In this sermon, the preacher focuses on the life of Enoch, a man mentioned in both the Old and New Testaments. The preacher highlights the importance of not placing value on earthly treasures that can be destroyed or stolen, but instead emphasizes the need to lay up treasures in heaven. The preacher also discusses how Enoch's perspective on worldly achievements changed when he heard about the coming judgment and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The sermon concludes by emphasizing the importance of continually walking with God, even when faced with difficult paths or circumstances.

Well, I can truthfully say for myself that I really enjoyed the singing. You just touched my heart with your singing. You've done beautifully in congregational singing. I was especially thrilled with the specials that we have, especially the young ladies as they sang for us this morning. It's been a good time, and I think we ought to thank our brother Glenn for the good job he's been doing with the song leading. And we do appreciate it, Glenn. And I think, Glenn, since they have been doing such a good job singing, let's not go out and knock on doors in the morning. No, really, when you say things like that, I'm surprised you've still got that much hair on your head. See, I made that mistake several years ago. That's why I don't have so much hair. It's been good to meet so many of you here this weekend. I'm encouraged in the conversations that we've had. Some of you have kind of, I don't know whether you're putting me on notice or what, but it was interesting this morning. I walked out, and one brother said to me, and I know what he meant, but it was just the way he said it. He said, thanks for the sandpaper. And it took me a second to grasp what he was saying. And I hope I haven't been abrasive to you. But I hope it's been the word of God that has spoken to your hearts. Now, I know this dear brother was telling me that it was, I don't know how many of you have ever worked with wood. But you know, sometimes when you, especially if you've ever worked with cedar, that sometimes it loses its fragrance. But you just take a little light green sandpaper, and you go in there and you buff it up a little bit. And that smell and the aroma comes right back again, to be released over and over and over again. And sometimes we do need a little sandpaper in our lives. You know, the Lord is working on us, you know, as they take precious gems. They take them from the soil, and they work with them. We were talking earlier this morning about how the Lord takes a gem, and he polishes it, and he polishes it until it's just perfect. And then he takes it and he puts it in just the right setting, so that it will give forth in all of its brilliance, that all those around may see it and enjoy it. And we're like that. Malachi, the third chapter, tells us about the Lord. He's making up his jewels. And what it is to come into the hand of our living God, and to be polished up by his hand. Had a good day. I think some of you got a little sun like I did. If the glare is too great for my forehead, you'll just have to put on your sunglasses. But I didn't realize until somebody coming in said, well, you really got a sunburn. I hadn't noticed it. We're going to continue on in our studies this evening. We're going to study a very interesting man. Before we get into the study of the man, I'd like to see, I'd like to read with you some of the precepts that this man understood very clearly. From our Lord's Sermon on the Mount, will you turn to Matthew, the sixth chapter, please. Matthew, chapter six. Going to read some lengthy portions with you this evening. You might be encouraged in the word of God. Matthew, chapter six. And we'll begin reading at verse 19. Do not lay up for yourself treasures upon earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in or steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness. No one can serve two masters. For either you will hate the one and love the other or you will hold to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. For this reason I say to you, do not be anxious for your life as to what you shall eat or what you shall drink nor for your body as to what you shall put on. Is not life more than food and the body than clothing? Look at the birds of the air that they do not sow, neither do they reap nor gather into barns and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And which of you being anxious can add a single cubit to his life span? And why are you anxious about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow. They do not toil nor do they spin. Yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory did not clothe himself like one of these. But if God so raised the grass of the field which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will he not much more do so for you, O men of little faith? Do not be anxious then saying, what shall we eat or what shall we drink or with what shall we clothe ourselves? For all these things the Gentiles eagerly seek. For your Heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Let's just take another moment to speak with the Lord in prayer. Father, we again would come into your presence this evening. We thank you for each and every heart that is here. We