I was recently reading the story of Noah. It’s one of those stories that most everyone has been exposed to—even if they aren’t Bible readers. It’s a story that, by God’s design, is supposed to create a sense of soberness and caution in our hearts. It’s also supposed to create a sense of urgency in our calling to help others know the Lord! Every time I read this to my children, and now to my grandchildren, that warning and urgency refills my heart!
In the story, God had told Noah that a great flood was coming that would destroy mankind—with the exception of Noah and his family. What was mankind like at that time that was so bad that God would bring this kind of judgment? It’s important to know! Why? Because Jesus said that when He would return for us, that the spirit and attitude of men would be like that again—”as it was in Noah’s day.”
In Matthew 24:37-39 Jesus said, “When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes.”
This present age we live in has become so bad that even worldly people think so! There is evil, corruption, and hatred all around the world! Jesus warned us saying “…people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat.” What Jesus wanted us to see is that people had no time for God or for His ways. The people of that day didn’t concern themselves with living morally upright and ethical, and that will be how it is when Jesus comes back. That is how it is today!
As we dig deeper into the days of Noah, we get greater insight into what the people were like then and before Jesus returns. Genesis 6:5 reveals, “The Lord saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time.”
Other verses indicate there were champions of evil that people saw as heroes. In other words, in the culture of the day, evil was perceived as good or normal, and good was perceived as evil, or fanatical and stupid. We’ve entered into that culture again. Older people today are frustrated. They know how much more moral life used to be in their younger years. They see that the younger generation of today is blind to caring about morality or a deep love for and service to God. The younger generation sees those who are older as being out of touch.
God was patient and warned the people of Noah’s day. While Noah was building the ark, He was also “a preacher of righteousness.” (2 Pet. 2:5) He preached God’s warning for 120 years before the flood came, showing God’s patience for mankind to repent and change. They never did. Noah had many relatives just because of the sheer fact that man was living up to and over the age of 700 years at that time. They all heard his story, yet none of them were saved in the ark—only Noah and his family.
Genesis 6:8-9 (NLT) tells us, Noah “…found grace in the eyes of the Lord.” “Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless man living on earth at the time. He consistently followed God’s will and enjoyed a close relationship with Him.”
If you are living for the Lord today, the ungodly will view you as weird, out of touch with the times, delusional, or even fanatical because of your love, faith, and diligent effort to live wholeheartedly for God. The world, including some relatives, will see you as someone that interferes with their fun and ungodly choices. They will hate that just your presence makes them feel guilty. They will hate or despise you or anyone who calls their lifestyle sinful or evil. What you have probably noticed is that the days of Noah are already upon us.
You may feel like Noah in some ways, but I encourage you, keep close to God and don’t get sucked into their moral depravity. Don’t let this world wear you down so that you develop a ‘What’s the use?’ attitude. Don’t be drawn away from God and into their lifestyle! Be the lover of God and the preacher of righteousness in your sphere of influence. It doesn’t mean you’ll look like a fanatic condemning everyone. It means you will be a living example of what it means to live passionately for God. It means that as opportunities arise, you will share the love of Jesus with those God brings to you. It means you’ll keep yourself in a good Bible-teaching church and atmospheres where you are with like-minded believers who stand and pray with you! And because you do, and because of your revelation of what Jesus did at the cross for you, you’ll be guided by God’s Holy Spirit. Like Noah, you will have found “grace in God’s eyes.”
“Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.” (Luke 21:28)
Timothy Burt is a pastor, author, and writer. He is best known as the author of Fresh Manna, a daily devotional and online Bible study.
Pastor Tim became a part of the leadership team at Living Word Christian Center in 1984 and was an Associate Pastor from 1989 until May 31st, 2017. He and His wife Renee, also a Pastor at Living Word, resigned after being a part of Living Word for 33 years on May 31, 2017. They felt impressed by God to pursue the tremendous growth of their ministry "Fresh Manna," as well as teaching conferences and seminars and increasing their involvement in the mission field through Tim and Renee Burt Ministries. Tim has a Bachelor of Theology degree and is a Christian blogger who has been writing a daily inspirational and teaching devotion three days a week called "Fresh Manna" for the past 22 years. It has been read in over 227 countries (official countries and territories). Tim was named one of the top 55 blogging Pastors. He is one of the top Social Media influencers in Minnesota with a strong presence on Twitter at https://twitter.com/TimBurt with over 187,000 followers. Between Tim's Fresh Manna Devotional and Twitter influence, he virally averages reaching over 4 million people daily with the gospel of Jesus Christ and the love of God.
Prior to working at LWCC, he worked at Northwest Airlines for 13 years. In 1985 he founded and was President of American Infant Care Products which marketed his patented invention, the first fold-down commercial infant changing table now used worldwide in public restrooms.
In their tenure at Living Word, Timothy Burt and his wife Renee created a Small Group Ministry when the church was about 800 people in size. Under the leadership of Sr. Pastors Mac and Lynne Hammond, the church grew to over 10,000 people. Pastor Tim and Renee led a diverse Small Group Ministry of over 200 groups. Tim also led weekly men's groups and a monthly Men's Breakfast of 250 plus men called Manhood for 27 years. Tim's responsibilities also included oversight over the Visitor and Member Relations Department, Leadership and Volunteer Development, and the Pastoral Care Department. Pastor Tim was also the Minnesota State Director of Christians United for Israel from 2006 thru 2017.
Tim and Renee are the parents of four children and have seven grandchildren. Tim loves to write, golf, run, and walk, and is a master gardener. He is a five-time marathon finisher. He is also a three-time award-winning gardener winning the Grand Prize in his city for his beautiful home garden and is a Master Gardener for the University of Minnesota's Master Gardener Extension Program.