Leading The Way

Guest (Male): Here's Dr. Michael Youssef to begin today's Leading The Way audio.

Dr. Michael Youssef: When you seek first the righteousness of God, and the kingdom of God, and the glory of God, all you need is going to be given to you. You don't even have to ask for it. Jesus said all you need to do is you seek my kingdom with all of your heart, that you seek my righteousness with all of your heart, that you'll seek my rule over your heart, that you will seek my will over your life.

And I will personally reward you. In fact, I am personally going to be your reward, and when I'm your reward you won't need anything else.

Guest (Male): Coming up next, the Walk of Faith, with teacher on Leading The Way, Dr. Michael Youssef. You're joining Dr. Youssef for a message series looking at the lives of people in the Bible, people who are listed in the Faith Hall of Fame. Up next, Enoch, a faith-filled, faithful man who took an evening walk with God right into his eternal home, heaven.

Please do keep in mind as you're listening that Leading The Way is listener supported. Dr. Youssef relies on your prayers and on your financial support to reach this community, and also communities like this all around the world with the truth of God's word. Learn how you can stand with Dr. Youssef. Go online to LTW.org or pick up the phone and give us a call at 866-626-4356. Well listen now, as Dr. Michael Youssef begins today's message.

Dr. Michael Youssef: A person who is not a believer in Jesus Christ cannot fellowship with God. He might be acquainted with God. He or she may have some sort of soft and fuzzy warm feeling about God. They might believe that God exists. They may believe that God is almighty. They may believe that God even created the world. But to them, God will always be the man upstairs.

You see, they cannot fellowship with God. None of us can, until our hearts are changed. Until our hearts changed we cannot fellowship with God, until our lives has been exchanged for the life of Christ and received the new nature in Christ, we cannot fellowship with God. Until our nature has been transformed, we cannot fellowship with God.

There are preachers all over the place talking to people about intimacy with God before their hearts are changed, before the lives have changed. But why is this? Oh, because the non-believer in Jesus Christ and God, they have no common sphere. Their natures are different because they do not have a common nature.

And that is why the Bible said in Second Peter, Chapter One, verse four, that those who are in Jesus Christ, they are the recipients of a divine nature. That we are partakers of the divine nature. And it's only when we receive that divine nature when our hearts changed, can we fellowship with God, can we have anything in common with God.

And that divine nature makes it possible for us to walk with God in intimacy day in and day out. No wonder the Apostle Paul in Philippians, Chapter Three, verse 20 said that our citizenship is not here, but in heaven. But most believers live as if their citizenship is here and they think nothing about their eternity.

We have begun a series of messages entitled They Were Just Like Us. From Hebrews, Chapter 11, they were just like us. And here we come to this part in verse five of Hebrews 11, where the writer to the Hebrew said, "By faith Enoch was taken up to heaven so that he would not see death." One of most marvelous verses in the Bible.

Now how did the writer of to the Hebrews got the idea? Of course, from the book of Genesis. And I want you to look at Genesis Chapter Five. Genesis 5:24. That's where the writer to the Hebrews got his idea, that's how he got the story from the word of God. "And Enoch walked with God and he was not for God took him up."

In the last message, we saw that Abel knew what it was to worship God in faith and by faith. And here we are, six generations later, the Bible says that Enoch walked with God by faith. You see, in Abel we saw the sacrifice of faith. In Enoch, we see the walk of faith.

In Abel, we saw the triumph over death by experiencing it. Here in Enoch, we see the triumph over death by not seeing it. In Abel, we saw the faith that speaks after death. In Enoch, we see how faith never dies. In Abel, we saw how death leads to life. In Enoch, we see the life that never dies. In Abel, we see Christ the crucified, blood shed on the cross. and in Enoch, we see Christ the resurrected and glorified.

Actually, there's something else I want you to see here. I hope you don't miss it. In Genesis five, look at verse 21. "When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah." Look at verse 22. Immediately, he goes into say Enoch walked with God. Let me tell you what I see in this as a father of four.

Listen to me. If having teenagers in your house will not cause you to come close to God, nothing will. I mean, he's got the first kid and he became a spiritual giant. He began to walk with God, a prayer warrior. I mean children have a way of keeping us on our knees, do they not?

I often say that there's nothing that will make you understand and deeply appreciate your heavenly Father more like being a parent. It's like a mirror. God kind of holds it to your face so you can see. This is how God loves me unconditionally. This is how God feels about me. I mean, this is how my heavenly Father feels when I am thankful and grateful and how he is pained when I'm not. This is how my heavenly Father is blessed when I'm obedient and how he is grieving when I'm not. It's a marvelous thing. And so Enoch walked with God.

And I love the little girl who went home from Sunday school where the teacher was teaching on Enoch. And she sort of had her own little spin on the story. And she said, "Hey Mommy, Mommy. We learned all about Enoch today. We learned in Sunday school that Enoch went out for a walk with God every day.

