Vol.95/8

Faith of Noah

Introduction:

"Faith is the substance of things hoped for; the evidence of things not seen."

May your eyes be opened and your heart set on fire to stand up and be counted for God. AMEN!

Gospel Distribution Ministry

Faith of Noah

(From a recorded sermon of Bro. Julius Adewumi, Night Vigil, 6/30/95)

Faith is the substance of things hoped for; the evidence of things not seen." (Heb.11:1)

How did the great patriach Noah exercise faith? What made him a man of faith? Or why did God choose Noah? In Heb 11:7 it reads: "By faith, Noah being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house. By the which he condemned the world."

This is something to think about: because he believed, he condemned those who didn't believe! Similarly, if you follow Jesus and believe these things that has been told you, concerning the end of the world, and that the kingdom of God is coming to take over, and that those who accept not the Lord Jesus will be destroyed from this world; it's a condemnation to those who don't believe. If God can find somebody righteous, then He is justified to destroy those who refuse to be righteous.

Remember the discussion between Abraham and God before Sodom and Gomorah were destroyed, God said "if I find ten righteous people in the city, I will not destroy it for the sake of ten". (Gen.18:32)

Noah condemned the world by believing and preparing the ark "and he became heir of righteousness which is by faith".

Let's study this faith of Noah and see what we can learn from it. In Genesis chapter 6 verses 5-8 : "God saw that the wickedness of man was great and that every imagination of the thought of his heart is evil continually. And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth; and it grieved him and the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the earth and the beast and the creeping things .. for it repented me that I have created them."

"But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord."

The scripture simply said "Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord." How did he find grace? Enoch was his great grand father. Faith must have been passed down to Noah by the records. It was reported that Enoch wrote about the fear of God (Jude v. 14). Enoch warned them! It was passed down "how to fear God and how to obey God". It was faith! You either believe that he is and he is a rewarder of those that deligently seek him, or you refuse to believe and want your own ways. And those who believe must follow him; they must fear him and they must do things in the way God wants them to be done. The bottom line is, "if we say we believe, we've got to walk the way he expects us to walk, so that we can find grace in the eyes of God, just as Noah found grace in the eyes of God".

Do you know that Noah had brothers and sisters from the same parent? His father Lamech had sons and daughters. (Gen. 5:30). Just as many of us christians may have brothers and sisters from blood relations who are not believing the gospel as we do.

Some of the brothers and sisters might also have believed but did not practise what they said they believed like Noah did. That is very important! Are you going to practise the walk with the Lord as it had been revealed unto you? If you say you believe this thing, practise it.

I will list some of the exhortations we have received about how to walk with the Lord in righteousness. If you believe in the Lord, practise the walk with him. Put it upon yourself to do some of the exhortations: occassionally fast, regularly put it upon yourself to study the bible, and read gospel literatures like this, and so on. Noah had brothers and sisters, but they were not perhaps the pratising types of believers.

In Gen 6:13, God said unto Noah: "The end of all flesh is come before me ..".

Think about this! How did God speak to Noah? We always assume that God spoke from the sky, like the movie about Noah which was dramatized which said: a voice from the sky spoke to Noah while he was working in his yard, calling him "Noah, Noah".

But God has not been speaking like that in this generation; most likely that was not how God spoke to him. Noah heard the voice of God and believed. The believing part of it is what God said about Abraham also. I said how did God speak to Noah? Very likely it was the same method he has used to speak to many of us -- visions or dreams or through written word. We are aware that Enoch wrote about the impending destruction of the world, which Noah must have received and believed. (Jude 14 ). When he believed what was written, God would reveal more to him.

The "believing" of what you have heard is very important! Hasn't God spoken to us too? The Lord has spoken to us in the bible! The impending judgement of the wicked has been written by the apostles and prophets. You and I who believe the reports are classified as righteous for believing the reports in the bible. However, what do you do with what you believe? God will reveal more to you as you seek more of him, and as you desire to be close to him. When you receive His word, you have a responsibility to do something to save your soul. Like Noah, our ark of safety this time is in the Lord Jesus Christ! The steps are narrated in the scriptures. The Lord said, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; He that believeth not shall be damned". He said also, "except you eat the flesh of the son of man and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. He that drinketh my blood and eateth my flesh have everlasting life, and I will raise him up at the last day". (Jn. 6:53). He said furthermore, "Verily, verily I say unto you, if a man keep my saying, he shall never see death" (Jn.8:51). Jesus is the ark of safety at this end of time!

