Walking With God: The Life and Legacy of Enoch
EVERY LIFE IS A SERMON
Every life preaches a sermon.
Sermons aren’t just given by pastors.
They aren’t just lectures from parents.
They don’t just come from people with platforms.
Everyone—every life, is preaching something! The word we use for it…INFLUENCE.
The only question is whether the sermon your life is preaching lines up with the sermon you say you believe.
Did you hear about the guy who tried to convince his doctor that he was “eating clean.”
The doctor said, “Let me see your bank statement, because your Chick-Fil-A and Chipotle will leave a paper trail.”
You see, your habits tell the truth your words try to edit. And that’s why the Bible gives us Enoch.
Not because he was loud.
Not because he was dramatic.
But because his walk preached louder than his mouth.
Context: We first come to the man named Enoch in Genesis 5.
Genesis 5:21-24
21 When Enoch had lived 65 years, he fathered Methuselah. 22 Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters. 23 Thus all the days of Enoch were 365 years. 24 Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.
If you read our Day 4 reading in 40 Days of Faith, we talked about Enoch walking with God, and Enoch is the first person in Scripture who did not see death, but was taken up to God by God.
So let’s zoom out for a moment. Genesis 5 is a genealogy. It speaks of the generations from Adam to Noah – a 1656 year period. It’s a quick high-level history of mankind that takes us to Noah’s life, the birth of his three sons, 100 years before the great flood.
Now, one of the things that I want you to see is where Enoch sits in the grand picture between Adam and Noah. Just past the mid-point, 6 Generations removed from Adam.
Here is a picture of the generations in Genesis 5.
[1]
Here are a few things to note:
So, let’s see what steps happened on this journey with this man who walked with God.
STEP ONE: A WALK THAT STARTED BEFORE HE WAS BORN
Genesis 5 gives us an astonishing detail most people skip.
Adam was 622 years old when Enoch was born.
Let that settle for a moment.
Adam—the man who walked with God in the garden—was still alive.
Now, Scripture doesn’t tell us what their conversations were like. But it’s not speculation to say they likely knew each other. They lived in the same overlapping generations.
Imagine Enoch as a young man sitting with Adam.
“Tell me again what it was like.”
And Adam saying, “He walked with us. In the cool of the day. We didn’t hide. We didn’t pretend. We didn’t manage our image.”
Clearly, I am reading into the story…but it is a very real possibility.
You don’t think hearing about unbroken fellowship planted a hunger?
According to the biblical timeline, Adam was still alive when Enoch was born. Gordon Wenham notes that the long lifespans in Genesis intentionally link the generations together, emphasizing continuity. That means Enoch may have heard firsthand what it was like to walk with God before the fall.[2]
Enoch didn’t invent walking with God.
He recovered it.
And Genesis says:
“Enoch walked with God.”
As I wrote in 40 Days of Faith…
“The Hebrew word that is translated, “walked,” means, “to use one’s feet to advance; advance by steps.”[3] That’s pretty basic, I know. But let’s not lose the simplicity of what it is to walk with God. This is how the believer advances in their life. We are to move forward with the Lord.”[4]
So, he walked…he didn’t sprint. Nor, did he just visit. No…he walked -- order one’s life step by step.
Notice also—this walk intensified after he became a father.
Genesis 5:22
Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters.
When responsibility showed up, so did intentionality.
That’s still how faith works.
When life gets heavier, faith either deepens—or disappears.
And Enoch chose depth.
Did you know that the imagery of walking is used more than 300 times in scripture?
Here are five passages where Scripture explicitly describes faith as a walk or calls God’s people to walk in a certain way.
Micah 6:8 – The Direction of the Walk
“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”
This is one of the clearest Old Testament summaries of faithful living. Faith is not abstract—it is a relational walk marked by humility.
Genesis 17:1 – The Standard of the Walk
“When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, ‘I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless.’”
Here, walking with God means living consciously before His presence. Faith is lived coram Deo—before the face of God.
Slide: Galatians 5:16 – The Power of the Walk
“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”
Paul uses “walk” to describe daily dependence. Faith is not willpower; it is Spirit-directed movement.
