1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:04,240 Through the book of Hebrews Chapter 11 and verse 7. 2 00:00:04,240 --> 00:00:17,800 Hebrews Chapter 11, verse 7. If you're there to say Amen, if 3 00:00:17,800 --> 00:00:21,720 you're cheating, say Amen. There we go. 4 00:00:21,720 --> 00:00:29,520 Honesty's in the room. Honesty's in the room Hebrews 11 5 00:00:29,520 --> 00:00:35,280 and seven. It says by faith Noah, being 6 00:00:35,280 --> 00:00:40,240 warned of God, of things not seen as yet moved with fear, 7 00:00:40,600 --> 00:00:46,120 prepared an ark to the saving of his house by the which he 8 00:00:46,120 --> 00:00:50,360 condemned the world, and can't became heir of the righteousness 9 00:00:50,360 --> 00:00:55,840 which is by faith. This afternoon I'd like to speak 10 00:00:55,840 --> 00:00:59,640 to you on a subject of who needs an ark? 11 00:01:01,280 --> 00:01:05,680 Who needs an ark? I wonder if you'd set your 12 00:01:05,680 --> 00:01:08,640 Bibles down. Help me pray tonight, Father, I 13 00:01:08,640 --> 00:01:11,560 ask you just to move in this place today, Lord. 14 00:01:11,560 --> 00:01:14,800 Direct and order steps, Lord. Anoint these lips of clay that I 15 00:01:14,800 --> 00:01:18,600 would speak what needs to be spoken tonight, Lord, just to 16 00:01:18,640 --> 00:01:21,040 touch your people. Move and minister. 17 00:01:21,040 --> 00:01:23,640 Eliminate distractions, Lord of the mind, Lord. 18 00:01:23,640 --> 00:01:27,120 Prepare hearts and minds as a planting ground for your word. 19 00:01:27,120 --> 00:01:29,640 Let it fall, Lord, on good soil, Lord. 20 00:01:29,640 --> 00:01:32,200 It would be something that we could walk away, Lord, and let 21 00:01:32,200 --> 00:01:35,080 it impact us. Let it change us, Lord. 22 00:01:35,080 --> 00:01:37,640 And we're going to give you all the praise, glory and honor. 23 00:01:37,920 --> 00:01:43,160 And everybody said in Jesus name, Amen, Jesus name, you may 24 00:01:43,160 --> 00:01:53,920 be seated who needs an ark? Not who needs an ark like I'm 25 00:01:53,920 --> 00:01:55,840 selling. Who needs an ark? 26 00:01:56,360 --> 00:02:00,400 Who needs an ark? That's the question. 27 00:02:00,920 --> 00:02:06,560 Possibly that Noah's neighbors probably asked and they saw him 28 00:02:06,560 --> 00:02:12,720 out there, hammering away, cutting wood, preparing for 29 00:02:12,720 --> 00:02:17,880 something that no one had seen, no one even thought of. 30 00:02:17,920 --> 00:02:23,680 Imagine their confusion. Imagine the laughter as they 31 00:02:23,680 --> 00:02:29,120 they sat and they mocked. I can only think of just people 32 00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:34,200 sitting by and and coming by it with their their proverbial lawn 33 00:02:34,200 --> 00:02:37,720 chairs, whatever the lawn chair equivalent is back in the Bible 34 00:02:37,720 --> 00:02:41,520 and sitting and just watching and commentating just for the 35 00:02:41,520 --> 00:02:44,040 fun of it and just thinking, well, look at Noah. 36 00:02:44,040 --> 00:02:47,440 He's out here again today. But how you doing? 37 00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:52,000 How's the ark coming, Noah? You're doing great, buddy. 38 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:55,040 You're doing great. We just love to watch. 39 00:02:55,440 --> 00:02:59,640 And, and, and I'm sure Noah was thinking, do these guys even 40 00:02:59,640 --> 00:03:01,440 work? Like, what are they doing? 41 00:03:02,120 --> 00:03:06,120 But why build an ark? It seemed unnecessary. 42 00:03:06,400 --> 00:03:10,560 It seemed so unnecessary. What on earth are you doing, 43 00:03:10,560 --> 00:03:12,320 Noah? I do not. 44 00:03:12,320 --> 00:03:15,840 There's not a cloud in the sky. It's all blue. 45 00:03:16,160 --> 00:03:23,440 Who needs an ark? In Genesis chapter 6 and seven, 46 00:03:23,440 --> 00:03:27,560 Noah, he is described as building the ark while the rest 47 00:03:27,560 --> 00:03:31,480 of the world continued in wickedness and ignoring God's 48 00:03:31,480 --> 00:03:37,080 warning of the flood. And we have to reflect on how 49 00:03:37,080 --> 00:03:40,400 long it had had it rained in Noah's day, because according to 50 00:03:40,400 --> 00:03:44,120 Scripture, in Genesis 2 and five, it says in every plant 51 00:03:44,120 --> 00:03:47,920 that the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the 52 00:03:47,920 --> 00:03:51,760 field before it grew. For the Lord God had not caused 53 00:03:51,760 --> 00:03:55,640 it to rain upon the earth. And there was not a man to till 54 00:03:55,640 --> 00:04:00,520 the ground, but there went up a mist from the earth and watered 55 00:04:00,520 --> 00:04:05,440 the whole face of the ground. So the earth did not experience 56 00:04:05,440 --> 00:04:09,800 rainfall like what what we today, even today watching 57 00:04:09,960 --> 00:04:14,000 rainfall, seeing in this scripture setting in Genesis 2 58 00:04:14,200 --> 00:04:17,959 before the flood, there, there was this mist from the earth 59 00:04:17,959 --> 00:04:20,519 and, and it watered the face of the ground. 60 00:04:21,240 --> 00:04:26,520 So imagine God directing you, directing Moses to build a 61 00:04:26,520 --> 00:04:31,400 massive boat for a flood of rain when no one had seen anything 62 00:04:31,400 --> 00:04:32,640 like that. A flood. 63 00:04:33,280 --> 00:04:35,760 It's a mist. God, you're so confused. 