would pray again, our Father, for thy spirit to work among us to speak to our hearts concerning those things that we need to hear that truly our lives might be one that glorify and honor his precious name. We commit ourselves to you for this evening and as we look into your word, our Father, we pray that truly we might be spoken to by thyself. For this we would pray in Jesus' name. Amen. Tonight I'd like to share with you about a man who walked with God. Super interesting man. It's in the Old Testament, Genesis chapter 5. Will you read there, please? Genesis, the fifth chapter. Genesis chapter 5, verse 21. And Enoch lived 65 years and became the father of Methuselah. Then Enoch walked with God 300 years after he became the father of Methuselah and he had other sons and daughters. So all the days of Enoch were 365 years. And Enoch walked with God and he was not, for God took him. Now if you will notice in this portion of Scripture that it starts out with Adam. You'll notice in verse 5 Adam lived 930 years and he died. You notice in verse 8, Seth lived 912 years and he died. You read in verse 11, and so the days of Enoch were 905 years and he died. Verse 14, and all the days of Kenan were 910 years and he died. We notice that all through this portion of Scripture at the end of each man it says he lived and he died. But in the midst of this portion we read of a man who lived 365 years but he did not die. For this man walked with God and he pleased God and God took him. What a commentary on a man's life. We read four verses in the Old Testament concerning this man called Enoch. We read in the New Testament four verses concerning Enoch. Eight verses in all in the Holy Writ of God but eight dynamic verses concerning a man's life that lived 365 years here upon this earth. And in those eight verses I think we have some wonderful lessons for us to learn. For in the portion that we read in Matthew as our Lord stood on the mount and taught his disciples and the multitudes that followed he said some very interesting things. One of the most interesting things that he said was lay not up for yourselves treasures here upon this earth but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where nothing can touch them. Absolutely nothing will have any impact upon them. The question that we ask ourselves today where am I laying up treasures? But see the Lord went on because he knew us and he says listen what about your heart? For where your heart is there is where your treasure is going to be. Where are we thinking of today? One of the things that you can tell about Turkey Hill Ranch Bible Camp is that there are a group of men that are committed to laying up treasures in heaven. They are committed to see that souls have the opportunity to be fed the word of God for eternity's sake. That the saved may come here and enjoy the word of God and be build up. For the unsaved to come in the camps and to be spoken of of the eternal security that we have in our Lord Jesus Christ. That there is salvation in no other but Jesus Christ. They are committed to this. We see it by the work of their hands. We see it by the work of the ladies who labor day in and day out to see that this camp is fed and cared for. We see the men as they labor in the various aspects to keep this camp going. What a monument of service to the Lord, the living God. And yet these men are not looking for worldly acclaim for they have seen the vision that God has laid down in his word to his son as he spoke at the Sermon on the Mount. Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. One of the things that I think Enoch grasped hold of hundreds and hundreds of years before the man of Calvary ever set foot upon this earth. He knew what God expected of him because he walked with God. What an interesting commentary. He walked with God. Our question is how do I walk with God? Does it mean that God came down and took Enoch by the hand and said let's go for a walk. Now there are times in my life my wife will say to me in the evening just say honey, let's go for a walk. And we get up put on our walking shoes and we take off and walk a couple miles. And we enjoy the time together. We have time to talk the time of fellowship together to discuss things that are upon our hearts and just to be with one another. Enoch walked with God. Why? Why do I walk with my wife? Do I need the exercise? Oh yes, I need the exercise. You definitely can see that. But what is the point of going for a walk? It's because we want to. We want to be with one another. We want to share our lives together. Enoch walked with God because he saw in that relation something so special that he didn't want it any other way. For he saw in that time of fellowship together there was something there that nothing in this world could offer. Not a walk with his wife not a walk with his son Methuselah not a walk with his father Jared nor a walk with his grandfather I always have a problem with this Mahalalal nor with his great grandfather Kenan nor with his great great grandfather Enoch. For these men were all alive during the life of Enoch and he saw them and he talked with them and he fellowshiped with them. I wonder what it would have been like to go back if we could and talk with these men. These men that were the grandfathers