Participants: Charissa Fong
Series Code: 14ASIC
Program Code: 14ASIC000009A
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00:19 It is true by investing in our young people
00:23 it will reap eternal benefits. 00:25 Our speaker this evening is Charissa Fong 00:29 and this passion for evangelism 00:31 was actually bred in her at a very young age. 00:34 At the age of seven, 00:35 she said she was actually really very shy 00:37 and she would look at people 00:38 who were speaking and say wow, 00:40 that looks really exciting. 00:42 And so she would go home 00:43 and she would preach in her mirror 00:46 and her little sister a year 00:48 or so younger than her would come, 00:49 what you are doing? I'm playing church. 00:51 Can I play? Certainly. 00:53 So her little sister would have the opening song 00:56 and the opening prayer and give the special music 00:58 and take up the offering. 01:01 Charissa would preach the word 01:03 and then meet her by the bedroom door, 01:05 thank her for coming. 01:07 So she was really excited and even at a young age 01:10 was passionate about sharing the gospel. 01:13 And tonight we will hear 01:15 what God has laid on her heart to share with passion 01:19 what God has given her just after our young people 01:22 will provide a special number. 01:24 Thank you. 01:43 What heavenly music 01:50 steals over the sea! 01:57 Entrancing the senses 02:01 like sweet melody! 02:07 'Tis the voice of the angels 02:12 borne soft on the air 02:18 For me they are singing, 02:23 their welcome I hear 02:29 On the banks of old Jordan, 02:33 here gazing I stand 02:38 And earnestly longing, I stretch forth my hand 02:45 Send a convoy of angels, 02:50 dear Jesus, I pray! 02:56 Let me join that sweet music, 03:00 come, take me away 04:14 Though dark are the waters and rough is the wave 04:22 If Jesus permit, the wild surges I'll brave 04:30 For that heavenly music 04:36 hath ravished me so 04:45 I must join in that chorus! 04:50 I'll go! Let me go! 04:57 Let me go! 05:08 Amen. 05:14 Amen. 05:15 Thank you young people, for that beautiful music 05:17 and good evening, everyone. 05:19 Good evening. 05:20 It is so exciting for me to be here with you. 05:23 I come from the other side of the world 05:25 and I just can't believe it I'm actually here 05:27 and to see so many of you. 05:29 Have you been blessed at ASI? I have been blessed. 05:31 Usually I watch you all on television 05:34 and when my sister and I got here 05:36 I was so excited to be seeing all of these people 05:39 that I see on television I said to her, 05:41 I don't know if I'm gonna coup when I get to heaven 05:43 because first of all if we get there 05:45 we will be surprised of that we are there, 05:47 but they will be so excited to see everybody else there. 05:50 So I'm so excited to be here 05:52 and I think I have said that several times already. 05:55 I would like to open with a word of prayer 05:58 and then get into our message. 05:59 I've entitled this, 06:00 this testimony and it's a message 06:03 which the Lord placed on my heart 06:05 at the beginning this year. 06:06 So let's bow as we open with the word of prayer. 06:10 Loving Father in heaven, 06:12 we thank you Lord for brining us here 06:14 to study Your word. 06:16 And as we open the pages of Holy Scripture now 06:19 we invite the Holy Spirit 06:21 to come and be present in our midst. 06:23 I pray Lord that You would speak through me 06:26 that this message would be clear 06:28 that You would help us 06:30 to catch a fresh picture of Jesus 06:32 and that You would inspire us 06:34 through faithfully is my prayer in Jesus name, amen. 06:38 If you have your Bibles and I hope you brought them, 06:41 I invite you to take your Bibles 06:42 and turn with me to the Book of Genesis, 06:46 Genesis 5 and we are going to being reading in verse 21. 06:51 Genesis 5:21. 06:56 Genesis 5:21 and we will read through to verse 24. 07:04 Okay, here we go. 07:05 The Bible says, "Enoch lived sixty-five years, 07:09 and begot Methuselah. 07:11 After he begot Methuselah, 07:13 Enoch walked with God three hundred years, 07:17 and had sons and daughters. 07:19 So all the days of Enoch 07:20 were three hundred and sixty-five years. 07:23 And Enoch walked with God and he was not, 07:27 for God took him." 07:30 Friends, I would like to say to you tonight 07:32 that I believe the life of Enoch 07:35 is summarized in the Bible 07:36 with some of the most amazing words. 07:39 Four words, Enoch walked with God. 07:44 In fact, twice the Bible says this. 07:47 It's almost as if, this is the Holy Spirit' 07:49 way of underlining 07:51 so that we do not miss this very important point. 07:55 I would like to submit to you tonight 07:57 that the greatest thing that your church, 08:00 that your colleagues, that your children, 08:03 that your family, that your friends could say 08:06 about you is that, you walk with God 08:10 Amen? Amen. 08:12 Enoch's life was a specimen of Christian consistency. 08:16 Constantly, continuously he enjoyed the companionship 08:20 of Christ for three centuries. 08:25 That's a grand total of at least 109,500 days. 08:32 God and Enoch were not just friends they were best friends. 08:38 And I believe that Enoch 08:39 just couldn't get enough of God. 08:42 He loved to talk of Him, he loved to talk to Him. 08:46 I have a hunch that if you were to ask Enoch 08:50 about God and ask him who is God? 08:52 I have a hunch of smile would spread across his face 08:56 and you would find it difficult to get him to stop talking. 09:00 Because he would tell you that God is enduringly-- 09:03 He is enduringly strong. He is entirely sincere. 09:07 He is eternally steadfast. He is immortally graceful. 09:11 He is imperially powerful. 09:13 He is impartially merciful and He is altogether lovely. 