By Faith Enoch Walked With God

[00:00:00] This audio sermon is provided by AnabaptistSermons.com and may be freely copied and distributed. You may not sell or edit this sermon. Our prayer is that you would be blessed by this ministry. Greetings in the name of Jesus tonight again. Hebrews chapter 12, the first three verses, talking about that great cloud of witnesses and how those witnesses are not necessarily watching to see what's happening in our lives [00:00:36] so much as that we are to look at their lives Because the word witness there means to give report or to testify of. And so tonight now, I invite you to open your Bibles to Hebrews chapter 11 for a message tonight. And we'd now like to look at the life of a man from this cloud of witnesses and to see what we can discover from his life. I'd like to entitle the message tonight, [00:01:08] By faith, Enoch walked with God. The importance of faith, we talked about that a bit last night, and how that our faith is precious to us. And we want to look at this man's faith. What can we draw from his life? What does his life teach us? What does his life give a report of to us and testify of? Will you stand as we read the text? We'll read Hebrews 11, 5 and 6, then we'll turn back to Genesis chapter 5 for several verses there. [00:01:44] Hebrews 11, verse 5 and 6. By faith Enoch was translated, that he should not see death, and was not found, because God had translated him. For before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please him For he that cometh to God must believe that he is And that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him Now turn back in your Bibles The first book, Genesis [00:02:15] In chapter 5 We have a few words about this man as well Verse 21 through 24 And Enoch lived sixty and five years and all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years and Enoch walked with God and he was not for God took him. [00:02:52] Let's bow our heads to pray. Eternal Father, tonight we come to you again. We're needy. Father, your words are spirit and life. And as we try to discover, by your grace and power tonight again, the report, the record of this man, I pray that you would open our hearts. [00:03:24] Touch my lips, Father, that words may be spoken in truth and in love. We ask in Jesus' name. Amen. You may be seated. There's a bit of a mystery tonight about this man that we're talking about. This man, Enoch, it says that we read in Genesis chapter 5 and verse 24, and more, that he was not. All at once he disappeared. He was walking with God and there came a day that he was not. [00:04:04] Now let's remember from the very practical standpoint and let's also remember, we need to reinforce this again tonight, as I said last night, that these men and women that Hebrews chapter 11 talks about were men and women like you and I are here tonight. There were men and women of flesh and blood. They were human beings. They were not some supernatural kind of people. They were like we are. Enoch was a daddy. He was a husband. [00:04:37] He was a grandfather. And all at once there came a day when daddy and granddaddy was gone. He wasn't anymore. Now, if that would have been my father, I don't know how I would have responded to something like that. Couldn't find him. Didn't know where he was. He was gone. It just states that he was not. [00:05:13] He was no longer there. Maybe it's a little bit like that flight number AF447 that was flying from somewhere, was it Brazil, I believe, to Paris, France. And all at once, those 228 persons on that flight were not. They don't know where they are. They were not. [00:05:44] For at first there were just numbers, there were just people. But after a bit, you began to realize that there were indeed people that had connections with other people. There were, if I'm not mistaken, about 126 men on that plane, 82 women, 7 children, 1 baby from 32 different nationalities. So it became global [00:06:15] They were not There were three Irish doctors on that plane So that became close to us In our country It was for real They were gone That's the way it was with this man He was not We want to consider this man's testimony tonight. His testimony was that he walked with God. [00:06:48] He walked with God. And then God took him. The comforting thing is tonight is the fact that he walked with God. So you and I have hope for this man, don't we? And brothers and sisters, it has been said and is so true that one of the best things that you and I can give to those who mourn our passing is just that. The fact that we walked with God. [00:07:20] And that solves the puzzle, doesn't it? Because we know where we are. Those who pass on, who have walked with God, we know where they have went to. They have went to be with God. And we believe this man of faith, Enoch, is with God because God took him. That solves the mystery as far as where he is now. What does the Bible say about this man? We don't have a lot of detail, only a few short bits, portions of Scripture that talk about this man. [00:07:58] But there's enough that we can gather quite a bit as it relates to his life. and how he lived. Now, how did he walk with God? Do you suppose that God personified himself and came down to earth and walked right alongside this man? Hardly. Or I doubt that he did. We do know that God did walk with Adam and Eve before the fall in person. But we also know that the Bible teaches us that after the fall, no man can see God and live [00:08:38] So it's highly doubtful that God literally walked right beside Enoch He may have, but I'm doubtful because Enoch was, like I said, like you and I He was a human being So I believe, when we talk about Enoch walking with God, it's talking about a