WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.320 Well folks, wonderful to see you this morning. Why don't we just spend a moment 00:00:03.320 --> 00:00:10.019 and let's commit our time as we turn to God's living word. Why don't we just pray and let's 00:00:10.019 --> 00:00:19.660 commit our time to him. The words of Psalm chapter 8. When I look at your heavens, the work of your 00:00:19.660 --> 00:00:28.179 fingers, the moon and the stars which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him 00:00:28.179 --> 00:00:37.480 and the son of man that you care for him. Our Father, we pray that as we come to your word now 00:00:37.480 --> 00:00:43.219 that you would help us as we've been singing to be still and know who you are. You are the living God. 00:00:44.179 --> 00:00:49.960 And so Father, I pray that as we turn to your word, as we hear your voice, that you would help us to 00:00:49.960 --> 00:00:57.260 listen well. And Lord, that our hearts would be drawn to your son Jesus in whom there is 00:00:57.259 --> 00:01:03.479 abundant life. And so we pray these things knowing that you hear us because we pray in his precious 00:01:03.479 --> 00:01:11.079 name. Amen. Well, let me invite you to have Genesis chapters 8 and 9 open in front of you. We are at 00:01:11.079 --> 00:01:18.420 Noah part 2. I've been done part 1 last week and as we dive into Noah part 2 today, let me begin by 00:01:18.420 --> 00:01:25.219 taking you back to the London 2012 Olympics. So maybe just show of hands, who watched the opening 00:01:25.219 --> 00:01:32.200 ceremony? Everyone remembers London 2012? Everyone watched the opening ceremony? So you were one of, 00:01:32.439 --> 00:01:36.920 well, there was 62,000 people in the Olympic Stadium in London watching this opening ceremony and you 00:01:36.920 --> 00:01:42.439 guys, unless you were there, I don't know, you were one of 1 billion people who tuned in to watch the 00:01:42.439 --> 00:01:49.340 opening ceremony. One of the greatest events in the last few years, according to many. Many of us 00:01:49.340 --> 00:01:52.879 watched the opening ceremony. I wonder how many people, raise your hands again, watched the closing 00:01:52.879 --> 00:02:01.959 ceremony? A few of us watched it. Now, if you watched the closing ceremony, you'll know that one of the 00:02:01.959 --> 00:02:08.439 songs that featured was Imagine by John Lennon. Okay, and if you know that the lyrics to that song will 00:02:08.439 --> 00:02:12.680 overlook the fact that it talked about Imagine There's No Countries, we'll graciously overlook that 00:02:12.680 --> 00:02:18.379 one. Don't know how nobody picked that one up at the time. But here's what John Lennon sang in Imagine, 00:02:18.379 --> 00:02:26.439 and this is what the world heard. Okay? Imagine no possessions. I wonder if you can. No need for greed 00:02:26.439 --> 00:02:34.659 or hunger, a brotherhood of man. Imagine all the people sharing all the world. You may say that I'm a 00:02:34.659 --> 00:02:43.259 dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope someday that you will join us and the world will live as one. 00:02:43.259 --> 00:02:53.039 So John Lennon's pitching for a vision of a brand new world, isn't he? Brand new worlds, where people 00:02:53.039 --> 00:02:59.259 are selfless, where there's no more war and strife, where harmony and peace reigns, where people are at 00:02:59.259 --> 00:03:06.120 one. What he's singing about is almost like a brand new start for humanity. Brand new start. So here's 00:03:06.120 --> 00:03:12.459 two questions for you to chew on as we get into this text today, and you can rhetorically answer these in 00:03:12.460 --> 00:03:16.740 your mind. Okay, here's the first one. We think about this world that he's singing about. First of all, 00:03:16.780 --> 00:03:26.340 would you want it? Does it sound good to you? Right? Sound pretty good. Second of all, is it possible? 00:03:28.420 --> 00:03:36.520 Is it possible? She has the question that hangs over chapters eight and nine of Genesis. 00:03:36.520 --> 00:03:45.080 Can there be a brand new start for humanity? Can there be a brand new start for humanity? Because 00:03:45.080 --> 00:03:50.360 here's what we saw last week. What did God see? And you'll need to have your Bibles open in front of 00:03:50.360 --> 00:03:53.980 you because we'll be dipping in and out of verses today, okay? What did God see when he looked at the 00:03:53.979 --> 00:04:06.060 people of the earth? Chapter six, verse five. The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race 00:04:06.060 --> 00:04:13.500 had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all 00:04:13.500 --> 00:04:22.139 the time. So what did God see? He saw wickedness. Where did he see it? He saw it in the human heart. 