Colossians 2:6 – The Continuity of the Walk
“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him.”
This verse is powerful because it reminds us that the Christian life continues the same way it began—by faith. Conversion is not the finish line; it’s the starting point.
2 Corinthians 5:7 – The Character of the Walk
“For we walk by faith, not by sight.”
This verse captures the essence of faith as forward movement without full visibility. Faith trusts God when the path is not clear.
That’s 5. But can I give you a bonus?
Ephesians 4:1
“I therefore… urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.”
This verse emphasizes that our walk should reflect the weight and worth of God’s grace in our lives.
Our lives are proclaiming a message. They are proclaiming whether or not we are walking with God.
Enoch walked with God, and if we are in Christ, we are called to walk with God as well.
STEP TWO: A NAME THAT PREACHED JUDGMENT AND MERCY
Let’s look at the genealogy graphic once again.
[5]
Notice that Enoch has a son, and he names his son Methuselah.
In the Bible, names are not merely labels but revelations of identity, calling, or destiny, often given to declare God’s purpose or prophetic insight into a person’s life. When God names—or renames—someone, it signals that He defines who we are and where our story is going, not our past or our circumstances.
Well, Enoch names his son Methusaleh which means:
“When he dies, judgment will come.”
That’s not subtle parenting.
Every time Enoch called his son’s name, he preached a sermon.
Things must have been pretty wild because, when you get to Genesis 6:5 we see these words:
Genesis 6:5
The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
This statement is made after Noah’s sons are born, and the flood is coming. So, it’s safe to assume that the people walking the earth at the time are also doing many awful, sinful, rebellious things.
So, Enoch names his son: Methusaleh – when he dies, judgment comes!
But then something unexpected happens -- Methuselah lives 969 years.
This is longer than anyone else.
Why? Why is this significant?
Because God waited.
The year Methuselah died is the very year the flood came. But the Lord had him live longer than any other person who had ever walked the face of the earth.
The Apostle Peter tells us:
2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
Methuselah’s life was a living countdown clock—not of doom, but of opportunity.
Every year he lived was another year God said,
“I’m giving them more time.”
Your life might be doing that for someone right now. Your obedience may be extending mercy you’ll never see.
Keep walking with God…people are watching…your life is preaching!
A third step we can see in Enoch’s life…this life that walked with God is the fact that his words mattered.
STEP THREE: ENOCH’S WORDS MATTERED — BECAUSE WORDS ALWAYS DO
The tiny book of Jude shows us Enoch’s message.
Jude vs 14-16
It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones, 15 to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” 16 These are grumblers, malcontents, following their own sinful desires; they are loud-mouthed boasters, showing favoritism to gain advantage.
Notice what he preached -- Judgment.
But notice how Jude frames it.
God will judge:
Enoch preached that God cares about what we do and what we say.
That’s uncomfortable—because we excuse words.
“It was just a joke.”
“I didn’t mean it.”
“That’s just how I talk.”
Jesus says:
“On the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak.”
(Matthew 12:36)
Words reveal hearts.
What you complain about.
What you mock.
What you exaggerate.
What you dismiss.
Your mouth is preaching.
James says the tongue is small but sets whole forests on fire (James 3).
Application: Enoch didn’t just walk with God—his speech aligned with his walk. And he called others to righteous words and righteous actions. He was a man of integrity.
We are called to this as well…right words…right deeds…a right life before God!
The fourth step we can see in Enoch’s life is this…
STEP FOUR: WHAT ENOCH STOOD AGAINST REVEALS WHAT HE STOOD FOR
Jude, verse 16, tells us exactly what Enoch’s message confronted:
Jude vs. 16
These are grumblers, malcontents, following their own sinful desires; they are loud-mouthed boasters, showing favoritism to gain advantage.
Let’s slow down.
The word translated “grumblers” is: γογγυσταί (gongystai) -- the Word Literally Means:
This is not loud protest. This is quiet resentment.
It’s the kind of complaining that:
Think background noise of bitterness.
Jude is deliberately echoing Israel in the wilderness.
In the Greek Septuagint (LXX), gongýzō is the same word used repeatedly to describe Israel’s sin after the Exodus.
