Taking a Stand

READ: Genesis 6:5

 

 

CHALLENGE: Stand for What’s Right

 

 

This is a Bible. It’s not old fashioned or out of date. If anything, the Bible keeps us from devolving into the worst mess of humanity. If you want to talk what’s old fashion, it’s sin. Murder was in the beginning. As was immorality and violence and injustice. That’s what’s old fashion in the world.

 

A. YOU DON’T HAVE FOREVER TO GET IT TOGETHER

 

 

V3 - Then the Lord said, “My Spirit will not contend withhumans forever, for they are mortal; their days will be a hundred and twenty years.”

 

 

1. God’s Spirit Strives with People

 

Job 34:14-15 - If it were his intentionand he withdrew his spiritand breath,15 all humanity would perish together.

 

John 16:8 - When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment:

 

Job 33:14-18 - For God does speak—now one way, now another—though no one perceives it.

15 In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on peopleas they slumber in their beds,16 he may speak in their ears.

 

2. Enough is Enough – You Can Push God Too Far

 

2 Peter 3:8-9 - But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

 

B. KNOW THAT SIN IS AN ENDLESS and DANGEROUS SLIDE

 

V5 - The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.

 

1. Sin is an Endless Hallway so Don’t Take the First Step

 

2. Sin Wants More and More of You

 

Romans 1:24-25 - Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.

 

C. CHOOSE TO DO THE RIGHT THING

 

Vv8-9 - But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.This is the account of Noah and his family.

Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God.

 

· Noah Found Favor

 

Galatians 1:10 - Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

 

Don’t be afraid to be different. I’m not saying, weird.

 

· Righteous

 

To be righteous means that you have a standard that you live by. The standard here is set by God.

 

“The root basically connotes conformity to an ethical or moral standard. It originally referred to something that was straight. It refers to an ethical standard. A moral standard is found in the Old Testament. The standard ultimately resides in the nature and will of God”.

 

Righteousness is not something that just impacts you personally. Righteousness “tries to preserve the peace and prosperity of the community by fulfilling the commands of God in regard to others”.

 

If you look at the 10 Commandments, they lay out how to live in harmony within a community. I’m going to be at peace when I’m not lying to you, cheating on you, stealing from you, or destroying you. When I live in a way that protects your well-being that is righteousness.

 

Job 29:12-17 - because I rescued the poor who cried for help, and the fatherless who had none to assist them.13 The one who was dying blessed me; justice was my robe and my turban.15 I was eyes to the blind.

 

What is righteousness? Rescuing the poor and helping widows and protecting people. In chapter 31 he says that he was not lurking at his neighbor’s door hoping to sleep with his wife.

 

When it says that Noah was righteous it means that he was moral. But his morality included love for those around him. Being faithful to your spouse is righteous. But so is packing lunches for the kids on Friday and Operation Christmas Child.

 

James 1:27 - Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after.

 

· Noah Was Above Reproach

 

He’s blameless. He’s not perfect. But he was seeking to do the right thing before the Lord. There were not a bunch of handles for people to make accusations against him.

 

He was a man who knew where he stood. It’s so fascinating to me that you can be blameless in a society that is completely sold out to doing the wrong thing.

 

· Noah Walked with God

 

He walked with God. He had a relationship with the Lord. He was following God’s lead. You allow God to plant the good stuff in your life and that will make you strong. In a world that was spiritually bankrupt, Noah was rich in righteousness. Who is singled out and blessed? Noah. Who’s a hero? Noah! His life is extraordinary because he didn’t go with the flow.

 

1. Doing the Right Thing Counts

 

Who will make it through the worst epoch of world history? The one doing right. You do the right thing and it will be noticed! Trust me. You work hard. You be honest. And if nothing else, God sees it.

 

You have Joseph in the Bible getting hit on by Potiphar’s wife on a regular basis. She’s throwing herself at him. He said no and ultimately he ran away. He was not going to do it no matter what. He became a great leader.

 

Abraham was righteous – it counted! God blessed!!

 

2. Don’t Take Your Morals from the Crowd

 

You Don’t Take Your Morals from the Crowd. If you’re in a mob of people and they all want to go the wrong way, do you go with them? No.

 

The thing I heard a lot about when I was younger was how can you have any fun if you don’t party. I don’t need to be tipsy to have a good time. The thinking was, “Everyone has to do this”.

 

No, I don’t have to be like everyone else.

 

Romans 12:2 - Do not conform.

 

3. Remember that the Choice is Yours

 

What do you believe? What are your non-negotiables.

 

Job’s wife said, curse God and die, why are you holding onto your integrity. That’s a sad statement! Job had to know his course and no matter how big the storm or how much he suffered, he knew that he couldn’t and wouldn’t curse God.

 

You have to know where you stand. It takes a lot of commitment to do the right thing. But in the determination is the blessing.

 

No one can force you to do what you don’t want to do. You say no! No – I’m not doing it.

 

Know your beliefs and don’t compromise! Daniel resolved himself not to drink the wine or eat the kings food. He could not be talked out of his stand. He found great success.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were spared in the furnace.

My encouragement. If Noah could live right in his world, so can you!