In the sermon 'Time's Up,' Jason Dohm explores Genesis 7:1-16, emphasizing the themes of divine instruction, obedience, and God's grace. God instructed Noah to build an ark in preparation for a catastrophic flood, a task that Noah completed with unwavering obedience over many years. The sermon underscores that Noah's salvation was due to his faith, which was counted as righteousness, rather than his own merits. By examining the instructions given to Noah regarding the preservation of clean and unclean animals, the sermon highlights God's foresight and provision. The act of God shutting Noah and his family in the ark symbolizes divine protection and assurance. The sermon parallels the physical events of Noah's time with spiritual truths, asserting that just as the ark was the only means of survival during the flood, faith in Jesus Christ is the sole path to spiritual salvation. Through this historical narrative, Dohm illustrates that God not only saves but saves to the uttermost.

The title of the sermon today is Times Up. In chapter 6 verse 13, God said to Noah, the end of all flesh has come before me, for the earth is filled with violence through them, and behold, I will destroy them with the earth." And then God told Noah to make the ark. It probably reflects decades of work. It could be the better part of a century of work. We don't know exactly.

We know this. It wasn't a short period of time. And what God said to Noah before he embarked on all this work, now The countdown clock is counted all the way down and the time has come for God to do what He was promising to do. In last week's text, God spoke to Noah instructing Noah to build the ark, or a massive floating box. Remember, ark just literally means box.

And told Noah that he would keep Noah and his family alive in the ark and that he, God, would bring to Noah two of every kind of creature to keep them alive also. In addition to keeping Noah and his household alive, he would keep all these other creatures alive. Noah wouldn't have to go out and round them up that God would actually bring them to Noah. Last week's text ended this way. Here was the last verse of chapter 6, chapter 6 verse 22.

Thus Noah did according to all that God commanded him. So he did. What an encouragement that is. This week's text picks up with the work having been completed. So we got sort of a blanket statement at the end of last week's text that God had commanded him to do things.

Noah did everything that he commanded and this week's text just picks up with the work having been finished. This week the focus will be God saving Noah and his household and certain male-female pairs of animals, birds, and creeping things. Next week the focus will be on the death of everyone and everything outside the ark. So this week the thrust is God saving work on a remnant, this small portion that God is saving. Next week will be God's death of the many.

Let's ask God to help us as we come to the text. Oh God, what a treasure Your Word is. We'd have no way to know about these things that are so helpful unless You gave us the revelation of this truth. So, we want to begin by just thanking You for the revelation of truth that we have in Your Word. And pray that Your Spirit would be here helping us to change us, encourage us, strengthen us, rebuke us, all these things that we need from Your Word.

We pray for it in Jesus name, Amen. Okay, if you have a Bible that breaks it in paragraphs, I'm just going to go paragraph by paragraph, the first being verses 1 through 6. So that's our first subsection. Hopefully your Bibles are still open to Genesis chapter 7. Follow along as I reread verses 1 through 6.

Then the Lord said to Noah, Come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before me in this generation. You shall take with you Seven each of every clean animal, a male and his female. Two each of animals that are unclean, a male and his female. Also seven each of birds of the air, male and female, to keep the species alive on the face of all the earth. For after seven more days, I will cause it to rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and I will destroy from the face of the earth all living things that I have made.

And Noah did according to all that the Lord commanded him. Noah was 600 years old when the floodwaters were on the earth." So in these verses we have the voice of God tell Noah, come into the ark. So if you're filling in blanks on the handout, ark fills in the blank. Come into the arc. The time has come for the box to float.

So God says to Noah, come into the arc, you and all your household. In verse 13 we get the definition of what that actually is. It's Noah and he has a wife, we don't get her name, and he has three sons. We do get their names and they each have a wife and we don't get their names. But the total is eight people.

Last week we started talking about remnant theology, meaning that throughout time and throughout different places on earth, God has been pleased to show that He's a God of grace and a God of mercy to save a remnant. A remnant is just a small portion of the whole. So out of the population of the earth, whatever that was, it's a big number. The number saved, this small portion saved, was eight people. Then God says this, and it's very easily misunderstood, so I want to take time to unpack it.

God gives the reason He is saving Noah and his household from the global flood. Are you ready for it? Here's God's reason for saving Noah and his household. Quote, because I have seen that you are righteous before me in this generation. So that's why.

