Sermon Theme: We must know and understand what God’s purpose is for the local church, and together strive to excel in fulfilling that purpose for His Glory.

Sermon Outline – The “Fantastic 4” of God’s purpose(s) for the local church
(Part 1 covered this week)
1) Exaltation – A Worshipping Body
2) Edification – A Walking Body
3) Equipment-ation – A Working Body
4) Evangelization – A Witnessing Body

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Genesis 11:1-9 (NASB)

1 Now the whole earth used the same language and the same words. 2 It came about as they journeyed east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. 3 They said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and burn them thoroughly.” And they used brick for stone, and they used tar for mortar. 4 They said, “Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name, otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.” 5 The LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. 6 The LORD said, “Behold, they are one people, and they all have the same language. And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for them. 7 “Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, so that they will not understand one another’s speech.” 8 So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of the whole earth; and they stopped building the city. 9 Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of the whole earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of the whole earth.

Theme: Although sinful man seeks to glorify himself, God mercifully intervenes so that He will receive all the glory.

Outline:
1) Man’s prideful rebellion against God (11:1-4)
2) God’s merciful response to man (11:5-9)

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Outline:
1) All babies are created by and precious to God
2) Nations that sacrifice their children were judged by God
3) God calls Christians to have compassion on the defenseless

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Acts 20:24 (NASB)

But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God.

Outline:
1) Understand that your life is not just for yourself (v. 24a)
2) Know that Jesus gave you a mission to accomplish for Him (v. 24b)
3) [Accept that] You are called to proclaim the Gospel (v. 24c)

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1 Peter 3:18 (NASB)

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Genesis 9:18-29 (NASB)

18 Now the sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth; and Ham was the father of Canaan. 19 These three were the sons of Noah, and from these the whole earth was populated.

20 Then Noah began farming and planted a vineyard. 21 He drank some of the wine and became drunk, and uncovered himself inside his tent. 22 Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside. 23 But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it on both their shoulders and walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were turned away, so that they did not see their father’s nakedness. 24 When Noah awoke from his wine, he knew what his youngest son had done to him. 25 So he said,

“Cursed be Canaan;
A servant of servants
He shall be to his brothers.”

26 He also said,

“Blessed be the Lord,
The God of Shem;
And may Canaan be his servant.
27
May God enlarge Japheth,
And may he live in the tents of Shem;
And may Canaan be his servant.”

28 Noah lived 350 years after the flood. 29 So all the days of Noah were 950 years, and he died.

As shameful sin rears its ugly head in ourselves and in others, we must battle against it and look to Christ to cover us.

1) God’s people must deal with shameful sin honorably (9:20-23)

2) God sovereignty brings cursing on unrighteousness {and blessing on righteousness} (9:24-27)

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Genesis 9:8-17 (NASB)

8 Then God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying, 9 “Now behold, I Myself am establishing My covenant with you, and with your descendants after you; 10 and with every living creature that is with you: the birds, the livestock, and every animal of the earth with you; of all that comes out of the ark, every animal of the earth. 11 I establish My covenant with you; and all flesh shall never again be eliminated by the waters of a flood, nor shall there again be a flood to destroy the earth.” 12 God said, “This is the sign of the covenant which I am making between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations; 13 I have set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall serve as a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth. 14 It shall come about, when I make a cloud appear over the earth, that the rainbow will be seen in the cloud, 15 and I will remember My covenant, which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and never again shall the water become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16 When the rainbow is in the cloud, then I will look at it, to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” 17 And God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant which I have established between Me and all flesh that is on the earth.”

Theme: God promises to preserve His creation.

1) God’s Covenant (9:8-11)

2) God’s Sign of the Covenant (9:12-17)

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Genesis 9:1-7 (NASB)

1 Then God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth. 2 The fear of you and the terror of you will be on every animal of the earth and on every bird of the sky; on everything that crawls on the ground, and on all the fish of the sea. They are handed over to you. 3 Every moving thing that is alive shall be food for you; I have given everything to you, as I gave the green plant. 4 But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. 5 I certainly will require your lifeblood; from every animal I will require it. And from every person, from every man as his brother I will require the life of a person.

6
Whoever sheds human blood,
By man his blood shall be shed,
For in the image of God
He made mankind.
7
As for you, be fruitful and multiply;
Populate the earth abundantly and multiply in it.”

God blesses mankind with provision and protection in the new world where sin and corruption will soon abound again.

God’s Blessing: The Creation Mandate (9:1, 7)

1) Provision: Animals given for food (9:2-3)

2) Prohibition: Don’t eat the blood (9:4)

3) Protection: Sanctity of human life (9:5-6)

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Genesis 8:15-22 (NASB)

15 Then God spoke to Noah, saying, 16 “Go out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and your sons’ wives with you. 17 “Bring out with you every living thing of all flesh that is with you, birds and animals and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, that they may breed abundantly on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth.” 18 So Noah went out, and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him. 19 Every beast, every creeping thing, and every bird, everything that moves on the earth, went out by their families from the ark. 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. 21 The LORD smelled the soothing aroma; and the LORD said to Himself, “I will never again curse the ground on account of man, for the intent of man’s heart is evil from his youth; and I will never again destroy every living thing, as I have done. 22 “While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, And cold and heat, And summer and winter, And day and night Shall not cease.”

Sermon Theme: God in gracious provision will sustain life on Earth, giving us opportunity for eternal life in Heaven.

Outline: Three reasons we can give thanks to God this season (and any season)
1) God fulfils His promises to us (8:15‑19
2) God accepts our devoted worship (8:20‑21)
3) God pledges His (un)common grace upon sinful mankind (8:21b‑22)

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