- Sermon Notes
- Scripture
When Fathers Build by Faith
Hebrews 11:7; Genesis 6-8 (various)
Illus. Handy Gap.
This morning we are going to study the faith story of a man who is known throughout Scripture as both a great builder and a man of great faith. We will turn to Hebrews chapter 11, as well as sections of Genesis chapters six through 8 as we study some specifics of a famous father in Scripture named Noah who 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 asked to build an ark and prepare a place for his family by faith, and he did so.
Read: Hebrews 11:7
From this verse, we know that Noah prepared an ark. It was prepared for the salvation of his family, and he became known for his faith throughout history. Noah’s pursuit of preparing an ark was by faith and in response to God’s warning and instruction. In Hebrews 11, we learn about the faith of several heroes of faith, and Noah is found amongst them.
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. Faith, though the assurance of things not seen, is something that is seen in how people respond to the Lord and what they end up doing. Throughout the book of Hebrews, we are given the names of people of faith and then told what they did by faith. In Noah’s case, it was what he built (an ark) and why he built it (in response to God’s instruction and for his family).
2 Corinthians 5:7, We walk by faith, not by sight…
This morning we are going to cover several key Scriptures from Noah’s story to encourage us to build by faith. From Noah’s story, we focus on his role as a father and will look at the importance of God’s instruction to his life’s construction, how he made room for the salvation of his family, and how he became known throughout history for the faith that he built.
- God’s Instruction is Seen in Their Construction
Hebrews 11:7(a), By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark…
- Noah displayed great faith because God gave Noah instructions regarding things he had never seen, and Noah began constructing…
- His story is detailed in Genesis chapters 6 through 8 when the Lord saw great wickedness on the earth, evil was running rampant, every intention and thought was evil continually, but Noah had found favor in the eyes of the Lord (Genesis 6:5-6).
- Seeing the wickedness of the world, the “The Lord said, “My Spirit will not remain with man forever, his days shall be 120 years” (Genesis 6:3)
- “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.
- From 1 Peter 3:20 we understand that God waited patiently for those who were disobedient in the days of Noah during the construction of the ark.
- After 120 years, a great flood was going to come upon the earth. And Noah is told about it and given instruction regarding what to do about it in Genesis 6.
Genesis 6:14-21, Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood; you shall make the ark with compartments, and cover it inside and out with pitch. This is how you shall make it: the length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, its width 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 put the door of the ark on the side; you shall make it with lower, second, and third decks. Now behold, I Myself am bringing the flood of water upon the earth, to destroy all flesh in which there is the breath of life, from under heaven; everything that is on the earth shall perish. But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall enter the ark—you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you. And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every kind into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female. Of the birds according to their kind, and of the animals according to their kind, of every crawling thing of the ground according to its kind, two of every kind will come to you to keep them alive. As for you, take for yourself some of every food that is edible, and gather it to yourself; and it shall be food for you and them.”
- God had given Noah construction instructions…and Noah followed them.
Genesis 6:22, Noah did these things; according to everything that God had commanded him, so he did.
- A cubit is 18 inches, this being the case, the ark was 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high.
- After getting the instructions, Noah spend over 100 years constructing the ark, and response to God’s instruction was by faith.
- He believed the Lord that he needed to build the ark, and He believed that the Lord was going to send rain.
- Hebrews 11:7 tells us that Noah was being warned by God about things not yet seen…
- Bible scholars note that there is no record of rain prior to the flood, and even if there was, there surely had never been a flood.
- Despite what Noah hadn’t seen, what Noah knew was that God had given a warning. And with that warning, he was given instructions for construction.
- What if Noah decided to alter the building plans? What if he decided to go with a drop 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 never had floated.
- His obedience likely made him look strange, it made him stand out, but He was constructing was according to faith in God’s instruction, not according to the he, or anybody else was seeing things.
- I think about his family, it seems that his sons would have seen their dad constructing the ark according to God’s instruction for their entire lives.
- The fine print of Noah’s story seems to suggest that Noah began building before his sons were even born.
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.
- I think about this, Noah building this big ark out in the yard. His sons seeing it. Dad was out their working, he spend his life on construction because of God’s instruction!
