Shadows to Substance: Noah - DJ Dickerson

We are continuing again. We had a break

uh last week uh from the series of

lessons as uh we had the gospeling

effort and I'll I'll say that if you

missed that you missed you missed a good

a good series of lessons that brother

Corey Bowwin presented some great

singing some great fellowship uh that we

was able to have that week. Um but since

we were uh taking that time of of gospel

meeting effort uh we're jumping right

back into our series that we started a

couple of weeks ago entitled shadows to

substance. Shadows to substance.

Now, we considered as we started this

series

that one of the most beautiful aspects

uh the word of God is the way that the

Old Testament prepares us for the new.

And the reminders that we need to always

have is what Paul was was mentioning

Romans 15:4. Again, keep these things in

Romans 15:4

mind what he says. For whatever things

were written before were written for our

learning, that we through the patience

and comfort of the scriptures might have

hope. We talked about how the the old

law was that of a tutor or school

master. We we we see that uh mentioned

throughout the scriptures even. And and

the Bible as we've talked about, we got

types and shadows and and again we're

when we say those words just know that's

images and symbols that we find events

of the Old Testament that that

foreshadow the greater reality fulfilled

in Christ.

And as we noted throughout this series

as well as Colossians 2:16-1 17

specifically that talks about those

events and such about no one judging

food or a drink or regarding a festival

or new moon or Sabbath which are a

shadow of things to come but the

substance is of crotch.

So as we continue in our our study of

the shadow and substance of God's plan

for dealing with sin,

we go to our next type and shadow found

in the Old Testament and that is Noah.

Noah is a type and shadow of salvation

in Christ.

Brethren, this account is when we talk

about these types and shadows,

this is remarkable things

about the Bible as it shows how it

consistently ties together from

beginning to end. As stated before, the

Old Testament is not a collection of

just old stories that we learned when

we're kids in Bible class. It's God's

way of preparing us for Christ.

Those things are written a four time.

These are pictures, foreshadowings

that find their fulfillment in Christ

and the New Testament. And among those

greatest examples that we have is that

of Noah.

See how it points directly to the gospel

of Jesus Christ. I want you to to go to

First Peter chapter 3. You might have

1 Peter 3 · chapter mention

said, "We're going to Genesis first."

Nope. We're going to First Peter chapter

1 Peter 3 · chapter mention

3. 1 Peter chapter 3 is where we're

1 Peter 3 · chapter mention

going.

Now, you know, Cy said that he said uh

he's he's a one chart preacher. Well,

y'all know I'm not. Sometimes those

handouts, you're like, "Well, this is a

book."

I might be a one chart preacher one day.

We'll see. Uh but most people remember

Noah, you know, for the ark, the

animals, the flood, those things. Uh but

but Peter tells us something here. 1

1 Peter 3 · chapter mention

Peter chapter 3 20 and 21. Read that

with me.

says, "Who formerly were disobedient

when once the divine suffering awaited

in the days of Noah while the ark was

being prepared in which a few that is

eight souls were saved through water.

There is also an anti-ype which now

saves us. Baptism, not the removal of

the filth of flesh, but the answer of a

good conscience toward God through the

resurrection of Jesus Christ." Now

Noah's salvation,

what Peter is saying is through water

and that is called a type. Now the

baptism and I'm going to put I'm going

to put it here in in red. Baptism is the

anti-ype.

Okay?

In other words, Noah's account

foreshadows how God saves us today in

Christ. I'm going to put this all

together.

We're going to walk through Noah's

account. And you might say, "I've heard

this lesson before." Well, you're going

to hear it again, okay? But I'm also

going to share some other things that

you may not have thought of. We'll see.

All right.

Let's talk about now we're going to

Genesis chapter 6. When we start talking

Genesis 6 · chapter mention

about Noah and Christ, we're going back

talking about the sin of the world and

the judgment of God. So, go to Genesis

chapter. We're going back to 1 Peter

1 Peter 3 · chapter mention

chapter 3 in a little bit. We got some

other passages we're going to be looking

at there, but but let's let's go back to

let's go all the way back to Genesis

Genesis 6 · chapter mention

chapter 6 for a moment.