the great grandfathers the great great grandfathers of this man Enoch. Or to talk to Methuselah his son or to talk to Mrs. Enoch say what kind of man is this man Enoch? I wonder what they would have said. I wonder what their commentary would have been on his life. Can you just see his son Methuselah? Well what kind of father have you got there in your dad Enoch? He's special. Very special. There's something about him that's completely different than all the other guys' dad. He's got something in his life that speaks. It has something to do with the God that we know. What about his father Jared? I wonder if we'd ask him what of your son Enoch? Jared what do you think? Would he have said oh he's a rare gem. A very rare gem. Or would he have said well I don't know he doesn't quite meet my expectations. He's preoccupied all the time. It just seems like he isn't really here. Or did he understand his son Enoch? Well that's all something that would be plain supposition. We don't know. But the important thing is that we read in the word of God that Enoch did walk with God. And he was a very rare person. What does it mean to walk with God? First of all when we say we're going to walk with somebody there has to be an agreement as to the direction. Now it says Enoch walked with God. It doesn't say God walked with Enoch. It says Enoch walked with God. Now let me ask you this. If you just think about that statement who do you suppose decided the direction of the walk? Absolutely. It wasn't a question of well I wonder which direction we should go. It wasn't a physical direction. It was a direction in life. We were to ask you today write me a few sentences. Tell me about the direction that God has taken you in your life. I wonder how many of you could pick up a piece of paper and in a matter of a few seconds begin to write down the direction that God is leading you. Or would we have to sit and say well the direction that God is taking me. We may have to ponder it a while. We may have to think about it. Maybe we can come to no kind of decision. We might say why is that? Is it possible that we have not allowed ourselves the opportunity to let God lead us or to take us in a direction that we're busy trying to find out for ourselves what we want to do where we want to go. Some years ago I had the joy of working for our company in a civic project and it was doing vocational guidance for the Omaha public school system. And it was always a joy to go into the various schools, high schools and junior high schools and start talking to the young people about what do you plan on doing with your life. And I was sometimes amazed at how many would say what are you thinking about doing with your life? Got any direction? Sometimes it was juniors and seniors in high school and I was always amazed at especially in the senior highs how few of them knew of a direction for their lives. But yet I go to the junior high schools and talk to them and how many of them knew exactly what they wanted to do. And I thought what happens between junior high and senior high to change their minds? Is it that there are so many things beginning to crowd in on what is the best thing to do? I've made this little discovery in my own life that if I allow God the opportunity to show me the direction it's much greater and much more rewarding and much more fruitful than if I decide for myself. Yes, when we walk with God we have to form an agreement with God that we'll go His direction. We also notice that walking means that there is not a static position. We can't stand still if we're walking. For in order to walk there has to be movement. It's not static. It's moving. And when you're with God there is no standing still. God will not allow one of His children to stand still. You must walk. Now you may walk dragging your feet. You may go forth. And you may hate every moment that God shows you the direction that you're going. But God is merciful. And many times He takes us down paths that we wouldn't choose. We don't want to go that way. I wonder how many of the disciples when the Lord said as we discussed the other morning when He told them follow me and I will make you fishers of men I wonder if our Lord Jesus Christ would have given to them now man I think you ought to know this that at the end of your lives all of you all of you but one will meet a violent death. I wonder how many of them would have been eager to climb out of the boats. How many of them would have been eager to leave the tax collector's booth. I wonder if they would have understood and desired still to follow Him. It's moving. But yet those men in the three years that they walked here upon the earth with Him they were men that changed the course of the world because they walked with the Lord. We see how Peter when he stood up and spoke thousands were changed. We think of John who sat down and penned the gospel and how many through the ages have read the gospel of John and with tear filled eyes and hearts that have been humbled they bow down before the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ and know that Jesus is Savior and how many of us have rejoiced as we read the revelation of Jesus Christ knowing that these things are to come to pass but we shall be with Him for all eternity. Yes, walking with God is