Sermon #531 Hebrews
Notes
Title: Noah’s Faith
Text: Hebrews 11:7
Subject: Faith in Christ Exemplified by Noah
Date: Tuesday Evening –
Tape # W-39a
Introduction:
[Hebrews
11:7] "By faith Noah, being warned
of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the
saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of
the righteousness which is by faith."
Noah is held before us here as an example
of faith in Christ. His name, Noah, means, “rest, or resting place.”
And our text tells us that Noah found rest for his soul by faith. Tonight, I
want to show you what the Bible tells us about Noah and his faith (Heb. 11:7).
Before we look at Noah’s faith as it is described in our text, let me show you
the source and cause of his faith.
In Genesis 6 we are told that all the world was
lost, cursed of God, and sentenced to suffer the wrath of God, because of man’s
sin and apostasy from God. God was justly angry with all men and determined to
rid the world of fallen men by the flood of his wrath; but in wrath, he
remembered mercy. And we are told – “But
Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.”
·
All men deserved God’s wrath; but one man was chosen.
·
All men were condemned, justly condemned; but one man was justified.
·
All men went astray from God; but one man was called.
·
All men were lost; but one man was saved.
·
All men were unbelievers; but to one man faith was given. “Noah found grace (not merit, but grace!)
in the eyes of the Lord.”
·
There is always a remnant according to the election of grace.
1. Noah’s faith was the gift
and operation of God’s grace upon him (Eph. 2:8).
[Ephesians 2:8] "For by
grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the
gift of God:"
2. His faith was the result of
God’s revelation of his purpose of grace toward him (Gen. 6:13-14, 18, 22). –
Faith arises from, is built upon, and believes God’s Revelation. Faith is no
more and no less than believing God’s Word.
[Genesis 6:13-14] "And God
said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled
with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
[14] Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and
shalt pitch it within and without with pitch."
[Genesis 6:18] "But with
thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and
thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives with thee."
[Genesis 6:22] "Thus did
Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he."
3. Noah’s faith is held before
us as an example of how sinner’s are saved by faith.
We are told that, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” Here is
a picture of faith. God help you to see it and obey the example set before us
in our text. As Noah fled into the ark, which he had prepared, you must flee
into the Ark, Christ Jesus, if you would be saved.
Proposition: The only way sinners can
obtain that salvation, which is in the Lord Jesus Christ, is by faith. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou
shalt be saved.”
I hold Noah’s faith before
you as an example for you to follow. And using this example, I want, by the
Spirit of God, to persuade you to come to Christ and be saved. Our text tells
us seven things about Noah’s faith.
I.
Noah
was “warned of God of things not seen as yet” (Gen. 6:1-3, 7).
[Genesis 6:1-3] "And it
came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and
daughters were born unto them, [2] That the sons of God saw the daughters
of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they
chose. [3] And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with
man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and
twenty years."
[Genesis 6:7] "And the LORD
said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both
man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it
repenteth me that I have made them."
Noah’s faith was the response of his
heart to God’s Word. God told Noah that his Holy Spirit would not
always strive with man, that his longsuffering is for an appointed time, and
that after the appointed days of mercy were ended, he would destroy man from
off the face of the earth. Hear me, my friends, God has warned you of these
things.
·
Your
days on this earth are numbered.
·
“Today is the day of salvation.”
·
If
you will not trust Christ, you must be forever damned!
A. You
have a Bible in your hands.
Read the pages of Holy Scripture. What
mercy! God has given you His Word in Book form to warn you of wrath, impending
wrath, eternal wrath, inexpressibly horrible, infinite wrath! (Rom. 3:23; 6:23;
1:18). It is written, “The soul that sinneth, it shall die!” (Ezek.
18:20).
[Romans
1:18] "For the wrath of God is
revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who
hold the truth in unrighteousness;"
[Romans 3:23] "For all have
sinned, and come short of the glory of God;"
[Romans 6:23] "For the
wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life
through Jesus Christ our Lord."
·
Sodom!
·
Korah!
·
Noah’s generation!
·
Pilate!
·
Judas!
“Except ye repent, ye shall
all likewise perish!” (Luke 13:5).
B.
You have been warned, some
of you, hundreds of times by the faithful preaching of the gospel.
Illustration: The
Watchman.
It is my responsibility to receive the Word
at God’s mouth and faithfully warn you of wrath to come.
·
The Certainty Of It.
·
The Justice Of It.
·
The Imminence Of It.
·
The Eternality Of It.
·
The Horror Of It.
·
The Escape From It.
C.
How
often God has warned you of his wrath upon you by his acts of providence.
You have all seen immortal
souls cut down, without warning, and swept away into eternity to meet an angry
God, without Christ, without hope. They are forever damned; but you are left! For
now, you are spared! Be warned.
Illustration: Sunday’s
Wreck
D.
And God speaks to you by
your own conscience to warn you.
You know that you are lost.
