Hebrews 11:7 – "Noah and the Perseverance of Faith"

[Music] welcome to the podcast of Grace Community Bible Church we hope and pray that you are blessed challenged and inspired by this message for other sermons or more information visit us at gracebiblechurch.org [Music] Mr Noah built an ark and the people thought it was a lark Mr Noah pleaded so but into the ark they would not go known Kim the reinturance down came the rain in Torrance down came the rain and tolerance and only it were saved if you've ever run a Children's Program be it a daily vacation bible school or an after-school program that catchy song highlights the story of Noah and I'm sure was one that you probably employed in teaching the children this morning I'm going to the book of Hebrews into the 11th chapter and to the seventh verse where we want to give some consideration to the subject of Noah and the perseverance of faith Noah and the perseverance of Faith verse 7 of Hebrews 11. by faith nor 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 the first question surely that we need to ask is why do we have this verse in our Bible why do we have this text in the book of Hebrews and the answers provided for us in the preceding chapter because in chapter 10 and verse 23 we read these words let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering for he is faithful that promised let us hold fast the profession of our faith and those words very basically describe the the the theme of this book of Hebrews and it's a theme that you find running throughout the book you get it in Chapter 2 and the first three verses you get it in chapter 3 and verse 6 you get it in chapter four and verse 1 and verse 14 you get it chapter six verses 11 and 12. listen to those words and we desire that every one of you do show the same diligence to the full Assurance of Hope unto the end that you be not slothful but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promise who are the the them that the readers ought to follow the then are those portrayed in chapter 11. that great cloud of witnesses that is referred to in chapter 12. for what characterized them but fifth and patience and so in Hebrews chapter 11 fifth is defined for us in verse 6. and then faith is displayed for us and Illustrated for us through various Old Testament characters right through the rest of chapter 11. examples to us encouragements to us to persevere in the faith and therefore please God until this morning I simply want you to consider three little thoughts three points this morning the source of fear the strengthening of faith and the significance of faith the source of fear of our fear we who are here this morning as believers truly the source of our faith is the gift of God where does faith come from if you go back in your Bible back to Genesis chapter 6 and verse 5. we read of the depravity of humanity and I know you've been through all of this by your pastor and I had to study up to make sure I was listening and learning and trying to handle the text correctly but here in Genesis chapter chapter 6 and verse 5 we read these words the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in all the Earth and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually here is the depravity of humanity in verse 5. but in verse 9 of that chapter we read the description of this man Noah and we're told that Noah was a just man perfect in his Generations and Noah walked with God and we're told to quote the ESV the no was a a righteous man and blimless how come ho come well the answer is provided for us in the eighth verse of that chapter Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord so that what separated Noah from all others was this the fever of the Lord now some people read these verses in Genesis and conclude that Noah's Godly character was the cause of God's favor that he was such a righteous good man that God looked upon him and welcomed and embraced him but you know even for an ignorant Irishman it's easy to see that the order doesn't enhance that or point to that verse 8 you see comes before verse 9. and furthermore there's no causal principle here there's no because between these two verses Noah's Godly character including his fifth was due to God's favor and Grace and this caused in effect is seen is it not throughout scripture you think of the well-known words of Paul in Ephesians chapter 2 verse 8 and 9 for by Grace you have been saved through faith and this not of yourself it is the gift of God not of Works lest any man should boast but as some of you know there's been a a long debate regarding this word this this not of yourselves does this refer to fifth fifth being not of yourself or does it refer to the entire previous clause by Grace you have been saved through faith and this not of yourself in the sense that the grace is not of yourself but the faith is it's a small but a significant point being made because as I said the implication is that that Grace yes Grace comes from God but some would argue but the faith comes from us that God provides the grace for us but we because Humanity always loves to contribute something we contribute our faith but surely any reasonable reading of Paul's words includes faith in the this not of yourselves that the origin of faith is in God's hands that we owe to God the the entirety of our salvation both its provisioned by God and that enabling appropriation by ourselves here was Noah living amidst a generation of ungodliness of unrighteousness of corruption of violence of all manner of wickedness and depravity and yet we see Noah in