09:17 Amen? Amen. 09:18 He would tell you, he said all I have needed 09:21 His hand has provided. 09:23 He gives pardon for sin and a peace that endureth. 09:28 Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow. 09:31 Blessing all mine with 10,000 beside. 09:34 And he go on probably and he would tell you 09:37 that He is available for the tempted and the tried. 09:40 He sympathizes and He saves, He guards and he guides, 09:45 He heals, He delivers and He forgives. 09:49 He created this world in six days. 09:53 He is a price of peace. He is the Lord of lords. 09:56 He is the King of kings and he walks with me 10:00 and He talks with me and He tells me I'm His one 10:03 and the joy that we share as we tarry together 10:06 none other has ever known. 10:09 Amen. 10:10 I thought you would have more amen's to that 10:11 because this God is our God. 10:13 Amen? Amen. 10:14 He is a wonderful, wonderful God. 10:16 And right when you thought that Enoch had run 10:20 out of things to tell you about God I bet he would go on 10:23 and he would probably say something like this. 10:25 I wish that I could describe Him to you 10:29 but He is indescribable. 10:30 He is irresistible, He is invincible, 10:33 the heavens cannot contain Him. 10:35 In as sentence Jesus is more than wonderful to me. 10:40 Amen. 10:41 When I think about Enoch I believe that 10:43 that's the kind of person he was. 10:46 He was someone who was passionately 10:48 in love with Jesus. 10:50 And there are young people in this world today 10:53 who would faint 10:54 if Justin Bieber just smiled at them. 10:57 Friends, think of what the honor it is for us 11:01 to be able to walk with God. 11:03 Amen. 11:04 Take your Bibles and come over to Amos 3:3. 11:11 It's a short text but a good one. 11:13 Sheds a little more insight on this very amazing man. 11:17 Amos 3:3 the Bible simply says, 11:22 "Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?" 11:26 You know, the Bible never records that Enoch 11:30 ever argued with God about where they would walk. 11:33 And the alarm's going off. 11:37 Is that mean we have to evacuate? 11:42 Should I continue? I suppose I continue. 11:46 All right, Enoch never argued about where they should walk. 11:50 He just went where God told him to go 11:53 because he knew that God knew the best way forth. 11:56 And I believe that Enoch's heart 11:59 was perfectly in harmony with the will of God. 12:02 And you might say and I know this is very destructing. 12:05 Should I continue? Is this illegal? 12:07 We should pray. 12:09 Let's pray. Let's pray. 12:11 Father in heaven, we can hear the siren that's in room 12:14 we just pray that you would help them 12:15 to find a source of this problem 12:17 so that we can continue. 12:19 We ask this in the name of Jesus, amen. 12:23 Now you might say do they show us a little bit, 12:25 that's nice but we live in different times. 12:28 His circumstances were different to our. 12:31 But friends, listen to me, antediluvian society 12:34 was only something to write all about 12:37 for all the wrong reasons. 12:39 The Bible tells us that during these times 12:42 the thoughts of men's hearts were only evil continuously. 12:47 In fact, let me read to you this quote 12:49 from the writings of Ellen White. 12:51 She says, "There never has been" amen. 12:54 Amen. 12:55 "There never has been and never will be an age 12:58 when the moral darkness will be so dense 13:01 as when Enoch lived a life 13:03 of irreproachable righteousness." 13:06 That's amazing. 13:07 So listen if a man can consistently walk with God 13:11 for 300 years in a world like that 13:14 then this is a remarkable thing. 13:17 Enoch spirituality wasn't seasonal, 13:20 it wasn't short lived, it wasn't lukewarm 13:23 and it wasn't only active during ASI 13:27 or as my mom when she has been praying for me 13:29 she's been praying 13:30 that God would bless my sister and I at the CIA. 13:33 She's been getting 13:35 the letters mixed up but at ASI. 13:39 Friends, on and on through three happy centuries 13:44 Enoch was ever found consciously abiding 13:47 in the love of God. 13:49 And his was a life of spiritual progress. 13:52 At the end of 200 years 13:54 for instance he was not where he started. 13:56 He was still in the same companionship, 13:59 yes, but he had grown. 14:01 He had come to understand more to love more 14:05 and therefore he could give more 14:07 because he had grown in grace. 14:09 Amen. 14:10 So the question we all want to answer, 14:12 would like to know the answer to is, 14:14 how did Enoch walk with God? 14:18 Let me read to you this quote. 14:20 Enoch's walk with God was not in a trance or vision 14:25 but in all the duties of daily life. 14:29 As a husband and father, a friend, a citizen 14:33 he was the unwavering servant of the Lord. 14:37 I would like to submit to you just four ways-- 14:39 from the my Bible study that I can see that 14:41 Enoch was able to develop 14:43 this wonderful relationship with Jesus. 14:45 The first thing that I note when the Bible says 14:48 that Enoch walked with God 14:49 I believe it means that he had a prayer life. 14:53 To him and I quote prayer was the breath of the soul. 14:56 He lived in the very atmosphere of heaven. 14:59 Prayer was to him 15:01 the opening of his heart to his best friend. 15:04 And who could be unhappy 15:06 with such a wonderful friend as Jesus? 15:08 Amen? Amen. 15:10 I got my first speeding ticket 15:12 while listening to Wintley Phipps sing 15:14 "His Eyes Is on the Sparrow" 15:16 while I was hurtling down the highway in Australia, 15:19 I was on my way to Avondale College 15:21 and I was running late for class. 15:23 And I have traveled this road many, many times before. 15:27 I know where all the police cars sit 15:29 when they are waiting to try and catch somebody. 