WEBVTT 00:00:00.239 --> 00:00:01.199 Hey gang. 00:00:01.360 --> 00:00:02.879 Happy New Year. 00:00:03.439 --> 00:00:05.280 Hey man, you guys came back. 00:00:05.360 --> 00:00:06.160 That's awesome. 00:00:06.320 --> 00:00:08.720 It's always a blessing when guys come back. 00:00:08.960 --> 00:00:10.160 So fantastic. 00:00:10.320 --> 00:00:15.439 I hope y'all had a great holiday and uh hope you guys are uh excited. 00:00:15.599 --> 00:00:19.760 Your week is starting off again well, and uh it's just great to be back. 00:00:19.920 --> 00:00:20.960 I missed you guys. 00:00:21.199 --> 00:00:22.399 I missed Tuesdays. 00:00:22.480 --> 00:00:24.960 It's fun to uh it's fun to do this together. 00:00:25.199 --> 00:00:37.039 Hey, um, as we get started, uh I want to share with you a little bit, uh, you guys that are not a part of the First Baptist family, we you know we love you guys, and we're glad y'all are here and a part of Tuesdays with us. 00:00:37.280 --> 00:00:40.240 Want to let you know what we're doing as a church. 00:00:40.479 --> 00:00:44.560 We're doing uh a chronological study of the Bible. 00:00:44.719 --> 00:00:51.200 We're reading through as a church the chronological version of the Bible, uh, all through 2026. 00:00:51.600 --> 00:00:56.159 And so uh what that means is we're reading the Bible just like any other deal. 00:00:56.240 --> 00:01:00.799 We're just not reading it topically, we're reading it in its date order. 00:01:01.039 --> 00:01:11.280 So, for example, uh Job is one of the oldest stories in Scripture, and it's one of the oldest written books in Scripture. 00:01:11.439 --> 00:01:20.239 And so we're not really sure exactly where it goes, but what we did, the version platform we're following, uh they put it in before Abraham. 00:01:20.400 --> 00:01:29.599 So we read for a week in Genesis, and now this week we've started reading in Job, and we'll do that, and then when we're done with Job, we'll pick back up with Abraham. 00:01:29.760 --> 00:01:46.000 Uh, when you read the Psalms, you know, those were written over a long period of time, so there'll be times that we'll pick this psalm that was written about this moment in David's life, and we'll insert it in there and read it alongside that moment in David's life, you know, things like that. 00:01:46.159 --> 00:01:48.560 So that's what it means to read it chronologically. 00:01:48.640 --> 00:01:49.760 We're doing that as a church. 00:01:49.920 --> 00:01:56.879 The platform we're using, there are a lot of different really good platforms to that kind of help walk you through that. 00:01:56.959 --> 00:02:00.719 We're using one called the Bible recap, and so you'll see that around. 00:02:00.879 --> 00:02:06.079 We have a couple of the books around, we have a couple of the bookmarks if you're interested in that in the back. 00:02:06.159 --> 00:02:09.439 Um, the bookmarks just give us the readings. 00:02:09.680 --> 00:02:15.599 The journal is is nothing but here's the day's readings and here's three questions, and you write your own thing. 00:02:15.759 --> 00:02:18.879 So we're not studying somebody else's book, we're studying God's book. 00:02:18.960 --> 00:02:19.759 That's what we're doing. 00:02:21.039 --> 00:02:29.280 In a lot of the settings in our church, we're gonna take some time and uh and we'll unpack a lot of those daily readings. 00:02:29.360 --> 00:02:35.680 So, in a lot of our luncheons, I'm gonna teach from the readings of the previous week. 00:02:35.919 --> 00:02:43.599 So the way this works, our church reads, and then on Sunday I preach from one of those passages of scripture that we read that week. 00:02:43.840 --> 00:02:48.479 A number of our Sunday school classes, they're coming in and discussing what they've read that week. 00:02:48.639 --> 00:02:54.560 So on Tuesdays, a lot of times you'll see a Bible recap screen, and I will pull that lesson from the readings. 00:02:54.719 --> 00:03:04.800 Now, on Sunday mornings, and here I will reserve the right to put a parentheses on that at any time we feel like God leads us, and so we can go study something else and do whatever. 00:03:04.879 --> 00:03:10.400 So it's not like we're locked into that, but it is really uh it is really a joy. 00:03:10.560 --> 00:03:12.719 Our church has gotten very excited about it. 00:03:12.879 --> 00:03:15.840 Lots of people have already started, they're jumping in. 00:03:16.000 --> 00:03:17.599 And so I told somebody it's great. 