Learning to Walk with God

Pastor, teacher, and author Adrian Rogers has introduced people all over the world to the love of Jesus Christ and has impacted untold numbers of lives by presenting profound truth simply stated. Thanks for joining us for this message. Here's Adrian Rogers. Enoch. Prophesies the second coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

And the message today will help you to get ready for the rapture. The title of the message Learning To walk with God. Let's look right here in the Word of God in Hebrews chapter 11 and verse 5 by faith. Enoch was translated that he should not see death. That means he never died.

He was taken directly to heaven without dying, and he was not found. That is, they looked all around for him, but they couldn't find him. because God had translated him. For before his translation, He had this testimony. That he pleased God.

Is that your testimony that you pleased God?

Well? The Bible says, but without faith it is impossible to please him. For he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. My prayer is today that you will want to please God, and the way to please God is to walk with God. And so we're going to learn how to walk with God, take one step at a time, day by day by day, walking with God.

Because when you are a Christian, you're not just simply. one who has made a decision. You're one who has a life of intimate fellowship with God, walking day by day.

Now let me name some things about that life that we have with our Lord. And I pray God He will write these upon your heart. First of all, the walk with God is a life of faith. It is a life of faith. Let's look at Genesis chapter five.

It's very interesting because in Genesis chapter five, we have the story that the writer of Hebrews talks about.

Now Genesis chapter 5 is an interesting story in a lot of ways. Genesis chapter 5 reads like the obituary in the newspaper. For example, look in verse 8. And all the days of Seth were 912 years. That's a long time to live, but notice how it ends.

And he died. Notice verse 11. All the days of Enos were 905 years. Long time. And he died.

Look, if you will, in verse 14. In all the days of Kainan, were 910 years. And he died. Look if you will in verse 17. And all the days of Mahalaliel were 890 and 5 years.

And he died, he died, he died, he died, he died, he died. What a dreary monotony. But I want you to notice one name that stands out like a gardenia in this desert of death. Look, if you will, now in verse 21. And Enoch.

lived 60 and five years and begat Methuselah. And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah 300 years and begat sons and daughters. And all the days of Enoch were 360 and five years. And Enoch walked with God. And was not.

But God took him. It doesn't say he died. He was raptured. He was taken straight to heaven.

Now what delineates this life? Number one. The life that walks with God is a life of faith. a life of faith. And Enoch walked with God and was not.

For God took him.

Well, how did he walk with God?

Well, look in Hebrews 11, 5 and 6 now, by faith. Enoch was translated that he should not see death and was not found because God had translated him. For before his translation, he had this testimony that he pleased God. How did he please God? Verse 6 says, but without faith it is impossible to please him.

So how did Enoch Please God. By walking with God. How did he walk with God? He believed God.

So the life of walking with God is simply a life of faith.

Well, where did he get this take?

Well, he got faith from the Word of God. The same way I get it, the same way you get it. Romans chapter 10 verse 17, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. You will never, never, never, never have faith apart from the will of God. Faith is not guessing at the will of God.

Faith is learning the will of God and believing God. Faith is hearing from God and believing God. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.

Now, that word may be through the Holy Spirit, it may be through the pages of Scripture, but you don't name it and claim it. God speaks and you believe it. That, my friend, is faith, and without faith, it's impossible to please God. You want to walk with God, do you? I hope you do.

Then you're going to walk the walk of faith. Faith.

Sometimes when we go back to the Old Testament book of Genesis, we say, man, what do they know? They didn't know anything back there, those crude people, plowing with sticks, ignoramuses. They didn't have television. They didn't have a computer. What did they know?

It may surprise you to know what Enoch, the seventh from Adam, knew. Did you know that Enoch was a prophet? Put in your margin Jude verse 14 and Enoch also. The seventh From Adam prophesied of these saying, Behold, The Lord cometh. with ten thousands of his saints.

Now think about that. Here's a man only seven generations from Adam. And he was prophesying the second coming of Jesus Christ. You see, the book of Genesis. is the seed bed of the rest of the Bible.

And you see Calvary as you study Abel. And now you see the second coming as you study Enoch. Enoch is prophesying: look, behold, the Lord comes. Here He comes, followed by the armies of heaven. It speaks of that glorious time when Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is going to bring all of the redeemed who are now in heaven with Him back to this earth at the Battle of Armageddon.

Is that not an amazing thing?

Well, Enoch had faith. Where do you get faith? How did he learn? Who taught Enoch? How did Emoch become a prophet?

Did you know that Enoch was a contemporary of Adam? Did you know that Adam had walked in the Garden of Eden? Can you imagine with God? Can you imagine the school of theology that Adam must have had? Can you imagine walking?

