Clean Transcript

Pleasing God

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• Well, let's open our Bibles, if you would please, today to the book of Hebrews, chapter 11, and verses 5 and 6. Hebrews, chapter 11, verses 5 and 6. Most of you can quote verse 6, probably not verse 5, but I want you to look at it, if you would please. Then we're going to look at some other passages in the Bible and I hope tie everything together for you. So Hebrews chapter 11. The title of the message is "Pleasing God." Pleasing God. Hebrews 11:5: "By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please him."

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• "For he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." Everyone desires to be pleased regardless of one's state, whether one's saved or unsaved. And pleasure, of course, is important to each one. I want to point out the fact that that which is pleasing, that which is agreeable—the words we like—what is happening to us and it pleases us, and if we dislike it then it is not pleasing at all. Oftentimes we use a phrase like "this pleases me" or "this doesn't please me," or you could substitute the word "satisfy": "this satisfies me" or "it disagrees with me," or "doesn't satisfy me," or "doesn't agree with me."

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• So usually if we are not pleased about something, we're usually pretty quick to let someone know that we're not pleased. We could either do so in words, or we could do so with a very sour disposition, or facial expressions that let everyone know that yes, we are very, very displeased.

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• Now let me just point out the fact, since this message's title is "Pleasing God," the Bible says in Romans 8 and verse 8, "So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God." They that are in the flesh cannot please God. Now before I give you the meaning of the word "please," I want you to look at a couple passages. I want you to turn back first of all to the book of Galatians, because he talks about those that are in the flesh that cannot please God. And if you'll notice verse 19, in this passage God is describing for us the works of the flesh. He says this: "Now the works of

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• the flesh are manifest, which are these; adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." Now, I hope that you notice that every one of these fruits of the flesh happens to be contrary to God and contrary to His commandments. And another thing that we need to notice in this passage is this: oftentimes we attribute many of these things to the work of Satan and the temptation of Satan. But God says, no, no, these are all fruits of the flesh, which include idolatry, witchcraft, hatred. All of these things are works of the flesh. They're not the temptations of Satan.

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• Now, if you would turn back into the book of Proverbs chapter 6, I will show you something else beginning there with verse 16. Because once again, you can see these would be works of the flesh, although they're not necessarily mentioned as works of the flesh. But in Proverbs chapter 6 and verse 16, "These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: a proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood," murder, "an heart that deviseth wicked imaginations," which would be adultery, fornication, theft, whatever, "feet that be swift in running to mischief, a false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among the brethren." So each of these things happen to be forbidden by the law of God as well. Now, when you look at Romans 8 in verse 8, "So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God." First of all, let me deal with the word "please." The Greek word happens to be the word "areskō," and it literally means to please, to do those things that are agreeable and to accommodate oneself to the desires of others.

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• So think about this just for a moment. It not only means to please, but to do those things that are agreeable and to accommodate oneself to the desires of others. Note if you would now, Romans 8 in verse 8 again, "So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God." So you have a "cannot" before the word "please." The Greek word "cannot" is made up of two Greek words.

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• The first one is "ou," which means no or not. And the second one happens to be "dunamai," which of course refers to strength or power. It means to have the ability or to have the strength to do something in your own person, in your own ability, so to speak. To show you the word "dunamis," it is actually from the root word we get the word "dynamite" from, which of course refers to power and strength.

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• So he says those that are in the flesh cannot. They do not have the ability, they do not have the power, they do not have the strength in any way to please God. So the natural man, the unsaved man, the man in the flesh cannot please God in anything or any way that he does.

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• Now here's one of the saddest states, and as you turn in your Bibles, please, to 1 Thessalonians chapter 2, I want you to look at verses 14 and 15. But one of the saddest states for many people is the fact when you are so totally, absolutely deceived, and yet you think at the same time you're pleasing God. You know, our Lord said it like this. He said, "For the time will come that those who kill you will think that they do God's service." So here's someone that is so absolutely deceived that they think they're doing God's service by murdering. Look at the teaching of Islam. I mean, anyone who is an infidel according to them deserves to be murdered, and they can do so with gusto thinking that they are pleasing God. But look if you would in 1 Thessalonians chapter 2, and let's begin reading there with verse 14. He says, "For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches

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• of God which in Judaea"—that would be the southern kingdom—"are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews." Now, what's this? "Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us"—that is the apostles—"and they please not God, and are contrary to all men." So notice what he says about the Jews, particularly since they refuse, repudiate, and reject the Lord Jesus Christ. They cannot and they do not please God. Moreover, he says they are contrary to all men. Wow. Now, if you reject the Lord Jesus Christ, if you repudiate and refuse him, inevitably you're going to be contrary to all men. The word "contrary" there is "enantios," and it literally means to be opposed to,

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• to be opposite, to be an opponent, to be an adversary, and to be antagonistic. So here's what he's saying. Anyone who refuses, rejects, and repudiates the Lord Jesus Christ actually becomes the enemy of Jesus Christ. But let this sink into your mind. They're not only the enemy of Jesus Christ, they happen to be our enemy as well because they are contrary to all men. Think about that. You remember that passage in Luke chapter 18, where our Lord said, "Men ought always to pray, and not to faint."

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• And then he gives the illustration of this unjust judge. And he says, "There was in a city a certain judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man. And a certain widow woman came in, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And though he would not for a while, she continued coming. And finally he said to himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man, lest this woman continually come and weary me, I will avenge her." Notice if you would, the judge was not interested in justice. He was only interested in himself. And notice he said, "Though I fear not God, nor regard man." So the man or the woman who refuses the Lord Jesus Christ cannot please God in any way whatsoever, and consequently they become the adversary and the opponent of all men, especially any man that is good and holy and wants to do that which is right. So here's the unjust judge again: he was not interested in justice. He was only interested in himself. So it is only in regeneration and conversion that God enables us to have the ability to begin to please God.

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• In other words, he gives us not only a new disposition, a new mind, but he gives us also the ability to please him. So let me show you what he does. If you will turn in your Bibles very quickly, and we're going to come back to Hebrews 11, but look in your Bibles to the book of Hebrews chapter 10, Hebrews chapter 10. Notice if you would please verses 15 through 17. Hebrews 10:15-17. The Bible says, "Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my

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• laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more."

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• Now, he says he's going to put his law in our hearts. That is, he's going to teach us to love them and to honor them. But he said, "and in their minds will I write them." "Dianoia" happens to be the word for minds. In other words, he's going to give us the ability to comprehend and understand the laws that he's written in our minds.

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• Now, here's what I want you to note. Since you're in Hebrews, look in chapter 11 verse 5 again, because here's what he said concerning Enoch: "By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony"—look at this testimony—"that he pleased God." Now we know that Enoch walked with God, and we know that Enoch pleased God. If you would turn in your Bibles to the book of Genesis chapter 5, you will see beginning there verse 21 what is said concerning Enoch. I want you to look at this. Genesis chapter 5 verse 21: "And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah: 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 was not; for God took him." Notice, "and Enoch walked with God, and he was not; for God took him." Now, undoubtedly, Enoch walked with God prior to the birth of Methuselah.

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• But after the birth of Methuselah, the walk with God was far closer, more dedicated, and more devoted. Let me give you a quick quote from Matthew Poole. Matthew Poole says it like this concerning Enoch: "He lived as one whose eye was continually upon God, whose care and constant course and business it was to please God and to imitate Him, and to maintain acquaintance and communion with him, as one devoted to God's service, wholly governed by his will."

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• "He walked not with the men of that wicked age, or as they walked, but being a prophet and a preacher, as may be gathered from Jude, with great zeal and courage he protested and preached against their evil practices and boldly owned God in his ways in the midst of them." Now, if you would hold Genesis 5, also Hebrews 11, but I want you to turn to the book of Jude, which is right before the book of Revelation, and you will find in verses 14 and 15, Enoch is mentioned with his preaching and prophesying. So notice if you would, Jude verse 14: "And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon all." Now remember, Enoch lived before the flood. "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 hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him." Wow. So Enoch then was an individual who undoubtedly preached and prayed.

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• Now, I want you to look, go back to Genesis chapter 6, because I want you to see the wickedness—I will rephrase that—the extreme wickedness in which Enoch lived and preached against. So in Genesis chapter 6 and verse 5, "God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them." Now I want to just give you some observations from this text of scripture in regard to Enoch walking with God. I'm going to give you these observations, and I want you to listen carefully.