a relationship with God for we're told that he walked with God we see Noah having reverence for God because we're told that he was moved with Godly fear and we see no living righteously before God because again we read in our text he became heir of the righteousness which is by faith and as we noted earlier he is described as being righteous and blameless how could that be given the conditions giving the community giving the depravity how could he be that kind of a man I know that some of you have been and traveled widely across the United States I've often been asked what part of the U.S I enjoy most and I said well I have I have two parts of the U.S that I really enjoy I I love the great plans of Montana and Wyoming but I also love the deep south Mississippi Alabama and you know in the South they have an adage when you find a turtle on top of a fence post I use your imagination this morning you think about it you picture it in your mind when you find a turtle on top of a fence post you know it did not get there by itself until the point how do you get a Godly Man in the midst of a Godless Humanity or as someone has expressed it when you find a dead sinner a rebel against God alive and in love with God gritfully trusting not to himself or herself but to Jesus Christ and wanting and striving to do his will you know full well he did not get there by himself salvation from start to finish is God's doing for in reality faith true biblical faith saving faith is the most difficult thing in all the world you see sometimes we think of Faith as well it's simple you know the gospel uh you know you don't have to work for your salvation you don't have to try and keep the Ten Commandments all you've got to do a symbol all you have to do is all you have to do is believe simple not simple it's the most difficult thing it runs right against all our natural tendencies because what is Faith what is biblical Faith what is saving it's looking away from ourselves the very thing we love to do and want to do and desire to do it's looking away from our ability and capacity as looking away from us to another depending on someone else it's relying on another on Jesus Christ who he is and what he did for us faith is and must be the gift of God otherwise no one would ever believe and be saved the source of Faith the source of Noah's Faith the sort of our faith is the gift of God it's from God but then given that how do we strengthen our faith how do we grow in our faith well surely that's by God's grace to us you see how was it that Noah kept on keeping on how was it that he was able to persevere in the faith because you see behind the words of Hebrews 11 7. by faith nor prepared an ark lies years of Confrontation of criticism of sneers and of jeers because to the community to his community Noah was a no was a fool a misfit a zealot a troublemaker and yet despite all those conditions somewhere between 50 to 75 years Noah got up each morning and picked up his soul his plane his hammer and his tape measure and he went out to the forest cutting caring shaping and building between 50 to 75 years of enduring and unbelieving arrogant aggressive Wicked audience 50 to 75 years of being persistently laughed at and ridiculed 50 to 75 years of sticking to the task doing God's will looking beyond the present for the thing hopeful looking beyond the visible which may have been a blue cloudless sky to the invisible the opening up of the heavens and the deluge the 50 to 75 years he's building what's he building he's building an ark wonderful what in the world is an ark says the people the 50 to 75 years he's preparing for a flood flood never seen one of those before what's a flood you're a fool defying the wisdom of the world and the propaganda of the press and the promise of the politicians Noah patiently persisted and persevered in the faith and so he was the first person in scripture to be called righteous and that righteousness proved that his faith in God was genuine and so we're told he became the heir of the righteousness which is by faith you may say that Noah was the first in line of the great reformers who believed in justification by faith alone so how can we follow that man how can we keep on keeping on in our environment in our situation in our community in the world in which we now live how can we honor God amidst the perverse and wicked generation well let me suggest three little things there's not only three just three that I will give you this morning the first is this looking at Noah cultivate God's presence with us cultivate God's presence with us what characterize Noah Noah walked with God sometimes that may have been up in the Mountaintop with the air is fresh and the sky is clear and your heart you know is is light and and joyful and God's presence seems so close to you and so personal to you but sometimes it's in the valley where it's damp and it's dull and it's dark and the going is tough and your heart is heavy with with grief and and God at times just seems so far away and so Darkness how do you relate to God how do you would cultivate the presence of God when he doesn't seem to be there listen to the words of the hymn writer when darkness hides his lovely face I rest on his unchanging Grace when all around my soul gives way he then is All My Hope and stay at times it's only by enforced waiting upon God that we come to know him times when we're nothing but sheer belief in God's graciousness and greatness will save us from despair times when absolutely nothing but simple Reliance in God's love without without any given evidence of it