Some time ago, I began blogging on our Sunday sermons to help myself review; today, I’m continuing that by covering our Oct. 25 sermon, on Hebrews 11:5-6, by Pastor Peter Kim. You can stream the recording of this service here.

As usual, I won’t summarize the sermon, but will focus on what I take away from it. Our text was Hebrews 11:5-6:

By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; and he was not found because God took him up; for before he was taken up, he was attested to have been pleasing to God. 6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for the one who comes to God must believe that He exists, and that He proves to be One who rewards those who seek Him.

P. Peter connected this passage to persecution of Christians which it seems is coming and may to some extent already be here in our country; indeed, it’s already not possible to state the Biblical position on certain issues without being attacked and, in some cases, having people try to get you fired, etc. We recently heard about this happening to a couple of our church members. A key question, then, to ask ourselves is “Have I counted the cost?” Following Christ, the Bible tells us, has a cost – one that often involves persecution.

The Hebrews were a people who had initially faced persecution and were even joyful in it, but began to drift back to their old life and compromise so they could have it all. So Hebrews is directed at them to help stand firm and hold strong rather than drifting.

In this passage, we saw three key aspects – Enoch pleased God by believing, he pleased God by by walking with God, and then as a result, he pleased God and lived. Enoch saw God for who he was, who he really is, and walked with him. And in Jude 1:14 we see that part of what Enoch did during his life was to warn people about their wickedness. In some sense, Enoch was the first evangelist and the first prophet – alone in the midst of the darkness leading up to Genesis 6, yet declaring God’s truth.

Enoch raises a question we should ask ourselves: If I were absolutely alone in following Christ, would I still do it?

P. Peter closed by noting how, to see the stars clearly, we might drive out into the desert or the mountains to a place where there is no light so that we can be amazed by their glory and beauty. Likewise, if persecution is coming in our country – perhaps it’s coming to turn off the lights so that we can see God and his glory more clearly and be more amazed. We’re here in this world not to have a wonderful life, but to be the salt and light of the world as Enoch was in his time. We’re here because God is offering the opportunity for people to come to repentance, and we are part of how he extends that offer.

I think overall my main take-away was this: It’s easy to get up caught up in the political race, the rhetoric coming out of identity politics in our present time, and all the other controversy and commotion. Part of me wants to fight for one side or the other, or to try and be a voice of reason and sanity, and perhaps there’s some value to that. But I serve a far greater God, one who created and rules all things, and am reconciled to him through the death of a far greater savior, who was raised from the dead and now lives and intercedes for me. That good news of forgiveness and reconciliation through Christ is the cause I want to fight for, serve, and if necessary, suffer for – not politics. I don’t mean that I should be apolitical, but that this brings perspective to everything else.