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More Father's Day Sermons
Build An Ark
for the Fam
Gen. 7:11/Heb. 11:7
A woman of 99
years lay dying, with her husband at her side. Her breath was short but
suddenly she gained strength and said, "My! It’s dark."
Her husband said, "Yes, Janet, it
is dark."
She said, "Is it night?"
He said, "Oh, yes! It's
midnight."
She then said, "Are all the
children in?" Her mind was taking her back to early years of marriage
and revealed her concern that all her children were in for the night.
Are all the children in?
The people of Noah’s day were in trouble, and we are in trouble. But
God has a message of hope that provides us with His wisdom about what to do
in these perilous times.
God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had
corrupted their ways. So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all
people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely
going to destroy both them and the earth.” (Genesis 6:12-13)
Noah lived in a time remarkably similar to ours. People in Noah’s day were
hardened toward spiritual matters, and that would be a fair assessment of
our culture today.
The Bible says that right before the Second
Coming of the Lord and end of the world, things will be like they were in
the days of Noah. Get ready friend, He is coming. Before this day is over
you could be stepping into eternity. One of the great prophecies indicating
the return of Jesus is the similarity of Noah’s day and ours.
As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the son of
man. (Matthew 24:37)
The ancient world, like ours, was filled
with heartache and turmoil, but there was an exception to the norm. His name
was Noah.
When everyone else was swimming downstream
into an abyss of sin, Noah was headed upstream, in large part because of his
Godly heritage.
Noah’s family included such spiritual giants
as Enoch, his great-grandfather; and Methuselah, his grandfather;
…and his father, Lamech, who lived 777
years!
METHUSELAH:
Methuselah means "his death shall
bring".
Enoch (Methuselah's
father) had a vision that, as long as his son was alive, the flood that
would destroy the world would not come. So in effect, Methuselah's death
shall bring the flood. The year Methuselah died was indeed the year the
flood came.
In American universities and other
institutions of higher learning, there is an ongoing argument that
“environment dictates character.” In these verses we learn that it is
Godly heritage that really influences character. Noah’s life was like a
beautiful rose that blossomed in the desert. In the midst of ungodliness,
Noah was a God-fearing man steadily raising his family on a daily diet of
faith and obedience.
There is no substitute for a Godly heritage. It’s one of the greatest gifts
you can receive or pass on to your children. Do everything within
your power to pass on your faith, to raise your family in a way that honors
Christ.
Children, your parents and
grandparents aren’t your history…they are your heritage!
(Prov.--A good name…/
poem: You got it from your father…)
3 Ways to pass on a
Godly Heritage: (sound familiar!)
1.
Get Saved you have
to receive the heritage first! (Noah found grace…)
[Turn your eyes upon Jesus…]
Gen. 7:4—there
were 7 days people could be saved…all ended in “Y”…(you can get saved any
day until suddenly the door slams shut…the last sinner walks the aisle!)
2. Get Right
(might mean getting rid of…/getting right w/ a family member/getting
married!) [God’s definition of family: man/woman, married, children?]
3. Get into
Church
(love Jesus?…you’ll love what Jesus loves!)
Have you noticed that
God was able to pull off His plan with just
one man and one family? That gives me hope! Even if I
feel my impact is insignificant, God can still use it to accomplish His
wonders.
Noah and his family were amateurs…not
professionals (like the Titanic!)
Remember this important truth: God may want to use your family in an
unusual way. God wants to use your family as an instrument of His grace
through which He can unleash His creative plans and projects. The story of
Noah is an excellent illustration of this. Will you, like Noah, respond with
obedience?
Outline from Heb. 11:7
1.
Noah’s
Faith Saved Him
(same way faith can save you today!)
You can protect your family in a lot of different ways, but the greatest way
you can protect them is by faith.
Faith saves…
Acts 16:31--
And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved,
and thy house.
(Also note Acts
16:14-15--Lydia
had her whole house saved…this is a good verse for the mom’s who are
acting as the spiritual head of the house.)
Dads: take the lead and claim
your kids for the kingdom. (lead ‘em to church, lead ‘em in prayer,
to know the Lord!)
By faith Noah--Everything Noah did, in reference to the threatened
deluge, was done in virtue of simple faith or belief of what God said.
(500 miles from water…what’s a boat? What’s rain? [A giant canopy in
the heavens and regular provision from the ground provided all the moisture
the world needed].)
