This sermon delves into the story of Enoch, the first preacher in the Bible who preached about the second coming of Christ and judgment against sin. It emphasizes the importance of walking with God, preaching against sin, and having a testimony that pleases God. The sermon highlights the need for believers to have faith, humility, and a focus on spiritual matters amidst a world filled with corruption and rebellion.

I want to begin by telling you about someone who preached about the second coming of Christ. And he preached it more than 4000 years ago. You know, we thought that the second coming of Christ is preached only after the days of the apostles. But we read that in the book of Jude about someone who preached about the second coming of Christ more than 4000 years ago. Nearly about 5000 years ago. In the days of Adam. When Adam was alive, there was a man preaching the second coming of Christ. It's quite amazing. You read that in the book of Jude. Jude is speaking about all the wickedness there is in the world. And by the end of the first century, a lot of corruption had come into the church also. He speaks about certain people in the church, verse 11, who are going the way of Cain. Verse 11. Who are going the way of Cain. No, no, not Cain. Read that. Verse 11. The way of Cain. And going in the error of Balaam. The error of Balaam. And the rebellion of Korah. See, there were people in the church who were going in these wrong directions. And he says they are like hidden reefs in your love peace, verse 12. And about these people, verse 14, Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied. You know what he said? The Lord is going to come with many thousands of his holy ones. When is that going to happen? That is the second coming of Christ. You know, Adam lived for 930 years. And Enoch was born when Adam was still alive. And during Adam's lifetime, Enoch was preaching about the end of the world. How the Lord will come and will judge, verse 15. And what is he going to judge? What is he going to judge? All the ungodly, verse 15, of their ungodly deeds, which they have done in an ungodly way. And all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. And these are grumblers, verse 16, finding fault, following after their own lust, speaking arrogantly, flattering people for sake of gaining an advantage. And verse 16 says, these are grumblers, finding fault, following after their own lust, speaking arrogantly, flattering people for sake of gaining an advantage. Enoch was the first preacher in the Bible. He was a prophet. And his subject was the second coming of Christ. The first preacher in the Bible preached against sin. Very few people who preach against sin today. There are so many other subjects they preach on. Remember, the first preacher in the Bible preached against sin. And all the prophets in the Old Testament preached against sin. They preached about judgment. Wasn't God a loving God in the time of Enoch? Yeah. He loved the world so much that he hated their sin. He loved the world so much that he hated their sin. It's like you may love your son so much, but you hate the disease in his body. You're not a good father if you don't hate disease in your children. The more you love your children, the more you'll hate the disease in their children. The more you love your children, the more you'll hate the disease in their children. A God who doesn't hate sin cannot be the true God. And a preacher who represents God and does not preach against sin is a false preacher. And that's what we can learn from Enoch. And he's mentioned here in almost the last book of the Bible. About Enoch. How he preached about the second coming and judgment that's going to come. And he preaches about people who go, as we see, verse 11, in the error of Balaam. And the way of Cain. And the rebellion of Korah. These are things you will see in the church in the last days. The way of Cain is the way of jealousy of other brothers. That means God blesses somebody else more than you and you are jealous of him. That means God blesses somebody else more than you and you are jealous of him. Maybe materially, maybe spiritually. And there's going to be jealousy in the hearts of those who claim to be God's children. Cain killed his brother with a stone. Cain killed his brother with a stone. In the last days people will kill their brothers with their tongue. Because they are jealous. And the other thing you will see in the last days. Is people going by the error of Balaam. Balaam was a preacher. Balaam was a preacher. He was in touch with God. The true God. Because we read that he could hear God speaking to him. One day a king called him to give a message. Now most preachers today. If a king or a president calls them. They won't even consult God. They will go straight away. Imagine Balaam said. I've got to ask God before I come. Maybe king or anybody. But I've got to ask God. I really respect such a man. I really respect such preachers. But see what happened to him in a little while. God said don't go. And he sent a message to the king. I will not come even if you call me. We really need preachers like that. But the king knew. How to change the minds of these preachers. He knew that money can change the minds of many preachers. So he sent some more people. And said I'll give you more money. I'll give you plenty of money. What should Balaam have said? Money or not? I can't come. God's told me not to go. But he said okay I'll ask God again. What's