Christmas in Genesis (Part 4 of 6)

I don't typically turn to the book of Genesis.

The Christmas story. There is no baby in a manger.

There, but if we consider why Christ was born.

Maybe the story of Noah is the perfect place for us to discover the hope of Christmas today on Truth for Life. Alister Becky explains how the provision of an arc points us to Jesus. We begin in Genesis 6 so we said by way of summary number one of the art was corrupt.

Number two God's judgment was just the just judgment of God is what comes across here. It is difficult to read and we have to go down underneath it, but it comes again and again in verse seven of chapter 6, I will blot out man verse 13, I've determined to make an end of all flash verse 17. I will bring a flood of waters and will be actually discovered now is that the rest that was enjoyed in the garden has now been taken over by a restlessness if you like chaos that is pervasive and is growing daily. It is a restlessness that is producing all the things it will even outlined in chapter 4 and there just representative of that which will develop from this point, the restlessness of our contemporary culture is again not hard to define this fascinating is that as people run to and fro, trying to make a living trying to make sense of life trying to find satisfaction trying to find hope trying to deal with suffering. Try to do everything because so let's stop it so broken and there's no one who wants to defend the. The fact that no no one wants to attack the notion of the brokenness of our world, the real question is why is it so broken.

And of course that's not for me to engage in dialogue on as I stand before you, but it is interesting isn't in the book of Job at the beginning of job where God addresses the devil. Any system where have you been lately and he says I have been roaming tuned for throughout the exactly and so God says I'm going to send torrential rains. This is not a mythology. This is a divine tsunami God controls the winds and the waves. But remember that in this God takes no delight, no pleasure in the death of the wicked. God takes no pleasure in that anymore than the father takes the takes pleasure in having to discipline his son, a father who finds it pleasurable to do to discipline his son in that way. It is not a father he's a sadist. There is no pleasure in this so we either think of God somehow another, looking as a waiver of evidence that this is fantastic.

Now I get a chance to do this, he takes no pleasure in it, but neither is he indifferent to our rebellion, God is not indifferent to your defiance of mine.

He's not indifferent to it. When we reject his mercy. He's not indifferent when we say I do not even believe for a moment, in the very idea of judgment.

What a crazy idea.

What a strange notion that's funny I I I think you do believe in judgment actually you make judgments all the time would be unable to get from here to to downtown without making a significant number of judgments on the driving of the people around you expression of your judgment. I don't like that. Look at all well when Peter much later on, says here's was going to happen.

Of course, or here's what is happening because in the last days member said that you will advent between the coming of Jesus and the coming again of Jesus which is the period of the last days in the last days so wherein them. Scoffers will come scoffing following their own sinful desires and saying, where is the promise of his coming.

It's always been like this beloved been doing this stuff all the time and here we are, is exactly what years and I did less someone sounds out the message of the Bible unless someone is brave enough to say no, actually, the judgment of God is just, then the, the Christianity of our day will continue to diminish and eventually dwindled to nothing because you see, there is no understanding of the mercy of God outside of the judgment of God so that God's judgment and his mercy are if you like to wings on the on the fuselage that both are present and it is only in light of God's righteous judgment that we can understand his mercy. What an amazing thing when we refuse the notion of his judgment, which is justice expressed for our rebellion. Then we find ourselves saying while I can see why he would want me to be his follower. I might see quite a good person if I was putting a group together. I would definitely include me selling appeal than to our sense of self-esteem is very very different as and when when friend when Paul preached in Athens and eventually they all laughed and he was just at his closing point, you know. And God has set a day. He says when he will judge the world and he is given proof of it by the man he is sent the resurrected Jesus, I love one's what is here in Genesis 6789 isn't some measure of foretaste of what will happen at the end of the age that God will execute his just judgment and his judgment perfectly fits our crimes. We can deviate from course and that you take for example Romans chapter 1, and they received in their bodies. The due penalty for their sin in their bodies, the Bible is saying is this go-ahead and abuse your body and your body will abuse you and what we discover suffering and the sorrow and the sickness of it all.

And yet people, ourselves included, find it very very difficult to settle with this notion. In fact, perhaps the clearest evidence of the fact of our enmity with God that we do not think correctly is in our absolute unwillingness to take on board that the judgment of God is just deserved and real so they offers corrupt the judgment of God is just.

