PrintSESSION No. 5
NOAH: THE OBEDIENCE OF FAITH
Genesis 6/5-22 Hebrews 11/7
INTRODUCTION:
Let’s keep referring to our primary goal i.e. what do each of these OT characters teach us about faith? What was it about their circumstances that required this kind of appeal to not throw away their faith?
Have you ever been tested and tried to the point where you could give up? Maybe you know someone who has?
[1] THE CONDITION OF THE WORLD (V.5)
a. The description is staggering – consider v.5 in the various translations in your group.
b. Read vs.6 & 7 and discuss the idea of God being sorry ….of regretting is cholices that He had made His creation of humans
c.How things changed between chapter 1 v. 31 (everything was very good)and chapter 6/5-7
d. “But Noah found favour with the Lord” (v.8) How come? (v.9) Like Enoch, Noah walked with God.
[2] THE CERTAINTY OF JUDGEMENT
When we put God’s holiness and human sin together, judgement becomes inevitable. Why is that so?
Read 2 Peter 3/3-7 and Acts 17/31 and John 16/5-11. What do these verses have in common?
“The sacrifice of Jesus demonstrates God’s Holiness and God’s love at the same time”.
How would you explain that to an unbeliever? Aren’t the two – holiness (Judgement) and love mutually exclusive? Surely God is a God of Love OR He is a God of judgment. He can’t be both, can He?
[3] THE PROVISION OF SALVATION
The justice that brings judgment is matched by the mercy that brings salvation
But there is only ONE provision. Nothing else can save us from the coming judgment - Read Acts 4/12
There was only one ark. There is only one way to escape the coming judgment. Jesus.
[4] THE OBEDIENCE OF FAITH.
This brings us to a major aspect of faith – faith is known by what it does, not just what it claims to believe. This is true about every example the writer quotes in Hebrews 11.
By faith Abel offered….by faith Enoch walked……by faith Noah built….so on through whole chapter.
The sole basis of Noah’s action was his conviction that what God said He would do, He would do.
Noah’s faith became tangible in two ways
Speech – 2 Peter 2/5 – “…a preacher of righteousness…”
Action – Heb.11/7 – he did something – Biblical faith is always faith in action
Faith always takes God at His word and acts accordingly
What lessons can we draw from the story of Noah?
What parts of the story of Noah would have particular relevance to the readers?
Enduring faith keeps the end result in focus, not just the present trial or tough circumstances.
God said it……I believe it…….that settles it!!
