Build an Ark | Pastor Ethan Boggs | Vibrant Church

0:00 The other day we were in a uh we were in the movie theater in Starkville. Uh we were watching a movie and while we're in there a uh the building got really loud and and I was like confused. I didn't know what it was and Judah sitting beside me and he asked me dad what is this? What is that noise? And I started thinking it's got to be rain. It was so loud on the building that you couldn't hear the movie. So I pulled up my phone and I just want you to see what I saw when I looked at this. Look at this here. I got a picture of it. So, now here's the thing about living in Mississippi that I've had to learn and still learning. I don't know if this is a regular Tuesday or a tornado that's going to kill everybody. I have no idea.

0:45 And um what we learned is it was a regular Tuesday and we didn't die. But Judah, when he saw that and I showed him, he goes, "Wow, we're right in the middle of it." And a thought came to me. Have you ever found yourself or your family right in the middle of a storm? >> Let me ask you this question. Have you ever felt like the storms facing your family were bigger than your ability to handle them? >> Have you ever felt the weight of trying to navigate your family through something that you just didn't think we were going to make it through? Families in reality are being beaten by storms. And whether they be financial storms or emotional, relationally, or

1:33 maybe they're physical, cultural, spiritual storms that we can experience. I bet if I were to go around the room today, there are a different storms and different seats. For some, maybe they're navigating bankruptcy or financial pressure with the increasing costs. Maybe there's some people in here that their children are older and they're straying from the faith and that's a storm in your soul right now. Maybe there are some navigating unexpected sickness or diagnosis. Maybe some are navigating the complexity of a of a blended family. >> Or maybe even one of the hardest things to navigate is that a family is broken because of some unfaithfulness.

2:18 No doubt in this room today and joining online, there are people by the thousands who are navigating storms. And every family will find their home in a storm at some point, but not every family is prepared for the storms they will experience. Jesus speaks of this and we're going to jump in the New Testament and then in a moment I'm going to take you to the Old Testament. Matthew chapter number 7, Jesus is telling this uh idea to his followers that day and he says these words. Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who

3:04 built his house on the rock. And the rain fell and the floods came and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell and the floods came and the winds blew and beat against the house and it fell and great was the fall of it. Over and over if you hear these words home and house in that text he's using words like built and beaten. And I think we could look at this as as not just your life being built, but I think

3:51 we could take it a little more literal today. That that your family, the home, your house, your your address, your your your lineage, your children, your wife, this is the house, this is the home that you are responsible to build under the authority of God. And notice that storms hit the house that was a foolish man and the wise man. The storm's coming to every home. And notice it says they were beaten. That word over and over in the text that the storm beat the house. If you're taking notes, a storm will bring a beating. It's a storm. And it isn't really a storm until it starts to get uncomfortable. And the

4:37 storm will beat on the house. Notice what it says. The rains fall from above. The floods come up from below, the winds from every direction. I mean, I can go around this room and tell you stories of people who have told me and say words like this. We're just going through a storm or this is just beating us down, pastor. our kids, the situations at school, the things we're navigating with our employment, the things going on in our heart and our mind, the thing we're navigating, aging parents with that need memory care, or we're dealing with things in our children or our grandchildren we never would have dreamed, and we're dealing with something that is beating us down. Studies say that 48% of parents, according to the Department of Health

5:22 and Human Services, 48% of parents say that their stress is completely overwhelming on most days. 40% of high school students reported persistent sadness and hopelessness. This one right here, I I don't say to shame anybody, but they say that more than 672,000 divorces take place a year. That's 1,840 divorces every single day among the reporting areas that this was taken in the United States. 1,840. And I'm not saying that to hurt anybody's feelings. I just want you to see see that the beating is real. that the heaviness of navigating a family

6:09 that the way of navigating storms and crisis and difficulty is real. And there are times where families experience shipwreck. And notice what Jesus said, you will experience storms. In fact, he says it rains on the just as well as the unjust. It's another verse. He didn't he simply lets us know that the experience will come of storms, but you can survive them. Hear me. if you're prepared with the right stuff. >> So, you don't get to pass on a storm. We don't get to pass over difficulties. But what we do need to understand, we got to build with the right stuff with the storm in mind. Are you with me, everybody? >> And so, let me introduce you to a man

6:56 whose family and himself weathered a storm. If you got your Bibles, turn all the way to Genesis chapter number six. Genesis is the first book in the Bible. If you don't know that, that's all right. We're glad you're here. You can go school disciplehip. I'm just playing. But seriously, I'm glad you're here. If you don't know how to hold a Bible, I'm glad you're here. If you don't have a Bible, I'm glad you're here. Come on, somebody. >> You don't have one, let us know. We'll give you one. Just take somebody's next to you. I don't care. Just take it. Look at this. Uh Genesis chapter number six. Noah, everybody say Noah. >> Noah >> was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God.