You know that you are a guilty sinner. You know that the wrath of God is upon
you. Do not stop your ears and run madly into hell!
II. Noah, being warned of God,
was “moved with fear.”
He was not moved by fear for himself. He believed God. He was
moved by fear for his family, his neighbors, those who were yet rebels to God.
He feared for the souls of men.
Had Noah been like you, he would have said, “God is merciful, he will
not really send men to hell.” – or – “There will be time enough to repent
later.” – or – “I am not bad enough for God to send me to hell.” But Noah was
not so foolish and senseless. He was “moved
with fear.”
I can hear someone saying,
“Why do you frighten us? You know that fear will not save a sinner.” That is
true. It is the goodness of God that leads you to repentance. Only the love of
God in Christ can melt the sinner’s heart, draw us to Christ, and constrain us
to believe; but you will never be drawn to Christ by the cords of love until
you are driven from your carnal security by the fear of God’s impending wrath.
NOTE: We preach the law of God to
condemn you. Then we preach the gospel of God’s grace to convert you; but no
man was ever yet converted until he was first condemned. You must be driven
from your carnal security by fear, so that you may be drawn to Christ by grace.
Illustration: The Jailor (Acts 16:29-30).
Saul of Tarsus (Acts 9:6).
The Three Thousand (Acts 2:36-37).
III.
Next, we are told that Noah prepared an ark (Gen.
6:14, 16, 21, 22).
[Genesis
6:14] "Make thee an ark of gopher
wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without
with pitch."
[Genesis 6:16] "A window
shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the
door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second,
and third stories shalt thou make it."
[Genesis 6:21-22] "And take
thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and thou shalt gather it to
thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them. [22] Thus did
Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he."
This ark is a beautiful picture of our Lord Jesus Christ
and the salvation of our souls by him.
A. The ark was built by God’s
design.
B. The ark was a strong, mighty
ship.
C. The ark was roomy – (“Yet, there is room.”
D. The ark had a door made in
the side of it. (only one door!)
E. The ark had a window in the
top of it.
F. The ark had no steps leading
up to it.
G. The ark had everything
needed by Noah and his family.
H. The ark bore all the storm
of God’s wrath.
I. The ark was covered with
pitch (Atonement!).
J. All for whom the ark was
designed entered in.
K. All who entered in were
saved.
IV.
Fourthly, the apostle tells us that Noah saved his house
– “To the saving of his house.”
How can that be? We know that, “Salvation
is of the Lord.” We know that
no man can save himself, much less save his family; but God says that Noah
saved his house. The meaning is this – Noah was the instrument God used to save
his household.
·
Physically!
·
Symbolically!
·
Spiritually!
NOTE: This is the responsibility
of all parents, especially fathers! How did Noah save his family? He entered
into the ark himself and led his sons, his daughters-in-law, and his wife into
the ark.
A. He was called into the ark (Gen.
7:1).
[Genesis
7:1] "And the LORD said unto Noah,
Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before
me in this generation."
B. He went into the ark (Gen.
7:7). (He left everything and everyone else behind!)
[Genesis 7:7] "And Noah
went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him, into the
ark, because of the waters of the flood."
C. The Lord shut him in (Gen.
7:16).
[Genesis 7:16] "And they
that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him:
and the LORD shut him in."
D. You must enter into the Ark,
Christ Jesus, by faith.
1. You must forsake all other
arks.
2. You must not stop at the
threshold and look into the ark. You must enter in.
3. It is not enough to hear
about the ark. – Enter in!
4. It is not enough to know
about the ark. – Enter in!
5. It is not enough to admire
the ark. – Enter in!
6. It is not enough to defend
the ark. – Enter in!
V.
When
Noah entered into the ark, he condemned the world.
That is to say, he declared
the world to be condemned. When Noah entered into the ark, he declared that
everyone outside the ark was condemned.
·
Those Who Mocked The Ark.
·
Those Who Chose Other Arks.
·
Those Who Helped To Build The Ark.
·
Those Who Saw No Need Of The Ark (Matt. 24:37-39).
[Matthew 24:37-39] "But as
the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
[38] For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and
drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into
the ark, [39] And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away;
so shall also the coming of the Son of man be."
VI.
Noah “became
the heir of righteousness.”
He became the heir of that righteousness represented in the ark, the
righteousness of God in Christ.
·
A Covenant Righteousness.
·
A Just Righteousness.
·
An Imputed Righteousness.
·
A Free Righteousness.
·
An Everlasting Righteousness.
VII.
All that Noah did and all that he obtained, he did
and obtained by faith.
Noah believed God. He
believed God’s Word concerning:
·
Sin
And Judgment.
·
Salvation By The Ark.
·
His Promise Of Grace.
Application: I
want to send you home with some things to consider.
1. Are you in the Ark? When the
flood of God’s wrath comes, will you be in the Ark?
2. When your family meets you
at the bar of God, will they thank God for your influence in their lives; or
will they eternally damned family gnash their teeth upon your eternally damned
soul forever?