Because God saw that Noah was righteous before him in that generation. Again, we can easily translate this in our brains to God is saving Noah because Noah is a really good guy. It reads like that. I freely admit that. It reads like that.

But we've translated that in our minds. It's not actually what the text says. Let me put it to you this way. So We don't know Noah, but you do know yourself. You know how much you fall short.

You know how many sins you have in thought, word, and deed. How many times you've sinned in your thoughts, been proud and independent and angry in your thoughts. Or how many times you've said what you never should have said or how many times you've done what you never should have done and you know that the list is still growing meaning if you get another day you'll add to the list of things you shouldn't have thought, shouldn't have said, shouldn't have done. Now, what if after all, when it comes time to render a judgment, The all-knowing God, meaning none of that has escaped him, the all-knowing God were to say this to you. Well done, good and faithful servant!

You were faithful over a few things. I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord." What if knowing all that you know about yourself, that He knew all that plus all the things you've been insensitive to, all the sinful thoughts that didn't even hit your radar, sinful words that didn't even hit your radar, sinful deeds that didn't even hit your radar, but none of them escaped Him. But after all that, He said that to you. Well done, you good and faithful servant.

Enter into the joy of your Lord." Well that's exactly what Jesus says. The believer will hear. How can that be? Because for the believer, when the time comes to be weighed in the balance, because of our trust in the person of Jesus Christ, who Jesus is, and because of our trust in the work of Jesus Christ, what Jesus has done, it is Jesus in the balance. So you're not actually in the balance anymore.

It's Jesus, and God looks upon Jesus and says, what amazing innocence, what amazing goodness, and you get that verdict. Last chapter, Genesis chapter 6 verse 8, but Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. It is the grace of God. So Noah undoubtedly was very different than the people of that age. I don't doubt that at all.

But that was because of the transforming grace of God in Noah's life. Was Noah a very good guy? I'm sure he was a very good guy, but God gets the credit for that. That's God's work. It was righteousness by grace through faith.

And then sanctification, meaning progress in his life, transformation by grace through faith. Let me come at this from a different direction. In chapter 9, just two chapters from now, so spoiler alert, Noah will be drunk and lying naked in his tent. Do you think God will say, oops, missed on that one, Didn't see that coming. Had I only known there would have been no need for a floating box.

Actually, no one was righteous and I could have just done away with everyone. No! It was never Noah's righteousness to start with. It was an external righteousness that was accounted to Noah by faith and it transformed him and made him different than the people in his generation. Listen again to Hebrews 11 verse 7.

This is the interpretive key, meaning in the New Testament the author of Hebrews looked back on this account and says here's how you should view this and it's it's authoritatively put in Scripture meaning we can trust this is the right way to interpret this Hebrews 11 verse 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." So why was Noah a good guy? The transforming power of the grace of God in his life. Could it be more clear? It was righteousness by faith that transformed him and made him different than the people in his generation. Let's keep moving.

In addition to Noah and his household, Noah is taken to the ark seven pairs of all clean animals and a pair of all the unclean animals. Now I know the New King James translation leaves it sort of unclear about whether we're talking seven animals total or is it seven pairs? Is it two pairs or two animals? It is unclear in the New King James translation. At least it's a little fuzzy to me.

Reading the commentators and looking at the Hebrews, I agree with the other English translations that we really like that it is seven pairs of all the clean animals and a pair of all the unclean animals. I won't bore you with the technical arguments, and I don't think it matters all that much. Now, animals that are categorized as clean and unclean, or you could translate it pure or impure, either way would be fine, clean and unclean. Animals that are categorized that way are well attested in scripture 1200 years later, meaning Leviticus chapter 11. You can go read Leviticus chapter 11 and it will tell you all the animals that are clean and all the animals that are unclean and excruciating detail.

By trait. It has to do with cloven hooves or not cloven hooves, whether you chew the cud or you don't chew the cud, whether you have scales and fins or not scales and fins. Another half chapter, Deuteronomy 14, So we can find all sorts of criteria and descriptions and even animals by name that are clean or pure or unclean and impure. We haven't encountered anything like that yet in Genesis. We haven't even encountered the terms yet in Genesis.

It'll be more than 1, 200 years until the giving of the law, and Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14 are given. So, we have no way to know exactly what Noah knew and didn't know exactly how Noah knew what he knew. It could simply be based on the number of a kind that came to him. Seven pairs of this came to me, they're clean, based on what God says here. Only one pair of this came to me, so they must be unclean based on what God says in this.

