WEBVTT 00:01.516 --> 00:04.856 Welcome to the Valley Baptist Church sermon podcast. 00:04.856 --> 00:08.316 We're so glad you're here, and we hope this message inspires you, 00:08.316 --> 00:12.476 builds your faith, and moves you toward a deep relationship with God. 00:12.476 --> 00:15.536 Today, you'll find great insight into the Bible 00:15.536 --> 00:18.276 and learn how you can apply it straight to your life. 00:18.276 --> 00:20.696 So welcome and enjoy the message. 00:21.580 --> 00:25.160 If you have your Bible, please open it with me to Genesis chapter 6. 00:25.260 --> 00:30.520 I think it will be helpful for you to keep a copy of God's Word open before you as we're 00:30.520 --> 00:37.880 going to look at several very complex verses today in a message I'm calling The Depravity 00:37.880 --> 00:39.300 of Man. 00:40.020 --> 00:44.880 We've been studying the first 11 chapters of Genesis for the last several months, and 00:44.880 --> 00:46.200 there's really... 00:46.201 --> 00:54.281 four major historical events recorded about ancient mankind in these 11 chapters you've got 00:54.281 --> 01:02.281 creation the fall that is sin the flood and the tower of babel 01:02.671 --> 01:04.871 Well, today we're gonna look at what was happening 01:04.871 --> 01:08.631 in the world just before God destroyed it 01:08.631 --> 01:10.191 with a worldwide flood. 01:10.191 --> 01:11.871 Now, Lord willing, the next couple of weeks, 01:11.871 --> 01:13.951 we will look at that flood account. 01:13.951 --> 01:18.431 Now, to set the context, in Genesis 4 and Genesis 5, 01:18.431 --> 01:20.991 we find the genealogies of wicked Cain 01:20.991 --> 01:24.951 who killed his brother Abel and of godly Seth, 01:24.951 --> 01:28.351 who Eve called God's appointed seed. 01:28.338 --> 01:31.138 I want to read the whole passage together to begin. 01:31.878 --> 01:33.298 Chapter 6, verse number 1. 01:34.298 --> 01:34.717 It says, 01:34.718 --> 01:40.118 Now when it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, 01:40.158 --> 01:44.638 and daughters were born to them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, 01:45.178 --> 01:49.298 that they were beautiful, and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose. 01:49.298 --> 01:50.089 Verse 1. 01:50.090 --> 01:55.210 And the Lord said, My spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh. 01:55.670 --> 01:58.230 Yet his days shall be 120 years. 01:59.050 --> 02:05.430 There were giants, that's the Hebrew word Nephilim, on the earth in those days and also afterwards, 02:06.110 --> 02:10.610 when the sons of God came into the daughters of men and they bore children to them. 02:11.190 --> 02:14.510 Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown. 02:15.183 --> 02:19.803 Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent 02:19.803 --> 02:23.523 of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 02:23.523 --> 02:29.703 The Lord was sorry that he made man on the earth, and he was grieved in his heart. 02:29.703 --> 02:33.683 So the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, 02:33.683 --> 02:39.823 both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I'm sorry that I've made them. 02:39.823 --> 02:43.963 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. 02:44.309 --> 02:57.609 Now, before we jump into the details of these verses, I want to point out that this passage as a whole shows us that the nature of sin causes humanity to get worse, not better. 02:57.609 --> 03:04.289 Now, evolution teaches that man has evolved from nothing and has become something. 03:04.964 --> 03:07.964 That mankind is progressively getting better. 03:08.064 --> 03:10.504 But scripture actually teaches the opposite. 03:10.604 --> 03:13.544 That mankind started out in a state of perfection 03:13.644 --> 03:15.044 that he was created in. 03:15.144 --> 03:18.784 And then we fell from that state of perfection when we sin. 03:18.884 --> 03:21.484 You see, things are not getting better. 03:21.584 --> 03:23.024 They're getting worse. 03:23.124 --> 03:25.124 Because when Adam and Eve had babies, 03:25.224 --> 03:28.804 they had little sinners made in their image. 03:29.382 --> 03:32.462 Now, many people will reject that biblical truth. 03:32.462 --> 03:35.202 They'll say, well, no, human beings are inherently good. 03:35.442 --> 03:38.642 All of our bad behavior isn't a result of nature. 03:38.782 --> 03:40.042 It's a result of nurture. 03:40.422 --> 03:42.862 In other words, bad behavior is learned. 03:43.942 --> 03:48.822 Now, I'm not sure that anyone who's ever had a child actually believes that. 03:49.602 --> 03:54.542 Maybe at first, when you first hold your newborn baby, you think, this baby's perfect. 03:55.062 --> 03:56.142 He's a little angel. 03:56.482 --> 03:57.762 She's a little angel. 03:57.862 --> 03:58.862 No. 03:58.863 --> 04:03.403 maybe a demon angel, you know, you're going to find out. 04:03.523 --> 04:07.823 It's not going to take too many years for you to realize that your baby is not perfect. 04:08.443 --> 04:12.463 The Bible says that they come from the womb speaking lies. 04:12.943 --> 04:17.463 I mean, I've never had to sit down my kid and say, OK, here's how you lie. 04:17.703 --> 04:19.983 No, they just kind of figure that out on their own. 04:21.644 --> 04:24.704 If you go over to our preschool ministry this morning, 04:24.704 --> 04:27.444 in those two-, three-, and four-year-old classes, 04:27.444 --> 04:31.664 I can tell you there's a whole lot of sin happening. 04:31.664 --> 04:34.784 One kid's playing with a toy, and another kid takes it away 04:34.784 --> 04:35.623 from that kid. 04:35.624 --> 04:37.484 And the kid starts crying, and he might even 04:37.484 --> 04:39.884 get a little bit violent in his retaliation. 04:39.884 --> 04:42.744 And then the teacher tried to sit them both down, 04:42.744 --> 04:45.624 find out what happened, and they tell two completely 04:45.624 --> 04:46.764 different stories. 