relationship that this man had with God the Father. A relationship that he had as he walked with Him. Yes, we as New Testament believers, God still desires to walk with us. [00:09:16] And I appreciated the opening. How near is God to you? How close is He? Is he walking beside you tonight? That's what Enoch experienced. He walked with God. Then God took him. There's a cause and effect here. The cause, Enoch's action, walking with God was the cause. The effect was that God took him. [00:09:47] God then took him. God is good to us tonight in that he gives illustrations and examples in everyday language that we can understand. The example of this man is of walking with God. We understand something about walking, don't we? What happens when people walk together, when they journey together? And let's consider tonight, I'd like to consider at least three points or three things that happen when people walk with each other. [00:10:28] Number one, there's an acquaintance. There's a relationship built when people walk together. They become acquainted with each other. And I believe, as it says here in Genesis 5 and verse 22, Now, I'm not sure if there's anything significant about the fact that it mentions that after he begat Methuselah, his oldest son, [00:11:04] he began to walk with God. Was that his beginning of walking with God, or had it begun earlier? I'm not sure. But I suppose that for most of us, there's a bit more of a consciousness and awareness after we have sons and daughters as to how our relationship is with God and our walk with Him. I just thought of that last Sunday. After the service, I was talking to a good friend and brother of mine who's moved into community there now for about a month or so. [00:11:42] With a Colin Patton. And he lived a life in the gutter and to the very bottom of it. and he was, for some reason, I don't know why, we began to talk about some of his past habits. He doesn't like to talk about that a lot. But he mentioned he used to smoke and smoke heavily. He said, in fact, he said, I spent as much on cigarettes every month as I did on the mortgage payment of my house. I said, well, Brother Colin, how did you ever overcome that one? [00:12:16] It took the grace of God. And he said, yes, it did. But he said, you know what? What really, really grabbed me was when my little daughter saw me smoking, and this was after he was a Christian, and he said, I would tell her, now you dare never do that? And I'd pitch it, throw it away, and I said, that, and he said, I decided that cannot work. You see, his walk with God was seen by his little daughters, and he said, it must change. For 300 years, Methuselah was walking with God. [00:12:54] He was becoming acquainted with God. I remember when I first started courting my wife. That's one thing we do. We go on walks occasionally. And we got to know each other a bit better through some of those experiences and those walks. And you see it back in Ireland. People walk a lot more, far more than they would here in the States. They're more concerned maybe about their health. And one of the good things, something that's good for us is that we exercise and we walk. And you'll often see two women or two men walking up and down the road. [00:13:32] Good exercise, but also builds relationship, builds relationships. God was not something abstract to Enoch. God was close to Enoch. There was a presence, I believe, of God in the life of Enoch as he walked with God. [00:14:04] He was aware of God's presence. God's presence was known to him. God knew him. Sometimes I wonder if we have it a bit wrong, because we ask people if they know God. That's not all wrong, but I wonder if it's not more accurate to ask people if God knows them. Does God know you? Does God know me? [00:14:39] Just this morning, in my personal devotions, I come across this verse in Galatians chapter 4, and I invite you to turn to Galatians 4. I just caught my attention on this very point as it relates to God knowing us. Galatians 4 and verse 9, the Apostle Paul is writing here to the Jews and how that they have come to know God. And it says in verse 9, But now that ye have known God, or rather he says, are known of God. [00:15:17] Isn't that interesting? He first says, yes, you know God, but more accurately or rather, God now knows you. You see, Jesus said in Matthew 7, verse 21, he says that in the end time, there's going to be those that are going to say, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? Have we not done this and this and this? But then Jesus says that he will say to them, I never knew you. [00:15:54] Depart from me, you workers of iniquity. He said, I don't know you. You see, anyone can say, Lord, Lord. Anyone can say that I know God. That's not the point. Does my walk with God, my relationship with Him, does that allow Him to know me in an intimate way? And I commune with Him as well, and I get to know Him. [00:16:28] But most importantly, He knows me. And rest assured, if we're walking with God, God knows us. 2 Timothy 2.19 Nevertheless, the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are His. God knows us if we're walking with Him in a relationship as Enoch had. [00:17:03] God knows you and I. Walking with God. Point number two means that we agree with God. There's an agreement with God. The prophet Amos says it so clearly in Amos 3.3. He raises this question. He says, can two walk together except they be agreed? No. No, at least not for a long period of time. [00:17:36] Two cannot walk together unless they be agreed. And in this setting, the prophet Amos was a time when Israel was apart from God. And he challenges them. He says, can you walk with God if you do not agree with God? No. Several months ago, Lois and