The Rainbow Signal: God’s Covenant of Grace

• The Noahic Covenant 00:36:21 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor identifies the central theme of the passage as the covenant God made with Noah, explaining its nature and significance.
• Etymology of Covenant 00:36:44 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor explains the Hebrew origin of the word 'covenant' meaning 'to cut,' referencing the ancient ceremony of cutting animals to seal an agreement.
• God's Remembrance 00:39:24 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor clarifies that 'God remembered Noah' does not imply forgetfulness but rather signifies God's active love and care for Noah.
• The Rainbow as Sign 00:33:38 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor reads the scripture establishing the rainbow as the perpetual sign of the covenant between God and every living creature.
• The Scene of the Covenant 00:38:42 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor explains that the covenant was given in an atmosphere of God's love and compassion, citing 'God remembered Noah' as evidence of His care, not forgetfulness.
• The Scope of the Covenant 00:43:45 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor details specific promises within the covenant, including the consistency of nature (seasons), human dominion over animals, the permission to eat meat, and the institution of capital punishment by human government.
• The Signal of the Covenant 00:53:17 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor identifies the rainbow as the visible, tangible signal of God's promise, contrasting its biblical meaning with modern cultural hijacking.
• The Rainbow as a Divine Signal 00:56:06 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor defines the rainbow not merely as a meteorological phenomenon but as a theological signal of God's character, specifically His completeness and perfection.
• God's Sovereignty and Throne 00:58:57 ▶️ 📄
  > Using Ezekiel's vision, the pastor emphasizes that God remains on His throne regardless of earthly circumstances, countering the idea that God has abdicated His position.
• The Balance of God's Attributes 01:02:39 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor contrasts God's severity (judgment) with His goodness (forgiveness), using Romans 11 to show that both attributes are present in God's nature.
• Christ as the Ark of Safety 01:05:33 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor connects the Noahic ark to Jesus Christ, explaining that just as the ark provided safety from judgment, Christ provides salvation from God's wrath.
• Hope in Suffering 01:10:49 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor encourages believers facing 'clouds' of trouble by citing biblical examples (Paul, Joseph, Stephen) where God placed a 'rainbow' (hope/provision) in their storms.
• The Cross as the Place of Judgment and Grace 01:16:15 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor explains that the cross is where God's grace is displayed like a rainbow and where judgment has already fallen, offering safety to believers.
• Personal Testimony of Salvation 01:17:01 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor shares his personal experience of fleeing to Jesus at age ten to escape the judgment his sins deserved.
• The Call to Repentance and Faith 01:20:30 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor issues an urgent invitation for listeners to repent, believe in Jesus' death, and surrender their lives to Him.

• Sermon Illustration 00:36:44 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor uses the analogy of an ancient covenant ceremony where men would cut an animal into two pieces and walk between them to seal an agreement, explaining that this is the origin of the term 'cutting a covenant.'
• Sermon Illustration 00:50:22 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor shares a personal anecdote about eating a 'really big steak' and 'fried chicken with some texas peat' to illustrate the biblical permission to eat meat with thanksgiving, contrasting it with cultic restrictions.
• Sermon Illustration 01:06:52 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor shares a personal anecdote about being taught the meaning of the rainbow in Sunday school at College Park Baptist Church, noting how this early lesson has stayed with him throughout his life.
• Sermon Illustration 01:09:09 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor references the recent death of a church member, Susan Godfrey, who was battling cancer, to illustrate the 'clouds of sorrow' that hang over people's lives.
• Sermon Illustration 01:11:04 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor uses the Apostle Paul's imprisonment to illustrate how God produces spiritual fruit (epistles) even in the darkest 'clouds' of trouble.
• Sermon Illustration 01:11:26 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor references Joseph's journey from slavery to prime minister as an example of God placing a 'rainbow' (future glory) after a period of suffering.
• Sermon Illustration 01:11:48 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor references Stephen's martyrdom, noting that he was met by Jesus in glory, illustrating that God's presence is the ultimate 'rainbow' in the cloud of death.
• Sermon Illustration 01:12:37 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor illustrates the concept of seeing the 'full picture' of God's plan by comparing the partial rainbow seen from earth to the full circle seen from high altitude, linking this to John's vision in Revelation where God lifts him up to see the full reality of heaven's perspective.
• Sermon Illustration 01:16:15 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor uses the analogy of the rainbow's colors spreading out to describe God's grace at the cross, stating that if the grace were spread out, it would look like a magnificent rainbow, signifying that judgment has passed for those who come to the cross.
• Sermon Illustration 01:17:01 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor shares a personal anecdote about being a 10-year-old boy at College Park Baptist Church who, realizing his sins deserved hell, made up his mind to flee to Jesus and found safety at the cross.

• Pastoral Charge 00:36:21 ▶️ 📄
  > Circle the word 'covenant' in the Bible and write the Hebrew meaning 'to cut' in the margin.
• Pastoral Charge 00:38:19 ▶️ 📄
  > Take out paper and pen to write down principles from the text, specifically noting the 'scene' of the covenant.
• Pastoral Charge 00:38:57 ▶️ 📄
  > Go back to Genesis chapter 8, verse 1, and underline the phrase 'God remembered Noah'.
• Pastoral Charge 00:39:24 ▶️ 📄
  > Understand that 'God remembered Noah' signifies God's active love and care, not a lack of memory.
• Pastoral Charge 00:40:06 ▶️ 📄
  > Recognize the covenant scene as an atmosphere of God's love, compassion, and concern.
• Pastoral Charge 00:41:00 ▶️ 📄
  > Reflect on the connection between the ark's resting place and Jesus' resurrection.
