THE  ARK AND THE CHURCH

 

I think its amazing how many things you can take from the OT and compare to those things found in the NT.

 

Romans 15:4 For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.

 

This is so true. There are so many thing that  we can learn from the OT. This morning we will we be comparing the similarities between the Ark and the Church. Let us begin by reading the account of the Ark

 

Genesis 6:13 And 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.  14 " Make yourself an ark of gopherwood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch.  15 "And this is how you shall make it: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits.  16 "You shall make a window for the ark, and you shall finish it to a cubit from above; and set the door of the ark in its side. You shall make it with lower, second, and third decks.  17 "And behold, I Myself am bringing floodwaters on the earth, to destroy from under heaven all flesh in which is the breath of life; everything that is on the earth shall die.  18 "But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall go into the ark -- you, your sons, your wife, and your sons' wives with you.  19 "And of every living thing of all flesh you shall bring two of every sort into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female.  20 "Of the birds after their kind, of animals after their kind, and of every creeping thing of the earth after its kind, two of every kind will come to you to keep them alive.  21 "And you shall take for yourself of all food that is eaten, and you shall gather it to yourself; and it shall be food for you and for them."  22 Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did.  

 

 

 

Genesis 6:9  …Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God.

 

Because Noah worshiped God and stood out as a faithful servant Noah and his family were spared. Noah was the builder of the ark. He did not argue with God he followed his commands.

 

In The NT Jesus was God faithful servant.

Philippians 2:8   8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Not only  was he an obedient to Gods will he was the builder of the church.

 

Matthew 16:18  18 "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.

 

God told Noah to build one Ark There were not any life boats or any other type of boats built.

 

Likewise there is only one church.

Colossians 1:18   18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.

 

Ephesians 4:4  4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling;

 

Noah was told use one material to build the ark.

 

Gen  6:14 " Make yourself an ark of gopherwood.

 

The church is built out of one kind of material

 

1 Peter 2:5  5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

 

1 Corinthians 12:12-13  12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.  13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body

 

The Ark only had one window for light

 

Gen. 6:16 "You shall make a window for the ark

 

The church has one light. 

 

John 8:12   12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."

It is only  throght the word of God

 

We  are encouraged to walk  in that light.

1 John 1:7  7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

 

The Ark only had one door…

 

Gen. 6:16: …set the door of the ark in its side.

 

There is only one way into the church.

 

John 10:9  "I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.

 

John 14:6   6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

 

 

With the ark those who were saved were considered one family. 

 

Genesis 7:7   So Noah, with his sons, his wife, and his sons' wives, went into the ark because of the waters of the flood.

 

In the NT those who are being saved are considered one family as well.

 

Ephesians 3:14-15  14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,  15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,

 

Salvation was found in the ark.

Point out the obedient faith of Noah and how they were saved by water

1 Peter 3:20-  hen once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.

 

Salvation is  found in the church.

 

Ephesians 5:23  3 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body.

 

1 Corinthians 12:13  3 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body –

 

21 There is also an antitype which now saves us -- baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

 

Baptism is the point that  you enter into the church where salvation is found.

 

Genesis 7:21-23  1 And all flesh died that moved on the earth: birds and cattle and beasts and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, and every man.  22 All in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, all that was on the dry land, died.  23 So He destroyed all living things which were on the face of the ground: both man and cattle, creeping thing and bird of the air. They were destroyed from the earth. Only Noah and those who were with him in the ark remained alive.

 

Notice all those found out side the ark lost their lives. 

 

In very similar manner all those found outside the church will lose their souls to the devil.

 

2 Thessalonians 1:7-9  when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels,  8 in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.  9 These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,

 

Revelation 14:10-11  He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.  11 "And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name."

 

Don’t let yourself be found out side of the church to face such a terrible fate. Once you have obeyed the God commands and you have been baptized into the church try your best to stay in the church. Could you image Noah and his family jumping off the ark into the water with no land. That is what we are doing when we get wrapped up in sin and fall away from the church. We are jumping off the life saving vessel. Let us strive be like Noah's family who feared God, obeyed his word and found themselves  saved in the end.