Doubt and Faith (July 26, 2009)
By Rev. Bert Thompson

Today’s Old Testament lesson happens right after Noah’s Flood. Is this a true story? Many people doubt the Flood actually happened – but they refuse to be skeptical of their own skepticism. Instead of trusting in God and His wisdom, they trust in themselves.

As Christians, we know God’s Word is true because we know our Father in heaven. We know He will not lie to us. God is greater than we are. We do not always understand all He tells us, but we know Him. We trust Him. We’ve already seen God in the face of His Son. (John 14:8-9)

Yet, we are still sinners. Satan still tempts us to doubt. Then, we cry out the words of one of the followers of Jesus, “Lord, I believe! Help Thou my unbelief.” (Mark 9:24) And He does.

The only purpose of the Bible is to point us to Christ, yet the Bible is not a dry theological treatise. Our Father in heaven knows we need physical things to see, hear and touch. All through the Old Testament, God sends physical events like the Flood to point us ahead to the coming of Christ. The Flood points us directly to our Baptismal union with Christ.

If the Flood, the symbol of our baptism (1 Peter 3:21)-, is not real – then our baptism is not real. If the washing away of the wicked world in that Flood is not real, neither is the washing away of our sins in the waters of our Baptism. But they are real.

Noah’s Ark was a living island in a world of physical death. All of you believers assembled here at St. Luke: you are a living spiritual island in a world of spiritual death.

As the Flood occurred once in the lifetime of the world, showing the final end of all the wicked, so our Baptism occurs once in our lifetime, showing us the final end of all our sins.

Even though we see the final end of all sin, sin still lives. After the Flood, Noah’s own son desired to gaze at his father’s drunken nakedness. After the flood of our own Baptism, we still desire that which is sin. We need forgiveness. We need strength to avoid sin. God sees our need. God supplies our need.

God sends pastors to give His forgiveness and His strength to His people. God sends Noah to pastor a small flock of eight people. The clean animals that Noah sacrifices in worship point ahead to the final sacrifice of our pure Savior on the cross.

Noah feeds his family with the meat that is left over, uniting them with sacrificial food that will sustain them. Your pastors feed you with the sacrifice of Christ, uniting you with food that sustains you forever: the Body of the sinless Son of God.

We need God’s food often. We need God’s strength and His forgiveness. We still have our Old sinful Nature inside us. Sinful doubts still trouble us. We may have lost our job or we may fear losing our job. We may have family problems or physical problems. We may suffer physical, mental, emotional or spiritual pain. We may struggle with doubts about our faith, doubts about our forgiveness and doubts about our salvation. What should we do when confronted with these struggles? We need to hear God’s Word. We listen to God as He responds to the needs of Noah.

Noah has a terrible, traumatic year. Except for his immediate family, he lives through the death of every single person on earth. His ark is alone in a sea of floating corpses. What will happen to him now? Will there be another flood?

In spite of the desolation around him, God calls Noah to be a pastor, to lead God’s little flock. God calls Noah to leave the ark. Noah immediately conducts a worship service. God comes to His people. God gives a promise: “Never again will a flood destroy the whole earth.” God gives a sign: “When the rainbow appears in the cloud, I will remember My promise to you and to all creatures.” This is God’s unconditional love. This promise is pure grace. Noah does nothing to earn it. God does it all.

When you see a rainbow, remember God’s promise: He will never again flood the whole earth. Right now, somewhere it is raining. Right now, God sees His rainbow. God always remembers His promise. If God always remembers His promise to Noah, how much more does God remember His promise to you through His Son, Jesus Christ: His promise to forgive and keep you as His child?

Yet, in the middle of all our troubles and trials, we are still tempted to trust in ourselves. Look at Jesus’ own disciples out on the lake. They are strong, seasoned boaters. Yet, a simple stiff wind keeps them still rowing at three o’clock in the morning. Jesus knows their difficulties. He waits for them to call on Him, but they are not thinking of praying. Noah knew he had to trust God completely, but Jesus’ disciples trust their own abilities. After seeing all of Jesus’ miracles, their hearts are still hard in doubt and skepticism. Only after Jesus comes to them, are their eyes again opened to Who He is.

How often do we fail to trust that God will take care of us in joblessness, guilt, sickness and even in death? When trouble hits, we easily become skeptics. We easily doubt that God really cares. We might even doubt that God will do anything at all. But Jesus comes to us again and again here in the Divine Service, and our eyes are again opened.

What about faithless skepticism and doubts? Skepticism begone! Doubts – go back to where you came from! Go back to Hell. God is true. His Word is true. His love for us is real.

God impacts this world in real time with real events with real Words and Sacraments for one purpose: to join you inseparably with your sinless Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He never left Noah. He never abandoned His disciples. He will never leave you nor forsake you.

Trust Christ and Him alone. “Fear not, O little flock!” (Luke 12:32) Through any and all difficulties of this life, remember this: your Flood has already been poured over you: you are Baptized. You are cleansed. He is yours and you are His. Amen.