WEBVTT 00:00:05.519 --> 00:00:06.879 Good morning, church. 00:00:07.040 --> 00:00:08.080 How are you this morning? 00:00:08.960 --> 00:00:17.039 Hope to uh bring God's word to you in uh in a clear way today, and we're gonna continue on in our series, uh, Faith, Hope, and Love. 00:00:17.199 --> 00:00:18.320 And it's a great series. 00:00:18.399 --> 00:00:20.719 It's really, if you think about it, it's foundational. 00:00:20.879 --> 00:00:25.440 Paul said uh these three remain uh faith, hope, and love. 00:00:25.519 --> 00:00:37.439 And and uh really they remain, and what happens is when they remain, all the things that go on outside that are crazy and it's disrupting of your life, it's a provide a solid foundation for your life. 00:00:37.600 --> 00:00:41.920 And so today we're gonna talk about faith as we begin a couple of weeks ago. 00:00:42.000 --> 00:00:46.159 And uh, to do that, let's gonna take off from uh Hebrews chapter 11. 00:00:46.320 --> 00:00:50.079 So if you have your Bibles, or you can look at it on the screen. 00:00:50.320 --> 00:00:59.520 And uh just sort of to keep this in context, uh, we should know that the writer of Hebrews, what he's doing here, he's trying to make one thing crystal clear. 00:00:59.840 --> 00:01:04.719 That is that you cannot do enough to make your way and earn your way to heaven. 00:01:04.959 --> 00:01:08.560 And uh to be in God's good graces. 00:01:08.799 --> 00:01:18.719 Uh you can uh you can try to be a moral person, you can try to go through uh routines and rituals and things like that, but it's it's faith that gets us to where we need to be. 00:01:18.879 --> 00:01:22.159 Faith from first to last, always and only faith. 00:01:22.319 --> 00:01:25.840 And uh I think we can all, you know, remember he's talking to the Hebrews. 00:01:26.000 --> 00:01:32.959 Hebrews were Christians, and so we can fall into this same kind of thinking that we've got to earn our way sometimes. 00:01:33.280 --> 00:01:47.200 And what what what I'm talking about is that sometimes we fall into sin and then we feel like we have to do something to make up for it because we feel bad about it, and so we have to kind of help God out, and it's sort of like a self-rescue. 00:01:47.359 --> 00:01:48.959 We've got to self-rescue ourselves. 00:01:49.040 --> 00:01:52.239 Well, that's not the gospel of grace, and so we need to remember that. 00:01:52.400 --> 00:02:04.000 Hebrews 10 38 says it like this but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him. 00:02:04.400 --> 00:02:08.719 And so this is kind of in the mind of the writer as we're reading through this today. 00:02:08.800 --> 00:02:17.280 And if you recall a couple weeks ago, Neil brought us the first message in verses 1 through 3, and how faith is defined, how faith is defined. 00:02:17.439 --> 00:02:23.199 Let me just kind of refresh your memory with a verse there, and it's just really about its faith's essential character. 00:02:23.439 --> 00:02:31.520 And uh the word there says, faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 00:02:32.240 --> 00:02:50.319 Now, I know there's a story about this three-year-year-old little boy who went to the grocery store with his mother, and uh before they they got to the parking lot and pulled in, and and before they went in, the mom said, Now, don't ask for any chocolate chip cookies, you're not gonna get any. 00:02:50.800 --> 00:02:58.319 And so she found a cart and she picked the little boy up and set him down in the kids' seat, one of those kids' seat carts. 00:02:58.479 --> 00:03:05.120 And uh they were doing going through the aisles, they were kind of going through, and they got to the to the cookie aisle. 00:03:05.360 --> 00:03:08.960 And he said, Um, Mom, can I have some chocolate chip cookies? 00:03:09.120 --> 00:03:09.759 As you would imagine. 00:03:09.919 --> 00:03:13.280 He sees the chip cookies and he says, Can I have chocolate chip cookies? 00:03:13.360 --> 00:03:15.039 He said, I told you not to ask. 00:03:15.199 --> 00:03:18.080 Sit back down, don't ask again. 00:03:18.400 --> 00:03:27.280 And so they continue on out through the aisles, this and that, up and down the various aisles, and she couldn't find what she needed, and she ended up back on the cookie aisle. 00:03:27.599 --> 00:03:32.240 And uh so again, as you can imagine, Mom, can I have some chocolate chip cookies? 00:03:32.719 --> 00:03:34.400 I told you, don't ask. 00:03:34.639 --> 00:03:37.439 Please ask, please stop asking me to sit back down. 00:03:37.599 --> 00:03:39.039 You're not going to get any. 00:03:39.599 --> 00:03:48.960 And they uh they finally wound up back at the checkout lane, and uh, right before they got up to the line, the little boy stands up in his seat. 00:03:49.120 --> 00:03:52.000 He's thinking this is his last chance, I guess. 00:03:52.159 --> 00:04:01.840 And he at the top of his lungs, he souts as he stands up, in the name of Jesus, can I have some chocolate chip cookies, please? 