This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "God's Plan To Save Us", 12/2/2818

GOD'S PLAN TO SAVE US

Isaiah 7:1-4, 7-16

The nation of Israel was in trouble times because of choices they made to reject

God's rule over them.  God delivered Israel as a free nation out of Egypt in

1500 BCE. God gave Israel His commands while still in the desert.

In 1100 BCE, Israel rejected God's rule over them for a king like their

Gentile neighbors.  In 930 BCE, because of their sins and the rivalry

among them, they were divided into two kingdoms. This text is around 790 BCE.

A HOUSE DIVIDED WILL NOT STAND

V:1. "When Ahaz son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, was king of Judah, King Rezin of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel marched up to fight against Jerusalem, but they could not overpower it. "

A. A house divided will not stand.

   1.700 years after coming into the promise land as a unified nation,

      Israel was divided into two kingdoms.

   2. The kingdom of Israel included  ten tribes of Israel;

       Asher, Dan, Ephrain, Gad, Issachar, Manasseh, Naphtali, Ruben,

      Simeon and Zebulum'

   3. The Kingdom Judah include the tribe of Benjamin and Judah.

       Jerusalem was included in the Kingdom of Judah,

   4. Jerusalem was the holy city and the location of God's temple.

      A desirable prize for the Northern kingdom.

WHEN GOD IS NOT IN CONTROL, THE DEVIL IS

B. Two hundred years after rejecting God's rule, Israel was fighting

     among themselves and worshipping idol gods.

   1. The kingdom of Israel made an alliance with Aram (Assyria)

        to fight against God's holy city Jerusalem.

   2. God's chosen people,  made an alliance with the enemy of God to                     

        fight against God.

   3. A house without God will in time destroy itself.

   4. The people of God made an alliance with enemy to fight against

        there own brothers and sisters

    5. When we forget where we came from, we forget who we are.

C. Our sins does not affect God's plan of redemption.

    1. Even when we make wrong decisions, God comes to our rescue.

    2 God stopped the fighting in His holy city

    3. Ahaz, the King of Judah,  developed the same relationship with Assyria and                    

        worshiped idol gods.

    4. Ahaz tried to combine idol worship with the worship of God, to

        please the Assyrians.

        a. He built altars and sacrificed his own sons to idol gods.

    5. Ahaz's plan backfired because the  king of Israel made the same alliance

       with the Assyrians (Aram). 

 

THE DEVIL PLAYS BOTH SIDES OF THE ROAD

V:2 Now the house of David was told, "Aram has allied itself with Ephraim"; so the hearts of Ahaz and his people were shaken, as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind.

A. Ahaz, the king of Judah was fill with fear when he heard that Ephraim

     (Kingdom of Israel), had made and agreement with Aram the enemy to fight against

      them.

     1. When there is no trust in God, you can easily be shaken by the enemy.

     2. When you make a plan with the devil, he will lead you to ruin.

     2. The promise land was surrounded by the enemies of God.

B. Since God's chosen people didn't totally rely on Him, they lived in fear.

    1. Both the Northern Kingdom and the Southern Kingdom had

        44 kings together.

    2. They really only needed 1 King, King Jesus

     3. The number of kings is an indication of the instability of man.

     4. Man cannot be relied on for any length of time.

GOD'S INTERCESSION 

V:3-4. " Then the Lord said to Isaiah, "Go out, you and your son Shear-Jashub, to meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Washerman's Field.

 4 Say to him, 'Be careful, keep calm and don't be afraid. Do not lose heart because of these two smoldering stubs of firewood — because of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and of the son of Remaliah. "

A. 2 Timothy 1:7-8

     For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound   

     mind.

   1. Israel had a history of victory with God during their fight to take over the

       promise land.

   2. They had been out numbered in battle and out armored, yet victorious

        under God's divine guidance.

   3. When they worshipped the idol gods of the Gentile nation, they couldn't

        win against their enemies or against their brothers.

