We're going to look this morning
at the story of Noah's Ark found in Genesis chapter 6. Genesis
chapter 6, I hope you'll follow along in a Bible or listen carefully
as I bring you a word from God's Word. Now this is a story known
by all, but understood by few. It is a story that has been heard
by nearly everyone, but believed by few. This is no allegory,
this is no fable, but this is God's Word, and it is a true
story. This story is spoken of by the
prophets, this story is spoken of by the apostles, and this
story is spoken of by the Lord Jesus Christ, who said in Matthew
24 verse 37, as in the days of Noah, so shall also the coming
of the Son of Man be. For as in the days that were
before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving
in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark. And
they knew not until the flood came and took them all away. So shall also the coming of the
Son of Man be. And Simon Peter the Apostle wrote
this in his second letter. 2 Peter 3 verse 6 and 7 says,
The world that then was overflowed with water and perished. And
the heavens and earth which are now by the same word are kept
in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and
perdition of ungodly Now, unlike false preachers today who say,
smile, God loves you, this preacher, like Noah, Noah, scripture says,
was a preacher of righteousness and warned his generation. This
preacher, by the grace of God, is warning our generation of
the wrath and judgment of God, that this world is soon to be
destroyed, not by nuclear bombs, but by the Lord Jesus Christ. And only those in Christ, like
those in this ark, Only those in Christ will be saved. In Genesis chapter 6, this true
story represents salvation that is only in Jesus Christ. This is not some old Jewish fable
about Noah saving the animals, but this is a true story. that
represents how God chose, saves some of this condemned world
by putting them in Christ, like this ark. How the wrath and judgment
of God fell on Christ and Him crucified, like this ark. The
reign, the wrath of God, as it were, fell on that ark, but not
those in the ark. Nor will the wrath of God, nor
is the judgment of God upon those that are found in Christ. Genesis 6, verses 4 through 8,
I read. There were giants in the earth
in those days. Giants, as now. Men, mighty men
of old, men of renown, world renown, famous, rich, big, large
men. This is like today. Verse 5. God saw that the wickedness of
man was great in the earth, that every imagination of the thoughts
of his heart was only evil continually. Now he said that about all mankind. As scripture says in Romans 3,
there is None good, no, not one. There's none righteous, no, not
one. By nature, all men and women,
young people, mankind is born dead in trespasses and sin. Doesn't know God, he hates God
by nature. He doesn't believe God, he will
not come to God unless he is born of God, chosen of God, and
born of God. Verse 6 here in chapter 6 of
Genesis it says, It repented the Lord that he had made man
on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. There's another
scripture that says, God is not a man that he should repent.
God's word is not confused, we are. He's speaking in a language
we can understand, as you and I might say, I wish I had never
made him. But known unto God are all his
works from the beginning of the world. Acts 15, 18. This did
not catch God by surprise. God knew this. But you say, but,
but, but, don't argue. Known unto God are all his ways,
all his works from the beginning of the world. We don't understand
them, but he does, and he purposed it all. Verse 7. The Lord said,
I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the
earth, both man and beast, the creeping thing, the fowls of
the air, for it repenteth me that I have made them. But Noah found grace in the eyes
of the Lord. Noah found grace in the eyes
of the Lord. Grace is not an offer. Grace
is a gift. Noah was given the gift of life,
which is another word for faith. Faith is a gift, to know God,
to believe God, to repent. That's the gift of God. Salvation
is by grace, not of works. It's not a reward for our works,
but it is a gift of life. Christ said, I give unto them
eternal life. Life is not offered, life is
given. You don't offer a dead man life,
you must give it to him, bestow it upon him. The gift of life. Faith is not of ourselves, it's
the gift of God. To the praise of the glory of
His sovereign, giving grace. God chose Noah. God gave him
life. God gave him faith. God gave
him an understanding. God revealed to Noah his holiness,
God's holiness, God's justice, God's anger, God's wrath, God's
judgment against sin. And God revealed to Noah his
love, his mercy, and his grace. Where? In the ark. It was for
Noah and those in the ark. Romans 8 39 says the love of
God is in one place. The very last verse of Romans
8 says the love of God is in Christ Jesus the Lord. Hebrews
11 verse 7 says Noah being warned of God moved with fear and prepared
an ark to the saving of his house and by which he condemned the
world. Noah was warned of God, or he
wouldn't have believed. He wouldn't have repented. He