the need to ask God again? He's already told you his will. And he went back to God. It's all written in Numbers 23. And we read in Numbers 23. God said go. Why did God say go? Because he saw in Balaam's heart. He loved money so much that he wanted to go. God said if he wants to go and make money let him go. I won't stop him. That's why he doesn't stop so many preachers today who are running after money. He doesn't shut down all these television programs which are begging for money. Do you think it's difficult for God to shut them all down? No. Let them go. Even Balaam's donkey knew that he was going in the wrong direction. But he went. And finally you see the end of Balaam. He destroyed himself. In the last days there will be preachers like that in the church. And the third type of people mentioned are those who perished in the rebellion of Korah. Verse 11. There will be a lot of people in the church in the last days who have got a spirit of rebellion against authority. Who want to be independent. Who don't want to listen to anybody. I tell you the churches are full of young people like that today. I tell you the churches are full of young people like that today. A lot of young people have taken over the churches. They show them what type of music they like. And the poor preacher remains silent. So. We see these things are there in the last days. And here and there in the last days God will have a man like Enoch preaching against all this. There will be Cain's and Balaam's and Korah's plenty. The Enoch's will be rare. But there will be a few. Around the world. God will never leave himself without a witness on the earth. My prayer is that if God doesn't find men like that that he will raise up women like that. You say brother Zach you believe in women preachers? Sure. If there are no men God will raise up a Deborah to be a prophetess. And that will be a shame that the men are so useless that God has to raise up a woman. That is the condition that is happening in the world today. We need to hear that message that comes from people like Enoch. Enoch doesn't preach about your healing and your prosperity. He preaches about judgment from God against sin. Ungodly words that we speak. Sinful words. Which you speak at home to your wife or your husband. Or which you speak in the train when you travel or when you are sitting in an office. Ungodly sinful words. Sinful actions. It's going to be a judgment of all of them. Against all those who grumble. God is going to judge all that. You can be sure that such Enoch's are not going to be very popular. Such preachers. But there is a condition. But there is a condition. To be such a preacher. He has to walk with God every day. It's very interesting that the first prophet in the Bible is also mentioned as the first person who walked with God. I told you that Enoch lived when Adam was still alive. And I am sure he met Adam. And he must have asked Adam. How was it Adam when you were in Eden and you walked with God? And Adam would have said it wasn't very long but it was very wonderful. And Enoch must have asked him don't you have a desire to walk with him now? Do you experience that wonderful thing in Eden? I don't know what Adam said. Maybe he said no I don't have faith that I can walk with God here now. In Eden it was possible. Now we are outside. How can we walk with God? Just like a lot of people say today in this sinful world how can you overcome sin? It's not possible. No we can't walk with God now. But Enoch said I am not going to listen to Adam. And Enoch said I am not going to walk like Adam. But he sought God himself. Remember he had no Bible no promise, nothing. But he sought God. And God is a rewarder of all those who diligently seek Him. Even if they don't have a Bible. Even if they don't have a Bible. I tell you this man challenges me. Enoch. What a man he was. No meetings, no fellowship, no Bible but he began to seek God. And he got a revelation from God that you can walk with God even outside of Eden. But he had to have a crisis in his life before that happened. We read in Genesis chapter 5 that Enoch lived for 65 years and he did not walk with God. Verse 21 But when he was 65 years old he got a child. But when he was 65 years old he got a child. I want to imagine what happened there at that time. We can use our imagination and think what happened. Here is a man. I don't know how long he was married and he's got no children. Right up to 65. And at the age of 65 he gets his first child. And God gives him a revelation there. Now I read somewhere we don't know what is the meaning of Methuselah. We don't know what is the meaning of that name. Because they didn't speak Hebrew those days. I don't know what language they spoke. But children very often had meanings to their names. In those days. Even Isaac had a meaning to his name. Esau, Jacob there were meanings to their names. According to something that God revealed. So I believe that God revealed to Enoch. And I believe that when God revealed to Enoch you're going to have a child. You're going to have a child. And when that child is born you've got to name him Methuselah. Meaning when he dies the judgment will come. And that's what happened. Methuselah lived for 969 years. But Enoch did not know that he's going to live for 969 years. If you have a child you don't know how long that child is going to live. It may die at 6 months. Can you imagine the effect it had on Enoch? Can you imagine the effect it had on