Our current series, Spartan Faith, is all about having the Faith of a Warrior! Together, we're learning from the stories of Heroes of the Faith in Hebrews 11, which has been described as the Bible's "Hall of Faith." Last week we learned how God used Gideon's faith in Judges 6-7 to lead Israel to the greatest military victory in history! Today, we're continuing our series by learning from the story of Noah in Genesis 6.

NOAH

Noah was a man who lived thousands of years before Jesus, and in his day, the world faced 2 great floods: First, it was flooded with EVIL and then a literal flood came to wipe the earth clean. God called Noah to build an Ark to save his family and the animals of the kingdom for a clean start. The Bible actually shows us that Noah had 3 main qualities that qualified him for the great work God planned for him to do: He was a righteous man who lived to please God. He was a blameless man who had integrity with people.... and the reason for all this was because Noah walked faithfully with God.

Have you ever wondered what it really means to live your life walking by faith? Dr. Tony Evans says, "Faith = Acting like God is telling the TRUTH before you see the results." By no means was Noah perfect - in fact, later in his life he fell down drunk in front of his family. You see, walking by faith doesn't mean you're perfect. But, in a world of darkness and evil at every corner, Genesis shows us that Noah was the odd one out in his culture.

IF YOU WALK WITH GOD, YOU LOOK ODD TO THE WORLD

The truth is, when you walk with God in our post-Christian culture today, you may be made fun of, attacked, mocked, or even persecuted for your faith! In Noah's day, he knew where he stood and walked in step with God. Can I ask: Are you walking close enough to God in your life today that you would hear his voice if he whispered? See, sometimes when God gets close to you, he'll call you to do something that doesn't make much sense at the time - just like he did with Noah! Could you hear God's call on your life through the noise of our culture?

We see in Genesis 6:22 that Noah "did everything just as God commanded him." See, many of us do SOME of what God tells us to do... but the part that requires faith, we often ignore or do not bother to do at all. However, walking by faith means completing what God tells you to do exactly as He's told you to do it - even if it seems foolish to the world!

HERE COMES THE FLOOD

In the story, there came a day when the world realized their rebellion against God was a lie and Noah was right all along. In 1 Peter 3:20-21, we see that just like Noah's Ark acted as a Vessel of Salvation, today Jesus Christ is our own Ark of Safety as believers! When you believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and you face dark days around you, remember that your Savior is coming soon - and all those who trust in Jesus will be saved!

Have you stepped out of the word and, by faith, stepped into the Ark of Salvation through faith in Jesus Christ? Every single one of us will meet Jesus one day - Will you meet Him as your Savior? Or as your Judge? Put your faith in God so you can be prepared for what He wants to do through you in this life, and he'll give you hope for the life to come!