Sermons and Outlines

Gen. 9:12-17 GOD PUT A RAINBOW IN THE CLOUDS FOR ME

Intro: Ill. The flood, the reason for it, the reality of it, and all the ramifications of it. Afterwards, God put a rainbow in the air for Noah and his family. Let me say by way of introduction that God put three items in the sky to speak to men:

1. The Pillar of Cloud and Fire - His Presence - With, above, under, before, behind and in. (Heb. 13:5; Matt. 20:28; John 14:18)
2. The Star - His Preeminence - He is above all, before all and the all in all.(Col. 1:18; Song 5:10) (Ill. Place, Prominence, Preeminence)
3. The Rainbow - His Promise - (Ill. Not a contract!)He is a covenant-keeper.What He says He will do, He will do! (Heb. 6:18; Rom. 4:21)This is the only one that remains for us today! (Ill. A constant reminder that Jesus was raised up into the Heavens as a token of God’s promises in salvation!)

(Ill. The Rainbow has been perverted by the devil!)
The Rainbow is a Picture of Jesus. The colors from the bottom to the top are:

Purple - Royalty - King (Ill. 1 Tim. 6:15)
Blue - Heaven - He came from Heaven (Ill. John 3:13)
Green - New Life - He gives life (John 14:6)
Yellow - Sun Light - He is the light of the world (John 8:12)
Orange - Warning - Repent!, "Ye must be born again." (John 3:3, 7; Ps. 9:17)
Red - Blood - The only way to God! (1 Pet. 1:18-19; Rev. 1:5)

(Ill. When I am under the bow, I am shielded by the Blood - Ill. High Priest - Heb. 9:7, 12)

(Ill. All the colors of the spectrum, even color the eye cannot see, are contained in the rainbow; and Jesus colors all of life with His great glory!)

When I look up, I must first see Him as the King of Glory! (Ill. Man cannot come to God until we see Him as He really is!)

When He looks down, He must see the Blood of the Lord Jesus! Praise God, He never sees me as I am! (1 Cor. 6:9-11; Isa. 1:18!)(Ill. Justification - Glory to God!!!)

There is a secondary rainbow! In it, the colors are reversed.

When I See the red, I am reminded that the only way to get to Him is through the Blood of Jesus! When He looks down, He looks at men through the eyes of the King of Kings! He is Holy Righteous God. Do not be deceived, God will Judge all those outside of His Son Jesus - 1 John 5:12!

2 things are necessary for a rainbow to develop:

1. A Disturbance in Heaven - (Ill. Storm - Ill. Calvary!)
2. Sunlight - (Resurrection!) - Ill. The sunshine of His resurrection shined through the drops of His shed Blood and produced the Heavenly Rainbow of God’s Eternal Grace! (Ill. On rare occasions, the moon can produce rainbows!)

Notice some facts about the rainbow:

I. Man didn’t ask for the rainbow, it was all God’s idea! (Ill. Calvary! It was all God!) (Ill. Revelation 13:8) (Ill. Natural man is dead, Eph. 2:1! He cannot initiate any movement toward God! Man would never have a desire for God unless God called first - John 6:44) (Ill. The danger of trifling with God - Gen. 6:3)

II. Man cannot destroy a rainbow! (Man cannot undo the work of Calvary!)(Ill. Psa. 119:89 - It’s settled! Glory!!) (Ill. The critics, the liberals, the infidels and inforhells can never change the work that Jesus finished!)

III. All men see the rainbow the same! (Ill. the Spirit reveals Jesus the same to all men!)(Ill. The Brazen Serpent! – Num 21) There’s only one Jesus - Acts 4:12!

IV. God looks upon the rainbow and remembers His promise! (Ill. Jesus at God’s right hand! - Rom. 8:34; Heb. 1:3)

V. The rainbow touches both Heaven and earth! (Ill. Jesus and the cross!) (Ill. The Daysman - Job 9:33; Ill. 1 Tim. 2:5)

VI. The rainbow cannot be taken back! (Ill. v.12 and 16) (Ill. Perpetual - So is salvation! John 10:28 - Ill. Never! "Ill. Never Never Land!) (Ill. Jesus sat down! - Heb. 10:12!!)

VII. Nobody has ever seen a complete rainbow! (Ill. Nobody has ever fully comprehended all that Jesus is and can be!) (Ill. Solomon and Sheba - 1Kings 10:7) (Ill. In Heaven, we will understand - Rev. 4:3!) (Ill. The half has never been told! - 1 Cor. 2:9!) (Ill. How I know Him now, 1 Cor. 13:12, how I’ll know Him then!)

Conc:Rainbows are best seen when the sun is at 40° in the morning and evening! Christians are in one of three places. We are in the "Dark night of the soul", Isa. 50:10; just coming out of it; or heading into it. Regardless, Jesus looks His best in the bright morning when the dark night has passed. However, He also looks His best when the darkness is beginning to gather. But, wait, He looks best when the darkness has stolen the sight of His glory and shining, because we know He is there and when the light comes in the morning of our deliverance, Jesus our blessed rainbow, will be waiting to shine on us once again! Isn’t God good?