A Man Who Witnessed for God

The point: Do not claim a deep walk with God if you are mute in witnessing for Him, as such a creature does not exist in reality.

The life of Enoch is likened to a divine portrait or mini-mural painted within a biblical frame, helping to structure the sermon's exploration of his life.

within which the divine portrait or mini-mural of Enoch is painted for us. And then in our first study of the life of Enoch proper, yesterday morning we focused our attention on the fact that he was the man who walked with God, considering the significance of that terminology, the setting in which he walked with God, and the source of his experience of walking with God. Now this morning we turn our attention to the fact that this same Enoch who walked with God also witnessed for God. Now the truth that Enoch witnessed for God could only be implied and deduced from that which is spoken of Enoch...

3:23 - 4:48 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Enoch's words are directly addressed to these present day heretics who are seeking to undermine the faith of the people of God to divert them from the ways of holiness how in the world could Enoch prophesy to these who a…

Jude's shift from positive exposition to negative polemic is compared to the elder's task in Titus 1:9, which involves both exhorting in healthy doctrine and convicting those who speak against the truth.

their patterns of false and immoral living. And I could not help but think in praying through and reworking through this material of the beautiful framework of this whole motif as we find it in Titus 1.9 where the requirement of an elder is that he be able both to exhort, to encourage in the healthy doctrine and to convict the antilegos, those who speak against the truth. And here was Jude delightfully anticipating fulfilling the first part of an elder's task to exhort, to encourage in healthy doctrine when factors entered and turned him instead to the negative but necessary facet of a pastor'...

8:17 - 9:44 Read in full sermon

The point: Do all things without murmuring and disputing, so that you may be blameless and harmless, shining as lights in a crooked generation, holding forth the word of life.

Believers are described as luminaries shining like sparkling stars against the inky black darkness of a morally corrupt generation, illustrating the impact of a blameless life.

in the heart of Peter is the manner woman will precipitate questions what in the world makes you tick what is it that makes you what you and again the assumption of Peter is that when in that spirit of readiness you are prepared to give an answer to the one who asks the answer doesn't in a vacuum it comes out of the context of a life that is already validated and in some ways exegeted the gospel that you will now speak with your lips similar emphasis in Philippians 2 14 and 15 do all things without murmuring and disputing grousing and grumbling everything that comes to you unto the Lord remind...

16:56 - 18:24 Read in full sermon

The point: Witness for God not out of a perfect life, but out of a life committed to walking consistently with Him.

A scenario where a godly man on a business trip is an irritant to his ungodly colleagues and supervisor, illustrating the subtle persecution faced by those who walk with God.

they were a society there is no god and so was not one if we may use that of human sin where some choose the path of profligacy and others of drunkenness and others of sensuality and materialism but there was an overriding in the way we think and how we live now that fact contains a very vital principle as we think of the context in which Enoch witnessed for god his witness no doubt was very costly to him as then in Christ Jesus 2 Timothy 3.12 just walk with God in a wicked age and you'll suffer persecution even in the more refined country it may not be

22:45 - 24:12 Read in full sermon

The point: Give to people the fruit of the revelatory activity of God, speaking prophetic words found within the lids of the Bible.

A prophet is described as one through whom God speaks, so 'what the prophet said, God said,' emphasizing the divine origin of Enoch's witness and, by extension, the believer's witness from Scripture.

up no matter how in what came out of the prophets the was the month he of God what the prophet said God said and whatever God was ordinarily the prophet so when it says prophesied it would not be in any way contrary to the mind of the spirit to give this free paraphrase Enoch the seventh from Adam spoke the word how did a prophet introduce his message thus the Lord the burden of the Lord so when it says Enoch prophesied generation Enoch spoke the uniquely divinely word of the living God now how did you Enoch prophesy and what he prophesied well as always people have nothing to do but engage in...

31:14 - 32:39 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not be ashamed of Christ and His words in this sinful and adulterous generation.

Examples like 'sexual preference' and 'termination of pregnancy' are used to highlight how society uses euphemisms to mask and normalize sin, underscoring the need for clear, biblical language.

holding forth what the word of life that is the order of our witness I have a message a general of moral in my quote sexual preference I hope you never used the term we are glutted with euphemisms nobody in the world has a sexual preference God established your identity in your mother's womb he made them men waiting was good

35:26 - 36:42 Read in full sermon

The point: Speak with an untimid voice about the truth of the cross and the real Jesus of Nazareth, even in an ungodly generation that entertains bizarre ideas.

