This is the first or three installments concerning Noah’s Faith, so keep reading the upcoming weeks. By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith. Hebrews 11:7 By faith, Noah constructed and prepared an ark. Although "ark" can be defined as a box or a container, it was in no way just an ordinary box or container.  Noah built a container ship after being warned by God that a mighty flood would come upon the face of the earth and cover land that had never even seen rain.
Centuries later, in 1912, another ship was built and labeled as the ship of all ships, one that was considered to be unsinkable.  This mighty structure of the the seas was named after the mythological gods that supposedly ruled the earth known as the Titans and was christened as the Titanic. Friend, from its earliest conception and through its completion, the Titanic was earmarked by: Conceit – because of its unique sealed compartments it was designed to be unsinkable.  Mr. J. Bruce Ismay, chairman of the White Star Line of steamships, declared haughtily, “I cannot see any disaster happening… even God cannot sink this ship…”. Carelessness – no one thought of this marvel sinking; not one soul considered in their mind the possibilities of this ship slipping into the cold dark waters of an ocean.  Therefore, only lifeboats for half of the passengers were installed. Catastrophe – at 11:40 PM, cruising at 22 knots, the famous and unsinkable Titanic collided with an iceberg, ripping a 300 foot gash in the ship's starboard bow. Five water-tight compartments had been ripped open by the jagged edges of a floating island of ice.
Most did not realize anything serious had occurred and many people continued to sing, dance and party on, completely oblivious to the precarious situation at hand. Â At 12:45 AM, an emergency flare was fired into the night sky, one of eight attempts to notify any passing ships of the crisis and impending doom. Â As the minutes passed, 1:30 AM arrived and dreams of an historic maiden voyage across the Atlantic Ocean were dissolving into an unthinkable watery nightmare. Â Two hours after the fateful collision, over two thousand people on board began to make their way to the life boats. Â In those early morning hours of April 15, 1912, one thousand five hundred and seventeen of the two thousand souls aboard the unsinkable Titanic slipped into a 31 degree watery grave and drowned in the cold waters of the Atlantic.
When the Titanic set sail, passengers were separated into three classes and were housed accordingly on the upper, middle or lower decks of the ship based upon their social status. Â When the Titanic sank, however, there were only two classes:Â saved or lost!
Noah’s Cruise Line was a little different.  It had not been built upon the confidence of man, but rather a determined faith in God.  Noah's understanding of the approaching storm that God had told him would soon occur compelled him as a righteous man of God to obey the Lord and build an ark which would save his family and preserve life on earth.  It would be this ark, a container ship if you will, that was to deliver mankind from the impending dangers of God’s wrath.Â
Noah built an ark that required Faith.  It has already been said that it was by faith that Noah prepared. There is a difference in one person's faith and another's.  Noah’s was a determined faith that was also a: Laboring Faith – Noah’s faith led him to DO something. Remember that James said, “Faith without works is dead."  He said, “I will show you my faith by my works." You can tell me you have faith all day long, but until your faith is seen in labor, until your faith causes you to DO something, your faith is dead.
Noah’s was a determined faith that was also a: Leading Faith – No one had ever even seen rain, yet for 120 years Noah preached that it would rain upon the earth and that waters would come forth from the ground.  Noah backed up his words with labor, leading his sons to help construct the ark, the container ship meant to save mankind. Noah had been “warned of God”.  He spoke with God and led the charge to build an ark after hearing directly from the Lord. It was the voice of God which Noah heard. Beloved, God must first speak in your life, for true faith is rooted in the Word of God.  Romans 10:17 says, "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."  True faith is patient and able to wait on God.  Evangelist George Mueller prayed for two men for twenty-five years. Twenty-seven years later, Mr. Mueller's own brother died a lost man, yet shortly thereafter those two men were saved. A determined faith will wait on the Lord.
Noah’s was a determined faith that was also a: Loving Faith – “to the saving of his family”. Mothers and Fathers, your children’s faith and their trust in Christ will not be any greater than what you display in the home. Noah’s loving faith was seen and KNOWN by those of his own house.
There may not always be an impending crisis or emergency to prepare for.  In verse 7, it also says “things not yet seen” referring to the absence of any evidence of rain, past, present or future.  As it all unfolded, it was a determined faith that prepared Noah to save his home and his family.
...being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house...
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