In Eden. with God. Adam did. He walked in the garden, they talked, and Enoch and Adam were contemporaries. They lived as contemporaries.

You study the Bible and you're going to find out that when Enoch was born, Adam was 622 years of age. I said, pretty old.

Well, he was just in the prime of life. Adam lived 930 years. He and Enoch walked together for 308 years. Think how much that Adam must have taught Enoch about the Word of God. I can imagine Enoch saying to Adam, Adam.

Tell me. Adam, what was it like? In Eden. What was it like when you and God walked through The garden. I can see Adam as his eyes tear up, his chin begins to quiver.

Oh, he says, Enoch, to walk with God. It was just wonderful. We walk through golden meadows together. We walk through pristine green forests together. We climb mountain peaks together.

Oh to walk with God. It was so Wonderful. You see, Enoch Listen to Adam. Knew Abel. He knew all of these.

And now Enoch is a prophet of God who is walking with God. Question. Do you want to walk with God? I mean, walk with God. I'm not talking about just coming to church.

I'm not talking about. Learning the facts. Would you like for God to be more real to you. Than the person sitting next to you. possible.

So pay attention. Number one. This walk with God begins with faith. This entire chapter is about faith. And the emphasis is that he walked with God because he believed God.

Now, number two. Not only is walking with God a life of faith, But it becomes a life of fellowship. You see, you step in by faith. But you walk on in fellowship.

Now, the Bible says here in Genesis chapter 5, verse 22: And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah, three. Hundred years. and begat sons and daughters. And then again, Hebrews 11, verses 5 and 6: By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death and was not found because God had translated him. For before his translation, He had this testimony.

that he pleased. God. But without faith, it is impossible to please him. For he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Enoch and The Father are walking hand in hand.

in intimate fellowship. Do you have fellowship with God? You know I do. I don't boast about it. but I want to praise God for it.

I know him. I know it. He's real to me. I walk with him. Did you know what the Apostle Paul said?

Paul says, I know whom I have believed. He didn't say, I know in whom I have believed. That's the way many people mistranslate that. Paul didn't want a preposition between him and Christ. He said, I know whom I have believed.

Not I know about him. He did know about him. But he said, I also know him. You may know about somebody without knowing somebody, but you are to know the Lord Jesus Christ intimately. You are to know him.

It is a life of fellowship.

Now, Amos 3.3 says, Can two walk together except they be agreed? Put that in your margin. And then put this verse down. I love this verse. One of the greatest verses in all of the Old Testament.

It is Micah chapter 6, verse 8. He hath showed the old man what is good. You want to know what is good? You want to hear something good? He hath showed the old man what is good, and what doth the Lord require of thee?

Number one, what's good? Number two, what does God want? To do justly? But love mercy. And to walk.

humbly with thy God. And God says, look. Show mercy to people. Do right yourself. and just walk with me.

You know, you ask some people, what does God want?

Some people say, well, God wants us to serve Him.

Well, friend, if God wanted service, if that's all He wanted, He could just use angels. They'd do a better job than we, always instantly obeying, always on the job, full of power. But God doesn't want mere servants. Of course, we should serve Him, but that's not why He created us.

Well, you say God wants scholars. God wants us to learn all the facts about Him. No? He wants you to study. But what is the bottom line?

God wants to walk with you. Why did He create you? He created you in His image so He could have fellowship with you. Did you know? That you can know all about him and not know him.

I want to read to you a part of an essay Written by a 17-year-old boy. who was a student in a Christian school. This boy wrote an essay on union with Jesus Christ. As you listen to it, You're going to say, that is a good essay. But I'm going to tell you ahead of time before I read it so you can be measuring it.

The person who wrote it. was Carl Marks. Karl Marx. The founder of godless atheistic communism. The one who wrote The diabolical book, Das Capital.

The one who's caused more misery, more bloodshed, more hatred, more violence, more division. I suppose. Than any other man. Who ever lived? Karl Marx.

Wrote this when he was a 17-year-old boy. Listen to it. If we examine the history of man's nature as an individual, We constantly observe that spark of divinity in his breast. The enthusiasm for what is good. the struggle for wisdom.

The longing for truth. are being smothered. by the flames of desire and greed. The zeal for virtue becomes deafened. by the tempting voice of sin.

and turns into a mockery. as soon as we feel the full impact of life. Our hearts Reason? History? the word of Christ, all call out to us loudly and convincingly to tell us.

That union with Him is absolutely necessary and without Him, we would be rejected of God. for He alone is able to deliver us. Once a man has obtained this virtue, this union with Christ, He will awake quietly and composedly. The blows of fate. He will bravely oppose the storms of passion and endure undaunted.

