Be Like Noah

Intro and Frame Sermon

**Thank you’s and Grateful** “Jack and Pastor Partrick” - Passionate subject.

**Looked up some services Zion - Woah, you guys can Worship**

Intro into who I am | Pastor of Local Church | Salvation story - Managing Director of a business - That was my identity | Building a Future | Becoming Influential | Then Jesus | Whole world changed | I realised very quickly I had sucom to the idolatary of Control | Then I got called, to become a Pastor |

If you’re like me, you might have trouble understanding why God does some of the things he does.

Sometimes it’s like “God have you really called me to this mundane job”

Maybe you are like “How can God use me in this workplace?”

Or maybe, you are on track to become really successful and you’re struggling to understand where God fits into that.

Maybe, you struggle to step into what you feel God is calling you to do. What if God asked you to leave it all today, leave what you have built?

My Hope: This message will stir you to understand who you are in Christ, is that it’s not in what you do, but rather who you are, to take a step of faith. My hope: You will have Faith with how and where you are being used, and you will have Faith to step into what God is calling you for. You will understand who you are in Christ, and seek him, in everything you do.

For me, I had to understand a few key concepts that would take me away from chasing paper, to becoming who I am in Christ. to understand my WORTH.

To understand who we are, and our identity in Christ in this life, we have to take a look at a few other key concepts. Firstly we must know where we are going, we must have faith…in our future. We must understand how God calls us to our work. and we must understand who we are in Christ

Will you come on this journey?

What is Faith?

Hebrews 11:1 ESV

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

I think it’s helpful to first define what Faith is NOT:

- A positive feeling | Blind Optimism | A manufactured “hope-so” attitude | An intellectual nod of agreement |

Faith is the ticket that gets you on the areoplane - Faith is what makes the hope real.

1 Peter 2:11 ESV

Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.

Colossians 3:2–4 ESV

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

We need to have Faith that we are being used for God’s glory as we pass through this life.

This next story was really formative in understanding my role, in my job - and I hope it ministers to your heart the same way.

Noah

I want to look at an old Testament story have a look at the principles we can learn, about not only his Faith, but also what Noah was worshipping during his work.

Hebrews 11:7 ESV

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.

We need to go to Genesis so we can understand the story:

Genesis 6:9–10 ESV

These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God. And Noah had three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

1st Principle of having Faith where you are: If you want to have Faith in what God is asking you to do, walk close to God.

Think about the context:

Genesis 6:11–13 ESV

Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence. And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. And God said to Noah, “I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

Story of Love | God is giving Noah a a chance of Salvation, to repopulate the earth out of a pure heart | Men were evil

Despite all this, he walked with God | Odd one out | Didn’t go with culture | A bit like Jesus |

If you want to have faith in what God is asking you to do, DESPITE what is going on in the world…Walk Close with God.

Principle 2

Ok, What did God ask Noah to do?

Genesis 6:14–16 ESV

Make yourself an ark of gopher wood. Make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch. This is how you are to make it: the length of the ark 300 cubits, its breadth 50 cubits, and its height 30 cubits. Make a roof for the ark, and finish it to a cubit above, and set the door of the ark in its side. Make it with lower, second, and third decks.

The essence of Faith where you are in the workplace = Obedience to God.

What’s profoundly interesting:

Tells Noah to build an Ark to be obedient before he tells them how How, tells him the How before the Why.

he is just telling noah to get to work. To pick up the plank. BE like noah

How many times has God asked you to do something, without you knowing the outcome. You might be in a workplace and have no idea WHY.

Remember that Faith is the conviction of things not seen.

Principle 2: Surrender the outcome.

Tree top walk

You can have faith, or you can have control, but you can’t have both.

When you want to control, you will cling onto idolataries in this world

This was an immense task | This is a big box | You could fit 125,000 sheep in this boat | It was 4 stories high |

Then God tells him why, which is going to sound even MORE strange to Noah.

