Thank you for that. Sister Grace. We're so proud. Just so proud. And thankful for your decision. And what a lot of special. Privilege it is rather they ought to be able to baptize one of your children or grandchildren. And Matt, I know that it's special to be able to participate in the baptism of your daughter. Nothing any more important than seeing your children, grandchildren, loved one come to know the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior. And it just thrills my heart. Of course, this family is very special to our family and very, very meaningful to us as well. Do you love the Lord? I tell you what, I love good singing, don't you? Certainly blessed this morning and we appreciate that so very much. I tell you, Markeela and I enjoyed getting to be away for a few days and going back and visiting with the folks down at Henderson Chapel in Pigeon Forge. We went there last Sunday and really enjoyed getting to see the members there that we've sort of gotten close to over the years. And After we got back from service, it was a rod run down there last weekend. So we ran straight back to the house and quickly turned on the service here and got tuned in in time to see Grace come forward before service ended. And it just absolutely tickled us to death. And then later we went back and watched the entire service. And boy, God was present. Brother Mike, the message, the singing, everything was just absolutely, absolutely beautiful. And the only thing, the only problem I seen with any of the service was that we weren't here in person. I tell you, we really grieved over that part, but we'd like to have been here in person and witnessed it. But we were here today and got to witness the baptism, so that was a good consolation. Turn with me this morning to the book of Genesis. Book of Genesis chapter five. And I tell you, we are glad to see you here today. This is fantastic, amen? We're glad you're here. I tell you, as I said, it's all right if you have to watch services online, Facebook, whatever method that is presented in different churches. But boy, it's so good. You can't fellowship online, can you? I mean, you gotta be in person to fellowship, and we wouldn't. I tell you, it's just great when we can fellowship. Well, if you have your Bibles open to Genesis 5, I'm gonna direct your attention to verse 18. And if you would stand, as we, those who are able, as we read from God's word, this morning. And it begins, says, And Jared lived a hundred and sixty and two years, and he begat Enoch. And Jared lived after he begat Enoch eight hundred years, and begat sons and daughters. And all the days of Jared were nine hundred sixty and two years, and he died. And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah. And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters. And all the days of Enoch were three hundred, sixty, and five years. And Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him. And Methuselah lived 187 years in Baghat Lamech. And Methuselah lived, after he Baghat Lamech, 782 years in Baghat's sons and daughters. And all the days of Methuselah were 969 years. And he died. And Lamech lived 187 years. 80 and two years, and he began a son, and he called his name Noah, saying, this same shall comfort us concerning our work and our toil of our hands because of the ground which the Lord hath cursed. Would you pray with me? Heavenly Father, this morning, we are so thankful for the blessings that you bestow upon us as children of God. And Lord, as children of God, you truly have been good to us. And there's many things that we haven't been able to witness over the past year because of so many restrictions. And we're so glad, Father, to see things begin to open up again, be able to see the church once again together. worshiping, celebrating, rejoicing, and honoring you with our lives. So, Father, this morning, would you just allow us for a few more minutes to look and ponder and see what you have in store for us through your word today. Again, Lord, we love you. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen. Amen. May be seated. Thank you. If you go back and you read Genesis chapter 5, you'll see that there was a change. The Bible says in the last verse of chapter four says, and to Seth, who was the son of Adam, to him also there was born a son, and he called his name Enos. Then began men to call upon the name of the Lord. Cain, of course, killed his godly brother Abel. And we see through the descendants of Cain that there was trouble and misery and pain. But now God had blessed Adam with another son, Seth. And through Seth, we see that there was a, once again, those who began to call upon the name of the Lord. And then in chapter five, we see how that We have a list of descendants of Seth that lived many years. Methuselah being the one who lived the longest, 969 years, I believe. But every one of them died. I was reading what someone had written about this and talking about this lady who finally got her uncle to go to church with her and said the preacher preached on this particular message about all the descendants of Seth and how they lived so many years and then died. And she said, of all the messages that he could have preached, He had to choose that particular message. And she was questioning the why that this had to be. But then on the way home, the man began to share with his niece how that the fact that Even though these particular men had lived so long, had such long lives, but every one of them died. And it began to convict him. It began to speak to his heart. And he began to understand that every person is terminal, that everyone of us will eventually die. For it's appointed that the man wants to die. And then the judgment. Because the Bible tells us that we have all sinned. We've all come short of God's glory. And because of that, there's a penalty for that sin. And the penalty of sin is death. And so the man finally realized that he was going to die. And he repented and got saved. But we look at one individual out of all these that didn't die. Enoch. Brother Daryl just about stole my sermon this morning. But Enoch. One of only two men in the Bible, one