So let's begin our worship now this evening. We're singing firstly in Psalm 98, Psalm number 98, that's on page 129.
Sorry, I think it's actually 98. What has the presenter got?
98.
98, okay.
Psalm 98, verses 1 to 4, page 129.
Oh, sing a new song to the Lord for wonders he has done. His right hand and his holy arm the victory have won.
The Lord declared his saving work and made it to be known. To all the nations of the world his righteousness is shown.
Psalm 98, these verses marked 1 to 4 to God's praise.
Oh, sing a new song to the Lord for wonders he has done. His right hand and his holy arm the victory have won.
The Lord declared his saving work and made it to be known.
To all the nations of the world his righteousness is shown.
His right hand and his holy arm the victory have won.
The Lord has won.
The Lord za'ud.
Can you praise you?
The Lord has won.
His name and Jeкуins superboy and I know.
こちら of holy 점 or his holy name.
Until the Lord has been given.
The Lord has won.
His name and Jeu smolonaise on the holy 신.
There if God never has won.
The nations of the earth have seen what God has done.
Our God, your great deliverance, I wish my hand alone.
Acclaim the Lord, O all the earth, shout thou thee and rejoice.
Make new sin and be true, and to him lift up your voice.
Let's now call upon the Lord in prayer.
Let's join together in prayer.
Our gracious and eternal God, once again as we gather here in your presence, we ask that
you would draw near to us as we seek to draw near to you.
We give thanks, O Lord, for these words that we have sung, that set out how you have revealed
yourself to us as human beings and how the indications are throughout the world that
God lives.
And we thank you that that is especially the case through the testimony of your people.
We pray, O Lord, that we ourselves may continue to have that concern to make you known, and
to make you known to those around us who do not themselves seek after you.
We thank you tonight that we are able to worship you in a gathered congregation of your people.
And we give thanks for the many ways in which you have promised to regard the gatherings of
your people in such a way as would bless them and take delight in them.
And we do ask, O Lord, tonight that we may know this for ourselves.
Help us as we turn to your word to read it and to hear of its teaching.
And enable us, we pray, by your Holy Spirit to lay these things to heart.
Forbid that we should be so familiar with your word and yet not have it direct our path in this
world.
And, Lord, we ask that you would continue to bless us as a congregation as we look forward
in anticipation to these days to come.
We have already, Lord, heard of the activities that we hope to take part in and to have as part
of the congregation's outreach and witness.
And we do pray for your blessing in regard to all of these things.
We give thanks for the opportunity to do this.
And we pray that, Lord, that you would bring people to involve themselves and to offer themselves
as helpers in these various activities.
And we ask that those that we have contact with will actually come, Lord, to know of your love,
of your grace in the Lord Jesus Christ, and of the way in which in the gospel you bring
so many truths to bear upon us in our present lives.
We ask that you would continue, Lord, to bless the Smiths as they settle into their new location.
And as we anticipate Callum's induction, Lord, we pray that you would provide for this for us
and enable him, we pray, to settle into his ministry here in our midst.
We pray that you would bless the presbytery as once again we have an induction within the
bounds of the presbytery.
And we thank you for all that has come together, O Lord, to make this such a rich and exciting
anticipation on our part.
We pray that his ministry here will be greatly owned and blessed of the Holy Spirit.
We ask, O Lord, that you would graciously endow him with all that is necessary for him
to be our assistant.
And we ask at this time that his family too, wife and children, will be blessed as they settle
into a new environment, as the children adjust to a new school.
We ask, O Lord, that all of that will be smooth for them and that you would be pleased to grant
them your grace to that end.
We pray, too, for what we anticipate doing in the summer months.
We ask that you would bless our testimony as we seek to have buildings opened and explanations
given as to certain aspects of the testimony of our church.
And we pray that you would bless the provision that we make for breakfast for those, Lord,
who are unable to find a breakfast elsewhere on that morning.
We ask that you are our witness to them and all that we give out by way of leaflets or word
of mouth testimony will be blessed.
And we come to you, Lord, and ask that you would continue to prepare the way for us.
Remember the anticipated holiday club as well.
We ask that you would bless Fiona as she continues to arrange, along with those who help her, make
arrangements for that.
We pray for the children who have already indicated their intention to come.
And we ask, O Lord, that that will be blessed and that you'd be pleased to grant us a sign
of your own favor and comfort in regard to all of these matters.
We pray, O Lord, for those who tonight can't be with us, those of our number who are ill at this time,
especially those who are seriously ill.
We pray that you'd bless them, whether they be at home or in hospital.
And we ask, O Lord, that you would reach out to them, minister to them by your own spirit and
give them the comfort and the preparation they need.
And help them, Lord, we pray, as they look forward to better times.
We pray that you would grant blessing to them.
And to that end, we pray for those who mourn the passing of loved ones and have had mourning
in their experience, sometimes for many years.
And, Lord, we know that sometimes that pain, even if it be lessened, it is still very much with
those who grieve.
And we do commend them to you tonight.
And do ask, O Lord, that you would comfort them, that your Holy Spirit will comfort them.
You are the comforter, the one who draws alongside your people and who brings your own
great gift of grace to them.