not static. It's moving. It's directional. And it has a purpose. You know when my wife and I go for a walk we have a purpose in our walk. We want to be with one another. We want to share some things. I've often wondered in this walk that Enoch had with God. Enoch, why do you want to walk with God? What's the purpose of walking with God? I'm sure that Enoch would come with these words. Larry, I can't find words to explain this to you but know this that in walking with God He has revealed to me Himself. He has revealed to me things about Himself that I cannot explain to another soul. You will just have to know that it is something so special that it always bid me to continue. I never want it to end. I want to go on and on and on. And right there is the answer. The walk with God that Enoch had was so pleasing to God that God one day as Enoch was walking the communion was so great that he was gone. He was not for he was translated. He was with God and the communion continues on lo these thousands of years. Isn't that wonderful to think of? Enoch was so blessed even while he was here on earth he walked with God and it was such a great form of fellowship such a great communion he was so close to God and God loved him so much and was so pleased with him that he just took him to himself. He would not pass through the portals of death. He would not see the decay of the grave. He was one day there and he was gone. I wonder if we would go back and talk to his family of what happened to Enoch. Well, we don't really know. All we know is that one day he was with us and one day he was gone. I don't know whether Enoch had laid down ahead of time some kind of explanation to them of a premonition that he would one day be gone or whatever. I don't know what kind of preparation he made with his wife or his son Methuselah or talked to his father and his grandfather and his great grandfather and all the rest or his neighbors around him. I don't know what explanation was given but I have it on the basis of the inspired writer of God, Moses, that Enoch walked with God and he was not for God took him. Now maybe you have some answers and you can share them with me later. But the thing that we see here is that Enoch enjoyed his walk with God because it had a purpose. He enjoyed that purpose so much allowing God to reveal himself to him. He understood that this walk with God developed a relationship that was so special for it was a commitment to God. One of the things that speaks to our lives as Christians is this, that when we walk with God it makes us want to commit more and more of our life to him. That is, we walk down the pathway of life with our Lord and as he reveals himself to us we want to give more and more of ourselves to him. That the communion and the relationship may grow and prosper more and more. Not for ourselves but for his namesake. Now the word of God speaks to us in many ways about our walk. As we go through the word of God we read these words. Walk before me in righteousness. We see that we are also exhorted to walk in his ways, in his statutes, in his laws, in his paths, in his ordinances, in his instruction. We are also commanded walk after the Lord. We're commanded to walk in the light of the Lord. But we see that Enoch and another man called Noah were blessed by God for they walked with God. Enoch understood the harmony that we see in Matthew chapter 6. He saw the harmony. He saw what our Lord meant when he spoke to us even before our Lord was here on earth. So many things are brought out in the Sermon on the Mount. We read quite a portion I wonder in Enoch's walk with God do you think he was concerned about laying up treasures here on this earth? I think not. He was concerned about laying up treasures in heaven for he knew there was eternity. He knew there was eternity. He understood when the Lord spoke of watch the eyes. Understand your eyes. You know it's interesting I always told my wife I said the most beautiful thing on earth to watch the most interesting thing to watch is people. I'm a people watcher. I love to watch people. I love to look at people. People are wonderful. I say if you want an education look at people. Look at eyes. Eyes tell you a lot of things. It's one of the things they especially teach in counseling. They say you have to look at the counselor's eyes. Because if the counselor's eyes are downcast it signals you something. If they're looking at the ceiling it signals something. If they're darting back and forth this way it signals you something. These things are all things that we pick up on. And they help us to be better counselors. To understand what's going on inside. But you know you look at eyes. Some eyes you know this a little while ago Glenn was trying to say I don't see something on your face. I don't see the smile on your lips. Or the gleam in your eyes that say I belong to Jesus. Now I belong to Him. Not for time alone but for all eternity. You know Enoch understood that. He understood what it was to belong to God. And he wouldn't have it any other way. For he walked with God. You know it would have been interesting if Enoch would have only walked with God for 65 years. You know we could have said I don't understand that. But you know it says that Enoch was 65 years old. He had Methuselah. And he walked with God 300 years. Now that's a fur piece to walk. That's older than you and I are Glenn. Almost that's right. 