Noah. Faith that Pleases God¶

Introduction¶

Icebreaker¶

A. What’s the craziest DIY project you’ve ever seen or attempted?

B. Describe a time you felt completely out of step with the prevailing culture in your beliefs or actions. What was that like?

Sometimes living by faith means walking a different path, even when it seems illogical to everyone else.

Core Message¶

True faith is a righteous relationship with God that receives His favor, walks in intimacy, obeys completely, and worships gratefully—even when the whole world goes the other way.

1. Wicked World & God’s Grief¶

Humanity’s pervasive depravity grieves the Creator.

Genesis 6:5-7, BSB

5 Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great upon the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. 6 And the LORD regretted that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. 7 So the LORD said, “I will blot out man, whom I have created, from the face of the earth—every man and beast and crawling creature and bird of the air—for I am grieved that I have made them.”

Context & Insights¶

The world had gone astray. Wickedness wasn’t occasional—it was the constant condition of every human heart. This pervasive evil broke God’s heart and moved Him to just judgment.

Wickedness. (rah-ah-ah) = evil that is broken, dysfunctional, even calamitous—humanity had become functionally ruined in God’s sight.
Every inclination. only evil all the time uses the word (yay-tser)—the same root God used when He formed (yah-tsar) man from the dust (Gen 2:7). Man’s God-given capacity to shape and imagine had become wholly twisted toward evil every single day.
Regretted / grieved. (nah-kham) + (ah-tsav el lee-bo) = deep sighing and relational pain. Sin doesn’t just anger God; it wounds the heart of the Creator who loves His creation.

Illustration. Imagine a beautiful garden you poured years into. Then invasive weeds take over, choking every good plant until nothing healthy remains. You pull and pull, but they keep spreading. That’s a faint glimpse of God’s grief: He created humanity perfect, yet the weeds of sin had so overrun every heart that every thought was only evil all the time.

Every Inclination

What does it mean that every inclination was evil all the time?

Common Answers¶

Utter Depravity. The fundamental desires and motivations of people were inherently self-serving, destructive, and contrary to God's will, with no good intentions mixed in.

Pervasive Corruption. A society where moral decay was complete, affecting every aspect of life and every individual's inner world, leaving no room for goodness apart from God's intervention.

Constant Sinfulness. An unceasing stream of evil thoughts and plans, where even moments of apparent good might have been motivated by selfish or wicked underlying desires.

Dig Deeper. Does our modern culture with its focus on self-expression and relativism, sometimes obscure our recognition of the depth of human sinfulness?

Righteous Judgment

How does seeing God’s grief (rather than just anger) change the way we understand His coming judgment?

Common Answers¶

Compassionate Justice. God's judgment isn't arbitrary or cruel, but a painful necessity born out of a broken heart for His creation, much like a loving parent disciplining a wayward child.

Deep Love. His sorrow implies a profound love for humanity, making the judgment a tragic consequence, rather than a cold, impersonal decree.

Relational Pain. Sin causes God personal pain and regret, transforming His judgment from a legalistic act into a deeply personal response to betrayal and suffering.

Dig Deeper. What does God's grief imply about the potential for repentance and restoration even in the face of deep sin? Consider: Jesus weeping over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41-44).

Practical Application¶

Self-Check. Pause and consider your own heart. Are there areas where every inclination of your thoughts might lean towards self, worry, or unrighteousness?

Empathy for God. Take a moment to truly reflect on God's grief over sin. How might this understanding deepen your compassion for a world still gripped by sin?

Transition. In the middle of total corruption, one man stands out—not because he was perfect, but because God’s grace rested on him.

2. Righteous Exception¶

God’s grace sets Noah apart in a corrupt generation.

Genesis 6:8-9, BSB

8 Noah, however, found favor in the eyes of the LORD. 9 This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation; Noah walked with God.

Context & Insights¶

In contrast to the rest of humanity, Noah found favor with God. He is described as righteous and blameless. God’s grace comes first; it is what makes righteous living possible in a corrupt generation.

Found favor. (mah-tsah khane) = literally found grace. This is the first occurrence of grace in the entire Bible—grace appears before Noah does anything.
Blameless. (taw-meem') = whole, complete, having integrity. Same word used for unblemished sacrificial animals and the Passover lamb. Does not mean sinless, but morally whole in his generation.
Walked with God. (heet-hah-lek et hah-eh-loh-heem) = intensive reflexive form: Noah continually, habitually walked in company with God. This same phrase is used of Enoch before him (Gen 5:22, 24)—intimate, two-way, daily fellowship.