00:04:04.080 --> 00:04:10.719 And everybody thought it was pretty funny, and and uh some people even even uh laughed and applauded. 00:04:11.039 --> 00:04:20.639 And you know, and in that day, that very day, the little boy and his mom came home with 23 boxes of chocolate chip cookies. 00:04:22.000 --> 00:04:22.639 Yeah. 00:04:23.040 --> 00:04:28.720 Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 00:04:29.279 --> 00:04:31.040 That's faith defined. 00:04:31.279 --> 00:04:33.279 Uh, but we've been looking beyond that. 00:04:33.439 --> 00:04:43.519 Last week, Scott brought us the idea of uh of what we're gonna look at next, and that's the faith is described, chapter four, or verse four, through the rest of chapter 11, faith described. 00:04:43.600 --> 00:04:52.959 And the writer of Hebrews has given us really just this example after example after example of what faith looks like so that we can adopt that kind of faith as well. 00:04:53.279 --> 00:04:54.800 These are the heroes of the faith. 00:04:54.879 --> 00:04:57.680 And last week we looked at the faith of Abel. 00:04:57.920 --> 00:05:03.199 Abel is given here as the example of what we might call the worship of faith. 00:05:03.360 --> 00:05:10.160 And if you remember, faith was expressed by Abel in his offering to God, what he gave to God. 00:05:10.319 --> 00:05:11.759 He's an illustration of that. 00:05:11.839 --> 00:05:15.759 And today we'll be looking at the man named Enoch, the second example. 00:05:16.000 --> 00:05:21.600 His is the uh, if Abel is the worship of faith, Enoch is about the walk of faith. 00:05:21.680 --> 00:05:23.279 And that's what we're going to talk about today. 00:05:23.439 --> 00:05:28.240 And by the way, these men follow sort of one after each other, sort of as a progression. 00:05:28.319 --> 00:05:30.079 And I think it's intended by the writer. 00:05:30.240 --> 00:05:35.120 He's doing this, so uh Abel is basically telling us how do we enter this life of faith? 00:05:35.360 --> 00:05:36.160 How do we get there? 00:05:36.319 --> 00:05:42.879 Recognizing that all of us are sinners, all of us are in need of grace, and this is the way we enter the Christian life. 00:05:43.120 --> 00:05:47.600 And then Enoch shows us how we can walk by faith, and that's what we're going to talk about today. 00:05:47.839 --> 00:05:53.519 You know, there's not a lot of uh of information about Enoch, um, but there's really a few things. 00:05:53.680 --> 00:05:55.759 I think we can say that one thing is true. 00:05:56.000 --> 00:06:00.560 We can learn some things about the life of faith through looking at his example. 00:06:00.639 --> 00:06:08.480 And there are three references that I found that are in the scriptures, three references about Enoch, and we just kind of want to look through these briefly. 00:06:08.639 --> 00:06:11.839 The first one is in Hebrews, which we just are looking at today. 00:06:11.920 --> 00:06:19.519 And uh, then we're in also in Genesis and one in the little book of Jude, that little book tucked in right before uh Revelation. 00:06:19.759 --> 00:06:23.199 So each of these bring us some insight concerning the life of faith. 00:06:23.279 --> 00:06:30.399 So let's begin this morning with the first of these, Hebrews, Hebrews 11, and then we're looking at verses 5 and 6. 00:06:30.879 --> 00:06:36.079 If you'll read along with me, it uh is found those in those verses, Hebrews 11, 5, and 6. 00:06:36.160 --> 00:06:47.120 It says, By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. 00:06:47.600 --> 00:06:55.920 Now, before he was taken, he was commended as having pleased God, and without faith it is impossible to please him. 00:06:56.319 --> 00:07:04.079 For whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. 00:07:04.480 --> 00:07:05.920 Now let's pray. 00:07:06.319 --> 00:07:09.439 Uh Father, we're so grateful for your word today. 00:07:09.680 --> 00:07:23.439 And as we look at this uh this man's example, this man named Enoch, we just asking you, asking you, Holy Spirit, that you would reveal to us the truths you want us to know, that we would live a life that's pleasing to you. 00:07:23.680 --> 00:07:27.839 And uh, Lord, we just pray by your spirit you'd show us what that means. 00:07:28.079 --> 00:07:29.439 In Jesus' name. 00:07:29.759 --> 00:07:30.319 Amen. 00:07:31.439 --> 00:07:36.319 So, why is Enoch's example of faith so significant in the biblical record? 00:07:36.480 --> 00:07:38.639 I want to talk about that just a minute. 00:07:40.480 --> 00:07:44.879 And and basically his example consists of three things we're gonna go through through this morning. 00:07:44.959 --> 00:07:49.759 The first of these is Enoch's uh his extraordinary privilege. 00:07:50.000 --> 00:07:51.279 His extraordinary privilege. 00:07:51.439 --> 00:07:53.040 Now we'll look at this in verse 5. 00:07:53.120 --> 00:07:57.360 It says, By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death. 