God’s Covenant with Noah

Summary

In this sermon, Pastor Mark Plunkett of Heritage Presbyterian Church reflects on God's covenant with Noah, based on passages from Genesis, while also weaving in a personal Father's Day story. He emphasizes Noah's faith and obedience in building the ark without fully understanding its purpose, highlighting the importance of trust in God's plans. Plunkett draws parallels to modern covenants, underscoring that love should be at the heart of every agreement, whether with God or with others, and reflects on how his father showed love and fairness through a personal agreement.

Takeaways

• 🙏 The service begins with a prayer, asking for God's guidance and acceptance of worship.
• 📖 The sermon focuses on three readings from the Book of Genesis, specifically related to Noah and the flood.
• 🌍 God was grieved by the wickedness of humankind and decided to destroy life on Earth, but Noah found favor with God due to his righteousness.
• 🛠️ Noah demonstrated faith and obedience by building the ark without fully understanding its purpose, following God's commands.
• 🌧️ The flood lasted 40 days and 40 nights, and Noah, his family, and pairs of animals were saved in the ark.
• 🌈 After the flood, God made a covenant with Noah, promising never to destroy the Earth again and using the rainbow as a symbol of this covenant.
• 🤝 God's covenant with Noah was unilateral, unconditional, everlasting, and universal—affecting all living beings.
• 💡 The sermon highlights that true covenants, including those between people, should be based on love, just as God's covenant with Noah was grounded in love.
• 👨‍👦 The pastor shares a personal story about his father to emphasize the importance of love in relationships and agreements, even when discipline or correction is involved.
• 💖 The takeaway message is that all covenants and agreements we make in life should be made with love at their core, following God's example.

Q & A

What is the main theme of the sermon delivered by Pastor Mark Plunkett?

The main theme of the sermon is God's covenant with Noah, focusing on the idea of covenants, how they reflect faithfulness, and the presence of love in agreements, especially drawing parallels to Father's Day.

What is a covenant, according to the sermon?

A covenant is described as a deal or agreement between two parties, but when made by God, it takes on a deeper spiritual significance. God's covenants are always unilateral, unconditional, everlasting, and universal.

How does the sermon connect the story of Noah to Father's Day?

Pastor Plunkett connects Noah's covenant with God to Father's Day by sharing a personal story about his own father. This story emphasizes the role of love in agreements, comparing his father's discipline with God's love for Noah.

What scriptures are referenced in the sermon, and what do they focus on?

The sermon references Genesis 6:5-8, Genesis 7:1-10, and Genesis 8:13-22. These passages focus on the wickedness of humankind, God's decision to flood the Earth, Noah's faith and obedience, and the eventual covenant between God and Noah after the flood.

What does Pastor Plunkett emphasize about Noah’s faith during the flood narrative?

Pastor Plunkett emphasizes that Noah's faith is remarkable because he built the ark without knowing God's full plan. His obedience and faithfulness were evident throughout the entire flood narrative, even when the outcome was uncertain.

What are the five key points about God's covenant with Noah mentioned in the sermon?

1. The covenant is unilateral (God proposes and keeps it without human input). 2. The covenant is unconditional (humans don't need to do anything). 3. The covenant will never be broken. 4. The covenant is universal (it affects all living beings). 5. The covenant is everlasting (there is no expiration date).

Why does Pastor Plunkett say that love is central to covenants?

Pastor Plunkett emphasizes that love is at the heart of God's covenant with Noah, just as it should be at the heart of all agreements we make. He reflects on how love was missing from many commentaries and analyses but believes it is essential to understanding the true nature of covenants.

How does the story of Pastor Plunkett’s father relate to the concept of covenants?

The story illustrates how his father created a fair, loving covenant with him over a George Carlin comedy album. This example is used to show how covenants should be made with fairness and love, much like how God made covenants with Noah and humanity.

What is the significance of the rainbow in the covenant with Noah?

The rainbow is the sign of God's covenant with Noah, symbolizing God's promise never to destroy the Earth again by flood. It serves as a reminder of God's mercy and the everlasting nature of this covenant.

What lesson does Pastor Plunkett want listeners to take away from the story of Noah’s covenant with God?

Pastor Plunkett encourages listeners to model their agreements and covenants after God's, which are fair, unconditional, and grounded in love. He highlights the importance of incorporating love into all the covenants we make, just as God did with Noah.

