There are three main types of Bible translations:
word-for-word,
thought-for-thought
and paraphrase.
A word-for-word translation attempts to translate each Hebrew or Greek word into a corresponding English word. However, some consider a word-for-word translation harder to understand, particularly when it comes to figures of speech that are not used in modern culture. Two examples of word-for-word translations are the King James Version and the New King James Version.
The thought-for-thought translations seek to express the meaning of each sentence or paragraph from the original language in simple up-to-date English without being tied to translating every word. The New International Version is perhaps the most well-known of the thought-for-thought translations.
A paraphrased translation has the primary goal of conveying the Bible in a simple, easy-to-understand language without regard to word-for-word or even thought-for-thought expressions of the original languages. The authors often exercise “poetic license,” For example the message – we should never read the message as a genuine translation – its a paraphrase and we should understand that.
The Walk of the Believer
In his letter to the Ephesians Paul said, · “…walk worthy of the vocation where with you are called…” · “…walk not as other Gentiles walk…” · “…walk in love…” · “…walk as children of light…” · In 2 Co. he said, “…for we walk by faith, not by sight…”
Walking suggests progress, and we must make progress in our Christian life. Walking also demands strength, and God as promised to supply the strength we need to walk with Him. At the end of life’s walk, we will step into the very presence of the Lord.
“And Enoch walked with God, and He was not, for God took him.” Genesis 5:25
Read Ephesians 4 out of NKJ
Walk in Unity
4 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you[a] all.
Spiritual Gifts
7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore He says:
“When He ascended on high,
He led captivity captive,
And gave gifts to men.”[b]
9 (Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also first[c] descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)
11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
The New Man
17 This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of[d] the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; 19 who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
20 But you have not so learned Christ, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
Do Not Grieve the Spirit
25 Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,”[e] for we are members of one another. 26 “Be angry, and do not sin”:[f] do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27 nor give place to the devil. 28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. 29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
Read Ephesians out of The Message
To Be Mature
4 1-3 In light of all this, here’s what I want you to do. While I’m locked up here, a prisoner for the Master, I want you to get out there and walk—better yet, run!—on the road God called you to travel. I don’t want any of you sitting around on your hands. I don’t want anyone strolling off, down some path that goes nowhere. And mark that you do this with humility and discipline—not in fits and starts, but steadily, pouring yourselves out for each other in acts of love, alert at noticing differences and quick at mending fences.
4-6 You were all called to travel on the same road and in the same direction, so stay together, both outwardly and inwardly. You have one Master, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who rules over all, works through all, and is present in all. Everything you are and think and do is permeated with Oneness.
7-13 But that doesn’t mean you should all look and speak and act the same. Out of the generosity of Christ, each of us is given his own gift. The text for this is,
He climbed the high mountain,
He captured the enemy and seized the booty,
He handed it all out in gifts to the people.
Is it not true that the One who climbed up also climbed down, down to the valley of earth? And the One who climbed down is the One who climbed back up, up to highest heaven. He handed out gifts above and below, filled heaven with his gifts, filled earth with his gifts. He handed out gifts of apostle, prophet, evangelist, and pastor-teacher to train Christ’s followers in skilled servant work, working within Christ’s body, the church, until we’re all moving rhythmically and easily with each other, efficient and graceful in response to God’s Son, fully mature adults, fully developed within and without, fully alive like Christ.
14-16 No prolonged infancies among us, please. We’ll not tolerate babes in the woods, small children who are an easy mark for impostors. God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love—like Christ in everything. We take our lead from Christ, who is the source of everything we do. He keeps us in step with each other. His very breath and blood flow through us, nourishing us so that we will grow up healthy in God, robust in love.
The Old Way Has to Go
17-19 And so I insist—and God backs me up on this—that there be no going along with the crowd, the empty-headed, mindless crowd. They’ve refused for so long to deal with God that they’ve lost touch not only with God but with reality itself. They can’t think straight anymore. Feeling no pain, they let themselves go in sexual obsession, addicted to every sort of perversion.
20-24 But that’s no life for you. You learned Christ! My assumption is that you have paid careful attention to him, been well instructed in the truth precisely as we have it in Jesus. Since, then, we do not have the excuse of ignorance, everything—and I do mean everything—connected with that old way of life has to go. It’s rotten through and through. Get rid of it! And then take on an entirely new way of life—a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you.
25 What this adds up to, then, is this: no more lies, no more pretense. Tell your neighbor the truth. In Christ’s body we’re all connected to each other, after all. When you lie to others, you end up lying to yourself.
26-27 Go ahead and be angry. You do well to be angry—but don’t use your anger as fuel for revenge. And don’t stay angry. Don’t go to bed angry. Don’t give the Devil that kind of foothold in your life.
28 Did you use to make ends meet by stealing? Well, no more! Get an honest job so that you can help others who can’t work.
29 Watch the way you talk. Let nothing foul or dirty come out of your mouth. Say only what helps, each word a gift.
30 Don’t grieve God. Don’t break his heart. His Holy Spirit, moving and breathing in you, is the most intimate part of your life, making you fit for himself. Don’t take such a gift for granted.
31-32 Make a clean break with all cutting, backbiting, profane talk. Be gentle with one another, sensitive. Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you.
Some thoughts on our walk;
Colossians 1:9-12
9 For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.
This is an encouragement to Walk to please God.
Be fruitful
Growing in your understanding.
Talk about being committed to church.
Strong.
