“ Our Biblical Worldview” ( 9 ) Living with view to the final judgment and life beyond 11/14/2021

Well, a couple of those hymns we sang this morning were psalms put to music, and they've

been sung by the people of God upwards to 3 ,000 years, not with that tune,

of course.

That only dates about 300 years ago, but the message of

those hymns are from the psalms, and God delights in his people rehearsing his word

corporately.

Well, I know that you have listed a New Testament reading, 2 Thessalonians 3, but instead we asked

Pastor Jason if he would read an Old Testament passage, Genesis 6.

So let's turn there, please, on our Bible, Genesis 6, and he's going to read verses 9 through 22,

and this is a familiar story of God having Noah build an ark in

preparation for his judgment upon.

The world through that flood.

Genesis 6, 9 through 22.

Genesis chapter 6, verses 9 to 22.

These are the generations of Noah.

Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation.

Noah walked with God, and Noah had three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight, and the earth was filled with violence.

And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.

And God said to Noah, I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence

through them.

Behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

Make yourself an ark of gopher wood, make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch.

This is how you are to make it.

The length of the ark, 300 cubits, its breadth, 50 cubits, and its height, 30

cubits.

Make a roof for the ark, and finish it to a cubit above, and set the door of the ark in its side.

Make it with lower, second, and third decks.

For behold, I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh, in which is the breath of

life under heaven.

Everything that is on the earth shall die.

But I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife,

and your son's wife with you.

And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every sort into the ark to keep them alive with you.

They shall be male and female, of the birds according to their kinds, and of the animals according to their

kinds, of every creeping thing of the ground according to its kind.

Two of every sort shall come into you to keep alive.

Also take with you every sort of food that is eaten, and store it up.

It shall serve as food for you and for them.

Noah did this.

He did all that God commanded him.

Let's pray.

Our Heavenly Father, we thank you for the example of Noah, that he obeyed you.

All that you told him to do, he obeyed.

And Lord, we pray that we would follow this example.

We thank you that even though we fail at this, and we fall short, that the Lord Jesus Christ

accomplished what we could never do.

And so, Lord, we trust in him, and we are thankful for him.

We're thankful for his life, for his death, for his resurrection, for his ascension.

We're thankful that you are ruling now.

And Lord, we ask that you would help us as we open up your word, and as we study the things therein.

We ask, Lord, that you would make things clear to us.

Take the word of God from our ear to our heart, and we pray that you would change us.

Conform us, Lord, to the image of your Son.

Thank you, in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Well, this morning, we're going to begin with just one verse from Hebrews 11,

that reflects the faith of Noah, that was demonstrated

through what Pastor Jason just read for us in Genesis 6.

This is the ninth Lord's Day that we've given attention to this theme, our biblical worldview.

And so, we'll begin reading Hebrews 11, verse 7, which records the saving faith of

Noah, and that's made quite clear.

By faith, Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen,

moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household,

by which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is according to

faith.

Noah's faith was shown in his lifelong preparation for the judgment of God that was coming

upon the world.

Noah had believed what God had said to him, respecting God's coming judgment upon the

world, the world of his day.

That would take place, of course, through a great cataclysmic flood.

Noah's faith moved him to build this great ark, which delivered him and his family, and, of course, all

the animals joined with them.

They escaped God's wrath upon sin through the building of that ark.

Because Noah was a man who ordered his life in faith according to God's word, Hebrews 11, verse 7, says

he became an heir, an inheritor of the righteousness.

That is, on the day of judgment, the future day of judgment, when all the world is brought before King

Jesus, and we judge, he will be found to be righteous through faith

when he stands before the Lord on that last day.

And so we see that he was given the gift of Christ's righteousness through faith alone, but his faith was

shown forth in spending his entire life in preparation for the wrath of

God, the judgment of God, by building this ark.

And so Noah was a recipient of the grace of justification through faith alone, due to the grace of God alone, just like you and I are

as Christians.

And so upon God revealing himself and his word to Noah of his impending judgment upon the world, Noah began to see

the world and his responsibility for the Lord in a different light than he had formerly.

He ordered all of his life thereafter according to what he'd come to understand and believe about

God and his future judgment of the world.

This was his primary concern in life.

It shaped his life.

And he stood out as a man distinct from the world about him.

His life of faith was ridiculed by others.

They mocked him.

He was mocked, but he is with the Lord today and his people

even now because of his faith in God and God's work.

And so the word of God teaches that Christians, if taught rightly, have a worldview that's

distinct and different from that which characterizes those of the fallen world in which we

live.

We see the world differently than they do.

We have values and standards that differ from the fallen people of the world.

We have desires and interests that are distinct from those who live only for this world.

We have expectations and aspirations that distinguish us from them.

Scriptures describe us and the King James as a peculiar people, and to the world we are a

peculiar people.

We recognize that.

Well, one of the significant differences between us and the world, if we're thinking rightly, that is thinking biblically, is that

we live in preparation and in anticipation of the second coming of

Jesus Christ and the judgment that he will execute upon the human race.

So although we're living in this world, we're not living chiefly for the things of this world or what we

may acquire or achieve in this life as though that were the purpose and the end of all things.

Rather, we live with view to the coming of the Lord and the judgment that he will execute on the human race,

and we look beyond that, of course.

