BUT Noah Found Grace

I would like to share a message with you, which I hope will encourage you and guide you in the weeks, the months, the years ahead, the days that are ahead, and perhaps just the moments that are ahead, sometimes moment by moment, because I know that's how Susie and I tend to live, and pray that God will give us more moments and moments, but it's what we're doing in the moment, not what we're postponing to do, but what we're doing in the moment that we give God glory and honor and live according to the way that Jesus Christ lived.

We're just back from a pilgrimage festival, number three and three seasons of the year, the spring holy days, Pentecost in between, and then we have the autumn festivals from the Feast of Trumpets to the eighth day. And we normally think of the pilgrimage festivals as going somewhere, going somewhere, going up, doing a destination, but that is a good start when it comes to thinking about the aspect of a pilgrimage festival. But as a pilgrim, let's understand something. A pilgrim in a pilgrimage that God has called us upon is not just simply an event. It's an existence. It's a way of life.

And yes, we do have these called out pilgrimage festivals, but we are always pilgrims until we enter the kingdom of God. And it is to that that I would speak today on a subject and we're going to deal with the personality that you know of. We normally I know over the years I normally speak often about a brahm and Abraham and how God called him out of the caldis later Haran further up in the Mesopotamian plain.

But I'm going to leave him. His example is always implanted in us. He was the pilgrim. He was the man of God who is best known for what? One that lived in a tent because he did not put down roots. And number two, he built an altar and it was an altar in which he only sacrificed to the one true God, the living God, which sets a marvelous example for us that we're not to put roots down into this world more than need be.

And at the same time that our life, because our our heart is to be an altar to God as well, it's a mobile. It's it's one that's on the move is to be towards God. But I'm going to deal with another individual Esther. You were up in Cedar City. I was going to touch on it for one minute and I thought, no, that we need to have a whole message on this, especially for the San Diego congregation.

Just joking. And so I want to share this with you because I think it's going to be very important. He's one of our fellow pilgrims. His time has come and his time is gone. But it's amazing when you think about it.

It's one of the wonderful examples. If you'll join me, if you would turn to Genesis six, we're going to meet one of our fellow pilgrims. We often think of pilgrims being those that like a brahm and others, the children of Israel on their pilgrimage festivals. We think of them being on land, but this one was on water a lot. And so that's to give you a hint of where we're going as we go to Genesis six, which is very important. And let's pick up the thought in verse nine.

But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. I'm going to jot something down here. We're going to be adding food. If you'd like to look up for a moment, maybe if you don't take another note, you might want to do this. I want to do it like this, but. But Noah found grace. Or we might say favor. Now, why did Noah? Why did Noah and why does this phrase come up? As you all know, whenever you study with me, whether it be my messages here or our classes, this is how to study.

You know that I love small words when there are small words normally under three letters other than Bob's. Therefore, something's happening. It's creating a moment in time to consider. It is providing contrast. And here we have this powerful little word. But Noah. What is that all about? And why do we come to that phrase? But Noah, join me in let's go up to verse 28 of the story. That's in the chapter before verse 28 of chapter five. Genesis, it talks about those that were before what we call the noation flood.

Noah didn't do it. God brought it upon his judgment upon the earth. But it says in verse 20, Lamech lived one hundred and eighty two years and had a son. And he called his name Noah, saying this one will comfort us concerning our work and the toil of our hands because of the ground which the I can't quite read that word. Help me. The ground of the what? Help me. It's not my print because of the ground which the which the Lord has cursed.

Thank you very much. After he begat Noah, Lamech lived five hundred and ninety five years and had sons and daughters. So all the days of Lamech were seven hundred and seventy seven years. And he died. And Noah was five hundred years old. And Noah begot Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Now, verse chapter six, verse one.

Now it came to pass when men began to multiply in the face of the earth and daughters were born to them that the sons of God saw that the daughters of men that they were beautiful. And they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose. And the Lord said, My spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh. And yet his day shall be one hundred and twenty years.

There were giants on the earth in those days. And also afterwards, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men and there were children had children with them, there were the mighty. These were the mighty men who were of old men of renown. And then, verse five, then is always small word. Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of men was great in the earth and that every intent of the heart.

Every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Very important phrase right there. Let's take a look at that. This is where we want to send every intent. It had come to a point where it was not every other or every third.

