Noah Was a Failure

The world of Noah’s day was quite evil, so evil, in fact, that “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 birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.’” (Genesis 6:6,7).

Noah was divinely warned. Noah was different. In contrast to all the evil people around him, He “walked with God” (Genesis 6:9). Because of this, God decided to save Noah and instructed him to build an ark that would keep him safe while the flood destroyed the remainder of the world’s population. Verse 3 probably means that God decided to allow the earth to stand another 120 years before the destruction came. So Noah had perhaps 100 to 120 years to construct the ark according to God’s plan.

Hebrews 11:7 says Noah was “divinely warned” by God and “by faith” built the ark and saved himself and his household. In 2 Peter 2:5 we read that Noah was “a preacher of righteousness.” During the years of ark building Noah was also trying to convince his neighbors that they should acknowledge the God of heaven, change their ways, and get on the boat.

We have been divinely warned. Paul tells us that Jesus will return one day “in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Thessalonians 1:8). He reasoned with Felix about “righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come” in Acts 24:25. Romans 3:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

The word of God, preached by righteous men, tells us how we may be saved. Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.” The truth is the source of freedom from sin as John 8:32 says, “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

The truth teaches us that we must believe in Jesus (John 3:16), repent of our sins (Luke 13:3), confess Jesus as Lord (Acts 8:37) and be baptized for the forgiveness of our sins (Acts 2:38). Upon genuine obedience to those steps Jesus washes us from our sins, making a distinction between us and the evil world around us (Revelation 1:5).

Noah was a failure. Having preached for 100 or more years, Noah was able to save only his wife, his three sons and their wives. Only eight people! Surely he could have done more.

As we look around the “Christian” world today we begin to see why Noah was a failure. Noah preached the wrong message. Noah preached righteousness when his goal should have been to fill the boat. Rather than a message of change, Noah should have preached, “come as you are.” Rather than repentance, he should have preached “tolerance” and built an “inclusive” ark. Rather than harping on people’s sins and running the risk of keeping them off the boat, he should have advertised shuffleboard, “ark socials” and ark league softball, ark league basketball and ark league volleyball. Of course, once the people got on board he could try to slip in a little of God’s word every now and then to try to make a difference –once they were in.

We have to wonder why God allowed Noah to be such a failure. He had spoken to Noah instructing him on how to build the boat and make it seaworthy. He told him the formula for bringing animals aboard. Why didn’t God tell Noah about the mechanics of “ark growth”? By modern day church standards, Noah was a miserable failure.

When I started preaching for a small church a friend suggested that we print some door hangers and go around the neighborhood inviting folks to an ice cream supper. “Admittedly,” he said, “it is sort of like bribing them to come with something other than the ‘word,’ but, hey, it gets them in the door.” Yeah, it is sort of like bribing then, isn't it?

The bottom line. When it started raining and the waters began to rise, do you suppose any of the folks outside Noah’s ark were wondering if Noah had a shuffleboard court onboard? Do you suppose they would still refuse to go onboard because there would be no “mother’s day out” program, “paintball ministry,” or celebration of Jesus’ birthday complete with cake and ice cream?

Noah’s goal was not to fill the ark. His goal was to change the hearts of sinners. When one realizes he is in sin and he is doomed to destruction without salvation from the Lord, he’ll get onboard God’s plan of salvation without a bribe or a gimmick.

The social gospel, with its appeal to the flesh, its appeal to the appetite, its appeal to “entertainment,” isn’t the appeal God used in Noah’s day and isn’t the appeal He used in Jesus’ day either. Did Jesus say, “Come to Me, all you who want to play church league ball, all you who need to lose weight, and all you people who need a break from your kids, and I will give you what you want.”? No way! He said, “Come to me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” He wasn’t talking about physical problems, He was addressing spiritual problems - sin. When rest for the soul is desired, the plain ol’ gospel will satisfy, and no gimmicks are necessary to get one to stay aboard.