WEBVTT 0 00:00:00.170 --> 00:00:00.720 You. 1 00:00:04.690 --> 00:00:07.322 Welcome to the Willow Ridge Sermons podcast. 2 00:00:07.466 --> 00:00:11.150 This is where you can find audio from Sunday morning messages and more. 3 00:00:11.300 --> 00:00:14.442 Make sure you're subscribed so that you don't miss future episodes. 4 00:00:14.506 --> 00:00:15.950 And thanks for listening. 5 00:00:20.610 --> 00:00:21.600 Good morning. 6 00:00:22.370 --> 00:00:28.162 Hopefully at some point in time today we will experienced a little bit of sunshine outside like we got for a few hours yesterday. 7 00:00:28.306 --> 00:00:32.822 But it is good to be here and hopefully you didn't get too wet coming in this morning. 8 00:00:32.956 --> 00:00:36.200 If you've got your Bibles, go and open them up to Genesis, chapter six. 9 00:00:36.650 --> 00:00:40.518 We are still going to continue to look at the flood this morning. 10 00:00:40.684 --> 00:00:44.234 Last week we read almost about four chapters, right? 11 00:00:44.272 --> 00:00:50.506 It was kind of the first time, honestly as a preacher that I've read that much and kind of stopped and paused through. 12 00:00:50.608 --> 00:00:54.986 But we wanted to tell the whole story that the Bible accounts with the flood. 13 00:00:55.098 --> 00:01:00.654 And then last week we looked at Noah and specifically looking at Noah's faith, right? 14 00:01:00.692 --> 00:01:03.114 Noah's a big deal in scripture. 15 00:01:03.242 --> 00:01:08.194 Noah's someone that we can look at and see what their faith looks like. 16 00:01:08.232 --> 00:01:12.030 We can see their success and failure as he walked with the Lord. 17 00:01:12.110 --> 00:01:22.114 But in looking at Noah's faith, what we looked at last week was Noah was obedient, that Noah was trusting and that Noah's faith was responsive, that Noah responded in worship. 18 00:01:22.162 --> 00:01:33.322 And so last week we kind of took who, one of the characters of the story, and we looked at Him and looked at his response to this historical event that happened. 19 00:01:33.456 --> 00:01:56.478 We believe that the Bible is literal, meaning that the flood happened and that it took place, and that we see in the life of this man, Noah, who lived, who was a real person in his response to the Lord and his walk in obedience and his trusting in Him in his response in the midst of a situation that you and I could not possibly imagine. 20 00:01:56.654 --> 00:02:01.730 But today we're not going to look at Noah when you read the Bible. 21 00:02:02.470 --> 00:02:05.140 The Bible is the story of God. 22 00:02:05.590 --> 00:02:08.360 The Bible is the revelation of God. 23 00:02:08.730 --> 00:02:21.814 The Bible is the story of Christ, of showing us who we are in light of Him, showing us who we are in our sin and showing us who we are in light of his salvation. 24 00:02:21.942 --> 00:02:31.630 And so this morning, what we're going to take a pause is as we read through this and we're going to look at and understand the goodness of God in the flood. 25 00:02:32.450 --> 00:02:49.122 Now, I would argue that when you read the story of the flood and you speak to the parts of the story that speak to you, you will reveal and you will lay your hand out. 26 00:02:49.176 --> 00:03:08.140 You will show your cards of how you view God as you speak to the events that happen and unfold as you look at the destruction of mankind minus one family. 27 00:03:09.390 --> 00:03:16.860 And as you speak to what that speaks to you, you'll display your view of God. 28 00:03:17.790 --> 00:03:32.714 And oftentimes when people speak to this and also when individuals are critical of this, what they see in the flood is they see God's anger and they see God's wrath. 29 00:03:32.762 --> 00:03:36.466 And I want to say that's true to get from this. 30 00:03:36.648 --> 00:03:44.174 When you read the account of the flood, you see God's hatred of sin and you see the destruction that sin brings. 31 00:03:44.302 --> 00:03:46.200 And we'll talk about that too today. 32 00:03:46.730 --> 00:03:57.030 But if that's all you see in the dialogue in the account of the flood, then you miss the fullness of God and you miss his goodness. 33 00:03:57.690 --> 00:04:02.886 And so what I want to do this morning as we journey back through, we're not going to read all of those verses. 34 00:04:02.918 --> 00:04:09.014 We're going to look at different ones, though, as we go through, is to look at this and we will see God's anger towards sin. 35 00:04:09.062 --> 00:04:12.102 We will see God's wrath poured out in destruction. 36 00:04:12.166 --> 00:04:17.486 But what we will also see in this is the goodness of God, what. 37 00:04:17.508 --> 00:04:20.378 We just sang and what we just proclaimed. 38 00:04:20.554 --> 00:04:24.914 So let's look at the account of the flood and begin to understand how. 39 00:04:25.032 --> 00:04:27.570 Good God truly is. 40 00:04:27.720 --> 00:04:33.170 The first thing that we see in the flood is this that God is the righteous judge. 41 00:04:33.750 --> 00:04:35.274 God is the righteous judge. 42 00:04:35.342 --> 00:04:43.490 Genesis six, verses eleven through twelve says, now the earth was corrupt in God's sight. 43 00:04:43.570 --> 00:04:44.614 This is important. 