Genesis 6:17–21 ESV

For behold, I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life under heaven. Everything that is on the earth shall die. But I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you. And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every sort into the ark to keep them alive with you. They shall be male and female. Of the birds according to their kinds, and of the animals according to their kinds, of every creeping thing of the ground, according to its kind, two of every sort shall come in to you to keep them alive. Also take with you every sort of food that is eaten, and store it up. It shall serve as food for you and for them.”

never rained before | Middle of the wilderness | Away from the ocean |

God is telling him to build something that has never been built | to prepare for something that has never happened | Similar to the Gospel |

We are trusting Christ for an outcome that we don’t understand, for the unseen and we are heading for a place (heaven) that we have never been, knowing a judgement is coming that we have never seen.

| and what did Noah do?

Genesis 6:22 ESV

Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him.

123 years | Some of you have said “I am waiting on the lord| He didn’t just do this and grumbled here, he did it in “reverence” (says in hebrews)| Worshipped while he worked | Against society, against culture, but followed God.

pick up that plank. The essence of Faith is Obedience

What did Noah do? Surrendered the outcome

*I just had to be obedient in my calling - one word - be faithful*

If you are feeling low, If you are about to Quit, if you are about to put down the plank if you are going through some stuff I wnt you to remember:

It takes a death to have a resurection

it takes pain to have progress

it takes hurt to have healing

it takes struggle to have a story worth telling

and it takes a trial to have a testimony

Don’t know who this is for but you must hear this:

Listen - You need to have Faith that the outcome, might not be for you.

You have to have Faith that where you are, if not for you.

Have Faith that what God is using you for is to Help, Bless or Save someone else.

Transition: Why did God choose Noah? Strongest? Most Qualified? No…Because he was righteous, God chose him because he WAS RIGHTEOUS, not other way around.

What I hope that you’ll understand is that we are called to a Who…before we are called to a “DO” -

God called you to live in the light | you responded | You are called to be a WHO in this world, and fulfill God’s CALLING before you are to fill the worlds purpose.

Study every religion = Ladder | God climbed down | We aren’t good enough, we could never do it | Holiness is gift - You can’t obtain it on your own | tried with Law | not destination

Matthew 3:16–17 ESV

And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

Before Ministry etc. Your circumstance should not poluate who you are in Christ | and Who you’ve been called to be

Pastor Chen China

- Labour Camp, crowded cells, Torture - Hard time finding Peace in God’s presence.

12 years passed inside the Prison. Gaurds came up and said “We have a new assignment” try and break him.

Circulation of cesspool, scoopign out, completely alone. Walking around in a sesspool, “How can it get worse”

Maybe sesspool is an answer to my prayer, first time I am alone. So he lifted his hands and started to walk around and sing ’I come to the garden alone, while the dew is still in on the roses...’ - The sesspool smell left the place.

God’s presence turned cesspool into a garden = 6 years!

Released | 18 years in Prison | Rushed back to small congregation was 100 people | 5,000 people - Started 6 years. What ever the Devil throws at you, you will be asked to endure it.

Whatever you are in, God gives perserverence | Look to him. Maybe your circumstances are preparing you, for your calling | God turns everything to good |

You’ve been called to be set apart, not because of what you do, but because of WHO YOU ARE.

Honeymoon story

Could had the best holidays in the maldives ever, but if it wasn’t with my wife, it doesn’t matter. The best role in the world, the best job in the world, means nothing unless you are lead to it by Christ and you are working in it FOR Christ and you are WITH Christ.

What Mission did God give you? What job did he call you to do?

You mission, the job that Christ gave you is to spread the Gospel, where ever you are. That is your job, regardless of how you make money.

Start with the end in mind - We are heading to eternity.

Application + Inspiration

How is this going to start playing out in your lives?

Imagine what your life would be like if you walked around being lead by Faith and not by Sight - How would your life be different?

How does it look for you if you had the Faith that where you are called is for God’s Purpose.

Some of you might just have to spend some real time praying, seeking His will for your life.

Some will surrender outcome

Some will shut out fear in Jesus name!

Some of you, are just going to pick up the plank and trust that God has got it.

It’s not easy but start by having faith that if you follow the word of God than God will take care of the outcome even if it’s hard. Start bt picking up the plank and being obedient.

Understand ur purpose is WHO before a DO

Genesis 7:16 ESV

And those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him. And the Lord shut him in.

All we can do is be obedient, but it’s God who saves, it’s God who delivers and it’s God who makes a way.

*Be Spirit Lead* prayer * altar call