Outlines

00:00

🙏 Opening Prayer and Scripture Readings

The pastor opens the sermon with a prayer, asking for God's guidance and acceptance of the worship. He then introduces three readings from the book of Genesis, focusing on the story of Noah. The first reading (Genesis 6:5-8) discusses God's sorrow over human wickedness and his decision to destroy creation, except for Noah, who found favor in God's sight. The second reading (Genesis 7:1-10) describes God's instructions to Noah to gather his family and animals onto the ark before the flood. The final reading (Genesis 8:13-22) tells of the earth drying up after the flood, Noah’s obedience to God's commands, and God’s promise, symbolized by a rainbow, never to destroy the earth again.

05:01

👨‍👦 A Personal Story of a Covenant with My Father

The pastor shares a personal story about his father and a covenant made when he was 17 years old. He bought a George Carlin comedy album that had inappropriate content. After his mother was upset, the pastor had to face his father. Instead of yelling, his father listened to the album with him, laughed heartily, and then established a 'covenant': the pastor could keep the album but was only allowed to listen to it when he was alone in the house. The pastor reflects on how this agreement mirrored the biblical idea of covenants: two sides reaching an agreement.

10:04

🛡 Understanding Covenants: God and Noah

The pastor transitions into discussing biblical covenants, emphasizing that all covenants in the Bible are proposed by God and accepted by humans. He highlights the story of Noah, noting that God made a covenant with him after the flood, not before. This covenant was unique as it came from God's grief over the world’s wickedness and Noah's righteousness and obedience. The pastor underscores the remarkable faith Noah demonstrated by building the ark without knowing its ultimate purpose, simply trusting in God's command.

🌈 The Covenant After the Flood

The pastor explains how, after the flood, Noah built an altar and worshipped God, leading to God’s covenant promise never to destroy the earth again. This covenant was unilateral (decided by God alone), unconditional (requiring nothing from humans), unbreakable, universal (affecting all of humanity), and everlasting. The pastor points out the significance of God's decision to act out of love, a model for how humans should make agreements with one another, ensuring fairness and love at the center of every deal.

❤️ The Missing Element: Love in Our Covenants

The pastor reflects on how love should be at the core of every covenant. He acknowledges that although his father loved him during the covenant about the album, love was not mentioned in his earlier explanation of God's covenant with Noah. He emphasizes that love was indeed present, as God loved Noah, and Noah loved God. The pastor challenges the congregation to consider whether love is at the heart of their own agreements and covenants, arguing that if love is absent, the true lesson of God’s covenant with Noah is missed.

✝️ Closing Remarks and Invitation

In closing, the pastor wishes all the fathers in the congregation a Happy Father's Day. He invites those curious about the church or seeking a deeper understanding of his messages to reach out through the church’s website. He also encourages anyone seeking a church home to consider Heritage Presbyterian Church. The message ends with a blessing of peace and love, encouraging everyone to serve the Lord.

Keywords

💡Covenant

A covenant is a sacred agreement between God and humans, central to the theme of the video. In the script, the speaker explores God's covenant with Noah, emphasizing its unconditional and everlasting nature. The concept is expanded upon through various examples in the Bible, illustrating how covenants represent God's promises, such as the promise to never again destroy the earth through a flood.

💡Noah

Noah is the central figure in the scripture readings and sermon. He is described as righteous and obedient, which leads to God making a covenant with him after the flood. Noah's faithfulness is highlighted, as he followed God's instructions without knowing the full plan, demonstrating trust and loyalty, themes that resonate throughout the sermon.

💡Flood

The flood is a key event in the Bible where God, grieved by humanity’s wickedness, decides to destroy life on earth, sparing only Noah, his family, and pairs of animals. The flood serves as a reset for creation and a demonstration of God’s justice and mercy. It also sets the stage for the new covenant with Noah, symbolizing second chances and redemption.

💡Righteousness

Righteousness refers to Noah's moral integrity and faithfulness to God, which set him apart from the rest of humanity. In the video, the speaker emphasizes that Noah’s righteousness is a key reason God chose him to survive the flood and establish a new covenant. This concept underscores the importance of living in accordance with God's will.

💡Obedience

Obedience is a recurring theme in the sermon, illustrated by Noah’s unwavering commitment to follow God’s instructions to build the ark. The speaker praises Noah’s faith for obeying God without knowing the ultimate purpose of the ark, making it a central lesson for the audience about trust and submission to divine will.