00:03:17.680 --> 00:03:22.000 We get a great star for two weeks, and then we hit Job and we come apart. 00:03:22.639 --> 00:03:25.360 All right, but uh, but everybody's doing a great job. 00:03:25.520 --> 00:03:26.319 We're excited about it. 00:03:26.400 --> 00:03:38.479 But today I want to give you uh I did not want to run off and leave one of my absolute favorite stories in all of Scripture, and one of my top probably three favorite verses in all of Scripture. 00:03:38.719 --> 00:03:44.000 You see my little arcs here, and uh, folks that go to church here have heard me talk about that. 00:03:44.159 --> 00:03:48.240 Last night I had to take down all the Christmas trees and all the decorations and stuff. 00:03:48.479 --> 00:03:51.280 This is a big ceramic nose arc. 00:03:51.439 --> 00:03:55.199 In the entry hall of our house, we have what we call the Jesus tree. 00:03:55.439 --> 00:04:06.240 And the Jesus tree is a tree that's near the front door of our house, and all of the ornaments on that tree represent the pictures and images of Jesus. 00:04:06.400 --> 00:04:07.919 We call it the Jesus tree. 00:04:08.080 --> 00:04:15.039 And so we'll have this big old ceramic arc right in the middle of the Jesus tree. 00:04:15.199 --> 00:04:19.360 And then right next to it is usually a big plastic loaf of bread. 00:04:19.519 --> 00:04:24.959 And over here's a hammer, and over here's a well, and here's a sheet on our tree. 00:04:25.040 --> 00:04:27.439 And like they're like, that's the weirdest tree I've ever seen. 00:04:27.680 --> 00:04:29.680 Why do you have an ark on your tree? 00:04:29.839 --> 00:04:31.040 Well, I'm glad you asked. 00:04:31.199 --> 00:04:34.000 Let me tell you about Jesus, the reason for Christmas. 00:04:34.160 --> 00:04:40.319 And so this is the Noah's Ark that is on our Jesus tree every year and has been there for years and years. 00:04:40.480 --> 00:04:41.759 Our kids know it, love it. 00:04:41.839 --> 00:04:42.800 We've had it for years. 00:04:43.040 --> 00:04:47.839 If we ever break it, there will be great wailing and gnashing of teeth in the Addison clan. 00:04:48.079 --> 00:04:50.800 And so we love this, and this is the ark. 00:04:51.120 --> 00:04:57.439 This is a wooden ark that we have gotten, and we got it when our kids were little. 00:04:57.600 --> 00:05:00.160 In fact, the wheel right here is broken off, right? 00:05:00.240 --> 00:05:02.160 So it's we've had this forever. 00:05:02.319 --> 00:05:05.759 It's it's older than this one, okay? 00:05:05.920 --> 00:05:09.040 And so we have lots of Noah's arcs all over our house. 00:05:09.199 --> 00:05:14.480 And I could have brought a bunch of them, but this one right here is important because our grandson Killian is two. 00:05:14.720 --> 00:05:17.519 Yes, you have to live through another Killian story, right? 00:05:17.920 --> 00:05:32.399 And uh and so this one we brought out because his mom played with it when she was a toddler, and his uncle Grant played with it when he was a toddler, and so this year we put it under the tree for Killian to play with it. 00:05:32.560 --> 00:05:42.160 Now, Killian loves animals, and so when you take the door off, you have all these wooden animals that all come out, and this is Noah, right? 00:05:42.240 --> 00:05:49.360 So he's learned about Noah, and then you start pulling out all the animals, and uh, that's the wheel that broke off. 00:05:49.519 --> 00:05:54.800 So here is an elephant, and so Killian loves elephants, and what does an elephant say? 00:05:56.240 --> 00:05:57.839 That's what he says, right? 00:05:58.079 --> 00:05:59.360 Here is the giraffe. 00:05:59.439 --> 00:06:00.720 Now, this is really fun. 00:06:01.120 --> 00:06:07.759 Uh he began as he started talking, calling all the animals by the sounds that they make. 00:06:08.000 --> 00:06:12.959 So a horse was a neigh, a cow was a moo, a pig was a, you know. 00:06:13.120 --> 00:06:15.439 And so what sound does a giraffe make? 00:06:15.519 --> 00:06:17.199 Does anybody know what sound a giraffe makes? 00:06:17.680 --> 00:06:18.560 Nobody knows. 00:06:18.720 --> 00:06:20.800 So my daughter Mavery made up a sound. 00:06:20.879 --> 00:06:25.120 So a giraffe is a l-ol-lol in our house. 00:06:25.680 --> 00:06:26.160 Right? 