Walking with God

Good morning. I Need two volunteers today. Here's one volunteer. Here's another Maybe there's enough for everybody to have one. We'll see. So I appreciate the opportunity to be here today. I've included a handout partly because I used to be a teacher and partly because This message includes a number of different verses of scripture.

So if you miss any of those references, at least you can look down and possibly it's there in the handout. It's been over 30 years now since I preached regularly as a pastor of a local church where I was involved with Preparing a message every Sunday.

I've spent most of my life teaching Bible at various seminaries. Now I preach only occasionally. So when I preach I look for Topics that seem to be particularly significant to me or things that God's Dealing with me in my own life.

So this message today partly grows out of my own life. I don't know if it's because I'm getting older, but I've been thinking about three questions one of these questions is How I can make the rest of my life count for eternity count for God's kingdom.

I Don't know what time or energy I have left But I want to be a wise steward of whatever he entrusts into my care. In other words, I want to live well. Second one I want to die well, and hopefully I'm not too Solemn here today.

I remember when I was younger I used to think Maybe I'll be alive when the Lord returns now I seem to have different reminders that my body is getting older and weaker and frailer and Not any great significant health issues, but at least enough to remind me.

You know, God has not designed our present bodies to last forever here in this present world. That's not his plan so that I At least want to prepare to die. Well, and for what that what that means to me is that I want to build up gather up the different promises of God from his words so that I can Whenever God calls me to go through that final experience called death, you know Assuming for the moment the Lord does not return first that God would give me the grace and Die in a way that would honor him.

So that's my second goal is to die. Well third is I want to do what I can to prepare myself for eternity. You know if we're going to live for eternity That's worth thinking about some of us like myself are retired and you can at least ask yourself if you're younger How can you prepare for retirement or here we are in the midst of retirement.

How can we use this time, but we're talking now about eternity and eternity. Guess what it lasts forever. So you're thinking about saving up for retirement. You might want to save up for eternity and lay up treasures where God tells you to lay them up.

So this third thought is preparing ourselves for eternity and as I've reflected on this theme of How these are all interrelated to each other. How we live impacts how we die. How we live determines where we'll end up eternally whether we'll be in the joys of God's presence for eternity or Suffering the loss and agony of being apart from him for all eternity under his wrath.

And as I've reflected on this theme of living well I've come back to this character that is mentioned in scripture. His name is Enoch and Scripture doesn't tell us a lot about him, but it does tell us he walked with God.

So here's the thought that's been on my own mind and heart. What does it mean for me to walk with God? What does it mean for you to walk with God? So that's kind of a key question. So I want us to look at few verses of scripture that I've chosen for today and it's Genesis 5 21 to 24.

Genesis 5 21 to 24. I'll read it to you. The context of Genesis 5 as some of you may know is it's a long list of genealogies. Begins by talking about Adam talks about how long he lived and When one of his children was born when Seth was born and then how much longer he lived.

Then it goes down to Seth and how long he lived before he had a child and how long he lived After he had a child and it keeps going verse after verse. Tracing the original Line of descent of these individuals and then in verses 21 through 24.

It talks about Enoch. So I'm going to read these verses out loud to you. This is going to be part of the focus of what we're going to look at today. I suppose there's maybe two different themes for today.

One is a character study the person of Enoch. What do we know about Enoch? Second is more of a topical study. What do we know about walking with God? And we're going to use Enoch as a key means of discerning.

What does it mean to walk with God? So here's our scripture for today. Genesis 5 21 to 24. Enoch lived 65 years and begot Methuselah. After he begot Methuselah Enoch walked with God. That's that expression 300 years and had sons and daughters.

So all the days of Enoch were 365 years and Enoch walked with God and was not for God took him. Like us to bow our heads and pray and ask God to illumine his word to us here today. Father we have come dependent on your spirit.

We look to you for help. We cry out to you for help. Pray that you teach us more about yourself more about your word more about the hope and promises that we find in scripture. And most of all that we would learn what it is to walk worthy of you here in this present life.