And we ask that you would be pleased, Lord, to give calm and quiet hearts.
To those who are hurting at this time.
Bless, too, those who are struggling with their faith due to events in their own lives or
what they see in the world.
Gracious Lord, we commit them to you and ask that you would draw near to them, to draw them
to yourself.
We pray for those who have turned their back upon the church and ask that you would bless
them, O Lord, and bring them back again to the fellowship of your people, not only in
this congregation, but other congregations, too.
We realize, O Lord, that the past two years have had a devastating effect on many people.
And we pray that those who have been affected, especially spiritually or in their mental health,
will know your blessing at this time.
And reach out to them, we pray, also.
And minister grace to their hearts.
Remember us now, Lord, as we remain here in your presence.
And as we look into your word, once again, we pray that your Holy Spirit will take the
things of Christ and show them to us.
And in all of these things, Lord, accept our praise.
We have so much to give thanks for.
So many things that we receive from you by way of gifts of your grace from day to day.
Help us not to be neglectful, Lord, to give thanks even for the things that we have in
common that we take sometimes, Lord, for granted.
And we ask that you would continue to make us thankful and dependable upon yourself for
our daily lives.
So receive us now, we pray, and pardon our many sins.
For Jesus' sake.
Amen.
Once again, we're going to praise God.
This time we're praising God from Psalm 90.
Psalm 90, that's on the Scottish Psalter version, page 350.
We're singing from verse 11 as far as verse 14.
This psalm is a prayer of Moses.
That's in the book of Psalms.
That's the title that's given to it, a prayer of Moses, the man of God.
And throughout this prayer of Moses, he has been dealing with his thoughts.
He has been upon how short his own and human life is in comparison to God and how uncertain
life can be.
And yet he comes to pray here in these verses that God would be merciful and gracious to
us.
So verse 11.
Who knows the power of thy wrath?
According to thy fear, so is thy wrath.
Lord, teach thou us our end and mine to bear.
And so to count our days, that we our hearts may still apply, to learn thy wisdom and thy truth,
that we may live thereby.
Turn yet again to us, O Lord.
How long thus shall it be?
Let it repent thee now for those that servants are to thee.
O with thy tender mercies, Lord, us early satisfy.
So we rejoice shall all our days and still be glad in thee.
And may we think of our situation, not only in terms of our church needs and our personal
needs, also our national needs, as we realize how much in our ways we have departed from the
ways of the Lord and how we can appeal to him in prayer, even as we sing these words of
the psalm.
Turn yet again to us, O Lord.
How long thus shall it be?
So these verses 11 to 14, to God's praise.
Amen.
Let it repent thee now for those last sermons are to thee.
O with thy tenderness, Jesus, Lord, how sternly satisfied.
So we rejoice, shall all our days, and still be had in thee.
Let's turn to read God's Word as we find that tonight in the book of Genesis.
The book of Genesis and chapter 6.
We're going to read from verse 9 of chapter 6 through to verse 5 of chapter 7.
So Genesis chapter 6, beginning at verse 5.
These are the generations of Noah.
Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation.
Noah walked with God, and Noah had three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight, and the earth was filled with violence.
And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.
And God said to Noah, I have determined to make an end of all flesh,
for the earth is filled with violence through them.
Behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
Make yourself an ark of gopher wood.
Make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch.
This is how you are to make it.
The length of the ark, 300 cubits.
Its breadth, 50 cubits.
And its height, 30 cubits.
Make a roof for the ark, and furnish it to a cubit above, and set the door of the ark in its side.
Make it with lower, second, and third decks.
For behold, I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth,
to destroy all fresh in which is the breath of life under heaven.
Everything that is on the earth shall die.
But I will establish my covenant with you,
and you shall come into the ark, you and your sons, your wife, and your sons' wives with you.
And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every sort into the ark,
to keep them alive with you.
They shall be male and female,
of the birds according to their kinds, and of the animals according to their kinds.
Of every creeping thing of the ground, according to its kind, two of every sort,
shall come into you to keep them alive.
Also take with you every sort of food that is eaten and stored up.
It shall serve as food for you and for them.
Noah did this.
He did all that God commanded him.
Then the Lord said to Noah,
Go into the ark, you and all your household,
for I have seen that you are righteous before me in this generation.
Take with you seven pairs of all clean animals, the male and his mate,
and a pair of animals that are not clean, the male and his mate,
and seven pairs of the birds of the heavens also,
male and female, to keep their offspring alive on the face of all the earth.
For in seven days I will send rain on the earth,
for forty days and forty nights,
and every living thing that I have made,
I will blot out from the face of the ground.
And Noah did all that the Lord had commanded him.
And so on may God come with His blessing to follow a reading of His Word.
We'll sing once again, this time in Psalm 11 on page 13.
And we're singing verses 3 to 7.
A psalm that, as you know, deals with the judgment of God
and the solemnities of God's judgment
and how the righteous will nevertheless find a place in His presence.
So Psalm 11 from verse 3,
If the foundations are destroyed and all around there is decay,
whatever can the righteous do surrounded by such disarray?
The Lord is in His holy place,
the Lord is on His heavenly throne,
His eyes observe the human race,
and in His sight each one is known.