There are hearts. And that's what God is always looking at in scripture from Genesis and Revelation. He doesn't want our brain. He wants our heart. And it says here again, notice the thoughts of his heart were only evil continually.

It had come to such a point that God had to do something. And the Lord was very sorry that he had made man on the earth and he was grieved in his heart. And so the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping things and birds of the air. For I am sorry that I have made them. Now what's going on? There are many thoughts about Genesis, Genesis six in the beginning of what was occurring. I'm not going to spend time on that. What we do recognize is simply this.

We take the overall picture, the overall picture, recognizing that Satan was still on the loose and he is the God of this world. He is the one with his spirit, that there was a disorder, that there was no longer, you know, when God said he made things after their kind and kind, there was a disorder that had happened, that there was no going back.

And that disorder that man brought about and also that unseen realm brought about, the one that Satan controls had distorted what God had made for his purposes. And there had to be an intervention. And so we take a look at this and understand that and to recognize then, but Noah found grace. Now, why is that important for you and I to understand? Join me if you would in Matthew 24, 37. In Matthew 24 and verse 37, please, as we come over to the Olivet prophecy, Jesus speaking. So these are the words of Jesus.

Watch therefore for you do not know what our your Lord is coming. Now, if you go up just a little bit here in verse let's pick up the thought in verse 33. So you also when you see all these things, know that it is near at the doors. And surely I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place.

Heaven and earth will pass away. But my words will by no means pass away. It came as a shock to the size Society of old. They weren't ready for it. But it came. And Jesus, when you look at his words in verse 33, when it speaks to the reality of his kingdom, not just his kingdom inside of us and the kingdom life that we're leading now and allowed to by His grace.

But when that time comes, notice what it says. He always says it is near. He does not say it is here. It is near. Jesus himself did not set dates. It seems it's only down here below that man at times, thinking they're doing God a favor sets dates, and most have become disappointed over the last two thousand years. So what do you and I drive out of this? We're looking at this word. If I'm going to come over here a second, I'll speak nice and loud.

I don't have the lapel on today. But Noah, but Noah. Everybody was going to die based upon their lifestyle, based upon the evil which was continual in their hearts. There was one man, one, not a crowd. Crowd would have been easier. Be nice if we had 5000 people in this room today, one man that God was going to use a pilgrim that only was going to transverse from one age to another to a world that was living to a world where only he and his family to be an example for us as spiritual pilgrims.

But, one of the great words of the Bible, when you think of but in dealing with the servants of God, we recognize, you might want to jot this down. I spoke on it recently, that our father above through Christ interrupts our lives. He interrupts our lives and continues to knock on the doors. It says in Revelation three twenty and he that opens it that Jesus says I will come and dine with them.

It is not only that interruption, but to recognize then that beyond that there is being with him. And so there is this but one man. What would the Bible be? What would God's plan be? Where would all of us be if there weren't another individual but here's another one, but Barnabas. But Barnabas. Again, there's that word.

I love it. Who along with Paul brought not only the house of Israel, but the nations as it's called in the Bible, the Gentiles and to recognize that the gospel and you recognize that the pressure that they were going into in Jerusalem to explain their ministry, to explain themselves. And what happened was that that that you know, the disciples were trying to get out of town. They did not want to meet Saul later. Paul. They'd no no no no no no no no no no. We've heard about him. But Barnabas, but Barnabas. Very important. But all of us understand something. Whether it be Noah, whether it be Barnabas, the greatest but would be this that you put it in.

And that's Jesus Christ, but Christ. And we're going to see that in the story of Noah because there's typology. Remember that the Old Testament, the New Testament are one book and you'll see some symmetry here as we go along. And so we see this. And why am I talk to you about this?

It's simply this. I'm going to build a case for it, hopefully in this message to you. Are you ready in your life as we come off the Feast of Tabernacles in the eighth day? Are you ready to have God allow buts to be created in you to show contrast, to show a difference? To not go along with the crowd, but to recognize that you've been called individually before God the Father and Jesus Christ. And it's not always easy to be the lone person. Am I talking to the right audience? It's not easy.

But we've been called in the same stead as Jesus to make a difference, to be able to glorify God. We have been called like Barnabas to make a difference, to glorify God, to experience and to live and exist within his grace, his favor. And we are called to look at the example then for a few minutes of the example of Noah. You know, we usually associate Noah with water and the flood.