64 00:04:35,960 --> 00:04:38,040 You're so confused. God, it's a mist. 65 00:04:38,040 --> 00:04:43,920 It's not, it's not a big flood. No, the earth was, was being 66 00:04:43,920 --> 00:04:47,120 watered by the mist and streams from the ground and and not from 67 00:04:47,120 --> 00:04:50,960 the sky. For for 120 years, Noah's 68 00:04:50,960 --> 00:04:55,880 working on this ark. He stayed faithful to God's 69 00:04:55,880 --> 00:04:58,080 word. All the while the people begin 70 00:04:58,080 --> 00:05:02,480 to live, they continue to live as though nothing was going to 71 00:05:02,480 --> 00:05:07,160 change. The length of time Noah spent 72 00:05:07,160 --> 00:05:10,920 building the ark, paired with the fact that the rain would 73 00:05:10,920 --> 00:05:15,000 result in a flood was a foreign concept to everyone around him 74 00:05:15,360 --> 00:05:20,160 and definitely would have made his task seem utterly ridiculous 75 00:05:20,320 --> 00:05:23,520 to the fact that seems as though Noah's just clowning around. 76 00:05:25,160 --> 00:05:27,440 Noah's just clowning around. What are you doing, Noah? 77 00:05:27,880 --> 00:05:29,520 What's wrong with you? Yeah. 78 00:05:29,520 --> 00:05:31,480 You heard from the Lord. He's going to send a big flood. 79 00:05:31,480 --> 00:05:36,720 Wu, build an ark. Really big matching building. 80 00:05:36,760 --> 00:05:42,320 Something for as long as he had with no visible signs that it 81 00:05:42,320 --> 00:05:47,160 was needed. But Noah didn't build based on 82 00:05:47,160 --> 00:05:51,040 what he could see. He built because of what God had 83 00:05:51,040 --> 00:05:55,880 said. Who needs an ark? 84 00:05:57,200 --> 00:05:59,120 No one had something that they didn't. 85 00:06:00,040 --> 00:06:04,040 He had a word from God. He knew that it was coming, even 86 00:06:04,040 --> 00:06:08,200 if no one else could see it. He was obedient, not to the 87 00:06:08,200 --> 00:06:12,480 expectations of the world around him, but it was to the God who 88 00:06:12,480 --> 00:06:16,200 had called him. And today the same question is 89 00:06:16,200 --> 00:06:20,200 being asked as Apostolic. When we begin to build our 90 00:06:20,200 --> 00:06:24,480 lives, we build our convictions. We follow after the call of God 91 00:06:24,600 --> 00:06:28,320 when we live out our faith in ways that others don't 92 00:06:28,320 --> 00:06:31,520 understand. People will say, why are you 93 00:06:31,520 --> 00:06:34,680 doing all that? Who needs that kind of 94 00:06:34,680 --> 00:06:37,080 preparation? Who needs those sort of 95 00:06:37,080 --> 00:06:40,040 convictions? Who needs to live like that? 96 00:06:40,160 --> 00:06:48,360 Who needs an ark? Every single one of us needs our 97 00:06:48,360 --> 00:06:53,920 own ark. We need to be building, 98 00:06:54,720 --> 00:07:00,840 preparing, and living according to God's plan, purpose, and 99 00:07:00,960 --> 00:07:04,240 word. Even if the world does not 100 00:07:04,240 --> 00:07:07,960 understand. Noah's obedience was in a 101 00:07:07,960 --> 00:07:10,280 mocking world. And look around you. 102 00:07:10,280 --> 00:07:15,520 Here we are once again Hebrews 11 and seven. 103 00:07:15,520 --> 00:07:18,960 It said again he which he condemned the world. 104 00:07:19,160 --> 00:07:22,360 This this isn't the things that not seen in the earlier in the 105 00:07:22,360 --> 00:07:24,720 scripture. It says God was warning him of 106 00:07:24,720 --> 00:07:28,920 things not seen and Noah was moved with fear and he prepared 107 00:07:28,920 --> 00:07:32,440 the ark, the saving of his house, himself and his house. 108 00:07:33,040 --> 00:07:37,320 Noah led his faith led him to action. 109 00:07:38,480 --> 00:07:43,320 He didn't wait for the rain to fall before he began to build. 110 00:07:43,760 --> 00:07:50,080 It would have been too late. He acted on God's Word even when 111 00:07:50,080 --> 00:07:53,200 there wasn't a drop of rain to be seen. 112 00:07:54,040 --> 00:07:57,960 That's faith in the unseen. Unseen, that's faith. 113 00:07:58,160 --> 00:08:02,680 Imagine what it was like day in and day out to be working on 114 00:08:02,680 --> 00:08:04,000 that. And everyone thought it was 115 00:08:04,000 --> 00:08:06,320 ridiculous, mocking left and right. 116 00:08:06,320 --> 00:08:10,280 And why waste your time, Noah? It's never going to rain like 117 00:08:10,280 --> 00:08:12,520 that, Noah. Yet Noah kept building. 118 00:08:12,520 --> 00:08:16,080 He's like, I know, I know it may seem crazy guys, but I'm going 119 00:08:16,080 --> 00:08:18,400 to keep building in. And he even gets his family 120 00:08:18,400 --> 00:08:20,200 involved and he's like, I'm going to keep building. 121 00:08:20,200 --> 00:08:22,880 My family's going to build because we need an ark. 122 00:08:23,040 --> 00:08:25,880 You may not understand it, but we need an ark. 123 00:08:29,440 --> 00:08:31,440 So today you might feel the same way. 124 00:08:31,600 --> 00:08:35,080 Maybe God has called you to live by certain convictions or 125 00:08:35,080 --> 00:08:38,320 prepare something that others do not understand. 126 00:08:38,320 --> 00:08:42,000 Maybe you're questioning your faith or even mocking the 127 00:08:42,039 --> 00:08:46,040 decisions that others around you are making in order to honor 128 00:08:46,040 --> 00:08:48,840 God. But just like Noah, God might be 129 00:08:48,840 --> 00:08:51,680 asking you to build an ark in your life. 130 00:08:51,840 --> 00:08:55,360 He might be asking you. It may not be sign of rain, yet 131 00:08:55,480 --> 00:08:58,760 He's trying to prepare you before the rain. 132 00:08:58,960 --> 00:09:03,360 The question is, are you willing to build in obedience even when 133 00:09:03,360 --> 00:09:10,960 others don't see the need? Throughout the Bible, we, we see 134 00:09:11,040 --> 00:09:15,120 examples of people who like Noah, they faced impossible 135 00:09:15,120 --> 00:09:19,360 situations and criticism and yes, they pressed in faith and 136 00:09:19,360 --> 00:09:24,040 they build building on what God had called them to do, even when 137 00:09:24,040 --> 00:09:28,560 it didn't make sense. One that we don't think of that 138 00:09:28,560 --> 00:09:32,960 as often because it's it's very, very short extent. 