And so on to the end of the Psalm from verse 4,
from verse 3,
if the foundations are destroyed.
If the foundations are destroyed,
and all around there is decay,
whatever come the righteous do,
surround it by such disarray.
The Lord is in His holy place,
the Lord is on His heavenly throne,
His eyes observe the human race,
and in His sight each one is known.
The Lord examines all the just,
the righteous ones in cruisant taste,
that all those who love wickedness
and violence is so detest.
Upon the wicked He will reign,
His highly gold and sulfur hot,
a scorching wind will beat on them,
such punishment will be their loss.
For God the Lord is righteous still,
In righteousness He takes delight,
and they alone will see His face,
through our in heart and life of Christ.
Please join with me to the New Testament,
to the letter to the Hebrews,
and chapter 11.
Hebrews chapter 11,
and tonight we're looking especially at verse 7,
which relates to the passage we read in Genesis.
Hebrews 11 at verse 7,
By faith Noah, being warned by God
concerning events as yet unseen,
in reverent fear,
constructed an ark
for the saving of his household.
By this he condemned the world
and became an heir
of the righteousness that comes by faith.
Well, for very good reason,
the major shipyards of the world
have always been set near to the sea
or else on the banks of a great river,
such as the River Clyde
in our own country,
which was famous at one time
for its shipbuilding
and the quality of its shipbuilding.
That's because, of course,
when a ship needs to be launched,
it requires a great deal of water
to be nearby
into which it can be launched.
But just imagine
what you would think or say
if you saw somebody
beginning to build
a large ship
out beside the hill
Moornack,
miles and miles
away from the shore
and out in the middle
of the moorland.
And imagine the media reports.
If somebody went to start
that kind of project,
you can imagine the media
taking an interest
and going to actually interview
the man who had started
what looked like
this silly project,
building a huge ship
so far from the sea.
And imagine how the media
would report that,
especially during the interview
if they asked him,
why are you doing this?
And he replied,
well, because God told me.
Just imagine what the headlines
would actually then be.
But that's what it was like
for Noah.
God told him to build
this massive ark
out of wood
that would contain
himself and his family
and all the animals
that God had commanded
him to take into the ark
to keep alive
during the flood
that God was going to bring
on the earth.
Just like the man
out at Moornack,
Noah would have been regarded
by many of his generation
as something of a crank,
something,
someone who was just
involved in doing
a work that was just bizarre.
Why would he do such a thing?
What was behind such a project?
How could he possibly
really be serious
in what he was doing?
And this is, of course,
one of the things
the Bible tells us
about Noah,
that it was by faith
that he actually built
this ark.
By faith,
Noah being warned
by God concerning events
as yet unseen
in reverent fear
constructed an ark
for the saving
of his household.
So let's ask the question,
first of all,
what induced Noah
to build this ark?
And then the second question
is what was the outcome
of his building
of the ark?
And we're told that
in the next part of the verse,
by this he condemned
the world
and became an heir
of the righteousness
that comes by faith.
So it's a two-fold outcome
because side by side
you've got salvation
for himself
and for his family
and you've also got
destruction
for the rest of life
on earth.
What induced Noah
to build the ark?
What was he thinking?
Can we get access
to his thoughts?
Can we get access
to his mind?
Yes, we can
because the Bible
actually tells us
how it was
that he came to do this.
And we're told here
in this verse
that it was first of all
because he was warned
by God
that he actually set
about doing
this great project.
He was warned
by God.
He had a warning
from God.
It wasn't just
a mere statement
from God.
We're told here
that was actually
a warning.
You might say
it was something like
what you find
ahead of tsunamis
nowadays.
The tsunami,
of course,
being massively destructive
most of the time
as we've seen,
sadly,
even during the course
of our own lifetime.
We've seen tsunamis
in places of the world
and some places
that have caused
massive loss of life
and destruction.
And there's nowadays
a warning given
in these places
that are prone
to tsunamis.
There's an alarm
throughout the cities
or towns
of an approaching tsunami.
So,
this was really
for Noah
equivalent
to advance warning
of this disaster
that was coming
on the world.
God actually
sent him a warning.
God told him
what was going
to take place
and God instructed him
how he was
to make preparation
for this solemn event.
That's what induced him
to build this ark.
And it wasn't just
a warning of any kind,
it was a warning
from God himself.
By faith,
Noah,
being warned by God,
built this ark.
He took it
at face value.
He didn't say
about it
that it was something
that he didn't really
need to be serious about
or treat seriously.
As far as he was concerned,
it was from God himself.
Not only did he have it
for his own benefit,
but we're told
in 2 Peter
about Noah
being a preacher
of righteousness.
2 Peter 2,
verse 5,
that's how
he is described
as a preacher there
of righteousness.
And as he lived
in his generation,
his preaching
of righteousness
would, of course,
take account
of the fact
that God
had actually foretold him
of this coming flood
that was going
to destroy life
on earth.
And so his preaching
of righteousness
would have been preaching
in relation to
that great disaster
that was coming,
imploring and appealing
to his contemporaries
to make preparation
for this
and to treat God's warning
with the utmost seriousness.
