NEVER AGAIN

GOD’S LOVE OVERCOMES SIN

Noah and his family were free from the smelly ark, but were they free from the stench of sin? Unfortunately the answer is no, as Noah seems to understand (8:20).

God knows the reality of sin, but that’s what makes his promise to Noah all the more poignant (9:8-17).

“Even though” God knows human beings are hopeless sinners (8:21), “never again” will he consider completely destroying them (8:21; 9:11, 15).

At this point, a rainbow would be the symbol of his love. Later he would say it in Person.

Genesis 8:21 NKJV

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.

1. The Bad News: Sin is Real

WE HAVE HEARD ALL ABOUT FAKE NEWS, MADE UP NEWS, AND PERHAPS MADE UP NEWS - BUT THIS IS REAL NEWS. SIN IS REAL! AND EVEN MORE - YOU | NO MATTER HOW GOOD YOU THINK YOU ARE - YOU HAVE A SIN PROBLEM.

a. Noah recognized it and sacrificed ()

Genesis 8:20 NKJV

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.

AFTER BEING IN THE ARK WITH HIS FAMILY AND ANIMALS - NOAH, AT THE END OF 40 DAYS SENT OUT A RAVEN AND A DOVE.

WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE TWO BIRDS?

Genesis 8:6–7 NKJV

6 So it came to pass, at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made. 7 Then he sent out a raven, which kept going to and fro until the waters had dried up from the earth.

Genesis 8:6 NKJV

6 So it came to pass, at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made.

THE RAVEN:

SYMBOL OF UNCLEAN, AND CONSIDERED A SIGN OF EVIL.

WENT OUT GOING TO AND FRO -

Job 2:2 NKJV

2 And the Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.”

A SYMBOL OF SATAN HIMSELF.

THE RAVEN FEEDS ON DEAD FLESH - A SINNER! THOSE NOT KNOWING THE LORD GO THROUGH LIFE AIMLESSLY, DERIVING FUTILE PLEASURES FROM THINGS THAT HAVE NO LIFE. (WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH) SINNERS ARE DEAD.

THE DOVE:

A CLEAN BIRD, AND SYMBOL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

FOUND NO RESTING PLACE - RETURNED TO THE ARK. (SALVATION - PICTURE OF CHRIST)

THE DOVE IS VERY SELECTIVE ON WHAT IT WILL EAT, IT FOUND NO FOOD, IT FOUND NO REST, IT CAME BACK. YOU WILL FIND NO REST IF YOU ARE RUNNING FOR THE PROMISE OF SALVATION IN CHRIST. YOU WILL BE LIVING THE LIFE OF A RAVEN. POINTLESS. FOR SIN AND SELF.

LOOK WHAT HAPPENED - THE DOVE WENT OUT, (AWAY FROM THE ARK) FOUND NOTHING, NO REST, AND CAME BACK TO THE ARK - SALVATION, AND WHAT DID NOAH DO? HE REACHED OUT HIS HAND AND “DREW HER INTO THE ARK” (RICH SYMBOLISM)

WE ARE HERE ON THIS EARTH AND WE MAY BE STRUGGLING

GOD IS REACHING OUT TO YOU - TAKE HIS HAND.

THIS IS ALSO A SYMBOL OF REVIVAL, REPENTANCE, SALVATION

LAST ONE: A SYMBOL OF THE COMING END. THE DOVE REPRESENTING THE CHURCH OF GOD. WE ARE IN THE WORLD, NOT OF THE WORLD - AND ONE DAY THE WE WILL BE CALLED TO THE SAFETY OF THE SHIP (HEAVEN)

AND JUST LIKE IN THIS DAY OF NOAH - THOSE FOUND WITHOUT CHRIST, SALVATION - WILL FACE ETERNAL HELL.

FIRST ON EARTH, THEN IN HELL ( A PLACE FOR THOSE REJECTING GOD)

BUT GOD OFFERS TO YOU - PEACE.

THE NEXT DOVE RETURNED WITH A FRESH OLIVE BRANCH (PEACE) SYMBOL - THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL MINISTER PEACE TO YOU. LET HIM!

b. God recognized it ( )

Genesis 8:21 NKJV

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.

A SIGN OF WORSHIP - NOT ONLY SACRIFICE. OUR OFFERINGS ARE SIGNS OF WORSHIP.

For worship is the submission of all our nature to God. It is the quickening of conscience by His holiness; the nourishment of mind with His truth; the purifying of imagination by His beauty; the opening of the heart to His love; the surrender of will to His purpose – and all of this gathered up in adoration, the most selfless emotion of which our nature is capable and therefore the chief remedy for that self-centeredness which is our original sin and the source of all actual sin.

THE SOONER WE LEARN THAT CHURCH, WORSHIP, PRAISE, OFFERING, AND LIFE ITSELF ID NOT ABOUT US - THE BETTER OFF THE KINGDOM OF GOD WILL BE. IT’S NOT ABOUT YOU AND IT’S NOT ABOUT ME. IT’S ALL ABOUT GOD! IT’S ALL ABOUT JESUS.

OUR SACRIFICE OF WORSHIP MOVES THE HEART OF GOD. ()

Genesis 8:21 NKJV

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.

IT WAS BECAUSE OF THE SACRIFICE OF NOAH, THAT GOD PROMISED TO NEVER DESTROY THE EARTH WITH A FLOOD AGAIN.