Coming through that judgment, we look to a new heavens and a new earth that will follow, which is our

destiny, which God has promised to the people of God.

And so we are Abraham, who waited for the city which has foundations,

whose builder and maker is God, and that's what we do as well as people

of faith.

Now, this view of watching and preparing for the realization of God's promises and that we

must pass through much tribulation, even the judgment of God on our way to our final

homeland, has characterized the people of God throughout history at different times.

When God revealed that his judgment was about to occur, he often warned his people to flee from that place lest they also

be consumed.

And so, for example, we read of Lot and his wife and his daughters fleeing from Sodom and Gomorrah.

We read that when God purposed to deliver a Jewish remnant from exile in Babylon, God commanded them,

the Jews, to flee out of the city of Babylon, which he was about to overthrow.

And in the New Testament, the Lord Jesus warned his disciples to flee Jerusalem when his judgment was about to fall

upon it, and this took place in A .D. 70 with the Roman armies.

Jesus said to his disciples, when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its

desolation is near.

Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

Let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her.

For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.

And again, this was fulfilled in A .D. 70 after the Roman troops had laid siege to the city and destroyed

it.

And when the Lord brought us to salvation, we similarly fled from God's impending judgment upon

us.

We took to heart his pronouncement of our damnation if we continued in our sin.

And so we fled from the wrath to come onto Jesus Christ in repentance from our sin,

exercising faith in him as our only Savior and Lord.

And so it is said of Christians that we have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.

Again, the writer to the Hebrews, this hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and

steadfast, which enters the presence behind the veil that is in heaven, where the forerunner has entered

for us, even Jesus.

Our hope is set upon him.

But there were other times, rather than God telling his people to flee immediately from his

impending wrath, he told them to prepare themselves for his judgment.

They would be poured out upon his enemies, but for them it was in the indefinite future.

They were to be ready because it was going to happen, even though they didn't know when it was going to happen.

They needed to prepare themselves, such as Noah building his ark.

And this is how we are to live in the world.

We are to live with view to the future coming of Jesus Christ, the judgment of the world, which he

executes through history and fully and finally at the end of history, which will then be followed by

the glorious life promised to us in eternity.

As Peter wrote, we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth

in which righteousness dwells.

And that looking is something that we continually fix ourselves upon.

That is our desire and destiny, and it governs our thinking and the way we live in the

world.

We're not living for this world, but we're living for the world to come, or at least we should be,

if we're living and walking as Christians should.

But it's also said with respect to our destiny, we must, through many tribulations, enter the kingdom of God.

This church age is the age of tribulation, according to the Lord Jesus.

In this world you will have tribulation, but rejoice, I've overcome the world.

The entire book of Revelation says that we're going through tribulation.

Now it's greater at different times than at others, but the life of the Christian is one going

through much tribulation in this world.

The ongoing judgment of God in history upon the world.

And so where the Lord is overthrowing the wicked, he's using that judgment to purify us,

to keep us from straying and wandering, and cause us, of course, to return to him in humble

faith and obedience.

The Lord has spoken to us through the hand of Peter these words, beloved do not think it strange concerning the

fiery trial, which is to try you as though some strange thing happened to you.

You see it's the normal course, the normal experience of Christians.

We in America, of course, are experiencing what is rather unusual, a period of many decades

in which we've had relative little, at least national, calamity with regard to war.

But rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when his glory is revealed you may

also be glad with exceeding joy, for the time has come for judgment to begin in the

house of God, and it begins with us first.

What will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?

And now if the righteous one is scarcely saved, in other words with difficulty, it

doesn't put it in doubt, but it's with difficulty and hardship and endurance that he brings us to

our full and final salvation.

Where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?

And therefore let us, let those who suffer according to the will of God, commit their soul to him and doing good

as to a faithful creator.

And so we should be prepared and ready to encounter difficulty,

hardship, tribulation.

I suspect things will probably worsen the way this old world's going now.

And so living in our preparation for the coming judgment of God is illustrated and foreshadowed in historical

events in the scriptures.

And perhaps one of the clearest cases of this may be seen in the salvation of Noah and his family from

God's judgment upon the world to the great flood recorded in the early chapters of Genesis.

And so here we want to give our attention and see some spiritual lessons that will help shape

our biblical worldview.

We ought to see ourselves in the world pretty much like Noah, how he viewed the world and the

impending judgment of God.

And so let's continue from the fall of Adam and Eve that we have emphasized in recent weeks

and now consider the advancement or the degradation that sin brought upon

the human race between Adam and Eve and the calling of Noah and the flood.

First Cain killed Abel, Genesis 4.

The first narrated episode of history after the fall is that of a man killing his brother

and then denying the fact and responsibility for having done so.

Shortly after sin entered the world, its hideous nature began to be manifested soon

and egregiously.

The struggle between the seed of the woman and the seed of the servant began immediately.

Cain rose to slay his righteous brother Abel.

Both men had presented offerings to God.

God accepted Abel's sacrifice offered in faith but God rejected Cain's sacrifice.

The reason why Cain's offering was not accepted is not specifically stated.

However, it seems that God indicated to Cain that his sacrifice would be accepted if he had done well,

Genesis 4 .7.

