I. Introduction
A. Hebrews 2:1-4
2:1 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things
which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.
2:2 For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every
transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of
reward;
2:3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the
first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us
by them that heard him;
B. The First Century Jewish Christians
1. The two religions
a) Judaism
(1) Backed by the Government
b) Christianity
(1) Made up of converted Jews from Judaism and Gentiles
2. Gave up long held Judaism traditions.
3. They were harassed and persecuted.
4. It didn’t seem that the promises of God were ever going to be kept.
(1) The promise of Israel being restored as a nation.
(2) The promise of Christ Jesus returning.
5. They began to return to their old ways.
6. God brought them from the Darkness to the Marvelous Light, yet, due to their compliancy in the way and word of God, they started slipping into darkness.
7. We too, at times become complacent in the way and word of God as we await the promises of God and find ourselves slipping into darkness.
(1) at times we find ourselves forgetting or disregarding the way and word of God. When we do this we find that we let the characteristics of our salvation slip into darkness. We let our:
Our Christian respect slip
Deliverance slip
Redemption slip
Honesty slip
Holiness slip
Our power in Christ slip
Our shinning light as a child of God Fade into darkness.
(2) Though we well know the consequences of disobediences we sometimes can’t resist satisfying the flesh.
Matthew 26:41 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."
There is great danger in fulfilling the cravings of the flesh, for to satisfy the flesh is to kill the spirit of God within.
The writer of Hebrews wrote to warn and encourage the Jewish Christians to hold on to their faith. The same writings in the word of God warns and encourage us today, to hold on to our faith.
Isaiah 55:11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
(3) If you have been praying for:
Deliverance, Just Hold on.
Miracle, Just hold on.
Lies and Rumors
Matthew 5:11-12 "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Healing
Jeremiah 30:17 For I will restore health to you And heal you of your wounds,’ says the LORD,
Finances Just Hold on.
Child
Acts 16:31 So they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household."
Love one / spouse, Just Hold on.
Better Way
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Closer Walk
Lamentations 3:25 The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him.
Job, Just Hold on.
Hold to Gods unchanging hand.
2:1 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things, which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.
II. The Warning
A. We ought to give the more earnest heed to the things, which we have heard.
1. To listen more closely
2. To pay more attention
3. To get better understanding
B. We ought to give the more earnest heed to the things, which we have heard.
1. to what the Pastor is preaching
2. to what you learn in Sunday School
3. to what you discover in Bible Study
4. to what God gives you in your personal devotion time.
5. to what you read in your bible in your own personal studies.
6. to how to apply the word of God to your everyday life.
7. to how you conduct yourself in the view of the non-believer and in the company of the believers.
8. to how you conduct your behavior in God’s house.
9. to how you fulfill the office or position God has allowed you to hold in his house.
10. to how you treat your brother and sister in Christ.
11. to your relationship with God’s under Shepard in the sanctuary in which you serve.
12. to your relationship and walk with Christ Jesus.
C. Its like taking a class or course
1. You take a more earnest heed to the instructor if you want to pass the course to move to the next level.
a) Not giving more earnest heed to the instructor will result in you remaining at your same level understanding of the subject as you were when you began the course.
b) Not giving more earnest heed to the word of God will result in you remaining at your same level of spiritual awareness and understanding that you are at present.
2. Some People are only surveying the class.
(a) When surveying a class:
(1) It’s free
(2) you receive no credits
(3) You retain only what appeals to you.
(4) You only apply the appealing information you learn to your life.
(5) You don’t advance to the next level.
(b) Some People are only surveying the word of God.
(1) They are not willing to pay the price of being a child of God
(a) to be a child of God, one must die in the flesh. Paul said, “I die daily” He yielded to the spirit and refused the temptation of the flesh daily.
(2) They retain what appeals to them. They covet the promises of God that bring forth blessings and joy. But overlook the promises of God’s wrath, which comes from disobedience.
(3) They seem to be advancing in the word of God, but within is reviled a lack of spiritual understanding and commitment to the word of God.
Isaiah 29:13 The Lord says: "These people come near to me with their mouth
and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me
is made up only of rules taught by men.