00:07:57.519 --> 00:08:02.319 Focus on those he should not see death, and he was not found because God had taken him. 00:08:02.480 --> 00:08:03.360 You can think about this. 00:08:03.439 --> 00:08:07.120 This, you know, this is a remarkable privilege to not see death. 00:08:07.199 --> 00:08:08.399 He didn't have a funeral. 00:08:08.639 --> 00:08:10.879 How many people you know that never have a funeral? 00:08:11.439 --> 00:08:17.120 There's only one other person in the Bible that actually act actually got to experience the same thing, and his name was Elijah. 00:08:17.279 --> 00:08:20.000 Elijah was taken up, if you remember, in the whirlwind. 00:08:20.160 --> 00:08:24.720 Well, here's the man, Enoch, the first one, who didn't see death. 00:08:25.040 --> 00:08:32.799 And uh, to get the real context, though, I think, of this story, I think we need to look at the second thing, which is in Genesis chapter 5. 00:08:32.960 --> 00:08:36.240 So if you want to look there, we're gonna go through a couple of verses here. 00:08:36.559 --> 00:08:44.320 Enoch chapter 5, I mean uh Genesis chapter 5, and and what you find in this Genesis 5 story is just really fascinating. 00:08:44.559 --> 00:08:46.320 I mean, it's really fascinating. 00:08:46.559 --> 00:08:49.440 And I've I just learned a whole lot as I went through this. 00:08:49.679 --> 00:08:56.879 And but right at the beginning of chapter 5, it has the verse in verse 1, we're told really what the chapter, the whole chapter is about. 00:08:57.360 --> 00:09:00.320 Uh this is the document, chapter 5, verse 1. 00:09:00.399 --> 00:09:05.120 This is the document containing the family records of Adam. 00:09:05.840 --> 00:09:08.320 The document containing the family records of Adam. 00:09:08.399 --> 00:09:10.399 This is this is Adam's family tree. 00:09:10.559 --> 00:09:27.440 And so what's listed here is after Adam, there's nine men who are called the patriarchs that are listed right along here, surveying really 1,500 years of biblical history, and it's all compressed into a very brief set of passages, of verses. 00:09:27.600 --> 00:09:33.279 So, in the way it's laid out, let me just kind of give this kind of way for each generation how this is laid out. 00:09:33.440 --> 00:09:49.679 First, the age of the individual patriarch when he fathers his firstborn son, then the remaining years of his life, that they had other sons and daughters, the total years of their life, and finally the notice of their death. 00:09:49.840 --> 00:09:54.320 And what's extraordinary about these men is that they had extremely long lives. 00:09:54.559 --> 00:09:59.919 Uh we'll find out one had a really, really long life, and you know probably who that is. 00:10:00.080 --> 00:10:03.120 Someone has called this God's obituary column. 00:10:03.440 --> 00:10:04.639 God's obituary column. 00:10:04.720 --> 00:10:12.960 Because over and over again, what you find at the end of every one of these records of these men is this hammering refrain. 00:10:13.840 --> 00:10:15.120 And he died. 00:10:15.759 --> 00:10:17.039 And he died. 00:10:17.519 --> 00:10:18.799 And he died. 00:10:19.039 --> 00:10:20.320 And he died. 00:10:20.639 --> 00:10:21.759 And he died. 00:10:22.080 --> 00:10:27.039 All the way through the end, except there's one interruption in verse 21. 00:10:27.279 --> 00:10:29.919 All of a sudden we have something different. 00:10:30.240 --> 00:10:43.679 Verse 21 When Enoch had lived 65 years, his father Methuselah, had fathered Methuselah, Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters. 00:10:43.919 --> 00:10:47.279 Thus all the days of Enoch were 365 years. 00:10:47.519 --> 00:10:52.240 Enoch walked with God and he was not, for God took him. 00:10:52.320 --> 00:10:54.399 The same record we have in Hebrews. 00:10:55.039 --> 00:11:00.639 Enoch was really, if you count those generations, Enoch was the seventh from Adam. 00:11:01.120 --> 00:11:05.840 That's what Jude actually says, that exact phrase, seventh from Adam. 00:11:06.159 --> 00:11:11.919 And uh, you know, if you know anything about biblical numerology, numbers in the Bible sometimes are really important. 00:11:12.000 --> 00:11:13.600 And seven is one of those. 00:11:13.840 --> 00:11:19.440 And it references metaphorically something about completeness or fullness. 00:11:19.919 --> 00:11:22.799 And so here we have this man's name. 00:11:22.879 --> 00:11:27.759 He is the seventh from Adam, and I don't think it's an accident that he's there in that place. 00:11:28.240 --> 00:11:36.960 And what's subtly being communicated is Enoch was living a significantly, notably righteous life. 00:11:37.200 --> 00:11:43.519 Out of all these others, he's the only one who it's said of said of that he walked with God. 00:11:43.840 --> 00:11:45.039 And that's significant. 