And I want you to to notice a few

verses. We're not going to take the time

to be able to read the entire chapters

in all of that. I I would certainly

encourage you to do that, but I want us

to start off in verses 5-7 of Genesis

Genesis 6 · chapter mention

chapter 6.

What [clears throat] the Bible says is

then the Lord saw that the wickedness of

man was great in the earth and that

every intent of the thoughts of his

heart was only evil continually. And the

Lord was sorry that he had made man on

the earth and he was grieved in his

heart. So the Lord said, "I will destroy

man whom I have created from the face of

the earth, both man and beast, creeping

thing and the birds and birds of the air

for I am sorry that I have made them."

Now again, we're talking about the sin

of the world. We're talking about

judgment of God.

that you know imagining this this this

world where every thought every plan

every intention was bent toward evil

that God made the very determination to

bring judgment through a worldwide flood

and the world was condemned. What is the

shadow? What's the shadow?

The world under judgment. That's the

shadow, right?

What's the substance? Let's fast forward

because when you go to the New

Testament, it reveals the same about our

world today. We've noticed these

scriptures before. Romans 3 and verse 23

says, "For all have sinned and fall

short of the glory of God."

And yet we are reminded as well from the

Hebrew writer in Hebrews chapter 9 and

Hebrews 9 · chapter mention

verses 27 and 28. Very important to

remember this as well is it said is

appointed for men to dying once but

after this what is that word judgment.

The judgment. So Christ was offered once

to bear the sins of many to those who

eagerly wait for him. He will appear a

second time apart from sin for what's

that word? Salvation.

Think about this. Warnings are given for

a reason. And I think we we've gathered

this, right? Just from our glimpse of

Genesis chapter 6, those few verses,

Genesis 6 · chapter mention

there's a warning that's given. There's

got to be a flood worldwide. Yet,

there's a warning. We just saw in

Hebrews chapter 9 as well, right?

Hebrews 9 · chapter mention

There's warnings all throughout the

scriptures. And we understand in the

physical sense that we have warnings all

the time for things

that prepares us. I mean, we I mean,

hurricane season, right? We we we kind

of keep little tabs on that. I didn't

keep up with it when I lived in center

because I'm like, I don't live next to

the Gulf. Well, I live next to the Gulf.

And I pay more attention to hurricanes

now than I ever did. Okay? Not that we

wouldn't be affected a little bit up

there up north, 3 hours north, but

still, I really pay attention to those

warnings. They there's some meaning to

those things, right? to prepare us for

something.

Oh, Peter noted something about Noah,

didn't he? Second Peter chapter 2 and

2 Peter 2 · chapter mention

verse 5. Look at that.

And it's and it's going on. I'm picking

up here and it says, "They did not spare

the ancient world, but save Noah, right?

One of eight people, a preacher of what?

Righteousness, bringing in the flood on

the world of the ungodly."

So we we talk about this Peter, you

know, is is is is talking about how Noah

was warning even while preparing dark,

he was a preacher of righteousness.

But yet

although Noah was trying to prepare the

people and while he's preparing the ark,

guess what?

is only Noah was one of eight people

that got on that ark.

So, as you think about how God, yes, he

brought judgment.

The world in Noah's day ignored the

warning and they perished.

The world today ignores God's warnings

as well. But judgment will come. What

did Hebrews 9 just say? it will come.

But just as God brought judgment, he

also provided salvation. See, we saw

that in Genesis chapter 6. We also saw

Genesis 6 · chapter mention

in Hebrews chapter 9 verse 28. And that

Hebrews 9:28

brings us to the ark. Go back to Genesis

Genesis 6 · chapter mention

chapter 6. As you're going to Genesis

Genesis 6 · chapter mention

chapter 6, we're talking about knowing

Christ. Now, we're talking about the ark

as God's provision of salvation. Okay,

look at that. I'm going to again I'm I'm

getting verses here. Verses 13 and 14

and then verse 22.

And God said to Noah, "The end of all

flesh has come before me, for the earth

is filled with violence through them.

