WEBVTT

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 Genesis chapter 6, and we can read verses 1 to verse 10.

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 Genesis chapter 6, verses 1 to verse 10.

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 When men began to increase in number on the earth,

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 and daughters were born to them,

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 the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful,

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 and they married any of them they chose.

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 Then the Lord said,

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 My spirit will not contend with man forever.

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 For he is mortal.

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 His days will be 120 years.

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 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days,

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 and also afterwards,

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 when the sons of God went to the daughters of men,

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 and their children by them.

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 They were the heroes of old, men of renown.

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 The Lord saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become,

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 and that every inclination of the thought of his heart

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 was only evil all the time.

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 The Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth,

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 and his heart was filled with pain.

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 So the Lord said,

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 I will wipe mankind,

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 whom I have created from the face of the earth,

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 men and animals,

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 and creatures that move along the ground,

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 and birds of the air.

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 For I am grieved I have made them.

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 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

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 This is the account of Noah.

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 Noah was a righteous man,

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 blameless among the people of his time,

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 and he walked with God.

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 Noah had three sons,

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 Shem,

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 Ham,

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 and Japheth.

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 Our second reading is from chapter 7.

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 Chapter 7 and verses 1 down to verse 5.

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 The Lord then said to Noah,

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 Go into the ark,

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 you and your whole family,

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 because I have found you righteous in this generation.

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 Take with you seven of every kind of clean animal,

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 a male and its mate,

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 and two of every unclean animal,

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 a male and its mate,

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 and also seven of every kind of bird,

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 male and female,

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 to keep their various kinds alive throughout the earth.

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 Seven days from now,

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 I will send rain on the earth

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 for 40 days and 40 nights,

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 and I will wipe from the face of the earth

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 every living creature I have made.

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 And Noah did all that the Lord commanded him.

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 Now turning to chapter 8,

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 chapter 8 and verses 15 down to 22.

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 Chapter 8, verses 15 to 22.

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 Then God said to Noah,

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 Come out of the ark,

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 you and your wife and your sons and their wives.

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 Bring out every kind of living creature

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 that is with you,

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 the birds, the animals,

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 and all the creatures that move along the ground,

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 so that you can multiply on the earth

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 and be fruitful and increase in number upon it.

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 So Noah came out together with his sons

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 and his wife and his sons' wives,

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 all the animals and all the creatures

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 that move along the ground,

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 and all the birds,

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 everything that moves on the earth

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 came out of the ark,

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 one kind after another.

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 Then Noah built an altar to the Lord,

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 and taking some of the clean animals

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 and clean birds,

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 he sacrificed burnt offerings on it.

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 The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma

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 and said in his heart,

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 never again will I curse the ground

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 because of man,

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 even though every inclination of his heart

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 is evil from childhood,

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 and never again will I destroy

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 all living creatures as I have done.

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 As long as the earth endures,

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 seed time and harvest,

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 cold and heat,

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 summer and winter,

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 day and night,

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 will never cease.

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 And our final reading,

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 Genesis chapter 9,

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 verses 1 to 17,

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 where God makes the covenant with Noah.

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 Genesis 9, 1 to 17.

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 Then God blessed Noah and his sons,

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 saying to them,

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 Be fruitful and increase in number,

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 and fill the earth.

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 The fear and dread of you

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 will fall upon all the beasts of the earth,

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 all the birds of the air,

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 upon every creature that moves along the ground,

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 upon all the fish of the sea.

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 They are given into your hands.

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 Everything that lives and moves

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 will be food for you.

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 Just as I gave you the green plants,

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 I now give you everything.

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 But you must not eat meat

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 that has lifeblood still in it.

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 And for your lifeblood,

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 I will surely demand an accounting.

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 I will demand an accounting from every animal.

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 And from each man too,

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 I will demand an accounting

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 for the life of his fellow man.

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 Whoever sheds the blood of man,

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 by man shall his blood be shed.

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 For in the image of God

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 has God made man.

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 As for you,

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 be fruitful and increase in number,

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 multiply on the earth

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 and increase upon it.

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 Then God said to Noah

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 and to his sons with him,

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 I now establish my covenant with you

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 and with your descendants after you

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 and with every living creature

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 that was with you,

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 the birds, the livestock,

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 and all the wild animals,

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 all those that came out of the ark with you,

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 every living creature on earth.

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 I establish my covenant with you.

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 Never again will all life be cut off

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 by the waters of a flood.

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 Never again will there be a flood

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 to destroy the earth.

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 And God said this,

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 this is the sign of the covenant

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 I am making between me and you

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 and every living creature with you,

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 a covenant for all generations to come.

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 I have set my rainbow in the clouds

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 and it will be a sign of the covenant

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 between me and the earth.

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 Whenever I bring clouds over the earth

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 and the rainbow appears in the clouds,

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 I will remember my covenant

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 between me and you

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 and all living creatures of every kind.

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 Never again will the waters become a flood

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 to destroy all life.

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 Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds,

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 I will see it

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 and remember the everlasting covenant

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 between God and all living creatures

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 of every kind on the earth.

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 So God said to Noah,

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 this is the sign of a covenant

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 I have established between me

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 and all life on the earth.

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 Amen.

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 That's again saying this time,

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 saying to God,

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 that's important for the church to do

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 is to, in a sense,

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 recover the story of Noah.

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 Because certainly in Western culture,

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 we've got a sort of funny attitude

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 to the Noah story

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 in that we have made it,

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 the Noah's Ark,

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 a nice cute children's play toy.

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 I'm guessing maybe a lot of our children

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 had one, still have one,

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 that they like to play with.

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 You go to a children's Bible,

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 usually a very popular story

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 because it's got lots of nice cute animals

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 being saved.

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 It can be easy to lose sight of

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 the huge significance of the Noah story.

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 On the one hand,

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 it's the most graphic account

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 that we have of human sin

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 and the judgment of God

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 in the whole Old Testament.

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 And so you'll find Jesus

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 and the New Testament writers

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 using the story of Noah

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 to remind us of the judgment of God.

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 But then we also can easily lose sight

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 of this wonderful covenant

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 that God makes with Noah.

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 It's a covenant that ultimately preserves

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 the world so that Jesus can come.

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 That what we're going to see

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 is life is preserved

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 so that God's plan of salvation

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 can continue despite human sin.

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 So we need the story of Noah.

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 And so what we're going to do

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 is we're going to look at

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 some of the key features

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 of the covenant that God makes with Noah

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 to help explain

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 the gospel of God's grace to us.

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 It's obviously a big story

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 which shows in itself

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 that it's significant.

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 We're going to jump around

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 a little bit to get a feel

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 for what's going on here.

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 But let's begin

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 where the story of Noah begins

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 with the darkness of human sin.

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 So especially the first seven verses

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 of chapter six.

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 We could say in the whole of Genesis 4 to 11,

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 which is sometimes described

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 as sort of the pre-history

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 before the time of Abraham,

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 what we see is very quickly

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 the effect of the fall into sin.

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 Adam and Eve in Genesis 3

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 turn away from God and His Word,

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 fall into sin.

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 And we see the impact really quickly.

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 We see Cain killing his brother Abel.

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 We meet a man called Lamech

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 who rejoices at murdering people

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 because they insult him.

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 We see the story of Noah.

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 And then after this,

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 even in a renewed earth,

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 beginning again with Noah,

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 and very quickly we get

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 to the Tower of Babel again.

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 And so we see, in a sense,

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 a race to the bottom

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 as mankind time and again

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 rejects their creator.

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 One of the things that we said last week

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 when we were looking at Genesis chapter 3

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 and verse 15

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 is that there's this theme of two seeds.

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 When God cursed Satan in the garden,

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 He said there would be war

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 between two seeds.

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 There'd be the godly seed

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 and there'd be a godless seed.

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 And again, we see that in this story.

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 And we see it in chapters 4 to 11.

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 We see Abel, who's godly.

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 We see Cain, who's godless.

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 And we meet Enoch,

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 the man who walks with God

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 and is taken up to heaven.

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 And he's the great-grandfather of Noah,

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 where we are now.

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 And I think that that two seeds theme

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 perhaps helps us to understand

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 this strange, in a sense,

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 difficult to understand verses

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 that begin chapter 6.

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 Especially verse 2,

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 the sons of God saw that the daughters of men

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 were beautiful

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 and they married any of them they chose.

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 Now, we might think,

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 oh, here is angels

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 coming down from heaven

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 and marrying women.

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 And that sounds very strange.

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 But I think,

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 if we think about this two seeds theme,

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 it seems more likely

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 here's a description of

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 the godly people

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 deciding,

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 let's just marry with

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 these godless people over here.

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 Let's not try and be distinct

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 and be for God.

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 And so it's a sign that

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 even as God is desiring to show grace,

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 people are turning away from Him.

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 It's possibly where it's pointing us towards.

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 But certainly,

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 by the time we get to chapter 6

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 and verse 5,

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 we see a very dark picture,

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 don't we?

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 The Lord saw how great

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 man's wickedness on the earth had become

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 and that every inclination

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 of the thoughts of his heart

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 was only evil all of the time.

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 Sometimes theologians talk about

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 total depravity,

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 that every part of us

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 is corrupted by sin.

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 Not completely,

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 but every part is affected by sin.

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 And here is this graphic picture

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 of humanity

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 inclined towards wickedness

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 at every turn.

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 It's important for us to recognize

00:11:25.339 --> 00:11:26.679
 that God is not remote

00:11:26.679 --> 00:11:28.939
 and God is not unconcerned

00:11:28.939 --> 00:11:30.579
 about the situation,

00:11:30.740 --> 00:11:31.980
 about the world that He's made

00:11:31.980 --> 00:11:33.139
 and the people that He's made.

00:11:33.219 --> 00:11:34.740
 Look at the language of verse 6.

00:11:35.459 --> 00:11:36.439
 Very powerful language.

00:11:36.579 --> 00:11:37.860
 The Lord was grieved

00:11:37.860 --> 00:11:40.240
 that He'd made man on the earth

00:11:40.240 --> 00:11:43.600
 and His heart was filled with pain.