15:31 So I know that areas where I can speed up, 15:34 this is not good. 15:36 I know the areas where I could speed up 15:37 and the areas where I need to slow down. 15:40 This particular day 15:41 there was a policeman waiting in a spot 15:44 where I had never seen a policeman before 15:47 and next this I know 15:48 these flashing lights behind me. 15:50 He comes out behind me, it was like a shock. 15:52 Pulls me over and he said, excuse me, 15:54 do you realize you are speeding? 15:56 I was doing 125 kilometers per hour 15:59 when I should have been doing 100. 16:01 And I said yes, I realize that. 16:03 He said, may I have your license? 16:04 Took my license. 16:05 He wrote up my fine, he gave it to me 16:08 and he actually was quite gracious to me. 16:10 He gave me much less than what I deserved. 16:12 Maybe because he thought 16:13 I was a nice person I don't know. 16:16 But he gives it to me and then he left. 16:18 And when he left I was so discouraged 16:21 because this was my first ticket and I just, 16:24 I just wanted to talk to somebody who cared. 16:27 Now I wasn't gonna ring my dad because I knew 16:30 that he would tell me that I deserved it. 16:32 So I didn't ring him. I rang my mom. 16:35 But she didn't answer the phone so I rang my sister, 16:38 she didn't answer the phone. 16:39 It was early in the morning 16:40 so I think who can I call for some sympathy 16:42 and I thought I will call my friend Sania. 16:44 So I called Sania, I said Sania, 16:46 I just need to talk to someone who cares and she says yes 16:49 and you think that's me. 16:53 Friends, aren't you glad that Jesus always cares about us. 16:58 He is interested in all 17:00 the little details of our lives. 17:02 In fact, when we walk with Jesus 17:05 we can say with the Psalms, and I'm not gonna turn there 17:07 because I believe you know the text. 17:10 Psalm 23:4, "Yea, though I walk 17:13 through the valley of the shadow of death, 17:15 I will fear" how much? 17:17 "No evil, for You are with me." 17:20 Psalms 84:11 "For the Lord God is a sun and shield, 17:24 the Lord will give grace and glory, 17:26 no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly." 17:31 Enoch walked with God 17:33 in all the changing circumstances of his life. 17:36 He was walking and talking with Jesus 17:38 in the good times and in the bad times. 17:41 In fact, the Sprit of Prophecy even tells us 17:44 that when Enoch would come away 17:45 for sometime with Jesus he would withdraw 17:48 from the society of others. 17:50 When he came away from the quiet time with Jesus 17:52 she tells us that his face was illuminated 17:56 with the glory of God. 17:58 He had a shine at his face. His face was glowing. 18:01 Friends, are you spending time with Jesus in prayer? 18:06 I know a lady in Australia, 18:08 she is a senior lady but she has an amazing prayer life. 18:12 She has a prayer list with 500 names on it 18:16 and she tells me she prays 18:18 for those names three times a day 18:21 and she tells me sometimes I'm on my knees 18:24 and I get sour, my back get sour and I get tired 18:27 and I just hold the list up to heaven 18:29 and I say Lord, you can read this. 18:33 My dad was on that list. 18:35 My dad stopped walking with Jesus 18:38 shortly after he married my mom 18:40 but he was on this lady's prayer list 18:42 and he got re-baptized in 2007. 18:44 Amen? Amen. 18:46 Not only that, as soon as he got re-baptized 18:48 she crossed him off the list 18:50 but we need to be a prayer people, a people of prayer. 18:54 The communication between us and God should never stop. 18:58 Amen. Amen. 18:59 Oh, when I do this means, amen. 19:03 All right, so number one, Enoch had a prayer life. 19:06 Number two, when I say, 19:09 the Bible says he walked with God 19:11 I believe it means that he preached 19:13 and practiced what he preached. 19:15 Amen. 19:16 Take your Bibles and come with me to the Book of Jude, 19:19 Jude, there's only one chapter, chapter 1 19:22 and notice with me verses 14 and 15. 19:26 These are the only recorded words of Enoch in the Bible. 19:31 Jude 1:14, 15 says, 19:36 "Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, 19:39 prophesied about these men also, saying, 19:42 'Behold, the Lord comes 19:44 with ten thousands of His saints, 19:46 to execute judgment on all, to convict all 19:50 who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds 19:54 which they have committed in an ungodly way, 19:56 and of all the harsh things 19:58 which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him." 20:04 He was not a sadventist. 20:05 You know, amen. 20:07 Enoch was an Adventist. 20:08 Amen. 20:09 And he preached the undiluted message from the Word of God. 20:13 He looked down through the tunnel of time 20:16 and he saw Jesus coming again. 20:19 And this blessed heart compelled him 20:22 so much so that he could not be silent. 20:25 He had to tell others about Jesus. 20:28 There was fire that burned in his poems of passion 20:31 for the salvation of the lost around him. 20:35 And as you read I don't know 20:36 if you noticed but he is classic prophet, isn't it? 20:40 Four times he mentions the word ungodly in the passage 20:44 that we just read. 20:45 Do you think that people liked everything that he said? 20:49 No. No. 20:50 He wasn't probably the most popular preacher in town 20:53 so we can expect the same reaction to our message today 20:57 and yet admits the taunt of blasphemy and rebuke. 21:03 In a world so full of wickedness 21:05 that it was catapulting towards an epic drowning Enoch preached 21:09 the plain and simple truth and not only that 21:12 but he lived what he preached. 21:15 Amen. 21:16 Martin Luther once gave a very brief 21:19 but expressive eulogy for a pastor 21:22 and I hope I say this right in Zwickau in 1522 21:25 his name was Nicholas Haussmann. 