Worshiping Walking and Working (Part B)

As we come to that name was a righteous man line of staff message from his wife says and was not found, because God had taken Abel was the first man to taste death. Enoch was the first man not taste death was only been to know so far. The other is life very interesting is not. This is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of Hebrews.

Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching today. Pastor Rick will continue through Hebrews chapter 11 in this passage called worshiping, walking and working.

Satan said to the woman that God's word and God himself is not trustworthy, you can't trust him. He will come to you like you said he's holding stuff back from you and his word is loaded with doubt and that lie works so good. The first time he told Eddie told again and again and he's telling it. Still, everyone who will hear. It's like you know if you have a good joke you like to tell it over and over again as many people as you get all Satan is not joking is very serious since God cannot be trusted is not worthy of your trust not offering an alternative. Incidentally, not that it really matter is just something that you know you notice as you go through within the man-made religions you go to God your way and he will understand and he will receive it. He will honor you if you are sincere you do enough stuff to help out. That's the world lie. Satan told Eve in his telling today.

Jude sums it up this little letter makes this point blank statement in June 11 woe to them, for they gone the way of Cain on a collision course they're going to die on that course is the course that came talk woe to them. They've gone that way. Cain ignored the shedding of blood. Abel did not. It was a blood sacrifice that Abel brought to God came, he brought a fruit basket the way of Cain rejects the blood of Jesus Christ said for sinners because it says we really don't need a Savior else's really not that bad. It doesn't merit bloodshed got to get does that blood sacrifice admits that sin causes violence separation from God, eternal death, and death now causes sorrow, injustice world of other things that are not desirable. Isn't it interesting that Cain's religion of bringing a nonblood sacrifice to refine the shed blood. The blood of a lamp no problem shedding the blood of his own brother. That kind of insanity exists to this day in the world you see it on the news you read it you hear it preached in the University of Purdue University's don't teach only teach some things for sure. They preach everywhere they go. This religion of Cain and thus the world's first false religion soon manifested its character by not coming to God. God's way and the persecution of the righteous.

All Cain had to do was say okay I'll go back and I'll fix this. Bring a blood sacrifice. We have no record of him doing that. In fact, the record goes opposite of it.

And God speaks to this man is as if you do well, will you not be accepted. Genesis 4 verse seven and if you do not do well, sin lies at the door and its desire is for you. You should rule over it. Sin wants to take you out but you should defeat sin got a sing is how to set up verse 16 of Genesis 4 continues and Cain went out from the presence of Yahweh, and he never came back.

We never read about them coming back. This is what the world does and their non-faith approach to life and that's why the writer is saved by faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain.

Then Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt in the land of nod East of Eden, so he refused God's way of thinking Nana doing that to this day. What makes the Christian want to one another thing that makes identifies us as Christians, we don't disagree with God, we agree with him no matter what Hebrews 9 verse 22 without shedding of blood there is no remission. There is no pardon just singing about the sins being we are we are pardoned by God got you guilty. You deserve judgment. You're not holy before a holy God.

But the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses you from all sin.

You are pardoned you believe and receive. He continues in verse one, he says, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous. He's talking about Abel. Now faith leads to surrender and surrender leads to righteousness and righteousness is bad, that pursues that which is right before God not right before man I want here man tell me about his right it's right for any man or woman to no longer want to be a man or woman but change sides.

That's the world's talk that's that's Satan talking through the world and and their people gobbling it up quite proud of smog. The temptation is to hate them to strike out against them is not what we do. If they are close enough closely enough related to us. Maybe in the workplace.

We pray for them. We pray that it will spread to. We pray that others won't fall for it, but it is war and it is active, he says, God testifying of his gifts.

Don't you think the salvation and religion should be based on truth. If you do you're in the minority, especially if you look to uphold it and practice that Abel that righteous man, but that which foretold of the substituted life of a forfeited life. Those those animals that were used by God to cover Adam and Eve's nudity and if you still trying to work through. I don't believe in Adam and Eve in you know what can anybody say to if you have a problem with God being God and and giving us his word, the damage is extensive it can be instantly resolved or not, it's up to you, the individual, but over the centuries intelligent because this means something to people as though we who believe or not intelligence you gotta say it this way, intelligent accredited individuals have come to the Lord, have loved him and served him, and if you are more than likely rejecting the word of God. It is because you do not want to be held accountable to its standard and you not being honest with yourself that's been my take of the unbelievers that I have encountered in the world. Then there are those that are just flat out ignorant I was in that group.

