Good morning again. You can be opening your Bibles
to Genesis chapter 3. You know that verse you just
mentioned, Thou hast magnified Thy Word above all Thy name.
Psalm 138 verse 2. You know, all I can think of
that is Christ is the Word. God has magnified Him above everything. All glory is His. Now in the
previous message we considered this question, What is God doing? And we saw what He's doing. He's
saving His people, right? Now to start this message I want
us to look at another question What does God see? You ever think
about that? What does God see? And we see
a lot of things. We don't understand much, but
we see a lot. Well, what does God see? And
we see through a glass of darkness. We don't see things the way they
really are. God sees things the way they really are. Well, we
know this. We just looked at who God is.
God is sovereign. He's on His throne, ruling and
reigning over everything. So it kind of goes without saying,
God sees everything. He knows all things. He's everywhere,
all the time. He sees everything. Nothing can
be hidden from God. Nothing. Nothing. Look here in
Genesis chapter 3, verse 8. Genesis 3, 8. And they, Adam and Eve, heard
the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of
the day. And Adam and his wife hid themselves. They tried to
hide from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of
the garden. And the Lord God called unto
Adam and said unto him, where art thou? And he said, I heard
thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked. And I hid myself. Now what happened
here, we know what happened. Eve got Adam to take the forbidden
fruit, eat it. And it goes on to say that when
Adam took a bite, it said their eyes were opened and they knew
that they were naked. They saw their nakedness. They
broke God's law. They broke His commandment. And
they tried to cover it up. Is that not what we've done?
That's exactly what all of us have done. We break God's law.
and try to cover it up and sew those fig leaves together as
a righteousness. Now, the scriptures say that
God knows the secrets. That's an interesting word. You
know, we all have secrets. I have things I just, I'd be
so embarrassed for you to know. And I know you do too. The Psalm
4421 says God knows the secrets of the heart. There's another
Psalm that says God knows the secret sins. Nothing can be hidden
from God. We just read it. They tried to
hide from God. God said, Adam, where are you? I know exactly
where you are. He knows all things. We all commit adultery, murder,
everything, every sin. If we don't commit it physically,
we commit it right here in the heart every single day. every
single day. We're guilty sinners. Luke tells
us, the Lord was speaking, Luke 12 verse 2, He said, There's
nothing covered that shall not be revealed. Nothing. Neither
hid that shall not be known. God sees everything. God sees
everything. Flip over a couple pages to Genesis
chapter 6. This will be our text. Genesis
6, Luke verse 5. So then God saw that the wickedness
of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of
the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. God looked and God saw the wickedness
of man, that it was great in the earth. But you know what? You and I, we have no idea what
that means. We have no idea just how terribly
wicked we are. You know, you can hear message
after message after message and see God's Word that talks about
that we're not good, we're evil, and we still go away thinking,
well, really not that bad. I mean, don't you hear what people
say to me? Man, they've got good things
to say. I'm a good person. No, we're
not. No, we don't know how evil we are. God says every imagination. Do you see that? Every imagination. Every single imagination of the
thoughts of our heart. He doesn't even say hearts because
there's one singular fallen heart of man. Evil. Wicked. Depraved. Do you believe
that about yourself? Nothing good? Only evil continually? Paul said, I know that in me
that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing. No good thing. No good thing.
Look over at Psalm 53. Psalm 53, verse 2. God looked down from heaven upon
the children of men to see if there were any that did understand
or any that did seek God. God looked down from heaven.
We just saw in Genesis chapter 6 what God saw. What we're about
to see, this applies to Noah's day and this applies to our day.
God looked down and what did he see? Verse 3, every one of
them, every one of us, is gone back. They are all together become
filthy. There is none that doeth good.
No, not one. That includes you. That includes
me. No, not one. The non-righteous,
no, not one. As it was then, so it is now.