before the flood and one after the flood, that is said to have gone to heaven without a physical death. Enoch being the first one mentioned in scripture. When we think about this particular topic, there's very very small amount of Scripture that's written about Enoch. Actually, only about three different verses or portions of Scripture about Enoch. We find the first one, of course, here in Genesis. We find another one over in the book of Hebrews, chapter 11, and then in the tiny book of Jude. So, Scripture doesn't give us a whole lot of scripture about Enoch, but the scripture that we have gives us a whole lot of detail about Enoch's life. God gave us exactly what we needed, didn't he, gentlemen? So let's look at what we do know about Enoch. The book of Hebrews chapter 11 verse 5 says, by faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death and was not found because God translated him. For before his translation, he had this testimony that he pleased God. Wow. Tells us a lot about Enoch, doesn't it? So when we think about Enoch, The other person that went to heaven without a physical death was who, was it? Elijah. Over in 2 Kings 2, verse 11, a chariot of fire carried Elijah up into heaven. He didn't die. No physical death. So we find those two examples. So what do we know about Enoch? Enoch's gonna be our topic this morning. What do we know about him from these scriptures? First of all, Enoch was a man of faith. He believed God. The scripture says in Hebrew 11.1 that now faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. So he had faith. He had substance in his life. He had a foundation. that we know that he had, because this is what faith is all about. It's a foundation, a belief in not just anything, but a foundation and a belief in Almighty God. He had that. Now, we may ask, well, how did he have it? There was no scriptures written. We didn't have the King James Version back then. But it tells us that he was a descendant of Seth. And Seth was when man began, once again, to call upon the name of God. When we begin to understand that this godly line that came forth from Adam began to teach his descendants about God. that this passed on down to Enoch. And Enoch had faith based on the fact that he believed God. He believed that what he was told about God. When I think about this morning, when I think about Grace and her trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, I think about how the faith of this family has passed down to Grace. And Grace believed God. Grace believed the witness, the testimony of what their family told her, what she heard the preacher preach about. But it began before even the family that is present here. It can be traced back beyond. Brother Dale's parents, Jesse and VH Thomas, Carol's mom and dad, Joe and Osie Spears. And no doubt, there's been people and others, others who have had great influence and great testimony down through the years that passed down this Christian belief that found a lodging place in Grace's heart. And she believed and called upon God and was saved. So no doubt she was influenced by family members just like Enoch was. But Enoch had faith. My friends, it's impossible, impossible to please God without faith. And so whenever that we come to God, we must believe that he is and that he's a rewarder of them who diligently seek after him. And when we think about this word diligent, it's a meaning that we have to have an earnest and persistent search for the truth of God. You see, my friends, is that Truly that there are a lot of things in life that we can accomplish There's a lot of there's a lot of degrees that we can get after our name There's a lot of prestige and power that man has sought after and achieved in life But there's nothing greater than to have the title of Christian in your name nothing Because all of these other things are but temporal. Everything else will die at the grave if they don't die before them. But grace, what you have now, will take you into eternity and beyond. Seth had something. Seth had a foundation, and our trust and our belief in the Lord Jesus Christ is where everything begins. That means anything that's eternal and worth having. And no doubt that Enoch, being the great-grandfather of Noah, had a great influence on Noah. Because look at verse 9 of chapter 6. It says, these are the generations of Noah. Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations. And Noah walked with God. You see, it says that even generations that come after us, Enoch did not have the long enough life to get to see Noah born. But Enoch had an influence on Methuselah. Methuselah had an influence on Lamech, and Lamech had an influence on Noah. So the importance, listen family, listen families, The importance of your faith is as much important to those around you as it is you. Who you influence in life, who you have ability to influence for their eternity. I think about, as I see Herschel sitting over here, I think about Sister Cat. All the people. Her family, her neighbors, those she worked with, those that were in the hospital when she was in the hospital, all the clinic visits, all the people she influenced. My friends, we have not only the ability, but the responsibility to share our faith with those who are around us. Because it goes longer and farther than what we actually are able to witness to. It's those we witness to, and who they witness to, and who they witness to. Doesn't mean for sure that everyone that's born into our family is going to be a Christian. Doesn't, doesn't. Matthew Henry says, in his commentary, he says, grace does not run in the blood, but corruption does. A sinner begets a sinner, but a saint does not beget a saint. You see, my friends, we instill, we give the information, we give the lifestyle, we be a witness, we give our testimony. But every individual has to make up their own mind about Jesus. Every individual has to repent of their own sins. I can't repent for you, you can't repent for me. I had to see my sin then. I had to see who I was. And then I repented for Tim McClanahan and believed on the Lord Jesus Christ and he saved me. What else do we know about Enoch? what the