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Presented September 4, 2005 am

FAITH – THE SUBSTANCE OF THINGS HOPED FOR

Faith before the flood – Hebrews 11

                Today we continue our study of faith.  We have set all the groundwork defining and describing faith as well as noting the context of this chapter – our need for endurance.  Today we begin examining the various examples found in this chapter – our focus this morning will be on examples prior to the flood – Abel, Enoch and Noah

I.                     Abel – Faith in Worship

a.        By Faith he worshipped.  The first act of worship we read about in the Bible is recorded as an act of faith and that is where we begin our study.

b.       What does faith have to do with worship?

                                                   i.      First, let us understand what is.  The NT word is from the Greek words meaning, “to kiss toward”.  Vine’s defines the word as, “to make obeisance, do reverence to.”  It is showing homage and reverence to one whom we highly esteem and deem worthy.  We worship God because He is our creator and the giver of all good things to us.

                                                  ii.      We must NEVER forget that worship is intended for God.  It is demanded by Him and has always been, and it is to be directed TO Him.  Every acceptable act of worship in the Bible was directed TOWARD God.

                                                iii.      The downfall of Israel was idolatry – a violation of the first and second commandments (Exodus 20:2-3).   Deuteronomy 4:24, says, “For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.” 

                                                iv.      God EXPECTS us to worship Him – not by compulsion, but because we love Him and do appreciate all that He has done. 
We are to worship in Spirit and in Truth.    John 4:24

c.        Consider now Genesis 4:1-8.  Adam & Eve had 2 sons, Cain & Abel. 

                                                   i.      We are told that in the process of time, they both brought an offering to the Lord.  Cain brought of the fruit of the ground, while Abel brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat.  God accepted Abel’s offering and rejected Cain’s. 

                                                  ii.      Why? The answer to that question gives us the answer to faith in worship.

                                                iii.      First, in this we MUST conclude that God HAD given some instructions.  From the time that blood was shed to cover the nakedness of Adam & Eve, blood has been shed.  Such was a major part of Israel’s worship.  The very foundation of our forgiveness is the shedding of blood.  I am convinced God demanded the shedding of blood in their worship.

                                                iv.      Abel followed God’s instructions while Cain did not.  Therein lies the difference.

d.       We find two types of worship – God’s way and man’s way. 
Abel worshipped God’s way – whatever instructions God gave, Abel listened and followed.
Cain worshipped his own way – what was wrong with his worship we are not told, but we know he could have done better.  Notice the warning of God – Genesis 4:6-7, “if you do well, will you not be accepted?”
Why is worship so different in various religions today?  It is because man is more interested in doing things his own way rather than God’s way.
For example – consider instrumental music.  Why do we not use it?  Because God’s word tells us HOW He wants us to worship – with singing (Ephesians 5:19, Colossians 3:16, 1 Corinthians 14:15, etc.).  Singing is worshipping from the heart.  Instruments are added to sound good to man’s ears.  Therein lies the difference between Cain and Abel.

e.        In these two ways, we find worship by faith and by man’s desires. 
Abel BELIEVED GOD and therefore he followed God’s pattern.  Cain believed IN God so he offered something – but what he offered was what he THOUGHT would be acceptable – it wasn’t! 
How many today in their worship are doing things their own way and they reason that God is going to accept what they do – because it is done with good intentions?  A Study of God’s word reveals that good intentions are never enough – Matthew 7:21-23.
Consider the illustration of the father who leaves his son instructions for the farm as he goes away.  When he returns, MOST of what asked for was done according to his instructions, but a well was dug in a different place than requested.  When confronted as to his lack of obedience by the father, the son insisted he obeyed.  He reasoned that the well was moved because he THOUGHT it would be better in another place.  The father points out the only reason he followed the rest of the instructions was because he agreed with them. 
That is not true obedience.  Therein is will worship – man does what God wants as long as he agrees with it.  We cannot do that and accept Him to be pleased with us.

f.         God saw Abel’s righteousness in His obedient worship.  NONE will ever be found right before God if they refuse to obey Him.

g.       Do we have the faith of Abel in our worship?  Let us learn from his example – “he being dead still speaks”.  Abel paid for his faithfulness with his life – Cain murdered him.  But in God’s eyes, Abel was faithful and thus received the promise.

II.                   Enoch – Faith that Pleased God

a.        Who was Enoch?

                                                   i.      We read about Enoch in Genesis 5:21-25 in the genealogy of Adam to Noah & the flood.  However, we find out a few other things about Enoch in the New Testament.

