Faith Defined #4, Enoch

Faith Defined #4
Message 12/26/2018
Jack Abeelen
Growing Thru Grace
Hebrews 11: 6 Enoch
Two Examples: Abel & Enoch

ENOCH

Genesis 5:24

His entire story covered in 4 verses, 50 words

"and he was not, for God took Him"

7th generation from Adam, Methuselah's dad, and the great-grandfather of Noah who would be saved through the flood.

Notice:
Methuselah's birth had a tremendous spiritual impact on his life. At 65 years old, he has a son and he begins to walk with the Lord.  For the next 300 years, his relationship with God continues to go forward.

Methuselah oldest man in the Bible, lived to be 969, died in the year of the flood, never accomplished anything but this, according to the Bible. You'd think if you lived that long something else would be said.  Sometimes shares the story of Methuselah's life at children's funerals--just because you are young, doesn't mean your life is incomplete. His greatest work was being born.

He's not sure what happened, but Enoch got busted down to become a godly man because of the Methuselah's birth.

For the next 1,000 years, Methuselah does nothing.  His name is kind of a judgement name and means "In his life, at the end of his life, it will come..."  Just his birth changed his dad's life.

And Enoch walked with God 300 years with the Lord faithfully during the time before the floood, at a time when the Earth's culture was as bad or worse than you will ever find.  Genesis 5: 6, God saw the wickness of  man...the intent of every thought of his heart was only evil and the Lord was sorry that He made man.  He will destroy man.  Genesis 6:11 The Earth was corrupt before God, filled with violence.  Behold I will destroy them. And Enoch walked with God.

Not only this but, according to Jude, he ran around the world preaching to people about the coming of the Lord at a time when nobody wanted to hear it, the judgement of God.  He didn't succeed, but he was faithful.  "Now Enoch the 7th from Adam prophesied about these men and he said behold the Lord is coming with 10,000 of his saints to execute judgement to convict all who are ungodly among them ..."  He was on crusade.

But best know for what happened when he turned 365, and "Enoch walked with God, and he was with God because He took him."

Before the judgement came, he was delivered from the wrath to come.   In a day when everyone's life ended...."And he died."

How did God take him? He has no idea.  This is procedure over purpose. How we don't know, why we do.

Hebrews 11:5 Before he was taken, he had this testimony "he pleased God."

Faithful for 300 years...far less long than we'll have to be....in a culture far worse than that we live in.

A witness in a Christ rejecting world when no one else will join you.  It can withstand rejection from the world.  It kept him going.  That's why Paul can reach back....  It will persevere when no one else will join you.  You won't go down with the ship.

11:6  Without faith it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to God must believe in who He is and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

We are created for his pleasure...this used to bug him.  But it's not such a bad thing to know...as we please God, I find my greatest fulfillment and satisfaction.  To live for myself or other purposes than what God wants is to invite emptiness into my life.  I've been made to please God.

Solomon lived for everything but the Lord later in life.  He lived for money, sex, power, possessions, wisdom to pursue them.  Ecclesiastes 12, if I conclude the whole matter, fear God and keep the commandments.  That's the best we can hope for, that's where satisfaction takes place.

To walk with somone
To be on same path, headed in the same direction, walking toward the same place...
This sounds like the church, no?  We don't fit real well. The world goes one way, we go another.  He was in stride with God and kept step with God.

Warren Weresby---For the Lord to take Enoch wasn't such a big move for Enoch because Enoch was so close to God anyway.

Enoch is also a type of the rapture of the Church....we will be taken by fire not flood though.

It is a witness to the world and will persevere when no one follows.

v6---It doesn't say it's harder...it says it's impossible.

Paul gives two truths: 1) believes that God is  2) rewards those who diligently seek Him, that He is.  That he is everything He declares Himself to be.

This is not a given (belief in God) in this world.   We have folks who deny his existence.  Not believing in God is worse than the demons....James says they tremble

If you seek him, you'll find him. He's a God who wants to be found.

For 300 years that faith drove Enoch---I know that He is and that he's a rewarder. Faith is not an  easy way to live.  It can bring isolation, but God will reward.