Bible says, that Enoch pleased God. Boy, I tell you, I wish that I could, when I died, that God would say, boy, you pleased me. You pleased me. I mean, I would love to hear God say that. I want to hear him say that a good and faithful servant that has been faithful, enter into the joy. I hope and pray. Enoch lived 300 years after his son Methuselah was born. The Bible says he lived, he walked with God all those 300 years. Now, maybe before then, we don't know for sure, but definitely for 300 years after Methuselah was born. 300 years faith walking with God Soon be 40 years to me. How long for you? Now I wish I could say that there hadn't been any Disappointments along the way, but I can't say that. I know I've disappointed God many times But I want you to know 1981, I gave my heart and life to Christ. That's when I made a step for the Lord. You see, my friends, is that every walk begins with one step. 1981, May 17th, over in the building across the road, Tim McClanahan declared that he was a sinner before a holy and righteous God. And like grace, I've determined that I was going to make that profession of faith and receive Christ as my Lord and Savior. Soon be 40 years. Two years after I was saved, Satan tried his very best to destroy my walk with God. Done his very loving best. And I came ace of fallen for his trickery and his deceit. But the Lord caught me. He caught me. so that I would not fall to the trickery and the deceit of Satan. And when my eyes were opened, I said to the Lord, I said, Lord, I'm going to do my very loving best to not allow that to happen again. To where that I take my eyes off of you and allow Satan to have a foothold of tricking me. And I want you to know that I haven't looked back from that moment. As I said, my life hasn't been perfect by no means. But I have not, I have not allowed Satan to get me to where he had me then. My walk with the Lord is the most important thing in my life. Absolutely. Absolutely, the greatest thing I have in my life is my walk with my Savior. I love my family, love my wife. I love this congregation of people. But my friends, listen to me. The Lord Jesus Christ is my mainstay. And because he is my mainstay, I can love my wife. I can love my family. I can love my church family. I can love my neighbor much more than I could before. Because of the Lord Jesus Christ coming into my heart, he gave me a love in my heart that I could not have without his presence. He's made me something I was not. I hope one day after a while that I'll end this race like Paul did. When he says that I have finished my course and I have kept the faith. And there is now laid up for me a crown of righteousness. and not only for me, but for all those who love Christ the period. I want to please God, don't you? But Enoch pleased God with his life. And it tells us a whole lot about Enoch. But Enoch, the Bible says, walked with God. When we're walking, we're going somewhere, aren't we? But when we're walking with God, we're going somewhere with God. Big difference. You see, before Christ, I was walking. I thought I was going in the right direction. I thought I was making progress. Brother Roy, I thought I was doing quite well. And then the Holy Spirit began dealing with me and showing me that I was going in opposite direction. to what Christ was. And repentance means that I turn from my old ways and I join forces with Christ. I begin walking in His direction and with Christ. Begins with one step. To walk with God, it means that we're going in the same direction with God. Amos 3.3 says, can two walk together unless they be agreed? You see, we can't walk with Christ unless we agree with Him. We have to agree with Him that we're sinners. We have to agree with Him that we're lost. We have to agree with Him that the penalty of our sin is nothing but death. And then when we agree with Him, then we can say, but I know that you died for my sins. And I want you to save me. I want you to be my Lord. I want you to be my Savior. We accept Him into our hearts and our lives. You see, there was a time in my life that I was double-minded. The Holy Spirit was dealing with me, and I would, for a moment, I would look at what this life with Christ would offer me, but then I looked at my life that I had, and I seen all that I had, and I felt security in it. I wasn't real sure what a life with Christ would mean and how well I could live it and whether or not that I would be able to stand up under all the pressures of being a Christian. I was double-minded. And James says a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. I had to make a decision. I had to make a choice to take that first step with the Lord. And when I took that first step, the Holy Spirit overwhelmed me with His presence, praise the Lord. And He filled my heart. And all doubt went away. The Lord Jesus Christ began to give me just an overwhelming comfort in my heart and in my life. And I felt different than I had ever felt in all my life. But I began a walk with Christ, just like grace did. And if you're here today and you've never done that, then you need to. You need to. You need to understand that You're lost and that one day you're going to die. Death is coming to all of us. And that one day after a while, there's going to be a judgment because the Bible says it's important that the man wants to die and then the judgment. And unless we have the blood of Jesus Christ applied to our sentence, then we're going to stand before a holy, righteous God. naked before him in all of our sin. And we're going to have no excuse. No excuse. That's right. And God will say to us that don't know him. Depart from me for I never knew. What's that? What's that? What is? And I don't want to hear. I don't want to hear that. And I don't want you to hear that. Whenever I think about my insecurity before coming to Jesus, whenever I felt the idea that I had to live this life in my own ability, it scared me. It frightened me. There's a couple of verses over in the book of Jude that reminds me of two-legged races. Everybody here probably has been in a two-legged race at one time or another, where you tie two people's legs, each of their