00:04:22.139 --> 00:04:28.560 He saw sin in the human heart. He saw human beings who, having rejected their creator, 00:04:29.300 --> 00:04:36.959 who are now living with each other in a world marked by anger, violence, injustice, oppression, 00:04:37.459 --> 00:04:43.599 cruelty, and murder. This is what God sees. The world that he made so good, Genesis one and two, 00:04:43.719 --> 00:04:49.939 has come this far, slid in this far, chapters six and seven. This is what God saw when he looked at the 00:04:49.939 --> 00:04:57.240 earth, and he brought a cataclysmic flood to justly deal with the wickedness that he saw on earth. 00:04:58.860 --> 00:05:06.000 And by his grace, he's preserved this righteous man, Noah, whose name means, we thought about this 00:05:06.000 --> 00:05:13.779 last week, whose name means rest. He's preserved him, his family, and the animals, and he's kept them in 00:05:13.779 --> 00:05:21.099 the ark, both keeping them from judgment and taking them, as it were, to a new creation. 00:05:21.879 --> 00:05:27.459 We saw it last week, judgment and salvation. And so when we're thinking about that question, 00:05:27.500 --> 00:05:30.019 we have to say at this point in the story, that's looking pretty good. 00:05:32.819 --> 00:05:37.759 And in chapters eight and nine, here's what we need to see. Noah, I don't know if you've noticed that 00:05:37.759 --> 00:05:46.459 as we read it through. Noah is being presented to us here as a new Adam. Look at the command God gives 00:05:46.459 --> 00:05:54.659 him, chapter eight, verse 17. And ask yourself if you've heard this somewhere before. What does he say? 00:05:54.719 --> 00:06:01.839 He says, be fruitful and multiply. Heard that one before? Be fruitful and multiply. Chapter nine, verse one. 00:06:01.839 --> 00:06:10.359 God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth. 00:06:11.519 --> 00:06:18.799 Chapter nine, verse seven. And then we'll stop jumping around again. Chapter nine, verse seven. As for you, 00:06:18.959 --> 00:06:26.399 be what? Fruitful and increase in number. Multiply on the earth and increase upon it. So we have to ask 00:06:26.399 --> 00:06:32.219 ourselves, there's three times God has said, given the command to Noah, be fruitful and multiply. And we 00:06:32.219 --> 00:06:37.239 hear, don't we, echoes of Eden. We should think about Adam and Eve, the command that God gave to them, 00:06:37.339 --> 00:06:44.939 and ask ourselves, is this playing out in a new start with Noah as the new Adam? Could this be it? 00:06:45.819 --> 00:06:53.819 Could this be it? A brand new start for humanity. A world where there is no more violence. 00:06:53.819 --> 00:07:07.279 A world where sin and suffering and tears and pain are no more. A world where there is peace and just not, 00:07:07.439 --> 00:07:16.519 not just playing happy families, there is peace and there is rest between God, man and creation. 00:07:16.519 --> 00:07:23.819 And if you stop and think about it, surely that is the world that we all want to live in. 00:07:26.000 --> 00:07:34.459 It is. So could this be the time for humanity 2.0? Could Noah be the guide to lead humanity to this 00:07:34.459 --> 00:07:39.279 new beginning? That's our question. So let me just seek to answer that question by quickly taking us 00:07:39.279 --> 00:07:43.879 through the text and picking out the three images that are the heart of the text. 00:07:43.879 --> 00:07:52.040 So here's the first one. The first one is the dove. And the dove, this is verses 1 to 19, 00:07:52.139 --> 00:07:59.639 if you want to have it there, speaks to us of peace. Chapter 8, verse 1, key verse in the whole 00:07:59.639 --> 00:08:02.959 account. If you want to debate that one, you can come and talk to me afterwards about it. That's what I 00:08:02.959 --> 00:08:14.060 think. Okay, God remembered Noah. God remembered Noah. Now that's not like God put Noah and his family, 00:08:14.159 --> 00:08:18.560 the animals on the ark, and then went away, put the kettle on, made a cup of tea, got into deep thought, 00:08:18.639 --> 00:08:22.560 and thought, hmm. And then all of a sudden, there's a guy on the boat, I need to save him. 00:08:22.560 --> 00:08:30.699 That's not what it means when it says God remembered. Okay, what does it mean? It means that God made good 00:08:30.699 --> 00:08:39.539 on his word. God looked out and he said, now's the time. Now's the time. Right, remember that promise 00:08:39.539 --> 00:08:46.360 to Noah, verse 17 of chapter 6. I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark, 00:08:46.460 --> 00:08:51.279 you