7:45 >> A righteous man, blameless, and he walked with God. The word blameless literally means that he was sincere. He had integrity. Doesn't mean he was perfect. It just simply means that his heart was positioned properly and he was sincere and he was a man of high integrity. Look at verse 11. Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight. Now notice this. He was blameless among this corrupt generation. And the earth was filled with what? >> Violence. So corruption inside of the world had become so bad that it is now led to violence. And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. I want you to notice a few words,

8:30 and I don't have time. I wish I could dig right here. The first thing we see is that it's in God's sight. Isn't that interesting that they corrupted themselves in God's sight? It's funny that we can be corrupt in God's sight and maybe not corrupt in the world's sight. that we could be corrupt in the eyes of God and we could be corrupting our own ways. We could be sinful in the eyes of God and still be receiving approval in the eyes of man. And look what the Bible says. It's in God's sight. They corrupted themselves, left to themselves. Humanity will corrupt themselves. Are you seeing this? And then verse 13. And God said to Noah, "I have determined to make an end of all

9:18 flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth." Now, in reading this, it's a little overwhelming because we oftenimes have a hard time understanding this. And it's important to remember that God wasn't uh that this wasn't God destroying a pretty good world. This is God destroying a world that didn't just make a few bad decisions. This, the Bible says, they were full of corruption. They have gotten to a place that was so bad that God could no longer look past it. >> And you may be thinking today, well, the world seems pretty bad now. Why doesn't God destroy the world now? I'll give you one answer. Jesus Christ. Jesus came and took on the wrath of God

10:05 for the sin that we have experienced. And we are now what is called in the dispensation of grace. And that doesn't mean that we get to get away with what we want. It means that God has given us an opportunity to call on his name. Because the Bible lets us know that there will be a day that the earth will be judged. But those that are in Christ, the Bible says their will that they are free from the wrath to come. I want you to understand something. If you and your family are in Jesus Christ, your bloodbought, you have nothing to worry about with the wrath of God. Jesus took it on the cross. And one day when you stand before God, he'll say, "Welcome in. Well done, my good and faithful servant."

10:50 But in the context of that time, God had become fed up with where humanity was. And there was this moment where God says, "I'm going to finish this situation. I'm tired of them living like they want to live. I'm tired of them doing what they want to do. And let me just pause and say this. There are consequences of chaos when communities and countries and families and even churches move away from God's design intent in his word. You cannot help but produce chaos in culture and in families when God is a side thought rather than if God is the priority. And so here's what we find. a world in chaos.

11:38 And look what God tells Noah. Verse 14, make yourself an ark. He tells him, Noah, I want you to build something nobody has ever seen. We know from scripture that at this point it has never rained. That the world was was nourished through the fountains of the earth. We know at this time that there would never been a boat built, especially on land. And Noah is informed by God that if we are going to live through this judgment, through the corruption of the earth, I'm going to have to have you build something that you can live in.

12:24 >> And so, the Bible lets us know that he begins to build a boat before it begins to rain. And I want you to hear me today. It's best to build before the storm >> for you and your family. It is best to build before it starts. Can you imagine being Noah and what people thought of him as he went to work every day building something in a community that could have laughed at him, in a community that probably misunderstood him, around friends and family that probably thought he lost his mind. But Noah every day would go out and build a boat because God told him to build an ark. Here's what you need to

13:10 know, everybody. Your pastor can't build it for you. Your pastor can't build a home for you that is ready and strong for when the storms come. I can influence you. I can teach you. I can inspire you. But at the end of the day, if you don't go and do the work yourself, >> if you don't go and pray with your kids yourself, if you don't be an example to your family yourself, are you hearing me everybody? >> Your mama can't do it. I know some people, we got some praying mamas and some praying daddies and daddies that were deacons and mama that used to cook food for the committees for the carpet committee at the old little church you used to go to. But you're praying mama and you're praying daddy. Though we are grateful and thankful for their heritage and their prayers live on. And I believe

13:56 God's still doing a work through their legacy. At the end of the day, you have to make the decision if we're going to build an ark that's going to last the the corruption of this world, that's going to live through any storm that hits your house. And you got to make that decision on your own. Right in the middle of a broken world, God speaks to him and says, "Build an ark." >> He lets him know, "I don't care what they're doing up the road. I don't care what the Johnson's are doing at their house. I don't care what the Jacksons are doing at their house. I don't care what this family's doing over there. I don't care what this family's doing over there. But you have to get up with intentionality and take care of your home and tell the

