White River Christian Church

The LORD observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil. So the LORD was sorry he had ever made them and put them on the earth. It broke his heart.
Genesis 6:5-6

Grace is God’s unearned favor, freely given to undeserving sinners, at great cost to Himself.

But Noah found favor with the LORD. This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless person living on earth at the time, and he walked in close fellowship with God. Noah was the father of three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
Genesis 6:

So Noah did everything exactly as God had commanded him.
Genesis 6:22

As sin spread across the Earth, God’s grace still made a way to be saved.

And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.
Genesis 7:1, KJV

So Noah did everything as the Lord commanded him...After seven days, the waters of the flood came and covered the earth.
Genesis 7:5 & 10

When Noah was 600 years old, on the seventeenth day of the second month, all the underground waters erupted from the earth, and the rain fell in mighty torrents from the sky. The rain continued to fall for forty days and forty nights. Genesis 7:11-12

As sin spread across the Earth, God’s grace still made a way to be saved.

That very day Noah had gone into the boat with his wife and his sons—Shem, Ham, and Japheth—and their wives. With them in the boat were pairs of every kind of animal—domestic and wild, large and small—along with birds of every kind. Two by two they came into the boat, representing every living thing that breathes. A male and female of each kind entered, just as God had commanded Noah. Then the Lord closed the door behind them.
Genesis 7:13-16

As sin spread across the Earth, God’s grace still made a way to be saved.

Flood Traditions Table

[Humanity] deliberately forgets that God made the heavens long ago by the word of his command, and he brought the earth out from the water and surrounded it with water. Then he used the water to destroy the ancient world with a mighty flood.
2 Peter 3:5-6

What the Ark teaches us about God’s grace:God’s Grace is Great

God’s unearned favor, freely given to undeserving sinners, at great cost to Himself.

What the Ark teaches us about God’s grace:
God’s Grace is Great
God’s Grace still includes an Invitation

A Boat:
Built for travel, navigation, and direction
Has a destination and usually a means of steering
Emphasizes movement and control
Purpose: to carry people or goods from point A to point B

An Ark:
Built for survival and preservation
No steering, sails, or navigation mentioned
Emphasizes dependence rather than control
Purpose: to keep life safe while God determines the destination

“If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it.”
Mark 8:34-35

What the Ark teaches us about God’s grace:
God’s Grace is Great
God’s Grace still includes an Invitation
God’s Grace has and End

“The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise [to send Jesus a second time], as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment.”
2 Peter 3:9-10

As sin spread across the Earth, God’s grace still made a way to be saved.