Walk With God

Genesis 5:1-32 NKJV – 1 This is the book of the genealogy of Adam. In the day that God created man, He made him in the likeness of God. 2 He created them male and female, and blessed them and called them Mankind in the day they were created. 3 And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and begot [a son] in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth. 4 After he begot Seth, the days of Adam were eight hundred years; and he had sons and daughters. 5 So all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years; and he died. 6 Seth lived one hundred and five years, and begot Enosh. 7 After he begot Enosh, Seth lived eight hundred and seven years, and had sons and daughters. 8 So all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years; and he died. 9 Enosh lived ninety years, and begot Cainan. 10 After he begot Cainan, Enosh lived eight hundred and fifteen years, and had sons and daughters. 11 So all the days of Enosh were nine hundred and five years; and he died. 12 Cainan lived seventy years, and begot Mahalalel. 13 After he begot Mahalalel, Cainan lived eight hundred and forty years, and had sons and daughters. 14 So all the days of Cainan were nine hundred and ten years; and he died. 15 Mahalalel lived sixty-five years, and begot Jared. 16 After he begot Jared, Mahalalel lived eight hundred and thirty years, and had sons and daughters. 17 So all the days of Mahalalel were eight hundred and ninety-five years; and he died. 18 Jared lived one hundred and sixty-two years, and begot Enoch. 19 After he begot Enoch, Jared lived eight hundred years, and had sons and daughters. 20 So all the days of Jared were nine hundred and sixty-two years; and he died. 21 Enoch lived sixty-five years, and begot Methuselah. 22 After he begot Methuselah, Enoch walked with God three hundred years, and had sons and daughters. 23 So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. 24 And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him. 25 Methuselah lived one hundred and eighty-seven years, and begot Lamech. 26 After he begot Lamech, Methuselah lived seven hundred and eighty-two years, and had sons and daughters. 27 So all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred and sixty-nine years; and he died. 28 Lamech lived one hundred and eighty-two years, and had a son. 29 And he called his name Noah, saying, “This [one] will comfort us concerning our work and the toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD has cursed.” 30 After he begot Noah, Lamech lived five hundred and ninety-five years, and had sons and daughters. 31 So all the days of Lamech were seven hundred and seventy-seven years; and he died. 32 And Noah was five hundred years old, and Noah begot Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Name code?

• Adam = Man
• Seth = Appointed
• Enosh = Mortal
• ?Cainan = Sorrow;?
• Mahalalel = The Blessed God
• Jared = Shall come down
• Enoch = Teaching
• Methuselah = His death shall bring
• ?Lamech = The Despairing?
• Noah = Rest, or comfort.

• Last week we saw a genealogy that recorded the line of Cain. 
• This week, in this chapter, we are looking at the line of Seth. 
  • The son that God gave Adam and Eve after Cain murdered Abel and was banished. 

• There are several items of note when reading through this chapter but the most striking thing that stands out in the first reading is the exceptional lifespans for the people listed in this genealogy.
• It says that all of Adam’s days were 930 years, Seth’s were 912 years, Enosh 905, Cainan 910, Mahalalel 895, Jared 962, Enoch 365, Methuselah 969, Lamech 777, Noah 950 years. 
• Some might object. Some claim that the only reason these numbers are so large is because the way they record time must have changed. 
• Well if that were true then it would mean that whatever system they were using would inflate the number by about a factor of ten. 
• Let me tell you why that is wrong because this would have meant that these people were having children at ridiculously early ages.
  • For example, Adam had Seth (his third son) at 130, divided by 10 and that would be 13. 
    • Well Adam was made full grown one might argue but look at the rest of the genealogy,

• Seth lived 105 years and begot Enosh divided by 10 and that’s 10.5 when he had his kid, 
• Enosh lived 90 years and begot Cainan divided that by 10 and that is 9 years old, 
• Cainan lived 70 years and begot Mahalalel divide that by 10 and he would have been 7, 
• Mahalalel would have been 6.5, Enoch 6 
• can we agree that Enoch was not fathering children at 6 years of age? 
• But if you need more in the very next chapter God intentionally shortens the lifespan of mankind 

Genesis 6:3 NKJV – 3 And the LORD said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.”

