I invite you to turn with me to Genesis 5:18-24. And we want to consider the life of a man named Enoch. We don’t know much about Enoch. These seven verses summarize just about everything about his life. He probably took care herds, worked the land, cared for his family. And, God used him as a example to others of what it means to be a Godly man and a Godly father. And that’s where we’d like to focus this morning - the example of what it means to be a Godly man and a Godly father.

Genesis 5: 18-24: When Jared had lived a hundred and sixty-two years he became the father of Enoch Jared lived after the birth of Enoch eight hundred years, and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Jared were nine hundred and sixty-two years; and he died. When Enoch had lived sixty-five years, he became the father of Methuselah Enoch walked with God after the birth of Methuselah three hundred years, and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.

Lets not miss that - verse 24 - “Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, for God took him away.” This one verse is so absolutely unbelievable - Enoch walked with God and then one day - whosh - God takes him to Heaven. Of the billions who have lived and died - only two out of that vast number have never died - Enoch and Elijah.

One day God could have said something like: "Enoch, we've walked a long way today. Why don't you just come home and stay with Me." - "And he was not, for God took him."

Enoch walked with God. The epitaph of this man who was carried into heaven. The summary of 365 years of life. His character - his essence captured in this powerful phrase - he walked with God. Why did God take Him into heaven? He walked with God.

As I’ve read this verse over and over - preparing for this morning - the question goes over and over again in my mind - How would my children summarize my life? Would they see me as someone who walked with God - a Godly man - a Godly father?

What does it mean to walk with God? Three truths from Enoch’s life. First, walking with God means:

1. KNOWING GOD - having a relationship with Him

A couple of months ago I was driving back from a College Career Bible study in San Jose. It was about 11:30 at night - I was sick and really tired and in a hurry to get home - and was not exactly driving the speed limit.

And the exit off of 280 onto Skyline Boulevard becomes a two lane road and the the speed limit is 50. I was doing 70 when I passed the San Bruno Police Officer parked on the side of the road. Of course my reaction - like everyone else's - after being caught red handed was to slow down - but of course it was too late. Did you know that in the pitch-black of night those twirling red lights were really bright.

The police officer asked me the usual question, “Why were you doing 70 in a 50?”

And I said, “Well, its late. I’m tired and I’m wanted to get home.” What was I going to say? “Oh no Mr. Officer - policeman - sir - I was traveling at just the correct speed when I blew your doors off.”

I agreed with him. And I should have. I was wrong. And then something amazing happened. I still can’t believe this. He warned me to slow down and let me go home. It really was a gracious thing to do.

The prophet Amos - writing about what it means to walk with God - says, “Can two walk together unless they are agreed?” (Amos 3:3) We cannot walk with God - dwell in a relationship with Him unless we first agree with Him about what that relationship means.

We dwell in sin. God is holiness. How can we walk together unless God establishes that relationship? God speaks to Abraham and says, “I am God almighty; walk before Me and be blameless” (Genesis 17:1) Its an invitation to a relationship. Abraham was a great man - but he still needed God’s grace and forgiveness. And, God invites Abraham to walk with Him.

And God invites us through Jesus Christ into a relationship with Him. To accept His invitation means agreeing with God that we have broken His law of holiness - that we do live in sin - and that there is no way in creation that we should ever expect to walk with Him through the days of our lives. We need His grace - His forgiveness - given through Jesus Christ. When we accept the invitation of God - Jesus Christ - as our Savior - God makes us to be blameless before Him - He enables us to walk with Him.

Walking with God means that we know God - we have a relationship with Him. Second, walking with God means to:

2. TRUST IN GOD

Years ago a short story was written which was very popular. You may remember it by its title - “Footprints in the Sand.”

One night a man had a dream. He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the Lord. Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. He noticed two sets of footprints in the sand: one belonging to him, the other to the Lord. When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path there was only one set of footprints.

He recalled that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in his life. He questioned, “Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you, you’d walk with me all the way. Then, why during the most troublesome times in my life, the times when I need you most, would you leave me?”