• Pastoral Charge 00:55:06 ▶️ 📄
  > Understand the rainbow as a signal of God's character and covenant faithfulness, countering cultural confusion.
• Pastoral Charge 00:55:06 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor asks the congregation to mentally focus on the rainbow and consider its true spiritual meaning.
• Pastoral Charge 01:02:39 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor instructs the congregation to physically mark Romans 11:22 in their Bibles.
• Pastoral Charge 01:10:49 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor urges believers to hold onto hope and recognize the promise of God's faithfulness amidst their current struggles.
• Pastoral Charge 01:18:59 ▶️ 📄
  > Bow heads and close eyes in prayer.
• Pastoral Charge 01:21:43 ▶️ 📄
  > Pray the provided prayer of repentance and faith, trusting and surrendering to Jesus.

[00:00:02] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:00:02] In his name to just lift up and magnify and praise our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. If you're visiting with us today, we want to bid you a warm welcome in the name of the Lord and on behalf of our Trinity Baptist family. In fact, our deacons have some gift bags that they would love to put in the hands of those of you who are visiting with us this morning. There's some material in the bag that we would love to invite you to take home and just remember your time of worshiping with us this morning.
[00:11:39] that we'd love for you to take a moment fill it out placed in the offering plate when it comes by a little bit later in the service so we'll have record of your visit here with us today so if you
[00:11:48] are a guest this morning just lift your hand about like this as they make their way down the aisle and just hold your hand up high enough and long enough for them to spot you and if you will just
[00:11:58] take a moment and receive that from them and again we'd love to know of your visit here with us if you're joining us via live stream we welcome you into the sanctuary this morning right here on
[00:12:08] Irvin Road in Mooresville, North Carolina. We're excited to be gathering right here to lift up and praise our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And that's exactly what we're going to do. When we sing, we want you to sing along with us. When we pray, we invite you to go to God's throne in
[00:12:24] prayer with us. And then in a few minutes, we're going to turn in God's Word to Genesis, and we invite you to grab a copy of God's Word and be ready, because we're looking forward to all that
[00:12:34] God wants to say and speak into our hearts today as we worship him here in this place so again we're thankful that you're here I want to invite you to join with me as we go to the Lord in prayer
[00:12:45] begin this morning father it is into your house that we have entered with thanksgiving in our heart father we have gathered here with praise on our lips to offer you our thanksgiving to bring before you all of the honor and all of the glory and all of the praise that we can lift today
[00:13:07] humanly to your very throne room because we recognize that you are our eternal father you are our heavenly father you are the one who sticketh closer than a brother you are the one who is our Redeemer. You are the one who reaches into our hearts and touches them
[00:13:30] at their very point of need. And Father, I just pray that today as we do gather here to sing praises to your name, to come before your throne, lifting petitions and making intercession, that Father, in all of the activity that happens in this place this morning,
[00:13:50] more than anything that father we would open our minds we would open our hearts to you speaking to us and you drawing us closer to you than we've ever been before father we need your wisdom
[00:14:12] we need your guiding hand father we just need you and we make no bones about it we're meeting here with you today because we recognize that you are almighty god and we are a people standing in the
[00:14:32] need of prayer we are here today to just open our minds and hearts toward you and father i just pray that you would move freely throughout this sanctuary that you would touch every man and
[00:14:48] woman listening even via live stream this morning father wherever they're listening from i pray that right now you would just penetrate their heart and those that are here in the sanctuary that lord you would do no less that you would penetrate hearts today and do a work that only your holy
[00:15:07] spirit by your own power is able to do and father we will praise you and honor and glorify you for it's in jesus name that we pray and all god's people said amen well listen if you have children
[00:15:25] with you from preschool through third grade we want to invite them to be a part of children's church so in just a moment we're going to stand and greet one another and when we do
[00:15:34] if you do have children in that age range we invite them to come and make their way to my right and your left and that's where they'll be welcomed into children's church this morning so
[00:15:42] stand to your feet if you will wherever you are in the sanctuary turn around and shake a few hands hug a few necks make each other welcome here in the house of the lord as we lift our voices to him

[00:15:53] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:15:53] this is the time in our service when we bring our tithes and offerings to the storehouse as

[00:23:01] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:23:01] he's commanded us to do and we do it with grateful hearts and joyful hearts lord loves a cheerful giver those that prefer to give online can do so at trinitybaptist.com or you can use the post
[00:23:13] office box or there's a box in the hallway and there are envelopes in the pew racks so let's pray Father in heaven, we do give thanks for the many blessings that you just continue to pour out upon us.
[00:23:26] We thank you for this day that you've given us together with fellow believers to praise and worship you.
[00:23:32] And we just continue with our worship by bringing our tithes and our offerings as you've commanded us to do.
[00:23:38] We're also commanded that we give of our talents and gifts and time.
[00:23:42] And Lord, I just pray that we'll be found faithful in doing just that and being doers of the word and not just hearers.
[00:23:49] you blessed us so much both individually and as a church family and i pray we'll be found faithful in spreading the good news the gospel message to others and just be good stewards of what you've entrusted us to we do pray for those on the mission field that we're supporting with
[00:24:05] our offerings and we pray for their safety and boldness and proclaiming the gospel and lord we ask that you be with us later this week as we go out into our mission field here in morrisville
[00:24:16] during Serve NC Week.
[00:24:18] And we would ask that you open doors for us to share that gospel message with those we come in contact with.
[00:24:25] And Lord, I just pray that we'll be found faithful and obedient in serving you and being your ambassadors while we are in our mission field.