💡Love

Love is described as an underlying motive in God’s covenant with Noah, though it’s not explicitly mentioned in the Bible’s account. The speaker draws a parallel between God’s love for Noah and human relationships, particularly through the story of the speaker’s father, who made a covenant with him out of love. The sermon calls on listeners to ensure that love is at the heart of every covenant or agreement.

💡Ark

The ark is the vessel that Noah built as per God's command to save his family and animals from the flood. It symbolizes safety, faith, and obedience in the midst of God’s judgment. In the sermon, the ark also represents Noah’s trust in God, as he built it not knowing the full reason for doing so until after it was completed.

💡Faith

Faith is highlighted through Noah’s trust in God’s plan, even when the outcome was unclear. The speaker emphasizes that Noah’s long-term obedience without question was a profound act of faith, showcasing the importance of believing in God’s promises even when the future is uncertain. Faith is a central theme, urging the audience to live with similar trust.

💡Rainbow

The rainbow is a symbol of God’s promise to never again destroy the earth by flood. After the waters recede, God places a rainbow in the sky as a sign of the new covenant with Noah and all living creatures. In the video, the rainbow represents hope, peace, and God's faithfulness to His promises, showing that God’s covenants are everlasting and trustworthy.

💡Judgment

Judgment refers to God’s decision to destroy humanity due to their wickedness. It is contrasted with God’s mercy, as He spares Noah and establishes a new covenant. In the sermon, this judgment is framed as part of a larger narrative of redemption, where God’s judgment leads to renewal and second chances, rather than mere punishment.

Highlights

Mark Plunkett introduces the scripture and sermon for June 18, 2023, which is also Father's Day.

Opening prayer asking for God's guidance and acceptance of the congregation's words and worship.

First scripture reading from Genesis 6:5-8, describing God's regret for creating humankind due to their wickedness, but how Noah found favor with God.

Second scripture reading from Genesis 7:1-10, detailing God's command to Noah to build the ark and take animals with him before the great flood.

Third scripture reading from Genesis 8:13-22, where Noah and the animals leave the ark after the floodwaters recede, and Noah offers a sacrifice to God.

Plunkett introduces the theme of 'Covenant Agreements with God' for the summer sermon series, focusing on God's covenant with Noah.

Personal story about Mark Plunkett's father and a covenant he made with him as a teenager, where Plunkett was allowed to keep a controversial album under specific conditions.

Explanation of what a covenant means in a biblical context, and how God's covenants are different from human agreements.

Key lesson from Noah's story: Noah built the ark out of faith and obedience to God, even though he didn't know the purpose until later.

Reflection on how Noah's faithfulness and obedience changed God's plan from destruction to salvation, exemplified by the 'but' in Genesis 6:8.

God's covenant with Noah is unilateral, unconditional, universal, everlasting, and unbreakable, symbolized by the rainbow.

Discussion on how human beings should aim to make covenants that reflect fairness, love, and humility, following God's model.

A reminder that love should be at the core of all covenants and agreements, which is often overlooked.

Personal reflection on how Plunkett's father showed love even in discipline, drawing parallels to God's covenant with Noah.

Concluding thoughts on how the love in God's covenant with Noah serves as an example for how people should treat one another in relationships and agreements.

Plunkett wishes a Happy Father's Day to all fathers and encourages the congregation to act with love in all their covenants.

Transcripts

grace mercy and peace from our Lord

Jesus Christ to each of you this is Mark

Plunkett the pastor of Heritage

Presbyterian church and this is our

scripture and sermon video for Sunday

June the 18th June 18th 2023. it's also

Father's Day so let's begin with the

word of Prayer

God our Father guide us today and accept

our words our prayers and our worship of

you in your name we pray amen

we have three readings today all from

the book of Genesis and all having to do

with Noah the first one is Genesis 6

verses 5 through 8.