Now it's always been popular preaching to say that Cain's sacrifice was not a blood sacrifice, he offered

grain.

Whereas Abel's sacrifice was a blood sacrifice and so that's why God accepted

Abel's sacrifice for without the shedding of blood there's no remission.

However, this is saying something that's not stated in the text.

There's no statement that these were sacrifices for sin.

Actually, they seem to be Thanksgiving sacrifices.

Farmers commonly offered grain to the Lord.

Shepherds would offer a sacrifice from their flocks and apparently it was Cain's heart or life

before God which rendered his offering unacceptable.

Abel offered it in faith, Cain did not.

As one wrote, it is not to be doubted that Cain conducted himself as hypocrites are

accustomed to do, namely that he wished to appease God as one discharging a debt by

external sacrifices without the least intention of dedicating himself to God.

But this is true worship to offer ourselves as spiritual sacrifices to God.

When God sees such hypocrisy combined with gross and manifest mockery of himself, it is not surprising

that he hates it and is unable to bear it.

Whence also it follows that he rejects with contempt the works of those who withdraw themselves from him.

For it is his will first to have us devoted to himself.

He then seeks our works in testimony of our obedience to him but

only in the second place.

God gave a warning to Cain that he was vulnerable to sin after God had rejected his

sacrifice.

Cain was about to be pounced upon by the beast, a metaphor of sin itself.

The beast was at the door ready to consume him but Cain was to master it.

It's shown through Cain that all of Adam and Eve's posterity are to resist and conquer sin when temptation comes.

Cain failed and he rose to murder his brother.

And when God confronted him, where is your brother Abel?

Cain showed the effects of the fall to which his parents had subjected him.

He lied to God first just like his parents.

He denied responsibility just like his parents.

He showed his crass ignorance of the nature of God the same that his parents had in

presuming that God had not seen him committing his sin.

He also revealed the effect of sin and his callousness of heart toward his brother.

He was without natural affection and this was just one generation from the initial fall.

Even the creation groaned from under Cain's crime.

The earth had been forced to drink the blood of an innocent man shed upon it.

The blood of Abel cried out for vengeance for the injustice of his brother taking away his life.

God said to Cain, so now you are cursed from the earth which has opened, notice the metaphor the

personification of the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand.

It's like the earth personified had to open its mouth as Cain basically

shoved Abel's blood into the mouth of the earth and so

now the earth would no longer cooperate in feeding Cain for he had fed it, he

fed the earth with his brother's blood.

God cursed Cain and so as God sent Adam and Eve from the garden, Cain was sent from the

face of the ground.

God consigned him to a life of wandering in the earth away from his presence

which was essentially a death sentence away from the presence of God and Cain said it will come

about that whoever finds me will kill me.

There's no suggestion here of remorse for his crime but Cain did have fear and sorrow for

its consequences.

It's too much God.

God nevertheless in his mercy set a sign upon Cain so that his life would be spared by others and so

Cain said it is said went out from the presence of the Lord which was a

further departure from God than even his parents had experienced.

Bible said he survived to have descendants but it's apparent that the effects of sin became aggravated in

them even to a greater degree.

Mankind was departing farther and farther from God as it plunged deeper and deeper into sin

and so Genesis 4 16 and following record the ungodly lineage of Cain culminating in

a man named Lamech an evil and vengeful man

and so in this episode we see several things about the nature of sin.

Sin does not stand still but if not dealt with thoroughly it will fester and

worsen showing itself more hideous and pervasive in a person's life or in the society that

does not address it quickly and righteously.

I read yesterday in an article how a professor at some so -called institution of higher

learning is wanting to take away the stigma of pedophilia.

How far can a society go?

Sin doesn't stand still.

There are people today advocating, supporting, encouraging, celebrating things they would repudiate themselves a

couple decades ago and what we're advocating what we stand for today is nothing different than

what our grandparents stood for even our parents stood for.

We haven't departed the world is departing and going downward.

Who knows where this world is going to be in coming years

and so unless the Lord causes sin to be arrested through his temporal judgments like a depression, like a

world war, something like that or through the grace of regeneration in a sinner,

sin will continue to increase in its manifestation of evil until the time that God intervenes in his judgment

bringing an end to sin in his overthrow of the wicked and that's of course what

happened here in Genesis but this episode also reveals to

us several things about the nature of God as well as the nature of sin and the way

of God with sinners.

First we see God's rule over his creation and over man continued even after the entrance of sin into the

world.

God is still the sovereign king because he's a creator.

God's right and ability to rule over the creation had not been forfeited by him nor wrested

from him by the devil due to man's sin and secondly God continued to have

fellowship with mankind even after he had sent Adam and Eve out of the garden.

He communicated with Cain and Abel.

God had not abandoned the race after it had fallen.

He came to them and spoke with them and third God judges sin in the

lives of people indicated by his punishment of Cain for his crime.

Fourth yet we see that God showed mercy on Cain even in his sin and that he gave him a mark that

assured his preservation.

God is a very merciful God even to the most wretched of individuals.

In conclusion we have portrayed before us in Genesis 4 a good God who continues to show favor toward

man, toward sinners, extends mercy to him.

Nevertheless man continued his ascent into sin and his departure from the presence and blessing of

God.