The rage of the wicked. For who can crush him? or rob him. of his Redeemer. What's the problem with all of that?

Not a thing in the world.

So far as truth is concerned, But if he had been writing an essay on geography, Our history. He would have done just as good a job because he had a brilliant mind. He knew the answers. But he didn't know Jesus. Founded atheistic communism.

Can you imagine a person knowing all of that truth and yet not knowing the Lord? God made you to have fellowship with Him. It is a life of fellowship.

And you were to say, the voice I hear. Falling on my ear, the Son of God discloses it. And he walks with me. And he talks with me. And he tells me I am his own.

Does God walk with you and talk with you? I mean, is Jesus Christ real to you when you're driving around an automobile? When you have your pots and pans there in the kitchen. When you're sitting there at your desk, when you're at school, on the gridiron, Or the basketball court. Did you know that Jesus Christ is to be very real with you, you are to walk with him.

Now, sometimes we come to church. And we act differently at church.

Now listen carefully to what I'm about to say. Obviously, when somebody is preaching, you'd be quiet. Obviously, when we sing, You're to join together, but don't change your personality. Don't suddenly get spooky when you come to church. Oh, we're in church now.

We are holy, holy, holy. One more, one more. Whew. Listen. A Christian is perfectly natural and naturally supernatural.

Supernaturally natural and naturally supernatural. We don't change.

Sometimes I'll be over here. Sitting as a guest preacher, there'll be the pastor, the host pastor at the church, and we'd be talking back and forth, and he seemed perfectly normal. And then he gets up. comes over to the pulpit. The talk.

And this guy's very natural this. Dearly beloved. And he talks like he got a steeple stuck in his throat.

Sometimes people don't like to come into church and hear people kind of greeting one another and chattering like birds in a tree. They say, oh, be quiet, we've come to worship. Friend. When you meet your brothers and sisters in Jesus, be cheerful, be happy. There's nothing wrong with that.

Nothing wrong with that.

Now you say, but I think we'll be still and know that God is in His holy temple. There's a time to be still. Bible also says shout unto the Lord. Ah, there's a time. To cry?

There's a time to laugh. That's what Ecclesiastes tells us. There are times when we're exuberant in our worship. The Bible says, clap your hands, all ye people. The Bible says, lifting holy hands to God in prayer.

There are times when we'd be on our face, on our knees with the Lord. All of these things are true. All of these things are true. But the point is. That we're to be natural.

Would be natural. Don't get the idea that our faith is something that we kind of put on when we come to church. What I'm trying to say is that we are to walk with God 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

Now, we come to church to worship, but listen. We also bring our worship to church. How wonderful when people who already have been walking with God Come to church. to continue to do corporately what they've been doing individually. All week long.

That's what makes a glorious service.

So when you come in here and God comes in with you and you come to praise Him together, it is a life of fellowship. Oh, how sweet to walk. In this pilgrim way, leaning on the everlasting arms. The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord.

Now, thirdly, It is not only a life of faith and a life of fellowship, a walk with God. is a life of faithfulness. One of the verses that motivates me a lot. is this, that Jesus went about doing good. And sometimes I just say, Lord.

I don't have an agenda today. Just let me go about doing good.

Now, why was this man so faithful? He was faithful for 300 years. Look, if you will, in Genesis chapter 5, verse 22. And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah. 300 years.

and begat sons and daughters. 300 years, that's 109,500 days. Good days, bad days, hot days, cold days. Snow, rain, blizzard, drought, flood, war, peace. Opposition.

Walking with God. He didn't turn it on, turn it off. There is the constancy, the faithfulness of his walk. And by the way, He did not do it in a monastery. If you read the life of Enoch, he had a family.

He had children. Doubtless he had a job. He had a home. He had business. And he did not do it in an easy age.

When Enoch walked with God, he walked with God at a time called the days of Noah. Violence and vice and wickedness were rampant so much that God. Decided he was going to destroy the world. With a flood. In the days of Noah, Enoch walked with God.

In a day of demonic force, he walked with God.

Now, friend, don't you say, Pastor? It's easy for you because you're a preacher. You don't know where I work. You don't know what my house is like. Uh it's hard for me to walk with God.

It's hard for anybody to walk with God if he does it in his own strength. Enoch walked with God. It is the God who walks with you, who empowers you, and every demand upon your Christian life is a demand of the God who walks within you and walks with you day by day. I hope you believe that. It's a life of faith, it's a life of fellowship, it is a life of faithfulness.