[00:24:33] I ask that you bless and multiply our tithes and offerings today for the expanding of your kingdom, bringing others to the saving grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
[00:24:42] Just speak to us.
[00:24:44] Let us feel your presence in the remainder of the service as the pastor brings the message with boldness and clarity.
[00:24:51] And we ask that you would be with him in his travels of the next couple of weeks and just keep your hedge of protection around him.
[00:24:58] Let us draw closer to you and be better prepared to be your witnesses and to share the good news with those we come in contact with.
[00:25:04] And it's in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, that we offer these prayers.
[00:25:08] Amen.

[00:25:08] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:25:08] And all God's people said, Amen and Amen.

[00:29:09] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:29:09] Thank you so much, Men of Purpose, for blessing our hearts this morning in a great, great old song that never gets old.
[00:29:16] It's a song that continues to speak to hearts and has for really many, many years.
[00:29:23] Squire Parsons really made an impact on the world with that great song.
[00:29:29] Turn in your Bibles, if you will, to the book of Genesis.
[00:29:32] The book of Genesis chapter 9 is where I want you to turn this morning.
[00:29:37] Now, this morning I realize you may be wondering, Brother Mark, did I miss a week or what?
[00:29:43] because the last time we were together we were in Genesis 7 and now you're telling me that this morning we're going to go over to Genesis 9. Well first of all let me put your mind at ease
[00:29:54] that because what I'm going to actually do this morning is try to gather the material that you're going to find here in chapter 9 with chapter 8 and these verses that we're going to focus on
[00:30:07] in chapter 9, and I want you to see how they tie together in our message. Now, it may be helpful at the outset, before we dive into it, to stop and remember where we are in our journey through
[00:30:22] Genesis. I told you from the beginning, there are four major events in these first 11 chapters of Genesis in the history books that tell us of what took place. One of those is the creation.
[00:30:37] another one of those is the fall of man the third of those is the flood and then the fourth is the tower of babel now an awful lot of time is actually given in the word of god to the account
[00:30:54] of the flood and you'll remember as we've been over at the last several weeks it's a time when god saw the wickedness of man was so great on the earth that he decided that he was just going to
[00:31:06] wipe the slate clean and start over. And then you remember God spoke to a man by the name of Noah.
[00:31:13] And the Bible says, as we saw, that Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. And so God said to Noah, as you'll recall, I want you to build an ark and you're to go into that ark and the floods
[00:31:28] of judgment are going to come and all who are in the ark will be spared you will recall that noah obeyed the lord he built the ark he entered the ark god closed the door and just as god said he
[00:31:46] was going to do he sent floodwaters to cover the entire earth and so for all these days weeks and actually months now god has had noah and his family in the ark did you know that noah and
[00:32:07] his family stayed in the ark one year and 10 days one year and 10 days can you imagine that i mean think about that for a minute i mean if they didn't have showers or anything like that
[00:32:22] Can you imagine? They were ready to get out at the end of that year in 10 days.
[00:32:27] So the flood has come. God's ark of safety has absolutely held strong.
[00:32:34] And now Noah and his family are ready to come out of the ark.
[00:32:39] I want you to stand, if you will, in honor of the reading of the word of God.
[00:32:43] As I said, we're going to start here in the ninth chapter, beginning in verse 8, and we're going to read down through verse 17.
[00:32:55] Then God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying, And as for me, behold, I establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you, and with every living creature that is with
[00:33:10] you, the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you, of all that go out of the ark, every beast of the earth. Thus I establish my covenant with you. Never again shall all flesh
[00:33:24] be cut off by the waters of the flood never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth and god said this is the sign of the covenant which i make between me and you and every living
[00:33:38] creature that is with you for perpetual generations i set my rainbow in the cloud and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between me and the earth it shall be when i bring a cloud over the earth
[00:33:54] that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud. And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. The waters shall never again become a flood
[00:34:09] to destroy all flesh. The rainbow shall be in the cloud, and I will look on it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth
[00:34:24] and God said to Noah this is the sign of the covenant which I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth would you pray with me father I just asked this morning
[00:34:39] that in these next few minutes that you just speak into our hearts and let your word Lord let your word do the work that only you can do. Father, I pray that you would speak to every heart
[00:34:54] and every mind under the sound of my voice. And Lord, I pray that we would all hear from you.
[00:35:01] And I pray personally that you let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart, Lord, let them be pleasing in your sight. For it's in Jesus' name I pray. Amen. You may be seated.
[00:35:12] now i want you to keep your bibles open because you're going to want to follow along with this if you don't have a bible with you take one from the pew in front of you and uh and follow along
[00:35:22] with us but i want you to look at the ninth verse of the ninth chapter and you start to see a theme arise in what god says to noah at this particular point look again in verse nine
[00:35:36] and as for me behold i establish my covenant with you drop down to verse 11 for a minute thus i establish my covenant with you and now look to the middle of verse 16 the ever remember the everlasting covenant between god and every living creature of all flesh now
[00:36:06] Not a trick question. Can anybody here guess the theme of this portion of scripture? What is it?
[00:36:21] The covenant. That's exactly right. The covenant which God made with Noah and the earth. I want you to circle that word covenant every time it appears in this particular passage. And the Hebrew word for covenant, you might write that in the margin, literally means to cut. To cut. It was
[00:36:44] taken from a very interesting ceremony when men entered into an agreement together. What would they do? They would take an animal and they would cut that animal into two pieces. They would lay one piece over here and they would lay the other piece of the animal over here. And then those two
[00:37:08] that were making the agreement would walk together in between the pieces of the animals that were on either side. So in other words, men cut a covenant. And here God says to Noah and says to Noah's
[00:37:28] children, I'm making a covenant with you. And so God's agreement with man and God's agreement with the earth was simply this, never again will I destroy the earth with a flood of water.
