Louisville Bible Fellowship

The Days of Noah

Preached by Willie Fenton in a Gospel Meeting in Northern Ireland

Genesis 6:1 And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, 2 That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they [were] fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. 3 And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also [is] flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years...... 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. 6 And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. 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. 8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. 9 These [are] the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man [and] perfect in his generations, [and] Noah walked with God. ....... 11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. 13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

Matt 24:38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be

And the Lord will bless this public reading of His precious Word. I would like to speak to you today about the Days of Noah compared to the time we are living in. Did you notice from the passage that I read to you from Matthew where the Lord Jesus said that His return would be just after a period of time where the world would be very similar to the Days of Noah. You know, Noah lived in an age that was ripening fast for judgment. The Lord Jesus Christ drew a direct parallel between the days in which Noah lived and the days that would immediately precede His return to earth.

Yes, the Lord Jesus Christ is coming back soon. He is coming soon to take away His church from this planet. Now, when Christ comes to take up the church, we call that the Rapture, or the taking up of the church. But, now listen friend, when I say that he is coming to Rapture the church, I don't mean any specific denomination here on earth. Denominations are the works of man. That is man's doings, not Gods. The Bible clearly teaches that the Church is all true Christians that are upon the earth. Every person that has repented of his or her sins and has had forgiveness of their sins. They are the ones trusting in Christ, and only Christ for their salvation. Matter of fact, the true church is all true christians from Pentecost to the Rapture. And, then right after the church is taken up, Great Tribulation will break loose on this earth. God will send forth judgement on this planet on all those who rejected the Lord Jesus Christ. This will be the time when God's attention will be turned back to Israel. This Great Tribulation Period which will last 7 terrible years is referred to as Jacob's trouble. Some people will be saved out of this period of time, but the true church will not be here. Oh, the false one world church will be here. And, the antichrist, will be ruling for a short time on the earth. The Bible says that it is a time of such tribulation that there was never anything to compare to it in the history of our planet.

Now, today, I would like to speak to you about the condition of the world just before this terrible time. What will the world be like at this time, just before the return of Christ? Well, Jesus said in Matt. 24:38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. So, friend, to find out what the world will be like before Christ's return to earth we have to look and see what the days were like before the Great Flood when Noah build the ark. What were the days of Noah like? Well, in Gen. Chapter 6 we see seven conditions in the world just before the flood.

1) First of all we see that one condition in the days of Noah was a Spiritual Decline. Notice it says in verses 2 and 3 of chapter Gen. 6, " That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they [were] fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. 3 And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man," Now, this is saying that God's people, those who walked with God were taking themselves wives from the daughters of men, or in other words, from the men of the world, or from men who did not walk with God." Yes, here we have the Godly line of Seth beginning to be unequally yoked up with the ungodly line of Cain. Here we have God's children beginning to marry the Devils children. Here we have a great spiritual decline. And, the Bible says that God was grieved by it. Now, let me ask you. Is it not that way today? Don't you see today Christians, or people who claim to be chrisitans following the ways of the world? Yes, there is a great spiritual decline. In 2 Thes 2:3, the Bible says, "Let no man deceive you by any means: for [that day shall not come], except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;" Yes, here this verse says that the end time will not come until there is a great falling away. Well, falling away from what? Well, the world has always been fallen away from God, so I believe this is speaking of those who profess to know God, that they are falling away form God. That churches and christians no longer hold up the truth. Yes, all you have to do is look at this great country of ours, that was established on the Word of God, and was always called a Christian country. But, now you cant say that. Why? Because there has been a great falling away. In the early 1960's the Word of God was kicked out of the Public Schools. Children are no longer free to hear the teaching about God and the Lord Jesus Christ in our schools anymore. There has been a great Spiritual Decline in this country. All you have to do is turn on the TV set and you can see that there has been a great spiritual decline. There has also been great spiritual decline in the churches of today. Look at all the false doctrines being taught in churches. Yes, just as there was a spiritual decline in the days of Noah, there is a spiritual decline today as we get near the end times. God wiped out that generation back then and He is getting ready to bring judgement on our world today.

