The Captain and His Kids

Pastor, teacher, and author Adrian Rogers has introduced people all over the world to the love of Jesus Christ and has impacted untold numbers of lives by presenting profound truth simply stated. Thanks for joining us for this message.

Here's Adrian Rogers. He, 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 the heir of the righteousness which is by faith. May I tell you that the devil hates family religion, and yet the Bible is so full of it. I was reading there where in Acts chapter 11, Cornelius, who got saved, who was a centurion, an army officer, and a Gentile. And the Bible says that the Lord sent to him an angel who said, you go send for Simon Peter, and he'll tell you words, listen, whereby you and all of your house, that is your household, those who live in your house, will be saved. Then I was reading also in Acts chapter 16 where a woman named Lydia, who had that church at Philippi that began in her own house, the Bible tells how Lydia believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, and how when Lydia got saved, other members of her house got saved, and they all got baptized that day, the entire home got baptized. Thank God for that because they all trusted in the Lord Jesus.

And then I was reading over there in Acts chapter 16, again, the same chapter where that Philippian jailer got saved, and before he got saved, he had to know how to be saved, and so he asked Paul and Silas, sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house, that is everybody in your household, needs to be saved. And they all got baptized because they all had received Jesus Christ as the personal Savior and Lord. And now I read over here in Hebrews chapter 11 and verse 7 where Noah prepared an ark, and when Noah prepared that ark, the Bible says that Noah prepared the ark to the saving of his house. That is, all of those in Daddy Noah's family were saved.

They came to know the Lord because of the leadership of that dad. And I read over there in Genesis chapter 7 early this morning in verse 1 where God said to Noah, Noah, come thou and thy house into the ark. And Noah went into the ark, and Mrs. Noah went into the ark, and Ham and Shem and Japheth went into the ark, and all of their wives went into the ark, all eight of them were saved.

There's a great emphasis in the Bible on household salvation. That's what I want to talk to you today about as we study Captain Noah and the good ship Grace, how Noah got his family into that ark, and I want to talk to you dads, and I want to show you how you can get your family into the ark of safety, which is a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ. I want you to see again about Noah.

The Bible says look at it 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. Not only did Noah get in, but he got his kids in also.

So study with me for a few moments this morning as we think about the captain and his kids, Captain Noah and the good ship Grace. Now in order to understand this story, we have to go back to the Old Testament where it happened, so would you turn with me please to Genesis chapter 6 in the Old Testament and let's see the story of how Noah got his family into the ark and what that ark is all about. So many people just think of that as perhaps a fictitious story, something that never really happened, maybe a fable or some sort of a legend or saga of some sort. Oh no, dear friend, it was an actual happening. As a matter of fact, if you study the archaeological and anthropological records of mankind, you will find out that all civilizations have a record of the flood, all of the great civilizations.

And then you let the geologist get his spade and the archaeologist get his spade and he uncovers seashells in the top of the Alps to show that the world one time was covered by a great deluge. The flood is not some fairy tale, it is an historical happening and the Lord Jesus certainly believed in the flood because the Lord Jesus said as it was in the days of Noah, it will be in the last days when he comes back to this earth again. So the Lord Jesus believed it and if he believed it, that's good enough for me. Now what I'm trying to say is, dear friend, that what we have in Genesis chapter 6 is a factual happening but it's such an incredible illustration of salvation and how we as dads today can get our children into the Lord Jesus Christ who is our arc of safety.

So now, you ready for it? Let's just look at it. Open your Bibles here now to Genesis chapter 6 and let's just see what it is all about. May I say first of all that Jesus said, as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be.

And what were the days of Noah like? We'll look in the first three verses. And it came to pass when men began to multiply upon the face of the earth, that is there was a population explosion, and daughters were born unto them, that the sons of God, that is the godly line, saw the daughters of men, that is the ungodly line, that they were fair and they took them wise of all which they chose. That is, they disregarded God, they went their own willful way, and the Lord said, my spirit shall not always strive with man. There was a conflict with the Spirit of God.

And the mind of man went against the will and the Spirit of God. So what were these days before the flood? They were days of apostasy, verses 1 through 3, going against the Spirit of God and the commingling of that which is godly and that which is ungodly. They were days of apostasy.