For example:
“And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron…”
(Exodus 16:2, LXX)
Paul later interprets this spiritually:
“Nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer.”
(1 Corinthians 10:10)
So when Jude says “grumblers,” he’s not talking about personality quirks.
He’s invoking covenant rebellion.
Grumbling is not:
The Bible makes room for lament (see Psalms).
Grumbling is something else.
Biblically, grumbling is:
A settled posture of dissatisfaction that accuses God’s wisdom, goodness, or provision without directly confronting Him.
It’s faith turned sideways. Instead of saying:
“God, help me understand…”
Grumbling says:
“God, You got this wrong.”
But quietly.
Socially.
Contagiously.
In this list, Grumbling is first because it is the gateway sin.
Grumbling is how people drift from God without ever consciously rejecting Him.
? Richard Bauckham (Jude, 2 Peter, Word Biblical Commentary):
“Grumbling reflects a rejection of God’s ordering of one’s circumstances and a refusal to trust His providence.”
? Douglas Moo notes that grumbling in Jude:
“Signals an inward rebellion that eventually manifests itself in outward disorder.”
In other words:
Before people abandon truth, they complain about God.
Walking with God says:
“I trust where You’ve placed me.”
Grumbling says:
“I deserve better than where You’ve put me.”
That’s why Paul commands:
“Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent… in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation.”
(Philippians 2:14–15)
Gratitude is a directional choice.
Grumbling is a directional drift.
The Word “Malcontents” is the only time this word appears in the New Testament, which means Jude chose it very intentionally.
This word is a compound word with one word being…
and the other being…
Literal meaning: Malcontent
“One who finds fault with their assigned portion in life.”
Or more plainly: A person who resents the circumstances God has allotted them.
This is not momentary frustration.
This is deep, settled resentment toward God’s providence.
Grumbling and Malcontentment -- work together…
Grumbling is what you hear.
Malcontentment is what you believe.
Grumbling says:
“I don’t like this.”
Malcontentment says:
“I shouldn’t have to live with this.”
? Richard Bauckham (WBC, Jude):
“The malcontent is one who refuses to accept God’s ordering of life and therefore stands in judgment over God rather than under Him.”
Malcontentment is rebellion without protest signs.
Why Jude Puts This Second
Jude’s progression in verse 16 is intentional:
So, Malcontentment is the pivot point.
Once a person believes God has shortchanged them,
they feel entitled to take matters into their own hands.
That’s why Jude says next:
“Following their own sinful desires.”
Notice How This Contrasts with Enoch’s Walk
Enoch lived in a corrupt world.
Yet Scripture never records him blaming God.
Instead:
“Enoch walked with God.”
Walking with God says:
“I trust You with my portion.”
Malcontentment says:
“I deserve a different portion.”
That’s the fork in the road.
“Malcontentment is not wishing life were easier — it’s believing God owes you a different life.”
So, Walking with God requires submission to pace and path.
You don’t choose the terrain.
You choose whether to trust the Guide.
Enoch walked against the current. And his life preached:
There is another way to live.
Notice also with me the impact of Enoch’s walk…it was a walk that shaped a preacher of righteousness.
STEP FIVE: A WALK THAT SHAPED A PREACHER OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
Methuselah’s grandson was Noah.
Scripture calls Noah – a herald or preacher of righteousness.
2 Peter 2:5
if he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly;
Scholars estimate it took 50–75 years to build the ark.
That’s decades of hammering…
decades of questions…
decades of conversations.
“How long you been working on this thing, Noah?”
“About 30 years.”
“What’s it for?”
“Judgment.”
That sermon didn’t start with Noah.
It started with Enoch.
Noah never met his great-grandfather.
God took Enoch.
But Methuselah told the stories.
A walk can preach beyond your lifetime.
And here’s the heart of God again: God waited until the last possible moment.
The flood came the year Methuselah died. Mercy exhausted itself.
God wanted repentance.
Ezekiel 18:23
“Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked… and not rather that he should turn from his way and live?”
Your life may be one of God’s last invitations to someone.