04:47.564 --> 04:53.264 Now in that one instance, you've got violent lying thieves right over in our preschool, right? 04:54.484 --> 05:02.504 And it doesn't take them long to start trying to hide their sin and to conceal it and to even justify it. 05:03.024 --> 05:10.984 Our oldest son Micah, he started talking from at a very young age and very articulate by the time he was about 18 months old. 05:11.084 --> 05:12.744 We thought he was a genius. 05:13.130 --> 05:19.650 We're not sure what happened when he grew up, but, you know, in all honesty and seriousness, 05:19.850 --> 05:22.350 he is often too smart for his own good. 05:23.190 --> 05:30.550 One evening, we were over at our friend's house, and they had these beautiful white wall boards in their house. 05:30.550 --> 05:36.010 And so Micah is just a toddler, and he's pushing around this little toy car around their house, 05:36.030 --> 05:38.590 and he went ramming it into their wall. 05:38.750 --> 05:40.190 And so we were horrified. 05:40.770 --> 05:43.030 I stopped him, and I told him not to do that. 05:43.117 --> 05:47.257 Well, about 30 seconds later, he rams it into the wall again. 05:47.857 --> 05:52.317 And so I go over to discipline him and he says, no, daddy, I didn't run it into the wall. 05:52.437 --> 05:53.797 I ran it into the cabinet. 05:55.115 --> 05:58.575 It's like an entertainment center, a white one right next to the wall. 05:58.575 --> 06:01.955 And so I would I didn't know what to say. I was floored. Right. 06:01.955 --> 06:05.415 So I didn't discipline him thinking somehow he misunderstood. 06:05.415 --> 06:12.055 But now with a lot of parenting experience, I know that he knew exactly what he was doing. 06:12.055 --> 06:17.755 He was just already very good at justifying his sin at a young age. 06:17.761 --> 06:24.561 Verse number one says that it came to pass when men began to multiply on the face of the earth. 06:24.561 --> 06:31.681 And then the verses that we read after that, we read about this description of evil becoming more rampant. 06:31.681 --> 06:38.341 Here's what happened. Mankind obeyed God's original first commandment to be fruitful and multiply. 06:38.341 --> 06:47.621 But since they were multiplying sinners, since they were reproducing sinners, all of their multiplying led to a multiplying of sin. 06:47.613 --> 06:51.653 and their society became more and more corrupt. 06:51.653 --> 06:56.853 And that's actually exactly what happens in every society on the earth 06:56.853 --> 07:01.653 who does not serve the Lord, who is not yielded to the Lord. 07:01.653 --> 07:06.613 Now, in this passage, particularly verses two, three and four, 07:06.613 --> 07:12.733 we find some of the most difficult verses in all of the Bible to understand and interpret. 07:12.740 --> 07:20.020 who are these sons of god and who are these giants these nephilim and the way you answer the first 07:20.020 --> 07:25.060 question about the sons of god influences the way you answer the second question about the nephilim 07:25.620 --> 07:30.980 let's read it again verse number two it says the sons of god saw the daughters of men 07:31.150 --> 07:32.750 that they were beautiful, 07:32.750 --> 07:34.650 and they took wise for themselves 07:34.650 --> 07:38.130 of the hall whom they chose." 07:38.130 --> 07:40.950 Now, before we get too deep in the weeds here, 07:40.950 --> 07:43.690 I want you to notice some of the similarities 07:43.690 --> 07:47.350 between Adam and Eve's temptation and sin 07:47.350 --> 07:52.270 and the sons of God temptation and sin in this passage. 07:52.270 --> 07:57.170 In Genesis 3, we read about Eve saw the fruit, 07:57.509 --> 08:01.589 that it was good and then she took. 08:01.589 --> 08:04.409 Saw, good, took. 08:04.409 --> 08:08.429 Well here, the sons of God saw the daughters of men, 08:08.429 --> 08:10.349 that they were good, that they were beautiful, 08:10.349 --> 08:11.969 and then they took. 08:11.969 --> 08:17.169 This is clearly describing the nature of temptation and sin. 08:17.168 --> 08:23.868 But the big question about the verse is who in the world are these sons of God? 08:24.468 --> 08:27.248 Well, there's two main interpretations. 08:27.888 --> 08:33.968 There's a third, but there's two main interpretations with a whole lot of variations. 08:34.708 --> 08:38.828 One interpretation is that the sons of God is a reference to fallen angels. 08:39.460 --> 08:47.660 The other interpretation is that the sons of God is a reference to the godly descendants of Seth that we just read about in chapter 5. 08:47.830 --> 08:51.750 Now, we're not going to solve this debate today that's been going on for millennia. 08:52.250 --> 08:59.510 But I do want to give you just a brief overview of the positions, mainly because I'm asked about these a lot from our people. 08:59.730 --> 09:02.430 OK, first, the fallen angels view. 09:02.430 --> 09:08.250 The book of Job uses this phrase three times. 09:08.570 --> 09:11.050 The sons of God to refer to angels. In fact. 09:11.050 --> 09:13.210 This exact phrase, the sons of God, 09:13.210 --> 09:16.290 is only used elsewhere in the Old Testament 09:16.290 --> 09:17.750 to refer to angels. 09:17.750 --> 09:21.030 So that's a very strong argument. 09:21.030 --> 09:22.390 Now, we also know that the Jews 09:22.390 --> 09:24.330 in the second and third century BC 09:24.330 --> 09:26.190 and the first couple centuries AD 09:26.190 --> 09:30.210 believed that this was a reference to fallen angels. 09:30.210 --> 09:32.910 And that, I believe, was because largely 09:32.910 --> 09:34.810 of the writing of 1 Enoch, 09:34.810 --> 09:36.270 which is apocryphal book 09:36.270 --> 09:39.450 that didn't make it into our Bible. 09:39.434 --> 09:43.094 1 Enoch teaches that the sons of God were fallen angels. 09:43.214 --> 09:47.814 They were demons who had sexual relations with the daughters of men. 09:47.814 --> 09:50.874 And the women gave birth to these giants. 