Learning to Walk with God | Part 1

We'll be right back. Welcome to Love Worth Finding, featuring the profound truth of the gospel found in the practical biblical lessons of Adrian Rogers. Hebrews chapter 11 tells of the prophet Enoch, a champion of our faith, who so pleased God and walked so intimately with him that he never died. Enoch is an example for us as we learn to walk with God.

What did his daily walk with God look like? If you have your Bible, turn to Hebrews chapter 11. We'll begin in verse 5 as Adrian Rogers shares part one of learning to walk with God.

Hebrews chapter 11. We're talking today about Enoch. Enoch prophesized 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 5. It's very interesting because in Genesis chapter 5, 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. 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 Canaan were 910 years, and he died.

Look, if you will, in verse 17. And all the days of Mahalaleel were 819, 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 65 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 365 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 faith? 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. Well, sometimes when we go back to the Old Testament, the book of Genesis, we say, man, what do they know? They didn't know anything back there, those crude people, the 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 seabed 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 did he get faith? How did he learn? Who taught Enoch?

How did Enoch 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.

Isn't that 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 walked through golden meadows together. We walked through pristine green forests together. We climbed mountain peaks together. Oh, to walk with God.

It was so wonderful. You see, Enoch listened to Adam. He 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 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 him. 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 believe.

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 six, verse eight. He had showed the old man what is good. You want to know what is good? You want to hear something good? He has showed the old man what is good and what does the Lord require of it.

Number one, what's good? Number two, what does God want? To do justly, to 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, He asked 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'd 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 Karl Marx. Karl Marx, the founder of godless, atheistic communism, the one who wrote the diabolical book, Das Kapata, 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 or 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. And in 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 are to say, the voice I hear falling on my ear, the Son of God discloses, 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 avenue, 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 saying. Obviously, when somebody is preaching, you're to 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're holy, holy, holy, mama, mama. 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 and 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 to talk.

This guy's very natural, but dearly beloved. And he talks like he's got a steeple stuck in his throat. Sometimes people don't like to come in the 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're to be still and know that God is in His holy temple. There's a time to be still. The 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 you people. The Bible says, lifting holy hands to God in prayer. There are times when we're to 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. We're to 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 5, verse 22. And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah 300 years and begat sons and daughters.

Three hundred 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, turned 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. 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. You look at a power plant, say an atomic plant, and we get electricity from that atomic power plant. Somebody says that plant generates power. In the truest sense, it releases power.

The power is in the atomic energy that is released. The power that's in my life is because God is releasing His power into me to walk the Christian life day by day. I would not be, I could not be faithful were it not for the Lord in me. 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. Because it is a life of faith, because it is a life of fellowship, because it is a life of faithfulness, friend, 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 comes to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently serve him. Coming up tomorrow with your part two of this important lesson, but maybe today you have questions about who Jesus is or what he means to you, how to begin a relationship with God through Christ, go to our website, lwf.org slash radio, and at the top you'll see find God's love. If you click that, you'll find resources and materials that will answer questions you may have about your faith. Now, if you'd like to order a copy of today's message in its entirety, you can call us at 1-877-LOVEGOD. Mention the title, Learning to Walk with God. This message is also part of the insightful series, Champions of Faith, for that complete 18 message collection.

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To find out more, just go to the website, lwf.org slash radio. And join us next time for the powerful conclusion of Learning to Walk with God, right here on Love Worth Finding. We love hearing how the ministry of Love Worth Finding is affecting you, and we were really encouraged to see this on Facebook. These programs are so touching and have incredibly changed my life.

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