This is an updated and expanded version of this message.
Gen 5:24
And Enoch walked [in close fellowship] with and pleased God; and he was not, for God took him [home with Him].
Heb 11:5-6
Because of faith Enoch was caught up and transferred to heaven, so that he did not have a glimpse of death; and he was not found, because God had translated him. For even before he was taken to heaven, he received testimony [still on record] that he had pleased and been in close (intimate) fellowship with God.
But without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to Him. For whoever would come near to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him [out].Amp
Introduction
What an amazing thing this is, to be in such a close and pleasing relationship with God that you just walk into heaven with Him without dying.
• This Walk, Relationship, Adventure that God is calling us to is greater than the George Lucas’s ‘Star Wars’ Movies, it is greater than J. R. R. Tolkien’s ‘Lord of the Rings’ series, greater than Homer’s ‘Iliad.’
• It is an Adventure that will never end. Let is capture your heart, let the roots of your life go deep into the soil of God’s love and join Him in Living a Life of Passionate Participation in God.
• Align yourself with Jesus the Messiah, the Cornerstone. This is why you were created. This is what Adam and Eve had a taste of and cut it short because they doubted God and had faith in Lucifer.
• A ‘Life of walking with God’ is not meant to be a part of your life, it is meant to be your life! God has given us a free will and does not demand that we give Him our all, but invites us into a life, an adventure of intimate fellowship with Him.
• God is calling, He is inviting us to a life without comparison, a life with Him, the author and perfecter of all that was and is and shall ever be. (HEB 12:1-2)
• Each person’s journey will be different. It will be your own unique adventure with God, but like John Bunyan’s Pilgrim in his book ‘Pilgrim’s Progress’ who was [waiting expectantly and confidently] looking forward to the city which has fixed and firm foundations, whose Architect and Builder is God. ( Heb 11:10 Amp) We were created for more than life on earth, but a life that does not end in death and is much more than life on earth in the flesh without God.
• There is no story ever written or told on video greater than the one God has for you. You however must choose to actively participate with Him in faith.
• BE like Enoch, Live a Life of Passionate Participation in God, walk or live in continuous relationship with Him. THIS is why you were created.
• Chose to walk with God. Do Not just let Him walk with you! Draw near to Him and He will draw near to you. Operate or live by choosing to continually act in faith by seeking Him out concerning every detail of your life. By doing this your life is lived in active faith as you include God and seek Him concerning every detail and aspect of your life. He is a rewarder of those who genuinely and sincerely seek Him. Heb 11:6
• Your unique life; who you are, how you function, your gifts, heritage education, personality etc. make you the One and only person like you and God wants you to walk in intimate and continual relationship with Him! God love the infinite variety He has created and celebrates every single person. He does not compare you to others. He is not a respecter of one person’s uniqueness over another. He wants an intimate ongoing relationship or walk with you!
Let’s start the adventure by learning more about Enoch’s Amazing Walk With God so that we may Live a Life of Passionately Participating in God.
I. The Plan Unfolds
In The Beginning: Adam and Eve had such a walk/relationship with God. God came to visit them in the cool of the day. Unhindered by sin, they had amazing fellowship with God daily.
• Do you remember the joy of your salvation?
• Remember what it was like when you were first in love with Jesus!
Satan’s Scheme: In Genesis 3 we see the unfolding of Satan’s master plan to destroy humanity’s Walk with God. ‘You shall be like God he said, when actually they became like him, separated because of their sin from God. (Satan was challenging their faith in God)
God's response: in Genesis 3:15 the beginning of God’s plan of restoration with is seen with a demonstration in the shedding of the blood of animals to provide clothing, which is a fore shadowing of the shedding of the Messiah’s blood that we might have that close relationship or walk with God once again. Theologians call this the Protoevangelicum which means the prototype or the original beginning of the good news or Gospel message.
LET’S LOOK AGAIN Gen 5:21-24; HEB 11:5-6
At what these verses say about Enoch again.
Reread the verses above and note their key points.
Comment: Scripture does not give us many details about Enoch’s relationship with God beyond these verses, but we can look at other people in scripture that pleased God.
Action: If we are to discover more about having a walk with God that pleases Him we must begin with the message of the Gospel and Jesus’ ministry as prophesied in Gen 3:15.
