As the Days of Noe Were — Rolfe Barnard

The Coming of the Son of Man in Matthew 24

Will you turn to the 24th chapter of the book of Matthew? There are just two congregations in America that I joke with about the offering and about doctrine. One of them is this one, the other is the Church of which Brother Mayan is pastor, and then there are 13 campaigns.

Most of the folks didn't hear the campaign and felt the pain, but we went through them. We love each other so that we joke. Brother Tyner gave me a book tonight, and he thinks it's going to get me straightened out in my doctrine and I'm going to read it tomorrow on the plane.

But I can remember the big three of America almost years ago, Dr. J. Frank Norris, Dr. T .T. Shields, and Dr. W .B. Riley. Dr. T .T. Shields was a radical, fighting, spitting, clawing, all-millenarian.

Dr. Riley and Dr. Norris were fighting, spitting, clawing, pre-millenarians. I've been in their presence when they're really going after each other, trying to straighten one another out. But when the enemy would come in, they'd close their ranks.

And just like you're trying to interfere with a man when he and his wife are having a little scrap, you'd better stay out of that, brother, or they'll both turn on you. And that's the way it was. I kind of like Mr. Wesley and Mr. Whitfield, brother, if they didn't tear each other up for the doctrine.

But when one of them died, the other preached this hymn. I like that. We know in part. In the book of Matthew, chapter 24, I want to bring this closing message, and it'll have to be addressed largely to God's least professing people, or unless the Lord shall intervene in your day and mine in terrible judgment, we've said good-bye to this generation, except a few on Sunday morning.

Now, we can get the blues about their faces, but that's not an alibi that introduces my subject. Do we have a gospel for the days of Noah? What shall be the thrust of the gospel message? Preach from a pulpit stand, sun-screwed glass over the radio, street corner, as you get interested in the homes, as you work side-by-side at the factory and seek to witness a good confession.

If it's as rough in our day, and the promise is tomorrow will get worse as it was in the days of Noah, and that's what you people who are pre-millenarian, nearly all of you, and I honor you for it and I wouldn't change you for a million dollars, my own judgment is you've got to hold some truth, but I don't think you believe it yourself.

The fault I find with the pre-millenarian interpretation of the scripture is the kind of churches it's built, and taken by and large the most carnal, worldly, self-satisfied people this side of hell.

I think it's because they haven't got it right, they haven't got it right. I've been hearing them say, Oh, but I'm looking for the coming of the Lord, and that'll promote holiness. I'd like to see some of it, wouldn't you?

Yes. But I'm this much of a pre-millenarian, and I've been preaching to each other, oh, hell's going to pop and it's going to pop in your day and mine. I am not a good pre-millenarian, because I believe God's people are going to have to be right here in the middle of the storm, and you don't.

But now having settled that, and if you differ with me, after the service you come around and apologize, and I'll forgive you, but that's our difference. I believe all this talk about, God, people are going to be saved from this, this produce, this jellyfish stuff we call Christianity, I believe it's just, well, get ready, folks.

I believe like old Noah and the little croup of eight souls in that ark, I don't think they escaped the flood, but bless God they rode through it. I think whether my theology is wrong or not, we need to come under some sort of discipline like we've never known, because we're going to have some floods that are going to overcome us unless our relationship is real, so we can overcome.

Reading the Fig Tree and the Signs of the Times

For that explanation, let's read this favorite, this is bound to be one of your favorite passages of scripture, and I'm not being facetious now. Now learn a parable of the fig tree, and of course what's happening in Israel now is tremendously significant.

At a conference a couple of years ago, some of you, Brother Jackson was President, I got up and announced that if that little one-eyed Jew didn't watch out, he was going to make a pre-millionaire out of Brother Johnson, who was with you here last August, and the President got a kick out of it.

But you haven't got a bit of sense on earth if you do not watch this fig tree, and even if you miss it, you ought to watch the development. When his branch is yet tender and put forth leaves, ye know that summer is not.

So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the door. Verily I say unto you, this generation shall not pass, but all these things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my word shall not pass away.

But that day and hour knoweth no man, nor not the angels of heaven, and no one knows that it is my fault. But we've got a little light, and he says, here it is, as the days of Noah were, 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 knew not until the flood came and took them all away, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be.

