Follow Up with Clay - 06.19.24

We live in a world that wants to beat men up…. 

We want to build men up… to bless women and children.

Rule to live by: Remember that before she was your wife / fiancée / girlfriend….

She was / is His daughter…. Joint heir in the Kingdom of God.

Noah: Real man…. God chose for purpose…. And to tell us his story for a reason….

Genesis 6:5, The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evilcontinually.

Listen again to these words….

Could these same words be said of our world today?

Great wickedness…. Evil intentions / thoughts…. Continually….

That’s always the direction we take when we separate from God….

Genesis 6:8-9, But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD…. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God.

Listen again to these words….

Could these same words be said of you / me today?

Favor…. Righteous…. Blameless (Not perfect)…. But walking with God….

Genesis 6:11-13, Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence. And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. And God said to Noah, “I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

God gave instructions for building the ark / gathering animals….

Noah did all that God commanded him….

Genesis 7:1, Then the LORD said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation.

Genesis 7:7, And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him went into the ark to escape the waters of the flood.

Genesis 7:11-12, …all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened. And rain fell upon the earth forty days and forty nights.

Genesis 7:16, And the LORD shut him in.

Don’t let anybody claim that it was a local / regional flood….

People try to do that because they have a hard time just believing the Bible….

The waters increased / the ark rose high above the earth….

So high that all the mountains under the heavens were covered….

And all of those people with evil intentions / thoughts….

Genesis 7:23, They were blotted out from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those who were with him in the ark.

The rain stopped / fountains of the deep / windows of the heavens closed….

After 150 days the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat….

Noah released a raven / dove / another dove…. Came back with an olive leaf….

Another dove that didn’t return….

Finally the ground dried out…. God told them to exit with the animals….

Noah built an alter to make sacrifices / worship God….

God made a covenant with Noah….

God blessed Noah / family…. Told them to be fruitful / multiply….

Genesis 9:11-13, I establish My covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and the earth.

Satan must have loved to highjacked this symbol…. (Evil intentions)

That’s the story…. Here’s the flaw in our hero….

Walking with God doesn’t mean you never stumble….

Genesis 9:20-25, Noah began to be a man of the soil, and he planted a vineyard. He drank of the wine and became drunk and lay uncovered in his tent. And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father and told his two brothers outside. Then Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it on both their shoulders, and walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were turned backward, and they did not see their father’s nakedness.

In the Garden…. They were naked / unashamed / happy….

After the Fall…. Immediate shame…. God covered….

From that time…. “Uncovering nakedness”…. Associated with sexual sin….

Whatever Ham did is not described….

But it seems that he did something to pervert / dishonor his dad….

Genesis 9:24-25, When Noah awoke from his wine and knew what his youngest son had done to him, he said, “Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be to his brothers.”

Noah cursed Canaan / son of Ham….  

Few possible reasons….

Maybe Canaan participated….

Maybe a way of saying descendants of Ham….

Probably that God had blessed Ham…. Noah couldn’t curse who God had blessed.

What we do know for sure….

Noah’s sin effected future generations….

How might a man’s sin today effect future generations?

(Cycles of abuse / laziness / addiction / unfaithfulness…. )

Lesson: Your choices, both good / bad, will have a ripple effect for generations.

While everybody is responsible for their own choices….

Noah could have prevented the situation that led to his son’s sin.

Your life does not have to be defined by your greatest failure.  

When we think of Noah…. We thing of his faithfulness / obedience / perseverance….

As we should…. God chose him / used him….

Not because he was perfect.. But because he was willing / faithful / walked with God.

Encourage you today to take that walk very seriously….

We want to walk shoulder to shoulder with you….

But without God…. We will all stumble in the wrong direction.

Questions:

What effect does that statement have on you?

How can we help each other make positive ripples?

How can we pray for you?

Who do you know that needs this group?

Next Week:  Abraham  (Genesis 12-22)