He believed it,
he preached it,
and that's what
we also have
because in 2 Peter,
it's interesting how
in 2 Peter,
we didn't read that,
we read the account
of Genesis,
of course,
but in 2 Peter,
chapter 3,
verses 3 to 7,
you have something
that really applies
these times of Noah,
this warning
that Noah was given
because he says
that I'm writing
this to you,
beloved,
stirring up your sincere
mind by way
of reminder
that you should
remember the predictions
of the holy prophets
and the commandments
of the Lord and Savior
through your apostles,
knowing this,
first of all,
that scoffers will come
in the last days
with scoffing,
following their own
sinful desires.
They will say,
where is the promise
of his coming?
For ever since
the fathers fell asleep,
all things are continuing
as they were
from the beginning
of creation.
And then he says this,
for they deliberately
overlook this fact
that the heavens
existed long ago
and the earth
was formed out of water
and through water
by the word of God,
and that by means
of these,
the world that then was
was deluged with water
and perished.
By the same word,
the word of God,
the heavens and earth
are now in existence,
stored up,
being kept
until the day of judgment
and the destruction
of the ungodly.
You see the parallel
that Peter is drawing
between what happened
in the days of Noah
and the warning that came
in the days of Noah
and what's now given to us
through the gospel.
This is our tsunami alert.
This is God
through the gospel saying,
as surely as it happened
in the days of Noah,
so it's going to happen
at the end of the world.
This is actually
what lies await
in the history
of mankind.
And we have
the application
of that also
in 2 Peter
because he doesn't
leave it at just
saying that
this is what is going
to happen
in chapter 3 again
and verses 11
and 14 and 15.
He then draws
the lessons
for that for us.
This is what he's saying,
since all these things
are thus to be dissolved,
what sort of people
ought you to be
in lives of holiness
and godliness,
waiting for
and hastening
the coming
of the day of God
because of which
the elements,
the heavens,
will be set on fire
and dissolved
and the heavenly bodies
will melt
as they burn.
But we,
according to his promise,
are waiting
for new heavens
and a new earth
in which righteousness
dwells.
And then he went on
to apply it further,
therefore, beloved,
since you are waiting
for these,
be diligent
to be found by him
without spot
or blemish
and at peace
and count
the patience
of the Lord.
In other words,
the way in which God
has not yet come
in his judgment
is due to the patience
of the Lord
and he says,
count
or account
the patience
of the Lord
as salvation
as our beloved
brother Paul
also wrote
to you.
What is Peter
saying there?
He's saying,
if you actually
dismiss what happened
in the days of Noah
as just myth
or just imagination
or something
that was fine
for previous generations
who didn't really
understand the world
as we know it,
then you're really
committing
a very,
very serious error
because he's saying
there's a parallel
between what happened
in the days
of Noah
and what's going
to happen
at the end
of this world.
The judgment
of God
will bring
the destruction
that's parallel
to what happened
in the days
of Noah.
We have
a tsunami warning.
The gospel
is saying to us
there is
a disaster
coming.
There is
an end coming
to the creation
as we know it.
And tonight
that warning,
that alarm
is being sounded
in the preaching
of the gospel,
in the reading
of our Bibles.
But you see,
it's not just
that he received
a warning from God,
it was actually
a warning
concerning events
yet unseen.
You see,
when a tsunami
alarm goes off,
those that are actually
in that vicinity
can't really see
anything different
to what they saw
the previous day
or the previous
few hours.
Because the tsunami
warning is based
on those who are
monitoring these
situations,
very often from
a distance,
and it may still
be very far
out at sea,
and you can't see
it with the naked
eye.
When the alarm
goes off,
you look around
you and say,
well,
what's changed?
Things are just
going on as they
were.
And this is what
the Bible is
actually telling us
about the judgment
of God as well,
building on what
happened in the
days of Noah
and Noah's
experience by faith,
being warned by
God concerning
events as yet
unseen.
Everything seems
normal.
There isn't any
sign of any
coming judgment.
But the people
of God know
that the Bible
doesn't lie,
that God
doesn't lie,
and that Bible
tonight is
our alarm.
And however much
people may not
believe that it's
coming,
that's not going
to stop it.
Not believing
the Word of God
is not going
to change
God's intentions.
It's not going
to alter
God's purpose.
And all the time
that the world
continues,
this final disaster
is gathering
pace.
Every day that
goes by
is a day nearer.
We don't know
how long it will
be.
The Bible doesn't
tell us when
the day of judgment
will come.
It doesn't tell us
how many years
we have to go
in the history
of the world
before the Lord
comes back,
before this great
disaster comes,
when the earth
and all that's in it
will be dissolved
and will disappear
and will come under
the fire of God's
judgment to be
replaced by a new
heavens and a new
earth in which
righteousness dwells.
But the Bible
is our alarm call.
It's gathering
pace meantime,
and it will burst
upon the world
as Jesus Himself
preached in His day.
with regard to
the coming
judgment of God.
So you have
the advantage
tonight,
and I have the
advantage of a
Bible.
You have the
advantage of
belonging to a
church that
believes the
Bible.
You have the
advantage of the
gospel being
preached,
where the Bible's
teaching is set out
for us as best we
can,
and seeking that
God will apply it
to our own hearts
and to yours as
well.