139 00:09:33,120 --> 00:09:37,880 But let's look at Moses. Moses goes through all of this 140 00:09:38,160 --> 00:09:41,320 and he he, he goes through all of this with God and the plagues 141 00:09:41,320 --> 00:09:43,800 and, and getting the people out of Egypt. 142 00:09:45,200 --> 00:09:48,240 He led them out of Egypt. They found themselves stuck 143 00:09:48,400 --> 00:09:51,000 between the Red Sea and Pharaoh's army. 144 00:09:52,120 --> 00:09:56,120 The people immediately, he immediately began to criticize, 145 00:09:56,320 --> 00:10:00,520 saying this in Exodus 14 and 11. And they said unto Moses, 146 00:10:00,520 --> 00:10:05,000 Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away 147 00:10:05,000 --> 00:10:09,560 to die in the wilderness? Wherefore hast thou dealt this 148 00:10:09,720 --> 00:10:12,800 with us to carry us forth out of Egypt? 149 00:10:14,520 --> 00:10:19,200 They couldn't see a way out. They saw an obstacle, They saw a 150 00:10:19,200 --> 00:10:24,120 sea that was impossible to cross and an enemy pursuing them 151 00:10:24,120 --> 00:10:27,520 behind. It seemed hopeless, it seemed, 152 00:10:28,360 --> 00:10:32,280 it seemed unaccomplishable. But Moses didn't let fear. 153 00:10:32,360 --> 00:10:36,600 He didn't let doubt, He didn't let criticism shake him. 154 00:10:37,040 --> 00:10:41,120 He stood firm in his faith, trusting that God had not 155 00:10:41,120 --> 00:10:45,400 brought him this far to just abandoned them to where they 156 00:10:45,400 --> 00:10:48,200 were. It had not been something that 157 00:10:48,200 --> 00:10:50,240 they brought. Gone through all the trouble of 158 00:10:50,240 --> 00:10:52,560 the plagues, gone through all the trouble of traveling to the 159 00:10:52,560 --> 00:10:55,880 Red Sea for God to be like, well, that's as far as I got. 160 00:10:55,880 --> 00:10:57,680 That's it. If you, if you beat the 161 00:10:57,680 --> 00:11:00,440 Pharaoh's army, sure, but go for it. 162 00:11:00,720 --> 00:11:01,960 I don't think you're going to get far. 163 00:11:02,640 --> 00:11:07,160 God's like this is where I end. No, no, that's a ridiculous 164 00:11:07,160 --> 00:11:09,400 notion. Ridiculous notion. 165 00:11:10,440 --> 00:11:12,960 There will be times when God will ask you to move forward 166 00:11:13,120 --> 00:11:18,160 without any assurances and yet all you see is obstacle. 167 00:11:18,600 --> 00:11:22,760 We can find ourselves in Red Sea moments feeling trapped between 168 00:11:22,760 --> 00:11:26,720 seemingly impossible situations. It's impossible. 169 00:11:26,880 --> 00:11:31,320 Voices of doubt fill our minds and and all around us, whether 170 00:11:31,440 --> 00:11:35,920 without or within. It's always a mind game, and 171 00:11:35,920 --> 00:11:38,960 when you're following after God's calling or building 172 00:11:38,960 --> 00:11:42,360 something for His purpose, whether it's your personal 173 00:11:42,360 --> 00:11:46,320 convictions or your spiritual walk or ministry, there will be 174 00:11:46,320 --> 00:11:49,680 times when you are surrounded by doubt, but you have to keep 175 00:11:49,680 --> 00:11:54,240 taking the next step and taking it by faith. 176 00:11:54,400 --> 00:11:57,920 I see the obstacles, but I'm not going to entertain the 177 00:11:57,920 --> 00:12:00,080 obstacles. I'm not going to entertain the 178 00:12:00,080 --> 00:12:03,360 thought that the obstacles going to be a problem for God. 179 00:12:07,520 --> 00:12:10,240 And here's the thing, Moses didn't know how God would 180 00:12:10,240 --> 00:12:13,880 deliver. He trusted that God would make a 181 00:12:13,880 --> 00:12:18,280 way. Moses didn't have the itinerary. 182 00:12:18,280 --> 00:12:21,640 You know, when, whenever the burning Bush experience happened 183 00:12:21,640 --> 00:12:25,280 and, and God sends out, sends out a paper from the burning 184 00:12:25,280 --> 00:12:27,280 Bush and be like, now there's, there's your itinerary. 185 00:12:28,680 --> 00:12:29,840 That's when I'm going to do this plague. 186 00:12:29,840 --> 00:12:30,840 That's when I'm going to do this plague. 187 00:12:31,360 --> 00:12:32,720 And where do you get to the Red Sea? 188 00:12:32,720 --> 00:12:35,800 You're going to take a little rod and go and then Red Sea 189 00:12:35,800 --> 00:12:37,040 part. Just so you know. 190 00:12:37,720 --> 00:12:41,760 No, no, that's not that's not how it happened. 191 00:12:42,000 --> 00:12:44,920 That's not how it happens. That's not something that 192 00:12:44,920 --> 00:12:48,800 happens where God is just like here is your itinerary, O great 193 00:12:48,800 --> 00:12:55,280 St. of God, follow it or don't, but I prefer that you follow it. 194 00:12:55,960 --> 00:12:59,280 No, Moses didn't have the itinerary. 195 00:12:59,280 --> 00:13:03,280 He was, he didn't know how God was going to bring them out of 196 00:13:03,280 --> 00:13:08,400 Egypt, but he knew what God had called him to do and he kept 197 00:13:08,440 --> 00:13:14,120 moving forward in obedience. Who needs an ark? 198 00:13:15,880 --> 00:13:17,320 Who needs an ark? Who needs to obey? 199 00:13:19,920 --> 00:13:25,200 Another instance in the Bible where people continued on 200 00:13:25,400 --> 00:13:32,440 seemingly silly and people mocking would be David Goliath, 201 00:13:33,040 --> 00:13:38,960 obviously very common. He stepped onto the battlefield 202 00:13:38,960 --> 00:13:45,000 there in First Samuel 17 and 28. It says that David's brother Eli 203 00:13:45,000 --> 00:13:49,520 have accused him of pride and and told him to go back to 204 00:13:49,520 --> 00:13:54,080 tending his sheep back. Little boy, it's into your 205 00:13:54,080 --> 00:13:56,640 sheep. Prideful. 