2 Peter 2:4-9 – For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:(For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished (KJV).
Introduction and Setting
I want to speak to you about one of the greatest preachers in all of history. He lived in a time when mankind was universally corrupt. In fact, the culture was so wicked that God repented that He had made man. So, He decided to annihilate the human race.
But one man found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generation and walked with God. God gave him a strange command to build an ark 125 years before the actual event took place. During this time he preached for all those years yet never had one person saved. No one was baptized. No one became a member of his “church.” No one assisted him in his ministry. Yet, he is known as a great preacher. Why? Because, with his immediate family, he had a 100% batting average. He saved his wife, three sons and their wives. A total of eight people were preserved from destruction.
The Flood – Truth or Fiction
There are over 200 cultural accounts of a universal flood. According to the Chinese account, the flood occurred around 2300 B.C. One family escaped with three of their children. According to the Alaskan Eskimo tradition a flood occurred accompanied by an earthquake. A handful of survivors fled in canoes and re-established the Eskimo race. In America there are 58 different Indian accounts of a universal flood. The Navajo Indians believed that the Grand Canyon was a result of the great flood. Many of the mountains of the world bear the scars of a universal calamity. Fossil records indicate a universal flood. They have found fossils at a depth of 300 feet below the ground and atop the tallest mountains in the world.
Why was the life span so long back then and man’s days since declined to “three score and ten years” (around 70 year average)? The declining life span is linked with the removal of the earth’s vapor canopy. This canopy shielded earth from solar radiation in space. As a result we breathe in ozone, a very toxic gas which creates a constant reaction among the molecules of the human system. Before the flood ozone did not penetrate. Today it does and is a major cause in aging. Before the flood, the canopy provided a warm comfortable environment. The ground was fertile and there were no diseases. Before the flood man ate vegetables, fruit and nuts. Afterward, he added meat to his diet.
Why Noah was such a great preacher?
Noah faithfully proclaimed the message of righteousness for 125 years before the flood. But, in spite of his reputation of being faithful to truth the only ones he saved was his family. Here is my point: If you make it through life and take your family with you to heaven, you’ll be doing as good as Noah did. Noah was obedient to his difficult task of preaching while the world mocked (Genesis 6:14-21; 7:5). Hebrews 11:7 tells us he did this by faith. He built the first altar in the Bible that is recorded (Genesis 8:20; Hebrews 13:10). God established an everlasting covenant with Noah (9:12-17). The bottom line to Noah’s greatness was he was faithful in spite of huge opposition. He did not lose his integrity. And his family who saw his witness on a daily basis believed his message and boarded the ark with him.
How can we follow the preaching example of Noah?
If we are to take our family, our most prized possession with us to heaven we must first be involved with their lives. Deuteronomy 6:4-7 uses the word “diligently” to stress the importance of training our children. It is vital that we pray with our children and teach them to love to pray. It is important that we teach them to love the Word of God. How will they love it if they never see us read it? A man in Vancouver heard some boys talking. It was one of those, “My dad-can-beat-your-dad” routines. As he listened, one boy said, “My dad knows the mayor.” The next boy said, “That’s nothing. My dad knows the governor.” The third boy, not to be outdone said, “So what? My dad knows God.” The man said he fell to his knees and prayed, “O God, may my boy always be able to say, “My dad knows God.”
In order to have credibility with our children we must be interested in their lives and talk with them about what they enjoy and want to talk about. Someone wisely said, “If you will enjoy with your children what they enjoy they will eventually listen and give heed to your counsel about spiritual things.” Secondly, we should ask God for wisdom in disciplining our family to serve the Lord. Eli had two sons, Hophni and Phineas who were known as children of the devil in First Samuel 2. They were corrupt and had no regard for spiritual things. First Samuel 3:13 reads, His sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not. Because of the Adamic nature children do not automatically grow up to serve the Lord. They will grow up to be self-serving and sinful unless disciplined otherwise. This does not mean we should run our family like an army.
One little seven year old boy got so tired of taking strict orders he told his family at meal time, “I would like to transfer out of this crummy outfit.” Joy and fun should be a benchmark of our family but discipline is not anti-thetical to love and joy. The Bible says, Whom the Lord loveth he chastens. Charles Swindoll in his book You and Your Child suggests five things that every parent should teach their children.
1) Confidence – How to stand alone in righteousness in the world.
2) Correction – Respect for those in authority.
3) Courage – How to deal with temptation.
4) Cash management – How to spend, save and give.
5) Contribution – Learn how to work.
Third, we should make our home an ark of safety. We should make this pledge to our children: “I will do everything I can to put your hand into the hand of the heavenly Father.” This means raising them in church. This means setting an example before them. This means talking to them about the Lord and talking to the Lord about them.
A father was sitting in the room of his dying son. Suddenly emotion overcame him and tears began to flow. The son began to calm his father, “Don’t worry dad. When I die I am going to heaven and I will go right up to Jesus and tell him that it is because of you that I am here.”
Phil L. Redding has served as the General Bishop of the Pentecostal Church of God since 2001. The PCG has approximately 1,200 churches stateside and around 6,000 worldwide. Bishop Redding has been ordained since 1979 and has served his movement as pastor, District and National Youth Director, District and Divisional Christian Educational Director, District Secretary Treasurer, as well as other positions. He has written three books and numerous articles.
There was no one more similar to Christ in the Old Testament than the patriarch Joseph. One of ways Joseph was like Jesus was his willingness to forgive those who intended to destroy him.
Denomination: Pentecostal Church of God