B. When God is with you who can stand against you.

   1. The anger of your enemies is nothing to God.

   2. God is no respecter of person.   

   3. In times of trouble, we must trust God.

   4. In your fear, God will send someone to comfort you  and

       reassure you of Gods protection.     

IN THE WORD OF THE LORD IS YOUR FUTURE

V:7-8. " Yet this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

"'It will not take place, it will not happen,

8 for the head of Aram is Damascus,

and the head of Damascus is only Rezin.

Within sixty-five years Ephraim will be too shattered to be a people. "

A. God knows the end from the beginning.

    1. You don't need to worry about the solution

        to your problem, God will take care of you.

    2. The battle is not yours, it is the Lord.

B. The Word of God is a lamp to our feet.

    1. We don't have a problem making a meal out

         that which will perish.

     2. We should run to the table of God and feast

          on a meal for our soul.

STAND FIRM IN YOUR FAITH

V:9. " The head of Ephraim is Samaria,

and the head of Samaria is only Remaliah's son.

If you do not stand firm in your faith,

you will not stand at all.'"

A. The key to our salvation is faith in God's Word.

    1. The just live by faith and not by sight.

    2. God wants total reliance on Him.

    3. We should not have one feet in the Church and

        the other in the world.

B. With God we don't need a backup plan.

    1. Trusting God requires us to give up reliance

        on self and others.

   2. Trusting God requires us to wait on His answer.

THE LORD WILL GIVE YOU A SIGN OF HIS GLORY

V:10-12. " Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, 11 "Ask the Lord your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights."

12 But Ahaz said, "I will not ask; I will not put the Lord to the test."

A. God is waiting on our prayers for help.

    1. We should never be afraid to go to God for help.

    2. There is no problem to big that God can't handle and none to

        small that God will over look.

B. It is nothing wrong with asking God to give you a sign that

     He is working on your problem.

   1. Malachi 3:10

       Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test 

       me in this," says the Lord Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates

        of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it

   2. When you are obedient to God's commands, you can ask Him for what

        you want.

C. When you don't study the Word, you want know that God expects you

     to test His dedication to you.

    1. When we are to busy being in tuned with world, we will mist being

        in tuned with God.

    2. We have to let God's Word over ride our thoughts. 

GOD IS WAITING ON YOUR PRAYERS

V:13. " Then Isaiah said, "Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of men? Will you try the patience of my God also?"

A. If you can go ask man for help, why would you not ask God for help.

    1. Man cannot be relied on.

    2. Man may want to help, but not have the resources to help.

    3. Man may want to help, but not ready to help when you need him,

B. God is willing and have the resource to help when you need Him.

    1. Hebrews 11:6

       " But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must 

         believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him"

    2. Trusting in the Lord is not all about you.

    3. King Ahaz was thinking about himself and not the welfare of his people.

    4. When we serve God, we bless our families.

GOD'S PLAN OF REDEMPTION

V:14-15. " Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

15 He will eat curds and honey when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right."

A. God's plan of redemption begins with the High Priest of His Temple, Jesus

    1. You will know the man of God because he does what is right.

    2.. A man walking with God, resist the temptation of doing wrong.

B. Genesis 3:15 is the promise of a redeemer for man.

     And I will put enmity between you and the woman,

     and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head,

     and you will strike his heel."

    1. This verse, Isa 7:14.  tells how the redeemer will come into the world.

    2. This verse gives the name of the redeemer; Immanuel, God with us.

    3. This verse give us His character as He grew up.

        a. He will reject evil and do only good.

    4. The verse indicates that our redeemer will be born into a

        family of meeker means.. He will eat butter and honey.

THE PROPHECY OF ROMAN RULE OVER ISRAEL

V:16. " But before the boy knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste"

A. The nation of Israel at the time of Isaiah had two kings.

   1. At the time of Jesus birth, there were no kings.

   2, The nation of Israel was under Roman occupation.

   3. The outward glory of Israel was over with and replaced

       with inward glory of humble character.