and your sons, and your wife and your sons' wives with you. You are to bring into the ark two of 00:08:51.279 --> 00:08:55.500 all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. Two of every kind of bird, 00:08:55.539 --> 00:08:59.419 of every kind of animal, and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground, will come 00:08:59.419 --> 00:09:08.899 to you to be what? Kept alive. God said that he would get them to the other side. 00:09:10.639 --> 00:09:15.639 God knew where he was taking them, and this is God making good in his word. 00:09:15.639 --> 00:09:25.620 For God to remember means that what he says he will do, he will always do. Remember just before 00:09:25.620 --> 00:09:31.819 Christmas, just before we, the four of us and our family flew down to Bristol, the night before we're 00:09:31.819 --> 00:09:37.779 about to go, burst pipe in our house. I say burst pipe, probably just like exaggeration, dripping 00:09:37.779 --> 00:09:45.939 pipe, right? You get the point. So Alex goes online, and she says, anybody know enemy, enemy with a 00:09:45.939 --> 00:09:51.419 contact from an emergency plumber. Instantly someone replies on the phone to this guy, out he comes, 00:09:51.500 --> 00:09:57.860 very late at night. And he did an incredible job, incredible job. Pouring rain, he was there, fixed it, 00:09:57.899 --> 00:10:02.360 went out to the street, checked the mains, came back in, fixed it. And just before he was about to 00:10:02.360 --> 00:10:08.440 leave, he turned to us and he said, here's my card. Would you mind telling people that I did a good job? 00:10:10.039 --> 00:10:14.980 That was really strange. We'd never heard that from somebody before. And then he proceeded to say, 00:10:15.100 --> 00:10:23.000 because people in our trade, we so often get a bad name. And I want people to know that there are good 00:10:23.000 --> 00:10:30.060 ones of us out there. Isn't it interesting, isn't it? That's why in business that recommendations are so 00:10:30.059 --> 00:10:33.839 important. You probably, before you bring anybody out to your house, you check online, don't you? Can 00:10:33.839 --> 00:10:39.719 these people be trusted? But it goes to show, doesn't it, that we live in a world where trust doesn't 00:10:39.719 --> 00:10:46.559 come naturally to us. Taking somebody at their word does not come naturally to us. People, and we can 00:10:46.559 --> 00:10:53.319 think of people in trades where we think, can we really trust them? Do we really know what's going on? 00:10:53.320 --> 00:11:01.480 But the thing about this God is that he always delivers on his word. He always delivers on his 00:11:01.480 --> 00:11:08.920 words. Now you imagine the first readers of this are the Exodus generation journeying in the 00:11:08.920 --> 00:11:13.960 wilderness, thinking about, can God get us to that land that he promised? Well, here's the proof that 00:11:13.960 --> 00:11:21.620 God delivers on his word. God remembers Noah and everyone and everything on that ark. 00:11:21.620 --> 00:11:28.360 So God's judged the wickedness of the world. Now what? Well, what the text is telling us here 00:11:28.360 --> 00:11:35.320 is that it's not like the waters magically drain away. This is not Mother Nature doing her thing. 00:11:35.940 --> 00:11:43.600 Okay? This is God quite deliberately and actively causing the flood to stop and the waters to drop. 00:11:44.879 --> 00:11:49.560 Okay? Verse 1, God made a wind blow. Verse 2, the rain from the heavens was restrained, 00:11:49.559 --> 00:11:56.399 and the waters receded from the earth. What? Continually. Verse 5, the waters continued to 00:11:56.399 --> 00:12:03.379 abate. In other words, God is making this happen. He is making this happen. He is making good on his 00:12:03.379 --> 00:12:11.479 word. So is it time to come off the boat? Noah sends a raven? No, it's not time. Noah sends a dove. 00:12:11.879 --> 00:12:15.659 Is it time to go off the boat? No, it's not time. Noah sends the dove again. Verse 11, 00:12:15.659 --> 00:12:21.819 and it comes back with the branch. Presumably that means that the waters have dropped below the level 00:12:21.819 --> 00:12:27.719 of the trees. But notice that it's not just any old branch that the dove brings back. What is it? 00:12:27.719 --> 00:12:35.919 It's an olive branch. It's the symbol of peace. Is it time? It's almost time. And nearly after a year 00:12:35.919 --> 00:12:41.539 in the ark, you want to add those days up. That's kind of what it comes to. Verse 16, God says go. 00:12:41.539 --> 00:12:48.279 And at the end of verse 17, there we get it again. Be fruitful and multiply on the earth. 