00:06:26.319 --> 00:06:33.920 So there's two lols, and they two, and so we're teaching him as the animals come in and out, two by two, and all that. 00:06:34.160 --> 00:06:45.040 But the most important thing that Bomber is teaching Killian is when all the animals are in, God shut the door. 00:06:45.759 --> 00:06:47.360 God shut the door. 00:06:47.680 --> 00:06:53.199 And that is one of the greatest pictures in all of Scripture that I can possibly imagine. 00:06:53.519 --> 00:06:59.519 There have been very few scriptures that have been as much of an encouragement in my life as God shut the door. 00:06:59.680 --> 00:07:05.360 And so, even as a two-year-old, we're beginning to teach Killian the character of God. 00:07:05.600 --> 00:07:12.399 This was God's plan of redemption, and when God has you, God shuts the door. 00:07:12.560 --> 00:07:12.959 Right? 00:07:13.120 --> 00:07:16.319 So that's the scripture we're going to look at for a few minutes today. 00:07:16.639 --> 00:07:22.079 Uh, the story of the flood and all of that is found in Genesis chapter 6 and 7. 00:07:22.160 --> 00:07:25.680 But I want to entitle this The Magnitude of God's Grace. 00:07:25.920 --> 00:07:27.839 The magnitude of God's grace. 00:07:28.000 --> 00:07:30.160 So let's be reminded of the scripture. 00:07:30.319 --> 00:07:34.639 You got all of that description and all those two chapters, and we don't need to read through all of that. 00:07:34.800 --> 00:07:35.920 Here's what we need to know. 00:07:36.480 --> 00:07:42.480 In Genesis chapter 6, the Bible says, Noah, however, found favor in the sight of the Lord. 00:07:42.639 --> 00:07:47.120 The King James Version that a lot of folks have heard says, Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. 00:07:47.279 --> 00:07:49.839 It's the same word, it's the same thing. 00:07:50.079 --> 00:07:59.519 The Bible tells us that the sin had become rampant in the world, and it was so bad God had was was grieving over why did I make this mess? 00:07:59.680 --> 00:08:02.720 And he says, I'm gonna bring judgment and start over. 00:08:02.879 --> 00:08:10.959 And so he was gonna bring judgment on every human and all of the earth and flood it with a flood through rain, first time it rained. 00:08:11.040 --> 00:08:13.680 But he says, Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. 00:08:13.839 --> 00:08:16.079 Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. 00:08:16.319 --> 00:08:21.839 So God extended his grace and protection and redemption to Noah. 00:08:22.000 --> 00:08:25.279 And then in chapter 7, you get the short version of that. 00:08:25.519 --> 00:08:39.200 In the 600th year of Noah's life, in the second month, uh, on the day that all the sources of the watery depths burst open, the floodgates of the sky were opened, and rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights. 00:08:39.440 --> 00:08:50.159 On that same day, Noah, along with his sons, Shem, Him, and Japheth, Noah's wife and his three sons' wives, entered the ark with him. 00:08:50.399 --> 00:09:07.039 They entered it with all the wildlife, according to their kinds, all livestock, according to their kinds, the creatures that crawl on the earth, according to their kinds, all birds, every flower, everything with wings according to their kinds, two of all flesh, that Noah has the breath of life in it, entered the ark with Noah. 00:09:07.200 --> 00:09:16.320 Those that entered, male and female of all flesh, entered just as God commanded him, and then the Lord shut the door. 00:09:16.960 --> 00:09:18.080 Shut the door. 00:09:18.480 --> 00:09:23.200 The ark is an incredible picture of Jesus Christ. 00:09:23.840 --> 00:09:30.159 And is one of my favorite things to teach on is all the different ways that the ark is a picture of Jesus. 00:09:30.240 --> 00:09:32.000 It's an Old Testament picture of Jesus. 00:09:32.080 --> 00:09:42.320 And I could spend two weeks doing just that, but I really want to focus on the encouragement of the magnitude of God's grace, that when you are saved, you are saved. 00:09:44.240 --> 00:09:46.639 No judgment touches you. 00:09:46.799 --> 00:09:54.559 The Bible says in Romans, there is therefore now no condemnation in Christ Jesus. 00:09:54.799 --> 00:10:01.600 And so if the ark is the picture of Jesus, it is an incredible picture to know that God shut the door. 00:10:01.759 --> 00:10:05.759 What does that mean for us in our salvation and in our life? 00:10:06.000 --> 00:10:11.519 In church life, often we refer to this as the eternal security of the believer. 