It is also a life of fruitfulness. You want your life to count for God? Just walk with God. It's a life of fruitfulness. The Bible says in Hebrews 11, verses 5 and 6: By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death and was not found because God had translated him.

For before his translation, he had this testimony.

Now, listen. He pleased God. That's fruitfulness. He pleased God. But without faith it's impossible to please Him.

For He that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently serve Him. Why was He so fruitful? What was there about his life that made him A profit. Did you know he had a crisis in his life? And after his crisis, that's when he began to walk with God.

Do you know what his crisis was? He became a father. He became a father. Look, if you will, in Genesis chapter 5, verse 22. And Enoch walked with God.

after he begat Methuselah. 300 years and begat sons and daughters. He had his first baby. A little boy named Methuselah. And when that baby was born, God spoke.

to Enoch in a special way. And Emech walked with God. after he begat Methuselah. Well, I tell you what, if you have children, And you have any brain and any heart. It's going to drive you to God.

Did you know that? Going to drive you to God. He walked with God after he begat Methuselah 300 years. Have you ever thought about the name Methuselah? How many of you know a baby other than one in the Bible?

Name Methuselah. I've never met one, doubtless, you know, the names that people give kids, there's some child around named Methuselah.

Sometimes we wonder why, where did these people get these names? Bible names had a special meaning. The name Methuselah means this. When he is dead or when he is gone, it will be sent. Can you imagine naming a child that when he is dead, it will be sent?

Well, what does that mean? God said to Enoch, I'm going to destroy the world with a flood.

Well, God, when are you going to do this? You see this baby? When he's dead, it will be sin. You know, the Bible says in Amos 3:7, surely the Lord God will do nothing but that he revealeth his secret to his servants, the prophets. Remember now that Enoch was a prophet.

And God says, you see this little baby? When he's dead, It's going to be sad. Every time Little Methuselah had a fever and he said, oh boy, I wonder if this is it. When he's dead, it's going to be sent.

Now, how long did Methuselah live? This explains the mystery. Methuselah lived longer than any other man in all of history. 969 years, as we're going to see later, Methuselah lived. He lived longer than anybody else.

You ready for a riddle? the oldest man who ever lived who died before his father did. Who was that? Methuselah. He died before his father did because his father never died.

The oldest man who ever lived who died before his father did, that is Methuselah.

Well, why did Methuselah? Lived for 969 years. The New Testament tells us the longsuffering of God. God was not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. And so God kept giving another day, another day, another day, 969 years.

God is waiting before He sends the flood because God's mercy, God is waiting for more people to be saved. Why is not Jesus come in our day and our age? God's waiting for more people to be saved. Peter tells us, many will say, where's the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation, for this they're willingly ignorant of, and one day is where the Lord is a thousand years, and a thousand years is one day.

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness, but is long-suffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. It could be. That the reason Jesus didn't come yesterday It's because God wants you saved today. It could be. It could be that God is just keeping the door open one more time.

But I tell you, the flood did come. And even now the raging waters of God's wrath are furiously pounding against the dam of His mercy. And one of these days, Jesus Christ will come and it will be too late for you as it was too late in this day. I want to show you that the flood came the day Methuselah died. You ready to do some arithmetic?

Look in Genesis chapter 5, verse 25. And Methuselah lived a hundred years. eighty and seven years and begat lamen.

Now Little Methuselah is born. His name means When he is gone or when he is dead, it will be sent.

Now he became a father, Methuselah became a father when he was 187 years of age. He had a son. whose name was layman.

Now Lamech gave Methuselah a grandson.

Now notice in Genesis 5 verses 28 and 29. And Lamech lived an hundred and eighty-and two years and begat a son, and he called his name Noah.

So Methuselah's grandson was Noah. His son was Lamech. The grandson was Noah. Lamech was born after 187 years. 182 more years.

Little Noah is born.

So that's 369 years when Noah was born. Methuselah is 369 years old when he becomes a grandpapa.

Now When that grandson, whose name was Noah, was six hundred years old. The flood came. Pastor, how do you know that? Genesis 7, 11. In the 600th year of Noah's life, In the second month, The 17th day of the month.

The same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up and the windows of heaven were opened. The flood came. Now see, 187, 182, 369. Add 600 to that, 969 years. That day the flood came.

Now you understand, when he is gone, it will be sent. You understand why Methuselah lived to be 969 years because God was postponing, God was putting off. that day of judgment because of his mercy. But the flood did come. And the day of the Lord will come.

As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be in this day. And I believe that Enoch had a certain amount of fear. Fear is a legitimate motive. I'm telling you, my precious friend, that God Almighty is a God of judgment. I know we're not supposed to believe that God is a God of wrath, but only a God of love.

