Would you turn to Hebrews chapter
11? I've entitled this message, Enoch
Pleased God. Now let me say this about Enoch
before I read this passage of Scripture. Enoch was not any
different from me and you. It's not like he was some kind
of otherworldly character who was so spiritual that all of
a sudden he walked straight into heaven. He had a sinful nature
just like you and I have. He had the same struggles that
you and I have. Understand that about Enoch.
He was a man. What is a man? Man at his best state. is altogether
vanity. Such was Enoch. But Enoch walked with God. Now let's read the New Testament
account of Enoch. I've read the Old Testament account.
Hebrews chapter 11 verse 5. By faith Enoch was translated. that he should not see death. And was not found. Evidently,
people were looking for him. What happened to Enoch? What happened? He walked right
into heaven. He never died. like Elijah was
taken up into heaven. Enoch never saw physical death. He walked right into heaven.
He was translated. He was not found because God
had translated him. For before his translation, he
had this testimony. This was God's testimony of this
man 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 is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."
Enoch never saw death. That's hard to get hold of, isn't
it? He was translated. He went through some kind of
change. He never saw death. He walked with God right into
heaven. And Enoch lived in a day much
like our day. The scripture says regarding
Enoch's day that the earth was corrupt and filled with violence. But Enoch walked with God. Now we know this walk was by
faith, but he walked with God. Now what all does this mean,
Enoch walked with God? First of all, Enoch was in agreement
with God. Amos asked this question, how
can two walk together except they be agreed? The fact of the
matter is they can't walk together except they be agreed. Enoch
was in agreement with God. He was in agreement with all
God says. All God said. And you know what?
I am too. If God said it, I agree with
it whether I understand it or not. I agree with what God says. Enoch was in agreement with what
God said about himself. Everything God said about himself,
Enoch said, that's right. I believe that. Enoch was in
agreement with what God said about him and about all men.
you know, before Enoch was around. The scripture says, God saw the
imagination of the thoughts of man heart that every imagination
was only evil continually. And Enoch agreed. He agreed with
what God said. He agreed with God's way of salvation
by Christ, by the blood sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now,
how can two walk together except they'd be agreed? They can't.
Enoch agreed with God. Do you? Are you in agreement
with what God says? You see, every believer, and
it's not some special believer, every believer walks with the
living God. To walk implies friendship, mutual
friendship. And you know, there's got to
be something there in this relationship that God can be friends with.
You know, I can't be friends with my dog. I can like my dog,
I can pet my dog, but I can't be friends. There's too vast
of a difference between me and my dog. That can't be a true
friendship and relationship. But the believer has a friendship
with God. God sees that one as his friend. And there's something there in
a believer The divine nature when God gives you new nature
that God can have fellowship with and communion with and actually
be your friend. Our Lord said, you are my friends. If you do whatsoever I command
you. Abraham was called the friend of God and every believer without
any exception to this. Every believer is the friend
of the living God. This walk implies an awareness
of God's presence. God said to Abraham, walk before
me. and be thou perfect. This walk implies a continuance. He did this for 300 years. It
says for 300 years he walked. with God. And this walk also
implies a progress. He didn't walk in place. Now
the old nature is still there. There's no denying that. I've
got a sinful nature that's just as evil and just as corrupt as
it's ever been. And it can't get any better.
I know that. I know that by experience. I know because the Word of God
tells me that. I still walk with God by faith. I walk with God
and there's some progress in this thing. Now listen to me.
My old nature hadn't gotten any better. But I understand the
gospel more clearly than I used to. Do you? I understand more clearly than
ever that Christ's righteousness is my righteousness before God.
I understand that. Believe it and rejoice in it.
And you know what? I love him more than I used to. Now when I start thinking about
my love, I don't feel good about it. But I do love him and I love
him more than I used to. I see more glory and beauty in
this person than I used to. There's a progress in this walk.
I rejoice in the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. There's a
blessed progress in this walk. And Enoch walked right into heaven. Translated. Now look what our
text says in Hebrews chapter 11 verse 5. By faith, Enoch was
translated that he should not see death, and he was not found.