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• There's about five of them. Number one, first and foremost, God always has his preachers, even in the most dangerous and perilous and wicked and difficult times. God is not going to leave himself without witness. There were godly men during this particular time. The Bible speaks of Seth, Methuselah, Jared, Enoch, and Noah. So the first observation is this: regardless of how dangerous things become, regardless of how wicked things become, God is always going to have a preacher. God is always going to have men that will stand up for him and teach that which is right and speak against that which is wrong. So Enoch then lived in this exceedingly wicked time when God was ready to wipe everybody off the face of the earth.

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• The second thing that we should observe here is this: this truth verifies that God's grace was prevalent and sufficient even in the darkest of times. Now these men that I just mentioned were saved by grace, not by works. One of the most dangerous heresies I believe that has ever been taught, and I had heard it all of my life as a child, that all of those in the Old Testament were saved by works and the New Testament were saved by grace. But that certainly is a flat out lie. No one in either testament was ever saved by works.

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• And it's absolutely heretical to try to say that. And the reason we know that, I quoted Romans 8 in verse 8 earlier. I didn't quote verse 7. But let me quote Romans 8:7 and 8 together. Here it is: "Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God." Now I want to just show you something when you look back in your Bibles to the book of Hebrews chapter 11. Remember Hebrews chapter 11 is giving us a large number of Old Testament saints, and because this is the great chapter on faith, which obviously is not the great chapter on works. It's a great chapter on faith. But look if you would in Hebrews chapter 11 at verse 40. What is said of all of these Old Testament saints? He says, in fact, let's read verse 39: "And these all"—that is all of these that have been mentioned in Hebrews 11—"and these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise"—that is the fulfillment of the promise. Then he says this: "God having provided some better thing for

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• us, that they without us should not be made perfect." So here's what I want you to see: we are joining them. They are not joining us. In other words, all of those in the Old Testament were saved by grace through faith, just like we are in the New Testament. Okay. Here's the third observation. Remember now we're talking about the fact that Enoch walked with God. The third observation is this: neither marriage nor a family is a hindrance to walking with God and pleasing Him. Although work is necessary, although provision is necessary, and although time for that work is consuming, having a wife and children is no deterrent from walking with the Lord and pleasing him. In fact, the emphasis in this passage gives us the fact that having a wife and children intensifies the motivation to walk with God and to please him. In other words, there's a positive influence: Enoch walked with God, and after he begat Methuselah he walked with God even more closely. So here's the fourth observation. We're taught by Enoch the absolute necessity of consistency in our lives.

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• Now Enoch lived 65 years and begat Methuselah. 300 years after that he walked with God. Undoubtedly, he walked with God prior to the birth of Methuselah. But can you imagine being faithful, being consistent, being constant for 365 years? He was faithful with God until God took him. So one of our greatest weaknesses, one of our greatest failures as Christians is our inconsistencies. Let me say that another way: one of our greatest failures is our unfaithfulness. Old Dr. Bob Jones, Sr. used to say, "The greatest ability is dependability."

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• And that is a fact. The greatest ability is dependability. I'm gonna show you a scripture just momentarily. But let me show you how inconsistent we really are. Think about church. Think about the public worship of God. Think about the public preaching of the word of God. It is absolutely astounding to me how easily most professing Christians are willing to just lay out of church. "Well, I can't go today because I stumped my big toe yesterday and it still hurts."

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• I've often said I've wanted to do this. I've never done it, but I've often wanted to do it: just not go to church on Sunday morning. Just not show up. And everybody else is at church and they—the preacher's not here, what's going on?—and they call me and say, "I'm sorry, I just couldn't make it today because company came in yesterday and I've got to take care of my company." You know, that's what people do. And I've had company as well, and I give them a choice. You may go to church with me, or you may stay home by yourself. It's just that simple.

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• But you look at that. We get busy, and so we don't read our Bible. We don't study. I mean, it just falls by the wayside. We might read our Bible for two or three days straight and then miss it for a week or two. And look how inconsistent we are in our prayer life. And by the way, you can have a prayer life all day long. You can pray all day long. You don't have to be on your knees 24 hours a day. You can pray in your mind. You can pray as you drive. You can pray as you do a lot of things. But I'm just simply pointing out the fact one of our greatest failures is our inconsistency and our unfaithfulness.