I did not know what these things meant where they were going where they came from. I guessed about it that guessing about God was leading me to hell in a rocket and he's the one that graciously got me off as he does with all those who are destined for hell and then repent and come to Christ.

And so what he brought the blood offering is saying this is the life forfeited for me. Cut out for me and this lamb or bull whatever cannot save me, but it's preaching to me truth that I cannot escape and there is one who is coming we know him as the one who sandals were not worthy to loose the Christ, Jesus son of God, he will fulfill the image of these animal sacrifices and this is what he was telling his audience. Why is this so difficult to understand because of that flatline view.

It's not easy to get a person to look up in truth because unlike the book of Nehemiah and you should know this about Nehemiah's book. If you know nothing else about the book of Nehemiah.

You understand this much that before they could build they had to remove the rubbish and the rubbish was almost immovable great lesson from that book also from that very book of Nehemiah we find the saints battling and building at the same time you battle your own sin. Every single one of you without exception.

If you are a believer in Jesus Christ you walking with him you battle sin, your sin, to which you also are invited to build the same time, Satan will say no you cannot build until you are perfect. God says no you come as you are. I will change you and I will sanctify you and I will work with you and again. Together we will get much done. This is worship.

This is walking and this is working with God is what it looks like it's not very pretty, pretty would be. I never said I was perfect. The minute I come to Christ, no faith would be required to draw anybody else to Christ. After that, they'd see it with their eyes look at that.

He's perfect. I will become a Christian to you cannot simplify it says at the bottom of verse four and through it he being dead still speaks. You know the first human being to taste death in the history of humanity was righteous man, able, he was able to die righteous. So what does that mean a righteous man was the first to populate heaven before an unrighteous man populated Hal to see how profound the grace of God is my mother put people in heaven before Satan can get a minute. Hell, this the mind of Christ and it is a beautiful mind. No words in the Scripture are recorded from the mouth of Abel and yet through it he being dead still speaks through his sacrifice and it is a profound statement. His life is profound. Verse five by faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death and was not found, because God had taken him for before he was taken. He had this testimony, that he pleased God.

Now if you don't know the Genesis are familiar with this. You're just kinda be patient for a moment. Enoch lived half way between the fall of man into sin and the judgment on the world. The flood of Noah know Adam had and even many children after Abel died, Seth was born and filled the position of the righteous child from Adam and Eve.

Enoch was the seventh from Seth Laminack was another man that he was not righteous. He was the seventh from Kane so you have these patented parallel line coming out from for me from the beginning of humanity and so is godlessness excelled in LeMat through Kane's line. Righteousness excelled in Enoch through the line of Seth and so you have there. This little picture of life in the spirit versus life in the flesh, and we are not to ignore these things so was we come to the name Enoch was a righteous man from the line of Seth message from his life, says, and was not found, because God had taken him. Abel was the first man to taste death.

Enoch was the first man to not taste death is only been to that we know of so far. The other is Elisha. Very interesting is it not so.

In Genesis 5 we see God's prophecy come to pass a God told Adam and Eve in the day you eat of this tree you will die did not mean you're going to draw a bit on the spot but he said you will die and then we get to Genesis 5 and we hear the whole of the bell eight times and he died and he died and he died, but Enoch was not one of them.

Those who live around him before and after they're said to have died but not Enoch.

Genesis 524 Enoch walked with God and he was not for God took him. That's what the writer is quoting here is not seeing death says the writer was the fruit of faith, you will believe when you leave this planet, you will not see death because you walk with God Jesus use this word abide to abide in Christ same picture. John's Gospel Jesus said Chapter 11. Whoever lives and believes in me shall never die.

I love this verse because of this point, especially he says this then to Martha. Do you believe this, and why is that so special because we we face doubts when it's our turn to be sick and face eternity there doubts to the going to come against us. And Jesus says take up the shield of faith by which you can repel the fiery darts of hell will start to doubt serious, and he meant every word of what he saying that he says you believe this is just so tender with Martha. Of course she submits to it because she knew who he was. So it will be with all who live by faith in Jesus Christ. He says before he was taken.

He had this testimony, that he pleased God.

What about Enoch please God, that he walked with God. What is that mean it says that he preached the truth. The Bible does including God's judgment.

We get this again from that little letter, Jude Jude 14 and 15 now Enoch was the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, behold, the Lord comes with 10,000s of his saints to execute judgment on all to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. Now, maybe when you get home you can look at that verse and you can you can scrutinize it a bit but I'll do a little bit for you four times he uses that word ungodly ungodly among them ungodly deeds, ungodly way, ungodly sinners speaking against Christ. He said he's coming back is going to deal with the ungodly God's word offends sinners they don't like that I don't want to submit. We must preach it but he also preaches they can. They have a choice. Have a say so in the print we have no say so in our first birth were not able to say where we are going to be born into what family were going to be born where on earth we going to show up. No say so, but in the second birth we have every bit of essays contrary to what some in Christianity say that you've been selected. You have no choice in the matter and enjoy the snow love. Love is a response to salvation involves love that responds to God's love. Love cannot be forced.

