24. How Four Hundred People Were Saved Outside The Ark

SERMON 24

HOW FOUR HUNDRED PEOPLE WERE SAVED

OUTSIDE THE ARK

God Noah....................................................Christ One Ark..............................One Church One Kind of Timber.........................One Kind of Material One Door.One ..................................One Way of Salvation ....One Window....................................One Book To Guide Us One Family..........................................One Family Safe In The Ark........................................Safe In Christ Lost Outside.................................Lost Out of Christ Flood..........................................Day of Judgment

As my subject is an unscriptural one, yet the most popular in all churches today, it is not supposed I'll find a text in the Bible for the subject.

At all places where I go to preach the gospel and teach people that there is one way of salvation, one place where it is located, and one road that leads there, I find five people more interested in some other way, to where I find one willing to take the way Christ points out. If I can help that class any by showing them how four hundred were saved outside the ark when the flood came, I am sure it will be appreciated by many who do not want salvation in Christ.

The thief on the cross is the most popular case of conversion that comes from all sectarian pulpits. They tell their people that the thief did not have to be baptized to be saved, therefore they can be saved without being baptized. Ii' I can show them with equally as strong proof how that four hundred were saved who did not get into the ark, therefore no one will need to get into Christ for salvation, this will add much material to religious teachers to help them get up new sermons where they have worn out the thief on the cross.

But before calling attention to how people were saved out of the ark it is first necessary to show how people were saved in the ark. In the diagram we have placed God at the head because in all salvation whether temporal or spiritual, God is the author. He is the great Saviour and others are only instruments in His hand to do His will in saving people.

The salvation of Noah and family in the ark has reference to their temporal salvation from the flood, and not to a spiritual salvation, as some suppose.

Recently in a debate my opponent argued that God put Noah in the ark, locked the door and saved him and put the key in His (God's) pocket seven days before the flood. Therefore Noah was saved above high water mark. The door was locked, God had the key and Noah could not get out if he so desired. I remembered that this preacher worshipped one of the creed gods and his creed says their God has neither body nor parts. I could not imagine what he wore his pants on, nor what use he had for a pocket if he had neither body nor parts. Had this preacher known that Noah was a child of God before he commenced to build the ark; and that his salvation by water (1 Peter 3:19) meant a salvation from the flood, and not a spiritual salvation he might have had no trouble in understanding the passage referred to. God never used one prophecy as a fulfillment of another prophecy; neither does God use one spiritual blessing as a type of another spiritual blessing. But He often takes temporal affairs to illustrate or typify spiritual blessings. So Noah's salvation from the flood became a type of our salvation from sin.

If I can examine Noah's salvation from the flood and find God's plan of saving him, I can come to the New Testament and examine the antitype and find God's plan of saving men from their sins.

I read first that when God saw the wickedness of the world he selected Noah, a preacher of righteousness to save his family from the flood. In like manner I find that God selected Christ on the spiritual side, and in the very proclamation of the birth of Christ the angels said he should save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21) . As Noah became the savior of his family in the hands of God so Christ becomes our Savior.

Noah was to build one ark, and only one in which his family was safe when the flood came. It was ordained of God also, that Christ should build His church (Matthew 16:18). As Noah built only one ark, in the antitype we would expect only one church. Paul recognized this when he said there is "one body" (Ephesians 4:4), and that this one body is the church (Colossians 1:18-24).

At this point denominationalism leaves the Bible. The Bible teaches that we are saved in Christ's church. The religious world condemns this teaching and says that we are saved out of the church, and then go into the church because we are saved. They argue that we can be saved in one church as well as in another. Why not argue that God saved Noah from the flood while he was out of the ark; and after the flood destroyed the old world God let Noah go into the ark because he was saved. Why not argue that Joe Smith, Bill Jones, or Sam Had, each could have built an ark like Noah's, and it would make no difference which ark a man went into he could be saved. But keep in memory that God only promised to save them in Noah's ark.

In building this ark God told Noah to build it of one kind of timber. But many preachers I know would have taught Noah that it makes no difference what kind of timber you get, so it is sound. In like manner the church is to be composed of regenerated men and women. But many will say "Lord, that doesn't suit me. I will build up our side with children also."

God told Noah to make but one door. If some of our modern preachers had been there they would, possibly, have argued, everything can not get in at the same door. We must make a big door for the elephant, one smaller for the camel. and still smaller for the sheep and cats. On the side of Christ is only one way of salvation. But sectarian preachers say, "We can all see it alike, and you think all will be lost if they don't go in your way." But the Son of God says, "I am the way," and again, "If any man climb up some other way the same is a thief and a robber."

To all who were in the ark there was only one window for light. Those who are satisfied with God's law are satisfied to take the Bible for all spiritual light. But many preachers would argue that Shem, Ham, and Japheth could not all see out at the same window, and each would want a window for light. Yet God stood behind one window. So God's people today claim that the Bible is God's only book for spiritual light. But our sectarian friends say, "It is not enough. We must add our creed, a human window for more light, as all can't see alike."

There was one family in the ark, and Christ has only one family here. If we follow the Bible there is one fold, one family, one shepherd (John 10:16) one bride, and one husband (Romans 7:1-4). But in the religious world we have many families, or folds, and many brides, all claiming the same husband.

All were safe in the ark when the flood came, and in the antitype we can see that all who are regenerated will be safe in the church.

All who were outside the ark were lost. Here the religious world is mistaken again in claiming that one can be saved outside the church as well as in the church.

But when all warnings had been given and rejected the time of the flood came at last, and swept away those outside the ark. Christ warns us. But as people continued in sin till the very day that Noah entered the ark, little heeding their fearful doom, so shall it be at the end of the world. Peter teaches but "few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. The like figure whereunto, even baptism, cloth also now save us."

But in all of the items you notice the type answers the antitype. Noah on one side, Christ on the other; ark on one side church on the other; saved in the ark on one side; saved in the church on the other. In all these types and antitypes I find perfect agreement.

But the religious world claims that we should not put so much stress on the word of God, for we know that people are saved in four hundred or more of the human churches which are not the church of Christ.

Then at the very place in the Bible, where they find salvation in four hundred churches, that being the antitype, I'll turn back to the time and read them where four hundred were outside the ark when the flood came.

If the good people who claim that we can be saved in all the churches can find no Bible authority for the same (which they can not), then may it become as foolish to them to make the claim, as it is for me to claim four hundred were saved outside the ark.

Let all turn from the doctrines and commandments of men, and accept the one way of salvation as taught by Christ and walk in the narrow way pointed out in His word that heaven may be our eternal home.