That Bible is
telling me tonight
what kind of person
you ought to be
knowing that this
is actually coming.
Know that you're
going to actually
face God in His
judgment whenever
it will come.
So it was
induced by having
received a warning
from God,
and it was about
things not yet
seen.
That's how it is
exactly for
ourselves tonight.
We can't see
the judgment.
Still, as far as
we're concerned,
far off.
But what God is
saying is,
it's real,
and it will
come in my
time.
And meantime,
I've left you
a window of
opportunity,
a day of
grace.
I've left it in
my patience,
God is saying,
in my concern
that sinners
will be saved
and not
destroyed.
And that
brings us,
thirdly,
to see that
what induced
him was he
received a
warning,
and he
received a
warning from
God of
things yet
not seen,
but he
acted by
faith.
Now, of course,
this great
chapter is a
chapter that
lists all
those who
lived by
faith and
all those who
did things
by faith.
He saw and
believed God's
Word and
God's warning,
and he took
specific action
in regard to
that warning.
Now, we have
a Bible, as we
said, and
in faith,
the faith of
God's people,
the faith that
we exercise as
we trust in
God, as we
use His Word,
is a faith that
responds in
a certain way to
each of the
elements of
God's Word.
And the best
definition of
that is in
Westminster
Confession of
Faith, where
you find this
actually said,
by this faith,
a Christian
believes to be
true whatever
is revealed in
the Word.
Now, that's the
first thing.
A Christian
believes to be
true whatever
is revealed in
the Word, because
it's God's Word.
It goes on to
say, for the
authority of
God Himself
speaking therein.
And this faith
acts differently
upon that which
each particular
passage thereof
contains,
yielding obedience
to the commands,
trembling at the
threatenings,
and embracing
the promises
of God for
this life and
for that which
is to come.
And what is that
saying to us?
It's saying when
we believe in
God, when we
trust in God,
when our faith
is the faith the
Bible calls upon
us to exercise,
then, in relation
to the different
aspects of God's
Word, that faith
acts.
So that when that
faith comes to
the commands of
God, it gives
obedience.
When that faith
comes to be
confronted with
the threatenings
of God, such
as in the
warnings of the
final judgment,
well, that faith
trembles at the
threatenings.
It's not a
trembling, as we'll
see with Noah,
it's not a
trembling in
anticipation of
not being saved.
It's the
trembling of
realizing that
this Word is
real and that
God is real.
And when it
comes to the
promises of
God for this
life and for
that which is
to come,
the faith of
God's people
reacts specifically
by embracing
these promises.
And you can
ask yourself,
as I need to
ask myself,
as you read
your Bible,
how do you
find your
mind, your
soul reacting
to the
different elements
of God's
truth?
What is your
response as you
come across the
commands of
God?
What is your
response as you
meet with the
threatenings of
God, with the
solemn announcements
of God's
coming judgment?
What does that
do for you in
your heart?
And when you
come across the
promises of
God, the
promises that
are addressed to
us in terms of
God's own
saving grace,
how much do we
value and
appreciate and
live by, and
as the
confession put it,
embrace these
promises?
He was
induced by
having a
warning from
God of
events as
yet unseen.
He moved
by faith,
believing what
God had said
to him,
trusting in
the Word of
God.
But then you
notice this,
in reverent
fear, he
constructed an
ark.
This is a very
detailed verse,
and all these
elements in this
verse are
important.
It's not just
saying that Noah
believed the
Word of God.
It's not just
saying that he
believed what
God was
threatening to
bring and
would bring.
It's not just
saying to us
that he did
this by faith.
He did this
by a faith
which included,
as we said,
from the
confession of
faith,
trembling at
the threatenings
of God.
It calls it
here reverent
fear.
Now you know
yourselves that
the Word of
God in many
places talks
about the
fear of God.
You go to
the book of
Proverbs and
throughout the
book of Psalms
especially, you
find the fear
of God very
often mentioned.
The fear of
God is
something that
takes place in
our hearts, in
our lives, in
our minds, and
it is to do
with how we
respond to
what God has
revealed of
Himself.
And the fear
of God is
not to do
with being
terrified.
It's not a
slavish fear.
It's not a
fear that
cringes in
response to
what God has
revealed.
It's rather
fear in the
sense of
love,
awe,
respect,
respect for
what God
has revealed
and who
God is.
And if we
are marked
by the fear
of God,
obviously that
will include
godliness in
our character
and behavior,
but it will
also mean that
everything God
has revealed,
we give utter
respect to.
We live in
awe of this
God and His
greatness.
we take on
board all
that the
Bible tells
us about
His
attributes,
whether we
think of
His power,
His grace,
His love,
His mercy,
His judgment,
His anger,
whatever else.
The fear of
God is what
takes these
seriously and
respects God
for who He
is.
And that fear
of God,
in the book
of Proverbs,
there are a
number of
verses that
tell us
the fear
of God
is the
beginning
of wisdom.
Beginning there
means the
foundational element
of wisdom.
Remember in
Psalm 90
where we
sang these
words of
the prayer
of Moses,
the man of
God,
teach us
to number
our days
so that
we may
apply our
hearts
to wisdom.