So, there was a Spiritual Decline just before the great flood. Number 2, another condition during the days of Noah was Social Dilemma. Yes, during the Days of Noah, there was a great Social upheavel, great social difficulties. In Gen. 6:1, the Bible says that there was a great increase in population. Verse one says, "And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth," There was a population explosion during the days of Noah. And, Jesus said that the condition during the days of His return at the end times would be as the days of Noah. And, we see that is true don't we. The population today has become a Social Problem, a Social Dilemma. Our world population has almost doubled just in the past decade or so. This has created problems in different societies today. It has created Social dilemmas for many countries. Not only that, but lets look at another social problem. Another social dilemma during the days of Noah was crime. Notice in Gen. 6:11, it says, "The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence." Yes, crime and violence was on a rampage just before the flood, and Jesus said it would be the same way in the last days just before His return. You know, all you have to do is pick up a newspaper and you can see how crime and violence is spreading over this country. How about the prisons that are overflowing. How about all the school shootings and all the mass murders in the last few years. Yes, just this decade, we have never seen these kinds of things before. People scratch their heads and wonder why this is happening. Why are kids today killing each other in our schools and on the streets. Is it because of lack of gun control. No, I'll tell you why it is happening. I'll tell you why crime and violence is increasing in our society. It is because we are living in the last days just before God's judgement. Christ said it would be today as it was in the days of Noah. He said, Look at it again in verse 6, the condition before the Flood, "The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence." Hey, you can't get a movie hardly anymore that isn't filled with violence. It seems the more violent the movie or the video game is the more people like it. People love violence and blood today. Why? Because the earth is corrupt before God, and the earth is filled with violence. Yes, we have a social problem today. We have a social dilemma today just like the one in Noah's Day.

Next, a third condition in the days of Noah was a Shameless depravity. In verse 5 it says, "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." This says that in Noahs day, there was a Shameless depravity. Men didn't care how wicked they were. They were not ashamed of it. His heart was only on evil thoughts. Continually. Every day mens hearts were full of evil thoughts and imaginations. This was in the days of Noah, just before the flood, and Jesus said that near the end times, it would be as the days of Noah. Well, you sure see this today don't you. Shameless depravity. I was getting a hair cut just the other day, and the TV was on in the barbar shop. Did you know that they were having some kind of beauty contest on that TV program. People in the audience were trying to guess out of a group of 10 women, which one was a man. They even wore bathing suits at one time. One of them was a man who had some kind of sex change. The audience was all laughing and clapping about it. I got sick listening to it. I bowed my head in shame and would not look at it. It was dispicable. Shameless depravity. Many men and women today are so depraved and corrupt in their speach, in the way they act, the way they dress. I have never heard such cursing and filthy talk as we have it today. If this country doesn't come to its knees soon, we will be no different than Sodom and Gommoriah in the Bible. You hear of Gay rights, gay churches, and and increase of gays in movies and TV shows. They have come out of the closet and openly promote their sins. Why? Shameless depravity. No shame. Listen to the verse again about Noah's days, "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. verse 12 "And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth."" So, it is today, not only sexually sins, but people living together unmarried, drunkenness, adultery, idolatry, and the list goes on. And, look at our leaders in our country who commit shameful acts, but don't seem to be bother at all.

Well, Spiritual Decline, Social Dilemma, Shameless Depravity, and now another condition in the days of Noah, just before the Flood was Scientific Development. In Gen. Ch. 4, we see that in the line of Seth there was a Godly line. Godly descendents. Ch. 4:26, says, And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the LORD. But, then notice in the line or the descendents of Cain in verses 16-22. Remember Cain? He was that wicked son of Adam and Eve who murdered his brother Able. Able was Godly and walked with God. But, Cain was wicked and would not walk with God. After Ables death, Eve had a son Seth and from Seth were descendents that walked and called upon God. But, look at the descendents of Cain. Notice, what Gen. 4:17 says about Cain. "And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden." Did you hear that? Cain went out from the presence of the Lord. Now, look at Cain's descendents. It says they were the ones who produced the arts, the sciences, and the culture of this age before the Flood. Cain taught men to settle in cities, giving rise to an urban society. We see that in verse 17 of chapter 4, "And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch." In verse 20, we see that it was Jabal who taught people agricultural pursuits. And in verse 21, another Jabal gave men the refinements of advancing civilization. Says, he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ. So, we have cultural refinements. In verse 22, it says that Tubalcain was an instructer of every artificer in brass and iron, so here we see something of an industrial revelution. Also we see the Cainite women leaped to prominence. Well, I am not saying all these things are bad. I am saying that these were very prominent just before the Flood. And, all you have to do today is look and see that as was this Scientific Development before the Flood, so it is in our day. The sciences in our time have just exploded. You know, for thousands of years man got where he wanted by riding a horse. Now, just in the last 100 years, man gets around by cars, trains, and airplanes. Did you hear that, man rode a horse for thousands of years. Now, he flies to the moon. Scientific Development. Not just travel. Look at the information explosion with all the computors and the technology that we have. Amazing. Now we are even hearing about scientist being about to clone animals and maybe even humans. Look what the Bible says in Dan. 12:4, it says...... [even] to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. Yes, this is the time of the end folks, Have you ever seen anything like it? Men are running "to and fro" and "knowlede has increased." Sientific Development.

