Genesis 7: The Most Unsuccessful Preacher in Human History

(upbeat music) - Welcome to chapter by chapter of four year journey through the greatest book given to the human race, the Word of God, the Bible. And we get to go through it chapter by chapter, seven minutes a day and seven days a week. Join us each day and share it with others so they can join this journey that will be life changing. We'll stop at unexpected places on the journey and be challenged. Some verses will create awe and wonder. We will have chapters that will be instructive and others will find joy and comfort. We will occasionally be convicted and wanna change but all in all, the journey will be worth it. Once in a while, we may take a detour on the journey and hear from some of God's generals on their favorite passages from a chapter of scripture and let them give their insight. Every journey needs a small detour occasionally. The best way to get the most from this podcast is read the chapter we're discussing before or after. It's his word that transforms. You will find more and see more than I can ever articulate. Welcome to chapter by chapter and today's chapter is Genesis seven. What do you do when God asked you to do the unimaginable and your 500 years old? Genesis 532 ends with Noah at 500 years old and now in Genesis seven six, Noah is 600 years old. The building of an ark seems to be a hundred year project for a very old man. Think for a moment all that he had to do for those hundred years. He was building something unknown to man. He was told because it's gonna rain which no one has ever heard of. He was to gather two of every kind of animal and beast while you're building this ark and there was also going to be a bunch of people that are gonna mock you and maybe vandalize your work. You're gonna be the laughing stock of the planet. Oh yeah, one more thing. While all this is happening, I need you to preach. What? God now you've gone too far. It's probably what Noah's thinking. Talk about multitasking. Tucked away in the New Testament. The Apostle Peter says these words about this ancient Bible story. This is second Peter 2.5 and he did not spare the ancient world but preserved Noah a preacher of righteousness with seven others when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly. Noah was a preacher of righteousness. What an odd word to use for Noah, preacher. Maybe use innovator, builder, architect, animal, whisperer, but not preacher. That is the word the Holy Spirit chose for Noah. He would build and preach for one hundred years while humanity pummeled him about this project. I wonder if this is happening again. I wonder if God is calling on obedient men and women all over the world to do what they've never done before because something is coming we've never seen before. Our times are getting wicked and more than ever we need preachers of righteousness. Let me speak as a four decade preacher. No preacher can dispute this. We will judge our sermons many times by the response of the people. If an altar call is full or enough hands have gone up to be born again, then we did a great job. And we judge by response instead of obedience to heaven. To this charge against ministers, I am the chief of sinners. I don't want to be, but I am. And then this question and answer hit me like a sledgehammer. Who was the most unsuccessful preacher of all time? Here it comes. We learn about it from this verse, Genesis 7-7. Then Noah and his sons and his wife, and his sons' wives with him entered the ark because of the water and the flood. People were on the ark when the Lord closed the door. Once again, here's the question, who was the most unsuccessful preacher of all time? Noah, he preached for a hundred years. Preacher of righteousness and not one person answered an altar call. Not one person on the planet lifted their hands to get say zero, zero for 100 years 'cause only his family went on the boat. Not one person outside of his family. If you have the wrong criteria, then Noah is a failed preacher, the ultimate failure. Noah is the biggest failure in the history of the ministry. But let me set the record straight. It's the wrong criteria. Even if the entire planet did not respond to one sermon from this preacher of righteousness, he made it to Hebrews 11 and is celebrated as a man of faith. So it must be the wrong grid that we have. Eugene Peterson in the message, Bible describes the man of faith best and Hebrews 11 and 7. By faith, Noah built the ship in the middle of dry land. He was warned about something he couldn't see and act on what he was told. The result, his family was saved. His act of faith drew a sharp line between the evil of the unbelieving world and the rightness of the believing world. And as a result, Noah became intimate with God. Regardless of what false personal criteria I put on my preaching or some Bible college or seminary president or professor puts on the effectiveness of a sermon, I see the criteria on this hundred year preaching ministry on these four words from Hebrews 11 and 7. His family was saved. While we look at the unresponsiveness of the planet, God highlighted the eight his family. I've heard too many stories of ministers who sat in my office telling me of their accomplishments from a pulpit with the public, but hearing also about the children, their children that have backslid and hate God. I've heard about children of pastors that have chosen alternative lifestyles, turned to atheism and agnosticism and ran straight into addiction. You tell me the criteria for the preacher. A full mega church or rotten marriage. Thousands listening to you preach a sermon, but children who can't listen to a different man of the pulpit than they have at home. I'm gonna go with Noah on this. I will go with the man of faith. The picture before us is immense. A preacher of righteousness who never had one convert for a century, but has his family enter an arc and are saved. It's a challenge to every minister in the world starting with me. Don't be proficient in preaching righteousness to others that you forget to live righteously before your family. The key to a family salvation is firmly placed at the father's feet. The chapter opens with these words, Genesis 7-1, then the Lord said to Noah, "Enter the arc, you and all your household, "for you alone I have seen to be righteous "before me in this time." God says your whole household Noah gets to enter the arc because of you alone. You alone I have seen to be righteous. God says salvation of a family starts with the father. I will never forget the powerful effect of a father's salvation on a household. Statistics show that there is a 3% chance that a family will get saved. If a child gets saved first, there's a 17% chance that the whole family gets saved if the wife gets saved first. Here it comes. And there is a 93% chance that the family gets saved. If the father is saved first, the data shows it. When a father gets saved, there is a big chance the whole family will enter into that arc. Thank you for joining chapter by chapter. Every chapter from the greatest book, the Bible, the Word of God, Seven minutes a day, seven days a week. We'll see you tomorrow.