I taught this last Sunday at New Life Fellowship where I serve as a pastor, and have the privilege to teach a wonderful group of friends...all of us on a journey of faith through this life.
My desire in this series is to take the pointed "Faith" statements from Hebrews 11 and dive back into the stories - largely from Genesis - so that we might see the stories in their context. This week we looked at the story of Enoch - a figure not widely known by a lot of people; but one that makes it in Hebrews as an example of Faith, and is made known in Genesis.
In this blog, I'll share the first half of that teaching, and then finish it tomorrow. I hope you're encouraged and challenged in your faith!
My desire in this series is to take the pointed "Faith" statements from Hebrews 11 and dive back into the stories - largely from Genesis - so that we might see the stories in their context. This week we looked at the story of Enoch - a figure not widely known by a lot of people; but one that makes it in Hebrews as an example of Faith, and is made known in Genesis.
In this blog, I'll share the first half of that teaching, and then finish it tomorrow. I hope you're encouraged and challenged in your faith!
Hebrews 11 is known as the faith chapter…and that’s
because it begins with this BIG PICTURE statement about what Faith is…
Hebrews 11:1 (ESV)
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
Faith is in a SOMEONE, NOT A
SOMETHING. It is trust in God.
We’re looking at various
dimensions of our Faith…because Faith is not singularly focused.
Today, I want us to look at
Faith as it relates to Commitment.
One of the things that Jesus does is repeatedly question
his disciples when it comes to two big things:
Faith in Him… and,
Commitment to Him…
Faith is something he spoke of frequently with them:
Sometimes it was negative…
Matthew
8:23-26 (ESV)
23 And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him.
24 And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep.
25 And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.”
26 And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.
23 And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him.
24 And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep.
25 And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.”
26 And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.
Sometimes it was Positive:
Luke 7:2-3 (ESV)
2 Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him.
3 When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his servant.
2 Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him.
3 When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his servant.
Luke 7:9 (ESV)
9 When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.”
9 When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.”
BUT, equally so, Jesus constantly challenged people in
the area of their commitment… E.g.
John
12:24-26 (ESV)
24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.
24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.
Here’s a statement you may or may not have ever
heard…and you may or may not believe in:
“Christianity without
Commitment is Not FAITH, it’s merely religious preferences.”
It was in my first year as a Christian that I read the
words from Paul in Galatians 2:20 (ESV)
20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
I came to Christ in the radical
Jesus Movement period.
Keith Green was traveling
and preaching repentance and radical Faith in Jesus Christ for anyone who would
say they were Christians.
I read the biography of Jim
Eliot. He was a young man in college in
the 1950’s and he gave his life to serve God wherever God wanted him to go.
Eventually he was called by
God to go to the Auca Indians in Ecuador.
Along with four others, their wives and children, they moved to the
northern Amazon River basin, set up their housing and reached out to make contact. They thought they would be received, but
instead, they were all killed by warriors who all later converted to
Christ.
In a journal he had written
the words: “He is no fool is gives up
that which he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”
It became my life’s motto…
Commitment: It’s
an absolute essential for anything that involves a meaningful relationship.
Without Commitment, marriage doesn't work… relationships
to Parents, Kids, Friends and Church fellowship doesn't work.
Without Commitment, we end up living a self-centered
individualism that I promise you will lead to regrets and unhappiness down the
road.
This passage in Hebrews 11 is about the Faith of
commitment:
Hebrews 11:5-6 (ESV)
5 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God.
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
5 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God.
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
This is the story of Enoch…not a well known figure, but
one whose Faith and Commitment to God serve as a model for how we understand
this Journey of Faith.
Enoch, A Man Who Made a Commitment to Live
for God
We don’t know a lot about Enoch, there’s not a lot in
scripture about him. But within that scripture there is an interesting story to uncover - and, it helps us understand why God commended his Faith. Interestingly enough it starts with the genealogy of...
Genesis 5:1-5 (ESV)
1 This is the book of the generations of Adam. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God.
2 Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and named them Man when they were created.
3 When Adam had lived 130 years, he fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.
1 This is the book of the generations of Adam. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God.
2 Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and named them Man when they were created.