Illustration. Picture living in a neighborhood where everyone litters, blasts loud music, and trashes the streets—except you. You recycle, keep your yard spotless, and stay kind. People mock you, but you keep doing what’s right because you answer to a higher standard. That’s Noah: the lone righteous man in a sea of corruption.

Walk with God

What does it look like to walk with God in daily life?

Common Answers¶

Conscious Awareness. Seeking His perspective in decisions, and acknowledging Him in all circumstances, not just during dedicated prayer times.

Obedient Relationship. Aligning choices and actions with God's revealed will (His Word), seeking to please Him, and repenting quickly when we fall short, maintaining an open line of communication.

Intimate Fellowship. Marked by honest communication, listening through prayer and Scripture, and experiencing God's comfort and guidance (a deep friendship with another person).

Dig Deeper. How can we cultivate this conscious awareness of God's presence amidst the noise and demands of modern life?

Obstacles & Distrations

What are the biggest obstacles/distractions to that kind of walk?

Common Answers¶

Busyness. Constant demands of work, family, social media, and entertainment often leave little time or mental space for focused spiritual disciplines or quiet reflection with God.

Self-Reliance & Pride. Belief that we can handle life on our own, without constant divine input, or to prioritize our own desires and plans over God's.

Cultural Pressure. Influence of secular values, materialism, and moral relativism can make it challenging to maintain a distinct, God-honoring lifestyle and worldview.

Dig Deeper. What small, intentional habit could you introduce to help overcome one of these obstacles?

Every Thought & Intention

How does knowing that God sees every thought and intention motivate or challenge your obedience?

Common Answers¶

Motivation for Purity. Knowing that God cares about the heart behind our actions, not just the outward display.

Accountability & Conviction. Knowing that hidden sins and impure motives are transparent to Him, leading to conviction and a desire to confess.

Comfort & Affirmation. Knowing that God truly understands our struggles and intentions, even when others don't, affirming our genuine efforts to please Him.

Dig Deeper. How does this truth impact your prayer life or your internal dialogue?

Practical Application¶

Intimacy Check-in. Reflect on your current walk with God. What is one practical step you can take this week to deepen that intimacy—perhaps setting aside dedicated quiet time, journaling, or engaging in reflective prayer?

Counter-Cultural Choice. Identify one area where you can intentionally choose God's way over the world's way this week.

Transition. From this grace-initiated relationship flows the most extreme test of obedience the world had yet seen.

3. God’s Covenant & Noah’s Obedience¶

God’s plan for salvation demands Noah’s complete trust and action.

Genesis 6:17-22, BSB

17 And behold, I will bring floodwaters upon the earth to destroy every creature under the heavens that has the breath of life. Everything on the earth will perish. 18 But I will establish My covenant with you, and you will enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you.

19 And you are to bring two of every living creature into the ark—male and female—to keep them alive with you. 20 Two of every kind of bird and animal and crawling creature will come to you to be kept alive. 21 You are also to take for yourself every kind of food that is eaten and gather it as food for yourselves and for the animals.”

22 So Noah did everything precisely as God had commanded him.

Context & Insights¶

God had a plan for salvation. He gave impossibly detailed instructions and an unimaginable timeline. Noah’s response? Total, unquestioning obedience. The ark became God’s appointed means of salvation—foreshadowing greater rescue to come.

Covenant. (buh-REET) = first explicit use of the word in Scripture. God unilaterally initiates and promises to establish it before Noah has done anything beyond receiving grace.
Precisely as… commanded. = repeated twice (6:22; 7:5) with the same wording later used for Abraham and Israel’s call to obey Torah—emphasizes exact, full obedience.
Ark. (tay-VAH) = rare word used only here and for Moses’ basket (Exod 2). Both are pitch-covered (KOH-fer—root related to “atonement/covering”) vessels of divine rescue.

Illustration. Imagine a farmer in the desert told by God to build a giant ship—exact measurements, strange design, no water in sight. For decades neighbors laugh, mock, and call him crazy. Yet Noah keeps hammering, exactly as commanded. That’s obedience that defies logic and endures ridicule because it trusts God’s word completely.