That's what sin is in mankind and the episode concludes with a word which indicates there's

some among the race who yet maintain a relationship with God.

God in his mercy gives another son to Adam and Eve, Seth who replaced the slain

son Abel and through Seth's lineage men began to call upon the Lord.

See to the woman God had his people.

Now let's consider events from Genesis 5 up into the passage that Pastor Jason read

for us.

Events leading to the flood.

The account of the worldwide flood reveals just how pervasive and extensive sin had become in humanity.

It also of course reveals God's attitude and reaction toward sin in the world.

What seemed to be a rather minor infraction of God's law in the garden, eating some fruit, is

now revealed as having totally corrupted human nature resulting in a race characterized by

violence and immorality.

I remember reading a scholar who didn't believe the Bible, this was decades ago, he wrote

he repudiated the whole like doctrine of original sin but then he acknowledged it certainly explains the world and

its condition.

Humanity invoked a disgust and anger of God who had created them and the only remedy that God

would give at that time was to wash and cleanse the world of its pollution through a great deluge, a

great flood.

The genealogy of Genesis 5 records the continual gracious blessing of God upon humanity through the lineage of

Seth who is God's replacement for slain Abel.

God blessed the people of whom he had created in contrast to the lineage of Cain,

the seed of the serpent.

Godliness was present in Seth's descendants, the seed of the woman.

They began to call upon the name of the Lord.

We read that Enoch walked with God, a descendant of Seth and then another

Lamech is mentioned who is a godly man who desired rest.

The world was full of turmoil, labor, hardship.

He desired rest, this Lamech.

He was the good Lamech.

And he fathers Noah because he thought that through his son Noah his hopes and

desires for rest would be realized.

And so we read in Genesis 5 28, Lamech lived 182 years and had a son.

He called his name Noah saying this one will comfort us concerning our work and the toil of

our hands.

They were looking for an eternal sabbath rest from their hard labor

because of the ground which the Lord had cursed.

And so this Lamech is set forth in contrast with the Lamech and the lineage of Cain who longed for violent vengeance.

Two peoples so different from one another but then sadly

even the godly line of Seth corrupted itself.

The descendants of Seth, the sons of God intermarried with the daughters of men, the cursed sons of Cain.

And as a result they all apostatized their descendants from God.

They became morally corrupt for having failed to remain separated from

those of the fallen world.

And so once again the seed of the serpent would oppose and corrupt the seed of the woman but God would not

overlook their sin for the world had become utterly corrupted.

And so here's Genesis 6 1 through 8.

Now it came to pass when men began to multiply on the face of the earth the daughters were born to them and the sons of

God, that would have been the godly lineage, saw the

daughters of men that they were beautiful and they took wise for themselves of all whom they chose.

And the Lord said my spirit shall not strive with man forever for he is indeed flesh.

It is day shall be 120 years, be 120 years before the flood came.

And there were giants on the earth in those days and also afterwards when the sons of God came to the daughters of

men they bore children to them.

Those were mighty men who were of old men of renown.

And those aren't angelic beings as is commonly preached and taught and found but rather is talking

about a corrupt human race who became mighty in the earth but they were evil.

As we read in verse 5 then the Lord saw the wickedness of man was great in the earth every intent of the thoughts of

his heart was only evil continually and the Lord was sorry that he made man on the

earth and he was grieved in his heart.

The word of God personifies God so that we can relate and understand his thinking

and his attitude toward things.

And so the Lord said I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth both man and

beast creeping thing and birds of the air for I'm sorry that I have made them.

But verse 8, but Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord, thank God.

So the time had arrived when the wrath of God would come upon the children of disobedience.

This is the way that God orders history.

He tolerates sin, he shows forth his goodness in his mercy and kindness but if it does not

result in man's repentance from sin he brings forth his judgment within history.

He has always governed his world in this way and he always will.

There's no hope for our nation for our present nation unless the Lord brings

temporal judgment upon us of such a degree in nature it results in national humility and

repentance.

And unless and until that occurs the Lord will continue to take us down.

King Jesus is calling the shots and we're seeing a manifestation of his righteous

judgment in history.

And so God declared my spirit shall not strive with man forever because he is also flesh.

Man was of a complete different nature than God.

Man is flesh.

Man was incurably corrupt and carnal and sensual so that his

labor lost to him or with him.

God's own people had defected from him resisting and striving against him.

Having polluted themselves they lived as all others but God in his mercy gave them

time 120 years but that time did not cure what is inherently sinful or

corrupt for corruption and violence worsened permeating all segments of humanity

even while Noah built his ark.

And so rather than God's goodness leading them to repentance mankind perceived God's forbearance as their further

license to sin.

We're going to do our own will sin the way we want to sin and you better

celebrate it.

As one wrote the threatened vengeance moved with reluctant step long suffering suffered long

years dawned and closed still the sun was bright the skies were clear surely a space of repentance

brought the grace of repentance.

The world would have been clad in sackcloth of penance penitence and shame but something far

mightier than external opportunity must work.

People aren't going to be converted.

Your children aren't going to be converted because you put them in the right environment.

Only the word of God through the power of the spirit of God can convert the sinner to Christ.

Something far mightier than external opportunity must work before a soul can feel and confess and

forsake its sins.

