Week Commencing 19.9.2921

Week Commencing Sunday 19^th September 2021

‘Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In his mercy he has given us new birth in to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.’ 1 Peter 1:3

Opening Prayer

‘Lord Jesus Christ, redeemer, friend and brother, may we know you more clearly, love you more dearly, and follow you more nearly, day by day.’ Amen

Hymn

‘Be Thou my vision.’  MP 51

Eleanor Hull

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxvXGgSlRcs

Readings

Genesis 5: 21-24

²² After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked faithfully with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. 

²³ Altogether, Enoch lived a total of 365 years. 

²⁴ Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.

  Hebrews 11:5, 6

11 ⁵By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: "He could not be found, because God had taken him away” For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. ⁶And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Hymn

‘From the highest of heights’ MP 1170

Laura Story

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FlIchSJoOA

Song. ‘Doing the walk.’

Steve Curtis Chapman

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U891-1BndUs

Sermon. ‘Enoch’

The letter to the Hebrews was primarily written for Jewish Christians tempted to return Judaism. They faced pressure and opposition.

So chapters 1-10 of Hebrews encouraged them in what they believed. That the Son and the Son’s atoning work was precious and superior. In Christ they had a better sanctuary, a better priesthood, a better sacrifice and a better covenant.

But we come to chapter 11 and here we see a different meaning of faith. The way faith is used here signifies a “deep personal commitment to what is believed”. A faith that perseveres and wont shrink back under pressure. This is the kind of faith that these Old Testament individuals exhibited.

Enoch had this enduring kind of faith. The writer to the Hebrews commends him as one who pleased God. From the verses we read earlier Enoch didn’t please God in some spectacular way. What we find here, and it is repeated, is this: “He walked with God”

Day after day Enoch showed this enduring, ongoing faith. It wasn’t spectacular. No great exploit is recorded. No status. He just walked with God day after day. Faith is a walk.

But the writer to the Hebrews shows us this walk helps us to see 2 features about faith: Walking by faith entails:

• Believing that God exists (Heb.11:6)
• Believing God rewards those who earnestly seek Him (Heb.11:6)

Let’s look at these 2 features of faith in context of Enoch’s walk with God:

God exists.

Enoch’s walk with God shows a faith that God exists. How did Enoch know God exists?

First we can say he had an intellectual (mental) appreciation of God:

Enoch understood that God was the Creator, “the Universe was formed at God’s command” Reason points to the need of a first Cause. The world could not make itself. The Bible tells us that first Cause is God. There is the witness of Creation to the existence of God. And there is the witness of man. The idea of God is written in man’s heart since we are made in God’s image. (Gen.1:26, 27). Even today when people are asked about their beliefs, only a small percentage are out and out atheists. The vast majority believe in God, true perceptions are often unclear and limited, but the idea of God is written into our hearts. Enoch knew intellectually that God exists.

Enoch had a mental/intellectual appreciation of God in his walk with him.

But we can say he also had an intimate walk with God:

At some point Enoch developed a sense of God existing as his refuge and strength. He developed a knowledge of God satisfying his spirit, and heart and soul.

Later David was to write in Psalm 84 “How lovely is your dwelling place, my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God”

This is not just head knowledge about God. But an entrusting yourself to Him. So what made the transition for Enoch? From head knowledge to heart reliance and love? You see Enoch had not always walked with God. He only walked with God after the birth of his son Methuselah. Brown comments “The responsibilities of parenthood forced Enoch to recognise his serious moral and spiritual limitations, and in this experience of inadequacy he may have felt himself cast upon God for help”

A lot could say amen to that

If you think your present number of children and grandchildren are keeping you close to the Lord, spare a thought for Enoch! He lived until he was 365 years of age.¹ That’s a lot of sons and daughters and their offspring!!

We don’t really know if that sense of responsibility forced Enoch to rely heavily on God. Could be. Enoch walked with God. He knew God existed spiritually. He found Him a refuge, who satisfied his spirit. Day after day he went to the Lord and talked with him. Perhaps as Moses was to do, who the Lord knew “face to face”.

A mental understanding of God An intimate knowledge of God, and a…

Moral walk with God

I mentioned earlier about the witness of Creation and the witness of man that spoke to Enoch of God’s existence. Further we can say there is a moral witness that points to God’s existence. Enoch was acquainted with the history of the fall after creation, with its devastating effects on the human heart and the environment at that time. This led to the dulling of conscience. But we can still say that conscience is a further witness to the existence of God. Part of God’s revealed will to men and women is that we know right from wrong- all people do, not just Christians. Because of the Fall and sin we may try to justify sin and disobey conscience, but underneath we know the truth. Enoch knew that it was wrong to disobey God. There was that moral awareness from the very beginning when God commanded Adam and Eve not to eat of the fruit, but they rebelled. Enoch knew about that and this moral witness reaffirmed to him that God exists.

Interestingly the New Testament book of Jude contains a prophesy given by Enoch. That prophesy, by Enoch, describes the judgment and the conviction of all “the ungodly” and of “all their ungodly acts” Walking with God for Enoch was a moral walk. Enoch had a hatred of all things evil, and a great love for good. This gave him strength and bolstered his obedience.