[00:37:51] Now we all know, we've talked about it before, that the Bible is clear that one day God will destroy the earth, but he will do so with fire. And God made a covenant with man that we see right
[00:38:06] here. Never again will I destroy this world with a flood of water. Now what I want you to do with me for the next few minutes, if you have a piece of paper or pencil or pen, I want you to notice
[00:38:19] some incredible principles that come out of God's word here that are extremely important for you and i to understand surrounding this covenant with noah and the first thing i want you to write down and i want you to note is the scene of this covenant the scene of the covenant when did god
[00:38:42] give this covenant to noah what what is the scene well go back to chapter eight for just a moment if you will. I told you we were going to wrap in with chapter 8. Go back to chapter 8 and look at
[00:38:57] verse 1. Then God remembered Noah. Underline that phrase. God remembered Noah. Now that doesn't mean that God forgets. It's not saying that God's getting old and has some memory problems. No, no, no, no, no. That's not what's intended at all. Remember, God is not human like you and I are.
[00:39:24] And so he never forgets anything at all. So when we see phrases like this, it's really simply the Bible putting into terms that we can understand how much God loves us and how much God genuinely cares for us.
[00:39:43] So when it says God remembered Noah, that is just simply meaning that Noah was the object of the love and the care of Almighty God.
[00:40:00] And so the scene really is an atmosphere of God's love.
[00:40:06] that the scene really is an atmosphere of God's compassion, that the scene is actually the atmosphere of God's concern, and God enters into a covenant with man. You'll also notice in chapter 8 in verse 4 that the scene is given of the ark resting on that day. Look at verse 4. It says,
[00:40:35] Then the ark rested in the seventh month, the seventeenth day of the month, on the mountains of Ararat. Now, I don't know about you, I find certain things very interesting to me in the Bible, and I find it interesting that the Holy Spirit has chosen to be so specific as to designate
[00:41:00] the very day that the ark came to rest after the flood now let me tell you an interesting fact men have taken these dates of the old testament and scholars have compared them with the death
[00:41:19] of the lord jesus and you know what they discovered they discovered the day jesus rose from the dead was the identical day of the identical month that the ark came to rest on Mount Ararat.
[00:41:38] Now, I just find that pretty cool.
[00:41:40] I really do.
[00:41:41] The Lord Jesus, we know, went through the waters of judgment on Calvary's cross.
[00:41:48] And three days later, he stood on resurrection ground.
[00:41:53] so here's noah and his family and you remember the scene you you remember what takes place in verse 7 of chapter 8 it tells us that then he sent out a raven which kept going to and fro
[00:42:10] until the waters had dried up from the earth so what happens in verse 7 noah sends out a raven and it doesn't come back at all in verse 8 noah sends out a dove look what it says he also sent
[00:42:24] out from himself a dove to see if the waters had receded from the face of the ground you know that that dove that noah sent out uh couldn't find anywhere to land and so that dove ultimately
[00:42:38] came back and then in verse 11 in chapter 8 you discover that a few days later he sent that same dove back out again and this time what does verse 11 say it says then the dove came to him in
[00:42:52] the evening and behold a freshly plucked olive leaf was in her mouth and no one knew that the waters had receded from the earth the scene of this covenant is incredible because god has taken care of noah and all of the signs are there but not only is the scene of the covenant
[00:43:30] important i want to talk for a few moments with you about the scope of this covenant that god cuts with noah and his children you say what do you mean the scope well as you move down
[00:43:45] through this passage, you find the scope of the covenant sort of unfolds. You say, what do you mean the scope of the covenant, pastor? I mean, there's some things God promises that he's going to do for mankind. And we don't have time, frankly, to go into all of them,
[00:44:05] but I do want to point out just a few of them that grab my attention. For instance, when you get down, if you will, look at verse 21. In verse 21, it says, and the Lord smelled a soothing
[00:44:21] aroma. Then the Lord said in his heart, I will never again curse the ground for man's sake.
[00:44:32] Look at that. So God makes a promise in verse 21. I will not again curse the ground for man's sake that's god's agreement that's god's promise and then look at verse 22 god god may
[00:44:49] says something about the seasons god promises there will be seasons that will be consistent look what he says in verse 22 while the earth remains seed time and harvest cold and heat winter and summer and day and night shall not cease so god promises that there's going to be
[00:45:16] a consistency in nature and we of course know from living our lives that that that is true and then as you move on into chapter 9 there's several other aspects of the covenant that jump
[00:45:29] out at me that I want to call your attention to. In verse two, he really emphasizes that mankind will have dominion over all of the animal creation. Look at verse two of chapter nine.