And one day, they walked and they walked and they walked until it got dark. And when Enoch started to go back home, the Lord said to him, 'You have walked with me for so long. Why don't you just come home with me and spend the night?'" And oh Mommy, that man went right home with God.

Look at verse six of Hebrews 11. Go back from Genesis now to Hebrews. By faith, he walked with God. Verse six tells you several things about that walk of faith. Several things, at least two. The first, it says, for a person to walk with God in intimacy, that person must know God to be a personal God.

No one can ever have a relationship with a phantom. You've heard it said and I've heard church folk say this, "God is mysterious." Well, who can ever fellowship and a relationship and intimacy with a mystery? No one can walk hand in hand, heart and heart, mind and mind with an imaginary person.

No one can walk with great impersonal cosmic force like Einstein called God. Listen, Einstein was a brilliant man. Listen to what he said. He said, "Certainly there is a God. Any man who does not believe in a cosmic force is a fool." But then he says, "But we could never know him." Brilliant as he was, he was wrong.

Because we can testify that yes we can know God, that we can walk with God, that we can talk to God, that we can fellowship with God, that we can trust God, that we can love God. And yes, we're going to see God face to face one of these days. But to know that personal God, it is only possible by faith. No other way. It's only possible through faith.

In fact, when the Bible talks about someone walking with God by faith, what's that mean? It means that this person is fully trusting in God and he takes God's at his word. It means that this person is fully in agreement with God, not only when God agrees with them.

It means that this person is fully in step with God, not only when God is in step with them. It means that this person is fully surrendered to God. It means that this person is fully submitted to the authority of God and his word. That's all it means, to walk by faith.

And that's what faith is all about. Not only that the person know personally, on a personal level know God, but secondly, he said that person has to believe that God to be his reward. Look at verse six again. "And without faith, it is impossible to please God. For whoever goes near to God or fellowship with God must believe that God exists," but that's not all. That's only the first step.

"And that he rewards those who seek him." You know what David said to his son Solomon? The greatest and the best advice in all of his life that great man whose heart after God's own heart. Here's his advice to his son. He said, if talking about God, he said, "If you seek him, he will let you find him. But if you forsake him, he will reject you forever."

Proverbs 8:17 says God said, "I love those who love me and those who diligently seek me will find me." Not may find me or possibly will find me, they will find me. So what is the first reward? The first reward for those who walk by faith with God is salvation, eternal life.

Jesus in 3:16 of John, said whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. But there's some words of Jesus upon which I have built my life, I have built my ministry, I built everything on those words of Jesus in Matthew 6:33.

When you seek first the kingdom of God, when you seek first the righteousness of God, all of your needs are going to be met. You see, I built my life on that verse. I can testify to you that when the kingdom of God and when the righteousness of God becomes your passion, becomes your desire, becomes your food and your drink, let me tell you something. You don't have to ask God for anything because he's going to meet your needs before you ask.

That's Jesus' promise. I didn't make this stuff up. When you walk with God by faith, every good thing that God has in heaven and earth is yours. All of the blessings in heaven and earth, they are yours. All of Jesus' inheritance is yours. When you seek first the righteousness of God and the kingdom of God and the glory of God, all you need is going to be given to you.

You don't even have to ask for it. Jesus said all you need to do is you seek my kingdom with all of your heart, that you seek my righteousness with all of your heart, that you'll seek my rule over your heart, that you'll seek my will over your life. And I will personally reward you. In fact, I am personally going to be your reward, and when I'm your reward you won't need anything else.

You see, when you put your complete faith in Jesus Christ, you become co-heir with Christ. I mean, you're in the will. Not for few measly dollars. You're in the will. Not for a house or a land or. No, no, no. Not for few shares in the stock market. No, no, no. Your name is in the will to co-inherit the whole universe.

That's what the Christian faith is all about. Believing that God exists is the first step. Believing that you can have a personal relationship with God, a loving, caring God, that's the first step. Believing that Jesus is the only savior of your soul and the Lord of your life, that's the first step toward new life.

But to continue daily, walking with him by faith and in faith. To be daily walking with him in intimacy and in fellowship and in closeness. Oh, that's really what the Christian faith is all about. What does it mean to surrender my will to his will? And why is that important?

Listen, I have seen people, and I've done it myself. Let me not kid you. You know, surrendering is like this, "Oh, God. I surrender to God because that's the only thing I can do. I got no other option." Have you been there? Don't raise your hand. But I know all about that. I really do.

It breaks my heart at time about the wasted time in which I felt that I am forced to surrender to God. No, no, no. That's not surrender my beloved friend, listen to me. That is not surrender. Because the act of walking with God is a voluntary act. The act of walking with God and obeying God and surrendering your all to God is not something that God had to drag out of you.

Obedience to God is not to be extracted like a bad tooth out of your mouth. No, no, no. That's not all about surrender. God is saying is this, that when you surrender, you say, "God, I am joyfully, I am willingly, and with delight in my heart, I surrender to you, my body, my mind, my resources, everything belongs to you." And then act on it.