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• Now, if you look in your Bibles to the book of 1 Corinthians, chapter 4, verses 1 and 2, you'll see an astounding truth here. Look in 1 Corinthians chapter 4, beginning there with verse 1. Here it is, 1 Corinthians chapter 4 and verse 1. The Word of God says this: "Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of God, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful." And every one of us, each one of us happens to be a steward. We're stewards of whatever God gave us, not just physically, not just economically, but concerning truth, concerning his grace and concerning his mercy. He says it is required that a man be found faithful.

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• Now, I'm sure you listen to me. If you listen to the world define success, they will tell you success is greatness. Success is having the biggest church in the country or the biggest church in your state. Wow. Or greatness is having the most people in attendance, or greatness is having the largest bank account, or success is having the biggest following. No, according to God, success is faithfulness. You look at the people that's in Hebrews chapter 11. Noah is there. Noah preached 120 years, never had a convert.

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• Jeremiah is there, Isaiah is there. Those men were totally, absolutely ignored. I'm just simply pointing out the fact success, according to the Word of God, is faithfulness. It is not greatness. And so what we see in the life of Enoch is absolute faithfulness that is exhibited for 365 years.

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• Now, here's the fifth thing, and it's going to take me a while on this one. Based upon Genesis 5 and Hebrews 11:5, our Heavenly Father loves fellowship and communion. He loves fellowship and communion. Years ago, I preached a message which I titled, "Giving God Pleasure." And I ask in that message this question: have you ever considered what gives God pleasure? Let me just put it to you like this and ask you, what gives you pleasure? Well, we do have pleasure in our children. We have pleasure in our grandchildren. You know, as you age and get older, you think back of all the good times that you had with your children or with your grandchildren.

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• I could sit here and for hours tell you things about my grandchildren, about my children. In fact, I usually tell people, you know, you love your children. But grandchildren are special. And I've said this before, if you hurt one of my girls, I could hurt you very badly. But if you mess with my grandchildren, I could chew you up and spit you out and smile while I did it. Because I love them and I love the fellowship with them. I remember calling one of my daughters, one of the twins, and I asked her, I said, "When are y'all coming over?"

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• "Well, Daddy, we just can't right now. We've got this and we've got that. And this is planned. This is planned. And we just can't come right now." I said, "Sweetheart, let's just cut to the chase. I don't care whether you come or not. Just send the grandkids." She said, "Daddy!" Well, well, let's be honest. I mean, your grandchildren are special. I understand that. And I love to be with them and love to be around them.

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• Hey, God loves his children, and he loves the fellowship and the communion with his children. Now, I want you to follow me. I want you to turn in your Bibles first of all to Psalm 147. I'm going to show you some passages. Look in Psalm 147 and notice if you would please verses 10 and 11. Psalm 147:10-11. Look what the Bible says. Psalm 147:10, "He"—and by the way, the "he" here refers to God. So look at verse 1, "Praise ye the Lord: for it is good to sing praises unto our God." Then verse 2, "The Lord doth build up Jerusalem." And then he, he, he all the way down is talking about God. So he says in verse 10, "He"—that is God—"delighteth not in the strength of the horse: he taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man. The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy." God takes pleasure in those that fear him, that is his

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• children. Now look in Psalm 149 and verse 4. Psalm 149:4. Look at this: "For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation." The Lord taketh pleasure in his people. Now here's an interesting thing. We read in Genesis chapter 5, "and Enoch walked with God." May I ask you, what is it to walk with God? I mean, we can't knock on the door and say, "Lord, I'm fixing to walk around the block. Would you like to walk with me?" So what is it to walk with the Lord? That's what it said in Genesis 5. When you get to Hebrews 11, it says that he pleased God. So walking with God and pleasing God happens to be synonymous. They're the same things, because if you're walking with God, you're pleasing God. If you're pleasing God, you're walking with God, because you're doing that which is agreeable unto him.

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• OK, now let's turn in our Bibles to show you 1 Thessalonians, chapter 4. 1 Thessalonians, chapter 4. And look, if you would please, at verse 1. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 and verse 1. Look at this. Look what the Apostle Paul states. 1 Thessalonians 4:1: "Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more." So now he's combining walking and pleasing. They're synonymous. If you're walking with God, you're pleasing God. If you're pleasing God, you're walking with him. Now, if you will turn back just a few pages to the book of Colossians chapter 1 and look in verse 10, Colossians 1:10. The apostle Paul says, "That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God." That you might walk worthy of the Lord. How are you walking worthy of the Lord? Unto all pleasing.

