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AFather?sWalkbySteveShepherd

Genesis5:215:24

INTRO.Haveyoueverwatchedafatherwalk?Sureyouhave.Youwatchfatherswalkallthe
time.

HaveyoueverwatchedfatherJeremyFrakeswalk?Hewalksfast.Hewalkslikeamanona
mission!AndImnotsureifhedoesanythingslow.Itseemslikehehasonlyonegear.And
thatsnotbad.Somethingsneedtobedonequickly.Ifsomethingissimple,easilyunderstood,
notcomplex,nothardtodo,thendoitandmaybedoitquickly.

ILL.IremembergoingtoJeremyandNicoleshouseonetimewhentheywerehavinga
yard/garagesale.Itsbeenanumberofyearsago.IbelieveBaileywasquitesmallatthetime.
Wewerestandingoutside,intheirdrivewaytalkingwhenallofasuddenBaileywentrunning
downthesidewalk,awayfromhome.IthinkNicolesaidsomethinglike,Jeremy!Gether!And
hewentflyingafterherandgother.Jeremyisafastfather.Isuspecthesfastinotherways,
fromwhatIseen.Fasttoservehisfamilyinvariousways,whichisagoodthing.

Somefathersthinkthatfatherhoodmeansthattheyshouldbewaitedonallthetimewhereas
scriptureindicatesafathershouldbequicktoserve.

Matthew20:28TheSonofMandidnotcometobeserved,buttoserve,andtogivehislifeasa
ransomformany.

Honestly,canyouenvisionJesussittinginarecliner,withaTVremoteinonehandandaCoke
intheother?No,Hewasaservantofservants.Whilethedisciplesmayhavewantedfameor
celebritystatus,Jesuswashedtheirfeet.Howsthatforbeingaservant?Andwhilethedisciples
slept,Jesusprayed.

IfJesuscametonottobeserved,buttoserve,thenwhatshouldwealldo,includingfathers?
Weallshouldbequicktoserveoneanother.

Galatians5:13You,mybrothers,werecalledtobefree.Butdonotuseyourfreedomtoindulge
thesinfulnaturerather,serveoneanotherinlove.Shouldntthisalsoincludefathers?

Andthereisanotherkindofwalkthatwedoinlifethatisfarmoreimportantthanhowmuchwe
walkorhowfastwewalk.Herearetwoscripturesthattellusaboutthiswalkwhichallfathers
shouldhaveorthewalkthatallfathersshouldwalk.

Genesis5:2124

Hebrews11:56

PROP.WhatcanwelearnaboutfatherhoodfromthismanwhowalkedwithGod?Whatkindof
walkshouldafatherhave?
1AfatherswalkshouldincludeGodsfellowship
2Afatherswalkshouldinfluencehischildren
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3Afatherswalkshouldincorporateawitness

I.AFATHERSWALKSHOULDINCLUDEGODSFELLOWSHIP

Genesis5:2124WhenEnochhadlived65years,hebecamethefatherofMethuselah.Andafter
hebecamethefatherofMethuselah,EnochwalkedwithGod300yearsandhadothersonsand
daughters.Altogether,Enochlived365years.EnochwalkedwithGodthenhewasnomore,
becauseGodtookhimaway.ThenewerNIVreadswalkedfaithfullywithGod.

Itseemstomethatthemostimportantthatcouldbesaidofanyfatheristhathewalks
faithfullywithGod.

ILL.OnepreacheronsermoncentralwroteaboutEnochswalkwithGodwhichshouldbea
fatherswalktoday.
1.WALKINGW/GODMEANSTOGOINGODSDIRECTION
2.WALKINGW/GODMEANSTOWALKBYFAITH
3.WALKINGW/GODMEANSTOSHAREHISCOMPANIONSHIP

ILL.Dr.CharlesWeiglecomposedthefavoritehymn,NoOneEverCaredforMeLikeJesus.
OnedayhevisitedPasadena,CA.Earlythatmorninghehadanopportunitytowalkthrough
someofthefamousrosegardenswhenthefullfragranceoftheflowersfilledtheair.

LaterinthedayhearrivedatthehotelwhereaBibleconferencewasbeingheld.Ashetookhis
seat,amanturnedtohimandsaid,Dr.Weigle,Iknowwhereyouvebeen.Youtouredoneof
ourlovelygardens,forIcansmellthepleasingaromaonyourclothing.

Weiglesaid,MyprayeristhatImaywalksocloselywiththeLordthatthefragranceofHis
gracewillpervademybeing.Iwantpeopletoknowbymywords,actions,andsongsthatIhave
beenwithJesus.

