Genesis 6-8

Genesis 6:9-22; 7:11-24; 8:14-21

Not Easy – But New

June 8, 2008

This summer we are going to be spending some time looking at stories from the book of Genesis that make up a valuable part of our faith tradition. These are stories of folks like Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph – folks who were called by God and touched by God in certain ways – and – while they were not perfect – were used by God to bring His will and His love into the world.

As we look at these stories I believe we will discover that God is at work in our lives and in our world – and that God can use us – as imperfect as we may be – to do His work and will in the world – if we will let Him use us.

We’re going to begin by looking at Noah – and at how God used him to bring about a new thing – new life – that was not easy – but was new – and was better than life before. As we look at Noah’s obedience to God, we can see how we can live for God in the world – how we can live a life that is not easy but is new – and how God continues to give us opportunities to live this life that is new – even though it is not easy.

The story of Noah takes up several chapters in Genesis – so we are going to look at selected verses from Genesis 6-8.

Listen to God’s word in Genesis 6:9-22; 7:11-24; 8:14-21.

Read Scripture

As I studied this passage this week, 3 words jumped out at me –

2 of them describes Noah – they are righteous and blameless –

the third describes everyone else – corrupt

God looked at the world and saw that something had to be done about the fact that

“the earth was corrupt and full of violence” – as 6:11 puts it.

But – what could God do?

God decided He had to start over again – beginning with Noah – who was – as 6:9 puts it –

“a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God”.

God decided to start over – beginning with someone who was obedient to Him.

The process was not going to be easy –

It could not have been easy for God to destroy His creation – to see people and animals not on the Ark drowning –

but it led to something new – something better.

It was not easy – but it was new.

I think one of the key things we need to keep in mind when we consider Noah is his obedience.

Sometimes the word “obedience” can be seen as a negative thing and not a positive thing. We might think of Stanley Milgram’s experiments where people were told to administer electric shocks to another person – who, unbeknownst to them, were really actors who acted as if they were being shocked – and wonder why people would obey such an order to shock another person. Or we might think of some of the massacres and horror stories of war situations where people killed innocent civilians because they were following orders – and wonder why they could be obedient to such orders.

But –obedience to God is a very positive thing – but it is not an easy thing.

Noah discovered that obedience to God was not easy – but it was positive – and it led to a completely new thing that God was doing.

God used Noah’s obedience to do a new thing in the world.

The story of Noah is a story of obedience that is messy – that is costly – but that is beautiful.

It’s a story of messy – costly – and yet beautiful obedience from an ordinary man named Noah.

Through his story, we learn that it’s when we’re loving God, knowing God, and experiencing God that we’re living a life of active obedience to God – a life that is not easy – but new.

Now — the story of Noah’s obedience—like every story of obeying God—does not begin with Noah – it begins with God. In the midst what Genesis 6:11 describes as a world that is filled with wickedness, there is this bright ray of hope:

“But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.”

Noah found grace because God, in his grace, found Noah.

Some people like to point out that the story of Noah and the flood is probably not an original story – that there are stories of floods from other cultures and traditions that the story of Noah is patterned after. While it’s true that there are other stories of floods – such as the Gilgamesh epic from the Babylonian culture – there is one main difference between these and the Biblical story. Other cultures –such as the Gilgamesh epic — emphasize the heroic image of the main character – but here in Genesis the emphasis is on God – and God’s grace.

Noah’s simple, humble, but costly obedience is a response to God’s grace.

It all begins with God.

Of course, this is a preview of the Good News of Jesus.

In the New Testament, we’re told over and over again that God saves us, favors us, chooses us, forgives us, and sets us free from the power and penalty of sin and the sting of death. We are also reminded it is not by our own moral effort or progress that we are saved — it’s only by the grace of God.

That raises an important question about obedience to God. People sometimes say:

“If I’m saved by God’s grace in Jesus and it isn’t based on my good deeds, then why would I want to be good?”

“Couldn’t I just live the same life I’ve always lived and then just ask forgiveness?”

I believe the answer is no.

I believe that — once you understand God and His grace — you are going to want to change.

Jesus is the one who sets you free from the bondage of sin. He redeemed you when you were utterly lost – and – because He has done this – I believe you are going to want to love him. And — when you’re in love — it changes everything about you—your actions, attitudes, motivations, and affections.

So – the story of Noah is a story of obedience.

It’s a story that show us that when we’re chosen and loved by God, we can love God in return — and when we love Him — it changes everything.

