God’s GRIEF & GRACE in His bow...Building on the 3 R’s of Faith’s Commitment

Genesis 7:24-8:1, 20-22; 9:12-16 “The waters flooded the earth for 150 days. But God remembered Noah & all the wild animals & the livestock that were with him in the ark. And He sent a wind over the earth--& the waters receded...Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and, taking some of the clean animals...he sacrificed burnt offerings on it. The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma & said in His heart, ‘Never again will I curse the ground because of man, for every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood...AS LONG AS THE EARTH ENDURES...SEEDTIME & HARVEST...COLD & HEAT...SUMMER & WINTER...DAY & NIGHT WILL NEVER CEASE’...“...And God said, ‘...I am making a covenant between Me & you...a covenant for all generations to come: I have set My bow in the clouds, & it will be a sign of the covenant. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth & the bow appears in the clouds, I will remember My covenant. Never again will the waters destroy ALL life. Whenever the bow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth’...!” --Genesis 7:24-8:1, 20-22; 9:12-16

Hebrews 9:22 & 27 “...without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness...

(We are) destined to die once, & after that, to face Judgment”

• Jesus says “As in the days of Noah...” (Mt 24 & Lk 17)

• Hollywood’s scripts agree:

The 3-fold Foundation of Faith (Heb.11:3-7): 1-Understanding...[“by faith we understand”]2-Conviction (“being convinced...” Rom 4:21)

3-Commitment (Gen 8:22; Rom 12:1-2... Regularly “building an altar” before God’s face)

Jesus asks, Would we rather have Satan for a lifetime father? ...or GOD?

“You belong to your father the Devil; you want to carry out his desire. (But) there is no truth in him.

When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar & the father of lies... (However) he who

belongs to God hears what God says” (John 8:44,

47) HOW? Hebrews 11:7 tells us... HEAR Him...HEED Him (Commitment!): ~Relying totally on Him ~Rejecting the way of the world ~Taking REFUGE in HIS Gospel-way!

Insight from Jonathan Edwards (from The Great Awakening of 1740’s)

• ‘True believers are Christians b/c they see how beautiful God is (& His Good News). Phony believers are those who see how ‘useful’ God is; they try to USE Him...’

The 1st “R” of Faith’s COMMITMENT...

I. RELIANCE (that is, trusting God) 11:7a“when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear (Noah)

built an ark to save his family” (Heb 11:7a)

A. Believe IN God...?

OR...

B. BELIEVE God?!

The 2nd “R” of Faith’s COMMITMENT :II. REJECTION (that is, rejecting or ‘condemning’ the world)

Hebrews 11:7b ...“By his faith, he (Noah) condemned the world...”

• Condemned doesn’t mean ‘scolding’• Condemned does mean ‘to prove it wrong, to reject it’!

The 3rd “R” of Faith’s Commitment : III. REFUGE (that is, taking refuge IN my co-heir) Heb 11:7c*

(See also Romans 8:1, 17**)* “...and became HEIR of the righteousness that comes BY FAITH”

• What is an “heir”? “Someone who gets rich thru someone else giving him/her the riches”

** “Therefore, there is now NO CONDEMNATION for those who are IN (the Ark)—Christ Jesus!” (Romans 8:1)

“...we are heirs—heirs of God & co-heirs with Christ—if indeed we share in His sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory” (Romans 8:17)

HEIR? This all ‘comes’ by faith (Heb 11:7c) from GOD!

How to hide in HIM?

• Rely on the Messiah as Savior, Lord, your Treasure—your only hope for INHERITING Eternal Life! [“co-heir”...Rom 8:17]

Understand Him as your all-in-all!• Rejecting false idols, be esp. CONVINCED in Him as

your only trustworthy & flood-proof Refuge!• COMMIT (every area of your life to Him!