Text: Heb 11:5
A. A man pleasing to God.
Enoch did not just aim for a passing mark in God’s report card, he was a man who pleased God (Heb 11:5). a. He could have pleased himself (2Ti 3:4). b. He could have pleased his family (1Co 7:33). c. He could have pleased other men (Joh 15:19).
In all that we do, consider whether we are pleasing God or not (Gal 1:10). a. If we stay up late to watch TV on Saturday night and wake up tired for worship, are we pleasing God or ourselves? b. If we go on family vacations without making plans to worship with faithful saints, are we pleasing God or our families? c. If we choose to work overtime on Thursday evenings to get a promotion, are we pleasing God or men?
Enoch pleased God because He believed in the omnipotence, omnipresence, omniscience and omnibenevolence of God and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Heb 11:6) – do we have the faith that God will provide for us if we only seek Him first (Mat 6:33)?
B. A man speaking for God.
Enoch did not just have keep his faith to himself, he was a man who proclaimed his beliefs (Jud 14-15). a. He preached in a time of great ungodliness (Jud 15). b. He preached in a time of increasing wickedness and violence (Gen 6:5,11-12). c. He preached in a time of relative spiritual darkness (2Co 4:4,6).
In all that we say, consider whether we are speaking for God or not (1Pe 4:11). a. Do we speak the words of men or the words of God (1Th 2:13)? b. Do we speak to tickle itching ears or to prick the hearts (2Ti 4:2-4)? c. Do we speak with doubt or conviction (2Co 4:13)?
Enoch spoke for God, not for men (1Th 2:3-6) – do we have the courage to speak what others need to hear (Pro 27:6)?
C. A man walking with God.
Enoch did not just speak for God, he was a man who walked the talk (Gen 5:22,24). a. He could have excused himself as being too old to walk with God (Gen 5:21). b. He could have excused himself as being too busy with his children to walk with God (Gen 5:22). c. He could have excused himself as being too tired after walking with God for so long (Gen 5:23-24).
In our pilgrimage on earth, consider whether we are walking with God or not (Amo 3:3). a. Are we walking with God or away from Him in our choice of career? b. Are we walking with God or away from Him in our choice of marriage partners? c. Are we walking with God or away from Him in our priorities?
Enoch walked with God, as did Noah (Gen 6:9), by doing according to all that God commanded him (Gen 6:22) – do we have the trust to allow God to direct our steps even when we cannot see the destination (Pro 3:5-6)?
D. A man taken by God.
Enoch did not just make a good start in his spiritual walk, he was a man who finished his course (Gen 5:24). a. He was rewarded for his pleasing walk with God (Heb 11:5-6). b. He was blessed with the longest living man as his son (Gen 5:27). c. He was spared from seeing the destruction of the world by flood (Isa 57:1).
In our pilgrimage on earth, consider whether we are prepared to be taken by God or not (Amo 4:12). a. Is the Day of the Lord light or darkness for us (Amo 5:18)? b. Can we say that our day of death better than our day of birth (Ecc 7:1)? c. Have we set our house in order in preparation for our death (Isa 38:1)?
Enoch was taken by God to continue his walk with God for eternity because he pleased God (Heb 11:5) – do we have the confidence that we can continue our walk with God through eternity when He takes us from this earth (1Jo 2:28)?