206 00:13:57,920 --> 00:14:00,800 But David knew something that they did not. 207 00:14:01,280 --> 00:14:04,560 He knew that the battle belongs to the Lord. 208 00:14:04,560 --> 00:14:09,680 And despite doubts, despite accusations, David stepped onto 209 00:14:09,680 --> 00:14:13,000 the battlefield anyway. He didn't need his brother's 210 00:14:13,000 --> 00:14:16,240 approval. He didn't need Saul's armor. 211 00:14:16,880 --> 00:14:18,840 He didn't need the crowd's support. 212 00:14:19,720 --> 00:14:23,320 All he needed was his faith in God's power to deliver him, and 213 00:14:23,320 --> 00:14:27,520 that's all he really needed. There was no power in the Sling 214 00:14:27,520 --> 00:14:29,720 and the Stones. There was no power. 215 00:14:29,720 --> 00:14:34,120 It was in the faith and and what we we know what happened is 216 00:14:34,120 --> 00:14:37,160 David defeated Goliath with just the sling in the stone and 217 00:14:37,160 --> 00:14:40,640 people may try to discourage you when you when you step out in 218 00:14:40,640 --> 00:14:43,960 faith and it seems silly and you're facing giants in your 219 00:14:43,960 --> 00:14:47,360 life. But if God has called you, you 220 00:14:47,360 --> 00:14:49,560 don't need other people's approval. 221 00:14:49,560 --> 00:14:52,360 You do not need the world's approval. 222 00:14:52,440 --> 00:14:58,640 Just build the ark. I talked this morning and I was, 223 00:14:58,760 --> 00:15:01,240 I was talking to the students and I was just talking about all 224 00:15:01,240 --> 00:15:05,480 the things that are coming up and I just said just be here for 225 00:15:05,480 --> 00:15:08,320 church, Just be here. I wonder sometimes what 226 00:15:08,320 --> 00:15:11,080 mentality we could actually adopt and what would actually 227 00:15:11,080 --> 00:15:14,160 happen sometimes if we were just adopt the mentality of just be 228 00:15:14,160 --> 00:15:15,960 here. There's stuff going on, 229 00:15:15,960 --> 00:15:17,800 absolutely. And I hope that's appealing to 230 00:15:17,800 --> 00:15:19,560 you. But instead of just focusing on 231 00:15:19,560 --> 00:15:22,040 what's appealing or who's actually who's preaching or 232 00:15:22,040 --> 00:15:23,680 anything like that, or what if they're going to sing our 233 00:15:23,680 --> 00:15:31,520 favorite songs or anything like just be here like David, we 234 00:15:31,520 --> 00:15:35,240 face, we face those moments and, and, and no one knew what that 235 00:15:35,240 --> 00:15:37,360 was like. No one knew what that was like. 236 00:15:37,840 --> 00:15:40,560 Who needs an ark, Noah? Who needs an ark? 237 00:15:40,600 --> 00:15:46,960 Noah, you're crazy, Noah. But David and Moses and Noah, 238 00:15:47,520 --> 00:15:51,040 they showed us that when you trust in God's plan and God's 239 00:15:51,040 --> 00:15:54,440 timing, the the victory is his to bring. 240 00:15:55,160 --> 00:15:56,880 It is not ours, it is his to bring. 241 00:15:56,880 --> 00:16:01,320 And how however that happens when we don't trust in God's 242 00:16:01,320 --> 00:16:05,760 timing, what happens when we try to take matters into our own 243 00:16:05,760 --> 00:16:09,000 hands, thinking that we can control the outcome? 244 00:16:09,200 --> 00:16:12,480 We are all guilty of it. And some point in our lives, our 245 00:16:12,480 --> 00:16:17,160 flesh is guilty of not trusting in God's timing from time to 246 00:16:17,160 --> 00:16:20,640 time. And that's exactly what happened 247 00:16:20,960 --> 00:16:23,720 in the accounts of Abraham and Sarah. 248 00:16:24,840 --> 00:16:28,000 Abraham and Sarah, they were promised the son by God. 249 00:16:28,880 --> 00:16:36,200 They grew impatient as we do as we do, and instead of waiting on 250 00:16:36,200 --> 00:16:40,640 God's timing, they decided take matters into their own hands. 251 00:16:41,200 --> 00:16:44,240 Sarah suggested Abraham to have a child with Hagar. 252 00:16:45,080 --> 00:16:48,200 They're her servant and and LED to the birth of Ishmael. 253 00:16:49,240 --> 00:16:53,760 Genesis 16 and 12 This is and he will be a Wildman. 254 00:16:53,760 --> 00:16:57,720 Speaking of Ishmael, his hand will be against every man, and 255 00:16:57,720 --> 00:17:01,560 every man's hand against him, and he shall dwell in the 256 00:17:01,560 --> 00:17:06,800 presence of all his brethren. Abraham and Sarah's decision had 257 00:17:06,800 --> 00:17:12,160 lasting consequences. Their disobedience causes 258 00:17:12,160 --> 00:17:17,560 conflict that echoes throughout history, even affecting tensions 259 00:17:17,560 --> 00:17:20,640 between descendants even to this day. 260 00:17:22,599 --> 00:17:26,040 Don't tell me that that there are small, small decisions 261 00:17:26,040 --> 00:17:30,560 because even the one that seemingly is small can echo 262 00:17:31,360 --> 00:17:34,920 throughout history. They may have thought, well, 263 00:17:34,920 --> 00:17:40,840 we're just helping God out. Yeah, OK, sure. 264 00:17:41,720 --> 00:17:47,120 But when we take matters into our own hands, we often make 265 00:17:47,120 --> 00:17:52,400 things worse. When we step outside of God's 266 00:17:52,400 --> 00:17:59,040 plan and we try to build our own solutions, we harm what God is 267 00:17:59,040 --> 00:18:01,240 trying to create in our lives. We harm it. 268 00:18:01,480 --> 00:18:07,080 And and don't rush God. Trust his timing. 