00:10:11.759 --> 00:10:15.360 Once saved, always saved is how I grew up hearing it. 00:10:15.519 --> 00:10:18.639 Like we believe that when we're saved, we're saved forever. 00:10:19.200 --> 00:10:26.960 In a lot of modern life, we have so many intellectual, you know, theological, whatever, and that's fine and all that. 00:10:27.200 --> 00:10:44.559 But, you know, we have a tendency at times to go take these verses in the New Testament and we parse them down to such a minutiae and we do violence, torturing these one verses here or there, or this phrase or comma in this thing, trying to sort, you know, and get all that. 00:10:44.720 --> 00:10:55.200 Instead of one of the beauties of reading the entire scripture chronologically through is you understand the threads and the context of scripture. 00:10:55.440 --> 00:11:07.519 And so if Jesus is found on every page of Scripture and salvation is found on every page of Scripture, then the overarch and the story of Scripture should speak into all these matters for us. 00:11:07.840 --> 00:11:16.080 And this is a perfect example of one of the places where we understand when God saves, he saves. 00:11:16.480 --> 00:11:21.519 And when God saves, he saves completely, he saves totally, and he saves eternally. 00:11:21.919 --> 00:11:24.159 And so when God saves us, he saves us. 00:11:24.240 --> 00:11:34.399 Now I want to just focus a little bit on a few minutes that we have about that security that we have in our salvation when we have trusted Jesus Christ as our Savior, right? 00:11:34.639 --> 00:11:37.039 And so here's the first thing I want you to think about. 00:11:37.279 --> 00:11:47.360 Um, we know that we have security in Jesus, just as Noah and his family had security in the ark, because that was God's plan. 00:11:48.080 --> 00:11:51.519 God's plan of redemption is to redeem. 00:11:52.159 --> 00:12:00.000 God didn't create a plan where, hey, I'm gonna bring judgment, but I'm gonna I've found uh favor with Noah. 00:12:00.240 --> 00:12:11.360 He loves me, he follows me, I'm gonna save his family, and then leave some creaky spot or a window that's half broken, and Noah falls out a window and drowns in the flood waters. 00:12:11.600 --> 00:12:13.039 That's ridiculous. 00:12:13.360 --> 00:12:31.519 God's not gonna do it in such a way that uh Noah gets mad at his wife one day because he's just tired of being on the boat with her and smelling all the animals, and they have a big argument, and he screams at his wife and says something ugly, and then he goes and falls out a window and dies and loses his redemption. 00:12:31.679 --> 00:12:32.879 It's ridiculous. 00:12:33.120 --> 00:12:41.759 What God has created a picture of is he created the means of Noah's redemption and he sealed him in that redemption. 00:12:42.000 --> 00:12:54.000 The Bible in ver in chapter 6, when he says, I am going to repent of all this, I'm going to exercise judgment on the human race, I am going to start over with Noah and his family. 00:12:54.320 --> 00:12:57.279 God's plan was to redeem in that moment. 00:12:57.360 --> 00:12:59.600 And his plan was to redeem Noah. 00:12:59.679 --> 00:13:06.240 And if God's plan is to get Noah to the other side of the flood, God is going to get Noah to the other side of the flood. 00:13:06.559 --> 00:13:07.279 Period. 00:13:07.440 --> 00:13:09.279 That's what redemption is. 00:13:09.519 --> 00:13:22.879 When in the beginning of times, we talked about on Sunday, the beginning of recorded human history, when Adam and Eve sinned, and God steps in and he tells them about their sin and he teaches them, this is what happened because you sinned, this is the result of your sin. 00:13:23.039 --> 00:13:35.759 But then he gives the prophecy I am going to one day send a redeemer through the line of the wife, and she is going to bring a fatal blow to the enemy, Satan, and all of this sin. 00:13:36.080 --> 00:13:38.080 God created a plan of redemption. 00:13:38.240 --> 00:13:45.200 When God creates a plan of redemption, nothing is going to stop God from accomplishing his plan of redemption. 00:13:45.519 --> 00:13:47.279 He is Almighty God. 00:13:47.600 --> 00:13:51.039 And so I love this picture of God shut the door. 00:13:52.080 --> 00:14:00.799 It didn't matter how many whales lived in the water and survived through whatever or whatever, you know, you go to the museum. 