From the Pulpit...

Abel offered a sacrifice that please God. Not only was it the first and best of what he had, as God required, but it demonstrated his trust in God's ways. By contrast, Cain had a heart that was far from faith - as his sacrifice and his life showed. Enoch was seventh in the line of Adam and the great-grandfather of Noah. Genesis says he "walked with God". Here the writer says he pleased God. Enoch lived in a time of wicked rebellion that would culminate in the flood. Yet he was faithful to God and in constant relationship with Him all of his days. Unlike Abel, Enoch did not see death. Not only does faith bring insight and confidence that are otherwise unavailable, the believer must have it to even please God. True faith is not just a passive belief that He exists; it also actively seeks Him and His will and looks to the future, boldly believing that God will reward His faithful people. By the time of the flood, humanity's wickedness had so grieved God that He was "sorry that He had made man on the earth". But Noah and his family found grace in the eyes of God. God's grace, not Noah's righteousness, saved him. He demonstrated faith by not allowing the world's corruption and opposition to carry him away and by boldly proclaiming God's righteousness. God calls people today to do the same.