It was not because he could show from the weather reports that things were
heading to such a catastrophe
(winter ark pic!…there would be many excuses why it couldn’t work!);
it wasn’t because such an event had happened before; or because this was the
common belief of all men and everyone was in expectation of it.
No, It was simply because God had warned him of something to come, and he
put his trust in God’s warnings.
(Story of Noah retold, w/ typical excuses
included!)
The Lord speaks to Noah and says: " I
am going to make it rain and cover the whole Earth with water until all is
destroyed. But I want you to save the righteous people and two of every kind
of living thing on the Earth. Therefore, I am commanding you to build an
Ark."
In a flash of lightning, God delivered the
specifications for an Ark.
Fearful and trembling, Noah took the plans and agreed to build the Ark.
"Remember," said the Lord, "You must complete the Ark and bring everything
aboard in time."
Years later, the Lord saw Noah sitting in his front yard weeping.
"Noah." He shouted, "Where is the Ark?"
"Lord, please forgive me!" cried Noah. "I did my best but there were big
problems. First, I had to get a permit for construction and your plans did
not comply with the codes. I had to hire an engineering firm and redraw the
plans.
Then I got into a fight with OSHA over whether or not the Ark needed a fire
sprinkler system and flotation devices.
I’m still trying to imagine how the
elephants are going to fit!
Then my neighbor objected, claiming I was violating zoning ordinances by
building the Ark in my front yard, so I had to get a variance from the city
planning commission.
I had problems getting enough wood for the Ark, because there was a ban on
cutting trees to protect the Spotted Owl. And I had this terrible dream of
what would happen once the woodpeckers came aboard anyway!
When I started rounding up the other animals, I got sued by an animal rights
group. They objected to me only taking two of each kind aboard.
Just when I got the suit dismissed, the EPA notified me that I could not
complete the Ark without filing an environmental impact statement on your
proposed flood. They said that much water could promote mold growth!
The Lord said, “see, this is why I’m
destroying the earth!”
Then the Army Corps of Engineer demanded a map of the proposed new flood
plain. I sent them a globe.
Right now, I am trying to resolve a complaint filed with the Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission that I am practicing discrimination by
not taking godless, unbelieving people aboard!
The IRS has seized all my assets, claiming that I'm building the Ark in
preparation to flee the country to avoid paying taxes.
I just got a notice from the State that I owe some kind of user tax and
failed to register the Ark as a 'recreational water craft.'
Finally the ACLU got the courts to issue an injunction against further
construction of the Ark, saying that since God is flooding the earth, it
is a religious event and therefore unconstitutional.
I really don't think I can finish the Ark for another 5 or 6 years!" Noah
wailed.
The sky began to clear, the sun began to shine and the seas began to calm.
A rainbow arched across the sky.
Noah looked up hopefully. "You mean you are not going to destroy the
Earth, Lord?"
"No," said the Lord sadly. "The government already has!"
Noah operated on faith! He did what he was
told.
Noah had an ear for God.
Spiritual hearing comes from spiritual listening. The Bible is not a
spiritual dessert, to be eaten every now and then…or when you have a
craving…but rather it is to be your daily bread. Faith cometh by
hearing... If you want to have the faith that can protect your children, you
have to be a man/woman of the Word.
2. Noah’s Fear
Moved Him
Fear (of fire) is a good thing. It will put smoke detectors in
your house, and a diligence about taking care of candles.
“By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet
(seen hell?), moved with fear, prepared an ark...” If Noah had no fear
of God, he would not have been motivated to build the ark that saved their
lives.
Year by year, Noah built the ark for the
saving of his family. There is nothing more important that the saving of our
homes.
(the process)
1.
Noah walked with God.
2.
Noah's walk with God was a witness to his family.
3.
Noah won his family to God.
Dad, can your fear protect your family? Noah’s did!
In the day in which we live -- we need spiritual dikes built that can
withstand the greatest storms of all time…like the storms of life and
eternity!
3.
Noah’s
Family Followed Him (and
all of creation!)
Noah’s stock was riding high…while the rest
of the world was in liquidation!
There’s no better thrill than to
have the followship of your family!
3John 1:4
-
I have no greater joy than to hear that my
children
walk
in
truth.
Some family won’t follow (Noah's son's wives’
families?)
But what a thrill when those who
WILL follow get on board!
Are all the children in?
Have you looked to the eyes of the Lord for
grace?
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