21:27 And of this man the great reformer simply said, 21:31 "What we preach, he lived." 21:35 Can that be said about you? 21:38 Enoch had a prayer life. 21:41 Enoch practiced what he preached and preached 21:43 what he practiced. 21:45 Number three, when Enoch walks-- 21:47 when the Bible says he walked with God 21:49 I believe it is telling us that Enoch had a pure heart. 21:54 Enoch was heaven material. 21:57 Listen to this quote here from the Review and Herald, 22:00 "Not a thread of coarseness or selfishness 22:03 was woven into the web that this servant of God 22:06 was weaving in his daily life." 22:09 This man was a pure man. 22:11 He dressed different, he talked different 22:14 because he was different. 22:16 Enoch was a paragon of purity in his time. 22:19 His private, domestic, social and Facebook life 22:24 was ever regulated by the belief 22:27 that he was ever and always in the presence of God. 22:32 He was not conformed 22:33 to the world nor controlled by it. 22:35 And the closer he came to Jesus, 22:38 the further and further he came away from the world. 22:41 Am I saying to you tonight that Enoch never sinned? 22:45 No. 22:46 He needed a Savior just as much as we do 22:49 but Enoch was just an every day guy 22:52 with an every day faith. 22:55 He was every day raising his family 22:58 to love and know Jesus. 23:00 He was every day loving his wife. 23:03 Friends, he was married 23:04 to the same woman for 300 years. 23:08 Amen. 23:09 Amen. Amen. 23:11 All right, he was every day being a witness for God. 23:15 He was every day living his life for God's glory. 23:18 He was every day walking with Jesus. 23:22 And because he had a heart like this, 23:24 a heart that was so set on purity 23:26 and following Jesus God blessed him, God loved him. 23:31 And of course, in Matthew 6:8 23:34 what does Jesus say in His sermon on the mount? 23:38 Sorry, Matthew 5:8 it says, 23:41 "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." 23:48 He had a prayer life. 23:50 He practiced what he preached and he preached 23:52 what he practiced. 23:53 He had a pure heart. 23:54 Point number four, I believe 23:56 when he walks with God it means that he pleased God. 24:00 And I get this straight from the Bible. 24:02 Come over to Hebrews, Hebrews Chapter 11, 24:06 Hebrews Chapter 11 24:10 and I will read to you from verses 5 and 6. 24:14 Hebrews 11:5, 6 the Bible says, 24:17 "By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, 24:22 'and was not found, because God had taken him' 24:26 for before he was taken he had this testimony," 24:30 mark that because that's a title 24:31 "that he pleased God. 24:34 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, 24:37 for he who comes to God must believe that He is, 24:40 and that He is a rewarder 24:42 of those who diligently seek Him." 24:44 Friends, what a testimony is this. 24:48 This is not Enoch's testimony about himself, 24:52 this is the Holy Spirit's testimony about Enoch. 24:56 Would you love for God 24:58 to be able to say the same about you? 25:00 Amen. 25:01 I would love for God to be able to say this about me. 25:03 In fact, in the Book of Romans, Romans 15:3 the Bible tells us 25:08 that even Christ pleased not himself. 25:11 He was always seeking to please the Father in heaven. 25:14 So forget people pleasing. Enoch was a God pleaser. 25:19 He lived for the audience of one. 25:22 Ever conscious of God's company the constant tenner of his holy 25:27 and devout mind was ever and always to please Him. 25:31 And the Bible says without faith 25:33 it is impossible to do this. 25:35 Impossible is a very strong word. 25:38 And notice here too that it doesn't say 25:41 that Enoch had a testimony 25:43 it says that Enoch had this testimony. 25:48 Now that is very specific. 25:51 Every Christian has a testimony. 25:53 Every single one in this room can tell us 25:56 the day we met Jesus and the wonderful change 25:58 that happened in our lives. 26:00 But sadly not every Christian has this testimony. 26:05 Not every Christian is able to say 26:07 that their life pleases God. 26:09 Not every Christian is able to look up to heaven 26:12 and say that there is nothing between my soul and the Savior. 26:15 I have renounced those sinful pleasure. 26:17 Not every Christian can say this, 26:20 but Enoch could say it. 26:22 In the midst of a generation 26:24 that constantly displeased God he continually pleased Him. 26:30 So let me ask you a question. 26:32 When you do what you please does what you do please God? 26:39 The Bible tells us that Enoch's life 26:42 was so pleasing to Him that guess what friends, 26:46 he walk straight into heaven. 26:48 Amen. 26:49 Can you imagine that? I love how one preacher put it. 26:53 He said, he imagines that one day 26:55 Enoch might have not in the fields 26:57 and he been walking and talking with Jesus. 26:59 And they had a wonderful day. 27:01 But the sun was setting and Enoch knew 27:03 he had to go home 27:04 because it was dark soon and so he said Lord, 27:06 it's getting late, I best be going home now. 27:08 I should probably turn back. 27:10 And then came God's gentle but instant reply. 27:13 Enoch, come to My home it's closer. 27:16 I love that thought. 27:18 All for a closer walk with God. 27:20 Amen? Amen. 27:21 All for a closer walk with God. 27:23 And until this point the Spirit of Prophecy tells us 27:26 that Enoch had been wondering, 27:28 he had been questioning the wicket, 27:31 he wondered that maybe the wicked 27:33 and the righteous had the same end 27:34 because all seem to die. 27:36 But in the life of Enoch God showed him and He shows us 27:40 that there is a reward for the righteous, amen. 27:44 Amen. 27:45 And what a wonderful reward that, that is. 27:48 And so Enoch the first among men to enter heaven. 