In this sermon, the preacher begins by discussing the story of Elijah's translation in 2 Kings chapter 2. He emphasizes that Elijah was taken up to heaven without experiencing death, which is a promise for all Christians. The preacher then turns to 1 Corinthians chapter 4 and urges the audience to make a decision about their faith. He emphasizes that if they believe in the Lord and Jesus Christ as the Savior, they must follow Him wholeheartedly and not serve two masters. The sermon concludes with a reminder that everyone is a sinner and needs to be saved from their sins in order to be in the presence of God.

So says the Lord Jesus, and all his rest is glorious. Now the first night we spoke from two men who lost great possession, Adam and Ethel. Last night we spoke of two masters that resemble one another, Abel and Stephen. Tonight we have the D.V. subject that is easy to guess. The first two men to heaven without dying. Let's see a hand. Oh, I knew it was D.V. What does Adam have? Enoch and Elijah. Two E's, that's right. Now the more night, two chiefs of timid. Remember these two men were both, they both got converted. There's all kinds of bad men in the scriptures, but the Lord didn't ever got converted. He's the two that did. Two chiefs of timid. One of them old, one of them new. Thursday night, three fools, three fools in the Bible. Then we will have the two ships, two great ships of the Bible. Left in front of them. And then two Jewish kings. Our judgment that was pronounced and executed. All right, we turn to Genesis chapter 5 please. Genesis chapter 5. Now we have two men, Enoch and Elijah. One is the first and the other one is the last. Enoch the first man to go to heaven without dying and Elijah the last. Said he went to heaven without dying. And they both picture Christians that we hear when the Lord Jesus comes again. And it could be us. It could be those of us that are here tonight in that company. The Lord comes again, we'll be taken up without dying. Should we go without dying? How wonderful that would be. There's something about death that we all sort of, by nature we don't like. It's an enemy, the Bible says. Of course as a Christian now that we have this revelation of God, death is only a doorway into heaven. I was together with some brethren at a conference one time and one man asked the other man about a certain sister. The sister so-and-so is still alive. Oh very much so said the other brother. But let me say now here or in heaven I'm not sure. But she's very much alive. So little a Christian. Now we'll first talk a little bit about, and I can only talk a very little about each one because there's so much in these two men I could keep you here to midnight. And I'm not exaggerating. Between these two men and the rapture. But we're not going to do that. We want you back tomorrow night and we'll try to let you out in good time. We'll read now in the fifth chapter of Genesis and we'll start at verse 21. And Enoch lived sixty and five years and begat Methuselah. Sometimes we ask the question that, or make a statement like this to you. Oldest man that ever lived died before his father. That's true isn't it? Enoch begat Methuselah and Methuselah was the oldest man that ever lived. And of course Enoch never died. And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years and begat sons and daughters. And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years. And Enoch walked with God and he walked not for God took him. Now in case there's any doubt in your mind that this means different than what you think it means, that someone might say well how do you know that he went to heaven man? Let's turn to Hebrews 11. See what the word of God says about the New Testament. Here you have a very clear statement. You cannot mistake. By faith Enoch was translated that he should not be dead and was not found. Because God had translated him for before his testimony and this testimony that he pleased God. Before God translated him 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 should reward of them that diligently seek him. There are a few things about Enoch. First I want to say a few things about his past. He lived 65 years before he was converted. And he lived in a godless age, in a godless time. You read about it in Jude verse 15 when he speaks about these ungodly people with their ungodly deeds and all this. And no doubt he was one of these ungodly people. And ungodly means to be without God and living as there's no God at all. And that's no doubt how he lived. Lived in the wicked world probably like one of them. Absolutely ungodly. For 65 years of his life. Then something happened. What happened? What was it about? Something different. And that brings us to the place where Enoch becomes a pilgrim. Notice the verse where it says Enoch lived 65 years and he begat Methuselah. A little man, a little man child came into his home. A new baby came into his home and no doubt the responsibility of this little child coming into his home brought a serious effect upon him. And no doubt was