00:11:45.200 --> 00:11:48.480 When you have something like that, you need to pay attention to what's going on. 00:11:48.720 --> 00:11:50.000 TJ Cole writes this. 00:11:50.080 --> 00:11:59.600 He said, the finality of death caused by sin, and so powerfully demonstrated in the genealogy of Genesis, is thus not so final. 00:12:00.799 --> 00:12:02.000 He's talking about Enoch. 00:12:02.320 --> 00:12:08.320 Man was not born to die, he was born to live, and that life comes by walking with God. 00:12:08.879 --> 00:12:12.559 Walking with God is the key to the chains of the curse. 00:12:12.639 --> 00:12:14.799 I love that quote, and it's so true. 00:12:15.039 --> 00:12:19.919 So Enoch shows us extraordinary privilege that he didn't die. 00:12:20.000 --> 00:12:26.399 And because, for that reason, it's because of the second thing, which is Enoch's singular focus. 00:12:26.639 --> 00:12:28.000 Enoch's singular focus. 00:12:28.080 --> 00:12:35.039 It says in Hebrews 11, verse 6, back there again, now before he was taken, he was commended as having pleased God. 00:12:35.200 --> 00:12:43.919 I looked up that little word commended, and it has this idea of uh of staying under something and being and having a story. 00:12:44.240 --> 00:12:45.279 A testimony. 00:12:45.519 --> 00:12:47.360 So all these guys had testimonies. 00:12:47.519 --> 00:12:50.240 And you have a testimony when you walk by faith, too. 00:12:50.399 --> 00:12:53.519 You just may not realize it until maybe a little later. 00:12:53.600 --> 00:13:00.720 But Enoch lived for one reason, and that was to please God, and that's why he was taken. 00:13:01.600 --> 00:13:03.919 And the expression of faith proved it. 00:13:04.000 --> 00:13:05.120 And I want us to see this. 00:13:05.279 --> 00:13:07.679 His desire to please God showed up in several ways. 00:13:07.840 --> 00:13:12.399 And this is just kind of like the the the um the proof that he did have faith. 00:13:12.480 --> 00:13:14.159 These are the outward expressions of it. 00:13:14.320 --> 00:13:18.080 You know, we're all supposed to show our faith, and Enoch certainly did that. 00:13:18.240 --> 00:13:19.360 Let me show you these five things. 00:13:19.519 --> 00:13:24.879 Number one, Enoch held an unbelief, an unwavering belief in the goodness of God. 00:13:25.279 --> 00:13:26.399 So, how do you know that? 00:13:26.559 --> 00:13:29.279 Well, we go back to Hebrews 11 and read this again. 00:13:29.519 --> 00:13:32.559 And without faith, it is impossible to please him. 00:13:32.799 --> 00:13:34.480 There's that word, please. 00:13:35.360 --> 00:13:42.000 For whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. 00:13:43.279 --> 00:13:44.879 Let's reflect on that just a minute. 00:13:45.039 --> 00:13:47.039 See, over time, what happened to Enoch? 00:13:47.200 --> 00:13:54.559 Enoch just got closer and closer and closer and closer to God until he disappeared. 00:13:56.159 --> 00:14:04.000 So that doesn't mean when we're talking about you, we think about these things, there's really two beliefs that are expressed in these verses. 00:14:04.159 --> 00:14:06.879 Two beliefs that are essential for us as well. 00:14:07.120 --> 00:14:08.720 And I think they apply to Enoch. 00:14:08.879 --> 00:14:11.679 First, you have to believe that God exists. 00:14:12.559 --> 00:14:14.879 You say, Well, I believe that God exists. 00:14:15.840 --> 00:14:22.000 I don't think this is just means that we're sort of aware that he's out there somewhere and he's he's a reality. 00:14:22.799 --> 00:14:29.200 What this I think is saying is that we don't just give some kind of mental assent to the existence of God. 00:14:29.360 --> 00:14:34.000 Rather, it means that that you know we do think he's gonna do something. 00:14:34.080 --> 00:14:36.159 Otherwise, we're just practical atheists. 00:14:36.720 --> 00:14:40.159 He's out there somewhere, but we don't we don't really act on it. 00:14:40.399 --> 00:14:46.399 It means he is a blue God who we believe is really there and he's gonna do something in our lives. 00:14:46.559 --> 00:14:51.200 We believe he's willing and ready to reveal his great love to us. 00:14:53.919 --> 00:15:03.919 And for our part, we just respond to that invitation to him based on this, not his imagined, but his real character. 00:15:04.240 --> 00:15:09.039 See, some of some of us have an uh the idea, an idea of God that's not accurate. 00:15:09.679 --> 00:15:14.639 But if we know God and who he is, we can count on the God who's always faithful. 00:15:15.200 --> 00:15:16.320 That's so important. 00:15:16.639 --> 00:15:19.679 I mean, that's really everything that you know what God is like. 00:15:20.480 --> 00:15:32.320 And so, some people, you know, you some people because they don't know who God is, they live under this dark cloud, thinking God, God, he's always disappointed in me. 00:15:32.639 --> 00:15:35.440 He doesn't really like me all that much. 00:15:36.240 --> 00:15:37.519 And you know what I think? 