Gathering Around the Word

Sermon Series:

Welcome To Oak Mountain Presbyterian church!Old Testament Favorites

1WelcomeAnnouncementsGathering Around the Word

Prayer RequestsPrayers for those in our nearby community: Mary Johnson (Julias mom had last chemo treatment), Anthony Barges family (Carrollton BB Coach killed in motorcycle accident)

Prayers for our members: Barbara Meigs (shaking, memory, and correct meds), Kit Fordham (in Jordan for 7 weeks to learn Arabic), Paul Blaum (Pursuing becoming a Chaplain), Anna Schrews (diabetes fluctuations), Randy Worley (vision), D, Horace Robinson (health concern)

Prayers for those further away: Marsha (Steves friend who needs a job), Linda Miller Family (fathers health issues Mandys friend), Sue Marini (Camilla & Franks sister-in-law, shingles in her eye), Buddy Hendricks (Jimmy Coopers Friends Father. Complications from emphysema that need to be resolved before he can have tests on his heart)

General Requests: Those without Job Security, Veterans who are reintegrating into home life and need jobs, Those God is calling us to share our faith with and for us that we will share it, Our church.

3Call to Worship (from Amos 5:8) Please Stand and Read ResponsivelySeek Him who made the cluster of stars called Pleiades and the constellation Orion, Who turns the shadow of death or deep darkness into the morning? And who darkens the day into night?Who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out upon the face of the earth?Jehovah is His name!Praise SongPlease remain StandingLord I Lift Your Name On HighLord I lift your name on high, Lord I love to sing your praisesIm so glad youre in my life, Im so glad you came to save us.

You came from heaven to earth to show the wayFrom the earth to the cross my debts to pay From the cross to the grave, from the grave to the skyLord I lift your name on high.Time of Confession Please Be SeatedPrayer of Confession (Please Read In Unison)Almighty and Merciful God, Forgive us when our faith grows dim, when we grow weary in doing justice, when we tire of feeding the hungry, when we want the poor and unclean to stay far from us, when we fail to give witness to your great love for us. In your mercy, remind us that you give us the vision and power to bring justice, to feed the hungry, to clothe and house the poor, to speak the gospel truth to others. Time of Silent ConfessionTime of Confession (Continued)Assurance of Forgiveness (From Numbers 14:17)The Lord is long-suffering and slow to anger, and abundant in mercy and loving-kindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression.Amen.

Praise SongPlease remain StandingOpen the Eyes of My HeartOpen the eyes of my heart, LordOpen the eyes of my heartI want to see you, I want to see you.

To see you high and lifted up, Shining in the light of your gloryPour out Your power and loveAs we sing holy, holy, holy,Holy, holy, holy,I want to see you.Please be Seated for the Prayer for IlluminationProclaiming The Word

Childrens SermonDon't miss the boat. Remember that we are all in the same boat. Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark. Stay fit. When you're 600 years old, someone may ask you to do something really big. Don't listen to critics; just get on with the job.Speed isn't always an advantage. The snails were on board with the cheetahs. When you're stressed, float a while. Remember, the Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals. No matter the storm, when you are with God, there's always a rainbow waiting.

12Noahs ArkGenesis 6:5-8

The Story BeginsThe LORD saw that the wickedness of humankind was great in the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually.Genesis 6:5

Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight, and the earth was filled with violence. And God saw that the earth was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted its ways upon the earth. Genesis 6:11-12 The story begins with God declaring that the good world that he has created has become a place were evil has taken over.

