Noah: Faith That Obeys

What do you do when obeying God makes you stand out, or even look crazy?

In this episode of Real People Real Talk, we dive into Noah’s story and uncover what it means to trust God in a world that’s going the opposite direction. While others ignored God, Noah chose faith, obedience, and boldness...no matter the cost.

This message will challenge you to step out in faith, stand firm in your beliefs, and trust God even when it doesn’t make sense. Because what God said… will come to pass.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:09

Welcome and thanks for tuning in to Real People, Real Talk. Relevant conversations that take you from surviving to thriving. This is the podcast that goes there. My name is Paul Calco, and I'm your host. Now let's talk. Well, hello, Thriver, and welcome to Real People, Real Talk, the podcast ministry that equips you to thrive in your walk with the Lord, to thrive in your relationships, and to thrive in your mental health. And today is all about thriving in your walk with the Lord as I'm going to take a deep dive and delve into the life of Noah, whom we find in the book of Genesis, the very first book of the Bible. Noah was a man whose faith and obedience to God shine brightly even in the darkest of times. So today I just want to unpack some simple truths, some nuggets of truth that can inspire you to cultivate a faith that endures, even when the world around you is spiraling into chaos. Sounds familiar? Today's passage can be found in Genesis chapter six, verses five through eight, and it reads, The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of human heart was only evil all the time. The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. So the Lord said, I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race that I have created, and with them the animals, the birds, the creatures that move along the ground, for I regret that I have made them. But Noah found favor in the eyes of God. To fully appreciate Noah's story, you must first understand the context of his world. Noah lived during a time when the whole earth was filled with violence, corruption, and rampant sin. People did whatever they wanted to do without any regard for God. And all of that grieved the heart of God. And my friend, that's one place you never want to be, is in a place in a position where you have grieved the heart of God. But in the midst of this moral decay, Noah emerged as a figure of righteousness. He did not allow the evil standards of his world to rob him of his fellowship with God. He stood out as the only one who walked with God. And maybe that's what you need to do. Maybe you're the only one that's standing out in your family. Maybe you're the only one that's standing out at your job. Maybe you're the only one that's standing out at your school or your team, but stand out and stand up for God, no matter what's going on around you in your culture, in your context, stand for God. Imagine a society steeped in wickedness, so steeped that people laughed at morality and they mocked the whole idea of judgment. In such an environment, Noah's faith was bold. It was courageous. It was even countercultural. His commitment to God wasn't just a personal belief, but it was an act of defiance against the societal norms of the time. It's quite funny how history tends to repeat itself, because as I describe the context of Noah's world, I couldn't help but feel like I was describing the context of our world today. And just as Noah shined brightly in that dark generation, today I am encouraging you, I am admonishing you to shine brightly for the Lord right now. Shine in such a way that you will point others to the light of the world who is Jesus Christ. Moving on, we see that God gives Noah a daunting command in Genesis chapter six, verses thirteen through fourteen. So God said to Noah, I am going to put an end to all the people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. So make yourself an ark of cypress wood, make rooms in it, and coated with the pitch inside and out. We see the radical nature of Noah's faith. Let me explain. God instructs him to build an ark. This is a massive structure meant to withstand the flood of waters that would eventually cleanse the earth. It's important to know that up until this point, Noah hadn't even seen rain, let alone a flood. Yet he believed God's word was true. And that should always be the posture of our heart. No matter what our natural eyes have or have not seen, we should take God at his word, knowing that he is a word keeper, he is a promise keeper, he is a faithful God, and we can always put our faith, our hope, and trust and confidence in him because God is good, he's faithful, and he is a keeper of his word. One thing that I really love and I admire about Noah is this: in spite of what he saw around him, he still chose to believe in God and to move by faith. And I want to encourage you today, my friend, in spite of what you may see around you, choose to believe God and choose to walk by faith. Amen. Think about this for a moment. How often do we hesitate to obey God? Because in our eyes, what he's asking us to do may seem impossible or illogical, but there's nothing impossible with our God. Noah teaches us that true faith often requires stepping out into the unknown and trusting that God is in control. Now let's take a look at the boldness of obedience. Noah's obedience wasn't just limited to building the ark. For 120 years of construction, he preached righteousness. Imagine doing 120 years of preaching, 120 years of ministry, and nobody came to know the Lord. Man, imagine the fortitude that it takes to keep preaching and to keep doing what's right. Can you imagine how often he got made fun of and talked about? People probably thought that he was insane, yet he remained steadfast. He remained faithful to God because God was going to prove himself faithful to him. In 2 Peter 2.5, we learn that Noah was described as a herald of righteousness. And let that be said of us that we are heralds of righteousness. His life became a living sermon, a testimony to the power of