In this episode, we’ll explore the narrative of Noah, the man who made a difference through his unwavering faith. Despite living in a world filled with evil and corruption, Noah’s steadfast belief set him apart, earning him God’s favor. Listen as we examine how Noah’s actions and fidelity to God’s word can inspire us to lead lives of purpose and conviction in our contemporary world.
Let us be grateful for these words from Genesis 6 and verse 8. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Amen. And today, friends, we’re going to talk about Noah, the one that made the difference. That’s coming up from the International Gospel Hour. Stay with us.
SPEAKER 01 :
Hi, this is Jay Webb for International Gospel Hour. We’re so glad you’ve decided to listen to our program today. In a world of challenges, we need God’s Word to help us face those challenges. Thank you for joining us in this period of Bible study with our speaker, Jeff Archie of International Gospel Hour, a broadcast of the Churches of Christ. So let’s listen today. Here’s Jeff.
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, thank you to our J-Web for his kind words, and greetings and hello everyone. It is an honor to have you join us today for our studies from the International Gospel Hour. We’ve been on air or online since 1934. We are blessed and we give God all the glory. A little bit about us if you’re new to our broadcast. Our toll-free number is 855-444-6988. Please feel free to call us 24-7 with a question, a comment, or anything that you might have on your mind. We would be honored if you would give us a call and just tell us where you are listening to our broadcast from. We love to hear from our listeners. Our website is internationalgospelhour.com. Please feel free to peruse our website. See all the free resources that are available. As a matter of fact, speaking of free, you will never hear us ask for your money here from International Gospel Hour. Everything that we offer is absolutely free for you to use in your study of God’s word that you may do the things that are pleasing unto God. Also, our mailing address is P.O. Box 118 Fayetteville, Tennessee 37334. That’s P.O. Box 118 Fayetteville, Tennessee 37334. And we are grateful for the Church of Christ at West Fayetteville, Tennessee, where her elders, shepherds, oversee our work. We thank you for your interest in the things that be of God. And we hope that our studies today will be of help to you, and that when we conclude, you will know what you need to do to be pleasing unto God. Because there is one we’re going to talk about today who found grace in the eyes of the Lord. We’re going to talk about Noah. Now, I want to tell you the background of this lesson. It was several years ago I was working a Bible camp. There were three young men that were speaking who were students at the Bible camp or they were campers. Colin, Brennan, and Cade. And their assignments dealt with Noah. And so I am an avid note taker. I like to take notes in classes or sermons and sermons. and find them of use later. So I’m indebted to these three fine young brothers for the thoughts today. Let’s begin with Genesis 6, verses 1 through 8, when the Bible says, Now it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, that the sons of God saw 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, yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years. There were giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown. Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and he was grieved in his heart. So the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Now, friends, we cannot help but to hear of Genesis 6, 1-7, to hear these words and and denote the wickedness of the world and the regret or the sorrow of God that he had made man. Then we see one word that gave salvation and hope for the future. This one word is a three-letter word, BUT. But Noah found grace, or Noah found acceptance in the eyes of the Lord. Verse 9 of Genesis 6 goes on to tell us that Noah was a just man. He was perfect or complete in his generations, and Noah walked with God. Friends, today Noah is worthy for us to discuss. He is the one who made the difference in this world. and how thankful to know that we can make a difference in this world, but we begin by making the difference in our lives. You see, friends, we’re always looking for something that will help us to grow, and with that being said, I’m going to defer to our J-Web for the next 30 seconds or so, and let him share with you a great website you can use for your study of God’s Word.
SPEAKER 01 :
Streaming television content is quickly growing. And with that said, check out our friends at World Video Bible School. Their website is wvbs.org. Between listening to us here at International Gospel Hour, check out over 2,400 videos and get this, enroll in their online school and work at your own pace absolutely free. That’s wvbs.org. Again, that’s wvbs.org.
