Noah

(Hebrews 12:1) Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. For when you wonder if your life really counts… 


“One person can make a difference.” 



(Genesis 6:5-8) 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. The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. 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.” But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD. 



MAKING A DIFFERENCE 


1. You can make a difference for your family. 


(Genesis 7:1) The Lord then said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteous in this generation.” 


(Acts 16:31) Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved--you and your household. 


2. You can make a difference for your generation. 


(Acts 13:36) For when David had served God's purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep. 


3. You can make a difference for God. 


(Ezekiel 22:30) I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none. 


NOAH’S WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT 


 “Don’t be afraid to stand out in a crowd.” (Proverbs 29:25) Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe. 


 “Don’t be afraid to do something for the first time.” 



(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.


 “When you see a rainbow, remember that one person can make a difference.” 


(Matthew 28:20 NLT) “And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” 



(2 Peter 3:6-9) By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men… The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.  


Chris Hodges, Church of the Highlands
https://www.churchofthehighlands.com/media/message/noah 

https://www.churchofthehighlands.com/files/groups/guides/2-12-12.pdf

When No One Understands Your Goal

The bigger life mission that you have.

 The bigger the problems that God is going to give for your life.

I'd like to focus on Noah.  How he handled getting the Ark built.  

The Bible said that it had never rained before on the earth.  It was being watered by a morning mist. 

People during that time lived hundreds of years. It took decades for his assignment to be completed. 

Man had become so depraved that God decided to wipe out the earth except for Noah. 

God taught Noah how to build the Ark.  It took 120 years to build the Ark with his family. Nobody understood what was going on.
  

Noah faced 4 Pitfalls.

1. Distractions- the culture around him pulled at his destiny. 

2. Doubts - cause you to second guess yourself.

3. Detours- they look like shortcuts, but get you off course. 

4. Delays- it took years to build that Ark.

1. I must dare to be different from my culture. 

Our purpose will have to be done in spite of our culture.  We can't live for pleasure and stuff, and still live for God.  Here are four things that get in our way.  

A. Pleasure.  

B. Possessions. 

C. Popularity.

D. Profit.

  

Genesis 6:9 (NIRV)

9 Here is the story of Noah’s family line.Noah was a godly man. He was without blame among the people of his time. He walked faithfully with God. 

Genesis 6:11-12  (NIRV)

11 The earth was very sinful in God’s eyes. It was full of people who did mean and harmful things. 

12 God saw how sinful the earth had become. All its people were living very sinful lives.

Genesis 6:5-6 (NIRV)

5 The Lord saw how bad the sins of everyone on earth had become. They only thought about evil things. 

6 The Lord was very sad that he had made human beings on the earth. His heart was filled with pain.  

Luke 17:26 (NIRV) Jesus said...

26 “Remember how it was in the days of Noah. It will be the same when the Son of Man  comes (I return).   

Genesis 6:8 (NIRV)

8 But the Lord was very pleased with Noah. 

Noah had to ignore his culture.  He was willing to be different to fulfill his destiny.  

I can only make a difference by being different. Great people never followed the crowd.  We must be a pleasure to the Lord.

  

Genesis 7:1 (NIRV)

7 Then the Lord said to Noah, “Go into the ark with your whole family. I know that you are a godly man among the people of today.

 2. I must listen to God and not the voices of doubt which include critics, competition, Satan who confuses, friends, and family. 

His critics thought that this guy thinks God talks to him.  He's building a giant ship in his front yard with no water in sight.  

His kids were embarrassed of him.  He was a joke. There was no rain decade after decade. The critics said who do you think you are to have a mission from God?  

The biggest voices of doubt can actually come within you.  You talk to yourself the most.

Build your self talk with God's Word. If you talked to your friends the way you talk to you, they wouldn't be your friends any longer.  

You lie to yourself all the time.  You have to listen to God instead of yourself. What is the antidote to doubt?  It's faith. 

Hebrews 11:7 (NIRV)

7 Noah had faith. 

So he built an ark to save his family. He built it because of his great respect for God. 

God had warned him about things that could not yet be seen. 

Because of his faith Noah showed the world that it was guilty. Because of his faith he was considered right with God. 

You can't see your future like God.  You have to trust your future to God.

Hebrews 11:1 (NIRV)

11 Faith is being sure of what we hope for. It is being sure of what we do not see.

2 Corinthians 4:18 (NIRV)

18 So we don’t spend all our time looking at what we can see. Instead, we look at what we can’t see. That’s because what can be seen lasts only a short time. But what can’t be seen will last forever.

     

What you choose to focus upon will determine your amount of stress, and how much God can bless you.

Noah was close enough to God to hear God speak.  

You hear God by getting near to God.  

He spent time with God.  Noah had learned how to identify his voice.  
  

Genesis 6:9 C Noah walked faithfully with God.

Noah was not ashamed to be seen with God.  

Amos 3:3 (NIRV)

3 Do two people walk together

    unless they’ve agreed to do so? 

Walking together means to go in the same direction and purpose.  It means walking in the same pace. It also means that you'll be out of step with the world .  

What is the result of walking with God?  You'll fear nothing.  You lose your fear when God is near. 

Genesis 6:17-18 (NIRV) God said...

17 I am going to bring a flood on the earth. It will destroy all life under the sky. It will destroy every living creature that breathes. Everything on earth will die. 

18 But I will make my covenant with you. You will go into the ark. Your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives will enter it with you.  

3. I must do exactly what God tells me to do. 

Obedience means that I must do it the exact way God tells me to do it at the exact time.

Partial obedience is disobedience. You're going to be tempted to cut corners. 

You can't take moral, ethical, financial, relational short cuts.

    

Genesis 6:22 (NIRV)

22 Noah did everything just as God commanded him. 

Make it a goal to do exactly as God tells you to do.  What has God asked you to do that doesn't make sense?  Faith is obeying God when we don't understand why.

4.  I must never give up on the dream that God gives me.  

It took exactly 120 years to build an Ark when no one else believed in Noah.  Most people give up before it happens.  Do not give up.  Everything takes longer than you think. 

Galatians 6:9 (NIRV)

9 Let us not become tired of doing good. At the right time we will gather a crop if we don’t give up.

Jesus is like the Ark.  If you put your faith in Him, you can be saved, too. To be saved, you have to make the choices that Noah made.

Pray Dear God, I want to be like Noah who brought a smile to your face.  I want my life to make you smile.  

Please forgive me for fearing what other people think.  Give me the courage to be different.  

I want to be near to you, so I can hear you too.  I want to do your will even when it doesn't make sense. 

Lord Jesus, I put my faith in you to be my Lord and Savior.  

Amen! 

Notes taken from Rick Warren, Saddleback Church