The Lord replied, “My precious, precious child, I love you and would never, never leave you. During your times of trials and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.”

Walking with God means that we walk with Him through the circumstances of our lives. And as we trust Him - He carries us through.

Thirdly - Walking with God means that:

3. GOD COMES FIRST

If you’ve been by Lake Merced this week you’ve noticed all the activity at the Olympic Club - a lot of tents - grandstands - and the Met Life Blimp flying around. Of course all of that’s because the US Open is being played at the Olympic Club. Anyway - if you’ll let me - I’d like to share about Paul Azinger - who is a golf player.

In 1993, Paul Azinger learned that he had cancer. Paul says, "I was in shock. I had thought that my doctor would tell me they had discovered some form of weird infection in my shoulder or possibly even a stress fracture. The one word I never expected to hear him say was cancer."

The good news was that it was curable. Now, after some time away from the professional golf tour for chemotherapy and radiation treatments, the man who's called "Zinger" is back, cancer-free.

When people ask Azinger if golf is still important to him, he says, "Yes and no. Yes, of course golf is important to me. I love the game; it is how I make a living. But no, golf is no longer at the top of my priority list. In fact, it runs a slow fourth. My priorities now are God, my family, my friends, and golf. Golf is no longer my god. Golf is hitting a little white ball. God is my God, and God is a whole lot bigger than golf."

A serious disease - death and eternity have a way of putting things in perspective - the real priorities of life. First place belongs to God.

In Genesis 6, Moses writes about Noah, “Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time; Noah walked with God.” (6:9) In Noah’s time people worshipped and gave first place to everything but God. The Bible tells us that intent of the thoughts of the hearts of men was continually evil - temptations to godless priorities as real as those today. Only today do we see anything approaching the world-wide evil and godlessness as there was in the days of Noah.

And yet, in the middle of all the temptations - and other priorities - Noah gave first place to God - Noah chose to walk with God.

Enoch lived in those evil days before the flood. He was the great-grandfather of Noah. Yet the Bible tells us that "Enoch walked with God three hundred years." (5:22)

To walk with God means to know God personally - to trust God in every circumstance of our lives - and to give God first place in everything. Enoch walked with God - and then he was no more - and God took him.

One thought of application: It would be a great tribute to have written on our tombstone: He walked with God. But, I’ve been thinking of an even greater tribute: As He walked with God - so did his children.

Erma Bombeck writes about a little girl who loved her dad but wasn't sure what dads do. She writes: One morning my father didn't get up and go to work. He went to the hospital and died the next day. I hadn't thought that much about him before. He was just someone who left and came home and seemed glad to see everyone at night.

He opened the jar of pickles when no one else could. He was the only one in the house who wasn't afraid to go into the basement by himself. He cut himself shaving, but no one kissed it or got excited about it. It was understood when it rained, he got the car and brought it around to the door. When anyone was sick, he went out to get the prescription filled. He took lots of pictures . . .but he was never in them.

Whenever I played house, the mother doll had a lot to do. I never knew what to do with the daddy doll, so I had him say, "I'm going off to work now," and threw him under the bed.

The funeral was in our living room and a lot of people came and brought all kinds of good food and cakes. We had never had so much company before. I went to my room and felt under the bed for the daddy doll. When I found him, I dusted him off and put him on my bed. He never did anything. I didn't know his leaving would hurt so much.

According to Dr. James Turnbull, a psychiatrist at the University of Texas Health Science Center, “The images on TV and in advertising showing boys and their fathers playing touch football, fishing and building model aircraft...simply don't reflect real life."

In Josh McDowell’s book, The Dad Difference, he shares that the average teenager in a church spends only 2 minutes a day in meaningful dialogue with his dad. 25% of these teens say they have never had a meaningful conversation with their father - a talk centered on the teens' interests. Fathers spend an average of only 38 seconds a day being totally attentive and 20 minutes being partially attentive to their children's needs.

Imagine this - is is true of our lives? He walked with God - His children walked with God. That requires walking together with God through the experiences of life.

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Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright© 1960,1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.  Used by permission.