Sermon Summary: Noah’s life gives us a blueprint for extent of faith that God has called us to, and what great length we can go to in order to live out that faith.
READ Hebrews 11:7
- The author of Hebrews recognizes Noah’s faith as something that should always be remembered. It says that he had great faith about things not yet seen (NIV). What was so remarkable about this faith?
- The author says that Noah did all that he did in holy fear or reverent fear. What does it mean to have holy or reverent fear in our faith?
- The rest of vs. 7 says that Noah’s faith "condemned the world and he became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith."
- Why does a person of faith show the condemnation of the world? (Hint: Like the law, it shows how the world has fallen short of all that God has called us to. Alongside Noah’s faith, the world’s sinfulness stuck out like a sore thumb.)
- Was Noah counted “righteous” because of his faith or because of what he did? (Hint: Faith!)
- Why is it good news that our own “righteousness” before God comes as a result of our faith and not the things that we do? (Hint: Because our works will never result in our own righteousness. Even Noah's was filled with deep flaws. Inevitably we will fail to step out in faith and fail to do what God has called us to do. That is sin. Or sometimes we do the things that God has called us to do, and we get prideful thinking we did it on our own. That too is sin. We can never be counted righteous on our own. We need faith in God that he will do and help us do everything that we need for salvation and righteousness.)
- Give us an example of someone in your life who stepped out to do something crazy or difficult through faith in God? How did God respond?
- Give us an example of someone in your life who stepped out to do something in the small, mundane things of life through faith in God? How did God respond?
- As you’ve reflected on the sermon, what kind of “arks” do you think God is calling you to “build”?
- What are the small things that you think God is inviting you to be more faithful in, so that faith can become part of your character when he big things come?
- Whenever we read the story of Noah, rarely are we going to be able to put ourselves in Noah’s shoes (if we’re completely honest with ourselves). We’re more likely to identify as "the world.” We would have been the ones who scoffed at Noah, or were too afraid or proud to demonstrate faith like Noah’s.
- What are some of the things in your heart that keep you from having faith like Noah’s or living out that faith?
- Do these things ultimately point to faithfulness in God or unfaithfulness towards God?
- Through God’s perspective, should you have been the person on the ark when the floods came, or out in the waters of God’s wrath?
- Like the author of Hebrews says, Noah’s faith stands to condemn the world. When we pair ourselves up to Noah, we see what we too stand condemned and are desperately in need of help again the wrath of God that we deserve. That is why Jesus came. He wants to help you. If anyone ever deserved to be on the ark, it would have been Jesus. But he traded places with us. Metaphorically, he gave us his spot on the ark, and he endured the wrath of God in our place. Because of this, we know that our only hope is Jesus. This gospel, the good news, is the foundation of our faith, and changes the way that we live our lives.
- How does the gospel overcome all of the things that keep us from having faith in God or help us to live out our faith?
- What hope do you have when you (inevitably) fail to live out your faith?
- How can your rGroup help you in this area of your life?
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