The Ark of Safety

April 10, 2025 – Abby Radu – Truth 4 Youth / S01

The Ark of Safety

Pastor Dale Tunnell: Abby, it’s your turn. You can bring some help up if you want to.

Manuela Radu: We’re going to start with some songs tonight, and you are welcome to learn and join us in singing.

Yet Not I, But Through Christ In Me

Verse 1
What gift of grace is Jesus, my Redeemer
There is no more for Heaven now to give
He is my joy, my righteousness, and freedom
My steadfast love, my deep and boundless peace
To this I hold, my hope is only Jesus
For my life is wholly bound to His
Oh, how strange and divine, I can sing, "All is mine"
Yet not I, but through Christ in me

Verse 2
The night is dark, but I am not forsaken
For by my side, the Savior, He will stay
I labor on in weakness and rejoicing
For in my need, His power is displayed
To this I hold, my Shepherd will defend me
Through the deepest valley, He will lead
Oh, the night has been won, and I shall overcome
Yet not I, but through Christ in me

Verse 3
No fate I dread, I know I am forgiven
The future's sure, the price, it has been paid
For Jesus bled and suffered for my pardon
And He was raised to overthrow the grave
To this I hold, my sin has been defeated
Jesus, now and ever is my plea
Oh, the chains are released, I can sing, "I am free"
Yet not I, but through Christ in me

Verse 4
With every breath, I long to follow Jesus
For He has said that He will bring me home
And day by day, I know He will renew me
Until I stand with joy before the throne
To this I hold, my hope is only Jesus
All the glory evermore to Him
When the race is complete, still my lips shall repeat
"Yet not I, but through Christ in me"

Ending
To this I hold, my hope is only Jesus
All the glory evermore to Him
When the race is complete, still my lips shall repeat
"Yet not I, but through Christ in me"
When the race is complete, still my lips shall repeat
"Yet not I, but through Christ in me"
Yet not I, but through Christ in me
Yet not I, but through Christ in me

Good evening church. We have a lot of people here who are young at heart…a lot of them. I’m looking forward to tonight’s program. It’s called “Ark Of Safety.”

Some Floods

How many of you have seen a flood?

Oh wow, plenty. Tonight I have pictures of some floods to show you. Look at how deep the water is in this picture.

The houses are filling up with water. And it looks like this jeep is probably going to be swept away by the flood. These people have to escape in a boat, and the flood water is getting deeper.

A bad flood destroys a lot of property, and it can kill many people. But we are not surprised when we hear about floods, earthquakes, volcanoes, and other catastrophes. These things often happen in the world, but it was not always this way.

In The Beginning

Once our world was perfectly happy, and there was love, joy, and peace everywhere. Adam and Eve lived happily in the Garden of Eden, and Jesus talked with them each day. There were no storms or fires or accidents.

There was no sadness, pain, or death. But a beautiful angel named Lucifer changed all of that. Lucifer was the most important angel in heaven, and he stood right next to God the Father and his son Jesus.

But Lucifer let his proud feelings grow in his heart. He began to think that he was more important than Jesus. Is anyone as important as Jesus? No.

Lucifer made a lot of trouble in heaven, but finally God sent him away from heaven. Lucifer now had a new name, Satan. If Satan had been sorry, God could have let him stay in heaven.

But Satan was not willing to trust and obey God. Instead, he said, I will make Jesus and God sorry, and I will ruin everything I can in the new world they made. Satan started with Adam and Eve.

He wanted to tempt Adam and Eve to disobey God. But then they had to leave the Garden of Eden. Jesus warned Adam and Eve about Satan, and he told them that disobedience to God would bring unhappiness.

It would also bring death. Adam and Eve loved God, and they promised to obey him always. Satan came into the garden, and he pretended to be a snake that could talk, but he lied.

He said that Adam and Eve did not have to obey God. Adam and Eve should have trusted Jesus, but they didn’t. Adam and Eve listened to Satan, and they decided to disobey God.

Expelled From Eden

Because of this, they had to leave the Garden of Eden. When they left the garden, they were very sad, but their new home was still very beautiful. It was almost like their garden home, except for one thing.

There was no death in the world. Eve noticed that a flower was dying. She had never seen a flower die.