00:11:44.899 --> 00:11:45.940
 Human rebellion,

00:11:46.279 --> 00:11:48.899
 our deliberate rejection of God,

00:11:49.620 --> 00:11:51.279
 human sin causes God

00:11:51.279 --> 00:11:53.200
 to feel a sense of pain

00:11:53.200 --> 00:11:54.940
 and sorrow.

00:11:55.299 --> 00:11:57.240
 And because of this,

00:11:58.000 --> 00:11:58.879
 verse 7,

00:11:58.960 --> 00:11:59.460
 the Lord said,

00:11:59.539 --> 00:12:00.560
 I'll wipe mankind

00:12:00.560 --> 00:12:03.120
 from the face of the earth,

00:12:03.180 --> 00:12:04.259
 for I am grieved

00:12:04.259 --> 00:12:06.379
 that I have made them.

00:12:07.139 --> 00:12:09.379
 As the people have deliberately,

00:12:09.740 --> 00:12:12.139
 willfully dishonored God,

00:12:12.279 --> 00:12:13.679
 rebelled against God,

00:12:14.299 --> 00:12:15.799
 God announces that judgment

00:12:15.799 --> 00:12:18.879
 is going to fall.

00:12:20.019 --> 00:12:24.059
 If God has made a glorious masterpiece

00:12:24.059 --> 00:12:25.819
 in creating the world,

00:12:26.279 --> 00:12:28.960
 then people have taken pain

00:12:28.960 --> 00:12:31.400
 and they have just defaced it

00:12:31.400 --> 00:12:32.340
 because of sin.

00:12:33.060 --> 00:12:34.580
 It's like ugly graffiti

00:12:34.580 --> 00:12:36.440
 all over God's masterpiece

00:12:36.440 --> 00:12:37.100
 and He says,

00:12:37.200 --> 00:12:38.259
 I'm going to wipe it clean

00:12:38.259 --> 00:12:40.400
 and I'm going to start again.

00:12:42.100 --> 00:12:43.080
 We were made,

00:12:43.180 --> 00:12:43.820
 the Bible says,

00:12:43.900 --> 00:12:44.519
 people were made

00:12:44.519 --> 00:12:45.840
 in covenant with God.

00:12:47.180 --> 00:12:48.180
 Humanity is deliberately

00:12:48.180 --> 00:12:49.820
 turning its back on God

00:12:49.820 --> 00:12:52.320
 and therefore judgment is coming.

00:12:52.440 --> 00:12:53.980
 Now it is curse and not blessing

00:12:53.980 --> 00:12:55.780
 that the people will experience.

00:12:55.920 --> 00:12:58.280
 That explains the flood

00:12:58.279 --> 00:13:01.299
 of chapter 7.

00:13:03.819 --> 00:13:04.919
 Humanity and rebellion,

00:13:06.659 --> 00:13:07.699
 total depravity,

00:13:08.439 --> 00:13:09.980
 and God feels the weight

00:13:09.980 --> 00:13:11.139
 and the pain of that sin.

00:13:13.539 --> 00:13:15.819
 Fast forward to the time of Jesus,

00:13:16.839 --> 00:13:18.360
 we see the same thing again.

00:13:19.279 --> 00:13:20.519
 We go to the cross,

00:13:20.579 --> 00:13:21.439
 what do we find there?

00:13:21.519 --> 00:13:23.079
 We find here is Jesus

00:13:23.079 --> 00:13:24.879
 who's come into the world

00:13:24.879 --> 00:13:26.539
 precisely because of

00:13:26.539 --> 00:13:28.259
 our human condition,

00:13:28.279 --> 00:13:30.179
 precisely because of our sin

00:13:30.179 --> 00:13:32.399
 and God will again,

00:13:32.819 --> 00:13:33.919
 in the person of His Son Jesus,

00:13:34.079 --> 00:13:35.240
 feel the pain of sin

00:13:35.240 --> 00:13:36.399
 and the consequences

00:13:36.399 --> 00:13:38.579
 for that sin

00:13:38.579 --> 00:13:39.559
 as Jesus carries

00:13:39.559 --> 00:13:41.459
 the sin of His people

00:13:41.459 --> 00:13:43.339
 so that we might escape

00:13:43.339 --> 00:13:45.539
 the flood of God's judgment.

00:13:45.899 --> 00:13:47.339
 It pours out on Him

00:13:47.339 --> 00:13:50.720
 so that we might be set free.

00:13:50.720 --> 00:13:54.060
 So we see the darkness

00:13:54.060 --> 00:13:56.060
 of human sin,

00:13:56.399 --> 00:13:57.600
 which is so important for us

00:13:57.600 --> 00:13:58.440
 to understand

00:13:58.440 --> 00:14:01.600
 why Jesus is good news.

00:14:02.259 --> 00:14:04.620
 But then alongside the darkness,

00:14:06.259 --> 00:14:08.320
 we also find Moses presenting for us

00:14:08.320 --> 00:14:10.600
 the beauty of saving grace.

00:14:10.600 --> 00:14:12.460
 So we meet determination

00:14:12.460 --> 00:14:13.480
 in Genesis 6.

00:14:13.560 --> 00:14:14.220
 We meet a people

00:14:14.220 --> 00:14:14.960
 who are determined

00:14:14.960 --> 00:14:16.080
 to turn their back on God.

00:14:16.159 --> 00:14:16.720
 They're determined

00:14:16.720 --> 00:14:18.000
 towards wickedness.

00:14:18.560 --> 00:14:19.779
 We find that God

00:14:19.779 --> 00:14:21.500
 is determined to judge

00:14:21.500 --> 00:14:23.460
 in line with His holy character.

00:14:23.600 --> 00:14:24.720
 He kind of sweeps in

00:14:24.720 --> 00:14:25.440
 under the carpet.

00:14:25.860 --> 00:14:26.920
 But we also find

00:14:26.920 --> 00:14:28.519
 that God is determined,

00:14:28.899 --> 00:14:29.879
 eternally determined,

00:14:30.759 --> 00:14:33.759
 to save and rescue some,

00:14:34.360 --> 00:14:35.560
 to rescue one.

00:14:36.279 --> 00:14:37.079
 He's determined

00:14:37.079 --> 00:14:39.039
 to show undeserved grace

00:14:39.039 --> 00:14:40.939
 to Noah.

00:14:42.019 --> 00:14:43.879
 Just like you go

00:14:43.879 --> 00:14:44.879
 into a jewelry shop

00:14:44.879 --> 00:14:46.099
 and you might see

00:14:46.099 --> 00:14:47.399
 a diamond ring

00:14:47.399 --> 00:14:47.979
 that's presented

00:14:47.979 --> 00:14:49.799
 on the nice black velvet.

00:14:49.939 --> 00:14:50.619
 Or you think about

00:14:50.619 --> 00:14:52.319
 when you look up,

00:14:52.559 --> 00:14:53.439
 if you go away

00:14:53.439 --> 00:14:54.959
 from where there's streetlights

00:14:54.959 --> 00:14:55.519
 and you go out

00:14:55.519 --> 00:14:56.159
 on a dark night

00:14:56.159 --> 00:14:57.539
 and you see the stars shining,

00:14:57.699 --> 00:14:58.500
 it's the same thing

00:14:58.500 --> 00:14:59.259
 that we see here.

00:14:59.339 --> 00:15:00.299
 It's against the darkness

00:15:00.299 --> 00:15:01.219
 of human sin

00:15:01.219 --> 00:15:02.819
 that the beauty of God's love

00:15:02.819 --> 00:15:04.039
 and God's grace

00:15:04.039 --> 00:15:05.759
 is going to shine

00:15:05.759 --> 00:15:07.839
 in the life of Noah.

00:15:08.779 --> 00:15:09.679
 Verses 8 and 9

00:15:09.679 --> 00:15:10.399
 are really important.

00:15:10.539 --> 00:15:11.419
 Let's read them again.

00:15:11.539 --> 00:15:12.959
 Chapter 6, verse 8.

00:15:13.759 --> 00:15:16.039
 But Noah found favor,

00:15:16.599 --> 00:15:17.139
 literally,

00:15:17.319 --> 00:15:18.219
 Noah found grace

00:15:18.219 --> 00:15:19.079
 in the eyes of the Lord.

00:15:19.459 --> 00:15:21.240
 This is the account of Noah.

00:15:21.919 --> 00:15:23.219
 Noah was a righteous man,

00:15:23.759 --> 00:15:24.860
 blameless among the people

00:15:24.860 --> 00:15:25.459
 of his time,

00:15:25.659 --> 00:15:27.939
 and he walked with God.

00:15:27.939 --> 00:15:29.559
 Now, when it comes

00:15:29.559 --> 00:15:31.139
 to these two verses,

00:15:31.759 --> 00:15:33.120
 it's really important

00:15:33.120 --> 00:15:34.639
 to get the timing

00:15:34.639 --> 00:15:36.560
 and the order right.

00:15:37.299 --> 00:15:38.100
 Because some people

00:15:38.100 --> 00:15:39.080
 read the story,

00:15:39.419 --> 00:15:40.220
 hear the story,

00:15:40.240 --> 00:15:40.500
 and think,

00:15:40.600 --> 00:15:42.740
 well, Noah was righteous.

00:15:43.000 --> 00:15:44.560
 He was the one good guy

00:15:44.560 --> 00:15:46.379
 in a world full of bad guys.

00:15:46.539 --> 00:15:48.759
 God saw his merit,

00:15:48.919 --> 00:15:49.659
 his goodness.

00:15:50.340 --> 00:15:51.460
 He's saved because

00:15:51.460 --> 00:15:52.299
 of his obedience,

00:15:52.480 --> 00:15:53.019
 in other words.

00:15:53.100 --> 00:15:53.899
 So some people read

00:15:53.899 --> 00:15:54.899
 the Noah story that way,

00:15:54.980 --> 00:15:56.779
 but that messes up

00:15:56.779 --> 00:15:58.600
 how the Bible presents salvation.

00:15:59.600 --> 00:16:01.659
 Is that how salvation works?

00:16:01.659 --> 00:16:03.860
 We are good people,

00:16:03.980 --> 00:16:05.199
 and then God rewards us

00:16:05.199 --> 00:16:06.120
 if we've been good enough.