You know, think about God has always used water to get a point across to his people, hasn't he? You think about the example of ancient Israel and the Red Sea. God used water to make a point of who he was dealing with. You think of those three different oasis, those wells that were not working until God performed his miracle in the wilderness. He used water, didn't he? He asked ancient Israel as they were about to go into the Promised Land to walk through the Jordan River dry shot.

Hello? You want to try that in March or April as the waters are coming down? Jesus, in his ministry, when the boat was a rockin' and a realin' and the disciples were getting a little antsy, he stilled the waters, didn't he? You think about the story of Peter walking on water as long as he walked on water, that God was trying to make a point through Jesus Christ about keeping your eyes on God and not what is around you.

You know, there's a phrase that I use anymore and you've probably seen it sometimes, it's kind of become a whatever that fancy Latin word is, nomenclature, it's said, keep lookin' up. Keep lookin' up. Not looking, I like lookin'. Keep lookin' up. It's when we look around too long and start staring that our knees get wobbly. Am I talking to the right crowd? Get wobbly, like Peter on water. So let's explore this story for a few minutes. You're gonna see typologies because at the end of the day, I'm gonna sit down here for a moment. Hopefully I can get up, I did, because this is actually gonna come to you eventually.

Oh, I like that pen. But me. This is for us to understand how we're gonna use and become that word in God's Book of Life. But for Paul. But for Mike.

But for spring. But for April. And all the rest of us, what that means. So let's get into the story here real quickly. I'm gonna just some points, I wanna give you some points later. And we're picking up, but Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. And this is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in the generations. Noah walked with God. Very important right there. When it says perfect in generations, this is not talking about physicality. This is talking about the line of the preachers of righteousness that came down to him before the time of the flood. God loves all people. He doesn't have second class citizens. Perfect in it. And Noah walked, now notice this. And Noah walked with God. Major difference when it come to the but for Noah why God favored him. There's a difference of knowing that God walks. And the difference between knowing that God wants to walk with us. And then the third that we are walking with God in step as his son did. And following God and following me. There's a difference. A lot of us that are exposed to Christianity, exposed to the church of God understanding of Christianity. Know that there is a God. There's a difference between knowing there is a God and existing with God. And not only watching how Jesus walked, but to walk like Christ. See how we break down this verse. So very important. The earth also is corrupt before God and the earth was filled with violence. So God looked upon the earth. So God looked upon the earth and indeed it was corrupt for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. Powerful words. I know we've read it. It says all flesh. Everyone. Everyone. And it came down to this man. Just as down the line it would come down to the Son of Man Jesus. Only one. That was the bridge between God and ourselves. Only one. That lived that perfect life and walking with God. We'll get back to that later on. And God said to Noah. And God said to Noah the end of all flesh has come before me for the earth is filled with violence and behold I will destroy them. Notice what it says here. Make yourself an arc of gopher wood. We're going to go slow here. You ready? Put your seatbelts on. Going to go real slow so you get the point. A lot going on here. Make yourself an arc of gopher wood. Make rooms in the arc. And cover inside and outside with pitch. What's that mean to you to me. And this is how you shall make it. The length of the arc shall be 300 cubits. It's width 50 cubits and its height 30 cubits. Hmm. You shall make a window. Watch this Bertha. Uno. One. A window. In the arc. And you shall finish it to a cubit from above. And set the door. The door. The door of the arc in its side. And you shall make it lower second and third decks.

What is going on here. Now let's understand something. When we look at. God's like a micromanager. Let the guy be. God's kind of laying it out. Isn't exactly how it's going to be. He says make yourself an arc of gopher wood. First of all ultimately what was important was what was Noah made out of. Not just the arc. The arc would be a transport even with its grand symbolism. What was Noah made from. What was he about. And that will answer the end. Another thing that we see here is that there is only. One window. A window. To allow light to come into the dark interior of the arc. Just as much as there is only one window that God speaks about one. Bit of light that has come into the world when Jesus says I am the light. I am the light. I am the light of the world.

