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Begin by reading Hebrews 11:5-6
Today’s reading is about one of my favorite Biblical characters – Enoch. You know, not much is said about Enoch. In fact, he is talked about more in the New Testament than the Old Testament. I remember when I first read Enoch’s account in Genesis. It says so little, but it’s so profound. I love what one man said about Enoch’s ascension into heaven. It’s as if God said to him, “Enoch, we’ve been walking a long time now, and we’re closer to my house than yours. Why don’t you just come home with me.”
Being a living sacrifice begins with knowing and walking with God. That was the first day’s message, and now we are at day 39, and I’m coming back to this crucial point. Walking with God is precious. It is a craving for your Heavenly Father. It is not coming to Him merely to ask for things. It is coming to Him because He is your Heavenly Father and your Rabbi. When you sit with the Holy Spirit, aware of His presence, knowledgeable of Who this is and what He has and can do, we suddenly tremble with the weight of glory. We get an inkling of what it must have been like for the High Priest to enter the Most Holy Place, or Moses to stand on top of Mount Sinai, or the disciples to watch the transfiguration of Jesus. In other words, we marvel at the Glory of the Eternal God.
Do not be surprised when this habit of being with God causes change in your life. Do not be surprised when your heart’s desire is moved, and the things you once craved for suddenly have little relevance. Do not be surprised when your heart is moved to compassion for others. You are getting a heart transplant. Moses’ face radiated from the presence of God. Your entire life will do the same. It’s a process. Little by little, step by step, day by day, this transformation occurs. Do not be surprised when one day someone will say to you, “You are different. You are changing. You have become more Holy like our Lord.” And then you will know that the discipline and spiritual exercise is having an effect on you, so much so, that even others have taken notice.
As you grow, you will find God asking of you. He may give you a desire to minister in some way (where you had no desire in the past). When you say, “yes” to God, He equips you. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes. We all do. What we ought to be afraid of is saying “no” to God and watching whatever opportunity to bear fruit whither before our eyes. Do not be afraid and say, “God, you have not gifted me for the thing you are asking me to do.” Sometimes, we discover what our gifts are only after using them.
I’ve seen this in my own life, especially in the last nine months. When our friend and pastor – Gary Derechinsky left to go to California, I said to God, “I have no interest in doing anymore than I am doing now. Bring someone else to do the work God, and I’ll just support him.” God had different plans, and He totally transformed my heart. I have never loved ministry more than I do now, and all I can say is that it has nothing to do with me; it has everything to do with the Holy Spirit moving in me.
I appreciate what Steve Coleman had to say about this last Sunday in his sermon on the gifts and the church. He said that we can find our gifts by following the prescription of Romans 12:1-8. Walk with God, be committed to being a living sacrifice, be humble, love the church, and do what it is that God is telling you to do.
But the first step is the biggest step. Walk with God. I think we all wish to leave some sort of legacy after we pass away. We want to leave some mark on the world and be remembered by it. If you were to die today, what would people remember about you – a contribution at your work, an act of service, being a good parent?
Consider Enoch’s legacy for a moment. You may not know this, but there is a book in the apocrypha called the Book of Enoch. I realize that many question its authenticity (even though it is quoted from in the Book of Jude), but it is fascinating nonetheless. It basically chronicles Enoch’s life in the context of the fallen angels and the Nephtalim – a time when the earth was violent and depraved. The book is filled with amazing visions of Heaven, conversations that Enoch shares with the fallen angels and with the Lord Himself, and the prophecy he gives concerning the flood. However, I would venture to say not many of us have read that book, and so we don’t know him for this. But what we do know is the little bit mentioned in Genesis 5. “Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more because God took Him away.” He is remembered for walking with God, and I think Enoch would be the first to tell you, that is the most fulfilling legacy one could ever desire to have.
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