09:52.664 --> 09:55.984 1 Enoch, it doesn't describe big people kind of giants, 09:55.984 --> 09:59.804 but massive giants, 300 cubits tall. 09:59.804 --> 10:02.424 That's about 450 feet tall. 10:02.424 --> 10:05.284 It's a very, very strange book. 10:05.284 --> 10:07.804 Now it contains some bits of truth here and there, 10:07.804 --> 10:11.624 but Christians rejected it as the word of God. 10:11.615 --> 10:17.055 So in this interpretation, the thought is that these fallen angels, the demons, 10:17.055 --> 10:22.415 had sexual relations with the daughters of men, and most who hold that position believe that 10:22.415 --> 10:29.035 the babies that were born to them were the Nephilim, the giants, giants of some kind. 10:29.755 --> 10:42.775 Now, the reason this is theologically appealing to some is that the proponents of this view say that this was Satan's way of trying to destroy the promised seed of the woman that we saw in Genesis chapter 3. 10:43.295 --> 10:55.375 That Satan believed that if he could somehow try to corrupt human DNA so the Messiah could never be born of the woman, Jesus would never be born, then he would solve that. 10:55.375 --> 10:56.455 And so... 10:56.452 --> 11:03.612 This was God's way of destroying them in the flood to preserve the pure seed line of Noah. 11:03.772 --> 11:05.352 That's the thinking on that view. 11:06.627 --> 11:12.127 Now, the other position is that the sons of God are the sons of Seth's line, lineage, 11:12.567 --> 11:18.287 and that the daughters of men are the sons of Cain's line and lineage. 11:19.147 --> 11:22.527 Now, this is a very difficult passage to understand. 11:23.087 --> 11:26.927 And there's another passage in 1 Peter 3 we don't have time to look at today 11:26.927 --> 11:29.567 that complicates it even further for some. 11:30.327 --> 11:32.687 Pastor Phil, he called me this week and he said, 11:32.787 --> 11:34.627 what are you going to do with the sons of God? 11:35.450 --> 11:37.710 It was early in the week and I said, I don't know yet. 11:39.450 --> 11:43.850 He shared with me how his position has actually even changed since retirement. 11:44.350 --> 11:46.290 This is a challenging passage. 11:46.290 --> 11:49.190 I flip flopped on it several times already. 11:49.790 --> 11:53.310 And because of that, because the interpretation isn't clear. 11:53.310 --> 11:55.130 Let me let me say this. 11:55.130 --> 11:57.810 We all need to approach this with humility. 11:58.585 --> 12:04.745 In fact, anytime you come across a difficult passage to understand, and there's holes in it, 12:05.045 --> 12:10.465 whatever position you land on, as is the case today, we must approach those passages with a 12:10.465 --> 12:16.805 great sense of humility. Here's the truth. I don't know for sure who these sons of God are. 12:18.262 --> 12:20.982 But here's where I lean today. 12:20.982 --> 12:25.582 I tend to believe this is a reference to the sons of Seth 12:25.582 --> 12:27.862 that are listed in Genesis 5. 12:27.862 --> 12:31.082 And I'm gonna give you briefly four reasons why. 12:31.082 --> 12:33.062 First of all, the demon, 12:33.062 --> 12:35.382 we know demons are spirit beings. 12:35.382 --> 12:37.042 They're not physical beings. 12:37.043 --> 12:40.523 Jesus said that the demons, the angels, they don't marry. 12:40.643 --> 12:41.723 They're not given to marriage. 12:41.843 --> 12:46.023 And yet Genesis chapter 6 says the sons of God took daughters of men in marriage. 12:46.583 --> 12:51.363 So I have no idea how demons could procreate with human beings since they don't have bodies. 12:52.332 --> 12:58.672 Now, some will say, well, it's that the demons possessed men who slept with the women. 12:59.752 --> 13:01.231 Perhaps. 13:01.232 --> 13:10.632 The second reason, though, that I think this refers to the sons of Seth is that God's people in Scripture are often referred to as the children of God. 13:11.266 --> 13:16.946 In fact, in Hosea chapter one, verse number 10, God calls them the sons of the living God. 13:17.026 --> 13:19.806 He adds the word living, the sons of the living God. 13:19.806 --> 13:27.606 We also know that this wording, sons of God, can rightly be translated as godly sons. 13:28.462 --> 13:42.822 The third reason I think this refers to the sons of Seth is that the context of Genesis 4 and 5 that we looked at the last couple of weeks are the genealogies of the ungodly line of Cain and the godly line of Seth. 13:42.822 --> 13:50.522 To me, contextually, the most natural reading of the text is that the godly marry the ungodly and it caused problems. 13:51.302 --> 13:53.149 Fourth reason. 13:53.150 --> 13:56.810 The reason that God gives us in this passage of scripture 13:56.810 --> 14:00.610 for judging mankind with a flood 14:00.610 --> 14:04.070 is the wickedness of mankind, 14:04.070 --> 14:06.070 not the wickedness of demons. 14:06.070 --> 14:07.910 The devil isn't blamed here. 14:07.910 --> 14:10.650 Mankind alone is blamed in this passage 14:10.650 --> 14:13.390 for the flood of judgment that came upon them. 14:14.370 --> 14:17.370 Now, with all that said, I imagine I've spent more time 14:17.370 --> 14:19.990 on this than many of you wanted me to. 14:20.538 --> 14:24.278 And not as much time as others of you wanted me to. 14:24.478 --> 14:28.378 But that is my very brief overview for those of you who are interested. 14:28.518 --> 14:31.938 The large majority of my time this week, I spent studying that. 14:32.358 --> 14:34.977 Fun, right? 14:34.978 --> 14:37.198 But that's not the main point of this passage. 14:37.598 --> 14:38.758 It's not the main point of the passage. 14:38.758 --> 14:42.898 Here's our principle that we find in this verse. 14:43.958 --> 14:49.398 Who we marry and have kids with is a very big, 14:51.520 --> 14:53.620 Either way that you interpret this verse, 14:53.720 --> 14:54.859 the point is clear. 14:54.860 --> 14:57.620 The wrong people got married to each other 14:57.620 --> 14:59.020 and had kids together. 