Why just one door. On the arc. There's only one door because there is only one path one door. From the one who said I am the door. I am the door. There are not many paths to Nirvana. There are not many paths to the kingdom of heaven to the kingdom of God. There is only one. One door. One entrance. One entrance. That we might obtain communication and contact with our father. This is all just at the beginning. Why why why the significance of pitch. Both inside and out. Notice what it says here when it says that in verse 14 that you shall cover it inside and out. You know what the. Hebrew word is for cover.

It's kapur. K I P P you are kapur like Yom kapur. This was a testimony moving forward. Forward that there be another one individual. But it was different that he was not using pitch but that he would use his blood. It's his blood that covers. This is amazing as it brings the Old Testament and the New Testament together. Remember there are hints about what God is doing all along. And so God is about to proclaim judgment upon the world. There is one door. There is a window. And you are to put pitch inside and out. Why. To spare and to protect. Noah from the judgment the judgment that is coming upon the earth. As with us as human beings that we can have confidence that the blood of Christ today covers this that we travel through towards the kingdom of God. The arc was about I know all of you know meters very well. They try to teach us meter back in the 60s. Remember they tried to teach us meters. They thought they were going to make Europeans out of us. How that work. I know smart people probably like Victor and maybe Paul because he was in things like this. But the rest of us. Well I'm going to give you that. I'm going to give you the real figures. You build this craft 450 feet long. That means one and a half football fields. It's going to be 45 feet wide.

But with that startling information given to you there are three things that are missing. Three things that are missing. You want to jot them down. Number one there's no sale.

There is no sale. Number two there is no rudder mentioned. And number three there is no mention of an anchor. What you think that through for a moment. There is no sale. There is no rudder. And there is no anchor. This is basically even though it's a little streamlined like a cruiser today. It isn't the Queen Elizabeth the second ocean liner etc. It's basically a big floating hunk of gopher wood. It's floating. And what is it floating on? Water? Are you with me? It's floating on faith. It's floating on faith. And when we think about those examples of the rudder and of those different kind of things let's consider a thought here.

I'm just looking through my notes for a moment. I had something written down here at one time. I'll just do it by for you. Let's understand that by the sale we recognize that when it's all said and done that Jesus Christ said that He would come and it did come through the Spirit of God. Remember in Pentecost what were one of the miracles on Pentecost that came? Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit. But what was the other aspect of it? That the wind came and that wind which was representative of God's Spirit filled those early disciples and gave them direction.

Gave them guidance. Gave them movement into a new future. Into a new age of the kingdom of God beginning to develop. We understand too just the aspect of a rudder. A rudder. A guidance system where you could twist and turn and make sure that you're going in the right direction. I think of Isaiah 30 and verse 21. This is the way. Walk you in it. This is the way. Walk you in it. And we have that through the Holy Scriptures. We have that through the Holy Scriptures. And not only that we have the way pointed but then it says Jesus says follow me again and again. You know that I write the column follow me by now if you don't it's fine.

But it's amazing how many times in the gospel story Jesus says follow me. And that's the whole thing. See it's not enough to know that God walks. We have to walk with Him and sometimes we have to follow Him and in faith know that Father knows best.

Number three there is no rudder. Excuse me. There is no anchor. There is no anchor. We're not to be rooted to this world. We're not to be rooted to this world. And to understand then as it says in 1 Corinthians 3 there is no other foundation. There is no other foundation. No nothing to stand upon other than Jesus Christ. He is our anchor. Matthew 7 37 39 talks about don't build yourself on a hill of sand.

It's going to falter. He said build on the rock. That is our weight. That's what gives us a center of gravity to walk day by day in a world that is estranged from God. Isn't that interesting. See these are the things that God gives us that we even see here that there's a purpose way that was being mentioned to go a little bit further than it says I will establish my covenant with you. You shall go into the Ark you your sons your wife and your sons and every living thing of all flesh you shall bring to of every sort etc. So it talks about the animals coming here to the Ark. Now notice verse 22.

I'm just going to shorten this up to keep it going. Verse 22 extremely important. This is going to. Are you with me a second friends. This is going to be like a pounding to get the point. God says something once pretty important but he's going to say this again and again about this spiritual pilgrim that is transversing to ages on behalf of God a whole new start over a whole new creation a different covenant a different agreement than God initially made with Adam but to be built upon. Verse 22 then Noah did according notice to all that God commanded him. So he did. What's the key word there. Just asking you. Mike you get an A.