Man not arrested from on high is man going downward in guilt.

A lengthened respite even 120 years is often nothing but a lengthened iniquity.

And so when God saw the wickedness of man was great on the earth that every intent of the thought of his heart was only

evil continually he was grieved being sorry had made man.

And because God is the creator he's free and right not only to be the man's creator but also to be man's

destroyer.

And God purposed to destroy all living things from the face of the earth and would have done so completely had

not Noah found favor found grace in the eyes of the war.

Pastor Jason read this passage that's why we had to read it.

Give me a little bit more time.

He read this passage from Genesis about Noah how God came to him told him to build an ark.

Noah's described as a righteous man blameless in his time and he walked with God.

And so here was a man whose life pleased God.

Even in this wretched world God regarded Noah alone to be righteous.

Noah had found grace in the eyes of God.

Now it's important to realize Noah did not find God gracious to him because he had been righteous

for that would not be biblical grace.

Noah had been righteous because God had dealt with him according to grace.

If it had not been for the grace of God producing faith and righteousness in Noah he would have been just as all others

living in sin and condemned by sin.

And if you're different than the fallen world as a Christian it's only because of the grace of God not because

you were a little smarter a little less sinful a little more wise a little more willing.

No you can thank God that he was willing to be gracious to you.

Otherwise it wouldn't happen.

But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.

God had determined he'd stand in covenant relationship with Noah and his descendants.

God informs people who walk with him of his plans and purposes.

And so he told Noah of his intentions.

The end of all flesh has come before me.

For the earth is filled with violence.

Because of uh because of uh I misquoted there behold I'm about

to destroy them with the earth.

But because Noah had found favor with him God made provision for him to escape his judgment on the

world by instructing him to build an ark.

Noah's preservation those with him is assured because God determined to establish covenant with him.

And by the way this secured the salvation physical deliverance salvation of

his wife and his sons also and all the animals because of their really their association

with Noah whom God had blessed.

And we read that Noah followed the commandments of God completely and fully in preparing an ark and

gathering living things into it.

After God had given instructions for Noah to build the ark it said of him.

Thus Noah did according to all that God commanded him.

So he did.

We might say he he lived as a Christian as a believer.

And that's how Christians live.

We order our lives according to the will of God in Jesus Christ we keep his commandments.

Noah was saved through his faith in God not because he was righteous in himself but he had

faith in God.

He believed God's words regarding the coming great flood.

He believed it was true it was coming.

And so he moved in to build this ark.

And so those few people and the representative animals were saved through that from that flood through the ark

again to go back to Hebrews 11 7 that we read in the beginning by faith Noah being divinely

warned of things not yet seen you and I have been warned of things that we haven't seen.

He moved with godly fear prepared an ark for the saving of his household by which he

condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

God brought the flood upon the earth in judgment destroyed all living things except for Noah and those with him.

God wondrously saved Noah and his household from his judgment through the ark a haven of

safety from the flood of judgment behold the goodness and severity of God.

His goodness in the mercy and grace extended to Noah and his family and his severity.

And that he destroyed all living things to the glory of his holiness and justice.

God was glorified in saving Noah.

God was glorified and destroyed that wretched world.

God had forewarned Noah of his judgment instructed Noah how to be saved from it.

He would do so through an ark that he would build over the course of his lifetime.

He lived to prepare himself and his family to escape God's wrath upon the world.

He was saved through faith alone.

He had believed God's word and thereby ordered his life according to faith.

He did so confidently that he and those with him would indeed not be condemned with the world but would

be delivered into a cleansed world a new creation a new world.

On the other side of the flood a new creation was before them.

During the flood the world returned to a pre -creation watery chaos formless and void of life

accepting for that which God had preserved with Noah.

And then after the execution of God's judgment his wrath toward man was appeased with the

abatement of the waters the reappearance of land.

A new beginning is offered to humanity.

It is set forth in Genesis as a new creation.

And so after the waters receded Noah's first act was one of worship.

He built an altar and offered sacrifices to burn offerings to the Lord and the Lord responded to Noah's

sacrifice.

And on this occasion God established his covenant with him and all his descendants through him.

Again a covenant in scripture is an agreement made between two parties upon a real that upon which a

relationship is established is based and established and maintained.

Sometimes a covenant idea is of a negotiated agreement between two parties of equal stature

say like a marriage covenant between a bride and groom.

But when God establishes a covenant with man it's always as a sovereign king over

his his citizens as it were his subjects.

And in his covenant God sets forth the terms by which he God commits to

them what he will do for them and he declares what

responses that are his subjects owe to him faithfulness obedience

love.

And so he also makes clear the consequences of failing to keep his covenant.

Often they cut an animal laid it apart.

And when they establish a covenant the idea was that the one who breaks that covenant

ought to be slaughtered and killed suffered death if they failed to keep the

commitment to that covenant.

Amazingly when God established a covenant with Abraham God himself offered

sacrifice split them.

And the and the lantern which was a represented representation of the presence of God

went between those those split animal carcasses

showing that God himself was committing that he would not break that covenant.

If he did he himself would be worthy of death.

That's how solid and firm that covenant was that God made with Abraham and his descendants

through faith.

That covenant that we enjoy too in Jesus Christ.