- His children saw him building day after day, week after week, year after year. It was clearly seen by them that God’s instruction was the catalyst to his life’s construction.
- 2 Peter 2:5 tells us that Noah was a preacher of righteousness, a “herald” is the Greek word.
- A “herald” refers to an official entrusted with making public proclamations. 2 Peter 2:5 suggests that as Noah was preparing, He was preaching!
- And as he was preparing, his family was clearly seeing what he was building by faith!
- His obedience likely made him look strange, it made him stand out, but He was constructing was according to faith in God’s instruction, not according to the he, or anybody else was seeing things.
- For quite some time, what he was doing didn’t seem to make sense, but he knew what he was building and why, and eventually it all became clear.
- 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.
Deuteronomy 6:4-9, “Hear, Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. And you shall repeat them diligently to your sons and speak of them when you sit in your house, when you walk on the road, when you lie down, and when you get up. You shall also tie them as a sign to your hand, and they shall be as frontlets on your forehead. You shall also write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
Illus. Now it makes sense…
- 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.
- 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.
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. Running to get the book.
- They Prepare Room for Their Family to Realize Salvation
Hebrews 11:7(a), By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household…
- I noted that its seems to be that Noah begun building and preparing the ark prior to his sons being born.
- The writer of Hebrews noted that being warned by God about things not yet seen, Noah began preparing an ark for the salvation and safety of his family.
- Noah “prepared” which means made ready, equips, or furnishes.
- What he prepared was an ark that would float on water, knowing a storm was coming.
- The ark was a place of safety.
Illus. When it happens…
Genesis 6:6-12, Now Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of water came upon the earth. Then Noah and his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives with him entered the ark because of the waters of the flood. Of clean animals and animals that are not clean and birds and everything that crawls on the ground, they all went into the ark to Noah by twos, male and female, as God had commanded Noah. Now it came about after the seven days, that the waters of the flood came upon the earth. In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst open, and the floodgates of the sky were opened. The rain fell upon the earth for forty days and forty nights.
- Noah’s work was for the salvation of not only the animals, but his family specifically.
- 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, but he was also 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, they lacked faith ( 11:7).
- Noah understood God’s instruction, what would save him, and where he needed to lead his family for salvation, and he prepared room for them. He made room for them to realize salvation.
- He didn’t leave up to question the place of salvation.
- Throughout the Scriptures we know that Jesus is coming and from Revelation 22 we know He is coming back soon…That said, make sure your children know where to go for sure salvation.
Psalm 46:1, God is our refuge and strength, a very ready help in trouble.
John 14:5-6, Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going; how do we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.
Acts 4:12, There is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among mankind by which we must be saved.
Illus. Influence.
Proverbs 14:26, Whoever fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for their children it will be a refuge.
Illus. By Example.
- They Become Known for The Faith That Was in Them
Hebrews 11:7, 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.
- By faith Noah build the ark, prepared a place for his family, boarded the ark, and had faith even as the storm was taking place, that salvation was on the horizon.
- Hebrews 11:7 tells us that he became an heir of righteousness. That means he received righteousness by faith.
- Righteousness is right standing with God.
- We become heirs of righteousness when we build our lives by putting our faith and trust in Jesus.
Romans 1:16-17, For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written: “But the righteous one will live by faith.”
Illus. Leave behind.
- Because of his faith, Noah became known throughout history for his faith.
- We know a great deal about Noah from 480 year on.
- What we don’t know is his backstory. We know that he had found favor with God by the time he was 480, but we don’t know his early testimony.
- That said, it is striking to me that what he began building by faith came that far along in life.
- Noah fits a form that is seen in other places biblically as well… Abraham was 100 and Sarah was 90 when they had Isaac; Moses was 80 when he led the Israelites out of Egypt and led them in the desert until he was 120; Caleb was 85 when he asked God to give him the hill country so he could fight giants; Zechariah and Elizabeth were well advanced in years when God answered their prayers and gave them John as their son.
- Noah was 480 years old when he got the call to build by faith, and he was 600 when the ark was completed.
- This should be an encouragement to use today that it is not too late to become known for great faith!
Illus. The prize.
Hebrews 11:7
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.