But not only were they days of apostasy, they were days of anarchy. Begin reading in verse 4, and there were giants in the earth in those days. And also after that, when the sons of God came unto the daughters of men, and they bare children unto them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. Now they were not mighty, we're going to see, to serve God.

They were mighty to serve wickedness. Look in verse 5, and God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. God is heartbroken over the sins of this generation, the Bible says.

It just broke his heart. And look in verse 7, and the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, and the creeping thing and the fowls of the air, for it repenteth me that I have made them. The days of Noah were days of apostasy, verses 1 through 3.

They were days of anarchy. The Bible says in verse 5 that God saw that the imaginations of the thoughts of man's heart was evil continually. Now that word, imaginations, is a very interesting word. It does not mean daydreams, but it actually comes from a Hebrew root word, which means to fashion something as a potter would fashion a vessel.

And what it means is this, that it's not daydreaming, but it was scheming and philosophizing. Here was a generation whose heart and mind was set against God. They fashioned wicked philosophies. They espoused filthy causes. And then they tried to pour society into their mold, exactly what is happening today.

They tried to reshape society. And the same sins that produced the flood in Noah's day are reaching to heaven today. But not only were the days of Noah days of apostasy and days of anarchy, they were days of apathy.

The Bible tells how they married and they were giving in marriage. They were buying, they were selling, and they knew not until the flood came. So like this generation, we have a generation that just rolls over and yawns in the face of God.

The pleasure palaces are filled today. Many people are not in the house of God. They care not for the things of God. And we, dear friend, are living on the threshold of a greater judgment than Noah knew.

So dads, listen to me. Let me tell you what your children are facing. The same thing that they faced in Noah's day, apostasy, anarchy, and apathy. That is the mark of the last days. Now, in the face of all of that, Captain Noah got his kids on board the ark. Three things I want you to see about that ark, and I want you to see why I'm so excited about Noah's ark because Noah's ark is a wonderful, glorious picture of salvation. When you look at the ark, you find out what we have in the Lord Jesus, and it's not by happenstance. Simon Peter clearly tells us in the New Testament that the ark of Noah is a picture and a prophecy and a type of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, having said that, look with me at the symbolism of the ark. Chapter 6 and verse 12, And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. And God said unto 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.

That is, judgment is coming. And therefore, in verse 14, Make thee an ark of gopher wood. Now, I'm going to stop right there and write down the substance of the ark. What is the ark made out of? Gopher wood.

What is gopher wood? It is cypress. And why does cypress?

Cypress is perhaps the most incorruptible of all of the woods. Now, the Lord Jesus Christ is pictured in the Bible as a tree, one who will grow up as a root out of dry ground. Remember Psalm 1 speaks of the righteous as a tree planted by the rivers of water? That's what a cypress is.

It's a tree planted by rivers of water. And here's an ark that is made of gopher wood, or cypress wood, and that wood speaks of the humanity of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. But think not only of the substance of the ark, but think also in verse 14 of the safety of the ark.

Look again in verse 14. Make thee an ark of gopher wood. Room shalt thou make in the ark, and thou shalt pitch it. Do you see that word, pitch, p-i-t-c-h? Thou shalt pitch it within and without with pitch. Now, boys and girls, to pitch it doesn't mean to throw it, as a pitcher pitches a baseball, but it means to put gooey tar on the outside of the ark and to put gooey tar on the inside of the ark. That tar was called pitch. And God said to Noah, Now, Noah, I want you to make this ark of this incorruptible wood, then all over the outside I want you to put pitch.

And then get on the inside of the ark, and all over the inside of the ark I want you to put pitch. Now, what was that for? Well, obviously, it was to keep the water out.

Now, what was the water? The water was judgment. And God said you put the pitch on the outside and put the pitch on the inside, and that'll keep the judgment out. Did you know that that Hebrew word, pitch, is the word kapar? And do you know how it is translated over 70 times in the Bible, that same word? It's translated atonement. Atonement. When the Bible speaks of the blood in the Old Testament and the Bible says the blood will make an atonement for your soul, you could read it this way.

The blood will make pitch for your soul. It's the same word, kapar. It means atonement. And so here's a play on words. God says to Noah, Now, Noah, build this boat and put atonement on the outside and put atonement on the inside. You see, it is the atonement of the blood that keeps the judgment out.