27:51 He walked through the pearly gates into the holy city. 27:56 I love this story. 27:58 And friends, the life of Enoch it intrigues me 28:02 and it inspires me. 28:04 This man must have been a man who loved Jesus so, so much. 28:09 Now, is it difficult for us to please God? 28:15 No. No. 28:17 Your enthusiasm in answering that question 28:20 makes me feel I should tell a little story. 28:23 I'm part of a singing group back in Australia 28:25 and we have a regular rehearsal every week 28:28 and one night we were rehearsing 28:31 and then we had a break. 28:32 And while we were in the break 28:34 I noticed one of the guys in our group 28:36 he took out his phone and he was looking at it 28:39 and suddenly the smile swept across his face 28:42 and he went, oh, this is so good. 28:44 And we looked at him and we said, 28:45 what happened? 28:47 He said, it's Sienna, his little baby girl. 28:49 He said, she just rolled over. 28:52 Now friends, that was really special 28:54 but if that is how easy it is for a father, 28:59 a human father to be pleased with a child. 29:01 Friends, the moment we set our hearts about seeking God 29:05 and serving Him it thrills Him, it pleases Him. 29:08 Amen? Amen. 29:10 Enoch is my mom's favorite Bible character 29:14 and now that I've spend some time 29:15 studying his life I can see why. 29:18 His life has no recorded adventures. 29:20 It's not like he conquered a city, 29:22 built the city, did anything like that. 29:24 But isn't not adventuring enough 29:27 for someone to walk with God? 29:30 I think that this is the greatest ambition 29:33 that one could ever have, 29:35 one could ever crave is to walk with Jesus. 29:39 And friends, the life of Enoch when I think about it, 29:42 it really begs us to studying the life of Jesus. 29:46 If you have your Bible come over to 1 John, 29:49 1 John 2:6, 29:55 1 John 2:6. 30:01 Here the Bible simply says 30:03 "He who says he abides in Him 30:06 ought himself also to walk just as He walked." 30:12 I read a book by Norman Gulley called 30:14 "Christ, our substitute" it's a beautiful book. 30:17 And as I was reading it there is a moment 30:19 in the book where he lets his spiritual imagination run 30:23 and in there he imagines that once upon a time 30:26 all the inhabitants from the far flung cosmos 30:29 gathered into heavens amphitheater 30:32 one day many years ago. 30:34 And as they did Jesus announced to them 30:37 that the time had come for him to leave 30:39 and to come down to this earth to redeem the humane race. 30:43 And as he is describing this picture in his book 30:46 he notes that there would have been 30:49 three members of that company 30:50 that would have been especially concerned, 30:53 Enoch, Moses and Elijah. 30:56 They've all live on this planet. 30:58 They all know how hard it is to follow God down here. 31:01 They know what a bad world this is. 31:04 And he imagines that they might have said to him Lord, 31:07 why must you go? 31:08 Why can't you-- is there not any other way 31:10 that You save the human race? 31:13 And in his book he says, 31:14 he imagines that Jesus might have turned to them 31:17 and said for You I must go. 31:20 And you imagine what that must have been like 31:22 as those men had processed 31:24 that thought for us he has to go. 31:28 God himself cannot keep us hear 31:31 unless He pays the price for our sin. 31:35 And so Jesus comes down to this earth 31:36 and he watch how he lived. 31:38 He watch how he walked with God. 31:40 Friends, he comes down 31:42 and he lives a spirit filled life 31:44 so much so that he lived without sin. 31:49 Wow. 31:50 And friends, let me tell you Jesus was tempted beyond 31:53 what you and I will ever be tempted. 31:55 And you say, hang on a minute Charissa, 31:57 don't bring your strange 31:59 Australian ideas to this country. 32:01 How can you prove that, that's impossible? 32:03 But listen, if temptation is all about encouraging us 32:07 to become reliant upon ourselves 32:10 and the separated from an abiding relationship 32:13 with God then who Holy Spirit the greater temptation. 32:17 Jesus who is divine 32:18 and He had everything worth depending upon or us. 32:23 I think the answer is pretty self explanatory. 32:27 But friends, Jesus comes down and He lives 32:30 and He walks in the spirit, amen. 32:32 And he sets for us this perfect example 32:35 which Enoch goes and he follows in his life 32:38 and because Jesus did this. 32:41 Come over to Romans 8:1, because Jesus did this 32:46 and set for us this wonderful example. 32:50 The Bible tells us in Romans 8:1, 32:53 "There is therefore now no" how much? 32:56 "No condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, 33:00 who do not walk according to the flesh, 33:03 but according to the Spirit." 33:05 Amen. 33:06 Now if you like thee 33:08 you totally asking this question, 33:10 what was it that triggered this amazing walk 33:13 with God that Enoch had? 33:15 I mean, you do not just roll out of bed one morning 33:18 and start walking with Jesus like this. 33:20 Enoch's walk was not some wonderful accident. 33:24 Friends, this walk was something he intentionally 33:27 and passionately pursued. 33:30 So let's do a little bit of investigation. 33:33 If you did the match from the account of Genesis 33:36 you will discover the Adam would have been about 33:38 622 years old when Enoch was born. 33:43 This means for the first 308 years of Enoch's life 33:48 Adam and Enoch are on earth together. 33:52 Wow, that's pretty amazing. 33:54 So here's what I think happened. 33:56 You have all of these antediluvian people 33:58 on the phase of the planet 34:00 and they've all heard the story of creation 34:03 and the fall but to them it is just a story 34:06 that is to everybody except for Enoch. 