Noah Only

Excerpts from the Sermon by Lester Roloff

Early this morning, I turned to the Book of Beginnings, the Book of Genesis. I believe that all of our problems can be solved in this glorious first Book of the Bible. The Book of Genesis tells us where everything came from. It offers our first knowledge of God—that He is the Creator of all and the Beginner of all.

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. –Genesis 1:1

The Book of Genesis also records the beginning of the human family. It relates the beginning of sin, of salvation, the nation of Israel, the promises of God, the power of God, and the presence of God. Finally, the Book of Genesis forecasts the purpose of Creation and perpetuity of God’s plans.

Everything God does is unusual, and everything God touches becomes unusual. Let’s visit an unusual man and the most unusual boat ever built. As you know, the man’s name is Noah. He was unusual because God gave him faith to believe. Noah really believed in God and had faith in the Word of God.

But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God. –Genesis 6:8-9

This is the bright spot here. This is the oasis. Noah was a just man who walked with God. How do you walk with God? By faith! Noah was the kind of man that God still uses today. God came and said, “Noah, the end is here. Judgement is sure because sin is real. And there will only be one safe place to hide.” Brother, that’s the Gospel right there! Sin is real; judgement is sure, and you’ve got to find a hiding place.

God told Noah to build an ark, and—by faith—Noah set his hand to the job. Noah pleased God because he walked with God, and of course, this threw him out of kilter with his generation. Noah walked with God, but he walked alone. Noah’s faith made him different. God’s mighty difference-makers have never fit in with their generation.

And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark. –Genesis 7:23

The subject of this message is “Noah Only.” Through the years, I’ve heard this unusual man criticized, saying that he must not have been much of a preacher, or he would have had more than eight people in the ark. And yet I remind you that Noah won his family. One of the marks of a great man is to win his own family to Christ. Others have felt sorry for Brother Noah because he lived such a lonely life. I suppose Noah could have been a lonely man. We know that Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord, but he sure didn’t in the eyes of the people. But I also believe that Noah was the happiest man in the world. You know why? Because he was ready for judgement.

God told Noah exactly how to build the ark and what to do in the meantime—preach! Noah stood there day after day. Now if Noah found grace, then I believe he also preached grace. That’s the only thing that can get you in the ark. You are not going to get in the ark through good works or church membership or baptism. You have got to go through grace into the ark.

“…and the Lord shut him in. And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lift up above the earth.” –Genesis 7:16-17

Here’s the first thought that I’d like to leave with you today: when the Lord closed the door to the ark and shut Noah’s family in, the Lord also shut the world out. Another thought is that the same waters that destroyed the rest of the world also bore up the ark—it was lifted above the earth. What a blessed thought! That which brings destruction and despair to the rest of the world can only bear God’s people up.

But here is the main thought for us—Noah Only. The day came when there was just Noah only. I have no doubt that Noah was criticized and scorned for being a religious nut and extremist. But once the Lord shut the door, it was too late for repentance. The only people who were ready for the flood were the people inside the ark. And as the rains came and people began looking for higher ground, a great and terrible fact finally dawned upon the people—Noah Only. There was one way onto the ark, and God Himself was in control of shutting it.

I am the Door: by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. –John 10:9

The door of the ark was a type of Christ because Jesus is the Door. One can only get into salvation through the Door. All who go through the Door find eternal life. Praise the Lord for the wonderful life in the ark. We may call it Noah’s ark, but it was actually God’s ark!

Today we are living in the same kind of world as Noah, in the same flesh and with the same sin. That means we are going to be pointed out, looked at, and laughed at. But who cares? In just a few moments, we’ll be going home. Noah and his family were the minority, but they were the blessed minority. And if God remembered Noah, do you suppose He will forget me and you? No, Sir!

But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. –Matthew 24:37

Finally, let me remind you that we can’t expect to fit in with our generation. The religion and society that Noah did not fit into also didn’t fit into the ark. Jesus is coming soon, and only those who are in the ark of Christ will be lifted above the earth. We are earth-bound creatures today, but our eternal citizenship is in heaven and soon we’ll be air-borne. If you are here tonight, we want you to be saved. We invite you into the ark. There’s a flood coming, and you’d better be in Christ. Don’t wait until the door of grace has been shut and it is too late.

Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. –I Thessalonians 4:17-18