[00:45:44] And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be on every beast of the earth, on every bird of the air on all that move on the earth and all the fish of the sea, they are given into your
[00:46:02] hand. So again, God reemphasizes that humanity has dominion over all animal life. Then in verse three god's going to add something to man's diet every moving thing that lives shall be food for you i have given you all things even as the green herbs now what does that mean well i want
[00:46:34] to show you something pretty interesting hold your finger here and go back to genesis 1 verse 29 for a minute. If you go back to the 29th verse of the first chapter of Genesis, you find something
[00:46:47] interesting. In verse 29, you'll notice something that God says here about man's diet. And God said, see, I have given you every herb that yields seed, which is on the face of all the earth,
[00:47:08] and every tree whose fruit yields seed to you, it shall be for food. So you see at the beginning here in verse 29 of chapter one, God gave Adam and Eve a vegetable diet. But now over here in
[00:47:29] chapter 9, God says to Noah, every living thing that moveth shall be meat for you. So God adds some meat to the diet of man. God no longer instructs man to a vegetarian or restricts man
[00:47:50] to a vegetarian diet. But now, listen, I realize sometimes a doctor will restrain your meat intake, and that's fine when they tell you all to eat red meat maybe a couple times a week or whatever
[00:48:02] that's fine but just know that's a health issue and it has to do with being healthy it has nothing whatsoever to do with being holy that's important you say preacher why are you making that point to
[00:48:19] us. Because one of the characteristics of many cults is to impose on their followers a vegetarian diet. In fact, if you'll look in the New Testament in 1 Timothy chapter 4, in fact, let's just turn
[00:48:35] right over there and find it. Did you know this is a fulfillment of Scripture? In 1 Timothy, hold your finger as we're coming back to Genesis, but in 1 Timothy chapter 4, I want you to notice
[00:48:49] as paul lays down the characteristics of the teaching in the last days notice in verse four or chapter four of first timothy in verse one he says now the spirit expressly says that in latter
[00:49:04] times some will depart from the faith giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons now you notice that but then drop down to verse three he starts giving you some of those doctrines that they will try to get you to do forbidding to marry that's one of them commanding to abstain
[00:49:28] from foods which god created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth see that's very important for you to notice that in fact the bible says that everything you see that is to be received from god with thanksgiving and look when you look at verse
[00:49:52] four he goes on to say for every creature of god is good and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving for it is sanctified by the word of god and prayer so listen those
[00:50:09] are important things for us to note in the latter days as the bible describes it and listen i'd be honest that's what i try to do on the occasion i find myself sitting down to a really big steak
[00:50:22] i thank the lord for that really big steak and son i dig in and when i'm sitting in front of some fried chicken and especially with some texas peat on it i will dive in after i thank the lord
[00:50:36] for it we've got to realize we've got to realize the scope of this covenant that god is making something very clear here that done with thanksgiving this is available to you as a person and in verse 6 of chapter 9 something very important one more i'm going to show you
[00:51:01] in verse 6 god gives us and institutes capital punishment look what he says in verse 6 of genesis chapter 9 whoever sheds man's blood by man his blood shall be shed for in the image of god
[00:51:27] he made man what God is doing right here is he is instituting human government and he is giving to human government the authority to enforce law when I'm telling you this morning in 2026 this has never been revoked this has never been rescinded in fact if you want to look
[00:51:55] over to the book of romans for just a minute you'll find over in romans chapter 13 and you'll find in verse 4 he simply says for he is god's minister to you for good but if you do evil
[00:52:17] be afraid for he does not bear the sword in vain for he is god's minister an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. So the Bible makes it clear that God has given government
[00:52:38] the right to capital punishment. Now I point all these out because I just want you to see some of the aspects of the scope of this covenant God is actually making with Noah and his children.
[00:52:55] but lastly i want to spend the balance of our time this morning really drilling down on what i call the signal the signal of this covenant god says i want to give you a sign god says i want to give
[00:53:17] you an indication god says i want to give you a visible tangible reminder of my promise to you and to this earth so look down at verse 12 and 13 because you'll see the signal of god's covenant
[00:53:37] and god said this is the sign of the covenant which i make between me and you and every living creature that is with you for perpetual generations i set my rainbow in the cloud and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. What is the signal
[00:54:07] to be, ladies and gentlemen? The rainbow. And by the way, that word sign does literally mean signal. It can mean flag. It can mean monument. But God says, I'm going to give you a signal.
[00:54:25] and every time it rains i'm going to give you a signal that i have not forgotten my covenant and i'm going to do what i promised i would do every time it rains the clouds come now keep in
[00:54:42] mind before the flood it had not rained before we've made that point previously but from that time forward, every time it rains, the clouds come. And when the rain is over Noah, there shall be a rainbow in the sky. I want to take a moment and ask you to think about the rainbow. And I want
[00:55:06] you to think with me for just a few moments, because I realize we're living in a crazy day and the rainbow has been hijacked by a lot of people in modern culture and people that have
[00:55:19] hijacked it have done so because we all understand that satan is the master of confusion and so if he can confuse the original covenant that god made and create confusion in our day that's exactly what he would choose to do and so we have to recognize this reality
[00:55:43] now when you see a rainbow in the sky i want to make sure you understand what it's all about number one it is a signal of the character of god it is a signal of the character of god
[00:56:06] now hold your finger here we already looked here genesis for a moment i want you to turn to the book of Ezekiel for just a moment. In Ezekiel chapter 1 is where I'm going to ask you
[00:56:18] to turn. In Ezekiel chapter 1. And as you're turning to Ezekiel chapter 1, I want to remind you of a few facts along the way. For instance, I want to remind you of the fact that Ezekiel
[00:56:33] was a prophet of God. Ezekiel prophesied during the days of captivity. You say, well, what's your point? Well, I mean the dark clouds of oppression, the dark clouds of slavery were hanging over the people of God. And it was in the midst of that dark and that very stormy period that God spoke
[00:56:58] to Ezekiel and gave Ezekiel a very specific vision. Look down to verse 26 in Ezekiel chapter 1 and see what God showed his prophet. And above the firmament over their heads was the likeness of a throne in appearance like a sapphire stone on the likeness of the throne
[00:57:34] was a likeness with the appearance of a man high above it so stop right there for a minute in the midst of the gloom and despair in the midst of clouds just hovering over the people
[00:57:54] God gives a vision and Ezekiel says and above the firmament in other words that means above the clouds above the storm God took me up and I saw a throne and you know what I saw Ezekiel saw
[00:58:16] the God of the universe on this throne drop down to verse 28 he said like the appearance of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the brightness all around it.
