Before the end of the sermon, Pastor Malcolm illustrated a conversation of a Christian and a non-Christian with the popular belief of saying that being a Christian when a person is young is a waste of time and that being a Christian is a foolish thing.
After an exchange of some words of the belief that being a Christian is a waste of time, Pastor Malcolm gave a stern face and said “I’ve decided to be a fool for Christ.”
Then there was a short pause and an expectation of a witty comment.
He continued, “So, whose fool are you?”
He explained, “In the end, everyone is a fool for something be it Food/Money/Beliefs/Emotions...So you are a fool for Whom/What?”
After the benediction he reminded the church of these two points
1. Dare to make a difference
2. Evil triumphs not because of what people do but rather because good people do nothing.
The significance of Enoch
Background
The first major event of the bible was the creation of the world, of how God spoke the world into existent. Subsequently, we learned of the tragic story of how Adam and Eve(the first humans) fell from grace through the disobedient of God’s command of not eating a fruit from a particular tree.
Consequently, they were punished and forced out of the Garden of Eden. The woman was cursed to have great pains during childbearing, the man is cursed to toil and work and the introduction of death ensued. Next, we learn that Adam lived with his wife after the banishment and she gave birth to Cain and Abel. The tragic story continues when Cain slain Abel because he was angry of the favour Abel received for his offering.
And this was the prologue to what Pastor Malcolm’s sermon on the Significance of Enoch.
The trend of an evil Generation
He started with Genesis4:16-24, After Cain went away after the Lord’s confrontation with him.
“So Cain went out from the LORD's presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
17 Cain lay with his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was then building a city, and he named it after his son Enoch. 18 To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael was the father of Methushael, and Methushael was the father of Lamech.
19 Lamech married two women, one named Adah and the other Zillah. 20 Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who live in tents and raise livestock. 21 His brother's name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play the harp and flute. 22 Zillah also had a son, Tubal-Cain, who forged all kinds of tools out of bronze and iron. Tubal-Cain's sister was Naamah.
23 Lamech said to his wives,
"Adah and Zillah, listen to me;
wives of Lamech, hear my words.
I have killed a man for wounding me,
a young man for injuring me.
24 If Cain is avenged seven times,
then Lamech seventy-seven times."”
Genesis4:16-24
Pastor Malcolm started first with the counting of the generations that led to Lamech. If you count the number of generations that was described within the passage that led to Lamech; Lamech was the 6th generation if you count starting from the generation of Cain. This led to Pastor Malcolm’s first point about the line of Cain and a hidden meaning behind this passage. The number 6 represented the number of man, or the incomplete number as known from the past culture. (Which came about the number of the devil in Revelation is 666 and the perfect number is 7).
Pastor Malcolm then highlighted v23-24
23 Lamech said to his wives,
"Adah and Zillah, listen to me;
wives of Lamech, hear my words.
I have killed a man for wounding me,
a young man for injuring me.
24 If Cain is avenged seven times,
then Lamech seventy-seven times."
Lamech was telling his wives about which seem to have been made into a song about his murder in a proud boastful manner. He then emphasized how this evil generation degenerated into. The difference between Cain and of Lamech was that Cain had some shame when he was being cursed by the Lord, however with Lamech, he seem to be so proud of the punishment he has had. He sang about the wickedness and boast of the sins that he has done. This was the trend of the generation.
The trend of a Godly Generation
Immediately, the bible tells of the other line that was being formed by Adam and Eve. The line of Seth and we learn that through the generation, The men began to call on the name of the Lord(v26). As we look through the progression of this generation, we can see the number of generations that ensued till Enoch. Starting from Adam, Enoch is the 7th generation of this line and as some of us know, Enoch was taken away with God and not have to suffer death.
Enoch
Let us investigate to what happened to Enoch and who he was.
1. Enoch didn’t walk with God only until he father Methuselah (when he was 65!)
a. 21 When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah. 22 And after he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. 23 Altogether, Enoch lived 365 years. 24 Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.
Genesis 5:21 - 24
2. Enoch was righteous and God removed him from earth
a. 5By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. 6And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
Hebrews 11:5-6
3. Enoch was a preacher(for 300 years!)
a. 14Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men: "See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones 15to judge everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way, and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against him." 16These men are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage.
Jude 1:14-16
End times
Pastor Malcolm continued to say that at God’s second coming, it will be definite that there are going to be people that will speak harsh things and not fear God(like Lamech) and on top of that they will challenge God’s authority. It will also be apparent that the moral condition during those times would be at rock bottom.
3 Lessons of Enoch
He highlighted the 3 things of what we can learn from Enoch
1.Enoch was a man that dared to proclaim to the people what was right and what was wrong.
2.Enoch was a man that maintained his purity and righteousness
3.Enoch was a man that pleased God and seek only for the approval of God.
Stand not for popular morality but instead for biblical morality
Stand up and speak out for what is right and against what is wrong
Stand up and please God and not society.
The Challenge
He challenged us that in this time we need to decide where we stand. For God? Or For man?
Another challenge he put out was to not be just mere survivors in doing what is right but instead to tell others what is right and what is wrong!
As Enoch’s life was a sign to his generation, likewise may your life be a sign for your own generation.
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