Complete Obedience

How does Noah’s complete obedience challenge our understanding of faith?

Common Answers¶

Faith as Action. Faith is more than intellectual assent; true faith is evidenced by costly, concrete action, even when the outcome seems impossible or absurd.

Unquestioning Trust. Faith doesn't demand full understanding or knowing all the details, but simply acts on God's word, even against all human reason.

Long-Term Endurance. Faith requires sustained effort over a long period, facing ridicule and doubt, without immediate gratification or visible results.

Dig Deeper. What's the difference between blind faith and the kind of faith Noah demonstrated (based on God's character and word)?

Delaying or Negotiating

What specific command has God given you that you’ve been delaying or negotiating? What’s one next step of obedience you can take this week?

Common Answers¶

Relational Reconciliation. Forgiving someone, initiating a difficult conversation, or confessing a wrong.

Stewardship. Giving sacrificially, managing finances according to biblical principles, or using time more wisely.

Personal Discipline. Breaking a bad habit, starting a spiritual discipline, or engaging in difficult Bible study.

Dig Deeper. What fears or perceived obstacles are holding you back from this specific act of obedience?

Long Term Faith

What arks might God be calling us to build today that demand long-term faith?

Common Answers¶

Building Community. Investing deeply in local church community, extending hospitality, or fostering genuine relationships that often take time and effort.

Kingdom Initiatives. Committing to long-term mission work, starting a ministry, advocating for justice, or faithfully sharing the Gospel over years.

Personal Transformation. A lifelong commitment to character development, overcoming deeply ingrained sin patterns, or patiently enduring chronic trials with faith.

Dig Deeper. How do these modern arks require the same kind of radical trust and perseverance that Noah demonstrated?

Practical Application¶

Obedience Audit. Identify one area where God's command is clear, but your obedience has been partial or delayed. Commit to taking a concrete, measurable step towards full obedience.

Trust Builder. When facing a task that seems overwhelming or illogical, pause and remember Noah. Ask God for the same faith and courage to act on His word, even without seeing the full picture.

Transition. When the waters finally receded, Noah’s very first act revealed where his heart truly was.

4. Worship & God’s Renewed Promise¶

Noah’s post-flood devotion secures God’s enduring grace.

Genesis 8:20-22, BSB

20 Then Noah built an altar to the LORD… and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21 When the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma, He said in His heart, “Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from his youth… 22 As long as the earth remains, seedtime and harvest… shall never cease.”

Context & Insights¶

Noah’s first act on dry ground was worship, not survival. The pleasing aroma moved God to promise mercy. Human hearts are still evil, yet God’s posture changes—from judgment to patient mercy. The flood washed the world but didn’t wash human nature. Only a greater sacrifice—Jesus on the cross—can do that. Noah’s altar points us to the ultimate sacrifice that secures God’s final Never again for everyone who trusts Him.

Pleasing aroma. (reh-AH ha-nee-KHO-ah) = literally aroma of rest/satisfaction. Exact phrase repeated throughout Leviticus for sacrifices that satisfy God and turn away wrath. Noah offers the first recorded burnt offering in Scripture.
Gen 8:21 quotes 6:5 almost verbatim (“every inclination… evil from his youth”) → the flood did not fix the human heart. God’s “never again” promise is pure grace.
Noah’s altar points to Jesus—the ultimate sacrifice and final pleasing aroma who secures God’s eternal never again for all who trust Him.

Illustration. You survive a devastating hurricane that destroys everything. You crawl out of the rubble exhausted, hungry, homeless—and the first thing you do is build an altar and thank God. That was Noah. Before food, shelter, or planting crops, he worshipped, showing his heart belonged entirely to the One who saved him.

Motivation for Holiness

How should God’s grace—in spite of our continued sinfulness—shape our daily lives and motivation for holiness?

Common Answers¶

Humble Gratitude. Knowing that we don't deserve His patience should fuel a desire to live in a way that honors Him.

Motivated by Love. Instead of fear of punishment, our motivation shifts to a desire to please the One who has shown us such undeserved kindness and mercy.

Empowerment for Change. Understanding His enduring grace frees us from the burden of earning salvation and empowers us to pursue holiness from a place of security and love, knowing we are already accepted.

Dig Deeper. What specific areas of your life could be transformed by a deeper appreciation of God's patient mercy?