ARE YOU FAITHFUL AND SINCERE IN YOUR WORSHIP? OR ARE YOU JUST PASSING TIME IN HERE TODAY?

GOD IS REACHING DOWN TO US - AND HE IS LOOKING FOR A PEOPLE THAT WILL REACH BACK. REVIVAL COMES TO THOSE WILLING TO LAY DOWN PRIDE AND REACH OUT TO GOD.

2. The Good News: God’s Love Overcomes Sin

a. The rainbow; a covenant with Noah ( )

Genesis 9:8–17 NKJV

8 Then God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying: 9 “And as for Me, behold, I establish My covenant with you and with your descendants after you, 10 and with every living creature that is with you: the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you, of all that go out of the ark, every beast of the earth. 11 Thus I establish My covenant with you: Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood; never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” 12 And God said: “This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: 13 I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. 14 It shall be, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud; 15 and I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16 The rainbow shall be in the cloud, and I will look on it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” 17 And God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant which I have established between Me and all flesh that is on the earth.”

ALL GOD’S PROMISES ARE TRUE! THERE’S NO NEED DOUBT.

WE NEED TO REMEMBER THIS AT ALL TIMES.

NOAH - THE FIRST TO SEE A RAINBOW. A PROMISE FROM GOD

BUT THIS IS A STRONG PROMISE FROM GOD - I AM WITH YOU.

IN EGYPT - THE RAINBOW WAS THE RELEASE FROM BONDAGE

WITH DANIEL IN THE LIONS DEN - THE RAINBOW WAS THE SHUT MOUTHS OF THE LIONS, AND TO PROVE THE WORD OF GOD TRUE

THE SAME IS TRUE FOR YOU -

WHATEVER IS WEIGHING ON YOU, WHAT EVER YOU ARE STRUGGLING WITH, THE PROBLEM, THE HEALTH ISSUE, THE FINANCE ISSUE, THE EMOTIONAL HURT -

WHEN YOU THINK THE SUN WILL NEVER SHINE AGAIN -

DON’T YOU FORGET - GOD PUT A RAINBOW IN THE CLOUDS JUST FOR YOU!

3. The Greatest News: The New Covenant in Jesus Christ

a. Jesus’ sacrifice: our new covenant ()

Matthew 26:26–28 NKJV

26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” 27 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

WHAT GOD PROMISED - JESUS FULFILLS.

JESUS IS THE ONLY WAY OF SALVATION, AND NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER BUT THROUGH HIM.

b. Jesus is mediator of the new covenant (

Hebrews 8:6–13 NKJV

6 But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. 8 Because finding fault with them, He says: “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah—9 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the Lord. 10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 11 None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. 12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” 13 In that He says, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.

1 Timothy 2:5 NKJV

5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,

JESUS IS THE ONE THAT BROUGHT TO US THE NEW COVENANT BRINGING US INTO FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD THE FATHER.

Hebrews 8:6–7 NKJV

6 But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second.

THIS IS SPEAKING OF JESUS - HE HAS MADE ALL THINGS NEW.

I’M SORRY TO ALL OF THE RULES BASED PEOPLE AND LEGALISTIC PEOPLE HERE TODAY - JESUS CAME TO BREAK ME AND YOU FREE FROM THE LAW. I’M SORRY FOLKS BUT ITS NOT EVEN ABOUT CHURCH BYLAWS, CHURCH POSITIONS, NOT ABOUT WHAT YOU THINK, IF ITS NOT ABOUT JESUS - THEN IT DOESN’T MATTER.

THE LAW, AND YOUR RULES DO NOT EQUAL SALVATION, NOR TO THEY KEEP YOUR SALVATION.

DOING GOOD DOES YOU NO GOOD, UNLESS YOU ARE IN TUNE WITH THE ONLY ONE THAT GIVES YOU A NEW LIFE - JESUS!

Free from the law—oh, happy condition! Jesus hath bled, and there is remission; Cursed by the law and bruised by the fall, Christ hath redeemed us once for all.

Once for all—oh, sinner, receive it; Once for all—oh, doubter, believe it; Cling to the cross, the burden will fall,   Christ hath redeemed us once for all.

All the promises of God in the Old Testament are fulfilled in Jesus Christ. That is, when you have Christ, sooner or later you will have both Christ himself and all else that God promised through Christ.

2 Corinthians 1:20 NKJV

20 For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.

5. The law was kept perfectly by Christ. And all its penalties against God’s sinful people were poured out on Christ. Therefore, the law is now manifestly not the path to righteousness; Christ is. The ultimate goal of the law is that we would look to Christ, not law-keeping, for our righteousness.

Romans 10:4 NKJV

4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

“When you have Christ, you also have everything God promised through him.”

THIS DOES NOT MERELY RELEASE YOU OF ANY RESPONSIBILITY.

Therefore, with the coming of Christ, vir

IF YOU REJECT CHRIST AND HIS GIFT OF SALVATION AND ETERNAL LIFE - THERE WILL BE JUDGMENT.

2 Peter 3:10 NKJV

10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.

listen to me - god loves you deeply. He is calling your name this morning.

God wants you to wake up. Seek revival, pray, and get on the path everlasting.

Romans 5:8 NKJV

8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

His death tore the veil - we have access to God.

we have salvation - look to the sky - see YOUR rainbow.

Your redemption is here. Jesus forgives sin.