14:59.660 --> 15:03.360 And that led to increased evil within the world. 15:03.720 --> 15:04.780 You see, if you're a believer, 15:05.000 --> 15:07.320 scripture teaches that you are not to marry 15:07.320 --> 15:09.040 an unbelieving person. 15:09.762 --> 15:12.662 I think it's a good idea not to marry a demon either. 15:13.502 --> 15:16.802 But my point is, regardless of your interpretation, 15:17.002 --> 15:22.402 the godly, we are to marry the godly throughout Israel's history. 15:22.542 --> 15:27.482 Whenever Israel began to marry ungodly pagan worshipers, 15:27.482 --> 15:30.142 they began to drift from God, their spouses. 15:30.142 --> 15:33.322 They drug them into their sin and their pagan worship. 15:33.322 --> 15:36.722 They drug their kids and their grandkids, sometimes for generations, 15:36.722 --> 15:38.662 into paganism. 15:39.749 --> 15:42.249 2 Corinthians 6, verse 14 says, 15:42.349 --> 15:45.169 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. 15:45.269 --> 15:46.729 That's talking about marriage. 15:47.749 --> 15:50.969 For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness, 15:51.209 --> 15:54.489 and what communion has light with darkness? 15:55.209 --> 15:59.369 So if you're single today and you really love Jesus, 15:59.369 --> 16:03.449 you go find another person who really loves Jesus, you marry them. 16:04.218 --> 16:09.578 And I'm telling you right now, you're going to save yourself, your kids, maybe your grandkids, 16:09.638 --> 16:12.958 a whole lot of heartache by doing it God's way. 16:13.638 --> 16:16.164 Verse number three. 16:16.165 --> 16:22.305 And the Lord said, My spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh. 16:22.685 --> 16:26.425 Yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years. 16:27.085 --> 16:30.125 This verse is also greatly disputed. 16:30.585 --> 16:34.945 Some say that God is putting a cap of 120 years for people to live. 16:34.945 --> 16:39.545 Remember, they live much longer than we do today prior to the flood. 16:40.077 --> 16:43.617 But here's what I tend to think God is saying. 16:44.237 --> 16:50.757 I believe God is giving 120 years of patience before he sends the flood. 16:51.457 --> 16:57.437 120 years for people to repent and to believe, or else, death and judgment. 16:58.157 --> 16:59.856 Here's our principle. 16:59.857 --> 17:03.397 While God is just, he's also patient. 17:04.237 --> 17:07.057 Aren't you glad that God is patient? 17:08.174 --> 17:09.494 Now, we know from the New Testament 17:09.494 --> 17:14.394 that Noah is referred to as a preacher of righteousness. 17:14.794 --> 17:17.474 And I believe in 1 Peter 3 that it indicates 17:17.474 --> 17:19.894 that the Spirit of Christ, the Holy Spirit, 17:20.214 --> 17:22.474 preached through Noah during those days, 17:22.474 --> 17:25.874 it says, out of divine longsuffering, 17:26.234 --> 17:27.874 with divine patience. 17:28.114 --> 17:30.894 So I think for 120 years, God was patient 17:30.894 --> 17:32.934 as Noah preached about the Lord, 17:33.114 --> 17:35.534 as he warned the people to come into the ark 17:35.534 --> 17:37.514 so they can be saved from the judgment of God 17:38.814 --> 17:40.240 if 17:40.241 --> 17:41.441 they won't repent. 17:42.321 --> 17:45.020 You know that 17:45.021 --> 17:47.060 God is still incredibly 17:47.061 --> 17:48.590 patient with us. 17:51.350 --> 17:55.469 Since you're still alive right now, 17:55.470 --> 17:57.529 that means God is still being patient with you. 17:57.530 --> 17:59.649 The Bible says that God is patient, 17:59.650 --> 18:02.829 not wishing or willing that any should perish, 18:02.830 --> 18:07.829 but all should come to repentance. 18:07.830 --> 18:13.549 Now, God may not give you or everyone 120 years of patience, 18:13.550 --> 18:17.029 but often he gives a person 60, 70, 80 years 18:17.030 --> 18:17.829 to come to faith in Christ. 18:17.830 --> 18:19.589 Verse number four. 18:19.769 --> 18:29.769 It says, 18:33.409 --> 18:37.328 Now this verse is also disputed. 18:37.329 --> 18:40.728 The word giants is the Hebrew word nephilim. 18:40.729 --> 18:46.348 And I believe giants is an unfortunate translation. 18:46.349 --> 18:47.248 Because this word means to fall or the fallen ones or the falling ones. 18:47.249 --> 18:52.461 Now, 18:52.462 --> 18:56.721 I think the Nephilim became known as giants for a few reasons, 18:56.722 --> 19:01.221 the most prominent of which, I think, was 1 Enoch calls them giants. 19:01.222 --> 19:03.401 But also the Septuagint, that is the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, 19:03.402 --> 19:04.681 translates Nephilim as giants. 19:04.682 --> 19:06.932 That had a lot of influence, certainly. 19:06.933 --> 19:10.292 But I think there's a few other reasons. 19:10.293 --> 19:16.052 I mean, these guys are mighty warriors. 19:16.053 --> 19:23.912 And the best warriors, certainly of ancient times, were often big, strong men. 19:23.913 --> 19:25.115 And so I'd imagine these guys were big, tall, yoked out guys, right, that could really, really fight. 19:27.215 --> 19:28.654 But I also think this word giants, 19:28.655 --> 19:31.074 the understanding of this word 19:31.075 --> 19:32.434 comes from Numbers chapter 13. 19:32.435 --> 19:35.434 When the frightened Israelites 19:35.435 --> 19:37.914 that had been sent into the land to spy it out, 19:37.915 --> 19:39.634 the spies, they come back to report to Moses 19:39.635 --> 19:41.674 and the rest of the nation of Israel. 19:41.675 --> 19:42.554 And they say, there's giants in the land. 19:42.555 --> 19:44.934 We can't take it. 19:44.935 --> 19:48.585 We're like little grasshoppers to them. 19:48.586 --> 19:51.545 The word giant that they use there is the word Nephilim. 