will save us from helplessness and hopelessness that despite the threat of the storm despite that that wind that is blowing against us and despite those waves that are beating us we hear his voice take heart it is I do not be afraid and there were times we may find ourselves in a furnace that is exceedingly hot low I see the fourth is like the sun of God and so the words made famous by Mario Lanza There Is No Death though eyes grow dim there is no fear when I'm near to him I lean on him forever and heal forsake me never I'll walk with God how do we persevere in faith how do we strengthen our faith count of it God's presence with us and how can we do that my second little point is meditate on God's Providence for us meditate on God's Providence look back on your life on how he has ordered all your steps how he has arranged all of the events how he has brought you thus far by his Grace John favel or Flavel however you want to pronounce it in his work the mystery of Providence calls on us to consider our our birth our upbringing our family Affairs our employment our conversation to meditate on God's Providence in our personal history our life story to see how he has led all the way and then to to to meditate on God's Providence in Biblical history to do what the the rise of the Hebrew does reminding his readers of God's Mighty works of the past the past you see is a great and powerful motivator to perseverance what did Paul say to the Romans I'm quoting from Romans 15 and verse 4. for whatever things were written Before Time were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope meditate on how God has worked in this past his mighty power his mighty Acts to build up our faith to realize that that the god of Dev the god of Samuel is all God same God it was with Daniel is the god who's with us and so thirdly grow in faith by appropriating the promises of God to us for what characterized these men and women in Hebrews 11 . what explain their personal albeit imperfect Faith because they were like us flawed sinful of times failing but they trusted they hoped it they relied upon the promises of God because they were the promises of God The God Who is there and is not silent The God Who is there and who rewards those who diligently seek him you remember how Samuel described God first Samuel 15 the glory of Israel will not lie or have regrets he is not a man that he should have regret our God is a God who does not lie and does not change his mind so what does he promised well let me give you one here's a promise for you today to build your faith encourage your faith persevere in faith Philippians 1 6. being confident of this very thing writes Paul that he who began that good work in you will perform it will complete it to the day of Jesus Christ here he is what God has begun he always finishes he always completes he always perfects and so the groaned of our faith God's word and the object of our faith God's son and so it simply means if I can quote Sinclair Ferguson what it means is simply this our lack of faith or our weakness of faith May simply be the result of not knowing the Bible very well simple as that simple as that Noah a man of faith he did all that God commanded he trusted and obeyed God's word to counter everything he knew and had previously experienced he knew God's presence he was aware of God's Providence he stood upon God's promises and so patiently and persistently persevered to do the will of God in the world of wickedness and that's our calling that's what we are here for the source of our faith is the gift of God the strengthening of faith is the grace of God as he applies the means of Grace he is granted to us and therefore let me finish conclude with this the significance of faith the significance of faith as we can see in and learn from Noah the significance of faith is surely for the glory of God and we see it in those faith as it relates to his family for who entered the Ark and received and delivered and escaped the storm of God's Wrath who was it nor and his hosts his hosts thou and thy sons and thy wife and thy Sons wives it Souls have you ever stopped to wonder how was the family motivated to enter the ark well surely the the simple the basic answer the substantial answer is this God God did it God by his mercy and Grace because when you look at the time frame in a sense when God looked in the earth he only saw one righteous man that was Noah Noah found Grace in the eyes of the Lord so how did the rest of the family find favor in the eyes of the Lord so that they too were delivered along with Noah what means did God employ in the life of his family may I suggest to you this morning it was Noah's purity of life lived out before them it was Noah preparing the ark for them and there was Noah that preacher of righteousness to them in other words in that home Noah's life as husband and his father his manner of behavior mirrored the message that he believed that here was a man who was in private what he was in public that what he was on Sunday morning between 10 and noon he was on Monday between 10. and noon that is conduct was consistent there was Integrity here and not hypocrisy yet how far short we fall and how frequently we feel before that like that be it pastor and people pastor and people how often our faith before our families our loved ones those closest to us is tarnished and frayed that what what we are here in this Fellowship this morning right now is far removed from what we are at times with our family and yet is there any Greater Joy than his parents to know that our children are