34:09 For some reason the story 34:11 of Adam and Eve just gripped him. 34:13 He couldn't-- it just wouldn't release him. 34:15 He couldn't shake the thought from him mind 34:18 to think that his own great times seven grandfather Adam 34:22 had walked with God. 34:24 And so I imagine that every opportunity 34:27 that he had he would make time 34:29 to spend time chatting with Adam. 34:32 And in every conversation when he made that time with him 34:35 he would make a beeline at every opportunity 34:37 for his favorite subject and he might have said grandpa, 34:40 tell me about the good old days. 34:42 What was it like when you walked with God? 34:46 What did you talk about? How did you do it? 34:49 And Adam must have been quite the storyteller 34:51 because there was something about the stories 34:54 that was just so captivating for Enoch. 34:57 Maybe as he told the story of the fall 35:01 his eyes would grow glossy and his voice would quiver 35:04 as he recalled that faithful day 35:06 when he and Eve had partaken of that forbidden fruit 35:10 and lost paradise. 35:12 But then one day Enoch becomes a dad. 35:17 And those of you who are parents 35:18 you will know just how life changing that is. 35:22 It must have been pretty exciting for him to be 65 35:25 and suddenly have a baby in the house. 35:28 But as Enoch looks upon his son, 35:31 this wonderful new picture of God bursts upon him 35:35 begins to develop for him. 35:37 I imagine that as little Methuselah grew 35:40 they would take walks together hand in hand 35:43 and every time Methuselah looked up at his dad 35:46 with his bright beaming eyes 35:48 Enoch could see that his son saw him to be the greatest 35:51 and the strongest most wonderful person 35:53 that had ever lived. 35:55 And he could see that 35:56 his son was never afraid in his presence 35:59 because he knew that if there was some trouble 36:01 along the way well, dad would take care of it 36:04 and so he never worried. 36:05 And as Enoch thought about this 36:08 and his relationship with his son 36:10 he suddenly realized that maybe 36:12 this was what it was like when Adam walked with God. 36:16 And maybe the love which he felt 36:18 towards his own son 36:20 was reflective just a little bit 36:22 of how God must feel towards him. 36:25 And so he dedicated his life to walking with Jesus. 36:28 In fact, his name in the Hebrew means dedicated 36:33 and he never looked back. 36:36 And friends, mark this because as Enoch's life was deepened 36:41 by experience so to our own are deepened by experiences. 36:45 Well, sometimes God uses trials. 36:47 God uses those hard times to bring us 36:50 into a place where we can walk with Him. 36:54 Now I want to focus on one other thing 36:56 and I see my clock is running 36:57 so I just want to tell you one other detail 36:59 which I think is fascinating. 37:01 The name Methuselah, it's an interesting name 37:04 for choose for your child don't you think? 37:06 I mean, there is a guy in my church 37:08 and I find names really interesting. 37:10 We have a man in our church in Australia called 37:12 Bill Gates and he says he is the original 37:16 because he was here before the other Bill Gates. 37:19 But he is a lay evangelist, you could imagine 37:21 how that guy is down when he travels. 37:22 Bill Gates is coming to town. 37:24 And when Bill came back from Zimbabwe 37:27 and he told us about this family he met 37:29 that had three beautiful children, 37:30 their names were Hallelujah, Hosanna, and Amen. 37:34 So can you imagine calling the family to come for worship? 37:38 Hallelujah, Amen, Hosanna, time. 37:41 But anyway the name Methuselah, 37:43 did you know what the name Methuselah means? 37:44 It means when he dies it shall come. 37:48 It was if God was saying to Enoch, Enoch, 37:50 you see this little baby that you hold in your hands 37:53 when he dies the end will come. 37:57 Imagine how this would have fuelled his preaching. 38:00 No wonder Enoch walked 38:02 with God every time Methuselah fell sick 38:04 I'm sure he wondered if this was it. 38:07 But friends, when Enoch was taken to heaven 38:10 Methuselah continued to live on 38:12 and he saw another preacher of righteousness come. 38:15 Who was it? Noah. 38:16 Noah. That's right. 38:17 His grandson. 38:18 And when I imagine that he would have seen 38:20 the ark he perhaps helped build it 38:22 and maybe as he was there by the ark Noah said 38:25 you see my grandfather there, when he dies the end will come 38:29 and people would look at Methuselah 38:30 and they could see he was seasoned with years 38:32 and they might think okay, well, must be soon. 38:35 But friends, in the same way 38:37 that Methuselah was a walking sermon 38:39 so do we are walking sermons as well. 38:43 Methuselah lived just 31 years shy of a millennium 38:47 and one day after 120 years of building the ark 38:51 the final hammer fell. 38:53 And then if you do the math the Bible tells us 38:56 that in the very year he died the flood came. 39:01 You read some other Hebrew scholarship 39:03 and they believed that in the very week 39:05 prior to the flood Methuselah died. 39:08 What's my point? 39:10 My point is this, friends, 39:12 I'm proud to be a Seventh-day Adventist Christian. 39:14 There is no other church that I would rather be part of. 39:18 In fact, I bumped into somebody here in Grand Rapids, 39:21 so we were before the conference started and I-- 39:24 I knew them because I had seen them before 39:26 and I waived at them. 39:27 They didn't know me but they waived back anyway 39:30 and we started talking and I said yes, 39:32 we thought you were an Adventist, 39:34 I was so happy with that. 39:36 Because listen friends, 39:38 we could have been called the church of Jesus Christ 39:40 because Jesus is our central theme, 39:42 He is our central doctrine. 