Notice this last step of the walk…
STEP SIX: A WALK THAT ENDED IN GLORY
Genesis 5:23-24
Thus all the days of Enoch were 365 years. 24 Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.
Can you imagine? No decline. No regret. No long illness.
Just God saying,
“Come home.”
Hebrews says:
“Before he was taken, he was commended as having pleased God.” – Heb 11:5
He didn’t impress God. He pleased Him.
Faith that pleases God is not spectacular.
It’s sincere.
And it seeks Him.
“Without faith it is impossible to please Him… He rewards those who seek Him.”
(Hebrews 11:6)
Enoch wanted God.
And God said, “That’s enough.”
WHAT SERMON IS YOUR LIFE PREACHING?
You may not see the fruit.
You may not know who’s listening.
You may never hear the applause.
But your walk is preaching.
To your family. To your city. To generations you’ll never meet.
Take the next step.
Walk today.
And trust God with the results.
[1] www.foundationsforfreedom.com Genesis 5 Genealogy slide.
[2] Gordon J. Wenham, Genesis 1–15, Word Biblical Commentary, Vol. 1
(Word Books, 1987)
[3] Logos Bible Software, Logos Bible Sense Lexicon, “walk.”
[4] Roger Patterson, 40 Days of Faith, CityRise, 2025.
[5] www.foundationsforfreedom.com Genesis 5 Genealogy slide.
This blog is based on the message shared by Senior Pastor Dr. Roger Patterson on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026 from our CityRise Church West U Baptist campus. Check out the full message below!
Every life preaches a sermon.
Sermons aren’t just given by pastors.
They aren’t just lectures from parents.
They don’t just come from people with platforms.
Everyone—every life, is preaching something! The word we use for it…INFLUENCE.
The only question is whether the sermon your life is preaching lines up with the sermon you say you believe.
Did you hear about the guy who tried to convince his doctor that he was “eating clean.”
The doctor said, “Let me see your bank statement, because your Chick-Fil-A and Chipotle will leave a paper trail.”
You see, your habits tell the truth your words try to edit. And that’s why the Bible gives us Enoch.
Not because he was loud.
Not because he was dramatic.
But because his walk preached louder than his mouth.
Context: We first come to the man named Enoch in Genesis 5.
Genesis 5:21-24
21 When Enoch had lived 65 years, he fathered Methuselah. 22 Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters. 23 Thus all the days of Enoch were 365 years. 24 Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.
If you read our Day 4 reading in 40 Days of Faith, we talked about Enoch walking with God, and Enoch is the first person in Scripture who did not see death, but was taken up to God by God.
So let’s zoom out for a moment. Genesis 5 is a genealogy. It speaks of the generations from Adam to Noah – a 1656 year period. It’s a quick high-level history of mankind that takes us to Noah’s life, the birth of his three sons, 100 years before the great flood.
Now, one of the things that I want you to see is where Enoch sits in the grand picture between Adam and Noah. Just past the mid-point, 6 Generations removed from Adam.
Here is a picture of the generations in Genesis 5.
[1]Here are a few things to note:
- Notice how short his lifeline is compared to the others…about 1/3rd less time walking on earth.
- In the time span of his life, what we are going to see is a great multi-generational impact.
So, let’s see what steps happened on this journey with this man who walked with God.
STEP ONE: A WALK THAT STARTED BEFORE HE WAS BORN
Genesis 5 gives us an astonishing detail most people skip.
Adam was 622 years old when Enoch was born.
Let that settle for a moment.
Adam—the man who walked with God in the garden—was still alive.
Now, Scripture doesn’t tell us what their conversations were like. But it’s not speculation to say they likely knew each other. They lived in the same overlapping generations.
Imagine Enoch as a young man sitting with Adam.
“Tell me again what it was like.”
And Adam saying, “He walked with us. In the cool of the day. We didn’t hide. We didn’t pretend. We didn’t manage our image.”
Clearly, I am reading into the story…but it is a very real possibility.
You don’t think hearing about unbroken fellowship planted a hunger?