269 00:18:07,080 --> 00:18:12,400 If if he has promised something to you, He will bring it to pass 270 00:18:12,400 --> 00:18:17,560 in His own time. You see, Noah could have easily 271 00:18:17,560 --> 00:18:21,640 said, well, maybe, maybe I'll build something smaller. 272 00:18:21,640 --> 00:18:24,840 That seems a little, it seems a little rambunctious. 273 00:18:25,440 --> 00:18:28,280 That seems a little crazy. Yeah, it's over the top. 274 00:18:29,400 --> 00:18:31,520 Maybe this is just too much. God. 275 00:18:31,760 --> 00:18:35,880 God doesn't really expect me to keep going do this whole big 276 00:18:35,880 --> 00:18:37,560 thing. I mean, if you've, if you've 277 00:18:37,560 --> 00:18:40,800 seen it in person, you see what the specifications that they 278 00:18:40,800 --> 00:18:45,000 built down in Kentucky of the arc, It is massive and you know, 279 00:18:47,440 --> 00:18:49,440 doesn't need that big. It's fine. 280 00:18:50,600 --> 00:18:53,640 I can modify the plan to fit what I think is best. 281 00:18:56,320 --> 00:19:00,320 I can modify doctrines of what I think's best. 282 00:19:01,440 --> 00:19:06,000 I don't worry Lord it'll, it'll still be a boat. 283 00:19:06,920 --> 00:19:10,360 It'll it, but it will be done at my convenience. 284 00:19:10,600 --> 00:19:14,960 And it will probably won't be exactly what you said, but that 285 00:19:14,960 --> 00:19:18,240 doesn't matter, right? It's still a boat. 286 00:19:21,040 --> 00:19:24,800 Those specifications were just suggestions. 287 00:19:25,080 --> 00:19:30,800 Obviously I love, I love what brother Nate Whitley said at WYC 288 00:19:30,800 --> 00:19:33,520 this year. He was, he was speaking and he 289 00:19:33,520 --> 00:19:36,960 talked about how I am a theologian and, and he said when 290 00:19:36,960 --> 00:19:40,720 you start picking and choosing what you like in the Bible, you 291 00:19:40,720 --> 00:19:44,480 don't have good doctrine, you have unhealthy doctrine. 292 00:19:46,920 --> 00:19:50,120 The Lord said if ye you love me, you will keep my commandments. 293 00:19:50,120 --> 00:19:52,640 So if you don't keep his commandments, you really don't 294 00:19:52,640 --> 00:19:56,320 love him. Abraham and Sarah account 295 00:19:56,440 --> 00:19:59,600 because because commandments I think also comes down to 296 00:19:59,600 --> 00:20:04,200 obedience beyond just the keep the 10 commandments and the 297 00:20:04,200 --> 00:20:05,960 commandments is it It's his word. 298 00:20:06,800 --> 00:20:08,640 It's his, the command of his word. 299 00:20:10,080 --> 00:20:13,560 Abraham and Sarah's account reminds us of the dangers, the 300 00:20:13,560 --> 00:20:18,080 dangers of modifying God's plan and rushing ahead of time when 301 00:20:18,080 --> 00:20:21,600 we take things into our own hands and we end up building 302 00:20:21,600 --> 00:20:25,600 something outside of God's design, just as they did with 303 00:20:25,600 --> 00:20:28,520 Ishmael. And the consequences impact not 304 00:20:28,520 --> 00:20:31,000 only you, it'll affect your children. 305 00:20:31,120 --> 00:20:34,480 It'll affect their children, their children thereafter, and 306 00:20:34,480 --> 00:20:39,280 generations to come. We have to be careful about 307 00:20:39,280 --> 00:20:43,240 trying to rush God's plans and do it for ourselves. 308 00:20:43,400 --> 00:20:46,840 And there's no there is no God prime delivery. 309 00:20:47,040 --> 00:20:50,280 There is no God prime delivery and get your blessing in one to 310 00:20:50,280 --> 00:20:56,000 two days. But Noah took a different 311 00:20:56,000 --> 00:20:58,600 approach. He didn't take that approach. 312 00:20:58,920 --> 00:21:01,800 He didn't modify God's plan. He didn't take the shortcuts. 313 00:21:01,800 --> 00:21:04,800 He he didn't build the ark his way. 314 00:21:05,000 --> 00:21:16,880 He did it the way God specified. Matthew 24 and 37, it says. 315 00:21:17,120 --> 00:21:22,640 But as in the days of note were, so shall also becoming a Son of 316 00:21:22,640 --> 00:21:25,960 Man be. For as in the days that were 317 00:21:25,960 --> 00:21:29,640 before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying 318 00:21:29,640 --> 00:21:33,840 and giving in marriage, until the day that no entered into the 319 00:21:33,840 --> 00:21:38,760 ark, they knew not the flood came and took them all away. 320 00:21:39,240 --> 00:21:42,280 Not until the flood came and took them all away, so shall 321 00:21:42,280 --> 00:21:45,160 also the coming of the Son of Man be. 322 00:21:46,680 --> 00:21:50,960 In Noah's day, people went about their lives as usual. 323 00:21:51,920 --> 00:21:56,840 They ignored the warning signs. They ignored seeing Noah doing 324 00:21:57,000 --> 00:22:00,120 all that well, they, they didn't ignore, they ignored the purpose 325 00:22:00,160 --> 00:22:02,240 of it. They, they watched and, and 326 00:22:02,240 --> 00:22:05,040 entertainment, but they ignored the purpose of what he was 327 00:22:05,040 --> 00:22:08,480 doing. And they laughed at Noah. 328 00:22:09,840 --> 00:22:12,440 And as he built the ark and he's out there and he's hammering 329 00:22:12,440 --> 00:22:16,360 away and he is doing all of his work and his family's beside 330 00:22:16,360 --> 00:22:17,880 him. But then the rain came. 331 00:22:19,760 --> 00:22:22,120 When everything was finished the rain came, and when the door of 332 00:22:22,120 --> 00:22:24,200 the ark was shut, it was too late. 333 00:22:25,720 --> 00:22:29,440 The same will be said for the second coming of Jesus and there 334 00:22:29,440 --> 00:22:33,800 will be people that think they can wait till the day of the 335 00:22:33,800 --> 00:22:42,600 rain to make it all right. You are responsible for your ark 336 00:22:45,120 --> 00:22:47,520 when you are building convictions in your lives. 