14:43 enemy, "As for me and my house, I don't know what's going on in your house, but I have determined in my house, we're going to build something that will last when the rain comes and the floods rise because there is a generation that will not corrupt themselves." You need to hear me today as your pastor. I want you to hear me. This is why it's so important that you have a continual consistent commitment to the church of the living God. >> I know somebody's out there like, "Well, of course he wants that. He's the preacher. He wants everybody here." No, no, no. I would love everybody to be here. But the truth of the matter is what I want for you is for you to have an ark that is safe for your family. I

15:30 want you to have prioritizing the presence of God in your home and in your life that when the rains come and difficulty comes that maybe, just maybe, you got some community that can pray with you and love you and care for you. But if you're out there on your own and the rain begins to fall and all of a sudden now you want to build. >> I'm not trying to be ugly, but there are times in your life where the rains are going to fall and the flood is going to rise. And you and I have to already determine in our heart that we're going to start building this thing before the floods come. >> I would suggest to you today that as your pastor, you put your students in our youth ministry. And you may be thinking, "Well, Pastor Ethan Wade, they don't like you. They

16:16 don't like their youth. They hate you. They can't stand you, you." The good news is I'm not at youth. Go ahead and bring them. If you don't bring them here, bring them somewhere. >> There are great churches in this community, great pastors in this community. And if you don't like it here, I will personally help you find somewhere to fit because I want you to have an arc. Get your kids in kids ministry. They need to hear about Jesus in a way they understand. I'm amazed how much Bible my kids know cuz I didn't tell them some of that stuff. I'm amazed how much they've learned. I'm amazed how excited they are to come to youth or kids ministry to see their friends and their pals. I They are so

17:03 excited to experience that >> because we need What am I doing pastor then? Why does it matter? I I just want all of us to have a an arc. >> You got to take it serious. I I'll just read you a few studies. A study at Harvard's Thchan School of Public Health in 2018, listen to this, found that children and adolescence who attended religious services regularly were 18% more likely to report higher happiness, 33% less likely to engage in substance abuse, and 30% less likely to become sexually active at a young age >> just by getting them in the house of God. National Survey of Youth said that they found religious involvement with

17:50 young people, especially weekly attendance, correlates with higher GPA, lower dropout rates, and better behavior in school. It's getting quiet in this Presbyterian church. According to Barnett Group, a Pew Research, uh, children who actively who were actively involved in church, not just attending, but participating, were more likely to stay in faith as an adult. So, don't underestimate when you drop your students off on Wednesday what you're doing. >> It may not seem like much. It may look like something little. Don't you don't think that we're just back there babysitting your kids today. Cuz what you were doing when you dropped a little Johnny and little Sally off, you were saying, "We're still building. We're going to build. We're going to raise this child in the way they should go, and when they're older, they won't

18:36 depart from." You're building an ark, >> and we're trying to help you. We're not back there babysitting your kids. We're back there teaching them and sharing the love of God and caring for them because we want to come alongside you and say, "Hey, we're with you. We love you. We support you, but we need you to do your part and we'll do our part." >> Very good. >> I know that for me personally, part of how I want to build an arc for my family, just a few little things I'll give you. For me personally, you come to my house, you can ask my wife. Uh it changes during the seasons. It depends on how cold it is and how warm it is. every morning, grab a cup of coffee, go out to the porch swing, and I sit out there and I bring my Bible every morning

19:21 so that when my kids see me when they get up, I'm not on my phone that I will be honest with you. There have been a few times I sat it down, picked up my Bible real quick. I'm going to tell you the truth. Don't you judge me. Come on. I'm trying to build an ark. Let me build it my way. I don't have to do that a lot. But I want my kids I don't read my Bible on my iPad, which is fine if you do. I don't read my Bible on my phone, which is fine if you do. I'm glad that you're reading it. But I want my kids to see me with a physical Bible. >> And it may be little to some people. It

20:07 may not matter. But I want Judah and Lily and my new baby to come. Come on, somebody. I want them to, if you didn't know that, Lena wanted me so bad. But when they see their daddy, straighten up, y'all. But when they see their daddy, I want their daddy to be a person they know. Build an arc for them. I try to pray with my kids every night when I'm home. There's times I'm traveling and when I get home, I like to go in their rooms and I pray the Bible Luke 2:52 over them or I'll speak another scripture over them and and Judah can quote it. Lily can quote it. I'll say sometimes I'll put my hands on

