The man who walked with God and was not

COLERAINE EVANGELICAL CHURCH

SERMON NOTES FROM WEDNESDAY 9 APRIL 2025 - MR JOHN WEIR

GENESIS 5 VERSES 18 TO 25, HEBREWS 11 VERSES 5 AND 6, JUDE 14 AND 15

Enoch was a man who lived for God in an evil world. An ordinary man who God used in an amazing way. God can use us when we are willing. I trust you are willing to serve the Lord where you are. That is my desire, to give the Lord Jesus everything I have. Very soon I will stand before him and I don't want to look back with regrets. In Genesis we read that he walked with God and was not. In Hebrews we read he pleased God and was translated to heaven. In Jude we read he preached to the ungodly of the judgment to come. Enoch's name means dedicated, a man dedicated to the things of God. He was committed to his generation. Dedicated, committed to the service of God. In recent years the old saints of God have been called home to heaven - who is taking their place? In our prayer meetings it seems to be the faithful few who attend - where is everyone else? Many of these saints have been called home but who is taking their place? Many preachers are being called home, evangelists - where is the next generation? Pastors, missionaries, Sunday School teachers, all being called home - we need to pray like never before. Enoch was different from those around him. He stood out from the crowd. We should be the same. Act differently, talk differently, dress differently. There are 3 things I want you to notice about Enoch.

Enoch's world of surrounding gloom - Genesis 6 verse 5 "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." Picture the scene - great wickedness, corruption, sin, things were getting worse and worse. People did their own thing. Lawlessness, polygamy was common place. The devil was rampant. It was just like the days of judges - Judges 21 verse 25 "In those days ... everyone did as they saw fit." Sin was destroying Enoch's world. God was absent. God was far from people's minds. There are people who have absolutely no interest in God. It breaks your heart. They have no thought of God or eternity. This is the days we are living in. We need a move of God. When God is taken out of society marriages break down, people are in disarray. Similar to Sodom and Gomorrah and Noah's world. Noah preached for 120 years. The people didn't listen to him then the flood came. God shut the door and only 8 made it into the ark. I wonder how Noah felt. He had preached his heart out but only 8 were saved. It is sad when you hold missions and you preach your heart out then people get up and leave unsaved. The conservative estimate of the population at the time of the Flood was 750 million people yet only 8 made it onto the ark. Noah's heart must have been broken thinking of all the people he had preached to. When God wants to judge the nation he gives them wicked rulers. Living in a cesspool of iniquity. In the 1970's and 1980's when the Troubles were at their height in Northern Ireland the churches were packed. Today during the peace process many are closing down. I pray that God would move in my heart and in the heart of many in this province again. W P Nicholson was raised up during a time of wickedness. Evan Roberts of the Welsh Revival was not a great orator or preacher but he was touched by God. Paul told young Timothy what it would be like in the last days - 2 Timothy 3 verses 1 to 5 "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despiser of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof; from such turn away." These are the days we are living in. There are people who have a form of godliness but no interest in coming out on Sunday nights. Many of God's people are not in prayer meetings. People are just too busy. A form of godliness. I don't want to have that - do you? I want to be full of the Holy Spirit, surrendered to the Saviour. "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold." Maybe that is you. You don't love the Lord as you used to. You don't read your bible as you used to. I pray that you will get back to those days again. Remember the days when you were first converted, the enthusiasm you had. That love can wax cold. As the years have gone on things have changed. Keep your eyes on the Lord. Maybe you are getting it difficult in the work place. Enoch tried to stay close to the Lord in his day.

