The story is told of a Sunday school teacher who wanted to explain to the 6-year-olds in his class what someone had to do in order to go to heaven. In an attempt to discover what kids already believed about the subject, he asked a few questions.

“If I sold my house and my car, had a big garage sale, and gave all my money to the church,” he asked, “would that get me to heaven?”

“No!” the children answered. The teacher was encouraged.

“If I cleaned the church every day, mowed the yard, and kept everything neat and tidy, would that get me to heaven?”

Again the answer was, “No!”

“Well then,” he said, “If I was kind to animals and gave candy to all the children and loved my wife, would that get me into heaven?”

Again they all shouted, “No!”

“Well then,” the teacher asked, looking out over his class, “how can I get to heaven?”

A boy in the back row stood up and shouted, “You gotta be dead!”[1]

That is what we usually believe isn’t it? We usually think we die and then we go to Heaven, except for Enoch (Genesis 5:22-24) and Elijah (2 Kings 2:1-12). These two men went straight to Heaven. This is quite fascinating. Let’s look into Enoch. Before we read the text let me give you the theme and application:

Theme:

Enoch walked with God.

Application:

Walk with God.

That is my simple challenge for the day. I challenge you to learn from Enoch and walk with God.

Let’s start by reading Hebrews 11:5-6:

By 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. ⁶ And 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.

 

Now, let’s turn to Genesis 5:22-4:

After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked faithfully with God300 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.

1. First, let’s talk about who Enoch was? Or, I guess I could say “is” because he never really died.
   1. One Sunday School instructor was determined to repeat “And Enoch was not, for God took him” until even the dullest student would understand it. On a review Sunday he asked the class to state exactly what was said of Enoch. One answer came back, “Enoch was not what God took him for.” —Pastor’s Manual^[2]
   2. This is an account that I could skip over too quickly and maybe you have as well. Think about it. God just took him! That is cool isn’t it? Don’t ever miss these amazing events in the Bible.
   3. Remember this is the fifth chapter of Genesis, we are really early on.
   4. Enoch was a descendant of the godly line of Seth.
   5. There was also an ungodly line of Cain.
   6. He was the seventh generation from Adam. (Jude 14 says)
   7. The 1 Chronicles 1 and Luke 3 have the same genealogy. This is important because as we compare when we see that they correspond it validates the Bible.
   8. By the way, these genealogies are important because they become the genealogy of Christ Jesus.
   9. This was also a time when the people were living really long. By the way, (Other ancient Near Eastern texts attribute even longer lives to earlier generations; e.g., the Sumerian King List mentions kings who reign—interestingly, before a flood—for periods of 28,800, 36,000, and 43,200 years.)
   10. I want to say that I think the other dates are inflated in order to make the kings seems greater. I do believe the Biblical number are accurate. I don’t think they dated differently or not by that much. I think the world was different before the flood.
   11. We also learn from this genealogy that people lived to be nearly a thousand years old. And so there wasn’t a lot of death, which meant that the population increased at an amazingly rapid rate. This genealogy is also here, not only to show us the time involved – to show us the expansion of population – but it is here to show us the reign of death. Eight times in this chapter you will read, “and he died; and he died; and he died.” This is the reign of death. This is the judgment of sin.
   12. Enoch’s son Methuselah was the oldest man who ever lived.
   13. Jude 14 lists Enoch as one who prophesied. This comes from an apocryphal book which says that he called out wickedness. He said, “The Lord is coming and He’s coming with many thousands of His holy ones and He’s going to execute judgment and it’s going to fall on all the ungodly with all their ungodly deeds done in an ungodly way and all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.” He was a judgment preacher.

1. Second, let’s talk about “walking” with God.
   1. To walk with God meant to have a relationship with God. This meant fellowship and communion which led to Divine Favor.
   2. It did not mean that he never sinned but that the pattern of his life was in relationship with God.
   3. In a sermon on “Enoch walked with God,” Dr. Campbell Morgan gave the following illustration: A little child gave a most exquisite explanation of walking with God. She went home from Sunday School, and the mother said, “Tell me what you learned at school.” And she said: “Don’t you know, Mother, one day they went for an extra long walk, and they walked on and on, until God said to Enoch, “You are a long way from home; you had better just come in and stay.” And he went.” —Current Anecdotes^[3]
   4. We can walk with God today because of Jesus.
   5. Turn to 2 Cor. 5:17 and 21:
   6. Verse 17: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
   7. Verse 21: God made him who had no sinto be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

• Let’s apply this. I made these personal to me. You may have other applications.
  1. The Bible often describes the Christian life as a walking. Walking is natural.
  2. What will it take for me to walk, or continue walking, with God?

• Enoch walked with God. I will try my best to walk with God.

1. It seems that walk means a relationship with God or pleasing God. I must aim to please God. I must aim to be in communion with God.
   1. The Bible knowledge Commentary calls walk the Biblical expression for fellowship and obedience that results in Divine Favor. I have fellowship with God because of the Holy Spirit. I will praise Him for that sweet fellowship.
   2. I have reconciliation with God because of the cross. I will walk with Him.
   3. The response is Romans 12:1-2
   4. Enoch did not have to run with God. The life he lived is considered a walk. This is natural. This is not something out of the ordinary. I will understand that the Christian life is walking with God as God created me to walk He created me to walk with Him.
2. Enoch walked with God for 365 years as the Scriptures say, he stuck with it. I will live my life walking with God, all my life. I will finish strong.
   1. There are no excuses in my latter years for weakening my faith, lusting after younger women, giving up on God, etc. I must finish with God.
   2. I hear of older men getting into pornography now, I will fight the battle of lust all my life.
3. Enoch prophesied according to Jude 14: he called out the Truth. I will also speak the Truth.

• Hebrews 11:6: we cannot please God without faith. I will have faith as Enoch had faith.
  1. I will hold true to the promises in the Bible.
  2. I will hold the Bible in reverence.
  3. I will trust the Gospel.
  4. I will seek God’s conviction and follow Him.

Close:

So, Enoch walked with God and God honored that and took him, where are you at in your Christian journey?

Micah 6:8:

He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?

God created us to be with him. (Genesis 1-2)

Our sin separated us from God. (Genesis 3)

Sins cannot be removed by good deeds (Gen 4-Mal 4)

Paying the price for sin, Jesus died and rose again. (Matthew – Luke)

Everyone who trusts in him alone has eternal life. (John – Jude)

Life that’s eternal means we will be with Jesus forever. (Revelation 22:5)

Pray

[1] Andy Stanley, How Good Is Good Enough? (Multnomah, 2003), p. 8; submitted by Gino Grunberg, Gig Harbor, Washington

^[2] Paul Lee Tan, Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times (Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc., 1996), 523.

^[3] Paul Lee Tan, Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times (Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc., 1996), 1570.