00:14:00.960 --> 00:14:10.960 We went to London last year on one of the mission trips with our deal, and they have this big old humongous prehistoric whale or whatever, and it's the length of the building in the main thing. 00:14:11.200 --> 00:14:11.919 Doesn't matter. 00:14:12.080 --> 00:14:17.039 That may be somebody's little brother, and his father attacks the ark. 00:14:17.120 --> 00:14:18.080 It doesn't matter. 00:14:18.399 --> 00:14:19.759 God shut the door. 00:14:19.919 --> 00:14:22.399 Nothing was going to get Noah in his family. 00:14:22.639 --> 00:14:25.120 Because God's plan was to redeem. 00:14:25.600 --> 00:14:30.960 And the redemption of salvation, if this is a picture of Jesus, it's a picture of Jesus. 00:14:31.279 --> 00:14:35.120 Jesus told us in John 3.16, for God so loved the world. 00:14:35.279 --> 00:14:37.679 Again, God's plan is to redeem. 00:14:37.840 --> 00:14:45.919 For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whosoever believes in him will never perish, but have everlasting life. 00:14:46.080 --> 00:14:46.399 Why? 00:14:46.639 --> 00:14:52.399 Because Jesus died on the cross to purchase for us redemption and everlasting life. 00:14:52.720 --> 00:15:04.480 He didn't die on the cross and shed his blood and his holiness for us in his place, for us to have some conditional redemption or some redemption that depended on us and our ability to stay obedient or whatever. 00:15:04.559 --> 00:15:06.559 It's not ten-year life that he bought you. 00:15:06.720 --> 00:15:09.440 He bought you eternal life when you were saved. 00:15:09.519 --> 00:15:20.320 And when you give your life to Jesus and you trust him as your Savior, God has redeemed you and He has a plan of redemption for you, and you are going to be redeemed, and nothing is going to get in the way. 00:15:20.559 --> 00:15:28.720 Jesus said, God has placed him in my hands or in my Father's hands, and no one can pluck them out of those hands. 00:15:29.039 --> 00:15:29.679 Nobody. 00:15:29.840 --> 00:15:30.399 Nothing. 00:15:30.720 --> 00:15:32.080 God shut the door. 00:15:32.240 --> 00:15:32.639 Why? 00:15:32.879 --> 00:15:37.120 Because He was had a plan of redemption and He was going to get Noah to the other side. 00:15:37.279 --> 00:15:48.240 And when you give your life to Jesus Christ, I want you to know no matter what happens, God is going to get you to heaven because Jesus died for you to redeem you, and God shut the door. 00:15:49.279 --> 00:15:50.879 And we are sealed inside. 00:15:51.200 --> 00:15:52.960 Now that ought to get you excited right there. 00:15:53.039 --> 00:15:56.000 If the pie didn't put you to sleep, that ought to be good. 00:15:56.240 --> 00:16:00.399 Here's the next thing I want you to see: the sufficiency of the vessel. 00:16:00.720 --> 00:16:02.559 The sufficiency of the vessel. 00:16:02.879 --> 00:16:06.799 This is God's design and plan of an ark, right? 00:16:06.960 --> 00:16:08.559 I mean, this is scripture. 00:16:08.720 --> 00:16:14.399 There's an old old joke that old time preachers used to tell all the time, and I love old time preacher jokes. 00:16:15.039 --> 00:16:17.759 We don't keep them alive enough as much as we should. 00:16:18.240 --> 00:16:26.879 You know, it says in the in the scripture when you're reading it that the ark was 900 cubits long and you know, 300 cubits wide, and whatever. 00:16:27.039 --> 00:16:36.879 And so uh the old joke goes, there's this new Christian, he's reading his Bible for the first time, and he reads that uh in scripture where it says, and Noah took a wife. 00:16:36.960 --> 00:16:42.000 And because he was a new Christian, he had a new Bible, and you know how the pages get stuck together in new Bibles, right? 00:16:42.159 --> 00:16:44.720 So his pages were stuck together, he didn't understand it. 00:16:44.879 --> 00:16:50.480 Noah took a wife, and she was 360 cubits wide. 00:16:52.159 --> 00:16:57.279 And he's like, I don't really understand it, but God said it, so I guess I'm gonna believe it. 00:16:57.600 --> 00:16:58.080 Right? 00:16:58.240 --> 00:17:06.000 So God gives the instructions for this vessel, and he tells them how to do it, and he tells them the dimensions, and he tells them the shape, and he tells them the whole thing. 00:17:06.240 --> 00:17:09.440 He creates the capacity of it, he creates the plan for it. 00:17:09.599 --> 00:17:14.000 God is the author and designer of the vessel of the ark. 00:17:14.160 --> 00:17:20.640 And the Bible says that Noah did it according to the dimensions and instructions that God had given him, right? 