Enoch Walked With God

Text: Genesis 5:21–24
Series: Sermons 2001 Rewritten
Date:
Speaker: Ed Rangel
Location: Waupaca Church of Christ
Bible Version: NASB 1995
Sermon Type: Expository

Learning Objectives

1. Explain what Scripture means when it says Enoch “walked with God.”
2. Show from Hebrews 11 that Enoch’s walk was a life of faith that pleased God.
3. Contrast Enoch’s walk with Adam, Cain, and the corrupt world before the flood.
4. Apply the command to walk with God through faith, obedience, holiness, love, and good works.
5. Call sinners to begin walking with God through the gospel and Christians to remain faithful until death.

Thesis

Enoch teaches us that walking with God means living by obedient faith in the direction God gives, in fellowship with God, and in a life that pleases Him even when the world around us refuses to walk with Him.

Introduction.

1. Genesis 5 is a chapter full of death. a. Man lived. b. Man had sons and daughters. c. Man died.
2. The repeated phrase is heavy. a. Adam died. b. Seth died. c. Enosh died. d. Cainan died. e. Mahalalel died. f. Jared died.
3. Then Enoch breaks the pattern. a. Genesis 5:24 says, “Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.” b. No funeral is recorded. c. No grave is named. d. God took him.
4. A child once pictured it simply. a. God said to Enoch, “Let’s go home, son.” b. Enoch answered, “Yes sir, Father.” c. The wording is simple, but the truth is strong.
5. Enoch’s life asks a question of every soul. a. Are we walking with God? b. Are we walking ahead of God? c. Are we walking behind God? d. Are we walking away from God?
6. The text is short, but the lesson is not small. a. Enoch walked with God. b. Enoch pleased God. c. Enoch lived by faith. d. Enoch was taken by God.

I. Enoch Walked With God by Pleasing Him Through Faith.

A. Genesis says Enoch walked with God.

1. Genesis 5:21–24 records the facts of Enoch’s life. a. He lived sixty-five years and became the father of Methuselah. b. He walked with God three hundred years after Methuselah was born. c. He had other sons and daughters. d. His days were three hundred and sixty-five years. e. He was not, because God took him.
2. Walking with God is not casual religious language. a. It means fellowship with God. b. It means direction from God. c. It means agreement with God. d. It means life lived under God’s will.
3. Amos 3:3 asks, “Do two men walk together unless they have made an appointment?” a. Walking together requires agreement. b. Enoch did not drag God into his direction. c. Enoch walked in God’s direction.

B. Hebrews explains that Enoch pleased God.

1. Hebrews 11:5 says Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death. a. He was not found. b. God took him up. c. Before being taken up, he obtained the witness that he was pleasing to God.
2. Hebrews 11:6 gives the principle. a. “Without faith it is impossible to please Him.” b. The one who comes to God must believe that He is. c. He must believe God rewards those who seek Him.
3. Enoch’s walk was a faith-walk. a. Not mere morality. b. Not family tradition. c. Not private spirituality without obedience. d. Faith that trusted and pleased God.

C. Enoch’s walk involved real life, not escape from responsibility.

1. Genesis says he became a father. a. He had Methuselah. b. He had other sons and daughters. c. He walked with God while living family life.
2. Walking with God is not limited to a worship assembly. a. It reaches the home. b. It reaches parenting. c. It reaches work. d. It reaches choices no one sees.
3. Parents need this lesson. a. Enoch walked with God after becoming a father. b. Children need to see parents walking with God, not merely talking about God. c. A house is shaped by the direction of those who lead it.

II. Enoch Walked With God While Others Walked Away.

A. Adam and Eve hid from God.

1. Genesis 3:8 says they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden. a. God came near. b. Adam and Eve hid. c. Sin broke the fellowship they had enjoyed.
2. God wanted fellowship, but sin brought shame. a. They covered themselves. b. They hid among the trees. c. They feared the presence of God.
3. Sin still does the same. a. It makes men hide. b. It makes men avoid Scripture. c. It makes men avoid worship. d. It makes men uncomfortable around truth.