It’s the story of God doing something that is not easy – but new.

It’s the story of Noah obeying God – doing something that is not easy – but new.

It’s the story of how we can obey God – and do things that are not easy – but new.

It’s a story of God’s grace.

It’s a story of how loving God can lead us to obey God – and do things that are not easy – but are new.

It’s a story of how we can live a life of costly, messy, beautiful obedience.

It’s a story of the radical obedience of an ordinary guy named Noah.

Noah – who did things that were not easy – but were different.

Noah epitomizes costly, messy, but beautiful obedience.

Genesis 6:9 tells us “Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God.”

The Hebrew word translated “blameless” means free from defect, wholesome, sound. It does not imply Noah was perfect or sinless, but it does imply something special about Noah: he was consistently obedient to God.

Notice the following verses:

• 6:22—”Noah did everything just as God commanded him.”
• 7:5—”And Noah did all that the Lord commanded him.”
• 7:9—”as God had commanded Noah.”
• 7:16—”as God had commanded Noah.”
• 8:15–16, 18—”Then God said to Noah, ‘Come out of the ark’ … So Noah came out.”

If Noah had a slogan it would be; “Just do it—God’s way.”

Did you notice Noah never speaks for the entire story? God gives four little speeches, but Noah just keeps his mouth shut and does his job.

Now, he’s not a mindless robot. He’s a flesh and blood human being with real problems and struggles – just like you and me.

And — just like us – when we come to Christ, God doesn’t expect us to be a mindless robot either.

The brilliant physicist, John Polkinghorne, said:

“Many people think that faith involves shutting one’s eyes, gritting one’s teeth, and believing impossible things — because the Bible tells us to do so. Not at all! Faith may involve a leap, but it’s a leap into the light, not the dark. The aim of the religious quest, like that of the scientific quest, is to seek motivated belief about what is the case … not whistling in the dark to keep our spirits up. ”

Noah may well have questioned, doubted, and argued along the way, but all we have is the end result of his journey. He responded to God by listening and obeying God.

Noah perfected the art of obedience – not the art of thinking about obedience.

He acted.

He put his faith into practice.

Hi did something that was not easy – but that was new.

As Noah put his faith into practice – as he acted – as he did his not easy but new thing — he lived a life of costly – messy — and yet beautiful – obedience to God.

Obedience to God is costly.

Obedience will cost you something.

Notice the details of the ark in Genesis 6:14–16.

Someone has estimated that the dimensions imply Noah’s boat was 95,700 square feet. That’s much smaller than the modern ocean liner Queen Elizabeth II, but it’s also much larger than Columbus’s Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria.

The length of 450 feet equals one and a half American football fields

.

This was a massive project!

Imagine what obeying God cost Noah!

It wasn’t a hobby; it consumed his time, money, energy, and life.

Obedience is the flow of God’s love in your life.

Does your faith cost you anything?

Does it cut into your lifestyle at all?

Noah was willing to do something that was not easy at all – but that led to something new – God’s new thing that God was doing in the world.

Are you willing to do things that are not easy – but new – because God told you to do so?

Noah’s obedience to God was costly.

What does your obedience to God cost you?

Noah’s obedience was also messy.

Genesis 6:9 describes Noah very simply with these words:

“He walked with God.”

Genesis 5:24 describes someone else who walked with God: “Enoch walked with God, and then he was no more because God took him away.”

That’s neat and clean obedience.

We obey and God removes us from the mess of life.

But that’s not the way it normally works – is it?

Normally we have to live our lives for God and walk with Him in the midst of a hurting, broken, messy world. Jesus said normal Christian spirituality means letting your light shine into the midst of darkness.

Jesus said: Go back into the darkness and form a community of my people who will reach out and shine my light into the darkness as they love one another.

Too many times slip into an ark mentality.

An ark mentality says, “We just have to get inside, shut the doors, keep the bad influences out, and then hold on until Jesus comes, God opens the doors, and lets us out so we’ll be free at last!”

In the midst of a flood, an ark is a wonderful thing.

But an ark is also a very messy place. It’s part of life in the ark.

The whole point of the ark was not to permanently escape the world; the ark was created so Noah and his community could reenter the world as bearers of an new reality.

In other words, the church isn’t a refuge from the culture around us; it’s the place that helps us enter into and engage the culture.

Obedience to God did not take Noah away from the “messes” of life. In fact, it made his life more messy – but – he was willing to go into the mess – to live in the midst of the mess of his life – knowing that God was with him.