00:16:07.159 --> 00:16:08.399
 Are we the hero

00:16:08.399 --> 00:16:10.100
 in our own story,

00:16:11.159 --> 00:16:12.779
 and God comes to give us

00:16:12.779 --> 00:16:14.259
 the reward for good work done?

00:16:15.299 --> 00:16:17.579
 Is Noah the one person

00:16:17.579 --> 00:16:18.399
 in the whole world

00:16:18.399 --> 00:16:19.539
 who is staying good and true

00:16:19.539 --> 00:16:20.399
 while all around

00:16:20.399 --> 00:16:21.799
 turns away from God?

00:16:22.559 --> 00:16:23.679
 And that's why

00:16:23.679 --> 00:16:25.360
 he's declared to be righteous,

00:16:25.600 --> 00:16:26.639
 and that's why he's spared.

00:16:26.639 --> 00:16:28.819
 And that's not how

00:16:28.819 --> 00:16:32.100
 the Bible presents salvation.

00:16:33.100 --> 00:16:34.419
 What comes first

00:16:34.419 --> 00:16:37.759
 is that Noah found grace,

00:16:38.240 --> 00:16:40.340
 found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

00:16:40.439 --> 00:16:44.019
 He received grace from the Lord.

00:16:44.740 --> 00:16:46.360
 That Noah too was in the darkness,

00:16:47.319 --> 00:16:49.740
 and God in his grace and mercy

00:16:49.740 --> 00:16:51.480
 plucked him out of the darkness

00:16:51.480 --> 00:16:54.019
 and set his love on him

00:16:54.019 --> 00:16:55.759
 because of God's mercy

00:16:55.759 --> 00:16:57.379
 and God's love alone.

00:16:57.539 --> 00:16:58.539
 That's always the way

00:16:58.539 --> 00:16:59.519
 salvation works.

00:17:00.680 --> 00:17:01.600
 Nobody earns it.

00:17:01.720 --> 00:17:04.180
 It's always a gift of God's grace

00:17:04.180 --> 00:17:05.839
 so that God gets the glory,

00:17:06.319 --> 00:17:08.539
 not Noah and not us.

00:17:09.539 --> 00:17:10.920
 Saving grace is always

00:17:10.920 --> 00:17:12.059
 a gift from God

00:17:12.059 --> 00:17:13.420
 towards those who the Bible says

00:17:13.420 --> 00:17:14.519
 are spiritually dead,

00:17:15.120 --> 00:17:17.079
 unable to respond to God

00:17:17.079 --> 00:17:20.160
 unless God sends the Spirit

00:17:20.160 --> 00:17:21.420
 to reveal our needs.

00:17:21.980 --> 00:17:22.980
 If you've got time this evening,

00:17:23.100 --> 00:17:24.040
 read Ephesians 2,

00:17:24.160 --> 00:17:24.960
 first 10 verses,

00:17:25.120 --> 00:17:26.500
 and you'll see that really clearly

00:17:26.500 --> 00:17:28.019
 from Paul.

00:17:28.800 --> 00:17:32.320
 So God saves Noah by grace.

00:17:32.880 --> 00:17:34.200
 God makes him righteous.

00:17:34.380 --> 00:17:35.519
 God declares him righteous.

00:17:36.160 --> 00:17:37.240
 And as we'll see,

00:17:37.700 --> 00:17:38.440
 God does that

00:17:38.440 --> 00:17:39.620
 so that his great plan

00:17:39.620 --> 00:17:41.740
 of redemption can continue.

00:17:42.800 --> 00:17:43.600
 Verse 9 begins,

00:17:43.720 --> 00:17:45.320
 this is the account of Noah.

00:17:45.759 --> 00:17:47.540
 This is like a section break,

00:17:48.060 --> 00:17:48.840
 or better,

00:17:48.839 --> 00:17:50.179
 begins a new section

00:17:50.179 --> 00:17:51.480
 in the book of Genesis.

00:17:51.659 --> 00:17:52.240
 Whenever you read,

00:17:52.319 --> 00:17:53.519
 this is the account of,

00:17:53.679 --> 00:17:54.279
 in Genesis,

00:17:54.480 --> 00:17:55.699
 here's a new stage

00:17:55.699 --> 00:17:58.659
 in God's dealings

00:17:58.659 --> 00:17:59.559
 with his people.

00:18:00.559 --> 00:18:02.559
 So because God has shown

00:18:02.559 --> 00:18:03.819
 Noah grace,

00:18:04.240 --> 00:18:05.980
 the next stage of God's plan

00:18:05.980 --> 00:18:07.259
 of redemption can come.

00:18:08.220 --> 00:18:09.199
 Judgment will fall,

00:18:09.439 --> 00:18:10.699
 but grace will come to Noah,

00:18:11.119 --> 00:18:13.399
 and the plan of salvation

00:18:13.399 --> 00:18:14.480
 can continue.

00:18:15.599 --> 00:18:17.379
 The human race is kept alive

00:18:17.380 --> 00:18:18.920
 so that people might turn back

00:18:18.920 --> 00:18:21.600
 to God and be saved.

00:18:22.400 --> 00:18:23.660
 One of the things that you see

00:18:23.660 --> 00:18:25.060
 in all the covenants,

00:18:25.180 --> 00:18:25.380
 I guess,

00:18:25.420 --> 00:18:27.400
 is that one person is saved

00:18:27.400 --> 00:18:28.760
 or one group is saved

00:18:28.760 --> 00:18:29.840
 for the sake of the many.

00:18:31.240 --> 00:18:32.040
 So we see it here,

00:18:32.140 --> 00:18:32.860
 Noah is saved

00:18:32.860 --> 00:18:34.220
 for the sake of the human race.

00:18:35.360 --> 00:18:36.380
 Abraham is saved

00:18:36.380 --> 00:18:37.040
 to be a blessing

00:18:37.040 --> 00:18:37.760
 to the nations.

00:18:38.780 --> 00:18:40.520
 We find Israel is saved

00:18:40.520 --> 00:18:41.800
 to be a light to the nations.

00:18:42.740 --> 00:18:43.960
 And that's the way it works

00:18:43.960 --> 00:18:45.800
 individually as well.

00:18:45.799 --> 00:18:48.359
 So often, God saves a person

00:18:48.359 --> 00:18:49.079
 in a family

00:18:49.079 --> 00:18:51.299
 so that he might extend blessing

00:18:51.299 --> 00:18:53.399
 to others within that family.

00:18:53.720 --> 00:18:54.960
 Or God saves someone

00:18:54.960 --> 00:18:56.139
 in a friendship group

00:18:56.139 --> 00:18:57.000
 so that they might be

00:18:57.000 --> 00:18:58.919
 a blessing and an influence

00:18:58.919 --> 00:19:00.279
 to others.

00:19:01.659 --> 00:19:04.220
 When I think about my family story,

00:19:04.279 --> 00:19:05.440
 I can certainly see that.

00:19:06.039 --> 00:19:08.579
 On neither side of my parents' families

00:19:08.579 --> 00:19:10.039
 was there anybody who went to church

00:19:10.039 --> 00:19:11.039
 or anybody who was Christian,

00:19:11.139 --> 00:19:14.259
 but God by grace saved my mom.

00:19:14.259 --> 00:19:16.039
 And she's still the only one

00:19:16.039 --> 00:19:17.339
 in that generation

00:19:17.339 --> 00:19:19.519
 who has any interest in God.

00:19:19.759 --> 00:19:22.279
 But because of that choice,

00:19:22.700 --> 00:19:25.400
 it's been a blessing to us.

00:19:25.940 --> 00:19:27.759
 Perhaps that's been your experience as well.

00:19:28.680 --> 00:19:31.000
 And it's that principle of God

00:19:31.000 --> 00:19:32.460
 saving by grace

00:19:32.460 --> 00:19:35.599
 that drives all of our kingdom mission.

00:19:36.599 --> 00:19:37.539
 We recognize,

00:19:39.220 --> 00:19:40.680
 gives us confidence really,

00:19:40.680 --> 00:19:42.100
 because we understand

00:19:42.100 --> 00:19:43.240
 that it's not on us

00:19:43.240 --> 00:19:44.240
 to save a person.

00:19:45.140 --> 00:19:46.340
 It drives us to prayer

00:19:46.340 --> 00:19:47.200
 because we recognize

00:19:47.200 --> 00:19:48.500
 that it's a gift from God.

00:19:49.100 --> 00:19:50.279
 And so it's really important

00:19:50.279 --> 00:19:51.920
 for us to understand grace

00:19:51.920 --> 00:19:53.840
 and how that plays out

00:19:53.840 --> 00:19:54.740
 in the way we seek

00:19:54.740 --> 00:19:56.480
 to conduct mission.

00:19:58.060 --> 00:19:59.680
 So we've seen the darkness of sin.

00:20:00.240 --> 00:20:02.299
 We see the beauty of saving grace.

00:20:02.860 --> 00:20:03.779
 We also get to the,

00:20:03.840 --> 00:20:05.120
 I guess the central,

00:20:05.519 --> 00:20:06.680
 sort of distinctive feature

00:20:06.680 --> 00:20:08.259
 of this covenant with Noah.

00:20:08.259 --> 00:20:08.960
 And it's the idea

00:20:08.960 --> 00:20:10.539
 that God preserves life.

00:20:11.379 --> 00:20:13.460
 That's one of the distinctives

00:20:13.460 --> 00:20:15.119
 of the covenant with Noah.

00:20:16.019 --> 00:20:17.220
 Life is preserved.

00:20:17.720 --> 00:20:18.779
 Life is saved.

00:20:18.839 --> 00:20:21.259
 And this serves to extend

00:20:21.259 --> 00:20:22.900
 God's plan of salvation.

00:20:23.099 --> 00:20:27.019
 So chapter 6 and verses 17 and 18,

00:20:27.759 --> 00:20:28.920
 we are told,

00:20:28.920 --> 00:20:31.759
 I am going to bring floodwaters

00:20:31.759 --> 00:20:32.440
 on the earth

00:20:32.440 --> 00:20:34.320
 to destroy all life

00:20:34.320 --> 00:20:35.080
 under the heavens.

00:20:35.880 --> 00:20:36.740
 Every creature

00:20:36.740 --> 00:20:38.500
 that has the breath of life in it,

00:20:38.560 --> 00:20:40.220
 everything on earth will perish.

