For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God's word. He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault. Ephesians 5: 25-27 (NLT)
And so we too are building on behalf of God. Maybe not an ark to ride out the tempest but we are seeking those who would come in before it is too late. It is not about mega-churches, sinner's prayers, prosperity in earthly riches, abortion, gay rights, the war on Christmas, the ground zero mosque or any other distraction the enemy throws at the body of Christ. It is about heaven and hell. It is about consequences for actions. It is about Christ, not Christianity. It is about holiness versus sin:
Now God saw that the earth had become corrupt and was filled with violence. God observed all this corruption in the world, for everyone on earth was corrupt. So God said to Noah, "I have decided to destroy all living creatures, for they have filled the earth with violence. Yes, I will wipe them all out along with the earth! Genesis 6: 11-13 (NLT)
The earth had become corrupt and full of violence. The parallels once again being drawn by Jesus to our times today. And you know that as there are mockers today, they surely existed in the days of Noah too. In Rabbinic tradition, Noah preached to his neighbors of the coming judgment of God. That tradition records that his neighbors mocked the message and the messenger. And so it still goes today. Even when preparing this message I visited a website where one of the respondents to a Noah question mocked literalists that is people who take the Bible literally as the Word of God. To their finite mind they cannot imagine an infinite God. Because they have lived a world where there was always rain, they cannot imagine a world where it had not rained. So they mock. So they eat and drink despite the impending warnings of the coming wrath of God. So they marry and celebrate their sinful existence and deny the God that created them. The ark is being built all around them but they mock instead of repent. Jesus foretold this in the same chapter of the key verses:
Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. Matthew 24: 12-14
The love of most today has grown cold in the face of a harsh world. The Gospel of the kingdom is indeed being preached in the whole world but so many still refuse to hear it. Like a boat being built in a sandstorm, they simply cannot understand. Noah had a word from God and that was all he needed.
And that is all we need today as well. We have been saved by the blood of Jesus Christ for a reason for a purpose. As in the days of Noah there is much wrong in the world and we have been given insight from God that His judgment is coming. I know that is a politically incorrect message today. Today it is all or nothing. Either Jesus is reduced to an ATM machine for our whims or He is wrapped in barbed wire, waiting to cut us to pieces. The truth is that the whole Gospel is both. God is love but He is also jealous. He is good but He is also wrath. The Apostle Paul understood this as his days on earth were winding down:
"Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. Acts 20: 25-27