337 00:22:47,560 --> 00:22:51,120 Others may may, they may say that's not necessary. 338 00:22:52,160 --> 00:22:53,920 That's that. This is my favorite. 339 00:22:53,920 --> 00:22:55,880 That's not a heaven or hell issue. 340 00:22:56,720 --> 00:23:00,200 That is my absolute favorite. But you know what? 341 00:23:00,200 --> 00:23:03,040 You're responsible for what God is calling you to build in your 342 00:23:03,040 --> 00:23:05,560 life. You're responsible for keeping 343 00:23:05,560 --> 00:23:07,480 the commandments and keeping His word. 344 00:23:07,600 --> 00:23:10,400 You're responsible. So shame on us if the man of God 345 00:23:10,400 --> 00:23:13,680 also comes forth as pastor. It comes to the pulpit. 346 00:23:13,680 --> 00:23:17,560 It comes to us with a conviction that he's felt impressed on by 347 00:23:17,560 --> 00:23:20,760 God for the benefit of the church or us personally. 348 00:23:20,920 --> 00:23:23,240 And we act like the people in Noah's day. 349 00:23:23,240 --> 00:23:27,920 Who needs an ark pastor? Who needs an ark pastor? 350 00:23:29,560 --> 00:23:34,960 That's not a requirement. No, I can tell you this much. 351 00:23:34,960 --> 00:23:37,880 As far as I'm concerned, when the man of God presents a 352 00:23:37,880 --> 00:23:40,600 conviction and he's going to take account for me as a Saint 353 00:23:40,600 --> 00:23:44,840 of God, when he brings me a conviction, heaven or hell issue 354 00:23:44,840 --> 00:23:49,120 or not, my pastor brings it. It becomes a submission issue if 355 00:23:49,120 --> 00:23:52,720 I don't follow it, and as a byproduct that not submitting to 356 00:23:52,720 --> 00:23:57,400 my pastor is a sin, which then makes it a heaven or hell issue. 357 00:24:01,600 --> 00:24:05,440 With the urgency of the last days upon us, we cannot afford 358 00:24:05,440 --> 00:24:08,240 to respond like the people in Noah's day. 359 00:24:08,320 --> 00:24:10,760 We cannot afford to respond well. 360 00:24:10,760 --> 00:24:17,000 Pastor, who needs an art that's not required? 361 00:24:18,760 --> 00:24:23,600 Mocking, questioning with every source whether it's necessary or 362 00:24:23,600 --> 00:24:27,520 important. If others want to build their if 363 00:24:27,560 --> 00:24:31,920 others want to build their ark with subpar materials, let them. 364 00:24:33,880 --> 00:24:35,680 If they are not going to listen, let them. 365 00:24:35,680 --> 00:24:39,680 If they choose false doctrine, compromise standards, or shallow 366 00:24:39,680 --> 00:24:43,320 faith, that's their choice. But just like those who ignored 367 00:24:43,320 --> 00:24:46,920 War, Noah's warnings, the rains going to be coming, the rain's 368 00:24:46,920 --> 00:24:49,960 going to be coming. Those with compromised standards 369 00:24:49,960 --> 00:24:53,280 in the way, we'll stand before God and they will say, here's my 370 00:24:53,280 --> 00:24:55,320 boat. It's not an ARC, but here's my 371 00:24:55,320 --> 00:24:56,760 boat. It may not be all the 372 00:24:56,760 --> 00:25:01,680 specifications, but God, I did it based off of what I deemed 373 00:25:04,360 --> 00:25:11,120 what I deemed was right. Don't wait for the rain. 374 00:25:11,360 --> 00:25:15,360 Don't wait for the rain to start before you begin building your 375 00:25:15,360 --> 00:25:18,920 ark. The time to prepare is now. 376 00:25:19,080 --> 00:25:23,480 Just like Noah, we must build before the rain comes. 377 00:25:23,600 --> 00:25:28,120 We must be faithful in preparing our eyes and our hearts before 378 00:25:28,160 --> 00:25:35,880 the rain comes. Noah's obedience led to 379 00:25:35,960 --> 00:25:38,360 salvation. It led to the saving of his 380 00:25:38,360 --> 00:25:42,640 family. His obedience offered the 381 00:25:42,640 --> 00:25:46,480 opportunity for God to show him that through all of that, God 382 00:25:46,480 --> 00:25:48,600 was God was true and God was faithful. 383 00:25:48,600 --> 00:25:52,760 In Genesis 7 and 16, it says and they went in, went in, male and 384 00:25:52,760 --> 00:25:56,080 female, all flesh. And as God had commanded him, 385 00:25:56,080 --> 00:26:01,000 the Lord shut him in. I don't think if Noah had 386 00:26:01,000 --> 00:26:04,200 prepared everything just right that God would have shut him in, 387 00:26:05,400 --> 00:26:08,360 probably just would have let it happen and God would just be 388 00:26:08,360 --> 00:26:11,160 like, I'll start everything from scratch completely. 389 00:26:11,800 --> 00:26:16,520 Who needs, who needs Noah? But no, the Lord shut him in. 390 00:26:17,000 --> 00:26:19,880 It wasn't Noah who closed the door of the ark. 391 00:26:20,600 --> 00:26:25,520 It was God because Noah. Noah was obedient to the NTH 392 00:26:25,560 --> 00:26:28,800 degree. He didn't force the timeline, he 393 00:26:28,800 --> 00:26:32,720 didn't cut the corners. He did what God had asked. 394 00:26:33,240 --> 00:26:37,880 When the time came, God sealed him and his family in the ark 395 00:26:38,040 --> 00:26:43,560 for protection. When we obey God, when we obey 396 00:26:43,560 --> 00:26:47,400 God, he provides. He protects. 