00:20:40.740 --> 00:20:42.060
 But I will establish,

00:20:42.240 --> 00:20:43.779
 or I will make firm

00:20:43.779 --> 00:20:45.680
 my covenant with you.

00:20:46.420 --> 00:20:47.500
 And you will enter the ark,

00:20:47.600 --> 00:20:49.240
 you and your sons

00:20:49.240 --> 00:20:50.320
 and your wife

00:20:50.320 --> 00:20:51.640
 and your sons' wives with you.

00:20:51.800 --> 00:20:52.560
 And then they're also

00:20:52.560 --> 00:20:55.460
 to bring in the animals.

00:20:55.460 --> 00:20:57.140
 Because,

00:20:58.019 --> 00:20:58.860
 life will be preserved

00:20:58.860 --> 00:21:02.160
 because God is going to keep

00:21:02.160 --> 00:21:03.819
 his covenant promise.

00:21:05.200 --> 00:21:05.980
 Noah and his family

00:21:05.980 --> 00:21:07.000
 will be kept alive

00:21:07.000 --> 00:21:09.579
 because God is a faithful God.

00:21:10.600 --> 00:21:11.980
 Chapter 7 verse 1

00:21:11.980 --> 00:21:15.120
 is worth our attention.

00:21:15.620 --> 00:21:16.840
 Chapter 7 verse 1,

00:21:17.799 --> 00:21:19.539
 the Lord then said to Noah,

00:21:19.720 --> 00:21:21.000
 go into the ark,

00:21:21.539 --> 00:21:23.220
 you and your whole family,

00:21:23.220 --> 00:21:25.600
 because I have found you

00:21:25.600 --> 00:21:27.680
 righteous in this generation.

00:21:27.860 --> 00:21:28.440
 Now when it says,

00:21:28.640 --> 00:21:29.620
 I have found you righteous,

00:21:30.120 --> 00:21:31.220
 God's speaking to Noah

00:21:31.220 --> 00:21:32.240
 and Noah alone.

00:21:32.660 --> 00:21:33.579
 And that's important

00:21:33.579 --> 00:21:35.180
 because here is Noah

00:21:35.180 --> 00:21:37.339
 as the head of his family.

00:21:37.480 --> 00:21:38.240
 And he is the one

00:21:38.240 --> 00:21:39.620
 who receives this covenant.

00:21:40.440 --> 00:21:41.839
 And what happens?

00:21:42.140 --> 00:21:43.380
 His wife and his children

00:21:43.380 --> 00:21:44.759
 also are included

00:21:44.759 --> 00:21:46.700
 in covenant blessing.

00:21:48.160 --> 00:21:49.620
 Here's one important reason

00:21:49.620 --> 00:21:52.640
 why we baptize our children.

00:21:52.640 --> 00:21:53.880
 if we are believers

00:21:53.880 --> 00:21:55.740
 in this church.

00:21:56.160 --> 00:21:57.180
 Because we believe

00:21:57.180 --> 00:21:58.040
 that God chooses

00:21:58.040 --> 00:21:59.980
 to work through families,

00:22:00.120 --> 00:22:02.680
 to extend his covenant blessing

00:22:02.680 --> 00:22:04.700
 to our children.

00:22:05.300 --> 00:22:06.000
 Now we see it

00:22:06.000 --> 00:22:08.020
 from the story of Noah.

00:22:09.300 --> 00:22:11.040
 So Noah and his family

00:22:11.040 --> 00:22:12.020
 and the animals

00:22:12.020 --> 00:22:13.520
 are brought into the ark.

00:22:14.620 --> 00:22:15.860
 And then God shuts

00:22:15.860 --> 00:22:17.220
 the door of the ark

00:22:17.220 --> 00:22:18.740
 and the rain comes down,

00:22:19.280 --> 00:22:20.759
 the floodwaters come,

00:22:20.759 --> 00:22:21.960
 and everything

00:22:21.960 --> 00:22:23.579
 outside of the ark

00:22:23.579 --> 00:22:25.200
 is destroyed.

00:22:26.119 --> 00:22:28.240
 But there's a clear focus

00:22:28.240 --> 00:22:30.319
 from the end of chapter 8

00:22:30.319 --> 00:22:31.259
 into chapter 9

00:22:31.259 --> 00:22:32.640
 on the fact that God

00:22:32.640 --> 00:22:34.980
 is still preserving things alive.

00:22:35.440 --> 00:22:36.379
 So turn over

00:22:36.379 --> 00:22:38.480
 towards the end of chapter 8

00:22:38.480 --> 00:22:41.279
 from verse 20

00:22:41.279 --> 00:22:43.599
 to chapter 9 verse 7.

00:22:44.160 --> 00:22:46.000
 Let's just very briefly notice

00:22:46.000 --> 00:22:49.339
 ways in which God intends

00:22:49.339 --> 00:22:51.319
 to preserve life.

00:22:53.019 --> 00:22:55.740
 So maybe chapter 9 verse 1,

00:22:55.859 --> 00:22:57.099
 God blessed Noah

00:22:57.099 --> 00:22:58.259
 and his sons

00:22:58.259 --> 00:22:59.859
 saying to them,

00:23:00.539 --> 00:23:01.240
 be fruitful

00:23:01.240 --> 00:23:03.460
 and increase in number

00:23:03.460 --> 00:23:05.339
 and fill the earth.

00:23:05.599 --> 00:23:07.279
 So here is the same language

00:23:07.279 --> 00:23:08.960
 that God used

00:23:08.960 --> 00:23:11.180
 speaking to Adam and Eve,

00:23:11.240 --> 00:23:12.180
 a reminder that this is

00:23:12.180 --> 00:23:14.259
 a covenant that's

00:23:14.259 --> 00:23:15.560
 being established

00:23:15.560 --> 00:23:16.980
 once more with Noah.

00:23:17.600 --> 00:23:18.900
 Life will be preserved

00:23:18.900 --> 00:23:20.840
 as Noah and his family

00:23:20.840 --> 00:23:22.100
 will be fruitful

00:23:22.100 --> 00:23:23.880
 and increase in number.

00:23:24.039 --> 00:23:25.400
 Life will also be preserved

00:23:25.400 --> 00:23:26.539
 because God is going

00:23:26.539 --> 00:23:28.060
 to provide food.

00:23:29.560 --> 00:23:30.660
 Something's different

00:23:30.660 --> 00:23:32.440
 between life now

00:23:32.440 --> 00:23:34.019
 and life in the Garden of Eden.

00:23:34.980 --> 00:23:36.000
 Chapter 3,

00:23:36.220 --> 00:23:38.220
 verse 3, sorry,

00:23:38.299 --> 00:23:38.820
 of chapter 9,

00:23:38.819 --> 00:23:40.399
 everything that lives

00:23:40.399 --> 00:23:41.480
 and moves

00:23:41.480 --> 00:23:42.819
 will be food for you.

00:23:43.279 --> 00:23:44.299
 Just as I gave you

00:23:44.299 --> 00:23:45.460
 the green plants,

00:23:45.919 --> 00:23:48.200
 I now give you everything.

00:23:49.099 --> 00:23:50.819
 So, so far in this,

00:23:50.899 --> 00:23:51.980
 the story of the Bible,

00:23:52.159 --> 00:23:53.179
 in the Garden of Eden,

00:23:53.679 --> 00:23:55.899
 God used animals,

00:23:56.039 --> 00:23:56.700
 animal skins

00:23:56.700 --> 00:23:58.259
 to provide a covering

00:23:58.259 --> 00:23:59.779
 for Adam and Eve

00:23:59.779 --> 00:24:01.240
 to cover their shame

00:24:01.240 --> 00:24:02.339
 and their nakedness.

00:24:02.859 --> 00:24:03.819
 We also see

00:24:03.819 --> 00:24:05.200
 in Genesis chapter 4,

00:24:05.899 --> 00:24:07.439
 Abel using an animal

00:24:07.440 --> 00:24:08.759
 as a sacrifice

00:24:08.759 --> 00:24:10.580
 and now here we see

00:24:10.580 --> 00:24:12.700
 that God provides animals

00:24:12.700 --> 00:24:15.259
 to help preserve life

00:24:15.259 --> 00:24:16.860
 for people.

00:24:17.320 --> 00:24:18.380
 So, it's been added

00:24:18.380 --> 00:24:19.900
 to our diet.

00:24:21.100 --> 00:24:21.920
 And then,

00:24:22.080 --> 00:24:22.940
 very importantly,

00:24:23.620 --> 00:24:25.799
 chapter 5 and 6,

00:24:26.240 --> 00:24:27.299
 we get a reminder

00:24:27.299 --> 00:24:29.360
 about how special

00:24:29.360 --> 00:24:31.360
 life is,

00:24:31.759 --> 00:24:32.880
 human life is,

00:24:32.940 --> 00:24:34.360
 in God's eyes.

00:24:34.359 --> 00:24:37.439
 end of verse 5,

00:24:37.500 --> 00:24:38.419
 from each man too,

00:24:38.559 --> 00:24:39.240
 I will demand

00:24:39.240 --> 00:24:39.959
 an accounting

00:24:39.959 --> 00:24:41.299
 for the life

00:24:41.299 --> 00:24:42.679
 of his fellow man.

00:24:43.179 --> 00:24:44.279
 Whoever sheds

00:24:44.279 --> 00:24:45.279
 the blood of man,

00:24:45.859 --> 00:24:46.959
 by man shall

00:24:46.959 --> 00:24:48.319
 his blood be shed.

00:24:48.819 --> 00:24:50.219
 For in the image

00:24:50.219 --> 00:24:50.919
 of God

00:24:50.919 --> 00:24:52.379
 has God

00:24:52.379 --> 00:24:53.839
 made man.

00:24:54.500 --> 00:24:55.359
 So, even after

00:24:55.359 --> 00:24:56.459
 the fall into sin,

00:24:57.139 --> 00:24:57.819
 men and women,

00:24:57.959 --> 00:24:58.459
 boys and girls,

00:24:58.559 --> 00:24:59.699
 we are still made

00:24:59.699 --> 00:25:01.179
 in the image

00:25:01.179 --> 00:25:01.759
 of God.