the result of him turning to the Lord. He lived 65 years and he begat Methuselah. And then after he begat Methuselah, notice it says that, and Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah 300 years. Isn't it a wonderful thing that God had a man with him upon earth and walked with him for 300 years. That's a wonderful walk, isn't it? To walk with the Lord. What fellowship, what light he sheds on the way. So I believe the commencement of this walk was when the son was born. He continued and he continued for 300 years. You know when you can walk with God that means you have to have a corresponding nature. Amos says in chapter 3 and verse 3 of Amos, can two walk together except they be agreed? You can't do it. Two people are loggerheads and you can't get along. Has to be a corresponding nature. You can't walk with God unless you're born into God's family, unless you know him. Why in fact before you're born again you're like Mephibosheth, you're lame in both feet. You can't walk to please God. Sin has made it impossible for a sinner to walk with God. You first have to have the divine nature you must be born again in order to walk with God. And you know it was a wonderful walk they had, it was a wonderful spiritual communion. And when you walk with God it means steady progress. You're moving ahead and it's spiritual growth. I'm sure there's none of you here tonight that are Christians haven't reached a change in the face you'd like to be. There's always room for more growth and maturity and development in the Christian life. But Enoch he walked so close to the Lord that I think probably one evening as they were a long ways away from his house the Lord said Enoch you come home with me. It's nearer to your house than to mine, it's nearer to my house than to yours. And you know they never saw him again. And they put up a search party for him. It says he was not found. I said well certainly they did with Elijah's day. The sons of the prophets they hunted all over the mountains for Elijah. And I thought they couldn't find him. I tell you when the Lord takes someone to heaven he makes a good job he doesn't drop them off in the hill. The Lord saves you my friend he takes you right home. Lands you safe and he gives you a soft landing. This is wonderful. You know the Russians are having a difficult time in landing on their moons that have what they call a soft landing. The Lord gives us a soft landing. We land in the bosom of the Lord Jesus. That's a wonderful landing isn't it. What a landing place. Now then that's a little bit about the pilgrimage of Enoch. Then he had the light that he was preaching to God. It says that in the Hebrews 11. He was a man of faith. He believed God. That's what it says in the text. Well faith is absolutely impossible to please them. And isn't it wonderful a man walked with God for 300 years and pleased him. And the great desire for God is that every one of us might be pleasing in his sight. Enoch was such a man. The flesh is of his God. Don't you dear Christian I'm saying a little bit to the Christian tonight too. Don't you want to be pleasing to the Lord? Then walk with him in the light of his word and you'll be pleasing to him. The Lord Jesus was ever pleased. He always did the things that pleased the Father. He could say I didn't like to do thy will oh God. He bore great pleasure to his Father's heart. May we follow his example as those that know and love him. Then just a word about his prayer life. It says also in Hebrews 11 here that he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he's a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. He had his past 65 years, his pilgrimage, that walk with God, his pleasing God, a man of faith, his prayer life. He received answers. He's a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Way back there this man received his answers from God and I believe if we lay hold upon God we're still going to see answers in this campaign we're having now. Then in Jude verse 14 we see his perfect order in the order chronology that he's the seventh from Adam. Wouldn't it just look like God? The first man he takes to heaven he's the seventh man. That number which speaks of perfection and completeness. He comes in at the right time, right place in chronology. And then here in Hebrews or in Jude again you see something not only about his perfect order but now you'll see a little bit about his preaching. Who had preachers way back there. That's what it says isn't it? He that goeth to the seventh from Adam prophesied a priest. Or they say behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his angels to execute judgment upon all and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed and of all their harsh speeches which ungodliness hath spoken against them. What a preacher! Not much like those of our own purposes is he? Never never mention anything about that might hurt people or embarrass people. This man he was a bold witness and a preacher. A bold preacher for the Lord. He preached the second coming. He said the Lord is coming