1. According to our Lord, the days preceding His return will be very much like the days of Noah (Matt.24:37-39).
2. Noah warned the people that it was going to rain but they laughed at his preaching. After all, it had never rained before!
3. By the way, where in the Bible does it say that Noah was a "preacher of righteousness"? (II Peter 2:4,5).
4. Today, preachers are warning people that God is going to judge this wicked world, but worldly people just laugh it off (cf. II Peter 3:3-9).
5. Today, the ungodly are having a big time. They have money; they have their parties; they have their nice cars and clothes, and anything they want. Who needs God? Who needs the Bible? Who cares what the Bible says?
6. By the way, just last night a man from our church told me he thinks the Wall Street boom is going to crash any day now. All these worldly people that are trusting in their riches – what are they going to do then?
9. I would like for us this day to study the days of Noah and compare it to our day – keeping in mind our Lord’s words: "But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be" (Matt.24:37).

I. GOD ALWAYS JUDGES SIN (GEN.6:5-7,11-13).

1. Whether it was the days of Noah, the days of Sodom and Gomorrah, the days of Pharaoh, or our day – God always judges sin.
2. There comes a time when God says: "Enough" (cf. Gen.6:3; cf. Rom.1:24,26,28).
3. There are some people whom God has given up on (cf. Matt. 12:31,32. Notice, "Jesus knew their thoughts…" (Matt.12:25; cf. 12:30).
4. It is a terrible thing to hear the Gospel and refuse to obey it (Pro. 29:1). God is going to judge those who do not obey the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ (II Thess.1:8,9).
5. People were very wicked in Noah’s day. God had no choice but to destroy them (Gen.6:5-7). Things have not changed in 4,000 years!

II. GOD IS GRACIOUS (GEN.6:8).

1. I want to emphasize that while God must judge sin, God is gracious and longsuffering.
2. In the midst of all the wickedness and spiritual darkness, "Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord" (Gen.6:8). God always has a faithful remnant (cf. II Peter 2:5).
3. There will always be some people who will believe in God (Heb.11:7).
4. A clean Christian testimony is a rebuke to the world and worldly people deeply resent that (Heb.11:7).

III. GOD HAS PROVIDED AN ATONEMENT (GEN.6:14).

1. God instructed Noah to build an ark of gopher wood (probably cypress or cedar, maybe oak) and to "pitch it within and without with pitch" (Gen.6:14).
2. The Hebrew word translated "pitch" (kippur) is elsewhere translated "atonement." {Yom Kippur = Day of Atonement}
3. Notice there was only one door in the ark (Gen.6:16). There is only one way to have your sins forgiven – it is not through confessing them to a priest; it is not through baptism; it is not through your good works – it is only through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
4. Notice – "the Lord said unto Noah, Come…into the ark" (7:1), not "Go into the ark." Likewise, Jesus says, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matt.11:28).
5. The whole world was about to be destroyed, but Noah and his family were safe in the ark. Beloved, that ark was a picture and type of the Lord Jesus Christ.
6. This old world is on its last legs. God’s judgment is certain. But those who have trusted Christ are safe. Are you in Christ?
7. The Lord said, "Come." It was a gracious invitation. It was a special invitation; the Lord said, "Come thou…"
8. It was an urgent invitation – "For yet seven days…" (Gen.7:4).
9. God told Noah what to do and he obeyed (Gen.6:22; 7:5). What about you? Are you obedient to the Lord’s commands?

CONCLUSION:

1. Let me ask you a good Bible question: Who was the oldest man that ever lived?
2. Noah had a grandfather named Methuselah. He lived to the age of 969 (Gen.5:27).
3. His name means literally, "When he dies, it shall come." His name was a warning to the antediluvian world that God’s judgment was coming.
4. Methuselah was 187 when his son Lamech was born (Gen.5:25). Lamech was 182 when his son Noah was born (5:28). Therefore, by adding 187 to 182, we discover that Methuselah was 369 when his grandson Noah was born.
5. Noah was 600 years old when the flood came (7:6). By adding 369 to 600, we see that Methuselah was 969 when the flood came.
6. In other words, as soon as he died, the flood came.
7. We do not have a Methuselah around today. But we have the infallible words of our Saviour, who said: "But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be" (Matt.24:37).