Nothing has changed. You know, the whole idea of evolution,
I mean, it's laughable, truly, to think that somehow, I mean,
in some regard, that would mean we improved, we evolved, we got
better. That's ridiculous. But what's
even more ridiculous is to think that man, fallen man, has gotten
any better. If anything, we've only gotten
worse. Only worse. Well, what does that
mean for me? I'll tell you what it means.
Just as Adam and Eve hid themselves because their eyes were opened
and they saw that they were naked. Okay? You and I, you and I are
sinners and our sin has been exposed. God's found us out. Our sin, we've been exposed for
what we are before a holy and just God. What's God going to
do? What will God do? Like back in
our text, we just read Genesis 6 verse 5, look at verse 6. God saw the wickedness of man
great in the earth, every imagination of the thoughts of his heart
only evil continually. And it repented the Lord that
he had made man on the earth. And it grieved him at his heart.
And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from
the face of the earth, both man and beast and the creeping thing
and the fowls of the air. For it repented me that I have
made them. My sin is so evil. My sin might
bother you. You know, we're sinners. Our
sin bothers each other, right? You think how much more our sin
is how much worse we are in the sight of God. It repented God
that He made man on the earth. And we're going to see in a few
minutes, that doesn't mean God wished He never made man. God
created man for His glory. That's exactly right. But it
says that our sin grieved God at His heart. Grieved God at
His heart. God hates sin. You know that? God hates sin. I believe it's Psalm 5 verse
5. It says, Thou hatest all workers of iniquity. God does not simply
hate the sin but love the sinner. God hates the sinner whose sin
has not been put away. God hates the sinner who's found
in his sin in the judgment. Oh yeah. So God forbid we take
our sin lightly. You know, people want to say,
give Jesus your heart. What did God just say about our
heart? He said every imagination of the thoughts of our heart
is nothing but evil. And the very next verse, the very next
verses say, I'm going to destroy man whom I've created. I'm going
to wipe man off the face of the earth. Why in the world would
God want this evil heart? You know what He told Ezekiel?
He said, I'm going to take that stony heart of flesh out. I'm going
to give you a new heart. God doesn't want this wicked
heart. That's the last thing He would want. And yet that's
what people say. to give you a hope of salvation.
Give God your heart. Oh, no. It's the exact opposite. God
doesn't want my heart. God is not going to weigh the good and
the bad. There is no good. There's no good. There's none good but one, and
that's God. You see, what will God do? I've been exposed before God.
What is He going to do? He can't just sweep my sin under
the rug. You ask your kids to sweep the
kitchen, they might just sweep some under the rug. I know because
I've done it. That's not how God works. That's not how God
works. God is holy. We saw it earlier.
God is holy. God is just. He must punish sin. All sin. He will by no means
clear the guilty. You stand before God in that
day, that great day of judgment, guilty, you're going to get exactly
what we deserve. So the sin that shall die must
die. Our sins must be punished. If
I die of my sins, I will without a doubt suffer the full wrath
of God for all eternity. Look over in 2 Corinthians chapter
5. 2 Corinthians 5 verse 10. Paul said, For we must all appear
before the judgment seat of Christ, that every one may receive the
things done in his body according to that he hath done, whether
it be good or bad. Did you hear that? We're going
to stand before the judgment seat of Christ and receive the
things done in our body, whether they be good or bad. I'm not
just telling you, that's what God says in His Word. Now I hope
I have your attention. I hope I've gripped your attention
with this. You and I are guilty, hell-bound sinners. We're going
to get exactly what we deserve. Is there any hope? Is there any
hope for a sinner like me? A sinner like you. If here you
sit today, a sinner lost, no hope. Is that all you've got to say?
