When Oceans Rise | Part 1 | A Corrupt Race of People 05 Nov

Have you ever needed a clean slate? A do-over? Noah was the only godly man left in a sea of evil people, so God used him to begin the process. During our message, “When Oceans Rise: A Corrupt Race of People,” we will explore the nature of evil in Noah’s day, and why a clean slate was needed. #GCWhenOceansRise

“sons of God” – bene Elohim

Total Depravity
“He saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil.”

חֵן ḥēn – grace or favor

God’s plan will not be stopped.

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Key Scripture:

Genesis 6:1–4 (NLT)

1 Then the people began to multiply on the earth, and daughters were born to them. 2 The sons of God saw the beautiful women and took any they wanted as their wives. 3 Then the LORD said, “My Spirit will not put up with humans for such a long time, for they are only mortal flesh. In the future, their normal lifespan will be no more than 120 years.”

4 In those days, and for some time after, giant Nephilites lived on the earth, for whenever the sons of God had intercourse with women, they gave birth to children who became the heroes and famous warriors of ancient times.

2 Peter 2:4-10 (NLT)

4 For God did not spare even the angels who sinned. He threw them into hell, in gloomy pits of darkness, where they are being held until the day of judgment. 5 And God did not spare the ancient world—except for Noah and the seven others in his family. Noah warned the world of God’s righteous judgment. So God protected Noah when he destroyed the world of ungodly people with a vast flood. 6 Later, God condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and turned them into heaps of ashes. He made them an example of what will happen to ungodly people. 7 But God also rescued Lot out of Sodom because he was a righteous man who was sick of the shameful immorality of the wicked people around him. 8 Yes, Lot was a righteous man who was tormented in his soul by the wickedness he saw and heard day after day. 9 So you see, the Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their trials, even while keeping the wicked under punishment until the day of final judgment. 10 He is especially hard on those who follow their own twisted sexual desire, and who despise authority. These people are proud and arrogant, daring even to scoff at supernatural beings without so much as trembling.

Jude 1:6 (NLT)

Genesis 6:6-9 (NLT)

Start talking. Find a conversation starter for your group.

What do you think the world looked like in the days of Noah before God judged it with a flood?

Start sharing. These questions are to help get your group thinking and to create openness.

Read Genesis 6:1-4, 2 Peter 2:4-10 and Jude 1:6. Pastor Troy taught that the “sons of God” were actually fallen angels (demons) who had sexual relations with the daughters of men. How does this interpretation help explain the passages from 2 Peter 2 and Jude?
Compare what the demons did in Genesis 6 with what the people were doing in Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19). What was God’s reaction in both cases?
Read Genesis 6:5. What does this verse teach us about human nature? How does total depravity reveal the need for salvation through Christ?
Read Genesis 6:6-7. If God has foreknowledge and he knew he was going to be sorry for making man, why did he do it? Was it worth the risk?
Read Genesis 6:8. Discuss the phrase “found favor/grace.” How is finding favor different from earning favor? Why did Noah find favor?
Genesis 6:9 describes Noah as “a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time,” how was Noah able to maintain his righteousness in such a depraved world? What can we learn from Noah’s example in our own lives?
Pastor Troy said “God delights in giving his creation freedom.” However, sometimes men and angels cross the line and God says enough is enough. Can you share examples of when God has done that in your life?

Start doing. Commit to a step and live it out this week.

Choose a time each day to pray and ask God to show you one way you can be a beacon of His light and grace in your immediate environment.

Start praying. Be bold and pray with power.

Father, help us to see clearly the areas in our lives that may displease you. We seek your grace and strength to confront and overcome these challenges, and to be led on the path of everlasting life, amen.

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