20:52 them and I'll just say, "May the Lord bless you. May the Lord keep you. May his may his face shine down upon you. Be gracious unto you." You know, I like to joke too with my kids because I grew up Pentecostal. Sometimes I'll grab their head be like in the name of Jesus to really make sure it gets in there. You know, what am I doing? I'm building an ark. Just building an ark before we before we uh at at before our meals just like you. And then my kids learn to pray at school and it's fine. But I was convicted a few weeks ago like Ethan, you need to pray over the meals as the father. And I know it's little and I make us all grab hands. We were kids. Mom and dad make us all grab hands right now. I could hate my sisters all day, but we had to hold hands and pray over them and we just grab hands and we pray and

21:40 and they're little guys. I'm not sure I've got it figured out. But I will say this, my heart is to build an ark. >> Just want to build something for them that they can look and know. We were kids. I remember mom and dad, man, they would uh they we grew up in the church and we went to church Sunday morning and Sunday night. Y'all don't know nothing around this church. And Wednesday night. We didn't just have first Wednesday church. We had every Wednesday church. Come on. Any old saints know what I'm talking about. >> Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday. Sunday night. Dad was so tired from Sunday morning. He'd always be like, "I just want the Holy Ghost to flow. Let's uh testimony service." and we were winging it. We were winging that

22:25 service completely. But I look back now and I'm so grateful they built an ark. >> They prayed over us. >> They loved us. >> We built an ark. Look at this verse. Genesis 7:1. Then the Lord said to Noah, "Go into the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you are righteous before me in this generation. you and your household. I'm not leaving anyone behind. You need to hear me today. What you're doing is not just for you. What you're doing today, and I'm so glad you came to church, I'm so glad you prioritized. But when you did and your kids saw you get in that car and your wife saw you get in that car and your

23:10 husband saw you get ready this morning and get in the house of God, you were communicating to them that in the midst of a corrupt, dying generation and in a confused world. We're going to keep building an ark. We're coming to the house of God and we have decided that he's going to be first. >> You and your household. Say amen, everybody. >> Amen. >> You can do this. This is this is not impossible. I'm so grateful for the times that growing up in church that I I just didn't know it at the time. It didn't seem significant at the time. It didn't seem like a big deal. But the older I got, I look back and I'm so grateful for parents that picked up the tools and prior prioritized God, loved God, weren't perfect, but loved Jesus, did all they could to build the local

23:57 kingdom and the local church. And and as a result, here I am today >> building my own ark. cuz you and your household. >> Amen. >> Let me continue. Let me give you this last thought. Storms don't have to sink your family. >> Let me show you this verse. This is probably my favorite verse. Verse 17. The flood continued for 40 days on the earth. The waters increased, bore up the ark, and it rose high above the earth. Noah could not stop the flood, but through obedience, he built something that could rise above it. You and I could not stop the turmoil and the struggles and the rain and the floods

24:42 that's going to beat against our families and our minds and our hearts. But here's what you can have is that if you have walked in obedience to his word and you're building an ark and you're going to church and you're loving your family and you're tithing and you're supporting God's house and you're prioritizing God as number one in your life when the storms come, you're communicating to your kids that even if it falls, we're going to rise right above it. We're going to come up. It ain't going to be we ain't drowning in this. We going to sink in this. As for me in my house, we're going to rise above this thing. Here's what I want you to understand. Every other kid in the community may start playing with drugs, but not your kids are going to rise above it. Every other kid in that class could be struggling with this or that, but not your kids. Because you've built an arc that when the enemy come in like a flood, the spirit of God raises a standard against it and we can rise

25:29 right above the thing that's trying to pull us down. Can I get a witness, somebody? You can't control the culture around your family. You can't control the waters and you can't control the corruption of the earth, but you can build an environment in your home of prayer and loving God that when wind comes, you can stand your ground and say, "We're still here. We're still standing. We're not done yet. We're not THROWING IN THE TOWEL. WE'RE BUILDING AN ARK." Is there any parents in the room or grandparents or people that will say, "We ain't perfect, but we're building." Oh, hallelujah. I'm not done. I'm building. I'm not perfect, but I can build. >> I may not be a perfect parent, but I can be a praying parent. I MAY NOT HAVE EVERYTHING TOGETHER. I MAY NOT HAVE