SPEAKER 02 :
Friends, again, we hope that the studies from the World Video Bible School will be of help to you. It is amazing. All of those can be taken absolutely free. We hope that you’ll gain much from that website at wvbs.org. Now let’s continue our study from Genesis 6, 1-8. as we begin by noting God saw grace as Noah had faith. You see, Noah found grace or acceptance, and God’s grace expressed that Noah did not earn a blessing from God, but Noah was given favor of God. Why? Hebrews 11 verse 7 says, By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith. The verse starts with faith, it ends with faith. Noah responded in faith to God. He simply followed God’s command to build the ark. He trusted in what God said and he did it. He preached truth because he walked by faith. You see, Noah followed God’s commands, Genesis 6, 14 and 15. And today we are to follow the commands of the Lord. Jesus said, if you love me, keep my commandments, John 14, verse 15. The command when he said to go into all the world and preach the gospel. We’ll see Noah was preaching the gospel or preaching faith. to the world. And yet, we are taught to do the same. With our broadcast here from International Gospel Hour, we find this as a tool to take the gospel to all the world. Through our radio, through our television, we are able to do so. You know, a friend of mine, Baxter Exum, observed that with every swing of each hammer, Noah was telling the world, this is my faith. His faith was expressed by moving with godly fear, by preparing the ark. Let’s notice some things in application of what Noah did and what we should do. They all begin with the letter H. The first one is heed the warning. God warns us. In 1 Peter 3 and verse 7, But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word are reserved for fire unto the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. The world of Noah was a disobedient world. We find this affirmed in 1 Peter 3, 19 and 20. The world of Noah was an ungodly world. We find that affirmed in 2 Peter 2, verse 5. The world of Noah was evil. We noted that earlier in Genesis 6 and verse 5 and affirmed once again in Genesis 6, 11. And the world of Noah was ignorant of what God had given them. Matthew 24, verse 37. The world of Noah was disobedient, ungodly, evil, and ignorant. And is it not amazing that through the inspiration of God, That Jesus, as well as Peter, preached Noah to teach us to heed the warnings of God. Here’s the second H. Honor God with fear. That is a reverence or a respect. Noah found grace in God’s eyes and he moved with fear. His faith moved him with fear, the reverence and the respect. Think about these passages concerning the fear of the Lord. In Proverbs 1 and verse 7, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Now, the fear of the Lord, the beginning of knowledge. We fear, we reverence, we respect God. We want to learn more of His blessings. In Acts 9 and verse 31, Then had the churches rest throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified, and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, were multiplied. They were edified. They were walking in the fear of the Lord, the comfort of the Holy Spirit, and they were multiplying. They were edified. In 2 Corinthians 7 and verse 1, having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. When we cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and the spirit, then we are able to perfect holiness or to walk in that fear of God, walking as God would have us to walk. Finally, Hebrews 12, 28, Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. So as Noah honored God with fear and moved accordingly, then friends, let us honor God with fear, the reverence, the respect, knowing the power of God. Here’s the third H. What about household preparation? Noah prepared an ark for the saving of his household. Yes, he carried forth God’s command. He didn’t seek out a yacht for comfort, but an ark for salvation. The world was to be destroyed, and Noah saved his family by being obedient unto God. You know, friends, what if we began with the question, what do I have to do to save my family? Well, the first thing is we begin in saving ourselves. Let’s use this as an illustration. How about when we fly on an airplane, and as we are about to leave the ground and they go over all the details, they always mention of the oxygen mask that will drop down in case of cabin pressure, in case oxygen is needed. They drop those down, we put them on our faces, and they always say, put it on your face first, and then you can help others to do so. It has to begin with us, so then we are able to help others. And so immediately we want to think, well, let me take care of my child, my spouse. But the direction is, if you want to save and you want to help, it’s got to begin with you. Let’s now consider the words of Peter in 1 Peter 3, 20 and 21, concerning Noah, which sometimes were disobedient when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a-preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls, were saved by water. The like figure, whereunto even baptism doth also now save us. not to putting away the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Friends, we realize that we are in a religious world to where unity does not reign when it comes to the discussion of water baptism. There are those that will bring forth a disagreement. You do not have to be saved by being baptized, but friends, 1 Peter 3, 20 and 21 says differently. As a matter of fact, remission of sins could not have happened in Acts 2 and verse 38 unless they had repented and were baptized. And in Mark 16, 16, Jesus did say, He that believes and is baptized shall be saved. When we see the like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us, it’s not to put away the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And isn’t it something that the death, the burial, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the perfect parallel to one who is dead in sin, therefore you bury them in baptism, and they are raised to walk in newness of life. Friends, that’s Romans 6, verses 1 through 6. It is important for you and I that God sees grace. God looks upon us with His grace as Noah had faith. Now, isn’t that interesting when we think about a text such as Ephesians 2, 8 and 9? For by grace have you been saved through faith, that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. So, friends… how important it is that God saw grace as Noah had faith. In his faith, he did the warnings of God, he honored God with fear and responded, and he prepared his household to save them. Number two, God saw grace as Noah had example. You see, through Noah’s faith, he was a just individual. As a just soul, his life was righteous, fair, upright, and virtuous. And all of this stems from a life of faith and a life guided by God. Let’s hear these texts. Galatians 3.11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident, for the just shall live by faith. Habakkuk 2 and verse 4, Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him, but the just shall live by his faith. Now let’s think about Romans 1, 16 and 17 when Paul said, For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. For it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For therein, therein where? The gospel. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, the just shall live by faith. Noah was just. He continued to live by his faith. And God’s grace upon him. Noah was also perfect in his generations, or among his contemporaries he stood head and shoulders. As a perfect individual, a complete individual in Christ, or rather in God according to his commands, Noah lived a holy life, blameless with no blemish, as we note from Ephesians 5.27. A life of honesty and integrity, Romans 12.17 and Philippians 4.8. The same pattern that we should be today, to be perfect, to live that holy life in Christ. 1 Peter 1, verses 14-16 has the reflection of Noah’s time and the result of Noah’s life. Watch this. As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lust in your ignorance, but as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation or lifestyle, because it is written, Be ye holy, for I am holy. Yes, friends, there was the wickedness in the world, but Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord, a just man, a faithful man who walked holy. Now remember, friends, God wants us to be individuals that are defined by our love, John 13, 34 and 35. And the definition of being perfect in his generations was one of care before others. But Noah kept the message and exhorted people to change their lives. Now back to 2 Peter 2 and verse 5 to where Noah was called a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly. So friends, I submit to you that we should be the same, individuals that will make the difference. When God looks to the earth, does he see grace through his eyes? And are our lives the proper examples before others as Jesus taught in Matthew 5, 13-16? We understand Noah’s faith. We understand his life as an example. Friends, the pattern remains for you and I today to do the things that are pleasing to God. I want to pause for just a few seconds here, defer to our J-Web, and we’ve got something else special for you, a free sample study material.
