By Staff
Students in a Children's Sunday School class were asked to write down what they liked best about Sunday School. One little boy, who happened to be the pastor's son, thought for a moment and remembered all the songs the class had sung during the year. His spelling was not as good as his memory, for he wrote, "The thing I like best about Sunday School is the sinning."
Friends, let's face it. We live in a world that seems to be losing its grip on morality by the second. We live in a country that is setting aside its Godly heritage faster than it can get to 80 degrees on a summer day. We live in a world that seems to be getting worse and worse as time goes on.
And some would say, "If that is true, is it possible to live godly lives in an ungodly world." My answer would be an emphatic "Yes!" In Genesis chapter six, we find the story of Noah. Noah was a man who proved that it is possible to live godly in an ungodly world. I want to share with you how he did it and how we can do it as well.
The first thing that Noah did to live godly in an ungodly world is that he walked with God. His walk was such that he had daily communion with God. Man's actions at this time were growing increasingly wicked. The people had not thought of God. They were bent on their own pleasures. Man's wickedness was great and the thoughts and intent of his heart were evil continually. It was without end. And God had had all He could stand.
In verse eight, we see that in the middle of all of this wickedness and impending destruction, Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. In all of the sin, in all of the inhumanity, in all of the wickedness was Noah. He found grace because he walked with God.
The second thing that Noah did to live Godly in an ungodly world is that he listened to God's voice. God's patience has run as far as it could go. God's mercy has run as far as it could run with most everyone on the earth. God has said, "Enough is enough." And now He is going to judge the world that He had made. God is going to instruct Noah to build an ark which will be used to house himself, his family, and all the animals that God is going to spare from this terrible catastrophe. Noah listened to God's voice and built the ark as God commanded, even though doing so would have looked crazy in the world's eyes.
The third thing that Noah did to live Godly in an ungodly world is that he followed God's direction. He obeyed God and did exactly what he was supposed to do. In spite of a seemingly impossible situation, building something that seemed impossible to build, and waiting for something to happen that seemed unlikely to happen, Noah never once complained. He never questioned God's actions or directives. He did what he was asked to do. And as a result, God protected Noah and his family and blessed them beyond measure.
Rev. Joel Brister is the pastor of First Baptist
Church of East Brewton.