Rev. A.J. Ogden

If any preacher is in the ministry to be popular with a sinful world system, he might as well hang up the fiddle and the bow right away. We are not called to be popular with people, but faithful to God. We are not called to tell people what they want to hear, but what they need to hear from God. The world as a whole has no appetite for the Bible.

God’s word says in Genesis 6:8, “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.” God called him to build an ark to save his people. I believe nearly all of them considered him crazy! Noah never won any popularity contests because he appeared strange to a lost and dying world who had no spiritual discernment whatsoever. Most people today have no interest in God at all. In fact, many want to get rid of his scripture in all public places.

In spite of all his opposition and unpopularity, Noah carried on for God, preaching and building for 120 years. The strange looking ark being built 100 miles from the sea coast seemed so silly to the populace. It would not float because rain never fell from the sky before they thought. There was no engine to power it, so how could it go? They didn’t want to believe God would power that boat. It didn’t even have a steering mechanism, so how would you guide it? Noah never went to a ship building school; can you imagine that? Who made him a ship builder? They would make fun of Noah on the job training from God!

But the old fellow did find grace in the eyes of the Lord and that was enough. The ark of safety would be almost empty when it sailed. Only Noah’s family went in, but it was a great success. It saved a world! You and I wouldn’t be here today had it not been that God used eight people to do a great work. No work is small when God is in it. Nearly all people of Noah’s day refused to climb aboard the ark of safety. It is the same even today. Very few get saved.