04.13 Sermon Notes
April 12, 2025

Preserved in the Chaos: God’s Mercy in the Flood
Genesis 6–9

I. SETTING THE STAGE: A WORLD UNRAVELING

  • The Backstory: Cain to Civilization (Genesis 4–5)
    • Cain murders Abel, ignoring God’s warning about sin.
    • God’s mercy: Cain is spared, but wanders.
    • Cain’s line builds civilization apart from God (Gen. 4:17–24).
      • Sin at the center: cities, tools, music… human order without God.
      • Lamech, Cain’s descendant, boasts in murder. Pride unchecked.
  • Seth’s Line: A Remnant of Righteousness
    • Contrast with Cain: Seth’s line walks with God.
    • Enoch “walked with God”—taken into His presence.
    • Noah, a descendant of Seth, is born. His name means “rest.”

Life Lessons:

  • Sin is rooted in self-exaltation.
  • Sin justifies itself and deceives.
  • Sin builds apart from God’s order, ending in destruction.
  • Even when the world is dark, God preserves the righteous.

II. THE WORLD REACHES A TIPPING POINT (Genesis 6:1–7)

  • The Sons of God & Daughters of Men
    • A rebellion of supernatural beings.
    • A distorted attempt to gain immortality and divinity.
    • Echo of Eden: “Saw… good… took” – same sinful pattern.

God Responds

  • God limits human life to 120 years.
  • The earth is filled with violence and corruption.
  • God is grieved, not angry. Yahweh (covenant name) is sorrowful.

Reflection:
God’s heartbreak mirrors a parent watching their child self-destruct.
His sigh is filled with sorrow, not rage.

III. GOD’S JUSTICE AND MERCY (Genesis 6:8–13)

  • God Looks for the Righteous
    • Noah found favor. A man who walked with God.
    • Noah becomes the vessel of preservation.
  • God Shifts from Yahweh to Elohim
    • Yahweh grieves (relational mercy).
    • Elohim judges (righteous justice).

Tension of Divine Love & Justice:

  • How could a just God not respond to the blood of the innocent?
  • God’s mercy delays judgment, but will not ignore evil forever.

IV. THE ARK: GOD’S PLAN OF PRESERVATION (Genesis 6:14–22)

  • God’s Instructions to Noah

    • Build the ark. Follow God’s details.
    • Noah obeys—righteousness in action.

  • Judgment Comes

    • Chaos is unleashed: fountains break, skies pour.
    • Earth returns to its pre-creation watery chaos (Gen. 1:2).
    • God withdraws His order and lets chaos run its course.

Key Principle:
When humanity insists on its own way, God gives them over—and chaos follows.
The flood is the physical representation of life without God’s order.

V. THE ARK AS A TYPE OF CHRIST

  • The Ark: A Sacred Space
    • A place of mercy in the midst of judgment.
    • A “new Eden,” floating on the waters of chaos.
  • Jesus: Our Ark
    • In Him we are preserved through judgment.
    • Just as Noah was called to enter in, we are invited to abide in Christ.

Hebrews 11:7 — “By faith, Noah… condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.”

VI. TAKEAWAYS: MERCY IN THE MIDST OF JUDGMENT

  1. God sees injustice—and He grieves.
  2. God seeks out the righteous—even in the midst of chaos.
  3. God preserves those who walk with Him.
  4. God’s mercy does not negate justice, and His justice never abandons mercy.
  5. The flood isn’t just judgment—it’s a restart. A redemption story begins.

CONCLUSION: PRESERVED IN THE CHAOS

  • The flood didn’t end God’s plan—it advanced it.
  • God preserved Noah to carry forward the seed of redemption.
  • In the same way, we are called to walk with God, even when the world feels like it’s flooding with chaos.

Closing Encouragement:

  • You don’t have to build your life on human order.
  • God invites you to build with Him, walk with Him, and trust that He preserves the righteous—even in the chaos.