People were looking for him, but he was not found because
God had translated him. For before his translation, he
had this testimony that he pleased God. Literally, God looked at
Enoch, and he was well pleased with him. That's hard to get hold of. To
think that God looks at me and He's well pleased. That's hard to get hold of, isn't
it? But this is God's testimony regarding Enoch and every believer. This is God's testimony. God
was well pleased with him. There wasn't anything about Enoch
that he couldn't be pleased with. Now, how in the world can that
be? Well, I hope by the time we leave here, we'll understand
that. But God was well pleased with
him. The living God who inhabits eternity
was well pleased with this man, just as Abel was righteous before
God. Enoch was well pleasing to God. Now, you can't be well pleasing
to God if you're not righteous. Abel was righteous before God. Every believer is righteous before
God. Enoch was well-pleasing to God. More on that in a moment. But
look what our text says in verse 6. But, without faith, it is impossible
to please Him. Notice it doesn't say it's very
difficult. Nor does it say it's highly unlikely, but it is impossible
to please Him without faith. As a matter of fact, God is offended
by the man who does not have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Without faith, it is impossible
to please Him. Now, He tells us what faith does.
Let's go on reading, verse 6. But without faith, It is impossible
to please Him, for he that cometh to God, and this is what faith
does, it comes to God. He that cometh to God must believe
that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek
Him. Now here's what faith does, it's
not merely an assent, it's more than that. Yes, it is an ascent,
but it's more than that. Here's what faith does. It actually
comes to God. He that cometh to God. Now, I come by the Lord Jesus
Christ. Our Lord said no man can come
to me except the Father which has sent me draw him. But he
does draw him. I'm drawn to the Lord Jesus Christ.
In coming to Christ, I come to God. But our Lord also said this,
no man cometh to the Father but by me. I don't come to the Father
on my own. I don't even come to the Father
pleading. I'm looking only to Christ. Here's how I come to
the Father. I'm in the Lord Jesus Christ. And when the Lord Jesus
Christ comes to the Father, I do too. because I'm in Him. Everybody that's in the Lord
Jesus Christ, where the Lord Jesus Christ is, they are too. When He comes to the Father,
I come to the Father. Now, I come to the Father consciously
knowing that the only way I can come is through the Lord Jesus
Christ. I don't come on my own. I don't come saying, hear me
because I'm doing this, or because of this work, or that work, or
because of this experience. No! I come only through the Lord
Jesus Christ. only pleading His righteousness,
only pleading His shed blood. But I come to God. I'm coming to Him right now through
the Lord Jesus Christ. Lord, I'm calling on Your name. Have mercy on me. Reveal Yourself
to me. Keep me. Preserve me. I'm coming
to Him right now. He's my Father. I come through
the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, he that cometh to God must
believe that he is. Now this is more than believing
in his existence. The devils believe in his existence.
The scripture says, you believe there's one God, you do well.
The devils believe and also tremble. It's not just believing that
God exists, it's believing that he is. He is as he says he is. in His Word. He that cometh to
God must believe that He is. Now, whatever God is, I must
believe that He is. And He reveals His isness in
His Word. He says, I'm holy. Faith believes
that He is. We read in the Scriptures that
He's utterly and absolutely just. Faith believes that He is. The Lord reigneth. We believe
He's in control of all things. He said, I reign. Faith believes
that He is. Every attribute of God, faith
believes. I am that I am. We believe everything
that He is, that He reveals Himself in His Word. Now, He that cometh
to God must believe that He is. Do you believe in His isness?
Do you believe He is as He says He is in this book? the Bible. This is the revelation of who
he is. Now he that cometh to God must
believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently
seek him. Now don't miss this. A whole
lot of folks are religious. and a whole lot of folks seek
his blessing. I want his help when I'm in trouble.
I want him to bless me in my finances. I want him to bless
me in my marriage. I want him to bless me in my
job. I want his blessing. And I understand, I want his
blessing too, but I'm not seeking his blessing. I'm seeking him. I'm all for having his blessing.
Don't miss that. But I'm seeking him. As the heart panteth after the
water brook, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsts
for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear
before my God? We seek him. We seek the blesser. Now, you
know, when I was looking at that passage of scripture and says
he's a rewarder of them that diligently seek him, the first
thing that came to my mind was, well, I'm going to diligently
seek him, so I'll get rewarded and I'll get this blessing and
I'll get that blessing. And, you know, my heart smoked me when I thought
that way. That's not what I'm to seek.
