As in the Days of Noah

​Matthew 24:37 ~ “For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.”
 
Let me address a very concerning situation to you this day. There are many who filter through the church with little to no awareness of the impending arrival of the LORD Jesus. And this is an indication of a tremendous predicament—it is exactly as the LORD told us it would be. The LORD describes the conditions of the days of Noah in the next two verses. Consider Matthew 24:38-39, “For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.” There is a real oblivious condition in our world today, and it is reflective of the days of Noah. My great concern is that such is the case for many Christians.
 
For a moment, let yourself think back to the days of Noah. Place yourself in his time. A middle-aged man (Noah was 500 years old) is proclaiming a judgment to come. And in response to that particular judgment of God, Noah is building a very large boat, an ark. Genesis 6:5 describes the condition of man, “The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” So, here’s my question for you this day: would you have helped Noah build the ark? It’s hard for us to consider the question as we have now the full view of what God did upon the earth. But the question is still upon the table—will you help build the ark? Not the ark of Noah, but the church of the LORD Jesus? For there is still a looming judgment that is coming, and we have been warned by God Himself of the impending fury of His wrath.
 
2 Peter 2:5 describes Noah as a “herald of righteousness.” He was a preacher—testifying to the righteousness of God and warning of the wrath that would flood the earth. It is evident that no one believed Noah as he preached to the people, all the while hammering into shape the floating fortress that would house he and his family, as well as every kind of animal on the earth. It is clear they did not listen, for had they listened they would have been on the ark. But even as Noah continued in his efforts, the world continued on like it had always done. Life continued, marriages happened, children were born, restaurants filled with patrons, parties and all manner of whatever wickedness they could imagine continued right up until that first drop of rain.
 
Genesis 7:16 says, “And those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him. And the LORD shut him in.” There came that final moment, the last message, the final board upon the ark of deliverance, and then it was finished. God shut them in the ark, and the world was shut out. My dear friends, so it will be on the day of Christ. When the LORD Jesus returns it will be a day of dread for the entire world except for those who are in Christ. It won’t matter if they were very religious, it will make no difference if they were nice people or wicked villains. Only those who were in the ark were saved from the floodwaters of God’s judgment, and only those who belong to Christ will be saved from the fiery wrath of God.
 
Many are likely to be as 2 Peter 3:4 describes, “They will say, ‘Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.’” In essence, they will be “marrying and giving in marriage… eating and drinking” and completely unaware. It will happen suddenly… and there will be no mistaking it. Jesus describes His return in Matthew 24:27, “For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.” It will be unmistakable, unavoidable and it is absolutely certain to happen.
 
So, again I ask, will you help build the ark? Will you bring others to know the LORD Jesus so that at His coming they can rejoice and be safe from God’s wrath? The heralds of righteousness are proclaiming the coming of the Son of Man. Men of God are standing true in the hallowed halls of the churches of our land and around the world. And just because you haven’t seen it happen does not mean that it won’t. I could imagine that millions would have preferred to build with Noah before it was too late.
 
In the parable of the wise and foolish virgins, those who were ready for the coming of the Bridegroom went in—and then after, the door was shut (see Matthew 25:1-12). Let us be as those who are wise, and be watching and ready for when our LORD shall return.
 
In His Grace,
Pastor Michael

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