00:12:48.679 --> 00:12:54.899 Is this the brand new start for humanity? Well, let's move from the dove to the rainbow. And this 00:12:54.899 --> 00:13:04.419 is verse 20 to chapter 9, verse 17. And the rainbow speaks of promise. So now notice the first thing that 00:13:04.419 --> 00:13:12.159 Noah does when he gets off the ark, verse 21. What does he do? He sacrifices. It's interesting, 00:13:12.279 --> 00:13:18.059 isn't it? He sacrifices. He's offering his gratitude to God. And I guess as I've mulled on it this week, 00:13:18.099 --> 00:13:22.079 I wonder if in his heart, he knows his own heart. And we'll see that in a minute that he does. 00:13:22.620 --> 00:13:26.199 And he thinks to himself, but by the grace of God, that should have been me. 00:13:26.200 --> 00:13:34.340 And by faith and trust in this God, it wasn't. So Noah's sacrificing to God. And the aroma, 00:13:34.460 --> 00:13:41.420 do you see it, is pleasing to the Lord. Things are right. And even though God knows that the human 00:13:41.420 --> 00:13:47.540 heart is still evil, he promises not to strike down every creature again. And let me just pause 00:13:47.540 --> 00:13:51.140 at this point and just tell you what I've been reminded of this week and encourage you to remind 00:13:51.139 --> 00:13:56.819 yourselves of it as well, maybe even for the first time today to know it, to know the character of 00:13:56.819 --> 00:14:08.620 this God, that he is gracious and that he is kind and that he is unbelievably patient. 00:14:10.100 --> 00:14:17.259 It's the constant refrain, isn't it, of the, that we read in the Psalms, that praise God that he 00:14:17.259 --> 00:14:26.259 doesn't treat us as our sins deserve. And it comes up that often in the Psalms that you think to 00:14:26.259 --> 00:14:32.399 yourself that we as Christians shouldn't get over that fact. It should never cease to blow our minds 00:14:32.399 --> 00:14:38.740 that he doesn't treat us as our sins deserve, but rather he treats us according to his abundant mercy 00:14:38.740 --> 00:14:42.740 and grace. What an amazing God. 00:14:45.000 --> 00:14:52.120 Verse 22, he will show his common grace to humanity, that is, to every single human being, regardless of 00:14:52.120 --> 00:14:56.019 whether they acknowledge him or not, he will show his grace and his kindness to every human being 00:14:56.019 --> 00:15:03.940 in the seasons. Do you see it? Seed time, harvest, cold, heat, summer, winter. This is what God's 00:15:03.940 --> 00:15:08.700 going to do. My little four-year-old girl said yesterday, she said, and this was at 11 o'clock 00:15:08.700 --> 00:15:14.580 in the morning, right? She said, Daddy, we've had all the weathers today. It's a great observation, 00:15:14.740 --> 00:15:19.680 wasn't it? All the weathers today. And as I say, that was at a two, three hour window. We really did 00:15:19.680 --> 00:15:24.460 have them all yesterday. But see, with this text in my mind, I've been reminded that, do you know what? 00:15:24.460 --> 00:15:32.300 I praise God that we do have all the seasons. We have seed time in harvest and we have cold and heat. 00:15:32.299 --> 00:15:38.919 We have summer and winter, right? Okay. We sometimes get them all in one day, but do you see how that's 00:15:38.919 --> 00:15:46.059 so important? That God shows us his grace in the seasons. Now, what that means, you just back that 00:15:46.059 --> 00:15:49.839 one around in your mind. What that means is the fact that you and I had breakfast this morning 00:15:49.839 --> 00:15:59.179 is a sign of his grace and his love towards us. That we had homes to go to. We had jobs to go. We've got 00:15:59.179 --> 00:16:05.559 jobs to go to tomorrow. That we've got friends and family. That we're breathing is a sign of his 00:16:05.559 --> 00:16:11.399 grace and his love towards us. That means that when you take your meal at lunch, and let's practice 00:16:11.399 --> 00:16:15.879 this at lunch afterwards, that we don't have Tesco to thank for that meal. We don't have Kellogg's to 00:16:15.879 --> 00:16:20.279 thank for that meal. We don't have the truck driver to thank for that meal. We don't have the farmer to 00:16:20.279 --> 00:16:24.539 thank for that meal. First and foremost, we have the Lord to thank for the meal. 00:16:27.240 --> 00:16:32.199 Summer and winter and springtime in harvest, sun, moon and stars in their courses above, 00:16:32.740 --> 00:16:39.139 join with all nature in manifold witness to thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love. 00:16:39.139 --> 00:16:50.240 God's commitment to his creation. And you see how verses 1 to 7 of chapter 9, he reestablishes 00:16:50.240 --> 00:17:00.799 the sanctity of life. That life is precious to him. So everyone from the first lady in the white 00:17:00.799 --> 00:17:08.420 house to the fetus in the womb is a life precious in God's sight. And here he is, 00:17:08.420 --> 00:17:15.259 laying it down once again, every human being, every human life has been made wonderfully in his image. 