Are You Building Your Ark? Living Faithfully in the Last Days

The story of Noah isn't just ancient history—it's a mirror reflecting our present moment and a window into our future. When we examine the account of Noah and the ark through the lens of faith, we discover profound truths about spiritual preparation, family legacy, and recognizing the signs of the times we're living in.

The Seven C's: A Biblical Timeline
Understanding where we are in God's redemptive timeline helps us grasp the urgency of the moment. The history of the world can be traced through seven pivotal events: Creation, Corruption (when sin entered), Catastrophe (the worldwide flood), Confusion (the Tower of Babel), Christ, the Cross, and finally Consummation (when Jesus returns).
Here's what's remarkable: we're living between the Cross and the Consummation. We exist in what Scripture calls "the last days." The writer of Hebrews, penning his letter around 64-67 AD, referred to his time as "these last days." If that was nearly 2,000 years ago, how much closer are we now?

Noah as a Type of the Church
Noah received instructions from God that made absolutely no sense to the natural mind. Build a massive boat? For rain? When it had never rained before? The concept was absurd to his neighbors. Yet Noah believed God by faith and followed His instructions precisely. And remarkably, the ark worked perfectly the first time.
Imagine Noah working day after day on this enormous vessel while his neighbors mocked him. "Hey Noah, come party with us! Forget this crazy boat project." But Noah stayed faithful to the task God gave him. He was building an ark for the physical salvation of his family.
Today, believers face a similar scenario. When we prioritize spiritual preparation, Bible study, and church involvement over the world's entertainments, we might seem strange to our coworkers and neighbors. "They've been talking about Jesus coming back forever—it never happens," they say dismissively.
But just as Noah built a physical ark, we're called to build a spiritual one—an ark of salvation through our relationship with Christ, strengthening our faith and preparing our families for what's coming.

Heeding the Warning Signs
Hebrews 11:7 tells us that Noah was "warned of God of things not seen as yet." God gave him advance warning, and Noah took it seriously. Similarly, God has given us warnings throughout Scripture and signs in our world that should capture our attention.
Romans 13:11 urges us: "Now it is high time to awake out of sleep, for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed."
The question isn't whether Jesus is returning—it's whether we're paying attention to the signs. Consider the tragic story of the Titanic. The ship received multiple warnings about icebergs ahead. At 5:50 PM, a warning came. At 9:40 PM, another. At 10:55 PM, yet another—which the radio operator dismissed with "Shut up, I'm busy." At 11:40 PM, the ship struck an iceberg and began to sink.
The closer they got to destruction, the less they heeded the warnings. Does this sound familiar? As we approach the end times, it seems we hear less and less about Christ's return, even in churches. Why?

Walking by Faith, Not by Sight
Second Corinthians 4:18 instructs us to "look not at things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal."
This is countercultural advice. We live in an age where people believe what they can see—especially if it's on a screen. But our physical senses are subject to deception. Scripture warns us that in the last days, there will be "lying signs and wonders" designed to deceive even the elect if possible.
With today's technology—artificial intelligence, deepfakes, and sophisticated digital manipulation—how ripe is the world for deception? People believe anything they see in a video or on their computer screen. Yet God calls us to walk by faith, trusting His eternal Word rather than our easily deceived senses.

As in the Days of Noah
Jesus Himself drew the parallel in Matthew 24:37-39: "As the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away."
This phrase—"eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage"—appears throughout Scripture as shorthand for people living entirely for the flesh, with no thought of God. It's hedonism: the pursuit of pleasure as the highest good.
Look around today. Commercials bombard us with messages about satisfying every physical desire—food, pharmaceuticals for every ailment, entertainment, comfort. We have drugs for everything imaginable, and pharmaceutical companies wield enormous influence over our culture and government.
Revelation 9:21 mentions that in the end times, people "did not repent of their murders or their sorceries." The Greek word for "sorceries" is pharmakeia—the root of our word "pharmaceutical." Drug abuse and misuse have reached epidemic proportions, whether through illegal substances like methamphetamine and fentanyl or through prescription medication abuse.

Condemning the World Through Righteousness
When Noah entered the ark, Scripture says "he condemned the world." This doesn't mean he cursed everyone. Rather, his righteous lifestyle was so different from the wickedness around him that his very existence highlighted their sin. His obedience to God made their rebellion more evident.
Under the old covenant, when people believed God and obeyed, it was counted as righteousness. Genesis 15:6 says of Abraham, "He believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness." Today, our righteousness comes through our relationship with Jesus Christ.
But here's the challenge: Are we living so differently from the world that our lifestyle "condemns" it by contrast? If we're living righteously, separating ourselves from worldly practices, people will notice. They won't even bother inviting us to activities they know conflict with our values.
Are we making a conscious effort to be different and separate from the world? Are we good examples that make others' wickedness more evident simply by our faithfulness?

Building a Family Legacy
What does it mean to be an "heir of righteousness" for our families? It means leaving a godly legacy—living right and helping our families live right, propagating the gospel and being good examples to others.
Consider families where faith has passed from generation to generation. Grandparents who walked with God, children who are saved and serving, grandchildren who are churched and following Jesus. That's a powerful family legacy.
The question each of us must answer: What arc are we building? Are we preparing for what's coming? Are we actively strengthening our relationship with Christ, building our faith and discernment? Or are we like the rest of the world, hearing that Jesus is coming back but feeling no sense of urgency?

The Critical Questions
As we consider these truths, several questions demand honest answers:
Are we living under Christ's work on the cross, or are we still in the confusion of the world? The world remains confused, trying everything and anything to find meaning. But those who know Christ have clarity and purpose.
Are we building an ark of salvation for ourselves and our families? Just as Noah prepared physically, we must prepare spiritually through Bible study, prayer, worship, and discipleship.
Do we know and realize the warnings? God has given us His Word filled with prophecies and warnings. Are we studying them?
Can we see and recognize the signs? Wars, rumors of wars, nation against nation, famines, pestilences, earthquakes—the signs Jesus mentioned are all around us. Are we paying attention?
Have we and our family become righteous in God's eyes by experiencing salvation through Christ? This is the foundational question. Without salvation through Jesus, nothing else matters.

The Ark Is Still Open
The beautiful truth is that the ark of salvation remains open today. God is still calling people to enter through faith in Jesus Christ. But there's coming a day when the door will close, just as it did in Noah's time. Once the flood began, it was too late to build an ark or get on board.
The time to prepare is now. The time to strengthen your faith is now. The time to ensure your family knows Jesus is now. Not tomorrow, not next week, not when things get worse—now.
Christ is our firm foundation, the rock on which we stand. When everything around us is shaking, those who have built their lives on Jesus will not be moved. He's never let His people down through generations, and He won't start now.
Are you and your family in the ark?