00:17:20.799 --> 00:17:25.599 So there's all kinds of pictures of this ark, but I just want to give you one in all of this. 00:17:25.920 --> 00:17:28.960 The Bible said it was made of gopher wood. 00:17:29.200 --> 00:17:33.200 We believe that in modern language would be cypress, cypress wood. 00:17:33.359 --> 00:17:41.599 Often they use that for coffins in that culture because they were hard and they didn't rot, and they would, you know, do that. 00:17:41.839 --> 00:17:44.480 And so it it has the shape of a coffin. 00:17:44.559 --> 00:17:48.880 It's a box, it's not a boat with a stern and a and a bow. 00:17:49.039 --> 00:17:56.079 It's a big thing, it looks like a coffin, but here's what it says it was made of gopher wood, and then it was sealed with pitch. 00:17:56.319 --> 00:17:58.000 And so we get that picture, right? 00:17:58.160 --> 00:18:08.160 You're putting that pitch in between those log walls or the shaved boards, however he built that and put that together, and it's sealing that tight so water can't get in. 00:18:08.400 --> 00:18:08.960 Pitch. 00:18:09.119 --> 00:18:26.000 Now there is a there is a Jewish word for the word pitch that's commonly used, but there's a unique word that is used only once in scripture relating to the pit in terms of being translated in English, the pitch, and the word actually means atonement. 00:18:26.240 --> 00:18:27.920 It actually means atonement. 00:18:28.079 --> 00:18:32.880 It could be that word pitch could actually be translated to the word atonement. 00:18:33.119 --> 00:18:36.799 And that's one of the many ways that we know that the ark is a picture of Jesus. 00:18:36.880 --> 00:18:44.160 And so what you get is the atonement on the ark kept all of the judgment waters out. 00:18:45.200 --> 00:18:53.200 The boat, the vessel, was sufficient to protect them from the judgment of the flood and the flood waters. 00:18:54.000 --> 00:19:07.359 And the and when we know that Jesus came and died for our sins, atonement is the concept that we use for Jesus dying on the cross for our sins, paying the price for our sins. 00:19:07.680 --> 00:19:12.079 He redeems us or ransoms us out of our sin. 00:19:12.559 --> 00:19:15.839 We are sinners by birth, by nature, and by choice. 00:19:16.079 --> 00:19:19.279 We would have been in the flood waters absent God's grace. 00:19:19.440 --> 00:19:23.759 And what happens is he um Jesus died for us on the cross. 00:19:23.920 --> 00:19:25.119 He was born of a virgin. 00:19:25.200 --> 00:19:26.799 We just celebrated that at Christmas. 00:19:26.880 --> 00:19:28.640 He doesn't have the sin nature of Adam. 00:19:28.799 --> 00:19:29.839 He lives a sinless life. 00:19:29.920 --> 00:19:33.839 He goes to the cross and he voluntarily allows himself to be killed. 00:19:34.000 --> 00:19:35.519 He sacrifices his life. 00:19:35.680 --> 00:19:38.880 Jesus said, No one takes my life. 00:19:39.039 --> 00:19:40.400 I lay it down. 00:19:41.359 --> 00:19:43.759 For God so loved the world that he gave his only son. 00:19:44.079 --> 00:19:51.680 And Jesus goes and he dies on the cross for us, a life that has no death attached to it, and it has no judgment attached to it. 00:19:51.839 --> 00:19:58.720 And so he dies on the cross, and his death is now a death unencumbered by judgment. 00:19:59.839 --> 00:20:03.039 He rises from the dead on what we celebrate as Easter. 00:20:11.359 --> 00:20:15.519 I am captive to my sin because of my sin. 00:20:15.839 --> 00:20:17.519 I am judged under sin. 00:20:17.759 --> 00:20:19.839 I am under the penalty of sin. 00:20:20.000 --> 00:20:24.640 I am under the under the chains of sin. 00:20:24.720 --> 00:20:26.079 I can't help but sin. 00:20:26.319 --> 00:20:27.680 All of that's there. 00:20:27.920 --> 00:20:38.240 And so when I come and make Jesus my Savior, when I give my life to Him by faith, and I say, Lord, I believe that Jesus died on the cross and I believe that I'm a sinner. 00:20:38.400 --> 00:20:39.839 Forgive me for my sins. 00:20:39.920 --> 00:20:43.279 I trust Jesus and I give him my life because he gave his life for me. 00:20:43.440 --> 00:20:55.839 What happens is my sins are atoned for, or the ransom is paid, or the penalty that is required of my transgression has been atoned for. 00:20:56.000 --> 00:20:58.880 And so Jesus is the atonement for our sins. 00:20:59.119 --> 00:21:02.319 And so that means no judgment is attached to us. 00:21:02.400 --> 00:21:05.920 That's why the book of Romans says that verse I quoted a minute ago. 00:21:06.160 --> 00:21:11.440 Therefore, there is no condemnation in Christ Jesus. 