would be like everyone else in the world. But he was warned
of God. God chose him and revealed to
him his judgment, his wrath. And God revealed to Noah the
one way of salvation, the ark. God warned Noah. He gave Noah
fear. The fear of the Lord is the beginning
of wisdom. Noah moved with fear and prepared
an ark to the condemnation of the world. Because Noah was not
of this world, God had chosen him out of the world and given
him an understanding. Well, verse 9 says that these
are the generations of Noah. Noah was a just man and perfect
in his generations, and Noah walked with God. Someone may
argue, you see, preacher, there it is. God, he found grace because
he was a just man, he was perfect, and he walked with God. No, that's
not what it says. He found grace first, and then
it says he was a just man, perfect, and walked with God. Noah was
just and perfect, or that is, justified by God. No man is justified
by works. If Noah was justified by works,
then he has something to glory in, but no flesh is going to
glory in God's sight. Noah was justified by the righteousness
of Jesus Christ. He was justified by the shed
blood of Jesus Christ. He was justified by God. He was perfect, that is complete,
after he found grace. After he was born of God. After
grace justified him. After God perfected that which
concerned him. And he walked with God. No man
will. No man can. No man will come
to God. No man can come to God except
God draw him. And Noah was drawn. Noah found
grace and he walked with God. Amos 3.3 says, can two walk together
except they be agreed? No, they cannot. Noah agreed
with God. What God said of himself, holy,
righteous, just, angry. What God said of man, he said
he looked on man and there was none good, not one. He says the
whole earth is filled with violence and corrupted my way. So is it
with man today. Noah agreed with God what God
said of salvation. There's only salvation in the
ark. Only salvation. Salvation is
only in Christ. Well, verse 14, God told Noah
to make an ark of gopher wood. This was a wood similar to perhaps
our locust wood today, impervious to decay or insects. Jesus Christ
is the sinless man, the ark of salvation, God manifest in the
flesh, born of a virgin, without the seed of man in him, so he
is sinless. He is the ark of our salvation. It says in verse 14 that Noah
was to pitch that ark within and without. Pitch was black
tar, or that is, the blood of a wounded tree that covered that
ark within and without, so the wrath of God would not touch
those in that ark. The blood of Jesus Christ, God's
Son, covers God's people, covers their sin, pays for their sin.
The big word in Scripture, propitiation, covering, a bloody covering,
is the pitch of God's Christ's blood. It is the atonement that
Christ made on Calvary's tree on behalf of his people, for
his people. No, Christ did not shed His blood
for all men, for the whole world, or else the whole world would
be pitched, would be saved. But those in Him, He shed His
blood for, and they are covered by that blood. Verse 16, a window
He said to make, a window. The only source of light in that
ark was that window. Christ is the light, the only
light. Verse 16, God said, make three
stories. First, second, and third stories.
One ship, three stories. John wrote, there are three that
bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit,
and these three are one. In Christ, all the fullness of
the Godhead body. Verse 17 and 18, who was in the
ark? Noah's family. God said, behold,
I, even I, bring a flood of waters to destroy all flesh, everything
under heaven. But, verse 18, with thee will
I establish my covenant, and thou shalt come into the ark,
thou, thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives with thee.
Noah's family. Noah's children, only God's chosen
children, the bride, the wife of Christ, his church, will be
found in Christ in that day. It says two of every living thing,
though, was brought into that ark. Yes, God is the Savior of
the world, all mankind. This represents how God preserves
all life, be it man or beast, and yet he is the Savior of the
souls of only of His people, chosen and found in Christ. He
will destroy all life but those in Christ. This is a story of
how God chose a people out of every tribe, kindred, nation,
and tongue on the earth, like these animals, out of every kind
of animal, chosen out of Noah was the one that went out and
gathered these animals. None would have come unless Noah
had found them and brought them. None will come to God. None will
come to Christ unless God the Holy Spirit goes out and brings
them. And they're gathered and put in that ark. So Noah did
this. Verse 22 says, Thus did Noah,
according to all that God commanded him, so did he. And so did Christ. On the cross, he said, it is
finished. Christ is all. Christ did it all. He saved all
given to him by the Father. The Spirit gathers them. And
all flesh died, but those found with Noah in the ark. And so
it is, in Adam all died, but in Christ all made alive. Are you in Christ the ark? Join
us next Sunday for another vital message from God's Word. Amen.