Four Things Noah Took With Him Into The Ark

FOUR THINGS NOAH TOOK WITH HIM INTO THE ARK

February 9th, 2003

-We are taking a detour today because this is an unusual week. We had the Martins in concert Saturday and today is a baby dedication.

-I want to look again next week at the message of Jesus but today we are going to talk about the importance of family.

Rudyard Kipling once wrote about families, "all of us are we--and everyone else is they." A family shares things like dreams, hopes, possessions, memories, smiles, frowns, and gladness...A family is a clan held together with the glue of love and the cement of mutual respect. A family is shelter from the storm, a friendly port when the waves of life become too wild. No person is ever alone who is a member of a family.

Psalm 68:

6 God sets the lonely in families, b

Who can ever forget Winston Churchill's immortal words: "We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills." It sounds exactly like our family vacation.

In 1978, Thomas Hansen of Boulder Colorado, sued his parents for $350,000 on grounds of "malpractice of parenting." Mom and Dad had botched his upbringing so badly, he charged in his suit, that he would need years of costly psychiatric treatment.

-Someone said, “You can never go home”, I like to say, “You can always go home”.

-God gave us families so we could have an envoirnment of safety and security in which to raise our children.

Malachi 2

15 /Has not the Lord made them one? In flesh and spirit they are his. And why one? Because he was seeking godly offspring. [1] /

-Tammy was saying something to the effect of count your blessings when she got out of the fire and all of them had names.

-This could be a year long series and I have to select what we are going to focus on real quickly.

2 Peter 2

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; 6

Hebrews 11

7 /By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. [2]/

Genesis 6

5 The Lord saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. 6 The Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. 7 So the Lord said, “I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth—men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air—for I am grieved that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

9 This is the account of Noah.

Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God. 10 Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth.

11 Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. 12 God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. 13 So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth.

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18 But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you. 19 You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. 20 Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive. 21 You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them.”

22 Noah did everything just as God commanded him.

7 The Lord then said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteous in this generation.

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-You can read the rest of the story. They were in the ark for 150 days. The water subsided and they came out. God made a covenant with them and with us and gave the seal of the rainbow.

-I want to look at Noah and his life and focus on the four most important things Noah took with him in the ark.

-If you were going to the ark and everything else was going to be destroyed, what would you take?

1. NOAH TOOK HIS FAITH IN GOD

-His faith in God caused him to act.

-The Bible says, “NOAH WALKED WITH GOD.”

-The Bible will give a one line review of someone’s life. That is called a “tombstone testimony”.

-The best inheritance you can give your children is a heritage of faith.

-The thing they need to see most is YOUR DEPENDANCE UPON GOD.

-Noah lived in a culture of sin and perversion, yet he lived without compromise.

-In Genesis 6:9 it says, “9 This is the account of Noah.

Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God.”

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Proverbs 10:2 –“…righteousness delivers from death.”

READ QUOTES

-Have a faith in God that can be passed on.

2. HE TOOK HIS WIFE WITH HIM

Proverbs 19

14/ Parents can provide their sons with an inheritance of houses and wealth, but only the Lord can give an understanding wife.[6]/

-If you want to provide stability for your children, fall in love with your spouse.

-Children come and children go, you have 20-25 years with them but a marriage can last 60 years.

-Never lose sight of your priorities.

-I’m not going to spend much time on this one because I want to focus on the next one but it is huge.

-Only eternity will tell the value of my marriage to my life and all I am called to do. I wouldn’t trade Becky for 1 million, 2 million ok?

1 Corinthians 11 – The Message

Don’t, by the way, read too much into the differences here between men and women. Neither man nor woman can go it alone or claim priority. Man was created first, as a beautiful shining reflection of God—that is true. But the head on a woman’s body clearly outshines in beauty the head of her “head,” her husband. The first woman came from man, true—but ever since then, every man comes from a woman! And since virtually everything comes from God anyway, let’s quit going through these “who’s first” routines.[7]

Ephesians 5 – The Message

Out of respect for Christ, be courteously reverent to one another.

Wives, understand and support your husbands in ways that show your support for Christ. The husband provides leadership to his wife the way Christ does to his church, not by domineering but by cherishing. So just as the church submits to Christ as he exercises such leadership, wives should likewise submit to their husbands.

Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church—a love marked by giving, not getting. Christ’s love makes the church whole. His words evoke her beauty. Everything he does and says is designed to bring the best out of her, dressing her in dazzling white silk, radiant with holiness. And that is how husbands ought to love their wives. They’re really doing themselves a favor—since they’re already “one” in marriage.

No one abuses his own body, does he? No, he feeds and pampers it. That’s how Christ treats us, the church, since we are part of his body. And this is why a man leaves father and mother and cherishes his wife. No longer two, they become “one flesh.” This is a huge mystery, and I don’t pretend to understand it all. What is clearest to me is the way Christ treats the church. And this provides a good picture of how each husband is to treat his wife, loving himself in loving her, and how each wife is to honor her husband.

[8]

3.NOAH TOOK HIS KIDS

Genesis 6

Out of respect for Christ, be courteously reverent to one another.