00:15:37.679 --> 00:15:42.000 He's ready to whack-a-mole me every time he gets a chance when I get out of line. 00:15:42.559 --> 00:15:44.159 You ever think that sometimes? 00:15:44.799 --> 00:15:46.960 Well, that could just do in our faith. 00:15:47.519 --> 00:15:53.279 But I think, I think Enoch learned over time that God is good all the time. 00:15:53.919 --> 00:15:55.120 He's good all the time. 00:15:55.279 --> 00:15:58.960 Because every time that Enoch needed him, I think God was there. 00:15:59.120 --> 00:16:04.240 God just showed up and he proved himself to Enoch over many years, many, many years. 00:16:04.559 --> 00:16:08.080 So he held this unwavering belief in the goodness of God. 00:16:08.320 --> 00:16:12.720 Second thing we must believe to get closer to God is that God rewards our seeking him. 00:16:12.879 --> 00:16:14.320 That's a second thing he says. 00:16:14.480 --> 00:16:19.840 You know, the Bible says in James 4, verse 8, that God rewards those. 00:16:20.159 --> 00:16:23.360 If we draw near to him, he draws near to us. 00:16:23.600 --> 00:16:25.679 He rewards us with that promise. 00:16:26.159 --> 00:16:29.120 When we draw near to God, he will draw near to us. 00:16:29.279 --> 00:16:30.240 Think about that. 00:16:30.559 --> 00:16:33.600 Take a step toward God, and God will take a step toward you. 00:16:33.759 --> 00:16:35.200 And the reward is is what? 00:16:35.360 --> 00:16:42.000 It's a deeper intimacy and fellowship with God, maybe than we've ever known, simply by moving closer. 00:16:43.120 --> 00:16:55.279 And I was thinking about this, it just like there's a there's a light switch in our hallway that uh, you know, when all the kids were there, it uh if you flip the light switch, the inner the internet would go off. 00:16:55.919 --> 00:16:59.519 You know, and it's right by beside the other light switch. 00:16:59.840 --> 00:17:04.880 And uh, you know, I'd find out the internet would, I'd be working at the computer and the and the thing would go down. 00:17:04.960 --> 00:17:06.720 I was like, who turned that off? 00:17:07.359 --> 00:17:08.960 You turned off the wrong light. 00:17:09.039 --> 00:17:12.000 It's the internet that's that's off, not the light. 00:17:12.319 --> 00:17:26.160 Anyway, it's like that's how can how we can really think of uh it's like a light, so we can either turn that pursuit of a God and that belief of God on and off and make that connection with God, and everything will change. 00:17:26.319 --> 00:17:27.200 It's our choice. 00:17:27.359 --> 00:17:28.240 It's our choice. 00:17:28.480 --> 00:17:29.440 You see that? 00:17:29.839 --> 00:17:34.079 So seeking him is an expression of faith, and it's pleasing to God. 00:17:34.240 --> 00:17:41.119 I think God, I think it just warms the heart of God when our goal is to seek him and to please him in everything. 00:17:41.359 --> 00:17:43.359 So believe in him, seeking him. 00:17:43.759 --> 00:17:50.960 And not only did Enoch hold this unwavering belief in the goodness of God, second thing, God had a heart. 00:17:51.039 --> 00:17:54.079 I mean, Enoch had a heart for the next generation. 00:17:54.720 --> 00:17:56.880 Enoch had a heart for the next generation. 00:17:56.960 --> 00:17:58.000 You say, how do you know that? 00:17:58.160 --> 00:18:01.680 Well, let's go back to Genesis 5, verses 21 and 22. 00:18:01.759 --> 00:18:06.960 It says, When Enoch had lived 65 years, he fathered Methuselah. 00:18:09.119 --> 00:18:16.400 Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters. 00:18:16.559 --> 00:18:20.240 Notice Enoch didn't start his journey with God until when? 00:18:21.119 --> 00:18:22.640 After he became a dad. 00:18:23.440 --> 00:18:24.880 After he became a father. 00:18:25.839 --> 00:18:28.720 Sixty-five years, and then he started walking with God. 00:18:28.880 --> 00:18:34.880 And at that point, he must have realized like all dads do typically is I need to make some changes here. 00:18:35.200 --> 00:18:39.359 Because I can't pass on me to this next generation as I am. 00:18:39.519 --> 00:18:43.279 He he had this uh this sense, and every dad I think has this. 00:18:43.920 --> 00:18:47.039 He had a responsibility now that he didn't have before. 00:18:47.200 --> 00:18:50.720 I remember when we had kids, I thought things are gonna change. 00:18:51.359 --> 00:18:52.720 And I knew it. 00:18:53.119 --> 00:18:54.400 And it's sobering. 00:18:54.880 --> 00:18:57.519 And I think this is what Enoch experienced. 00:18:57.680 --> 00:19:12.880 You know, I just say a word to dads and granddads here, and even for those who are moms that don't have dads in the home, uh, there's no greater task for you than to to teach and train your kids in the things of God, like your kids and your grandkids. 