Apparently,thiswastrueforEnoch.HiswalkwithsointimatewithGodthatHeemittedoroozed
withthesmellandpresenceofGod.Unimaginable!

Acts4:13WhentheysawthecourageofPeterandJohnandrealizedthattheywereunschooled,
ordinarymen,theywereastonishedandtheytooknotethatthesemenhadbeenwithJesus.
Couldthisbesaidofus?

IICorinthians5:67Thereforewearealwaysconfidentandknowthataslongasweareat
homeinthebodyweareawayfromtheLord.7Forwelivebyfaith,notbysight."(orwewalk
byfaith)

ILL.Someonewrote:HappyisthemanwhowalkssoclosetoGod,thatheleavesnoroomfor
theDeviltocomeinbetween.ThatsthekindofmanorfatherthatEnochwas!

EnochswalkwithGodteachestheimportanceofaprivatedevotionallifeinordertohave
passionfortheLord.

ILL.GeorgeMullerwasaChristianevangelistandDirectoroftheAshleyDownorphanageinthe
1800sinBristol,England,whichcaredfor10,024orphansinduringhislife.Hesaid:Thefirst
threeyearsaftermyconversionIneglectedtheWordofGod.Sincethen,IhavereadtheBible
through100times,andeachtimewithincreasingdelight.WhenIbeginitafresh,italways
seemslikeanewbooktome.IlookuponitasalostdaywhenIhavenothadagoodtimeover
theWordofGod.

Afatherswalk(andourwalk)shouldincludefellowshipwithGodeverydayinHisWordand
everyhourofthedaythroughprayerandpraise.

IIAFATHERSWALKSHOULDINFLUENCEHISCHILDREN

Acontrastoftwofathersandtheirinfluence.

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ILL.Ayoungmanwastobesentencedtothepenitentiary.Thejudgehadknownhimfrom
childhood,forhewaswellacquaintedwithhisfatherafamouslegalscholarandtheauthorof
anexhaustivestudyentitled,"TheLawofTrusts."

"Doyourememberyourfather?"askedthejudge."Irememberhimwell,yourhonor,"camethe
reply.Thentryingtoprobetheoffender'sconscience,thejudgesaid,"Asyouareabouttobe
sentencedandasyouthinkofyourwonderfuldad,whatdoyouremembermostclearlyabout
him?"Therewasapause.Thenthejudgereceivedananswerhehadnotexpected.

"IrememberwhenIwenttohimforadvice.Helookedupatmefromthebookhewaswriting
andsaid,'Runalong,boyI'mbusy!'WhenIwenttohimforcompanionship,heturnedmeaway,
saying"Runalong,sonthisbookmustbefinished!'Yourhonor,yourememberhimasagreat
lawyerbutIrememberhimasalostfriend."Thejudgemutteredtohimself,"Hefinishedthe
book,butlosttheboy!"Itshouldbeobviousthatifafatherwantstoinfluencehischildrenfor
goodandforGodhemustbewillingtopayattentiontohischildrenandgivethemtime.

ILL.CharlesFrancisAdams,the19thcenturypoliticalfigureanddiplomat,keptadiary.Oneday
heentered:"Wentfishingwithmysontodayadaywasted."Hisson,BrookAdams,alsokepta
diaryandonthatsameday,BrookAdamsmadethisentry:"Wentfishingwithmyfatherthe
mostwonderfuldayofmylife!"

ILL.MichaelW.SmithisaverypopularcontemporaryChristiansoloist.Hereiswhathesaid
abouthisfather.WHENMYDADCOMESUPmissingatadinnerparty,Ialwaysknowwhereto
findhim:inthekitchen.Hellbeinthere,apronaroundhiswaist,washingdishes.Thatsjustone
exampleofhisservantsheart.Servingseemstocomenaturallyandeffortlesslyformyfather.I
rememberonetimehewasworkinginthegarageandhesawanelderlyladycarryingabagof
groceriesbyourhouse.Heimmediatelywentouttohelpher.Timeandagain,Ivewatchedhim
dropwhateverhewasdoingtohelpsomeonecarryabagofgroceries,fixacarorrepaira
brokenappliance.IhopesomedayIllbeasgoodatservingothersasheis.Ifthathappens,Ill
havetosay,Ilearneditfrommydad.

IwouldsaythatMichaelW.Smithisblessedman.HEHASAFATHERWHOKNOWSHOWTO
LOVEOTHERS.AfatherswalkshouldinfluencehischildrenforgoodandforGod.

