A.At times, it is difficult not to become discouraged by the increasing wickedness of the world around us.
1.Not only does it seem that fewer and fewer people have a proper reverence for God, but the degree of their wickedness also seems to increase year after year.
2.These observations are discouraging to the servants of God, who are striving to practice righteousness, remain untainted by the world, and turn others from their wicked ways.
B.In these times, it is good to look to Noah, who was a preacher of righteousness in the midst of a wicked and corrupt world.
1.As Solomon said, there is nothing new under the sun (Eccl. 1:9).The things that we now experience in the world have all been experienced before by God’s servants.
2.Therefore, it is helpful to consider an example of Noah, a man who overcame the obstacles of the world through his faith in God.
II.NOAH PREACHED RIGHTEOUSNESS IN THE MIDST OF WICKEDNESS
A.As evil as the world may be today, it could not be worse than it was during the days of Noah.
1.Consider how wicked man had become in those days.
a.“Every intent of the thoughts of (man’s) heart was only evil continually” (Gen. 6:5)
b.The earth was “corrupt in the sight of God” and “filled with violence” (Gen. 6:11).
c.All flesh had “corrupted their way upon the earth” (Gen. 6:12).
d.“The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.” (Gen. 6:6)
e.“The LORD said, ‘I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land…’” (Gen. 6:7)
2.In the world today we see evil, wickedness, and violence in every corner, but this corruption is not equal to that which Noah saw.
a.By the time of the flood, only eight souls were considered by God to be worthy of sparing.All other men, women, and children were marked for destruction by God.
b.In our time, it is possible for every soul to be spared through the grace and mercy of Christ’s gospel (John 3:16; Rom. 1:16-17), and many have become righteous through it.
B.In the midst of a wicked and perverse generation, Noah proved that man could live righteously.
1.Noah was not sinless, but he “was a righteous man, blameless in his time,” and he “walked with God” (Gen. 6:9).
a.It is a fact of Scripture that “all have sinned” (Rom. 3:23), but that does not mean one must be wholly given over to sin.There is a difference between committing a sin and making a habitual practice of sin (compare 1John 1:8-10 and 1John 3:6-10).
b.Noah’s way of life was righteousness.He was faithful (Heb. 11:6-7), and he walked with God rather than walking in the ways of sin.
2.Noah condemned the world by his faithfulness.
a.The fact that Noah was able to live righteously left all other men without excuse.If Noah lived faithfully, then all other men could have also.
b.Therefore, the Scripture says that Noah “condemned the world” by acting faithfully in response to the word of God (Heb. 11:7).
3.Noah not only practiced righteousness, but he preached it to others.
a.The Old Testament does not reveal this aspect of Noah’s life, but Peter called him “a preacher of righteousness” (2Pet. 2:5).
i.The word “preacher” here means “a herald or messenger vested with public authority.”Such a person would make announcements for those who were in authority (kings, military commanders, etc.).
ii.Thus Noah communicated the righteousness of God to his generation through his life and his words.
b.Noah preached righteousness through the Spirit of Christ according to 1Peter 3:18-20.
i.Notice that this passage says that Christ in Spirit “made proclamation to the spirits now in prison who were once disobedient…in the days of Noah.”
ii.This does not mean that Christ preached to these spirits while they were in prison (disembodied and waiting for judgment), but rather He preached to them when they were alive on the earth and disobedient.
iii.Christ did this through Noah, a preacher of righteousness, who was moved by the Spirit of Christ (i.e., the Holy Spirit) to speak (see 1Pet. 1:10-12).
c.Notice that Noah faithfully preached his message of righteousness even though it is apparent that no one received it.He did not save anyone beyond his own family, but he succeeded in sounding forth the message (consider Ezek. 14:14, 20).
C.If Noah was able to practice and preach righteousness to his generation, then we can also.
1.Noah blazed a trail for us to follow through more difficult conditions than we have ever known.
a.In the pattern of Noah, Christians are commanded to “prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world” (Phil. 2:15).
b.Likewise, Jesus charges His disciples to be the “salt of the earth” and the “light of the world” (Matt. 5:13-14).
2.Thus, Noah leaves us without excuse if we fail to practice and preach righteous in the midst of a wicked generation.
a.Just like Noah, when the world is dark, Christians’ lights should shine even brighter by contrast (Eph. 5:7-12).
b.Even when no one will listen, it is our responsibility to herald the word of God to everyone (2Tim. 4:1-5).
III.GOD RESCUES THE GODLY
A.Noah’s story proves that God can and will rescue the godly from their trials.
1.Peter used Noah and Lot as examples to demonstrate that God saves the godly (2Pet. 2:4-9).
a.God did not save Noah from water but through water, for He was saving Noah from the wickedness of his generation (see 1Pet. 3:20-21).
b.Lot was rescued by God from Sodom and Gomorrah when he was tormented by witnessing their wickedness day after day.
2.Therefore, God is also able to save us from the wickedness of the world.
a.Just as God saved Noah through water, today He saves us through the water of baptism, by which we enter Christ and receive the forgiveness of sins and sanctification from the world (Acts 2:38; 22:16; Gal. 3:27; Tit. 3:5; 1Pet. 3:21).
b.Like Lot, we who are tormented by witnessing the evil deeds done around us will also be rescued from these trials.
B.Moreover, the flood proves that God will punish the unrighteous.
1.God is impartial, so if He punished the angels who sinned, the ancient world who sinned, and the citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah who sinned, then He will also punish the unrighteous of the present age (2Pet. 2:4-9).
2.Ultimately, this will be accomplished when the Lord returns from heaven and when He makes the final Judgment of all souls (2Thess. 1:5-10; 2Cor. 5:10).
IV.CONCLUSION
A.Therefore, let us not be discouraged or think that Satan has the victory in this world.
1.Christ overcame Satan long ago when He died on the cross, atoned for our sins, and was raised from the grave (Heb. 2:14-18).
2.Now we may likewise overcome Satan and have the victory in Christ (1Cor. 15:54-57; 1John 5:4-5).
B.Instead, let us resolve to work even harder in the service of our Lord (1Cor. 15:58).
