- Ezra Institute - https://www.ezrainstitute.com -

The World that Perished

God destroyed the wicked and their world, but saved a remnant through the obedience of one man.

Scripture:  Genesis 7:1-24

Sermon Notes:

  1. Man objects to the historical biblical flood because deep within we rebel against God’s governance of history.
  2. A sinner at heart, man resists God’s moral rule and judgment over our lives.
  3. Sin explains our broken world and the moral brokenness all around us: mass murder of the unborn; child sexual abuse; lawlessness; ridicule and persecution of Christians; and God’s truth rejected as evil.
  4. The world is mocking God’s judgment (cf. 2 Peter 2:5) but much of the church is complicit, masking and avoiding sin instead of confronting it boldly.
  5. Ministers of the gospel are anesthetizing their congregations so that Christians are unaware of the weight of God’s moral judgment on sin.
  6. The church must regain its calling to acquaint people with the law and judgments of God.
  7. The gospel gets to the root of the problem of sin, and brings salvation and restoration.
  8. In the unfolding of the flood events, we see God’s careful and systematic judgment, fulfilling His sovereign purpose announced 120 years earlier (Genesis 6:3 cf. Luke 17:26-27).
  9. The flood waters arose from the sky (rain) and from the fountains of the deep; God brought together what He had separated in creation (Genesis 1:6) as judgment upon wicked man who had violated the order and distinctions God had created.
  10. Noah’s obedience is vital in the saving of his household and all creatures (Genesis 6:9; 7:5, 9, 16).
  11. God graciously saves a pair of each unclean animal, which would later be used to teach Israel about God’s holiness.
  12. Noah was righteous in his generation; out of God’s grace he is chosen as an obedient man of faith (Heb. 11:7) to save the human race.
  13. The LORD is the covenant name for God, recalling Genesis 3:15 where the Saviour is promised.
  14. It was the LORD who shut the remnant of human and animal life into the ark saving them from death (Gen. 7:16).
  15. Like the Garden of Eden, the ark was a place of life and salvation. Outside the ark, all flesh perished in the flood.
  16. God’s ultimate plan of salvation was to send His Son to take the punishment of the whole human race.
  17. Christ was counted as a sinner, and the Father poured out His wrath against sin upon His own Son.
  18. At the crucifixion one of the thieves mocked and the other repented, trusted in Jesus and was promised paradise (Luke 23:39-43).

Application Questions:

  1. Why do sinners prefer to consider Noah’s flood a myth?
  2. What was the wickedness of the pre-flood human race which necessitated God’s judgment in the flood?
  3. Why is it necessary for the church to preach clearly about God’s righteous standards today?
  4. In what ways was Noah graciously enabled for his role in saving a remnant of all flesh alive?
  5. How will we respond to the judgment of Christ over our lives?  Mocking or repentance (cf. Luke 23:39-43)?