Is there nothing more to this message? Look back at our text. Without God and without hope
in this world, dead in trespasses and sins. Look at Genesis 6.8. But Noah. found grace in the
eyes of the Lord." Now you just read it. You kind of laughed
when you read that word, but. I'm thankful for that word. What
a word. But God. But Noah found grace
in the eyes of the Lord. I love this hymn. Grace that
is greater than all our sin. It says marvelous grace of our
loving Lord. Grace that exceeds our sin and
our guilt. Yonder on Calvary's mount outpoured
there where the blood of the Lamb was spilt. Grace, grace,
God's grace. What's that grace going to do?
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within. Grace, grace, God's grace. Grace that is greater than all
our sin. I need grace that is greater
than my sin. Do you? Anybody here? What is grace? It won't do me
good to tell you that Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord
if I don't tell you what grace is. Grace, first of all, it's
God's. It's sovereign. It's infinite. It's eternal. It's unmerited. It's saving. And it's a gift.
I'll read that to you in a better sentence. Grace is God's sovereign,
infinite, eternal, unmerited, saving gift. It's God's. Grace belongs to the Lord. Grace
comes from God. Noah found grace in the eyes
of the Lord. God was gracious to him. It's sovereign, sovereign
grace. God bestows His grace on whomsoever
He will. Grace is infinite. I don't know
many things that are infinite. Anything that I can do for you,
I can assure you. It's not infinite. I'm very limited
in what I do. Without me, you can do nothing.
I have nothing. Not God's grace. Infinite. You can't find the end. I love
somebody who talks about God's mercy. It's a drop in the ocean. You're never going to gather
every drop of every ocean. It's impossible. God's grace
is infinite. It's eternal. It's eternal. It's unmerited
grace. Over in Romans it talks about
it. Grace. If it can be earned, then it's
no more grace. It's works. It's unmerited. Freely
given. It's a gift. God's gift. And He gives it to His people.
And it's saving. God's grace saves. God can't
be gracious to you and fail. God's grace is going to save
you. If God bestows His grace upon you, you're going to be
saved. Now, who found grace? Noah. Noah found grace. God saw the wickedness of man.
God looked down from heaven to see if there were any good. Who
found grace? Noah. Noah. Do you see that? Noah and nobody else. Noah found
grace. And his family. You see, God's,
I just said it, God's grace is sovereign. He said, the children
being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the
purpose of God according to election, there's a word, according to
election might stand. Not of works, but of him that
calleth. You see, there is a remnant according to the election of
grace. You see, don't be scared of the
word election, because election has everything to do with the
grace of God that saves sinners. But it must be known and declared
that only the elect, only God's chosen people will ever find
God's grace. You see, Noah did not find God's
grace by looking for it. No, all we read about Noah up
to this point, he was evil, just like everybody else. God said,
I must destroy all flesh, all flesh. But Noah, Noah found grace. That was his only hope. And that's
my only hope. The cause for Noah finding God's grace was not in
Noah. He did not do anything to obtain God's grace. God was
gracious to him. It started with God and it ended
with God. Not by his merit, he was a guilty
sinner who deserved to perish just like everybody else that
did perish. Turn over to Ephesians chapter
2. Ephesians chapter 2. Ephesians 2 verse 1, And you hath he quickened who
were dead in trespasses and sins, Wherein in time past ye walked
according to the course of this world, according to the prince
of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the
children of disobedience, among whom we all had our conversation
in time past in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires
of the flesh and of the mind. And we were by nature. I want
us to see this. We, every one of us were by nature,
the children of wrath, even as others, but God. You see that? But God, who is
rich in mercy, that and Genesis 6a, my two favorite
verses, Noah found grace, but God, who is rich in mercy, for
His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in
sins, hath quickened us together with Christ. While we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us. By grace ye are saved. This is saving grace. saving
grace. Noah found God's grace because
God's grace found him. John tells us we love him because
he first loved us. We find what God freely gives
us. Now what was the result of Noah finding grace? Back at our
text. Now we know that Noah was saved. The Lord had Noah build the ark
and God put him in the ark and God saved him. It says, Noah
only, Noah only was spared while everybody else perished. Noah
and his sons and his wife and his sons' wives. What was the
result of Noah finding grace? Look at verse 9 of our text in
Genesis 6. It said, These are the generations
of Noah. Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations.
