Noah, the Faithful Preacher

Noah, the Faithful Preacher A. Noah was a preacher of righteousness. 2PE 2:5. 1. He preached unto his wicked generation by the Spirit of God. 2PE 1:21 c/w 1PE 3:18-20. a. NOTE: heaven is a place of the spirits of just men made perfect (HEB 12:23), but hell is a place of the spirits of unjust men made prisoners. b. There they must wait with chained fallen angels “...unto the judgment of the great day” (JUDE 1:6 c/w REV 20:13). c. Noah ministered while on an ark-building project. Vital family or business concerns should not overcome the minister's calling to God's work. LUK 9:59-62; ACT 15:38; 1CO 9:16; 2TI 2:4. d. God's ministers must frequently wear two hats. LUK 16:9; ACT 18:3. 2. Consider the ministerial record of Noah. a. At most, Noah converted seven others. b. The number of converts is not the measure of a successful ministry. MAT 25:22-23; 2CO 10:12. c. Jeremiah was a mighty prophet who had little success at conversion. (1) His dedication to Biblical principle made him draw hard lines. JER 15:16-17. (2) It perplexed him that God “blessed” the false teachers. JER 12:1-2. (3) But he could appeal with a clear conscience to the righteous Judge. JER 12:3. (4) A consolation was that he was the O.T. prophet to whom was revealed the promise of a new covenant. JER 31:31-34. d. Noah's church wasn't big, but it certainly was the one to join. True faith will be likewise in short supply at Christ’s return. LUK 18:8. e. God is pleased to bless the small flock. LUK 12:32. 3. Many commentators envision Noah preaching to multitudes, pleading with them to come into the ark so that all might be saved. a. There is no such indication in the Scripture. b. By contrast, God had told Noah that salvation was for him and his family. GEN 6:17-18. c. Noah built the ark with that in mind. HEB 11:7. d. This is a covenant salvation for a few for the sake of a righteous man, a picture of covenant salvation in Christ. ROM 5:19. e. Jesus Christ preached righteousness to men in general while on a mission to save only His own. JOH 5:39-40; 6:37-39. f. The word of God to all men is to turn from sin (ACT 17:30), but though many be called, only few are chosen. MAT 22:14. g. Should wicked men at least break off their outrageous sin, they might at least delay their judgment. DAN 4:27. 4. We have no record in Scripture of any of Noah's sermons. a. Sometimes the most eloquent sermons are Godward actions which of themselves condemn the wicked. HEB 11:7; MAT 12:41-42. b. This underscores the history of the battle between the Seed of the woman and the seed of the adversary. 1JO 3:12; PRO 29:27. B. Noah was a man of faith. HEB 11:7. Noah, the Faithful Preacher Page 1 of 2 1. Faith moves people to action and conclusions in defiance of experience. HEB 11:1-3. 2. Noah had likely never seen liquid water fall from the sky (and he certainly had never seen the earth entirely under water), but that did not deter him from his preparations. 3. We have never seen fire fall from heaven but we are sure it too shall happen and so make preparations. 2PE 3:10-14. 4. God's blessing is especially upon those who believe in the absence of tangible experience. JOH 20:29; 2CO 5:7. C. “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD” (GEN 6:8). 1. In a time of common judgment when the whole human race was ripe for elimination, a righteous man who walked with God was exempted from the calamity. EZE 14:14 c/w PSA 145:20. 2. Those who walk humbly before God have the best hope of finding grace. JAM 4:6. 3. Saints who are the objects of God's grace for eternity may also find more grace when needed. ROM 5:1-2 c/w HEB 4:16. 4. NOTE: 2PE 2:5 says that God spared not a world but saved Noah. But God spared not His Son that He might save a world. JOH 1:29. Noah, the Faithful Preacher Page 2 of 2