It could be as simple as that, or there could be another revelation very much like Leviticus 11 or Deuteronomy 14. We just don't know, But they are categorized this way, and there will be seven pairs of the claim, one pair of the unclean. We do know this. We're going to encounter this in Genesis chapter 8 verse 20. Listen to Genesis 8 verse 20.

This is right as they're getting off the ark. Another spoiler alert, they're going to survive the flood. God really does preserve their lives on the flood. The earth is going to dry up and they are going to come off the ark. Here's Genesis 8 verse 20.

Noah built an altar to the Lord and took of every clean animal, " there's that designation again, took of every clean animal and of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. How's there going to be any sacrifice if there's only one pair? You sacrifice the male or you sacrifice the female and that species is lost forever. Unless you have another Genesis 1 supernatural creation from nothing. But it breaks up reproduction if you only have one pair.

We know this in Genesis chapter 9, so two chapters from now, Genesis chapter 9 verse 3, we'll read this. Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. I have given you all things even as the green herbs." So this is the first time this is said in Genesis before now. It was a vegetarian diet.

Were people eating animals before this? People were doing all sorts of things God hadn't told them they could do like murdering and marrying multiple wives before then. So I wouldn't bet against it. But it wasn't authorized by God before Genesis chapter 9. So again, if you only have one pair, you'd be waiting a long time before you had enough animal population that you could actually use them as a source for food.

But now, because God has given multiple pairs, seven pairs of clean animals. You have a source for sacrifices without jeopardizing the reproduction of that species on earth, and you have food without jeopardizing reproduction of that species on earth. So God has provided extras beyond one reproducing pair for sacrifices and food. Once again, God's provision is ahead of the need. We've seen this a couple of times now, and this is really important just to know that God's way ahead.

It helps people, especially people who are given to be anxious. Do you know anyone like that? A person like that might actually live inside your body. A person who's given to anxious needs to hear, needs to see over and over again in the scriptures, God's way ahead. He's way ahead with the provision even before there's an obvious need to people.

The purpose given in verse 3 is very clear, to keep the species alive. So why has God brought all these animals to Noah so they can go into the ark? To keep the species alive. Why do they all need to be kept alive? Verse 4, after seven days the rain is going to start, and it won't stop for 40 days and 40 nights.

And everyone and everything outside the ark is going to perish. There in verse 4 that word translated destroy, the Hebrew word translated destroy means to destroy, to blot out, to wipe from. God is going to destroy Every person and every creature outside the ark is going to blot out every person and creature outside the ark is going to wipe from the earth every person and creature outside the ark. Verse 5, Noah did all that the Lord commanded him. Just like the last verse in the last chapter, Genesis 6, 22, thus Noah did according to all that God commanded him so that he did.

Probably decades of work have gone by where he's actually building this massive massive floating box 450 feet long. Bigger than any football stadium. It wouldn't fit on the grass of any football stadium you've ever been in. Not enough room for it. Decades of work goes by, and Noah is still obeying the Lord.

Everything that God commands him, Noah is still doing it. In Ephesians 2, Paul says that the believer is saved by grace through faith. So salvation is a gift saved by grace. Grace just means a gift. Through faith, meaning the channel for the gift, is trust, belief and trust, and even the channel is a gift.

So this is really clear in Ephesians chapter 2. The salvation is a gift and the channel for the gift is a gift. Even the faith is a gift. And then Paul says this in Ephesians chapter 2 verse 10. For we, believers, are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

So in Ephesians chapter 2, Paul paints this vision of God giving the gift of salvation through a channel, and even the channel is a gift, Even the faith is a gift from God. And this is actually the making of a new creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works. And God had actually made ready for these good works beforehand, before the gift was even given. We just need to walk in these good works that have been in the mind of God before we were ever saved. We were meant to just walk in these good works that God had in mind before we were ever saved.

The life of Noah fits right within that framework. Perfectly within that framework. Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. So Noah's life became God's workmanship. So now you're just watching God at work shaping and fashioning.

He had already prepared these good works and Noah just has to walk in them. We're watching Noah walk in the good works that God prepared beforehand. God's grace was the root. Noah's obedience was the fruit. Never get that backwards, otherwise you have righteousness through law keeping and you're all mixed up and you're thinking things that are taught nowhere in Scripture.

