So it is. Like love, faith is demonstrated indirectly by action. They knew what death was because they had seen it in the animals, but when the first man died, all of the others knew this is what will happen to me! J.D. You will always be on guard. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. They refused to bow down to Nebuchadnezzars idol, which caused the offended king to threaten to throw them into the blazing furnace. God has made Himself known in the Scriptures, and If you want to walk with Him, you must believe what He says about Himself. Your family. We know that for sure from his prophecy recorded in Jude, but there may also be a hint of this in the name Enoch chose for his son. George Muller was another man who made Gods promises real by faith, and proved in a visible way the reality of the invisible God. Here is a message especially for all the men. Isaac's blessing of Jacob and Esau shows faith in God's promises, even when circumstances seem to contradict those promises (11:20). Think about this: Walking with God! That is the greatest privilege possible. But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.. But I often see people violate this principle in their personal relationships, causing much damage. But they must have had some faith. Abel was commended as righteous because of a sacrifice that God accepted. And I want to make two observations from them: i. Adam was still living when Enoch was born. The lifespans of these generations are about ten times as long as our lives today. After going through the roll call of these saints, the example of Jesus is set forth in the 12th chapter as the most excellent example of enduring faith, The writer of Hebrews wrote to warn the church he addressed not to drift away from the truth and commit apostacy. The prevailing current worldview, that matter always existed and that the current universe, including man, happened by sheer chance over billions of years, is based on blind faith, because there is no evidence to support it. Perhaps he was like many men who don't get serious until they look into the face of their firstborn son or daughter. These first generations lived for many years, but they had one thing in common: All the days that Adam lived were 930 years, and he died (Gen 5:5). Because faith allows us to overcome, we need to understand faith. Enoch walked with God. Finally we have the story of Noah (Gen. 6-9). He's Where the Joy Is by Tara-Leigh Cobble, Black Church Leadership & Family Conference. He trusted in God. But when you believe in His Word about salvation, you gain understanding about the origins of the ages that makes everything in history fall into place. And Noah had enough faith to inspire all of them to follow his example. You may think, Thats a great story, but what if God hadnt delivered them? Joseph Parker says, The fifth chapter of Genesis is the beginning of that long series of characters in human history which are extremely uninteresting. Here is something that everyone who loves the Lord will aspire. It is the relationship you have with Jesus. It understands the origins of all that is. Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah (Gen 5:21 22). To save items to a SermonFolder, please sign in to your account. This leads me to ask two questions: Do you have it? Follow Us Online. After telling us about Enoch who walked with God, Hebrews says, Whoever would draw near to God.. You cant walk with someone when you are hiding from them. On a lifespan of 90 years that would be about 18 years old. Delivered on Sabbath Morning, December 14, 1856, by the REV. Because he believes that God has called him to do it! When He sends difficult trials into our lives, whether persecution, the loss of our health, or the loss of a loved one, we have to trust Him, believing that He is acting in love to form Christ in us. If you feed your flesh and your doubts, they will grow. Amos asks, Can two walk together unless they are agreed? Second, if you have trusted in Christ as Savior, live each day to seek His approval. All Sermons Bible Studies Devotionals Prayers. And that promise was fulfilled when Jesus laid down His life for us on the cross. 2. God invites you to live in the constant, conscious enjoyment of His presence. The fact that the author puts verse 3 at the start of his list of by faith examples, shows that faith in God as Creator is foundational to knowing God. There is a third principle for close relationships: Truth must be expressed in love. The flood came in the 600th year of Noahs life and if you compare that with the long years of Methuselahs life, you will see that God sent the flood in the year that Methuselah died. You are calling God a liar if you do not trust Him, and you cannot be close to a liar. Seen through the eyes of a public that gasped at the enormity of their tragedy, Scott and Janet Willis faced unendurable grief. Walking with God is the greatest pleasure. This is a constant theme of Scripture. The Creator of heaven and earth; the sovereign Lord of the universe is your heavenly Father, and He is so intensely interested in you, so intimately involved in your life, that He would choose to walk with you! To start saving items to a SermonFolder, please create an account. The evidence of our eyes is against all of this. What if they had been burned to death? The answer is, they would have died in faith and God would reward them abundantly throughout eternity in heaven. 