Are you willing to step into the mess of the world – to take on the challenges of caring for others and doing what God calls you to do?

For that matter – are you willing to take on the mess of the Church – getting involved in the work that needs to be done – so that we can be the Church God calls us to be?

Noah was willing to do things that were not easy – so that God’s new thing could be done.

Noah was willing to do things that were costly – and even messy — so that God’s new thing could be done.

Are you willing to do the costly – and even messy – things – so that God’s new thing can be done in the world?

Noah showed obedience that was costly – even messy.

Noah showed obedience to God that was beautiful.

At this point, you may be thinking, Costly, messy, obedience—why would I ever want that?

Noah’s life shows us something else about obedience: it’s beautiful.

Obedience brings life to Noah and his family.

God’s call and Noah’s obedience produced a thing of beauty for Noah, his family, and the whole earth.

Obedience leads to blessing.

Through his obedience, Noah became the bearer of a new, alternative reality—the reality of blessing, the reality of God’s grace.

Through his obedience, Noah bore witness to and left a legacy of God’s grace.

Noah’s faith caused him to do something that was not easy – but led to something that was new.

Noah was not perfect – but more times than not, and when God needed him to be, Noah was obedient.

Even when it was costly.

Even when it was messy.

Noah was obedient – and that led to a new blessing for the world .

It was not easy – but it was new.

And it was beautiful.

Can the same be said about you?

Can it be said that you are willing to be obedient – even when it is costly?

Can it be said that you are willing to be obedient – even when it is messy?

Can it be said that you are willing to be beautifully obedient?

You know — one thing that blocks us from living lives of costly — messy – but beautiful obedience is that we always think we need more information.

We say:

“I’d like to obey, but I need some deeper teaching on that issue. If someone would just feed me, then I could obey. It’s someone else’s responsibility, and I’m a victim of my own disobedience.”

Yes, we do need to question, explore, and get answers — but there comes a point in our lives when we need to say to ourselves:

“How much more information do I need before I can respond to God with costly, messy, and beautiful obedience?”

How much more information about forgiveness do we need before we let go of my grudges and release those who have wounded me?

How much more teaching on Christian community do we need before we decide to reach out to each other and show each other the love of God?

How much more training on how to pray do we need before we actually set aside time every day to come to God in prayer?

How much more do we have to hear about the need to share our faith with others before we do it?

How much more information do we need about how we each have a gift to give for the work of God before we will actually start using our gifts in the Church and in the community?

How much more information do you need about God’s desire for you to be obedient – even when it’s costly and messy – before you will live a life of costly – even messy – yet beautiful obedience?

How much more information do you need before you are willing to do the new things God is calling you to do – even when they are not easy?

The problem in our lives is pretty simple:

too many times we are afraid to be Noah’s – -

too many times we are afraid to do the new things God may be calling us to do –

too many times we are not obedient to God –

because obedience might get costly or inconvenient.

it might get messy —

and we are too comfortable with how things are – regardless of how bad they are – to get involved with making God’s will to make things new.

Noah was willing to be obedient to God.

Even when it was costly –

even when it was messy –

Noah obeyed – and a beautiful new reality was created.

Are you willing to do that?

Are you willing to go into the costly – even messy – thing God may be calling you to be doing – and discover the beautiful new thing God wants to bless you with/

Are we willing to go into the costly – even messy – thing God may be calling us to be doing – and discover the beautiful new thing God may have in store for us?

A man was surveying some beautiful projects his friend had completed in his back yard.

“How did you figure out how to do all this?” he asked him.

“It’s pretty simple,” the neighbor replied.

“I just read the manuals and then I do it.” He then added : “Of course, there’s an important element in between: it’s called courage.”

Noah heard God’s call and then he courageously did it – regardless of how costly or messy it was – and it was a blessing to the world.

Are we willing to hear God’s call to do something new – regardless of how costly or messy it is – and discover God’s blessings?

Noah lived a life of obedience that was costly – messy – but was a blessing.

He was willing to do something that was not easy – but was new.

Here’s the challenge:

Look for things that you can do – that God may be calling you to do – but that have put “on the back burner” because they are costly and messy – and do them!

Look for things that need to be done in the Church – things that may take effort – and do them!

Look for things that can show God’s love to others – things that may be costly and even messy – and do them!

Look for ways to be like Noah – doing the costly and messy things – the things that are not easy – but the things that are what the Church and the world need you to do – the things God needs you to do – so that you can bring God’s new things into the Church and the world.

Amen.