What's the root and what's the fruit? What's at the very root of this thing before anything else happens? It's the grace of God. Well yes, and then it grows up and it bears fruit, but don't get it mixed up and please don't turn it around. If you turn it around, then somehow the goodness of Noah attracted the grace of God, like magnetically attracted the grace of God.

I think I'll be gracious to this good person. That's totally contrary to what you find everywhere else in Scripture. Finally, verse 6, Noah was 600 years old when God sent the global flood. So again we have a couple of time markers, they're very helpful. Chapter 5 verse 32, Noah was 500 when he begot these three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

And then here in chapter 7 verse 6, he's 600, so we have this century. In this century Noah begot these three sons and God spoke to Noah sometime in the century to tell him to build the ark and that all these animals, all these creatures would come to him and that he should collect up food. And then in the 600 year the flood waters came. Which brings us to the next subsection, verses 7 through 12. So follow along as I reread Genesis 7 verses 7 through 12.

The history continues. So Noah with his sons, his wife, and his sons' wives went into the ark because of the waters of the flood. Of clean animals, of animals that are unclean, of birds, and of everything that creeps on the earth, two by two they went into the ark to Noah, male and female as God had commanded Noah. And it came to pass after seven days that the waters of the flood were on the earth. In the 600th year of Noah's life, in the second month, the 17th day of the month.

On that day, all the foundations of the great deep were broken up and the windows of heaven were opened, and the rain was on the earth forty days and forty nights." So in this section, we have the inhabitants of the ark and the beginning of the flood. Flood fills in the blank if you're taking notes that way. The inhabitants of the ark, who's going into the ark? And the beginning of the flood. So Noah and his household and all the creatures that God had brought to Noah, both clean and unclean, went into the ark.

Two by two, a male and a female, they went into the ark just as God commanded. And says this, by the very same gate lions and wolves and tigers meekly entered with oxen and with lambs into the ark." There's more to the quote, but I just want to pause there. All through the same door. One door! In go the predators through the same door with the prey." He continues, and this is the only method by which we may overcome all difficulties, being persuaded that what is impossible to us is easy to God." Amen.

So you got all these things all throughout the history of this that sound impossible. Just because we can't do it doesn't make it impossible. Oh, predators, you can't put them through the same door. You can't put tigers and lambs through the same door. Oh, I'm way worse than that.

You know, I believed chapter 1 where God made everything from nothing. So this actually is nothing. Because I think if the God of Genesis chapter one really exists, this is nothing. He's not breaking the sweat with this. He didn't break the sweat in chapter 1.

God doesn't sweat. He is Spirit. I think Calvin's right to say that. This is the only method by which we may overcome all difficulties. This account has all difficulties and they all evaporate with this.

Being persuaded that what is impossible to us is easy to God. Amen. It's all easy to God. Do people who might worry occasionally need to hear that too? It's all easy to God.

Amen. He knows the needs. He's provided for the needs before you even are aware of the needs and it's all easy to Him. Amen and amen. Worryers, take heart from the Word of God.

Worry no more. God has it in control. Then after seven days, the flood waters came. I Bet you missed it. You missed it, didn't you?

Missed what? See, I told you you missed it. Noah and his family obeyed God and came into the ark a week before any sign of the flood waters. I did miss that in the text. That's true.

God said come into the ark. They came into the ark. It was seven days before the rain starts. It was not raining when they obeyed God and came into the ark. 2 Corinthians chapter 5 verse 7 says this, listen to what Paul writes through Corinthians.

2 Corinthians chapter 5 verse 7 says that the believer walks by faith, not by sight. That is the very definition of a believer. He or she believes whether or not the eyes happen to provide confirmation in the moment. If God has said it, visual confirmation is not required by the believer. They're satisfied that if God has said it, then it's true whether my eyes are confirming it or not.

So it is with Noah. Seven days pass and the dam breaks from above and from below, figuratively speaking. There's not a literal dam above and below, but figuratively speaking, the dam breaks both beneath and from above. From above, it rains worldwide. The text actually requires this.

The text says this. It rains worldwide, night and day, for 40 days. I've been referencing western North Carolina and what happened in our mountains with six hours of hard rain. How many communities were just slapped downstream by it. It rains worldwide, night and day, for 40 days.