Do you understand that? So you see here, first of all, the substance of this ship. And then, thank God, you see the safety of this ship because not one drop of judgment can come through this ship that pictures and represents the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now, continue to read. Look in verses 14 and 15 again. And the Bible says in verse 14 that rooms are to be in the ark. Well, what are rooms for?

Well, rooms are for people to stay in. And verse 15, And this is the fashion which thou shall make it of. The length of the ark shall be 300 cubits and the breadth of it 50 cubits and the height of it 30 cubits. This is three million cubic feet of space.

An incredible size. Now, what I'm saying in all of this is that not only do you see the substance of this ship and not only do you see the safety of this ship but you see the sufficiency of this ship. You see, there was room for everything that it was meant to do. May I tell you today there's room on board for you. May I tell you today that there is room at the cross for you. But think again, if you will, and look in verse 15 at the shape of this ark.

Notice, the length of the ark shall be 300 cubits, the breadth of it 50 cubits and the height of it 30 cubits. It didn't have a prow. Why? Because it didn't have a helm. No human hand steered this ship.

Why? Because it didn't have a destination. God was in charge of where that boat went.

There was no prow. It was blunt at this end and it was blunt at that end. If you'll study it carefully, you'll find that the dimensions of the ark were the dimensions of an ancient coffin. That was the shape of it. It was shaped like a coffin.

Why is that? Because, dear friend, we die with Christ that we might live within. When Noah went into that ark, the world that was under judgment was sealed out to Noah and Noah was sealed in to God.

Though I am crucified with Christ that I might live with the Lord Jesus Christ. Ancient people made their coffins out of cypress wood. So you see, dear friend, the substance of the ark, the safety of the ark, the size of the ark, the shape of the ark, and now notice the structure of the ark.

Oh, I love this. Verse 16, A window shalt thou make in the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above, and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof, with lower second and third stories shalt thou make it. This ark has three floors, one, two, three, because you see that speaks of the humanity of our Lord, the triunity of His nature and also His humanity, body, soul, and spirit.

And we worship one God in three persons. But on the side of the ark is a door. And at the top of the ark was a window.

Now what does that tell us? God controlled the door. Noah controlled the window. Now you see, Noah was closed in to look up.

God shut the door. God put Noah in the ark and God controlled the door, but Noah was closed in so the only way he could look is up. That ark is a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ. And when Noah came into the ark, his view now is heavenward.

Do you see the picture? We know God through Christ. You see, when we come into the ark and God brings us in as God controls the door, then we can pull back the window and look into the face of God. What was God showing Noah?

That he's no longer to be worldly minded. He is now to be heavenly minded. He has entered into the Lord Jesus Christ the ark of safety. But notice not only the structure of the ark, but now notice with me. Go down to verse 21, the sustenance of the ark. Thou shall take unto thee of all food that is eaten. That is, folks, the good stuff was on that ark. And thou shall gather it to thee and it shall be for food for thee and for them. When our Lord saves us, he invites us to his table and the captain sets a good table. There is shelter and sustenance, shelter and sustenance in the ark because not only does Jesus save, Jesus satisfies.

But now let me show you something exciting. Look, if you will, in chapter 8 and verse 4 and I want you to see the schedule of the ark. And the ark rested in the seventh month on the 17th day of the month upon the mountains of Ararat.

What's significant about that? Well, friend, this blessed me most of all as I studied this. You see, the seventh month. Well, what is the first month in the Jewish calendar?

It's October. So what is the seventh month? The seventh month is the month of April. Now, what day in April did the ark come to rest? On April the 17th, which is three days after Passover the 14th. When did Jesus Christ come out of the grave?

This same day. This is the resurrection day. Jesus Christ came out of the grave on this same day that the ark came to rest upon Mount Ararat. Jesus stood in resurrection upon the earth having gone through the waters of judgment. Just as that ark did so long ago.

Isn't that a blessing? Isn't that exciting to see how tucked away here in the Old Testament God has given us a picture of the salvation that we have in the Lord Jesus Christ who passed through the waters of judgment and stood in resurrection upon the ark. The Bible says the ark rested there.