A fifth condition in the days of Noah, was Strong Delusion. Now, the word delusion means a false perception of reality or an illusion. Yes, there was a strong delusion during the days of Noah just before the Flood destroyed life on earth. Look at the two verses we read in Matt. 24:38,39, the Lord Jesus Christ said, "For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Friend, did you get that. It says that life was just going on in a regular way and the people didn't know that anything was going to happen. They were eating and drinking as always. They were getting married and planning marriages. Life was just going on as usual without any warning at all that destruction was coming. Many got up that morning as they always had, had their breakfast, went out to work or play or whatever. Just an ordinary day. But, look at verse 39. It says "they KNEW NOT until the flood came". Yes, they didn't know what was going on until it happened. The ground opened up and the underground rivers and fountains gave forth their waters. The skies for the first time filled with clouds and the rain poured. They knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; Hey, they had been living a life of delusion. A life of Strong Delusion. The life they were living was coming to an end, and they didn't know it. All their plans were going to vanish. All their plans were an illusion. They thought they had a long life ahead of them. A delusion. They thought they were going to live this day as any other. An illusion. They were not aware of the coming destruction. They thought everything was going to be fine. They were busy living like always and making their plans. A delusion. Strong delusion. Their plans, their ideas, their schemes, their strategies, their projects all vanished. They thought life was going on as always. What an illusion. The Bible says they knew not until the flood came and took them all away. And Jesus said, "as in the days that were before the flood , so shall the coming of the Son of man be. Please look at 2Thes. 2:11, speaking of people living in the end times, it says, "And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie : 12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. Yes, friend, this says that in the last days which we are living, that people will be in a state of illusion. They will be sent strong delusion. Notice that it is God that sends it, because they refused to believe in the truth. God will turn them over to a state of strong delusion or allow them to be in a state of illusion. And, notice that they who are in this delusion are in it that they all might be damned. Why? Because they believe not the truth of God. And, what is the truth of God? The Bible. The Bible is the truth of God. Do you know what it says? Are you doing what it says? But, people in these last days reject God's truth, the Bible. And, God's truth in the Bible is that Jesus Christ came to save sinners. Friend, are you saved today? Yes, it is sad, but most people are not trusting in Christ for their salvation. Destruction is swifly coming. Now, we are not talking about a flood coming again. The rainbow is God's promise that he will not destroy the world with a flood again. But, what is coming is the 7 years of Great Tribulation on this earth as the world has never seen before. Then there will be the battle of Armageddon, and then there will be the Great White Throne of Judgement. All those who did not believe the truth, but had pleasures in unrighteousness, those who missed the ark perished, and all those who miss Christ will perish, because the Lord Jesus Christ is our ark today. Those who will not get into the ark, or in Christ will be judged at the great White Throne and then cast into the Lake of Fire. Oh, how awful. Those who are caught up in this Strong Delusion of this world thinking that nothing is going to happen, you are so wrong. Judgement is coming. It won't be a Flood, but it will be the Great Tribulation for 7 years. It will be the Antichrist ruling on earth. It will be the Great White Throne. And, it then it will be the Lake of Fire for ever. How about it friend? Are living a life of delusion. Are you following in the footsteps of this world? It is an illusion. This world's plan for your life is just an illusion. The devil is deceiving you day by day, and God is allowing you to believe the devil's lies. God is allowing you to be deceived because you believe not the truth of God, but you are having pleasure in your unrighteousness. Yes, this world does have so much to offer you, but it is all just Strong Delusion.