We might die well that we might inherit the kingdom. We pray this in Jesus name. Amen. As far as I'm concerned Enoch is one of these obscure Old Testament figures from the earliest period of Old Testament history.

We know relatively little about him. Other than he was an early descendant of Adam and Eve. He lived long before Noah and the Ark and the story of the flood his name shows up in some genealogies. Elsewhere in Scripture we find in 1st Chronicles 1.

There's a long list of genealogies Enoch's name shows up there. He's also one of the ancestors of our Lord. In Luke chapter 3 there's a genealogy of Jesus Christ and again his name shows up there. The most extensive genealogy is the one we're looking at here in Genesis 5.

We know from Genesis 5 that Enoch must have been married since he has a son named Methuselah as Well as a number of other sons and daughters. We don't know any of we don't know his wife's name. We don't know the other sons and daughters other than his firstborn who's Methuselah.

Incidentally Methuselah is the person who lived the longest of anyone we read about in the Bible an amazing 600. Excuse me amazing 969 years and Methuselah died the same year that the flood took place.

When Noah had built an ark for the saving of himself his immediate family and different animals and birds and so on in the New Testament. Jude tells us more about Enoch in verses 14 and 15 of the book of Jude.

He begins by describing Enoch as a seventh generation from Adam. Now if we do some calculating using the information that's given to us in Genesis 5 We can see that Enoch would have lived some 687 years after the creation of the world.

That's my calculation you can double-check my math there if you want, but something like 687 years and. So the earth is still fairly new. And then Jude goes on to quote Enoch as prophesying. 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've committed in such an ungodly way.

And of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him. So we here we can see way back at the I'm gonna say the very beginning of time we're some 600 years whatever it is beyond creation and Already God is warning people about the need to prepare for coming judgment.

Sin entered the world with Adam and Eve and things were downhill from there and we see things steadily going downhill. Here's a story of Noah in the flood and God essentially gives a new beginning to this world and Sometimes we could wish in our own lives.

Only I could have a new beginning. I do things better second time around and God gives this world a new beginning with the story of Noah in the flood. But guess what things still go downhill just as they did before.

We need a new heart. We need more than just a new beginning. We need a God to change us. But probably the best known quotation about Enoch is found. That's found in the New Testament is in the list of the heroes of the faith in Hebrews 11.

So here's something about Enoch. He's one of the heroes of the faith read in Hebrews 11 5 by faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death and he was not found. Because God had taken him for before he was taken he had this testimony that he pleased God.

The one detail about Enoch's life that stands out that he is apparently one of only two individuals in Biblical history that never experienced physical death. Genesis 5 24 that I read a moment ago scripture reading explains this true.

Simply as Enoch walked with God and was not for God took him. Hebrews 11 5 provides a little more commentary a little more discussion. It says by faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death.

And he was not found because God had taken him for behold. For before he was taken he had this testimony that he pleased God. The other person who apparently never experienced physical death was the Old Testament prophet Elijah.

Some of you know this story in 2nd Kings. We read in 2nd Kings 2 1 how the Lord was about to take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind. At a time when Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. Read the actual story that marks the end of Elijah's Earthly life in 2nd Kings 2 11 and following.

That it happened as they continued on and talk. This is Elijah and Elisha suddenly a chariot of fire appeared from with horses of fire and separated the two of them. And Elijah went up in the whirlwind into heaven and Elisha's son cried out my father.

My father the chariot of Israel the horsemen and he saw him no more. It's interesting how God calls his people home to him in all kinds of amazing ways. Two months ago Helen's cousin died simply in his sleep.

Nurse the nursing home checked him at 5 a .m. He was breathing normally. When she came back to wake him up at 6 o 'clock. He was gone. Years ago. I knew an older Saint the Lord who was sitting in his dining room reading his Bible.

Slumped over he was dead. One Sunday morning years ago. Close friend of mine was preaching in a church that I used to pastor years ago. I was not there at the time. He was preaching and he died of a heart attack while he was preaching.

