Don’t Neglect! Don’t Even Drift!

DON’T NEGLECT! DON’T EVEN DRIFT!

Reading: Hebrews chapter 2 verses 1-9.

Ill:

• A little boy asked his mum a question;

• “Mum, where did I get my intelligence from?”

• She replied;

• “I guess you got it from your father… because…. I still have mine!”

Many Christians avoid the book of Hebrews

• Because they view it as being too difficult to understand.

• And there are some verses that many of us as preachers maybe wish were not included.

• But the general message of the book is clear ;

• The message from verses 1-4 is very clear ‘Don’t neglect and don’t drift’.

Quote: verse 1 William Barcley:

"Therefore, we must the more eagerly anchor our lives to the things that we have been taught lest the ship of life drift past the harbour and be wrecked."

Ill:

• If a sailor neglects just a few crucial duties,

• He can jeopardize not only his own life but the crew, the cargo, and even the ship itself.

• e.g. Say he is too tired to lower the sails or forgets to let down the anchor;

• e.g. Or neglects to properly tie his knots while mooring the ship to the dock,

• Then the boat will be in danger of drifting.

• And all sorts of things could happen if he drifts off course.

• He could become lost at sea and die a slow death of starvation.

• He could run aground on the shoals.

• He could crash into the clenched fist of a coral reef,

• Reducing his ship to debris and himself to fish food.

Transition:

• Similarly, neglecting the spiritual matters in our lives;

• Also leads to spiritual drifting;

• e.g. Where the Christian is at (a). the mercy of the trade winds of prevailing opinion,

• (b). The currents of passion, (c). and the high seas of stormy circumstances.

• The result? (a). A Christian could float away into some distant harbour,

• Far from the Lord and far from the things that please Him.

• (b). Or they could get stranded in the shallows of life,

• Never quite able to get off the sandbar.

• (c). Or get shipwrecked altogether,

• With the person going down with the ship and end up as just another statistic.

Quote: Remember verse 1 in the William Barcley translation:

"Therefore, we must the more eagerly anchor our lives to the things that we have been taught lest the ship of life drift past the harbour and be wrecked."

(this verses leads us nicely on to point one):

(1). God’s word and warning (vs 1-4)

“We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard,

so that we do not drift away.

• Two things to emphasise in this verse:

• (a). God’s word “what we have heard”. (b). God’s warning; “so that we do not drift away”.

• Notice also in verse 1 the word "therefore";

• Some translations have the phrase "For this reason";

• Both phrases remind us that these verses flow so fluidly from the context of chapter 1.

• (The passage you looked at last Sunday morning).

• In chapter 1 the writer makes it very clear;

• That God’s final revelation of himself has been given to us in His Son Jesus Christ.

Quote: Chapter 1 verse 1:

“Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. 2 And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son”

Jesus Christ is God’s last word.

• In other words everything God wants to say to us;

• Is found in Jesus Christ!

• He is the real deal, the full package;

• We cannot add or improve him in any way – he is complete!

• And because Jesus Christ is God’s last word.

• This makes Him superior to all previous messengers;

• e.g. the prophets (chapter 1 verses 1-2) e.g. and to the angels (chapter 1 verses 3-14).

• The point the writer is making is;

• The prophets and the angels were important but Jesus Christ is more important!

The last verse of chapter 1 (vs 14) informs us:

• N.I.V:

• “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?”

• N.L.B:

• “Therefore, angels are only servants - spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation”

Note:

• Don’t rush ahead and miss that little word ‘inherit’.

• It is very significant here.

• Quote: W. E. Vine (book f New Testament Words) defines this word ‘inherit’ as

• "That which is received as a gift, in contrast with that which is received as the reward"

Ill:

• It is human nature to value more what we have worked for;