00:17:15.259 --> 00:17:20.640 And you see how God is here acting to protect the vulnerable human beings who are suffering the 00:17:20.640 --> 00:17:27.900 effects of violence previously. Seeing that we understand and there's a system in place that we 00:17:27.900 --> 00:17:32.600 see the seriousness of murder and taking a life made in the image of God. 00:17:32.599 --> 00:17:39.679 God says again, go forth and multiply and he makes his covenant promise. And this is beautiful. 00:17:41.019 --> 00:17:44.879 And you'll notice in this little section, verses 8 to 17, if you want to glance at it there, 00:17:44.959 --> 00:17:50.240 that the word covenant comes up seven times. Covenant, covenant, covenant, covenant, covenant, 00:17:50.439 --> 00:17:57.839 covenant, covenant. Seven times. I mean, to see this, it's God's cast iron promise that he won't bring 00:17:57.839 --> 00:18:06.099 another devastating flood on the earth. What is the sign of that covenant? The bow's in the cloud. 00:18:07.299 --> 00:18:13.119 The rainbow. Now you read many commentators, they talk about how that's symbolic for the fact that 00:18:13.119 --> 00:18:18.740 God is hanging up his bow. He won't do it again by his grace. 00:18:18.740 --> 00:18:26.359 So is this the brand new start for humanity? Is this the one that we all long for? Well, from the dove to the 00:18:26.359 --> 00:18:31.980 rainbow to finally, verses 18 to 28 to the vineyard. And the vineyard shows us the problem. 00:18:34.120 --> 00:18:41.299 Noah gets to work. He plants the vineyard. He's cultivating God's creation, right? It's all going great at this 00:18:41.299 --> 00:18:47.240 point. It's looking great on so many levels. But this man who's been portrayed to us all the way through, 00:18:47.240 --> 00:18:50.700 right? In my head, as I've been studying these passages, I've given them nicknames, okay? 00:18:50.900 --> 00:18:57.660 Righteous Noah. Blameless Noah. Walking with God, Noah. Man of faith, Noah. Built the ark, Noah. But, 00:18:57.779 --> 00:19:04.019 verse 21, what does he become? He becomes naked, Noah. Drunk as a skunk, Noah. 00:19:07.279 --> 00:19:15.599 We're saying at this point that the fruit of the vine, that alcohol here is not a sin in itself to 00:19:15.599 --> 00:19:21.859 enjoy God's good creation, but to abuse it and drunkenness absolutely is wrong in God's sight. 00:19:22.399 --> 00:19:30.339 Here is Noah. And you see how the, it's interesting, a little parallel, isn't it? Here's Noah, naked, 00:19:31.019 --> 00:19:35.079 shame comes with it. And of course, what did we see in chapters three when sin entered the human 00:19:35.079 --> 00:19:40.859 equation with Adam and Eve? They knew they were naked and there was shame. So we're meant to see that 00:19:40.859 --> 00:19:46.779 history is repeating itself here. Okay? And given the breadcrumbs of optimism that have been laid for 00:19:46.779 --> 00:19:50.539 us in the last few chapters, see verse 21, it's meant to hit us like a bullet train. 00:19:52.539 --> 00:19:58.939 And do you see how it's not just Noah who sins on this occasion? Noah's youngest son, Ham, the father 00:19:58.939 --> 00:20:03.519 of the people who will become the Canaanites, who will be the enemies of God's people down the 00:20:03.519 --> 00:20:11.160 generations. What does this guy do? He humiliates his father. So instead of being broken for his father 00:20:11.160 --> 00:20:19.079 over his sin, instead of leaping to his defense and trying to help him out, which by the way is what 00:20:19.079 --> 00:20:24.619 we should do when we see brothers and sisters fall, that we should grieve, we should come alongside with 00:20:24.619 --> 00:20:33.059 the aim of restoring. What does this guy do? He almost, he revels in it and he gets a thrill out of 00:20:33.059 --> 00:20:37.119 going back to his brothers and saying, lads, get in here. You'll never guess what I've seen. You'll never guess 00:20:37.119 --> 00:20:42.939 what I've seen. Here he is. He's out with his camera phone. He's on the phone to the newspaper. How much will 00:20:42.939 --> 00:20:48.979 you give me for the scoop? Because this ain't any old bloke. This is Noah who's done this. How much will you give me? 00:20:48.980 --> 00:20:56.019 And when Noah realizes what's happened, when he sobers up, verse 24, do you see how he is livid? 00:20:56.759 --> 00:21:02.720 He's livid. He's angry. And you see that anger and rage are alive and well in the human heart. 