By Faith... Enoch Walked with God

Introduction

Today we’re continuing our series titled ‘The Faith of our Fathers’

We began by looking in depth:

As to what Faith is: Heb. 11:1 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

Without rehashing, we learned that through this verse that faith is believing something for which proof was provided

And the importance thereof: Heb. 11:6 “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.”

And so as we consider Faith in God specifically, this chapter deals with the Faith of our Spiritual forefathers, AND WHAT IT MOVED THEM TO DO.

Last week we looked at the first example given unto us in v4. In that message we examined how that ‘By Faith… Abel Sacrificed’

Abel’s Faith in God moved him to Sacrifice for God

We looked at how Abel’s Sacrifice compared to Cain’s

What Caused Abel to Sacrifice as he did

And what the Outcome of Abel’s Sacrifice meant - to him, to God and to others.

Today we’re going to look at the next of our Spiritual Forefathers mentioned in this chapter here in v5, a man by the name of Enoch. The Bible doesn’t tell us much about this man other than what we read. The only other mention is found in the book of Jude regarding him as a prophet of God.

That being said, the title of this message today is ‘By Faith… ‘Enoch Walked with God’

The first thing that we want to look at concerning Enoch and how by Faith he walked with God, is the Difference in Enoch

I. The Difference in Enoch

When considering the story of Enoch, we need to first look back at what preceded his time on earth. For that we’re going to look first at A Promise Realized in Gen. 4:25

A Promise Realized (Gen. 4:25)

I think that many don’t realize the significance found in Gen. 4:25.

We note that after Adam sinned in the garden, in the Judgment that God handed down, He did so with a prophetic promise: Gen. 3:15 “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” . God promised that from her seed, Satan would be destroyed!

Then we see in Gen. 4:1-2, that Adam and Eve bore 2 children, in Cain then Abel. And the promise begins to take shape… God has given her seed! As far as Adam and Eve know, the fulfillment of the promise is in sight! There’s no indication that they would (or should) have expected for God’s redemption plan to take at least 6,000 years to come to fruition. So they have seed now, which God promised would crush Satan.

Then it all falls apart when their eldest son kills the younger. Cain not only chose to dishonor God with his life & offerings, he decided to kill the younger son who honored God (and God didn’t do anything to stop it either).

So when Gen. 4:25 rolls around, you have a very bleak situation. The promise looks to be very dim - but then God gives them hope in v25 in the form of a substitution named ‘Seth’ (Seth (def) ‘substitute)

Church, I want you to know that whatever God says, you can take it to the bank! God’s Word HAS ALWAYS and WILL ALWAYS come to pass!

You might be in a situation like Adam & Eve - you KNOW what God has promised, but man it sure don’t look like that’s going to happen right now - but church, isn’t that the essence of what faith truly is? Knowing without seeing based on the proof that God has always supplied!

We see a Promise Realized

A People Resigned (Gen. 4:26)

Looking back once more to Gen. 4, we see the lineage of Cain given (Gen. 4:9-24). These would later be called in Gen. 6 ‘The sons of men’. The reason they were called the ‘sons of men’ is because they cared not for God nor the things of God. They lived carnal, wicked lifestyles. We know that from:

Their heritage (Cain)

Their lineage (Lamech - Gen. 4:19;23 who continued with the families murderous tradition, then added polygamy to their credit)

Their eventually influence & aftereffects thereof (Gen. 6:5 “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” )

But Seth’s lineage took a different stand in Gen. 4:26. Seth’s lineage said ‘Cain’s people may not care about the things of God - BUT WE DO! THEY CAN TRUST IN THE WORKS OF THEIR HANDS, WE WILL CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD!’

This world, our country & our communities would be a whole lot better off if Christians would do likewise!

If Christians would just remember the words of Joshua Jos 24:15 “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

We need some people resigned to follow God! To simply make the decision and STICK WITH IT!

We see in v26 a People Resigned. Resigned to follow God!

The Pattern Broken (Gen. 5; 24)

Now we’re going to get to this man named Enoch. Enoch was #7 in the line from Adam (being #1).

You have Adam, Seth, Enos, Cainan, Mahalaleel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech & then Noah. And if you read down through Ch.5 you will notice a pattern that takes shape.

Read v6-7; 9-10; 12-13; 15-16; 18-19; 25-26; 29-30 - but we see something different - an aberration - when it comes to Enoch.

All of these other men - the Bible says that they ‘lived after they begot the heir in the lineage, but Enoch did something else. Something specific, something GREATER, in that he walked with God!

Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that the other’s in his lineage were evil and he was righteous (according to Rom 3:10, there’s none righteous) His forefathers were far more concerned about God and the things of God than their cousins in Cain. However - there’s a difference between Calling on the name of the LORD and WALKING WITH GOD

There is a difference between Calling on the name of the LORD and Walking with God!

You’ll not find many people who will not Call on the name of the LORD.

There’s many Christians who will Call on the name of the LORD. They will seek Him out especially when they need something.

Truthfully, there are many heathens who in their time of desperation will Call on the name of the LORD.

But there are very few that will WALK WITH GOD!

Let me ask you this: In looking back at the past week, I wonder how many of us can say we spent the week walking with God? We’ll call on Him, because we’re a needy people - but how many of us walked with Him?

