Revisiting the Past: Children’s Stories Today (Part II)

Sermon Title: Revisiting the Past: Children’s Stories Today—Walk Like Jesus

Good News Statement: God walks with us so that we may have eternal life

Summary: Enoch walked with God… what did that mean, and what can it mean to us?

Preached: Sunday, June 09, 2024 at Dogwood Prairie and Seed Chapel UMC

Pastor Daniel G. Skelton, M.Div.

 

Scripture (NRSV): Genesis 5:21-24 Today’s scripture reading comes from the famous a man by the name of Enoch, who didn’t die but was taken up to heaven because he allowed himself to live a life by which he walked with God. Are you willing to live a life walking with God? Let’s read Genesis Chapter Five, Verses Twenty-One thru Twenty-Four. May the hearing and reading of this scripture add understanding and meaning to your life.

 

²¹ When Enoch had lived sixty-five years, he became the father of Methuselah. ²² Enoch walked with God after the birth of Methuselah three hundred years and had other sons and daughters. ²³ Thus all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty-five years. ²⁴ Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him.

This is the Word of God for the People of God; And all God’s people said, “Thanks be to God.”

 

 

Introduction:

Do you remember the first Bible story you were taught as a child? Were you taught about Adam and Eve? Did you read the accounts of Noah, the Ark, and the Great Flood? Were you in fascination of Daniel in the Lion’s Den? Were you caught up in the love story of Samson and Delilah? Did you ever find yourself wanting a technicolor coat like Joseph? Did you want to march around Jericho or use a sling-shot to take down giants? Did you want to build a basket and float down a river like Moses? Maybe you were curious about a tower that went by the name “Tower of Babel”? Perhaps, it was the story of Jonah and a whale that inspired you to dive into the Word of God? Or was it the story of Jesus feeding five-thousand people on the shores of Galilee with only two little fish and five loaves of bread? If you can’t remember the first Bible story you were taught as a child, maybe you have a favorite Bible Story that has helped you deepen your faith and strengthen your trust in God.

If you are trying to remember some of those famous Bible Stories you may have learned or heard about as a child, let me jog your memory of a few. According to Dr. Oliver Tearle of Loughborough University, here are the top twelve stories of the Bible that many people have been raised on: “Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Noah’s Ark and the Flood, The Tower of Babel, Moses in a basket, Moses parting the Red Sea, David and Goliath, Samson and Delilah, Daniel in the Lions’ Den, Jonah and the Whale, The Nativity Scene, The Raising of Lazarus, and the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus.” There are many, many, more stories that probably come to mind, but these are the twelve most popular Bible stories that most of us can remember learning as a child. But, what do the stories of back then teach us today? When was the last time you revisited the first stories of your faith?

Over the span of the next few months—June, July, and August—we are going to explore some of these early childhood Bible Stories. As we explore these stories, each of you will be encouraged to think about the first time you heard that story and what that story means to you today. Dr. Tearle notes, in his article titled 12 of the Best Stories from the Bible Everyone Should Know, “The Bible contains many well-known stories, but how much do we know about them? And what are the best Bible stories everyone should know? Many people, even those raised in countries where Sunday school and religious assemblies are a mainstay of many children’s education, may find they’ve misremembered, or got the wrong impression about, some of the iconic tales from the Bible.”

So, what do you remember about some of those “iconic tales” from the Bible; and what about them today can help deepen your faith and strengthen your trust in God as you strive to be the disciple and church Jesus needs you and us to be? We continue journey by walking with a man named Enoch…

Body:

The year was 2002—the year when I finished kindergarten—when my father introduced me to two life changing songs by two very different artists. Throughout my kindergarten school year—and beyond—when my mom had to work late, my dad would be home to get us kids off the school bus, and we always knew when dad was home because music playing from his era would be blaring throughout the entire house. Now my siblings weren’t too fond of this, but I was intrigued: listening to the songs that my dad grew up listening to was fascinating; I bonded with my dad by listening to the “oldies.”