Enoch? When this child dies judgment is going to come on the world. If you calculate there you'll find that the year Methuselah died the flood came. Enoch did not know that when he looked at that baby. So whenever that baby got sick Enoch would say hey is this the end? You know put yourself in this place. Sometimes it's good for us to put ourselves in the place of that man in the Bible. Imagine if you were in Enoch's place. If you were in that place and you had a child and God tells you when this child dies that's the end of the world. I tell you it will really change your life. Every time your child gets a cough or a cold you'll start taking life seriously. And you know how children get sick so frequently. Enoch began to take his life seriously because he believed in judgment. Any person who believes in the judgment of God will take his life seriously. That's what we learned from Enoch. And he preached what he had learned in his life. And not only that. Can you imagine if you had a child whose name was like this. When he dies judgment will come. Imagine calling him. Supposing you call him one day. Hey come here, when you die judgment will come. He's reminding himself of that every day. 30-40 times. He cannot forget because every time he calls his child he remembers hey judgment is going to come. That's why he preached it. He preached about the second coming of Christ and the judgment that's going to come. There's a verse in Ecclesiastes. Ecclesiastes after Proverbs. Ecclesiastes and chapter 8. And verse 11. It's a very interesting verse. Because the judgment against an evil action is not executed quickly. Therefore the hearts of all men are given fully to do evil. You know why we sin so much? Most people say brother I'm so weak I can't overcome this sin. That's not the reason. The reason is given here. The judgment does not come immediately. Let's take the matter of anger. Many people say I try. I can't get victory over my anger. But supposing from tomorrow every time you got angry your tongue got little paralyzed. And you got angry a second time on the day, again little more paralysis on your tongue. You'll get victory over anger in 24 hours. I tell you you who have not got victory for 24 years in 24 hours you'll get victory. But this verse is so true because the judgment doesn't come immediately. That doesn't mean it will never come. It will come. There is an account being kept. The Bible says in Revelation 20 the books will be opened and every single thing will be judged. Or take another matter. Many men say oh this lusting with the eyes I just can't conquer it. And many young men who look so holy and sing in the church they are watching internet pornography when they are alone. But imagine every time you lusted with your eyes looking at a woman or on the internet you found your eyes became a little blinder. And by the end of the day you can hardly see properly. You will stop your internet pornography in 24 hours or less than that. You will stop lusting after women in 24 hours. You will stop seeing women lustfully and lustfully in 24 hours. Where did you get all the strength to overcome sin? One thing. You realize the judgment of God is real. God hates sin. And that's what the devil doesn't want you to know. He keeps telling you no no no it will never happen. That's what he told Eve. Do you know what the first lie in the Bible is? God will not judge sin. That is the first lie in the Bible. You will not die Eve. Nothing will happen. God is a loving God. If you sin also he is not going to take it so seriously. Because he loves you so much. And that lie the devil has been telling believers for hundreds of years now. Don't you feel that you also have believed the devil's lie just like Eve? I say there are only two places you have to go to see how serious sin is in God's eyes. Go to Eden. Genesis 3. Go to Eden and you will see how serious sin is. One sin. It was so serious that God put them out of paradise immediately. It was so serious that God put them out of paradise immediately. God means what he says. He says he is going to judge. He will judge. The second place you can find it is on Calvary. There you can see how seriously God takes sin. You know we sing so lightly about the cross. We sing about it. We don't see the cross as the place where God shows he hates sin. Sin has to be judged. If you don't get it then Jesus has to get it. Either he or you. And because to save you from it he took it. If he hadn't taken it you and I would have got it. What judgment? Forsaken by God for eternity. Forsaken by God for eternity. Separated from him. But because he took it so we are saved. We are saved. We don't meditate enough on the judgment of God on Calvary. The devil just thinks oh God loves me so much. I see the love of God for me on Calvary. It's true. I want to exhort all of you to see the judgment of God on Calvary. You have seen enough of the love of God on Calvary. You see the judgment of God on sin on Calvary. Then you will realize how serious sin is. So Enoch realized that when he had this little baby. And when he realized that God is going to judge sin what is the result? We read in Genesis 5 verse 22. That Enoch walked with God. That was the result of his believing that God's judgment will come on sin. The day you believe that God will judge every sin you will also start walking with God. And you can walk with God like Enoch. Enoch was not a hermit or a sanyasi. He didn't go into the forest and live there to