19:51.546 --> 19:55.605 So in their fear, in their lack of faith, they were saying, 19:55.606 --> 19:57.045 these guys in the land, they're like the Nephilim of old. 19:57.046 --> 20:02.625 They're huge. 20:02.626 --> 20:10.725 Now, among the proponents of the fallen angels view concerning the sons of God, 20:10.726 --> 20:14.905 many of them, if not most of them say that the giant Nephilim were the offspring 20:14.906 --> 20:15.925 of the human demon relations. 20:20.465 --> 20:22.224 But the text, I believe, indicates otherwise. 20:22.225 --> 20:24.704 Verse number four says, 20:24.705 --> 20:26.024 "'The Nephilim were on the earth in those days,'' 20:26.025 --> 20:30.564 that is, what are the days? 20:30.565 --> 20:31.604 "'In the days that the sons of God had children 20:31.605 --> 20:33.884 "'with the daughters of men.' 20:33.885 --> 20:36.324 "'In those days they were already on the earth, 20:36.325 --> 20:39.384 "'and then afterwards as well.'" 20:39.385 --> 20:40.904 It's indicating that the Nephilim were already around 20:40.905 --> 20:42.364 when the sons of God had relations 20:42.365 --> 20:45.661 with the daughters of men. 20:45.662 --> 20:47.881 So here's what I think Moses is doing 20:47.882 --> 20:50.481 under the inspiration of the Spirit 20:50.482 --> 20:52.981 as he's writing the book of Genesis. 20:52.982 --> 20:56.201 He's letting all of his readers know 20:56.202 --> 20:58.901 about the timeframe that all of this went down, 20:58.902 --> 21:00.961 that the wickedness on the earth accelerated 21:00.962 --> 21:04.641 when the godly started marrying the ungodly. 21:04.642 --> 21:06.701 And oh yeah, that happened to be also the same time 21:06.702 --> 21:08.481 when the Nephilim were roaming the earth 21:08.482 --> 21:11.241 who were these mighty men of old, 21:11.242 --> 21:12.507 men of renown, famous men. 21:16.467 --> 21:21.086 As we're going to see in the very next verse in just a moment, 21:21.087 --> 21:22.646 these men of remit now were also very wicked and violent. 21:22.647 --> 21:23.907 So here's our principle. 21:29.147 --> 21:30.546 The world often honors those the Lord condemns. 21:30.547 --> 21:33.886 Did you know that? 21:33.887 --> 21:35.153 Through oral tradition. 21:36.953 --> 21:39.692 It had been passed on to the Israelites, 21:39.693 --> 21:42.352 and in Moses' day, the tales of the Nephilim 21:42.353 --> 21:46.912 had been passed on to the point where they were known now 21:46.913 --> 21:51.432 as these men of renown, these famous hero types, 21:51.433 --> 21:55.152 impressive warriors, and yet God was repulsed by them. 21:55.153 --> 21:59.072 God was repulsed by their behavior, 21:59.073 --> 22:00.398 so much so that he destroyed all of them in the flood. 22:06.358 --> 22:11.397 You know, our world makes the same mistake about people like that. 22:11.398 --> 22:17.337 Our world makes the same mistake about who we honor. 22:17.338 --> 22:20.557 So many of the most famous and powerful and influential people in our world that we give honor to, 22:20.558 --> 22:21.830 they're known and they're honored because of their sin. 22:25.510 --> 22:27.309 It's connected to their rebellion against God oftentimes, 22:27.310 --> 22:30.449 but make no mistake about it. 22:30.450 --> 22:32.729 God will not consider how famous or powerful 22:32.730 --> 22:36.209 or influential a person was 22:36.210 --> 22:37.390 when they stand before him someday in judgment. 22:38.450 --> 22:40.070 Verse number five. 22:42.870 --> 22:44.809 "'Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man 22:44.810 --> 22:47.489 "'was great on the earth, 22:47.490 --> 22:50.009 "'and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart 22:50.010 --> 22:51.091 "'was only evil continually. 22:52.511 --> 22:56.090 Here's our principle. 22:56.091 --> 22:59.090 Human beings without Jesus 22:59.091 --> 23:01.131 are completely corrupted by sin. 23:03.711 --> 23:06.870 Verse number five describes the total 23:06.871 --> 23:10.690 and complete depravity of man. 23:10.691 --> 23:13.890 Now, the total depravity of man does not mean 23:13.891 --> 23:14.730 that man is as bad as he can be. 23:14.731 --> 23:17.770 No, no, no. 23:17.771 --> 23:18.810 We all have the ability to go from bad to worse, 23:18.811 --> 23:20.133 and some people do. 23:26.313 --> 23:28.612 Total depravity, rather, means that there is not a part of us that is not corrupted 23:28.613 --> 23:29.732 and tainted by sin. 23:29.733 --> 23:30.732 It's total. 23:30.733 --> 23:32.152 It's complete. 23:32.153 --> 23:36.592 We're completely affected. 23:36.593 --> 23:42.872 All aspects of our lives are affected and tainted by sin. 23:42.873 --> 23:50.361 In verse number 5, we see that God saw their outward actions, that they were wicked. 23:50.362 --> 23:51.622 But then God also saw what only God can see, that their inward motives of their hearts were also wicked. 23:58.202 --> 23:59.421 You see, the deadly virus of sin has corrupted every single part of us. 23:59.422 --> 24:01.361 It's corrupted our mind. 24:01.362 --> 24:04.161 It's corrupted our heart. 24:04.162 --> 24:06.321 It's corrupted our emotions, our motives, our desires. 24:06.322 --> 24:07.422 It's corrupted our actions. 24:08.142 --> 24:09.492 Verse number six. 24:15.652 --> 24:17.131 It says, And the Lord was sorry that he made man on the earth, and he was grieved in his heart. 24:17.132 --> 24:22.071 Here's our principle. 24:22.072 --> 24:24.372 God is deeply grieved by our sin. 24:25.332 --> 24:27.515 Our sins. 24:36.015 --> 24:41.814 Your sin, specifically, it grieves and it wounds and it pains the heart of God. 24:41.815 --> 24:48.034 The Bible says that even as believers that we have the ability to grieve the Holy Spirit of God. 24:48.035 --> 24:54.294 So just like a child has this unique ability to especially grieve his or her parents, 24:54.295 --> 24:59.341 we also have this unique ability to grieve the heart of our Heavenly Father, to grieve the heart of God. 24:59.342 --> 25:02.221 Now, some people get very nervous to think about God having emotions like grief, 25:02.222 --> 25:09.681 but that's what the text indicates. 