THANK GOD FOR JESUS

Rev. M Mitchell

Asst Pastor Of Greater Macedonia Baptist Church

5510 West Sam Houston Park Way North

Houston, Texas 77o41

For more lessons follow me on facebook and visit my blogs;

revmmitchell.com and goodnewsrevmitc.blogspot.com

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "A Thanksgiving Moment", Genesis 8:11-22, 11/26/2018

A THANKSGIVING MOMENT

Genesis 8:15-22

SURVIVING THE STORM

V:15-16. " Then God spoke to Noah, saying,

16 "Go out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and your sons' wives with you.

A. God is good all the time.

    1. No matter what you are going through, God is good.

    2. God is with you going into the storm.

    3. God is with you during the storm.

    4. God is with you coming out of the storm.

    5. God prepared the storm for your good.

B. Obedience is the key to successful living even in tough

    times.

   1. Mark 13:13

        And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto 

        the end, the same shall be saved.

  2. Salvation is enhanced by our service.

  3. James 2:17

      Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

  4. Noah had faith and works

  5. The evidence of our faith in God is our service

GOD'S PROVISIONS FOR MAN

V:17 "Bring out with you every living thing of all flesh that is with you, birds and animals and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, that they may breed abundantly on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth."

A. Animals play a very important part in the lives of man.

   1.As with the creation story, animals were created first, before man.

   2.The animals were first to enter the ark and the first to leave the ark.

B. Animals are not more important than man, but they are provided

     to sustain man.

  1. God made us dependant on animals. for food, protection and

      comfort.

  2. We should be careful how we treat and maintain animals.

A FRESH START

V:18-19. " So Noah went out, and his sons and his wife and his sons' wives with him.

19 Every beast, every creeping thing, and every bird, everything that moves on the earth, went out by their families from the ark. "

A. Doing crisis situations, God can protect you, your family  and that which is

     is important to you.

   1. All animals are  dependant on each other.

   2. We may not know the reason for every animal or for every creeping

      thing.

    3. We can be sure that God placed them in the food chain for a reason.

    4. For example coach roaches feed on decaying matter which releases

        nitrogen back in the soil for plants.

        a. Spiders eat common indoor pest. They eat roaches, flies, moth,

            mosquitoes, bed bugs and cloth moth.

        b. Earwigs feed on dead plant matter and live and dead insects.

B. Each of us are dependant on the skills and talents of others.

   1. We are all dependant on farmers for food.

   2. Farmers are dependant on truck drivers to get their produce to market.

   3. Construction workers are dependant on the growth of families for

       demand for houses.

   4. In Noah's family was the beginning of a new society.

C. Everyday we wake up is the beginning of new ideas for growth and

     development of our nation and the world.

   1. Everyday is the chance for a fresh start.

   2. A fresh start in the righteousness of God.

THE FIRST CHURCH SERVICE

V:20. " Then Noah built an altar to the Lord, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar."

A. When God has brought you through a storm, the first thing you ought to do

    is build an altar to the Lord.

   1. We should bless the Lord at all times.

   2. When God has brought us through something  we ought to

       stand and be a testimony for the world to know the goodness  of

       Lord.

B. We ought to bring the Lord an acceptable offering.

   1. We can't put a value on the goodness of the Lord.

   2. God put a value on our life; the death of His Son.

   3. We can bring God a portion of what He blessed us with.

C. We can give God the praise of our lips.

   1. We owe God all of us.

   2. Religion is the important thing in our life on earth.

   3. We all believe in something.

   4. Some believe in themselves, some believe in idol gods

       and some believe there is no god.

   5. It is best to believe that there is a true and living  who has

       control of our lives

THE NOAHIC CONVENANT

V: 21 The Lord smelled the soothing aroma; and the Lord said to Himself, "I will never again curse the ground on account of man, for the intent of man's heart is evil from his youth; and I will never again destroy every living thing, as I have done.

A. The Lord is pleased when we bring sacrifices to Him.

   1. I will bless the Lord at all times.

   2. Noah prepared an animal for sacrifice to the Lord.

   3.This sacrifice was a type of the sacrifice of our redeemer,

      Jesus Christ.