44 00:04:44.812 --> 00:04:50.758 It's not simply that the earth was corrupt, but in whose sight was the earth corrupt? 45 00:04:50.854 --> 00:04:52.294 In God's sight. 46 00:04:52.342 --> 00:04:53.882 God is the standard then. 47 00:04:53.936 --> 00:04:55.706 God is the standard today. 48 00:04:55.808 --> 00:05:01.386 Now, the earth was corrupt in God's sight and the earth was filled with violence. 49 00:05:01.498 --> 00:05:11.242 And God saw the earth and behold, it was corrupt for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. 50 00:05:11.306 --> 00:05:16.802 So let's look at this and understand some things that we see, because this is really important in this. 51 00:05:16.856 --> 00:05:28.230 So in God's sight and what God saw, he determined in his righteousness that it was corrupt. 52 00:05:29.930 --> 00:05:42.220 God in his perfection, God in his holiness, god in his righteousness, looks down and sees everything. 53 00:05:44.110 --> 00:05:54.080 Not some things, not most things, not a little bit of things, but everything. 54 00:05:55.810 --> 00:05:59.870 I got a new app this weekend. 55 00:06:01.330 --> 00:06:03.220 It's called Life 360. 56 00:06:05.590 --> 00:06:07.860 I've heard about Life 360. 57 00:06:09.030 --> 00:06:13.300 I didn't know what Life 360 can do. 58 00:06:14.150 --> 00:06:19.958 And I've got the freebie version of Life 360. 59 00:06:20.124 --> 00:06:24.360 It's driving everyone in my family crazy, right? 60 00:06:25.130 --> 00:06:30.934 They'll be driving somewhere and I'll call them, hey, what's the traffic looking like over there on 378? 61 00:06:30.972 --> 00:06:32.166 I see you're over there by the chickfila. 62 00:06:32.198 --> 00:06:33.446 You're thinking about going to getting something neat? 63 00:06:33.478 --> 00:06:34.700 What are you doing over there, right? 64 00:06:35.230 --> 00:06:36.886 Emma's like, dad, you're just creepy. 65 00:06:36.918 --> 00:06:38.140 You're just creepy, right? 66 00:06:38.750 --> 00:06:41.120 I love when they get home. 67 00:06:41.650 --> 00:06:50.320 It says, So and so traveled this distance and their top speed was this. 68 00:06:51.810 --> 00:06:55.826 But none of them can see that about me, right? 69 00:06:56.008 --> 00:06:57.042 I love it. 70 00:06:57.096 --> 00:06:57.794 I love it. 71 00:06:57.832 --> 00:07:06.520 I love it because I think I can see all, but I really can't right, but I can see most. 72 00:07:07.610 --> 00:07:10.390 But God in his sight. 73 00:07:10.970 --> 00:07:12.790 God sees the earth. 74 00:07:13.130 --> 00:07:28.246 He sees all that it is, and he sees the corruption and violence that's there for this reason, for flesh or mankind had corrupted their way on the earth. 75 00:07:28.358 --> 00:07:42.800 So God looks and what God sees is the divergence of mankind from the plan and the path of God, and they journey on their own. 76 00:07:44.230 --> 00:07:47.714 And so God makes a decision, a. 77 00:07:47.752 --> 00:07:51.614 Decision that is hard for us to fathom. 78 00:07:51.742 --> 00:08:07.930 It is in Genesis 617, God says, for behold, I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life. 79 00:08:08.000 --> 00:08:14.730 Under heaven, everything that is on earth shall die. 80 00:08:17.070 --> 00:08:19.126 That's the words of Scripture. 81 00:08:19.318 --> 00:08:32.262 And so God is the righteous judge in his holiness, in his perfection, looks down and sees the corruption that has filled the whole earth, and he brings a judgment. 82 00:08:32.426 --> 00:08:35.460 Now, why would God do this? 83 00:08:35.990 --> 00:08:38.946 When we understand why God would do this? 84 00:08:39.128 --> 00:08:42.718 In verse 17, we understand more of his goodness. 85 00:08:42.814 --> 00:08:54.146 We understand more of his holiness, we understand more of his perfection is because God hates sin and God will judge sin. 86 00:08:54.338 --> 00:08:56.520 Have you ever looked the other way? 87 00:08:57.870 --> 00:09:04.700 Maybe you've looked the other way in your life, or you've looked the other way in someone else's life. 88 00:09:05.310 --> 00:09:10.990 Maybe you've made an excuse for the decisions that you or others have made. 89 00:09:11.140 --> 00:09:13.418 Maybe you've swept it under the rug. 90 00:09:13.514 --> 00:09:16.698 Maybe you've said, we're just going to keep this a secret. 91 00:09:16.794 --> 00:09:18.590 But that's not God. 92 00:09:18.740 --> 00:09:24.690 When God sees sin, God cannot ignore sin. 93 00:09:26.470 --> 00:09:31.650 So he stands and he looks and he sees. 94 00:09:32.390 --> 00:09:36.150 And in verse 17, he pronounces his judgment. 95 00:09:36.490 --> 00:09:49.398 But if you're here last week, you know that while all flesh but Noah found favor with the Lord, that word in the original language for favor is grace. 96 00:09:49.494 --> 00:09:53.146 Noah found grace in the Lord because. 97 00:09:53.248 --> 00:09:59.578 Noah was blameless and righteous, which speaks nothing to Noah of who he is. 98 00:09:59.664 --> 00:10:05.086 But it speaks to the next phrase that we'll see in just a moment where the Bible tells us that Noah walked with God. 99 00:10:05.188 --> 00:10:12.590 And so Noah's blamelessness and righteousness came not from himself, but from his relationship with the Lord. 100 00:10:13.330 --> 00:10:20.014 And so in judgment, what we see is God is the righteous judge, is that, yes, God hates sin and will judge sin. 101 00:10:20.062 --> 00:10:26.520 God cannot ignore sin, but God rewards those who are found in Him. 102 00:10:26.970 --> 00:10:47.142 Paul writes in two, Timothy four eight, henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. 