We see the Difference in Enoch - Enoch walked with God. He didn’t just concern God with his expectations, but he was concerned about God’s expectations! Secondly, we’re going to look more in depth as to what that meant as we look at the Dedication by Enoch

II. The Dedication by Enoch

Indicates a Commitment

(Ill.) I don’t know if you can tell, but I am lacking in the exercise department. I know I need to. I’ve got pictures of how I used to be, and I have mirrors that show me what I am now, and I KNOW that I need more exercise. I know that oftentimes after I get done walking, that I not only feel better, but better about myself. However, I don’t exercise much. Why? Because I haven’t garnered enough will to commit myself to it. And if you’re going to walk (for exercise), it takes commitment. It takes initial commitment, and it takes a daily commitment.

This is the way I am with physical exercise. Truth be told, this is the way a lot of Christians are when it comes to Spiritual Exercise. They KNOW they need to walk with the LORD. They KNOW that it will make them feel better & better about themselves, but they lack the WILL TO COMMIT! Jesus said it right when to the disciples in the garden said: Mat. 26:41 “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Enoch WALKED with God - he committed himself unto the journey

Indicates a Consistency

Just the term ‘walking’ indicates a consistency. He didn’t ‘run, stop. Jog, stop. Walk, stop.’ Enoch was consistent in his walk with God for we see:

Enoch (v22) ‘walked with God after he begat Methuselah for 300 years’; then we see at the end of the road in (v24), Enoch is STILL walking with God!

(Ill.) We were out loading up bro. Zach the other day, and bro. Jeff said something to the effect ‘I heard you say something about you walking the other day’. (I must’ve used that for illustration or something) but either way, yes I did a couple weeks ago or so I went walking. Matter of fact we went hiking a handful of weeks ago. (Aren’t you proud of me?). Let me ask you this: How much good do you think those walks have done me physically? The answer? Not much. Do you know why? Because there’s been no consistency in it.

This is the rut that so many Christians are in… Many are walking once a week. They get to church and they feel good about it, it helps them in the moment, but unfortunately it doesn’t transfer over into Monday, Tue, Wed… There’s no consistency in their walk with the LORD. They walk God’s way for a moment, then it’s back to their way. But don’t forget what James said in Jam. 1:8 “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.”

Enoch’s walk Indicates a Consistency

Indicates a Closeness

The Bible doesn’t say that he simply walked, but that he walked ‘with God’. There is a explicit closeness implied.

Church, know this, that if you’re going to have fellowship with God, you’re going to be going in the direction that He’s leading you. God doesn’t follow you into a far country and feed on the slop with you. God is around the homestead just like the Father of the prodigal - and if you’re going to walk with God, it’s going to be there. When we choose to walk by the lust of the flesh, it will lead us into a far country.

So we’ve looked at the Difference in Enoch, then we saw the Dedication by Enoch, lastly we’ll look at the Deliverance Enoch Experienced

III. The Deliverance Enoch Experienced

His Faith Sought a Transfiguration

Enoch didn’t want what this world had to offer - He wanted what God had to offer!

He wasn’t trying to be like everybody else - He wanted to Please the LORD

Enoch didn’t mind being DIFFERENT!

Enoch’s faith caused him to focus on God instead of others!

Church, I don’t know about you, but I want to be DIFFERENT! I don’t care if people hear me singing unto the LORD, I don’t care if people see me raising my hands or shouting ‘AMEN’

Do you believe that He can? According to the Bible He can!

2 Cor. 9:8 “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:”

Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

Do you believe that He’s called us to be?

1 Pet. 1:15-16 “But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.”

Rom. 12:2 “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

I The. 5:21-22 “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil.”

Then why aren’t we? All too often, it’s simply because a lack of FAITH. Either we don’t believe he can, or we don’t believe that He’s called us to. Because if we believe that, then it will move us as it moved Enoch!

Enoch’s faith Sought a Transfiguration - he sought to be different - AND HE WAS!

His Faith Wrought A Testimony (Heb. 11:5)

This is something that the writer of Hebrews penned down that mirrors what we saw in Abel last week. Because of Enoch’s faith, it wrought a Testimony!

A Testimony Unto God:

What an amazing statement found in the latter part of Heb. 11:5 “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.”

BECAUSE of His Faith, it wrought a Testimony. His faith led him to Walk with God - to be DIFFERENT - and BECAUSE OF THAT, he pleased God.

A Testimony Unto Man:

Enoch walked with God - AND PEOPLE NOTICED!

Now Enoch left this world 70 years or so before the birth of Noah, I feel sure that Noah heard the story of his great-grandpa. Noah’s grandpa Methuselah was on this earth for the first 600 years of Noah’s life, I’m sure he spent some time telling Noah about how Enoch walked with God, then how God took him. And I believe that it made an impact on Noah! (Look at Gen. 6)

Gen. 6:8-9 “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.”

Enoch’s faith Wrought a Testimony - and if my presumption is correct, it literally saved mankind from being destroyed!

His Faith Brought A Translation

Enoch was taken out of this world - he experienced a rapture

We may or may not experience the rapture - but regardless, we can all experience a Translation

Translation (def) to transfer, i.e. (literally) transport, (by implication) exchange, (reflexively) change sides

You can exchange your old life for a new one

You can be change from the things you use to care for to the things that God cares for

You can be transported from a meaningless life, to one of purpose!

Do you believe that God loves you?

Has a plan for you?

Will equip you to carry out whatever it is that He is asking of you?

Yes, death may come for us, but for those who walk with God, death has lost it’s sting!

I Cor. 15:55-57 “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Enoch’s faith brought a translation.

Conclusion

If you’re lost today, I want you to know that there’s a translation for you. There is an exchange waiting. Jesus died on the Cross to pay for your sins - and if you’ll simply place your faith in Him, you will allow Him to to take your place and bear your punishment, and in exchange, you will take His righteousness upon yourself. You will have a home in Heaven when you leave this earth - either by way of clods or clouds!