Quickly, a sixth condition we see during the days of Noah is Some Devotion. We see that during this evil time just before the flood, there was some devotion. There were a few people that were walking and trusting in the Lord. Verse 8 and 9 says, But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. .... Noah was a just man [and] perfect in his generations, [and] Noah walked with God. Yes, even though the world was in Spiritual Decline, and there was a Social Dilemma, Shameless Depravity, and Strong Delusion, here in this world we find that there were Some Devoted to God. There weren't many though. Only Noah and his family. I would find that hard to believe if the Bible hadn't said it. All mankind was destroyed off the face of the earth except for Noah and seven members of his family. Friend, I don't know how many in this world are walking with God today, but according to this passage, there must not be too many. Off course, the world's population is much, much larger now than it was in Noah's day, but look what the Bible says in Matt. 24:21, the Lord Jesus Christ speaking about the end times, "For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no , nor ever shall be. 22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved : but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened." Friend, this says that if the time we live in is not soon shortened, then there would be no more people to walk with God. Only the true Christians today who are trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ, only they are keeping the Judgement of God away from this planet. But, the number is getting smaller, and if time should go on, then this number would soon disappear, so God has shortened the time. So that the remnant of Christians will be taken out just prior to God's judgement on this earth. Friend, if you are lost, then it will be too late for you then. If Christ were to come and fetch us unto Himself this very night, then tomorrow it is too late for you to be saved. Those who refused to believe the preaching of Noah, when the waters came and the door was shut on the ark, it was too late for them. Remember that verse awhile ago in 2Thes., "And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie : 12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth," This says friend, that if you have been rejecting the Lord Jesus Christ and His death on the cross for you, then God shall send you strong delusion that you should believe a lie, that you will be damned because you refused to believe the truth. If you will not believe God's truth concerning His Son who died for you, then after the Rapture, it is too late for you. You will believe all the lies of the world and the Devil.

Lastly, a seventh condition during the days of Noah, was Sudden Destruction. Seven conditions during the days of Noah. Spiritual Decline, Social Dilemma, Shameless Depravity, Scientific Development, Strong Delusion, Some Devotion, and then Sudden Destruction. Yes, Sudden Destruction came. Verse 7 of ch. 6 says, "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." Yes, God did destroy the earth with a Flood. He brought judgement upon the earth because man had become so wicked. And, friend, God is getting very close to bringing judgement upon this earth again. It will be Sudden Destruction. The Bible says in 1 Thes 5:2 "For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, ..... and they shall not escape." Oh, listen, friend, the day of the Lord is coming soon. Oh, listen, friend, the day of the Lord is coming soon. He is coming at a time when people will least expect him to come. They will be thinking peace and safety lie ahead of us, but no, the Bible says sudden destruction comes instead, and there will be no escape from it. During the days of Noah when the flood came, there was no escape for those who refused the truth. Many no doubt tried to climb the tallest buildings and the highest hills, but there was no escape. Sudden Destruction came. They were not prepared for it. Nor will people today be prepared when the Lord Jesus Christ comes. "For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, .......and they shall not escape." "And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire " Rev. 20:15.

Listen, friend, it is not God's will that you perish. 2Peter 3:9 says, "..... The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, LISTEN NOW, ...not willing that any should perish , but that all should come to repentance." Yes, it is God's will that you be saved. It is His desire that you be saved. He is not willing that any should perish. He has made it possible that you can be saved. How? By a Person, the Lord Jesus Christ. No other way. Not by your being religious, not your church membership, not your baptism, not your good living. Salvation is in a Person, the Lord Jesus Christ. Confess that you are a sinner. Repent of your sins and turn to God. Believe in what the Lord Jesus did for you. Acts 20:21 says.... repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. Friend, if you are lost will you trust in Christ. Will you trust in what he did on the cross for you. He died for your sins. He not only died for you, He died instead of you. He took your place.