, the waters have abated, and Noah’s family is preparing to exit the ark.

But, though we typically imagine this as Noah walking out into a picturesque scene with birds singing, this painting shows that everywhere water once was, now the bodies of families and animals lay.

It certainly isn’t your average Christmas story, and it’s important that as we read these accounts and think of their truth that we not sanitize them in our minds.

We must not sanitize our Bibles or whitewash God’s judgement, for we do so only to the peril of our own souls and those we love.

As we celebrate this Advent season, as we celebrate the coming of our Savior, we can only truly treasure Christ and his coming if we know what it is that He came to deliver us from.

All of the devastation of the Bible is written with the coming of Christ in mind.

So, as we look at the aftermath of the flood this morning, we won’t just see devastation; we will see grace.

We won’t just see judgement; we will see salvation.

We won’t just see wrath; we will see peace.

God’s Word

Read

“You Will Surely Die”

“So the Lord said, ‘I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land” As we saw last week, God had watched as wickedness had filled the earth.

God had placed his image in man so that as mankind multiplied across the earth so his image would multiply with them.

But, rather than see his glory made clear across the earth, everywhere man went evil was there.

So much so that the Bible says that the inclinations of man’s heart, the thoughts of man’s mind were all evil all of the time.

God regrets that He has made man and is grieved over the devastation that has come to his creation, and He so he resolves to blot man out from the face of the earth.

So, God sends a cataclysmic flood upon the earth.

It rains without ceasing for forty days and forty nights, so much so that even Everest itself is submerged.

And, as you read, you can’t help but realize that this is God’s word coming true.

For God had told Adam and Eve in the Garden that if they rebelled against him, if they did evil, they would surely die.

And, through the flood, we see the Gospel.

I want us to look at three ways that we find the gospel in the flood.

God Saves a Remnant.

“But, God found favor in the eyes of the LORD.”

God sends a flood that is just as pervasive as the wickedness.

Almost, at least.

You see, in the midst of that darkness, in the midst of such an awful judgement, God gives us hope.

Not About Noah

“for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth” And so, we get to the other side and waters have abated, and Noah leaves the ark, and we make a startling discovery.

The flood wasn’t fully effective.

God had resolved to flood the earth because man’s thoughts were all evil all of the time.

But, then what does it say in 8:21?

God says, “I will never again flood the earth for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth.”

So, the earth has become cleaner, but it still isn’t clean.

Sinners have been purged from the earth, but not entirely.

So many people make this story all about Noah and what a great man he was.

But, do you notice how hard Moses works to show us that this is not about Noah’s goodness at all?

This isn’t about Noah!

There are wicked men before the flood, and there are still wicked men after the flood.

Men are inclined toward evil before the flood, and men are inclined toward evil after the flood.

That’s why I had us read all the way through verse 22.

I wanted you to see the very next thing we learn about Noah.

Noah is delivered from the flood, offers God a sacrifice that pleases him, and the very next thing he does is get drunk, naked, and expose himself in shame.

This story isn’t about how good Noah is; this story is about how good God is.

This isn’t about how hard Noah worked to avoid the judgment; this is about how gracious God was to spare him from the judgement.

Constrained By Grace

The only reason the flood wasn't fully effective is that God constrained his own righteous judgement by his own sovereign love.

The only reason the flood wasn't fully effective is that God constrained his own righteous judgement by his own sovereign love.

God should have fully purged the earth, but his grace constrained him.

His love for man compelled him to provide a way by which they might be saved.

God's will to populate the earth with his glory through his people will not be thwarted by the unfaithfulness of man.

The sinfulness of man will not stop God, though it will condemn most men.

But, on the contrary, God will work through the wickedness of man to save remnant by which He will be glorified not only as mighty, but as merciful; not only glorious, but also gracious; not only as Creator, but also as Redeemer.

God has chosen to delay in patience and longsuffering his final judgement so that He might save a remnant through which his glory will advance.

We Deserve the Flood, But Receive the Ark

The

The truth is that the flood makes far more sense than the Ark.

Man is wicked from his infancy.

Man is owed the judgement of God and the wrath of God.

Mankind’s heart is so wicked that it’s like a cancer in the creation fit only to be removed.

But as wicked as man is, God is far more merciful!

APPLICATION: Brothers and sisters, I deserve the flood, but I’ve received the Ark!

I disobey God more than I obey him.

I deserve the flood.

People’s lives can be falling apart all around me, and all I can do is think about a savings account or dishes in the sink.

I deserve the flood.

God has always provided for me, always cared for me, always sustained me, always came through for me, and yet I am still overcome with unbelief.

I deserve the flood.

But, as much as I deserve the flood, God has still given me the Ark.

God provided Noah’s salvation from the flood, and I am saved the same way that Noah was.

By God’s power, provision, and grace.

Jesus came because in God's holiness you are wicked, but in God's mercy you are loved, and so, by God's power and provision you might be saved.

Jesus came because God is saving a remnant from within a crooked generation.

We deserve the flood, but God has given us Jesus!

God initiates a relationship.

“And God said to Noah” 6:13 To really get what’s happening in the story of Noah, you have to understand the one-sided nature of what’s going on.

Noah is saved from the flood because God warns him.

It's not because Noah is wise or scientifically advanced or has a meteorological instinct.

Noah is saved because God comes to him.

If God doesn’t come to Noah, Noah is going to die.

God goes to Noah before Noah goes to God.

Noah’s children are going to die.

God came to Noah and warned him of his coming judgment and demanded that he build the ark out of grace!

Something really cool, is did you know that is the very first time that the word grace is used in the Bible?

And, it establishes a pattern.

What makes grace grace is that it comes at the initiative of God because of the love of God.

Noah didn’t go to God; God went to Noah.

An Offering to God

“Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and....offered burnt offerings on the altar.”

And, this isn’t lost on Noah.

There’s no doubt in Noah’s mind.