B. God made a covenant with Noah that He would not destroy the earth

    and every living thing with a flood again.

    1. God recognized that man is born in sin and has evil

        in his heart from the time that he is aware of good and evil.

    2. Man naturally chooses evil.

SEASONS OF THE YEAR

V:22 "While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, And cold and heat,

And summer and winter, And day and night Shall not cease."

A. God sets the seasons of the year..

    1. A time to plant and a time to harvest.

    2. God set the earth climate changes

    3. Not only is the earth rotating on it axis every 24 hours giving us day

        and night, but the axis is tilted as it rotates around the sun.

    4. The tiled axis of the earth gives us the four seasons of the year

         as it rotates around the sun.

    5. He specifies summer and winter

    6. The seed time is probably fall and the harvest time is spring.

        (According to Adam Clark).

B. The phrase " while the earth remains" indicates that God has set a time

      for the earth destruction.  

      

       Revelation 21:1-

       Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had   

       passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new   

       Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully

       dressed for her husband.

   God set in motion the church in Noah and his family and

   the redemption of mankind promised in Genesis chapter 3

THANK GOD FOR BEING IN CONTROL

Rev M. Mitchell

Asst Pastor of Greater Macedonia Baptist Church

5510 West Sam Houston Park Way North

Houston, Texas 77041

For more lessons, follow me on facebook and

visit my blogs; goodnewsrevmitc.blogspot.com and revmmitchell.com

This Week's Sunday "Symbols Of The Church", Genesis 7:11-24, 11/18/2018

SYMBOLS OF THE CHUTCH

Genesis 7:11-24

GOD'S CONTROL

V:11. " In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.

1. God has the events of your life planned out to the exact day of occurrence.

2. According to some Biblical scholars, the time of the flood

    was 2348 BCE

3. According to the text it was the 2nd month and the 17th day of the year.

    perhaps February 17th 2348 BCE 

4. Every day of your life is an event on God's calendar .

5. When you woke up this morning, God had a time stamp on all

    the activities of your day.

TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS

V:12.  And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights.:

A. The way we live affects the lives of generations of people after us.

    1. Noah was six hundred years old when the flood started

    2. How old was Noah when God told him to build the ark?

        __________Genesis 6:3 and 6:12

    3. The work that God has for you may cover a long time.

B. You are never to old for God to use you.

     God may use your earlier years to prepare you for His work.

   1. Those who are faithful to God will be used by God.

   2. What did the Lord say about Noah to let you know

        He approve his attitude?  Genesis  6:8, 6:22,

C. Noah did all that God commanded.

   1. He lived a life of righteousness

   2. He had track a record of following God directions.

D. What were the sources of the water for the flood.?  Verses 11 and 12

     It was____________ from the heavens and waters from the_________       

SAVATION BY RELATIONSHIP

V:13 In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark;

A. How many couples entered the ark?__________

     1. How many men?_____. How many women?_______

     2. God started the population of the earth with one couple, Adam And Eve.

     3. God restarted the population of the earth with four couples.

B. God does not need a lot of people to accomplish His will.

    1. You may find yourself working alone doing God's work.

    2. But you are never alone, because God is with you.

    3. What part of Noah's family did not enter the ark?

         The relatives of the ___________.

    4. To follow God you may have to break fellowship with family members.

    5. God did not call everyone to salvation.

    6. You have the responsibility to tell everyone about Jesus.

GOD'S PROVISIONS

V:14 They, and every beast after his kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind, and every fowl after his kind, every bird of every sort.

A. 1. How were the animals sorted in the ark.?

         After their own ______________

     2. How many animals entered the ark?

B. What animal species was not included in the ark?

     1.The ________and every______of the sea.

     2. Why do you think they were not included?

GOD'S DIRECTION AND PROTECTION

V:15-16.  And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein is   

       the  breath of life.