00:25:01.759 --> 00:25:04.039
 our life matters,

00:25:04.160 --> 00:25:05.519
 is valued by God.

00:25:06.099 --> 00:25:07.779
 Murder is forbidden

00:25:07.779 --> 00:25:10.599
 so that life

00:25:10.599 --> 00:25:11.240
 will be preserved,

00:25:11.400 --> 00:25:12.160
 so that wickedness

00:25:12.160 --> 00:25:12.759
 will be curtailed.

00:25:13.759 --> 00:25:14.839
 And all of this

00:25:14.839 --> 00:25:16.039
 because of God's

00:25:16.039 --> 00:25:16.740
 covenant promise,

00:25:16.859 --> 00:25:17.900
 because of God's desire

00:25:17.900 --> 00:25:19.039
 to preserve life

00:25:19.039 --> 00:25:20.460
 so that his blessing

00:25:20.460 --> 00:25:21.160
 might come

00:25:21.160 --> 00:25:23.200
 to the world.

00:25:25.640 --> 00:25:26.240
 Again,

00:25:26.420 --> 00:25:27.119
 chapter 9,

00:25:27.220 --> 00:25:27.940
 verse 11,

00:25:28.099 --> 00:25:28.779
 here's a reminder

00:25:28.779 --> 00:25:29.640
 of God's covenant

00:25:29.640 --> 00:25:30.140
 commitment

00:25:30.140 --> 00:25:31.019
 after the flood.

00:25:31.019 --> 00:25:32.359
 I establish

00:25:32.359 --> 00:25:33.079
 my covenant

00:25:33.079 --> 00:25:33.680
 with you.

00:25:34.180 --> 00:25:34.779
 Never again

00:25:34.779 --> 00:25:35.480
 will all life

00:25:35.480 --> 00:25:36.220
 be cut off

00:25:36.220 --> 00:25:36.900
 by the waters

00:25:36.900 --> 00:25:37.500
 of a flood.

00:25:38.119 --> 00:25:38.779
 Never again

00:25:38.779 --> 00:25:39.700
 will there be a flood

00:25:39.700 --> 00:25:40.639
 to destroy

00:25:40.639 --> 00:25:41.859
 the earth.

00:25:42.460 --> 00:25:43.240
 So, here is an

00:25:43.240 --> 00:25:44.379
 everlasting promise.

00:25:44.539 --> 00:25:45.299
 Until the end

00:25:45.299 --> 00:25:46.259
 of human history,

00:25:46.799 --> 00:25:47.980
 there will not be

00:25:47.980 --> 00:25:49.379
 total destruction

00:25:49.379 --> 00:25:50.779
 by a flood

00:25:50.779 --> 00:25:51.279
 that God

00:25:51.279 --> 00:25:52.440
 is going to

00:25:52.440 --> 00:25:53.180
 preserve.

00:25:54.879 --> 00:25:56.000
 If we scale

00:25:56.000 --> 00:25:56.940
 back a little bit

00:25:56.940 --> 00:25:57.420
 from what's

00:25:57.420 --> 00:25:58.279
 happening here,

00:25:58.279 --> 00:26:00.000
 we're being

00:26:00.000 --> 00:26:00.779
 reminded that

00:26:00.779 --> 00:26:01.420
 we live

00:26:01.420 --> 00:26:02.819
 out our history,

00:26:02.940 --> 00:26:03.359
 we live out

00:26:03.359 --> 00:26:04.200
 our days under

00:26:04.200 --> 00:26:05.139
 the common grace

00:26:05.139 --> 00:26:05.539
 of God.

00:26:05.619 --> 00:26:06.279
 God is showing

00:26:06.279 --> 00:26:07.399
 goodness and

00:26:07.399 --> 00:26:08.839
 kindness to

00:26:08.839 --> 00:26:09.720
 everybody in the

00:26:09.720 --> 00:26:10.039
 world.

00:26:10.799 --> 00:26:11.819
 End of chapter 8,

00:26:11.899 --> 00:26:12.740
 he's reminding us

00:26:12.740 --> 00:26:13.660
 that there's goodness

00:26:13.660 --> 00:26:14.279
 and kindness

00:26:14.279 --> 00:26:15.399
 and life preserving

00:26:15.399 --> 00:26:16.279
 in the seasons,

00:26:16.619 --> 00:26:17.299
 in the rhythm

00:26:17.299 --> 00:26:18.000
 of the year,

00:26:18.599 --> 00:26:19.240
 in the way that

00:26:19.240 --> 00:26:20.139
 God cares for

00:26:20.139 --> 00:26:20.660
 families,

00:26:21.099 --> 00:26:21.740
 in the way that

00:26:21.740 --> 00:26:22.680
 God keeps people

00:26:22.680 --> 00:26:23.399
 alive.

00:26:23.400 --> 00:26:25.019
 And this time

00:26:25.019 --> 00:26:25.680
 that we live

00:26:25.680 --> 00:26:26.320
 where God is

00:26:26.320 --> 00:26:27.100
 keeping people

00:26:27.100 --> 00:26:28.080
 alive is also

00:26:28.080 --> 00:26:28.720
 the time

00:26:28.720 --> 00:26:30.780
 where the gospel

00:26:30.780 --> 00:26:31.440
 is spreading,

00:26:32.600 --> 00:26:33.240
 where God is

00:26:33.240 --> 00:26:34.040
 seeking to build

00:26:34.040 --> 00:26:34.660
 his kingdom,

00:26:35.740 --> 00:26:36.800
 where God wants

00:26:36.800 --> 00:26:37.660
 to show saving

00:26:37.660 --> 00:26:39.460
 grace to those

00:26:39.460 --> 00:26:40.180
 he is calling

00:26:40.180 --> 00:26:40.980
 to himself.

00:26:42.259 --> 00:26:42.820
 And so,

00:26:42.900 --> 00:26:43.540
 the two go

00:26:43.540 --> 00:26:44.140
 together.

00:26:45.880 --> 00:26:46.540
 Life must be

00:26:46.540 --> 00:26:47.300
 kept alive

00:26:47.300 --> 00:26:48.759
 because people

00:26:48.759 --> 00:26:49.440
 ultimately need

00:26:49.440 --> 00:26:50.000
 to hear about

00:26:50.000 --> 00:26:50.360
 Jesus,

00:26:50.480 --> 00:26:50.920
 the promised

00:26:50.920 --> 00:26:51.300
 Savior.

00:26:51.299 --> 00:26:53.940
 our mission

00:26:53.940 --> 00:26:54.500
 as a church

00:26:54.500 --> 00:26:55.159
 of living

00:26:55.159 --> 00:26:55.740
 for God,

00:26:55.859 --> 00:26:56.559
 of serving

00:26:56.559 --> 00:26:56.940
 others,

00:26:57.059 --> 00:26:57.379
 of seeking

00:26:57.379 --> 00:26:58.079
 to extend

00:26:58.079 --> 00:26:59.460
 love and care,

00:26:59.539 --> 00:26:59.899
 of pointing

00:26:59.899 --> 00:27:00.399
 people to

00:27:00.399 --> 00:27:00.659
 Jesus,

00:27:00.759 --> 00:27:01.579
 it only happens

00:27:01.579 --> 00:27:02.220
 because of

00:27:02.220 --> 00:27:02.799
 this covenant,

00:27:02.919 --> 00:27:03.460
 because God

00:27:03.460 --> 00:27:04.180
 is determined

00:27:04.180 --> 00:27:05.960
 to preserve

00:27:05.960 --> 00:27:07.539
 life for

00:27:07.539 --> 00:27:08.039
 his own

00:27:08.039 --> 00:27:08.680
 purpose.

00:27:10.759 --> 00:27:11.279
 Peter,

00:27:11.399 --> 00:27:11.940
 in 2 Peter

00:27:11.940 --> 00:27:12.680
 chapter 3

00:27:12.680 --> 00:27:13.500
 verse 9,

00:27:15.379 --> 00:27:15.779
 says,

00:27:15.980 --> 00:27:16.419
 God is

00:27:16.419 --> 00:27:17.259
 patient with

00:27:17.259 --> 00:27:17.579
 you,

00:27:18.299 --> 00:27:19.079
 not wanting

00:27:19.079 --> 00:27:19.940
 anyone to

00:27:19.940 --> 00:27:20.480
 perish,

00:27:20.480 --> 00:27:22.039
 but everyone

00:27:22.039 --> 00:27:22.880
 to come

00:27:22.880 --> 00:27:23.599
 to repentance.

00:27:25.360 --> 00:27:26.220
 In a sense,

00:27:26.279 --> 00:27:26.940
 it summarizes

00:27:26.940 --> 00:27:27.400
 what's going

00:27:27.400 --> 00:27:27.819
 on in the

00:27:27.819 --> 00:27:28.360
 covenant with

00:27:28.360 --> 00:27:28.660
 Noah.

00:27:29.940 --> 00:27:30.539
 God doesn't

00:27:30.539 --> 00:27:31.099
 judge us

00:27:31.099 --> 00:27:31.860
 instantly as

00:27:31.860 --> 00:27:32.279
 our sins

00:27:32.279 --> 00:27:32.799
 deserve,

00:27:34.259 --> 00:27:35.400
 but rather

00:27:35.400 --> 00:27:36.120
 he is patient

00:27:36.120 --> 00:27:36.819
 with us,

00:27:37.339 --> 00:27:38.000
 and he's

00:27:38.000 --> 00:27:38.559
 patient with

00:27:38.559 --> 00:27:39.019
 the world,

00:27:39.120 --> 00:27:39.799
 and he sends

00:27:39.799 --> 00:27:40.380
 us Jesus,

00:27:41.039 --> 00:27:41.579
 and he gives

00:27:41.579 --> 00:27:42.140
 us time to

00:27:42.140 --> 00:27:42.519
 repent.