God has spoken to us also. He even reveal more to us by prophecies, through visions and dreams.

After Noah heard, he did what God said. He implemented the steps laid down for him by God in order for him to be saved: "According to all that God commanded Noah, so did he." (Gen. 6:23). "He moved with fear and built the ark."

1) Noah heard and believed. In our time, we have heard about the end of the world is coming; there is coming an anti-christ who will mark the world (Rev.13). We heard about the plagues and troubles for the world, and perhaps a third world war -Armagedon!

Do you realize there are people who don't believe all those things? However, we are going to condemn them because we believe the records of the prophets who heard those prophecies from God and wrote them for us. (Revelations 7-19; Zechariah 14:1-4). Now after you have believed the reports, what is expected of you to do? Are you to prepare yourself some ways? Yes! The bible said, "Repent!" "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shall be saved, and thy whole house". "Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart."(2Tim.2:22). "Unto them that look for him will he appear the second time without sin unto salvation." (Heb.9:27).

We believe what the scriptures said that the Lord himself shall descend and take the christians away in the rapture. (1Thes.4:15-18). There are some churches who don't believe that part of the bible. If it finally occurs and they are left behind, the Lord will be justified to leave them behind in the tribulation. Noah condemned the world by believing the message he received from God and by preparing the ark.

You may run into friends, school-mates, who may laugh you to scorn for what you say you believe. It takes humility to hear God and to do what God commands you to do in order to be saved. A lot of people think they are smarter than God. That is why it was written that "God takes the base things of the world to comfound the wise". "The foolishness of God is wiser than men". Through the foolishness of the gospel God has chosen to save mankind, whosoever will hear and believe. (1Cor.1:18-19,25-29).

You ought to be humble first, then God will reveal his word to your understanding. It takes some readiness to stand alone in order to follow God. Be ready to stand alone in following God. Noah was persecuted, ridiculed, mocked and laughed at. As it was then, so is it now. If Noah has been in this generation, it will perhaps be worse. Just think about it: Noah was building a boat and telling the people in the world around him that God told him that the world will be destroyed because of their sins and only those in the boat with him will be saved. Just imagine what scorners will say to him : "You are a sinner Noah for judging us"; "You are proud Noah for thinking too high of yourself"; "You have your own religion, Noah, and I have mine", and so on.

God always call people to come and do ridiculous things, as an expression of faith.

Some people will say, concerning prophecies of the Lord's coming, that we have heard it before by our grand parents, and he is not come yet. Mockers, saying "where is the promise of his coming?" We must be humble before God, and have readiness to stand alone even if the whole world disbelieve the truth. Noah stood alone believing the "ridiculous" when the whole world around him disbelieved.

The general characteristic of the men of faith listed in the book of hebrews chapter 11 is that God called people to come and believe the "unbelievable", and they did. They were called upon to do some ridiculous things. Those who were able to stand and do the ridiculous thing are the men who were recorded as "men of faith". You may say "what do you mean by ridiculous thing?" Look at Noah. Don't you think what he did was ridiculous when he was telling them before it happened? He was telling them "there was coming rain and flood which will destroy everybody except himself and his family in the boat he was building". Wasn't that ridiculous? Everyone will laugh at you in this generation if you say such to people, that there is going to be a flood which will destroy everybody except you and anyone with you in this boat that you are building.

You must be ready to stand alone believing such a thing. Men will ask you why you believe that "that is the only way to salvation". Yet you can only point to a personal revelation from God to you. Similarly, when we tell people that Jesus is the only way to salvation, the multitude of unbelievers think any religion can save if they practise it as prescribed. But Jesus said "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the father but by me." (Jn.14:6 ). It has to be a revelation to you in order to accept and understand that Jesus is the only way.

