For more messages from Charles Stanley, including this week’s broadcast, go to intouch.org/tv.

Noah found favor announced the Lord what

he found favor because he listened to

him and because he trusts

so let’s ask yourself the question do

you listen to it do you trust him then

if that’s true in your life then gut

listen God will show you favor in every

single area of your life if in each area

of your life you listen to him and

you’re trusting

[Music]

four decades ago we started in touch

ministries to lead people worldwide into

a growing relationship with Jesus Christ

throughout the years we’ve seen God’s

greatness his love and his blessings in

such awesome ways that we just want

everyone to know him so let’s open God’s

Word and seek Him together next on

InTouch walking in the fever of God part

two well the Bible says that Noah found

favor in the eyes of God and when I

think about that I think about what the

Bible says in this agenda Genesis

chapter 6 if you want to turn there for

a moment and the reason he found favor

with the Lord first of all is because he

listened to God that’s what we talked

about last week he listened to God he

found favor in the eyes of the Lord

he not only listened to him whether the

scripture says he also trusted in him

and that’s the part that I want us to

deal with this morning in this passage

he listened to God and then he trusted

him and so when you think about yourself

ask yourself this question do you know

how to listen to God and would you say

that after you listen to him that you

are willing and ready to not only listen

to him but you willing to trust him

think about this you can pray all you

wanna pray if you don’t trust God you’re

wasting your time because faith is

absolutely essential it was absolutely

essential to get you saved it’s

absolutely essential to live the

Christian life and a lot of people say

oh well I’m saved well do you ever

listen to God well no not really

but I know I’m saved well first of all

if you have saved you had to listen to

God because he’s the one who told you

you needed to be saved

and once you listen to him he’s gonna

tell you what to do so you trusted

Christ as your Savior but many people

don’t listen to God and if you don’t

listen to him how can you know whether

you’re doing the right thing or not and

then the you trust him when you ask him

something when you ask God for something

do you close your prayer with a sense of

expectation of God answering your

requests or do you do like most people

do and that is they pray and talk to God

about this and yell and say Amen Jesus

name Amen get up walk away first of all

we must listen to him and secondly we

must trust him and that’s what this

passage is all about in this sermon is

all about so we talked about what is the

favor of God the favor of God is his

acceptance of us his approval of us his

support of us his provision for us his

divine energy he provides for us and his

joy so with that in mind I want you to

turn to proverbs chapter 3 because this

is an awesome passage of Scripture and

it’s really the way Noah lived in these

days when he heard the Lord so look in

proverbs chapter 3 beginning in verse 5

the scripture says trust in the Lord

with all your heart do not lean on your

own understanding

trusting in all of your ways acknowledge

him trusting and he will make your paths

straight

trust him do not be wise in your own

eyes fear the Lord and turn away from

evil so their first responsibility is to

listen to him so I would ask you this

question do you take time to listen to

God and not just kneel or whatever you

do and start doing the talking and

secondly once you pray do you

begin to think about what you’ve prayed

about and begin to think well this is

what I’ve asked God for do you trust

them do you have a sense of expectation

when you get up off your knees that’s

not with me to say it this happens to be

the way I pray when you finish do you

expect him to do something about what

you said and I think most people don’t

pray that way they talk to God telling

them what they wanted to do and so what

they need him to do and then say in

Jesus name Amen

no wait a minute if I’m really gonna ask

him that am I gonna trust him do I stand

up sit up walk away

say yes God I’ve asked you this I’m

expecting I’m trusting you to answer my

petition and if you do not end your

prayer with a sense of trust you just

mumbling words so if you will think

about this your entire relationship is

built on that how did you get saved you

got saved by listening to the Word of

God and you got saved by trusting that

what God said he would do amen

that’s that’s pretty weak amen you you

you trusted him

to save you and all you did was to ask

him verbally repent of your sins confess

your sin and and you asked him that and

then you got up walked away and you

trusted yard that he answered your

prayer so the reason Noah found favor in

the eyes of God is first of all he

listened to you what God said to him and

secondly he trusted him and we we know