the Lord saw that the wickedness of

humankind was great in the earth and

that every inclination of the thoughts

of their hearts was only evil

continually and the Lord was sorry that

he had made humankind on the earth and

it grieved him in his heart so the Lord

said I will blot out from the Earth all

human beings that I have created

people together people together with

animals creeping things in birds of the

air for I am sorry that I made them

but Noah found favor in the sight of the

Lord

turns on that word but doesn't it now we

continue with Genesis 7 verses 1-10 this

is the account of the great flood then

lord said to Noah go into the ark you

and all your household for I have seen

that you alone are righteous before me

in this generation take with you seven

pairs of all clean animals the male and

its mate and a pair of animals that are

not clean the male and it's mate and

seven pairs of the birds of the air male

and female also to keep their kind alive

on all the face of the Earth for in

seven days I will send rain on the earth

for 40 days and 40 nights and every

living thing that I have ever made I

will blot out from the face of the

ground

and Noah did all that the Lord commanded

him Noah was 600 years old when the

flood when the flood of waters came on

the earth and Noah and his son and Sons

and his wife and his son's wives went

into the ark to escape the Waters of the

flood

of clean animals and of animals that are

not clean and of birds and of everything

that creeps on the ground two and two

male and female went into the ark with

Noah as God had commanded Noah and after

seven days the Waters of the flood came

on the Earth

and finally we get Genesis 8 beginning

with verse 13.

