Walking by Faith: Lessons from Noah's Obedience
Summary
Tonight, we began a new series focused on “Risk-Takers: The Adventures of Walking by Faith,” and we started by looking at the life of Noah. In a world where right often seems outdated and wrong is celebrated, Noah’s story stands out as a powerful reminder that God is still looking for those who will live to please Him. Noah lived righteously in the midst of a corrupt generation, refusing to blend in or compromise his faith. His life teaches us that faith is not just a belief but a way of living that sets us apart, even when it means standing alone.
Noah’s faith was demonstrated through his obedience. God gave him instructions that made no sense in the natural—build an ark for a flood he had never seen. Yet, Noah didn’t question or delay; he simply obeyed. This kind of faith—faith that acts, faith that moves when God says move, faith that trusts even when the path is unclear—is the faith that pleases God. Obedience is the visible evidence of faith, and it’s often in the uncomfortable, unfamiliar places that God calls us to trust Him most deeply.
After the flood, Noah’s first response was not to celebrate his own survival but to worship God in gratitude. He built an altar and offered sacrifices, showing that true faith always leads to worship and thanksgiving. God responded to Noah’s worship with a promise, a covenant that would bless not just Noah but generations to come. This shows us that our obedience and worship have ripple effects far beyond our own lives.
We are all called to build something by faith—maybe not an ark, but perhaps a legacy, a ministry, or a life that points others to God. The journey will not always make sense, and there will be critics and challenges, but God honors those who walk by faith and obey Him. Let your faith be the kind that gets God’s attention, the kind that stands out, the kind that leads to elevation and blessing for you and those who come after you.
Key Takeaways
- Faith That Stands Out in a Corrupt World
Noah’s life teaches us that it’s possible to live righteously even when everyone around us is going the opposite direction. God is still searching for those who will not conform to the world but will walk with Him, even if it means standing alone. Our faith should be visible in our actions, setting us apart as salt and light in a dark world. The courage to be different for God’s sake is what draws His favor and attention. [12:25]
- Obedience Is the True Mark of Faith
Faith is not just believing God can do something; it’s obeying Him when He asks us to do what doesn’t make sense. Noah built an ark having never seen a flood, trusting God’s word above his own understanding and the opinions of others. Obedience, especially when it’s uncomfortable or illogical, is the clearest evidence of real faith. God honors those who move when He says move, even if the path is unclear. [22:29]
- Your Faith Impacts Generations
Noah’s obedience didn’t just save him; it preserved his family and set the stage for God’s covenant with humanity. The choices we make in faith today can bless or hinder generations after us. God’s promises often unfold through the faithfulness of one person willing to trust and obey. Consider what God might be calling you to build or do that will impact those who come after you. [24:41]
- Gratitude Is Worship, and Worship Invites God’s Promises
When Noah came through the flood, his first act was to worship God with gratitude, not to celebrate himself. True faith responds to God’s deliverance with thanksgiving and sacrificial worship. Gratitude is more than words; it’s an act of worship that moves the heart of God and invites His promises into our lives. Let your first response to God’s goodness always be worship. [31:27]
- Faith Requires Spiritual Blindness and Deafness to the World
Walking by faith often means ignoring what makes sense to us and tuning out the voices of critics and doubters. Like Noah, we need to put on spiritual blinders and noise-canceling earbuds, focusing solely on God’s instructions. The faith that pleases God is willing to look foolish to others, to obey when it’s hard, and to trust that God will see and reward our faithfulness. [37:19]
Youtube Chapters
[00:00] - Welcome
[02:33] - Settling In & Opening Prayer
[04:37] - Introduction to the New Series
[07:24] - Risk-Takers: The Adventures of Walking by Faith
[09:21] - Noah: A Faith That Pleases God
[12:25] - Noah’s Righteousness in a Wicked World
[15:51] - What Does Your Life Say About Your Faith?
[18:12] - Walking, Talking, and Looking Like a Child of God
[20:08] - Faith Looks Like Obedience
[22:29] - Obeying When It Doesn’t Make Sense
[24:41] - Faith, Unity, and Generational Blessing
[25:58] - What Is God Asking You to Build?