300 years. I'd like to ask how many of you here think you'll reach the age of 300? Glenn? Lance is working on it. But we know that in this flesh we can almost rest assured we're not going to reach 300. But we know that if our Lord Jesus Christ was to come in the clouds tonight and say come up higher. Come up. Your work of service is done. Age would mean absolutely nothing, would it? Because time would stop for us. Because eternity would begin. And eternity has no time. That's what I'm waiting for. I'll be so glad to be done with schedules. You know we're scheduled to death. I don't know about where you work. But you know you go to school. You got bells that ring to tell you to go to this room and bells that tell you to go to that room. I remember all through school I said man I hate bells. So when I got out I said I'm going into the workforce. I'm not going to have to worry about bells anymore. That was great. Except I went to work and the first place I went to work they didn't have bells. They had buzzers. And then it was a buzzer to tell you to go to work. A buzzer to tell you to stop and take a break. A buzzer to tell you to go back from break and go back to work. A buzzer to tell you to go to lunch. A buzzer to tell you to come back from lunch. A buzzer to tell you to go to break again and come back. And buzzer finally go home. Boy I was glad. No more buzzers. Always schedules. Day in and day out. This schedule has to be met by this such and such a time. This schedule has to be here and here and here. I told my wife I said I've never looked forward to retirement before. But I said you know it's getting on the horizon. And I'm not that I'm still not that old. I started young and I said I'm going to quit early. But you know I said that's one of the things is it schedules. Boy I said that's one thing about when we get to heaven. No more buzzers. No more production schedules. Praise the Lord. Nothing else. That'll make heaven worthwhile wouldn't it? That's just a little humor there if you want to call it that. Sick humor I think Bill would call it. But you know as we look at the life of Enoch we see so many things that are important to us or should be important to us. And he understood this relationship was a commitment of his to God. But you know more importantly I think Enoch understood this that God was committed to him. Do you believe tonight do you believe tonight in your heart that God is committed to you? You might say certainly I believe that. He sent his son to die for me. How could you even think to question me upon that area? Well I believed that for years. And it hasn't been that many years ago that I finally understood what it meant that God was committed to me as an individual. God loves me. You know we sang in Sunday school all of you have I'm sure at some time or other Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so. You sang that didn't you? Did it make any impression? Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me yes I can accept that. I remember reading John yes Jesus does love me. We have a head knowledge that God loves us. But love demands commitment. Love demands commitment. You know it's always interesting to me when I draw young people into my room to counsel with them especially about their upcoming marriages. My first question to them is always what does marriage mean to you? What does marriage mean to you? A lot of them will look for a few moments and those words sometimes very very heavy upon their lips because we don't like those words. It means being committed. Not committed like to a jail or to a hospital but you know committed to each other. Good. Why should you get married? Oh that's easy. I love her or I love him. Great. That's wonderful. Glad to hear that. I don't read that as a basis for marriage in the word of God. You don't? No I don't. What's the basis of marriage? Uh Hmm Well God wants us to. God tell you? Yeah uh well It's interesting. Boy I tell you that's what I love about counseling. It's great. Because boy when you're in the driver's seat you can drive all over. But I'll tell you they know what I'm getting at. It's to bring them around. You know sometimes we have all these little pets saying why do you want to get married? Oh because we love each other. Is that a reason for marriage? Not according to God's word. Does God want you to be married to one another? So many of you young people are thinking of life partner. How many of you have really committed to before the Lord? Lord is this the one you want me to marry? Sometimes I almost have to smile when I talk with young people. I had one young man that's a friend of mine. He's told me four different times I know this is the one the Lord wants me to marry. Last time I told him I said are you sure? Now why would I ask him a question like that? Because you see how easy the heart is deceived. How easy it is for us to manipulate the word of God and not to really have it and possess it as our own. Enoch possessed the relationship that he walked with God and he loved God and he was committed to God and he knew that God had that same commitment to him that he loved him and wanted to commune with him and be