legs together, and you walk together, run together to get to the finish line. Well, I want you to know that when we come to Jesus, Jesus ties his leg to ours. Aren't you glad? There's two sides to that. One is my leg, and the other is the leg of Jesus. In Jude chapter 21, it says, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. Now that's my leg. What's he say? Keep yourselves in the love of God. Now, whenever I think about that, I think about the fact that God's love's present. His love doesn't ever dwindle. It never fades away. He never loses love for us. And in order for us to be strong in our walk for the Lord, he says, keep yourselves in the love of God. Sing about him, read about him, talk about him, fellowship with others who love the same one you love. In other words, my friends, we just need to baptize ourselves in the love of God. And when we do that, we never think about getting out of this walk. We never think about wanting to turn back. We never think about failing because we're baptized and we're entrenched in this great love of Christ. And we feel his presence and all is well with our soul. but listen to what the Jew verse 24 says. Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy. Who is it that keeps us from falling? One who's tied to our leg. Amen. He is the one who is able. You see, I can't do much in my own strength. But boy, when the strength of Jesus is applied to my life, I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Amen? I don't know why time goes so fast when I get into Portland. It goes so slow for you. I mean, that's a paradox, isn't it? Is that a paradox? I don't know if that's a paradox or not, but it does. It goes so fast up here, and I know for you, it's so slow. But I feel like this, Brother Mike. I spend so many hours studying. that they are being misery a little while. I mean, I imagine that a housewife that prepares a meal, I mean intricately going through all the preparation of a good meal, and then someone sit down at the table and say, I really don't like that. I mean, I feel they're hurt. Walking with God. means that you hate what God hates and love what God loves. Amen? And if you love me, you'd love me because, I mean, if you love me, you would treat me like Christ does, right? You'd put up with me. If we love somebody, we're going to love their soul. We may not love, their actions, but we'll love their soul. Jude 22 and 23 says, and of some have compassion, making a difference, and others saved with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garments spotted by the flesh. You see, my friends, is that some people, you can show them love. You can give them compassion. and you can win them to Christ, giving them the scripture and showing them how much God loves them. And some people are easy to win to Christ. But then there are those who are bullheaded, strong-willed, hard to win to Christ. And sometimes you just about, just like the scripture says, you just about have to grab ahold of them and pull them out of the fire, hating even the smell of sin that's on their clothing. I've experienced both in my lifetime. And my friends, I want you to know that God wants us to love people so. Win them. Win them to Christ. Help them to see how much they need the Lord. I begin the message by saying that Everyone died with the exception of Enoch And that we too shall die appointed to die You know how many times are appointed to die? Once But you know there is a second The Bible tells us over in the book of revelations chapter 120 says blessed and holy are those who are part of the first resurrection, for they shall not taste the second death. What is the second death? That's the final judgment. When those who don't know Christ stand before the holy, righteous God of all creation, His great white throne judgment seat And when we stand there before Him and we do not have the blood of Christ applied to our hearts, then the Bible tells us that we will taste death the second time. It's not a death where you're annihilated. It's not a death where you will no longer exist or know anything. No, it's a second death, meaning that you are cast out of the presence of a holy, loving, righteous God throughout all eternity. Never again having another opportunity to repent. Never again having an opportunity to say, I believe in Jesus Christ and I want him to be my savior. A death that will be beyond anything comparable to any pain or any feeling of remorse or guilt or shame or any other thing that we've ever felt on planet Earth. And it's irreversible. You cannot change it once you come to that point in your eternity. We have to make a decision for the Lord Jesus Christ while we still have the ability to in this life. And then it says, blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection, for they shall not taste the second death. My friends, listen, if we're walking with God, then we will love what God loves, and he loves the souls of humanity. We need to be a witness. We need to take Christ into our families, into our workplaces, into our neighborhood. We need to tell people about Jesus. We need to have compassion and help them, win them to Christ. And those who are strong-willed and are hard-headed, we need to just grab on to them and hold on like a bull rider would a bull to keep it from bucking them off. We need to hold on tight and help win if the Christ, their soul, their eternity is in the balance. Enid was a great representation of what's gonna happen to Christians who are still living on planet Earth whenever that Jesus comes to take the church home. We call it the rapture, not going through physical death, but going straight from this old body to be changed into a body likened to the glorified body of Christ. And raptured or called up in the clouds with those who are dead and resurrected, and meet the Lord in the air, we shall forever be. with the Lord. Enoch was a picture of that. Elijah was a picture of that. If you're not a Christian today, you don't have the promise of the rapture, which can happen at any moment. But if you are a Christian, we're going to heaven either way, either by the grave or by the rapture. Would you stand?