Title: Let God Make You Happy
There was a 30-story high-rise APT near a university village in the country. On the top floor, three poor college students hung out and lived on their own. Because the top floor was the cheapest. One was studying law, one was studying philosophy, and the other was studying theology.
One day they stopped by the supermarket and did a quick grocery shopping. I returned to the apartment. Jeongjeon, divided by 10 floors, decided to introduce the major he studied to others.
Meanwhile, they reached the top 30th floor. When we arrived at the door, the new student suddenly shouted loudly. “How in the world is there such an idiot? What we need now is neither jurisprudence, nor philosophy, nor theology. All we need now is a key that unlocks one apartment door.” They left the apartment keys in the management office and just walked up to the top empty-handed.
Dear brothers and sisters, what is the key to please God? With what did Enoch please God?
1. Only through faith can we please God (verse 6).
“Without faith it is impossible to please him, for he who comes to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him.”
The word 'can't' here means impossible, there is no way. It is only through faith that you can please God. Therefore, with what must those who come to God come to God? We must go by faith. Only then can you please God.
Hebrews 10:38-39 also speaks of this fact. “But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he goes back, my heart has no pleasure in him.” We are not those who turn back and fall into destruction, but those who have faith to save souls.” We have faith that can please God. They are truly those who live by faith alone. “In the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed, from faith to faith, as it is written, The righteous will live by faith” (Romans 1:17). In this way, faith is the only way to please God. Even if we don't have anything, we don't learn anything, we don't have people or backgrounds, we can please God. I hope you come to God with faith.
On the other hand, unbelief without faith is evil. “Beware, brethren, lest any of you harbor an evil spirit in unbelief and fall from the living God” (Hebrews 3:12). What do you mean by disbelief here? God calls unbelief evil. We see drinking as evil, smoking as evil. Taking drugs is considered evil. Yes. But look here. Most people don't mind disbelief. I don't take it seriously when I'm unbelieving. But God says unbelief is evil. If you do not believe, you are doing evil. Even if you don't touch cigarettes, don't take opium, don't drink, don't steal, or do anything blasphemous, God says you're doing evil if you don't do it in faith. Dear brothers and sisters, I hope that you will become people who please God by faith.
2. Then, with what kind of faith should we come to God?
“Without faith it is impossible to please him, for he who comes to God must know that he
Enoch pleased God by faith. Then, what was the content of Enoch's faith specifically? Today's text summarizes Enoch's faith in two ways. It is the content of faith that we must have in order to come to God today.
1) We must believe in the existence of God.
This is the first step in faith. God is the source of all existence. In fact, with the exception of completely atheists, most people believe in a God. Do you believe this too? But it shouldn't stop here. What did today's text also say we should believe?
2) We must believe in the God who works, who gives the reward.
“He must also believe that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him” (verse 6).
The Bible speaks of God as the rewarder. It's better to get an award, right? Isn't it? God wants us to know that God gives us good things.
Dear saints, this understanding of God is very important to us. (JOKE) This false belief in God cannot please God. Cancer is not a prize. Diseases are not prizes. If it's an award, you should keep holding it. Poverty is not a reward. If that's a reward, keep trying to be poor. God allows these things, but does not reward them. Jesus also made it clear about this. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). The bad things that happen to us do not come from Jesus, but from the thief. Jesus gives life as a sheep and gives abundant fruit of life. You will be rewarded soon. Those who come to God must have this kind of faith in God. May you receive many rewards from the good God.
Enoch was a man who pleased God with this kind of faith. Then he received a reward from God. “By faith Enoch was transferred so that he might not see death, and he was found no more, because God had removed him.
May God please God through faith like Enoch. I hope that you will enjoy many rewards from God like Enoch.