Hebrews 2:1
Therefore we must
give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest
we drift away.
Hebrews is
a sermon that exploded at full gallop straight out of the gate.
Now, as we
start chapter two the preacher slows long enough to issue the first of the five
warnings in the message of Hebrews.
Therefore, is like saying, “Now, I said all
that to say this.”
Therefore, (since God spoke through the prophets,
the Old Testament writings, the angels, and now, through His Son).
We must.
It doesn’t say,
we should or can or might. It’s not a suggestion, it says we
must.
Give
the more earnest heed. We
must pay close attention, take seriously, actively listen.
To the
things we have heard.
What things? The things God has spoken in various times and
ways. That Jesus is heir of all things, Creator of all things, the exact image
of God, the Word of God, the Power of God, above and beyond anything and everything
this world has to offer, and the best thing is, He paid the penalty for our
sins and became the Perfect Sacrifice for our Salvation.
Therefore,
we must give the more earnest heed, we must pay close attention...
Lest we drift away. Earnest heed and drift away, reflect nautical terms.
Earnest heed refers to tying or securing a ship or boat to a mooring buoy, pier or dock.
Drift away depicts a
ship untethered, drifting away, past the harbor.
Little by
little Sampson drifted away, gave what was sacred, slept with Deliliah, and one
day, when he woke, he didn’t even realize the Presence of the Lord had
left him.
Charles
Darwin was studying to be a priest, but was mocked for his belief and later
wrote that he gradually came
to believe the Bible could not be trusted any more than writings of Hindus.
Theologian
DA Carson said: “We drift toward compromise, then we call it tolerance. We drift
toward disobedience and then we call it freedom. We drift toward superstition
and then we call it faith.”
You don’t
just wake up one day and say to your spouse, “I don’t love you anymore.” It was
a slow fade, an untethering, a slow, silent, slipping away, until one day you’re
strangers, and you think, “How’d this happen?”
You don’t
just walk away from God all at once. It’s little by little. I’m too busy for
Church this week, I’ll read my Bible later, you say you’ll pray, but the closest
you get is in the comments on facebook with a little praying hands emoji. Before
you know it, you can’t remember that last time you were in Church, praying feels
awkward and reading the Bible is a chore and worst of all is that you and God are
strangers.
Depart
from Me, I
never knew you” are words spoken to strangers. I pray none of us hear those
words from the lips of Christ, but they will be said, to some, who drift away.
To the Church of Philadelphia Jesus says, “Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. 11 Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.” Revelation 3:10-11.
What is
that hour of trial?
The Tribulation
which shall come on the whole earth to test those who drifted, who didn’t hold
fast to Jesus.
Then, a
few verses later to the Lukewarm Church of Laodicea, because they would not
hold fast, but went lukewarm, He says. “I will vomit you out
of My mouth.” Rev. 3:16.
Therefore, we must hold fast to
the Word we’ve heard, lest we drift away, and become repulsive to Jesus.
Jesus says
in Luke 9:62, no one, putting their hand to the plow, and then looking back is
fit for the kingdom of God.
Hold fast
dear Church, do not drift away.
2 For
if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression
and disobedience received a just reward,
The Word of
God spoken through angels is steadfast and sure.
When an angel
delivered a message from God, it was carried out.
When the
angels said Sodom and Gomorrah would be destroyed, it was. Those who took heed,
were spared, those who did not, were not.
When the
angel told barren old Elizabeth and Zechariah they'd be with child, they were.
When the
angel told a virgin she'd have a Son, she did
When the
angels told shepherds they'd find the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying
in a manger, it happened just as they said.
According
to Acts 7:53 and Galatians 3:19 and implied here, angels were involved in
delivering the written commandments to Moses on Mt. Sinai.
The written Word of God is steadfast and sure. So sure that, anyone who rejected Moses’ law died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Hebrews 10:28.
Therefore,
regarding the written law, if every transgression (sin of commission,
stepping over the line), and every disobedience (sin of omission,
shutting ears to God’s command), received a just judgement...
3 how
shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first
began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us
by those who heard Him,
How
shall we escape if we neglect so great a Salvation?
Let’s ask it
another way.
What shall
we do to be lost?
Nothing.
If we do
nothing, we will drift downstream, like all rivers flow to the ocean, the
current of this world flows into the lake of fire.
How shall
we escape if we neglect Salvation?
We won’t.
The only way to escape is to not neglect but
give the more earnest heed to the Word which has been spoken.
Notice it
does not say, “How shall we escape if we reject...”
No, it
says, neglect. If we just drift away. Simply, silently,
slowly, slumber through God’s wake up calls. Ignore His non-stop knocking. Hit
the snooze button on His alarm.
How shall
we escape?
Proverbs 6:9-11, How
long will you lie there, O slacker? When will you get up from your sleep? A
little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty
will come upon you like a robber, and need like a bandit.
Perhaps
not poverty in your pocket, but worse, in your soul.
Romans 13:11-13, And do this,
knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of
sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. 12 The
night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off
the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.
Ephesians 5:14, “Awake, Oh
sleeper, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.”
How shall
we escape?
Jesus is the Way, the Truth, the
Life. John 14:6.
Jesus is the Rock and Salvation, Psalm 62:2.
Acts
4:10-12,
Let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the
name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from
the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. 11 This is
the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief
cornerstone.’ 12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for
there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be
saved.”
There
is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way
of death. Prov. 14:12.
Sidenote: “Confirmed to us by those who
heard Him.”
Seems to confirm
that Paul was not the writer, since in Galatians 1:12, 1 Cor. 11:23, he says he
was not taught by man but by direct revelation from Jesus.
4 God also bearing witness both
with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of
the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?
Remember
we’re in the middle of a conversation that started with a warning, and then, a
question (we’re in the middle of the question).
Warning: We must give the more earnest
heed to what we’ve heard, lest we drift away.
Question: If the Word of God spoken
through angels was steadfast and sure, how shall we escape if we neglect
so great a salvation, which was:
1)
First
spoken by the Lord,
2)
Then,
confirmed by His apostles
3) Now here in verse four, endorsed by God with signs and wonders and miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit.
As if God
stood up and said, “I AM God and I approve this message.”
And as a confirmation He gave gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His will. 1 Cor. 12:11.
Now when
we step into verse five, we move from the Warning to the Working
of Christ.
Lord
willing, we’ll pick that up next week.
Let’s
pray.
Lord
Jesus, help us to stay tethered tightly to You, do not allow us to drift from
Your Presence. Lord don’t let us be so comfortable with this world that we
ignore You, neglect You. Please give us a passion to pursue You, a desire to
serve You. Furthermore, we don’t want to tether ourselves and none other but
allow us to lasso others and draw them to You. So, of all those You’ve given
us, none are lost.
Prayer
Requests:
Call or
text: 612-554-2522
Email: pray4measap@aol.com
Facebook: Church at WPV
Books: amazon.com/author/dougspurling
Watch
online:
Facebook: Lest We Drift, Hebrews
2:1-4
You Tube: Lest We Drift, Hebrews
2:1-4
This
was feed for you to read. Now it’s Seed for you to sow.
Thank
you for sharing.
No comments:
Post a Comment