And behold, I will destroy them with the

earth. Make yourself an ark of gopher

wood. Make rooms in the ark and cover it

inside and outside with pitch." And and

now as he goes on through, he he goes

into details. God's given him the

pattern uh in the construction of the

ark. And then what say in verse 22? Thus

Noah did according to all that God

commanded him. So he did.

Now

God told Noah how to build this ark the

way that he wanted to be built. The

design in all of that.

And the point is the ark was the only

way of salvation. There was another

ship. Okay. Nope. There was another

plan. No other plan.

What's the shadow that we get from this?

Well, obviously it's the ark.

God's one way of salvation.

Shadow points to a substance though. And

what's that substance? Well, we know the

substance to be Jesus.

John 14 and verse 6,

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the

truth, and the life. No one comes to the

father except through me.

So just as the ark was God's one way of

escape,

Christ is God's one way of salvation

today.

And just as only those inside the ark

were saved, only those in Christ be

saved. Prove it. Right? Said, prove

that. Well, we was reading from

Ephesians chapter 5 this morning in our

Ephesians 5 · chapter mention

Bible class. What's verse 23 say? For

the husband is head of the wife as also

Christ is head of the church and he is a

savior of the body. So if you are not in

the church,

the church that he purchased with his

own blood from Acts 20 28, the church

that he says upon this rock I'll build

my church and the gates should not build

against it.

What does what does that mean?

You're not saved.

See, we can understand that with Noah,

right? We understand that with Noah.

Imagine here for just a moment.

Standing outside the ark when the rain

began to fall. I bet you that was

something, wasn't it?

Now, there might have been some that

laughed and some that well, maybe

there's some that begged to enter.

But here's the point. The time HAD

PASSED BECAUSE GOD SHUT THE DOOR.

He shut Y'all ever notice that? That's

what it says. He shut the door.

In the same way, the day is coming when

Christ will return and only those inside

will be saved.

See, we can understand that from the

very point we look at Noah. were like,

"We get that cuz I mean they got on the

ark and when the water was started, we

get that." They were saying, "Well, why

can't we make that same application,

same thought and what's being stated in

the substance that is Christ in the New

Testament?"

Because Noah was saved through the ark.

But how was he saved? Well, even Hebrews

11 records by faith. Noah, it was by

faith that Noah

obeyed.

He moved.

I say this all the time with Noah. It

says that he found grace in the eyes of

the Lord. And that's certain. He really

did find grace in the eyes of the Lord.

But you know what? That didn't mean that

Noah didn't have to do anything either.

He was told to prepare an ark. And

that's what he did. He built it

according to the pattern that God gave

him.

So let's talk about this faith that he

had.

Noah's obedience is a type of faith.

Right? Now you go back to Genesis

Genesis 6 · chapter mention

chapter 6. I we noted verse 22 a moment

ago. I bring it back up. It says, "Thus

Noah did according to all that God

commanded him. So he did."

Now I mentioned Hebrews 11 already. I'm

going to bring it up again. Prove all

things according to God's word, not DJs.

But verse 7 of Hebrews 11 says, "By

faith Noah being divinely warned of

things not yet seen, moved with godly

fear, prepared an ark for the sake of

his household, by which he condemned the

world and became heir of the

righteousness which is according to

faith." So Noah did he he didn't just

believe in God, he obeyed God.

He built the ark exactly as commanded.

That means that his faith was active. It

was working. It was obedient. See, Cory

hit on some of those things last week

about you define what faithfulness

means. You define what active means as

you're active the same as definition as

the way God defines active and faithful.

So here you have the shadow. Noah's

faith is expressed through obedience,

isn't it?

Well, what's the substance today?

saving faith today is also an obedient

faith. And I could take you to James

James 2 · chapter mention

chapter 2 and we could read a lot in

James. A lot in James. But James chapter

James 2 · chapter mention

2 and verse 22 says, "Do you see that

faith was working together with his

what? With his works. And by works,

faith was made perfect

or complete.

Faith is made perfect by works.