00:21:02.920 --> 00:21:08.000 And how does the story of Noah end? Quite literally, what is the last word of chapter 9? 00:21:09.559 --> 00:21:18.279 Verse 29 is death. Noah died. And so here's the point of the whole account, that there was 00:21:18.279 --> 00:21:26.899 one other thing that survived the flood. The human heart did. Sin did. Why did the flood not work? 00:21:27.639 --> 00:21:32.879 Because of where the problem is. We love to think, don't we, that the problem is out there. 00:21:34.160 --> 00:21:37.720 If only we could change out there, then we'd be fine. If only we could change our external 00:21:37.720 --> 00:21:41.879 circumstances, it would be better. This passage tells us that the problem is not an external one. 00:21:42.059 --> 00:21:47.879 The problem is an internal one. That's where the problem is. It's an internal problem that we have. 00:21:48.279 --> 00:21:53.460 I don't know what you make of all this. I was trying to think on it this week. 00:21:55.079 --> 00:21:59.599 I do know the question in my mind has been all week. Why do you not just edit this bit out? 00:22:01.259 --> 00:22:04.839 Right? You're putting this together. You're Moses putting this together. Why don't you just edit 00:22:04.839 --> 00:22:10.359 this bit out? Why not stop a couple of verses earlier? Everything is going great. He's off the 00:22:10.359 --> 00:22:14.379 ark. Okay, he's not perfect, but he's giving it a shot. And there he goes. Why let us know about this? 00:22:14.380 --> 00:22:20.340 Because here's the thing. No one's putting verse 21 of chapter 9 on their Instagram account, are they? 00:22:21.700 --> 00:22:25.900 They're not. You know, you can get these apps on your phone. You might go and check it out afterwards. 00:22:25.980 --> 00:22:31.080 I don't know. You can get a picture and you can put it on your social media, whatever it is, 00:22:31.140 --> 00:22:34.560 and you can get a lovely picture and you can put a verse to go with the picture. Right? 00:22:34.559 --> 00:22:40.099 So I'm thinking this week, I'm thinking, imagine our picture, okay? The flood's stopped. There's a lovely sunset. 00:22:41.720 --> 00:22:47.799 There is a beautiful waterfall. There's a silhouette of a person with their two hands in the air like that. 00:22:48.919 --> 00:22:52.759 Right? And in verse 21, nobody's putting it. No one became drunk on their Instagram, are they? 00:22:53.240 --> 00:22:58.720 Nobody's putting it. So my question is, why not edit this bit out? Why is this here? 00:22:58.720 --> 00:23:04.120 Well, it's to help us answer the big question, yes, absolutely, that we've posed. 00:23:04.180 --> 00:23:06.680 And we'll come back to that in a second. But here's another reason. 00:23:08.200 --> 00:23:14.720 Surely it's to show the first readers and to show you and I that Noah's just like us. 00:23:16.240 --> 00:23:19.259 That he makes mistakes. That here's a guy who gets it wrong. 00:23:19.620 --> 00:23:23.480 And here's a guy who knows the same old, same old in his heart. 00:23:23.480 --> 00:23:29.500 And although the specifics of Noah's walk of faith might be different from ours on one level, 00:23:29.720 --> 00:23:32.420 on another level, do you see how they're exactly the same? 00:23:33.759 --> 00:23:37.720 And the lesson from this, surely, is that Noah's saved not because he's a perfect guy. 00:23:37.940 --> 00:23:40.779 He is saved because he's found grace with God. 00:23:41.740 --> 00:23:45.900 And he's walking in light of the promise that God would send the serpent crusher. 00:23:45.960 --> 00:23:49.819 Remember the serpent crusher that God promised in chapter 3, verse 15. 00:23:49.819 --> 00:23:56.359 What that means is that when we fail in the Christian life, when we fall in the Christian life, 00:23:57.679 --> 00:24:00.740 well, sorry, rather that the question is not will we fall in the Christian life? 00:24:00.799 --> 00:24:03.839 The question is where will we run when we fall in the Christian life? 00:24:05.919 --> 00:24:09.879 Because what, if you think about it in this account, what is Noah's only play here? 00:24:10.899 --> 00:24:13.960 When it comes to being right with God, 00:24:14.059 --> 00:24:18.799 what are the only two things in this chapter that suggest that that is going to be a reality for him? 00:24:18.799 --> 00:24:24.379 Two things, surely, are sacrifice and covenant promise. 00:24:25.519 --> 00:24:29.839 The only two plays that this guy has got, he can't plead his own righteousness. 00:24:30.079 --> 00:24:31.700 He can't plead his own perfection. 00:24:31.899 --> 00:24:35.240 He can only plead sacrifice and covenant promise. 