Genesis #8 – How Does God Build Relationships?

In this sermon from Genesis 9, Pastor Mark teaches that humanity brings death and chaos but God brings life and covenant. The good news is that, even though earthly fathers and sons fail, God the Father and God the Son never fail.

How Does God Build Relationships?: (Genesis 9)

-Bible – it is true, and truer than true because the HS studies you while you study it

-History – God’s BIG story of which our life story is a little part of the big story

-Ideologies/Agendas have their own story they want your life story to be a part of

=Progressives – we’re evolving & need to reject traditional values & faith (vs shortened life)

God: is storyteller, subject of history, object of faith, Creator, Hero

Gen 1-2 God made everyone/thing perfect; Gen 3 Satan & Adam/Eve sinned = death/curse Gen. 4-6 -2 sons Cain killed Abel, Seth replaces, cities & technology, longer life=greater evil

Gen 7-9 Noah got grace, warned, he/family preached & prepared, exited ark & worshipped Lord

Parallels – 2 yrs 1/500 American’s died w/Covid, globally?, 40 days all but 8 died

What Next????

We Plan Death. God Plans Life. 

Genesis 9 And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth and upon every bird of the heavens, upon everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea. Into your hand they are delivered. Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything. But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. And for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning: from every beast I will require it and from man. From his fellow man I will require a reckoning for the life of man.  “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image. And you, be fruitful and multiply, increase greatly on the earth and multiply in it.”

1. Mankind & God – “blesses” (internal, external, eternal)

2. Mankind & mankind – 1. fallen image bearers God’s        2. Human life sacred

                                    3. rule of law (everyone =                   4. capital punishment (gov’t)

3. Mankind & animals – 1). “dread” man 2). food source

4. Mankind & earth – New Creation (Flood receded, land appeared out water like 1-2 for Adam)

= Noah & Wife = new Adam & Eve

1.    both Adam and Noah are the fathers of all humanity that descend from them

2.    both worlds are brought forth out of a watery chaos

3.    both men are said to bear the “image of God”

4.    both men “walked with God”

5.    both men ruled over the animals

6.    both men are given the cultural mandate to increase in number and rule the earth

7.    both men work the ground

8.    both men sin against God

9.    both men experience shameful nakedness following their sin

10.  both men had their nakedness covered

11.  both men were in covenant with God

12.  both have three named sons

We Bring Chaos. God Brings Covenant.

Genesis 9Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, “Behold, I establish my covenant with you and your offspring after you, 10 and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the livestock, and every beast of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark; it is for every beast of the earth. 11 I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” 12 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: 13 I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16 When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” 17 God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.”

What is A Covenant? = GRACE based relationship

1). Adamic??   2). Noahic       3). Abrahamic             4). Mosaic       5). Davidic       6). New

-Covenant 100’s X, numerous words

-God’s lovingkindness – the consistent, ever-faithful, relentless, constantly pursuing, lavish, extravagant, unrestrained, one-way love of God.

-Translated love, lovingkindness, mercy, steadfast love, loyal love, devotion, commitment, reliability

-Not general love for all people. Fierce narrow love. Father-Child

-Jesus Storybook Bible “Never Stopping, Never Giving Up, Unbreaking, Always & Forever Love”

What are the Covenant Terms?

  1. mediator – Noah & family/mankind
  2. blessings – given grace for life, children, no flood
  3. conditions (or curses) – no murder
  4. covenant community – family
  5. promise of Jesus – Savior
  6. sign – faith (internal) & rainbow (external) – warrior ending war hanging up bow

RAINBOW FLAG  June Pride month. 1978 gay drag queen artist. (hot pink=sex, red=life, orange=healing, yellow=sunlight, green=nature, turquoise=art, indigo=harmony, violet=spirit)

fathers and sons fail.

Genesis 918 The sons of Noah who went forth from the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. (Ham was the father of Canaan.) 19 These three were the sons of Noah, and from these the people of the whole earth were dispersed. 20 Noah began to be a man of the soil, and he planted a vineyard. 21 He drank of the wine and became drunk and lay uncovered in his tent. 22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father and told his two brothers outside. 23 Then Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it on both their shoulders, and walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were turned backward, and they did not see their father’s nakedness. 24 When Noah awoke from his wine and knew what his youngest son had done to him, 25 he said, “Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be to his brothers.” 26 He also said, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem; and let Canaan be his servant. 27 May God enlarge Japheth, and let him dwell in the tents of Shem, and let Canaan be his servant.” 28 After the flood Noah lived

  1. Noah is not Jesus. Noah needs Jesus
  2. The family is where a lot of the worst sin happens
  3. Bare details leave open speculation – dishonor, mockery, lust???

PLAN A -Blessed – 1. People. 2. Prosperity. = Jesus came through Shem

PLAN B Cursed – Ham entered tent. His son/Noah’s grandson Canaan cursed (same spirit)

  • Racist – curse Canaan on black people. Many races/nations incl Caucasians descend
  • Canaan =father Egypt, Babylon, Assyria, Phillistia, & Canaanites as godless people

All national sexual demonic religious cults w/child sacrifice= White House/Brothel/Church/Clinic

Hebrews in wilderness headed to Promised Land to destroy Canaanites (Deut. 7:1-2)

=We need a better Father                            We need a better Son

God The Father and God The Son Don’t Fail.

Matthew 26:26–29 Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

Passover/Last Supper

1.            Jesus – Son of God

2.            Calls God Father 80X times

= Jesus does not end our life, but gives His life!

 

What’s the difference between a contract and a covenant? (Marriage as Example)

Contract                                   vs                                 Covenant

Between 2 people                                                        Between 3 people

I seek my will                                                               We seek God’s will

You serve me                                                               We serve each other

Performance is recorded                                              No record of wrongs is kept

Failure is punished                                                       Failure was punished at the cross

Win-lose                                                                       Win-win

A professional relationship                                           A personal relationship

Covenant-Contract -2 hands = use both

3 Kinds of People

1.            Contract only – win at work & lose at home

2.            Covenant only – lose at work and win at home

3.            Contract & Covenant – win at work and win at home

CLOSE: MOUNTAINS STORY CONTRACT VS COVENANT

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Mark Driscoll

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