“A BAD PLACE” (GEN: 6)

1. Kayla Renee Roland died last Tuesday.

2. Kayla, age 6, was described as a “very nice little girl.”

3. This girl died because a 6 year old boy shot her with a .32 caliber handgun

4. The prosecutor in MI does not want any part in making charges against the 6 year old

5. One man this past week raised this question.

6. “What’s next – preschoolers shooting preschoolers?”

I. I HAVE PREVIOUSLY STATED THAT EVEN THROUGH THE EVENTS IN THE BOOK OF GENESIS HAPPENED A LONG TIME AGO. THE MATERIAL IN THE FIRST BOOK OF THE BIBLE IS STILL VERY RELEVANT.

A. The recent shooting in MI and the text of Gen: 6 prove my assertion.

B. Gen: 6 give us a full and colorful picture of sin.

C. One man has suggested a four point outline for this chapter:

(1) Sin was extensive ( Gen: 6:11);

(2) Sin was intensive (6:5)

(3) Sin was corrosive (Gen: 6:12);

(4) Sin was exclusive (Gen: 6:5)

D. Not only has this outline been suggested for Gen:6,

E. But the following observation has been made:

F. If Eden, man disobeyed God.

G. Out side of Eden, there was not disobedience. There was defiance.

H. In Eden sin brought expulsion.

I. Outside of Eden sin brought destruction.

J. From the four points that I mentioned, I will use 3 of them.

K. If you wrote these (4) down you should have, “Sin was extensive and intense.

L. I will join together these two ideas for the first point.

(1) The opening verses in Gen: 6 refer to the “Sons of God.

(2) Some who have very active imaginations have concluded?

(3) That some human beings married non-human beings (angles)

(4) These unions brought forth “giants” (v.4)

(5) While the sons of God and daughters of men.

(6) My judgment is that this explanation is erroneous.

(7) I side with those who turn back to Gen. 4 & 5.

(8) Gen: 4 and 5 record the descendents of Cain and Seth...

(9) Through Seth came man men and women who were Godly.

(10) Those who were Cain’s descendants continued to sin.

(11) When we get to Gen: 6, we are told about “sons of God.”

(12) We are also told about the “daughters of me.”

(13) I am willing to contend that these 2 descriptions...

(14) Are simply a way to sum up what is Gen. 4 & 5?

(15) Sons of God (i.e. descendents of Seth)

(16) Were married to “daughters of men” (descendents of Cain)

(17) Good people were marrying bad people.

(18) Unfortunately, the good people were being spoiled.

(19) Evil was triumphing over good.

M. The people in Cain’s line had done a good job with sin.

N. When it came to wickedness, these people excelled in wrong doing.

O. Verse 5 says that there was not only wickedness on the earth,

P. There was “great wickedness.”

Q. People’s minds were being used to “continually” think about evil.

R. If verse 5 does not impress us, look at verse 6.

(1) Here again is a verse that has been troubling to some.

(2) God “repented that He had made man.”

(3) Some have read this and thought that God made a mistake.

(4) We may turn down a certain road and then say, “I made a mistake.

(5) Some think that this is what is being said here.

(6) God made man; sin became rampant; then God said, “I shouldn’t have

(7) “Creation was a mistake.” This explanation cannot be right.

(8) Isaiah: 46:10 says that God has foreknowledge.

(9) God knows the end of something even before the thing begins,

(10) Thus, God knew exactly what man would do.

(11) Without going to an elaborate study of this “repentance’.

(12) I am going to sum it up this way:

(13) God knew that these people would act like they did.

(14) When this period of wickedness came, God was grieved. It hurt.

(15) Knowing a painful fact in advance does not take away the pain.

(16) Part of this “repentance” is simply an expression of pain.

(17) The word repentance also indicates that it was time.

(18) For God’s eternal plan to be further completed.

(19) Instead of continuing to put up with the sin,

(20) God’s course of toleration was about to be altered.

(21) God’s eternal plan had a world wide flood built into it.

(22) Sin was so bad that it was time to remove those who were ungodly.

(23) Hence, God “repented” (tolerance would soon be replaced with justice.

(24) The level of sin is indicated by the number of people who were in the ark.

(25) Only eight people were saved.

(26) This gives us an excellent indication of how people were living.

(27) The flood experienced during this time like a nuclear bomb.

(28) It was an extreme measure to take care of an extreme problem.

S. From God’s reaction to the world in Gen: 6 we can learn something.

(1) Sin is bad. It is very bad.

(2) Sin is so bad that it justifies destruction.

(3) It can justify destruction in this life as Gen: 6 describes.

(4) Some are punished for sin while they are upon the earth.

(5) Gal. 6 says that what we sow we will reap.

(6) Sin also results in eternal punishment if it is not forgiven.

(7) What has been examined thus far tells us something else.

(8) We have a choice.

(9) We can stand with those who will one day be destroyed by sin.

(10) Or we can find the way of escape that God provides.

(11) After the time of Noah,

(12) Moses issued a similar call.

(13) Do we remember how Moses came down from the mountain/

(14) Once again we have a picture of sin in fully swing.

(15) This account is in Ex. 32: 6.

(16) Moses said, “Who is on the Lord’s side (32:26)

(17) The “sons of Levi” answered the call.

(18) People had to make a choice to stay with sin or come to God.

T. At the end of Joshua we have another example of this.

(1) Joshua said to Israel: choose this day who you will serve.

(2) You can serve the pagan God and their sinful ways,

(3) Or you can serve the God of heaven.

(4) As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord, Josh: 24.

