Perhaps you’ve heard of “lawn chair Larry?” On July 2, 1982 Larry Walters and his girlfriend Carol Van Deusen made history when they decided to purchase 43 weather balloons and purchase enough helium to fill them at their local California Toy Time Balloons store.
When they returned home, they attached the 43 balloons to a lawn chair, Larry got into the chair (not strapped) armed with a pellet gun, a CB Radio, sandwiches, beer, a camera, and a parachute. As Carol started filling the balloons, the chair began to rise up into the afternoon sky.
Larry later explained that he had always dreamed of becoming a pilot but was rejected from the US Air Force because of poor eyesight.
I might add that he may have also struggled with on his mental assessment as well because as the lawn chair rose high above his home on 1633 West 7th Street in San Pedro, California he failed to understand that the wind current would cause him to drift away like a rocket, so after 45 minutes he found himself rising to 16,000 feet. (3 miles)
Soon, two commercial airlines (Delta and TWA) approaching the Long Beach Airport reported passing a man on a lawn chair.
Larry finally got the pellets to penetrate the balloons and he slowly descended to the ground and got caught in a powerline that caused a 20-minute blackout, resulted in a $4,000 fine for operating an illegal aircraft, and earning him later the 1993 Darwin Award for complete stupidity.
Later he said that he was completely aware of what he was doing but did not take into account the drifting that would take place because of the high-altitude wind speeds.
Many publications have declared that, Larry in that one act, became one of the most famous “drifters” and “dumbest” people in American history.
Application:
What is interesting is that in the book of Hebrews, in the heels of the writer speaking about how incredible Jesus is; he speaks about “drifting” past true salvation and how foolish it is to neglect such a great salvation.
The fact is: Hell is undoubtedly full of people who never actively opposed Jesus Christ, but who simply neglected the good news and were not willing to receive His grace and commit their lives to Him,
This tragedy makes Hebrews 2: 1-4 extremely important, urgent, and necessary to share.
This passage is almost like a Biblical warning siren. It screams from the pages of the text. It breaks out in an outburst of concern. It calls for a reaction. A response.
It’s a wake-up call to those who have drifted into the world and drifted off to sleep spiritually to wake up and become conscious of what is happening in their lives. He tells us: “Don’t waste your opportunity to go to heaven.”
Transition: Satan uses three things to waste away your opportunity for heaven. He uses:
I. Tool #1- Apathy and Lack of Concern About Salvation
vs. 1- “For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it.”
Explanation:
Today, as we continue our study in the Book of Hebrews we are introduced to the word “drift or drifter.”
The word is used 8 times in the Bible to describe people who “drifted away” from God:
a) In Psalm 119:10 the Psalmist wrote: “ I have sought you with all my heart, do not let me drift away from your commands.
b) In the ministry of Jesus we read in John 8:9: “ Now when they heard this, they began to drift
away one at a time, starting from the older to the younger...”
The word “drift” is borrowed from the nautical world. It is the word “pararreo” which means: “to drift”- “flow by”—or “to be washed away.”
As the writer of Hebrews comes to a group of believers and turns on the warning light and says: “...pay close attention to what you’ve heard, so that we do not drift away.”
This morning, we will take communion and one of the purposes of communion is to draw us back in. To remind us of Jesus. To remember the stories of the gospel. To be reminded of the cross and to come back home. It calls and draws us like a prodigal to the table of the Lord and to be restored to fellowship and closeness with Jesus. Yet, this table and today’s text is designed to bring you home if you have drifted.
The writer of Hebrews communicates something we know to be true today; there are a lot of things that distract us, capture our focus, and keep us from noticing the most important things in life.
Illustration: I didn’t see that coming stories
Have you ever said: “I didn’t see that coming?” I love the “I didn’t see that coming” stories out. There. Here are a few:
I recently heard about a single guy that was sitting at a local restaurant and he saw a beautiful girl come in alone. He noticed her and to his surprise, she walked up to the table where he was sitting and said: “Are you single?” He smiled ear to ear and said, “Actually, I am.”
To which she said: “Great because I need one of your chairs for my boyfriend who is on his way.” He didn’t see that coming.
I read this week on google a story about a guy who went out for a walk and saw this rock on the ground that said: “Turn me over.” He paused, and turned it over and on the back it said: “You just took orders from a rock.” He didn’t see that coming.
My brother is a funny guy. He told me once that he showed up to Burger King and at the drive through he ordered a Whopper Jr. The guy on the other intercom said: “I’m sorry we’re all out of burgers today. We ran out of hamburger meat.” He said: “I didn’t see that coming so I asked, what are you serving then and they said, “Chicken.” To which he said: “I didn’t see that coming” then he said, “Well does that mean that you are changing your name to Chicken King?” There was no response so he drove off.
Application:
There’s a lot of things we don’t see coming in this world but let me encourage you to not let the coming of Jesus to you be one of them; whether it by means of the undertaker or the upper-taker—don’t wake up in eternity having let salvation pass you by.
Because God loves you and sent Jesus to die for you get to choose where you’re going to spend eternity. But you have to choose now while you’re alive, not after you’re dead.
There is no going back! God gives you an entire lifetime to make the right decision. If you keep putting it off, then there will be no second chance to get it right once you have died.