Enoch walked with God.

Today if we are to walk with God, we still must come believing He exists. And because He is there we can walk with Him. And it will be an intellectual, spiritual, emotional and moral walk

Today we need:

An intellectual (mental) appreciation of God.

We are to come believing He exists. Our walk with God is to influence our minds. (Romans 12:2 describes how our minds are renewed).

Today we are to still come to Him recognising God’s existence in the witness of Creation. Just like with Enoch these marks of general revelation still stand. There are a host of Christian apologetics who show the limitations of a purely rationalistic or materialistic view of men and women. Francis Schaeffer addresses such attempts in his book “Escape from Reason” The view that the material is all there is is in itself an escape from reason. Whereas the facts, that there is a world, there is a Universe, the fact of human personality, the fact of apparent design in the world, the facts of human values and religious belief all point towards God.

It’s still true that the desire to deny God’s existence is proof of sinfulness, pride and rebellion against Him. “The fool says in his heart there is no God. They are corrupt, their deeds are vile” (Ps.14:1).

As Christians our mental appreciation of God is enhanced because we are to feed our minds on Christ. He is God’s special revelation of Himself. God exists because He is seen in Christ. Hebrews 1:3 says “In these last days (God) has spoken to us by His Son. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being… (Hebrews 1:3). And in his gospel John writes “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father”. Jesus Christ is the Word who is God. We see His divine identity worked out in matchless teaching, influence, behaviour, fulfilment of prophesy, miracles, claims, death and resurrection

When Christians walk with God there is so much to feed on mentally and intellectually concerning His existence. Supremely we see God when we look at Jesus- God’s special revelation of Himself.

It’s so sad when the agnostic or atheist chooses to disregard such evidences and say God does not exist. But he or she is the loser. A person can only walk with God if they know He exists. The reason for our existence is to know God- mentally, spiritually and morally. The unbeliever dismisses God mentally and then wonders why he loses hope as his spirit, emotions and morale will wither.

An atheist had just completed an eloquent address to a large audience. “And now does anyone have any questions?” He asked. An old man who had been a drunkard most of his life, but who had recently become a Christian, shuffled down the aisle and ascended the platform. Taking an orange from his pocket he began to peel it. The lecturer asked him to state his question, but the old man just went on- peeling his orange and eating it section by section. Finally wiping his hands on his pocket handkerchief, the old man turned to the lecturer and said: “Now, here’s my question. Can you tell me, was that orange sour or sweet?”

“Idiot!” retorted the lecturer in anger. “How do I know” I never tasted it” To which the elderly man replied: “and how can you know anything about Christ, if you have never tasted Him?

Today we need an intimate walk with God.

It is available for any who come to the Father through the Son. We experience salvation. We know there was an estrangement in our relationship with God before we came to know Him through Christ. He was distant. But now we are in union with Him. Luther in “The Liberty of the Christian” writes “faith unites the soul with Christ as a bride is united with her bridegroom. By this mystery as the Apostles teach us, Christ and the soul become one flesh (Ephesians 5:31, 32). Luther goes on to show that in true marriage, bride and groom have everything in common- the good and the ill. So in salvation “Christ is full of grace, life and salvation, the believing soul can now glory in these while Christ takes all our sins and death on Himself.”

Is that your experience of walking with God? Has your knowledge of God travelled down from your head to your heart? Have you experienced a new and vital relationship with Him? We are told of the believers in the New Testament “The love of God had been shed abroad in their hearts by the Holy Spirit” The word there for worship means “to come towards to kiss” There is heartfelt adoration in this knowledge of God.

We are also called to a moral walk with God. Because this God we worship is Holy and Righteous.

The same Holy Spirit who gives us the benefits of intimate relationship with God, will also sanctify us to make us more like Christ. So we hate evil and love what is good.

Paul in Galations refers to the moral nature of believers walk with God when he writes: “Keep in step with the spirit” Putting to death the sinful nature “sexual immorality, impurity, debauchery, hatred, discord etc. And instead to be led by the Spirit and show the fruit of the Spirit…love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness etc

If we claim to be led by the Holy Spirit our walk with God will be a moral; walk.

We are made for walking with God. God exists. He influences all aspects of life: mental, spiritual, emotional, moral:

(Illus.) a student at College. The student will look at his subjects intellectually. When he studies his books, he will think about how the things of God interact with what he is reading. In “The Wisdom of Pixar” the writer acknowledges that none of the films by Pixar- like “Toy Story” or “Up” are written as Christian pieces, but it’s fascinating as he explores themes in such films that resonate with what we believe as Christians. So too the student applies his renewed Christian mind to whatever he is studying. He is walking with God with an intellectual appreciation when he does so.

But it might also be that he has a music player of some kind, and there’s worship music playing, songs of adoration and praise, and his heart is lifted up to the Lord.

But then his girlfriend comes to visit him, and he’s conscious he’s got to work out his moral walk with God

Well that’s just an example, but it shows these various expressions of walking with God. He has an awareness that God exists, and wants to live his life in a way that is pleasing to Him.