25:09.682 --> 25:15.061 One day, Jesus was approaching the city of Jerusalem, and the Bible says that he wept over the condition of the city. 25:15.062 --> 25:21.101 He wept over the sin and their lostness from him. He wept over the Israelites. 25:21.102 --> 25:25.434 Now, you only weep and you only grieve over who? People you love. 25:25.435 --> 25:27.594 That's the only people that you grieve over is people that you love. 25:27.595 --> 25:29.294 So why does God weep over your sin? 25:29.295 --> 25:31.274 I'm telling you, he weeps over it. 25:31.275 --> 25:34.346 He grieves over it because he loves you. 25:34.347 --> 25:39.286 He loves you like no one's ever loved you before. 25:39.287 --> 25:40.106 He loves you with an infinite love that knows no bounds. 25:40.107 --> 25:46.086 He loves you. 25:46.087 --> 25:51.186 And because he loves you so much, the pain that you experience, that your sin causes, 25:51.187 --> 25:54.766 the pain and the corruption and the brokenness in your own life, in the life of people around 25:54.767 --> 25:55.788 you, it grieves the heart of God. 26:04.028 --> 26:09.347 Now, when it says in this text and in the next verse that the Lord was sorry that he made man, 26:09.348 --> 26:10.488 some translate sorry as regretted or repented. 26:17.648 --> 26:20.087 But this verse is not putting into question what is called the immutability of God theologically. 26:20.088 --> 26:25.487 That means God doesn't change. 26:25.488 --> 26:28.630 What it's describing instead is the emotional anguish of God. 26:28.631 --> 26:31.810 This is anthropomorphic language. 26:31.811 --> 26:33.750 That means human language that we can get our minds around 26:33.751 --> 26:34.811 to describe the divine. 26:38.051 --> 26:42.030 The word means a change of action, a change of course. 26:42.031 --> 26:45.730 And here's how God's actions were changing in that moment. 26:45.731 --> 26:51.670 God had made man to live, 26:51.671 --> 26:53.591 and yet now God was going to destroy man so they would die. 26:54.451 --> 26:57.179 Verse number seven. 27:02.039 --> 27:07.678 So the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, 27:07.679 --> 27:08.759 both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I'm sorry that I've made them. 27:17.079 --> 27:18.478 Now, this is describing here the destruction that the great flood would bring that God 27:18.479 --> 27:19.218 would send upon the earth. 27:19.219 --> 27:23.218 Here's our principle. 27:23.219 --> 27:24.955 There's an end to God's patience. 27:29.835 --> 27:32.594 God had been very patient with evil, wicked mankind for years. 27:32.595 --> 27:35.774 He was patient, but his patience came to an end. 27:35.775 --> 27:39.294 And he changed his actions when it came to an end, 27:39.295 --> 27:41.235 from patience to justice. 27:46.675 --> 27:47.875 Did you know that there is always an end to God's patience? 27:51.375 --> 27:58.746 Justice will ultimately prevail. 27:58.747 --> 28:00.246 But did you know that the end of the road of God's patience, that it doesn't have to be justice? 28:00.247 --> 28:01.787 There's another option. 28:05.087 --> 28:06.606 It can instead be mercy and grace. 28:06.607 --> 28:08.306 Look at verse number 8. 28:08.307 --> 28:13.386 It says, 28:13.387 --> 28:14.517 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. 28:15.537 --> 28:16.836 Noah found grace. 28:16.837 --> 28:18.876 Noah found favor. 28:18.877 --> 28:20.976 Now notice Noah didn't earn God's favor. 28:20.977 --> 28:27.616 He found God's favor. 28:27.617 --> 28:31.636 And we know that the favor of God in Noah's life, it would result in his salvation for him and his family. 28:31.637 --> 28:33.876 They would be saved from the floodwaters through the ark. 28:33.877 --> 28:39.616 Here's our last principle. 28:39.617 --> 28:40.757 We are saved by the grace of God, period. 28:42.217 --> 28:43.340 We're saved by God's grace. 28:44.820 --> 28:45.820 We cannot earn our salvation. 28:48.700 --> 28:49.780 We can only receive our salvation. 28:52.100 --> 28:55.119 You see, the flood was a picture. 28:55.120 --> 28:56.960 It was an act, but it was also a picture of God's judgment. 29:01.480 --> 29:03.590 But the ark, it is a picture of Jesus. 29:07.450 --> 29:12.849 God saved Noah, not because Noah deserved to be saved, 29:12.850 --> 29:16.949 but because Noah had placed his faith in the God of grace. 29:16.950 --> 29:18.089 And we know that from Hebrews 11, verse 7. 29:18.090 --> 29:19.689 It says, 29:19.690 --> 29:26.472 By faith, Noah. 29:26.473 --> 29:29.792 How? By faith, Noah, being divinely warned of things yet not seen, 29:29.793 --> 29:34.252 moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, 29:34.253 --> 29:37.772 by which he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness, 29:37.773 --> 29:39.753 which is according to what? Faith. 29:43.393 --> 29:48.292 Did you know that's exactly how we're still saved? 29:48.293 --> 29:50.890 By grace alone, through faith alone. 29:53.390 --> 29:54.930 But the question is, faith in whom? 29:58.390 --> 29:59.470 Ah, faith in Jesus. 30:02.430 --> 30:05.469 Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. 30:05.470 --> 30:06.269 No man comes to the Father except through me. 30:06.270 --> 30:07.327 I'm the way. 30:08.267 --> 30:10.126 I'm the truth. 30:10.127 --> 30:11.386 You might say that you're the truth. 30:11.387 --> 30:13.006 You may say, hey, that's the truth. 30:13.007 --> 30:15.046 No, I'm the truth. 30:15.047 --> 30:16.806 I'm the life. 30:16.807 --> 30:21.946 I'm the source of it. 30:21.947 --> 30:30.606 You must come through me if you want eternal life in a relationship with God the Father. 30:30.607 --> 30:33.486 Now, did you know that there is still a coming judgment that will not be by flood? 30:33.487 --> 30:34.630 The Bible says it will be by fire. 30:42.050 --> 30:45.630 And it's going to come upon the world when Jesus returns for a second time to judge all those who have rejected his salvation. 