What calls us home in strange ways? Examples, I've chosen in illustrate the suddenness and unexpectedness of death. Because I want to challenge us that we need to be ready to meet the Lord. Other people die very different deaths.

Some die very difficult deaths in great pain and physical agony where their death really comes as an answer to prayer. Other people's deaths are long and slow. For example, I feel that we lost my mother To dementia about five years before her physical body finally died.

You know for that five years far as I was concerned you really could not have a serious or significant conversation with her. You know, so some people's God works in each of our lives differently. Here's I think latest statistic eight billion people in this world.

Each one is created different. Each one has different life experiences and As the Lord tarries each one will die a different kind of death so the question is How can we prepare for death? And the answer is we prepare for death by the way that we live.

And.

Enoch prepared for his home going by his walking with God. For a believer, there's an intimate connection between how we live and how we die. This was true of Enoch who is our key biblical character in this morning's message.

Genesis 5 24 tells us Enoch walked with God and was not for God took him. What happens to a Christian when he or she dies. What's it like for a Christian to enter into glory? Some of you remember the story of the thief on the cross and Jesus promised in Luke 23 43.

Jesus said today you'll be with me in paradise. Apostle Paul's an older man just Talked about his longing for life to come this way in Philippians 1 23. I'm hard-pressed between the two having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.

But there's more to heaven than a glorious destination. There's also a continuous presence with God a continuous presence. Specifically with Christ if we've come to know Christ here in this present life if we're walking with him every day.

Then we also experience Christ as we go through the valley of the shadow of physical death and Then we continue entered into an eternity with Christ in the life to come. So in one sense not a lot changes if we're walking with Christ now, we'll walk with him forever through death through eternity.

And again, I'm speaking specifically experience of Christians flip side is that If you're without Christ in this present life You'll be without Christ is your Good Shepherd as you go through that experience of physical death.

You'll be on your own at the final judgment you'll be without Christ and his blessings for all eternity. So what we're talking about here Involves a new heart or being born again a gift that only God can give but even for the believer.

There's still a need for spiritual growth. This is part of what it means to be transformed. Paul tells us or be conformed to the image of his son Jesus Christ. Through a process we sometimes describe as sanctification.

We're using the language of today's message. It involves learning to walk with God. Right here in this present life. And apparently this was Enoch's experience. Our text in Genesis 5 24 tells us Enoch walked with God.

He was not. For God took him and in Hebrews 11 5 elaborates by faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death. It was not found because God had taken him for before he was Taken he had this testimony that he pleased God.

What we see here is a conscious continuous experience of walking with God and Then suddenly finding ourselves in God's immediate presence. Question how is Enoch's experience different from ours? Enoch's experience is different in two ways.

First of all, there was no body to bury. Hebrews 11 5 tells us he was not found. Meaning his physical body was not found. We also know this was true of Elijah's death as well. Some of you may remember that Elijah was taken to heaven in a chariot of fire in 2nd Kings 2 and The story continues on in 2nd Kings 2 16 when the sons of the Prophet begged Elisha to send out 50 young men.

They told Elijah look now there are 50 strong men with your servants. Please send them out and search for your master that but less perhaps the Spirit of the Lord has taken him away and cast him upon some mountain or into some valley and He said you should not send anyone.

But they pressured Elijah so that he finally let them go to see whether Elijah or at least his body could be found somewhere close by. Where it would have been deposited from that whirlwind from heaven.

There's a time there was a tornado years ago and we found in our front lawn a mitten. Who knows where did it come from? It came from that tornado somewhere. Somebody's house blew apart and here was a mitten that landed in our front yard.

And so they're thinking well. Maybe Elisha's body's like that somewhere. But as you some of you know the answer to that question Elijah's body was never found. Second difference between Enoch and us is that Enoch's life was apparently characterized by an exemplary walk with God.

Every believer has a walk with God or they wouldn't be a believer, but there's something unusual and remarkable about Enoch's walk with God. There's a question. What do you want to be remembered for a week and a day ago?