39:44 We could have been called 39:45 the church of the latter day saints 39:46 because we too believe 39:48 that we are living in the last days 39:49 and that this is God's last day remnant people, amen. 39:53 We believe that we could have been called evangelical church 39:56 because we love evangelism, it flows in our veins. 40:00 We could have been the Pentecostal church 40:02 because we believe in the baptism of the spirit 40:04 and being born again 40:05 and we are praying for the out pouring 40:08 of God's spirit in latter rain power. 40:10 Amen. Amen. 40:11 We could have been the Methodist church 40:13 because we believe in God's method of salvation 40:16 through faith in Jesus. 40:17 We could have been Baptist 40:19 because we believe in baptism by immersion. 40:21 But guess what, we are Seventh-day Adventist 40:24 and every time you say your name 40:26 it preaches a sermon to somebody. 40:29 It brings hope and conviction to those who are around you. 40:33 And this time friends, as Enoch was back 40:35 then we too are waiting for the end of the world 40:38 when Jesus will come. 40:40 And Bible prophecy tells us that soon laws will be enforced 40:45 that will forbid people from worshiping God's way. 40:48 In fact, if you-- can I just read this to you 40:52 "Patriarchs and Prophets." 40:54 "In prophetic vision" this is for that Enoch. 40:56 "He was instructed concerning the death of Christ, 41:00 and he was shown His coming in glory, 41:03 attended by all the holy angels, 41:05 to ransom His people from the grave. 41:08 He saw the corrupt state of the world 41:10 when Christ should appear the second time." 41:12 God showed him all of this and we know 41:16 from Bible prophecy that before Jesus comes back 41:18 there will be a death decree. 41:20 God's people will have to flee and hide. 41:23 But friends, right when it looks like 41:26 God's church is about to be defeated, 41:28 run what it looks like we will not win guess what, 41:32 Jesus will come. 41:33 Amen. 41:34 And when He comes we will look up 41:36 and we will be able to say 41:38 "For the Lord himself will come down 41:40 from heaven with a shout, 41:42 with the voice of the archangel, 41:43 and with the trumpet call of God, 41:45 and the dead in Christ they are gonna rise first. 41:48 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up 41:52 together with them in the clouds 41:53 and so shall we ever be with the Lord." 41:56 Amen. Amen. 41:57 I'm so-- I'm an Adventist 41:58 and I get really excited 42:00 when I think about the advent of Jesus Christ. 42:03 Amen. Amen. 42:04 My grandma passed away in 2010, my dad's mom. 42:08 She was Samoan. 42:10 My dad is Samoan, 42:11 I should have said that in the beginning. 42:13 My dad is Samoan my mom is Australian 42:15 so if I look mixed up that's what. 42:18 But when my grandma passed away 42:21 just before she did 42:22 my dad managed to get to Samoan in time 42:24 to spend time with here which was really special. 42:27 But he told her mom, listen for the trumpet. 42:30 Listen for the trumpet 42:32 because when Jesus comes back you will hear it. 42:35 Let me read this quote 42:36 and then we need to run to our finish line. 42:38 "Enoch's life and character were so holy 42:42 that he was translated to heaven without seeing death. 42:45 It represents what the lives and characters of all must be, 42:52 if, like Enoch, 42:53 they are subjects to be translated 42:55 when Christ shall come. 42:57 His life was what the life of every one 43:00 may be who closely connects with God." 43:05 I didn't just come to the study 43:06 because I thought it would be nice. 43:08 I came to the study because it's necessary. 43:11 Ladies and gentlemen, 43:12 if you want to be men and women of God then walk with God. 43:18 If you want to make something of your life walk with God. 43:22 Lift Him up in all that you do because no one 43:25 who has ever walked with Jesus has ever gotten lost. 43:29 Amen. Amen. 43:30 That nothing and no one come between you and Him. 43:34 Like Enoch as I said we are waiting 43:36 for the end of the age and it won't be long now 43:39 God's wanted ad is out there I just shared it with you. 43:43 God is looking for people who will worship him 43:47 in Spirit and in truth 43:48 and are people who will walk with Him 43:51 so that He can walk them home. 43:54 Now mark this, that when you walk with Christ 43:58 the same world that crucified him will not be kind to you. 44:02 But walk with Jesus anyway because there is a reward 44:06 for those who are obedient to Him. 44:09 There is a reward for the righteous. 44:11 I want to be part of an Enoch generation 44:14 that by God's grace will walk into heaven. 44:18 And even if I should die before He comes 44:21 then the promise is still there 44:22 that I will be caught up to meet Him in the end. 44:26 Friends, do you want to be a part of this generation? 44:29 Amen. Amen. 44:30 Really? 44:31 Amen. Amen. 44:34 Then listen to this, you must do what Enoch did. 44:39 You want to experience what he experienced? 44:42 Do what he did. 44:43 Enoch's life reminds me that I'm responsible 44:47 for my earned relationship with Jesus. 44:49 Amen. 44:50 And if Christianity is a relationship with Jesus 44:53 and you are not communicating with Him 44:55 you do not have a pure life, 44:57 you're not practicing what you preach and preaching 44:59 what you practice. 45:01 If all of these points that I mentioned before 45:02 and not reflected in your life then there is no relationship. 45:06 So beloved church, walk with God. 45:11 And if you struggle to find the motivation 45:14 may I encourage you to go to Calvary 45:17 because go there daily because when you go to Calvary 45:21 and you see Jesus high and lifted up 45:23 dying and bleeding for love of you, 45:27 I tell you that will give you motivation 45:29 that nothing else can give you. 45:31 That will bring love to your heart for Jesus 45:34 and nothing else can 45:36 because the cross didn't change His mind, 45:38 it changes my mind. 45:40 The cross didn't change His character, 45:42 it changes my character. 