walking in truth and uh I too was reading Spurgeon and he said this have you an Ishmael then get alone and like Abraham cry to God oh that Ishmael might live before thee oh the powerful word in prayer oh that Ishmael might live before you how we need to pray for our family I won't take time I think I've told you the story before with my brother but pray and keep on praying for your family seeking by God's grace to portray the gospel before them living according to the gospel to see a family saved this is our mission field This Is Where It Starts isn't it it's not Cambodia don't look Drive Dandenong North it's my family that are here by God's grace Noah's family believed and they too were delivered and so we pray for one another we pray for each other's family we seek by God's grace to be what we Proclaim to be before them and when we fall we too repent and confess and ask forgiveness his family the significance of his faith to them and lastly the significances of his faith to his community his community Noah's Faith consisted in believing against the evidence of his eyes that God would keep his promise to destroy the world and his faith was Vindicated while the world that did not heed God's warning was destroyed Hebrews 11 7 declares Noah prepared an ark by which he condemned the world and Matthew Henry comments his holy fear condemned their vein confidence his faith condemned their unbelief his obedience condemned their contempt good example will either convert sinners or condemn them and if I may add to that the words of John MacArthur the man of fifth rebukes the World by his consistent life even if he never utters a word of reproof and isn't it interesting isn't it interesting that that there's no evidence here in the text to suggest that Noah argued debated or disputed with his community he simply believed he went on building he went on preaching to them he went and obeying the commands of God he went on Walking with God and in such a way he condemned those who criticized him his faith was eventually Vindicated when the heavens opened now we we live in a democracy we have the right to express our views Times by The Ballot Box but increasingly the Christian voice is not heard rather our faith is being despised and rejected and persecuted and hitted and we see a sharp and Speedy increase in in in godlessness in wickedness in corruption in high places depravity is running amok Justice's void of Truth and integrity and I'm sure you too have said Lord how long how long how do we as Believers in Christ how do we live in a world where every imagination of the thoughts of men and women are only evil continually I give you two things as I close number one we pray we pray and we can pray specifically pray employing the Sams the Sams of Lament though those words of you you've got your Bible of you you go back with me to Psalm 3 and verse 1 this kind of thing this is our praying oh Lord how many of my foes many are rising up against me many are saying of my soul there's no salvation for him or the words you get in Psalm 4 and verse 1 answer me when I call O God of my righteousness or the words you get in Psalm 5 and verse 1 or psalm 6. what do you get there verse one O Lord rebuke me not in your anger nor discipline me in your wrath be gracious to Me O Lord for I am languishing Heal Me O Lord for my bones are troubled my soul also is greatly troubled but how long O Lord how long and then employ the the the imprecatory Sams a day you to take up those words break their arms break their noses there's a time when there's a place to take up these that invoke judgment and Calamity and God's enemies not against us but against the name of our awesome God we pray in the Name of Christ and for the glory of our God and then secondly we persevere in faith seeking to live lives that above everything else are pleasing to Our Father in heaven cultivating his presence meditating on his Providence appropriating his promises knowing that the day is fast approaching when the quote Paul and Athens he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he has ordained and whereof he has given Assurance unto all men in that he has raised him from the dead friends office will be Vindicated it will be Vindicated so we can Comfort one another with these words we can focus our faith and Our Hope on God the door's not the God of all the Earth do right and never forget this Noah found Grace in the eyes of the Lord and there's Grace sufficient for you and for me this day as believers and if you're not I believe this morning that's where Grace is found to look away from all else as Isaiah the prophet has declared God says look unto me and be saved look unto me because there is Grace to help in time of me may the Lord bless his word to us this morning let's pray Our Father you know the world in which we live and you know the weakness of our hearts you know our Frailty you know our inclinations you know our weaknesses of how that we pray that you would strengthen our faith through your word even today and we pray our father that you would enable us in the midst of ungodliness and bitterness and hatred to Simply live lives that please you that honor you and would bring glory to your name living by faith but surely that brings pleasure to you grant us such Grace and such strength we ask For Your Glory sake amen

Channel: GCBCMelbourne

Views: 152

Keywords: GCBC Sermons, Grace Community Bible Church, Melbourne, Christian, Bible, Teaching, GCBCMelbourne, Binoy Joseph, Binoy, Joseph

Id: wAKdFURPnT8

Length: 43min 22sec (2602 seconds)

Published: Mon May 29 2023