My dear friend, our Lord is seated at the right hand of the majesty on high having let the billows of judgment roll over him and he's not lost to one who has come in to him. So let's move from the symbolism of this ship. Let's move to the salvation of this ship. Let's find out how Captain Noah got his kids on board.

Let's find out how they got on board this wonderful ark because it ought to be a lesson to every dad here today. And oh I want to make the lesson so simple today. I'm praying God help me not to be complicated. Help me not to be convoluted.

Help me just to be plain. One of the plainest verses in all of the Bible on salvation or two of the plainest verses are Ephesians chapter 2 verses 8 and 9. Now if you've been around here very long you know those verses by heart. Ephesians 2 verses 8 and 9 I'm going to share them with you and tell you how they apply to Noah's ark. All right now listen to Ephesians chapter 2 verses 8 and 9.

The Bible says for by grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves it is the gift of God not of works lest any man should boast for we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works which he hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Now if you remember enough of your high school English you know what a preposition is. Okay there are three key prepositions in Ephesians chapter 2 verses 8 and 9. By, through, and unto. By grace, through faith, unto good works.

Keep those in your mind. If you keep those three prepositions in your mind you will understand the theology of salvation perfectly. By, through, and unto. It is by grace, through faith, unto good works. By grace, through faith, unto good works. Ephesians 2 verses 8, 9, and 10.

Do you have it? Now keep that in mind and I want you to see how that is illustrated in Noah's Ark. Now first of all what did we say? We said that salvation is by grace, right? Look in Genesis chapter 6 and verse 8. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.

Do you see it? Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Did you know this is the first mention of grace in all of the Bible?

Right here. Noah found grace. How did Captain Noah and his kids get saved? By grace. And what is grace?

Grace is God's incredible indescribable love that causes God to love us when we don't deserve to be loved. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. We have a covenant of grace.

Look in verse 18 of this same chapter. God said to Noah, But with thee will I establish my covenant, and thou shalt come into the ark. You see, salvation is a covenant of grace.

A covenant of grace. We're not saved by good works. You're not saved by joining a church, giving your money, getting baptized, obeying the Ten Commandments, living right. You can't be saved that way. Salvation is not a reward for the righteous.

It is a gift for the guilty. Noah was not saved because he was such a hot shot or a good guy or a good old boy. He was saved by the grace of God. And if you go to heaven, it'll only be because God in grace has prepared an ark of safety for you, the Lord Jesus Christ. Okay?

Now, listen. It was by grace, but also it was through faith. By faith, Noah prepared an ark to the saving of his house.

Right? So plain, isn't it? By grace, that was God's part. Faith, that was Noah's part. Now, the ark is completed, and look in chapter 7 and verse 1.

And the Lord said unto Noah, Come thou, and all thy house into the ark, that is, the ark is complete, it is done. And now our Lord, with open arms, says to Noah, Come. And when Noah walked up that gangplank, that was faith, dear friend.

You see, faith is the gangplank that gets us on board, the good ship grace. Our Lord looked at Noah and his family, and our Lord opened his arms to Noah and his family. And our Lord said to Noah, Come. And Noah said, Just as I am, without one plea, but that thy blood was shed for me, O Lamb of God, I come to thee, I come.

You say he didn't say it in those words, no. But here God had given him a picture of grace. And God says, Noah, I have prepared for you an ark of safety, and I want you to come. And Noah responded, Just as I am, I come, I come.

Now what three prepositions did I tell you to remember? By grace, through faith, now watch this, unto good works. Now look, if you will, in Genesis chapter 9 and verse 1. The Bible says, And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth. Now were they saved because they were fruitful and multiplied and replenished the earth? No. They were fruitful and multiplied and replenished the earth.

Why? Because they were saved. Do you understand it? Noah wasn't saved by being fruitful. He was fruitful because he had been saved. It was unto good works. You see, fruit is not the cause of our salvation.

It is the sign of our salvation. I cannot work my soul to save. That work my Lord has done, but I will work like any slave for the love of God's dear Son. We're not saved by faith and works, but we're saved by faith that works. And Noah was so grateful what God had done for him that he took God at his word to be fruitful and to multiply just like every one of us ought to be.