walk with God. It says he lived as a family man. In 5.22 it says he walked with God and he had sons and daughters. It says that after the birth of Matushalah Enoch walked with God for 300 years and he had more sons and daughters. And he lived a normal life where he had more children and he lived with God. He lived with his wife at home and he had many sons and daughters. During those 300 years and he was also walking with God. Can you walk with God when you have sons and daughters? Sure. You can walk with God. You can live a normal life on this earth. I can imagine that Enoch was a farmer and he went out farming to produce food for his family. In those days everybody was a farmer or a shepherd or something. Enoch had some type of job by which he supported his family. He supported his family and he preached judgment. He preached the truth. That's the example for the last days. For you and me. We walk with God. We proclaim judgment on sin. And one day like Enoch was taken up we'll be taken up. That's wonderful. But before he was taken up we read in Hebrews 11 You know how he was taken up? That's not written in Genesis 5. Genesis 5 it only says he was taken up. But in Hebrews 11 it says verse 5 it was because of his faith that Enoch was taken up. See what it says? By faith Enoch was taken up. He had faith. God how can death have power over me when I walk with you? God said you've got such faith and I'll take you up. Death will have no power over you. I tell you that guy's faith challenges me. See all around him people had died. you must read Genesis 5 like this. You must read Genesis 5 like this. Let me read Genesis 5 to you again. Genesis 5 Verse 5 Adam lived 930 years and he died. Verse 8 Verse 8 Seth lived 912 years and he died. Verse 11 Enoch lived 905 years and he died. Verse 14 Canaan lived 910 years and he died. Verse 17 Mahalel lived 895 years and he died. Verse 20 Jared lived 962 years and he died. Verse 19 Enoch lived Verse 20 Jared lived 962 years and he died. And then all of a sudden one man who didn't die How wonderful it is to see that in a chapter full of death death death death one fellow is raptured. How wonderful it is to see that in a chapter full of death death death death one fellow is raptured. He was seeing people die all around him. And he had faith for something that nobody had experienced. By faith he did not see death. He walked with God And he said God why should I die like all these other people? Can't you just take me up? Imagine having faith for something that nobody had ever experienced till that day. You know when you walk with God God will give you experiences that other people don't have. God will give you experiences that other people don't have. And we can apply that spiritually. Let's talk about spiritual death. Spiritual death is the result of sin. I don't mean the final death in hell. That is called the second death. I am talking about being spiritually dead. Believers can be like that. The Lord told the elder in Sardis in Revelation 3 verse 1 You are a believer. You have a name that you are alive. But you are dead. He wasn't dead physically. He was a believer who was spiritually dead. He was a leader of a church who was spiritually dead. The whole church was spiritually dead. But they talked about being born again. In the first century everybody talked about being born again. Just like today. So many people speak about being born again. In the first century almost everybody spoke in tongues. But they were spiritually dead. I have seen a lot of people who say they are born again who are spiritually dead. I have seen a lot of people who speak in tongues who are spiritually dead. But they imagine that they are filled with the Holy Spirit. One of the clearest marks that they are spiritually dead is they love money so much. They get angry so much. The spirit can give them other tongues but cannot control their mother tongue. What type of spirit is that? The spirit can give them other tongues but cannot control their mother tongue. What type of spirit is that? Do you know what happened to me when God filled me with the Holy Spirit? When I began to speak in other tongues something happened. God began to control my mother tongue also. That's how I knew it was really the Holy Spirit. That's how I knew it was really the Holy Spirit. God began to control my mother tongue along with my other tongues. The evil spirits can give you other tongues but they cannot control your mother tongue. It's possible for believers to be spiritually dead. So where do you see spiritual death all around you? Faith like Enoch is to believe Lord if I walk with you I can overcome the spiritual death. By faith he was taken up so death couldn't touch him. He had a testimony in Hebrews 11.5 that he pleased God. Why couldn't other people walk with God? There were thousands of people on the earth those days. They didn't have an interest in walking with God. It's because this one man had a desire. He believed in judgment. And he may have told other people that when my son dies judgment is going to come. When my son dies the world will be just. And at that time people must have thought that this man has lost his mind or he is wrong. And for him the son is so important that when his son dies the world will be just. And they laughed at him. But he walked with God. And he pleased God. I want to say to you this is the testimony he had before he was taken up. See what it says. Hebrews 11.5 The last part. Before he was