SUNDAY SERMON BY PASTOR RAJESH MATHEW, CORNERSTONE CHURCH, 3RD MAY 2020

Hebrews 11:6-7: 6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. 7 By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

• God preserves the family of Noah by faith, through the Ark Noah built. In these days may the Lord preserve each of us.
• The Word of the Lord speaks about the Second Coming of Jesus in the following way:

Mathew 24:37-38- 37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark,

• The word says that it will be like the times of Noah and times of Lot,

Gen 6:1-3- Now it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, 2 that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose. 3 And the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not strive[a] with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.”

It was a time of perversion.

• GOD had given the angels a place and a calling. There is a realm where the angels are designated to operate in. They are meant to be postmen and messengers of God. Angel Gabriel is a messenger of God. Archangel Michael was a warring angel. They are called to operate in the heavenly realm.
• The scripture above from genesis shows that they left that realm and came into the earthly realm. They left the realms they were supposed to act in accordance to their calling and came to another realm.

Walk according to the call of God upon your life. If you are called to be an ice cream, then you have to stay put in the fridge. Otherwise you will melt and lose your quality. If you are called to be petrol, then you need to sit inside that container or else you will evaporate.

If you are called to stand with the Man of God, stay there. Otherwise problems will arise.

This morning, the Holy Spirit will give you a fresh realization of your calling.

If God called you as number 5, don’t try to be number 1. If you remain in number 5, it will be a blessing. If you get out of it, unwanted problems will come your way.

WHAT WAS THE KIND OF GENERATION THAT NOAH LIVED IN?

1) It was a generation that went after prosperity

Genesis 4:20- 20 And Adah bore Jabal. He was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock.

• It was a time when people went after prosperity. We don’t need to go after prosperity. Prosperity comes after us.
• People go behind riches and that's why they end up getting depressed. God doesn't want us to go behind prosperity.
• People are more concerned about how I can get rich, how I can buy this or that! Like the times of Noah!
• We are very close to the Coming of Jesus Christ. Receive Christ and by faith get into the Ark. If you do, blessing will follow you.

2) It was a generation that had an addiction to music

Genesis 4:21- 21 His brother’s name was Jubal. He was the father of all those who play the harp and flute.

• The Harp, Organ and Flute was discovered by this person!
• We are living in times where hotel, cars, clubs and even inside homes music is played continuously. In the midst of this generation, let us play music that glorifies God. The Holy Spirit will send the psalmist anointing within your homes if you desire to glorify God through the music. Noah’s was a pop music generation.
• Can we make a decision that your voice shall belong to Jesus.
• Pastor tells the music ministry that they need to sing only those songs that are scriptural. Even if the songs sound spiritual, don’t keep listening to everything thinking it is Christian music. Sing songs about the Word, about the Blood and those that lift up the Name of Jesus.

3) It was a generation that invented weapons

Genesis 4:22- And as for Zillah, she also bore Tubal-Cain, an instructor of every craftsman in bronze and iron. And the sister of Tubal-Cain was Naamah.

• These people were inventors of weapons. It was a generation that wanted to progress, find new ideas, upgrade to the latest phones, new technology, and new discoveries.
• Fact check: The entire world currently has nuclear weapons that can destroy the world fully 120 times.

If the Word falls into your heart you will be blessed. Are you connecting to Jesus through this Word? If the Word falls into your heart, it is not an idea but a revelation given by the Father. This Word can change you into a new person. You are a part of the generation that is saved.

4) It was a generation of polygamy

Genesis 4:23- Then Lamech said to his wives: “Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; Wives of Lamech, listen to my speech! For I have killed a man for wounding me, even a young man for hurting me.

• It was a time of polygamy. People had many husbands and many wives. One boyfriend or one girlfriend was not sufficient. Such was the age of Noah.
• Why do I have to be faithful to one? Because God’s Word says so.
• Immoral relationships be broken off. The spirits behind those relationships be destroyed, in Jesus Name.
• Is there a problem if I divorce? Covenant breakers won't see eternity.
• If someone leaves you, it is OK. But if you leave them for whatever reason, you will not see eternity.

William Carrey an anointed Missionary who came to India. He had translated the Bible into many languages. He was translating the verse below, his wife was fettered in shackles in another room. She was mentally unstable. But he stood faithful to her till her death.

Roman 8:28- 28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

5) It was a generation that took revenge

Genesis 4:24- If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, then Lamech seventy-sevenfold.”

• A generation that takes revenge. People who look at others and say. “If he goes abroad, I will go to more countries. If he ministers, I will minister more. If he build a house with three rooms, I will build one with four! If they sent their children to Harvard, I will send them to Oxford!”
• Arrogant and proud. That is a Lucifer spirit. It is all about the “I”.
• I will do this and I will do that!! Such people want to sit on God’s throne. Break away this attitude from our lives and our children's.

Genesis 6:8-9- 8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God.

• Noah was righteous. He found grace in the eyes of the Lord. By the grace of God, he remained perfect in his generation.
• Speak it over your families---The grace of God
• Grace is the unmerited favour of God.

The Holy Spirit says that just there was a Before Christ (BC) and After Christ (AC), there will be a Before Corona and After Corona in your life. Things will change. There will be an outpouring of grace after this period. You will not just listen about it but will experience it. By His grace you will step into something great!