16 And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the Lord shut him in."

A. Why do you think God made mention of two by two and male and female?

    1. You need a male and a female animal to ________________

    2. How did the animals come to the ark male and female?

       ­­­­­­­­­­­____________ commanded the animals to go into the ark     Genesis 6:9

B. When God instructs you to do something, He will not leave you helpless.

    1. If God can command the winds to be still, He

        certainly can command animals to do as He pleases.

    2. The animals paired themselves off and came to the ark as

         God commanded.

   3. All Noah and his sons had to do was to make room for the animals.

C. Who closed the door of the Ark?

    1. Why do you think ___________ closed the Ark instead of Noah?

    2.  Noah was able to hear the noise of his neighbors crying to get in the ark as

         the waters rose,

    3. When judgment day comes it will be too late to accept Christ as your

        personal Savior.

GOD'S SHELTER

V:17-18 And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lift up above the earth.

18 And the waters prevailed, and were increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark went upon the face of the waters.

A, Working For God always pays off.

     1. To work for God, you have to be patience and wait on His timing.

     2. Noah worked 120 years, before he saw the results of his labors.

B. The ark was water proof with pitch and floated upon the

     water.

    1. The ark was built according to God's design and was strong enough

        to carry the weight of all the animals. Some estimate 35 to 40.000

        animals.

    3, If you ARE obedient to God, you will be ready when trouble comes.

TRUSTING THE LORD

V:19-20 And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high hills, that were under the whole heaven, were covered.

20 Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered.

A. How high above the highest mountain peak did the Ark float?____________

GOD'S JUDGEMENT

V:21-23. And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man:

22 All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died.

23 And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark.

A. The wages of sin is death

     1. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

     2. The flood is just an example of what will happen at the

         second coming of Christ.

         a. The unrighteous will be judged and place in the eternal hell.

B. It is by God's grace that we are saved.

    1. Noah and his family developed a relationship with God.

    2. It is through our relationship with Jesus that we have salvation

C, Why do you think the sea life was not destroyed?

FAITH AND WORKS

V:24 And the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days.

A. From what we know from this text how long was Noah in the

    in the ark?__________days

   1. God does not prevent storms from coming into our lives.

   2. God allows storms in our lives to strengthen our faith.

B. Noah had to rely on God for safety in the ark.

   1. Its in the middle of a storm that our faith is tested.

   2. Noah had to rely on God to keep the ark floating

      during the flood.

    3. No structure like the ark had ever been built

        a. It is estimated that there may have been 1500

            species of animals.

        b. The number of animals in the ark could have been 3000 to

             7000 are more.

    4. Noah had to relay on God's design to handle the weight of

        all the animals in the ark.

    5. We don't know what tomorrow holds, but we can

         rely on God.

Rev M. Mitchell

Asst Pastor Of Greater Macedonia Baptist Church

5510 West Sam Houston Park Way North

Houston, Texas 77041.

For more lessons, follow me on facebook and vist

my blogs; revmmitchell.com and goodnewsrevmitc.blogspot,com

This Week's Sunday Sunday School Lesson, "A New Start In Righteousness" Genesis 7:1- 10, 11/11/2018

A NEW START IN RIGHTOUSNESS

Genesis 7:1-10

YOUR FAITH IN THE WORD PLEASES GOD

V:1. " The Lord then said to Noah, "Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteous in this generation. "

A. Whatever you do for Christ counts.

    1. When you are obedient to God's commands you store up treasures in Heaven.

    2. What ever you do for Christ affect the quality of life for you and your family.

B. Hard work and dedication sustains your daily life.

    1. God has special and unique blessings stored up for you during trouble times.

    2. Noah and his family dedicated 120 years building the ark as God commanded.

    3. God counted their obedience to His commands a righteous.

    4. God instructed them to build a house for their salvation during the flood.

c. In Noah, God started a new nation after the flood in righteousness.

   1. Sinful man, that populated the earth was wiped out.

   2. Adam and Eve were born in the righteousness  of God.

   3. Likewise, the new population was born in righteousness starting

       with Noah and his family.