00:27:43.960 --> 00:27:44.599
 It's the

00:27:44.599 --> 00:27:45.259
 foundation of

00:27:45.259 --> 00:27:45.960
 Christian mission,

00:27:46.779 --> 00:27:47.279
 that while we

00:27:47.279 --> 00:27:47.759
 have life,

00:27:47.860 --> 00:27:48.240
 while we have

00:27:48.240 --> 00:27:48.500
 time,

00:27:48.579 --> 00:27:48.799
 we have

00:27:48.799 --> 00:27:49.480
 opportunities

00:27:49.480 --> 00:27:51.000
 to help

00:27:51.000 --> 00:27:51.440
 people to

00:27:51.440 --> 00:27:52.440
 hear the

00:27:52.440 --> 00:27:52.819
 news that

00:27:52.819 --> 00:27:53.259
 they really,

00:27:53.480 --> 00:27:53.819
 really need

00:27:53.819 --> 00:27:54.079
 to.

00:27:55.940 --> 00:27:56.819
 So life is

00:27:56.819 --> 00:27:57.259
 preserved,

00:27:57.419 --> 00:27:58.240
 and then as

00:27:58.240 --> 00:27:59.680
 Noah and

00:27:59.680 --> 00:28:00.200
 his family

00:28:00.200 --> 00:28:01.399
 come out of

00:28:01.399 --> 00:28:01.759
 the ark,

00:28:01.799 --> 00:28:02.059
 and as

00:28:02.059 --> 00:28:02.319
 they've

00:28:02.319 --> 00:28:03.460
 offered the

00:28:03.460 --> 00:28:05.059
 sacrifice to

00:28:05.059 --> 00:28:05.740
 God that God

00:28:05.740 --> 00:28:06.539
 is pleased with,

00:28:06.559 --> 00:28:07.019
 and as God

00:28:07.019 --> 00:28:07.759
 announces the

00:28:07.759 --> 00:28:08.039
 covenant,

00:28:08.180 --> 00:28:09.319
 he also gives

00:28:09.319 --> 00:28:10.859
 a sign,

00:28:10.960 --> 00:28:11.440
 a covenant

00:28:11.440 --> 00:28:13.039
 sign of

00:28:13.039 --> 00:28:13.919
 God's

00:28:13.919 --> 00:28:14.819
 grace.

00:28:14.819 --> 00:28:17.859
 verse 13,

00:28:18.859 --> 00:28:19.480
 is where

00:28:19.480 --> 00:28:20.059
 verse 12

00:28:20.059 --> 00:28:20.500
 and 13

00:28:20.500 --> 00:28:20.980
 of chapter

00:28:20.980 --> 00:28:21.279
 9,

00:28:21.359 --> 00:28:22.019
 God said,

00:28:22.539 --> 00:28:23.480
 this is the

00:28:23.480 --> 00:28:24.000
 sign of

00:28:24.000 --> 00:28:24.500
 the covenant

00:28:24.500 --> 00:28:25.799
 I am

00:28:25.799 --> 00:28:26.519
 making between

00:28:26.519 --> 00:28:27.339
 me and

00:28:27.339 --> 00:28:28.099
 you and

00:28:28.099 --> 00:28:28.960
 every living

00:28:28.960 --> 00:28:29.639
 creature with

00:28:29.639 --> 00:28:29.859
 you,

00:28:30.379 --> 00:28:30.980
 a covenant

00:28:30.980 --> 00:28:31.519
 for all

00:28:31.519 --> 00:28:32.399
 generations to

00:28:32.399 --> 00:28:32.720
 come.

00:28:33.439 --> 00:28:34.259
 I have set

00:28:34.259 --> 00:28:35.019
 my rainbow

00:28:35.019 --> 00:28:35.899
 in the clouds,

00:28:36.419 --> 00:28:37.240
 and it

00:28:37.240 --> 00:28:38.019
 will be the

00:28:38.019 --> 00:28:38.740
 sign of the

00:28:38.740 --> 00:28:39.079
 covenant

00:28:39.079 --> 00:28:40.639
 between me

00:28:40.639 --> 00:28:41.399
 and the

00:28:41.399 --> 00:28:41.720
 earth.

00:28:42.000 --> 00:28:42.299
 And then

00:28:42.299 --> 00:28:42.899
 verse 16,

00:28:42.980 --> 00:28:43.419
 whenever the

00:28:43.419 --> 00:28:44.200
 rainbow appears

00:28:44.200 --> 00:28:44.759
 in the clouds,

00:28:44.840 --> 00:28:45.400
 I will see

00:28:45.400 --> 00:28:46.539
 it and

00:28:46.539 --> 00:28:47.160
 remember the

00:28:47.160 --> 00:28:47.700
 everlasting

00:28:47.700 --> 00:28:49.299
 covenant between

00:28:49.299 --> 00:28:50.319
 God and all

00:28:50.319 --> 00:28:51.140
 living creatures

00:28:51.140 --> 00:28:52.700
 of every kind

00:28:52.700 --> 00:28:53.740
 on the

00:28:53.740 --> 00:28:53.920
 earth.

00:28:54.620 --> 00:28:55.180
 So God

00:28:55.180 --> 00:28:55.920
 gives this

00:28:55.920 --> 00:28:57.140
 visible sign

00:28:57.140 --> 00:28:58.059
 to Noah,

00:28:58.160 --> 00:28:58.819
 the rainbow.

00:28:59.940 --> 00:29:00.860
 This sign is

00:29:00.860 --> 00:29:01.539
 an outward

00:29:01.539 --> 00:29:02.620
 representation of

00:29:02.620 --> 00:29:03.220
 God's promise.

00:29:05.420 --> 00:29:06.380
 We thought

00:29:06.380 --> 00:29:07.080
 about covenant

00:29:07.080 --> 00:29:07.860
 signs.

00:29:08.440 --> 00:29:09.519
 We will see

00:29:09.519 --> 00:29:10.920
 more of them

00:29:10.920 --> 00:29:11.559
 as we look at

00:29:11.559 --> 00:29:12.160
 the covenants,

00:29:12.259 --> 00:29:13.259
 but in human

00:29:13.259 --> 00:29:13.620
 terms,

00:29:13.619 --> 00:29:14.039
 it's like

00:29:14.039 --> 00:29:14.379
 when we

00:29:14.379 --> 00:29:15.339
 give a

00:29:15.339 --> 00:29:16.039
 wedding ring

00:29:16.039 --> 00:29:17.139
 as a

00:29:17.139 --> 00:29:18.399
 sign of

00:29:18.399 --> 00:29:19.319
 commitment.

00:29:20.339 --> 00:29:20.719
 It's like

00:29:20.719 --> 00:29:21.339
 the Lord's

00:29:21.339 --> 00:29:21.639
 Supper,

00:29:22.079 --> 00:29:22.759
 when Jesus

00:29:22.759 --> 00:29:23.959
 gives the

00:29:23.959 --> 00:29:24.439
 bread and

00:29:24.439 --> 00:29:24.799
 the wine

00:29:24.799 --> 00:29:25.919
 a visible

00:29:25.919 --> 00:29:27.299
 symbol

00:29:27.299 --> 00:29:28.919
 of an

00:29:28.919 --> 00:29:29.739
 inner truth.

00:29:30.099 --> 00:29:30.779
 We take

00:29:30.779 --> 00:29:31.279
 the bread

00:29:31.279 --> 00:29:31.579
 and the

00:29:31.579 --> 00:29:31.939
 wine and

00:29:31.939 --> 00:29:32.699
 it reminds

00:29:32.699 --> 00:29:34.539
 us that

00:29:34.539 --> 00:29:34.839
 we are

00:29:34.839 --> 00:29:35.539
 united to

00:29:35.539 --> 00:29:36.059
 Christ through

00:29:36.059 --> 00:29:36.899
 what he does

00:29:36.899 --> 00:29:37.599
 for us

00:29:37.599 --> 00:29:38.719
 on the

00:29:38.719 --> 00:29:39.159
 cross.

00:29:39.160 --> 00:29:40.160
 God's

00:29:40.160 --> 00:29:40.880
 love.

00:29:40.880 --> 00:29:41.320
 And this

00:29:41.320 --> 00:29:42.019
 sign that

00:29:42.019 --> 00:29:42.940
 God gives

00:29:42.940 --> 00:29:44.000
 is a

00:29:44.000 --> 00:29:44.519
 beautiful

00:29:44.519 --> 00:29:45.460
 reminder of

00:29:45.460 --> 00:29:46.620
 grace in

00:29:46.620 --> 00:29:47.180
 judgment.

00:29:48.440 --> 00:29:49.340
 Because how

00:29:49.340 --> 00:29:50.019
 did the

00:29:50.019 --> 00:29:50.660
 judgment of

00:29:50.660 --> 00:29:51.500
 God come?

00:29:52.500 --> 00:29:53.240
 It came

00:29:53.240 --> 00:29:53.960
 through the

00:29:53.960 --> 00:29:54.360
 flood.

00:29:55.440 --> 00:29:55.920
 And where

00:29:55.920 --> 00:29:56.380
 there is a

00:29:56.380 --> 00:29:57.380
 flood, there

00:29:57.380 --> 00:29:58.180
 is inevitably

00:29:58.180 --> 00:29:59.720
 storm clouds

00:29:59.720 --> 00:30:00.700
 that gather.

00:30:02.620 --> 00:30:03.120
 So they

00:30:03.120 --> 00:30:03.860
 would have

00:30:03.860 --> 00:30:04.440
 looked up in

00:30:04.440 --> 00:30:04.840
 the sky,

00:30:04.960 --> 00:30:05.259
 would have

00:30:05.259 --> 00:30:05.660
 looked up in

00:30:05.660 --> 00:30:05.980
 the sky,

00:30:06.080 --> 00:30:06.340
 would have

00:30:06.340 --> 00:30:06.820
 seen the

00:30:06.820 --> 00:30:07.200
 clouds,

00:30:07.200 --> 00:30:07.759
 and he

00:30:07.759 --> 00:30:08.059
 would know

00:30:08.059 --> 00:30:08.500
 that's a

00:30:08.500 --> 00:30:08.940
 symbol of

00:30:08.940 --> 00:30:09.340
 God's

00:30:09.340 --> 00:30:09.740
 judgment.

00:30:10.500 --> 00:30:10.960
 But where

00:30:10.960 --> 00:30:11.279
 is the

00:30:11.279 --> 00:30:11.720
 sign of

00:30:11.720 --> 00:30:12.440
 grace that

00:30:12.440 --> 00:30:12.900
 Noah is

00:30:12.900 --> 00:30:13.180
 given?