[28:07] - Move When God Says Move
[30:13] - Noah’s First Response: Worship
[31:27] - Gratitude as Worship
[33:21] - God’s Promise After the Flood
[35:46] - Testimonies and Thankfulness
[37:19] - Faith That Ignores the Critics
[38:56] - Building a Legacy of Faith
[40:33] - Living a Faith That Gets God’s Attention
[41:51] - Announcements and Prayer Requests
[44:19] - Closing Prayer and Farewell
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide: “Risk-Takers: The Adventures of Walking by Faith – The Life of Noah”
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### Bible Reading
- Genesis 6:5-9
- Genesis 6:17-22
- Genesis 8:20-22
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### Observation Questions
1. According to Genesis 6:5-9, what set Noah apart from the rest of his generation?
2. In Genesis 6:17-22, what specific instructions did God give Noah, and how did Noah respond?
3. After the flood, what was the very first thing Noah did when he left the ark? (Genesis 8:20-22)
4. The sermon mentioned that Noah’s faith was visible in his actions. What are some examples from the story that show this? [[12:25]]
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### Interpretation Questions
1. The sermon says Noah “refused to blend in or compromise his faith.” Why do you think it was important for Noah to stand out, even if it meant being alone? [[12:25]]
2. What does it mean that “obedience is the visible evidence of faith,” especially when God’s instructions don’t make sense? [[22:29]]
3. The pastor said Noah’s obedience had ripple effects for generations. How might one person’s faithfulness impact others, even beyond their own lifetime? [[24:41]]
4. Why do you think Noah’s first response after the flood was worship and gratitude, instead of celebrating his own survival? [[31:27]]
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### Application Questions
1. The sermon talked about living righteously in a world that often celebrates what’s wrong. Is there a place in your life where you feel pressure to “blend in” instead of standing out for God? How do you handle that? [[12:25]]
2. Noah obeyed God even when it didn’t make sense and others probably thought he was crazy. Can you think of a time when God asked you to do something that didn’t make sense to you or others? How did you respond? [[22:29]]
3. The pastor asked, “What is God asking you to build?” Is there something God has put on your heart to start, change, or build by faith—even if it feels uncomfortable or risky? [[25:58]]
4. Noah’s faith blessed his family and future generations. Are there choices you’re making now that could impact your family or community for years to come? What are they? [[24:41]]
5. When God brings you through a hard season, is your first response to celebrate yourself or to worship and thank God? What would it look like for you to make worship and gratitude your first response? [[31:27]]
6. The sermon said sometimes you need “spiritual blinders and noise-canceling earbuds” to ignore critics and focus on God. Who or what are the “critics” or distractions in your life right now? How can you tune them out and focus on what God is saying? [[37:19]]
7. The pastor challenged us to have a faith that “gets God’s attention.” What is one step you can take this week to live out your faith more boldly or obediently? [[40:33]]
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Closing Prayer Suggestion:
Ask God for the courage to obey Him even when it’s hard, for a heart of gratitude, and for faith that stands out and blesses others.
Devotional
Day 1: Standing Out in a World of Conformity
In a world where wrong often seems right and the pressure to blend in is overwhelming, God is still searching for those who will walk righteously and refuse to conform to the ways of the crowd. Noah’s life reminds us that even when surrounded by wickedness, choosing to live differently—by faith, in righteousness, and with integrity—gets God’s attention and brings favor not only to ourselves but to those around us. Your faithfulness in the midst of a culture that values popularity over holiness can be the very thing that sets you apart and draws others to God. [12:25]
Genesis 6:5-9 (Amplified Bible)
When the Lord saw that human wickedness was widespread on the earth and that every inclination of the human mind was nothing but evil all the time, the Lord regretted that He had made man on the earth, and He was deeply grieved. Then the Lord said, “I will wipe mankind, whom I created, off the face of the earth, together with the animals, creatures that crawl, and birds of the sky—for I regret that I made them.” Noah, however, found favor in the sight of the Lord. These are the family records of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among his contemporaries; Noah walked with God.
Reflection: Where in your life are you feeling pressured to blend in, and how can you choose today to stand out for God by living righteously?