45:46 Flying is a very spiritual experience for me. 45:49 Flying is for birds and I really don't like flying at all 45:53 but there is a story of a pastor 45:55 he was traveling on a flight 45:56 and as he was traveling the pilot came over 45:59 the intercom whatever you call, 46:01 the loudspeaker and he said ladies and gentlemen, 46:04 there's turbulence ahead 46:05 so we will be unable to serve your refreshments at this time. 46:08 Please, buckle your seatbelts. 46:10 So everybody buckled up. 46:11 Shortly after that the voice came on again, 46:14 cabin crew, please be seated turbulence just ahead 46:17 and moments later bang, lightening burst 46:20 into the sky and suddenly this plane was like a cork 46:24 being toss over on a celestial ocean. 46:27 It was up one minute, down the next and frankly 46:30 the pastor said everybody on this plane was frightened. 46:33 That's when he noticed her, 46:35 just across the aisle from him was this little girl, 46:38 she had her legs folded and she was just reading a book 46:41 and everything in her world seems 46:43 so calm and so serene. 46:45 And he was just captivated with her. 46:49 He thought to himself I got to-- 46:50 I got to talk to this girl when we land. 46:52 Oh, the plane made it 46:54 and as soon it landed everybody got off that plane real quick 46:57 but the pastor hung around 46:59 because he wanted to meet this girl. 47:01 She comes off the plane all peaceful, all calm. 47:03 He says to her, may I ask you a question? 47:06 She says, yes. 47:08 He says, I noticed you on the plane. 47:10 When everybody was scared you weren't. 47:12 May I ask you why weren't you afraid 47:15 when was plane was being tossed around? 47:17 And she just looked at him with her big beautiful eyes 47:20 and she said sir, my daddy is a pilot 47:22 and he is taking me home. 47:24 Amen. Amen. 47:26 Friends, when the storms of life are raging 47:31 and they will rage, physical storms, 47:34 family storms, financial storms, 47:36 all kinds of personal storms will darken our skies. 47:40 Let us remember that our Father in heaven 47:42 is the pilot and even though it seems 47:45 that the plane is not gonna make it, 47:47 it will because He is taking us home. 47:49 Amen? Amen. 47:50 And we need to be like Enoch. 47:52 Friends, evidently from my study of life of Enoch 47:56 everywhere is within a walking distance even heaven. 48:00 Walk with God and you will never walk alone. 48:03 Walk with Him in the times of great joy. 48:06 Walk with Him in the times of great sorrow. 48:09 And when you feel you don't have the strength ask Him 48:13 and He will carry you through in His loving, 48:16 every lasting arms. 48:17 Amen? Amen. 48:18 So church, are you walking with Jesus? 48:22 Not really. 48:23 How is it with you? 48:26 This is a challenging message to me 48:28 and I believe the Lord brought me here 48:30 because He wanted me to ask myself this question, 48:33 Charissa, are you walking with Jesus? 48:36 So I just want to end with a little appeal 48:38 and simple this, do you want to walk with God? 48:42 Amen. 48:44 All right, that's the first part of the appeal, 48:46 that's good. 48:47 Second part is this, hey, friends, 48:49 you have been reflecting on the life of Enoch 48:52 maybe the Holy Spirit spoke to you 48:54 and we realize that there is something in your life 48:56 that is preventing you 48:58 from having that close walk with God. 49:01 Maybe there is something that needs to change. 49:03 Maybe you need to make more time, 49:05 you haven't been making enough time well, 49:07 you know what it is, it's between you and Jesus. 49:09 But if there is something in your life 49:11 that you would like to change and you want to give it up, 49:15 you want to make that change make that decision now 49:18 then I would just invite you to stand in your seat 49:20 where you are and I would offer a special prayer for you. 49:26 Amen, let's pray. 49:31 Father in heaven, we stand here 49:34 because we want to walk with You 49:36 as Enoch walked in days of old. 49:39 We place now our trembling hand in Yours 49:42 and we invite You Lord, 49:44 to help us to be faithful to Jesus. 49:47 We've made commitments just now and for every person 49:50 that commitment maybe different 49:52 but Lord, I pray and that You will bless them 49:54 for this decision that they have made. 49:56 May we too be part of that last day 49:58 Enoch generation 50:00 that will let nothing come between us and Jesus. 50:03 This is our prayer, fill us with Your spirit Lord, 50:06 that we too may live that spiritual life 50:09 that Jesus called us to live. 50:11 We ask this in Jesus precious name, amen. 50:14 Amen. 50:15 God bless you. You may be seated. 50:51 When the storms of life are raging, 50:57 stand by me 51:04 When the storms of life are raging, 51:10 stand by me 51:17 When the world is tossing me, 51:24 like a ship upon the sea 51:31 Thou who rules the wind and water, 51:38 stand by me 51:45 In the midst of faults and failures, 51:51 stand by me 51:58 In the midst of faults 52:01 and failures, stand by me 52:09 When I've done the best I can, 52:15 and my friends they misunderstand 52:22 Thou who knows all about me, 52:28 stand by me 52:36 In the midst of tribulation, 52:41 stand by me 52:47 In the midst of tribulation, 52:53 stand by me 52:59 When the host of hell assail, 53:04 and my strength begins to fail 53:11 Thou Who never lost a battle, 53:18 stand by me 53:26 Thou Who rules the wind and water 53:34 stand by me 53:41 Amen. |
Revised 2015-07-23