Jump Start # 562

Hebrews 11:7 By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

Our series on male leadership continues as we take a look at Noah. This hero of faith is held up as one who stood out with great faith in a world that disappointed God. Noah obeyed God. Noah walked with God. What we often don’t realize is that Noah was a leader.

This passage states that Noah prepared an ark “for the salvation of his household.” Noah saved his family. During the construction of the ark, Noah preached. Peter calls him a preacher of righteousness. Apparently few listened. Only Noah and his family entered the ark. Today, many would look upon Noah as a terrible preacher. After all those years of preaching, only his family listened. In the preaching world, Noah would have a tough time finding a job today. We too often judge success by numbers and not by faith. Noah saved his family. If every family did only that, our church buildings would be busting at the seams.

Noah prepared an ark for the salvation of his household. Consider what that meant.

• First, Noah was building most likely the largest boat ever built at that time. He didn’t build it next to a lake or the ocean. People must have wondered how he was going to get the boat to water. The building project took years and years to accomplish. Neighbors must have thought that O’ Noah was off his rocker.
• Noah warned his neighbors about a coming rain and flood. There is a strong case to be made that it had never rained before this. Genesis tells us that God made a mist from the ground that watered things. It’s hard to convince folks of something they have never seen before.
• Noah was to place many animals in the ark. People must have thought how is that to be accomplished? How are you going to round them all up?

Strange things to a world that didn’t believe. Noah was different. He put his trust in God and not what his neighbors thought. He stayed with it, even though his neighbors may well have questioned him, ridiculed him, and even laughed at him. Noah’s faith is what carried him through.

Leaders will do just what Noah did. Spiritual leaders especially, and in this series, spiritual dads, will walk by faith and listen to what God says. If you want to save your family, you must be willing to do things differently than what everyone else is doing. The majority do not walk with God. The majority are on a path of destruction. Remember the Lord’s words about the strait and the narrow way? Spiritual leaders are not interested in being a typical family. Average doesn’t cut it for them. What everyone else is doing isn’t good enough. Spiritual dads are willing to be different to save their families.

• Spiritual dads are going to go to church services every week with the family. With Bibles in hand, they are going to worship the God of Heaven and earth. They are setting the pace that God is important.
• Spiritual dads are going to have a time for the family to be together. Meal time is one occasion. Other times may be a family night. Talk, fun, games, connecting will take place. This is missing today. Everyone is in their own corner of the house with their own electronic gadgets, many spending more time on facebook than “face to face” with their family. Spiritual dads are going to lead the family to togetherness.

• Spiritual dads are going to lead the family in prayers and devotion to God. The family will discuss and talk about what they learned from sermons and Bible classes. It’s a great time to lower the nets and get beyond superficial chit chat and shallow thinking. This is where character is built and proper attitudes are formed. Spiritual dads will take the lead in molding these young and tender hearts.
• Spiritual dads will lead the family on projects to help others. It may be doing yard work for an elderly neighbor. It may be taking food to a sick member. It may be going to the hospital or funeral home –together, as a family. Spiritual dads will not shelter the kids from these things. They will show the kids how to serve others and in so doing develop the servant’s heart.
• Spiritual dads will lead the family in righteous ways. This may make them unpopular at home, because they will turn the TV off when inappropriate shows are being watched. They will be on top of who their kids friends are and where and what they are planning to do. They may discourage certain friendships because of the character and behaviors of some. Spiritual dads will stand with God. They will discipline. They will be the authority in the home. Spiritual dads will not allow the kids to sass mom, to back talk or to cop an attitude. That’s the scene in most homes. Spiritual dads aren’t interested in doing what most do, they want to do what God wants. Being different, being weird doesn’t bother spiritual dads. They know where they are headed and they are walking side by side with the Lord.

Noah sure was weird in his time. But all these hundreds and hundreds of years later, here we are talking about Noah. Can you name one of Noah’s neighbors? Gone. Forgotten. Lost. Drowned. Noah didn’t fit in the selfish and sinful world he lived in. Spiritual families today are just like that. The latest fashion, the hottest show, who kissed who in Hollywood means nothing to spiritual families. Their heroes are not found in glamour magazines or ESPN, but in church buildings. I’ve seen young children lined up after a gospel meeting with their Bibles opened to a blank page, waiting patiently so the guest preacher will sign their Bibles. They are interested in the autographs of spiritual giants.

What kind of family do you want? Normal, typical family? Or are you willing to be different, and take all the things that comes with that, to have a spiritual family. I know a family that has their own personal tract rack at home. When someone visits or knocks on the door, they can give them literature about the Bible. That’s weird. I know a family that on a Friday night, invites several people into their home to sing hymns. That’s weird. I know a family that took their vacation to travel to another state to attend a lectureship at a church. That’s weird. I know a family that writes letters to preachers overseas. The children color pictures that are included with the letters. That’s weird. I know a family that has a large jar in their kitchen. Each day, everyone deposits whatever change they have in their pockets. When enough money is collected, the family goes and buys a Bible for someone. That’s weird. I know a family that takes one Saturday a month to visit the nursing home. They don’t know anyone there. They just go and visit and sing some songs with the patients. Yes, nursing homes smell. Yes, there are some ballgames the kids could be playing, but it’s their way of making a spiritual difference. Weird, isn’t it? I know a family that will go on a school night to a gospel meeting at another congregation. That’s weird.

What’s going on in your home? Is everyone coming home, immediately turning the TV on, and going off by themselves until bedtime, only to start the same thing again tomorrow? Home, for many, is more like an apartment building. Everyone is under the same structure, but they don’t really connect with each other. That’s normal in America. Is that your home? Is that the way you like it? Is that making a difference spiritually?

Noah was different. Noah saved his family. It’s time we quit worrying about fitting in and start being different and start saving your family. Dads, it all starts with you. It wasn’t Mama Noah who did these things, it was Noah.

It’s ok to be different, if it saves your family. Just ask Noah some day!

Roger