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• So you please him by walking worthily, that is walking obediently, walking with him, and being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God. Now look in Colossians 2 in verse 6. Colossians 2:6: "As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him." Well, how did you receive him? Well, let's see. You received him in faith. You received him willingly. You received him gladly. You received him obediently. In other words, just the way you received him, he said, so walk ye in him.

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• Now, if you will turn straight over to 1 John, chapter 1. Okay, Hebrews, James, 1st and 2nd Peter, then 1st John. Look in 1st John chapter 1 at verses 6 and 7. 1 John 1:6: "If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth." So for someone who tells me that they're in fellowship with God, and yet they're disobedient, they're rebellious, they're recalcitrant, they won't listen, God says that individual is walking in darkness and they have no fellowship with him. Now look in verse 7: "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." Now since you're in 1 John, look in 1 John 2 in verse 6. Look at this: "He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked." So if we claim to be Christians and if we claim to be abiding in Jesus Christ, we should walk even as he walked. We should walk in obedience.

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• We should walk in faith. We should walk for the honor and glory of our Heavenly Father. In other words, if we are in Him, we should walk even as He walked.

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• Now, if you will turn right over to 2 John, look if you would, please, at verse 6. Look at this. 2 John, verse 6: "And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it." So what is love? What is walking in light? It's walking after His commandments. That is the way that we should walk. So it is pleasing to God to walk after His law. It's pleasing to God to obey His commandments. It's pleasing to God for you to submit to His truth. It is pleasing to God that you obey him in all of his statutes and all of his commandments, because all of these things are agreeable to him. And therefore they please him. Hmm. So walking with God is synonymous with pleasing God. Here's the sixth thing.

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• This is astounding to me. Enoch attained this state of spiritual excellence in a time when, comparatively speaking, there were very few helps and no written revelation. He was the seventh from Adam! My goodness! I hope you cannot help but to see and admire the grace of God that has been given to these individuals and especially to Enoch to allow him to walk with God and to please God in an age that is absolutely, totally, completely corrupt with no spiritual help, so to speak, no church, no Bible studies, no recordings. Nothing, and no written revelation. Wow. Think about that.

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• Now, I want to ask you a question. If anyone could walk with God in the worst of times, without any spiritual helps, without a written revelation, why in the world can we not walk with God? Why can we not please Him when we have millions times over that which Enoch had? Let me show you. Look back in your Bibles to the book of Hebrews chapter 1. Hebrews chapter 1, and let's begin reading there with verse 1. Hebrews 1:1: "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners"—that is different ways—"spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets." Yes, he did use dreams. And yes, he did use trances. He used a number of things in the Old Testament. However, look in verse 2: "Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

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• who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high." Now we have the fullness and the finality of God's divine revelation in Jesus Christ. Yes, they knew about the prophesied coming of Christ in the Old Testament, but they did not have Him. We have him. What about this passage?

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• Let me just quote it: 2 Timothy chapter 3 verses 16 and 17. "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect"—that is mature, complete—"that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works" or to every good work. Now we have the fullness and the finality of Jesus Christ, and we have the fullness and the finality of the Word of God.

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• So let me ask this question again. Why is it that we cannot walk with God and be pleasing to Him in all that we have today, and Enoch had none of these things? And I'll tell you why. Because we put all of our emphasis upon that which is temporal, that which is material, and we are so inconsistent in our lives and so unfaithful in our things that pertain unto God that there's seemingly no pleasing Him in our lives because we're not really thinking about that. You said, "But I've got to work. I've got to make a living." So did Enoch. "But I've got a family and I've got a wife and children." Please. So did Enoch. In fact, if Enoch did not work and take care of his wife and children, he could not have been pleasing unto God. Wow. Now I want you to look back, look back in Hebrews 11 in verse 5. Look at this again. I want you to see this. The Bible says, "By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death.

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• and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God."

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• Now, I want to emphasize this again. There's one little word in verse 5 that is very, very important. Here it is: "By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God." And in the words, he was consistent. He was constant. He was continual. Now, when you look back in Genesis 5 and verse 24, the Bible says that God took him. The Hebrew word "took" is the word "laqach," and it means to take, to receive, listen, to take by the hand and carry along. I want you to remember that. It means to take by the hand and to carry along. Now, in Hebrews 11 and verse 5, the Bible tells us that God translated him.