I were in Dublin walking down the street. From the train station to the hospital and ahead of us there was a young couple and as we got closer we could hear quite obviously that there was some kind of a disagreement between them. [00:18:21] The words were rather harsh. They walked together a bit further but it wasn't very long until they came to a Y on the road and they parted ways. They couldn't walk together anymore because they weren't in agreement. It's quite obvious. You can hear it. So when we walk with God, there must be an agreement with God. In John chapter 6, where Jesus was sharing some difficult and hard words, [00:18:55] difficult for his followers to understand, and in verse 66 he says, For many, from that time, many of His disciples went back and walked no more with Him. They couldn't agree with what He was saying. So He turns to His disciples and He asks them, He says, Will ye go away also? Are you going to leave as well? Because you don't agree with the words that I'm sharing with you? No. [00:19:26] Well, you have to be in agreement, in harmony, if you're going to walk together for a long period of time. Enoch walked with God by faith. And the Bible says in Hebrews 11, 5, turn to that if you want to again. Hebrews chapter 11 and verse 5, it clearly says that he had this testimony that he pleased God. He pleased God. [00:19:58] If you make a study of that word, pleased, it means to gratify entirely. And it comes from the parent word, which means fully agreeable. So it clearly says that as Enoch walked with God, he pleased God. So he was agreed with God, so he could walk with God. He could commune with Him and walk with Him. [00:20:33] Enoch's testimony was that he was in harmony with the Word of God and God's will. Does my faith, does my walk with God agree with His words, agree with God's Word? That's my question that I need to ask myself. Am I in harmony with God and His Word? Now in contrast, in the days of Enoch, there were many that were not walking in harmony with the Word of God. [00:21:13] They did not agree with God. They were living contrary to the Scriptures and not in harmony with the Word of God. You see, agreement marks the end of argument. Settles it. When we're agreed with one, that ends the argument. How can I say that I agree with God? [00:21:43] I walk with God. But I am not in harmony with the word of God I don't agree with it Am I walking with God? Hardly God is always looking for those Seeking for those Who will walk with him in harmony with his word Yes, Enoch was a man that was walking with God And it's interesting Part of his calling and responsibility was to be a prophet. [00:22:21] We find another bit about this man in the book of Jude. I invite you to turn to Jude. Just two verses here again that talk about Enoch. Jude, verse 14 and 15. And it says here, And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. [00:23:02] That gives us a picture of the setting in which he lived. Of a lot of ungodliness. Now it specifically says in verse 14, the seventh from Adam. If you follow the family line in Genesis chapter 7, or sorry, chapter 5, yes, he comes in the seventh from Adam in Seth's line. You back up to chapter 4. You have Cain's line. The seventh from Adam in Cain's line is Lamech. Not Noah's father, but his name was Lamech. He had two wives and he was a murderer. [00:23:49] So there you have Enoch in Seth's line, seventh from Adam, a man walking with God. And you have in Cain's line, a murderer. That tells you the setting that Enoch was in. A day when men were ungodly. And doing those things were ungodly deeds, it says. Committing ungodly things [00:24:21] That's where he found himself God calls him to be a prophet in that day And interestingly enough, he names his first son Methuselah What does it mean? It simply means this When he dies, judgment When he dies, judgment When did Methuselah die? The year of the flood, the year that God brought judgment to that ungodly world, Methuselah died. [00:24:58] Suppose, brothers and sisters, we should be naming some of our sons Methuselah. Well, maybe not literally, but we have a message to share with an ungodly world. There's judgment coming, and they need to prepare for that judgment. Do you and I agree with God tonight that there's judgment coming? Enoch agreed with God that there was judgment coming, [00:25:34] and he named his first son to remind people of that judgment that was going to come. When he dies, judgment. Ungodliness in our world. And I've become more and more aware of that in the past four years. There's a sense in which America is departing from God. I believe that. There's evil, there's ungodliness around in this country. [00:26:05] But it seems like in European countries it's even much worse. The UK is dark and evil. When you think about 200 and 250 years ago, men that were there, like the Wesley brothers and godly men who brought revival were instrumental in working with God and revival was in that country. But now many of the churches are shut down. They're used for shops or taverns. [00:26:38] And some of the attendants, I have a friend there who is a pastor of Anglican churches. In fact, he just put his resignation in just last week. He says he can no longer be a part of this dark and cold system. But he was pastoring three churches, and the attendance was like five or six. So his largest church had about ten or twelve people. And one of the reasons he could no longer go along with his darkness Because his superiors were saying You must marry gay couples [00:27:09] And he says, I cannot do it conscientiously Because darkness, it's ungodly We have a message As we walk with God and agree with Him Judgment is going to come On all this wickedness and