According to the biblical timeline, Adam was still alive when Enoch was born. Gordon Wenham notes that the long lifespans in Genesis intentionally link the generations together, emphasizing continuity. That means Enoch may have heard firsthand what it was like to walk with God before the fall.[2]
Enoch didn’t invent walking with God.
He recovered it.
And Genesis says:
“Enoch walked with God.”
As I wrote in 40 Days of Faith…
“The Hebrew word that is translated, “walked,” means, “to use one’s feet to advance; advance by steps.”[3] That’s pretty basic, I know. But let’s not lose the simplicity of what it is to walk with God. This is how the believer advances in their life. We are to move forward with the Lord.”[4]
So, he walked…he didn’t sprint. Nor, did he just visit. No…he walked -- order one’s life step by step.
Notice also—this walk intensified after he became a father.
Genesis 5:22
Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters.
When responsibility showed up, so did intentionality.
That’s still how faith works.
When life gets heavier, faith either deepens—or disappears.
And Enoch chose depth.
Did you know that the imagery of walking is used more than 300 times in scripture?
Here are five passages where Scripture explicitly describes faith as a walk or calls God’s people to walk in a certain way.
Micah 6:8 – The Direction of the Walk
“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”
This is one of the clearest Old Testament summaries of faithful living. Faith is not abstract—it is a relational walk marked by humility.
Genesis 17:1 – The Standard of the Walk
“When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, ‘I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless.’”
Here, walking with God means living consciously before His presence. Faith is lived coram Deo—before the face of God.
Slide: Galatians 5:16 – The Power of the Walk
“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”
Paul uses “walk” to describe daily dependence. Faith is not willpower; it is Spirit-directed movement.
Colossians 2:6 – The Continuity of the Walk
“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him.”
This verse is powerful because it reminds us that the Christian life continues the same way it began—by faith. Conversion is not the finish line; it’s the starting point.
2 Corinthians 5:7 – The Character of the Walk
“For we walk by faith, not by sight.”
This verse captures the essence of faith as forward movement without full visibility. Faith trusts God when the path is not clear.
That’s 5. But can I give you a bonus?
Ephesians 4:1
“I therefore… urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.”
This verse emphasizes that our walk should reflect the weight and worth of God’s grace in our lives.
Our lives are proclaiming a message. They are proclaiming whether or not we are walking with God.
Enoch walked with God, and if we are in Christ, we are called to walk with God as well.
STEP TWO: A NAME THAT PREACHED JUDGMENT AND MERCY
Let’s look at the genealogy graphic once again.
[5]Notice that Enoch has a son, and he names his son Methuselah.
In the Bible, names are not merely labels but revelations of identity, calling, or destiny, often given to declare God’s purpose or prophetic insight into a person’s life. When God names—or renames—someone, it signals that He defines who we are and where our story is going, not our past or our circumstances.
Well, Enoch names his son Methusaleh which means:
“When he dies, judgment will come.”
That’s not subtle parenting.
Every time Enoch called his son’s name, he preached a sermon.
- Judgment is real.
- God is holy.
- Life is accountable.
Things must have been pretty wild because, when you get to Genesis 6:5 we see these words:
Genesis 6:5
The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
This statement is made after Noah’s sons are born, and the flood is coming. So, it’s safe to assume that the people walking the earth at the time are also doing many awful, sinful, rebellious things.
So, Enoch names his son: Methusaleh – when he dies, judgment comes!
But then something unexpected happens -- Methuselah lives 969 years.
This is longer than anyone else.
Why? Why is this significant?
Because God waited.
The year Methuselah died is the very year the flood came. But the Lord had him live longer than any other person who had ever walked the face of the earth.
The Apostle Peter tells us:
2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
Methuselah’s life was a living countdown clock—not of doom, but of opportunity.
Every year he lived was another year God said,
“I’m giving them more time.”
Your life might be doing that for someone right now. Your obedience may be extending mercy you’ll never see.
Keep walking with God…people are watching…your life is preaching!
A third step we can see in Enoch’s life…this life that walked with God is the fact that his words mattered.
STEP THREE: ENOCH’S WORDS MATTERED — BECAUSE WORDS ALWAYS DO
The tiny book of Jude shows us Enoch’s message.