We listened to Michael Jackson, The Beatles, The Beach Boys, The Monkeys, The Partridge Family, the Rolling Stones, and REO Speedwagon. On a few occasions, we would indulge in the songs of Peter, Paul, and Mary, Simon and Garfunkel, Styx, and Wham. Still to this day, I enjoy listening to these groups and their music because they remind me of the bond that I have with my dad. But then, that bond grew stronger when he introduced me to two other groups: Johnny Cash and The Bangles.

First, Johnny Cash recorded and produced many iconic and memorable songs throughout his time with Sun Records. Songs like, “Ring of Fire,” “Folsom Prison Blues”, “I’ve Been Everywhere,” “Sunday Morning Coming,” “Man in Black”, and “Riders in the Sky.” Although these are all great songs, there is one that sticks in my mind. On May 1^st, 1956, Sun Records released a song that was number one on the Billboard Charts and number seventeen on the US Pop Charts. The song is titled, “I Walk the Line.” On one occasion, while performing “I Walk the Line”, Cash explained to the audience the reason for his humming during the song: “People ask me why I always hum whenever I sing this song. It’s to get my pitch.” The humming was necessary since the song required Cash to change keys several times while singing it. When asked about this song, Johnny Cash stated during a telephone interview, “I wrote the song backstage one night in 1956 in Gladewater, Texas. I was newly married at the time, and I suppose I was laying out my pledge of devotion.”[1]

In a sense, this song was Johnny’s testament, an assurance, to his wife at the time—June Carter—that, even though he was away from her a lot, performing on the road, he would never cheat on her, and not only that, it was easy not to because he loved her so much. He would walk the line. As a kindergarten graduate, I had no idea what Johnny Cash was singing about; but today, I find myself walking the line a lot: doing my best to be truthful and honest to those I love, to those who God has put in my care, and to the ways of Jesus Christ.

Second, on a much lighter note, that same year—2002—my dad introduced me to a female band from the 1980s. This group went by the name The Bangles. The Bangles were from Los Angeles, California, and are well known for singing “Manic Monday,” “Eternal Flame,” “Hero Takes a Fall,” “If She Knew What She Wants,” and “Going Down to Liverpool.” Then in 1986, from the album Different Light, The Bangles made a name for themselves as having their first number one song on the Billboard Charts. The name of this song is “Walk Like an Egyptian.” In 2002, I learned how to walk like an Egyptian.

The songwriter of this song, Liam Sternberg, when asked how he got his inspiration for this song, stated, “I got the idea when I was on a ferry boat and saw people struggling to keep their balance. The way they held out their arms and jerked around made it look like they were doing Egyptian movements….” One of my favorite lines from this song as a child was, “If you want to find all the cops, they’re hanging out in the donut shop. They sing and dance. They spin the clubs, cruise down the block.”

Back then, I was simply walking like an Egyptian, but today the meaning of this song invites us to think about or imagine a time when we are all walking the same way; when we are all walking like a Christian. I didn’t realize it back then, but my dad was shaping me, through music, to walk a committed line leading to Christ as well as finding a way to walk like a Christian. As I reminisce about these two songs, I catch myself thinking about a man from scripture that walked and walked and walked so much for God that he was taken up into heaven. This man went by the name of Enoch; and he was certainly walking a line to God.

 

Movement One: Enoch, the Man Who “Poofed” Up to Heaven…

As child, I don’t remember too much about Enoch. I mean, I heard his name a few times. I was taught that he walked with God. I was informed that he was taken up to heaven, even though he didn’t die here on earth. I was also told that Enoch was the great-grandfather of Noah.[2] Besides these few facts, Enoch was just another person—another story in the Bible.

Here is how the story of Enoch is portrayed from a child’s perspective. “Enoch was born not very long after God had created the earth. In fact, when Enoch was born, Adam, the first man, was still alive! Enoch was a very special guy. He wasn’t special because he was super smart or because he had lots of stuff or because he was a really nice guy. No, those things don’t matter much to God at all. Enoch was so special to God, because he KNEW God. He was close to God. He walked WITH God. And God liked that…a lot.