You don't even have to give me an apple. Okay. A. All he gave all. Notice all that God commanded him to do. He didn't go. It wasn't like when the soup plantation existed.

Remember the soup plantation. It's extinct but that you know you can't. This. Yeah. Keep on going down the line. Yeah I want this on my plate. No no no. All that God has put in front of us and spoken to us by his spirit not half not a quarter. God has not called us to be a fractional Christian but to do everything he asked us to. Now notice verse 7. Then the Lord said to Noah come into the Ark you and all your household because I have seen that you are righteous before me in this generation and it goes on to speak about things but let's let's drop down to verse 4 for after seven more days I will cause it to rain on the earth 40 days and 40 nights and I will destroy from the face of the earth all living things that I have made.

Did you read did you know that. After all those years that he and his sons were building the Ark God was going to do this. And they are sealed into the Ark for seven days. They are other than the window they and with the animals they are in there for seven days and not a drop of rain or neither an outburst from the the fountains underneath the earth which because it was a two type situation that was going on.

He said seven more days so they probably worked on this for literally off and on for 120 years because it seems as if God spoke to him about at age 480 120 years then Kaboom it's going to happen then they're in the Ark and says seven more days.

Notice verse five and Noah did according to to all that the Lord commanded him you might shut this down this is the second coming of and Noah did according to all. I'm giving you I'm giving all five syllables just for effect did all that God commanded him number two. Let's go to the end of verse six and Noah was six hundred years old when the floodwaters were on the earth so no with the sons and wives went into the Ark because of the waters of the flood and he goes on talking about the different animals etc etc.

It is very interesting a peek into the New Testament so Noah with his sons his wives and his sons wives went into the Ark because the waters of clean animals of animals that are unclean of birds and everything that creeps on the earth two by two they went into the Ark to Noah male and female as God had commanded Noah. Now there's some typology here this is a comment but it's very interesting we realize that there were both clean and unclean animals and there is a distinction clear back in Genesis between clean and unclean remembering that Abel.

Abel was offering up an animal clean to God we know that we know that these animals also had to come through so that on the other side of the flood that humanity could eat plus also offer God sacrifices of clean animals but but I'm going to stretch you a little bit because remember the New Testament is considered revealed in the Old Testament and the Old Testament is revealed in the New Testament but what if this is also a part of God's grand plan showing that there is this Ark that God's eyes are upon that there is a window of light that speaks to the one that said I am the light it speaks of one door because there's only one way and then you recognize that there is clean and there is unclean and remembering what would occur during the Gospels that the house and Israel especially the Jews that were there would consider themselves clean and the Gentiles unclean and yet we find here in a typology typology only but interesting that we find both clean and unclean in a sense a typology of both Jew and Gentile that all in God's time as we've just gone through the festivals are going to experience God's grace as Noah did right?

To all be together in a state of salvation before God the Father through Jesus Christ as they all enter the door just thinking out loud and it came to pass verse 10 that after seven days that the waters of the flood were on the earth down to verse 16. So those that entered male and female of all flesh went in as God had commanded him and notice and the Lord shut them in.

It was not of man. God went.

It was not only sealed with the blood excuse me not only sealed with the pitch the Kapoor which represents ultimately down the line Christ blood. Christ blood but that we see here that God closed the door God will always ask us to as we move through this year as we move away from the festivals God will always ask us to do what we can do and then he will do what only he can do. Are you with me. You remember that because it's coming at us moment by moment moment by moment.

Up at the feast it was interesting that I'm going to get in trouble for saying this because she's here but somebody came up to me and said as Susan says all we have is the moment that's really gotten out there and Jesus is coming out. And you know what people are living that way and we need to live that way that while we have the opportunity to walk with God not only know that God walks and do all that he asked us to do and all that is written about Jesus Christ as an example to us it's going to get better.

Let's drop down then to the end of chapter seven. God visited judgment upon this world. I'll just make this mention of it. I can probably find it here somewhere but that's all right is that Noah was not only a boat builder but he was also a preacher of righteousness as it says in the New Testament. He won busy guy. But the typology is very important to understand something.