Hebrews 5:es 8 and 9 talks about Jesus

himself that though he was a son, yet he

learned obedience by the things which he

suffered. He learned obedience

and he is the author having been

perfected, he became the author of

eternal salvation to all who obey him.

Faith coupled with works in obedience to

God's will. So friends, what I'm saying

is Noah couldn't claim to have faith in

God if he never built the ark. Y'all

agree with that?

Because again, how is faith defined?

Not neither can we today though claim

faith in Christ if we refuse to obey

him.

See, these are these are some parallels

that we see that sometimes, you know,

again, it's it's missing the forest for

the trees.

It's all there and it's all directly

correlated.

God's word is certainly amazing.

Now, one of the clearest parallels in

all the Bible is the water aspect.

I I believe that as we started out in 1

1 Peter 3:20

Peter 3:20 and uh 21,

we see with Noah and Christ in this

shadow and substance is the water is is

a type of baptism.

Now

when Peter was was taking that you know

connection it really direct connection

from the ark he talks about this few

that is eight souls were saved by what?

Saved by water.

saved through water. And verse 21 says,

"There's also an anti-ype which now

saves us, baptism, not the removal of

the filth of flesh, but the answer of a

good conscience toward God through the

resurrection of Jesus Christ." Now,

we're going to break this down for a

moment. Peter noted that Noah being

saved by water was let's look at that

anti-ype which anti-ype depending on the

translation you're using this morning

you might see the words like figure or

you might see the words after a true

likeness

to the very baptism that saves us.

What Peter is illustrating in this

passage is that Noah and his household,

they were saved by water, which is a

type or it's a like figure after a true

likeness wherein baptism also now doth

save us.

Question,

is there something special about any

particular water?

No is the answer to that because Peter

made it clear that the water is not for

the putting away of the filth of the

flesh. But what what is it? It's about

an answer of a good conscience or the

New American Standard reads an appeal to

God for a good conscience.

The Greek word notes this as one who

makes an appeal to God so that we can

have a good conscience as one does what

is commanded by God.

And this is significant. I I believe

because by one simply believing doesn't

clear one's conscience,

right?

but rather by one being immersed. It is

that appeal made to the Lord God for the

conscience to be clear as one is obeying

God's will.

Colossians 2 11-13. What was was read

this morning? Brother Daniel read for us

in our scripture reading. Did y'all

notice these words

that that it's obedience is all here,

right? It talks about in him. That's

talking about in Christ. And and what

you say in verse 12 specifically, buried

with him in baptism, in which you also

are raised with him through faith in the

working of God

who raised him from the dead. And you

being dead in your trespasses and the

uncircumci

all you all trespasses.

I think that just makes it abundantly

clear, doesn't it?

Because this is what it means to become

a new creation in Christ. What Paul says

in 2 Corinthians 5:17,

2 Corinthians 5:17

if any wasn't in Christ, he is a new

creation. All things have passed away.

Behold, all things have become new.

And as all these scriptures state so

clearly, the baptism of the Bible is an

appeal to God for one's conscience to be

clear. And that friends is baptism that

saves.

That's baptism that saves.

And you can use whatever translation you

want and it will still make it clear

that is that baptism is that which does

save us.

I I'll submit to you that it's quite

disappointing to grab a study Bible. You

can go find study Bibles at all kinds of

different stores that has a commentary

and find commentators who twist this

verse as well as other verses that we've

considered in this lesson distorting

them so far out of proportion to fit the

faith along narrative. That is so

disappointing.

Such dismisses

takes away the significant of the very

thread, the very shadow and the very

substance and how all of this

correlates, how this all connects of

what baptism is and what it does as we

study.

Peter is showing here the interplay

between baptism and Christ's redemptive

activity.

And if we take that away, what did we

just do?

Baptism is look at this.

It is the resurrection

of Jesus Christ through the resurrection

of Jesus. What what I want to share with

you in this is resurrection includes the

entire atoning event of Jesus. I think

sometimes we might miss that part.

When we think about his death, his

burial, his resurrection, and Peter is

found attributing one's salvation to

Christ's work on the cross, wherein

salvation occurs when one is baptized,

representative of his death, burial, and

resurrection. That is the gospel

reenacted.