00:21:12.079 --> 00:21:15.359 Noah and his family are in the ark. 00:21:15.759 --> 00:21:23.039 And because of the atonement that seals the ark, there is no judgment attached to them. 00:21:23.519 --> 00:21:30.400 And when you are in Jesus and He has been the atonement for your sins, there is no condemnation. 00:21:30.559 --> 00:21:34.000 There is no judgment that touches you. 00:21:34.319 --> 00:21:35.759 Jesus has saved you. 00:21:36.079 --> 00:21:38.160 Now, how do you accept that salvation? 00:21:38.319 --> 00:21:41.680 The Bible says that Noah and his family went into the ark. 00:21:42.079 --> 00:21:44.079 They place their faith in God. 00:21:44.400 --> 00:21:55.920 In Hebrews chapter 11, verse 7, the Bible says this by faith, Noah and his family went into the ark and they were protected from the waters. 00:21:56.559 --> 00:21:59.759 What we do as a matter of choice is we place our faith. 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:01.279 Faith in Jesus. 00:22:01.440 --> 00:22:10.079 We give our lives to him in trust, the same way that Noah entrusted his life to the vessel God had created for him. 00:22:10.480 --> 00:22:16.799 And so, very much like Noah goes into the ark, we are giving our lives to Jesus and we are in him. 00:22:17.119 --> 00:22:20.720 And his atonement means that no judgment touches us. 00:22:21.039 --> 00:22:32.319 He is more than sufficient for any life and any sin and any person, because God has made the vessel of our salvation. 00:22:32.559 --> 00:22:35.279 And finally, it's his personal work. 00:22:35.680 --> 00:22:37.119 It's his personal work. 00:22:37.279 --> 00:22:38.640 Listen, here's what the Bible says. 00:22:38.799 --> 00:22:42.480 For God so loved the world that he gave his only son. 00:22:44.480 --> 00:22:47.359 He didn't delegate that to somebody else. 00:22:47.759 --> 00:22:51.839 God is the one who is the actor in our salvation. 00:22:52.000 --> 00:23:03.039 From the very beginning of Genesis, as we read through all of Scripture, we see constantly that God, as it says in Hebrews, is the author and finisher of our faith. 00:23:03.359 --> 00:23:05.759 God envisions salvation for us. 00:23:06.000 --> 00:23:10.960 God planned Jesus, the Bible says, to be our Redeemer from the very beginning of time. 00:23:11.200 --> 00:23:13.920 Jesus was set aside to be that vessel. 00:23:14.079 --> 00:23:15.440 And here's what's incredible. 00:23:15.599 --> 00:23:24.559 As we talked about on Sunday here at First Baptist, the picture of the Trinity is built in from the very foundation of the story. 00:23:24.720 --> 00:23:30.880 In Genesis chapter 1, the Bible says, God said, Let us make man in our image. 00:23:31.039 --> 00:23:32.319 John chapter 1. 00:23:32.559 --> 00:23:34.000 In the beginning was the Word. 00:23:34.160 --> 00:23:35.599 That's John's word for Jesus. 00:23:35.759 --> 00:23:39.839 And the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 00:23:40.319 --> 00:23:43.359 And through Him all of creation was made. 00:23:53.440 --> 00:23:56.480 He is the author and finisher of our faith. 00:23:56.720 --> 00:24:00.079 Jesus stepped out of heaven himself to die for us. 00:24:00.240 --> 00:24:02.000 He didn't create somebody else to do it. 00:24:02.079 --> 00:24:04.079 He didn't delegate it to somebody else. 00:24:04.240 --> 00:24:06.079 Jesus died for our sins. 00:24:06.319 --> 00:24:07.839 Jesus accomplished that. 00:24:08.000 --> 00:24:12.559 When Jesus is encouraging his followers, hey, I'm John chapter 14. 00:24:12.640 --> 00:24:28.319 I'm about to go to the cross, and I'm going to die for y'all, and all those pictures of Passover and lambs and shed blood and all that business y'all been doing for generations and generations that God gave to point to me, I am now that, and I am the Lamb of God, and I'm going to that cross and I'm going to die for you. 00:24:28.480 --> 00:24:34.480 But I'm going to be raised again, and I want you to understand, do not let your hearts be troubled. 00:24:35.839 --> 00:24:40.799 That is so much more than just what Sean Hannity says at the end of his broadcast. 00:24:41.839 --> 00:24:43.599 Let not your hearts be troubled. 