Adam saw a lion kill an animal and then eat it. Adam had never before seen blood. Eve was working in the garden, and suddenly something pricked her finger.

It hurt, and it bled. Eve had never felt pain before. Adam and Eve felt very cold in the chilly morning air, and Jesus made clothes for them from the skins of animals.

Eve cried to thank that the animals had to die so that they could have clothes to wear. Soon Adam and Eve started a family, and they had to work hard. The plants didn’t grow as easily as before, and Adam and Eve got tired.

Sometimes they even quarreled. Adam and Eve lived many years, and finally they got old and died. More and more people were born.

As time passed, most people forgot about God. The Bible says that they had bad, wicked thoughts all the time. God was not pleased with what He saw on earth.

He said, all this wickedness must stop, and I will send a great flood to wash the evil away. But still a few people loved God. One of them was named Noah.

Each morning and evening, Noah and his wife prayed to God. One day, God talked to Noah. He told Noah about the big flood that would come.

He said, build an ark boat, and make it big and strong. Noah did not know how to build an ark, but God told him exactly what to do. The big boat would have many rooms.

There would be enough room for those who wanted to be saved from the flood. Workmen helped Noah cut down big trees. It took a very long time to cut down these trees.

The men sawed the trees into boards to build the ark. Noah had three boys, and they helped him build the ark, too. How many boys were there? Three.

The years passed, and Noah’s boys grew up and got married. Still, the ark was not finished. People came to watch Noah and his sons build the ark.

Sometimes Noah stopped his work and talked to the people. He told them, God is sending a flood, and you will be safe if you come into the ark with us. The people just laughed.

They said, you’ve gone crazy. There has never been such a thing as a flood. Noah worked on the ark for 120 years.

At last, it was done, and the people laughed to see a big ship setting on land. They asked, what’s Noah going to do with that big thing? There’s not even a lake around here that he could float in. Then suddenly, the people stopped laughing.

They cried, look, why are those animals coming towards the ark? The animals marched out of the forest and into the ark, and the birds came, too. When the animals were all inside, Noah and his family went into the ark. Noah, his wife, and his three sons, and their wives.

Now, how many people does that make? Eight. His eight people went inside the ark. Before Noah went inside, he talked to the people one last time.

He told them, God wants you to be saved. Why don’t you come inside with me? You don’t have to die in the flood, but the people would not come. When Noah finished speaking, he went inside the ark.

God himself closed the great doors of the ark. Noah and his family waited inside the ark. How long do you think they waited? Seven days.

Outside the ark, people laughed and shouted, Noah, what’s it like in there with all those animals? Noah, the air is a lot better out here. How long are you going to stay inside that stuffy old boat? He laughed and laughed. Then, after seven days, water started falling from the sky, and the rain came, just as God had said.

Soon, it began to rain harder and harder. Now, many people wanted to come inside the ark, but Noah could not open the door. God had shut it, and only God could open it.

The lightning flashed, and the thunder rolled. The water got deeper and deeper. People had tried to climb inside the ark, but it was too late.

They had made their choice to stay outside the ark. The rain fell for 40 days, and the water also gushed from the deep places in the earth. Soon, water covered the whole world, and the ark floated on the waves.

Angels from heaven watched over it, keeping it safe. Finally, the rain stopped, and after many weeks, the water soaked back into the earth, and new plants started to grow. At last, God opened the door of the ark.

The world looked very different. It was rough. It was wild-looking, and all the houses were gone.

The gardens were gone, and the people were gone, too, all except for Noah and his little family. They were the only ones who chose to believe God and obey him. Noah had built the ark to save many people, but eight people chose to be saved.

Did anyone have to be lost? No. Noah warned the people, and he invited them to be saved on the ark, but they would not come. The rains came and flooded the earth, and those who were inside the ark were safe.

Those who were outside were lost. The late, the people saw for themselves that God meant what he had said. He said that he would wash away the wickedness with a great flood, and that’s exactly what he did.

Today, the world has grown wicked again, but it’s not as bad as it was in the days of Noah. Sorry, it is. Pardon.

It is as bad as it was in the days of Noah. The Bible says that God will do away with the wickedness very soon, but this time it won’t be with water. This time, God will use fire to cleanse the world.