Helen and I were at her cousin David's graveside service and it took place in a family plot in a cemetery where there's a whole row of family gravestones and Each these tombstones was engraved with a person's name individual ones each person's name birth year and death year.

But.

Cousin David had deliberately chosen to have something else written on his glory to God. This is what he wanted to be remembered for. Grew up in a family that I'm gonna say was not you know. There were some Christians in it, but it was best a mixed family of mixed marriage mixed everything and there was.

But this is what he wanted to be remembered for glory to God. God tells us here in our text in Genesis 5 what he wants us to remember about Enoch. He walked with God. This is the single best way of summing up his life.

What does it mean to walk with God? Our goal this morning is to focus in the description of Enoch walking with God in Genesis 5 22 and 24. Verse 22 after he begot Methuselah. Enoch walked with God 300 years.

Notice that phrase 300 years. That's a long time, isn't it? And had other sons and daughters. Notice the phrase 300 years. Verse 24 Enoch walked with God and was not for God took him. I know what you think about other translations.

New living translation translates this last verse. Genesis 5 24 is Enoch walked in close fellowship with God. Then one day he disappeared because God took him. Eugene Peterson's message. Bible translation of Genesis 5 24 is that Enoch walks steadily with God and.

One day he was simply gone God took him. It's also remember that this phrase walking with God is explained for us in Hebrews 11 5 is Enoch having pleased God. Question wants to think about what does it mean for us to walk with God or to please him?

Certainly, this was Enoch's experience. What does it look like in our lives? Here wants to think about the illustration of Psalm 23. This is an illustration of David. 23rd Psalm makes a clear connection between walking and living the Christian life.

We see in verse 4 even though I walk use that same verb through the valley of the shadow of death. I will fear. No evil fear are with me your rod and your staff. They comfort me. David's talking about his relationship with God in verse 1 when he says the Lord is my shepherd.

And because of that he can say I shall not want. What David thinks about God he thinks about how God is like a shepherd who provides for his sheep. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me besides still waters.

He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Walking involves all the intimacy with God described here. Symbolically as lying down in green pastures and walking along still waters.

David immediately elaborates on this and tells us that walking with God means being led along in. The paths of righteousness for his name's sake. So in a sense we do the walking. God does the leading.

But we're following.

New element is introduced in verse 4 of Psalm 23. Yeah, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. I will fear no evil for you're with me your rod and your staff. They comfort me. Here I believe the imagery of the shadow of death can refer to any dark or scary experience God allows into the lives of his people.

Sometimes many of us imagine the land of Israel is one continuous expanse of green pastures and still waters. It's kind of a continuous Garden of Eden kind of thing those of us who have been to Israel know that's not true on the whole.

It's more of a dry barren rocky land with only occasional places of green pasture and still waters. Separated by dark canyons and with all kinds of potential dangers. The good shepherd knows where he's going.

The good shepherd knows where he can find pasture for his sheep. He knows where he can find water for his sheep and so does our heavenly good good shepherd. We shouldn't be surprised that God leads us through various valleys the shadow of death.

Those of us who are here today have gone through any number of difficult experiences or what we could call valleys of the shadow of death. Where we had to die to ourselves and many of our hopes and dreams.

Paul warns us of this in Philippians 1 29. I want to read Philippians 1 29 for it's been granted to you that for the sake of Christ. You should not only believe in him but also suffer for his for his sake.

Many of us think that maybe half the verse is enough for it's granted to you. That for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him. But guess what he continues on and says but also suffer for his sake.

That suffering is part of the Christian life as well as believing in Christ. Philippians, excuse me, Psalm 23 continues on. David reminds us. It's ultimately about believers and not literal sheep at all.

Language changes in the final two verses from animal husbandry to God's relationship with human beings living in a right relationship with himself. You prepare me a table you prepare a table before me in the presence of mine enemies.

You anoint my head with oil. My cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. David's not talking about literal sheep sitting at a table.