So how did Captain Noah get his kids aboard? For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is a gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast, for we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works. Now very quickly, let me give you the third thing I really have to say. I've talked to you about the symbolism of the ship. I've talked to you about the salvation of the ship. Let me talk to you about something oh so all glorious today. Let me talk to you about the security of the ship.

The security of the ship. Look if you will again in Genesis chapter 7 and verse 1. The Lord said unto Noah, Come thou and thy house into the ark. And then look if you will in chapter 7 and verse 16. And they that went in went in male and female of all flesh as God had commanded him.

Now watch this. And the Lord shut him in. Who sealed the door? The Lord did. Noah went in and God shut the door behind him.

For the Bible says after we believe in the Lord Jesus, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. I mean God shuts us in, friend. Not only did God shut the water out, but God shut Noah in.

This is the reason I believe in the eternal security of the believer. You see God shut the door. God said to Noah, Come into the ark. Now God didn't say to Noah, Noah go into the ark. God said to Noah, Come into the ark. You say, What's the difference? Well if I say to you, Go into that room, that means I'm out here, you go in there. But if I say, Come into this room, that means I'm in here, come in with me.

Right? God had gone down, God had gone down. God was in the ark. I'll tell you when I'll lose my salvation, I'll lose my salvation when Jesus Christ loses His relationship with the Father, because I'm in Christ.

The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5 verse 17, If any man be in Christ, he is a new creation. I am in Christ as Noah was in that ark. And I am shut into Christ as Noah was shut into that ark. You say, I slip and fall. What do you mean what if, my dear friend?

I slip and fall a lot. I'll tell you one thing, Noah may have fallen down many times in that ark, but he never fell out of it. He couldn't fall out of it, because God had shut him in. You hear folks in a testimony meeting, sometimes they'll give a testimony, and then they'll say something like this, You pray for me, I'll hold out faithful to the end. Suppose God has said to Noah, Now Noah, if you want to be saved, you put some eight pegs on the outside of that ark.

One for you and one for Mrs. Noah, one for Ham, one for Shem, one for Japheth, one for their wives. And then when it starts to rain, you get on a step ladder and go up and hold on to those pegs. Your feet will be dangling. The water will be rising.

It's going to be rough. But Noah, if you can hold on to that slimy peg until the water goes down, you'll be saved. I don't think Noah would have made it. I can see Noah saying, Mrs. Noah, honey, you pray for me, I'll hold out faithful to the end. Oh, friend, that's the kind of salvation some people think they have. They think that they're saved by holding on to him. No, my dear friend, we're saved because he holds on to us.

And he says none is able to take them out of my Father's hand. Noah was shut into that ship. Oh, there are a lot of folks who believe in eternal security, but let me tell you how they believe in eternal security. They believe that they're going to get eternal security one day when they go to heaven, that they're going to step into heaven and slam the door behind them and say, phew, boy, I made it. Hallelujah. I'm safe now.

Well, wait a minute. How do you know you're safe now just because you're in heaven? The angels fell from heaven, dear friend. May I tell you that security is not in a place. Security is in a person, and his name is Jesus. And dear friend, if you're in Christ, you're secure. And if you're not in Christ, I don't care whether you're in heaven above.

You wouldn't be secure. The angels fell from heaven. Thank God for the security of this ship. And the Bible says by faith, Noah, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house. Dads, have you led your sons, your daughters to Jesus? Joyce and I have a little baby in heaven.

We have four children on this earth. One week, I got on my knees and I prayed. I said, oh God, if any of my children are not saved, they've all made professions of faith, but oh God, if any of my children are not saved, Lord, help them to be saved. The next Sunday when I preached, and I had no reason to believe this would be so. I had no reason to doubt my daughter Gail's salvation. So the next Sunday when I preached as a teenager, my daughter Gail came down the aisle and she said, Daddy, I'm just not certain that I've ever really and truly been saved and I want to get it settled.

And I thank God for the godly woman that she is today. I don't know how I could stand the thought of going to heaven and leaving my children behind. Come thou and thy house into the ark. My captain brother, is all the crew on board? I mean, have you led your children to Jesus? Are you, sir, on board that ark? If you would like to learn more about how you can know Jesus or deepen your relationship with Him, simply click the Discover Jesus link on our website, lwf.org. For a copy of this message or additional resources, visit our online store at lwf.org, or call 1-800-274-5683. Thank you.