You cannot escape to anywhere where it isn't raining, because there isn't anywhere where it isn't raining, and it just keeps raining and raining and raining. The text says, the windows of heaven are opened. From below, the subterranean waters burst forth. The text says, all the fountains of the Great Deep were broken up. Did you know that even today, you did know this, you might have forgotten, but even today we have a vast amount of subterranean water, water that is below the surface of the ground.

That's why we dig wells. Even today, you can go to Yellowstone National Park and see a miniature version every 92 minutes When the old faithful geyser shoots water 106 to 184 feet into the air, thank you Google. Every 92 minutes, that's why they called it old faithful. You can pretty much set your watch by it. Every 92 minutes, water is going to be shot into the air, 106 to 184 feet.

This is a global catastrophe. Water from above, all over the earth, 40 days, 40 nights, uninterrupted, water from beneath breaking forth. This is a global catastrophe, the likes of which the world has never seen before, and never happened before this, and has never seen since. Nothing like this has ever happened since. This is totally unsurvivable unless you happen to be in a massive floating box which is designed to not tip over even in the most wild turbulent waters.

Which is what this tiny remnant is in, a giant floating box which is designed to not tip over even the most wild turbulent waters. When did all this happen? Thank you for asking. 600 year, 600th year of Noah's life in the second month on the 17th day. I think it was Gary at Men's Bible study.

He said, what, no hour and minute? As it reads, it wouldn't be surprising if you got the hour and the minute. I'll say again what we've been saying throughout the course of working through this history. I've been very careful not to call it a story. I've been choosing my words carefully.

This is a history. If you've ever read or studied ancient mythology, this reads nothing like that. The 600th year in the second month on the 17th day. This reads like history. Oh, because it is history.

This happened in the 600th year of Noah's life. He was a real person who really lived the 930 years. This happened in the 600th year of his life in the second month on the 17th day. It's given with specificity because this is real. This happened.

This is also a helpful time marker in this sense. This is when they entered the ark. This is the day that they entered the ark. In chapter 8 verse 14, we're given the time marker for when they exited the ark. You ready?

It's the 601st year in the second month on the 27th day of the month. So in total, from the day they entered the ark to the day they exited the ark, it's one year and ten days. Now you know how much food do they need. Enough for one year and ten days. Verses 13 through 16, final subsection.

Genesis chapter 7 verses 13 through 16. Follow along as I reread it. On the very same day Noah and Noah's sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and Noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, entered the ark. They and every beast after its kind, all cattle after their kind, every creeping thing that creeps on the earth after its kind, and every bird after its kind, every bird of every sort. And they went into the ark to Noah two by two of all flesh, in which is the breath of life.

So those that entered, male and female, of all flesh went in as God had commanded and the Lord shut him in." These verses speak of entering the ark and the shutting of the ark. Shutting fills in the blank. Note takers. This connects us back to the first verse of the chapter. The Lord said to Noah, come into the ark, and on the very same day, Noah and his household entered the ark.

Eight people, Noah his wife, his three sons, and each of his three sons has a wife. In chapter four, so a place we've already been, in chapter four, We saw Lamech, the man who wrote murder poetry, the descendant of the murderer Cain. We saw Lamech taking multiple wives. We see none of that here. Noah has a wife, he has a son with a wife, he has another son with a wife, he has another son with a wife.

For Noah and his sons, God's definition of marriage from Genesis 2.24, therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife singular, and they shall become one flesh, two becoming one. The two shall become one. That definition of marriage is still intact in this family. These eight people go into the ark, all the animals and birds and creeping things after their kind also going into the ark to Noah. That's actually what the text says.

They go into the ark and then here come the animals. They come to Noah. And God shuts in Noah. Look at that last verse. And the Lord shut him in.

There are others with Noah, but it's the act of God shutting Noah in. Noah is responsible for the things that are happening here. God is responsible, but God has made Noah responsible. And God shuts in Noah and everyone and everything that came into the ark with Noah. Listen again to John Calvin.

I think he makes a good point here. That door must have been very large, which could admit an elephant." So we got double doors back here. Could you get an elephant through that? I don't think so. It's not tall enough.

So, however large this door is, it'll admit the biggest creatures on planet Earth. That door must have been very large, which could have met an elephant. And truly, no pitch, so that's a word that we encountered last week. Noah covered the ark on the outside and the inside with pitch, is this sticky substance that you use to seal and make waterproof. So that's what he's talking about here.