Day 2: Faith Looks Like Obedience
Faith is not just believing; it is acting in obedience, even when God’s instructions don’t make sense or seem impossible. Noah’s willingness to build an ark—something he had never seen for a flood he had never experienced—demonstrates that true faith means trusting God’s word above our own understanding and the opinions of others. Obedience in faith may require you to step out into the unknown, but it is in those moments that God’s guidance and provision become most evident. [22:29]
Genesis 6:17-22 (Amplified Bible)
“Understand that I am bringing a flood—floodwaters on the earth to destroy every creature under heaven with the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish. But I will establish My covenant with you, and you will enter the ark with your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives. You are also to bring into the ark two of all the living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. Two of everything—from the birds according to their kind, from the livestock according to their kind, and from the animals that crawl on the ground according to their kinds—will come to you so that you can keep them alive. Take with you every kind of food that is eaten; gather it as food for you and for them.” And Noah did this. He did everything that God had commanded him.
Reflection: What is one area where God is calling you to obey, even though it doesn’t make sense to you right now?
Day 3: Gratitude is Worship
When God brings you through a storm or delivers you from a difficult season, your first response should be gratitude expressed through worship. Noah’s immediate act after leaving the ark was to build an altar and offer sacrifices to God, showing that true thankfulness is not just spoken but demonstrated in action. Gratitude is a form of worship that acknowledges God’s faithfulness and invites His continued favor and promises into your life. [31:27]
Genesis 8:20-22 (Amplified Bible)
Then Noah built an altar to the Lord. He took some of every kind of clean animal and every kind of clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. When the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma, He said to Himself, “I will never again curse the ground because of human beings, even though the inclination of the human heart is evil from youth onward. And I will never again strike down every living thing as I have done. As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, and day and night will not cease.”
Reflection: How can you intentionally express gratitude to God today for something He has brought you through?
Day 4: Building a Legacy of Faith
God may not be calling you to build an ark, but He is calling you to build something by faith—whether it’s a legacy, a ministry, or a life that points others to Him. Your obedience and faithfulness today can impact generations to come, just as Noah’s did. Even when it’s hard, even when others don’t understand, your commitment to walk with God and build according to His instructions will leave a mark that outlasts you and blesses those who follow. [38:56]
Hebrews 11:7 (ESV)
By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.
Reflection: What is God asking you to build or invest in by faith that could bless others beyond your own lifetime?
Day 5: Faith That Pleases God
The kind of faith that pleases God is bold, visible, and unwavering—even when it means standing out or facing criticism. Like Noah, you are called to live in such a way that your faith is evident to all, not just in words but in your actions, your worship, and your daily walk. This faith draws God’s attention, brings His favor, and inspires others to seek Him. Let your life be a testimony of faith that pleases God and elevates those around you. [41:51]
Hebrews 11:6 (ESV)
And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
Reflection: What is one bold step of faith you can take today that would make your trust in God visible to others?
Quotes
Obedience in this season of our lives, in this season of what you're going through, in this season of whatever it is. Obedience, watch this, it just won't protect you, but it's going to bless you for years and generations to come. [00:25:40] (18 seconds)
Faith looks like obedience. Faith looks like obedience. That's what faith looks like. Obedience. And Noah is giving us a major lesson. A major lesson on what obedience really does look like. [00:20:08] (25 seconds)
You have to be willing to do what God says do even when it don't make sense. That's where it gets tough. That's where it gets rough for everybody to do what God says do even when it doesn't make sense. [00:21:27] (20 seconds)
He worshipped while other people was watching. You ever praise God in the midst of, of, of, of folk and you just thought about something and you just got happy and you just started, you may have broke out in the song, you may have started praying, you may have started crying, your hands, you may have started clapping or something, and everybody looked at you like something was wrong with you. That's the kind of faith that pleases God. [00:38:28] (28 seconds)
But real Elevation, it actually starts with real faith. You can't move up by yourself. You may think you can, but it's not until you get a hold, you let God get a hold of you and you allow Him to lead and guide you, that's when we start to climb. [00:11:06] (18 seconds)
When God brings us out of a storm, we, we shouldn't go back to normal. When God brings you out of something, you shouldn't go back to your everyday life. Like you, you didn't deserve it, but by his grace and his mercy, you, you didn't deserve overcoming what you came through. [00:34:50] (22 seconds)
He's never failed. Ain't failed me yet. I may have the weight on him, but he ain't failed me. That's the faith we ought to all have. We ought to say, listen, I'm trying to have a faith that pleases God. And everything we do ought to be done to please God. [00:41:04] (23 seconds)
What is God asking you to build? What is God asking you to obey? What have you been praying about? And God has been telling you what to do, but you've been questioning God because you don't want to do. What has been hindering you from stepping out on faith? It's the obedience part. [00:26:59] (29 seconds)
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