11-5-2022 West Palm Beach 7th Day BAPTIST Pastor Garfield “Surviving The Broken World” Genesis 6;5-10, Genesis 7;1-5
I want us to reflect on the state of the world we are in. The world, as we know it, is really a sad place. Surviving the broken world. How long will we endure the pain and loss of loved ones? How long will we survive going to the doctor and being told that he has some bad news for us? How long will we endure physical aches and pains in our lives? How long will we endure injustice? How long will we wake up to violence and get bad news of accidents which include our loved ones? How long will nations be at war with each other? How long will we have the rich bathing in champagne while the poor is suffering from basic needs? How long will we live like Adam & Eve or Saul & David, thinking of ourselves only? How long will our children be lowered to the path of drugs and reveling?
Brothers and sisters this will go on as long as this world exist. The question is what is your response to this broken world. This world that is running off it’s axis. This world that is not functioning the way God intended it to function. What is your response? To survive we want to understand that the word “survive” means to remain alive or to remain intact after others have died or have detached. To survive for us as Christians means to stay in the presence of God. To stay in the command of God and to hold fast to the promises of God. In Galatians chapter five it says for us to live and walk in the Spirit.
When the name of Jesus is spoken over us, there are some things we can expect. If we need a breakthrough then we must speak the name of Jesus. If we are anticipating some miracles in our lives, we must speak the name of Jesus. If we want authority over the world then we must speak the name of Jesus. If we want revival in our churches, in our families and in the world, we must speak the name of Jesus. Brothers and sisters with the challenges we are having in the world, we want to agree that Jesus Christ is the answer. There is no way to exist, no way to enjoy life, no way to have the blessings of God without experiencing Jesus Christ.
I want us to understand some things about the text. The text is early in the creation of man, it’s in the book of Genesis where it speaks of the beginning of man. This also tells of the beginning of Sin and the struggles man has had since then to be restored unto God. In Genesis chapter six we hear God’s heart on the matter of the world. The Bible says God saw the wickedness of man that it was great in the earth. I don’t think the world is better now than it was in Genesis chapter six. When you look at children being raped, when you look at children being neglected and families being broken down with husbands and wives separating, we know that wickedness is still prevailing in this world.
Brothers and sisters the Bible tells us that God was sorry that He made man on the earth. He was grieved to His heart. I believe that when God looks at our families today, He is grieving as well. If we are children of the Most High God, then we need to shift our eyes from the world and focus on our Creator. We have become self-absorbed and we have set our minds upon our lives and not on others. We have bought into the idea of immediate gratification. One reason the world is struggling is that we have forgotten that we serve a God that never sleeps or slumbers. We have forgotten that we have a responsibility to care for others. We have forgotten that we are not our own, we belong to God. We think that we can do things that are wrong and just say “God understands”.
If we are to survive this broken world, it is very, very important that we follow the examples of Noah’s life. Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. We need to stop trying to find a way to survive by ourselves. We are on a sinking ship and when things get bad, we never think about anyone else and just try to save ourselves. As Christians we must begin to look out for others and not for ourselves only. Recently a car caught on fire and the driver escaped but when he looked back, his girlfriend was still in the burning car. He went back into the fire to rescue her. Shes alive and he has more burns than her, but he will survive.
*** There Are Four Things That Noah Did
1) Noah Walked With God:
We should walk with God too. When you walk with God, there is a certain rhythm and pace you walk. There is a certain direction and speed you walk in. Walking with the Lord is walking in the Spirit. We must worship and walk with God in Spirit and in Truth. When you walk with Jesus you are walking in obedience, walking in His principles and walking under His command. Noah walked with God while being surrounded by a world of wickedness. All he had was his family members. If Noah could walk with God then so can you.
2) We Have To Have A Tribal Mentality:
Back then it was very important that the numbers in your tribe grew. They made sure their wives kept having babies to grow the tribes. They also made sure that their children stayed in the family business. Noah’s children were still with him and they were found to be righteous before God. This shows that Noah had good parenting skills. With a tribal mentality you spend time with your children. The way you walk is the way you are preparing them to walk the same way. You walk with God and they will learn to walk with God. As a family, you need to pray together often. With the tribal mentality, we look out for the other members of the tribe. As Christians we are a tribe. We should be loyal to the Christian tribe and take care of each other.
3) Noah Allowed God To Incubate His Family:
God told Noah to take his wife, his three sons and three daughter-in-laws and go into the incubator - the Ark. God told him to go to a place where he will flourish while others outside will perish. For us the incubator is our house and the church of God. God has called us together for a reason. It is so that we can strengthen each other and become the great white hope of this world. When you are in this incubator, just like Noah, you are protected from whats happening outside. When you are in the incubator, God will provide all your needs according to His riches in Glory. The angels of the Lord encamp around them that fear God and delivers them from all of their troubles. You need a special kind of faith in God to walk into your incubator. A faith that rests on the fact that you trust God. Put your trust in God and Jesus alone. There is hope.
4) Noah Kept A Remnant Around Him:
His remnant included the animals and all that was part of their hope for tomorrow. They were in the ark 190 days and while they were in there, nothing outside was kept alive. Destruction is coming and you must decide where you want to be. In the incubator or outside the protection of God. When we talk about the remnant, it can also be called the carrier of hope, the partners or the conquerors. Noah and his wife, sons and daughter-in-laws went to work to repopulate the earth. They were reproducing. If you are a part of the remnant, you should have spiritual reproduction. To reproduce you have to plant, then tend what you have planted and you should have fruit from it. Our families and our church should be part of the remnant. But if you are drifting away from the incubator, then you are really not part of the remnant. If you walk to a different rhythm and don’t think about others, then you are not part of the remnant.
