The MESSAGE for January 8, 2023

The Storm Is On the Way

Genesis 7:1-7

Live Broadcast

By: Pastor, Rev. Dr. Cullian W. Hill

Greater Concord Missionary Baptist Church

 

Here we are on this Second Sunday in January 2023 with an invitation, “come” into the Ark. The flood was about to begin. “Come thou and all thy house into the ark.” Genesis, chapters 4-6 are intriguing to say the least.

 

Noah lived in a pornographic society; his days were marked by seven characteristics: spiritual decline, some devotion, strong delusion, social dilemma, shameless depravity; scientific development and sudden destruction. Noah’s times were wicked: corrupt in their moral decisions, violence in their dealings with one another. They planned meals and marriages as nonchalantly as they could. The end of all flesh had come up before God. So He said unto Noah, build an ark.

 

Noah worked day by day to build the ark. The ark was their security through the flood. Just as Noah built the ark, and he and his family were invited to come in, Jesus is our Savior and the invitation to come is the same.

 

After the ark was built, Noah was invited to come in. (Genesis 7:1) This demanded a step of faith. He had built the ark by faith (Hebrews 11:7). Now he must enter into it to be saved from the flood. The storm is on the way and the invitation is the same. Come to Jesus.

 

Noah was saved from the wrath of God in the flood, and so can this nation. We are saved from the wrath by faith in Christ (John 3:36). God wants entire families saved. He wants the circle unbroken. Our most important task is to lead our families to Christ. This can be difficult, but God will give us wisdom and power to do it. How will we respond to this invitation? What are we doing to ensure that our families are saved? The storm is coming. Are all of our loved ones in the ark?

 

Jesus is our security!!! He came and gave His life a ransom for all of us. We must get family members back to church. The storm is fastly approaching. Noah had seven days to get all in the ark, male and female of its kind. He did everything God told him to do.

 

Allow me to back up for a moment. During Noah’s times; marriage was corrupted. Unsanctified unions were common, just as today. When marriages are unholy, society is on the road to degradation and destruction. The reason for the flood was corruption of the world. There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that; when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown (Genesis 6:4). “God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth.” God saw the amount of evil and the awfulness of the evil. God assesses the evil in society according to the facts.

 

The patience of God is always present in divine judgement. God is patient with sinners, but when sinners refuse to repent, God’s patience runs out. “He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy” (Proverbs 29:1). God’s patience is running out with America. America’s sins have grieved God at His heart. They have brought sorrow and pain.

 

Sin hurts mankind. Society is in great pain because of sin. In fact, Paul tells us that all creation is in pain because of sin (Romans 8:22). But the worst thing about the pain from sin, is that even God is pained by sin. When you sin, you bring hurt, not only to yourselves, but to many others, including God. Hurting God puts you in serious trouble with God.

 

The proclamation of the condemnation, “I will destroy” the Lord said. When He says “I will”, it is as good as done. I will destroy …. both man and beast. “The end of all flesh is come before me.” Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord (Genesis 6:8). “Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God. (Genesis 6:9) Noah lived a good life during a time of great un-holiness.

 

We cannot use the excuse of corruption of our times to justify the deficiency of our holiness. The purity in His goodness, the place of His goodness. Third, the path of His goodness. Noah walked with God. America, the storm is on its way. Come to Jesus!

 

Pastor, Rev. Dr. Cullian W. Hill