2021 – Year of the Lord’s Favour | Sunday Service | Jan 10, 2021

Every year is a year of blessings and every year has its own and equal share of storms, but remember it is God who keeps us. It totally depends upon us how to find God’s favour. One of the best answer to this is, “Through obedience!”

Today we will continue with the Part 3 of our ongoing series, “Lord’s Favour!” And we are going to focus and learn from the life of one of the servants of God, “Noah.”

Illustration: Ralph W. Harris, once said, “To achieve spiritual success, do not forget to give God the first hour of the day, the first day of the week, the first part of every paycheck, the first consideration in every decision and the first place in your heart.”

For you bless the righteous, O Lord ; you cover him with favor as with a shield.

Esther found favour of God, so did Mary. Tolday we will look at the life of Noah and the favour he received from God. Remember, he is the first person mentioned in the Bible to receive favour of God.

But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord .

The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart.

The wickedness was increasing in the world.

Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence. And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.

God saw how corruption has overtaken the world.

So the Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.”

God sees all the wickedness that is among the children of men; it cannot be hid from him now; and if it be not repented of, it shall be made known by him shortly. The wickedness of a people is great indeed, when noted sinners are men renowned among them. Very much sin was committed in all places, by all sorts of people. Any one might see that the wickedness of man was great: but God saw that every imagination, or purpose, of the thoughts of man’s heart, was only evil continually. This was the bitter root, the corrupt spring. The heart was deceitful and desperately wicked; the principles were corrupt; the habits and dispositions evil. Their designs and devices were wicked. They did evil deliberately, contriving how to do mischief. There was no good among them. God saw man’s wickedness as one injured and wronged by it. He saw it as a tender father sees the folly and stubbornness of a rebellious and disobedient child, which grieves him, and makes him wish he had been childless. The words here used are remarkable; they are used after the manner of men, and do not mean that God can change, or be unhappy. Does God thus hate our sin? And shall not we be grieved to the heart for it? Oh that we may look on Him whom we have grieved, and mourn! God repented that he had made man; but we never find him repent that he redeemed man. God resolves to destroy man: the original word is very striking, ‘I will wipe off man from the earth,’ as dirt or filth is wiped off from a place which should be clean, and is thrown to the dunghill, the proper place for it. God speaks of man as his own creature, when he resolves upon his punishment. Those forfeit their lives who do not answer the end of their living. God speaks of resolution concerning men, after his Spirit had been long striving with them in vain. None are punished by the justice of God, but those who hate to be reformed by the grace of God.

All things in the world were going normally, with people doing the things they do generally.

These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God.

In the midst of all this, God saw Noah.

Noah did not find favour in the eyes of men; they hated and persecuted him, because both by his life and preaching he condemned the world: but he found grace in the eyes of the Lord, and this made him more truly honourable than the men of renown. Let this be our chief desire, let us labour that we may be accepted of him. When the rest of the world was wicked, Noah kept his integrity. God’s good-will towards Noah produced this good work in him. He was a just man, that is, justified before God, by faith in the promised Seed. As such he was made holy, and had right principles; and was righteous in his conversation. He was not only honest, but devout; it was his constant care to do the will of God. God looks down upon those with an eye of favour, who sincerely look up to him with an eye of faith. It is easy to be religious when religion is in fashion; but it shows strong faith and resolution, to swim against the stream, and to appear for God when no one else appears for him; Noah did so. All kinds of sin were found among men. They corrupted God’s worship. Sin fills the earth with violence, and this fully justified God’s resolution to destroy the world. The contagion spread. When wickedness is become general, ruin is not far off; while there is a remnant of praying people in a nation, to empty the measure as it fills, judgments may be long kept off; but when all hands are at work to pull down the fences, by sin, and none stand in the gap to make up the breach, what can be expected but a flood of wrath?

For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him. You have done foolishly in this, for from now on you will have wars.

In the midst of the wickedness we see today, God looks at you and if you kook at Him, you will receive God’s favour.

Noah obeyed God completely and Noah heard God and followed what God spoke whith him. If Noah heard God and would have ignored Him, God would have told Noah that he missed the boat, but Noah didn’t ignore what he heard from God.

And God said to Noah, “I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth.”

Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him.

Today’s situation is similar. People attend church but ignore the warnings. If we do not respond to His word, we also will miss the boat.

And Noah did all that the Lord had commanded him.

two and two, male and female, went into the ark with Noah, as God had commanded Noah.

And those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him. And the Lord shut him in.

Can you imagine, a 500 year old man hears the word of God and builds a boat during the time when there is no rain. When God spoke with Noah, he obeyed the word of God.

Today we are more interested to hear what the world say, we need to hear the word of God rather than the messages from the world. The desire for us to respond to an important email should be the same to responding to what God speaks through His word.

By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

Because of just one man, i.e. Noah, his entire family was saved. Noah wasn’t self centred, he preached to others also.

Imagine this man, building a boat as a reply to God’s command. And over 120 years of preaching, the time which God granted people to repent. People mocked Noah while he was building this boat, but Noah trusted God because he was an obedient man of God. He ignored what people told him.

Obedience is the process which we go through in order to receive favour of God.

Abraham’s life is another example where he set himself on a journey, leaving all his things, property etc. People made fun of him while Abraham was leaving, but he stayed obedient to God.

Many people do what others say or whatever is the popular opinion. Based on the advice, we like to fit-in under the presssure in order not to offend anyone. But, people of God, we are not ordinary people, we are children of God. It doesn’t matter what people say, it is important and matter the most what God says.

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Noah didn’t get distracted, he kept on doing what God asked him. He continued with his obedience. Noah believed in God and believed when God spoke to him

If we do not obey God, we will continue to go with the worldly flow and the favour of God will not be upon us, just like people surrounding Noah, who mocked him.

Illustration: A house caught fire and in order to escape, the young boy got on the roof of that house. The  father of this young boy shouted, “Jump I will catch you!” However, due to smoke, the son couldn’t see his father. Father told, have faith and trust in me, I can see you even if you cannot.

Similarly, when we are caught up in the smoke of this world when we are surrounded eith problems and situations which we think we cannot get out, God can see us. All we need to do is obey God and have faith and trust in Him. He will catch is and His favour will be upon us.

Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him.

Then the Lord said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you are righteous before me in this generation.

And the Lord shut him in.

People didn’t obeyed like Boah did. Eventually there was the great flood what God had warned about. Others were drowning in the flood, but Noah was lifted up.

By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

Obedience is better than sacrifice!

And Samuel said, “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord ? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.”

and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.

Now the question is, will you obey God irrespective of the pressure from people?

I hasten and do not delay to keep your commandments.

Praise the Lord ! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord , who greatly delights in his commandments!

Noah believed in God and trusted in Him. The time surrounding Noah, the situation was terrible. Similarly, we have situations around us, which are terrible but are we planning on obeying God? The favour of God will be upon us if there is obedience. Noah obeyed God and favout came upon him. In a similar manner, we are no different from Noah. All we need to do is obey God!

Dear church, if you are encouraged with today’s word, trust God has spoken to you through the life of Noah and His word. And if you want God’s favour upon you just like He favoured Noah, then today is the day to get on your feet and seek God to bless you and to favour you. All you need to do is pray, ask God and obey Him.

There is no better way to sum this all up than what the following verses suggests…

And if you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the Lord your God. Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field.

But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord your God or be careful to do all his commandments and his statutes that I command you today, then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you. Cursed shall you be in the city, and cursed shall you be in the field.

We hope you feel rejuvenated with today’s message. We look forward to see you again next Sunday. God bless!