[00:58:33] This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. So just think about that.
[00:58:41] In the midst of all of the darkness, in the midst of all of the clouds, in the midst of the storm, ezekiel is taken up he's given this vision and it's a vision of the throne and god of this universe
[00:58:57] is on that throne well ladies and gentlemen i've got a great announcement on the first sunday of august of 2026 god almighty is still on that throne he is every bit as much on that throne
[00:59:14] today as he was in the day of ezekiel god has never ever ever never abdicated his position on that throne you may be here this morning you're going through cloudy days and i'm going to tell
[00:59:33] you something that throne is still there everything may be changing around you the world may feel like it's going to hell in a handbasket. But you listen to me, that throne has not changed.
[00:59:48] God is still on that throne. And I'm just captivated again by verse 28, when Ezekiel says, I looked up and I saw the throne. And again, I can't emphasize it enough. You might want to underline it like the appearance of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day so was the
[01:00:14] appearance of the brightness all around it and then he's specific this was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the lord listen ezekiel said the vision of god was like the appearance of the rainbow and you know what that's a signal of it's a signal to us of the character
[01:00:43] of god let me just ask you you know what a rainbow is anyway well i looked it up scientists give us a very natural explanation a rainbow is formed by sun shafts falling on drops of rain
[01:01:06] and then breaking into seven colors, seven different colors. Now that's the scientific answer. The spiritual application is this. God has a message about himself in the rainbow.
[01:01:26] How many colors did I tell you it breaks into? Seven. The rainbow is seven colors, which is the number of completeness and perfection. So whenever you see a rainbow, we remember the kind of God you have. Our God is a complete God. Our God is everything God needs
[01:01:51] to be. Our God is the God who manifests himself into all glory and splendor. Listen, there's not enough time to deal with all the attributes of God. But I do want you to see this one verse real
[01:02:07] quickly. Look over at Romans chapter 11 for just a minute. Romans chapter 11, and I want you to look at verse 22. Romans chapter 11 and verse 22. Paul writes, therefore, consider the goodness and severity of God. Would you underline that statement? And when you look at that statement
[01:02:39] And in Romans 11, verse 22, I hope you can see the incredible balance of God in that statement.
[01:02:50] Therefore, consider the goodness and severity of God on those who fell severity, but toward you goodness. If you continue in his goodness, otherwise you also will be cut off.
[01:03:09] When you look at those attributes of God, you see what Romans 11 says.
[01:03:19] Now think back for a minute.
[01:03:21] Noah had just seen God as the God of severity.
[01:03:31] The God of severity.
[01:03:34] The God who judged.
[01:03:37] But you know what we've tried to do in our day, folks?
[01:03:39] you honestly we have tried to change our concept of god we'll hear in our day that well god's just up there we'll hear in our day that that god is just like a a doting grandfather just sort of
[01:04:03] overseeing man's sin well i don't know where you're getting that but that's not the god of this Bible. Romans 1 says the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of man. Noah, there's a rainbow up there to remind you of my severity,
[01:04:34] that I will judge the world because of sin. Noah, there's a rainbow up there to remind you of my goodness because the same god who judges sin has graciously made a provision for man to be forgiven of his sin and isn't that just like our god he hates the sin because he sees
[01:05:05] what it does to destroy the life of an individual and yet he loves the sinner desperately and makes provision. Please listen to me carefully. Though this morning you may be in your sin and God's
[01:05:24] holy wrath is poured out against that sin, God wants to say to you, I'll tell you what I'll do.
[01:05:33] I'll make a provision. I'll make an ark. I'll make an ark of safety. And oh sir, oh man, Don't you understand that ark is nothing else but the virgin-born Lord Jesus Christ?
[01:05:54] And this Jesus went to Calvary's cross.
[01:05:58] And this Jesus endured the waters and the waves of judgment as He hung there.
[01:06:04] And this Jesus says, Come unto Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
[01:06:12] Oh, the goodness of God is real.
[01:06:20] look at that rainbow. That rainbow is a signal of the character of God. I'll tell you something else. That rainbow is a signal of the commitment of God. You say, what do you mean the commitment
[01:06:39] of God? Well, you know, every time I see a rainbow, I always think of God's commitment to Noah. I mean, I guess it's because I was taught that as a little boy from the time I was born
[01:06:52] and take it into College Park Baptist Church in Winston-Salem and Sunday school.
[01:06:57] I mean, by the way, that's one of the greatest things you will ever do for your children, ma'am.
[01:07:03] One of the greatest things you ever do for your children, sir, is to have them learning Bible truths and have them getting those principles buried in their hearts.