00:24:35.240 --> 00:24:41.180 And fast forward many, many generations from this one down Seth's line, 00:24:41.920 --> 00:24:47.700 comes one who would not just speak about sacrifice and covenant promise, 00:24:48.240 --> 00:24:51.559 but who would become both for us. 00:24:53.620 --> 00:24:57.660 This Jesus who says in Matthew 26, 00:24:57.660 --> 00:25:08.000 quite literally that giving of himself will become, 00:25:08.660 --> 00:25:12.960 will reach his climax rather in his self-giving of himself on the cross. 00:25:13.060 --> 00:25:15.240 This Jesus who says in Matthew 26, 00:25:15.240 --> 00:25:17.839 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, 00:25:17.940 --> 00:25:19.779 and when he'd given thanks, he broke it, 00:25:20.579 --> 00:25:23.079 and he gave it to his disciples, saying, 00:25:23.240 --> 00:25:26.220 Take and eat, this is my body. 00:25:26.980 --> 00:25:29.200 Then he took a cup, and when he'd given thanks, 00:25:29.259 --> 00:25:30.259 he gave it to them, saying, 00:25:30.440 --> 00:25:31.720 Drink from it, all of you. 00:25:32.059 --> 00:25:34.620 This is the blood of the covenant, 00:25:34.619 --> 00:25:40.919 which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 00:25:42.299 --> 00:25:45.559 Here is Jesus strong and kind. 00:25:46.279 --> 00:25:49.719 Here is Jesus compassionate and in control. 00:25:49.719 --> 00:25:52.559 Here is Jesus great and good. 00:25:52.819 --> 00:25:57.059 Do you see how Noah's only hope in faith 00:25:57.059 --> 00:25:59.879 is the person and work of Jesus? 00:25:59.880 --> 00:26:06.680 His life, his death, his resurrection, his ascension, his return. 00:26:07.240 --> 00:26:10.440 And friends, our only hope is Jesus. 00:26:11.760 --> 00:26:13.040 He's our only hope. 00:26:13.500 --> 00:26:15.700 In one level, he is all we have. 00:26:16.480 --> 00:26:16.920 Isn't it? 00:26:16.940 --> 00:26:17.900 He's all we have. 00:26:18.080 --> 00:26:20.680 But in another sense, so beautifully, he is all we need. 00:26:23.640 --> 00:26:24.300 Love it. 00:26:25.100 --> 00:26:26.460 Our only hope is Jesus. 00:26:26.460 --> 00:26:30.660 And so in our lives, when we run around from thing to thing, 00:26:30.799 --> 00:26:33.640 when we run around hoping that things are going to get better, 00:26:33.740 --> 00:26:37.259 when we run around trying to do things, trying to better ourselves, 00:26:37.480 --> 00:26:39.880 but we end up where Noah ends up, 00:26:39.980 --> 00:26:42.259 knowing in our hearts the same old, same old. 00:26:42.360 --> 00:26:44.420 Jesus says, come to me. 00:26:45.480 --> 00:26:47.440 Come to me. 00:26:48.180 --> 00:26:50.799 And the thing is that he is not a personal trainer 00:26:50.799 --> 00:26:54.259 whose job it is to stand by our side, watch us perform, 00:26:54.259 --> 00:26:55.680 and say, go on, you can do it. 00:26:55.759 --> 00:26:56.700 Go on, you can do it. 00:26:56.759 --> 00:26:57.740 Go on, you can do it. 00:26:58.019 --> 00:26:59.759 Helping is trying to turn over a new leaf. 00:27:00.160 --> 00:27:02.420 Jesus is in the business of being a savior 00:27:02.420 --> 00:27:05.220 who says, come to me on my terms. 00:27:06.539 --> 00:27:07.460 Deny yourself. 00:27:07.859 --> 00:27:10.819 In other words, stop trying to win yourself right. 00:27:12.759 --> 00:27:15.420 Deny yourself, pick up your cross, and follow me. 00:27:15.420 --> 00:27:19.800 And you will find that to lose your life is to find your life. 00:27:20.279 --> 00:27:25.039 Because it's with me, the only one who can give you living water. 00:27:27.019 --> 00:27:28.300 Here's the heart problem. 00:27:29.820 --> 00:27:32.279 And incredibly, and you read this all the time in the Gospels, don't you, 00:27:32.300 --> 00:27:33.740 as people encounter Jesus. 00:27:34.500 --> 00:27:35.740 They don't leave the same. 00:27:36.860 --> 00:27:37.420 They leave changed. 00:27:38.140 --> 00:27:41.920 And here is a savior who is in the business of giving new hearts 00:27:41.920 --> 00:27:43.940 to all those who would come to him in faith. 00:27:45.820 --> 00:27:49.480 I heard the voice of Jesus say, come unto me and rest. 00:27:50.560 --> 00:27:54.680 Lay down, thou weary one, lay down thy head upon my breast. 00:27:54.740 --> 00:27:59.519 I came to Jesus as I was, weary and worn and sad. 00:27:59.519 --> 00:28:04.740 I found in him a resting place, and he has made me glad. 00:28:05.580 --> 00:28:09.279 This account of the flood throws us to Jesus. 00:28:09.279 --> 00:28:13.599 You know, humanity longs for a new beginning. 00:28:15.000 --> 00:28:18.319 You and I, we long, we do, for everything that this flood narrative 00:28:18.319 --> 00:28:21.059 has almost tantalizingly dangled in front of us. 00:28:21.779 --> 00:28:24.879 A world where sin is judged and eradicated. 