A Godly Man In An Ungodly World; Genesis 5:21-24; Hebrews 11:5-6; Jude 14-15
A group of expectant fathers were in a waiting room, Twins – “What a coincidence, I play for the Minnesota Twins!” Triplets. “That’s amazing, I work for the 3M company.” A third man fell to the floor. When asked what was wrong he said, “I work for 7-Up”
Having and raising children can be a scary thing. Many young couples wonder if they have the ability to be parents. They may have doubts about whether it’s right to bring children into a world as corrupt as our own. Some may even wonder if it’s possible to bring up godly children in an ungodly world? I would answer that with a profound “YES!!” because I have seen it happen in the pages of the Bible and in the lives of many friends and I hope and plan for that to happen in my children’s lives as well.
There is a show on T.V. called, “Growing up Gotti,” I’ve never seen it but by the commercials I can tell that these kids are spoiled brats that have no respect for their parents or anyone else and the sad thing is there are many kids like them. I don’t want my children to grow up Gotti, I want them to grow up Godly.
So, this morning, I want us to look at the life of a godly dad and try to gain some understanding as to how he was able to raise Godly kids in an ungodly world. His name was Enoch and the thing that made Enoch a godly parent was that every day, he walked with God. It was no easy thing for him to live a godly life. After all Genesis 6:5 describes the society that existed just a short time after Enoch. It says, “…The wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”
In Matt 24:37-39, Jesus described the days of Noah – Enoch’s great grandson: *** “That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.” A happy-go-lucky kind of society where everyone does what he desires with no thought of coming judgment. It was a pleasure-seeking, self-gratifying generation where the laws of God were forgotten. Sounds familiar doesn’t it.
But it was in the midst of that crooked and perverse generation that Enoch walked with God. And it’s in the midst of this crooked and perverse generation that we can walk with God. But that raises a question. What does it mean to walk with God? That’s what I hope to answer this morning:
I. Walking With God Means Walking In God’s Direction – Genesis 5:21-24
There were a lot of different influences in his life and there are a lot of different influences in the world today. Men are influenced by their friends, family, co-workers, bosses, wives, the media, and there are many other outside influences, each one leading in a different direction. (Spiritual tug of war).
But if we are going to walk with God that means that we are to forsake the influence of all others and walk in God’s direction. And the great thing about that is when we walk in God’s direction we influence others in a positive way, especially our own family. Throughout the Bible you’ll see that WHEN men followed God, so did their families. Joshua 24:15, “As for me and my house we will serve the Lord.” He couldn’t force his children, nor can you but we can all have a positive influence on them.
When Paul and Silas were in prison… the prison guard was saved along with his whole household… Influence. Statistics show that in a family where the dad is saved 75% of children are also saved, if the dad isn’t only 15% are saved… We have an amazing influence on our children, walk in God’s direction…
There was a little boy who was playing on a Sunday morning while his Dad was reading the paper. And the father said: “Son, get ready for Sunday School”. The little boy asked: “Are you coming with me Dad?” The man replied: “No, I’m not coming. But I want you to hurry up and get ready”. The little boy then said: “Did you used to go to Sunday School when you were a boy, Dad?” He said: “I most certainly did!” As he walked away the boy mumbled: “Yeah, and I bet it won’t do me any good either!”
Our children must see that there is something special in our lives. They need to see that our lives aren’t based on our own selfish ambitions, desires, or our lusts. They need to see that we truly desire to follow God’s direction for our lives, that we are selfless, willing serve the needs of others, that we stand for what is right, that we care. They need to see the love of God in us.
When we walk in God’s direction our kids will feel secure because there’s an unfaltering stability, when we walk in our own desires there’s instability & insecurity… Just look at how many homes have crumbled because of infidelity & adultery & abuse & neglect. Our firm foundation is Jesus Christ & His word.
II. Walking With God Means Walking By Faith – Hebrews 11:5-6
He believed God – he didn’t trust in his own strength, he trusted God for strength… There are a lot of men in our society that think it’s weak to depend on God, because they have a macho mentality. Jesse Ventura typifies this mentality, he said, “Christians are weak and Christianity is just a crutch.”
One day he will bow before the Lord, he won’t have a leg to stand on and he will wish that had a crutch to hold him up. Romans 14:11, “Every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.”
Sometimes our weaknesses show our true strength. Some show just how weak they are by trying to prove their strength. Look at the life of Sampson… He had great strength, was able to do amazing things, but he couldn’t keep his mouth shut and it was his downfall. In the end he realized his strength came from God.
A man told of overhearing a conversation between his son and two other little boys. The boys were bragging about their dads. One boy said proudly, “My dad knows the mayor of our town!” Another said, “So, my dad knows the governor of our state!” Another said, “So what, that’s nothing -- my dad knows God!”
Our family will see whether or not we walk in faith, they will see it in our actions, & attitudes. Don’t do what I do, do what I say. Children rarely hear your words but they always see your actions. They can see your weakness in that. If you can’t walk the walk then don’t talk the talk.
III. Walking With God Means Testifying To God’s Love & Judgment – Jude 1:14-15
As Christians we are to “Preach the gospel to every creature.” That must start with your own family. Don’t just talk the talk, walk the walk. That means being obedient to God commands out of love & gratitude.
Like, “Love the Lord your God…” “Love your enemies… pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:14-15, “Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all. See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good.” God doesn’t want anyone to perish, that’s why we must speak the truth.
Enoch spoke for God, he testified of His goodness, and he proclaimed His judgment. Part of walking the walk is talking the talk.
Conclusion: His walk, talk, and faith testified to the goodness of God and it influenced his family. Methuselah and Noah also followed the Lord. Noah the only one during his lifetime to trust in the Lord… These men responded to God by faith because they saw that their dad walked with God in an ungodly world.