[01:07:13] Because I don't know if it goes back to those days in Sunday school as a little fella and learning about the story of Noah and the ark, but as long as i can remember every time i see a rainbow in the sky in the sky i just i get that
[01:07:27] same thought you know he's never going to destroy the world again with a flood i just always go there go back to genesis 9 in verse 14 again when god says in verse 14 it shall be when i bring a
[01:07:55] cloud over the earth that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud we have our clouds don't we life has its clouds and don't get me wrong we have our sunshine and praise god for the sunshine
[01:08:18] but we have our clouds it was jesus himself that said it rains on the just and the unjust so so let me ask you this morning do you have any clouds in your life today do you have any
[01:08:35] clouds in your life this morning now i know many of you in a crowd this size would say preacher if you only knew the clouds in my life preacher i've got the clouds of of trouble over my business this
[01:08:48] morning preacher i've got the clouds of trouble over my family this morning some of you are dealing with the clouds of sorrow in your life maybe you just got the call this past month that said on the other end your daddy's gone maybe you got the call that your mom was gone
[01:09:09] i mean as a church family this week we were all shocked to to see that susan godfrey was taken home just happened so quick and just i remember just a week ago this past sunday speaking to her
[01:09:24] the first sunday i was back there at the door as she went out and and she just said pray for me i got i got these things going on and we knew she was battling cancer and it seemed that she was
[01:09:33] having success and we knew there had been setbacks but i mean that was two weeks ago today when she said that to me so so there's clouds that may be hanging over all of us because those clouds do
[01:09:51] come but listen to what god says when i bring a cloud over the earth the bow shall be seen in the cloud remember what we said scientists say a rainbow is shafts of sun falling on drops
[01:10:16] of rain think about it the rainbow is the child of the storm and the sunshine the rainbow is the child of the storm and the sunshine and and i really want to encourage you this morning, that if you're living through the clouds that are hovering over you this morning,
[01:10:49] I want you to know the rainbow is just ahead. I think about the Apostle Paul and the clouds of trouble that he found himself in that prison, but oh, how those epistles just flowed right out
[01:11:04] of Paul from that prison chamber. Why? Because God put a rainbow in that cloud. I think about Joseph and the clouds of sorrow. Just a young man sold into slavery by some jealous brothers, put down in a shaft of slavery, ends up in a prison as the clouds hovered over him. But just
[01:11:26] around the corner, that same Joseph would become the prime minister of the country. Why? Because God put a rainbow in that cloud. I think of Stephen and the clouds of death that hovered all around him they stoned Stephen to death because he was a Christian but I'm here to tell
[01:11:48] you when Stephen went into glory he was met by the Lord Jesus hey who was standing no less applauding him why did Stephen have that experience because God put a rainbow in that cloud can I tell you something this morning I don't know what your cloud may be but God's got a rainbow
[01:12:14] God's got a rainbow that he is putting in that cloud every time I see a rainbow from the earth I understand something very important all we ever see is half of the rainbow they tell me that if
[01:12:37] you get high enough in an airplane where it's been raining and the rainbow comes from the highest altitude you get a chance to see the full circle of the rainbow you say why is that important
[01:12:56] because i think in revelation chapter four about that old boy named john and in revelation chapter four john is filled with clouds on the isle of patmos and in revelation chapter four what's amazing is how god lifts john up and gives him a vision and in revelation chapter four verse three
[01:13:28] look at that vision and he who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance and there was a rainbow around the throne in appearance like an emerald in the midst of a
[01:13:54] dark time in exile on the isle of patmos god lifts john up to give him a full picture see when the clouds and the storms come down just think about it we don't see the whole picture
[01:14:21] but one of these days we will one of these days you will see the whole picture and god will lift you up and allow you to see all the things from heaven's perspective and then we'll understand
[01:14:44] the meaning and the reason for the clouds that have hovered around you a signal of god's commitment and i'll leave you with this the signal of god's cross you know when god gave the rainbow in the clouds it was the signal the reminder that god had made a divine provision
[01:15:16] for salvation you need to understand something this morning there is a place where god has displayed his full provision in fact we're not going to turn there you can check me out later but over in first peter chapter 4 verse 10 it tells us about the many-colored grace of god
[01:15:43] multi-colored when the lord jesus stood at calvary's cross you remember he laid himself upon that cross for them to drive the nails into his feet and into his hands and when they thrust that spear even into his side god's grace like a magnificent rainbow literally it was this if it
[01:16:15] was spread out. And our God said, whosoever will come. And I'll tell you this, if you'll come to where the cross is, you will be coming to a place where the clouds of judgment have already passed
[01:16:39] over. I was thinking about it this week. I know if I got what I deserved, I'd go to hell. I know that i know that my sin merits hell i know that i know that my sin deserves the judgment of god
[01:17:01] i know that and yours does too but you know what happened to me 50 years ago it's been a half a century 50 years ago the college park baptist church i heard about the cross and i made up my
[01:17:21] mind to flee to jesus and when i came to jesus at that cross as a 10 year old boy i found safety because i was now standing at the place where judgment had already fallen when noah looked
[01:17:49] up and he saw that rainbow it was a signal from god my perfect provision has been made for you let me ask you do you have that provision this morning do you have that provision this morning
[01:18:12] do you have jesus as your personal savior this morning because there's only one place that you can flee. There's only one place that you can run. There's only one place that you can go where your sin can be forgiven. And it's at the cross of Calvary where judgment has already
[01:18:44] fallen. Would you bow your heads right where you are, please? Heads are bowed and eyes are closed.
[01:18:59] I don't know what God may be saying to your heart this morning, but I do know this.
[01:19:07] If you're here without Christ as your Savior, my prayer is that He's saying to you, today is the day of your salvation.
[01:19:20] My prayer is that He's saying to you, I can change everything.
[01:19:31] You can walk out of here forgiven.
[01:19:35] You can walk out of here with a brand new life.
[01:19:39] You can walk out of here with a slate cleaned because of the forgiveness of Jesus.
[01:19:53] The blood of Jesus.
[01:19:57] washes away all sin and you can come to him today god's given mankind a signal he made a covenant with noah when noah's kids he never breaks a covenant god's never broken a promise he's not
[01:20:30] about to start today so if you want to come to jesus this morning it's really this simple open your heart say Lord I repent of my sin I turn from my sin and Lord Jesus I believe
[01:20:54] your death on the cross paid the price I couldn't pay you took my sin on that cross and Lord today as I repent of my sin I place my faith in you and you alone
[01:21:13] and I surrender my life to you Lord take me and make me just as you want me to be would you pray that prayer to him because he wants to reach into your heart today and change things forever but you got to trust him you got to surrender to him
[01:21:43] you got to repent the bible's very clear about that you got to turn from your sin place your faith in jesus and jesus alone and surrender to him as lord and master of your life
[01:21:57] Father, this is Your invitation.