I'm to seek him. He's a rewarder of them that
diligently seek him. And we must believe that we cannot
seek Him in vain. He is a rewarder of them who
diligently seek Him. Now back to this thing about
Enoch actually pleasing God. The word means literally God
looked at him and is well pleased with him. He delighted in him. He looked at him. He looked at
his walk. He looked at his person. He said, I'm pleased with him.
Now, how could that be? Because I look at myself. Could
God say that about me? If I'm in Christ, He can. If
I'm a believer, He does. This is the heritage of every
single believer. Every believer pleases God. Now, how can that be? Well, you know, we don't have
to speculate. We don't have to speculate about this because
God tells us what he's pleased with in his word. Now, first
thing I want to say this about the living God. God's purpose
is to please himself. We read of the good pleasure
of his will. That's why he saves, to please
himself. This is God's agenda. This is
God's purpose. Somebody says, well, isn't God's
purpose to make men happy? No, it's not. God's purpose is
to glorify himself, to please himself. God is well pleased
with himself. And this is His purpose to please
Himself. So when we talk about the pleasure
of God, we're talking about an awesome concept, isn't it? God's
purpose is to please Himself. And that's the way it ought to
be. He's God. Now, if you and I seek our own
pleasure, we're wrong. But it's only right for God to
seek His own pleasure, the good pleasure of His will. He said,
I will do all my pleasure. God, or David said, when they
said, where's your God, David? He said, our God is in the heavens.
He hath done whatsoever He pleased. Whatsoever the Lord pleased,
that did He in earth and sea and in all deep places. Now that's
who the Lord is. He does whatsoever He pleased.
So I know this. What pleases God? Anything He
does. If He does it, He's pleased with
it. Now, what is God pleased with? First of all, He is pleased with
His Son. I love to think about this. When
God spoke from heaven, what did He say? This is my beloved Son,
in whom I am well pleased. Oh, the Father was so pleased
with the Son. I love to think of our Lord as
a little boy. Nobody else got it, but the Father
did. You know, His own brothers and
sisters didn't know who He was. They didn't know He was God the
Son, but the Father did. And when our Lord was growing
in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and men, I don't
understand all that, but it says He did. The Father was well pleased
with Him. When he kept God's law perfectly,
the father was well pleased with him. This is my beloved son in
whom I am well pleased. And everybody in his son, God's
well pleased with. You know, the father's always
been well pleased with his son. I love to think about this. God the father looked at his
son. And he said, I'm well pleased
with him. So much so that I'm going to
have a bunch more exactly like him. That's what predestination
is. God chose. to have a bunch more
people exactly like his son. Predestination doesn't have to
do with events. It's not like me falling off
the ledge and hit myself and said, well, that was predestined.
It was, God's in control of it, but that's not what predestination
has to do with. Predestination has to do with
God predetermining some people will be just like his son, conformed
to his image. During every second of his life,
God said, I'm well pleased with him. Turn with me to Isaiah 53 for
a moment. This is one of the most remarkable scriptures. Isaiah
53. Isaiah says, Who hath believed
our report? And to whom is the arm of the
Lord revealed? You know, Isaiah lived in a day
very much like today. There's not many people who have
much interest in the gospel. Isaiah said, Who's believed?
To whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? But did that cause
him to give up? No, I like what one fella said.
After he makes this complaint, he goes on to give the most clear
exposition of the gospel you'll find anywhere in the scripture.