103 00:10:47.206 --> 00:10:51.886 So there's this reward that's there, there's this reward that is found. 104 00:10:51.988 --> 00:10:53.962 There's this reward that is granted. 105 00:10:54.026 --> 00:11:03.330 So on the verdicts of the righteous judge of God, what you have is you have wrath and you have reward. 106 00:11:06.620 --> 00:11:12.280 You have wrath and you have reward. 107 00:11:13.260 --> 00:11:21.020 And as the writer of Hebrews tells us in Hebrews 927, that's the truth that everyone will face. 108 00:11:21.170 --> 00:11:28.860 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, what after that comes judgment. 109 00:11:30.100 --> 00:11:31.264 Comes judgment first. 110 00:11:31.302 --> 00:11:32.448 Peter four five. 111 00:11:32.614 --> 00:11:38.960 They will give account to him who is ready to judge what the living and the dead. 112 00:11:40.180 --> 00:11:48.112 And we begin this by having to understand that God is the righteous judge in his perfection. 113 00:11:48.256 --> 00:11:54.428 He looks at the earth and he sees corruption in his perfection. 114 00:11:54.544 --> 00:11:59.636 He looks at the world and he sees violence in his perfection. 115 00:11:59.748 --> 00:12:09.420 He looks at the world and he sees that mankind has wandered from the path that God has established. 116 00:12:12.480 --> 00:12:13.784 What do you think God sees? 117 00:12:13.832 --> 00:12:21.680 Now, after the flood, God didn't close his eyes. 118 00:12:23.830 --> 00:12:34.370 After the flood, God didn't say, I'm just going to ignore the character and the nature and the person and who he is of God has not changed. 119 00:12:35.610 --> 00:12:38.550 What do you think God sees? 120 00:12:41.450 --> 00:12:48.780 Here's my prayer for you, genesis six, eight through nine. 121 00:12:49.310 --> 00:12:55.610 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord, and these are the generations of Noah. 122 00:12:56.190 --> 00:13:03.280 And Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation, and Noah walked with God. 123 00:13:04.530 --> 00:13:12.500 Next week we're going to see how Noah wasn't perfect, how Noah didn't have the perfect family. 124 00:13:14.070 --> 00:13:23.426 But that still doesn't take away from the truth and even reinforces the truth of God's grace, of who Noah is. 125 00:13:23.608 --> 00:13:31.190 You see, Noah walked with the Lord, and therefore Noah's position determined the verdict. 126 00:13:32.890 --> 00:13:34.226 God's the righteous judge. 127 00:13:34.258 --> 00:13:39.850 The second thing that we see is God is compassionate and patient. 128 00:13:40.270 --> 00:13:42.950 God is compassionate and patient. 129 00:13:43.030 --> 00:13:49.578 When we look back, remember from several weeks ago when we read the genealogy and there's all of these list of numbers that's there. 130 00:13:49.664 --> 00:13:57.950 Well, when you look at those numbers and you ask yourself, what is the time that passed from the creation of Adam to the flood? 131 00:13:58.290 --> 00:14:03.306 Here's the number 1656. 132 00:14:03.428 --> 00:14:04.862 I didn't do that math. 133 00:14:04.926 --> 00:14:08.306 I leaned in on a few individuals who are smarter than I am, right? 134 00:14:08.488 --> 00:14:16.390 1656, years from the fall to the flood. 135 00:14:17.450 --> 00:14:26.306 The story of the flood points us to the compassion and the patience of the Lord. 136 00:14:26.498 --> 00:14:40.990 Oftentimes when critics read the account of the flood, what they see falsely is an irrational God who whimsically, does as he pleases. 137 00:14:41.730 --> 00:14:44.222 And that's not the truth of the Lord at all. 138 00:14:44.276 --> 00:14:46.990 He does do as he pleases. 139 00:14:48.770 --> 00:14:54.070 But what we see is in this he is compassionate. 140 00:14:54.170 --> 00:14:57.278 What we see in this is that he is patience. 141 00:14:57.374 --> 00:15:02.222 And the Bible over and over tells us this in numbers 1418. 142 00:15:02.286 --> 00:15:13.430 Here's what says the Lord is what slow to anger and abounding instead forgiving iniquity and transgression. 143 00:15:13.770 --> 00:15:24.038 But he by no means cleared the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation. 144 00:15:24.134 --> 00:15:26.218 Look at Psalm 80 615. 145 00:15:26.384 --> 00:15:30.202 But you, O Lord, are a God of God. 146 00:15:30.256 --> 00:15:39.194 Merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding instead, fast love and patient and faithfulness. 147 00:15:39.322 --> 00:15:53.858 And so what we see from scripture is that, no, this is not God waking up one day in a bad mood, making an irrational decision that is void from his character and his nature of who he is. 148 00:15:53.944 --> 00:16:04.710 What we see from scripture is the understanding of God not being annoyed as he waits, but in compassion he is patient and he waits. 