[01:22:00] It's really not mine.
[01:22:02] I thank You that You've given that invitation.
[01:22:06] And for anyone that's under the sound of my voice this morning, that invitation is open.
[01:22:13] Thank You for loving us so much.
[01:22:18] Just as we see that You remembered Noah, Lord, today, thank You for remembering me.
[01:22:26] Thank You for remembering each one today who knows what it is to come to faith in Jesus Christ.
[01:22:34] we love you we praise you guide our thoughts and our heart as you guide this invitation in these next few moments in jesus name i pray amen do you stand to your feet as brother grant comes

[01:22:51] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[01:22:51] to lead us we invite you to come it is my pleasure to introduce to you today this lady standing

[01:27:30] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[01:27:30] beside me this is patty luddington and patty's been visiting our church for several months now and the Lord's been speaking to her, and she came today and said that she just believes that she's been looking for this church for a number of years, and she is grateful that God brought her
[01:27:46] here, and she is wanting to come to unite with our church family. She's been saved and baptized.
[01:27:51] In fact, she's got a pretty storied history from being in San Diego, is where she spent most of her life. She moved to the East Coast a little over a decade ago, and actually is in Denver now,
[01:28:03] But she said she was baptized, saved and baptized at Skyline Church where John Maxwell, who has certainly been one of my heroes as a young pastor growing up, and then her latter years when she was in San Diego,
[01:28:16] sat under the preaching of David Jeremiah at Shadow Mountain Baptist Church there.
[01:28:20] So you've heard some good preaching through the years, I can promise you that.
[01:28:24] So I'm pretty trusting in your doctrine.
[01:28:27] But anyway, Patty comes today saying she wants to be a part of our church family.
[01:28:31] She's coming by statement of faith, having been saved and baptized, and wanting to be a part of this church family.
[01:28:37] What's your pleasure concerning Patty as she comes?
[01:28:40] Motion made.
[01:28:40] Second, all in favor, lift your hands.
[01:28:43] There's your friends, Patty, all over the church.
[01:28:45] Thank you so much for being here today.
[01:28:48] Listen, I know the folks who want to speak to you on the way out, so if you don't mind, I'd love for you to join me at the door and let folks speak to you.
[01:28:54] Let's all stand to your feet, if you will.
[01:28:56] Yeah, get what you need to get.
[01:28:58] A couple of things to be aware of.
[01:29:00] first of all thank you so many of you came out last week and were prayer walking and so thankful for your willingness to be a part of that and to do that um it just made a vast difference i believe
[01:29:12] and as god is continuing to work this week there is a meeting of the uh mooresville town commissioners and is that monday night tomorrow evening is that meeting and um anyway you will send an email out
[01:29:25] that'll remind you of the time of that and the importance of being there but many of you that participated in a prayer walk last week. We would encourage you to follow up on that as well
[01:29:34] this week if you can. So looking forward to how God's going to work. And then this coming Saturday, as was mentioned earlier, is going to be Serve North Carolina, an incredible opportunity. Our church participates. It's local missions at its best, where you have an opportunity to be a part
[01:29:50] of projects that are meeting needs all throughout this Mooresville community. And you can see brother Bob he can tell you more about it there's more information out there in the lobby and if you've not looked over the different projects and how you can be a part next Saturday get one of
[01:30:06] those and do that and make sure that you're going to be signed up to be a part of that as well I do ask that you be praying I'm going to be leaving with a trip with the education and workforce
[01:30:17] committee that I serve on with the U.S. House and so I'm going to be traveling overseas a little bit later this week uh traveling to um actually tokyo philippines uh vietnam guam uh back through hawaii
[01:30:31] and then back to washington so it will be a very important time there's nine of us uh for members of congress that are going uh on this as part of this delegation and uh we certainly i certainly
[01:30:43] covet your prayers uh for safety and for wisdom uh as we travel in that time brother robert i've got you in good hands he's going to come and close us here in just a few moments but again
[01:30:53] thank you so much for your faithfulness as you continue to uh to pray and and walk with us as

[01:30:59] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[01:30:59] well brother robert amen amen thank you so much pastor mark for that powerful message today church our benediction comes from the book of hebrews this is chapter 10 verse 23 let us hold fast the
[01:31:21] confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. Would you pray with me?
[01:31:30] Holy Heavenly Father, God, we are so incredibly thankful for your promises. We're so incredibly thankful for this book, Lord, which contains your promises. We're thankful for this herald of righteousness, Lord, this preacher that just proclaimed your promises, Lord. We're thankful
[01:31:46] for our pastor that he points us to Jesus because all the promises of God find their yes and their amen in him and in him alone. Father, we freely confess that we have sinned and we've deserved
[01:31:58] your judgment and yet you saw fit to place your judgment upon your son, Lord. The warrior bow hung in the sky, pointed towards heaven, your son being pierced for our transgressions. Thank you for Jesus. Father, help us to receive these promises today. Help us to reflect on them, Lord, to revel
[01:32:20] in them, to rejoice in them, to rest in them, Lord. And help us to leave here today responding to them in the appropriate way, fulfilling your great commission, telling not just our community, not just this country, but the world, Father, of the hope that we have in Christ Jesus. Empower us to
[01:32:39] do just that. We ask this in your mighty name and all God's people said.