Thankful
But rather than speak about specifics this morning – I am going to do that tonight. I wanted to spend this morning talking about Walking with God
What a great objective in 2014 – to walk more intimately with God
I want to speak this morning on the dramatic life of a preacher who is talked about multiple times in the bible, but for two or three verses at a time.
Gen 5: 19:24
Gen. 5:21-24 (NIV)
“When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah. And after he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Enoch lived 365 years. Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.”
Heb. 11:5
“By faith Enoch was taken out of this life and did not experience death. He could not be found because God had taken him away. Before he was taken, he was complimented as one who pleased God”.
Jude 14-15
“Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these (evil) men: ‘Look, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones to execute judgment on everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have committed in such ungodly ways, and of all the harsh things ungodly sinners have spoken against him. These men follow their own evil desires.”
Enoch had such an incredible relationship with God that he never died.
Who taught Enoch to have such a close relationship with God?
Doing some simple math allows us to see who was still living when Enoch lived. One of the biggest influences on Enoch had to have been Adam. Adam would have been 622 years old when Enoch was born and would have lived during most of Enoch’s lifetime.
Enoch would have witnessed the death of Adam. Enoch was likely to have helped bury Adam and perform the funeral rituals. No other man of God had yet died a natural death. Abel was murdered and was taken in an unnatural manner. Death was something that the people of God may not have fully grasped until Adam died.
Think about that for just a moment. Adam would have no doubt talked about walking with God in the Garden of Eden. He would have shared the experience of knowing God in a deep and rich personal manner. Enoch would have also been influenced by others who had lived for God for centuries.
God requires and desires a relationship with each person. He wants you and I to walk with him. At times we can find this a challenge considering the times that we live in and how wickedness seems to be pervasive. Yet we can draw strength and encouragement from Enoch and Noah because they both walk with God in times of great wickedness.
Lets examine Enoch’s walk with God
1. He walked with God after Methuselah was born.
– Why now. – Did he have an encounter with God?
I would suggest he did. When his son Methuselah was born he named him a name that means … when he is dead it shall come – the flood, that wiped out most of the human race due to their sin. How did Enoch know this unless he had an encounter with God
Furthermore, he also prophesied about the second coming of Christ. Jude 14
Did Enoch get a greater understanding of his futility and the coming judgment.
As we begin to understand what God has saved us from – it should cause us to walk with Him.
2. Enoch walked in Divine Direction.
– It was a choice to follow the direction God was walking.
One of the keys to walking with God is to walk in the direction that God is walking.
We need to choose to yield our life to God’s plans and purposes.
Bono quote – Find out what God is doing and get involved in that – because it is already blessed.
It is hard, we all have our own agendas. But the greatest realm of blessing is when we walk in the same direction that God is walking and we lay down our selfish ambitions and desires
3. Enoch walked in agreement with God
Amos 3: 3 says that unless two agree they cannot walk together. Therefore Enoch must have walked in agreement with God
– Unity – Enoch lived according to the word of God.
– God wants us – our walk to live according to the word of God.
If we are going to intimately walk with God, we must be observers and obeyers of the word.
4. Enoch walked by faith.
– Hebrews 11: 5-6 talk about how Enoch pleased God and he did this by having a walk of faith
V 6 states that without faith it is impossible to please God.
To walk with God it must be a walk of faith.
5. Enoch walked close enough to God to converse
Do we allow God to get close enough so that we can hear His still small voice.
Remove the barriers to Intimacy with God.. Enoch and God talked. They conversed. There were no barriers to the intimacy between them.
In our walk with God we must remove the barriers that can come between God and us.
6. “And Enoch walked with God: and HE WAS NOT….. for God took him.”
Enoch Was Not WHAT???
H. Enoch was not Conformed to the World
I. Enoch was not Controlled by the World
J. Enoch was not Condemned with the World
Remember that Enoch was a contemporary of Noah
Gen 6:5
Jesus used the condition of Noahs day as an example of what it will be like in the end times
And in this wicked Environment – Enoch walked with God
Should be an encouragement to us in out walk with God in these wicked times.
7) Enoch’s walk with God made the message that he preached all the more powerful
What Was Enoch’s Message?
1. It was a message about the Second Coming of Christ
2. It was a message about the seriousness of sin
3. It was a message about God judging sinful speech
4. It was a message by a man who practiced what he preached
Our walk with God can either strengthen or weaken the testimony and preach of our lives.
8) Enoch Walked “with” God
Association
While Enoch’s walk—that is, his attitude—was important, even more significant was Enoch’s association. The second half of that simple little sentence should be emphasized: “Enoch walked with God.”
Another translation says the he spent his life “in fellowship with God…and in constant touch with God” (Genesis 5:24 TLB). The focus of Enoch’s faith was his deep and abiding relationship with God.
It’s always been amazing to me that God could have chosen to define his relationship with us in any terms he determined, yet he chose to describe himself, first and foremost, as our Father—and that word is indicative of the kind of relationship that God wants with you and me. Now, depending on the kind of relationship you have with your natural or biological father, that may sound more or less attractive.
That’s the kind of relationship that God wants with you and me.
Max Lucado, who blesses me with his writing time and again, says, “If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it. If He had a wallet, your photo would be in it. He sends you flowers every spring and a sunrise every morning. Whenever you want to talk, he’ll listen. He can live anywhere in the universe, and he chose your heart…Face it, friend. He’s crazy about you.”
Ultimately Eve walked with God. Enoch walked with God. Very different outcomes
Is our walk with God – Eve or Enoch?
Hope this was helpful. If it was give it a good rating.