There are three characteristics of this day that make one wonder. Is this our day? Is this the kind of world we are in now? Is this a description of our generation? Whatever the answer is, when we turn to the book of Genesis, we note that there were three things taken together that caused Almighty God to send three billion folks to hell, everybody except a precious soul.

It's a terrible God, isn't it? The cup of iniquity was filled, the patience of God was exhausted, Peter tells us the long suffering of God waited, the Bible identifies and says he waited 120 years after the beginning of his warning to Noah.

And things got so that the only thing God could do, and still be God, was to wipe humanity with the exception of eight people off the face of the earth. Noah's day must have been for the rough, brother.

When we compare our day with it, we tread softly, of course, but we notice the three things that, taken together, caused the wrath of God to fall upon a civilization. The scientists tell us today, I guess rightly, that there were at least as many people on the earth then as now, and that all of them, I don't know, but you ought to do some of the reading of good men today on what they are finding out about the flood, though, Charlie, you are aware of the fact that much effort has been made to do away with this Bible story.

But the scientists, whether they are Christians or not, just won't let us do away with it. There was a flood, the whole outfit was destroyed, God made a new beginning, he dead sure did it. You don't need a Bible to tell you that.

And I think that it's true that in the scientific world today, more attention is being paid by scientists to the structure of the earth today that cannot be explained except for the catastrophe worldwide, like the flood is the only explanation for the cheap of things today.

So we're dealing here with a fact. Now the God who did this may be a monster, but if that kind of God we've got, we'd just well roll up our sleeves and face it. God brought judgment, God brought irreversible judgment on this world.

And he says he's going to do it again, not by flood, but by fire. And everything's going to be destroyed again, except that which is lashed to the altar of righteousness. Now, my shouting ground, of course, one scripture is, nevertheless, we look according to his promise for a new heaven and a new earth, wherein as a duke's mixture, no sir, wherein the mixture of iniquity keeps on poisoning you, no, no, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

The only thing that withstood and rode out the flood were men and women who had been made righteous in the eyes of Almighty God. When you look at the terrible things that characterize the iniquity of Noah's day, and look at our day, one wonders, Genesis 6, verse 5, what was the occupation of mankind in Noah's day?

The thoughts and imaginations of their hearts were evil continually. Second, the second characteristic of the people in the times when Noah lived, characterized by violence. Not so much violence as we've had in other days, but in this day of the radio and television, when it isn't but two inches from one part of the world to another, and when the scene that just accidentally the television cameras happened to be present worldwide, where somebody was raised and came, violence stalks the land.

It dead sure did in Noah's day. And then the word of God tells us that all flesh corrupted itself, the earth was corrupt. And in Genesis 6, all flesh corrupted. In the 6th chapter of Genesis, there is that cryptic expression, Noah found grace in the sight of the Lord.

I believe I called it to your attention, I'm sure you knew it before, but I'll do it again. What that verse is saying is, that out of the 3 billion people, there was just one man that was upright in his sexual life.

That's what he did, he found grace, he was straight in that most sacred relationship. If you've not read The Sixth Man, that's the title of a book, The Sixth Man, written by a reporter who doesn't confess to being a Christian.

He spent 3 years gathering evidence, and nobody knows what he's talking about. I believe the FBI report is that 20 million sodomites in America, but this man says that one out of every six adults, male or female, in America is a sodomite.

I don't know. I wouldn't be surprised if the government report didn't say that bad enough, 20 million. But if you divide 6 into 200 million people now, and cut that by half, it's still bad. One has to believe what happened in the days of Noah, when the one man was lusting after female flesh.

That's exactly what it was. And if you take a walk down your streets now, or call on you good Christian women at home, you'll sure be able to knock on the door and see him there. Oh, the bottom is completely falling.

You can't advertise a home or a car or nothing now without a parade of female flesh. And the only man that rode that storm out of 3 billion people was a fellow by the name of Noah. All about us, there is just one thing that this generation is concerned about, and that's the wickedness of the earth.

It is so tough that he repented that he had made man, and said, I'll just start all over again. And the only man who was pure in that relationship, in that area, that he could preserve was a fellow by the name of Noah.

The Gospel as Good News in a Corrupt Generation

Whatever else we can say, it's going to be that way of the Lord. It's going to be. Is there any good news for such an hour? Was there any in Noah's day? Is there any today? Yes, thank God. There was good news today.