You really can survive this broken world but you must follow the examples of Noah.
AMEN
I want us to reflect on the state of the world we are in. The world, as we know it, is really a sad place. Surviving the broken world. How long will we endure the pain and loss of loved ones? How long will we survive going to the doctor and being told that he has some bad news for us? How long will we endure physical aches and pains in our lives? How long will we endure injustice? How long will we wake up to violence and get bad news of accidents which include our loved ones? How long will nations be at war with each other? How long will we have the rich bathing in champagne while the poor is suffering from basic needs? How long will we live like Adam & Eve or Saul & David, thinking of ourselves only? How long will our children be lowered to the path of drugs and reveling?
Brothers and sisters this will go on as long as this world exist. The question is what is your response to this broken world. This world that is running off it’s axis. This world that is not functioning the way God intended it to function. What is your response? To survive we want to understand that the word “survive” means to remain alive or to remain intact after others have died or have detached. To survive for us as Christians means to stay in the presence of God. To stay in the command of God and to hold fast to the promises of God. In Galatians chapter five it says for us to live and walk in the Spirit.
When the name of Jesus is spoken over us, there are some things we can expect. If we need a breakthrough then we must speak the name of Jesus. If we are anticipating some miracles in our lives, we must speak the name of Jesus. If we want authority over the world then we must speak the name of Jesus. If we want revival in our churches, in our families and in the world, we must speak the name of Jesus. Brothers and sisters with the challenges we are having in the world, we want to agree that Jesus Christ is the answer. There is no way to exist, no way to enjoy life, no way to have the blessings of God without experiencing Jesus Christ.
I want us to understand some things about the text. The text is early in the creation of man, it’s in the book of Genesis where it speaks of the beginning of man. This also tells of the beginning of Sin and the struggles man has had since then to be restored unto God. In Genesis chapter six we hear God’s heart on the matter of the world. The Bible says God saw the wickedness of man that it was great in the earth. I don’t think the world is better now than it was in Genesis chapter six. When you look at children being raped, when you look at children being neglected and families being broken down with husbands and wives separating, we know that wickedness is still prevailing in this world.
Brothers and sisters the Bible tells us that God was sorry that He made man on the earth. He was grieved to His heart. I believe that when God looks at our families today, He is grieving as well. If we are children of the Most High God, then we need to shift our eyes from the world and focus on our Creator. We have become self-absorbed and we have set our minds upon our lives and not on others. We have bought into the idea of immediate gratification. One reason the world is struggling is that we have forgotten that we serve a God that never sleeps or slumbers. We have forgotten that we have a responsibility to care for others. We have forgotten that we are not our own, we belong to God. We think that we can do things that are wrong and just say “God understands”.
If we are to survive this broken world, it is very, very important that we follow the examples of Noah’s life. Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. We need to stop trying to find a way to survive by ourselves. We are on a sinking ship and when things get bad, we never think about anyone else and just try to save ourselves. As Christians we must begin to look out for others and not for ourselves only. Recently a car caught on fire and the driver escaped but when he looked back, his girlfriend was still in the burning car. He went back into the fire to rescue her. Shes alive and he has more burns than her, but he will survive.
*** There Are Four Things That Noah Did
1) Noah Walked With God:
We should walk with God too. When you walk with God, there is a certain rhythm and pace you walk. There is a certain direction and speed you walk in. Walking with the Lord is walking in the Spirit. We must worship and walk with God in Spirit and in Truth. When you walk with Jesus you are walking in obedience, walking in His principles and walking under His command. Noah walked with God while being surrounded by a world of wickedness. All he had was his family members. If Noah could walk with God then so can you.
2) We Have To Have A Tribal Mentality:
Back then it was very important that the numbers in your tribe grew. They made sure their wives kept having babies to grow the tribes. They also made sure that their children stayed in the family business. Noah’s children were still with him and they were found to be righteous before God. This shows that Noah had good parenting skills. With a tribal mentality you spend time with your children. The way you walk is the way you are preparing them to walk the same way. You walk with God and they will learn to walk with God. As a family, you need to pray together often. With the tribal mentality, we look out for the other members of the tribe. As Christians we are a tribe. We should be loyal to the Christian tribe and take care of each other.
3) Noah Allowed God To Incubate His Family:
God told Noah to take his wife, his three sons and three daughter-in-laws and go into the incubator - the Ark. God told him to go to a place where he will flourish while others outside will perish. For us the incubator is our house and the church of God. God has called us together for a reason. It is so that we can strengthen each other and become the great white hope of this world. When you are in this incubator, just like Noah, you are protected from whats happening outside. When you are in the incubator, God will provide all your needs according to His riches in Glory. The angels of the Lord encamp around them that fear God and delivers them from all of their troubles. You need a special kind of faith in God to walk into your incubator. A faith that rests on the fact that you trust God. Put your trust in God and Jesus alone. There is hope.
4) Noah Kept A Remnant Around Him:
His remnant included the animals and all that was part of their hope for tomorrow. They were in the ark 190 days and while they were in there, nothing outside was kept alive. Destruction is coming and you must decide where you want to be. In the incubator or outside the protection of God. When we talk about the remnant, it can also be called the carrier of hope, the partners or the conquerors. Noah and his wife, sons and daughter-in-laws went to work to repopulate the earth. They were reproducing. If you are a part of the remnant, you should have spiritual reproduction. To reproduce you have to plant, then tend what you have planted and you should have fruit from it. Our families and our church should be part of the remnant. But if you are drifting away from the incubator, then you are really not part of the remnant. If you walk to a different rhythm and don’t think about others, then you are not part of the remnant.
You really can survive this broken world but you must follow the examples of Noah.
AMEN