The typology tells us that before God executes judgment upon those that are made after his image and likeness he will give a statement. He will give a warning. This is if I can make this this is a while it's only one man that is doing that at this time through Noah. It is a typology of what God's going to do at the end as in the days of Noah when it is fulfilled and then after the tribulation and God is about to re judgment upon the world in the day of the Lord there's the tribulation. And then there's the day of the Lord. None of it's going to be fun to go through if you do not know the Lord and if you are not the father's child but to recognize something that that's why there's two witnesses at the end because the world is going to be shown and they are going to know what God's case is against them.

The two witnesses I'll probably discuss this during the prophecy seminar. It's like a court case. You have two witnesses and they're giving witness in the mouth of two or three witnesses. God is true to his word. Isn't that nice? You don't have to guess. In the mouth of two or three witnesses let every fact be established. Well at this point there's only one guy around that was obeying God so he gave the witness. He told for 120 years what was coming but you know what they kept on living life is normal.

Eating and marrying and giving in marriage. It wasn't wrong to eat. It's not wrong to give in marriage but it dominated their lives. Now let's go to chapter 8 verse 1. Then God remembered Noah and every living thing and all the animals that were with him in the ark and God made a wind to pass over the earth. Then God remembered Noah. Does God have Alzheimer's and had a moment? He is the ancient of days. Make April look like a kid. Hello April. Anyway what's going on here when we think God remembered? This again is a prototype and a typology to recognize that think about this for a second.

He remembered Noah. All of this is being orchestrated. The world is under judgment. This is a prototype of the 144,000 in the book of Revelation. That before God proceeds with the day of judgment which is his judgment. It's not Satan's wrath. This is God's judgment upon the world. Tribulation is the time of Satan's doings but there's this pause when at the sixth seal the doorbell rings.

You have the heavenly signs. I call the heavenly signs. That's the doorbell. Prepare to meet your maker. But then he says hold up, hold up. Angels hold up. Look at my people down here. Look at my saints. Look at my holy one. Whoever they are. We'll be discussing that during the prophetic seminar too. And so we take a look at this. And this is exactly and he remembered Noah.

God there's a very beautiful verse in Scripture says you know Jesus. Oh isn't that cute. He likes birds too just like me. You know about you know God knows the sparrow that falls from the tree. Oh that's so that's so nice. He doesn't only know when they fall. The word there could be better put that when they light on the ground when they touch the earth. God let's understand something. Are you with me. God knows everything. God sees everything. And whatever you are going through today whether you're hearing this message now or sometime in the future God loves you. God knows where you are. God knows what you're going through and he has a purpose for you and he knows what's going.

You have not been forgotten. Susan and I were talking about today there's a lot of that's gone on in our lives. You know we've been in this way of life for 60 years and we've come to really recognize that at times God is just allowing us to go through things. Some really tough things. During the Feast of Tabernacles we had these different announcements.

The Grider family and this and that and this and that. These were our brethren but it's the human condition but this is not the end. I don't have to talk about people around the world like our friends over in Bangladesh or Pakistan. We can talk about what some of us are going through here that we never planned for in our lives. And that sometimes we say God why why why. And all I know is I can take confidence in the scriptures that says and God remembers he knows where you are right now.

He is our champion and Jesus is our Son of Man in Heaven who reaches out looking down and saying go go just like Stephen go bro go. I've been there. Oh Father did you hear. He's saying exactly what I said from the cross. Father forgive them. And Father or God I commit myself my spirit into your hands. That's our call. That's our pilgrimage. That's our reality. This continues with the story. Verse 5 and the waters just crease continually until the 10th month in the 10th month on the first day of the month the types of the mountains were seen.

Finally that happened. Verse 7 and I'm just going to go very quickly here. We know the story that first of all Noah as things began to appear he sends out a raven. The raven comes home empty. He then sends out a dove. The dove comes back empty. He sends the dove out again. Comes back home to the Ark empty.

Finally third time is a charm. The dove comes back. He's got a little stuff in his mouth and says the time has happened. But notice something in verse 15 of chapter 8. It was not the dove. The dove it was not a talking dove. Notice then God spoke to Noah saying go out of the Ark you and your wife and your sons and your sons wives with you bring out with you every living thing.

Think about that every living thing. The world has been decimated has been devastated has been brought down by the judge and there's nothing crawling out there friends not even the snails. And the mosquitoes are probably water logged and drowned nothing happening. The only living things are that if I'm getting excited I am sorry the only lead to show the contrast the only living things come out of that Ark.