God is a God of love, infinite, matchless, unfathomable, indescribable, glorious love. But he's also a God-rat.

Now, if you say God is a God of love and don't say God is a God of wrath, that's only half of the truth. And when you take half of the truth and make half of the truth all of the truth, that half of the truth becomes an untruth. I can't say that again, but it's true. God. says to Enoch, Enoch.

When he's gone, it'll be sent. Enoch said, I believe I better walk with God. Did you know that judgment is coming and you better walk with God? You say, Don't use fear on me. Your doctor will.

Your doctor said, get that cholesterol down, you're going to die. Your dentist will use fear. You don't have to floss all your teeth, just the ones you want to keep. The highway patrolman uses fear. No, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, not the end of wisdom, but the beginning of wisdom.

We live in a generation that has been tranquilized into hell. Psalm 25 verse 14, the secret of the Lord is with them that fear him. You see. Enoch was a prophet. He knew that the Lord is coming.

And uh he says The flood is coming. There's judgment coming on this earth. I believe I'll walk with God. Friend, if you had any sense, you'd say, I believe I'll walk with God. I believe I walk with God.

It was a life of fruitfulness. A life that counts. All of your toys are soon going to be junk. That house of yours, that car of yours, those clothes, that coat. That's all premature junk.

How are you living in this day and in this age?

Now, the Bible says that Enoch walked with God. And was not because God took him. That's Genesis 5, verse 24. Hebrews chapter 11, verses 5 and 6 says that it was translated. that he should not see death.

There was a sudden Instant rapture. And he's gone. You know what? They look for it. And he didn't find him.

Yeah. Hebrews says he was not found. That means they look for him. One of these days they're going to be looking for me. One of these days they're going to be looking for you.

Listen to the words of Jesus. By the way, you say, Pastor Rogers, that sounds so supernatural. Yep, you got it. That's what I hope you'll see. Luke chapter 17, verses 34 and 35.

Jesus said, I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed, one shall be taken, the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding together. The one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. left. A man reaches over at night time to touch his wife.

The pillow is warm. But she's gone. A mother goes in to change the diaper on her little precious baby. The crib is empty. The baby is gone.

People in the near line. The pilot is gone. Grinding at the mill. The one taken. The other laughed.

Enoch walked with God. And was not because God took him. Here's in the book of Genesis a wonderful book that prophesies. Ahead of time. The second coming of Jesus Christ.

Is Jesus real to you? Are you walking with him? There was a preacher. who had a precious baby son. He was the age that we call a toddler.

That preacher in a hurry to go to a meeting. Got in his automobile. and was backing out of the garage. When he heard the most sickening Thing that any parent can ever hear. A thud.

And the bump.

So oh No. Oh no, no! He opened the door of the car. Went back. And there was the lifeless body.

of his precious son. Can you imagine what that funeral was like? Another preacher came to stand by this man to give him strength and help. And that heartbroken man of God With tears. coming down his cheek, said to his friend, Bob Oh, ba.

I wouldn't have done it. For the world. Let me tell you something. God so loved the world. That He gave His only begotten Son.

That's the love of God. Calvary was not an accident. It was not an incident. It was the gift of a loving God. And if you die and go to hell.

You will trample beneath your feet. the precious blood of the Son of God. You say, Pastor, do you believe in hell? Hell is almost too good for a man. who would trample beneath his feet.

Such love. You're here to walk with God. That's why Jesus came. That we might walk with him and talk with him. And I want to lead you today in a prayer if you've never done so.

So you put your faith in the one. who gave His Son for the world. Would you pray this way, dear God? I'm a sinner and I'm lost and I need to be saved. Pray that.

My sin deserves judgment. But I need and want mercy. Jesus, you died to save me? You shed your blood to save me. You rose and lived to save me.

You promised to save me if I would trust you. I do trust you, Jesus. Would you pray that? I do trust you, Jesus, with all of my heart. Come into my heart.

Forgive my sin. Save me. Lord Jesus. Pray it, say it, and mean it. Save me.

Lord Jesus. Did you ask him? Then claim it by faith. Pray this way. Thank you for saving me.

I don't look for a sign or ask for a feeling. I stand on your word. You promised and you cannot lie. You are now my Lord and Savior. I will live for you.

I will make it public. Begin now to make me the person you want me to be. In your name I pray. Amen. If you would like to learn more about how you can know Jesus or deepen your relationship with him, simply click the Discover Jesus link on our website, lwf.org.

For a copy of this message or additional resources, visit our online store at lwf.org or call 1-800-274-5683. Thank you.