I use these verses all the time when I'm

teaching

someone about baptism

and the importance of it.

1 Corinthians 15 1-4. Paul lays this out

very simply. Look at that with me. 1

Corinthians 15 1-4.

Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the

gospel which I preached to you, which

also you received, and in which you

stand, by which also you are saved, if

you hold fast that word which I preached

to you, unless you believe in vain. For

I delivered to you first of all that

which I also received, that Christ died

for our sins, according to the

scriptures, and that he was buried, and

that he rose again the third day

according to the scriptures.

This is This is right here. How many

times have I used this chart?

I love to use this chart because that's

exactly what we see outlined perfectly

through the scriptures. The gospel

enacted and the gospel reenacted in

baptism.

And again, as I say many times, if you

want a copy of this, I will certainly

get you one uh for you.

the death, the burial, and the

resurrection. And what do we find in the

scriptures? What has been made clear?

We die to sin. We're buried in water.

And we rise to walk in newness of life.

You can make no mistake about it.

Baptism is for salvation.

And and I'm hoping that we see very

clearly from the shadow to substance

here is that baptism is not simply about

dipping into some water. It's about

submission to God's will.

And there are many examples we can see

from the Old Testament as in this

lesson, Noah building an ark according

to the pattern given by God and and

getting on it to be saved from the

flood. Who closed the door? Remember who

closed it? God did. Who asked the

church? Lord does. Isn't that

interesting?

H

the Israelites, that's another one. They

passed through the water for their

deliverance from Egyptian captivity.

They passed through the water. There it

is again. Non, he dipped seven times in

the Jordan River to be cleansed from

leprosy. Water has always been a a place

a place in God's redemptive plan

and his deliverance. It's all throughout

the scriptures. It's not just water, but

it's also blood. That's huge.

And God will always do his part. But

again, what do we see from Noah? What

what do we seeing from this today? It

requires man to do theirs as well.

I've said this numerous times in the

past and I'll say it again. God never

does for man what man can do for

himself.

That's what we see in Colossians chapter

Colossians 2 · chapter mention

2 again. When one is buried with Christ

in baptism and raised with Christ

through faith, do y'all notice this?

What's it say in in verse 12?

In which you also are raised with him

through faith in the working of God.

God does his part,

but we must do ours.

That which is being emphasized is Noah

was saved by water. Not because the

water had power, but because it

separated him from the old sinful world

and carried him safely in the ark.

There's the imagery we take from that.

What's the shadow?

The floodwaters lifted Noah and his

family to safety while destroying the

sinful world. That's the shadow.

What's the substance?

Baptism today separates us from the old

life of sin and brings us into Christ.

Romans 6 3 and 4. Here it is again.

Or do you not know that as many of us as

were baptized into Christ Jesus were

baptized into his death?

Therefore, we are buried with him

through baptism into death, that just as

Christ was raised from the dead by the

glory of the father, even so we also

should walk in newness of life.

What's that chart show us just a moment

ago? It's exactly what Romans 6 3 and 4

just says. Baptism, we die with Christ.

We're buried with him and rise to walk

in newness of life.

I don't think gets any planer than that.

I don't think it does.

But you can think about water in two

ways.

Water you can think about two ways. It

can destroy or it can save.

In a flood, water destroys. We know

that, don't we?

But in baptism, the same element saves

not by cleansing the body, but by

appealing to God for a cleared and clean

conscience, as 1 Peter 3:1 says.

1 Peter 3:1

So after the flood, Noah stepped into a

new world

and so do we after baptism.

That goes to the very point of the

covenant and new life after the flood. I

want you to go back to Genesis and I

want you to go to Genesis chapter 9 for

Genesis 9 · chapter mention

just a moment. Genesis chapter 9.

Genesis 9 · chapter mention

And I want you to notice verses 8- 11 as

well as verse 13. Genesis 9:es 8-11

and also verse 13

says then God spoke to Noah and to his

sons with him saying and as for me

behold I establish my covenant with you

and with your descendants after you and

with every living creature that is with

you the birds the cattle and every base

of the earth with you all of all that go

out of the ark every beast of the earth

thus I establish my covenant with you

never again shall all flesh become cut

off by the waters of the flood. Never

again shall there be a flood destroy the

earth. Verse 13, I set my rainbow in the

cloud and it shall be for the sign of

the covenant between me and the earth.