Because Enoch knew God, he didn’t need to know where he would go or what he would do tomorrow. He didn’t need to know where God was taking him, he was just happy to know God. Even though God was in Heaven, and Enoch was on Earth, that didn’t stop Enoch from being close to God. Even though Enoch couldn’t touch God with his earth-hands, or see God with his earth-eyes, that didn’t stop Enoch from walking with God. He was close to God with his heart and with his mind and with his spirit.[3]

And because Enoch lived his life like that… Enoch started to deeply KNOW God. And as Enoch and God became closer and closer, God changed what Enoch could see. Enoch started to see not just the seen world, but the UNSEEN world, too. Now when Enoch walked through the town, he didn’t just see people and houses and stuff — he could actually see that there was a whole different world, an invisible world, right in front of him! Most people can’t see this invisible, unseen world, but Enoch could — because he saw with Heaven-Eyes!

One day, as Enoch was walking along, talking with God and enjoying His company, God said, “Hey, Enoch, just come on up here! Let’s finish this conversation face-to-face. I really want you to come up here and be with Me in Heaven right now.” Well, Enoch sure liked the sound of that! So… poof! Enoch disappeared, to the human eye. (But to Heaven-Eyes, he was right where he belonged.) Nope, he didn’t die. God just liked Enoch so much, that He took Enoch to come be with Him. And now happy, happy, happy Enoch would get to be with God in Heaven forever and ever!”[4]

 

Movement Two: The Meaning and Significance of Enoch…

Our text today is from Genesis 5:21-24 and it reads, “When Enoch had lived sixty-five years, he became the father of Methuselah. Enoch walked with God after the birth of Methuselah three hundred years and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty-five years. Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him.”

Notice, God mentioned Enoch walking with Him TWICE!!!! And Enoch’s desire to walk with God so impressed God that Enoch got to live forever!!!! But, was THAT it? Do you mean to say that all Enoch had to do was walk with God? I mean, that doesn’t sound all that impressive. It wasn’t as if Enoch was being praised for the nations he built, or the giants he felled, or the city walls he destroyed. Enoch just walked with God. What’s so remarkable about that?

Well, it helps to realize that God has always put a high premium on walking with Him. When God chose Noah to build the Ark, we’re told in Genesis 6:9 “Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.” And in Genesis 17:1 we read that “the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, ‘I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless.’” In I Kings 9:4-5 tells us of when God told Solomon: “And as for you, if you will walk before me, as David your father walked, with integrity of heart and uprightness, doing according to all that I have commanded you, and keeping my statutes and my rules, then I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever.” And in Malachi 2:6-7 we’re told that “(Levi) walked with (God) in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity. For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.”

The point is this: what is most important to God appears to be that we want to walk with Him. That’s probably why Enoch was included second in the list of the Heroes of Faith in Hebrew 11:5, after the mention of Abel: “By faith Enoch was taken so that he did not experience death, and ‘he was not found, because God had taken him.’ For it was attested before he was taken away that ‘he had pleased God.’” Enoch did the one thing God deeply desires from us—Enoch walked with Him. Are you walking with God?

Now just so we have a working definition of what it means to walk with God–it means to spend time with Him; it means to trust in Him; it means to have faith in Him; it means to read His word; it means to live out His teachings; it means that we need to pray to Him; it means that we are listening to and for Him; it means that we are constantly asking for forgiveness when we have sinned; it means that we must focus on unity rather than differences; and it means to love Him with our whole heart, mind, body, and soul and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. And the more time you walk with Him, the better it is. If you are going to walk with God, then you have to agree to walk the same path that He does. Amos asked, “Do two walk together unless they have made an appointment?” (Amos 3:3) or as other translations read, “Do two walk together unless they have agreed to do so?” If you’re going to walk with God, you have to agree to go where He goes. If we are going to walk with God as a church, then we have to agree that listening to ideas, taking risks, and making changes is what is needed to walk in the ministry-footsteps of Jesus Christ. We, you, have to agree to walk with God; so do you?

