Lead the Way

Lead the Way

Hebrews 11:7 

Intro: Preparing a new room!

This morning we are going to look at the faith of a man named Noah who led the way for his family by preparing an ark that would save his family from drowning in a flood that was coming. Noah was a righteous man who walked with and found grace in God (Gen. 6:8-9).

Noah is listed in Hebrews 11, which we often call the “Hall of Faith.” Today we celebrate many athletes who are selected and inducted into the hall of fame for their accomplishments in sports. Noah, is one of these very heroes because he was warned by God and by faith He did what God instructed.

Read: Hebrews 11:7

• By faith, Noah worked for 120 years building an ark which was the place he and his family stayed in while the earth was flooded. His family, along with many animals, were delivered to safety because of his great faith. Fathers have a great opportunity in the lives of their children, whether they are young or adults, your life and influence is meaningful and significant. On this Father’s Day, I want to encourage you to be a hall of faith dad, like Noah! 

I. Build by Faith

• As with each hero of faith listed, the writer of Hebrews makes it clear that what Noah built, was built by faith. 

Hebrews 11:1, Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

• Faith is a willingness to trust in, rely on, and cling to God.

• It is the conviction of things not seen. If you have the substance before you, or you can already see the outcome, there is no use for faith. 

Illus. Searching for wisdom.

• Noah displayed great faith because God divinely warned him about coming events that the world had never seen.

• God warned Noah that it would rain and the earth was going to be flooded (Gen. 6:17, Ch.’s 6-9).

• This rain and flood could only be prepared for by faith because it had never rained before on earth.

• God commanded Noah to build a huge boat in the middle of a dry land…and Noah did it.

• His obedience made him look strange, it made him stand out, but He was building according to faith in God’s instruction, not according to sight. 

Genesis 5:32: Noah was five hundred years old, and Noah became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Genesis 6:3: Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, because he is also flesh; nevertheless, his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.”

Genesis 7:6: Now Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of water came upon the earth.

• “His days shall be one hundred and twenty years,” means that the Lord was allowing the people of Noah’s day 120 years to change and turn toward God.

• Putting the timeline together: the 120-year timeline began when Noah was 480 years old, his first son was born when he was 500 years old and was 600 years old when the flood began.

• Noah began to build an ark that would float on a flooded earth, when rain and floods were unheard of. In the ark, Noah made a place for his sons and their wives as well.

• The Lord gave Noah specific instructions and men… he followed them.

Illus. This is a different shade.

Genesis 6:14-16, Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood; you shall make the ark with rooms, and shall cover it inside and out with pitch. This is how you shall make it: the length of the ark three hundred cubits its breadth fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. You shall make a window for the ark and finish it to a cubit from the top; and set the door of the ark in the side of it; you shall make it with lower, second, and third decks.

• A cubit is 18 inches, this being the case, the ark was 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high.

• For 120 years Noah worked on this ark in the middle of a dry land. “Was it done before 120 years?”

Genesis 6:22, Thus Noah did; according to all that God had commanded him.

• What if Noah decided to alter the building plans? What if he decided to go with an open top ark instead of a roof? What if he thought that windows on the lower deck would be a nice touch? Well…What he built would have been flooded out as well.

Matthew 7:24-25, Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who build his house on the rock. And the rain fell and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against the house, and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.

• Those who hear the words of Jesus build their house on the rock, that house is sure to stand. Wherever you are at in the building process, it’s not too late to get it right!

Illus. Changing the station.

A.Get on board

• Noah’s sons were 100 years old when the flood came. That means that throughout their lives, not only was their father looked at differently because of his commitment to God’s command, they were as well.

• They could have come up with some pretty good and logical reason why building an ark didn’t seem necessary. But Noah was responding to the Lord.

• Today, there may be a pull in a direction toward letting culture, or what you see dictate how your family functions, continue responding to the Lord and His word.

Joshua 24:15, …As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

• Don’t be surprised if others regard you as “different.”

• Regardless, whatever you, or those in your family experience in this world, take heart, Jesus has overcome the world! And through Him, you do as well.

John 16:33, I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.

• In Noah’s day, the number of those who pursued the God of creation, perfection and love had dwindled to one family.

• Noah was willing to lead, he didn’t stop building when people began to take notice or mock his act of faith; he continued in full pursuit of what God wanted done.

Illus. God’s property.

• In Luke 17:26-28, Jesus likened the people of Noah’s day to the people in the last days.

• If one thing is for certain, we get closer and closer to Jesus’ return with each passing day.

• This being the case, we must pursue being a people, like Noah, who was willing to devote his life to the pursuit of all the Lord had called him to.

• When the ark was completed and it was time for Noah and his family to enter the ark, we understand from Genesis 7:13 that Noah was listed as the first one to get on board.

• He didn’t say to his wife and sons, head on in and I will catch up. Rather, when getting on board, Noah led the way.

• Noah was not only an example of faith to his surrounding world, he was a leader of faith in his family, he himself going first.

• After they were all on board, then the flood came (Gen. 7:17).

• While the ark accomplished the saving of his household, Noah’s faith condemned the world because it illustrated in plain view what the people lacked (Heb. 11:7).

• “What if I step out and nothing happens? I will feel like a failure, it will be embarrassing!” we say. So, we choose not to get on board the “ark” and remain on dry land.

• The question comes, “Why doesn’t God give me a glimpse of the flood water, a little sprinkle of rain?” Because the language of eternity, is faith.

Hebrews 11:6, And without faith it is impossible to please Him…

2 Corinthians 4:17-18, For momentary, light affliction is producing in us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison. We look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

• Paul refers to his affliction as light…. He was stoned, beaten, shipwrecked, mugged, imprisoned, and the list of perils goes on (2 Corinthians 11:23).

• Paul was not looking at what is seen and temporary, including what he had endured; rather he was looking toward what is eternal! 

A.Know that God is still at work

• Once Noah and his family were on the ark, there is no record of the Lord speaking to Noah during the flood, or while he was on the ark.

• According to scripture, he would not hear the voice of God for another 377 days.

• Perhaps that is where you are today. Perhaps some time ago the Lord revealed Himself or His will for your life to you in an incredible way.

• Now you are standing in a flood zone, or in the midst of rough seas and you wonder why God isn’t speaking or revealing in the same way.

• Proceed by faith, don’t jump overboard, go back to dry land, or change course. He is working.

Romans 5:3-5, Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance character; and character hope. And hope does not put us to shame…

Genesis 8:1, But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and cattle that were with him in the ark; and God cause a wind to pass over the earth, and the water subsided.

Is there an ark the Lord has asked you to build?

If He’s not done working, will you continue waiting?

Hebrews 11:7 

By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.