397 00:26:47,600 --> 00:26:51,320 Just as the ark was Noah's deliverance, Christ is our 398 00:26:51,320 --> 00:26:54,360 deliverance. But we must build our lives on 399 00:26:54,360 --> 00:26:57,880 the foundation of His truth, His commandments, His Word. 400 00:27:00,600 --> 00:27:04,200 Notice Noah's salvation didn't come from just believing that 401 00:27:04,200 --> 00:27:08,280 God, that it came from God. It took action upon that belief. 402 00:27:08,520 --> 00:27:10,480 God. God could have brought that to 403 00:27:10,480 --> 00:27:12,960 Noah and told him that you need to build this. 404 00:27:12,960 --> 00:27:16,360 And then Noah's like, I believe it and it did nothing. 405 00:27:17,400 --> 00:27:21,320 It doesn't does no good for you to believe what God has for you 406 00:27:21,320 --> 00:27:24,680 and you have no action. Believe what God has and you 407 00:27:24,680 --> 00:27:31,160 have no no action towards it. Noah built his deliverance to 408 00:27:31,160 --> 00:27:33,080 the specifications that God gave. 409 00:27:35,800 --> 00:27:38,760 It came from work. When there was questioning, 410 00:27:39,000 --> 00:27:43,160 there was mocking. It came from obedience, blood, 411 00:27:43,160 --> 00:27:47,000 sweat, and tears. So what is your arc? 412 00:27:48,440 --> 00:27:53,760 What is God calling you to build in your life today? 413 00:27:55,320 --> 00:27:56,920 Maybe it's stronger prayer life. Maybe. 414 00:27:57,080 --> 00:28:00,960 Maybe it's a deeper relationship going deeper beyond just coming 415 00:28:00,960 --> 00:28:05,320 to Him when we need something. Maybe it's commitment to live 416 00:28:05,320 --> 00:28:08,760 out your convictions no matter what the world may say. 417 00:28:08,920 --> 00:28:12,320 Maybe it's stepping out in faith and and walking the call that 418 00:28:12,320 --> 00:28:15,560 He's placed on your life when you do not know the next certain 419 00:28:15,560 --> 00:28:20,600 step. Just like Noah's ark didn't make 420 00:28:20,600 --> 00:28:24,000 any sense to those around him, your obedience may not always 421 00:28:24,000 --> 00:28:26,080 make sense to the people around you. 422 00:28:26,080 --> 00:28:29,880 And that's OK. Your responsibility is not to 423 00:28:29,880 --> 00:28:37,040 them, it's to God and, and, and, and with that responsibility, 424 00:28:37,040 --> 00:28:40,240 understand it is it is more than OK. 425 00:28:40,360 --> 00:28:42,680 If you want to be weird, today's the day to do it. 426 00:28:43,200 --> 00:28:49,720 Choose choose today to be weird and, and, and decide, decide 427 00:28:49,720 --> 00:28:51,920 today you're going to be weird and you're going to be 428 00:28:51,920 --> 00:28:56,800 unapologetically weird, unapologetically weird for God. 429 00:28:56,880 --> 00:28:59,600 Let's do it. As far as I'm concerned, now is 430 00:28:59,600 --> 00:29:06,760 the best time to do it. So just do it because if you, 431 00:29:06,960 --> 00:29:08,800 that's what I've, that's what I've told our young people 432 00:29:08,800 --> 00:29:11,440 before. When I I don't want to stand 433 00:29:11,440 --> 00:29:13,520 out. I want to stand out. 434 00:29:14,400 --> 00:29:16,960 You don't want to stand out following the convictions that 435 00:29:17,160 --> 00:29:20,000 that God has in the Word and that the pastor has preached 436 00:29:20,520 --> 00:29:22,080 upon us. You don't want to stand out. 437 00:29:22,800 --> 00:29:24,400 You tell me what's wrong with holiness. 438 00:29:26,720 --> 00:29:29,640 I can find a lot that's wrong on the other side. 439 00:29:29,640 --> 00:29:32,440 You, you can't convince me that there's something wrong with 440 00:29:32,440 --> 00:29:33,960 holiness. You can't. 441 00:29:33,960 --> 00:29:36,000 You can't convince me that there's something wrong with the 442 00:29:36,000 --> 00:29:38,160 oneness of God. You can't convince me that 443 00:29:38,160 --> 00:29:40,960 there's something wrong with this Apostolic doctrine. 444 00:29:42,560 --> 00:29:47,440 So be weird, build your art. Who cares? 445 00:29:47,720 --> 00:29:50,760 Let them not let them watch. Maybe they'll get convicted 446 00:29:50,760 --> 00:29:53,960 while they watch. Maybe they'll get convicted 447 00:29:53,960 --> 00:29:56,200 while they watch. I hope and pray so. 448 00:29:57,960 --> 00:29:59,760 But no one else can build your art for you. 449 00:30:01,160 --> 00:30:05,000 You can't borrow someone else's faith or walk with God. 450 00:30:05,360 --> 00:30:09,520 It is on you. Others may not see the urgency. 451 00:30:09,840 --> 00:30:13,120 They might even question why you're spending time building 452 00:30:13,120 --> 00:30:17,640 something that they can't see, that they can't understand. 453 00:30:18,320 --> 00:30:22,120 But it's not about them really. And really, it's not about you. 454 00:30:22,640 --> 00:30:24,720 It's about Him. It's about salvation. 455 00:30:24,720 --> 00:30:29,440 It's about spending eternity with the one true God, it's 456 00:30:29,440 --> 00:30:34,720 about Jesus. You may not see the rain yet. 457 00:30:35,960 --> 00:30:39,840 Time for preparation is now. You are building something that 458 00:30:39,840 --> 00:30:42,200 will sustain you when the storms come. 459 00:30:42,600 --> 00:30:46,160 Just like Noah's Ark provided safety from the flood, your 460 00:30:46,160 --> 00:30:50,080 spiritual life built on prayer, faith, obedience, fasting, 461 00:30:50,080 --> 00:30:54,160 supplication in the Word will be your source of strength and 462 00:30:54,160 --> 00:30:56,960 protection when challenges arise. 463 00:30:57,560 --> 00:31:01,720 When rain comes and it's too late to start building, it is 464 00:31:01,840 --> 00:31:05,200 you procrastinators in the building you need to take. 465 00:31:05,320 --> 00:31:07,720 You need to like Bishop Holmes did this this weekend. 