Well God established a covenant with Noah promising him he'd never again destroy mankind on the earth through a

flood.

The terms he set forth were known.

His descendants were as follows.

First they were to be fruitful and multiply replenish the earth.

Second the animals of the earth were placed under their dominion.

You had dominion over the animals.

Third all living things were given for food.

This was a new including animals accepting the blood within them.

They were not to partake of the blood for capital punishment was to be executed for the crime of murder.

You kill somebody who's the image of God you forfeit your life.

And that law has never been rescinded.

It's the law of God.

And for his part God promised Noah that there never again would be a flood to destroy the earth.

And as a sign of his commitment of his covenant of peace with Noah and

his offspring God hangs his bow in the clouds.

A rainbow as an archery bow.

God is a warrior who is at peace putting away his battle weaponry and a condition of peace prevailed.

Blessing was pronounced and a bright future lie before mankind.

I can't help to think what does God think of that rainbow symbol being hijacked.

That was an emblem of his peace with humanity and now is regarded as an emblem

of a order in a life completely contrary to the way and purpose God

created mankind.

And so the language of the account reveals that Noah and his descendants were entering a new world a new

creation.

The same language that God gave to Adam and Eve God gave to Noah and his descendants.

There was a new paradise before them full of opportunity but with responsibility and

accountability before God.

Now after having considered that historic event we would

argue I think it's important to underscore how you apply

an Old Testament passage such as this to us New Testament Christians.

And so I want to really underscore this important matter.

The Old Testament is Christian scripture.

Most evangelicals actually deny that they say the Old Testament is Jewish scripture.

The New Testament is Christian scripture.

And those of us who are reformed historically protestant say no no all of the bible is

Christian scripture.

And so we understand the Old Testament is a record of God's historical dealings with his people.

The Old Testament is a theological history recording the nature of God and his ways among his

people.

But even though it records historic and physical events as Christians we read our

Old Testament as Christian scripture.

It sets forth through historic people and events types and symbols

shadows earthly matters which reveal and foreshadow spiritual realities for New

Testament Christians.

Even the Old Testament prophets understood that what they were recording in the prophets was for a

future time and for a people in the age of the Messiah.

Peter wrote of this of this salvation.

Peter's writing to Christians of this salvation in this church age the prophets

he's now talking about them back then have inquired and searched carefully

who prophesied of the grace that would come to you Peter's writing to mostly gentile Christians.

In first Peter searching what or what manner of time the spirit of Christ was in them

noted.

It was the spirit of Christ who was moving these prophets to record their words

and was indicated when he the spirit of Christ testified beforehand of the sufferings of Christ and the

glories that should follow the glories are this messianic age Jesus is

Lord.

We as people the kingdom of God having been inaugurated.

And then Peter wrote this to them the Old Testament prophets it was revealed that not to themselves but to

us New Testament Christians they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you

through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven in my

I've been in the Lord.

It'll be 50 years the second week of this coming January.

But in the first eight or ten years I was in a common evangelical setting that

that taught that the Old Testament wasn't Christian scripture it was Jewish scripture.

And therefore the Old Testament is not Christian and you shouldn't interpret it as Christian

but rather Jewish.

And the common statement was nowhere in the Old Testament is this church age

spoken of or foretold.

Peter declared here that the prophets themselves understood that they were writing for us

in this age.

And then Peter in the book of Acts declared you know that all the prophets whoever lived whoever

have spoken foretold these days.

And he was talking about the early days of the church.

The Old Testament foretold this church age.

We're in the kingdom promised Davidic kingdom.

Jesus Christ the son of David reigns in heaven according to Peter in the day

of Pentecost.

And so the Old Testament is Christian scripture.

The Lord instructs us.

The Apostle Paul wrote of the Old Testament scriptures having been inspired of God for the benefit and instruction of New

Testament Christians.

Now these things he's talking about the Old Testament events.

These things became our examples to the intent that we should not lust after evil things that they

also lusted do not become idolaters as were some of them as it's written.

The people sat down to eat and drank rose up to play that was at the foot of Mount Sinai.

Nor let us commit sexual immorality as some of them did and one day 23 ,000 fell.

Nor let us tempt or test Christ as some of them also tempted and were destroyed by serpents.

Remember the brazen serpent on the pole that foreshadowed the cross of Christ.

Nor complain as some of them also complain.

We shouldn't be a complaining people

and were destroyed by the destroyer.

And then Paul wrote now all these things everything in the Old Testament.

All these things happened to them.

For what purpose.

As examples they were written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the ages

have come.

The Old Testament is Christian scripture.

When Paul wrote in 2nd Timothy 3 16 and 17 he was referring to the Hebrew scriptures.

The New Testament had been written in its entirety.

He wrote all scripture is given by inspiration of God is profitable.

In other words it's applicable for Christians.

It's profitable for doctrine doctrinal teaching for reproof for correction and

for instruction in righteousness how to live.

The Old Testament teaches Christians how they're supposed to live.

And yet this is denied by so many.

No no is Jewish instruction.

We're why we're under grace.

And so only New Testament even epistles are Christian instruction.

That is a an abuse of the Bible.

It's not taught by the Bible.