B. Cain refused God’s warning.

1. Genesis 4:7 records God’s warning to Cain. a. If he did well, he would be accepted. b. If he did not do well, sin was crouching at the door. c. Cain had to master it.
2. Cain did not walk with God. a. He rejected the warning. b. He murdered Abel. c. He went out from the presence of the LORD.
3. First John 3:12 says Cain was of the evil one. a. His deeds were evil. b. His brother’s deeds were righteous. c. Hatred exposed his heart.
4. Cain shows that worship without obedient faith is rejected. a. Cain brought an offering. b. God was not pleased. c. Religious action did not excuse a rebellious heart.

C. The world became corrupt around Enoch.

1. Genesis 6:5 says man’s wickedness became great on the earth. a. Every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. b. The world was not improving. c. Human corruption was deepening.
2. Enoch lived before that judgment came. a. He walked with God in a world moving toward violence. b. He did not need ideal circumstances to be faithful. c. He chose God when others chose sin.
3. Jude 14–15 says Enoch prophesied judgment. a. The Lord would come with His holy ones. b. Judgment would be executed upon all. c. The ungodly would be convicted of their ungodly deeds.
4. Enoch was not a silent moral man only. a. He walked with God. b. He pleased God. c. He warned about ungodliness.

III. We Walk With God by Faith, Obedience, and the Spirit’s Revealed Word.

A. We must walk by faith, not by sight.

1. Second Corinthians 5:7 says, “for we walk by faith, not by sight.” a. Faith listens to God. b. Faith trusts God. c. Faith obeys God.
2. Faith is not a feeling detached from Scripture. a. Romans 10:17 says faith comes from hearing the word of Christ. b. The word creates faith. c. The word directs faith.
3. Walking by faith includes obeying the gospel. a. Hearing the word. b. Believing Christ. c. Repenting of sin. d. Confessing Christ. e. Being baptized for the remission of sins. f. Continuing faithfully.

B. We must walk by the Spirit.

1. Galatians 5:16 says, “walk by the Spirit.” a. This does not mean following private impulses. b. This does not mean ignoring Scripture. c. The Spirit revealed the word by which Christians are taught and governed.
2. Galatians 5:22–23 shows the fruit of the Spirit. a. Love. b. Joy. c. Peace. d. Patience. e. Kindness. f. Goodness. g. Faithfulness. h. Gentleness. i. Self-control.
3. Galatians 5:24–25 says those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh. a. The flesh does not get to rule. b. Passions and desires must be crucified. c. If we live by the Spirit, we must also walk by the Spirit.
4. Walking with God requires moral change. a. A man cannot walk with God while making peace with sin. b. A woman cannot walk with God while refusing repentance. c. A church cannot walk with God while tolerating the works of the flesh.

C. We must walk in good works.

1. Ephesians 2:10 says Christians are created in Christ Jesus for good works. a. Good works do not earn salvation. b. Good works are the path God prepared. c. Christians are to walk in them.
2. Titus 2:14 says Christ redeemed a people zealous for good deeds. a. Christ gave Himself for us. b. He redeemed us from every lawless deed. c. He purified a people for His own possession.
3. A faith that refuses obedience is dead. a. James 2:17 says faith without works is dead. b. James 2:24 says a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. c. Enoch’s faith pleased God because it walked.

IV. We Walk With God by Leaving the Old Walk and Walking in Love.

A. Christians must no longer walk as the Gentiles walk.

1. Ephesians 4:17 says not to walk as the Gentiles walk. a. Their minds are futile. b. Their understanding is darkened. c. They are excluded from the life of God.
2. Ephesians 4:22–24 commands the old self to be laid aside. a. The old self is corrupted by deceitful lusts. b. The mind must be renewed. c. The new self must be put on.
3. Walking with God requires a break with the old life. a. Old speech must be put away. b. Old bitterness must be put away. c. Old immorality must be put away. d. Old habits must not be baptized and carried along unchanged.

B. Christians must walk in love.

1. Ephesians 5:1–2 says to imitate God as beloved children and walk in love. a. Christ loved us. b. Christ gave Himself up for us. c. His sacrifice becomes the pattern of our walk.
2. Love does not excuse sin. a. Ephesians 5:3 says immorality, impurity, and greed must not even be named among saints. b. Ephesians 5:6 warns against empty words. c. The wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
3. Walking in love means loving God, brethren, enemies, and the lost. a. Love for God obeys His commandments. b. Love for brethren serves and corrects. c. Love for enemies refuses bitterness. d. Love for the lost tells the truth.