evil And the call is, brothers and sisters, tonight, how do we combat all this darkness and ungodliness? I believe the best way is to be godly. [00:27:44] Just to simply be godly. What does it mean to be godly? Well, of course, it's the opposite of ungodliness. But probably one of the best things and the best way that you and I can be godly is to simply be God conscious. To be God conscious. And as we walk with God, we're aware that God is with us. God is near and God is right here in our presence tonight. [00:28:16] He's with us. Are you conscious of God tonight? That's the question. God Consciousness One of the traps of the enemy is to have us forget God. To have us become so engulfed with the things of this world, this life, that it just pushes God out of our consciousness, out of our minds. Someone has suggested seven points as it relates to being God conscious. [00:28:54] One of the things, several things that they mention, I maybe won't mention all of them, but just a quiet time with God every day will cultivate a consciousness of God. Spend time with God in His Word and in prayer. Be aware of the fact that God speaks to us through His Word. There needs to be a consciousness of that. A gratefulness of, as we talked about last night, that precious faith. [00:29:32] The faith that Enoch had with God. Thank God for that faith. How much do we allow God's marvelous creation to speak to us? Does His creation make us aware of Him and conscious of Him? We must always remember, number four, that we are ambassadors for Him. We're just temporarily here, passing through this country. [00:30:04] We're only ambassadors. Number five, we must have a proper focus on some of the trials that we experience. Be God conscious about those kind of things. Number six, live a separated lifestyle. Brothers and sisters, nonconformity has to do with godliness. Yes. Sometimes we mistake it with the idea that it's to be a witness. Well, it may be that, but far more than that, it reminds me that I belong to God. It causes me to be conscious of God. God consciousness. [00:30:51] And number seven, remember that we're going to give an account to God someday. We're accountable to God. To walk with God means that we must agree with God, even as Enoch did. And in his day, when there was a lot of ungodliness, he shared the message clearly That judgment will come when his oldest son dies [00:31:24] Number three, point number three as it relates to our walking with God As we walk with God, we develop an appreciation for that relationship in our walk with God The Bible says in Genesis 5 verse 24 that he was not. He was translated. God took him. What does that mean? It simply means that he was transferred or transported. He was exchanged. He changed sides. He was on this side and then he went to the other side. [00:32:08] That's what it means. The parent word, or the word translated, is accompaniment. And that simply means when two are brought together in completeness and perfection. So as Enoch was walking with God, the relationship became so dear, so much appreciation for each other, that God said, Enoch, you come with me so it can be complete. [00:32:44] A complete accompaniment. The two were together then. A level of completeness. That's what it means. If we follow the line there in Genesis 5, it says, simply says this of the patriarchs, From Adam to Noah, that he died. He died. But when it comes to Enoch, the record is broken. And it says he was not. [00:33:18] It says someone has suggested he needed no undertaker because he was taken by the upper taker. God just took him and translated him, changed him. Does our walk with God create an appreciation for God? Are you looking for that time when we too, as it says in 1 Corinthians chapter 15, verse 51 and 52, it says, Behold, I show you a mystery. [00:33:50] We shall not all sleep, but we shall be changed in the moment in the twinkling of an eye. At the last trump, the trump shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. We shall be translated. We shall be changed. And when we're changed, the words of Jesus, Revelation chapter 3 and verse 4, it says, [00:34:21] They which have not defiled their garments, and they shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy. So as Enoch was walking with God here on earth, as he was becoming acquainted with God, as he journeyed and walked with God, as he was in agreement with God, and as his appreciation for God grew, [00:34:52] there came a day when God took him And then there was a completeness and his white robe, as it were, he walks with God in glory. We too, like Enoch, may someday be translated, changed, and we shall walk with God in white raiment. If we are pure, as it says, not defiled, our garments are not defiled, but they are pure. [00:35:31] Are you walking with God? Is that relationship developing and growing? Can I say that I'm in agreement with God? As Enoch's testimony was here that he pleased God Am I in harmony with his word and what he teaches? Do I love his word and what it says? [00:36:05] That's one of the tests of my walk with God Tonight for closing I'd like for us to stand and together sing hymn number 360. As we sing that prayerfully, desiring a closer walk with God. That we become better acquainted with God. That we agree with God. As we leave this place. [00:36:36] That's where the test is. The test isn't here tonight. But the test is out there among ungodly society that we mingle with That's where the test is as to how my walk is with God Am I making a difference in their lives? Does my godly life remind them of judgment to come? Methuselah, when he dies, God will judge with God, a calm and empty grave, a light to shine upon the road that leads me to the land.