Yes, thank God there is good news today. Nobody was interested then, but it is still good news. It is the good news that God looks on. Thank God for the gospel. Thank God for some people back years ago, I'm 64, that held the line.

And I heard the gospel story that's got power to bring in man to where he can ride out the storm and escape the awful yesterday. Thank God for those old gray-haired people who stood by the good. Thank God that they didn't take the torch and blow it out, but they kept it burning.

Thank God for the privilege. I don't care how it gets. I don't care who's right about all these details of the coming of Christ. I don't fuss with you men about it. You fools, you do me. Whatever it takes, please.

Thank God for the privilege of hearing, and believing, and passing it on, and sharing God's gospel in all hell's fire. The temptation to preach good things, to be occupied with good things, but first not to yield, and to give ourselves with total abandon in the atmosphere of violence and correctness, that they give us a little towel in eternity that's toping our end of the blanket to keep this gospel from being wiped off the face of the earth so somebody else can hear it.

I'm counting, Michael. I think I can illustrate what I want to say. My first pastor that I told you was in an oil town in this state, the only preacher in that city, 6 ,000 people the first 16 months of my ministry there.

I talked to hundreds, hundreds, hundreds, hundreds, hundreds, hundreds, hundreds of men. I preached in every house of ill pain many times. I preached in their gambling resorts. I preached in their saloons.

I preached in their theaters. I preached on the streets. I preached in their hospitals. I preached to them as they were dying. They'd laugh at me, make fun of me, and all of that. But when they got in trouble, they sent for the preacher.

Personal Holiness and Faithful Gospel Witness

I don't want to be a Pharisee. I don't want to set myself up and say, Look how nice I am. I mean you are. Oh, no. I hate that. I'm rotten. I'm a sinner. Jesus, don't say sinner. I'm a dead sinner. Oh, what I do.

I don't want to join the spirit of this age. I've been under God for 40 years, 36 summers of anger. I've lived. I ain't got a dime. I never will have. What I preach, you don't get rich. I'm not complaining.

Thank God. But I'll die before I'll join the spirit of this godless age. Let the heart of the gospel make salvation. I'm looking for the time when trouble's going to come as we've never known it. When folks get in trouble, they ain't going to these hell-raising church members and preachers.

They're going to go to somebody they've been watching. Say, that old fella, he's too strict. I ain't going to have nothing to do with him. But when they get in trouble, they're going to call for help.

I'm going to be around, I hope, when that time comes. That's the reason I'm so anxious for some kind of judgment to come. I want the polls to start ringing, Brother Jackson. Come over here. We're in trouble.

Come over here. That's right. And it's coming. The storm's on the way. The storm's on the way. If you just listen a minute, you can hear it rumbling now. The flood of God's judgment coming on this generation.

We've got to go through that thing. I don't know how the civil rights battle is going to come out. You can take sides on that. But I'm not going to give my life to that. I don't know whether Mr. Nixon is going to be able to do anything or not.

You can get interested in that if you want to. I don't know. I don't know about a lot of good things. But I know that in this hour, there's but one thing worth living for, the one thing worth dying for, and that is the privilege of pointing men to Jesus Christ, the art, the only escape from the flood of God's judgment in time and in eternity.

Noah's Faith, Righteousness, and the Ark

And that's what God did then. He had a fellow named Noah, and he came and said, Noah, I'm going to judge this house hence. And Noah looked around and said he didn't see any sign, but the old boy didn't have no more sense than to believe what God said and scared the living daylights out of him.

And he got him a hammer and some nails, and all old Noah did from then on was nail on that old arch. And the Bible says that in doing that, in doing that, he accomplished two things. He saved his house and condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness of faith.

And he just had one message. Every time he tapped on that old arch, he said, Righteousness, righteousness, righteousness, the only thing that's going to ride the storm is people made righteous, righteous, righteous.

He's a preacher of righteousness! When you go around trying to get somebody interested in being satisfied with Jesus, he's saying the thing that's going to count is to be accounted righteous by Almighty God.

Not how you feel, but what he does about it. The only thing that's going to escape is righteousness. You can take the first book of Corinthians, if you're a student, and you teach it. I'm a pretty smart man, I'm going to teach you something now.

