We Must Pay Attention, The First Warning Series

November 3, 2002

First Church of the Brethren

H. Kevin Derr

Hebrews 2:1-4

“We must pay attention, The first warning”

1We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not

drift away. 2For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every violation and

disobedience received its just punishment, 3how shall we escape if we ignore such a great

salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those

who heard him. 4God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the

Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

Introduction:

I. Last Week: Hebrews 1:5-14

A. We looked at three groups of OT quotations, all of which address the

comparison of Jesus to the angels, the Son of God to Servants of God. The

point to show the superiority and changeless nature of Jesus the Son of God

1. The first group was Vs. 5 & 6

A. OT quotes include, Ps2:7 & 2 Samuel 7:14

B. These will provide evidence for Jesus’ divine sonship

2. The second group was Vs. 7-12

A. Psalm 104:4, 45:6-7, 102:25-27& Psalm 110:1

B. This moves from the assertion of an idea to the argument for the

idea

3. And the third group was Vs. 13-14

A. Deut 32:43

B. This will assert Jesus superiority to the angels

B. We essentially looked at issues of Christology based in a Hebraic Christian

context. Yet, our author almost exclusively quotes from the Greek translation

of the OT, the LXX. Remember again, the letter to the Hebrews was written

to people who are believers, and who are familiar with the OT scriptures and

the message of the gospel.

II. Today we will be looking at Vs. 1-4 of Chapter 2 where we are given a warning. Our

warning is to pay careful attention to the message delivered to us. Why because if the

message delivered by the angels was binding, the message delivered by the unique

Son of God is even more demanding . . .. It may be helpful to recall the parable of the

Tenants in Matthew 21:33-46, Mark 12:1-12 or Luke 20:9-19. In essence, a son

should demand more respect than the servants.

A. Today’s text includes a warning, it is the first of five warnings that you will

find in Hebrews (2:1-4; 3:7-4:14; 5:11-6:12; 10:19--39; & 12:14-29).

B. It is good to remember the large role that angels played in the inter-testamental

period.

Prayer:

I. As we begin our exploration of Hebrews 2:1-4, it is should be noted that their is a direct

thematic connection to 1:1-4. Vs. 1:2 specifically, “but in these last days he has spoken to us by

his Son,”

A. The author worked hard to help us understand that the Son is superior to the angles,

and if the Son is superior to the angels, then the message spoken to us by the son

would be superior to the message spoken to us in they past, be that by prophets or

angels.

1. It is not a difficult logical jump to make, and we make the inferences like this

all the time.

2. And in fact we are called to make such an inference here in 2:1, “We must pay

more careful attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift

away.”

A. Why must we pay more careful attention, because the Son is superior

to the angels and their message.

B. In other words, God’s greatest revelation comes not from the past, from

the messages delivered through angels, but through God’s Son.

3. If we are paying more careful attention, it implies also that there is a

consequence for not paying attention to what we have heard.

A. The consequence is that we will drift away. There also seems to be a

sense that the community who is receiving this letter has done just

what they are warned against, they have not been paying attention to

that they have heard.

1. That they are in fact drifting away, away from the message they

heard.

2. What did they hear, and where they drifting. It is probably

much like many churches today where so many things have

become more important than the message we have received

from the Son.

A. It is not hard to imagine how it happens, we become

comfortable with the message, and center more on

organizational issues, cultural issues, popular items and

so forth, and the gospel gets relegated to the middle or

bottom of our list of concerns.

B. What may have caused congregational drift in the days

of the letter to the Hebrews, may not be of great

importance or temptation today, yet the warning stands,

and rightly so.

B. The message we received is just as important today as it was then, and