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Call to worship: Psalm 103:1-14

Text: Genesis 6:1-8

Summary:

Moses reports on the state of the world, down to every heart. In so doing, he throws us into a wilderness of spiritual depravity and captivity to sin. The good world is now a godless world. It's a graceless world. It's a world begging judgment, while standing in desperate need of the Gospel. The world without reflects the world within. It's only evil continually. Opposite this, and in view of it, stands the heart of God. While dealing seriously with sin, we learn of His long suffering patience. As it appeared, the impassioned God knew sorrow over the degeneracy of the humanity He made in His image and out of love. All would seem lost, as God promises a judgment second only to the return of Christ. But Noah found favor in God's eyes. The Creator is the Redeemer, and He is faithful to His promise and purpose of salvation. The only hope for the world is the One with power to regenerate the heart.

Sermon Outline:

1. The divine heart in view of depraved hearts. (6:1-7)
2. The divine hope in victory over depraved hearts. (6:8)

Prepare

Discussion Questions:

1. Read Genesis 6:1-8.
2. Who are the sons of God? (That's all. And if you find out, feel free to pass along your assessment to me before Sunday).
3. How might chs. 4-5 be significant to the interpretation of 6:1-8? What's wrong with what's done in 6:1-2? How does it relate to 1:26-31, 2:15-25, 3:1-8, 3:15, and the genealogy of chapter 5? In what way does the Spirit of God relate to natural life? How does He contend with fallen Man? Where else does the couplet of the Spirit and the flesh come up in the Bible? What was the result of these illicit and immorally begotten marriages? Whose renown is at the heart of wicked people?
4. Speaking of that heart, how would you describe the teaching of 6:5? What is the doctrine here taught? Notice that God sees our true spiritual condition. His judgments are always in view of the whole truth. What's said about God's heart in view of depraved hearts? Is it what you expect? In what sense can it be said that God was sorry or that God regretted creating Man?
5. Why does 6:8 come as such good news? What does it imply about the hope of the world? And what does it have to do with our hearts? Where are we told of a covenant promising new hearts, and what is the price by which such a promise is applied?