Bringing Rest to a Crazy World (Genesis 6&7)

Bringing Rest to a Crazy World (Genesis 6&7)

God’s regret with humanity’s wickedness & violence is contrasted with God’s favor for Noah

Big Idea: Be a person others find “Rest” with from the culture and chaos of life! Jesus is our rest!

The Ark is Jesus… We are in Christ. He has closed us in. He is our security. He is our

1.  Love others “Rightly” so that God has an “Above Reproach” Reputation.

“If we love God most we will love others best.” John Bloom, Desiring God

What does it mean to “Love Rightly” ? ….
First there is a deep desire and devotion to God … a forsaking of anything that draws us away from our relationship with God. So that we are full of faith and more deeply committed to trust the Lord in every circumstance of life.
Second, we must be willing to look to others before our own interests as if it was our own interests.

Our behavior and love should be both Vertical and Horizontal

• Christians are “God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works” (Ephesians 2:10).
• Christians are a chosen people, belonging to God so that we may declare His praises (1 Peter 2:9).
• The “actions” that glorify our Father in heaven are those that bear much fruit (John 15:8). This is, in fact, how we show we are His disciples. Indeed, the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23)—should be the hallmark of Christian behavior, especially love.
• Christian behavior includes heeding Jesus’ call for us to be His witnesses to “the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
• Be imitators of God…and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us” (Ephesians 5:1-2).
• Paul urged the Romans to “offer your bodies as living sacrifices” (Romans 12:2). This, ultimately, is the essence of true Christian behavior – surrendering our hearts and yielding our bodies to Christ so He might continue God’s work through us.

Book Who Am I?: Identity in Christ By: Jerry Bridges

Our values at Cornerstone… “Compassion, Kindness, generosity, intentionality, Hearing God … imitating Christ.”

Examples of loving rightly (Depends on Time)

• Abraham’s compassion for others including those who are wicked and under judgment … Plead with God…
• Joseph's kindness to his brothers even though the cost him half his life as a slave in a foreign country
• Barnabas’s generosity in giving his land and words of encouragement
• The intentionality and plan of Jesus and God the father… what is your intention during this time
• Jesus needed to go to Sychar… he was led by the H.S. into the wilderness… Enoch walked … we are to be led by the H.s. filled with H.s. just as we are gifted by the H.s. .
• Jesus was moved… compassion, kindness, generosity, these act… they move … forgive, forget, go forward… take the loss to love those FFG

2.  Find “Rest” for yourself by developing a Walk with God
Illustration… how to walk with God… Two guys moving furniture a coach were trying to get it through the door way… after quite a while struggling with it they realized they were trying to go in different directions… We must go in God’s direction… i.e. today for us it is to follow Jesus… to be Christ follower.

• Walk with God so others will be able to “Receive” your message!
• Walk with God so you will not “Resign” from your life of faith
• Walk with God so you will be able to “Resist” the culture and its tests
• Jesus was led by the H.S.
• Jesus did community with the Heavenly Father
• Jesus was God & with God… He became human and dwelt among …
• He is our focus Hebrews 12:1-4
• He is our image to imitate (Ephesians)
• We are not here to survive but to thrive and see lives saved because of the sacrifice of our lives. 

3.  “Risk” doing all that God says for you to do “Regardless” of what the world thinks.

Crazy things God asked people to do

• Build an ark for a thing that has never happened
• Take you son and sacrifice him
• Turn down into a valley with your back to the red sea
• Look to a snake and be healed
• Raise your hands and you will have victory
• Walk around the walls and they will fall flat
• Grab a sling and some stones and run at a giant
• Shrink your army to 300, shout, and break a lantern

What crazy thing does God want us to do?

• (2 Timothy 1:7) Live as though IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL
• Live Strong… courageously for God… to trust courageously
• Love others
• Have a sound mind… think rightly about circumstances… to apply wisdom for living … to act

Challenge: Live “ready” & “without regret”!

• Answering "Here I am" … Abraham, Moses, Samuel …
• to Loving rightly… To Rove with God as a walk … to risk doing all that God asks us to do.
• Rain is promised but so is God’s presence & wisdom to build a life of rest from the storm!