Wives, understand and support your husbands in ways that show your support for Christ. The husband provides leadership to his wife the way Christ does to his church, not by domineering but by cherishing. So just as the church submits to Christ as he exercises such leadership, wives should likewise submit to their husbands.

Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church—a love marked by giving, not getting. Christ’s love makes the church whole. His words evoke her beauty. Everything he does and says is designed to bring the best out of her, dressing her in dazzling white silk, radiant with holiness. And that is how husbands ought to love their wives. They’re really doing themselves a favor—since they’re already “one” in marriage.

No one abuses his own body, does he? No, he feeds and pampers it. That’s how Christ treats us, the church, since we are part of his body. And this is why a man leaves father and mother and cherishes his wife. No longer two, they become “one flesh.” This is a huge mystery, and I don’t pretend to understand it all. What is clearest to me is the way Christ treats the church. And this provides a good picture of how each husband is to treat his wife, loving himself in loving her, and how each wife is to honor her husband.

[9]

NCV

Acts 16

31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” [10]

-John said, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.”

Proverbs 22: 6 – The Amplified

“Train up a child in the way he should go [and in keeping with his individual bent], and when he is old he will not depart from it.”

-A bent is a personal inclination. They are unique.

1. Respect the bent

-God created them. You can’t make them conform to some predetermined mold. They belong to God.

2.help them make right choices but don’t dominate them

3.let them face the consequences of their actions-don’t bail them out

4.make the love connection

-Let them know that you love them unconditionally

-Dictatorship always leads to rebellion.

5.Demonstrate Integrity

Deuteronomy 6

4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. a 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. [11]

-live the Word.

-Too much is at stake to mess around being a dufus.

-Your kids are watching.

-You can’t take them where you haven’t been.

6.Esteem/value them

-They are a heritage from the Lord. A heirloom is a valued possession that is passed down.

-What an honor God has given you to raise those children.

READ INFO FROM RACHEL BURCHFEILD- TEENS

4. NOAH TOOK A TESTIMONY THAT HE HAD TOLD HIS WORLD ABOUT GOD

-The best thing you can do for your kids and family is to live in radical obedience to God.

-Stay committed to God even under pressure.

-Don’t be a coward. Don’t let pressure cause you to cave.

-Have you left a legacy of integrity and faith.

Psalm 112

1 Praise the Lord. b

Blessed is the man who fears the Lord,

who finds great delight in his commands.

2 His children will be mighty in the land;

the generation of the upright will be blessed.

3 Wealth and riches are in his house,

and his righteousness endures forever.

4 Even in darkness light dawns for the upright,

for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man. c

5 Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely,

who conducts his affairs with justice.

6 Surely he will never be shaken;

a righteous man will be remembered forever.

7 He will have no fear of bad news;

his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.

8 His heart is secure, he will have no fear;

in the end he will look in triumph on his foes.

9 He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor,

his righteousness endures forever;

his horn d will be lifted

high in honor.

10 The wicked man will see and be vexed,

he will gnash his teeth and waste away;

the longings of the wicked will come to nothing.

[12]

Psalm 128

1 Blessed are all who fear the Lord,

who walk in his ways.

2 You will eat the fruit of your labor;

blessings and prosperity will be yours.

3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine

within your house;

your sons will be like olive shoots

around your table.

4 Thus is the man blessed

who fears the Lord.

5 May the Lord bless you from Zion

all the days of your life;

may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem,

6 and may you live to see your children’s children.

Peace be upon Israel.

[13]

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b Or the desolate in a homeland

[1]The Holy Bible : New International Version, Mal 2:15. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996, c1984.

[2]The Holy Bible : New International Version, Heb 11:7. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996, c1984.

[3]The Holy Bible : New International Version, Ge 6:5-14. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996, c1984.

[4]The Holy Bible : New International Version, Ge 6:18-7:2. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996, c1984.

[5]The Holy Bible : New International Version, Ge 6:9. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996, c1984.

[6]Holy Bible : New Living Translation., Pr 19:13-14. Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House, 1997.

[7]Peterson, Eugene H. The Message : New Testament With Psalms and Proverbs, 1 Co 11:1. Colorado Springs, Colo.: NavPress, 1995.

[8]Peterson, Eugene H. The Message : New Testament With Psalms and Proverbs, Eph 5:1. Colorado Springs, Colo.: NavPress, 1995.

[9]Peterson, Eugene H. The Message : New Testament With Psalms and Proverbs, Eph 5:1. Colorado Springs, Colo.: NavPress, 1995.

[10]The Holy Bible : New International Version, Ac 16:31-32. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996, c1984.

a Or The LORD our God is one LORD; or The LORD is our God, the LORD is one; or The LORD is our God, the LORD alone

[11]The Holy Bible : New International Version, Dt 6:4-9. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996, c1984.

b Hebrew Hallelu Yah

c Or | for the LORD is gracious and compassionate and righteous

d Horn here symbolizes dignity.

[12]The Holy Bible : New International Version, Ps 112:1-10. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996, c1984.

[13]The Holy Bible : New International Version, Ps 128:1-6. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996, c1984.