There is
Moses himself
thinking of
the awesomeness
of God,
the majesty,
the greatness
of God,
something which
our world has
so much forgotten
or doesn't
want to know
about.
But there is
Moses,
through this
great song,
teaching his
own people
and praying
to God
to help
them to
number their
days.
In other
words,
to take
account of
the brevity
of life
as against
the longevity
and eternalness
of God
himself.
And taking
account of
the brevity
of life,
Moses is saying,
is really
to turn
your heart
to wisdom,
to be
wise unto
salvation,
to treat
the things
that God
has revealed
of himself
with the
utmost seriousness.
And when he
talks about
the coming
judgment,
that has
to have
its own
place
in the
elements
that we
believe
and respond
to.
And of
course,
there is so
much gain
mentioned
in the
likes of
Psalms
and in
the book
of Proverbs
as these
two books
mention this
fear of
God so
often,
the fear
of God
and the
knowledge
of God
doesn't just
make a person
wise and
is foundational
to their
wisdom,
it brings
many other
benefits too,
of course,
because it's
attached to
God's blessing.
The fear
of God
is the
respect,
the awe
with which
we respond
to God
and God
himself has
promised
that those
who live
like that
will experience
many blessings
from his
hand.
And then
the final
thing is
in this
part of
the verse
being warned
by God
concerning
events as
yet unseen
in reverent
fear,
he constructed
an ark
for the
saving
of his
household.
Now,
that's an
important
detail
because it
leaves us
without any
excuse if we
haven't acted
upon what
God is
actually saying
to us
or has
been showing
us in
his word.
If we
haven't
actually
turned out
hearts to
wisdom because
all the way
through this
list of
people who
live by
faith,
you will
always find
something that
they did
by faith,
something that
their faith
led them
to do.
The action
of faith
was to
actually bring
them to
do something
in relation
to what
God himself
required.
And as
far as
Noah was
concerned,
in the
case of
Noah,
he constructed
an ark.
In other
words,
faith is
always tied
and attached
to something
practical in
the Christian
life.
Faith is
itself a
believing and
a trusting in
God, but it
is never
detached from
the works that
God requires
of his people.
You find that
in James,
James chapter
2 especially,
where you find
an emphasis on
faith attached
to certain
works that show
and demonstrate
faith itself
to be real
and that show
the people
of faith
to be the
kind of
people that
God himself
has brought
to know
himself.
So here is
he built
an ark,
he constructed
an ark.
Faith
always has
attendant
action or
consequent
action
wherever that
faith is.
And that's
true of every
Christian here.
Everybody here
tonight who
trusts in
God, that
faith by
which you
relate to
God and
which you
are united
to God,
that faith
in some way
or other is
put into
action in
your life.
None of us
is perfect.
There are
many things
we leave
undone that
we should
have done,
many things
we do
that we
shouldn't
have done.
We pray
God's
forgiveness
in regard
to the
imperfections
of our
lives.
And
nevertheless,
we acknowledge
the fact
and we
want to
follow through
on this,
that faith
is always
attached to
works.
There will
be something
practical in
your life
that you
do on a
regular basis
that shows
you're a
Christian,
even coming
to church,
being with
the Lord's
people in
worship,
reaching out
to people
in their
need,
praying for
people even
if they don't
see you
doing it.
But these
are the
actings of
faith,
the actings
by which
faith shows
itself to
be from
God and
attached to
the benefits
that God
brings to
you in
your life.
You remember
the account
we have in
Luke chapter
15 of
the son,
the son
that's usually
called the
prodigal
son.
You remember
how the
detail of it
includes that
he left
home,
he wanted
everything that
was going to
fall to him
after his
father's death,
couldn't wait
for that,
so he wanted
that straight
away and he
took it all,
the father gave
it to him,
off he went
with it.
And of course
you know the
account you have
there very well,
he began then to
squander all that
he had taken from
home and then it
all too soon ran
out.
And so he joined
himself to a
citizen of that
far country and
he had the most
menial task of
looking after pigs,
feeding them,
he didn't have
anything by way
of sustenance,
so sometimes he was
forced to eat the
same food that pigs
were eating.
One day he was
there in his
abject poverty
and he said,
how many servants
of my father
have bread enough
and to spare
and here I am
perishing with
hunger.
I will arise,
I'll get up from
this place and I'll
go back to my
father.
But then you see,
you read,
and he arose
and he came to
his father.
It wasn't just
something that
happened in his
mind.
It wasn't just a
resolution on its
own that he never
acted out.
It wasn't something
that he came by way
of a conviction of
something he ought
to do.
It was something he
thought upon doing
and then immediately
he said about doing
it.
And that's the same
as God is saying to
you and to me
tonight.
Don't just think
about being a
Christian.
Don't just think
about being saved.
Don't just desire it
for yourself.
Good all the desire
is if you're not
here saved tonight,
if you're not in
Christ, if you haven't
yet accepted the
Savior as your
Savior, don't just
leave it at thinking
about it.
Because this passage
is saying to us,
this verse is saying
to us, that actually
Noah by faith
constructed an ark.
Have you constructed
your ark?
Have you taken all
the thoughts,
all the concerns,
that the Bible
has itself placed
in your heart,
all the desires
that you have there,
the kind of life
that God requires
of you?