Now, as we see when Noah left the ark,

God God made this covenant with him and

he he sealed it with a rainbow. The

rainbow that we see all so often, right?

It was a promise of a new life, a new

beginning.

the shadow,

a new covenant after salvation

through the water.

Do y'all see what the substance is

in Christ? Baptism marks the beginning

of our new life.

Because what did Romans 6 and verse4

say? We should walk in newness of life.

Even the Hebrew writer makes this clear

in Hebrews 8 and verse 6.

But now he has obtained a more excellent

ministry in in as much as he is also a

mediator of a better covenant which was

established on better promises.

There's the substance. God doesn't just

save us from destruction.

He saves us for a new life in Christ.

I believe what we have seen through the

very thread from the Old Testament, the

New Testament, even from what I briefly

shared, you know, again, we can go into

great depth even the Israelites passing

through the Red Sea, non dipping in the

the Jordan River seven times according

he was told, cleansing from leprosy.

That water has always been a part of

God's plan. always

and we've noted numerous scriptures to

emphasize the significance of baptism,

what it means, not just something we go

through the motions in doing

because it has purpose just as the

examples that we note.

The illustrations we have considered

really puts on full display

how the Lord used water for every for

the very salvation and cleansing and

what such sign signifies.

Baptism is about an answer of a good

conscience toward God as noted in 1

1 Peter 3 · chapter mention

Peter chapter 3. It's about being buried

with Christ in baptism as we saw in

Romans 6.

And I I want to note again,

Noah and his family, they were not saved

until they were safe in the ark. Israel,

they weren't free from captivity until

they went through the waters out of

Egypt. And Non wasn't cured from leprosy

at the time. He simply believed he would

be if he did what the Lord said. No, he

went and he dipped seven times in the

Jordan. And I'll submit something else

to you. The Ethiopian unic in Acts

Acts 8 · chapter mention

chapter 8 wasn't saved until he went

down to that water and came up a new

creation in Christ. And I could go on

and on,

but I think you get the point that grace

and mercy has been extended through the

blood of Christ. And we can access it

through the water,

not putting away the filth of the flesh,

but the answer of a good conscience

toward God.

Now, I might have to

if you didn't get a copy of this, get

one. There's one out there. I have put

together a chart that goes into great

lengths. And you're not going, you might

be able to read it. I don't know.

But I put together this chart so you can

go through each one of these

world's creation, God's judgment,

preacher of righteous, means of

salvation, entrance into salvation. All

of these, the Old Testament type and the

New Testament fulfillment and all the

scriptures that we have been considering

together.

You might you got another one?

There's another one.

You got another one. There's another

one. You tell me that's not a lot that

correlates from the Old Testament to the

New? That's a lot.

How much more time do we got? Right.

Y'all say, "Just let me have that. I'll

take it home. I'll study it. There'll be

a quiz tonight. All right,

friends. What what I I I want to impress

upon you, as I stated at the beginning

of this series of lessons,

this is powerful. When you talk about

God's word and and how perfect it is,

this says it all. E even in this one

here,

the account of of Noah

is more than what many of our society

has called simply a children's tale

about animals two by two. That's what

they've called it. That's all it is.

That's what people think.

Well, I got Old Testament and New

Testament to show it's more than what

they just claim it to be.

It's more

and it has a heavy bearing on what we do

today

because it's God's shadow of salvation

in Christ is what that is.

And you want to see how it's all tied

together, you go through every one of

those.

The world was condemned.

So is ours.

God provided one ark.

Today he provides one.

As John 14 and verse 6 says, Jesus said,

"I am the way, the truth, and the life.

No one comes the father but through me."

He's the one door, isn't he? The one way

that we can enter in.

Noah's faith obeyed. We saw that.

Today, our faith must obey.

The water saves Noah

and his family.

And what did 1 Peter 3 20:21 say?