in the 600 first year in the first month

the first day of the month the waters

were dried up on the earth and Noah

removed the covering of the Ark and

looked and saw that the face of the

ground was drying in the second month on

the 27th day of the month their Earth

was dry then God said to Noah go out of

the Ark you and your wife and your sons

and your son's wives with you bring out

with you every living thing that is with

you of All Flesh birds and animals and

every creeping thing that creeps along

the Earth so that they may abound on the

earth and be fruitful and multiply on

the earth and every animal every

creeping thing every bird everything

that moves on the earth when out of the

Ark by families the 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 and

when the Lord smelled the pleasing odor

the Lord said in his heart

I will never again curse the ground

because of humankind

for the inclination of the human heart

is evil from youth nor will I ever again

destroy every living thing as I have

done

as long as the Earth endures seedtime

and harvest cold and heat summer and

winter day and night

shall not cease

the word of the Lord my friends

thanks be to God

now during this summer time

that I called the Covenant agreements

with God in this series we explore the

various covenants that God made with his

people that are described in the Bible

today's Covenant is God's covenant with

Noah

since today is Father's Day I thought I

would begin with a little story about my

own father and a covenant that he gave

to me when I was 17. that was the year

that I got my first job I was a janitor

in a store in Chattanooga it wasn't a

great job but for the first time I had

regular money in my pocket the first

purchase that I made with that money was

of a George Carlin comedy album that had

absolutely filthy things on and in fact

there was a section called filthy words

you can't say on television I took it

home and I invited my best friend next

door Greg to come and listen to it with

me we rolled on the floor with

uncontrollable laughter for about an

hour

and about that time my mother came in

the room and began reading me the riot

act the words she heard from that record

were offensive I had no business

spending my money on it and I needed to

turn it off immediately my friend Greg

beat a hasty Retreat out of there while

I battled my mother unsuccessfully

finally she said I would have to face my

father when he got home in a few minutes

she left the room close the door and I

sat on my bed waiting for my fate

dad came home a few minutes later and to

his credit he did not come in my room

yelling he came in with a grim look on

his face but he didn't yell I

immediately launched into stirring

defense of my actions that didn't work

with Mom and they didn't work with Dad

either when he shut me down and he

started to say something else and I

dared to interrupt him and said dad you

can't condemn me without even listening

to it that wouldn't be fair

well

nobody accuses my dad of being unfair

so he closed the bedroom door

told me to put the album on and as we

listened to it he folded his arms across

his chest like this

kind of letting me know in his own way

Mr Carlin better work his magic and he

better do it in a hurry

when side one of the album was done dad

gestured for me to to turn it over and

play side two he gestured instead of

telling me to do it because he'd been

laughing so hard he could barely talk

and he was tears for rolling down his

face

finally the other side ended dad took

out his handkerchief and wiped his eyes

and cleared his throat and finally

managed to get himself under control

then he laid out the Covenant

I could keep the album

but I was only to play it when I was all

by myself in the house

to this day

I thought that was a great deal

now let's recall a covenant is a deal

that's made by two sides people engaged

in this all the time but when God does

it it's a little bit different the idea

of becoming it takes on a whole new

meaning

in all covenants described in the Bible

every one of them is described by God

and then accepted by humans the second

Covenant in the Bible that I'm going to

discuss is the one between God and Noah

last week it was between God and Adam

now it's important to note the following

number one God calls us to be his

faithful Covenant Partners but that has

not always happened consistently on our

side number two in the Covenant with

Noah God concludes that the world

betrayed his intent for creation

and he was right number three whatever

God does he holds an expectation for his

world

number four despite a lot of evidence to

the contrary God is not an angry Tyrant

lashing out against his creation but

rather a troubled parent who Grieves

over the alienation that exists between

God

and humans and finally God is unlike his

children God is not a captive of old

resolves God can adapt and change when

God feels like it often we human beings

become so entrenched in what we believe

from the past that we cannot accept new

situations or New Deals even if we know

they're better

but let's focus our attention

specifically on Noah Noah doesn't fit

the scheme of indictment and sentencing

he is not condemned he is not executed

he is not judged as having a lack of

Love or obedience to God instead Noah

presented god with an alternate

possibility to the plan of eliminating

all life on the face of the Earth the

best evidence the best evidence of

Noah's faith and obedience exists in

this statement read scripture carefully

if you don't believe me but Noah built

the ark in faith not knowing

not realizing its ultimate purpose until

God finally told him

God told him to build the ark he didn't

tell him why

at least not until it was done

Noah worked for years simply obeying

God's command that is faith

that is obedience

that frankly is amazing the entire flood

narrative turns on the first word in

Genesis 6 verse 8 but

that Hebrew conjunction reveals how the

story changes from the destruction of

all life on Earth

to one of Salvation and Second Chances

because of the existence of Noah his

righteousness and his obedience a New

Covenant is possible here so God began

to act now as we all know the ark is

built pairs of animals of all kinds into

the ark the doors closed God made the

Reigns come and floods burst forth from

the earth the earth floated with all the

animals in Noah's family safe inside

after the water subsided the ark came to

rest on Mount Ararat and all the animals

left the Ark on dry land Noah's First

Act was to build an altar and worship

God

now comes the Covenant

now comes the covenant not prior to the

flood not during the storm not when no

land could be seen for weeks and days

and months during all that time Noah

remained faithful and continued waiting

on God to act Noah was not expecting a

covenant from God once everything was

safe once the animals and Noah's family

were safe then it was time for God's

covenant

boy timing's everything isn't it

perhaps it happened then

because Noah had proved himself by

remaining faithful during the flood but

I doubt it Noah had already proven his

faithfulness repeatedly

during the story

God put a rainbow in the sky as a sign

of his newest Covenant the newest

Covenant was never again would God

destroy the Earth now this Covenant is

consistent with all the others that were

made throughout the Bible number one the

Covenant is unilateral God is proposing

and keeping this Covenant without any

input or consultation or hey what do you

think human beings hey Noah what do you

think of this none of that God is acting

unilaterally number two the Covenant is

unconditional humans don't have to do

anything just stand there and accept it

number three the Covenant will never be

broken

Number Four The Covenant is universal it

doesn't just affect Noah and his family

it affects all human beings for all time

and number five

the Covenant is Everlasting there is no

expiration date

I would call that a good deal a holy

deal a perfect deal I would also call it

a model for how we should make deals

with one another

do we set the same standard when we deal

with one another do we propose

conditions that are obviously fair to

the other side do we impose our

covenants upon one another thinking that

we are following God's model to the

letter

we're going to do it the way God does it

or do we recognize humbly that we are

not God and therefore we are capable of

making a bad Covenant even when we don't

intend to do so

and finally

what part did I leave out

what part did I leave now

I didn't find it in any of the research

I did I didn't find it in the Bible I

didn't find it in all the commentaries I

read I didn't find it anywhere but it's

there what about

What About Love

when we make covenants do we act in love

God love Noah

I didn't include that did I

my own dad loved me when he made that

Covenant with me way back in my teenage

years even though I wasn't exactly

righteous

or obedient

you know when we get married that's a

covenant that's supposed to be just just

drenched in love

but what about all the other agreements

all the other deals all the other

covenants that we make with one another

do we make them with love in our hearts

do we

if not then we have completely missed

the lesson from God's covenant with Noah

why did God do all these things

because Noah was righteous yes because

Noah was obedient but also because God

loved Noah and Noah loved God

love is supposed to be at the heart of

every single covenant made by everyone

doing that is to give our best attempt

to follow God's example

whether it's with our fathers or anyone

else in our lives

Happy Father's Day to all you dads out

there

amen

wherever you are today

if you are curious about our church if

you'd like to know a little bit more

about any of the messages that I have or

we just want to get together and talk

maybe have a cup of coffee

go to our website

heritagepresbyterian.org and look for

the contact us button reach out to us

give me a call shoot me an email be glad

to get together and talk to you if

you're looking for a church home I

strongly recommend ours

in the meantime go in peace and love and

serve the Lord

amen