• If man was living near the normal lifespans we see today then why would God need to shorten them? 
• He wouldn’t. This is an illogical position to hold. 
• Interestingly there have been scientific studies that may support the Biblical account. 
• Experts from the University of Bristol, the University of Helsinki and the University of Bonn, using advanced imaging technology were able to find microscopic growth rings in the teeth sockets of fossilized mammals 
• and analyzing the patterns were able to discover that these animals lived 7 to 14 times longer than their modern mammal counterparts. That sounds suspiciously close to the amount of time that humans lived longer according to scripture. 
• Additionally many ancient cultures affirm not only a global flood but that their distant ancestors lived longer than humans currently do . 
• For example the Sumerian King List, c. 2100 BC has a list of extraordinarily long lived kings who reigned before a great flood that destroyed the world
• Ancient Chinese accounts speak of a Peng Zu who lived for up to 800 years during the Shang dynasty.
• And there are many more, the point is that many cultures have a tradition that humans from the distant past lived longer than humans today.
• Also there are animals today that live almost as long. The Greenland shark can live over 500 years. 
• That means there are sharks out there who were alive at the same time that William Shakespeare was writing his plays or Michelangelo was painting the Sistine Chapel or when Martin Luther was founding the Protestant Movement.
• My point is it is not biologically impossible.
• A Longer life span is not the only way the preflood world was different 
• In the following chapter it tells us that there were giants on the earth in those days as well, all of this indicates that the preflood world or the antediluvian world, as theologians call it, was a very different place than it is today. 
• The idea of giant humans is hotly disputed; it is almost universally rejected by the scientific community but the Bible affirms their existence. 
• For example the measurements for Golitath range from 7ft to 9ft tall with 9ft tall being the most widely accepted. 
• Which to me doesn’t seem to be a problem. We’re not talking about a Jack and the Beanstalk kind of giant that is 40-60ft tall. It is a significant amount but not a terrific amount. 
• Considering that we have on record 29 known people in medical history to have verifiably reached a height of 8 feet or more, it’s even less of a problem. 
• That is nearly the height of Goliath. 
• For example Robert Wadlow who lived in the early 20th century, in America, was 8 ft 11inches tall. So, one inch shy of Goliath. We have pictures of him; another example is Donald A. Koehler at 8 ft 2 inches.
• Again there are 29 people who have been verified to be over 8ft tall. This is after the flood. 
• But what is more interesting to me is that scientists universally accept the reality of megafauna (latin word mega = large, fauna = animal life).
• As a matter of accepted history many animals that we see today were bigger thousands of years ago. 
• For example beavers used to be the size of bears, I am serious. I have pictures, they’re called Castoroides. 
• There was a kind of Armadillo called Glyptodon that was a bit bigger than the bear-sized beavers. 
• There were pigs that from hoof to shoulder were taller than me. 
• There was a bird called an Argentavis that had a wingspan of 21 feet; it was 5-7 times more massive than the California Condor. 
• There were 50ft long snakes whose diet they believed was primarily crocodiles. – 
• Gigantopithecus was an ape that was twice the size of a Silverback Gorilla. 
• There were ground sloths, I am not kidding, that were nearly the size of elephants. 
• There were millipedes longer and wider than Pastor Matt. 
• There were 30ft long Manatees that lasted to the 1700s when humanity finally hunted them to extinction that’s three times the size of regular manatees. 
• Sharks the size of Sperm Whales three times the size of the biggest Great white sharks. 
• And there are many more examples, dragonflies with 2.5 foot wingspans. 
• Why did I take all this time to tell you this? Because for some reason scientists can accept Giant beavers, giant armadillos, giant pigs, giant birds, giant apes, giant sloths, giant millipedes and dragonflies, giant manatees and sharks but not Giant Humans! 
• even though we have 29 as a matter of medical record. 
• Why is that? Could it be that the carnal mind is enmity against God and His word and they are suppressing the truth in unrighteousness as the scriptures say? 
• I want to encourage you dear Church not to be swayed by their interpretation of the evidence. 
• There are people who will downplay every piece of evidence that is brought before their eyes. 
• The Bible says that the antediluvian world was different from the world today and that is backed up by the geological record. What happened to all these megafauna? I think most are still here, their offspring I mean.
• Just something happened environmentally or genetically that shrunk these creatures. 
• Scientists are unsure of why over 80% of the mammalian megafauna disappeared; some propose a mass extinction event, some think it was humans that hunted them to extinction.
• I just think everything got smaller after the flood.