00:19:13.119 --> 00:19:14.640 What a privilege that is. 00:19:15.519 --> 00:19:19.519 And I I I just wish I had seen that sooner than I did. 00:19:20.160 --> 00:19:23.440 You know, and maybe maybe Enoch did too. 00:19:24.000 --> 00:19:27.920 65 years is a long time before you start walking with him. 00:19:28.559 --> 00:19:35.440 And whether you're you realize it or not, you are the prophet, priest, and king in your own home for the good purpose of God. 00:19:35.599 --> 00:19:37.839 Don't leave that job up to anyone else. 00:19:38.079 --> 00:19:39.039 Just exhort you. 00:19:39.119 --> 00:19:40.640 Don't leave it to anyone else. 00:19:41.119 --> 00:19:47.599 Be the man, be the spiritual leader in your home while there's time, because time goes by so fast. 00:19:48.880 --> 00:19:54.000 And and for your older dads, don't don't retire at 65. 00:19:55.200 --> 00:19:58.319 You know, that's when that's when Enoch started, right? 00:19:59.440 --> 00:20:03.279 And for the next 300 years, he influenced his family. 00:20:04.000 --> 00:20:05.680 300 years. 00:20:06.000 --> 00:20:08.640 And uh Enoch didn't always walk with God, did he? 00:20:08.799 --> 00:20:10.079 But he he changed. 00:20:10.240 --> 00:20:11.440 This changed. 00:20:12.000 --> 00:20:18.960 And I don't think we we often consider the importance of our own spiritual say influence. 00:20:19.599 --> 00:20:21.680 We think we don't matter that much. 00:20:23.519 --> 00:20:27.759 We don't see maybe until it's too late, we be we need to change. 00:20:28.400 --> 00:20:31.519 We're not just helping them change, we're we're needing to change as well. 00:20:31.759 --> 00:20:43.119 And you think of this, Enoch had a lot shorter time to do that than any of these other patriarchs because uh really the average lifespan of these patriarchs is 912 years. 00:20:43.440 --> 00:20:52.559 And uh Enoch's influence amounted to less than half of that, but yet he made the greatest impact because he was walking with God. 00:20:53.359 --> 00:20:54.799 You see how that that works? 00:20:54.960 --> 00:20:58.960 We can we can we can kind of catch up if we pursue God like that. 00:20:59.279 --> 00:21:02.720 Interesting note about Enoch, his son Methuselah. 00:21:03.519 --> 00:21:07.519 Does anybody have any anyone that's named their kids Methuselah? 00:21:07.920 --> 00:21:09.279 That would probably not be good. 00:21:11.200 --> 00:21:12.240 What do we know him for? 00:21:12.799 --> 00:21:16.240 The the oldest man who ever lived, what how old did he live? 00:21:17.119 --> 00:21:17.839 969. 00:21:18.319 --> 00:21:20.000 969 years. 00:21:20.319 --> 00:21:22.160 969 years. 00:21:22.319 --> 00:21:23.359 So here's the thing. 00:21:23.440 --> 00:21:27.759 When you look at the meaning of Methuselah's name, it's kind of like a combo name. 00:21:27.920 --> 00:21:30.400 There's a first half and the second half of it. 00:21:30.640 --> 00:21:32.720 Uh but it's prophetic. 00:21:32.960 --> 00:21:35.759 It's prophetic, not pathetic, prophetic. 00:21:36.079 --> 00:21:41.839 Prophetic if you pathetic if you name your kid that, but it's it's a it's a combo name. 00:21:41.920 --> 00:21:47.519 The first part of his name, it means when he is dead, it will come. 00:21:49.759 --> 00:21:51.200 Or it will be sent. 00:21:53.200 --> 00:21:54.319 What will be sent? 00:21:56.319 --> 00:21:57.039 The flood. 00:21:57.680 --> 00:21:59.759 A lot of commentators think it was during that time when. 00:22:00.319 --> 00:22:10.640 When uh Methuselah's birth was happening, going on God revealed to Enoch that uh that was the reality of a coming flood. 00:22:12.640 --> 00:22:23.200 And then the second half of his name means man of a javelin and refers to some kind of weapon and a dart or a javelin, sort of like a missile. 00:22:23.440 --> 00:22:30.000 And uh so taken together these two components of his name, maybe something like parting gift. 00:22:30.160 --> 00:22:31.359 This is a parting gift. 00:22:31.440 --> 00:22:36.160 So let's let's do a little math here, and we'll get a little closer to this. 00:22:36.240 --> 00:22:45.119 If you add up the length of uh time between Methuselah's birth and Noah entering the ark, it is 969 years. 00:22:45.279 --> 00:22:46.079 So, what does it tell you? 00:22:46.240 --> 00:22:51.920 Enoch, I mean the Methuselah died in the year of the flood. 00:22:52.960 --> 00:22:58.400 And so, in some senses, the flood was sent like a javelin to the earth. 00:22:58.880 --> 00:23:03.200 And Enoch was Methuselah was a sign for that, the prophetic sign for that. 00:23:03.279 --> 00:23:11.279 You know, it's amazing to think about what we uh think about when considering the long lifespans, as I say, of these patriarchs. 00:23:12.160 --> 00:23:19.680 And I think, you know, if you think of how these years overlapped, I did this this past week, and I was kind of like, wow, I'd never thought about that before. 00:23:19.759 --> 00:23:24.000 But Methuselah was probably able to talk to his grandson Noah. 00:23:24.319 --> 00:23:26.400 So they discussed these things. 00:23:26.720 --> 00:23:29.680 Noah and his family, even, his great-grandkids. 00:23:29.839 --> 00:23:33.839 So by faith, Enoch is passing his faith on to the next generation. 