About

Call to worship: Hebrews 11:1-7

Text: Genesis 6:9-7:10

Summary:

Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord, and grace has made him different than the rest of the world. While humanity has largely taken the wide path, Noah walks with God in the straight and narrow. His faith is a living faith. That faith is given a specific exercise: to make known God's design for the world. That design includes the literal architecture of the ark. It also includes the revelation of divine judgment and God's salvation for sinners from it. The door is open until it's not. Noah heralds righteousness for a century. He does all the Lord commands. The ark is finished, but only Noah and his family take God's way of escape. Within the ark, there is gathered a new world to survive the flood. Once let out, that gathering, that new creation, makes the ark visible. So also we are a foretaste of Christ's new creation in this world and, as we conduct ourselves faithfully, we show the world there is salvation for the perishing.

Main idea(s): Those who live by faith make salvation visible and available to the perishing.

Sermon Outline:

1. Noah's difference from the world. (6:9-12)
2. God's design for the world. (6:13-22)
3. The ark's deposit of a new world. (7:1-10)

Prepare

Discussion Questions:

1. Read Genesis 6:9-7:10.
2. What is the difference between Noah and the rest of humanity? Are you willing to go with God, though all the world walk a different way? What marks the faith of Noah? See Hebrews 11:1-7, 1 Peter 3:18-20, 2 Peter 2:1ff.
3. What should we draw from the fact that God provides an ark at all? What from the fact that it has a single open door in its side? What from the fact that only Noah and his family take God's way of escape?
4. Noah's obedience is mentioned repeatedly. What's the relationship between obedience to God's Word, a true and living faith, and the manifestation of grace and salvation to a perishing world?
5. Ultimately, what is inside the ark? To what does the ark point us? What does a new creation gathering reveal to the world? The flood rains do come. What does that say to the unbelieving skeptic? To all God's Noahs?