• Okay moving on the long life spans may be the most striking oddity about Genesis chapter five but it is not the most important. 
• Throughout the genealogy we find that so and so lived X number of years, had some kids and then died after a number of years. 
• All of these individuals died except one, Enoch, which is astonishing. 
• There is a person who never experienced death and he isn’t the only one. We see another person who doesn’t die again in scripture named Elijah in 2 Kings.
• 2 Kings 2:1-13 NKJV – 1 And it came to pass, when the LORD was about to take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. 2 Then Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, please, for the LORD has sent me on to Bethel.” But Elisha said, “[As] the LORD lives, and [as] your soul lives, I will not leave you!” So they went down to Bethel. 3 Now the sons of the prophets who [were] at Bethel came out to Elisha, and said to him, “Do you know that the LORD will take away your master from over you today?” And he said, “Yes, I know; keep silent!” 4 Then Elijah said to him, “Elisha, stay here, please, for the LORD has sent me on to Jericho.” But he said, “[As] the LORD lives, and [as] your soul lives, I will not leave you!” So they came to Jericho. 5 Now the sons of the prophets who [were] at Jericho came to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that the LORD will take away your master from over you today?” So he answered, “Yes, I know; keep silent!” 6 Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here, please, for the LORD has sent me on to the Jordan.” But he said, “[As] the LORD lives, and [as] your soul lives, I will not leave you!” So the two of them went on. 7 And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood facing [them] at a distance, while the two of them stood by the Jordan. 8 Now Elijah took his mantle, rolled [it] up, and struck the water; and it was divided this way and that, so that the two of them crossed over on dry ground. 9 And so it was, when they had crossed over, that Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask! What may I do for you, before I am taken away from you?” Elisha said, “Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.” 10 So he said, “You have asked a hard thing. [Nevertheless], if you see me [when I am] taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be [so].” 11 Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire [appeared] with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. 12 And Elisha saw [it], and he cried out, “My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!” So he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces. 13 He also took up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan.

• So what was it that distinguished Enoch and Elijah from the rest of mankind that they were given special treatment over and above the rest of Humanity. 
• Think about it, even Jesus had to die so why not these fellows? 
• Firstly, I believe God was setting a precedent for the day when Jesus would ascend into heaven after bearing our sins on the cross and rising from the dead. 
• The Jews would know that it is possible to ascend to heaven because of what happened in the lives of these prophets. 
• A lot of what happened in the old testament was for the purpose of prefiguring Christ or the gospel. 
• Secondly, God was demonstrating that the damage done by the fall was not irreparable. 
• He was showing that our sin situation was not hopeless. 
• Try to put yourselves in their shoes. 
• They didn’t have the benefit of all this revelation and history so all they would know is that God banished mankind from paradise, from His presence and condemned them to death 
• and they didn’t know what happens after death there had been almost no revelation on the subject of an afterlife 
• death and despair had been their reality for almost 1000 years
• so If a chap just happened to escape the judgment that was pronounced over all humanity that would have been of some interest, wouldn’t it? 
• It would’ve served to illustrate that by God’s grace, because it was God who did it, one might escape the doom that all men face. 
• It is at least possible to not die. How did this come about? 
• Well it says Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him. 
• The only thing it says about Enoch was that he walked with God. 
• So that is the hint, the clue that teases at the Gospel. 
• If we can find a way to walk with God, maybe we too can escape death.
• How does one walk with God? 
• The first step is humility or surrender, you could also call it repentance 

• Imagine this, you are walking, which by definition is progressing from one place to another and we are all progressing. 
• None of us are static or fixed; we are either progressing in sin and wickedness or we are progressing in faith and godliness. 
• So if we find ourselves walking opposed to God in a different direction then we must alter course and come into alignment with God for he will not alter His course. 
• He is God. His course has been set from eternity past and He is unchanging. 
• Hebrews 13:8 NKJV – 8 Jesus Christ [is] the same yesterday, today, and forever.
• Malachi 3:6 NKJV – 6 “For I [am] the LORD, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.
• Numbers 23:19 NKJV – 19 “God [is] not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?
• James 1:17 NKJV – 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