SPEAKER 01 :
Please check out our fellow laborers at HouseToHouse.com, an outstanding website for topic research, an excellent media section, and some free materials. While there, please request a free copy of House to House, Heart to Heart. Check it out today at HouseToHouse.com.
SPEAKER 02 :
Friends, may I also add, if you would like to have your free copy of House to House, Heart to Heart, but you do not have access to internet to request it, Please call us at 855-444-6988. Leave us your name and address and just simply say house to house and we will mail a free copy to you today. Let’s notice as we come to the conclusion of our broadcast today, we have about old six to seven minutes left. God saw grace as Noah not only had faith, had an example, but he walked with God. Noah walked with God. It was his will and desire to follow God. And that pattern should be the same for us, friends. You know, walking with God has to be an amazing attribute and a compliment. In Genesis 5, beginning with verse 22, we learn that Enoch walked with God. How later in Genesis 17, in verse 1, Abram was reminded and commanded to walk before God. Hosea said of the tribe of Ephraim how they shall walk after the Lord. Hosea 11 and verse 10. When we return to Genesis chapter 8 verses 15 through 21, we learn that Noah did not forget God. What he did before the ark, what he did with the ark, resulted in his walk when he left the ark. In Genesis 8, 15-18, he acknowledged the power of God, his sovereignty. Go forth. It is time, Noah. And he trusted in God’s power. He also acknowledged the presence of God. Genesis 8, 19-21. I’m reminded of Psalm 29, verse 2. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto His name. Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. Now, friends, listen to this once again. What Noah did before the ark, where he found grace in the eyes of the Lord, what he did with the ark, prepared the ark based upon his faith, resulted in his walk when he left the ark. Or if you will, eight souls were saved by water because it lifted up the ark. And it was within the ark where one found salvation. Genesis 9 and verse 1 says, And God bless Noah, and he will indeed bless us. When we respond to God’s grace because of our faith in Him, and our faith drives us to where we repent of our sins, we change our life, or if you will, we begin preparation. We confess our faith in Christ. And then when we’re baptized into Jesus Christ, we are added to his church, or if you will, the safety of today’s ark. And that when the floods arise, we are within the safety of the church. Friends, what a beautiful, beautiful thought and the things that we can learn from Noah. Now, earlier in our broadcast, we mentioned about our friends at World Video Bible School and also our friends at House to House, Heart to Heart. We would like to also offer you a free Bible study course that’s done by mail. It’s available to everyone absolutely free. We have a number of people that request our Bible study course. Now, a lot of times we use Churches of Christ in your area to help us send those courses to you. So if you see an envelope come from a Church of Christ, they help us cover a lot of ground. But the Bible study course, it’s totally non-denominational. It takes you back in the study of the Word of God. We always encourage people, it never costs you a thing, and it doesn’t cost to give it a try. Here is our J-Web with the details of how you can receive our Bible study course by mail. Then I’ll come back and wrap up our broadcast today.
SPEAKER 01 :
Our well-received Bible study course by mail is available to everyone absolutely free. Would you like to try it? All you do is call us toll-free at 855-444-6988 and leave your name, address, and just say, Home Study. That’s it. That’s all you have to do. You may also go to our website at internationalgospelhour.com. Click on the Contact tab and leave us the same information, name, address, and type Home Study in the message box. At your own pace, you can study the Bible in your own home. Again, it’s free. Give it a try. And it’s from your friends here at International Gospel Hour.
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, friends, we hope that you will give our Bible study course by mail a try. We hope that our content today, based upon the Word of God, the study of Noah, the one that made the difference, will make a difference in your life. We hope that our tools that we offer through our friends at World Video Bible School, wvbs.org, house2househeart2heart at house2house.com, as well as giving us a call for that free Bible course, we hope will be a great advantage to you. We want individuals to walk closer to the Lord, to simply obey the gospel through simple trusting faith, a repentant heart, confessing that faith in Christ and being buried with Him in baptism to be added to His church, what a beautiful walk that one can do in obedience to the Word of God. And we want to help you toward that end here from International Gospel Hour. Through God’s grace, we respond in faith, in example, and in the walk for Him. May we do so. We will make a difference in this world. We’ll continue our studies together at another time, but for now, thank you for joining me here on the International Gospel Hour broadcast. I’m Jeff Archie, and friends, keep listening.
SPEAKER 01 :
Thank you for listening today. May this study prompt your search of God’s Word for His will in your life. To assist you in your study or to listen to our other programs, please visit our website at internationalgospelhour.com. To God be the glory.