Now the writer to the Hebrews also shows that walking with God reveals faith because the one who so walks with Him believes

God rewards those who earnestly seek Him

Now that reward is both present and future.

We have already seen that walking with God brings its own reward, mentally, spiritually, emotionally, morally. We are told in Paul’s letter to Timothy that “Godliness has promise for this life” We certainly receive many blessings, and as we obey His Word He protects and enriches our relationships, by His Spirit He teaches us to bear with one another, but also to forgive and bless and serve . We have meaning and purpose. We know where we are going in life. And best of all we have the privilege of knowing the Lord Himself loves us- loves me; knows every hair on my head, and cares for me. Godliness has promise for this life, but Paul writes “Godliness has promise for this life and the life to come” We haven’t seen anything yet. All the best is still to come.

Enoch had a reward to come (Hebrews 11:5, 6)

The writer to the Hebrews clearly links the reward for Enoch’s pleasing walk with God with his being taken by God. Enoch was “taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found because God had taken him away.” Amazing! Enoch “earnestly sought” God in walking with Him, and the Lord rewarded him, by sparing him the experience of death and taking him home to heaven early. I say early because when we look at the ages of people who died in Genesis 5, we see that the youngest age of death was Lamech at 595 years old, the oldest was Methuselah 969 years of age. The rest all range between these 2 figures. So Enoch did not die, but he was taken by the Lord to glory comparative young at 365!! He enjoyed the reward to come. (For explanation of old ages please see note ¹ at the end)

What was true for Enoch is true for you and me. We also have a reward to come.

Yes we do experience present reward, there are many present benefits, but we often have to persevere in our walk with God in this life. We face trials, heartaches, difficulties, we often ask “Why?” because we do not understand, but, we persevere in faith because we know who we have trusted. We walk with Him. And in that walk He reassures us, He calms our fears, He gives us His hope. Ultimately we have the assured hope of everlasting life in Christ, whatever befalls us here.

“When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you will appear with Him in glory” Col.3:4)

“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Rev.21:4)

So our walk with God is not just for this moment. We walk as pilgrims with our destination in view.

John Bunyan in “Pilgrim’s Progress” understood this. Christian, the pilgrim, has entered through “the gate” (that is Christ). He must head for the celestial city. He must stay on the path that leads to it. The book traces a Christian’s life long walk with God. Only when his destination is firmly held in Christian’s mind does he keep on track. Then he recognises his doubts (Doubting Castle) and temptations (Vanity Fair) for what they are. It’s then he also recognises the benefits along the way, such as when he is refreshed at the House of the Interpreter.

So we need to remember that when we think about heaven, it’s not something to ponder only in our old age. Rather, the quality of our present walk with God, at whatever stage, is enhanced by having that destination in view. It keeps us focused here on what counts.

There will be rewards for spiritual service. For those who have stored up for themselves “treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy”; by actions that illustrate we have served God and not money (Matthew 6:24).

For those who have been humble servants, faithful stewards. For those who have persevered under trial. For those who have suffered unjustly because they stood for Christ. “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” There will be crowns of glory: “Behold I am coming soon. My reward is with me and I will give to everyone according to what he has done” (Revelation 22:12).

When you are young you think your life here lasts for ever, all of life to come. But now I am 59-soon to be 60! I am conscious how quickly time passes. It moves so quickly, this sense of just passing through here is heightened. And this should make us ask searching questions. What is my walk with God like? How much of what I know is being translated into the currency of experience. My aims and actions- do they have eternal value? The quality of my relationships? Do you really believe that God rewards those who earnestly seek Him? Is that reflected in your present walk with Him?

Prayer. Thank you for your faithful love.  Like Enoch I want to walk with you and ‘Love you with all our heart, soul, mind, strength.’ While it is still today.

¹ ‘Ancient Biblical Lifespans: Did Adam Live Over 900 Years? https://answersingenesis.org/bible-timeline/genealogy/did-adam-and-noah-really-live-over-900-years/

………………………………………………..

Hymn

‘I want to walk with Jesus Christ.’  MP 302

C. Simmonds

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PArI5pXH5qw

Prayers

Keep us, good Lord, under the shadow of your mercy in this time of uncertainty and distress. Sustain and support the anxious and fearful, and lift up all who are brought low; that we may rejoice in your comfort knowing that nothing can separate us from your love in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

For those in isolation God of compassion, be close to those who are ill, afraid or in isolation. In their loneliness, be their consolation; in their anxiety, be their hope; in their darkness, be their light; through him who suffered alone on the cross, but reigns with you in glory, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

For those who are worried. Loving Jesus, you are compassionate to those in need and heal the sick in body and mind. Look kindly on those who are fearful at this time. Help us all to put away all thoughts and actions that separate us from you and from one another. Give us grace to live our lives confident in your promise that you are with us always. Amen.

Lord Jesus Christ, you taught us to love our neighbour, and to care for those in need as if we were caring for you. In this time of anxiety, give us strength to comfort the fearful, to care for the sick, and to assure the isolated of our love, and your love, for your name’s sake. Amen. (From ‘7 Churches .org.uk’ )

Hymn