The willingness of public television to interview people with 'bizarre, stupid, and vile answers' to life's problems, while shunning talk of hell, illustrates the societal context that rejects biblical truth.

and the real we need not in any way speak with timid voice yes it is an ungodly generation one that is willing to entertain the most bizarre the most stupid and vile answers to the great problems and put people on platforms public television subsidized by institutions which will be undermined by the very things they are subsidizing and they are called worthy of consideration Charlie Rose will interview them with his wrinkled brow and his engaging interest but let anyone dare in my darkness of eternal hell you and I the origin of our witness is exactly

38:57 - 40:25 Read in full sermon

The point: Dare to get in the face of your generation and declare that a day of judgment is coming, and Almighty God will cause them to be self-condemned.

The hypothetical scenario of a living prophet speaking for five minutes, followed by endless disagreement over what he said, is used to emphasize the clarity and reliability of the 'more sure word of prophecy' in Scripture.

the same as Enoch's Enoch could say what he could say not because he had seen there is no indication of that in much more oh dear people have you ever have you finally gotten rid of the itch to say well I wish I may when there were living prophets if we had a living prophet here this morning Lord for five minutes and we all went out and discussed what he said wouldn't get any two of you to exactly agree what he said oh no he said this oh no he said that oh but you didn't catch this nuance it wasn't what but the way he said it meant can we be arguing for the rest of the day over what he said he...

40:25 - 41:50 Read in full sermon

The point: Dare to get in the face of your generation and declare that a day of judgment is coming, and Almighty God will cause them to be self-condemned.

Men's tongues are described as making 'daggers and arrows and bullets' against God, illustrating the verbal blasphemy and opposition to God that Enoch confronted.

the dead the Lord judgment upon all and to convict all the ungodly of their works of ungodliness which they have unto the hardly sinners have spoken against him you see men can't get their hands on God so they do the next best thing they take their tongues and with their tongues they make daggers and arrows and bullets and come on and they go and they go against him and it's to such a people that Enoch dared to get in their face and say a day of judgment is coming and almighty God will cause you to be self condemned that's the sense of the word convict not merely to point out the wrong but to ...

45:31 - 47:00 Read in full sermon

The point: Walk in love, but let fornication, uncleanness, and covetousness not even be named among you, understanding that these sins have no place within biblical love.

The notion of 'erogenous zones' and sexual intimacy before marriage being acceptable on Christian campuses is cited as a 'devilish theology' that has infiltrated Christian institutions, illustrating the pervasive nature of uncleanness.

and I'm going to be very blunt and some of you adults don't like it please bear with even the so-called Christian college and university campuses there's the notion of the erogenous even bringing people to sexual penetration there's no fornication that's a devilish theology that is made its way throughout Christian college and universities and intervarsity I'm not saying it's endorsed by the colleges endorsed by the leaders but it's endorsed under bushes in coed dorms and in the back seat of cars the apostle says walk in overtones that have the filthy edge on it they are not befitting but rath...

48:27 - 49:54 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not play Russian roulette with your purity and your soul by taking God's words lightly regarding sexual sin.

Playing 'Russian roulette with your purity and with your soul' is used to warn against taking lightly the biblical commands against fornication and uncleanness.

when I fell how do you know the first time I didn't say all could be one of them I'm going to play Russian with your purity and with your soul

50:50 - 52:00 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not play Russian roulette with your purity and your soul by taking God's words lightly regarding sexual sin.

The 'forbidden fruit of these sins' is described as a 'nerve along which will ride the white hot body and soul' into hell, vividly illustrating the eternal consequences of unrepentant sin.

to take my words lightly don't play head game tactically fornicate uncleanness is the net that catches it all so there's the abstinence from the and then he says in the forbidden fruit of these sins will be a nerve along which will ride the white hot body and soul no heavy breathing in hell no illicit

52:00 - 53:30 Read in full sermon

The point: If you are truly walking with God, you will have the courage to get in the face of your generation and reprove their sins, even in difficult social settings.