By then, finally, his mercy is more his mercy is more what you have here of course is an expression of the patients of God there amazing patients of God must've taken no affair. While I had to build this are because it was a big.

It was a big craft a big craft. It was it was approximately the length of one and 1/2 football fields. So think Brown Stadium and then think of half as much of the field again and fight on the roof.

You could get three space shuttles nose to tail on the roof of the R, it was four stories high, and therefore there was plenty of room and had a captain and his name was Noah. How did he get to be the captain verse eight of chapter 6 tells you that Noah found favor or he found grace in the eyes of the Lord.

He found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

How did he find favor in the eyes of the Lord's a mystery is in it.

It's the favor of the grace that he found was undeserved. It was unmerited and it was actually unexplained. Well, of course, why would we be surprised that we sang a ready then we all grace is mine, that he who dwells in endless light call through the night to save my distant soul.

We all saying that what we were seeing if we actually know it and believe it is that for me to know God is unmerited and it is ultimately unexplained.

It is a mystery. It is the mystery of grace.

God is not roaming the world as it were looking for a contract for Stroop is not putting together all the brightest, and all the best in all the most significant know I'll never you would never did you set from the Bible. It is a wonder, and Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord and in verse nine, we find that he was righteous and blameless and he walked with God.

Also somebody there you are. That's how you find grace. That's how you get favor. Verse nine explains verse eight no verse nine is not an explanation of verse eight verse nine is a consequence of verse eight. It is in light of God's favor in this grace, praise him for his grace and favor to our fathers in distress, and it is with this same captain of the boat that he makes a covenant.

Verse 18 I will establish my covenant with you, so that he and his family will know the saving grace to protect them to preserve them in and from the judgment of God.

He enjoys all of these benefits in a way that is tied to his own keeping of God's commands… At the end of chapter 6 Noah did this he did all that God commanded him which it reminds us that when God's grace sets us free. It sets us free to obey his commands, and so he built the ark in obedience and he left it on the basis of God's word. Verse 15 then of eight then God said to Noah go out from the ark, you and your wife is hard to imagine the scene is in a day after day he and whatever small group you had working on this project and the people would come by going to pick up. There are groceries, as it were, and seeing him and calling out to him hey Noah what he figured doing many would tell them. Guess we is described elsewhere as a herald or a preacher of righteousness, so already. Della John build an ark?

For what essays for protection.

Protection from what protection from the flood, but there's no flood there will be the only crazy it's not even raining your knots and then they would go on the way to come back. Are you still building that thing yes I am. It'll never happen. They set you're an idiot. Will my name is not Noah but it's not uncommon for somebody to essentially say that to me, and you may be thinking that yourself right now and the fact that you are is an indication of what Paul says in Romans chapter 8 that the natural mind is at enmity with God, and one of the places that is most clearly obvious is and people saying no are prepared to buy some of it but I'm not buying the idea of a judgment now what what would you rather do it on its burn God's mercy and go with justice. I want what I want.

I want to get what I deserve. That's Porsche, isn't it, that great soliloquy in the merchant of Venice, when she pleads with the she pleads with Shylock, and in that, just that little tiny section she says to them, though justice be thy plea. Consider this, that in the course of justice.

None of I should see salvation. We do then pray for mercy for mercy because you see God's mercy is more why did the people perish because they wouldn't believe they wouldn't believe the messenger they wouldn't heed the warnings. What did they have to do to perish. Nothing. Nothing. And if you are outside of the ark. If you are outside of Christ this morning. Let me tell you what you have to do nothing because we are by nature lost wicked accountable without excuse, facing the prospect of judgment, and in this moment being reminded of God's mercy.

People do what they want to do.

I do what I wanted.

Most people will die with or without the faith with which we have lived in vicinity again, most people will die with or without the faith with which we have lived so if you are living in unbelief and you remain in unbelief.

You will die in unbelief so that the decision that you have made for yourself to say it's crazy. It doesn't matter.

It isn't going to happen will be the reason that you find yourself there in the end. And if you see yourself what what about Jesus and all of this. Well, think about not only did Jesus use Noah as an incentive in relationship to this very matter when he says to them in the in chapter 24 concerning the day that I'm going to come back or hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the son but the father for as where the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man Internet. Interestingly, Jesus clearly believed in the literal Noah delete and a literal flood even think for a moment. It was a mythology as a day as in those days before the flood they were eating or drinking, they were marrying that were given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and he shut the door of the ark and it will be a day when the door shuts with the door of opportunity closes and you never know when that day is but but the point of it is forget that day for the moment today is today and the mercy of God extends to you, it is this. It's assigning this and it is a wonderful sign.