Jude vs 14-16
It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones, 15 to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” 16 These are grumblers, malcontents, following their own sinful desires; they are loud-mouthed boasters, showing favoritism to gain advantage.
Notice what he preached -- Judgment.
But notice how Jude frames it.
God will judge:
- “all their deeds of ungodliness”
- and “all the harsh things ungodly sinners have spoken”
Enoch preached that God cares about what we do and what we say.
That’s uncomfortable—because we excuse words.
“It was just a joke.”
“I didn’t mean it.”
“That’s just how I talk.”
Jesus says:
“On the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak.”
(Matthew 12:36)
Words reveal hearts.
What you complain about.
What you mock.
What you exaggerate.
What you dismiss.
Your mouth is preaching.
James says the tongue is small but sets whole forests on fire (James 3).
Application: Enoch didn’t just walk with God—his speech aligned with his walk. And he called others to righteous words and righteous actions. He was a man of integrity.
We are called to this as well…right words…right deeds…a right life before God!
The fourth step we can see in Enoch’s life is this…
STEP FOUR: WHAT ENOCH STOOD AGAINST REVEALS WHAT HE STOOD FOR
Jude, verse 16, tells us exactly what Enoch’s message confronted:
Jude vs. 16
These are grumblers, malcontents, following their own sinful desires; they are loud-mouthed boasters, showing favoritism to gain advantage.
Let’s slow down.
The word translated “grumblers” is: γογγυσταί (gongystai) -- the Word Literally Means:
- to mutter
- to whisper complaints
- to grumble under one’s breath
- to express low, secret dissatisfaction
This is not loud protest. This is quiet resentment.
It’s the kind of complaining that:
- doesn’t address God directly
- doesn’t seek change
- doesn’t ask for help
- just spreads discontent
Think background noise of bitterness.
Jude is deliberately echoing Israel in the wilderness.
In the Greek Septuagint (LXX), gongýzō is the same word used repeatedly to describe Israel’s sin after the Exodus.
For example:
“And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron…”
(Exodus 16:2, LXX)
Paul later interprets this spiritually:
“Nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer.”
(1 Corinthians 10:10)
So when Jude says “grumblers,” he’s not talking about personality quirks.
He’s invoking covenant rebellion.
Grumbling is not:
- frustration
- lament
- honest struggle
The Bible makes room for lament (see Psalms).
Grumbling is something else.
Biblically, grumbling is:
A settled posture of dissatisfaction that accuses God’s wisdom, goodness, or provision without directly confronting Him.
It’s faith turned sideways. Instead of saying:
“God, help me understand…”
Grumbling says:
“God, You got this wrong.”
But quietly.
Socially.
Contagiously.
In this list, Grumbling is first because it is the gateway sin.
- It corrodes gratitude
- It normalizes entitlement
- It justifies self-direction
- It eventually produces prideful speech
Grumbling is how people drift from God without ever consciously rejecting Him.
? Richard Bauckham (Jude, 2 Peter, Word Biblical Commentary):
“Grumbling reflects a rejection of God’s ordering of one’s circumstances and a refusal to trust His providence.”
? Douglas Moo notes that grumbling in Jude:
“Signals an inward rebellion that eventually manifests itself in outward disorder.”
In other words:
Before people abandon truth, they complain about God.
- Enoch walked with God.
- Grumblers walk against God—often while still claiming faith.
Walking with God says:
“I trust where You’ve placed me.”
Grumbling says:
“I deserve better than where You’ve put me.”
That’s why Paul commands:
“Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent… in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation.”
(Philippians 2:14–15)
Gratitude is a directional choice.
Grumbling is a directional drift.
The Word “Malcontents” is the only time this word appears in the New Testament, which means Jude chose it very intentionally.
This word is a compound word with one word being…
- μέμφομαι (memphomai) — to blame, to find fault
and the other being…
- μοῖρα (moira) — one’s lot, portion, or destiny
Literal meaning: Malcontent
“One who finds fault with their assigned portion in life.”
Or more plainly: A person who resents the circumstances God has allotted them.
This is not momentary frustration.
This is deep, settled resentment toward God’s providence.