Pastor Martin shares personal stories from his high school years, confronting dirty jokes in the locker room and passing out gospel tracts, to illustrate how God can give grace to witness boldly.

laughing in the study hall that she had in their face if you're anything what happened it's secretly you're envying you'll never get in their face and reprove them if you're your mouth will never speak with against this pastor Martin you're an old man I'm not telling you to do anything by the grace of God that I did not do as a senior in high school I know God can give you grace to do it I know what it's like to be in the locker room when

57:31 - 58:54 Read in full sermon

The point: When faced with pressure to compromise your conscience in the workplace, respond like the three Hebrew children: 'We are not careful to answer you in this matter,' trusting God's sovereignty.

Martin recounts sitting at a bar stool and passing out tracts titled 'A Bar to Heaven, A Door to Hell,' to illustrate aggressive, direct evangelism in hostile environments.

to go and sit at the bar stool and pass out track give out a little track that said a bar to heaven a door to hell whoever named it named it well what you say but I tell you little did I know some be able to do it with a good conscience and say get in their face what about you come on man if we don't do this we may not get the next project you're low man on the totem pole if we don't get the next contract because this thing here has been accepted and signed off as

61:17 - 62:25 Read in full sermon

The point: When faced with pressure to compromise your conscience in the workplace, respond like the three Hebrew children: 'We are not careful to answer you in this matter,' trusting God's sovereignty.

A scenario where a believer's job is at risk if they don't compromise their conscience on a project, illustrating the pressure to conform in the workplace and the need for courage.

to go and sit at the bar stool and pass out track give out a little track that said a bar to heaven a door to hell whoever named it named it well what you say but I tell you little did I know some be able to do it with a good conscience and say get in their face what about you come on man if we don't do this we may not get the next project you're low man on the totem pole if we don't get the next contract because this thing here has been accepted and signed off as

61:17 - 62:25 Read in full sermon

The point: Make the burden of your witness a God-centered focus on truths most calculated to make the godless feel the pressure of God upon their consciences, reasoning with them of righteousness, temperance, and judgment.

Paul's reasoning with Felix about righteousness, temperance, and judgment (Acts 24) is used as an example of a God-centered witness that makes the ungodly tremble, rather than offering a 'wonderful plan for your life'.

go around help of God though you may think you're accountable to none but yourself he'll judge you by accountability to God upon man by and who do not find forgiveness and acceptance in the way that Enoch did the burden and central concern of our witness in an age of ungodliness is to be a God centered focus on those God revealed truths most calculated to make the godless feel the pressure of God upon their consciences that's why when Paul was before Felix he didn't say God loves you Felix has a wonderful plan for your life would you like to hear about it he reasoned with him of what of righte...

63:48 - 65:12 Read in full sermon

The point: Make the burden of your witness a God-centered focus on truths most calculated to make the godless feel the pressure of God upon their consciences, reasoning with them of righteousness, temperance, and judgment.

Some believers are so godly their lives are compelling witnesses, like having a 'built-in speaker.' Others are so ungodly, the best thing for the gospel would be 'a big roll of duct tape' over their mouths, illustrating the importance of an integrated witness.

temperance and of judgment then Felix trembled you read the context there in Acts 24 Felix wanted to hear more concerning ready to even know the first things of the central doctrines of the cross Felix and come to grips with these greater issues and telling them that their greatest needs being healed by glancing at the cross the greatest of man's self worth and the highest is blatant soul dear people Enoch witnessed for God what a witness he is institutes the model of that delicate balance between personal godliness joined to aggressive witness I thought for some of God's people the best thing...

65:12 - 66:39 Read in full sermon

The point: If you are ungodly, understand that Enoch's prophecy of judgment applies to you, and the Lord is coming to execute judgment.

The thought of being positioned to 'wink at Enoch' when the Lord returns with His holy ones is a 'thrilling thing' for a Christian, illustrating the fellowship of the saints in glory.

if you're part of the myriad of his holy ones made holy by the efficacious his work he comes with his holy ones to me it's a thrilling thing to think that though I've never seen Enoch I've walked with him in the bible I wonder how we'll be positioned when the Lord comes will he be ranked in such a way that I'll wink at Enoch when the Lord comes with his holy ones it's a wonderful thought for a Christian isn't it you stand in the face of this generation at times

67:40 - 68:58 Read in full sermon