Have you taken all
of that, believing
that this is God
speaking to you
through his word,
and actually taken
that and put it
into practice?
Have you accepted
Christ?
Have you received
the Christ that's
offered in the
gospel?
Have you closed
in with Jesus
as he offers to you
the safety in advance
of this coming
disaster of the
judgment?
These are the
questions, you see,
that come practically
to mind as I put
this to myself
and in preaching
it as I put it
to you.
Because that's
really the kind
of thing that we
ought to be thinking
even now.
Where am I in
relation to this?
What have I done
with the advantage
that I've got
in the gospel?
How long will God
have to wait for me
to respond positively
and believingly
and thankfully
and gratefully
for the Savior
that's offered to me
in the gospel?
You heard the
warning sign
many times.
It's still blaring
out in our ears.
Every time we come
to the Bible,
every time we come
to the gospel,
God has lovingly
and patiently
set this for us
in our lives
so that we could
hear this warning
and respond in time.
Will this be the
last time you
heard the warning?
Don't persuade
yourself that
because you heard
it many times
that you'll hear
it again tomorrow.
And many people
in this world
today will not
be in this world
tomorrow.
They may not even
be in this world
tonight
because their
life will end
and they will
enter eternity
and they will
need to face
God and give
an account to
God of what
they have done
with his life.
Don't waste it.
Don't delay
over these matters.
Be serious
about your
relationship
with God.
And just like
Noah,
when you hear
the tsunami
warning sign,
the alarm
has gone off
as you're
hearing it
again tonight.
In reverent
fear,
taking it
seriously,
close in
with Christ,
receive the
Savior,
as he's
offered in
the gospel
before,
for you or
for me,
it'll be too
late.
So that's
what induced
Noah to
build the ark.
And more
briefly,
what was the
outcome of
his building
the ark?
Well,
we're told,
by this he
condemned the
world and
became an heir
of the
righteousness
that comes
by faith.
The two
things are
related there.
He condemned
the world
and he first
of all goes
to the saving
of his
household and
then by it
he also
condemned the
world.
Well,
faith,
our faith
in Christ
always brings
salvation into
our possession.
Not because
God rewards
us for our
faith,
but because
this is God's
method.
He invites us
to come to
Christ,
invites us
to put our
trust in him,
invites us
to receive
that salvation
that's in
him and the
promise is
that we
will be
saved.
Believe in
the Lord
Jesus Christ.
The jailer
was told by
Paul,
and you
will be
saved.
Not you
will be
saved eventually,
not you
will be
saved after
you've done
some things
to actually
earn some
more respect
from God,
something like
that.
What he's
saying is
believe in
the Lord
Jesus Christ
and you
will be
saved.
You'll be
saved as a
consequence of
that.
Even though you
haven't deserved
it,
what haven't
earned it,
this is
God's way,
God's grace.
But you
see he also
condemned the
world.
Now how could
Noah condemn
the world?
This is what
he's saying,
by this he
condemned the
world and
became an
heir of the
righteousness
that comes
by faith.
Well in
what sense
would Noah
have condemned
the world?
Well in
this sense I
think that
when the
day happened,
when the
event actually
came about,
he condemned
the world
in the sense
that he
was proved
right.
He condemned
the world for
not having
received the
message that
he preached,
for not having
listened to the
voice of God
through him.
The world
stood condemned
in relation
to Noah
and his
preaching,
Noah and
his advice
to them.
He condemned
the world in
that sense.
the world
didn't listen
and so the
world perished.
And that's
how it will
be at the
end of the
world for us
as well.
There will
be many
people as
they leave
this world
and enter
eternity
that will
be condemned
by the
faith,
the preaching,
the witness
of God's
people that
implored them
to put their
trust in
Christ.
And that's
exactly how it
was for the
day of Noah.
Remember how
Jesus himself
spoke about
something similar
to that in
Matthew chapter
12,
verse 41,
where he
talks there
about the
different signs
that have
come,
an evil and
adulterous
generation,
Pharisees,
saying,
teacher,
we wish to
see a sign
from you.
This was
their way of
getting him
as they saw
to prove
who he was
and who he
claimed to
be.
He says,
an evil and
adulterous
generation seeks
for a sign,
but no sign
will be given
to it except
the sign of
the prophet
Jonah.
And he
speaks then
about Jonah
being three
days and three
nights in the
belly of the
fish.
The men of
Nineveh will
rise up at
the judgment
with this
generation and
condemn it
because they
repented at
the preaching
of Jonah and
behold,
something greater
than Jonah is
here.
The queen of
the south will
rise up at
the judgment
with this
generation and
condemn it for
she came from
the ends of
the earth to
hear the
wisdom of
Solomon and
behold,
something greater
than Solomon
is here.
In other
words,
wherever we
have the
gospel made
known to
us and
making known
to us the
day of
opportunity and
the salvation
that's in
Christ,
when we
dismiss that,
when we
don't,
even if we
don't dismiss
it,
when we
don't respond
to it to
the extent we
should by
receiving this
Christ,
then the day
of judgment
will be a
day of
aggravated guilt
for us.
There's no way
I can describe
what that's going
to be like.
