This message was preached at Word Of Grace Church on September 18th 2022 by Colin D'Cruz. For the audio & video please click here. To listen to the worship please click here.THE WALK OF FAITH
We’ve been in the series on the heroes of faith listed in Hebrews 11.
Hebrews 11: 1-6 “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith, we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks. By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”
We’ve been going through this passage and talking about the great heroes of the faith. Today we are looking at the life of Enoch. There are just 4 verses written about Enoch. In Genesis 5 there are many people who are mentioned, but only 2 are commended- Noah and Enoch. When it talks about all the other characters, it just speaks of them living, having children and dying. But there is something different about Enoch.
“When Enoch had lived 65 years, he fathered Methuselah. Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Enoch were 365 years. Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.”
Genesis 5:21-24
Q. What is so special about Enoch?
Never experienced death: The amazing thing about Enoch is that he never experienced death. The Bible tells us that Enoch didn’t die but God just took him.
Enoch represents a type or generation of believers who will not see death. It may be us, but we don’t know. “I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.” 1 Corinthians 15:50-52.
For those who have trusted in Jesus, they will not die but be caught up with him.
He pleased God - Enoch may not have walked with God always. Because it says after his son was born he walked with God. He named his son methuselah which means “when he dies judgement will come”. He lived the longest on earth. The day he died, the flood of Noah came. Enoch must have had an encounter with God and then onwards he walked with him.
Q. What does this tell us about God - that God is patient. He wanted to bring judgement but he gave methuselah the longest life of all the people mentioned in Genesis 5. He waited to bring judgement on the whole world.
Q. How many years have we walked with God?
We might think the world is evil today, but the world was so evil at that time that God destroyed the whole earth. We all want something written on our tombstones. What would Enoch’s tombstone have said if he had died? What was Enoch known for? He pleased God. That is the highest accolade we could aim for. Nothing else matters in the end. There were 2 Enoch in the Old Testament. The other Enoch was so powerful that a city was named after him. The Enoch we see in the Hebrew passage is not him.
“It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, "Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones, to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”
Jude 1:14-15
Enoch was prophetic and he proclaimed the word of God to the people. We have got to be people who will boldly proclaim the word of God - the grace as well as the judgement of God. We need to tell people that they don’t have to face judgement by believing in Jesus alone for their salvation and eternal life.
Q. What does it mean to walk with God?
Communication - Christianity is not a religion, it’s a relationship with God. Hebrews 11:6- “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”
And God is a He and not an it. He is a person and we can have a personal relationship with Him. When we come to him believing that he exists and seek him, we will be able to have a relationship with him. Gen 3 tells us that God used to meet with Adam and Eve in the cool of the garden.
Agreeing with Him - When you walk with someone you are agreeing. “"Do two walk together, unless they have agreed to meet? Amos 3:3. So we need to ask God, does my life please you? Ask, God I’m planning to do this… do you agree with this?
Looking for ways to please him - Jesus identified himself with sinners even though he was not a sinner. Then the father says this is my son, whom I love; with him, I am well pleased. We can do things to please or displease God. He loves everyone but he is pleased when we obey him and do what pleases him. We have a great opportunity to please God every day.
We have an opportunity to walk with God like Enoch every day. It starts with just having a quiet time with him, with believing he exists and seek him. Sometimes it will cost us a lot, but it is a chance to please Him!
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