A Faithful Few

ILLUST: Trying something good for you, but never realized how good it was (Smoothie)- that’s Gen. 5 to me.

RIDDLE: Oldest man who ever lived, died before his father did - Methuselah

READ: Gen. 5, to 6:8

God Calls for, and Rewards, Faith in Evil Times (since beg. and Gen.3)

1) Notable Names

Enoch

a prophet, walked with God (translated - never died)

Names his child appropriately

Methuselah- “man of the dart”

transliterated in Greek - “death shall bring”

end of name “selah” is rest, pause, even regroup

969 when he died - Math anyone?

Methuselah is 187, Lamech is born to him;

Lamech is 182, Noah is born to him, so Methuselah is 369 when Noah is born

Gen.7:6 tells us Noah is 600 years old when the Flood comes - 600 + 369 = 969

His name carried with it a warning; he died just prior to Flood

Noah- name implies rest, peace

Enoch pleased God (walked with Him)

Methuselah - a Godly grandfather to Noah

Noah pleased God-found found God’s favor

Hebrews 11:6 NASB95

And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

2) Hope Greater than Curse

Theme in Gen. 5- “and he died”

Reminder that death is the result of the fall, curse - passage starts with Adam

Adam - created in image of God- designed to represent and resemble the LORD

Adam’s descendants - made in likeness of Adam - sinful (still bearing the image of God, still designed to represent and resemble the Creator)

PROMISE given to Adam- redemption, HOPE

He had to trust, have faith

HE TOLD HIS CHILDREN

Seth (replaced Abel) - faithful (began earnest worship of God) - number of faithful became fewer and fewer

Cain- descendants characterized by wickedness - increased more and more

Aside - by the time of Genesis 6, pre-Flood-estimated 750 million people (possibly 4B with 0.1% increase)

Approximate time of Flood 1656 A.M., or 2348 B.C.

750 million, and Noah finds favor with God

Noah knows the promise given to Adam - his faith is what pleases God

He is also given the promise of judgment to come in 120 years in Gen 6:3

Genesis 6:3 NASB95

Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; nevertheless his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.”

Noah is 500 when Ham, Shem, Japheth are born - he gets the order from God in 6:18 (we’ll get there next week) - give time for them to grow and take wives, and Noah has around 75 years to build ark

But Noah already had 20 years before they were born to warn people

He was faithful in the midst of evil - a preacher of righteousness, as stated in 2 Peter 2:5

2 Peter 2:5 NASB95

and did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly;

Preaching righteousness is NOT telling people they have to be perfect, it means they must trust GOD’S PLAN and FOLLOW

Righteous= holy = set apart, being seen as distinctly trusting and following the LORD

Faith leads to following - walking with God, seeking and finding God’s favor, REM Heb. 11:6, cannot please God without faith

In between promise and judgment, faith and hope are what sustains

3) Standing out when others will not

Navigating evil times - this is not new

Warning of God’s judgment to come - this is not new

God asking followers to be preachers of righteousness - this is...not…new

We are in the midst of evil times (hope that does not shock you)

We are to warn people of God’s judgment to come

We are to preach righteousness. HOW? Show people we follow Him

READ 2 Timothy 3:1-5 (Go through each briefly)

2 Timothy 3:1–5 NASB95

But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these.

“spare the rod, spoil the child”- NOPE, Prov 13:24

Proverbs 13:24 NASB95

He who withholds his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him diligently.

Want to preach righteousness in evil times? Show the world a strong family with children who are disciplined and trained up in the nurture and admonition (Bible teaching) of the LORD!

Men, check out this list, print it out, paste it on your walls- if this is you, you are NOT walking with God.

All of us: look around, this is what the world is!

CHOICE: Spend your time worried and complaining, OR live in HOPE BY FAITH

Want to make a difference? Then BE DIFFERENT! BE GODLY! PREACH/LIVE RIGHTEOUSNESS (following the LORD)

Noah, his family - 8 people stood out, tried to make a difference, rejected by the world - remained faithful

Jesus - his apostles, few in number, saw people faithful one person at a time, rejected by the world- remained faithful

Cornerstone - small church - faithful?

Following God’s promise? Warning of judgment? Resting in hope and faith?

If rejected by the world/community/area- remain faithful?

In between promise and judgment, faith and hope are what sustains

Now, as then, we need faithful men (and ladies, but men need to lead) to:

Demonstrate faith - walk with God

Warn of judgement - it is promised

Preach righteousness - being right with God

What’s the urgency?

Then- 120 years was stated until judgment

Now - Jesus said He is coming quickly in Rev. 22:20

Revelation 22:20 NASB95

He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

Imminent - any time - uncertain of specific time

NO LESS CERTAIN!

These men stood out. Do you?

People knew these men followed the LORD - Do people know you do?

At some point, pleasing God has to matter

YOU ARE ONE OF TWO TYPES:

Walking with God? - it’s gonna get harder - remain faithful, knowing and trusting God’s promise

Not walking with God? Time to start - IF building the Kingdom matters to you

In between promise and judgment, faith and hope are what sustains