30:48.890 --> 30:50.020 All those who have rejected his sacrifice for them. 30:53.200 --> 30:54.200 Jesus said, Matthew 24, verse 37, 30:57.040 --> 31:00.379 But as the days of Noah, Jesus said, were, 31:00.380 --> 31:02.359 so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 31:02.360 --> 31:05.539 That's a reference to Jesus when He comes again. 31:05.540 --> 31:08.699 For as in the days before the flood, 31:08.700 --> 31:11.439 they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, 31:11.440 --> 31:16.279 until the day that Noah entered the ark. 31:16.280 --> 31:19.499 And they did not know until the flood came and took them all away, 31:19.500 --> 31:20.935 so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 31:25.095 --> 31:27.154 Jesus is saying here, I'm gonna return to the world. 31:27.155 --> 31:31.054 And when I return to the state of the world, 31:31.055 --> 31:32.795 it will be just like it was in the days of Noah. 31:34.195 --> 31:35.295 And I don't know about you, 31:38.115 --> 31:43.114 but it seems like our world is an awful lot 31:43.115 --> 31:45.055 like the days of Noah, corrupt, corrupt. 31:47.455 --> 31:50.254 And just like it was in the days of Noah, 31:50.255 --> 31:53.613 our world is ignoring the ark, 31:53.614 --> 31:55.653 being built that's been built. 31:55.654 --> 32:00.653 They're ignoring Jesus. 32:00.654 --> 32:04.013 They're living their lives just apathetically, 32:04.014 --> 32:06.313 eating, drinking, getting married, given to marriage, 32:06.314 --> 32:09.973 all of these just random, just living life, 32:09.974 --> 32:12.393 ignoring the coming judgment of God 32:12.394 --> 32:13.954 as if it's not gonna happen. 32:15.594 --> 32:19.333 But make no mistake about it, 32:19.334 --> 32:23.372 one day God's patience is gonna come to an end. 32:23.373 --> 32:24.852 And on that day, the ark of God will be closed. 32:24.853 --> 32:25.893 It will be shut. 32:27.653 --> 32:29.573 And no one else will come in. 32:33.933 --> 32:38.132 Mankind will be left to face the judgment of God alone 32:38.133 --> 32:40.112 with no offer of salvation, no opportunity for salvation 32:40.113 --> 32:41.713 because they will have already rejected it. 32:44.933 --> 32:46.273 So here's what I want to do as we close. 32:47.993 --> 32:49.765 I want to invite you. 32:53.465 --> 32:59.904 To repent, the same message that Noah had is the message that I have. 32:59.905 --> 33:04.544 To repent, the word repent means to change course, change directions. 33:04.545 --> 33:07.044 Maybe you've been living your life for sin, for pleasures of self, 33:07.045 --> 33:08.260 for it's all about you, life's all about you. 33:12.920 --> 33:20.239 Well, the gospel is about how Jesus came for us so that we could live our lives for him. 33:20.240 --> 33:22.619 And so the repentance to turn from that sin of self and to turn instead in faith to Jesus. 33:22.620 --> 33:28.939 That doesn't mean you're going to be perfect. You're not going to be perfect. 33:28.940 --> 33:34.919 But it just means that you've placed your faith in Jesus and you can be saved by his grace. 33:34.920 --> 33:36.000 So I want to invite you to walk onto the ark of God by faith. 33:37.740 --> 33:40.947 To just place your faith in Jesus. 33:43.767 --> 33:45.786 to trust him as your savior because he loves you. 33:45.787 --> 33:47.387 Oh, he loves you so much. 33:51.007 --> 33:55.066 He loves you so much that he went through the waters 33:55.067 --> 33:57.386 of God's judgment, dying a gruesome death upon the cross. 33:57.387 --> 34:00.306 Why? Because he loves us. 34:00.307 --> 34:03.586 While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 34:03.587 --> 34:05.666 While we were rejecting him, while we were in wickedness, 34:05.667 --> 34:10.386 while we were rebelling against him, 34:10.387 --> 34:11.812 God loved us so much that he sent his only begotten son 34:13.252 --> 34:13.971 to die on the cross for our sins. 34:13.972 --> 34:18.011 And the Bible says, 34:18.012 --> 34:19.332 whosoever believes in him will not perish, 34:22.592 --> 34:23.251 but will have everlasting life. 34:23.252 --> 34:24.392 Amen? 34:26.912 --> 34:29.932 Let's bow together in an attitude of prayer, if you will. 34:32.832 --> 34:35.232 This is a holy moment in the life of our church. 34:37.832 --> 34:40.711 There's going to be pastors and other leaders 34:40.712 --> 34:42.254 at the front of our worship center here in just a moment. 34:50.334 --> 34:55.173 And we're going to ask you and invite you to respond to God's Word today, 34:55.174 --> 34:57.014 to respond to what the Spirit of God might be tugging on your heart about today. 35:04.414 --> 35:10.393 I know there are aspects of the message that got into just some weeds and some details of things. 35:10.394 --> 35:10.773 It's worded in a way that we don't really fully understand what's being said completely. 35:10.774 --> 35:17.417 Really? 35:17.418 --> 35:18.478 But please don't get so fixated on the weeds that you missed. 35:20.838 --> 35:30.838 Forced in front of you, you missed the main thing. 35:33.538 --> 35:39.457 And the main thing is that we have sinned and our sin is so bad that what it 35:39.458 --> 35:41.823 deserves from the Holy God is it deserves judgment and death eternally. 35:46.823 --> 35:50.403 But God is patient and his patience comes from his love. 35:52.703 --> 35:54.083 And instead of justice, 35:57.963 --> 36:01.282 God provided another way for himself, his son, 36:01.283 --> 36:04.882 for Jesus willingly to receive that justice 36:04.883 --> 36:07.602 so that we could go free, 36:07.603 --> 36:10.004 so that we could enter the arc of salvation 36:14.484 --> 36:16.724 And so I want to invite you to receive Jesus today as your Savior. 36:19.284 --> 36:22.063 In just a moment, I'm going to pray. 36:22.064 --> 36:23.243 And when I pray, we're going to stand to our feet. 36:23.244 --> 36:26.023 We're going to sing together. 36:26.024 --> 36:28.043 And there's going to be leaders all up here at the front. 