with ten thousand of his angels because that is speaking about the great revelation of Christ when he comes in power and great glory. That's what he was preaching about way back there. The seventh from Adam preaching the Lord Jesus coming again. And the Bible is full of that subject. He that will come he shall come. The Lord himself shall descend from heaven after word of God's death. We have that assurance the Lord is coming again. He did not preach that. Are you ready for his coming? Would you love to see the Lord coming tonight? I think most of you folks would. Why would you like to see him? To get out of his old miserable body to enter in or what? Or is it because you want to see his face? What's the reason? To see him. Amen. That's the reason isn't it? To see him. To be like him. Now this preacher he lived among ungodly sinners. But after the Lord changed his life it didn't change him. He was like John the Baptist. He stood strong and true. He wasn't bolder to his age. He sought to collect the evils of the age. And the problem today many times without us Christians we get molded to the age. We conform but not either. Nor John the Baptist. They stood true. They didn't fall in line with the popular faith. They didn't go along with the crowds. Neither can we. And then notice he called sin, sin didn't he? Notice what he says there. And to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed and of all their harsh speeches which ungodliness innocent folk will get them. He laid it right on the line. Like Nathan he came to David and said you're sin. John the Baptist prayed hear it. He told him you're sin. And I'm facing you tonight dear friend and the Bible says to you that you have sinned and your sin, your sin is separating you from God. And unless you get saved from your sin which Jesus came to do you'll never get into the presence of God. I don't care how nice, how decent, how respectable you are. God says you're a sinner. From the head of your, from the top of your head to the soles of your feet God says there's no soundness in you. God says your head is sick, your heart is desperately wicked and deceitful above all things. All the way through there's no soundness. Jesus with the shed blood. What a picture God gives of the sinner. And this is how you have to see yourself. On means to be without. And you can be as ever respectable, you can be religious and you can still be on God. That is without God. And Adina faithfully preached that. And then he preached something about this wonderful subject called the righteousness of God. He spoke about he's going to come to execute judgment. He upheld the holy, righteous standards of God. He's going to convince all these because they've spoken against him. He was out to guard the righteousness of God. He was out to defend the holiness of God. He was not to lift up man. We're living in a day when everybody's lifting up man. Taking his own demand, the greatness of man, the achievements of man. And God is brought down. Enoch lifted up the Lord and he put man in his place. That's what we need to do. Well time permits me to say any more about Enoch and I turn to the book of Kings. But Elijah, why he's an interesting character. Elijah, you know he comes on the scene in 1st Kings chapter 17. It just says Elijah the tithespite who was of the inhabitants of Gilead became the Ahab. And he says that the Lord God of Israel liveth that for whom I stand that shall be the not be due nor vain these years but according to my word. Three years and six months, no rain, came in the field and then God said to him you go and hide yourself. The Ahab, he's a he's a father of retaliation. But you go and you hide yourself. And God hid him away and looked after him. It's a wonderful story and I can't wait to do it. And after the time was over then God said go and show thyself in chapter 18 verse 1. And you know that's a wonderful lesson in that. Before you meet man go and hide yourself and then go and show yourself. John the Baptist he was always on the wilderness learning the ways of God. So was Moses, so was Saul and Tartus. They learned the ways of God before they went to meet the public. Now go and show thyself. And he meets Elijah or he meets the Ahab the king the wicked king of Israel. Get them to get all Israel together. All the prophets of Baal and these other prophets. 