For example, I was talking with another preacher about this Sunday’s sermon, and he said that when he first became a Christian he struggled with this idea of being faithful in his walk with Christ. It was hard for him to “walk the line.” He said it was hard for him to surrender control of his life to Jesus. And he was right. In order for us to “walk with God”… we have to decide to give up control to God, we have to surrender to Him! This preacher shared the following story to further example his comment: “I was once talking with a young man who wanted to get baptized, so I asked him the usual questions: 1) Do you believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God? He said “yes.” 2) Do you believe that you are a sinner and that only Jesus can remove that sin? Again, he replied “yes.” 3) But then I got to the idea of confessing Jesus as LORD (Romans 10:9) and I explained that this meant he had to be willing to surrender everything he had to Jesus. And he paused…. He didn’t like that! He didn’t like the idea of giving up control of his life. The only way he KNEW things would go his way was if he kept control. I mean, after all, God might just mess things up. He didn’t want to trust God to take care of things. Instead of walking with God, this young man wanted God to walk with Him.” What that young man didn’t understand was that, in rejecting God’s ownership of his life, he was missing out on the blessings God wanted to bring into his life! God has blessings for everyone: they just have to want to walk with Him.

What does it mean to walk with God? Let me answer this question by reciting Psalm 23: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.” You know what that’s saying? It’s saying that when you walk with God, you can walk through the darkest and scariest things of life without ever being afraid, because He is right there with you: He is your shepherd, He leads you to green pastures; and He leads you to still waters—peace. Life is challenging, God is right there. Life seems unfair, God is right there. Life is overwhelming, stressful, sorrowful, and uncertain, God is right there. God is right there by your side because He is walking with you: He wants to walk with you, but will you let Him.

First John tells us, “If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth — but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:6-7). When you walk in the light, He is in the light. And then you will begin to have fellowship in other Christians, and the blood of Jesus will cleanse you from all sin! Don’t you want to be set free from whatever is weighing you down? If you do, then simply allow yourself to walk with God: trust Him, have faith in Him, and above all, let Him be the light in your life that gets you through the darkest of valleys. But I must be honest with you: walking with God is not easy.

God will challenge you. God will test you. God will make you suffer and experience grief. God will even nudge you to do something new, to see something in a new way, and to take risks. God will force you to think about your willingness to call yourself a disciple. God will open your eyes to experience a life that reflects the mission and teachings of Jesus Christ, who, by his blood, has washed away your sins. God will do all this and more as He walks with you because he knows what you are capable of: He knows your gifts and talents; and He knows that walking with Him can change your life. But, it’s up to you. Do you want to walk with God? Do you want to step in the light and be the person God needs you to be? As a church, do we want to walk in the footsteps of Jesus Christ? If the answer is “yes” to any of these questions, then we will get the same reward that Enoch received. Enoch received eternal life. Do you want eternal life?

 

Movement Three: Are You Willing to Walk with God…

While in Seminary, I was introduced to what is called a “Labyrinth.” If you have never seen or heard about a labyrinth, it is often defined as a meandering path, often circular in shape, with a singular path leading from the outer edge to the center and then back to the outer edge. Specifically, labyrinths are tools for personal spiritual transformation. Some have used labyrinths as a metaphor to walking towards Christ through the twists and turns of life: we start far away, walk closer, at times drifting away from him, but finding ways to return to him. The labyrinth invites us to move, to get out of our boxes or normal routines, to let go, and to take stock of ourselves. If you ever have the chance to walk a labyrinth, I highly recommend it.

In Seminary, I was introduced to the labyrinth during a class. During the class we were talking about St. Augustine. St. Augustine of Hippo, was elected bishop, built his own monastery, and became renowned for his sermons and teachings. Specifically, he is well known for his Confessions—a work of thirteen essays by which highlights his regrets of having led a sinful and immoral life before he came to know the works and faith of God.