466 00:31:07,720 --> 00:31:11,000 You take yourself by the nape of the neck and and get off, Get 467 00:31:11,080 --> 00:31:17,280 get going self, get going. When it comes, you need to do it 468 00:31:17,280 --> 00:31:19,840 before the rain comes. Don't procrastinate on your 469 00:31:19,840 --> 00:31:25,400 salvation. We, we wait all I'll wait till 470 00:31:25,400 --> 00:31:28,080 the as as, as students, you know, many students, while I'll 471 00:31:28,080 --> 00:31:31,720 wait till I'm, you know, I'll wait till I'm 18 or I'm out of 472 00:31:31,720 --> 00:31:34,000 the house and then I'll then I'll start praying like no, 473 00:31:34,000 --> 00:31:37,240 start it now. Don't no matter how far you've 474 00:31:37,240 --> 00:31:41,080 gone, no matter no matter where you've been, start now, restart 475 00:31:41,080 --> 00:31:45,160 now, whatever it is, start now. Wherever you left the ark, go 476 00:31:45,160 --> 00:31:48,680 back to the ark start building, continue building. 477 00:31:48,800 --> 00:31:51,760 If you left your your tools out and everything like that, 478 00:31:51,960 --> 00:31:54,600 continue building. Get your prayer back in line, 479 00:31:54,760 --> 00:31:58,440 get your word of God back in line, get your doctrine back in 480 00:31:58,440 --> 00:32:03,160 line, get your holiness back in line and build your ark. 481 00:32:08,600 --> 00:32:11,280 No one was warned of things not seen. 482 00:32:11,560 --> 00:32:14,840 And today I want to challenge you to start continuing to build 483 00:32:15,040 --> 00:32:18,240 your ark even though it may not seem like you're seeing 484 00:32:18,240 --> 00:32:20,640 anything. We can stand. 485 00:32:20,640 --> 00:32:27,360 Music can come build your ark, whether it's growing your faith, 486 00:32:28,200 --> 00:32:32,200 developing your convictions, preparing you for a calling you 487 00:32:32,200 --> 00:32:38,400 don't fully understand yet. The time to build is now. 488 00:32:39,120 --> 00:32:41,720 It may not be seen, but that doesn't matter. 489 00:32:41,720 --> 00:32:44,120 If you should, you should continue to build. 490 00:32:44,120 --> 00:32:46,280 You should start to build. It doesn't mean that you 491 00:32:46,280 --> 00:32:48,680 shouldn't build just because you can't see. 492 00:32:50,040 --> 00:32:56,200 Don't wait till it's too late. Build today in faith, trusting 493 00:32:56,200 --> 00:33:02,120 that God has a plan for you. Maybe God has a calling for you 494 00:33:02,120 --> 00:33:05,840 to to a season of greater prayer, greater devotion. 495 00:33:06,120 --> 00:33:09,840 Maybe he's stirring your heart and to step out in faith in a 496 00:33:09,840 --> 00:33:14,680 ways that feel uncomfortable. Maybe He's asking you to set 497 00:33:14,680 --> 00:33:19,200 yourself apart and live by convictions that others around 498 00:33:19,200 --> 00:33:23,120 you may not understand or even support. 499 00:33:24,720 --> 00:33:29,440 I wonder today if we could come to this altar and try and decide 500 00:33:29,640 --> 00:33:32,880 we're going to build an ark. I'm not doing it for anybody 501 00:33:32,960 --> 00:33:36,640 else but myself. I'm building an ark. 502 00:33:37,040 --> 00:33:39,760 I am giving you glory, God, by building this ark. 503 00:33:39,760 --> 00:33:43,440 I'm doing it by obedience because I do not want it to be 504 00:33:43,440 --> 00:33:47,960 said at the end of the day that I did it with subpar materials. 505 00:33:48,280 --> 00:33:52,600 I did it and not to the specifications that you gave me. 506 00:33:53,760 --> 00:33:57,760 Trust that God has a plan, a plan to deliver, a plan to 507 00:33:57,800 --> 00:34:01,280 protect, and a plan for a purpose in your life. 508 00:34:02,240 --> 00:34:04,960 What are you building? Are you preparing? 509 00:34:04,960 --> 00:34:08,679 What for God has called you? Are you living out your 510 00:34:08,679 --> 00:34:12,639 convictions no matter what the world says? 511 00:34:12,840 --> 00:34:18,679 Are you trusting God, His plan even when it doesn't make sense? 512 00:34:20,000 --> 00:34:25,480 Who needs an ark? I'll tell you who I need an ark. 513 00:34:26,360 --> 00:34:31,000 I need an ark. I need to build it every single 514 00:34:31,000 --> 00:34:33,960 day. I need it in my life. 515 00:34:33,960 --> 00:34:38,159 I need to trust the direction that He gives me even if I don't 516 00:34:38,159 --> 00:34:42,320 see the rain on the horizon. I need to trust that He's 517 00:34:42,320 --> 00:34:43,920 faithful. I need to trust that the 518 00:34:43,920 --> 00:34:47,040 specifications that He's given me in His word, the 519 00:34:47,040 --> 00:34:50,760 specifications that He's given me in the calling on my life, 520 00:34:50,960 --> 00:34:54,560 they are true and they are trust and they are holy. 521 00:34:54,719 --> 00:34:56,560 And I'm going to follow after that. 522 00:34:56,760 --> 00:35:00,040 I'm not going to think about what others around me think. 523 00:35:00,280 --> 00:35:04,040 I'm not going to think about how I could get away with something. 524 00:35:04,240 --> 00:35:07,720 I'm going to trust in Him. I'm going to trust in Him that 525 00:35:07,720 --> 00:35:11,120 He gave me the right specifications for the ark in my 526 00:35:11,120 --> 00:35:13,520 life. And at the end of the day, I 527 00:35:13,520 --> 00:35:17,080 will be able to be blessed with that word of good. 528 00:35:17,120 --> 00:35:19,800 Well done, my good and faithful servant. 529 00:35:20,680 --> 00:35:23,080 Well done. He will protect. 530 00:35:23,280 --> 00:35:25,960 He will bring it forth to fruition. 531 00:35:26,800 --> 00:35:28,480 I need an arm.