C. The next generation must see walking, not just talking.

1. Enoch had children while he walked with God. a. Family life did not interrupt faithfulness. b. It became part of faithfulness. c. His children lived under the influence of a man walking with God.
2. Parents must not merely tell children to walk with God. a. They must show them prayer. b. They must show them worship. c. They must show them repentance. d. They must show them obedience.
3. A generation that only hears religious words but sees worldly walking will learn the walk. a. Children know what we prioritize. b. They know what excites us. c. They know whether God is central or decorative.

V. Those Who Walk With God Will Be Rewarded.

A. Enoch was taken by God.

1. Genesis 5:24 says “he was not, for God took him.” a. Death did not close his story. b. God intervened. c. Enoch’s end showed God’s favor.
2. Hebrews 11:5 says he did not see death. a. He was taken up. b. He was not found. c. God took him.
3. Enoch gives hope in a chapter of death. a. Abel died because of another man’s sin. b. Adam died because of his own sin. c. Enoch did not die, because God took him.

B. Most men still face death and judgment.

1. Hebrews 9:27 says it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment. a. Death is appointed. b. Judgment is certain. c. No man should live carelessly.
2. Enoch’s translation does not remove judgment from the rest of us. a. It gives hope. b. It shows God’s power. c. It points beyond the grave.
3. The question is whether we are pleasing God. a. Not whether we are religiously known. b. Not whether we are comfortable. c. Whether we walk by faith.

C. Faithfulness has a crown.

1. Second Timothy 4:6–8 shows Paul at the end of his race. a. He fought the good fight. b. He finished the course. c. He kept the faith. d. A crown of righteousness was laid up for him.
2. Revelation 2:10 calls Christians to be faithful until death. a. Faithfulness may involve suffering. b. Faithfulness may involve testing. c. The Lord promises the crown of life.
3. Enoch walked with God until God took him. a. Paul served until his departure came. b. Christians today must be faithful until death. c. The path is worth the crown.

Application.

1. For the sinner. a. You cannot walk with God while remaining outside Christ. b. Begin where the gospel tells you to begin. c. Obey Christ and enter the walk of faith.
2. For the Christian. a. Do not claim to walk with God while walking in sin. b. God’s direction is not negotiable. c. Faith walks where God speaks.
3. For parents. a. Let your children see a real walk with God. b. Do not hand them religious words while showing them worldly direction. c. Teach them by doctrine and example.
4. For the church. a. We need more than attendance. b. We need people who walk with God in holiness, love, service, and truth. c. A congregation cannot be strong if its members walk in different directions.
5. For the weary. a. Enoch walked three hundred years after Methuselah was born. b. Faithfulness is not a short sprint. c. Keep walking.

Conclusion.

1. Genesis 5 says Enoch walked with God. a. He lived in a world where sin was growing. b. He had family responsibilities. c. He pleased God by faith.
2. Enoch did not walk ahead of God. a. He did not invent his own path. b. He did not hide from God like Adam. c. He did not rebel like Cain.
3. He walked with God. a. In agreement. b. In faith. c. In obedience. d. In fellowship.
4. God took him. a. The chapter of death was interrupted by hope. b. Enoch’s life still speaks. c. The faithful walk is not wasted.
5. The choice now is ours. a. Walk with God. b. Walk by faith. c. Walk in the Spirit. d. Walk in good works. e. Walk in love. f. Walk faithfully until death.

Invitation.

1. Hear the word. a. Romans 10:17 says faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
2. Believe Christ. a. John 8:24 warns that unless you believe that Jesus is He, you will die in your sins.
3. Repent. a. Acts 17:30 says God commands all people everywhere to repent.
4. Confess Christ. a. Romans 10:9–10 teaches confession with the mouth and belief in the heart.
5. Be baptized for the remission of sins. a. Acts 2:38 commands repentance and baptism in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins.
6. Live faithfully. a. Revelation 2:10 calls the Christian to be faithful until death.
7. Start walking with God today. a. Not tomorrow. b. Not when life settles down. c. Not after sin has used you up. d. Come to Christ and walk with God.

Word Study.

Scripture Interlock Table.