05/28/2026
“But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” —Matthew 24:37
I can’t fathom that when Noah got his assignment from God, that he even imagined it would take 120 years before his assignment would be completed. I can imagine that during that 120 year time span that there were many times of discouragement, times of hardship, times of enduring criticism and mockery of the world around him. But Noah turned a deaf ear to all opinions except God’s, and he focused on his assignment.
God called Noah a “preacher of righteousness”. That implies that Noah preached the righteousness of God. My question is what was all the other preachers preaching? There had to be more preachers on the earth other than Noah. Whatever they were preaching it wasn’t righteousness or they would have been saved with righteous Noah. Noah preached righteousness for 120 years and in the end only 8 people believed his message from God, obeyed and got in the ark with him.
Noah would have been judged a total failure in his pre-flood ministry. I can just hear the gearing, “Really Noah, you’ve been preaching that same old message for 120 years and you’ve only got 8 people in your whole congregation, including yourself.” I can just hear his critics now... “Noah you can’t even get a church started much less have a successful one... You’re too old school always preaching against sin.... always preaching God’s gonna judge us. More people would listen to you Noah if you would become more of a motivational speaker. Nobody wants to hear your negativity. You don’t have any love or you wouldn’t preach that old fashioned stuff. God loves us just the way we are. Your preaching is offensive! You need to be more politically correct and get with the times. Why you don’t even have enough people to have a good praise and worship team or a children’s church! Noah you should just throw in the towel and quit! Nobody wants to hear old Noah.” By today’s worldly churchy standards Noah’s ministry would be a total failure.
But what people need to understand is Noah’s success was not determined by numbers (ask King David about that lesson), about how many people showed up to hear him preach, about his various church programs, or how big and fancy his church building was. No God measured Noah’s success by one thing… and that was his obedience to Him in the assignment He has given him.
In today’s church culture Noah would be called a preacher of condemnation and judgment, but God called him a “preacher of righteousness.” None of us would be here today if old Noah had thrown in the towel and quit. Aren’t you glad Noah was obedient to his call no matter how unpopular he was? God measures success whether a local church, the church corporate, or our own lives as believers by our obedience and submission to his will. So if you’re not getting the success rate that you imagined in your assignment, don’t back out of your assignment from God. Be a Noah, finish your assignment if it hair-lips the devil and everybody else. Your real success is determined by your obedience to God in your assignment, not the results you imagined. Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks upon your heart which determines your obedience. I’m talking to somebody! Hear the word of the Lord and be encouraged.
Do what God has called you to do and be faithful to the local church He has called you to, support the pastor God has called you to ...and leave the results up to God.
Forget what is behind and press forward toward the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Keep focused on completing your earthly assignment, the finish line is just ahead along with your heavenly reward 😇
“By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.” —Hebrews 11:7