Truly no pitch, the sticky substance to seal, would be sufficiently firm and tenacious and no joining sufficiently solid to prevent the immense force of the water from penetrating through its many seams, especially in an eruption so violent and in a shock so severe. Therefore, Moses, to cut off occasion for the vain speculations which our own curiosity would suggest, declares in one word that the ark was made secure from the deluge, not by human artifice, but by divine miracle." That was a lot. What does that mean? Saying so that you don't worry or wonder about how this entrance in the side of the ark could withstand all the force of a flood for a year, so you wouldn't worry about human failings in making that happen. It's made a divine work.

It was a divine work. God shut this door and God kept it shut. Applications, I'll give you three. So these points at the end are always about what should we do with this? Okay, it's interesting.

I hope you find it interesting. I find these things very interesting as I study them. There's a lot to get our imaginations working, to stimulate our minds. Heaven help us if it stops there. What should we do with this?

I'm going to give you three things I think we should do with this. Applications. One. When you know God has spoken, don't wait until you can see everything in place before you obey. God says, go into the ark.

It's not going to rain for another seven days. For all you know, it was sunny that day. But he went into the ark. Why did he go into the ark? Because God said, go into the ark.

He did not need visual confirmation of impending disaster. It was enough that God said, Noah, go into the ark with your household. Believers believe God when He has spoken. That's the definition of a believer. We should act like believers.

We should be believers, and then we should act like believers. To take God at His Word. We should walk by faith, not by sight. Did you know that if you wait till obey till everything's lined up for it you almost never obey. Obedience so often requires not having sensory confirmation that everything's lined up for that.

No, we have to be ready to take God for His Word. Hey, we should decide Is there really a God in heaven who's revealed truth in this or are we just monkeying around? If we're just monkeying around, find something else to do with your life. I'm serious. Is this real or isn't it?

I don't want to play at this. I have no desire for that. I got one life to live. So do you. If you're not convinced that this is the revelation of truth from God, go do something else with your life.

Don't waste it playing. Don't waste it playing. Number two. I hope we don't have a great apostasy after I said that. I really don't believe it.

I'm out of here. I mean, in some ways that would be better. Number two, from Ephesians 2, those of us who have been saved by grace alone through faith alone should wonder this. So we should just be asking ourselves this question. What good works has God already prepared for me to walk in?

Remember that from Ephesians too? Salvation's by grace and It's through a channel, but even the channels a gift But then you're created new in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared in advance that you should walk in. So we should be thinking every day, God what did you have in your mind when you decided to save me? What good works did you have in your mind for me to walk in? That is a really helpful way to walk through life.

It keeps us aware God has these things. And all I need to do is just walk in them. God, please show me. Show it to me. I'll walk in it.

I'm so happy to be saved by your grace? I'll walk in these things. Please make it clear to me so I can walk in the things that you had in your mind when you decided to save me before I was even born, before you even made the world. More on this later in the announcements actually. We're going to bear down on this a bit later.

Number three. This is the big one. This history in the physical realm, physical world, a physical flood, real physical deaths or salvation, this history in the physical realm exists in large part to prove what is true in the spiritual realm, which is that God and only God can save. This global catastrophe was unsurvivable unless God would save this tiny little portion out of all the rest. God and only God can save.

Oh, but when God saves, He saves to the uttermost. Listen to Hebrews 7. We're going to bring this over into the spiritual realm. Hebrews 7 verses 23 through 25. Hebrews 7 verses 23 through 25.

Hebrews 7 verses 23-25. Hebrews 7 verses 23-25. Also, there were many priests, because they were prevented by death from continuing. You had priests that had work to do, but they got old and died, so you needed a new priest. Then he got old and died, and you needed a new priest, and they got old and died.

Step and repeat. But He, Jesus, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. You never need a new one. He never dies. He can just keep doing the work.

Verse 25. Therefore, he is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. It's this picture of a resurrected Jesus Christ beside His Father interceding for the interests of all those who have believed on Him. So how will they perish? If you believe on Jesus Christ, your chance of perishing is 0.00 repeating.

It's more likely than the ark would sink and you would perish. Why? Because Jesus, the Son of God, is sitting next to His Father interceding for your interests. He saves to the uttermost those who come to God through Him. God, thank you for showing us in the physical realm what is true in the spiritual realm, that only you can save, but when you save, you save to the uttermost.

This is such a comfort to us. Thank you for comforting us today. In Jesus' name, Amen.