3 When Adam had lived 130 years, he fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.
When this genealogical record begins, there is no
mention of Cain and Abel.
Abel is dead, and Cain has wandered off and built a city
separate from Eden.
So when the genealogy begins it begins with the next
Son, Seth.
Genesis 5:3 (ESV)
3 When Adam had lived 130 years, he fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.
3 When Adam had lived 130 years, he fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.
Genesis 5:6 (ESV)
6 When Seth had lived 105 years, he fathered Enosh.
6 When Seth had lived 105 years, he fathered Enosh.
Genesis 5:9 (ESV)
9 When Enosh had lived 90 years, he fathered Kenan.
9 When Enosh had lived 90 years, he fathered Kenan.
Genesis 5:12 (ESV)
12 When Kenan had lived 70 years, he fathered Mahalalel.
12 When Kenan had lived 70 years, he fathered Mahalalel.
Genesis 5:15 (ESV)
15 When Mahalalel had lived 65 years, he fathered Jared.
15 When Mahalalel had lived 65 years, he fathered Jared.
Genesis 5:18 (ESV)
18 When Jared had lived 162 years he fathered Enoch.
18 When Jared had lived 162 years he fathered Enoch.
·
Adam had Seth,
·
Seth had Enosh,
·
Enosh had Kenan, then
·
Kenan had a son named Mahalalel,
·
Mahalalel had a son named Jared, and then
·
Jared had a son named Enoch.
All of the Fathers of those seven generations died…yes,
they lived long, but they all died.
Now ancestry wise, I can go back four generations. I have some knowledge of who my Great-Great
Granparents were. But, Seven Generations? That's what we have here, and it's important for what happens next.
It’s in the seventh generation that
something happens.
Genesis 5:21-24 (ESV)
21 When Enoch had lived 65 years, he fathered Methuselah.
22 Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters.
23 Thus all the days of Enoch were 365 years.
24 Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.
21 When Enoch had lived 65 years, he fathered Methuselah.
22 Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters.
23 Thus all the days of Enoch were 365 years.
24 Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.
This is the Enoch that the writer in Hebrews 11 says was
a man of Faith.
Hebrews 11:5 (ESV)
5 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God.
5 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God.
It’s interesting because there is nothing said of what he did that made him this person who is
treated so differently from the rest of human kind.
It doesn’t say
he did any miracles, or led a revival of worship to God, or overcame some
gigantic evil like is going to happen with Noah…Nothing is told of WHAT he did.
What
is told is WHO he was.
He was a man whose Faith was seen by God in such a way that God
literally took him rather than letting him die.
Since Enoch, only one other person was
described – in all of history – as NOT dying, but being taking up to God apart
from death.
That was the prophet Elijah…
With Elijah we have more information. He was an amazing man of God. A Prophet who won his nation of Israel back
over to God, and who challenged evil Kings, and did miracles.
BUT, that is not what is said of Enoch.
What’s said of Enoch is that he had a son
and something happened:
Genesis 5:21-23 (ESV)
21 When Enoch had lived 65 years, he fathered Methuselah.
22 Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah ...
21 When Enoch had lived 65 years, he fathered Methuselah.
22 Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah ...
WHY?
Methuselah – He’s the answer to the Bible Trivia question: “Who is the oldest man who ever lived?”
BUT, there’s something significant in Methuselah’s life…
Genesis 5:25 (ESV)
25 When Methuselah had lived 187 years, he fathered Lamech.
25 When Methuselah had lived 187 years, he fathered Lamech.
Lamech is Enoch’s
grandson…Methuselah is Enoch’s son, and Lamech is his Grandson.
Then his Great Grandson is
born:
Genesis 5:25-31 (ESV)
25 When Methuselah had lived 187 years, he fathered Lamech.
26 Methuselah lived after he fathered Lamech 782 years and had other sons and daughters.
27 Thus all the days of Methuselah were 969 years, and he died.
28 When Lamech had lived 182 years, he fathered a son
29 and called his name Noah, saying, “Out of the ground that the LORD has cursed, this one shall bring us relief from our work and from the painful toil of our hands.”