IIIAFATHERSWALKSHOULDINCORPORATEAWITNESS

ILL.Someonewrote:Fatherhoodhaschangedalotovertheyears.OneFatherwasaskedwho
wasinchargeathishouse.Heanswered,Well,mywifebossesthechildren.Mychildrenboss
thedogandcat,andIcansayanythingIwanttothegeraniums.

Jude1:141614Enoch,theseventhfromAdam,prophesiedaboutthem:See,theLordis
comingwiththousandsuponthousandsofhisholyones15tojudgeeveryone,andtoconvictall
ofthemofalltheungodlyactstheyhavecommittedintheirungodliness,andofallthedefiant
wordsungodlysinnershavespokenagainsthim.16Thesepeoplearegrumblersand
faultfinderstheyfollowtheirownevildesirestheyboastaboutthemselvesandflatterothers
fortheirownadvantage.

Enochprophesiedonsin,judgment,andtheLordscoming.

ILL.OneSundayMrs.CalvinCoolidgewassickandstayedhomefromchurch.President
Coolidgewenttochurchbyhimself.Whenhereturnedhome,hiswifeasked,"Whattheminister
preachabout?"ThePresidentreplied,"Sin.""Whatdidhesayaboutit?"ThePresidentsaid,"HE
WASAGAINSTIT."

Enochwasagainstsin.HepreachedagainstsinandabouttheLordsjudgment.Preachingagainst
anythingtoday,however,wontmakeyouverypopularwhetheritspreachingagainstabortion,
homosexuality,corruptioningovernment,etc.

ILL.JohnWesleythefieryevangelisticmindedMethodistpreacherusedtokeepyoungmenhe
hadsentouttopreachonprobationuntiltheycouldanswerthesequestions.Thefirstquestion
Wesleywouldaskthemwas,"Hasanyonebeenconverted?"Iftheanswerwas"No,"hewould
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ask,Dopeoplelikeitwhenyouwitnesstothem??AndifWesleywasunconvinced,hewouldask
thefinalquestion:"Didanyonegetmad?"

ThenWesleywouldsaytotheineffectiveyoungevangelists:IdontthinktheLordhadcalled
youtopreachthegospel.WhentheHolySpiritconvictspeopleofsin,theyareeitherconverted
ortheydontlikeit,andgetmad.AndsowithEnoch.

Onewriterputitthisway:Enochpreachedwithoutfear.Hedidnotbecomeahermit,shutting
himselfawayfromtheworldorhehadaworktodoforGodintheworld.

AllChristiansandallChristianfathershaveaworktodointhisworldandthatistopreachor
presentChristasbesttheycan.Weshouldnotfeartheworld,butrathertheworldshouldfear
whatwehaveandthatsthetruthofGodandarelationshiptoHim.

ILL.AwellknownprofessionalgolferwasplayinginatournamentwithPresidentGeraldFord,
fellowproJackNicklaus,andBillyGraham.Aftertheroundwasover,oneoftheotherproson
thetourasked,"Hey,whatwasitlikeplayingwiththePresidentandBillyGraham?"Theprosaid
withdisgust,"Idon'tneedBillyGrahamstuffingreligiondownmythroat!"Withthatheheaded
forthepracticetee.Hisfriendfollowed,andafterthegolferhadpoundedouthisfuryona
bucketofgolfballs,heasked,"WasBillyalittleroughonyououtthere?"Theprosighedand
saidwithembarrassment,"No,hedidn'tevenmentionreligion."

Enochwasamanlikethat.Hisverypresencecausedfearintheheartsofthosearoundhim.The
ChristianfatherwitnessesforChristwithhiswords,hisdeedsandhisbehavior.

CONCLUSION

"Godtookhim",whichmeanshedidnottastedeath.Enochleftusagreatexampleofhowto
liveandwalkwithGod.

ILL.InasermononEnochwalkedwithGod,Dr.CampbellMorgangavethefollowing
illustration:AlittlechildgavethebestexplanationofwalkingwithGod.Shewenthomefrom
SundaySchool,andthemothersaid,Tellmewhatyoulearnedatschool.Andshesaid:Dont
youknow,Mother,onedaytheywentforanextralongwalk,andtheywalkedonandon,until
GodsaidtoEnoch,Youarealongwayfromhomeyouhadbetterjustcomeinandstay.And
hewent.

EventhoughEnochislonggone,heisstillspeakingtoustoday.NotmuchinScriptureabout
Enoch,butwhatissaidabouthimisverypowerful.Hewastruefatheroffaith.Andhiswalkof
faithshouldinspireallfathersandallChristianstowalkwithGod.

SteveShepherd,JonesboroChristianChurch,AR
jonesborochristianchurch@suddenlink.net
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