1Pt 3:19-21 Noah: Preacher of Righteousness © 2010 WF Cobb Truthbase.net

Context: Believers continually seeking and faithfully doing God's will to get blessed will suffer grief from unfaithful carnal folks.

18 Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in/by the flesh, but made alive in/by the spirit (material/immaterial realms?) 19 in which/thru whom also He went and preached to the spirits Heb 12:23 in prison, 20 who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved by water/brought safely through the water 21 an antitype which now saves us - baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the pledge of a good conscience toward God), on account of the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

I. God Warns the Wayward and Patiently Waits for Repentance

A. God communicates His Wisdom and Will (by Word and Witness of the faithful) so we can Know it and Do it

1Pt 1:10 Of this salvation the prophets...11 searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating...12...reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven

2Pt 1:21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit

Jn 16:8...(HS) will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me;

B. We either Do what we Want, or we Walk with God (we can't do both, and are doing one or the other)

Genesis 6:5 Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved/pained in His heart. 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD. 9 These are the records of the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time; Noah walked with God.12 So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. 22 Thus Noah did; according to all that God had commanded him, so he did.

Ez 14:14 Even if, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness," Ps 18:19-24

- unpersuaded; wicked; every intent of the heart evil continually (living independently); grief to God (purpose failure); corrupted own way (responsible)

+ receptive/listening; obedient; diligent; faithful; feared God; pleasing; righteous; blameless; walked with God (humble dependence)Mic 6:8

C. Walking with God requires Faith and Fear and Feats/Feets Lk 6:46 why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which I say?

Hebrews 11:7 By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

D. Complacently and independently doing our thing to maintain biological life sets us up for judgment, not blessing

Luke 17:26 And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: 27 They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Mt 24:37-39

1Pt 4:1 suffered...ceased from sin 2 so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. 5 but they will give account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 6 For the gospel has for this purpose been preached even to those who are dead, that though they are judged in the flesh as men, they may live in the spirit according to the will of God. 4:17 For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?

II. God knows how to Deliver his Disciples and Disciplines the Disobedient

2Pt 2:4 if God did not spare angels when they sinned, 5 did not spare the ancient world, but preserved/guarded Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; 6 and if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an example to those who would live ungodly lives thereafter; 7 and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked 8 (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds) 9 then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment, 10 and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. They are presumptuous, self-willed. they are not afraid to speak evil of authority,

15 forsaking the right way, they have gone astray, 20 For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. 21 For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment delivered to them

Questions for Reflection/Discussion/Response:

1. Does sin grieve God? Why does He get upset? Why do people sin? Does God hold people accountable for their sin? Whose fault is it?
2. Does the conduct of the unbelieving bother you? What should be the correct response to it?
3. Why would someone ignore God's warning, or depart from what they have known and experienced to be true?
4. What has God given you to do? Could your life be used to convict the unbelieving and vindicate God's justice?
5. What can you do to walk with God this week? What is His will for you? Will you seek and do His will or your will?