That has been covered with the pitch that has been kapured that they enter through one door and they exit into a new creation a new time a new way of living a new world.

Bring out everything. Verse 18. So Noah went. Notice verse 20. Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. What is the first thing that Father Noah. Father Noah. He's the daddy in the Old Testament after Adam. Now it's Noah and Mrs. No. We don't know. Maybe Mrs. Knows first name is Mrs. I'm not sure. But anyway. They come out. It is a. Are you with me. It is a new world. And what is the first thing that. This is important. What is the first thing that Noah does that you never read about Adam. It's absent. He builds an altar. And gives thanks to God. See the contrast. See the importance of this word. But. But. No. One man to make a difference. A brom would come along later the man of tents on the sojourn in the deserts and he also would build an altar. He would never honor God on a pagan altar. He would build the altar himself and keep on doing that. See that that's what our calling is all about. So Noah blessed. So God bless Noah first chapter and his sons and said to them be fruitful and multiply. He then goes on to establish a covenant in chapter nine and I just want to pick apart a point here in verse 11 then I established my covenant with you chapter nine verse 11. Never again shall all flesh be cut off the waters of the flood. Never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth. And God said this is the sign of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you for perpetual generations. I me I do this. I set my rainbow in the cloud and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. And the earth it shall be when I bring a cloud over the earth that the rainbows shall be seen in the cloud and I will remember my covenant which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. Of all flesh the water shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh the rainbow shall be in the cloud and I will look on it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth. And God said to Noah this is the sign of the covenant which I have established between me and all flesh that is in the world of significance. And if you carry with me says I'm going to make the rainbow a sign of my covenant you can jot down Ezekiel 128 you can jot down Revelation 24 1 through 3. You need to understand that the book will maybe cover this during the class is coming up. The book of Revelation is kind of what you may call the New Testament Daniel because there's portions of that in there and it's also known as the New Testament Ezekiel because much of Ezekiel is used in this and this is one of the cases the rainbow that is right there by God's throne. It's interesting it says two things the cloud and the rainbow maybe even ever I thought about this morning the cloud and the rainbow. How what does what does God do with clouds in the Old Testament.

The tabernacle hand hand pardon.

He led Israel in a cloud and what about the tabernacle in the wilderness what would happen from time to time. The cloud the kind of cloud would come down the very presence of God and remember the are you with me the tabernacle was right in the midst of the camp that's how it was set up. God always wanted to be in the midst of his people so the tabernacle is in the midst it's not it's not out in the suburbs or the ex-burbs or the bebirds whatever bird. In downtown camp of Israel in the middle God always wanted his people to know that he would be in the middle of their existence and that he would hope that his people would also want him to be in the middle of the existence. So when you see the cloud and think about that today or especially autumn and winter when you see a cloud and then that rainbow comes out afterwards. I'm not saying that that cloud in particular issue kind of God presence but there's a typology there a typology that when you see a rainbow and maybe there's a cloud right there you recognize that they should come together in our minds and our hearts that God comes down amongst us in a cloud. And the rainbow which is but a type of what is in the upstairs in heaven is given as a sign.

Now beyond all of that beyond all of that is to recognize something.

Big lesson I don't have time to go into it. We continue to read and we recognize that Noah was a human being.

And the next chapter talks about an incident revolving around Noah revolving around his family most likely both a son and also a grandson and there's a curse. I don't have time to go into all of that. What we need to recognize and why I'm sharing this with you know it was a human being. He was not semi divine. He's like you and like me. And with all the wonderful things that we've talked about Noah today and how much God loves Noah. He was a man. He was a human being. Now none of us are 480 years of age.

None of us are 180 years of age. But we're some of us are in chapters of our life that are older been around whether in this life or whether in church life. And it's oftentimes in the fourth quarter playing it being an old ball player. It's oftentimes in the fourth quarter when accidents happen. You're tired. Maybe you're living on your laurels. Think you can still do it. Ladies men kind of have that. And then don't they think they we can still do. We don't know when to sit down shut up and get off the court.

Did I say that. OK. And so we need to recognize no matter how long we've been on this pilgrimage that we're responsible. That if we take our eyes off of God and his rainbow faithfulness things can happen. Be careful. Let me just finish up here.