the story so I want you to turn back to

this sixth chapter for a moment because

he’s a perfect example of the absolutely

three essentials if God’s gonna work in

that life and we’re going to accomplish

what he wants us to accomplish first of

all to listen to him secondly to trust

him so I want us to look at this in the

light of the character of Noah what kind

of fellow was he and the way God said

for him to look at his society here’s

what he said

in the 6th chapter that God saw the

wickedness of man in verse 5 was great

on the earth and that every intent of

the thoughts of his heart was only evil

continually

the Lord was sorry that he made him on

the earth he was grieved in his heart

the Lord said I will blot out man whom I

have created from the face of this land

from Manta animals creeping things the

birds of the sky for I am sorry that

I’ve made them but Noah found favor in

the eyes of the Lord this was a horrible

society that he was in and God spoke to

him and God looked upon Noah and

different from all the other people and

what he saw was he saw man it had a

different view and so he description

says he found favor in the eyes of the

Lord now look at this these are the

records of the generations of Noah Noah

was a righteous man blameless in his

time nor walked with God now think about

this seriously can it be said of you by

your three ways conversation your

conduct and your character that you are

a person who walks with God when

somebody thinks about you some friend

that somebody you work with what it in

your family whatever it may be would you

say that that’s the way they say you by

your very character your conduct do do

they see as a person who walks with God

or we all see in just a moment as we

begin to look at all these things so I

want us to look at to see a God’s view

of Noah and he said first of all found

favor in the eyes of the Lord

his record was righteous blameless in

his time Noah walked with God can that

be said of us if that not cannot be said

of us what can people say that you’re

rich well that’s you’re famous that

you’re busy you’re a good employee

you’re a good manager you’re a great

neighbor

you get a church person you attend

church you listen what can they say what

would be more powerful to be said of you

than you walked with God you walked in

that you were you had favor with the

Lord

we have favor with the Lord when we

listen to him and when we trust him and

that is true in the life of Noah so I

wants to think about it for just a

moment God said to him Lord it’s only

unrighteousness and sinfulness and

wicked everywhere I have found in you a

blameless man so here’s what I want you

to do and so God began to speak to him

and he commanded him to build this arch

now what in the world was an ark nobody

ever heard of an ark before it wouldn’t

have any idea what it was and so when

you think about something 450 feet long

and about 50 feet wide and about three

stories high and so the Lord spoke to

him and then the question was was he

going to trust what God said but you see

he walked with God and the scripture

said he had favor with the Lord now

watch this carefully you listen say Amen

when you ask God for something and he

gives you the first step it may be a

juvenile step it may be something very

very simple that anybody could do or you

go whatever God has said to you when he

gives you the first step and you don’t

take the first step you miss it now

human nature says what well God if you

show me how tell me how I’m gonna do

this and I’ll do it now God said yet

busy so he had to get busy doing the

first thing God told him to do so I

wanna ask you a question when you have a

impression a deep impression in your own

heart about something God wants you to

do do you give him some excuse for not

moving ahead saying okay God whatever

you say or do you have to have a next

halation for everything I think about

many things God has said to me that he

didn’t explain if he did explain about

probably without a bigger problem

he just says just what I want you to do

trust me not only listen to me but trust

me there are three key words in Noah’s

life listen to me trust me and obey me

those are the three bottom line

questions in life

trust me listen to me obey me and so he

had to deal with this he simply said to

Noah Noah I found in you a righteous

person blameless is what I want you to

do and so that’s his instructions at the

time so I’m asking you when you ask God

about something and God gives you

whatever you call whatever you receive I

just say God spoke to my heart and said

that’s the way I hear it when he does

what do you do the Bible said he walked

with God and he had favor with God so

the challenge to him was his faith am I

going to do what God said do why he said

do it even though I don’t understand any

possibility of it I don’t know what this

looks like so think about this when he

did he had a head-on collision with his

society think about it he was the only

righteous person and here he’s beginning