  #48 | 41:56 to 43:16 | cleaned

• So Enoch was not raptured, and his taking was not even a type or a symbol of rapture. The Greek word for "translated" here is the word "metatithēmi." And it means to transpose two things. That's like if you have a hundred and five bucks in your bank account and you look at it and you transpose it and you think you've got five hundred and one. You just swap places. It's what you've just done. You've transposed those numbers. Well, it means to transpose two things. It means to put one thing in the place of another. It means transfer and to pass over. So Enoch then was translated. He was just simply taken from earth to heaven. In other words, he swapped places.

  #49 | 43:18 to 44:16 | cleaned

• I suppose we could use a modern term. We could say he was teleported. I mean, he was on earth and now he happens to be in heaven. So he was translated, for before this translation, he had this testimony that he pleased God. So, let me just try to give you a scenario. I want you to think about this. Remember, if you would, the word says God took him.

  #50 | 44:17 to 44:44 | cleaned

• It means to take by the hand and carry along. Can you imagine this in your mind, this little scenario, that Enoch and the Lord are walking along? He walked with God. And I don't realize it's not literally a physical walk, but I'm going to ask you to picture this in your mind: Enoch and God walking side-by-side, just communing, fellowshipping, talking. I mean, just having a grand time. And all of a sudden Enoch says, "Lord, it's getting late. I didn't realize it was so late.

  #51 | 44:44 to 45:29 | cleaned

• I've got to get home." And the Lord says, "Enoch, we're closer to my home than we are to yours. Why don't you just come spend a few days with me?" And Enoch says, "Yes, I'd like that, Lord."

  #52 | 45:31 to 45:50 | cleaned

• Now you have to remember, there was no written revelation back at that time. So Enoch didn't know 2 Peter 3 and verse 8: "One day with the Lord is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." So Enoch's almost been visiting a week with the Lord now. Stop and think about that. Wow. Isn't that absolutely astounding? We smile at such a thought. But have you ever really thought about this?

  #53 | 45:51 to 46:25 | cleaned

• In eternity, there are no alarm clocks. There are no schedules. There are no deadlines to meet. There is no time. There is no hurry. Ever stop to think about that? Think about our loved ones, our friends who have gone on. You're talking about having something entirely new before you that is totally and completely enjoyable. No rushing, just living our lives with our Heavenly Father. Now, let me just say it like this: if you do not wish to be behind in eternity, now would be the time to begin walking with God and pleasing God, being pleasing unto Him, and fellowshipping with Him, and communing with Him, because that's basically what eternity is going to be like. So now would be the time to practice up. Now would be the time to learn everything that we could learn.

  #54 | 46:28 to 47:43 | cleaned

• Now, let me try to make some applications. The first one is this: the truth that Enoch was translated from earth to heaven proves one glorious truth. Death does not end it all. Death is not an end for the child of God. Death is the beginning. There is life after death, real life, eternal life. What did our Lord say in John chapter 10? He said, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one." What did he say? I give them eternal life and they shall never, ever perish. So in Enoch, then we see the immortality of the soul. He was on earth and he was also translated into heaven in the very presence of God. Wow. Here's the second thing. If it was possible for Enoch to walk with God, to please God in such a horrendous, dangerous, and catastrophic and wicked time when he did not have the written revelation of God as we do, why is it we do not walk with God when we have everything at our disposal? I know our

  #55 | 47:43 to 49:30 | cleaned

• times are bad, but they're not nearly as wicked as the time in which Enoch lived. We have the promises. We've seen the fulfillments of the promises. We have the Passover Lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ. We have the promises. We've seen the fulfillment of many of these promises. You have to consider how Enoch evidently, really, genuinely pleased God. Abraham was called the friend of God, but he was not translated. David was a man after God's own heart, but he was not translated. Look at Josiah, Hezekiah, all the godly kings and godly men in scripture, yet they were not translated. Here's the one man that was translated and the emphasis was that he pleased God. Think about that. And he pleased Him in submission and obedience and fellowship and communion. I've got one more. I want you to think about this one, too.