149 00:16:06.570 --> 00:16:32.580 1656 years and he waited during the day of Noah first Peter 320 peter writes and says they formally did not obey when God's patience waited in the days of Noah while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons were brought safely through water. 150 00:16:33.350 --> 00:16:35.060 Why is there so many years? 151 00:16:35.590 --> 00:17:01.420 Because God's waiting and God's waiting in God's waiting in God's waiting and the truth of it is that it's not an Old Testament thought that God is patient but God is patient with you and he knows and I know that he is patient with me. 152 00:17:02.190 --> 00:17:21.310 Two Peter three nine the Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you not wishing that any should perish but that all should reach repentance. 153 00:17:24.690 --> 00:17:32.660 I lead a men's group that we get together for lunch on Thursdays and we talk through different things. 154 00:17:33.270 --> 00:17:42.806 We're doing the study, experiencing God right now and I'm going to share this about our group and some of the guys are in here this morning are probably getting a little bit nervous what's there? 155 00:17:42.828 --> 00:17:55.210 But as we go around and as we talk about our struggles, one of the things that we constantly have to encourage, speak truth, in and confess because we fail at often is patience. 156 00:17:56.030 --> 00:17:56.970 Patience. 157 00:17:57.550 --> 00:18:06.426 We get annoyed, we get triggered, we get grumpy, we get selfish, we get greedy, we get prideful. 158 00:18:06.538 --> 00:18:12.254 And then in that, what comes out because of our lack of patience, right. 159 00:18:12.292 --> 00:18:13.998 Is fruit that bears that. 160 00:18:14.164 --> 00:18:18.034 And oftentimes this is what we think of when we see the Lord as well. 161 00:18:18.072 --> 00:18:22.050 But the truth is that God is patient with you and he's patient with me. 162 00:18:22.120 --> 00:18:29.590 And I love the fact that in these two verses that we see from the New Testament that talk about God's faithfulness are both written by Peter. 163 00:18:30.650 --> 00:18:32.850 When you do the study of Peter. 164 00:18:33.010 --> 00:18:39.862 What you will understand is Peter is an expert on Jesus's patience, on God's patience. 165 00:18:39.926 --> 00:18:40.298 Why? 166 00:18:40.384 --> 00:18:43.834 Because he was continually reminded of his. 167 00:18:43.872 --> 00:19:08.260 Failings and Christ's goodness and patience with him and so when we look at the account of the flood we have to be reminded that God is patient and he is compassionate and today he is passionate, compassionate and patient as well. 168 00:19:09.590 --> 00:19:16.726 He's compassionate for you, he's patient for you, just easiest for me and for the world. 169 00:19:16.908 --> 00:19:24.962 Number three, what we see from this, what we see from the account of the flood is that God is trustworthy. 170 00:19:25.026 --> 00:19:26.082 God is trustworthy. 171 00:19:26.146 --> 00:19:29.094 The flood shows us the promises or. 172 00:19:29.132 --> 00:19:30.342 The covenants of God. 173 00:19:30.396 --> 00:19:32.346 And when we get into Abraham here. 174 00:19:32.368 --> 00:19:33.578 In just a few weeks, we're going. 175 00:19:33.584 --> 00:19:35.882 To talk more about the covenants of God. 176 00:19:35.936 --> 00:19:39.694 But we see these with God, with Noah in Genesis chapter six. 177 00:19:39.732 --> 00:19:40.938 Look at verse 18. 178 00:19:41.114 --> 00:19:54.018 God says to Noah, but I will establish my covenant with you and you shall come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife and your son's wives with you. 179 00:19:54.104 --> 00:20:03.970 Genesis one eight but God remembered Noah and all the beast and all the livestock that were with him in the ark. 180 00:20:04.790 --> 00:20:05.334 I'm sorry. 181 00:20:05.372 --> 00:20:11.026 And God made a wind blow over the earth and the waters subsided. 182 00:20:11.138 --> 00:20:13.186 So look in these two verses. 183 00:20:13.298 --> 00:20:19.066 Look who is doing the actions of what we see of salvation in this moment. 184 00:20:19.168 --> 00:20:23.900 God tells Noah, I'm going to establish this with you. 185 00:20:24.350 --> 00:20:28.300 God says, Here is what I am going to do. 186 00:20:28.670 --> 00:20:32.970 And then in the midst of this, God remembered Noah. 187 00:20:33.050 --> 00:20:35.758 So God says, this is what I'm going to do. 188 00:20:35.844 --> 00:20:40.254 And then God does what God says he is going to do. 189 00:20:40.452 --> 00:20:42.270 God is trustworthy. 190 00:20:43.090 --> 00:20:46.498 If he says it, we can believe it. 191 00:20:46.664 --> 00:20:49.666 If he says it, we can hold on to it. 192 00:20:49.848 --> 00:20:53.620 If he says it, we can set our lives on it. 193 00:20:54.150 --> 00:20:58.214 Because God is trustworthy and his word is true. 194 00:20:58.412 --> 00:21:06.850 In Genesis 821 and 22 says and when the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma, the Lord said in his heart, so this is after the flood. 195 00:21:06.930 --> 00:21:10.458 I will never again curse the ground because of man. 196 00:21:10.544 --> 00:21:14.438 For the intention of man's heart is evil from his youth. 