400 prophets of Baal and 450 prophets of the gold. Get them all together. We're going to have a contest here. We're going to find out who the true God is. Now you've been worshiping the Baal, you've been worshiping the false god. Now we want to put it to a test. Get all the prophets of Baal and let them build an altar. And I'll build an altar. And we'll kill a bullock. And the God that answers by fire he'll be the true God. And you know the story of the prophets of Baal they killed the ox from the foot of the altar. And all day long they cried to Baal they cut themselves they did everything else. And Elijah kind of mocked them on a bit. He said cry a little louder maybe he's gone to sleep or maybe he's on a long journey or something else. And on to the evening. The evening sacrifice. Now Elijah said it's my turn. He built an altar there were 12 stones to represent the 12 tribes of Israel. Kill the bullock. Then he had all these 12 bales of water poured over to the whole big ditch of jug arms filled up with water and he was soaking wet. And then he prayed a different prayer. Fire came down and it swallowed up all the sacrifice and the water and everything. And the children of Israel said he's God. He's God. The God of Israel is God. Elijah says in verse 21. And Elijah came unto all the people and said how long shall ye hope between two opinions if the Lord be God follow him. But if Baal then follow him. Friend tonight you have to make a decision. If the Lord is truly God and the Lord Jesus Christ his son whom he said is the Savior. Then if you really believe that are you going to follow him. You cannot serve two masters. You have to make a decision. And your decision will determine where you'll spend eternity. You remember Enoch had faith in the Lord and he believed God. He was a man of faith and he was taken up to heaven before the great flood came the time of judgment. And in 2nd Kings chapter 2 we have the wonderful translation of Elijah. He went up in the whirlwind. The chariot of fire and the horse of the fire came down and separated him and Elijah his successor and took up Elijah in the whirlwind. He went up to heaven and home without dying. That's going to be the portion of every Christian. Now I'm going to choose a turn to 1st Corinthians chapter, 1st Thessalonians chapter 4. When you read such a large chapter like this you certainly love to have a lot more time and I don't want to have more time. I don't misunderstand me. I don't want to keep you late. But you love to be able to develop it. Now 1st Thessalonians chapter 4 Paul is writing to these new Christians. They've been taught the Lord may come any time and he can when they expected him. But there's something troubling them. Some of the company had either been martyred and started to die and they wondered now what will happen to these who have died before the Lord Jesus comes again. What's going to happen to them? So he writes this wonderful explanation what's going to happen. Beginning of verse 13 of 1st Thessalonians chapter 4. But I would not have you to be ignorant rather than concerning them which are asleep. Now asleep here refers only to the body. It means to lie down and it's thought it's Jesus that lays the body down for the real person that goes at them from the body to be present with the Lord. If you're not a Christian the rich man he died and he woke up in hell. Only his body went there. That tremendous funeral no doubt they prepared and had for that rich man didn't help them any. All these rich Paul they have to carry his body. All the probably array of flowers and everything else they went to to give him a tremendous send off. My friend didn't change his destiny when I owed the moment he died he woke up in hell. Being in torment his body didn't his body was there but the real man he went to hell. But the real Christian goes to be with the Lord. And this is who he's writing to. Now he says I don't want you to be ignorant rather than concerning them which are asleep that you saw not even as others which have no hope. We may saw a loved one but we don't saw for them like others who have no hope. We're not hopeless. For if we believe Jesus died and rose again do you really believe that? Do you believe Jesus died for you for your sins and he rose again for your justification to declare you righteous? He's up there as your representative. He's your substitute that took your place and now as he stands up there in all his oldest perfection you're accepted in him. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. And the thought is this when Jesus comes again those that have gone to meet with Jesus they're going to come with him to be reunited to that body in the same moment will be resurrected. And he says for this we say unto you by the word of the Lord. We speak this by revelation he says just like the old testament prophet had the revelation from God this is the revelation of God this is the mystery that has been opened up. What was unknown in the old testament is now we've opened up. He says in first Corinthians chapter 15 to hold us show your mystery we shall not all sleep but we shall be changed in the moment in the twinkling of an eye that quick I'm unfolding to you what God has revealed to me by his spirit. This we say unto you by the word of the Lord that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not precede them which are asleep. They're not going to lose out on anything. The ones that have died before they're not going to lose out on anything. They're going to be in the same rapture for the Lord himself. This same Jesus which has seen go up to heaven shall in like manner come again. This same Jesus the Lord himself and I declare it's the Lord himself. He's not sending an archangel it's the voice of the archangel but it's the Lord himself. It's the shout of the Lord. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout. That's the shout of the commander. The call of the lustful greedy was to the grave a lash and he said lashes come forth and Jesus comes with that shout all the graves will open up. All the dead in Christ shall come forth in that glorified body. The voice of the archangel will come there. The voice the sound of the trumpet. In the old testament when they called the people to gather they blew the trumpet. The Lord because he has. No one remains. All the graves all those in Christ. What a day that's going to be. The Lord himself he shall descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of the archangel with the trumpet of God and the dead in Christ they'll rise up. Then we which are alive that's us. What's going to happen? And we may and Corinthians implies further information will be changed in the moment in the twinkling of an eye and together with those that were in the graves that we're going to be caught up together with them in the cloud to meet the Lord there face to face with Christ. What a meeting that's going to be and that word caught up means to snatch away with a mighty force. He's going to take us through the realm of Satan who's the prince and the power of the air. He's going to come and he's going to snatch us away with that tremendous force and it'll break all speed records. Those spacemen they'll look like they're in reverse as we as pass them as though they're going the other way. And that's going to be tremendous. We're going to be caught up. Oh how wonderful that is for the Christian. And we're going to meet the Lord and then he said we're ever going to be with the Lord. Just thinking I'm going to be able to stay with him forever. Isn't that wonderful? Down here we have loved ones and we have to leave them or they have to leave us. We get together with loved ones and we have to stay so long. We don't want to stay so long. We go to visit friends and just for a little while let's go home again. Well I used to go with my girlfriend I used to go to say you know there's no time I'll have to go home again. You know you couldn't stay. But to stay with somebody you really love like Enoch loved the Lord company so much he says now I want you home with me so we don't have to part anymore. We're going to ever be with the Lord. What a portion. May I ask you are you looking forward to that? Would you take part in this? Now search your own heart tonight friend. Have you truly been born again? Have you had a definite conversion to God? I'm going to ask you did you join the church? I'm not asking you to confirm. I'm not asking you to go baptize. I'm not asking you to try and live a good life. That's all your own work in the canes. That's the way of canes. And he perished. He was driven out. Have you come to the end of yourself where you recognize yourself as a sinner? The law helps us and you couldn't do a thing to save yourself. So you said Lord Jesus save me a sinner. Have you come to that place? If not why not tonight? And when the Lord comes again you'll be among those that have been taken out. Oh we wouldn't want to leave you behind. Similar to the Lord Jesus came right now. Would you seek the empty? Or would you be sitting here when the rest would be gone? Now be honest with yourself. Be honest with God. You can deceive us. You can look very much like the rest of us and act like the rest of us. I might deceive you. I eat like the same as you do. Sleep the same type of bed you do. But I'm not an American. Living like an American, eat like an American does not make you an American. Looking like a Christian, living like a Christian, acting like a Christian will not make you a Christian. Only Christ. Christ alone can save you. And if you are not saved tonight don't you leave service till you accept him. And then when the Lord himself shall descend from heaven you'll be glad to see him. You'll be smashed away with that mighty force of the Bible taking us through the heavens right into his presence. And so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore we shall comfort one another with these words. Enoch and Elijah they had that experience of taking hope without dying. We may have the same experience. Wouldn't that be wonderful? But if you're saved, if you're saved and you die before he comes, then you're going to come back with him. That is, God is going to bring you back with him to be taken part in the rapture. And if you're saved when he comes, you will be chained and taken up. But if you're not saved, you'll be left behind. Left behind for the awful days that are coming upon this earth, this great tribulation. And then later there'll be a test where we stand before the great white Lord of judgment. And then later, after that we cast into the later fire all the awful future for the unbelievers. I wouldn't have changed faith with you for the whole universe. To be saved is the most wonderful thing. And I do pray if you're not saved, you'll be saved tonight.