Paul declared even to the church at Corinth that unbelieving Jews who had the Old Testament scriptures nevertheless

failed to understand the word of God.

And they couldn't understand it until they came to Christ.

And when they began to read the scriptures with Christ as the lens then it all opened

up as a new book.

And it became clear to them the Jews who didn't who were not Christian their minds were

blinded.

For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament because the veil is

taken away in Christ.

You can only rightly understand the Old Testament when you read it looking for Christ

Jesus Christ.

And even to this day when Moses is read a veil lies on their heart.

Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord that's Jesus Christ the veil is taken away.

And it's a wonderful thing when a Christian all of a sudden the Holy Spirit reveals why this

this Old Testament is Christian scripture.

It's the word of God not just portions of the new.

And so what Paul was arguing was the need and importance to interpret the Old Testament spiritually to see

Christ foretold and displayed for us.

That Christian instruction encouragement warning exhortation may be found there.

The Old Testament is Christian scripture.

And this has been the universal testimony of reformed Christianity until the novelty of dispensationalism

of the 20th century.

Most evangelicals due to the influence of dispensationalism deny understanding

the Old Testament in this way.

Here's one reformed writer from the early 20th century who sought to defend this historic understanding and

application of the Old Testament scripture.

Historically Protestants have always interpreted the Old Testament to teach spiritual truths for New Testament

Christians.

But this method of interpretation is opposed by those who claim that we're to interpret

the Old Testament literally.

They say not spiritually.

They falsely accuse us of interpreting allegorically.

No we don't.

So here are the words from John Wilmot.

He was the pastor of a Reformed Baptist Church in Toronto professor of Toronto Baptist

Seminary.

It was published in 1965.

D. Martin Lloyd -Jones wrote the forward to it and said I'm so happy that this book is in print now it's going to

be so helpful.

And it was called the Inspired Principles of Prophetic Interpretation.

You don't need to look now.

But on the last page of your notes I included a the table of contents to show

all the different subjects he addressed about understanding and interpreting prophetic

scripture.

Well he wrote these words.

It be acknowledged that the author that would be God.

Of course capitalized is the final exponent of his own thoughts expressed in what he says and what he meant

though not disclosed at the time of his speaking determined his selection of the subjects in terms he

used.

Therefore what he says will befit the spiritual complement disclosed.

And what he means must the spirit's exposition of a subject be confined to our human

understanding of the matter.

In other words literally only is what he's arguing.

Is there not such a thing as an earthly story with a heavenly meaning parables.

Would it not be our wisdom to follow the counsel contained in the ancient couplet.

The new that is the new testament is in the old concealed and the old is in

the new testament revealed.

What God said in the old testament is given as meaning in the new testament.

Yet contentment with the finality of spiritual meaning is supplied in the new testament is met with criticism

mysticizing or vaporizing glosses called interpretation.

We are accustomed to sing of God's providence.

God is his own interpreter and he will make it plain that's a hymn.

Is not this equally true of his word.

Examples of spiritual purpose and spiritualizing principle abound in the teaching of our Lord and his

apostles.

Surely their manner of expounding what God says should be our guide in seeking how to know what

God means.

If spiritualization is unwarranted we shall find ourselves in danger placing our Lord and the apostles

themselves if reasoning be consistent under criticism.

And so we only do what the new testament persons did the Lord Jesus

himself.

So let's just stand back and make some application about Noah's life and faith to us.

The point we are making is this the old testament account of the judgment of God upon the world through a cataclysmic worldwide

flood was a type a foreshadowing of the final judgment of the world when

Jesus Christ returns a second time.

And just as God saved Noah by his grace and promised him that he would be saved from his judgment upon the world similarly

God has called us and has promised us that in Jesus Christ we will escape the judgment of God

coming upon this world.

But we must add this caveat just as God had appointed the means by which he would save Noah and

those with him through the preparing of an ark.

So God calls us to order our lives in preparation for the judgment to come.

Noah wasn't saved by his works of building the ark.

He was saved through faith but his faith led him to build the ark.

And so we're saved through faith as well.

But the but our faith moves us to order our lives in faithful obedience

to our God through Jesus Christ just as God required Noah to order his life

in faith in view of God's judgment.

So we also are to do that with view to our own salvation our full and final

salvation.

Jonathan Edwards once wrote of this.

I've read I've cited this message many times in the past.

I actually attached it as a file to my sermon notes that I sent out by email this morning hoping

people will read it.

He first stated the doctrine that the Genesis account gives us of Noah building the ark and then he set

forth the application for us as Christians doctrine we should be willing to engage in and go through

great undertakings in order to our salvation.

Now that sounds like works righteousness he'd be accused of and today but it's perfectly biblical.

We are to you know go through that narrow gate and we're to follow that narrow road that leads on

to life.

You better not follow that wide road that leads to destruction.

The Lord commands us through faith to order our lives with view to our

own destiny.

It's a life of faith application.

The use I would make of this doctrine is to exhort all to undertake and go through this great work

which they have to do in order to their salvation.

He's not saying you're saved by your works but God has set forth a course of life.

And if we truly are believers we're going to order our lives in faith as Noah did.

And this let the work seem ever so great and difficult if your nature be averse to it.

If you don't want to do it and there seems to be very frightful things in the way so that your heart is ready to fail at the

prospect.