III. What have we heard?
D. We ought to give the more earnest heed to the things, which we have heard
1. What Have we Heard?
a) The truth
(1) The Gospel
(a) A word used only in the NT
(b) It is the message of Christ, meaning "good tidings.
(c) It is the accepted message of the Christian church,
(d) for it is received by the believer,
(e) defended by our reason,
(f) and it is the vital part of the Christian experience.
(g) It is historical in its content,
(h) biblical in it’s meaning,
(i) and transforming in its effect.
(j) The gospel is the good news because it is a gift of God.
(i) CNN
World news
(ii) Newspaper
Local news
(iii) Bible (Good News)
Better way of life
I have power to overcome through Christ Jesus
God provides all my needs
My sins have been forgiven
There is life after death
God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are real
b) We have heard the truth which leads to the second thing that we have heard, which is Salvation
(1) The central truth of the gospel is that God has provided a way of salvation for men through the gift of His Son to the world.
(2) John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
There is life after death
God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are real
c) We have heard the truth which leads to Salvation
(1) The central truth of the gospel is that God has provided a way of salvation for men through the gift of His Son to the world.
(2) John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
(a) What is Salvation:
(i) Salvation is the deliverance from all the evil, suffering, corruption and death of this world.
(ii) Salvation saves us for God and it delivers us to God.
(iii) Salvation makes us acceptable to God, and it gives us eternal life.
(iv) Salvation gives us a new heaven and a new earth, a perfect world in which there will be no suffering or death.
(v) Salvation is rewards heaped upon rewards.
(vi) Salvation gives us a Savior, the Son of God Himself, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Salvation gives us a Savior who loves us, who has loved us so much that he sacrificed His life and died for us.
Salvation gives us a Savior whom we can love and serve,
Salvation gives us a Savior to whom we can commit our lives and loyalty and love and know that it is for the highest good.
Salvation ensures the child of God a life filled with eternal joy in the eternal kingdom of God.
2:1 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things, which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.
And find ourselves slipping into darkness.
E. lest at any time we should let them slip.
At any time we should:
1. let the gospel pass from our minds
2. let the way and word of God become dull in the way we live.
3. let our salvation be forgotten
4. let the suffering and death of our Lord Jesus Christ be of no avail.
This is why we should give a more earnest head to what we have heard.
2:2 For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward;
2:3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation;
If we should find ourselves in the darkness…
IV. How shall we escape our just recompense of reward?
How can we escape our just punishment?
A. Words spoken by Angels are referring to the law of God given to Moses.
1. For every transgression: stepping aside, stepping over the line there was a price to pay
2. For every disobedience: neglect, refusal, failure to obey there was a price to pay
a) Today we live under Grace, Phili 7:19 For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.
3. but still, for every transgression, for every disobedience, there is a price to pay.
a) Romans 6:1-2 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
4. Moses spoke from earth, giving the commandments of God.
5. Christ speaks from heaven, the most high priests, giving the commandments that lead to eternal life.
6. How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation;
a) Hebrews 12:25 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:
V. Why should we give a more earnest head to what we have heard?
Jesus came through 42 generations
1. Miracles Jesus Performed
a) Healed the sick ………………… He can heal you too.
b) He made the blind see ………… He can show you the light
c) He made the deft; hear ………… He will talk to you too.
d) Feed the five thousand ………… He will feed you
e) Raised the dead ……………… He will bring your life to life
f) Stilled the storm ……………... He will still your storms
g) Walked on water ……… enable you to do the impossible
h) Died on the cross …. He did it once for all
Why should we give a more earnest head to what we have heard?
2. Promises and means to sustain our life here on earth while we tarry for his return
Comforter
a) John14: 16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
Faith
b) Heb.11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Prayer
c) 18:19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.
Each Other
d) 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
Biblical Promises
e) Phili. 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
An unchanging God
f) 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and forever.
Promise of eternal life.
g) John 14:1-3 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
The return of Jesus Christ
h) Heb. 10:37 For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.
VI. Close
2:1 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things
which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.