I'm actually going to type this up for you because I don't want I don't want to press your conversion. I have another hour of notes on one page. But I'm just going to tell you jot this down for now. Be kind. Jot it down. I'm going to type this up for you. This will this will be the second coming of knowing about Noah. What are the five key things that we need to know about Noah? What are the five key steps of moving forward on our voyage on our spiritual pilgrimage? Number one. Noah was available. Noah was available.

He predated by. Almost 2000 years plus. What Isaiah said in Isaiah six and verse eight. God was saying whom then shall we send before us. And Isaiah said here I am. Send me.

And Isaiah said that without observation. Number one as we move forward now. And I'm going to say that. I'm going to say that. I'm going to say that. Without observation. Number one as we move forward now.

As we move forward. Looking at Noah. He was available.

It's one thing to be willing. To step into an intersection.

And make a difference. With but. But for Sandy.

But for Chris. But for Victor. But for Wendy.

But for Lori. And all the rest of us. It's one thing to step into an intersection. What will you do with the intersection of life. Underlined with the but. As you come into it. It's one thing to step into the intersection. It's another to stay there. It's another to stay there. And to create a contrast between the holiness of God. And the ways of this world. Number two. No believed God. No believed God. I'll allow you to go to Hebrews 11 6 through 7 on that I'm going to type this all up for you and those that are listening if you you email me I'll send out my notes to you too that so often. As we follow God's words. So often. As we follow God's instructions and his interruptions. Our belief will stand out. Don't be afraid of that. Embrace it. Embrace our beliefs. Embrace the difference that Jesus Christ living in us makes. Embrace it that we've been called to be a holy people. Embrace the fact that you may be the only one in your family.

You may be the only one in your neighborhood.

Embrace it.

It will create contrast between that which is holy and unholy. Number three. He was obedient. He was obedient. Noah didn't only just believe in God but did what he said.

Did what he said. Recognizing God as I said God will always ask us to do what we can do and then do what only he can do. It's called a partnership. Number four. Noah was patient.

Beyond. Belief. Think about this from. Imagine the dread the frustration not knowing the disillusionment in the arc. But Noah never came out. He didn't go I know God closed the door.

I'm out of you know kicking on kicking on the door. I'm out of here. Didn't do that. He stayed kaput. As we say in German. Think about this for one. He was patient. 120 years preaching about this talking about God's judgment.

Building an arc at the same time he was in other words by vocational. Preacher of righteousness plus a ship builder. So 120 years. And then. Then he waits in the arc with his family for seven days and nothing's happening.

Then there are 40 days of rain. Then there are 371 days. That's kind of what I calculated in the arc. Waiting on the raven. Waiting on the dove. But only moves once he hears the voice of God.

That it's time to land.

What's James say. That patience.

God help me. Help me to be patient.

And he was. Patience is not merely a virtue. It's a power tool. It gives us strength. As we wait. On the Lord. Point number five will conclude. Noah was committed. And finished his commitments.

Noah was committed.

And finished his commitments. How do I end with this simply this. We too have a long term project. It may not be 120 years. But it's one that God has assigned to us. We have a long term project in our pilgrimage. It's not on water. It's right here in San Diego County or where you're listening to right from right now. And that's worshiping in the temple. He has chosen to build in our hearts. That's the project.

Long term project. As long as God gives us breath. Worshiping God in the temple. He has chosen to build in our hearts. First Corinthians 3 16 through 17. Know you not. That your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. The word their temple comes out of the word Greek word. Neos in AOS. Speaking about the Holy of Holies the presence of God. And we are to build up with the material of Jesus Christ and his life and his gospel and his ways. In our lives. And commit them to God.

And wait for the next word from him.

And he has instructed us to build that temple. Based upon the original pilgrim. Jesus Christ. Who came from above.

Came below. And as it says in John 1 14 tent it with us. Dwell with us. Jesus himself was a pilgrim. Coming from uncreated eternity. Through time and space. To become like us. To tent with us. To set an example of what the life of a pilgrim ought to be before our Heavenly Father.

That's the goal. Let's walk together. Not alone. But with God. Let us continue our pilgrimage always remembering it's not just simply an event. But it's an existence that God has called us to. To live the kingdom life now.