And you can read about all that mess in the church at Corrie, and you can't find but one note of condemnation from the lips of the Apostle Paul. Why, they've got everything on God's earth could be wrong with the congregation, and he didn't find fault or condemn but one thing!

And the one thing he condemned was unrighteousness! You can get along with the perversion of the tongues and all that going to court, and sent down a zing for these to get them in the right place, but the one thing, read it, that God Almighty is against is unrighteousness.

And the one thing that salvation really means is that God declares and sets out to make men righteous with a righteousness that'll count. When the storms, he just kept preaching righteousness. He just kept saying there's just one way of escaping.

The Ark as a Picture of Salvation

I want you to notice right quickly five things about that ark. First, it just had one window in it. And this is at the top. No hope. If you look anywhere else. No hope. They got in that ark. No one hears cry out!

God shuts the door! The rest of them are drowned! And they roam, rushing against that old ark! And they run over here, but they can't see out. And they run over there, but they can't see out. And they run over there, but they can't see out.

They've got to look up for any sight. Oh, bless God, that's the plan of God! The only hope for time and eternity is up, is up, is up. Talk about being narrow-minded and not being intolerant! For all that stuff!

Our gospel shall not temporize. It shall just shut men up. The only hope is for the one up there, if you'll please. In the sheer sight. The second thing about that ark, it just had one door. You talk about being narrow-minded.

That's what's killing us now, is the broad-minded with the thin without the rough. And I'll be broad-minded about anything in the Bible with you. And I'll love you if you love me, because I don't know much about it.

But there's one thing we must not be broad-minded about. There is a door! There's just one! This is an utter necessity. There's no other way than to come into vital relationship with God Almighty's love gift.

This is the gospel. This is the gospel. And then there's another thing about that ark that they came when God shut the door. You read it back there in Genesis. God shut the door. God shut the door. Don't get mad at me, but I believe when Jesus comes, that's it, brother.

That's it. I believe under God he's coming to judge this outfit and turn the kingdom he's run over to God Almighty. Oh, my soul, damnation where it will hear or where it will not, must be faithfully warned that the day is coming on the authority of the book that the devil hasn't been able to get away with yet.

On the authority of this book. The day is coming when God will no longer extend mercy. He won't shut the door. There's a fourth thing about this ark, this gospel. Of Noah's day, it must be our gospel.

Conversion Requires a Changed Nature

Everybody and people, the least of the animals that got in that ark had to be changed in their nature. Boy, you talk about a fight. If he hadn't changed the nature of those animals that got in that ark, they'd have caught each other to pieces in five minutes.

Can you imagine a man in this household in an ark for 40 days and nights? No way to look except how they'd have murdered one another if they hadn't had their nature changed before they got here. This is the issue of this house.

A million people in America went to what's called a church house that day. We begged, we praised God for all who were brought in the confrontation of a holy God and his demands and his provisions. But our heart bleeds within us as we think, and we think, we think, frankly, that there's not much Christianity left in this country.

God's temple. And that this generation is being given a dose of what they call salvation that doesn't change people. To be converted and not to become a changed man or woman. Not made perfect, but fixed so you'll never be satisfied till you are perfect.

That's New Testament conversion. New Testament conversion. Nature's changed. The old like you. You asked me the other day, I'm going to say it anyhow. I was taught that the believer had two natures, and I don't believe a word of it.

And a fellow got awful concerned the other day, he heard me preach. I don't believe you folks out there have got but one nature, and it's as rotten as hell. And I believe what you've been calling that other nature.

You better face the fact that you ain't that kind of person, honey. But I'm talking about the change I'm talking about. It's not half-fixed so you're half-good and half-bad. But I'm talking about a change.

Where somebody comes to live in, whether he's got a holy nature. And if there's anything, God Almighty, no good that ever comes out of this old man, it's not Rothbard, I'll tell you that. It's Christ in men and women.

I actually believe that conversion is when Christ comes to live in you. Brother, I think he changes everything he touches. A young man wrote me a letter not long ago and said, Brother Bart, why don't you come home and meet me?

I said, we've just had people saved all over this community, but no change. Nobody gets saved if they're not changed. I can't imagine Onoa preaching away this hard message. Why, nobody's going to come to terms with such terrible demand.

Repentance and Becoming a Candidate for Mercy

No, sir. As long as you depend on yourself to do it. Let's see if I can find you how. I'm preaching, preaching, preaching, preaching. Will somebody believe me? You need to become a candidate for the mercy of God.