In one of his essays, he wrote something that Enoch lived by and which we should model in our own life. St. Augustine stated, in Latin, “Solvitur ambulando.” In Latin, this phrase is a meditation. In English it becomes a means to living a life through the works of Jesus Christ. Translated from Latin to English, this phrase is, “It is solved by walking.” Stanford researchers found that walking boosts creative inspiration. They examined creativity levels of people while they walked verses while they sat, and concluded that a person’s creative output “increased by an average of 60% when walking.”[5] Jesus’ ministry was the result of him walking from village to village. Even when he took a boat somewhere, he still walked once he got to his new destination. He solved things and healed people while walking.

Enoch walked and walked and walked to share the word of God. Enoch’s ministry was active: it moved, it went where the people were, and it met people where they were. Through his walking, he solved the issues and problems of the people. By his walking, he got closer to God. Essentially, with each step, he found himself at the center of the labyrinth where God was waiting to grant him eternal life. We, as disciples, as the body of Christ here on this earth, are meant to do some walking: we are called to put Jesus’ ministry in action, we are summand to be Jesus’ hands and feet on this earth, and we need to do some work. Enoch didn’t receive eternal life because he sat around waiting for others to do the work. Instead Enoch received eternal life because he walked with God: he walked the line upon which God needed him to walk. I bet if Enoch were like Forrest Gump, he would say, “I just felt like walking.”

I encourage you to do some walking, to feel the urge to walk. Allow God to speak to you. Allow God to help you put Jesus’ ministry into action. Allow yourself to be committed to living a life which you don’t wait for others to do something for you, but instead you do something for them. Let the act of walking with God guide you to put your faith into action and your ideas into works that will make a difference today and tomorrow. “It is solved by walking.”

 

Conclusion:

In conclusion, it’s time to do some walking. A faith that doesn’t move can’t move mountains. A disciple—a follower of Christ—that is not willing to walk—to put Jesus’ ministry into action—is a disciple who has yet to live like Jesus. And a church that chooses to remain stagnant—comfortable where it is—is a church that is missing out on reaching people where they are. Enoch walked and walked and walked….and every step he took, he was walking with God: he got closer to God and receiving eternal life. As a child, Enoch was just a person. But, as an adult, Enoch is a motivational individual who reminds us that some things in life are solved by walking because that is what God is doing in our life: He is walking with us. What would your life look like if you allowed yourself to walk with God? What would your faith look like if you chose to walk the line of Jesus Christ? What would this world be like if it walked like a Christian?

Twenty-two years ago, those songs that my dad played were songs. Today, however, those songs provide me with life lessons: life lessons that encourage me to keep walking. I leave you with the chorus to the hymn Footsteps of Jesus, “Footprints of Jesus, that makes the pathway glow; We will follow the steps of Jesus where’er they go.” Are you walking with God? Let it be so…

 

Closing Prayer:

Dear God, keep us walking with you. Guide is to be a movement of and for your Son, Jesus Christ, as we let the Holy Spirit strengthen us so that we do not grow weary or faint but remain on a path that leads to eternal life. In your name we pray, Amen.

 

Benediction:

What are you doing today so that you continue to walk with God? May the Lord bless you and keep you; May the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; and May the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26). In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, go forth walking with God. And all God’s people said, Amen. Amen. Amen.

 

 

[1] Horstman, Dorothy (1976). Sing Your Heart Out, Country Boy, Country Music Foundation. p. 144.

[2] Enoch was the father of Methuselah; Methuselah was the father of Lamech; and Lamech was the father of Noah.

[3] When Enoch woke up in the morning, he didn’t think about all the fun things he wanted to do today. He thought only about what God wanted. And he talked to God, “Good morning, God, what are You thinking about today? What would make You happy today?” And when Enoch walked through the town during the day, he didn’t think, “Hey, that guy has a nice house.” Or, “That person has lots of fun things. I wish I had things like that.” Instead, he thought, “All these things I am seeing with my earth eyes are just around for a little while….”

[4] https://biblestoriesonline.com/stories/Enoch-The-Man-Who-Walked-to-Heaven

[5] https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2014/04/walking-vs-sitting-042414