197 00:21:14.534 --> 00:21:19.866 Never will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done. 198 00:21:19.968 --> 00:21:30.218 Continues on in Genesis 911 through 13 I establish my covenant with you that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood. 199 00:21:30.314 --> 00:21:34.010 And never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth. 200 00:21:34.090 --> 00:21:42.718 And God said, this is the sign of the covenant that I make between Me and you and every living creature that is with you for all future generations. 201 00:21:42.814 --> 00:21:49.398 I've set my bow in the cloud and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you. 202 00:21:49.484 --> 00:21:57.740 And in both of these, in Genesis 821 and in Genesis nine, both of these still ring true today. 203 00:21:58.910 --> 00:22:03.306 As God sets this, this is what. 204 00:22:03.328 --> 00:22:07.100 God determines and this is what God does. 205 00:22:07.790 --> 00:22:14.494 Not only does the word of God not contradict itself, but the actions of God do not contradict the word of God. 206 00:22:14.692 --> 00:22:16.046 I know you maybe felt like you. 207 00:22:16.068 --> 00:22:17.646 Wanted to, but that's why you didn't. 208 00:22:17.668 --> 00:22:20.240 Need to pull up with a boat this morning, right? 209 00:22:21.910 --> 00:22:23.380 Because God's good. 210 00:22:28.070 --> 00:22:47.142 And regardless of what it portrays, when we see in the sky the picture of the rainbow, we are reminded of God's faithfulness and grace in our life, right? 211 00:22:47.196 --> 00:22:48.790 God's trustworthiness. 212 00:22:49.310 --> 00:22:50.730 This is so key. 213 00:22:50.880 --> 00:22:57.210 God's trustworthiness is based in his faithfulness. 214 00:22:57.950 --> 00:23:08.510 God's truth is based in who he is, not in who we are in the account of the flood. 215 00:23:09.010 --> 00:23:14.640 God says I will establish god remembers, God made. 216 00:23:15.010 --> 00:23:17.090 God says I will never curse again. 217 00:23:17.160 --> 00:23:19.186 God says I will never strike down. 218 00:23:19.288 --> 00:23:21.502 God says I will establish my covenant. 219 00:23:21.566 --> 00:23:24.370 God says I will make between me and you. 220 00:23:24.440 --> 00:23:29.298 And God says I have set my bow in the sky. 221 00:23:29.394 --> 00:23:31.880 God doesn't go back from his word. 222 00:23:32.730 --> 00:23:45.946 And as we read God's word, right, we're reminded of his promises for us, two of the promises from the New Testament that we see for those who are in Christ with a reminder of this. 223 00:23:45.968 --> 00:23:59.520 Philippians one six paul writes this, and he says, and I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. 224 00:24:00.290 --> 00:24:12.100 That God, not you, who began the work, but that he God, who began a work in you and in me. 225 00:24:13.750 --> 00:24:17.160 He doesn't say, hey, we'll just go figure that out on your own. 226 00:24:17.850 --> 00:24:19.960 Just go see what you can do with this. 227 00:24:20.330 --> 00:24:21.654 What does he say? 228 00:24:21.852 --> 00:24:27.080 He will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. 229 00:24:27.450 --> 00:24:35.210 So we know that we're a work in progress, being worked on and moved in and gone forward. 230 00:24:35.280 --> 00:24:36.026 I want to ask you this. 231 00:24:36.048 --> 00:24:42.542 How many of you have a project at your house not that needs to be done? 232 00:24:42.676 --> 00:24:44.590 I just heard Deborah Schul laugh. 233 00:24:47.170 --> 00:24:56.130 How many of you have a project that you started and needs to be finished? 234 00:24:57.430 --> 00:24:58.180 Right? 235 00:25:00.470 --> 00:25:01.780 Can I tell you? 236 00:25:05.690 --> 00:25:06.774 Can I tell you? 237 00:25:06.892 --> 00:25:19.080 There are several rooms in my house that are painted gray with this beautiful texture of unsanded sheetrock mud, right? 238 00:25:19.930 --> 00:25:21.462 There's one in there. 239 00:25:21.596 --> 00:25:23.580 We've been in her house for five years. 240 00:25:24.990 --> 00:25:27.846 I just got to close my eyes and raise my eyebrow. 241 00:25:27.878 --> 00:25:29.178 Look, because she knows what I'm about to say. 242 00:25:29.264 --> 00:25:34.720 There's one that has been in my house for four years, right? 243 00:25:35.170 --> 00:25:36.640 And what do we say? 244 00:25:37.250 --> 00:25:38.542 I'll get to it. 245 00:25:38.676 --> 00:25:39.854 I'll get to it. 246 00:25:39.972 --> 00:25:40.862 I'll get to it. 247 00:25:40.916 --> 00:25:41.802 Here's my confession. 248 00:25:41.866 --> 00:25:42.970 Moment of truth. 249 00:25:43.130 --> 00:25:47.202 When we put the For Sale sign in the yard is probably when I'll get to it, right? 250 00:25:47.336 --> 00:25:48.580 That's what we mean. 251 00:25:49.110 --> 00:25:50.690 But that's not the Lord. 252 00:25:51.030 --> 00:25:52.558 That's not the Lord. 253 00:25:52.734 --> 00:25:58.878 He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion. 254 00:25:58.974 --> 00:26:14.090 And then first John one nine, if we confess our sins what he is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 255 00:26:14.830 --> 00:26:21.870 This is the God we trust based in his faithfulness and not ours. 256 00:26:23.010 --> 00:26:29.870 The last thing that we're going to look at in the goodness of God, in the account of the flood is this god saves. 