faith in a world that has turned its back on God. Oh God, let that be said of us that no matter what's going on in our lives, no matter what's going on in culture, no matter what's going on in society, that we take a bold step, a bold stand of faith and obedience. Now let's talk application. Are you willing to be bold in your faith? In your workplace, in your school, in your community, or are you really prepared to stand firm in your beliefs, even when it feels uncomfortable? Noah's example encouraged us to share our faith with passion and with conviction, my friend, regardless of the world's response. Now, building that ark was quite an undertaking. The ark was 450 feet long, that's much longer than a football field, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. Imagine the resources required. Imagine the labor that was involved. Imagine the sheer willpower that it took to complete such a task, all while facing relentless doubts and relentless doubters. What a powerful metaphor for our own lives. We often encounter, you know, challenges that may seem insurmountable, but nothing is insurmountable when God is on your side. Yet, like Noah, we are called to boldly answer the call of God on our lives. Let me make it even more practical. What is God calling you to do right now in this season? Is it to start a business? Is it to go to school? Is it to go back to school? Is it to take your health journey more seriously? Is it to start a ministry or a Bible study or a podcast? Whatever it is, please trust that God will equip you. If God called you to it, he will see you through it. So start the business, restart the health journey, and embrace the challenge, knowing that God is walking right beside you. Moving on, we see the day, finally, where the flood waters have arrived. What God said came to pass. Let me say that again. What God said came to pass. And so with that in mind, with that thought in mind, I want to encourage you today to keep trusting in the Lord, to keep walking in faith, regardless of the passage of time. No matter how long you've been waiting on God, I want to encourage you today to keep waiting on the Lord because He'll never fail you and He'll never let you down. In Genesis chapter 7, verse 11 and 12, we see this. In the 600th year of Noah's life, on the seventh day of the second month, on that day all the springs of the great earth bust forth, and the floodgates and the heavens were open, and rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights. The rain poured and poured and poured, and the earth was flooded. But Noah and his family found refuge in the ark. Think about this. What if Noah disobeyed God? What if he didn't listen? What if he didn't take God at his word? Maybe he and his family would not have been saved. They would have been in big trouble. I want to take this time right now to let you know this, that you need to obey God, point blank, period. Because you never know what your action or your inaction will impact or whom it will impact. So when the waters receded, Noah and his family stepped out into safely because he stepped out in obedience. All that's good right there. In Genesis chapter 9, verse 12 and 13, God establishes his covenant with Noah, as it reads, and God said, This is a sign of the covenant I am making between you and every living creature, with you a covenant of all generations to come. I have set my rainbow in the clouds, that it will be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. The rainbow symbolizes hope, a promise that God will never again destroy the earth by flood. So just as Noah's faith led to a new beginning for humanity, our faith can usher in a new beginning in our own lives, a new beginning in the lives of those that are connected to us. So once again, man, I want to encourage you to always choose faith. To always choose obedience, no matter how hard it may seem, no matter how countercultural it may seem. Always obey God and always choose faith. Because God's word is true. As I said before, I say it again, that this God that we serve, He is faithful and He is true. He is a word keeper and He is a promise keeper. All right. So as we reflect on Noah's life, we are reminded that faith is not merely a private matter, but it's a public declaration of our trust in God. Noah's story, it beckons us to cultivate a faith that is bold and obedient. Now let's take a moment just to consider how we can apply these lessons in our own lives. Number one, step into the unknown. I want you to take some time to identify, you know, what area is God calling you to take a leap of faith? What is God asking you to do that may seem insurmountable or daunting? Commit to obeying God even if it's uncomfortable. And I don't know what this may be for you that's between you and God, but I do know this, that you can trust God because he is faithful and he will work it out for your good, and he'll work it out definitely for his glory. So, number one, step into the unknown. Don't be afraid to step into the unknown. Secondly, just like Noah, be a herald of righteousness in your daily interactions. Let your words and your actions represent God's will. Stand firm in your beliefs even when faced with opposition. Share your faith with others because this gospel, this good news of Jesus Christ is too good not to share it with others. So share your faith with others. Be a voice of hope in a world that desperately needs it. In other words, shine bright for Jesus in this dark world. So that was just a little bit about Noah, a man whose faith and obedience to God shine brightly even in the darkest of time. Just a snapshot, because there's a lot more that can be said about Noah. But what an example. All in all, Noah believed God and obeyed him, and according to all that God commanded him to do, so did he. O Lord, let that be said of us that everything that you commanded us to do, everything that you called us to do, we did it. Amen? And amen. Well that would do it for today. Thank you so much for tuning in. Be sure to share this episode with a few friends. And until next time, go be all that God has called you to be a good idea.