00:30:13.620 --> 00:30:14.460
 It's also

00:30:14.460 --> 00:30:15.039
 in the

00:30:15.039 --> 00:30:15.680
 clouds, the

00:30:15.680 --> 00:30:17.000
 rainbow in

00:30:17.000 --> 00:30:17.740
 the clouds.

00:30:19.559 --> 00:30:20.539
 And so he

00:30:20.539 --> 00:30:20.920
 is being

00:30:20.920 --> 00:30:21.580
 invited and

00:30:21.580 --> 00:30:22.120
 we are being

00:30:22.120 --> 00:30:22.779
 invited to

00:30:22.779 --> 00:30:23.539
 remember God

00:30:23.539 --> 00:30:24.220
 is just,

00:30:25.240 --> 00:30:25.720
 God deals

00:30:25.720 --> 00:30:26.220
 with sin,

00:30:26.700 --> 00:30:27.080
 God is

00:30:27.080 --> 00:30:27.420
 holy,

00:30:28.180 --> 00:30:28.500
 but God

00:30:28.500 --> 00:30:29.039
 is also

00:30:29.039 --> 00:30:29.620
 gracious.

00:30:30.519 --> 00:30:30.960
 God in

00:30:30.960 --> 00:30:31.319
 mercy

00:30:31.319 --> 00:30:32.000
 determines

00:30:32.000 --> 00:30:33.640
 to save

00:30:33.640 --> 00:30:34.240
 some.

00:30:34.240 --> 00:30:35.240
 God

00:30:35.240 --> 00:30:36.240
 is

00:30:36.240 --> 00:30:37.200
 how does

00:30:37.200 --> 00:30:37.420
 the

00:30:37.420 --> 00:30:37.839
 rainbow

00:30:37.839 --> 00:30:38.620
 speak hope

00:30:38.620 --> 00:30:39.160
 to Noah?

00:30:40.039 --> 00:30:40.539
 That is an

00:30:40.539 --> 00:30:41.160
 important thing

00:30:41.160 --> 00:30:42.079
 to recognize.

00:30:42.559 --> 00:30:42.900
 Look at

00:30:42.900 --> 00:30:43.640
 verse 16

00:30:43.640 --> 00:30:44.059
 again.

00:30:45.460 --> 00:30:45.660
 Whenever

00:30:45.660 --> 00:30:46.420
 the rainbow

00:30:46.420 --> 00:30:46.940
 appears,

00:30:47.019 --> 00:30:47.579
 this is God

00:30:47.579 --> 00:30:47.960
 speaking,

00:30:48.200 --> 00:30:48.720
 whenever the

00:30:48.720 --> 00:30:49.440
 rainbow appears

00:30:49.440 --> 00:30:49.700
 in the

00:30:49.700 --> 00:30:50.039
 clouds,

00:30:50.480 --> 00:30:51.460
 I will

00:30:51.460 --> 00:30:52.059
 see it

00:30:52.059 --> 00:30:53.259
 and remember

00:30:53.259 --> 00:30:54.039
 the everlasting

00:30:54.039 --> 00:30:54.599
 covenant.

00:30:55.880 --> 00:30:56.599
 So the

00:30:56.599 --> 00:30:57.279
 rainbow doesn't

00:30:57.279 --> 00:30:57.920
 speak hope

00:30:57.920 --> 00:30:58.339
 to Noah

00:30:58.339 --> 00:30:58.839
 because he

00:30:58.839 --> 00:30:59.259
 sees a

00:30:59.259 --> 00:30:59.660
 rainbow in

00:30:59.660 --> 00:31:00.099
 the clouds

00:31:00.099 --> 00:31:00.440
 and Noah

00:31:00.440 --> 00:31:00.819
 thinks to

00:31:00.819 --> 00:31:01.039
 himself,

00:31:01.160 --> 00:31:01.620
 well I've

00:31:01.620 --> 00:31:01.859
 been a

00:31:01.859 --> 00:31:02.500
 good person

00:31:02.500 --> 00:31:03.700
 and I

00:31:03.700 --> 00:31:04.039
 feel like

00:31:04.039 --> 00:31:04.399
 I'm living

00:31:04.399 --> 00:31:05.099
 faithfully so

00:31:05.099 --> 00:31:05.339
 I've got

00:31:05.339 --> 00:31:05.779
 hope that

00:31:05.779 --> 00:31:06.099
 judgment

00:31:06.099 --> 00:31:06.539
 isn't going

00:31:06.539 --> 00:31:06.879
 to come.

00:31:06.980 --> 00:31:07.220
 No,

00:31:08.000 --> 00:31:08.500
 he can

00:31:08.500 --> 00:31:08.819
 look at

00:31:08.819 --> 00:31:09.299
 the rainbow

00:31:09.299 --> 00:31:09.960
 and remember

00:31:09.960 --> 00:31:11.879
 God has

00:31:11.879 --> 00:31:12.579
 promised to

00:31:12.579 --> 00:31:13.259
 be faithful

00:31:13.259 --> 00:31:13.700
 to his

00:31:13.700 --> 00:31:14.039
 covenant.

00:31:14.899 --> 00:31:15.299
 So the

00:31:15.299 --> 00:31:15.799
 rainbow is

00:31:15.799 --> 00:31:16.220
 to speak

00:31:16.220 --> 00:31:16.740
 hope of

00:31:16.740 --> 00:31:17.759
 God

00:31:17.759 --> 00:31:18.279
 seeing

00:31:18.279 --> 00:31:19.379
 and God

00:31:19.379 --> 00:31:19.920
 remembering.

00:31:20.299 --> 00:31:20.599
 It's

00:31:20.599 --> 00:31:21.099
 supposed to

00:31:21.099 --> 00:31:21.539
 point him

00:31:21.539 --> 00:31:21.920
 to the

00:31:21.920 --> 00:31:22.659
 faithfulness

00:31:22.659 --> 00:31:23.319
 of God

00:31:23.319 --> 00:31:24.480
 to keep

00:31:24.480 --> 00:31:24.899
 this

00:31:24.899 --> 00:31:25.799
 promise.

00:31:27.599 --> 00:31:28.059
 God

00:31:28.059 --> 00:31:28.559
 has taken

00:31:28.559 --> 00:31:29.159
 the initiative

00:31:29.159 --> 00:31:30.079
 to save

00:31:30.079 --> 00:31:30.500
 him

00:31:30.500 --> 00:31:32.440
 and Noah's

00:31:32.440 --> 00:31:33.220
 hope and

00:31:33.220 --> 00:31:33.799
 our hope

00:31:33.799 --> 00:31:34.379
 rests in

00:31:34.379 --> 00:31:34.559
 the

00:31:34.559 --> 00:31:35.119
 faithfulness

00:31:35.119 --> 00:31:35.680
 of God

00:31:35.680 --> 00:31:36.980
 to his

00:31:36.980 --> 00:31:37.539
 promise.

00:31:38.859 --> 00:31:39.379
 You've

00:31:39.379 --> 00:31:40.159
 maybe seen

00:31:40.159 --> 00:31:42.579
 the bridge

00:31:42.579 --> 00:31:43.339
 in Paris

00:31:43.339 --> 00:31:43.659
 which has

00:31:43.659 --> 00:31:44.200
 now spawned

00:31:44.200 --> 00:31:44.559
 lots of

00:31:44.559 --> 00:31:45.019
 replicas.

00:31:45.379 --> 00:31:45.799
 I think it's

00:31:45.799 --> 00:31:46.099
 called the

00:31:46.099 --> 00:31:46.480
 Pont des

00:31:46.480 --> 00:31:46.740
 Arts.

00:31:47.379 --> 00:31:47.799
 It's

00:31:47.799 --> 00:31:48.079
 somewhere

00:31:48.079 --> 00:31:49.639
 near the

00:31:49.639 --> 00:31:50.180
 center of

00:31:50.180 --> 00:31:50.500
 Paris.

00:31:50.599 --> 00:31:50.839
 But anyway,

00:31:50.919 --> 00:31:51.079
 it's a

00:31:51.079 --> 00:31:51.700
 place where

00:31:51.700 --> 00:31:52.839
 it's a

00:31:52.839 --> 00:31:53.480
 romantic city

00:31:53.480 --> 00:31:54.059
 apparently in

00:31:54.059 --> 00:31:54.480
 Paris so

00:31:54.480 --> 00:31:54.940
 people will

00:31:54.940 --> 00:31:55.960
 go to

00:31:55.960 --> 00:31:56.519
 the bridge,

00:31:56.720 --> 00:31:57.259
 perhaps they'll

00:31:57.259 --> 00:31:57.980
 write a nice

00:31:57.980 --> 00:31:59.379
 message to

00:31:59.379 --> 00:31:59.839
 their loved

00:31:59.839 --> 00:32:00.319
 one on a

00:32:00.319 --> 00:32:00.940
 padlock and

00:32:00.940 --> 00:32:01.279
 then will

00:32:01.279 --> 00:32:01.879
 chain it

00:32:01.880 --> 00:32:02.920
 on the

00:32:02.920 --> 00:32:04.160
 bridge as

00:32:04.160 --> 00:32:04.740
 a symbol

00:32:04.740 --> 00:32:05.560
 of their

00:32:05.560 --> 00:32:06.060
 undying

00:32:06.060 --> 00:32:06.780
 love for

00:32:06.780 --> 00:32:07.940
 person X

00:32:07.940 --> 00:32:08.260
 or person

00:32:08.260 --> 00:32:08.580
 Y.

00:32:09.300 --> 00:32:10.620
 And you

00:32:10.620 --> 00:32:10.880
 know that

00:32:10.880 --> 00:32:11.560
 padlock,

00:32:11.680 --> 00:32:12.240
 that permanent

00:32:12.240 --> 00:32:12.800
 symbol, I

00:32:12.800 --> 00:32:13.380
 guess a person

00:32:13.380 --> 00:32:13.860
 could then

00:32:13.860 --> 00:32:15.880
 return to

00:32:15.880 --> 00:32:16.520
 that bridge

00:32:16.520 --> 00:32:17.180
 months or

00:32:17.180 --> 00:32:17.940
 years later

00:32:17.940 --> 00:32:18.940
 and be

00:32:18.940 --> 00:32:19.680
 encouraged to

00:32:19.680 --> 00:32:19.860
 remember,

00:32:20.020 --> 00:32:21.100
 ah, that

00:32:21.100 --> 00:32:21.700
 one that put

00:32:21.700 --> 00:32:22.400
 the padlock

00:32:22.400 --> 00:32:23.340
 there, that's

00:32:23.340 --> 00:32:24.200
 a promise of

00:32:24.200 --> 00:32:25.540
 their love and

00:32:25.540 --> 00:32:26.600
 their faithfulness.