  #56 | 49:30 to 50:56 | cleaned

• I do not believe it is possible to live a sinless life on this earth. We are sinners. But while on the one hand, it is not possible to live a sinless life, it is possible to live a life without continually sinning. 1 John 2 and verse 1: "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not." We don't have to sin. We do sin. We lose our temper. We lose our patience. We're not running around murdering and committing adultery and fornication, but there's a lot of things we do not do, and we do not have to do these things. You remember that passage in Romans chapter 6 verses 11 and 12: "Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God

  #57 | 50:57 to 52:01 | cleaned

• through Jesus Christ our Lord." Then he said this: "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal bodies, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof." He didn't say let not sin therefore be in your mortal bodies. He said let it not reign. So sin does not reign in us. Jesus Christ is to reign in us. So when sin comes our way we can say, "No, thank you. Rather bow to the Lord Jesus Christ. You're not my lord." So while it's not possible to live a perfectly sinless life on this earth, it is possible to live a life with a lot less sin if we would just simply be obedient to the Word of God. You remember that passage in Colossians chapter 3 where he said, "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God." Now I want you to turn to one last passage for me. I want to tie it together. If you will turn in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians chapter 16 and look if you would please at verse 15.

  #58 | 52:01 to 53:23 | cleaned

• Now I want you to think with me. Enoch was translated, but he said before his translation he had this testimony that he pleased God. Okay, Enoch pleased God. So look in 1 Corinthians chapter 16 verse 15. Paul writes, "I beseech you, brethren, (ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints.)" I've threatened for the longest to preach a message on Christian addictions.

  #59 | 53:19 to 54:02 | cleaned

• This is a good one. They have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints. What in the world does that mean? Well, the word for "addicted" is the Greek word "tassō." It means to put in order, to station, to place in a certain order, to arrange, to assign a place and to appoint. So here we go. Look at verse 15. He said, "for they have arranged, they have assigned, they have appointed a station to the ministry of the saints." I'm going to use another word. One that you and I will recognize. "I beseech you, brethren, ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have prioritized themselves to the ministry of the saints." In other words, nothing is going to get in the way of ministering to the saints. We are going to do that. It will be done. Nothing is going to get in our way. The point I'm trying to make is this: ministering to the saints was first in their lives, and they made sure that it was first.

  #60 | 54:04 to 55:21 | cleaned

• We have to do the same thing if we're going to walk pleasing to the Lord. We have to have a heavenly addiction, and that addiction is that we prioritize our lives over honoring and worshiping and communing and fellowship with God, even while we're having to work, even while we're doing other things. We can think and we can pray and we can beseech our Lord and we can worship while we're driving, while we're washing dishes, while we're doing everything. In other words, our minds are to be stayed upon him. And whatever we are doing we can ask the Lord's blessing upon it. We can ask the Lord's help in it. We can ask the Lord's direction. In other words, we can become addicted to fellowshipping and communing with Him. We have the Lord Jesus Christ. We have the written Word of God. We have the Holy Spirit of God. There is no reason for you and I not to walk pleasing unto Him.

  #61 | 55:22 to 56:31 | cleaned

• except for our own unfaithfulness and inconsistencies and concern more with temporary and material things rather than spiritual and eternal things. If Enoch could walk with God in that wicked ungodly world in which he lived, it should be a piece of cake for us. So I want to challenge you to become addicted to walking with God and to pleasing Him. Enoch walked with God and he was not, for God took him. And then he said, because before his translation he had this testimony that he pleased God. Would that not be a testimony worthy of each one of us, that we pleased God? Let's pray.

  #62 | 56:33 to 57:35 | cleaned

• Father, thank you again for the Lord Jesus Christ. Help us, Lord, to see how desperately we need thee, how much we are destroying our lives in failing to commune in fellowship with thee, how much we're missing, and Lord, how much we may be displeasing thee. So help us, Lord, to be pleasing. Help us to walk with thee. Help us, Lord, to walk humbly with thee. Help us to walk obediently and submissively. Help us to walk believingly. Help us to walk, Lord, honoring thee. And Lord, enable us to bring our lives in a greater conformity to your word. And may we say as the Lord Jesus Christ who said in John 8:29, "The Father is with me, he hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him." So, Lord, may we do those things which please You.

  #63 | 57:36 to 58:36 | cleaned

• Give us Your grace and give us Your mercy. In Christ's name we pray. Amen.

  #64 | 58:38 to 58:42 | cleaned

• so so

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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T16:24:40Z