WHAT YOU DO TODAY FOR GOD, PREPARES YOU FOR TOMORROW

V:2-3. " Take with you seven of every kind of clean animal, a male and its mate, and two of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate,

3 and also seven of every kind of bird, male and female, to keep their various kinds alive throughout the earth."

A. God reveals to us His third command to man regarding sin.

    1. The first command was not to eat from the Tree Of Knowledge And Of Good

        And Evil.

    2. The second command was to bring a blood sacrifice from the atonement of sin

        a. The animal was to be the first born of the flock

        b. The animal was to be the best of the first born.

   3. The third command was to distinguish between clean and unclean animals

       a. Clean and unclean animals are described in Leviticus 11.

       b. This command was passed down from Adam.

       c. Only certain clean animals could be offered as a sacrifice to God.

B. I can only suggest that six pairs of the clean animals were for food and sacrifice.

   1. The seventh pair was probably for the start of the repopulation of clean

        animals on earth.

   2. God continued  His plan for man with heterosexual relationships.

      a. God's concern is for the family growth and development.

      b. God commanded Noah to bring into the ark male and female of each                          

          kind of animal so that they reproduce themselves.

THE COUNT DOWN TO THE RETURN OF CHRIST

V: 4-5. " Seven days from now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living creature I have made."

5 And Noah did all that the Lord commanded him."

A. God has set the time for the end of our existence on earth.  

    1. After building the ark for 120 years, and filling it with animals and food

        God gave Noah the final count down to get his family and all their

        stuff in to the ark.

    2. Frequently, God reminds us of how devastating floods can be.

       a. Hurricane Harvey in September 2017 brought 60 inches of rain

           to Texas in three to four days.

       b. Many neighborhoods were flooded, some up to the roof of houses.

B. During the flood, the earth was flooded above the tallest mountain.   

    1. Mount Everest is 29,000 feet high, the tallest mountain in the world.

    2. The tallest mountain in the Middle East where the ark would have

         landed is 17000 feet (Mount Damavand).

    3. This should remind us that the God we serve has unlimited resources.

WALKING WITH GOD PREPARES YOU FOR THE STORM

6 Noah was six hundred years old when the floodwaters came on the earth.

 7 And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons' wives entered the ark to escape the waters of the flood.

A. Because Noah was obedient to God, he and his family was given sanctuary in the

     ark that they built.

   1. When you walk with God, He gets you prepared for the storms of life.

       a. Mentally, because you are talking to Him.

       b. Physically, because you are working for Him

       c. Provisionally, because He is the source of all you need.

       d. Positionally, because he will send you to the right place

           to survive the storm.

B. Your family benefits from your obedience to God.

   1. In the world. there are two types of people.

   2. There are those who follow God.

   3. There are those who reject God.

C. There will be more people in hell than there will be in heaven.

   1. according to the text, out of the entire population on earth

       at the time of the flood, only Noah and his family was saved.

   2. Salvation is only for those who trust the Word of God.

       Isaiah 59:1-2

          Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save,

          nor his ear too dull to hear.

          But your iniquities have separated

          you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you,

          so that he will not hear.

GOD CAN BRING BLESSING TO YOUR DOOR

V: 8-9. " Pairs of clean and unclean animals, of birds and of all creatures that move along the ground,

 9 male and female, came to Noah and entered the ark, as God had commanded Noah."

A. Blessing comes to the door of those who follow God's commands.

    1. To be blessed by God, all you have to do is be willing to serve God.

    2. When you serve God, He can arrange your circumstances so you can be

        blessed without the help of others.

    3. God changed the instinct of all the animal He wanted in the ark to move

        toward the ark.

       a. The instinct of wild animals is to seek shelter in the fields and forests

           that they were born.

       b. You can put food out to draw wild animal s to a particular place.

       c. In the case of Noah,  all the animals  came to the ark at the same time.

B. It was by God intervention with the animals that both male and female came

     to the ark together of every species.

GOD KEEPS HIS PROMISES

V:10. " And after the seven days the floodwaters came on the earth. "

A. God keeps His promises.

    1. God has given us His final warning that Jesus is coming back to

        judge the living and the dead.