30 Lamech lived after he fathered Noah 595 years and had other sons and daughters.
31 Thus all the days of Lamech were 777 years, and he died.
26 Methuselah lived after he fathered Lamech 782 years and had other sons and daughters.
27 Thus all the days of Methuselah were 969 years, and he died.
28 When Lamech had lived 182 years, he fathered a son
29 and called his name Noah, saying, “Out of the ground that the LORD has cursed, this one shall bring us relief from our work and from the painful toil of our hands.”
30 Lamech lived after he fathered Noah 595 years and had other sons and daughters.
31 Thus all the days of Lamech were 777 years, and he died.
Now, being the sharp thinkers that you are, you noticed
a couple of things:
·
First you noticed that Methuselah lived to
be 969 years old before he died.
·
Then you noticed that Lamech lived 777 years
and he died.
SO…the difference is quite a bit.
AND Lamech has Noah, who at the time he is 500 begins to
have Sons – which is the last verse in chpt 5…
Genesis
5:32 (ESV)
32 After Noah was 500 years old, Noah fathered Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
32 After Noah was 500 years old, Noah fathered Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
REMEMBER this is about Enoch, His Faith was forged when
he gave birth to a Son, Methuselah…And Methuselah lived 969 years, his Son Lamech lived 777
years, and Noah waited to start having Children until after 500 years???
WHAT HAPPENED?
The Flood. What precipitated the
Flood was God seeing what was becoming of a Fallen world.
Genesis 6:5-7 (ESV)
5 The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
6 And the LORD regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart.
7 So the LORD said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.”
5 The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
6 And the LORD regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart.
7 So the LORD said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.”
We’ll get to that story next week, but for now, I wanted
you to see the connection between the generations. Enoch has a son and it makes him realize something - Genesis
5:22 (ESV)
22 Enoch walked with God after he fathered
Methuselah…
Then Enoch is taken away by God. Genesis 5:24 (ESV)
24 Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.
24 Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.
His Son, Methuselah has a son, Lamech; and Lamech has a
Son, Noah, and Noah builds an ark because the world is going to be destroyed by
a Flood that God sends.
Evolution is the theory that mankind has evolved over
time from lower creatures into the dominant species.
Genesis tells us that instead - a form of Devolving has
been taking place and it became so evil that God determined to destroy it all and start over.
When you take the ages and add them up you discover
something.
·
Methuselah is 187 yrs old when he has Lamech
and lives to be 969 years
·
Lamech is 182 yrs old when he has Noah and
lives to be 777 years.
·
Noah is 500 years old before he starts
having his Sons…but he has three.
·
Then the Flood comes, and we read this:
Genesis 7:11 (ESV)
11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened.
11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened.
Add it all together and you get what? 187 + 182 + 500 + 100 = 969 years
SO Methuselah lives until the Flood and he dies at the
time of the Flood, most likely in the year of the flood, he dies, and then the Flood comes upon the earth. That is why Enoch’s story and his Committed Faith are so
important.
Genesis 5:21-22 (ESV)
21 When Enoch had lived 65 years, he fathered Methuselah.
22 Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters.
21 When Enoch had lived 65 years, he fathered Methuselah.
22 Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters.
Enoch got to a point in his life where he saw what was
happening, and he saw what was going to happen, and he realized that he needed
a deeper COMMITMENT TO GOD.
He saw what was going to happen as the world got
worse and worse, and he made a decision that making a commitment to pursue God
was going to make a difference in his children’s lives, and his grandchildren’s
lives, and we know that it even went one more generation to Enoch’s
great-granchild, Noah.
I would say, it was because of Enoch’s commitment, that
his Great Grandson was able to hear God and find grace in God’s plan to save
the world through him.
HOW do we get a vision of Faith and Commitment
to God that goes beyond our own individual lives and sees it to the next
Generation?
Genesis 17:7 (ESV)
7 And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you.
7 And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you.
Here’s the point:
Faith is… Faith is active, action, now oriented… you
don’t turn it on or off, it “is”.
Our lives matter...We matter...Our Faith matters....In our generation, in the generation to follow, and in the generations after that... It matters to have "Faith is".
Peace, I'll finish this tomorrow.
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