He's talking about human beings and that was the theme of the whole psalm. God is preparing a heavenly banquet for his people. But at the same time God also Reminds us there'll be dark scary places along the way as well as green pastures and refreshing still waters before we safely arrive home in.

Glory.

These difficult places include all kinds of experiences. One of these is physical death, but there's far more than that. But our lesson here today is if we're prepared for life, we're also prepared for death.

Whenever and however, it may come the flip side is if we're not prepared for life, we're not prepared for death either. The secret is both to both living well and dying. Well is found in the phrase walking with God.

Or pleasing God as Hebrews 11 phrases it. But a focus on three aspects of walking with God that stand out to me as I think about this topic. Imagery of walking together clearly suggests first of all a personal relationship with God.

Language of walking with someone suggests that we know the other person there's a close and definite relationship between us. We all know for out walking it's possible to bump into someone, you know. Unexpectedly or it's possible to meet someone for the first time you can even stop and chat with them for a few minutes.

You might even discover that your paths correspond with each other for a short period of time. But these kind of chance encounters are not what we normally mean when we speak about walking with another person.

We assume a personal relationship. Where we know that other person and are in a definite relationship with them. In particular the expression walking with God suggests what's sometimes described in Scripture as a covenant relationship.

Here with the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah how he describes this covenant relationship in Genesis. Excuse me in Jeremiah 31 33. For this is a covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days declares the Lord I will put my law within them and I will write it on their hearts and I will be their God and they shall be my.

People.

It's what a covenant relationship is all about. God becomes our God we become his people we enter into a covenant relationship with him. Covenant relationship most of us are most familiar with is marriage.

Marriage begins with a public commitment to each other. Often we use words like I take you to be my wedded wife or husband. Covenant like commitment in marriage is a promise to each other that involves all kinds of commitments that we make to each other.

For example my in my wedding vows. I made with Helen I promised I Brian take you Helen to be my wife. To have and to hold from this day forward for better for worse. For richer for poorer sickness and in health.

To love and to cherish until death does us part. Marriage involves a commitment. Theology of marriage reminds us that we should expect certain parallels between marriage and our covenant relationship with God.

Marriage begins with a commitment to each other. Our relationship with God begins with a commitment to God where we commit ourselves to him to be.

Our God.

Accept what he has done for us in Christ and commit ourselves to be his people. This is part of what it means for God to be our God and for us to be his people. This is what's described here in our passages scripture in terms of Enoch walking with God.

He's entered into a personal relationship with God. It wasn't the process of living out that relationship. Biblically we know that God is the one who invites us into that kind of a new relationship with him and God is the one who has made this new relationship possible through the life and death of his son Jesus Christ.

Walking with God is simply another description we find in the Bible for living out this new relationship with God. So for a child with God we can say we're walking with him. But there's still something remarkable about Enoch's walk with God.

Enoch was walking with God in a way Was the single thing that best summed up his life. This is what made Enoch the man that he was he walked with God. Second thing about walking with God. Lesson from walking with God.

There's a common life direction or goal. When we're walking with someone else not only on the same road with them, but we're also headed in the same direction. Going to the same destination walking at the same pace.

We can meet all kinds of people on this journey we call life. But unless we're headed in the same direction and going the same place and endeavoring to walk at the same pace. We'll never go very far together with them.

Certainly we really can't walk together with someone unless they're headed in the same Destination and have a common understanding of how we're going to get there. The Old Testament prophet Amos described this reality this way in Amos 3 3 can two walk together unless they be agreed.

There's a popular saying that all roads lead to Rome. Actually this saying that all roads lead to Rome seems to Originate more in the medieval times. It's a proverb that Had developed in this saying means that all choices methods and actions eventually lead to the same result.

Now if we go back to ancient Roman times this statement had a literal meaning. Roman Empire had an advanced system of roads and all the major roads led to the capital. We can debate how accurate this statement is about all roads leading to Rome in the ancient world.