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We can say that same thing about many of the communities in the US. Describe the community around Calvary: Crime statistics in the AJC = Violent crime up 14% in 2009 We know how God felt: I remember just a few years back when this was a safe community. But it is no longer safe. It was the same for God Gods intention for the world was shalom = wholeness. Harmony and Goodness. But humankind rebelled by turning away from God. In our separation, we became more and more selfish putting ourselves first. This selfishness led us into violence against one another. Where we each try to get the best for ourselves at everyone elses expense. We really do think putting ourselves first is okay business negotiations. And in treating one another badly, we treat creation badly. So God looked it over and decided to start over. The people at Calvary often felt like starting over too. Theyd sometimes move away from the worst part of the community. Into a house that was safer. Theyd get angry at seeing their community unravel at the edges. Theyd wish the whole community could begin again. They felt despair. Shook their heads. Tried to help people in your community where they bould, but in the end you might even think it is hopeless.This is how God felt. And he declares his intention to bring a flood to destroy the whole hopeless earth. 14"I will blot out from the earth the human beings I have created-- people together with animals and creeping things and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them." Genesis 6:7

And God said to Noah, "I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence because of them; now I am going to destroy them along with the earth. Genesis 6:13

For my part, I am going to bring a flood of waters on the earth, to destroy from under heaven all flesh in which is the breath of life; everything that is on the earth shall die. Genesis 6:17

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God has made a decision to put an end to creation by sending a flood.Do you feel the great despair that God feels? Anger that man has destroyed this good gift of creation that God gave him. But even more than anger. We learn something else about God here 15And the LORD was sorry that he had made humankind on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart.Genesis 6:6God is sorry for having made us. We have broken the heart of God.This story takes us into the very heart of our creator: we have broken his heart!God is angry and yet grieved!God is enraged and yet saddened!Those of you (and this applies to all of us at one time or another) whose hearts have been broken by someone you love can relate to this. You love the person, but you find yourself both angry at what they have done and grieved hurt saddened that they have done it to you despite your love for them.

16Nancy and Pete

Example: College friend Nancy and her boyfriend Pete Nancy really liked Pete. Pete really liked Nancy. They were planning to get engaged over Christmas break. Plan: Spend Thanksgiving at respective hometowns then spend Christmas together traveling from one home to another announcing their engagement. Problem starts Nancy at home: runs into an old boyfriendNo tell him that she was about to get engagedshe decided to go on one last date with him just for the fun of it. She had planned to keep this a secret from Pete. But Pete missing Nancy so much had decided to surprise her by showing up at her house Thanksgiving Eve with the engagement ring he had originally planted to give her at Christmas. Pete was devastated when he arrived that evening, pulled his car into the driveway, and with the headlights still on saw Nancys silhouette in her ex-boyfriends car kissing him. Uh Oh!Pete is now in a delimaPete was angry. But he still loved her. Petes heart was broken. AND he no longer wanted anything to do with her. He had never felt so much pain and hurt. His whole world crushed. His good intentions to marry Nancy to love her forever with all of his heart - no longer held the meaning they once had. He threw the engagement ring into the open window of the ex-boyfriends car and drove back home without saying a word to Nancy.Like God, Pete was angry and yet his heart was broken. His heart wasnt unfixable, but it was damaged really bad. This is how it was with God. His heart was broken. He wanted nothing more to do with the creation he loved so much! Do you feel his despair?At this juncture there are awful possibilities resting in front of both Pete and God. For Pete there is the possibility that he can walk away and never have any more to do with Nancy. Pete can choose to end this relationship with Nancy this relationship that was to end in a glorious life lived out together. Or he can choose to salvage it.For God there is the awful possibility that he will destroy the world. The entire world all creatures and all humans. God can choose to end his relationship with humankind - the relationship that he had intended to be so joyous. Or he can choose to salvage it.At first Pete decided to leave Nancy. Not to marry her. To abandon her. He decided he couldnt marry someone who had cheated on him.But as the months passed, Pete thought through the reality of never seeing Nancy again And decided that Nancys heart was better than her actions. He decided that could forgive her and that he did not want to walk away from her forever.17Noah!Noah found favor in the sight of the LORD. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation; Noah walked with God.Genesis 6:8-9For my part, I am going to bring a flood of waters on the earth, to destroy from under heaven all flesh in which is the breath of life; everything that is on the earth shall die. But I will establish my covenant with youGenesis 6:17-18God thought through his possibilities too. He looked down on the earth and he saw Noah.