Isaiah 53, what a precious chapter. Let's go on reading. For he,
the Lord Jesus Christ, shall grow up before him as a tender
plant and as a root out of a dry ground. He hath no form nor comeliness,
and when we shall see him, there's no beauty that we should desire
him. He is despised, this one who
is so pleasing to the Father. He is despised and rejected of
men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it
were, our faces from Him. He was despised and here's our
crime. We esteemed Him not. That's our crime. Isaiah says, surely he had borne
our griefs and carried our sorrows. Yet we did esteem him stricken,
smitten of God and afflicted, but he was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace
was upon him and with his stripes we're healed. All we like sheep,
listen to Isaiah's confession of sin, all we like sheep have
gone astray. We've turned everyone to his
own way and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and he was afflicted,
yet he opened not his mouth. He's brought as a lamb to the
slaughter and as a sheep before shears is done, so openeth not
his mouth. He was taken from prison and
from judgment, and who shall declare his generation? For he
was cut off out of the land of the living, for the transgression
of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the
wicked and with the rich in his death, because he'd done no violence,
neither was any deceit in his mouth, yet it pleased. the Lord, to bruise Him. Do you hear that? You know
that doesn't mean that God got any sadistic pleasure out of
pouring His wrath upon His Son. You think of, oh, you think of
Him doing that. I can't even imagine, I don't
even know what to say about that. This was His Son. Yet his son
was guilty, the sins of God's people were placed upon him,
but that didn't change his relation as his son. This was the son
of God. And I don't know how, what... Pain? I don't know how to... But yet the scripture says it
pleased the Lord. That's not talking about some
kind of sadistic pleasure, but I'll tell you what it's saying.
He was satisfied. It pleased the Lord. His justice
was satisfied. His law was satisfied. It pleased
the Lord to bruise him. He hath put him to grief when
thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin. Now, you see that word
offering for sin? It's translated by two other
words in the Old Testament. It's translated guiltiness. When
thou shalt make his soul guiltiness. It's also translated by the word
sin. When thou shalt make his soul
sin. He shall see his seed. He shall
prolong his days and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in
his hand. He shall see of the travail of
his soul and shall be satisfied by his knowledge. Shall my righteous servant justify
many? for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a
portion with the great and he shall divide the small with the
strong because he's poured out his soul into death. And he was
numbered with the transgressors and bear the sin of many and
made intercession for the transgressors. Now that's what the son of God
did. It pleased the Lord to bruise
him. What pleases God? In Colossians
chapter 1, I believe it's verse 19, it says, It pleased the Father
that in Him should all foolness dwell. That's a strong statement,
isn't it? It pleased the Father. This is
what pleased the Father, that all foolness should dwell in the
Lord Jesus Christ. Now, if all foolness dwells in
Him, what is there anywhere else? Nothing in reality. Colossians
chapter 2 verses 9 and 10 says, In him dwelleth all the fullness
of the Godhead in a body, and you are complete in him. Isaiah 42, 21 says, The Lord
is well pleased for his righteousness sake. You see, the righteousness
of Jesus Christ, because He hung on that cross and my sin became
His. And He bore the punishment and the guilt of my sin just
as truly as my sin became His. His righteousness is mine. So I have the very righteousness
of Jesus Christ. That's my righteousness before
God. This is where my confidence is. It doesn't have anything
to do with anything I've done. It's His law-keeping. It's His perfect
righteousness. And that's exactly what Paul
meant in Philippians chapter 3 when he said, Oh, that I may
win Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness. which is of the law. I don't
want to have anything to do with my righteousness, and let me
tell you why. Because my righteousness, according to the scripture, is
as filthy rags. And I don't want to come before
God in filthy rags. Paul said, Oh, that I may win
Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness,
which is of the law, but that which is through the faithfulness
of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith. He is well pleased for his righteousness
sake. And you know what that means?
That means when God looks at Todd and Ibert, and when God
looks at every believer, He says they're righteous. He doesn't treat them as if they
were righteous. They are righteous. And He delights
in us as righteous before Him. Now, we're talking about the
righteousness of Christ. Christ's righteousness is my
righteousness before God. And I have such confidence in
His righteousness. He's well pleased for His righteousness
sake. In 1 Samuel 12, Samuel said,
It pleased the Lord to make you His people. You see, if I'm one
of His people, It's because the Lord made me one of His people. This is a work of His grace only.