There are different levels and types of love there different things that belong to the most purists spiritual love is the love. This is what I may not feel it but I'm going to do what I'm supposed to do. Nonetheless, this would account for all those marriages before our generations when people were just signed their spouse and they didn't love each other but they grew to love each other and do the right thing and even produce children righteous. So we do preach judgment to the ungodly, but we also preaches the love of Christ and the love of Christ is not is not limited to Christ loves you last part of it, but it's agape love is all that belongs or that in first Corinthians 13, for example in the book of acts. The word love doesn't show up yet it's all over its pages you think Philip had love for the Ethiopian eunuch when he said there's water.

What stops me from being baptized. Philip says if you believe PCM man and into the water on the side of the road. Philip and the eunuch went in there was a baptism do you think it was love in Phillip's heart. As someone who has baptized people you bet there was. And so we must also preaches the love the truth, the joy, the piece to heaven. We have to be honest struggles, even within the body of Christ. He pleased God. What is that mean again will the Bible tells us that his walk was progressive that he walked his walk with God lasted for 300 years. If you live that long. They don't now little drinking of milk shakes.

It's a simple answer, but then they did in a scientific bent to back that up and I'm not going go into that right now. You either take it or you investigated or you won't believe anyway is 65 years of age he gets converted and for the remainder of his life. He walked with God for 300 years and it was not a scroll scroll 300 years. What happened Enoch during that time you think he faced depression, discouragement, disappointment, danger, you bet he did but he walked anywhere and didn't stop walking till he ended up walking the girls golden streets of heaven. And so the only body left behind of Enoch was a body of testimony, righteousness, in other words, he was what is we call translated he was taken to heaven and without dying on earth that body that he was born with at some point was jettisoned, but not here on earth in his spiritual, he was made spiritual to survive and so there is verse six but without faith it is impossible to please him, for he who comes to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him.

Now this is a verse that is very difficult to expound on I'm going to try and hope I don't mess it up anyway.

Most of the commentators don't have much to say about this verse. Why is that Wells because it's profound in its own but yet God calls us to listen to him and if he has something to develop from a development we must. This is saving faith.

Incidentally, there types of faith there's saving faith and there is serving faith. The saving faith produces serving faith, serving faith really doesn't produce saving faith. In other words, when you trust God for your salvation.

That is the saving faith. When you then go ahead and start doing things for God working that faith that is serving faith. We all should have both. We know that because it tells us right there for you comes to God must believe that he is he talking about that beginning of belief. Again, they were drifting from the faith back to empty rituals.

They cast their eyes, and he is trying to say don't do it Peter was little bit more forceful. This is like a dog returning to your vomit mad at Peter for you and he's quoting the Old Testament is it will Peter was true was quoting Solomon, who was wise very wise you try writing a proverb become any Solomon had well anywhere anyway. Continuing back to this Romans 14 Paul says to us, struggling believers. Also, whatever is not from faith is sin right between the eyes and coupled with this without it, faith is that key. We talked about that last week without it you unlock nothing in the kingdom.

With it you unlock it without without faith it is impossible to get on the right side of God. Jesus said I am the way the truth and the life no man comes to the father except through me. If you don't believe that you don't get to the father and again the world hates it. Other religions do not bow to that otherwise they would not beat other religions.

They are without faith we cannot see past this physical world around us and we cannot rightly see into the spiritual world that is here with us also that spiritual world of Christ and though remember Elijah and Elisha the prophet praying that his servants eyes would be open so that he could see that they were more with them than against them. That prayer is a lesson for those of us who do have faith to pray for those who don't have faith. Paul says to Timothy that God would grant them repentance, pray for them that God would grant repentance understandable. You don't need to understand it all. You just need to exercise it.

You go into a room and you flip the light switch on and that the lights come on euro sale.

I wonder how it moves to the copper wire. The wire have to be, can it be made of twigs and you don't go through that you just work the light. So without faith we cannot see past the things that are right in front of us to things that are beyond us that we need to see the moon you've been listening to cross reference radio the daily radio ministry of Pastor Rick asked Calvary Chapel in Mechanicsville, Virginia. As we mentioned at the beginning of today's broadcast.

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