Fire is hot. The Bible says the earth shall be burned up (2 Peter 3:10), and Satan will be burned up in this fire, too. After the fire has been burned out, Jesus will create a beautiful new earth, and there will never be sin on that new earth.

Satan and all that choose to follow him will be burned up. What about us? Can we escape from this terrible fire? This time, there will be no ark of safety. Instead, Jesus will rescue His people.

Jesus wants to save us all. The Bible says the Lord is not willing that any should perish, in 2 Peter 3.9, but we must each choose whom we will serve. Will we follow Satan’s way of sadness and death, or will we choose to love and obey Jesus? We cannot wait until Jesus comes to decide, then it will be too late.

We cannot know exactly when Jesus will come, but the Bible says that it will be very soon. The Bible says, now is the day of salvation. Let’s read this verse together.

Now is the day of salvation, 2 Corinthians 6.2. When is the best time to choose to be saved from sin? Now, yes, now. Say the verse with me again. Now is the day of salvation.

Now is the day of what? Salvation. Or is this text found? Yes. Here are the first letters of each word in the verse.

Now say the verse with me. Now is the day of salvation. 2 Corinthians 6:2. Jesus is coming soon, and that’s why we need to choose God now.

2 Corinthians 6:2 reminds us to choose God now. Before the great flood, God told Noah exactly what was going to happen. He also told Noah what he should do about it, and God wanted everyone to be saved.

God had messages about the future for us too. He told his prophets many things about the future. The prophets wrote down what God had showed them, and these messages are all in the Bible.

God told his prophets that Jesus will come someday soon, and that he will come to rescue us from the fire that will destroy the earth. Jesus will come to put an end to all the sadness and the selfishness on the earth, and he will set up a kingdom of peace, joy, and love, and this kingdom will last forever. We don’t know exactly when Jesus will come, but the Bible tells us that it will be very soon.

We don’t have to be taken by surprise. The Bible gives us signs, things to look for, so that we know when Jesus’ coming is near. Tonight, I’m going to tell you about some of those signs.

The Bible says that before Jesus comes, there will be wars and rumors of wars. Do you hear of wars today? Right now, there is a war in… does anybody know? Israel, yes, Ukraine. It seems that we’re always hearing of new wars, terrorist attacks, and fighting.

The Bible also says that when Jesus comes, there will be many famines and plagues, and this is happening now. Every day, thousands and thousands of people are starving to death all around the world. Many thousands more are dying of terrible plagues and diseases.

The Bible says that before Jesus comes, there will be many earthquakes. Each year, we seem to have more earthquakes than ever. The Bible also says that when Jesus comes, this world will be full of wickedness.

It will be as bad as it was in the days of Noah, and I’m pretty sure even worse. This is certainly happening now. People fight, cheat, kill, and steal.

They even seem to be proud of the wicked. They don’t seem to care about what God thinks anymore. The Bible tells us that before Jesus will come, knowledge will increase, and that is just what is happening today.

There will be amazing discoveries and inventions. Things like computers, cell phones, digital cameras, and even AI. They can send people into outer space.

Just a few years ago, we had never dreamed of these things. The Bible tells us that in the last days, most people will not know God, and they will see all the terrible things happening and will be afraid. The Bible says that their hearts will fail them for fear.

God’s followers won’t be afraid. The Bible says that when these things begin to pass, then lift up your heads for your redemption, Joel of Nye. We don’t have to be afraid because we know that when Jesus is coming, he is going to save us, and he is coming very soon.

Almost all the signs that he will come soon have already happened. In fact, there is only one thing left to happen before Jesus comes, and the Bible says the gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world, and then the end shall come. Matthew 24, verse 14.

What is the gospel of the kingdom? It’s the good news that Jesus will save us. He has saved us from sin. He is saving us from sin right now, and he will come and save us forever in this eternal kingdom.

When everyone in the world has heard the gospel, Jesus will come. Today, the good news is being given on the radio, TV, and on the Internet. It is preached in churches and in meetings just like this one, and people are turning to friends and neighbors about Jesus.

Jesus will come, and the signs are all around us. He is coming someday soon. When he comes, he will set up his kingdom of peace, joy, and love, and it will last forever.