00:32:26.599 --> 00:32:30.119
 when we go to

00:32:30.119 --> 00:32:30.719
 the Lord's

00:32:30.719 --> 00:32:32.639
 Supper, we

00:32:32.639 --> 00:32:33.500
 don't go to

00:32:33.500 --> 00:32:34.019
 the Lord's

00:32:34.019 --> 00:32:35.279
 Supper thinking,

00:32:35.659 --> 00:32:36.459
 ah, yes, this

00:32:36.459 --> 00:32:37.379
 reminds me about

00:32:37.379 --> 00:32:38.579
 my faithfulness

00:32:38.579 --> 00:32:39.559
 since the last

00:32:39.559 --> 00:32:40.319
 time we sat.

00:32:41.139 --> 00:32:41.819
 It doesn't

00:32:41.819 --> 00:32:42.819
 remind me that I

00:32:42.819 --> 00:32:44.119
 have lived well

00:32:44.119 --> 00:32:45.339
 and I deserve to

00:32:45.339 --> 00:32:46.019
 be at the table.

00:32:46.159 --> 00:32:46.859
 No, it speaks

00:32:46.859 --> 00:32:47.519
 about the

00:32:47.519 --> 00:32:48.379
 faithfulness of

00:32:48.379 --> 00:32:49.379
 Christ to us.

00:32:50.579 --> 00:32:51.039
 This is a

00:32:51.039 --> 00:32:51.980
 covenant that God

00:32:51.980 --> 00:32:52.399
 makes.

00:32:52.480 --> 00:32:53.039
 This is a

00:32:53.039 --> 00:32:53.740
 promise that

00:32:53.740 --> 00:32:54.659
 Jesus brings

00:32:54.659 --> 00:32:55.799
 and it speaks of

00:32:55.799 --> 00:32:56.639
 his faithfulness

00:32:56.639 --> 00:32:57.960
 to us and

00:32:57.960 --> 00:32:58.399
 that's our

00:32:58.399 --> 00:32:58.819
 hope.

00:32:59.659 --> 00:33:00.240
 It's the same

00:33:00.240 --> 00:33:00.879
 with the

00:33:00.879 --> 00:33:01.259
 rainbow.

00:33:02.039 --> 00:33:02.680
 It speaks to

00:33:02.680 --> 00:33:03.099
 us of a

00:33:03.099 --> 00:33:04.019
 faithful God,

00:33:04.399 --> 00:33:05.019
 a God of

00:33:05.019 --> 00:33:05.379
 grace.

00:33:06.740 --> 00:33:07.299
 Of course, this

00:33:07.299 --> 00:33:07.859
 isn't the only

00:33:07.859 --> 00:33:08.940
 place where grace

00:33:08.940 --> 00:33:10.059
 in judgment is

00:33:10.059 --> 00:33:10.460
 seen.

00:33:11.619 --> 00:33:12.419
 Grace in judgment

00:33:12.419 --> 00:33:13.180
 is seen too at

00:33:13.180 --> 00:33:13.779
 the cross of

00:33:13.779 --> 00:33:14.359
 Jesus, isn't

00:33:14.359 --> 00:33:14.579
 it?

00:33:15.759 --> 00:33:16.960
 We see God's

00:33:16.960 --> 00:33:17.799
 just anger,

00:33:17.960 --> 00:33:18.579
 God's holy

00:33:18.579 --> 00:33:19.680
 anger against

00:33:19.680 --> 00:33:21.039
 sin on display

00:33:21.039 --> 00:33:22.799
 but there it's

00:33:22.799 --> 00:33:23.519
 not poured out

00:33:23.519 --> 00:33:24.899
 on us,

00:33:24.900 --> 00:33:25.620
 though we

00:33:25.620 --> 00:33:26.200
 deserve it.

00:33:26.259 --> 00:33:26.600
 It's poured

00:33:26.600 --> 00:33:26.960
 out on

00:33:26.960 --> 00:33:27.660
 Jesus, the

00:33:27.660 --> 00:33:28.400
 sin bearer of

00:33:28.400 --> 00:33:28.940
 the world,

00:33:29.360 --> 00:33:30.240
 as he comes to

00:33:30.240 --> 00:33:31.120
 be our substitute

00:33:31.120 --> 00:33:31.820
 and our

00:33:31.820 --> 00:33:32.480
 sacrifice.

00:33:33.360 --> 00:33:34.100
 But that cross

00:33:34.100 --> 00:33:34.860
 which stands as a

00:33:34.860 --> 00:33:35.540
 place of judgment

00:33:35.540 --> 00:33:36.920
 also is a

00:33:36.920 --> 00:33:37.860
 place of grace

00:33:37.860 --> 00:33:39.160
 for us because

00:33:39.160 --> 00:33:39.860
 there we find

00:33:39.860 --> 00:33:40.280
 forgiveness,

00:33:41.100 --> 00:33:41.720
 there we find

00:33:41.720 --> 00:33:42.580
 eternal life,

00:33:43.180 --> 00:33:43.840
 there we find

00:33:43.840 --> 00:33:44.640
 our welcome into

00:33:44.640 --> 00:33:45.420
 the love of God,

00:33:45.500 --> 00:33:46.400
 into the family

00:33:46.400 --> 00:33:47.940
 of God.

00:33:49.000 --> 00:33:50.080
 So these signs

00:33:50.080 --> 00:33:50.700
 of the covenant

00:33:50.700 --> 00:33:51.680
 are precious

00:33:51.680 --> 00:33:52.780
 reminders to us

00:33:52.779 --> 00:33:53.619
 of God's grace

00:33:53.619 --> 00:33:55.379
 and God's

00:33:55.379 --> 00:33:56.839
 faithfulness.

00:33:58.539 --> 00:33:58.960
 So that's a

00:33:58.960 --> 00:33:59.960
 very brief look

00:33:59.960 --> 00:34:00.720
 at the covenant

00:34:00.720 --> 00:34:01.680
 of Noah and

00:34:01.680 --> 00:34:02.000
 you know we

00:34:02.000 --> 00:34:04.460
 need this story,

00:34:04.559 --> 00:34:05.440
 this story of

00:34:05.440 --> 00:34:06.559
 Noah and God's

00:34:06.559 --> 00:34:07.220
 grace to him

00:34:07.220 --> 00:34:09.119
 because it's an

00:34:09.119 --> 00:34:09.820
 honest reminder

00:34:09.820 --> 00:34:11.739
 to us of the

00:34:11.739 --> 00:34:13.079
 darkness of our

00:34:13.079 --> 00:34:13.980
 human hearts.

00:34:14.759 --> 00:34:15.139
 You know we

00:34:15.139 --> 00:34:15.679
 don't need to

00:34:15.679 --> 00:34:16.579
 look too far to

00:34:16.579 --> 00:34:17.480
 recognize that

00:34:17.480 --> 00:34:18.000
 fundamentally

00:34:18.000 --> 00:34:19.259
 nothing changes,

00:34:20.599 --> 00:34:20.960
 that the

00:34:20.960 --> 00:34:21.840
 inclinations of

00:34:21.840 --> 00:34:22.519
 people's hearts

00:34:22.519 --> 00:34:23.160
 are still

00:34:23.160 --> 00:34:24.740
 against God

00:34:24.740 --> 00:34:25.240
 rather than

00:34:25.240 --> 00:34:26.260
 towards God.

00:34:27.780 --> 00:34:28.420
 It's a story

00:34:28.420 --> 00:34:29.079
 that highlights

00:34:29.079 --> 00:34:29.900
 again God's

00:34:29.900 --> 00:34:30.620
 initiative in

00:34:30.620 --> 00:34:31.360
 saving us by

00:34:31.360 --> 00:34:31.940
 grace,

00:34:32.820 --> 00:34:33.500
 reminding us that

00:34:33.500 --> 00:34:34.160
 Christianity is

00:34:34.160 --> 00:34:34.680
 not a religion

00:34:34.680 --> 00:34:36.140
 of works or

00:34:36.140 --> 00:34:36.579
 merit,

00:34:37.539 --> 00:34:38.120
 it's sheer

00:34:38.120 --> 00:34:38.860
 grace,

00:34:39.760 --> 00:34:40.500
 it's God's

00:34:40.500 --> 00:34:40.900
 gift.

00:34:42.160 --> 00:34:42.539
 And it

00:34:42.539 --> 00:34:43.559
 explains to us

00:34:43.559 --> 00:34:44.480
 God's kindness

00:34:44.480 --> 00:34:46.059
 in deciding,

00:34:46.880 --> 00:34:47.400
 choosing to

00:34:47.400 --> 00:34:48.100
 preserve life

00:34:48.100 --> 00:34:48.460
 on earth.

00:34:49.220 --> 00:34:49.900
 It's an act

00:34:49.900 --> 00:34:51.480
 of mercy so

00:34:51.480 --> 00:34:51.920
 that we might

00:34:51.920 --> 00:34:52.579
 enjoy, we

00:34:52.579 --> 00:34:53.139
 might live

00:34:53.139 --> 00:34:53.900
 knowing God's

00:34:53.900 --> 00:34:54.300
 kindness,

00:34:55.340 --> 00:34:55.860
 that we

00:34:55.860 --> 00:34:56.480
 might while we

00:34:56.480 --> 00:34:56.940
 have time

00:34:56.940 --> 00:34:58.500
 turn to the

00:34:58.500 --> 00:34:59.139
 Lord God,

00:34:59.619 --> 00:35:00.480
 turn to Jesus

00:35:00.480 --> 00:35:02.159
 and be saved.

00:35:03.420 --> 00:35:04.340
 Let's pray

00:35:04.340 --> 00:35:05.659
 about that.