So do you think Noah knew?

Put yourself in Noah's shoes for a moment. One day out of the clear blue, while you're going about your business, God tells you he's fed up with the wickedness of mankind, so he's going to destroy the earth (all except you and your family) but you need to take on the largest building project ever attempted. God gives you every schematic, every tool, every supply to build this freighter, and he tells you he's going to bring two of every kind of animal to you before he floods the planet.

As Noah and his sons began to build the ark, I don't imagine that they were panicked about the flood coming. They trusted that God would wait until they were done. Now, when they were done, and the animals were showing up, I imagine they began to get antsy. They knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that the "end" was near. Still, they waited to go in until God told them to in Gen 7:1. Once Noah, the whole family, all the animals, food and supplies were safely aboard, God shut them in with his own hand. Gen 7:16.

Once that door shut - there was no going back, no delaying, and no freeloaders allowed. Noah knew at that moment, the "end" was here. But - the ark still sat there on the ground, and people still went about their business. It may have started raining that day, but the entire cataclysmic event played out over one hundred and fifty days. The "end" was a process. but God shut that ark door on one day.

In Matthew 24:37, Jesus uses interesting words. He says "As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man." There are many layers we can peel back here, starting with the obvious - in Noah's day, mankind was wicked beyond hope for rescue - but another layer is Noah's personal experience itself.

Did Noah know when the "end" would come? Many would say no, and maybe for a long time he didn't even have an idea. Building the ark took a long time, and there was no way for him to know, nor was there a need for him to know the deadline - he just had to be obedient and get it done. But the day God told him to get in with his family...he knew it was close. And the day God sealed up the door...he knew it was really close. He didn't need to know the details, he just needed to obey.

The end is coming, friend. It's ark-building time right now. How has God asked you to prepare? If you are part of the Body of Christ, you have a job on the construction team. Where are you called to serve? Are you serving?

Has God given you a vision for something specific? I hope you'll share it, and begin to walk forward no matter how outside the box God's vision may be. The ark was a wild idea. Absolutely nobody on the face of the earth was willing to help Noah and his sons fulfill the vision God gave them. Yet they obeyed, and mankind was saved.

What if you are Noah? You may not know when Jesus will return - and "shut the door" so to speak. You don't need to know. Your job, my job, is to be obedient and build this ark. Because the door will shut when the ark is ready. Either we're busy preparing it, or we get left out of it. Period.

What if he had decided to get in the ark after taking a little vacation? What if he got the work done, but fell asleep and didn't wake up for a week? God told him to get in the ark, and he got in the ark. The door shut. Noah had to be obedient all the way to the last moment.

Jesus tells us the same thing. Matthew 24:13 - "But he who stands firm to the end will be saved."

Are you remaining obedient and submitted to God's plan for your life? Are you ready to stand firm on that plan to the end? It's about to get crazy. Stay focused on Jesus and "after you have done everything, stand." Ephesians 6:13.

Salvation is not found in the Jesus Card you got at VBS thirty years ago. Salvation is found in obedience, standing firm with the Lord to the end. Noah could have done it all - and went on one last bender and been locked out with the rest of the heathens. Praise God for one righteous man who obeyed to the end so mankind could be saved.

Sound like another parallel? Praise God that Jesus obeyed to the end - so mankind could be redeemed! Jesus himself had to submit to the point of death. He died to defeat death once and for all, by rising again. He is the living savior, he did not rot on the cross, or wither away in a tomb. Jesus tells us we will do even greater things than he did - but the greatest thing he did was to die and rise again. Are you prepared to look death in the face and stand firm?

Don't get distracted with worldly things, or religious things, or political things. You've got a job to do. Stay focused, share the Gospel, and encourage each other - "all the more as you see the Day approaching." (Hebrews 10:25)

Guess what? The DAY is approaching! Like Anne Graham Lotz says, "Either I'll see Jesus when I die, or I'll see Jesus in the sky, but one way or another, I'm about to see Jesus face to face, and I better stay ready."