The art is a picture of refuge. Actually, that there is a picture of the soul place of refuge there was nowhere else to go. There was only one place to go. And Jesus is the only one to whom we can go. Jesus is the place of refuge.

The art comes to rest the door that had been close now opens to a bright new feet future.

The seasons will follow.

According to God's plan. Verse 22 of chapter 8 pointing us as the Bible does the spotlight moving as it were, through the Bible all the time keeping fastening on Jesus and this will be a sign for you. You will find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, and the wisemen set out and he followed a star which would lead them in the ark is assigned to us of the mercy of God in the midst of his rightful judgment which is saying getting getting and by the way he says I have one for their sign. I'm going to put my bowl in the sky find it quite fascinating that the rainbow has been commandeered, you would almost think that the devil who is behind all the conflict has at least something to do with the choice of the flag. The very sign of God's mercy in the midst of judgment seized hold off in the midst of the conflict and turned into a story entirely different. It actually is not a rainbow first.

It is a bowl. It doesn't say a rainbow it is a rainbow. The bowl is a warble is the picture of a bowl and a narrow the ball spans from place to place and it is there as a reminder to guard it says when I see that I will remember my covenant is a reminder to him when we see it. It is then a reminder to us that God has established a covenant but the question is where's the arrow and in which direction does the arrow point pointed God points at Jesus. He takes the arrow he goes under the sword. He endures the hell, in order that we, on account of his mercy might be able to walk straight in to his arms.

Well, I say to you, I plead with you, if you hear God's voice do not harden your heart believe believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be safe from sin from the judgment.

When people say things until, of course, God works in your heart you find yourself say. I do believe hey the gospel, trainers, I hear right at half and there's room for many more get on board little children get on board Alastair back, reminding us of the life changing message of Christmas believe this is Truth for Life. Alastair will return in just a minute to close with prayer so please keep listening. We been learning about Christ birth in an unexpected book of the Bible with a message titled Christmas in Genesis, Alastair is helping us make the important connections. There is another important connection. We can draw from the book of acts. It was as the believers in the early church prayed and supported the proclamation of the gospel financially that many came to believe in Jesus. Here we are all these centuries later, the same process is at work Truth for Life is upheld by prayer and by giving. In fact, Alistair's teaching would not be heard. If it weren't for the collective giving that comes from listeners who are committed to bringing God's word to the world in these final days of the year you're giving is vitally important to us. Our need is to care for our 2020 expenses fully and to move into 2021 with the resources we need to be able to press on. So please don't delay, would you give us a call or go online and make an important year-end donation when you do will say thanks by sending a copy of exploring the Bible together when you ask for it.

This is a one year family worship plan that will take you and your family on an adventure through God's word. Each daily entry contains a Scripture reading discussion questions the key spiritual lesson that it provides. And then there's a closing prayer. It's a simple no prep format that can be completed in just a few minutes but the time spent together reading God's word and praying that the family will help build a strong foundation of faith that will last a lifetime request exploring the Bible together when you give a gift of any amount to support the ministry of Truth for Life. Simply tap the image in the mobile app or visit our website Truth for Life.org/donate. If you'd rather call the number is 888-588-7884 that tomorrow night is Christmas Eve and I want to invite you to join Alastair as he leads a special Christmas Eve worship service live from Parkside church. You can watch it online@truthforlife.org/live or on our YouTube page or two are streaming TV channels.

Learn more@truthforlife.org or on our mobile app now hears Alastair to close today with prayer father, thank you that we have your mercy displayed even in the midst of your just judgment.

Thank you that at the cross of your dearly beloved son, your justice, your punishment was extended UN indifferent to men's rebellion. It was dealt with. Finally, in saving the in Christ mercy.

There was great and Grace was free and pardon their was multiplied to me in there at the cross, we find liberty help us today to hear your voice and then hearing it to obey for Jesus sake on about looking tomorrow. Alastair continues her study of Christmas in the beginning by explaining God's promise to Abraham Bible teaching of Alastair Bragg is furnished by Truth for Life. Learning is for Living