Hebrews 11:5-6

Last week, we learned about Abel and the normal worship routines he learned from Adam and Eve. Remember we saw his offering came from an obedient heart.

While we look at Enoch and his walk with the Lord, let’s not neglect the process of Abel. Let’s not overlook that Enoch needed the process of Abel to have faith that pleased the Lord. Sometimes, we want the results of Enoch without the process of Abel.

Chris, the process of Abel didn’t end so well. In Matthew 16:24 Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” The process of sanctification that produces faith like Enoch’s will always result in the death of something in our life. We don’t get to be the person we once were and become more like Christ.

Enoch’s example is going to teach us four characteristics of a faith the pleases God.

Hebrews 11:5–6 ESV

5 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. 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.

The Bible doesn’t record much information about Enoch.

From Hebrews, we know his faith pleased God in such a way that God took him to heaven. No death required.

From Genesis, we know he was a husband and a father. We know he lived 365 years, which was about a third of the average lifespan. People would have said that he was gone too soon. We know he was the 7th generation on the earth. Enoch was 308 years old when Adam died. Did they spend time together? Did they talk about what it was like to walk with the Lord? Every person who follows Christ needs an older generation that will teach us faithfulness that pleases the Lord.

Older generation, you should be teaching a younger generation. Generations that have older and younger, you should be learning biblical faithfulness and teaching biblical faithfulness.

I’ve heard people say they only need Bible and prayer to learn biblical faithfulness. That’s not true from the Bible. We have Deut 6 and Titus 2. Paul told Timothy, follow me as I follow Christ Jesus told his disciples, come follow me.

I believe self-taught biblical faithfulness is dangerous territory.

If somebody claims to be self-taught, there is a good chance that self-taught means they learned a skill from youtube. Getting better at something often means we are taught by another person. Friends, the same is true with faithfulness that pleases the Lord.

Genesis 5:21–24 ESV

21 When Enoch had lived 65 years, he fathered Methuselah. 22 Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters. 23 Thus all the days of Enoch were 365 years. 24 Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.

How do we have faith that pleases God?

Believe God exists

This is beginner level faith. We have some ministry friends that have three kids. They were new parents and doing youth ministry. Their daughter turned one without walking and the dad got pretty frustrated. One night at church, he noticed the high school girls carrying their daughter all over the place. Then, it occurred to him that his daughter wasn’t walking because their youth groups weren’t giving beginner level opportunities. By God’s grace, there will be people enter this building that need beginner level opportunities.

Believing God exists simply gives us the same standing as the demons. James 2:19 says, “even the demons believe—and shudder!” In fact, people who believe God exists without impacting of their lives have a lower standing than the demons.

Maybe you’re in this room or you’re watching online, and you’re looking for beginner level opportunities to discover the existence of God. We want to help you.

Seek to be near the Lord

Availability matters. Genesis told us Enoch walked with God 82% of his years on the earth. He sought the Lord and was available to be used by God in any capacity. Before King David died, he exhorted Solomon. 1 Chronicles 28:9 - “Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve him with a whole heart and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will cast you off forever.”

Let me ask you a question. Did 300 years matter more than the quality of the walk during those 300 years?

What if a Christian dedicated 82% of their days to seeking the Lord as described in 1 Chronicles 28? That person would seek to be near the Lord 299 days of every year or roughly 5 days a week. What kind of impact would that person make around them? That person would see Ephesians 3:20 come to life ~“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think,”

Fellowship with the Lord

For 300 years, Enoch believed God existed, sought to be near the Lord and anticipated a reward. For Enoch, the reward was heaven without death. I think Enoch would fellowship the Lord regardless of any anticipated result because it was his character to fellowship with the Lord.

In 1970, a Yugoslavian ski jumper ~ Vinko Bogataj ~ was in a competition and fell on his first jump. When it was time for his second jump, he didn’t quit because of the previous results. He was a ski jumper. Unfortunately, 5 seconds into his second jump, he fell and tumbled along the rest of the track. For years, ABC sports had a show called “Wide World of Sports” and the opening montage included Vinko Bogotaj as the AGONY OF DEFEAT guy. The THRILL OF VICTORY clips changed often, but Vinko was always known as the AGONY OF DEFEAT guy.

Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him. Enoch will always be the FELLOWSHIP WITH THE LORD AND DIDN’T DIE guy.

I think we should never expect to do something in eternity that we do not include on earth. What are your opportunities to better reflect Jesus Christ, if you sought and fellowshipped 82% of your remaining days?

I think we would discover a number of things that do not matter they way we think they do.

Be faithful and leave the results to the Lord

Jude 14–15 says “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.”

669 years after Enoch faithfully preached to those around him, God destroyed creation with the flood. It appears that Enoch’s oldest child also died in the flood.

A faith that pleases God is an unwavering, unapologetic faithfulness to the Lord.

As I close, I want to toss out two questions I’ve been thinking about this week. How big of a mansion does the guy get that goes to heaven without dying? How big is the poverty section for those who live with a casual faith?