with him. And oh the divine communion that went on as those two went through life together. It was precious in the eyes of Enoch and it was more precious in the eyes of God because God said come up Enoch. Come up. Let's perfect the relationship. Wouldn't that be great? If God was to write over our relationship a standard or a title would it be that Larry please God? I often wonder what's going to be the title over our relationship? What about your relationship? Can God say that of you? Can he say that of you? That your walk with him is pleasing to him? I often wonder does God today ever take people as they're walking through life and their relationship with God is so great that one day God just says I want them to be with me. I don't want them to have any more with the world. I just want to bring them home. And he takes them. I've often wondered. Now I know that there has been many of his children that he has loved and he's loved their relationship and I firmly believe that he took them home. He allowed them to pass through the portals of death but nonetheless they came home. I just finished not too long ago reading an excerpt in the life of Dawson Trotman one of the founders of the Navigators movement here in the United States. A man who touched the lives of hundreds and hundreds yea, maybe even thousands of young people throughout the world. And how that man loved his Lord and how the Lord spoke to him in just a few days before his death he said to his beloved wife I feel the Lord calling me. I may not be with you much longer. And I think it was but three days later Shrew Lake, New York large lake a boating accident and Dawson Trotman went home to be with his Lord. I think of others we've all read the stories or if you've ever read Fox's Book of Martyrs how you can read that book and not have tears come to your eyes as we think of the yea the hundreds and hundreds and thousands that have given their lives. They went through great sacrifice and God took them home. What are they going to have to give to their beloved Savior? And he says to you to you my special ones the martyr's crown. To the eleven the martyr's crown. To the thousands since then they will receive the martyr's crown. For this they will have to give back to him. Enoch walked with God because he loved God. It was a sweet commitment between the two. But you know we have recorded in the word of God some very interesting words. Turn back to a little book before the revelation of Jesus Christ called the book of Jude. Remember that Jude is writing to us concerning the apostate. He also has some interesting things to say and he quotes and about these also Enoch and the seventh generation from Adam prophesied saying behold the Lord came with many thousands of his holy ones to execute judgment upon all and to convict all the ungodly all of the ungodly of all of their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way and of all the harsh things which the ungodly sinners have spoken against him against the Lord of life. The seventh generation from Adam. Stop and think about that commentary on Enoch. Adam was the first. Enoch and the seventh generation from Adam. Now if we go across the other way the seventh we see another man an ungodly one by the lineage of Cain. There was the ungodly for we see that in the world there was the ungodly even in the time of the seventh generation from Adam. Mankind had just had a good start and we notice that sin was already becoming rampant in the world. Do we think that Enoch had an easier time of walking here upon this earth than we do today? You know I always used to think when I was I'd think over and hear all these things about all these people who walked with God and who did these things even in life as we knew them I thought yeah but they don't face the temptations and the trials and the things like I do. No they've got it easier you know. Somehow God has spared them from all these things. But I wonder do you think that Enoch had it any easier in his day than we do today? Do we think that Satan was any more subtle in his tactics than he carried any less during the days of Enoch than he does for us today? The intensity of his purpose was great. It's always been to destroy man's relationship with God. It was that in the Garden of Eden and it has not changed. Do we believe that Satan was any easier on Enoch than he is on us? I don't really think so. For there was sin in the world. For we know that after Adam sin was upon all mankind. And sin was as great in the days of Enoch as it was as it is in our day today. It became so violent in the eyes of God that in the days of Noah God cast judgment upon the world. That's just a prelude to understanding that God judges sin. And do we believe that God is going to come back and judge the world today? As I read the book of Revelation I understand these words. That God is going to bring judgment upon this world. Not of a flood but a fire. A consuming fire. Some time ago I was listening to the story of a man. His testimony. He was a very well-known engineer. He was world-renowned. He had made several or designed and saw built several large bridges here in the United States and Canada and elsewhere. He was a master designer and he wanted these things to stand as monuments to his name for as