• This means we surrender our own sense of direction and trust in Him. 
• We follow Him in the direction He is going. 
• Amos 3:3 NKJV – 3 Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?
• We were on the wrong path, this is what repentance means. 
• And can’t you see that this is an expression of true faith? 
• If you believe in Jesus then you would walk with Him. He is telling you that that direction, that road will lead you to death, hell and damnation.
• What good does it do to say that you believe Jesus, dear church, but you continue to walk in the opposite direction? Did you really believe God? Did you really have faith? Are you really saved then? 
• You cannot simultaneously walk with God and the devil
• one is going to heaven the other hell, you can not gasp hold of the hem of Christ’s garment with the right hand while clutching hold of the hand of Satan with the left  
• 1 John 1:5-7 NKJV – 5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
• Ephesians 5:8 NKJV – 8 For you were once darkness, but now [you are] light in the Lord. Walk as children of light
• Ephesians 2:1-5 NKJV – 1 And you [He made alive], who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)
• You cannot be saved unless you walk with Christ in humility and faith repenting of and forsaking, in your heart, your sins.
• It is a binary choice you either choose to walk with Jesus Christ, in faith, through whom we have hope, or you do not. 
• But if you do not then there is no hope of salvation. 
• John 14:6 NKJV – 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

• I am not saying you’re unsaved if you still struggle, you know if you have placed your faith in Christ and surrendered to him. Christians and saints can still get off track. 
• That is why in order to walk with God more fully we must have a lifestyle of repentance. We must always confess our sins in order to properly walk with God and be in His will. 
• The hymn Come Thou Fount says “Prone to wander Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I love, here’s my heart Lord take and seal it seal it for thy courts above” 
• 1 John 1:8-9 NKJV – 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

• Have you heard of Glen Keane? 
• Glen Keane was a prolific animator for Disney from 1974 to 2012. 
• His father Bil Keane wrote and illustrated the comic strip Family Circus for over 50 years. 
• Many of the characters that we grew up watching were designed by Glen. 
• Such as Bernard, Miss Bianca from the Rescuers and the Rescuers Down Under, 
• he was the character designer for Ariel in the Little Mermaid, 
• He was the supervising animator for Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin and designed the Beast and Aladdin characters. 
• He animated for many more movies but more notable than that is that Glen Keane is a Christian, 
• He has been married only once to the same woman since 1975 they have two kids who are also animators and artists. 
• Glen wrote and illustrated some of my favorite Christian Children’s books. It’s the Adam Racoon series. 
• There is one in particular Adam Racoon in Lost Woods
• [Adam Racoon Example]

• So far, to walk with God we need 1. Humility expressed through surrender, confession and repentance and 2. We need faith, trusting in the finished work of Jesus but we also need 3. communion with God 
• When we walk with God there should be sense of closeness or relationship
• That relationship is bolstered by exercising spiritual disciplines such as Bible reading and meditation, prayer and church attendance 
• You cannot effectively walk with God without being in Communion with Him
• How can we expect to walk with God and have no devotion to Him?
• Bible Reading / Meditation 
  • Psalm 119:105 NKJV – 105 Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.
  • 2 Timothy 3:16-17 NKJV – 16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
  • Joshua 1:8 NKJV – 8 “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

• Prayer

• Colossians 4:2 NKJV – 2 Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving;
• 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 NKJV – 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
• Matthew 26:40-41 NKJV – 40 Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What? Could you not watch with Me one hour? 41 “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

• Church Attendance

• Acts 2:42 NKJV – 42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.
• Hebrews 10:23-25 NKJV – 23 Let us hold fast the confession of [our] hope without wavering, for He who promised [is] faithful. 24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as [is] the manner of some, but exhorting [one another], and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

• Surrender to God

• Come into alignment with God agree with him
• He will not agree with you
• He will not surrender to you
• If you want restored fellowship with God then you must approach Him in humility
• He is God in heaven and here are you on earth 
• Believe in Jesus and accept His word
• Obey him

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These scriptures are a maybe depending on time

• Jude 1:14-15 NKJV – 14 Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, 15 “to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.”

• 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 NKJV – 13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive [and] remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

• Revelation 11:3-13 NKJV – 3 “And I will give [power] to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.” 4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth. 5 And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner. 6 These have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire. 7 When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them. 8 And their dead bodies [will lie] in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. 9 Then [those] from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves. 10 And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth. 11 Now after the three-and-a-half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. 12 And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” And they ascended to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies saw them. 13 In the same hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. In the earthquake seven thousand people were killed, and the rest were afraid and gave glory to the God of heaven.