Pleasing Aroma

Noah’s sacrifice was a pleasing aroma that moved God to mercy. How does Jesus become the ultimate pleasing aroma that secures God’s final promise for us?

Common Answers¶

Perfect Sacrifice. Unlike Noah's animal sacrifice, Jesus offered Himself as the perfect, unblemished sacrifice, completely satisfying God's righteous demands for sin once and for all.

Representation. Jesus, as the God-man, perfectly represented both humanity (in our need for atonement) and God (in His holy requirement for justice), becoming the bridge between the two.

Eternal Covenant. His sacrifice established a new and eternal covenant, not just a promise of seasons, but the promise of eternal life and reconciliation for all who believe, securing God's never again against ultimate judgment for believers.

Dig Deeper. What does it mean for us personally that Jesus' sacrifice is a pleasing aroma to God on our behalf?

Altar of Gratitude

When has God recently delivered or provided for you? How can you build an altar of gratitude this week?

Common Answers¶

Verbal Thanks. Expressing sincere thanks in prayer, sharing testimony with others, or writing down specific blessings.

Acts of Service. Using our time, talents, or resources to serve God and others as an act of worship and thanksgiving for His provision.

Dedicated Time. Setting aside intentional time for praise and worship, perhaps through music, journaling, or quiet contemplation of God's goodness.

Dig Deeper. How does intentionally expressing gratitude impact our perspective and cultivate a more joyful heart?

Practical Application¶

Daily Altar. Choose one specific moment each day this week (e.g., mealtime, commute, before bed) to pause and verbally thank God for His enduring grace and specific blessings, making it your altar of gratitude.

Testimony of Grace. Share with a trusted friend or family member how God's grace has been evident in your life recently, acknowledging His faithfulness despite our human failings.

Closing¶

Reflection¶

In a world drowning in wickedness, Noah’s righteous relationship with God shone like a beacon. He received grace, walked intimately with his Creator, obeyed completely, and worshiped first—eliciting God’s covenant and enduring promise. Our God responds to relationship: judgment for the unrepentant, grace and patience for those who, like Noah, live by faith.

Decision¶

A. World’s Wickedness – Am I aware of sin around and within me, and God’s grief over it?

B. Righteous Walk – Am I cultivating daily intimacy with God, even if it makes me counter-cultural?

C. Complete Obedience – Is there an ark God is calling me to build that demands trust right now?

D. Post-Deliverance Worship – Do I prioritize gratitude and worship after God’s acts of grace?

Challenges¶

1. Heart Check.¶

For one full day this week, consciously notice your thoughts and motives. Write down patterns of self-centeredness or unrighteousness, confess them to God, and specifically ask Him to align your heart with His. Don't just observe; actively engage in prayer for change.

2. Ark Building.¶

Identify one specific, counter-cultural step of obedience God is asking of you (e.g., forgiving someone who hurt you deeply, generous giving to a specific need, ending a sinful relationship, speaking about Jesus at work, investing in a difficult relationship). Take at least one concrete, measurable step toward it this week, no matter how small.

3. Post-Deliverance Worship.¶

Recall a recent time God delivered or provided for you in a significant way (big or small). Set aside focused time (at least 15 minutes) this week to thank and worship Him specifically for that—make it your "altar." This could involve journaling, singing, or simply sitting in grateful reflection.

4. Memory Verse.¶

Memorize Genesis 6:8 this week—“But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.” Meditate on this verse daily, letting the truth that grace comes first and is the source of all good in our lives sink deep into your heart.

Prayer¶

Heavenly Father, we come before You with humble hearts, acknowledging the pervasive wickedness that grieves You, both in the world around us and within our own hearts. We confess that our thoughts and intentions often fall short of Your perfect standard. Thank You for Your profound and undeserved grace that allows us to find favor in Your eyes, not because of our merit, but because of Your loving kindness and the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ, our pleasing aroma.

Lord, we long to be like Noah—to walk with You intimately, to cultivate a blameless life in our generation, and to obey Your commands completely, even when the path is unclear or unpopular. Grant us the courage to build the arks You call us to, trusting Your wisdom and provision above all else.

As we reflect on Your faithfulness, we offer You our worship and gratitude for every deliverance and blessing. May our lives become living altars of praise. Strengthen us by Your Spirit to live righteously in a rotten world, reflecting Your light and love. All this we pray in the powerful and precious name of Jesus, our Savior and Lord. Amen.