“By faith, Noah being warned by God about things not yet seen in reverence, prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.”  Hebrews 11:7

You are probably familiar with the story of Noah and the great flood found in Genesis. 

God tells Noah that a flood is coming that will destroy the world due to the sin and lawlessness that has saturated the earth. Noah is instructed, with his family, to build a large ark that will preserve mankind and the animal kingdom. I can imagine what Noah’s neighbors were thinking. Noah is almost 500 years old. He and all the inhabitants of the land have never seen an ocean. They lived hundreds of miles from an ocean. Noah has never even seen a ship. He’s telling the people in the neighborhood that God’s judgment is coming. He will bring a great flood and only the people on the ark will survive.

I live in the Atlanta area. Imagine I have a neighbor who’s building a giant ship because of global warming. My neighbor tells me that Atlanta and every city in the United States will be underwater very soon. 

Now, regardless of your view on global warming —you wouldn’t believe that! All of Noah’s neighbors would have experienced a similar disbelief. After all, Noah was just the crazy religious guy who wasn’t fun at pagan parties!

It is no longer difficult to imagine living in a day and age where sin has become so rampant and evil that not only is sin found in people’s hearts, but it can now be unabashedly found in their actions. 

Our world is now mirroring Noah’s world. Evil has grown and permeated the culture of mankind like an avalanche. 

Living in such an environment can be discouraging. And if you are part of the boomer generation, like myself, it can be hard to not reminisce on how the world was in decades past. Learning from Noah’s example is as crucial for us as it has ever been.

So, what set Noah apart from the rest?

In Genesis 6:8, for the first time in scripture, we find the phrase “He found favor with God.” The word ‘favor’ in the Old Covenant is used very much like the word ‘grace’ in the New Covenant. 

Of course, Noah was a sinner just like you and me, but there was something about Noah’s life that made him different. You see, amid all the darkness in his world, Noah had real faith in God. That means he also trusted God and in doing so, he chose to obey God’s Word. Even if that meant building a big boat. 

Even in these uncertain times, we can be certain of our faith in Jesus.

Don’t let the rising flood of our post-Christian society shake you. 

Don’t be discouraged by your personal shortcomings. 

Put your faith and trust in Jesus, the firm foundation. And you too will find favor in the eyes of the Lord. 

Taken from a sermon by Bryant Wright, Founder, RFTH

FIND MORE ABOUT FAITH

Read “Faith That Pleases God” by Bryant Wright