But certainly we need to recognize that this Roman road system was one of the amazing engineering feats of its day. There had never been a road system like that before. But hopefully we know it doesn't work spiritually.

All religions do not lead to the same destination. One of the main themes in scriptures ultimately there are only two ways. Proverbs 16 25 tells us. There's a way that seems right to a man, but the end is the way of death.

So there's always a right way in a wrong way. Jesus describes this reality this way in the Sermon the Mount in Matthew 7 verses 13 and 14. Enter by the narrow gate for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction.

And there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way that leads to life and there are few who find it. On another occasion Jesus said in John 10 verse 9. I'm the door if any enters by me He will be saved and went and out find pasture.

The bottom line is that we need Jesus. Jesus is the one who said in John 14 6. I'm the way the truth in the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Now we know from the rest of Scripture that none of us begin by nature in a proper relationship with God.

David tells us for example in Psalm 14 verses 2 and 3. The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of man to see if there are any who understand who seek God. They've all turned aside. They've together become corrupt.

There's none who does good. No, not one. In the New Testament Paul quotes this verse and this is his summary in Romans 3 11. No one understands. No one seeks for God. We can't walk with God unless we have first come into a right relationship with him.

It's only through the gospel and any of us can enter into a right relationship with God. Salvation and new life are always by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. Accepting Christ as Savior places us on a new road of walking with God.

Third aspect of Walking with God is there's a growing intimacy. We all know from elsewhere in Scripture our relationship with God is not a relationship between two equals. God's very different from us.

One of the most basic teachings of Scripture is that God is God and we are not. An awareness of God's greatness and majesty is always one of the first steps in coming to know him. None of us can ever know God unless we first know something about him.

New life always begins when God opens our eyes to see there's more to life than we initially thought. But think with me again about our biblical character for today Enoch. How much Scripture did Enoch know?

Even the very earliest Old Testament books were written thousands of years after his time. So we don't know what he might have known. Even though Enoch lived the seventh generation his life still overlapped with many of his forefathers including Adam and possibly Eve.

Helen and I have four children. We have eight grandchildren. Put them together. Here's three generations. Maybe the day will come when we have great-grandchildren if we live long enough that we make four generations.

How's that for a sobering thought? It's sobering to me at least. But we need to remember that people live far longer in the earlier years of biblical history. Get out your calculator and look at the length of time these early generations lived.

Adam lived an amazing 800 years after he gave birth to Seth according to Genesis 5 -4. According to my calculations Enoch would have lived two-thirds of his life before Adam had died. So we don't know what information about God Enoch might have known.

But I'm sure that Adam and Eve would have had some interesting informative and important stories that share. Certainly, we can all know something about God simply by looking at creation. David tells us in Psalm 19 -1.

Heavens declare the glory of God. The firmament shows his handiwork. We can also also know something about God by looking at how he's created humanity in his own image and likeness. We can look at how God has made us.

David tells us in Psalm 139. I will praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are your works and that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from you. When I was made in secret and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

Your eyes saw my substance being yet unformed. And in your book. They were all written the day's fashion for me when as yet there were none of them. How precious are your thoughts O Lord? How great is the sum of them?

So two initial sources of revelation about God our creation in general. And how he has made us deep down inside as human beings and. Both of these clearly point us the existence of God. Truth of the matter is God has his people in every generation.

He does whatever he needs to draw them to himself. He did this in Enoch's life even before scripture was written. After all God is the one who takes the initiative. He draws us into a relationship with himself.

We talked earlier about covenants relationships in our relationship with God that can be described as a covenant relationship. We can also see the parallel to traditional marriage. In traditional marriage God has designed as God has designed it.

It's a man who takes the initiative and proposes. It's a woman who responds to that proposal. Just like God is the one who takes the initiative in our salvation and we're the ones who respond to him. Many times people are so preoccupied with their own thoughts and feelings when they come into a savoring relationship with God.

It's easy to imagine that we're the ones taking the initiative and deciding to become a Christian. It's only as we get further along in our relationship with God that we discover that God was there all along.