WHAT DID NOAH BELIEVE?

Noah, by faith, built an ark.

Hebrews 11:7- 7 By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

We need to have faith for preservation

1. Noah had faith to build a ship

• Till then Noah had never seen a boat! He had never built even a paper boat for Shem, Ham and Japheth.
• But by faith he built it as per God’s measurement. In our lives we need to do things not as you can do but as God commands you to do.
• God will do for you and your generation beyond your imagination.
• You may be cooking the dish for the first time, you may be doing anew business. Do it as per God’s command and instructions. God will make it excellent when you do it by His grace.
• Even certain doctors advice other young doctors to first start with working in a hospital, then a small private clinic then build their own big hospital. Even businessmen advice budding businessmen to start small and then build something big.

But God says, what you do first, do it big, not small! God will make you do it by His grace. God will give you Dimensions and measurement and cause you to do beyond what you ever thought

Stephanos preached only one message in all his life. But he preached form the Old Testament in such an excellent way that a Saul who was in the midst of the people ready to stone him was saved. Your first ministry will be big in a way that glorifies God.

2) Noah believed it will rain

• Noah had never seen rain. Till then God had instituted a sprinkler system from the ground up to wet the ground from beneath.

But Noah believed that something will fall from above! Some of you have seen help and support come from below, but heavens will open and something will fall from above over your life. Believe what the Lord is saying.

• The Holy Spirit says that the revival that the Lord will send before His return will continue until the Lord returns!! It will not be for a given frame of time, not for one year, 2 years of a couple of months. It will continue!
• The Bible talks about the poor man Lazarus who makes it to heaven and a rich man Abraham in hell. The rich man tells Lazarus to come down and tell his friends about heaven and hell, so they may believe him. God says that there are prophets, cornerstone church members and other believers etc. If you don’t believe them then even if someone comes down from heaven and tells you, they will not believe you.
• Today you need to just believe what is being preached, if God has said it.
• Don’t go on about what science and nature is saying. I am not against science or nature but it is subservient to God's Word.

3) Noah believed that all the animals will come

• Noah believed that the Penguin, wild African elephant, the Australian Kangaroo, the Koala, the Panda would come. These creatures don’t like to travel and move around much but Noah believed that even they would come.
• The Bengal tiger too came! He just believed. He had not idea how they would come. There was no GPS, no address. All clean animals by pairs of seven and unclean animals by pairs of two.

During the Lockdown period, all what you need and your blessing will come to your homes. Manna and quails came to the Israelite camp. Elijah was where God wanted him to be and the bread came through the raven right there.

• But the thing is you should receive whatever God sends you. Receive it with love, joy and gratitude. Don’t look for a white dove rather than a black raven. God will be sent you what you need! God will send His blessing, His way.

4) Noah believed that the sea would come to his door step.

• Noah hadn't seen the sea. You can’t understand this with your mind.
• Joke: A man got into the boat and asked the boatman, do you know psychology? Biology? Sociology? The boat man says, he doesn’t know all that and in turn asks the man, so you know swim ology?
• So YOU know swim ology? Have you taken the Visa to cross over to the other side (heaven)?
• If a sea came to his door step, Noah ah dot be ready. Jesus is coming back, be ready to receive Him.

5) Noah believed that his wife and children would stand with him

• In these times, you need faith for this too! Your children and wife will not be destroyed.

6) Noah believed that food for all the animals needs to be collected

• All groceries needed for the lockdown would have to be collected.
• If one doesn’t feed the dog on time, he'd bark his heart out.
• Noah collected and kept the food for every animal. Every animal needs different types of food. Elephants needs palm leaves, Koala needs eucalyptus, Monkeys need groundnuts. Noah had to collect food for all kinds for all the animals.

He had faith not only to collect food but he had faith that the provision would last. He had faith that God would protect every animal that is with him.

Context in the ark

- God shut the door of the ark and Noah & his family couldn’t get out whenever they wanted. - All the animals had to stay and sit together. The rabbit keeps running around. The Giraffe

interfered in everyone's business. You need the grace of God and the faith to keep all these together and take care of this diverse and big family. No matter how they all are were, they had to be taken together. - Even during lockdown we all have to sit together. It may have been hot inside the ark. - Elephant shit may fall. Someone had to clean up and go up to the topmost deck to throw it out of

the window above. - Every time Ham woke up a bit late, he would be in ankle deep animal pee! This is not easy! But

possible by God’s grace and faith. - There were rats running around that were carriers of viruses. Noah and his family had no sanitizer

and no masks. But he had faith that by the Blood and Name of Jesus no virus would touch him. - The Hippo would open its mouth sow ide that smaller animals could get engulfed in it. - Noah was in the ark for one and half years. Clean up your homes. - Ministry at home involves even changing diapers of kids. Within my family, I can do my ministry

by faith. Help your wife. That is a ministry that glorifies God.

But Noah had a faith to deal with all of this!!

7) Noah believed that God would bring him out of this ark in His time and that there would be a new beginning

God will do new things. Are you debt stricken? Don’t worry. God will do a new thing.

• By faith Noah and his family were preserved in the ark.
• It was a time like Noah's. Preserve us Lord. Fill us with your grace. We don’t want to be a part of generation that is destroyed.