In Enoch's world there was a simple godliness pursued - chapter 5 verse 22 "And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years and begat sons and daughters." He was 65 years of age when Methuselah was born. Can you imagine that? Abraham was 100 when Isaac was born, Sarah 90. Enoch's life changed from then on. It changed him. This is what happened, fatherhood changed him. A baby was greatly significant. His life took a new direction. Your life always takes a new direction. "Old things have passed away; behold all things have become new." Were you changed when you met the Lord? The Holy Spirit comes and lives in you. I want to please the Lord in all I do. The name Methuselah means when he dies it shall come. When he died the flood came and destroyed the earth. His name was a sign for his generation. The Lord is coming soon. We were warned that we will hear of wars, rumours of wars, pestilences, even tsunamis. How many can see the signs of the times? 969 years - God gave them time to repent before judgment. There is a warning. Maybe the Lord is warning you through bad health, through people dying, through another Christian witnessing to you. You need to get right with the Lord. Some times the Lord has to put us on our back to get us right with him. Maybe you are desperate for your life to be changed, desperate for sins to be forgiven. We can get caught up with numbers in our meetings, remember God said "where 2 or 3 are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst." Maybe this meeting is organised for you to come and give your life to the Saviour. Enoch walked with God. Genesis 5 verse 24 "Enoch walked with God and he was not, for God took him." Certain people have a notable walk - footballers, rugby players, military. You should know a Christian by the way he walks. Enoch walked with God. The bible has much to say about walking - 1 John 1 verse 7 "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." Psalm 1 verse 1 "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful." Romans 6 verse 4 "Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." Galatians 5 verses 16 "So I say walk by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh." It is the greatest thing to walk every day, to walk and talk and have fellowship with Christ. This is what salvation is about today - hearing the Lord talking to you every day. Maybe there are things you need to put right. You need to hear the still small voice of the Holy Spirit speaking to you. Duncan Campbell when he travelled to the Isle of Lewis and was met by the two old elders was asked "Mr Campbell do you have a walk with God?" He replied "I believe I do". Enoch had no bible, no church, no bible commentaries or resources, no Christian fellowship but he had prayer and the Spirit of God in his life. It is amazing when people have that Spirit and are in touch with God. Amazing things can happen. We need to be clean every day for that fulness of the Spirit. It makes a difference to the preaching, witnessing, evangelism, doing children's work. Full of the Spirit makes a difference. The Christian life can be a lonely walk. There will be trials, storms, battles. It is not an easy road. It takes real men to be Christians because it is a lonely walk. There are trials, battles and disappointments. It will be worth it all when we see Jesus. Our trials makes us grow in our walk and faith. Our walk involves spending time with God. To have discipline in our bible study and prayer life. To spend time in the Lord's presence and be at the Lord's Table. Christianity is not a hobby but a lifestyle. Enoch had worries and concerns. He begat sons and daughters after Methuselah. He trusted God to look after his children. I wonder when I spend time in people's company what do they say of me? Do people see a glow about me? Do people know we have been with Jesus? The world loses its attractiveness when we have been with Jesus. We don't care to make a name for ourselves, how much we have in our bank account, what size our farm or land is. Do we ask for God's presence to be with us? Reese Howell's book Intercessor says "you may live in a crowd but you face eternity alone." This was Enoch, a man that had this walk in a difficult world.

There was a sudden glory - Hebrews 11 verse 5 "By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. For before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God." That word "translated" in the Greek New Testament means to transfer or carry across. One minute on earth and the next in heaven. Back in Genesis we read that Adam died, his son Seth died but Enoch did not die. One person said that God told Enoch "you have walked so far but it is time to come to my home instead." His testimony pleased the Lord. Do you have a testimony? Does your lifestyle please God tonight? The Lord took Enoch. A unique taking to heaven without dying. Some people will be alive when Jesus returns. 1 Thessalonians 4 verses 16 and 17 "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." Could we be the generation that sees the Lord's return? If the Spirit of God is in you, you can feel the touch. Can you picture the Lord coming again? In Matthew's gospel we read about the wheat and tares growing together until the harvest. We have to be ready for the Lord's return. We don't know when it will be. God has give us signs all around us. I pray that we will be all taken and no-one will be left behind. Enoch spoke of the second coming in Jude "Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints." Many have testified at gospel meetings that they were converted as a result of hearing about the Lord's return. There will be a great separation when Jesus comes back. Enoch the man that never died. I trust we will be all ready and will not be left behind when Jesus comes again.