taken up he had this testimony from God that he was pleasing to God. He pleasing me. And I'm going to take him up. Listen to these words. Before he was taken up he had this testimony that he was pleasing to God. As a Christian, do you believe you are going to be taken up when Christ comes? What is going to be your testimony before you are taken up? That you are pleasing God? When I was a young boy, my father used to take me to Delhi to watch the Republic Day Parade. That was January the 26th every year. And I would see the parade and I would see Param Vir Chakra, the highest military honour being given to some military people. Somebody would come without a leg or without a hand. They were wounded in battle. And then one man would read out what this chap did. And then the President would come and put the medal on him. And the whole country, all the people there would be watching. What a great honour. And I thought of that as a picture of when Jesus comes again. And the Lord is going to call, not everybody, one or two here and there. He says my reward is with me to give every man according as his work shall be. And Enoch is going to come. Enoch will come. What's his testimony, what are they going to read out? 300 years he walked with God. He didn't bother about what other people thought about him. He only wanted to People made fun of him. They troubled him. It didn't make any difference. In humility he walked with God. Only humble people can walk with God. I know Enoch must have been a very humble man. He preached strongly against sin. And he pleased God. That was his testimony. No testimony of how much money he made or what all he accomplished on this earth. He pleased God for 300 years. Dear brother and sister, if you have that testimony before you are taken up, you will discover in the final day that's the most useful way you could have lived on this earth. And such people will influence others. Not everybody. There were a lot of people around. They didn't bother about Enoch. I don't even know whether his wife was interested in walking with God. This Methuselah, he didn't walk with God either. He didn't walk with God. They had a very godly father. Turn to Genesis 5. It says Methuselah verse 25 had a son called Lamech. 5.25. And Lamech, verse 28, had a son whose name, verse 29, was Noah. So Methuselah was the grandfather of Noah. Methuselah was 369 years old when Noah was born. By the time, Enoch had died. Enoch had been taken up. He was not alive when Noah was born. But Noah grew up as a little boy, 10 years old. Noah grew up as a little boy. Maybe when he was 10 or 12 years old, he went and sat on his grandfather's lap and said, I heard that your father walked with God. Tell me how is that? Can you tell me what type of person your father was? And this little boy had a desire to know how Enoch walked with God. Maybe Methuselah told him. He said, Noah, my father was the most wonderful man I have ever met. He was such a patient, humble man. He was a strong preacher against sin. He feared no man. He never wanted to please any human being on the earth. He had no interest in money. He only wanted to walk with God every day. But he took care of his family. He worked hard to take care of us. But he walked with God. And as Noah grew up, there came in his heart a desire which nobody else had. I want to walk with God. He was the second man who walked with God. And do you know what he preached? Judgment. God is going to judge the world. God has told me to build an ark. There is so much sin in the world. God is going to judge it. Enoch did not influence many people. But he influenced his great grandson. So we may not influence everybody if we walk with God. But you may influence some 12 year old boy who looks at you and says, I want to be like that man of God. Do you know that God wants you to be like that brother and sister? Jesus said, the last days will be like the days of Noah. We are approaching the second coming of Christ. It is very very close. There are only two places in the world mentioned in relation to the last days. One is Jerusalem. Jesus said in Luke 21, verse 20 When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, you know desolation is at hand. And Jerusalem, verse 24, will be trampled underfoot, the last part of verse 24, by the other nations till the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. That was fulfilled in 1967. That was fulfilled in 1967. The second place mentioned in the Bible in relation to the last days is Iraq. Revelation chapter 9, verse 14. The Lord says, release the demons that are tied up near the river Euphrates. That is repeated again in chapter 16 and verse 12. And in both places if you read it, it is talking about war around the river Euphrates. River Euphrates which you just read. 9.14. That river goes through Iraq. There is going to be war around Iraq. We never heard about war in Iraq till about 6-7 years ago. Those are the only two places mentioned in relation to the last days. We are living in the generation that is going to see the second coming of Christ. You know what you should be doing? You should be walking with God like Enoch. You should have a testimony that you are pleasing to God before He comes to take us up. What shall we say in conclusion? He who has ears to hear, let him hear. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, help us to understand the times in which we are living and to be ready for your coming. We humbly ask in Jesus' name. Amen.