00:24:43.680 --> 00:24:45.359 If you believe in God, believe in me. 00:24:45.519 --> 00:24:51.680 In my Father's house are many mansions, and I will go and prepare a place for you. 00:24:51.920 --> 00:24:58.799 And if I, Jesus, go to prepare a place for you, I, Jesus, will come again to receive you to myself. 00:24:59.440 --> 00:25:02.480 Jesus is the one who saves us. 00:25:02.720 --> 00:25:04.880 He is the actor in our salvation. 00:25:05.119 --> 00:25:07.119 He is the vessel of our salvation. 00:25:07.359 --> 00:25:09.039 He is the author of our salvation. 00:25:09.200 --> 00:25:11.039 He is the finisher of our salvation. 00:25:11.200 --> 00:25:12.880 He is the strength of our salvation. 00:25:12.960 --> 00:25:15.759 And he does it personally because he loves us. 00:25:16.000 --> 00:25:17.680 For God so loved the world. 00:25:17.839 --> 00:25:21.519 God demonstrated his love towards us, and while we're yet sinners, Christ died for us. 00:25:21.680 --> 00:25:26.799 Not that we loved him, but he first loved us and gave his son to be the payment for our sins. 00:25:26.960 --> 00:25:29.920 God didn't send Gabriel down and shut the door of this ark. 00:25:30.079 --> 00:25:33.519 The Bible says God shut the door. 00:25:34.720 --> 00:25:37.039 God takes care of our salvation. 00:25:37.359 --> 00:25:39.440 God, the Father, is in whom we trust. 00:25:39.680 --> 00:25:41.359 Jesus is in whom we trust. 00:25:41.680 --> 00:25:47.039 The Holy Spirit, the Bible says, is the seal and confirmation of our salvation. 00:25:47.200 --> 00:25:48.720 He is the down payment. 00:25:48.880 --> 00:25:53.039 He is the earnest money on the contract and covenant of our salvation. 00:25:53.279 --> 00:25:54.880 God took care of it himself. 00:25:55.200 --> 00:26:02.640 And I can't tell you a greater picture than to sit there with my grandson and begin to teach him from the very first times. 00:26:02.880 --> 00:26:07.359 He only has an inkling to understand it, that God loves you so much. 00:26:08.160 --> 00:26:12.079 God himself shut the door. 00:26:28.880 --> 00:26:41.440 Not only is it a book of incredible truth and promise in all that theological discussion of how we're saved and how we live for you and the pictures of eternity and all of that. 00:26:41.519 --> 00:26:51.359 And we're so grateful for what those promises and what that teaching means to us and how it helps us understand our salvation and who you are and all of that. 00:26:51.599 --> 00:27:17.759 But I also thank you for these incredible stories that you give us in Scripture that illustrate for us that truth in real life terms, in experiences that we can relate to, in history moments that are fascinating to us and grab our minds and attentions and draw us to you in the way the story unfolds. 00:27:18.000 --> 00:27:24.720 I thank you for the story and the history of that eight of Noah and the Ark. 00:27:25.039 --> 00:27:51.119 I thank you for all the myriads of minds of boys and girls and men and women who have been fascinated and drawn to study you and to search for you because of the amazing reality and the incredible nature of this story of this man and his following you and the grace that you give him and how you save him through this flood, through this ark. 00:27:51.440 --> 00:27:58.559 People have been searching for the ark since we even knew to do that. 00:27:58.880 --> 00:28:10.000 You've put this in there to draw our attention to you, to call us to you, to get us to search for you, to intrigue our minds and hearts and draw us. 00:28:10.240 --> 00:28:20.880 And in that incredible picture, you have woven in this beautiful picture of Jesus and the majesty of your grace. 00:28:21.519 --> 00:28:24.160 We thank you for that and what that means to us today. 00:28:24.400 --> 00:28:26.799 I pray it's a blessing and encouragement to these guys. 00:28:26.880 --> 00:28:30.319 It encourages their faith, it draws them closer to you. 00:28:30.559 --> 00:28:32.079 Bless them and keep them today. 00:28:32.319 --> 00:28:33.920 Bless them and keep them this week. 00:28:34.079 --> 00:28:39.519 Give them a wonderful first week and a wonderful first month of 2026. 00:28:39.839 --> 00:28:44.559 We thank you most of all for Jesus, the vessel of our salvation. 00:28:44.720 --> 00:28:45.599 In his name we pray. 00:28:45.759 --> 00:28:46.480 And everybody said. 00:28:47.279 --> 00:28:48.880 Hey, great to see you guys. 00:28:49.039 --> 00:28:50.480 What an awesome group today. 00:28:50.640 --> 00:28:51.920 Thank you all for being here.