Yet seriously consider what has been said and act a wise part.

Seeing it is for yourselves for your own salvation.

Seeing is for so great a salvation for your deliverance from eternal destruction.

Noah had to build that ark.

He wasn't going to get saved from that flood by building half an ark.

Thus Noah did.

He did all that God commanded him.

It is of absolute necessity in order to your salvation that the deluge of divine wrath will come

and there will be no escaping it without preparing an ark.

Is it not best for you to undertake the work.

Engage in it with your might go through it though.

This cannot be done without great labor care difficulty and expense.

The Christian life is impossible apart from the grace of God.

Jesus said unless you take up your cross and follow him daily you'll not enter into life.

Saving faith in Christ leads us to order our life in humble

faithful obedience to Jesus Christ the Lord.

I would by no means flatter you concerning this work or go about to make you believe that you shall find an easy light

business of it.

No I would not have you expect any such thing.

I would have you sit down and count the cost.

And if you cannot find it in your heart to engage in a great hard laborious expensive undertaking and to

preserve in it persevere in it to the end of your life.

Pretend not to be religious.

Indulge yourselves in your ease follow your pleasures eat drink and be merry.

Even conclude to go to hell in that way and never make any more pretenses of your salvation.

And then he went on here.

Consider several things.

In particular it's a it's a quite a quite a message.

And again if you get my notes it's attached to that email.

Well in a number of places we have to wrap things up here.

In a number of places in the new testament the second coming of Jesus Christ to judge the world is set forth with Noah

and his salvation from the flood as an Old Testament type or shadow of the final judgment of mankind.

Peter declared it.

People are willingly ignorant that this old world was consumed by a flood.

But there's going to be a great far greater flood of fire in the future.

And therefore you ought to prepare yourselves.

The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night which the heavens will pass away with a great noise.

Therefore since all these things be dissolved what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct

and godliness looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God.

Because the heavens which the heavens will be dissolved being on fire the elements will melt with fervent heat.

Nevertheless again he said we look beyond that judgment.

Nevertheless we according to God's promise look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

But we've got a judgment to prepare ourselves.

Will there be enough evidence on the day of judgment to validate your claim.

I'm a Christian.

You're not saved by your works.

We're saved by God's grace through faith alone apart from works.

But he created we are his workmanship and he created us onto good works

that he's pre -ordained that we walk in them.

Ephesians 2 10.

And the Lord spoke of his coming judgment.

But as in the days of Noah were so also the coming of the son of man.

They didn't know the flood would come or when it would come.

Even though Noah proclaimed to them it would.

They didn't know until the judgment fell upon them.

On another occasion the Lord said it's all important that you be in faith when he comes.

If that servant says in his heart my master is delaying his coming begins to beat the male and female servants to eat and drink

and be drunk.

The master that servant will come on a day when he's not looking for him at an hour when he's not aware and will cut

him in two and appoint him his apportion with the unbelievers.

He wasn't talking to professing.

Or he wasn't talking to unbelievers.

He was talking to professing believers.

You're hypocrites if you don't order your life in faith and faithfulness to the Lord.

And then of course Paul said the same.

There are many passages and I gave them for you in your notes that you can refer

to.

Now someone may be thinking with respect to himself.

This is pretty common.

I squandered so much of my life.

I've not lived with view to the coming of Christ and the judgment to come.

Do I even have a reason for hope that I will escape judgment on that day.

Is there no hope for me.

What ultimately matters is how the Lord finds you when he comes.

Your great need is not to build an ark which took Noah a lifetime 120 years but rather

you're but to flee into the ark that God has provided for you.

Even Jesus Christ.

Get to him and you'll be safe.

Cast away that which keeps you from total surrender to him.

Discard any and all things that may hinder you from coming to him.

Acknowledge your sin.

Confess your unworthiness.

Be as a gentile centurion saying to Christ I'm not worthy that you should enter under my roof.

I did not think myself worthy to come to you but say the word and I shall be

healed of my sin.

Come to the Lord as the leper Lord.

If you're willing you can make me clean.

Claim the promise of faith in him.

Everyone who asks receives.

He who seeks finds to him who knocks.

It will be open.

It matters how you live.

Yes it matters what you believe.

But your faith your belief better determine the manner that you live.

If it's true saving faith your salvation may be sure to you

not secured by you if you do these things but assured to you.

If you do these things it confirms your faith is genuine wrought of God's grace.

And so may our Lord enable us to live with view to his coming and the judgment that he will execute upon

the human race.

And may we look beyond that judgment to the new heavens and new earth our glorious destiny which is

promised to every one of us in Christ.

Amen.

Let's pray.

Thank you father for your word.

And we thank you God that you've given us an entire bible as christian scripture and help us to take

to heart our God.

These lessons.

May the holy spirit enable us our God to be responsive and flee to Christ.

Afresh our God and cling to him.

Don't allow us to stray or wander our God and help us to order our life according to your

word.

Help us to be as Noah.

Our God who continued in faith to build that

which would enable him to be delivered from that physical flood.

Help us our God to order our lives that will testify on that great day.

Our love for you.

Our faith in Jesus Christ and him alone as our Lord and Savior.

For it's in Jesus name.

We pray.

Amen.