Noah
Standing in the Gap • Sermon • Submitted
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Gen 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. 6 And the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. 7 So the Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.
The problem wasn’t isolated or limited. This is a shocking indictment: “every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.”
The entire human race was corrupt in “their ways,” which includes twisted purposes, abusive relationships, vile words, and darkened hearts.
The Hebrew verb rendered “was sorry” (Hb. nakham) is sometimes translated “repent,” and sometimes as “feel sorrow, be grieved.”
The Hebrew verb rendered “was sorry” (Hb. nakham) is sometimes translated “repent,” and sometimes as “feel sorrow, be grieved.” God is grieved over his creation, which he at first saw as very good (1:31) but which is now filled with sin (see notes on ; ; ).
The Hebrew verb rendered “was sorry” (Hb. nakham) is sometimes translated “repent,” and sometimes as “feel sorrow, be grieved.” God is grieved over his creation, which he at first saw as very good (1:31) but which is now filled with sin (see notes on ; ; ).
De Jesús, Wilfredo. In the Gap: What Happens When God's People Stand Strong (Kindle Locations 925-927). Influence Resources. Kindle Edition. The Hebrew verb rendered “was sorry” (Hb. nakham) is sometimes translated “repent,” and sometimes as “feel sorrow, be grieved.” God is grieved over his creation, which he at first saw as very good (1:31) but which is now filled with sin (see notes on ; ; ).
God is grieved over his creation, which he at first saw as very good (1:31) but which is now filled with sin (see notes on ; ; ).
Evil doesn’t start with actions; it begins with selfish, twisted thoughts.
In his letter to the Romans, Paul contrasted the outcomes of evil thoughts and holy thoughts:
De Jesús, Wilfredo. In the Gap: What Happens When God's People Stand Strong (Kindle Location 924). Influence Resources. Kindle Edition.
5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
De Jesús, Wilfredo. In the Gap: What Happens When God's People Stand Strong (Kindle Location 930). Influence Resources. Kindle Edition.
Of course, even wicked people believe they’re doing the right things for the right reasons.
A murderer claims his victim “deserved it.” A rapist insists his victim “wanted it.” A liar shrugs, “It worked out better this way.” People have an almost unlimited capacity for self-deception and blame-shifting.
In response to the rampant wickedness, God’s heart was deeply grieved.
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Many years later, Jesus referred to Noah in regard to His coming back to earth in His glory:
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37 For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
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So as we read the account of Noah and the cleansing flood, we shouldn’t relegate it to the level of fairy tales.
It’s a historical account of fallen, corrupt, wicked human life.
It addresses a problem that still exists today and will continue until the trumpet sounds and Jesus returns in bodily form to the earth to set up His eternal kingdom.
What were the conditions when this account began? We read about an exploding population, sexual perversion, demonic activity, evil motives, cultural corruption, and violence.
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At creation, God had repeatedly celebrated, “It is good.” By Noah’s day He had to say, “This is not good— not good at all.” He had rejoiced in creation, and He would grieve over its destruction.
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The Gap
The Gap
We have seen that a gap is a place of weakness, vulnerability, and danger.
If a gap is a place where integrity is compromised and God’s standards have been shattered, Noah was standing in one of the biggest, most dangerous gaps in all of history!
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Noah shows us that it’s possible to be godly in a godless generation.
Standing in a gap is costly. It requires a sacrifice of our time, our energy, and our hearts.
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We can expect opposition, ridicule, and mocking from others— even those we thought would support us and appreciate our efforts.
Noah had no idea how much he would have to sacrifice when he said yes to God. It didn’t matter. He was “all in.”
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Don’t assume Noah found favor in God’s eyes because he followed the rules well enough to impress God. It is, has always been, and always will be faith in God’s redeeming grace that saves people and puts us in the family of God.
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Heb
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
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Noah was a rare example in his day because he accepted the grace of God.
He was unlike all the people around him. They delighted in evil; he delighted in God. Their purpose was to get all they could get any way they could get it; Noah’s purpose was to please the One who offered him amazing grace.
During that time, God gave Noah and his sons (Shem, Ham, and Japheth) instructions to build a huge boat, and it took them that long to construct it. You can imagine the scorn and mocking they suffered from people who watched them labor day after day.
5 if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others;
5 if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others;
9 These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God.
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Characteristics of a gap person.
Noah was righteous.
Noah was righteous.
This is the first time the word righteous is found in the Bible. It can be used in two different ways: as a position before God, and to describe behavior.
How can we possibly be considered righteous? Only as a gift of grace. We confess that we’re sinners in need of a Savior.
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9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
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In response, God forgives us and cleanses us from all unrighteousness (), and then He goes a step farther.
He clothes us in Christ’s own righteousness. When the Father looks at us, He sees us wrapped in the righteousness of Jesus Christ.
21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
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How did Noah obey, remain strong, and speak out for God in a perverse generation? Only because he had experienced the swap: his sins for God’s righteousness.
Noah was blameless.
Noah was blameless.
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Righteousness describes Noah’s position before God; blamelessness describes his conduct around people. It doesn’t mean he was sinless. Only one person has ever fit that description.
Noah had integrity: his words matched his actions.
Noah was faithful.
Noah was faithful.
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It’s one thing to be obedient to God for a short time; it’s entirely something else to be faithful over the long haul, through valleys and over mountains, in good times and bad, when we see God’s hand clearly and when it seems He’s a million miles away.
During Noah’s 120 years of hard work, rainless skies, and constant heckling, he demonstrated amazing faithfulness. His life was a long obedience in the same direction.
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22 Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him.
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One man’s obedience shaped our destiny.
7 By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.
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Noah believed God is majestic, all-powerful, all-knowing, wise, loving, and strong beyond all comprehension.
God is far more concerned about our character than our reputation. If we’re smart, we’ll have the same priority.
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The writer of Hebrews tells us that Noah “condemned the world.” He didn’t pronounce judgment on the wicked people; that was God’s job. But Noah’s faithful and obedient actions were a stark contrast to the wickedness of the people.
He was a light in a dark world, and his light showed how utterly dark their hearts really were.
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May God give more of us a spirit of obedience like Noah’s. We may not understand our situations, and we may not even like them, but we desperately need the faith and courage to follow through with what God tells us to do, no matter what.
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Jesus said that when He returns, the condition of the world will be similar to that of Noah’s time. When I put the prophecies of the Bible next to today’s newspaper accounts, I wonder if we might be living in the generation of Christ’s return.
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God has called us to build our own ark, the church, amid the flood of wickedness in our culture. Who will we invite aboard? All who will come.
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Noah stood in the gap for all humankind. You and I can stand in the gap for at least a few— maybe only one.
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