00:23:34.000 --> 00:23:35.359 That's what I'm getting at. 00:23:35.599 --> 00:23:38.079 So we see that thing as an outcome of his faith. 00:23:38.240 --> 00:23:48.000 The third way we see Enoch playing out his faith, living out his faith, and pleasing God was that Enoch made a defining choice to live above his dark culture. 00:23:48.559 --> 00:23:49.920 And it was a dark culture. 00:23:50.079 --> 00:23:51.519 We think our culture was dark. 00:23:51.680 --> 00:23:55.759 It was dark enough for God to destroy the earth over it. 00:23:56.079 --> 00:24:02.400 Enoch lived about 400 years before Noah, and uh his great-grandson was Noah. 00:24:02.720 --> 00:24:14.799 And the Bible describes it like this it describes the the world as being exceptionally violent and wicked, time when no one, virtually no one, paid any attention to God. 00:24:15.039 --> 00:24:18.160 And uh that was probably the same in the days of Enoch, too. 00:24:18.319 --> 00:24:21.200 I mean, it was getting to be a dark, dark world. 00:24:21.359 --> 00:24:25.039 And the reason Enoch is singled out here is simply one reason. 00:24:25.119 --> 00:24:32.799 His godly example, it stood out like a striking contrast in a dark world, kind of light in a in a dark place. 00:24:33.359 --> 00:24:39.359 And so he didn't, what I want you to see is he didn't succumb to the darkness, which is really amazing. 00:24:39.599 --> 00:24:44.559 So, so we often we get discouraged, we get just just like what does it matter? 00:24:44.720 --> 00:24:51.119 We get uh apathetic, um, cynical about the things that are going on around us. 00:24:51.279 --> 00:24:52.400 That wasn't Enoch. 00:24:52.960 --> 00:24:56.480 His faith kept him living a holy life. 00:24:56.640 --> 00:25:00.880 We can say it like that, he lived a holy life, and everybody saw it. 00:25:01.759 --> 00:25:12.640 Well, what a testimony to live a holy life in a dark world, to live a holy life in your workplace, to live a holy life in your in your family or in in relationships you have. 00:25:12.799 --> 00:25:14.400 Well, it makes an impact. 00:25:14.640 --> 00:25:19.759 You know, some of the most impactful examples are people who live by faith in dark places. 00:25:20.400 --> 00:25:27.279 And maybe, maybe this morning you're you're someone who's walking through one of those, or maybe you're you're helping someone walk through a dark place. 00:25:27.440 --> 00:25:31.119 Maybe it's a it's a physical problem or a financial issue. 00:25:31.440 --> 00:25:34.880 We live and we go through difficult things, dark places. 00:25:35.599 --> 00:25:40.319 But Enoch reminds us is that God will be with you through it. 00:25:42.720 --> 00:25:45.599 And number four, what do we see? 00:25:45.839 --> 00:25:51.200 Enoch displayed an extraordinary boldness to speak truth in a godless age. 00:25:52.559 --> 00:25:57.920 And although he lived in this corrupt pre-flood world, he didn't, what did he not do? 00:25:58.079 --> 00:25:59.599 He didn't remain silent. 00:26:01.200 --> 00:26:02.960 He instead he prophesied. 00:26:03.839 --> 00:26:09.599 And uh in fact, he became a preacher of righteousness in this dark age. 00:26:10.240 --> 00:26:17.279 And that in fact, that prophecy is given to us in the book called Jude. 00:26:18.160 --> 00:26:23.359 Jude's recording his prophecy in Jude 1, 14, and 15. 00:26:23.440 --> 00:26:24.000 Let me just read it. 00:26:24.079 --> 00:26:35.119 It says it was about these, he's talking about these, these, these uh in in Jude's circumstance, it was false teachers who were bringing untruth into the church. 00:26:35.200 --> 00:26:52.160 But it was about these, it says, 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. 00:26:52.319 --> 00:26:52.799 You hear that? 00:26:53.039 --> 00:26:54.799 Ungodly, ungodly, ungodly. 00:26:54.880 --> 00:26:59.359 And all of them, the harsh things that the ungodly sinners have spoken against him. 00:26:59.680 --> 00:27:08.079 You know, uh, Jude probably would not have been invited to any kind of uh church to preach, because he's telling them the truth. 00:27:08.160 --> 00:27:09.599 There's judgment coming. 00:27:09.759 --> 00:27:18.480 Not only for Enoch's day, it was the flood, but Jude is talking about the coming of Christ. 00:27:18.640 --> 00:27:20.799 Yes, judgment day. 00:27:21.359 --> 00:27:24.160 So it's not only a message for them, it's a message for us. 00:27:24.240 --> 00:27:27.599 It was a far-reaching prophecy that even speaks today. 00:27:28.720 --> 00:27:31.759 I want to say a brief word about this book of Enoch. 00:27:31.920 --> 00:27:35.599 I don't want to spend too much time on it because it's really, but it's it's a popular thing. 00:27:35.680 --> 00:27:38.079 There's even a movie, I think, called The Book of Enoch. 00:27:38.240 --> 00:27:46.400 It's actually not just one book, it's several books that are compiled together, and uh they're, as I say, pretty popular right now. 00:27:46.640 --> 00:27:50.160 And it and it was the case in the early church. 