00:28:26.740 --> 00:28:28.980 Where there's no more murder, where there's no injustice, 00:28:29.259 --> 00:28:31.039 where there's no pain, where there's no suffering, 00:28:31.200 --> 00:28:35.859 where there's no war, where peace reigns and rest rules. 00:28:35.859 --> 00:28:39.599 And I think in one sense, you can almost hear that coming through 00:28:39.599 --> 00:28:41.159 in John Lennon's song. 00:28:41.240 --> 00:28:42.679 It kind of seeps in there, doesn't it? 00:28:42.759 --> 00:28:43.859 Imagine no possessions. 00:28:43.979 --> 00:28:44.699 I wonder if you can. 00:28:45.079 --> 00:28:47.219 No need for greed or hunger, a brotherhood of man. 00:28:47.639 --> 00:28:49.599 Imagine all the people sharing all the world. 00:28:49.979 --> 00:28:52.339 You may say that I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. 00:28:52.399 --> 00:28:56.139 I hope someday you will join us, and the world will live as one. 00:28:56.199 --> 00:28:57.740 You can hear it in his language. 00:28:59.399 --> 00:29:00.159 Sound good? 00:29:01.179 --> 00:29:02.439 Boy, does it sound good. 00:29:02.440 --> 00:29:04.820 Absolutely it does. 00:29:06.440 --> 00:29:08.019 Lennon might have a dream, but here's the thing. 00:29:08.080 --> 00:29:09.059 He doesn't have a solution. 00:29:10.180 --> 00:29:12.120 His solution is look inside yourself. 00:29:13.620 --> 00:29:14.580 Let's try and be better. 00:29:15.940 --> 00:29:18.299 But the Bible's take on us seems to be a lot more realistic. 00:29:19.820 --> 00:29:21.960 Telling us not to look in, because if you look in, 00:29:21.980 --> 00:29:22.840 you won't find a solution. 00:29:22.960 --> 00:29:23.860 You'll find the problem. 00:29:25.539 --> 00:29:28.580 It seems to me that history is littered with movements 00:29:28.579 --> 00:29:32.039 and people who tried to lead us to this new, brave world, 00:29:32.159 --> 00:29:35.259 this new beginning, and every single one of them failed. 00:29:35.359 --> 00:29:35.659 Do you know what? 00:29:35.679 --> 00:29:37.500 Here's another guy who, as it were, failed. 00:29:38.099 --> 00:29:39.059 Noah's not the guy. 00:29:40.000 --> 00:29:43.960 Noah's not the new Adam to usher us into this brave new world. 00:29:44.240 --> 00:29:46.519 So then, second question, is it possible? 00:29:48.299 --> 00:29:49.460 Well, only in Jesus. 00:29:49.460 --> 00:29:56.600 The true and better and perfect Adam can be said that it gloriously is. 00:29:57.500 --> 00:30:02.519 Because every tantalizing promise of Scripture that God makes us 00:30:02.519 --> 00:30:05.360 finds its amen in him. 00:30:05.359 --> 00:30:11.399 And the one who tells us in the book of Revelation, 00:30:11.559 --> 00:30:12.439 right at the end there, 00:30:12.539 --> 00:30:14.399 he who was seated on the throne said, 00:30:14.579 --> 00:30:16.619 see, I am making everything new. 00:30:17.559 --> 00:30:21.939 And it's Jesus who calls us to come to him and to know life. 00:30:22.259 --> 00:30:26.240 Life now, but life fully then. 00:30:27.139 --> 00:30:29.139 In this brand new world where he reigns as king. 00:30:30.819 --> 00:30:32.159 So friends, why don't we just pray? 00:30:32.160 --> 00:30:36.560 Or rather, why don't we just have a moment of silence? 00:30:36.880 --> 00:30:39.700 And I realize there was a lot of stuff that has come out today. 00:30:39.960 --> 00:30:45.940 And I encourage you to take this moment to, as it were, 00:30:46.019 --> 00:30:47.380 to do business with the Lord. 00:30:48.040 --> 00:30:49.460 And then I'll close this in prayer. 00:30:54.279 --> 00:30:56.960 And so, Lord Jesus, to you we lift our eyes. 00:31:00.019 --> 00:31:01.220 The giver of life. 00:31:02.160 --> 00:31:08.140 Lord, I pray that as we almost finish our official time here together today, 00:31:08.259 --> 00:31:10.640 Lord, that you would be doing your work by your word 00:31:10.640 --> 00:31:13.100 through the power of your Holy Spirit in our lives. 00:31:13.720 --> 00:31:15.640 Lord, I pray that for each of us, Lord, 00:31:15.700 --> 00:31:16.759 whatever we are at, 00:31:16.880 --> 00:31:19.120 whatever your word has found us today, 00:31:19.259 --> 00:31:21.220 thank you, first of all, that you know our hearts. 00:31:22.900 --> 00:31:23.920 And so, secondly, Lord, 00:31:23.960 --> 00:31:27.040 I ask that your word would do its work in our lives. 00:31:27.140 --> 00:31:29.600 Would you make us more like Jesus, we ask. 00:31:29.599 --> 00:31:32.159 Father, thank you for your great love for us. 00:31:33.019 --> 00:31:34.439 And we thank you that you hear us, 00:31:34.500 --> 00:31:36.439 because we pray in Jesus' precious name. 00:31:37.019 --> 00:31:37.339 Amen.