to do something that is totally

unbelievable

looks absolutely ridiculous only

somebody out of his mind would even

think about such a thing

not only attempting to do it watch this

carefully there will be times when God

will tell you to do something that

nobody else will probably agree with or

even you may not understand it but

that’s not a sign for you and not to

obey God you do what he says do when he

says to do it how he says do it and what

you do you leave the consequences to him

when you obey Him you can you can leave

all that you can leave all the

responsibilities to him so let’s think

about it for a moment he had a head-on

collision think about the public uproar

when Noah begins this construction of

something that looks like it’s going to

be huge and wonder how he thinks he’s

going to do all this so he had a head-on

collision with his Society they didn’t

understand it and thought it was messy

and you know mess up that beautiful

terrain so forth and secondly when he

says God told him to do it

watch this who is this God that’s told

you to do this which seems impossible

well what did that there that gave no an

opportunity to tell them who God is then

they understand that no did they believe

it no how do I know that simple reason

they’ve got to wipe them all out so that

they want to know who is this God who’s

told you to do that let me ask you a

question have you ever told somebody

something that God told you and they

said well what kind of your author was

that God doesn’t speak to me either way

who is this God that told you that you

God doesn’t talk to me that way yeah

wants them all out said something that

God told me it didn’t that’s what

somebody would say well God never tells

me things like there maybe you don’t ask

him big watch this

God doesn’t treat us all the same way

it’s it depends upon his will for your

life and what I want you to see is that

our responsibilities before God is not

to answer all the questions but to

listen to him and the trusting because

if you don’t trust them and nothing else

is going to work in your life think

about it you don’t have four wheels on

the car it’s not your that way you don’t

have any trust for God you’re not doing

in who are in life so this God you

worship how you gonna find answers no

you don’t look like a rich man well how

did he finance I don’t have any idea how

God provided but one thing I know for

sure watch this if God tells you to do

something God assumes responsibility for

making means whatever is net

sir for you to be able to do his will

whatever it is and if you always wait

till you have all the answers in life

God will never be able to bless you the

way he wants to bless you he listened to

God did you get that yes and what else

did he do come on now he listened to God

and what else did he did trusted him and

that’s what other people get hung up on

here’s what I believe God said but he

surely he didn’t say that and that must

have been probably what Noah was

thinking when God first told him to do

this because if you think about what if

you think about him about what he tell

him to do and he said here’s what I’m

gonna do

and he says make for yourself an ark of

gopher wood and then he describes

everything he describes it’s gonna be

450 feet long 51 3 stories I know it’s

how but he listened to him and having

listened to him he trusted God now watch

what happens the reason he had the

courage that he had was God had spoken

to him and he trusted the God that he’d

been worshiping to fulfill his promise

and so what happens God said here the

plans I’ll answer the questions watch

this

God is just as willing to give you as

clear an answer to your request when

those requests are sincerely offered to

God cried out to him as he did as he did

to know we’re just not billing arks

we’re doing something else we are

purchasing something or moving somewhere

or doing something whatever it might be

we have a right to ask God what do I do

next how many times do you think Noah

said yeah

you mean 450 feet long

yeah right here listen there’s nothing

in the Bible that says I should never

ask any questions but to doubt the Word

of God is something else but listen the

Bible says Noah found favor announced

the Lord what he found favor because he

listened to him and because he trusts

them so let’s ask yourself the question

do you listen to him do you trust him

then if that’s true in your life then

gut listen God will show you favor in

every single area of your life if in

each area of your life you listen to him

and you’re trusting that’s 2/3 of it

we’re in the process of trusting him and

what’s God’s gonna do he’s gonna bless

whatever you do and no it’s such a

perfect example listeners of everyday

life everyday life what do you do you

listen to him you trust him and if you

wise you obey Him abc123 now think about

this what do you need to add to that

formula for living I think the Bible is

absolutely I can hardly describe it in

one story thousands of years ago that in

