05.31.2026. Sunday Sermon by Pastor Jeungbok Lee
Scripture: Genesis 8:18–22, 2 Peter 3:3–10
Title: People Living After the Judgment of the Flood

Genesis 8:18–22
So Noah came out, together with his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives. Every animal, every creeping thing, every bird, and whatever moves on the earth came out of the ark by their kinds. Then Noah built an altar to the LORD, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And the LORD smelled the soothing aroma. Then the LORD said in His heart, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, although the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done. While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night shall not cease.”

2 Peter 3:3–10
Knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be exposed.

God cleansed the world that had been defiled by human sin through the flood judgment. And only Noah and his family were saved by grace. Then an important question arises: How should we live after being saved?

This question does not apply only to Noah, because we already know that God’s flood judgment truly happened, and we are also people waiting for the final judgment that is yet to come. Through today’s message, let us examine together the life of believers who have experienced judgment.

1. Those who are saved must live a life that comes before God.

 

Genesis 8:18–20
So Noah came out, together with his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives. Every animal, every creeping thing, every bird, and whatever moves on the earth came out of the ark by their kinds. Then Noah built an altar to the LORD, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar.

1.1) What was the first thing Noah did after the flood?

Every year in America, we see and hear news reports about people who suffer from flooding caused by hurricanes. They stand devastated before destroyed homes and streets overflowing with debris. Then, together with volunteers, they begin cleaning their homes and the streets in front of them. They do this in order to prepare a place for the survival of themselves and their families. This is generally how flood victims act.

But Noah did not act that way.

After the flood ended and Noah and his family came out of the ark, Noah first built an altar together with his family. Then Noah offered worship to God before anything else.

Noah’s sacrifice to God was not merely a ritual. Noah’s offering was a confession of faith. It was a sacrifice of faith containing the confession that he survived not by his own strength (because he built the ark), but entirely because he had been saved by the grace of God.

1.2) We can apply Noah’s life to our own lives.

We, God’s people, may also experience tribulations like Noah’s flood. Our floods may be sickness, financial hardship, broken relationships, and similar troubles.

When God delivers us from tribulation, we must remember Noah and follow his example. We must not simply be satisfied that our current problems have been solved and then return to ordinary life without offering thanksgiving worship to God.

Our faith does not truly grow at the very moment we are rescued from tribulation. Our faith grows and becomes firm at the moment when we offer thanksgiving worship to God who sovereignly controlled all things and saved us.

Because our worship is an act of giving glory to God, it is the moment that truly pleases Him.

Just as Noah sincerely offered a sacrifice of thanksgiving to God after being saved from the judgment of the flood, we also must offer sacrifices of thanksgiving to God. Our gratitude must not be merely words, but worship offered through our lives and practical devotion. When we do so, our faith will truly mature.

1.3) Some people have forgotten God’s judgment because the flood judgment happened long ago.

2 Peter 3:3–7
Knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

In the last days, such people will appear. They will say, “Where is this judgment? The world has always continued this way, and it will continue this way in the future.”

This is not mere ignorance. It is an act of denying judgment in order to enjoy sin.

Fundamentally, the reason people try to deny God’s judgment is because of hearts corrupted by sin. Those whose hearts are polluted by sin always desire to live according to their own lusts. Therefore, they truly do not want to hear that God will judge them.

However, the Bible clearly proclaims that “the God who once judged the world with water will judge again with fire.”

2. God sustains the world by His grace.

 

Genesis 8:21–22
And the LORD smelled the soothing aroma. Then the LORD said in His heart, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, although the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done. While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night shall not cease.”

2.1) Genesis 8:21–22 contains God’s amazing declaration.

Even though God knew that “the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth,” He still declared, “I will never again curse the ground because of man.”

The important point here is that God did not show grace because humanity had become good. Rather, God’s mercy first extended grace to humanity.

God knew that Noah’s descendants after the flood would become just as sinful as the people before the flood. Yet He declared that He would not curse the earth because of their sins.

This is because God’s mercy is far greater than human sin.

2.2) God, who accepted Noah’s burnt offering, gave Noah two promises.

First, God promised, “I will never again destroy every living thing with a flood.” There will never again be a worldwide judgment by flood. However, there will still be floods that remind people of the flood judgment. At the same time, this implies that God may judge by means other than floodwaters.

Second, God promised to preserve the order of the world.

Genesis 8:22
“While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night shall not cease.”

The purpose of God establishing and maintaining this order is so that people may not perish but come to repentance.

2 Peter 3:9
“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”

However, some people look at God’s patience and His orderly preservation of the world and claim, “The God who judges does not exist.”

Once again, let me emphasize this: God, who is rich in mercy, patiently endures sinners because He desires that none should perish but that all should repent.

3. Believers must live preparing for the end times.

 

2 Peter 3:10
“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be exposed.”

The day of the Lord will surely come. And it will come suddenly, like a thief, at an unexpected moment.

Therefore, believers must live lives prepared for the sudden coming of the end.

3.1) We must examine and restore our worship.

First, we must examine whether we have joy in worshiping God. Worship that is merely formal has no joy.

Those who truly worship God remember the grace God has given them and give thanks. Those who sincerely worship God reflect upon themselves and repent for failing to obey God.

This is the life of one who worships while preparing for the day of the Lord.

3.2) Living a holy life is preparing for the end times.

A holy life means not following self-centered worldly values, but living centered on God. It means living with values distinct from the world.

If we live with the same values as the world, then we become spiritually asleep. Then, when our Lord comes, we will be rebuked as lazy servants who were sleeping.

3.3) Believers preparing for the final judgment must hold firmly to God’s grace.

We cannot live righteously by our own strength. Only grace can make us righteous.

God’s grace saved us sinners, forgave all our sins, and declared us righteous. God’s grace not only saved us, but also helps us live by faith.

In reality, we are incapable of practicing righteousness. However, the Holy Spirit, whom God sent by His grace, works within us and enables us to become servants of righteousness who obey God’s Word.

Therefore, only those who hold firmly to God’s grace are prepared to stand in the judgment of the end times.

3.4) Believers preparing for the end must always live as though today were their last day.

This is because we do not know when the end will come.

We must love God and love the church with all our strength as though today were the final moment. We must not postpone things until tomorrow.

This is called faith in the end times.

4. Conclusion

 

Noah began life after judgment with worship.

What about us?

We already know that the flood judgment truly happened, and we are waiting for the returning Lord who will judge the world again.

In light of this certain truth, we believers must live even more clearly in preparation for the end times.

Therefore, in our daily lives, we must place God above all else. Each day as we wait for the Lord’s return should become worship offered to God as a living sacrifice.

As though today were the last day, we must love God and love the church with our very best.

Let us pray.

(End)