Grumbling and Malcontentment -- work together…
- Grumbling = the sound of dissatisfaction
- Malcontentment = the settled posture of dissatisfaction
Grumbling is what you hear.
Malcontentment is what you believe.
Grumbling says:
“I don’t like this.”
Malcontentment says:
“I shouldn’t have to live with this.”
? Richard Bauckham (WBC, Jude):
“The malcontent is one who refuses to accept God’s ordering of life and therefore stands in judgment over God rather than under Him.”
Malcontentment is rebellion without protest signs.
Why Jude Puts This Second
Jude’s progression in verse 16 is intentional:
- Grumblers — dissatisfaction voiced
- Malcontents — dissatisfaction believed
- Following their own desires — dissatisfaction acted upon
- Boasters — dissatisfaction justified publicly
So, Malcontentment is the pivot point.
Once a person believes God has shortchanged them,
they feel entitled to take matters into their own hands.
That’s why Jude says next:
“Following their own sinful desires.”
Notice How This Contrasts with Enoch’s Walk
Enoch lived in a corrupt world.
- Violence was increasing.
- Ungodliness was spreading.
Yet Scripture never records him blaming God.
Instead:
“Enoch walked with God.”
Walking with God says:
“I trust You with my portion.”
Malcontentment says:
“I deserve a different portion.”
That’s the fork in the road.
“Malcontentment is not wishing life were easier — it’s believing God owes you a different life.”
So, Walking with God requires submission to pace and path.
You don’t choose the terrain.
You choose whether to trust the Guide.
Enoch walked against the current. And his life preached:
There is another way to live.
Notice also with me the impact of Enoch’s walk…it was a walk that shaped a preacher of righteousness.
STEP FIVE: A WALK THAT SHAPED A PREACHER OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
Methuselah’s grandson was Noah.
Scripture calls Noah – a herald or preacher of righteousness.
2 Peter 2:5
if he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly;
Scholars estimate it took 50–75 years to build the ark.
That’s decades of hammering…
decades of questions…
decades of conversations.
“How long you been working on this thing, Noah?”
“About 30 years.”
“What’s it for?”
“Judgment.”
That sermon didn’t start with Noah.
It started with Enoch.
Noah never met his great-grandfather.
God took Enoch.
But Methuselah told the stories.
A walk can preach beyond your lifetime.
And here’s the heart of God again: God waited until the last possible moment.
The flood came the year Methuselah died. Mercy exhausted itself.
God wanted repentance.
Ezekiel 18:23
“Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked… and not rather that he should turn from his way and live?”
Your life may be one of God’s last invitations to someone.
Notice this last step of the walk…
STEP SIX: A WALK THAT ENDED IN GLORY
Genesis 5:23-24
Thus all the days of Enoch were 365 years. 24 Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.
Can you imagine? No decline. No regret. No long illness.
Just God saying,
“Come home.”
Hebrews says:
“Before he was taken, he was commended as having pleased God.” – Heb 11:5
He didn’t impress God. He pleased Him.
Faith that pleases God is not spectacular.
It’s sincere.
And it seeks Him.
“Without faith it is impossible to please Him… He rewards those who seek Him.”
(Hebrews 11:6)
Enoch wanted God.
And God said, “That’s enough.”
WHAT SERMON IS YOUR LIFE PREACHING?
You may not see the fruit.
You may not know who’s listening.
You may never hear the applause.
But your walk is preaching.
To your family. To your city. To generations you’ll never meet.
Take the next step.
Walk today.
And trust God with the results.
[1] www.foundationsforfreedom.com Genesis 5 Genealogy slide.
[2] Gordon J. Wenham, Genesis 1–15, Word Biblical Commentary, Vol. 1
(Word Books, 1987)
[3] Logos Bible Software, Logos Bible Sense Lexicon, “walk.”
[4] Roger Patterson, 40 Days of Faith, CityRise, 2025.
[5] www.foundationsforfreedom.com Genesis 5 Genealogy slide.
This blog is based on the message shared by Senior Pastor Dr. Roger Patterson on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026 from our CityRise Church West U Baptist campus. Check out the full message below!
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