                                                  ii.      Jude 14-15 speaks of the fact that he was a prophet – one who proclaimed the message of God to others.  It is very possible that God communicated with Enoch and he in turn warned an ungodly world that they needed to repent, but they refused.  Notice what Jude says he warned them about.  This factor is important in understanding his faith.

b.       Enoch walked with God.  Our text says that he pleased God (5).    A simple, yet profound statement.  Summarized in another statement said about him – he walked with God.
Genesis 5:22, 24, “Enoch walked with God three hundred years.”– He walked by faith and not by sight.  This saying is one of high praise.  It shows that he trusted God and believed and obeyed everything commanded by Him. 

c.        Often times the expression “walked” has reference to our way of life. 
Colossians 4:5, “Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside”
Ephesians 4:1, “walk worthy of the calling with which you were called”
1 John 2:6, we ought to “walk just as he walked.”

d.       Enoch walked with God – this also means he walked contrary to others.  He was not concerned about what the rest of the world thought. 
In fact, there is a pretty good chance that he suffered as he exposed their sins.  Whatever the case, his faith was such that Jehovah God chose to take him.

e.        ALSO, this walk was a choice.  He saw that most of the world walked a different path.  He did not lust after that path or follow it.  He did not see how close he could get to that path without crossing over.  He did not love the world or the things in the world – (1 John 2:15-16)

f.         God took him – He did not see death.   Enoch was one of only two persons who did not see death – both were prophets – Enoch and Elijah.  This means exactly what the text says – Enoch did NOT physically die.  Instead, he went to heaven to be with God and his body was changed to an incorruptible form.

g.       Do we have the faith of Enoch?  Is the way we are living our lives pleasing to God?  DO WE KNOW THIS FOR SURE? Can it be said of us that we are walking with God?
Does our faith causes us to act differently than the rest of the world.  (Romans 12:1-2)  Do we believe God in spite of how the world acts or treats us?  Will we obey Him in all things and trust Him?

III.                 Noah – Faith Witnessing for God

a.        Who was Noah?

                                                   i.      Almost everyone who knows about the Bible knows who Noah is.  He was the patriarch God saved along with his family, when the rest of the world was destroyed by the flood.

                                                  ii.      His life is recorded in Genesis 6-8.  The world was wicked to the point that God was ready to cut it off and start over.  What preaching had taken place (Enoch, possibly others) had gone unheeded. 
6:8-9 – Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.  Why?  Because he walked with God, just like Enoch.  As a result God appears to him and warns him that in 120 years the world will be destroyed by flood.  He was also given specific instructions as to what to do – build an ark.  He was told how to build it as well.   He obeyed God.

                                                iii.      The result was that he and his household were saved.  But what did he do during those 120 years?

1.        We know that he built the ark – following God’s pattern exactly.

2.        2 Peter 2:5 tells us that he was “a preacher of righteousness” which means that he spent time warning the lost world as to what was coming.

3.        He BELIEVED God and did not give up or become discouraged.  Along with God there is a pretty good indication he suffered long as well.  1 Peter 3:20 speaks of the Divine longsuffering (God put up with the ungodliness). 
WHY did God give Noah 120 years?  I suspect it was to give them a chance to repent and change – 2 Peter 3:9 [the text makes reference to the flood]. 
What does that say of Noah?  He had to put up with the ungodliness as well.  As he built the ark, do you suppose he mocked?  As he walked with God like Enoch, how did they treat him and talk about him?  When he preached to them things they did NOT want to hear how did they react to him?  Was it any different than today?  But in spite of all this he remained faithful to God.  By faith he built an ark…

b.       His faith was in the Unseen.  Consider what God had warned him was going to happen – the whole world was going to be destroyed.  The fact that he was building an ark implies water would be involved.  However, consider that prior to the flood, there is no indication it had rained (Genesis 2:5-6).  Maybe he was building next to a big body of water, but he could have been building on land.  Whatever the case, he believed God.  God said the world would be destroyed – and he believed it.

c.        By faith, Noah preached to others – of God’s doom.  He was a “negative preacher” warning them to repent or face destruction.  They didn’t listen! 
2 Peter 3:1-9 speaks of mockers of God’s coming. “Where is the promise of His coming?” they say.  Reference is then made to the flood (5-6).  I suspect they mocked Noah much as Peter’s audience was being mocked.  Consider also Matthew 24:38-39 which describes the condition before the flood – they acted as if nothing was wrong until it was too late.

d.       Noah Obeyed God Exactly.  Genesis 6:22 says, “Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did.”  One of the surest ways to demonstrate your faith is to obey God exactly as He commands – even when it doesn’t make sense.  IN FACT, when it doesn’t make sense is when TRUE obedience manifests itself the most.  James 2:10 – to stumble in one point is to be guilty.  God has ALWAYS demanded exact obedience – and we need to keep that in mind in all we do.
Noah didn’t question God and he didn’t revise God’s plans – he simply obeyed.  No wonder his faith is recorded for us.

e.        Do we have the faith of Noah?

                                                   i.      Like Noah, we have been warned that God is going to return.  And when He does, it will be the end.  It will be a time of judgment.  A great day, a glad day and a sad day.  Do you believe God enough to prepare for that day?  2 Peter 3:10-12

                                                  ii.      Are we willing to stand up for and proclaim the truth, even to a hostile world?

                                                iii.      Are we willing to obey God exactly as He commands us?

It is my hope that these examples give us a better understanding of what faith involves and how it is needed in every aspect of our lives.  We also see what true faith will prompt us to do.  Is your faith what it ought to be?  Next week we will notice the faith of Abraham – known for his faith.