You need to become a seeker of God. Help me to sit in judgment on myself. Help me to absorb myself. Help me to plead guilty. Help me to quit telling lies and alibis and excuses. Help me to come clean.

Help me, oh God, do for me and end what I cannot do for myself. Change me, change me. There's one last thing about this. Everbody on that ark passed through the waters. The Apostle Peter says that's a type of baptism.

That's what baptism means. It's a joke now. But it was meant in the New Testament. It meant complete submission to this ark of the Lord Jesus Christ. Ladies and gentlemen, I'm coming now in a moment to speak my last words.

Baptism as Public Submission to Christ

I don't know if I'll ever see you again, not tomorrow, but it's in God's hands. Thank you for listening to me through these years. Thank you for being kind to me. Thank you for being sweet and lovable and generous.

Thank you, God, for the past. I want the last things I say to you, for Noah's day and for days. The only thing that's going to ride the storm is men and women completely under the rule of Jesus Christ.

Putting your toes in the water to see if it's cold ain't going to do now. It's all or nothing. It's all or nothing. Under the blood of Jesus, safe in his sheltering fold, rather than no other place of safety.

A king's responsibility is to save and take care and preserve his people. That's reading my king's mighty to save. That's reading my own in his law. Listen, baptism's an answer to a good cause. Eight souls were saved by water.

What does that mean? It means that baptism is not just a motion to go through. Baptism is a public declaration. The fact that I have uttered with a band, stock and barrel, committed myself to the Lord Jesus.

The folks that stood around admired the architecture of the art ground. It's just folks that got in that were saved. Just the folks. A commitment to the authority of King Jesus. You'll have to do it every day of your life.

Every day. A commitment that binds you as his slave. Where the only freedom you want is freedom to do his will. Brother, when the storm comes, what kind of folks are going to be able to rise? I would call you to such commitment.

Is Jesus Your Lord?

God knows my heart. I was preaching for a young pastor in Virginia some years ago. Many years ago he went to school tonight. One night after the service, I think we were having a glass of milk or something before we went to bed.

That bright, prettiest young preacher said, Brother Barnett, is Jesus your Lord? Is Jesus your Lord? May I ask you tonight, my dear friend, is Jesus your Lord? The most solemn thing you'll ever face. And I had to answer, yes, he's my Lord.

As my Lord he's going to save me or damn me. He earned the right to do either one of them. And I can't put any confidence in but one thing. I can't count for a minute on any response I've ever made. I'm just counting on one thing.

I'm a candidate for mercy. And I need him tonight to deal with me in mercy, much as I ever did. Thank God. The scriptures say he's rich in mercy toward all who call on him. And I think this business of being saved is a lifelong calling of the Lord.

A Final Appeal for Mercy and Faithfulness

Father, we pray that you'll deal in mercy with all of us tonight one more time. Holy Spirit of God, deal with us right now. I wish I could hold up my hands and be able to say, Your blood's not on them.

I don't know whether I could or not. Just a little preacher. Don't think about the best that you have. You're not half as troubled about the fact that God's power is not on us as I think maybe I am. It breaks my heart to have to go back most of the time.

I tell you, when I've seen God split men's hearts and make them scream for mercy, I don't see as much of it now as I used to. I'm not happy about that. I wish I could say, after as many times as I've been a guest of this pastor and you dear people, that I wander with tears.

I'm pure from the blood of all men. If I knew you were out there outside of the ark of Christ, I don't expect I could contain myself. I'd come back there and I'd do my dead-left best to pull you into it.

But I can't do that. You've got to go in yourself. Now I come to this for me. I leave this pulpit with perfect happiness because it's so well occupied. Couldn't be better. In fact, I'm going to Monroe, Louisiana.

That don't mean that God's going to leave this place. But as for me, here I am now trembling, afraid I haven't been true to you as I wanted to be. Afraid that when the judgment comes, I'll have to watch some of you sent to hell.

Oh, God, how serious this is. Now I've got to come turn the service over to you. Your move now. I beg you to hit this trail. Pray to God for mercy. I can hear my... Would you stand and sing it and many of you ought to come and seek the Lord.

I can hear... I beg you if you don't know the Lord, if you're not under his sheltering fold. Run to him tonight. Run to him tonight.