And Noah walked with God. Noah was a just man. How do you
suppose Noah was a just man? Well, I'll tell you what that
means. Noah was just. He was righteous. You read on down,
it says God saw that Noah was righteous in his generations. How is that? By grace. Just saw it by grace, are you
saved? Justified freely by His grace. It's the only way we're
going to be justified. It says Noah was perfect in his
generations. How was Noah perfect? How many
times do I have to say it? Noah was a sinner just like you
and me. But Noah was made perfect by God's grace. We must be perfect. You shall be perfect to be accepted.
We've got to be perfect. The God of all grace make you
perfect. That's the only way. That's the only way. It goes
on to say that Noah walked with God. How did Noah walk with God? Turn over to Hebrews chapter
11. Noah walked with God by faith as the result of finding God's
grace. Back in Genesis 6 it goes on
to tell us that Noah did just as God commanded him. Whatever
God commanded Noah to do, Noah did it. Because by God's grace,
he had faith to trust God. He had faith in Christ. Now look
here in Hebrews 11, verse 7. It says, By faith Noah, being
warned of God of things not seen as yet, God said, I'm going to
destroy all flesh. Noah, being warned of God of
things not seen as yet, he moved with fear. And he prepared an
ark at God's command to the saving of his house. by which He condemned
the world. Peter tells us that Noah was
a preacher of righteousness. What kind of righteousness do
you suppose Noah preached? I suppose that Noah told him,
you see this ark that I'm building? That's God's grace. God's going
to destroy all flesh because we have sinned against Him. We
must die. But God is so gracious, He's building an ark. God built that ark through Noah.
And he said, that ark is your only hope. Noah was a preacher
of righteousness. He said, Christ is the only hope
for sinners. And by preaching that, by preaching
that message here in Hebrews 11, that's why it says, by the
which he condemned the world. People heard Noah preaching and
they thought, it ain't even ever rained. You've got to be kidding
me. I'm going to go home and eat me some chicken wings. Noah feared God. Noah believed
God. He preached the righteousness of God in Christ, condemned the
world, and became heir of the righteousness, which is by faith. Noah walked with God by faith.
And that's the only way we can walk with God. By faith. As a result of the grace of God.
Look up a verse. Hebrews 11, 6 tells us, but without
faith, it's impossible to please God. impossible to please God,
for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that
he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." By faith, as a result of God's
grace, no one knew that he could not please God. I told you Paul said, I know
that in me that's in my flesh dwelleth no good thing. He also
said, they that are in the flesh cannot please God. Now, I care
about my soul. This life, I know I'm young,
but this life is so brief. I can see it. This life is brief.
God says it's but a vapor. We're soon going to perish like
the wind. As the grass withereth away. That's us. I need a hope
for my soul. I care about my soul. I care
about the souls of everybody here. I want you to be saved.
I want you to know God. I want you to be found in Christ.
That's the only way we're going to please God. That's the only
way we'll be accepted of God. Noah knew by faith, this is the
only way I'm going to please God, by faith in Christ. And
God did it all. God gave me faith. Looking unto
Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Let me turn back to our text. Where
did Noah find grace? Where did he find it? Look at
verse 8 again, but Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Noah found grace in the eyes
of the Lord. He did not find it in himself. Noah knew there
was nothing good in him, just like there's nothing good in
me. Noah did not find grace in somebody else or in this evil
world. Isaiah tells us, he said, I'm
a man of unclean lips, but not only that, I dwell in the midst
of a people of unclean lips. We're sin, and everything around
us is sin. And the wages of sin is death.
Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord, the ark. Christ, who is our ark, that's
where Noah found grace. That's where Noah found salvation,
in Christ. I love this. 1 John 2 verse 1
says, If any man sin, when any man sin, we have an advocate
with the Father. Do you need an advocate? That's
somebody that pleads your case. That's someone that stands up
and fights for you. You just sit down and watch them. If any man sin, we have an advocate
with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. Noah had an advocate. And I have an advocate by the
grace of God, and that's my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. You
see, the grace of God is only one place to be found, and that's
in Christ alone. Noah, saved by grace, had faith
in Jesus Christ, and that ark which he built was a picture
of his salvation, his Savior who was to come and put away
his sins. You see, At the beginning of
this message, I said, I need grace that is greater than all
my sin, because God's not going to let one single sin go unpunished.
Over in Psalm 103, the psalmist said, as far as the east is from
the west. You know what? If I go walk this
way, eventually I'll come back to where I am. The east and the
west can't be separated. You just keep on going. As far
as the east is from the west. That's how far God's removed
our transgressions from us. You can go north to south. You
can't go east to west. As far as the east is from the
west. Our sins are so far away, God remembers them no more. No
more. Jeremiah 50 verse 20, God's going
to look for them and He's not going to find them because Christ
bore our sins in His own body on the tree. He died, made sin,
made a curse for us to redeem them that we're under the law.
Is that not good news? Christ, though He was rich yet
for our sakes He became poor that we through His poverty might
be rich, made us the righteousness of God and Him sanctified us,
justified us all by His grace. And that's all in Christ. You see, Noah bore the wrath
of God just like everybody else. He had to. God's wrath had to
fall on him too. But he was in the ark. That's
the difference. God's wrath must fall on you
and me. We're guilty. God can't just sweep it up. God's
got to do something that will put our sins away and make us
righteous. God chose Noah. God came to Noah. Noah found grace. God did it.
God came to him. God said, build the ark. Told
him exactly how to build it. Thus did Noah, according to all
that God commanded him. God said again, He said, I'm
going to destroy all flesh. He said, everything that is in
the earth shall die. But He said, but with thee will I establish
my covenant. I'm going to destroy everybody,
but I've made a covenant with you. The covenant of the sure
mercies of David. God chose him. God came to him.
God shut him in. It says the Lord shut him in
the ark. God saved him. Noah wasn't nobody, okay? But he was saved by the grace
of God. Would to God we might be as Noah,
sinners saved by grace. Now in closing I want to read
you a few verses. Turn over to Ephesians chapter
1. Ephesians 1. Ephesians 1, verse 1. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to
the faithful in Christ Jesus, grace be to you and peace. from God our Father and from
the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us. Don't you love
that? He hath blessed us with all spiritual
blessings in heavenly places in Christ. That's where the blessing
is. According as He hath chosen us
in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should
be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestinated
us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself. God
has made us His children. By Jesus Christ to Himself, according
to the good pleasure of His will, Why did God do all of this? We
saw in the first message, whatsoever God doeth this shall be forever,
and God requires that which is past. Why did God do this? Why did God purpose to save a
people? Why did God save us by His grace? Here it is. Why did
Noah find grace in the eyes of the Lord? I'll close right here.
Verse 6. To the praise of the glory of
His grace. God did all this. according to
the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of
His grace, wherein He hath made us, nobodies, accepted in the
Beloved, in Christ. I pray that if we have not yet,
that we, like Noah, would find grace in the eyes of the Lord
God Almighty. Amen. Thank you, Cody. Our Eternal Father, Almighty
God, what a great blessing it is to be able to come with your
people and gather to hear your Word preached, hear the Gospel,
hear the glorious things out of your Word. Thank you for today's message.
Thank you for having Cody and his wife come
here and visit us and give the Bible study and the sermon. We
ask your blessing upon us. Guide and direct us to give us
of our sins, Father. Help us have a good week. We
ask your blessing upon the food that we are bringing to a partake
of here shortly. And thank you for it all in Christ's
name. Amen.