26:15 EVERYTHING PERFECT, but your kids need to see you get up again, DUST OFF AGAIN, GET IN THE HOUSE of God again. YOU MAY MESS UP FROM TIME TO TIME, but don't stop building. Don't stop. Say it with me, church. Don't stop building. One more time. Somebody say amen. >> Amen. >> I feel my help is coming and I'm out of time. I feel the oil hitting me now. I feel like preaching now. I took it took you 30 minutes to find me, but we together now and I'm done. I'm not done. I got to build. I got to build. This matters too much for me. I got to do, you know, the other

27:02 day I was watching uh the local I think it was WCBI or WTVA. I came here and you know our news is always funny. They're like it's all this stuff and then the commercials. Have you ever watched our local commercials? Girl, that is a entertaining situation. All these attorneys, all these so many things. But one thing I was watching the other day, they had this uh uh uh storm shelter and this good old boy was advertising the storm shelter he was selling. I don't know who he is. I don't know the name of the company. I can't remember. But he just said, "Y'all need to protect what matters most." That's how he said it. I think he said,

27:48 >> "You need to hear me today. When you're building an ark, that you're building a safe place to protect what matters most. that whatever's coming against you, trying to rise up, discouragement and fear coming against your home, you can be safe. Pastor Ethan, how am I going to do this? Let me show you Hebrews 11:7. By faith, everybody say faith. >> Noah being divinely warned of things yet not yet seen. In other words, he ain't seen this rain. He hasn't he doesn't know what's coming. Moves with godly fear and a reverence for God. prepared an ark for the saving of his household by faith. Bible says that Noah walked with God. I want you to know something. How you going to do it? You're going to do it by faith. You're going to have days where

28:35 you don't feel it, but you got to faith it. There going to be days you don't want to be in here. I promise you. I'm the pastor don't want to come sometimes, but you do by faith. I bet there going to be nights where you don't want to get out of your bed and go in there and pray with them rascals cuz you're so tired from working 10 hours that day and those kids ain't grateful and half of them didn't eat their dinner and all they do is they want to get on iPads. They don't want to do and you're just annoyed. But go in there, Dad, by faith. Father, I pray the blessing of God over this baby. Let this baby walk in the blessing of God, favor upon this child. You're building an ark. Do it by faith. When you get up on Sunday mornings and you come in, you're building by faith.

29:21 And you can't really see it right now, >> but one day you'll look back and when the storm comes, you're going to know the difference. You're going to see the difference. Can't always see it in the building season, but in storming seasons, you'll know the difference. And I want to pray with some families today. And in just a moment, the kids are going to come in. I'm going to ask you to remain in your seats or wherever we'll be. But maybe you're here today and you feel like, "Pastor Ethan, this was a good message for me, but 10 years ago, it's a little late. I I I'm a little too old. My kids are a little older now and they've moved out and I just wish I would have built a better ark." Here's what I want you to know. God has a heart for prodical children. Then if they've drifted away and their hearts are far

30:08 from God, here's what I want you to know. his eye like the heavenly father has his eye on those kids and they can run but they can't hide. I want to believe that with you that if they go make their bed in hell, he'll be right there. I want to pray for your family today. Maybe you're here today and you don't know the Lord and maybe you just need to start building an ark. I would pray today that you say yes to Jesus and that you can begin the ark building process in your life and build a family that honors God. So with eyes closed all over this room, Father, there are families here that are navigating pain, families here that are navigating hurt. There's some in here

30:53 right now that are navigating rains and floods and storms and loss and grief and pain and situations. Father, I pray that the storm that's coming will not be able to stop what you're doing in them. And by faith, I pray they keep building. By faith, I pray they keep building. I pray that by faith they keep standing on the word of God, trusting you, walking with you, being like you, doing everything they can to trust you every step of the way. I pray their children are blessed, their homes are blessed, their families are blessed, their business is blessed, their homes, their life. Let it flourish in the name of Jesus. And that all things all things going to work together. Mom, all things going to work together, Dad. Come on. I feel a grief for somebody in here that's been praying

31:39 for a son or a daughter that's drifted away. Father, I pray for that prodical son or daughter right now. Wherever they may be. If they're in a crack house, find them right now, God. If they're laying in their bed with depression, find them right now. If they're drunk at a bar, wherever, wherever they are, Father, in the name of Jesus, let your spirit find them. push back and past a jail cell if you got to find them. Go find them in a in a hospital bed, wherever they may be. Spirit of the living God, begin to arrest their hearts and let these parents begin to see a moving and a stirring of the spirit of God that you begin to pull on them. Because if they raise them in the way they should go, go, it will not depart from them and they won't depart from it.