II. The Gospel is our Beginning Point: God’s Purpose and Action.
Luke 19:10, John 3:16 and Col 1:13-14
1, Luke 19:10
"For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."
John 3:16-18 "For God so loved the world, which He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17 "For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.
Col 1:13-14 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
III. What is next: Laying The Foundation 1 Cor 3:10-11
According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. 11 For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Preparing the Soil: If you have ever built or watched a foundation being built you know that the land must be prepared and that you must be careful as to what type of soil you build on.
When we come to God as new believers we have sin and its results in our lives.
We not only need to repent from sin and renounce ungodly influences in our lives, but we may also need cleansing and healing from sins impact in our lives.
Build on Christ alone: We must build from the cornerstone which is Christ a foundation which is from Him and Him alone.
Building a Relationship: Building on that foundation requires a growing relationship.
Relationships have several key parts.
Motivation, Interest, Interaction, Response, these are part of an ongoing cycle which must be kept fresh and alive. Illustration in dating and marriage
IV. Building on the Foundation Which is Christ I Cor 3:12-15
Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work. 14 If any man's work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. 15 If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
The Word of God as illuminated by the Holy Spirit is our primary and most important resource for knowing and developing a walk/relationship with God. Our prayers and our worship must be founded in the Word or we risk being led away from God by our own soulish desires and responses.
We need both Knowledge and Experience:
Wisdom is gained by experience that comes from applying what we believe in life. The Greek valued knowledge, the Hebrew goes one more step to say if you believe something you will act on what you believe. As Christians we must be function like the Hebrew by acting on what we believe.
Knowledge by Itself is not enough
Illustration: Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev former Soviet Premier memorized large portions of scripture to get candy as a child but never came to Christ or served Him.
V. The Enoch Type of Walk with God helps us in Avoiding False Doctrines which take us away from God and from constantly responding in faith and building our relationship daily.
It keeps us from being caught up in the latest fads and winds of doctrines.
False doctrines always have some truth. They also can take truth out of its biblical setting when it was not meant to be.
Two Examples:
- Judas went out and hung himself and Jesus said go and do the same thing. These two scriptures do not go together. Christ never told anyone to hang themselves.
- Talking daily to Angels instead of God. God assigns His angels to us. We need not seek them out as they are on assignment by God. When they do show up in Scripture it is a big event and we should pay close attention to them. We must however be careful not to get away from our daily conversations and relationship with God Himself. Why talk to the messenger when you can talk to the Commander of thr Lord's army, unless of course he sent the messenger.
We must judge our experiences and all we think and do by the Word. There are plenty of false teachings floating around in every generation and we can avoid them if we are in close relationship with God based on His Word.
The solution is getting to know Him intimately and saying YES to Him
VI. Simple Steps to a Growing Intimate Walk with God.
Hebrews 11:6b He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him [out].
James 4:8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. NASU
Start where you are at and build little by little 5 min prayer, 5 min reading, 5 min worship
Find and fellowship with others who love God
Start with a good study Bible and learn how to use it, read, read, read and study,
Then add an exhaustive Concordance
Then a Bible dictionary
These three resources will make you a good student of the Word!
Learn to pray by using Scriptural prayers, start with the lord’s prayer
Listen to worship and praise music as much as possible
Spend more time doing these things than listening to others teach and preach or in reading other people’s books
Work on making God your best friend and seek Him out every minute you can.
Growing in our relationship with God requires us to ACT and be active in Drawing near to God!
VII. Do what the Apostle Paul Did and Taught I Cor 14:18-19, I Cor 14:4.
1 Cor 14:18-19 I thank God, I speak in tongues more than you all; NASU
1 Cor 14:4 Those who speak in a tongue build up themselves. NRSV
This gift is available to all Christians in every generation.
VIII. Prayer of Action and Response to This message:
Lord God, please forgive us for being so busy living our lives that we have not made you the priority of our lives. Father bring us close to you by your Spirit and through your Word that we might build a relationship that pleases you and that we might have walk a with you even as Enoch did!
Father, if we have not built wisely then please show us where we must rebuild our foundation and help us to restore our first love with you.
Amen
(C) Wayne Newcomb, 9/26/2010 Use of this material is by permission only, please request permission to copy or quote. The Amp Bible is used unless another translation is designated.
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