April 26, 2015
The World that Perished
God destroyed the wicked and their world, but saved a remnant through the obedience of one man.
Scripture: Genesis 7:1-24
Sermon Notes:
- Man objects to the historical biblical flood because deep within we rebel against God’s governance of history.
- A sinner at heart, man resists God’s moral rule and judgment over our lives.
- Sin explains our broken world and the moral brokenness all around us: mass murder of the unborn; child sexual abuse; lawlessness; ridicule and persecution of Christians; and God’s truth rejected as evil.
- The world is mocking God’s judgment (cf. 2 Peter 2:5) but much of the church is complicit, masking and avoiding sin instead of confronting it boldly.
- Ministers of the gospel are anesthetizing their congregations so that Christians are unaware of the weight of God’s moral judgment on sin.
- The church must regain its calling to acquaint people with the law and judgments of God.
- The gospel gets to the root of the problem of sin, and brings salvation and restoration.
- In the unfolding of the flood events, we see God’s careful and systematic judgment, fulfilling His sovereign purpose announced 120 years earlier (Genesis 6:3 cf. Luke 17:26-27).
- The flood waters arose from the sky (rain) and from the fountains of the deep; God brought together what He had separated in creation (Genesis 1:6) as judgment upon wicked man who had violated the order and distinctions God had created.
- Noah’s obedience is vital in the saving of his household and all creatures (Genesis 6:9; 7:5, 9, 16).
- God graciously saves a pair of each unclean animal, which would later be used to teach Israel about God’s holiness.
- Noah was righteous in his generation; out of God’s grace he is chosen as an obedient man of faith (Heb. 11:7) to save the human race.
- The LORD is the covenant name for God, recalling Genesis 3:15 where the Saviour is promised.
- It was the LORD who shut the remnant of human and animal life into the ark saving them from death (Gen. 7:16).
- Like the Garden of Eden, the ark was a place of life and salvation. Outside the ark, all flesh perished in the flood.
- God’s ultimate plan of salvation was to send His Son to take the punishment of the whole human race.
- Christ was counted as a sinner, and the Father poured out His wrath against sin upon His own Son.
- At the crucifixion one of the thieves mocked and the other repented, trusted in Jesus and was promised paradise (Luke 23:39-43).
Application Questions:
- Why do sinners prefer to consider Noah’s flood a myth?
- What was the wickedness of the pre-flood human race which necessitated God’s judgment in the flood?
- Why is it necessary for the church to preach clearly about God’s righteous standards today?
- In what ways was Noah graciously enabled for his role in saving a remnant of all flesh alive?
- How will we respond to the judgment of Christ over our lives? Mocking or repentance (cf. Luke 23:39-43)?
Resource Type:
Topic(s):
Scripture:
Media Format:
N/A