I don't really
need to.
The Bible
itself leaves
the matter
on our
conscience
today,
because this
is what it
says,
he condemned
the world,
and he
became an
heir of
the righteousness
that comes
by faith.
In other
words,
he inherited
this righteousness.
Now,
righteousness,
as you know,
is the
standard that
God requires
of a human
life.
The righteousness
that God
requires of
us,
we cannot
ourselves
create and
produce because
of our
sinfulness,
but it's that
righteousness that
God has brought
to us in
Jesus.
And through
him,
through his
death and
resurrection
especially,
that righteousness
is pronounced
in the gospel
as offered
to us by
God.
And so,
when we come
to trust in
the Lord,
that righteousness
is imputed
to us.
God puts it
on our
record.
And there's
a marvelous
thing,
that God
puts on our
record,
instead of
the list of
our sins
and condemnation
at the
bottom,
he puts on
his record
of us
the
righteousness
of Christ.
And at
the bottom
of that
is his
great approval
of us
in Christ.
What a
great transfer,
free transfer
that is.
It only
requires
that you
believe and
trust in
the living
God.
That is
God's
standard.
You remember
we saw
Paul's,
not so long
ago,
going through
the letter
to the
Philippians,
you remember
how we saw
Paul describing
his experience
in chapter
three,
really giving
his testimony
in effect,
where he
says,
I count
everything as
loss,
because of
the surpassing
worth of
knowing Jesus
Christ my
Lord.
For his
sake I have
suffered the
loss of all
things,
and count
them as
rubbish,
in order
that I
may gain
Christ and
be found
in him,
not having
a righteousness
of my
own that
comes from
the law,
but that
which comes
through faith
in Christ.
The
righteousness
becomes
mine,
actually
properly
and fully
mine and
yours,
by faith
in Christ
when we
place our
trust in
him.
And that's
really what
we're told
here about
Noah as
well.
He became
an heir of
the righteousness
that comes
by faith.
God didn't
say,
I now find
you righteous
because you've
done this
great thing
in building
this ark
as I
have
commanded
you.
That's
not what
gave Noah
righteousness
at all.
Righteousness
was something
as God's
gift to
him,
and it
was through
the faith
that he
exercised,
that he
became an
heir of
the righteousness
that comes
by faith.
This
righteousness
is your
righteousness
when Jesus
is your
Savior.
So,
here tonight
we have
very much
before us
the opportunity
that God
is setting
out for
us in
the gospel
in Christ.
Remember
how Jesus,
how John
himself put
it in
regard to
Jesus.
We'll finish
with this
in the
gospel of
John.
It really
sums up
what we've
been looking
at this
evening,
John
chapter 1
verses
11 to
12.
It says
about Jesus,
he was in
the world
and the world
was made
through him,
yet the world
did not
know him.
He came
to his
own,
and his
own people
did not
receive him,
but to
all who
did receive
him,
who believed
in his
name,
he gave
the right
to become
children of
God,
who were
born not
of blood,
nor of the
will of the
flesh,
not of the
will of man,
but of
God.
So,
tonight,
let me ask
myself,
and you
must ask
yourself,
do I
really believe
in the
day of
judgment?
And if I
really believe
in the
day of
judgment,
what am I
doing in
advance of
it?
Am I
like Noah
responding to
the advance
warning that
God has
given me,
or have I
still left
that to
the side?
Remember,
you can't
afford to
do that.
God is
lovingly
providing us
with the
information.
He's not
treating us
roughly.
It's not
something in
which we
find God,
and I hope
not the
preaching of
the gospel
also.
It's not
something that
we want to
have set
before you
in any
bad spirit,
but lovingly
and tactfully,
as God
himself
mercifully
is making
his appeal
through the
gospel,
for us to
place our
trust in
Jesus Christ,
the Savior.
May God
bless these
words to
us.
Let's
conclude by
singing now
in Psalm
46.
Sing Psalm
46, that's
in the
Scottish Psalter
version,
and find
that on
page 271,
and sing
verses 8
to 11.
Come and
behold what
wondrous works
have by the
Lord been
wrought.
Come see what
desolations he
on the earth
hath wrought,
and to the
ends of all
the earth
wars into
peace he
turns.
The bow he
breaks,
the spear he
cuts,
and fire the
chariot burns.
Be still,
and know that
I am God.
Among the
heathen I
will be
exalted,
I on earth
will be
exalted high.
Our God,
who is the
Lord of hosts,
is still upon
our side.
The God of
Jacob,
our refuge,
forever will
abide.
These verses
come and
behold what
wondrous works.
come and
behold what
wondrous works
have by
the Lord
been wrought,
and see
what
desolations
beyond the
earth
hath brought,
unto
the
ends
of all
the earth
ofcićity.
By
blood not
in
peace
and
the
roaring
he
burst.
God
whelieve
the
romance
in
Christ
in
light
and
child
y
�
such
and
hath
And know that I am God
Above the even eye
Will be exalted
I on earth
Will be exalted
I
Our God who is
The Lord of hosts
Is still upon our side
The Lord of hosts
Our refuge
Forever will abide
I'll go to the door to my left here after the benediction just now.
Now may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you now and evermore. Amen.
Amen.