one man God laid us down the foundation

that live every single day of our life

listen to him trust him and obey can you

beat that no if you can count to 1 2 3

or ABC you have God’s solution for

living life and a wicked vile sinful

corrupt unrighteous world and we want to

make it complicated now they’d heard of

this one true God and I’m sure he tried

to tell him that who that was and I can

imagine what they must have said to him

God who is this God why are you then

why are you the only one who’s heard

from him why isn’t somebody else from

him because God said they were wicked as

the devil and they paid no attention to

God the world was so corrupt the judge

said I’m gonna I’m gonna wipe this whole

thing yet start all over again now this

is so simple the five-year-old could get

it now watch this you can take that

formula to any single part of your life

what do you teach your children listen

to you trust you and obey you

and so when you think about how Noah

expressed his courage and his trust in

God it was so simple to him and think

about this there wasn’t into such thing

he’s one of the first guys in here

what’s no such thing all he had was the

voice of God speaking to his mind his

heart to his spirit because he was

attempting to live a righteous holy and

godly life probably knowing very little

about God but God that made it less

clear to him that he knew to obey the

voice that was within him and he showed

him how to do the impossible

and thousands of years later we find in

one man they key to living life you know

I can just stop right there and praise

God the rest of the day you listen to

him

you trust him in you obey Him and so

when I think about that I think about

when you trust God sometimes you’ve been

situations where watch this nobody else

understood him nobody understood him

think about how simple and profound this

is that God said to one man and the only

man on the earth and his family whom God

would save from absolute total

structure of society one man I’m gonna

this is a reason I’m gonna I’m gonna

favor you with life you listen to me you

trust me and now you willing to obey me

one of the most important men in the

Bible teaches us in the beginning of the

Bible how to live our life the rest of

our life the way you live a godly life

the way you live the Christian life is

you listen to God and you listen to God

by primarily about reading it in his

word you trust what it says then you

obey what it says if you think about how

awesome God is that he has all knowledge

about all things he has all power in

every single circumstance of life

nothing beyond him and what does he do

he boils it all down the three things I

want you to do I want you to listen to

me I want you to trust me I want you to

baby and you know I think about this I

think about how many millions and

millions of volumes written about the

Word of God about so many aspects of the

Word of God and we just put it down in

one sense that’s what everything in this

Bible is an explanation of or an

illustration of the failure or their

willingness to listen to trust them in

to obey and we sing it trust and obey

but there’s no other way to be happy in

Jesus but they forgot one thing

listen trust and obey for there’s no

other way to be happy in Jesus but to

listen to him trust him and obey Him how

could you ever forget this sermon it has

nothing to do with me it has to do with

a simple truth of God’s Word and the

next time you read

still ring of Noah you’ll remember this

you listen to him you trust him in the

oh babe

and some somebodies and so what happened

what happened was the whole world was

destroyed and no one bunch of animals

came out alive was Noah perfect man

though it wasn’t but he listened to God

he trusted what he said and he obeyed

him and maybe you’ve never trusted Jesus

as your Savior you don’t know what all

this is about this is all about this

that God loves you he has a plan for

your life if you listen to him and

you’ll follow his leadership and his

guidance that is if you will trust him

with your life your future and obey Him

you’ll find life at its very best if you

fail to do that you’re on your own

God’s not gonna force you he gives you a

choice a fantastic choice an awesome

choice you have to decide now think

about it only three things and you’re

gonna listen to him will you trust him

and will you obey if you want life at

it’s very very best no matter who you

are that’s the solution right there

amen father we love you and praise you

and thank you for this simple childlike

study that is so profound and I pray the

Holy Spirit will speak to somebody here

who’s never been saved because I hadn’t

been listening

afraid that they’ve listened today they

will ‘trust you to forgive them no

matter what they’ve done they will until

Bay you today

trustee use their saving their Lord

we’re gonna trust you for now in Jesus

name Amen if you’ve been blessed by

today’s program please visit us at

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