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God looks on the earth and sees Noah. Noah is righteous and blameless. There is something after all that makes humans creation - worth salvaging. So God revises his earlier statement to destroy all of humanity and insteadnow tells Noah

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God then gives Noah very specific directions on how to build an ark that will save him and his family. This is the part of the story that we all know: Noah builds an ark And 2 creatures of every kind show up at the right time and enter the ark. And then the flood comes

18In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened. The rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights. Genesis 7:11-1217 The flood continued forty days on the earth; and the waters increased, and bore up the ark, and it rose high above the earth. 18 The waters swelled and increased greatly on the earth; and the ark floated on the face of the waters. 19 The waters swelled so mightily on the earth that all the high mountains under the whole heaven were covered; 20 the waters swelled above the mountains, covering them fifteen cubits deep. 21 And all flesh died that moved on the earth, birds, domestic animals, wild animals, all swarming creatures that swarm on the earth, and all human beings; 22 everything on dry land in whose nostrils was the breath of life died. 23 He blotted out every living thing that was on the face of the ground, human beings and animals and creeping things and birds of the air; they were blotted out from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those that were with him in the ark. 24 And the waters swelled on the earth for one hundred fifty days.Genesis 7:17-24What pain in Gods heart to have destroyed his good creation. But then God remembers Noah and the covenant that he has decided to establish with him.

20But God remembers NoahGod remembered Noah and all the wild animals and all the domestic animals that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind blow over the earth, and the waters subsided; 2 the fountains of the deep and the windows of the heavens were closed, the rain from the heavens was restrained, 3 and the waters gradually receded from the earth.Genesis 8:1-3

Pete: I told you that my friend Pete after a time of not seeing or speaking to Nancy remembered the love that he had for Nancy. He remembered her good heart. And forgave her bad actions. He promised to take her back, BUT if he were to take her back, she would also have to make a promise to him that she would never repeat her bad actions. She must love only him. He made it clear to her that if he caught her kissing someone else again that he would be so heartbroken that he could not forgive her again.This is a fair agreement--- it is what we expect from marriage --- what God expects from marriage.

21"I will never again curse the ground because of humankindnor will I ever again destroy every living creature as I have done. As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.Genesis 8:21-22God, on the other hand, did something a little different regarding his promise his covenant with Noah. He told Noah that he would establish a covenant with him. Gods promise to Noah was

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That was Gods promise to Noah.But do you know what Noahs promise was to God? Does anyone know? God promised not to destroy the earth again. What did Noah promise God? Pete asked Nancy to promise her everlasting loyalty. BUT what did God ask Noah to promise him?God didnt ask Noah for anything.

Read Verse 21 again: Gods promise to Noah doesnt depend on humans being good enoughGod doesnt ask Noah for anything.God doesnt say, I will not destroy creation again IF you do these things.In fact, God knows that the inclination of our human hearts is evil even from our youth.God knows humanity is going to break his heart again and again and again.22God 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 clouds, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth." God said to Noah, "This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.Genesis 9:12-17

And yet, God makes this promise because God loves us. It is a costly commitment he makes to us. One that is rare for a human to make. Our promises our covenants are usually mutually beneficial. Both parties interests are preserved. Both parities benefit from the commitment.None of us would have expected Pete to marry Nancy if she would not promise to be loyal to him. The OT law even allowed for the spouse of one who has been unfaithful to divorce them.But God is differentGod makes us promise after promise knowing that we will break his heart again and again.

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The story of Noahs arc is a story of Gods great unconditional love for us. Let us live lives worthy of Gods love. And Let us live so that we never again break Gods heart.

24Responding to the Word

Prayers of the People Please remain seated. The pastor will pray first and then invite the congregation to pray the Lords Prayer afterwards.The Lords PrayerOur Father who is in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen.

Our OfferingsInvitation to Give An Offering Prayer Of Dedication

Affirmation of Faith: Apostles CreedPlease Stand and Read in UnisonWe believe in God, the Father Almighty, the Maker of heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord: Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and buried. He descended into hell. The third day He arose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, whence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.

28Praise SongPlease remain StandingSanctuaryLord prepare me to be a sanctuary,Pure and holy, tried and true.With thanksgiving, Ill be a livingSanctuary for you. Charge to the CongregationFollowing the Word into the World