"Noah had faith. So, he built an ark to save his family. He built it because of his great respect for God. God had warned him about things that could not yet be seen. Because of his faith Noah showed the world that it was guilty. Because of his faith he was considered right with God" (Hebrews 11:7). Noah had faith. What does faith mean? It can be understood as 'faith equals creed'. So, if we believe everything professed in the Apostle's Creed, then we have faith. Years ago, the Christian Reformed Church put a lot of emphasis on the Heidelberg Catechism; we might have been left with the impression that if we had it memorized than had sufficient faith to join the church. The Bible does at times refer to faith as a set of beliefs. For example, check out 1 Timothy 4:6 and Jude 3. But generally, the idea of faith implies something much more dynamic and active: a life lived in a trusting relationship with God. This active faith certainly rests on sound teaching, but it cannot be summed up by intellectual assent. This is James' point in much of his letter which he sums up with, "As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead" (2:26). And Paul agrees, writing in Galatians 5:6, "The only things that counts is faith expressing itself through love". And of course, the author of Hebrews, fully concurs. In our text, we learn that God, who is unseen, warned Noah that a flood, a form of judgement on evil, was coming. And so, Noah built an ark far away from any water. It is often assumed that it took Noah about 100 years to build the ark, but we have no evidence for that. And that is not the most important matter. We ought to note Noah's 'holy fear' or 'great respect' for God. He paid close and reverent attention to God's instruction. When God spoke, Noah believed and built an ark, even though he could not see the waters. This is faith. The hymn writer put it like this, "there is no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey." But there is more. As he built the ark, his faith stood in sharp contrast to the unbelief of those around him. They had to choose whether to believe God's word. If they believed, they would need to join Noah in building the ark. It is still true today: Christian obedience has powerful evangelistic value. People are influenced not only by what we say to them, but by the way we respond to what God says to us. Good examples will either lead unbelievers to faith or condemn them. There is something very convincing in a life of holiness and regard to God; it convicts people's conscience calling them to choose for or against Jesus. This is the best way the people of God can confront unblievers; not by harsh and condemnatory language, but by a holy exemplary conversation and deeds arising from our faith. The story of Noah brings us to the waters of baptism which speak of both judgement and salvation. A baptism prayer puts it this way, "In the time of Noah, you destroyed evil in the water of the flood; and by your saving ark, you gave a new beginning". These waters teach us that evil, even our evil, must be washed away in the blood of Christ. Faith that believes in the cleansing blood of Christ is faith that also pursues godly living (Titus 2:11-14). As God was patient in the days of Noah, he remains patient today. His judgement is not quick in coming. "[God] is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). Let us live by this faith. As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.

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