36:28.044 --> 36:30.184 And we're going to ask you just to come as you are. 36:34.184 --> 36:36.883 To come and walk down one of these aisles, to walk down one of these staircases, 36:36.884 --> 36:38.563 and grab one of these leaders by the hand and say, 36:38.564 --> 36:43.180 I want to get on the ark. 36:45.460 --> 36:46.839 I want to be all in with Jesus. 36:46.840 --> 36:48.859 It's time. 36:48.860 --> 36:51.319 I've tried it my way. 36:51.320 --> 36:53.799 I've tried it other people's way. 36:53.800 --> 36:58.098 It's time I try it God's way. 36:59.778 --> 37:03.757 These leaders will know exactly how to help you. 37:03.758 --> 37:07.257 They're not going to ask you any questions that are going to be embarrassing that you can't answer. 37:07.258 --> 37:14.337 They're here to help you to take the next step of faith. 37:14.338 --> 37:21.877 Maybe say, I want to go public with my faith through baptism like others today have done. 37:21.878 --> 37:26.903 1 Peter 3, I believe, is indicating that the flood and the ark are also a symbol of baptism. 37:31.683 --> 37:35.162 It's a symbol ultimately of Jesus' saving work on the cross and resurrection. 37:35.163 --> 37:41.082 And so maybe you say, it's time that I go public. 37:41.083 --> 37:42.902 It's time that I'm not ashamed anymore of what I know is inside of me, that I've got faith. 37:42.903 --> 37:46.023 I want to let everyone know about it. 37:48.583 --> 37:51.062 See, to love Jesus is to obey Jesus. 37:51.063 --> 37:53.262 To believe in Jesus is to love Jesus. 37:53.263 --> 37:54.798 I want to invite you. 37:58.678 --> 38:00.677 Whatever it is, maybe you say, I want to be a family member here at Valley Baptist. 38:00.678 --> 38:01.397 I've been kind of on the sidelines. 38:01.398 --> 38:02.037 I've been attending. 38:02.038 --> 38:03.137 I've been listening. 38:03.138 --> 38:05.237 Listen, that is great. 38:05.238 --> 38:08.857 You can do that. 38:08.858 --> 38:10.087 As long as you want, you can come and worship with us. 38:15.847 --> 38:21.386 But maybe today God is stirring that, nah, I want to officially, formally belong. 38:21.387 --> 38:23.326 I want to become a family member at Valley where I'm accountable to our church family. 38:23.327 --> 38:24.926 I'm accountable to our pastors. 38:24.927 --> 38:33.546 Our pastors are accountable to me. 38:33.547 --> 38:34.066 That I'm able to serve and jump in the game and get connected in a meaningful, real way. 38:34.067 --> 38:35.845 Amen. 38:35.846 --> 38:37.445 I want to invite you to do that. 38:37.446 --> 38:39.345 Whatever God puts on your heart, 38:39.346 --> 38:40.545 maybe you just want to come to these steps 38:40.546 --> 38:41.605 and pour out your heart to the Lord. 38:41.606 --> 38:42.786 They're open for you. 38:45.246 --> 38:45.665 In just a moment, please come as the Lord leads. 38:45.666 --> 38:47.985 Let's pray. 38:47.986 --> 38:50.885 Father, we thank you so much 38:50.886 --> 38:53.226 for your amazing grace. 38:55.846 --> 38:57.486 Thank you, Lord, that as a young child, 39:01.786 --> 39:04.913 that I found favor in your eyes. 39:09.513 --> 39:11.393 not because I deserved it, because you were gracious. 39:14.033 --> 39:15.252 And Lord, for me, you made it easy for me to believe. 39:15.253 --> 39:17.492 And I thank you so much. 39:17.493 --> 39:21.172 I came to a point where it just made sense. 39:21.173 --> 39:23.152 And Lord, that you brought an awareness in my life 39:23.153 --> 39:25.733 as a young child of death, 39:26.933 --> 39:29.072 and the pain that it brings, 39:29.073 --> 39:32.593 you brought an awareness of my sin. 39:33.273 --> 39:34.782 Thank you. 39:37.242 --> 39:38.982 for allowing me to find favor with you. 39:42.922 --> 39:47.761 What I pray for everyone who's listening to this message, 39:47.762 --> 39:49.762 that if they have not yet found favor with you, that that would happen today. 39:50.702 --> 39:52.141 Help them, Lord. 39:52.142 --> 39:53.142 They need your help. 39:58.042 --> 40:01.921 By your spirit, Lord, we're asking you to please touch their soul, 40:01.922 --> 40:04.162 the depths of who they are in a place that only you can touch. 40:05.702 --> 40:09.361 Only you can go there, Lord. 40:09.362 --> 40:15.561 And so we're praying that you would, you would touch them in a deep place, 40:15.562 --> 40:21.861 letting them know about their sin and Lord opening their eyes to your beauty 40:21.862 --> 40:23.781 and your love and your goodness, opening their eyes to the alternative route 40:23.782 --> 40:25.922 of life that ends in judgment. 40:29.602 --> 40:32.579 Please Lord, would you draw people to yourself? 40:36.259 --> 40:38.538 Would you give them the courage that it's going to take to come out, 40:38.539 --> 40:40.038 step out and come and give their life to Christ? 40:40.039 --> 40:40.998 We ask in Jesus' name. 40:40.999 --> 40:42.079 Amen. 40:43.319 --> 40:45.158 Thanks for listening today. 40:45.159 --> 40:48.518 We hope you enjoyed this message. 40:48.519 --> 40:51.278 And if you did, we would be so grateful if you left us a review. 40:51.279 --> 40:54.138 Also, go ahead and subscribe to the podcast 40:54.139 --> 40:57.878 if you would like to be notified when a new sermon is released. 40:57.879 --> 41:01.758 If you feel the Lord calling you to take the next step in faith 41:01.759 --> 41:05.839 through salvation, service, or giving, don't wait. 41:05.840 --> 41:09.379 reach out to us by texting podcast to 88988. 41:09.380 --> 41:11.759 That's podcast to 88988 or connect with us 41:11.760 --> 41:14.899 on one of our social media platforms. 41:14.900 --> 41:17.479 You can also visit our website, valleybaptist.org 41:17.480 --> 41:19.679 to find even more great resources. 41:19.680 --> 41:22.399 No matter where you are in your journey, 41:22.400 --> 41:25.359 know that we love you, we're praying for you 41:25.360 --> 41:35.360 and we can't wait to see what God will do in your life.