long as he was alive. He said, I want these things to stand in memory of me. The buildings that he saw built. The bridges. All of the construction. It was important to him. But one day one day he was sitting in a meeting. Listening to a man tell about a relationship with Jesus Christ. And this man said, the judgment is coming upon this world and everything will burn. Everything will be destroyed. And the man sat there and thought, my bridges, my buildings are going to be gone. Destroyed. Then what's the sense of doing these things? And he listened to more intently and he heard of one who came to die for him in his sin. He had never heard preaching like that before. He had never heard a testimony like that before. And that man read to him those verses that we read out of Matthew chapter 6. Lay up for yourself all treasures in heaven where nothing can touch them. Know the moth nor the rust nor the thief. Nothing shall touch these things. He said, I've wasted so much time. I've wasted so much time. He left his work and went into service for the one who loved him and gave himself for him. He said, this is a much more important work than anything I have ever done. He saw the importance of a walk with God. He understood that there was going to be a judgment of the ungodly for their ungodly deeds that they've done in an ungodly way and how they spoke in such an ungodly manner about him who came for them and died. They have spoken against him. It should fill our hearts with sadness as we think of the world around us. How many today are speaking boldly against the Lord Jesus Christ. And how many of us today when we hear these things our lips fall silent. One has said, the Lord can handle them much greater much better than I for he is greater than I. Yet I think the Lord wants us to stand up and be counted. I wonder if God would have made himself known in a physical way with Enoch. If Enoch would have had any hesitancy at all when somebody would have come along would Enoch have been hesitant at all about introducing God to this other person. Would he have held back? But oh, the sad tragedy of our lives each and every one of us. How often we've missed the opportunity to let them slide by one right after another. How many days my lips have remained silent when they could have spoken a word for him. How often, how often, how often. We used to sing that song speak just a word for Jesus. Sad commentary on a walk with the Lord, isn't it? But yet, many of you in your daily walk you're fulfilling the things that Enoch had in his life. You're speaking a word and you're an encouragement to the others. But oh, Satan how he wants to do a work upon us. How he wants to hinder us in our work. You know, it's great to understand Satan and how he works, isn't it? Because then we can be prepared. You know, we kind of forget about what the Lord says through the Apostle Paul. He says, remember. He said, our battle is not against flesh and blood but it's against powers and the principalities and kingdoms of darkness. I wonder if we understand who it is that wants to destroy our sweet fellowship with God. It's Satan. If he can in some way if he can just take us and in some way cripple us just a little bit to hinder our fellowship with God to render us for a moment ineffective for him. That's all he wants. He knows he's lost the battle with us for eternity's sake. But if he can just in some way some way hinder us in our witness and our testimony how happy he is. You know, we don't we don't want to be challenged by the word of God. We want to go ahead and do things our own way. You know, when somebody slaps us on the one cheek we don't want to turn the other cheek. We want to strike back. And yet we know when we strike back God says, that's not the way I want you to do it. We're not walking with him. We're disobedient to him. We're no longer walking with him. We're going the other way. But you don't understand, God. That really hurts. How many times in my life I've experienced it. When somebody strikes out at us we want to lash back. You know, don't they understand who we are? It's that pride that rises up within us. How can anybody possibly not like us in the way we are? You know, how can anybody possibly not like my decisions? I felt for poor Bill as he was trying to pacify everybody, you know. Let's start early. Let's start late. You know, I don't know whether you understood everything that he said earlier. I did, and that bothers me. I understand that's exactly what he meant. But you know, there's so many times that in our decisions we're making decisions and somebody challenges us. We want to say, what do you mean? You know, and you can feel the blood begin to rise. Say, hey, wait a minute. When our children would challenge our decisions as parents, and to understand, I'm boss, toe the mark. You know, we think back. We think, boy, if I ever tell my children that, I hope God steals my tongue. And yet I find myself in that same position. I remember how I hated it as a child. And yet, that same thing rises within each and every one of us. We have that pride. We want people to understand who we are, and how can we possibly, how can they possibly in any way question us in our motives or our behavior. It's terrible to be misunderstood, isn't it? Especially when