257 00:26:30.610 --> 00:26:31.950 God saves. 258 00:26:34.150 --> 00:26:35.940 If I were to write a paper. 259 00:26:36.950 --> 00:26:41.394 Or an article on the flood, it. 260 00:26:41.432 --> 00:26:46.630 Would be this believe that this is the overarching message. 261 00:26:46.780 --> 00:26:56.150 So many things can be drawn out of these chapters, but the overarching message of the flood is this sin condemns, but God saves. 262 00:26:57.290 --> 00:27:00.970 Sin condemns, but God saves. 263 00:27:02.350 --> 00:27:04.490 Why did everyone die? 264 00:27:05.790 --> 00:27:06.540 Why? 265 00:27:07.310 --> 00:27:08.810 Because of their sin. 266 00:27:09.950 --> 00:27:20.350 Everyone died not because God's mean, not because God's impatient, not because God's cruel. 267 00:27:21.090 --> 00:27:23.902 But they died because of their sin. 268 00:27:24.046 --> 00:27:26.786 And why did Noah and his family live? 269 00:27:26.888 --> 00:27:29.726 First, Peter tells us that there were eight who survived. 270 00:27:29.838 --> 00:27:31.634 Why did they live? 271 00:27:31.752 --> 00:27:33.890 Because God saves. 272 00:27:35.190 --> 00:27:38.790 God is not cruel because some people go to h***. 273 00:27:38.940 --> 00:27:41.830 God is good because some go to heaven. 274 00:27:42.410 --> 00:27:55.434 It's the perspective that we have to understand in this, that the fact that any of us will go to heaven is a display of God's goodness in. 275 00:27:55.472 --> 00:27:58.906 Who he is, in his love, in. 276 00:27:58.928 --> 00:28:01.418 His compassion, in his truth. 277 00:28:01.514 --> 00:28:11.950 Your sin, my sin, the sin of this world condemns, but those of us found in Christ are saved because of God's goodness. 278 00:28:13.270 --> 00:28:29.910 So when we say for salvation, you need to admit that you're a sinner, what we're asking you to do, what we've done, is to admit to take credit, to claim ownership not of your salvation, but of your sin. 279 00:28:30.970 --> 00:28:34.200 This is what I've done. 280 00:28:34.810 --> 00:28:37.510 This is who I am. 281 00:28:37.660 --> 00:28:40.714 This is what I'm capable of. 282 00:28:40.832 --> 00:28:42.646 This is my sin. 283 00:28:42.758 --> 00:28:47.900 And my sin deserves the wrath of God. 284 00:28:50.370 --> 00:28:51.920 We have to admit that. 285 00:28:52.930 --> 00:28:54.320 But there's hope. 286 00:28:55.250 --> 00:28:58.240 And the hope is that we're also called to believe. 287 00:28:59.170 --> 00:29:17.058 Not to believe in ourselves, not to believe in our own moral capabilities, not to believe in our ability to follow the rules of the religion, but to believe that Jesus Christ is the sinless Son of God who came to this earth to die as the result of my sin. 288 00:29:17.154 --> 00:29:22.520 So I believe in who he is and I believe in what he has done. 289 00:29:23.450 --> 00:29:29.020 I admit who I am and I believe in who Jesus is. 290 00:29:30.430 --> 00:29:31.930 And then I confess. 291 00:29:32.990 --> 00:29:34.330 And I confess. 292 00:29:35.230 --> 00:29:39.370 And my confession is surrender. 293 00:29:41.330 --> 00:29:54.820 Surrender my sin to Him as Savior and surrender my life to Him as Lord and what he will do. 294 00:29:55.670 --> 00:30:00.820 And he will take his place as Lord and Savior of my life. 295 00:30:02.070 --> 00:30:06.710 And we see this in the account of the flood. 296 00:30:07.130 --> 00:30:10.514 We see that God is the means of salvation. 297 00:30:10.642 --> 00:30:21.210 Genesis 618 I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife and your son's wives with you. 298 00:30:21.280 --> 00:30:23.610 God doesn't say, hey, there's a flood happening. 299 00:30:23.760 --> 00:30:24.940 Figure it out. 300 00:30:26.670 --> 00:30:34.350 He gives the instructions down to the detail of the type of wood, the size that it will be, the layers that it will have. 301 00:30:34.500 --> 00:30:39.760 He gives instruction on the food that needs to be collected and the animals that will come to him. 302 00:30:40.450 --> 00:30:46.770 And God says, and you shall come into my means of salvation. 303 00:30:47.510 --> 00:30:55.766 In John 316 for God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him the. 304 00:30:55.788 --> 00:31:00.280 Means of salvation should not perish, but have eternal life. 305 00:31:01.290 --> 00:31:16.490 And in the Gospel, Genesis seven seven, and Noah and his sons and his wives and his son's wives went with him into the ark to escape the waters of the flood. 306 00:31:17.470 --> 00:31:26.960 What it means that God is the means of salvation is this that salvation is found in him, in him. 307 00:31:27.810 --> 00:31:33.620 For I have been crucified with Christ in him, right? 308 00:31:34.390 --> 00:31:35.860 Acts 412. 309 00:31:36.470 --> 00:31:50.242 Peter's preaches, as there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men, by which we must be saved. 310 00:31:50.306 --> 00:31:58.318 Paul writes two Corinthians 517 therefore, if anyone is what in Christ, he is a new creation. 311 00:31:58.434 --> 00:32:00.410 The old has passed away. 312 00:32:00.560 --> 00:32:03.306 Behold, the new has come. 313 00:32:03.408 --> 00:32:11.290 You see, the Gospel has never been just about knowing about the Gospel has never been just about being around. 