Baptism also now does save us.

A new covenant followed

and for us we rise in newness of life.

what Peter did and what we have studied

just briefly. Again, there's much more

here.

There is also an anti-ype which now

saves us. Baptism, not the removal of

the filth of the flesh, but the answer

of good conscience toward God through

the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Friends, what I want to do is I want to

ask this very question. When I say, are

you inside the ark today? I'm not

talking about Noah's ark. That one's no

longer. Now, there's one in Kentucky,

and we've been to it, and it's it's it's

something, I'll tell you that. If you

get a chance to go, it is really neat.

It kind of takes your breath away how

big it is.

I'm talking about the ark that's a

substance from the shadow. That is

Christ. Are you in Christ?

When you look at all these passages,

can you say for certain without walking

out that door saying, "I am in Christ."

Can you say that assuredly because

you've been bapt baptized for the

remission of your sins?

Because that's what the Bible says.

That's the pattern that God gave us.

that just as the door of the ark was

open for a time, it was open for a time.

The door of salvation is open now. It's

open right now. But one day it will

close.

When Christ returns, there'll be no

second chance. When you die,

no matter what kind of doctrine that's

out there that says that this can happen

and that can happen, that's not what the

Bible says. The Bible says appointed man

once to die and after this the judgment.

That's it.

So I tell them all the time, this is

very serious stuff. You can make a lot

of decisions in your life, but this is

the most important decision you'll ever

make

because when Christ returns, there's no

second chance. When you die, there ain't

no second chance.

And the gospel plan of salvation is

simple and it's beautiful.

And I think we should be passionate

about this.

Because if you say, "I believe Jesus is

the son of God."

Well, we've made it to the point where

Noah was. Well, I believe in God. I

believe that he will destroy the earth.

I believe if we believe that if we

believe that,

well, we're we're right we're at that

stage right now,

then what are you going to do? Noah

didn't just let you know lay all the

tools to the side and been like, "Well,

he's going to flood the earth." But I

found grace in his eyes. No, you better

pick up a hammer and you better start

building.

You better do it according to the

pattern that God gave you or that arc is

going to sink. What what you consider to

be an arc.

Repent of your sins.

Confess Jesus to be the son of the

living God as Romans 10 says. be

baptized for the remission of your sins.

Friends, how many scriptures have we

looked at? Acts 2 and verse 38, they

said Peter said, "Repent and be baptized

everyone in the name of Jesus Christ for

the remission of sins and you shall

receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

And as you go on, who added to the

church? The Lord added to the church.

Verse 47,

God will add you to the church, his ark

of salvation today.

I'm asking, are you a member of his

church, his body?

Have you entered into Christ the true

ark of safety? Will you do that while

there is time?

Again, there's a lot more that we can

consider. And I'm going to give you the

chart to take home and I trust that

you're going to look at it. If you like

it in a PDF format, you want to email to

you, I'll do that. I'll do one thing. I

want you to really take in all of these

things.

It's mindboggling

all the connections.

And I hope that this lesson has been a

reminder to us all, a great reminder

of why all of this is important.

These are not just simple stories that

we're looking at. They have connections

and they are the shadows

that point to the substance.

And we need to be in the substance. We

don't need to live in the shadows. We

need to live in the substance that is

Christ. Having heard many times

throughout this lesson God's plan of

salvation,

you take it to heart. And and friends,

as I've said many times, if if there is

something that's on your mind and say,

"I want to talk to you more about God's

plan of salvation," you don't leave here

without saying, "I need to talk to you."

Because I'm telling you, this is really

important.

And God saw that it was so important,

his divine and redemptive plan. It's all

recorded right here.

We just have to do what he says to do

and live in accordance with faith

coupled with works of obedience to him.

I appreciate your kind attention this

this morning.

As you pray your hearts and minds,

will you get in the ark of safety, his

church today to be his child to live in

accordance to his will?

Won't you do that? If you're if there's

any spiritual need that you may have,

disciple of Christ, something that's a

miss in your life and he prays on on

your behalf, whatever it may be, won't

you come as we stand and we sing the

song that's been selected.