we're right. Terrible. It's too bad that most people don't understand. Think Enoch ever had that problem? Think Enoch ever had that problem? The world around him understanding? When he says, I can't do those things, because my God does not want me to do those things. It would hinder our relationship. But you don't understand, Enoch. You don't understand. Come on. Those things that would hinder that relationship, Enoch put away. For he was building up treasures in heaven where nothing, absolutely nothing can corrupt. He had an understanding that there was a judgment. There will come a day of answer. There will come a day of answer. And the judgment, the judgment will be perfect. There will be no question. No questions. It says on that day, every knee shall bow. Every knee. Not just some. Every knee shall bow. They shall know. He is Lord of Lords and King of Kings. He is. As Enoch understood even before Moses, he is the great I Am. The one who is the beginning, the one who is the end. I am the Alpha and the Omega. He had the concept of God as no other one here on Earth probably did at that time. The understanding of the great attributes of the living and the true God. The truthfulness of God. One day Enoch walked in perfect harmony with God. And the harmony with God was beautiful. And God was pleased with Enoch. And God took him. Because Enoch walked in faith. In Hebrews, we read the epitaph of Enoch. By faith, Hebrews 11 verse 5, by faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death. And he was not found because God took him up for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing. He was pleasing to God. And without faith, without faith it is impossible to please him. For he who comes to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of those who seek him. Enoch sought out God in his life and once he found him he never ever let him go. For he walked with God day by day, step by step. See, the walk of faith begins with the first step. It just takes one step to start. You know, you start a walk with one step and then another and then another. But so often we want to see the end. We want to see down the road. But what's at the end of it for me? What's in it for me if I take this walk of faith? We read that faith is believing in things not seen. We just have to trust God. He says, at the end of our walk is an eternity with me. I've often wondered, God, what are you going to do for eternity? That's a mighty long span of time. What are you going to do, God? He says, Oh, Larry, I'm going to tell you some things you never knew before. I said, well, that won't be too hard. Oh, he said, but these are going to be special things. I said, OK, God, what are they? I'm going to reveal myself to you. Reveal yourself to me. Yes, I'm going to reveal myself to you. Great. But Lord, is that going to take all eternity? Yes, it is. Yes, it is. Because you see, there is no end for I am the end. It's kind of like some statements we've heard, isn't it? We don't understand it, but we know it's there. And by faith, we believe it. And we walk with God. We walk with God. Enoch understood that. Because the divine revelation of God to Enoch as he walked through life was so great, he said, I just want to go on. And one day, he was there in the presence of God. Boy, I can't wait to get to heaven. I'm going to say, Enoch, OK, I want to hear it. How was it? There? Here? Did you know what happened? No. And tell you what, I don't really care. I'm just here. I'm just here with him who loves me. God took Enoch because he was pleasing to God. Are you committed to God? He's committed to you. He loved you. He gave his son for you. Do you believe it? Is your trust and your faith and your confidence in God that a walk with him is profitable? That it is pleasing to both of you to walk with him? That it's the only way to go? I think most that would say here that have walked with God any time at all would say, there's nothing like it. I marvel every time God reveals a little bit of himself to me, day by day. And he says, he is the rewarder of those who diligently seek him. Are you seeking him out? Are you seeking that relationship? Are you seeking to be pleasing to him? The challenge of Enoch's life. Let's pray. Heavenly Father again, our hearts are drawn to thee. We thank you for a lovely day. Oh Father, we thank you for the lovely time of fellowship that we've had. We thank you for each heart that is here. And dear Lord, we pray that our times together might always be good in thy sight. We pray that our conversations would be good to hear to thy ears. And oh God, we pray as we fellowship with one another that we might lift him up. And Father, we do thank you for the lesson of Enoch. And Lord, we pray speak to our hearts through his life. For we know that you've given this man's life to us as an example. That there are, that we can walk with thee. We can walk with thee in the perfectness that we can know in this flesh. But there's coming a day when we shall be the more perfect. We shall be like him forevermore. But until that day, our Father, we pray lead us in a life that is honoring to thee. And that we might please thee in all that we do. We ask these things and we give thanks again for this time of fellowship together as we pray in Jesus' name. Amen.