314 00:32:11.440 --> 00:32:25.870 You see, the instructions that God gave Noah and his family was not just to know this is coming, was not to just be involved in the work, was not to just be around it when the waters started rising. 315 00:32:25.950 --> 00:32:34.770 But the truth of what God gives them is that they need to be found in him in the ark. 316 00:32:35.830 --> 00:32:43.830 And so we see that God is the means of salvation, but God also delivers us in salvation. 317 00:32:44.810 --> 00:32:46.422 Genesis eight, one through two. 318 00:32:46.476 --> 00:32:52.230 But God remembered Noah and all the beast and all the livestock that were with him in the ark. 319 00:32:52.310 --> 00:32:57.526 And God made a wind blow over the earth, and the waters subsided. 320 00:32:57.638 --> 00:33:01.854 So the understanding of the flood is this not only did God bring the. 321 00:33:01.892 --> 00:33:17.250 Flood as a picture and display of his wrath, but God provided not only the ark, but the wind, the picture of his salvation. 322 00:33:18.070 --> 00:33:22.446 God is going to fully deliver. 323 00:33:22.638 --> 00:33:27.110 Noah god says, hey, go get on the boat. 324 00:33:27.850 --> 00:33:31.590 No sail, no rudder. 325 00:33:32.490 --> 00:33:33.800 I've got this. 326 00:33:35.050 --> 00:33:37.030 You ever made it stop raining? 327 00:33:37.850 --> 00:33:38.600 No. 328 00:33:39.610 --> 00:33:42.780 You ever moved the waters away? 329 00:33:43.390 --> 00:33:44.140 No. 330 00:33:45.230 --> 00:33:54.400 Noah, as he stepped foot into the means that God provided, needed God to be faithful and true and to deliver them. 331 00:33:55.410 --> 00:33:56.720 And God did. 332 00:33:57.970 --> 00:34:09.326 Two Timothy 418 the Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. 333 00:34:09.438 --> 00:34:13.394 To him be the glory forever and ever. 334 00:34:13.512 --> 00:34:14.526 Amen. 335 00:34:14.718 --> 00:34:15.726 Amen. 336 00:34:15.918 --> 00:34:16.698 Amen. 337 00:34:16.814 --> 00:34:18.870 That's why we boast in the cross. 338 00:34:19.770 --> 00:34:21.880 That's why we place our hope in Him. 339 00:34:22.330 --> 00:34:26.486 That's why we celebrate the fruit that we see in our lives. 340 00:34:26.588 --> 00:34:27.094 Why? 341 00:34:27.212 --> 00:34:29.500 Because who's making me better? 342 00:34:30.670 --> 00:34:31.580 He is. 343 00:34:32.910 --> 00:34:38.458 Who's sanctifying me, he is from every. 344 00:34:38.624 --> 00:34:47.582 Evil deed, and he will bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom for who he is. 345 00:34:47.716 --> 00:34:53.890 And then lastly, as we see this in the flood, god keeps you in salvation. 346 00:34:54.310 --> 00:35:09.240 Genesis 716 and those that entered, male and female of all flesh went in, just as God commanded him, and the Lord shut him in. 347 00:35:09.610 --> 00:35:13.190 I love this verse. 348 00:35:14.650 --> 00:35:23.900 There is not any six words in Scripture that I think ring out the promise of hope and the work that God is doing. 349 00:35:25.150 --> 00:35:33.950 They went onto the boat, onto the ark as God had commanded, and then it wasn't, hey, make sure who's got the door? 350 00:35:35.650 --> 00:35:38.000 Who's going to make sure the waters doesn't get in? 351 00:35:39.170 --> 00:35:41.600 Who's going to make sure that seal is there? 352 00:35:42.790 --> 00:35:43.540 No. 353 00:35:44.390 --> 00:35:49.170 And the Lord shut him in. 354 00:35:49.320 --> 00:35:50.514 God did this. 355 00:35:50.632 --> 00:35:53.300 God says to Noah, I have you. 356 00:35:54.070 --> 00:35:55.540 I've got you. 357 00:35:55.990 --> 00:36:04.886 You can rest at night, you can cling to hope, because it's not you that's going to keep the water out. 358 00:36:04.988 --> 00:36:07.810 It's not you that's going to keep that door shut. 359 00:36:07.890 --> 00:36:10.082 It's not you that's going to keep you safe. 360 00:36:10.146 --> 00:36:13.242 It's not you who's going to keep you in my hand. 361 00:36:13.376 --> 00:36:14.634 I've got you. 362 00:36:14.752 --> 00:36:15.786 I've got this. 363 00:36:15.888 --> 00:36:17.322 I've got this closed in. 364 00:36:17.376 --> 00:36:37.326 Paul writes in Romans 838 through 39, for I'm sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present or things to come, no powers, no height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. 365 00:36:37.518 --> 00:36:43.282 When we are in Christ, as Noah was in the ark, his means of. 366 00:36:43.336 --> 00:36:53.160 Salvation, god has you and God sets you in, and God seals and God holds on. 367 00:36:54.010 --> 00:36:55.526 He has you. 368 00:36:55.708 --> 00:37:00.806 He's working in you, he's keeping you in church. 369 00:37:00.918 --> 00:37:03.420 God saves you. 370 00:37:05.470 --> 00:37:15.600 When we read the story of the Flood, it's hard to imagine the destruction that took place. 371 00:37:17.490 --> 00:37:28.450 It's hard to imagine the number of people, young and old, who perished. 372 00:37:30.230 --> 00:37:39.430 And when we see that, we see the display of God's righteous anger in his wrath. 