Each great man of faith has been called upon to do something ridiculous. Another example is about Gideon. (Judges 7-8). Gideon was told by God to lead the Israelites to battle against the Midianites whose soldiers were as grasshoppers for multitudes. Gideon said "Okay". He called everybody together to come out and fight. They all came together: they've got a leader now, because they never had a leader before then. They came and were counted to be about thirty two thousands men. They were going against a multitude as grasshoppers. But God told Gideon the Israelites were too many. So it was announced, "anyone scared and afraid, go back home. Anyone who had just married, go back home and so on." About twenty two thousand went back home leaving ten thousand men. You can say that is ridiculous. The enemy they are going to fight was as grasshoppers in multitude. They might say "maybe we can make it, maybe we can make it". But the Lord told Gideon again that they were still too many. Now that is the ridiculous part of it. God always call people to come and do something that is ridiculous. It will look like an impossible task you are called upon to come and believe in and if you believe it, it will be you alone. That is what I am saying. You will be so isolated, and people will even say before your face that you are out of your mind. However if God really called you to it and you stand alone like that, remember, it is the right place to stand. Any issue! Any faith thing! Any topic! If God calls you to it and you are able to stand alone with God, that is when you will have your name also among the "stars".

God told Gideon to bring them to the waters; let them all drink water. Those that lapped like dogs were told to stay while the others were sent home. Three hundred men lapped the water with their mouth like dog. God said only those three hundred men will go to the battle. What do you think? People would say to Gideon: "Are you going to take such a risk? Gideon, this is suicide! Just the three hundred of you against that army numbered as grasshoppers for multitude? You are going to kill yourself and these innocent men with you! Are you sure God told you to do this?" But Gideon believed God and he went and succeeded.

God has been known to call men to come and perform ridiculous tasks that seems impossible many times. For you to believe in his calling, you will need to be ready to stand alone with God. Noah did the same thing. He believed the "ridiculous" and went ahead to perform the ridiculous thing to build the ark. By believing, he condemned the world. The world around him didn't believe it would happen, and they didn't believe Noah's boat would save anyone inside it either. In the end Noah was right and they were wrong, and he condemned the world because he believed. Don't be proud before God. Be humble before him and be ready to stand alone.

Remember this, young people. You will run into students in your schools who don't believe all that your parents have taught you about Christ and the coming of the Lord. You may be mocked and ridiculed for believing in Jesus. You may be laughed at, for following the way of righteousness, for dressing modestly as christians, for not running after sin with them. But those who are men of faith are ready to stand and be ridiculed for the name of Jesus Christ. That is what made Noah different. He was ready to stand alone. He stood alone and in the end, he condemned the world. We are going to pray for the anointing that we should be able to stand alone against even the "norm" of the society around us, when that "norm" may even be contrary to the will of God.

There are so many believers which can hardly be distinguished from the unbelievers; especially if they don't even mention their faith in public. God is not satisfied with that kind of lukewarmness. Some believers cannot be distinguished from atheists who simply follow moral codes, since those believers don't mention anything about their faith in public. The world must see a difference between you and them. When there is no marked difference between the sinner and the believer, God will usually either send a persecution to make the true believer stand out and be counted for him, or call individuals to perform ridiculous thing, so that those who can believe that ridiculous thing will be for him. Like he told Noah to build the ark.

We are going to pray for the body of Christ that the Lord will make us to be unique and be separate from the world.

If God asks you to stand in the cafeteria in your school and declare that Jesus is coming soon, will you be able to stand and do it?

Yes, you may be isolated from that time, but should that be the reason for you to refuse to do what God asks you to do? You don't see as God sees, and your obedience may make somebody in that cafeteria turn to God. We are not of this world. We are from another world. Noah must have received a thousand ridicules, but he stood alone and he condemned the world.

May we not be condemned with the world.

In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray for all the readers that they will be able to stand up and be counted for Jesus and not be afraid to stand alone or be ridiculed for the name of Jesus. Give them the boldness and anointing to live for Jesus and speak for Jesus. Let them not be intimidated by the devil anymore in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Bro. Julius Adewumi, Gospel Distribution Ministry .

{ If you are blessed by this literature, write and let us know. As the Lord has said, "to him that hear shall more be given."}