    2. The count down to judgment day has already begun.

B. The door to the ark of salvation will be closed the moment God calls us home.

    1. Like the people prior to the flood, we have to make choice to

        follow God or reject God.

    2. Those who have accepted Christ have made the choice to enter the ark.

    3. The ark represented the salvation that is in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

THANK GOD FOR REDEEMING US.

For more lessons, follow me on facebook and visit my blogs;

revmmitchell.com and goodnewarevmitc.blogspot.com

'








'

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "The Flood, A Fresh Start", 11/4/2018

THE FLOOD. A FRESH START

Genesis 6:11-22

Genesis 6:9 says Noah walked with God.

What does it mean to walk with God?

   1. He loved like God.

   2. He was forgiving like God.

   3. He was tolerant like God.

   4. He spoke the Word Of God.

   5. He had faith in the Word of God.

   6. He followed the commands of God.

   7. He treated everyone with respect like God.

Because Noah walked with God, he and his family were set apart from

the sins of the world.

GOD'S ASSESTMENT OF OUR CONDITION

V:11-12. " Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight and was full of violence.

12 God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. "

A. Man without rules and regulations will do anything, because every evil seem right

     to him.

   1. From the Tree Of Knowledge And of Good And Evil man gained a conscience

       knowing good from evil.

   2. According to the Lord. The man He made man in His own image had become     

       violent and full of evil thoughts and actions.

   3. There is no excuse for doing wrong, because man born with a knowledge of good.

   4. The entire human race made a choice to do evil and to rebel against God.

B. Today, with God's commands and rules and regulations we make a choice between

      good and evil each day.

    1. When we chose evil, God is not pleased.

    2. The majority of the people of the world are corrupt.

    3. The Church is the role model for good.

    4. We are the voice of the Lord, but mostly silent out side the Church and home.

GOD'S JUDGMENT

V:13. " So God said to Noah, "I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth."

A. Since Noah walked with God, He revealed His plan to him.

    1. When we study God's Word, through the power of the Holy Spirit, God's revealed

         plan for mankind is made known to us.

    2. The Bible is complete with the blessings and God's curses  for disobedience.

B. The one thing we must not do is to take God's Word for granted.

    1. God is tolerant enough to allow us time to repent.

    2.  If we do not repent, we will face His wrath.

SALVATION IS AT HAND

V:14-15. " So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out.

15 This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high. 

A. To follow God's commands takes faith and obedience.

     1. According to scripture there is no mention of rain  on earth until the

         time of the flood.

     2. Noah had never experienced the effect of rain so he had to build the

         ark on faith in God's word.

     3. Not only that, he had to convince his family to follow him as

         he followed God.

B. Imagine a vessel 90 feet longer than a football field and half as wide.

    1. The vessel was 3 stories high, 15 feet between each floor.

    2. The ark was not designed to sail, but to float in the water.

         a. The ark was not equipped with any sail to catch wind.

         b. The ark was not equipped with oars or a rudder to navigate

              the water.

         c. The ark was designed to stand.

         d. What do you do when you don't know what to do? You just stand.

         e. You stand to see the glory of God in your life.

    3. The ark was a resting place in the middle of a the flood.

    4. The church is resting place in the middle of a storm.

C. The ark was made water proof to with stand the flood.

    1. The word pitch is the Hebrew word "kapar" which means to

         cover, forgive or reconcile.

    2. Believers are covered inside and outside by the blood of Jesus.

        We are reconciled to the Lord.

    3. The flood represents the eternal hell for none believers.

    4. The flood represents the cleaning of sin for believers.

    5. The flood represents God judgment for man.

    6. The ark represents salvation for believers.

JESUS THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD

V:16. " A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it.   KJV

A. God designed a safe house for the righteous.

     1. Noah and his family were the only righteous folk on the planet.

     2. The destruction of all the inhabitants of the world was about to take place.

     3. Noah and his family would be safe in the bosom of the Lord'

B. The Church today is the safe house for all believers in Jesus Christ.

     1. The world to day is corrupt and rebellious against God.

     2. As believers we are in the world but covered from its destruction.

     3. We are the redeemed of the Lord.

C. The word window is the Hebrew word tsohar which is used in a dual

     form;  double light, noon day or broad daylight.

