Savage Street Church of Christ

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Two Beginnings

Have you seen the comparisons between Adam’s world and Noah’s world?

Second Peter 3.1–4

Don Ruhl • Savage Street, Grants Pass, Oregon • March 4, AD 2012

The graphic comes from Creation Magazine (34) 1 2012, pages 12 and 13

Prelude: 

1. Waters, then waters again, these are two things that we must know, because 
   1. they affect our entire lives, and
   2. point to an awesome future event!
2. Waters, then waters again, speak of two beginnings, but 
   1. they point us to another beginning that approaches rapidly.
   2. Do you know about the first waters, and then
      1. the second waters, and
      2. what the second waters say about the approaching new beginning?
3. When you read the Book of Genesis 
   1. do you notice parallels between
   2. the creation and Adam’s world, and the Flood and Noah’s world?
      1. Let me show you the parallels, and
      2. the beginnings associated with water.

Persuasion: 

1. Water and Dry Land 
   1. Water Covering the Earth:
      1. Genesis 1 shows the earth covered in water during creation,
         
         2 The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters (Gen 1.2).
         
      2. Genesis 7 shows the earth covered again with water, but in judgment,
         
         19 And the waters prevailed exceedingly on the earth, and all the high hills under the whole heaven were covered (Gen 7.19).
         
   2. Dry Land Appearing:
      1. Genesis 1 shows God gathering the waters together and dry land appearing,
         
         9 Then God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear”; and it was so (Gen 1.9).
         
      2. Genesis 8 shows the waters receding after the Flood and dry land appearing,
         
         3 And the waters receded continually from the earth. At the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters decreased (Gen 8.3).14 And in the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth was dried (Gen 8.14).
2. The Ground and God’s Curse 
   1. Genesis 3 shows God cursing the ground for Adam’s sake,
      
      17 Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’:Cursed is the ground for your sake;
      In toil you shall eat of it
      All the days of your life.
      (Gen 3.17)
   2. Genesis 8 shows God promising not to curse the ground again,
      
      21 And the LORD smelled a soothing aroma. Then the LORD said in His heart, “I will never again curse the ground for man’s sake, although the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done” (Gen 8.21).
      
3. Be Fruitful 
   1. Genesis 1 reveals God’s command to populate the earth,
      
      28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth” (Gen 1.28).
      
   2. Genesis 9 shows God repeating the command,
      
      1 So God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them: “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth” (Gen 9.1).7 And as for you, be fruitful and multiply;
      Bring forth abundantly in the earth
      And multiply in it.”
      (Gen 9.7).
4. Rule Over the Creatures 
   1. Genesis 1 shows what God told Adam, hence humanity,
      
      28 “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth” (Gen 1.28).
      
   2. Genesis 9 shows the same thing, but something added,
      
      2 And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be on every beast of the earth, on every bird of the air, on all that move on the earth, and on all the fish of the sea. They are given into your hand (Gen 9.2).
      
5. Food 
   1. Genesis 1 shows mankind’s original diet,
      
      29 And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food” (Gen 1.29).
      
   2. Genesis 9 shows something added to man’s diet,
      
      3 “Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. I have given you all things, even as the green herbs. 4 But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood” (Gen 9.3, 4).
      
6. Seasons 
   1. Genesis 1 reveals signs to identify the seasons,
      
      14 Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years” (Gen 1.14).
      
   2. Genesis 8 reveals the seasons as signs,
      
      22 “While the earth remains,
      Seedtime and harvest,
      Cold and heat,
      Winter and summer,
      And day and night
      Shall not cease.”
      (Gen 8.22)
      
7. The Image of God 
   1. Genesis 1 shows something special about mankind,
      
      27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them (Gen 1.27).
      
   2. Genesis 9 reveals what that specialness forbids and demands,
      
      5 “Surely for your lifeblood I will demand a reckoning; from the hand of every beast I will require it, and from the hand of man. From the hand of every man’s brother I will require the life of man.6 Whoever sheds man’s blood,
      By man his blood shall be shed;
      For in the image of God
      He made man.”
      (Gen 9.5, 6)
8. Sin and Bloodshed 
   1. Genesis 3 shows God covering Adam, necessitating the death of animals,
      
      21 Also for Adam and his wife the LORD God made tunics of skin, and clothed them (Gen 3.21).
      
   2. Genesis 8 shows Noah offering sacrifices, necessitating the death of animals,
      
      20 Then Noah built an altar to the LORD, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar (Gen 8.20).
      
9. Water, Water Again, Then Fire 
   1. Second Peter 3 uses
      1. the waters of creation and
      2. the waters of the Flood,
         1. to show us something approaching us.
         2. Even as the waters of creation and the waters of the Flood
            1. affected the entire globe,
            2. what is coming next will likewise affect the whole planet.
   2. Second Peter 3.1–4 • Scoffing at the Judgment of the Flood
      
      3 …scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, 4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation” (2Pe 3.1–4).
      
   3. Second Peter 3.5, 6 • Willful Forgetfulness of the Judgment of the Flood
      
      5 For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, 6 by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water (2Pe 3.5, 6).
      
   4. Second Peter 3.7 • The Next Judgment
      
      7 But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men (2Pe 3.7).
      
   5. Second Peter 3.8, 9 • The Delay of the Next Judgment 
   6. Second Peter 3.10 • The Suddenness of the Next Judgment
      
      10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up (2Pe 3.10).
      
   7. Second Peter 3.11–13 • Preparing for the Next Judgment
      
      11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness…? (2Pe 3.11–13).
      
   8. Second Peter 3.14–16 • Our Goal for the Next Judgment
      
      14 Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless… (2Pe 3.14–16).
      
   9. Second Peter 3.17, 18 • Grow Until the Next Judgment
      
      18 …grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen (2Pe 3.17, 18).
      

Exhortation: 

1. We are headed toward a new beginning, the third beginning. 
   1. First, there was the creation.
   2. Second, there was the new world after the Flood.
   3. Third, there is heaven.
2. Are you prepared for it? 
   1. You heard what Peter said about it.
      1. We need to repent.
      2. We must live godly.
      3. We should grow.
   2. Might you be asking, “What do I lack? What shall I do to begin?”
      1. You personally need a new beginning.
      2. In FirstPeter 3, the apostle again used the Flood and
         1. its connection with our salvation,
            
            18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, 19 by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, 20 who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. 21 There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ… (1Pe 3.18–21).
            
         2. Jesus died that He might bring us to God.
            1. He died in the flesh, but
            2. He was made alive by the Spirit.
         3. By means of the Spirit, Jesus preached through Noah
            1. to the people of Noah’s generation,
            2. who were disobedient to God,
               1. while He suffered long,
               2. waiting for them to turn to Him.
         4. Jesus preaching through the Spirit in the person of Noah,
            1. occurred while Noah also worked on the ark,
            2. in which eight people were saved from the evil of the earth.
         5. Similarly, baptism also saves us,
            1. not removing dirt from our bodies, but
            2. providing us with a good conscience before God, because
               1. even as Jesus was raised,
               2. so we also shall arise to a new beginning.
3. Why delay any longer?