When Jesus was dying on the cross, there was a man next to him who had been a criminal his entire life. In his last seconds, the man surrendered his life to Jesus and said, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom” (Luke 23:42 NKJV).
All he knew about salvation was that Jesus could save him. He didn’t know all the doctrines or theology. He didn’t know all the “right” words. He just said “yes” to Jesus.
Because of his faith, Jesus says to him, “Today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43 NIV).
He saw salvation right in front of him and embraced it. You should too.
Transition: Satan uses three things to waste away your opportunity for heaven. He uses:
II. Tool #2- Distorting and Disinterest In the Bible
Vs. 2- “For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty, how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard,.”
Explanation:
In every vehicle there’s warning lights. When warning lights come on in the panel of your car, how do you respond? Do you respond immediately or do like one guy I heard about; he just put electrical tape over the light so it would not annoy him.
The Bible is not simply God’s Word and direction for this life; it is also God’s Warning and directives about getting to the next.
Knowing this the writer of Hebrews tells us to “pay closer attention to what we have heard” vs. 1
In this warning he says two things about God’s Word:
a) First, he says that it is unalterable- (vs. 2) False prophets from the earliest centuries have
been seeking to alter the Bible. Currently, many cults and Progressive Christianity has sought to change or so-called “update” the Bible. Do you know what the Bible says about itself? It says:
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and training in righteousness. “ 2 Timothy 3:16
In other words, it is inerrant.
The word for inerrant here is stronger than just meaning, “without error” inerrancy carries the idea of precision and perfection; rather than just meaning ‘mere truth.” The Bible literally has “no margin of error.”
Hebrews 4:12 says: “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword...”
The precision of the Bible is razor sharp. The Bible is a perfect blade, a unaltered scalpel, a blade of truth that with precise precision cuts into our culture and slices away sinful lies and exposes the very heart of God, and the depth of truth; perfect righteousness.
b) Second, he says that it is undeniable- The writer of Hebrews clearly states where the Bible came from. He says: “After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard...”
God makes it clear in this verse that the Bible is undeniably His Word and He does not stutter, apologize, or revise what He says.
God has not put His word up for review, debate, or editing. Do you know what the Bible says about itself? It says: “Forever O Lord, Your Word is settled in heaven.” Psalm 119:89
I like what John MacArthur said: “Scripture does not pass away, go out of date, and drift out of relevance. No one has the right to redact it, question its pertinence, or set it aside in favor of something more culturally sensitive and socially acceptable. It is flawless and perpetually true and thus the sources of all praise and honor given to the Lord.”
One of the Devils tool to seek to seek to cause you to drift away, it to ignore what He says. After all, the very first temptation included these words: “Hath God said?”
Illustration: God right under our noses
In January 2013 an amateur prospector in the Australian Outback has found a 177-ounce gold nugget* near the town of Ballarat. It is an area that prospectors have been working for over 160 years.
Though miners have undoubtedly walked over top of the giant nugget for years, the finder credits his ultra-powerful metal detector with being able to find the Y shaped 11-pound nugget that was right under the nose of thousands of people for 160 years.
The "Y" shaped, 11-pound nugget was worth $300,000.00.
Application:
If you are holding your Bible right now, right beneath your nose is a nugget of heaven. It came from God just like Jesus did and the Psalmist knew it and said: “Your laws are my treasure; they are my hearts delight. “ Psalm 119:11 NLT
Transition: Satan uses three things to waste away your opportunity for heaven. He uses:
III. Tool #3- Pushing Aside the Holy Spirits Conviction and Confirmation of Truth
vs. 4- “God also testifying with them both by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will.”
Explanation:
Through time, God’s Holy Spirit has used many means, ways, and movements to confirm the truth of the gospel.
In the early church, God’s Spirit used signs and wonders to confirm the validity of the gospel. In the Book of Acts, God used many “signs and wonders” to confirm that the gospel was true.
Still, if you are looking around and seek to know the truth, I promise, God is not hiding from anyone. God works in our life every day and gives evidence of His presence and the truth.
Years ago when I was on Colombia, there was a lady that came and asked me to pray for her. She was sick. Unable to get around. Suffering. I prayed for her and lo and behold she got up and walked away healed rejoicing and praising Jesus!
Honestly, I looked at the Pastor next to me and asked, “How in the world did that happen? I’m a Baptist!” (Smile)
He laughed and said, “It had nothing to do with you Perry, it had everything to do with Jesus and her faith.”
That’s how you know if it’s real; it doesn’t draw attention to anyone but Jesus.
Yet, while I’ve seen God do some amazing things in my lifetime, I want you to know what brings most people to Jesus: The teaching and preaching of the Bible and the Holy Spirit convicting them of truth, drawing them to salvation.
Conclusion: What the Holy Spirit does vs. the Devil
Do you know what the Holy Spirit will do when I give the invitation in a moment? He will draw you to salvation. He will draw you to Jesus. He will convict you of sin and offer you salvation.
But do you know what the Devil with do? He will try to get you to drift. He will try to distract you. Tell you to put it off. Try to get you focused on something else. He will try to get you to question the truth, and get you to waste away this moment of grace.
But please, for heaven’s sake and your eternal sake; don’t waste away the day of grace.
Hebrews 3:15 says: “Today, if you hear His voice do not harden your heart...”
2 Corinthians 6:2 says: “Behold, now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation.”
Don’t drift away; come to Jesus today.