     1. A cubic is 18 inches.

     2. I would assume that a vessel the size of the ark would need more

         than one window for light in the day time.

        a. Perhaps this is the size of many windows in the ark

        b. To light each floor, there would need to be windows on

            each floor.

      3. Jesus is the light of the world.

          a. He is the single light for the believer.

          b. The window may represent the Glory of God shining

               on our lives.

          c. John 1:8-9

              He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9 The true   

              light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.

JESUS, THE DOOR TO SALVATION

    4. The ark had one door.

         a. Jesus is the only door to heaven,

         b. Luke 13:23-25

             He said to them, 24 "Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because 

             many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. 25 Once the owner of   

             the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and   

             pleading, 'Sir, open the door for us.

         c. If you don't accept Christ before you die, the door is closed forever.

JUDGMENT OF THE WORLD

V:17. " I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish."

A. The choices we make now, may effect generations after us.

     1. The choice Adam made in the Garden of Eden affects every human being

         that is born.

     2. Sin may start out small but it grows monumental.

     3. Sin is destructive.

     4. Our sins causes us to lose blessing that God has in store for us.

B. God not only destroyed man but also the animals He put in man's care.

     1. God destroyed all the trees and plants that were man's provisions.

     2. God destroyed everything that had breath.

         a. The word breath is the Hebrew word ruwach which refers to

             the Holy Spirit and also just wind depending on how it is used.

         b. In the case of man it would be God's spirit.

         c. In the case of animals it would be wind or air.

  

A COVENANT FOR LIFE

V:18. " But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark — you and your sons and your wife and your sons' wives with you."

A. Those who walk with God are sheltered from natural disasters.

    1. Good people die in disasters, but they immediately go to be with

        Lord.

    2. Good people are harmed by the evilness of man, but God makes

        evil work out for their good.

B. God made a covenant with Noah and his family that their lives would be

     spared.

    1. While the world perished, Noah and his family continues to be prosperous

         in the Lord.

    2. Under the guidance and direction of the Lord, they built a new home that                

        survived the flood.

    3. God will get those who walk with Him ready for future trouble.

    4. God promise us that He would never leave us or forsake us.

GOD'S PROVISIONS FOR A FRESH START

V:19: You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. 20 Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive. 21 You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them."

A. It takes work to be bless by God.

    1. Like Adam and Eve, God gave Noah and his family a job.

    2. After Noah and his family finished building the ark, they had

        to round up two of every kind of animal, male and female.

    3. Can you imagine the work of determining which animal was male

         and which was female.

B. Gods work is never done.

    1. Noah and his family had to gather and store food in the ark for each

        animal, and also for themselves.

    2. Since they didn't know how long their time on the water would be, how

         did they know how much food to store?

C. God puts our blessing before us.

     1. We have to be good servants and go and get what we need.

     2. Through out their time in the ark there was continuous work

          feeding the animals.

     3. It is estimated that Noah and his family was on the ark 378 days.

WALKING WITH GOD.

V:22. " Noah did everything just as God commanded him."

 A. Noah walked with God.

     1. He was obedient to all of God's commands.

     2. Noah walked by faith and not by sight.

 B. He could not know how long he and his family would

     be in the ark, but he trusted God to take care of him.

    1. Storms of life come and go.

    2. Those who trust God find peace in the storms.

    3. Those who trust God will have victory over the storms of life.

    4. The storms of life don't define you, they designed to grow your

         faith in the Lord.

THANK GOD'S FOR OUR SALVATION

Rev M. Mitchell

Asst Pastor Of Greater Macedonia Baptist Church

5510 West Sam Houston Park Way North

Houston, Texas 77041

For more lessons, follow me on facebook and visit

my blogs: revmmitchell.com and goodnewsrevmitc.blogspot.com