1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. The seed sown on the rocky ground sprang up quickly, but it also quickly withered and died when trials hit. 2 For by it the men of old gained approval. But God is full of grace and mercy and soon after the death of Adam, God gave a wonderful sign that deaths power would be broken. Instead we find complexity, and diversity not only between religious communities but within it as well." Lesson 32: By Faith (Hebrews 11:1-3) Related Media It is essential for every believer to understand the nature of enduring faith. Ha! You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart (Jer 29:13). By their choice, sin and the sinful nature entered the human race. It is their faith that gets them out of bed in the morning and lets them enjoy the memories of their children rather than be haunted by their memories of them. By faith, Moses saw through the world with its fleeting pleasures and treasures. Faith taken seriously makes a difference in our world and changes the way we live. And in the light of that Enoch walked with God. If wickedness had filled the earth by the time of Noah, you can be sure that it was running rampant in the time of Enoch. Notice the word ungodly or ungodliness occurs four times. Perhaps that's what happened to Enoch. 2/19/2023 Pastor Tom Harper presents a message entitled "Faith That Works" - Hebrews 11. Has it occurred to you that God may have done this so that you will seek Him and walk with Him in a way that you were not doing before? We live in a world that is far from God and all of us are going to die. Our calling is to seek Him. The worlds first baby became the worlds first murderer. The text says it is the substance of things hoped for. I suspect that Adam had explained that God required a sacrifice. It seems that the responsibility of being a father caused Enoch to feel that he needed God in a way that he had not felt before. Enoch's story teaches us that death for the believer is not a traumatic event - though on earth it often seems traumatic. Comments >>. 1. Whoever would draw near to God! Yes, it is. The Word feeds your faith, and faith feeds your understanding (v. 3). Living with that "end" in mind, the Christian daily exercises faith in an unseen, almighty, and awesome God. They believed because he believed. 1. Back then, there were only eight true believers in the whole world. The story of Enoch is told back in Genesis 5, where God records the generations from Adam to Noah, whose story we will look at next week. A. W. Pink (An Exposition of Hebrews [Ephesians 4 Group], p. 652) uses the analogy of two men standing on the deck of a ship, looking in the same direction. Saving faith comes as Gods gift, not as a human effort (Eph. Hebrews 11:1 has always been a difficult verse for me to get a handle on. By faith, he factored in eternity and looked to the reward. There is abundant evidence that an incredibly intelligent Designer created everything, especially human life. It is also the power of a godly husband and father. It is the doorway through which we enter the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. As we saw in chapter 10, Christs sacrifice on the cross is the only basis for forgiveness of sins. Only the seed on the good ground bore fruit with perseverance (Luke 8:11-15). Scripture: Hebrews 11:7-12 John Piper Sermon The Hope of Exiles on the Earth Jun 29, 1997 Scripture: Hebrews 11:13-22 John Piper Sermon Liberated for Love by Looking to the Reward Aug 3, 1997 Scripture: Hebrews 11:23-28 John Piper Sermon Faith to Be Strong and Faith to Be Weak Aug 10, 1997 Scripture: Hebrews 11:29-38 John Piper Message Enosh lived 905 years (Gen 5:11). He is known as "The Father Of The Faithful. I did what I did because I believed it to be biblical and thus pleasing to God, but it resulted in a number of people trying to get me fired. God always looks to the heart first and foremost. Since the day that Enoch began to know God, he must have been thoroughly enthralled at God's goodness to reward him. Enoch knew that the judgment of God was coming soon. Adam and Eve disobeyed a single command in the Garden. Concerning faith, he wrote (George Muller of Bristol, A. T. Pierson [Revell], p. 437, italics his): It is the very time for faith to work, when sight ceases. Some think that faith is believing something . And only God can give me what I need. [2] For by it the people of old received their commendation. Any exceptions to the above must be approved by Unlocking the Bible, 1-866-865-6253. It is about the faith and that faith must be in Jesus. Suddenly there is a break in the clouds. Walking isnt easy when the wind is against you. The story comes from Genesis 27. Enoch was given a prophetic glimpse of the day when our Lord Jesus Christ will come with His holy angels. Knowing the U nknowable. Featuring Jen Wilkin, Jennifer Rothschild, Kristi McLelland, and more! Faith or trust in God is at the foundation of a relationship with Him. 3By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not seen." (Hebrews 11:1-3) I'm focusing today's sermon on our . In other words, people are believing what they want and doing what they want and thinking what they want. 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