Some may say, "Well, you know, the days of Enoch, the days in which Enoch lived probably been easier days than ours. These are tough days we're living in Michael, you don't understand. Today's temptation is fierce. Today's temptations are ominous. Today's pressure to live for self, take care of number one, is just enormous."

Well let me remind you as you'll see in the next message, the days in which Enoch lived were just prior to Noah and the flood. And the conditions were most likely far worse than anything you and I have ever seen. There was such wickedness on the face of the earth that God who made the earth, who loves his creation, couldn't stand it anymore and he drenched the earth with the flood. It was dreadful.

In fact, the epistle of Jude I quoted it in the last message, one chapter, in verses 14 and 15, he said that Enoch lived among very wicked people. It wasn't easier for him than it is for us. And so my precious and dear friend, I want to challenge you that your greatest witness is not just your words, not just your words.

But I want to challenge you today and I want to tell you today that it is your daily walk with God that is the greatest witness. It is your dependence on him moment by moment is your greatest witness. Your surrendering to him is your greatest witness.

Listen to me. In an age of confusion and selfishness, in an age of loneliness and desperation, let me tell you people are looking to see joyful, contented, peaceful, surrendered believers in Jesus Christ who are walking with God every day. And at least some of them are going to look at you and say, "How can I get this? I am tired of my life of drudgery and I'm desperate for this life of joy and contentment and peace."

And that's what the sent out is all about. When we talk about apostles at work some people may misunderstand that and said, "You know, no apostles live today," and I know that. We know that. Apostles were those who were privileged to see the resurrected Christ, even the apostle Paul was given that special privilege with a special revelation on the road to Damascus.

But apostles with the small A is what we are, the sent out ones, the ones who testify to what Christ has done for us. So when say to somebody like Paul said, "Be imitators of me as I am of Christ." In fact, if I listen right to people all over the world, the one thing that the non-believer in Jesus Christ is afraid of the most is death. They're afraid of death.

And yet for those of us who are walking with God like Enoch, we know that death is no longer our enemy. That death never frightens us. That death is our gateway to real life. That our death is our plane that will fly us into glory. That death is our continuation of our fellowshipping with God here by faith and there face to face.

And let me tell you something, Enoch is a magnificent picture of believers who will be taken up directly to heaven when the Lord Jesus returns. Maybe today. When the Lord Jesus Christ comes to take his church and present his church blameless and spotless to his father. Those of us who will be alive will spin in the air faster than Superman.

But we're not going to need a telephone booth because we'll be spinning out on the way up and shedding off this weak and tired and sinful body and we have a supernatural body that is like Jesus' body after the resurrection. You see, that's our testimony. That's our testimony.

Just like Enoch was translated to heaven without seeing death, so also all of us who will be alive in the time of the rapture when the Lord Jesus Christ returns. Listen to what First Thessalonians 4:17 said, "We who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and there we shall always be forever."

See, that's our testimony. We fear not death. We fear not the challenges of life because he's walking with us in intimacy. And when the day comes and close our eyes in death, we're ready to face him and hear those wonderful words, "Well done, good and faithful servant."

Father, in the name of Jesus, take those words that are spoken that has come into our outward ears. Penetrate deep into our hearts and minds and conscience that we be transformed men and women of God, that the world will see us and believe that you are the Christ, the son of the living God. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Guest (Male): The Walk of Faith. That's the title of Dr. Michael Youssef's message on this episode of Leading The Way audio. And remember that you can begin conversations with a Leading The Way pastor or a counselor about spiritual questions you might have about your own walk of faith when you visit LTW.org/Jesus.

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They're always happy to help get you signed up for My Journal or process your gift to the ministry. 866-626-4356.

Guest (Male): Before your feet hit the floor, your mind is flooded. Unfinished responsibilities, unresolved personal battles. In moments like these, praising God may be the last thing you want to do. But it's exactly where you need to begin. In his foundational book, Empowered by Praise, Dr. Youssef reveals how you can look to Jesus in the midst of life's trials. He reveals practical, biblical ways to live a life of praise each day, including four ways to invite God to set up camp in your life, five ways praise renews you, a profound exploration of 11 names of God and what they reveal about his nature, plus a bonus chapter by chapter reflection guide in the back of the book.

Experience the deep abiding joy of glorifying God with all you are. Request your copy of Empowered by Praise for your gift of any amount to Leading The Way.

Guest (Male): Speak with a ministry representative about Dr. Youssef's encouraging book, Empowered by Praise. Ready to ship to you as his gift when you give a gift of any amount to Leading The Way. Give us a call, 866-626-4356, or you can visit us online at LTW.org. Get the details. Okay, before we go, this quick invitation to join Dr. Youssef right here next time for the next episode of Leading The Way.

Guest (Male): This program is furnished by Leading The Way with Dr. Michael Youssef. Passionately proclaiming uncompromising truth.