00:27:50.400 --> 00:27:55.359 Um, some things in it are true, as what we read in Jude. 00:27:55.680 --> 00:28:00.160 His prophecy is true, and some things are pretty questionable. 00:28:00.960 --> 00:28:06.240 And uh, you know, I just think it's okay to read it, uh, but it's not scripture. 00:28:06.960 --> 00:28:09.920 Don't put it on a par of the scriptures. 00:28:10.160 --> 00:28:20.160 In fact, even the uh the early Jewish saints, nor the the early church, thought it was scripture, but they read it. 00:28:20.640 --> 00:28:24.079 And um you say, well, Jude quotes from it, doesn't he? 00:28:24.240 --> 00:28:25.920 He quotes from it in the book of Enoch. 00:28:26.160 --> 00:28:29.440 That it's in the scriptures, and that doesn't mean it's scripture. 00:28:29.519 --> 00:28:38.720 He uses it really as an example to illustrate that the God's judgment is gonna come on and fall on the ungodly, these ungodly teachers he's talking about. 00:28:38.880 --> 00:28:46.720 So it's almost like we would take and read a book or watch a movie and use that thing in the book as an example for trying to prove our point. 00:28:46.880 --> 00:28:47.519 You see? 00:28:47.920 --> 00:28:51.599 So, anyway, just that's enough about the book of Enoch, but I wanted to mention that. 00:28:51.759 --> 00:28:53.680 Number five, let's look at this. 00:28:53.839 --> 00:28:56.480 Watch the outcome of Enoch's faith. 00:28:56.640 --> 00:29:03.440 Enoch focused his whole life simply on pleasing God, simply on pleasing God. 00:29:03.599 --> 00:29:07.680 Twice we see that in Genesis 5.24, it says, Enoch walk with God. 00:29:07.920 --> 00:29:09.200 Enoch walk with God. 00:29:09.279 --> 00:29:14.880 And that's there because um, you know, he wants us to see that this is what Enoch's life was like. 00:29:15.039 --> 00:29:26.160 You know, the the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament, it changes the way that Genesis writes it. 00:29:26.240 --> 00:29:34.480 It says there in Genesis, Enoch walk with God, but they translate it in the Septuagint as Enoch pleased God. 00:29:34.799 --> 00:29:36.000 So what does that say? 00:29:36.160 --> 00:29:38.480 It says, walking with God, what does it mean? 00:29:38.799 --> 00:29:40.880 It's a metaphor for pleasing God. 00:29:41.200 --> 00:29:42.799 That's that's kind of the idea. 00:29:42.960 --> 00:29:46.880 Walking is a metaphor for a lifestyle that pleases God. 00:29:47.119 --> 00:29:48.559 And so that's what we're talking about. 00:29:48.640 --> 00:29:50.400 And it's repeated there, as I say, twice. 00:29:50.720 --> 00:29:53.519 Here's the thing Enoch had a really simple faith. 00:29:53.759 --> 00:29:55.279 I just think he had a simple faith. 00:29:55.440 --> 00:30:01.680 If if all you focuses on, or focuses on is that I get up every day and here's my agenda. 00:30:02.160 --> 00:30:03.119 Please God. 00:30:03.759 --> 00:30:16.880 In fact, you know, if you think about it, you you get the the impression Enoch's pleasing God was his one item on the the to-do list. 00:30:17.279 --> 00:30:24.160 I mean, if if if pleasing God was the thing of the day, everything else on his to-do list was about how to please God. 00:30:25.119 --> 00:30:26.799 What if we live like that? 00:30:28.559 --> 00:30:30.160 Transform our lives. 00:30:32.000 --> 00:30:33.839 Everything focused on that goal. 00:30:34.160 --> 00:30:37.200 Did you know that this was Jesus' primary motivation? 00:30:38.640 --> 00:30:46.720 In John 8, 29, he declared, The one who sent me is with me, he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him. 00:30:47.839 --> 00:30:57.039 Under the principle that God pleasing him is the greatest and the single most important thing we could do in life. 00:30:57.680 --> 00:31:01.039 So Paul exhorts us to that in 2 Corinthians 5. 00:31:01.119 --> 00:31:05.599 He says, make it your aim to please him, whether at home in the body or away from him. 00:31:05.680 --> 00:31:10.079 In other words, regardless of the conditions, make it your goal to please God. 00:31:10.960 --> 00:31:15.279 So now we've seen Enoch's extraordinary privilege. 00:31:15.440 --> 00:31:16.240 He doesn't die. 00:31:16.319 --> 00:31:19.279 He's taken before he dies by God. 00:31:19.599 --> 00:31:21.759 We've seen Enoch's singular focus. 00:31:21.839 --> 00:31:24.240 He lived to please God above everything else. 00:31:24.559 --> 00:31:27.200 We see that how it's played out because of his faith. 00:31:27.279 --> 00:31:29.440 Now, what does all this mean to us? 00:31:30.400 --> 00:31:35.920 How can we exercise our faith and walk with God like Enoch did in a dark place? 00:31:36.640 --> 00:31:40.559 And to answer that, let's look at the third thing Enoch's consistent walk. 00:31:40.799 --> 00:31:46.160 And I think there's just four principles I want to give you that are uh that we can adopt from Enoch's life. 00:31:46.319 --> 00:31:47.759