373 00:37:41.130 --> 00:38:01.390 But even that points us to his goodness, because God in his grace, took a man and his family and said, not because of who you are, but because of who I am, I'm going to display for the world my salvation. 374 00:38:02.610 --> 00:38:04.160 Would you pray with me? 375 00:38:10.490 --> 00:38:14.470 God, we thank you for this story of the Flood. 376 00:38:16.830 --> 00:38:17.770 Or those words. 377 00:38:17.840 --> 00:38:21.900 We ring through it and we think through the imagery of what we see. 378 00:38:23.950 --> 00:38:29.660 We think through the destruction that took place. 379 00:38:32.050 --> 00:38:49.970 Lord, we can only imagine the sounds as people cried out, when the fear that would have consumed them as the waters began to rise. 380 00:38:53.270 --> 00:38:57.560 As they began to look for dry land. 381 00:39:01.130 --> 00:39:04.790 Then, Lord, every mountaintop. 382 00:39:06.570 --> 00:39:07.910 Would be covered. 383 00:39:10.410 --> 00:39:19.434 And Lord, when we read this, Lord, Satan just wants us to to go, how? 384 00:39:19.472 --> 00:39:20.700 How could you? 385 00:39:21.410 --> 00:39:22.720 How could you? 386 00:39:24.050 --> 00:39:26.494 But, God, honestly, that the how could you? 387 00:39:26.612 --> 00:39:32.542 Is that you chose to save or the how could you? 388 00:39:32.596 --> 00:39:59.114 Today is the story in my life of all the things that I've done, of every action, every thought, every word, every deed of my very being, that is offensive to you, that is against Your character and who you are, that is away from Your plan. 389 00:39:59.152 --> 00:40:07.660 But Lord, you in Your kindness, you in Your compassion, you in Your love, you save me. 390 00:40:08.670 --> 00:40:18.720 And so, Lord, the story of the fullness of this, of what we see, is that, Lord, through this all, Lord, you are saving, and it's in who You Are. 391 00:40:19.730 --> 00:40:21.360 Lord, I thank you. 392 00:40:22.210 --> 00:40:26.260 That all of us here who were found in Christ. 393 00:40:26.630 --> 00:40:41.960 Lord, our story before being found in him is we were once to the people who were not found on the Ark, and we stood in the path of Your judgment and Your wrath, and rightfully so. 394 00:40:43.530 --> 00:40:48.102 But because of Jesus, we too, like. 395 00:40:48.156 --> 00:40:51.766 Noah, have been saved, Lord. 396 00:40:51.798 --> 00:40:54.166 We thank you for that, Lord. 397 00:40:54.198 --> 00:40:55.820 We did not deserve it. 398 00:40:56.830 --> 00:40:58.620 But you saved us. 399 00:41:00.350 --> 00:41:00.966 God. 400 00:41:01.088 --> 00:41:04.142 My prayer is that you would speak. 401 00:41:04.196 --> 00:41:25.940 To the heart of each person here, God, if they have it that today they would begin that journey of walking with you, being found in relationship with you. 402 00:41:27.130 --> 00:41:37.320 That today would be the day the drawing of your spirit that they are invited onto the heart. 403 00:41:39.070 --> 00:41:40.026 Today in the. 404 00:41:40.048 --> 00:41:45.340 Leading of your spirit that they take to step in. 405 00:41:46.670 --> 00:41:53.360 And that today in the leading spirit, Lord, and the work that you do, Lord, you set them in. 406 00:41:55.090 --> 00:41:58.910 They are found in Christ, and because. 407 00:41:58.980 --> 00:42:01.680 He lives, so too will they. 408 00:42:03.010 --> 00:42:05.586 They will no longer be objects of. 409 00:42:05.608 --> 00:42:08.260 Wrath, but sons and daughters of the living God. 410 00:42:09.990 --> 00:42:14.850 Or may today be the day of their salvation. 411 00:42:16.150 --> 00:42:22.390 And for all of us who are, Lord, may we have hearts of gratitude. 412 00:42:23.450 --> 00:42:25.986 Our salvation is not what we earned. 413 00:42:26.178 --> 00:42:28.950 Our salvation is not what we deserved. 414 00:42:29.450 --> 00:42:33.094 But, Lord, it was given to us and Your kindness and Your goodness. 415 00:42:33.142 --> 00:42:34.794 And may we praise you for it. 416 00:42:34.912 --> 00:42:38.458 May we live our lives in gratitude towards you. 417 00:42:38.624 --> 00:42:50.782 May we desire obedience, placing our trust in you, responding to you in lives of worship, lord, because You've done for us what no one, what nothing else could do. 418 00:42:50.836 --> 00:43:00.820 Lord, you saved us, brought us from death into life, place our faith and hope in you. 419 00:43:01.670 --> 00:43:20.060 And because we have, may we carry that message to a broken, hurting, corrupt world, lord, may we see things the way that you see them. 420 00:43:20.430 --> 00:43:30.074 May we be desperate for the lost, Lord, as you wait, in Your compassion, in Your patience, Lord, as we wait for the return of Christ. 421 00:43:30.192 --> 00:43:32.078 Lord, may we carry the message of. 422 00:43:32.084 --> 00:43:36.862 The hope of the gospel, because only. 423 00:43:36.916 --> 00:43:37.520 You. 424 00:43:39.330 --> 00:43:43.338 You'Re the only one who saves it's. 425 00:43:43.354 --> 00:43:44.890 In Jesus name, you pray. 426 00:43:45.050 --> 00:43:46.030 Amen. 427 00:43:51.010 --> 00:43:55.434 Thanks again for listening, and be sure to check back next week for another episode. 428 00:43:55.562 --> 00:44:03.830 In the meantime, you can visit us@willowridgechurch.org or by searching for Willow Ridgechurch on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.