I want to be part of that perfect happy kingdom. Don’t you? When Jesus comes, I want to lift up my hands to him, and I want to say, you are my God, and I have waited for you, and you will save me. Jesus wants to save me, and he wants to save you.

He wants to save all of us from Satan. He wants to save us from our sins and the wrong things we do. He wants to save us from the fire that will burn us up in sadness.

The Bible says, now is the day of salvation. Now it is time for us to decide. Will you let him save you? If you want him to save you, stand with me as we pray.

Dear Heavenly Father, we pray here together, as a church family, as friends, and as brothers in Christ, we pray that you’ll be able to surrender our hearts to you, and that we’ll be able to wait for your soon coming, and that you’ll be able to come soon, as the Bible says. I pray that we’ll be able to spread your word, your good news, all around the world, so that you may come faster. I pray that you give us knowledge, wisdom, and faith, and power to be able to speak and spread everything to everybody.

I pray that we’ll stay away from temptations, and that we won’t be tempted, and that you’ll bring your holy angels to guard and protect us always. In your holy name, amen. Jesus wants us to be in the kingdom of heaven with him.

Right now he is preparing a beautiful home for us. Jesus says, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, you may be also. We can’t even imagine how wonderful heaven is, and it’s almost time for Jesus to come.

In fact, the countdown is getting lower every day. Jesus will come, and though we don’t know when, the countdown is getting lower every day. Jesus was crucified for all our sins, and he died, but on the cross, he didn’t stay there.

He gave his promise to us that he will come back for us, and the countdown is really getting lower. I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, you may be also. There are many different kinds of signs along the road.

Sorry, I skipped the slide. There are signs that warn us of falling rocks or slippery roads. There are some signs that warn us to slow down because children are playing.

Some signs tell us to stop because there is a crossroad where we might get hurt. The signs warn us of what is ahead of the road. They are put there to keep us safe from having trouble.

Today we see many signs that remind us that Jesus is coming soon. Let’s see how many signs you can remember. I will give you some clues about the signs.

If you think you know what it is, raise your hand and don’t say it out loud. The first sign begins with the letter W. We see where these are, and there’s killing and destruction. Okay, there are killing and destruction.

What are they? Yes, wars. The next sign that Jesus is coming soon begins with F. Wherever these are, people are getting hungry and even starving. They cannot find enough food to eat.

What sign is this? Yes, famine. Another sign that Jesus is coming soon begins with E. Yes, you guys guessed it before I could finish my sentence. Now I’m thinking of a sign that starts with S. Satan tries to get us to do this.

He even wants us to love it so much that we’ll choose it instead of heaven. What is it? When people see all these things happening, people will be afraid. The Bible says that their hearts will fill them with fear, but we don’t need to be afraid.

We know the good news that Jesus is coming soon. Jesus is coming soon, and this is why it’s important to choose God now. When is the best time to choose and serve God? Now.

Let’s say it together. Choose God now. That’s why 2 Corinthians 6:2 tells us.

It’s a very short verse, but it’s important. Now say this verse with me. Now is the day of salvation.

Remember to choose God now.

Manuela Radu: Did you ever talk to God? You are welcome to join us and help us as we sing.

Did you ever talk to God?

Verse 1
Did you ever talk to God above
Tell Him that you need a friend to love
Pray in Jesus' name believing that God answers prayer

Verse 2
Have you told Him all your cares and woes?
Every tiny little thing He knows.
You can always know He's here.
And He will answer prayer.

Chorus
You can whisper in a crowd to Him.
You can cry when you're alone to Him.
You don't have to pray out loud to Him. He knows your thoughts.
On a lofty mountain peak, He's there.
In a meadow by a stream, He's there.
Anywhere on earth you go,
He's been there from the start.

Verse 3
Find the answer in His word, it's true
You'll be strong because He walks with you.
By His faithfulness, He'll change you, too,
God answers prayer!

Ending
Anywhere on earth you go, He's been there from the start.

Copyright 2025 Braselton Seventh Day Adventist House Of Prayer Church, Used By Permission

Closing Notes

Just want to thank Abby Radu for doing this presentation!

Please check out our other Articles!