U. Elijah (1 Kings: 18:21) said, “How long halt ye between 2 opinions:

V. If the Lord be God, follow Him; if Baal be god, and then follow him.

W.Just as people in the past have had to make a choice so we must as Christians.

X. For those who are not Christians, this is a question to give them.

II. WE NEED TO LOOK FOR THE WAY OF ESCAPE AND THE WAY TO GOD BECAUSE GEN: 6 SHOW US THAT SIN IS COORSIVE.

A. In the first 8 verses of Gen: 6,

B. We are shown how deeply affected society sin.

C. Men continually thought about evil.

D. The minds of men were used to imagine horrible acts.

E. We can say that this is still true for our day and time.

F. Sin has deeply affected and infected some in society.

(1) When a developed country has a year old shoo another 6 year old,

(2) The sickness of sin is deep. There are serious problems.

a. Last Friday I read a thought provoking statement.

b. A man from New Jersey wisely observed,

c. “Guns are less available legally now than any other time

d. Prior to 1994 when the Brady Bill went into effect,

e. One could buy a gun – even an AK47 w/out a background check

f. Prior though 1969 one could buy guns and ammunition,

g. In any amount through the mail, no questions asked.

h. Lawmakers say “easy access to guns is killing people.”

i. The truth is that gun laws have been tightened,

j. But shootings continue, and they just get worse.

k. The problem is not guns; society is sick with sin.

(3) Sickness can be severe, but how widespread is it?

G. Not too many children under the age of 7 go around and shoot people.

H. While we have some places which are “pockets” of sin,

I. There are still some good things in America & the rest of the world.

J. During the time period in Gen: 6, this was not how things were.

K. Sin in and around the time of Noah had infected all mankind.

L. The “earth” was “filled” and “corrupts” with violence.

M. There was “violence” on every hand.”

N. “All flesh had corrupted its way upon the earth.”

O. Notice please the word “violence” in v. 11.

P. This word means, “Violating the rights of others.”

Q. This was done day after day and time after time.

R. Violating the rights of others became a way of life.

S. How could sin become so thoroughly entrenched in the world?

T. Perhaps some other verses will help us.

(1) Luke 17: 27 – People became preoccupied with pleasure.

(2) Jesus said people wanted to “eat, drink and have fun.”

(3) People had a strong interest in money and this life, 17:28.

(4) A lack of belief in God destroyed a society, Jude 5.

(5) The rejection of the Bible corrodes a society, 1 Peter 3:19-22.

(6) Widespread violence destroys cultures, Gen: 6:11-13.

(7) Sexual sin corrodes communities of people, 4:19; 6:2.

U. There are more ways than these to corrupt a society but these help explain.

V. When the things just begin to happen on a regular basis.

W.It is like a rottenness which spreads like gangrene.

X. Some of these seeds have been planted in America. Some have started to spread.

III.DURING THE TIME OF NOAH SIN WAS SO PREVELANT THAT IT WAS EXCLUSIVE (V.5). THIS IS, SIN WAS THE DOMINANT THING IN THE LIVES OF MEN AND WOMEN.

A. For this reason God said, “My spirit will not always strive with man.

B. God said that He would allow men to continue for 120 more years.

C. After a century plus had passed, a flood came.

D. All of this information tells us something else about God.

(1) 120 years before the flood,

(2) Men were so sinful that God could have justly punishing them.

(3) The flood could have come 120 years earlier & God would have been justified.

(4) Gen: 6 makes it all to clear that God waited.

(5) Listen to how Peter describes this in 1 Peter. 3.

(6) Perhaps we have heard this verse read a hundred times.

(7) Maybe we can say it from memory.

(8) Tonight tie this passage into what has been said.

(9) 1 Peter: 3:20 READ

E. It is only after we take a careful look at Gen: 6.

F. That we have a full view of what Peter work.

G. God was more than patient. He really was “long suffering.”

H. If we are people who are to be God’s children,

(1) How patient are we?

(2) May I suggest that none of us come close to being as patient.

(3) God saw a world full of people who were dedicated to sin.

(4) These people had done so many things that were wrong,

(5) God was entitled to punish them long before the flood.

(6) Instead of wiping out world God said, “I will give you 120 years.

(7) These people didn’t get one more chance, or 2 more chances.

(8) Many of them must have been given an entire lifetime.

I. I have heard people say, “I will give him one more chance.”

J. Or, “He used up his last opportunity.”

K. Maybe there are some cases when this needs to be said.

L. Gen: 6 show that a time when men’s opportunities end. Are limited.

M. I would ask us to consider in light of this chapter,

(1) Do we give people their “last chance” too soon?

(2) Jesus said to go the second mile with people.

(3) Do we sometimes fail to even finish the first mile?

(4) Most will remember that the Lord said,

(5) If our brethren sin against us, forgive them many times

(6) The exact wording Mt: 18:15-17 is “70 x 7”.

CONCLUSON:

1. I know based upon the 6^th chapter of Genesis that:

2. I must make a decision about God – follow Him or reject Him.

3. I know that if I follow Him I have a duty to be longsuffering towards Him.

4. I know that I have a perfect example of what longsuffering means,

5. I know that sin is corrosive to the society where I live.

6. Thus it is right for me to do my best to make society a better place.

7. I also know that what I sow is exactly what I will reap.

8. What do we want from God? A pleasant life after death?

9. Salvation? Freedom from Satan?

10. Spending eternity apart from those who died in the flood.

11. If this is what we desire, God has prepared to us an ark a place of refuge.