Salvation is of the Lord. It pleases the Lord to make you
His people. Turn to 1 Corinthians 1. I want
to read this with you. 1 Corinthians 1. Paul says in verse 17, For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel. Now, I want to see baptisms. You do too. I want to see people
confess Christ in believer's baptism. Isn't that a joy when
we see that? I love to see people confessing
in believer's baptism. But that's not what Christ sent
me to do, to baptize people. This is not about results. Christ
sent me, Paul said, to preach the gospel. Look what it says
next. Not with wisdom of words, lest
the cross of Christ be made of none effect. When I try to explain
it all away, or try to hide the glory of it, or the truth of
it, or the nakedness of it, I make the cross of Christ of none effect. Four, the preaching of the cross
is to them that perish foolishness. But unto us which are saved,
it's the power of God. For it's written, I'll destroy
the wisdom of the wise and will bring to nothing the understanding
of the prudent. Where is the wise? Where is the
scribe? Where is the disputer of this
world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For
after that in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not
God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that
believe. You know, there's something so
humbling about this. God only speaks to me through
a man. I can't say I figured this out
on my own. I can't say through much diligent study that I've
got this, I've got it down now. I've really, I decided I was
going to seek the Lord and I kept searching and searching and finally
I've got this thing figured out. No, God speaks through a fool
like me to fools like you. Now that's how God operates.
It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that
believe. Wow, that's foolishness! I know
it is. But that's how God works. This
is how God speaks. It pleased God by the foolishness
of preaching to save them that believe. Listen to this scripture. I don't
have it written down. I know it's in 1 Corinthians
12. I don't have the verse written down. But now God has set the
members, every one of them in the body as it hath pleased Him. You know, where you are and where
I am is where God has been pleased to place us to be. That's a good
place, isn't it? where God has pleased to place
us to be. Hebrews chapter 13 verse 16 says,
do good and communicate. Forget not to do good and to
communicate. Forget not for with such sacrifices,
God is well pleased. You know, when I do good, That's
Him in me, and God's well pleased with it, and He rewards me as
if I did it, although it was Him in me doing it. And when
I give with such sacrifices, God is well pleased. Now, how was Enoch pleasing? By faith. By faith, Enoch was translated. that he should not see death.
But before his translation, he had this testimony that he pleased
God. But without faith, it is impossible to please God. But
understand this, with faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, I am actually
pleasing to the God of glory. Now, how can that be? Faith is
the means through which I receive the Lord Jesus Christ. Now here
is a glass of water. How much does this glass quench
my thirst? Not at all. Not at all. It doesn't do anything for my
thirst. It's the water that quenches my thirst. The
glass brought the water to me. That's what faith is. Faith is
that which brings the Lord Jesus Christ to us. Now, faith in and
of itself doesn't say, faith didn't die for my sins. Faith
didn't keep the law for me. Faith doesn't intercede for me
right now at the right hand of God. Christ does. Faith doesn't
do any of that. Christ does. Faith believes that. What is the evidence that God
has done anything for me? Faith is the evidence of things
not seen. You see, you cannot see that
I'm a Christian, not by looking at me. What's the evidence that I am?
It's something only God really sees, faith. What's the evidence that I'm
righteous before God and that I'm pleasing to God? What's the
evidence? You can't look at me and tell
it. Now, I can act pretty good here, but if you saw me all the
time, you'd think, well, I don't know about that guy. I'd say
the same thing about you. So what's the evidence that I'm
actually pleasing to God and that I'm righteous before God?
Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. I am relying, now listen to me,
I am relying on the person of Christ to save me. I'm relying
on His shed blood as washing away all my sins. I'm relying
on His perfect law keeping as my righteousness before God.
I'm relying on Him bringing me to the Father. When He comes
into the Father's presence, I do too. I'm in Him. I'm relying on Him on judgment
day when my name is called to stand for me and my name will
be called His name. is the evidence of things not
seen. Now, he that cometh to God must
believe that he is. Let me add another scripture
to that. 1 John 4, 17. Now, remember, he
that cometh to God must believe that he is. And 1 John 4, 17
says, As He is, so are we in this world. Now you take that and run with
it. As He is. Is He pleasing to God? As He is, so are we in this world. right now. Enoch was pleasing to God and
so is everybody who trusts Christ only as everything in their salvation. Now do you do that? Are you looking
only to Christ? and not to yourself in any way,
or all your eggs in that one basket that when He said it is
finished, your salvation was accomplished. Are you somebody
like that? Then God is well pleased with you. Isn't that amazing? Let's pray.