The Danger Of Spiritual Negligence

THE DANGER OF SPIRITUAL NEGLIGENCE—Hebrews 2:1-4

1938 WA legislative election/Republican ‘Boston Curtis’—New man on ticket—Elected by 51 votes/Actually a mule/Placed in running by Democrats to prove how negligent voters are.

Country in danger if Mules in office.

We are warned of the dangers of spiritual negligence.

Spiritual carelessness/neglect is devastating.

Why is spiritual negligence devastating?

4 Dangers of Spiritual Negligence

The 1st Danger of spiritual negligence is

A DISSOCIATING DRIFT(:1)

—Explanation:(:1)Separating/Detaching

:1—“For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.”

“Closer attention/Earnest heed”—

“Drift away/Let them slip”—pararruew—To glide by; Lit. ‘to flow from’.

—Argumentation:

Isa. 59:1-2— “Behold, the LORD’S hand is not so short That it cannot save; Neither is His ear so dull That it cannot hear. But your iniquities have made a separation between you & your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He does not hear.”

Deut 4:9—“Only give heed to yourself & keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things which your eyes have seen, & lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life; but make them known to your sons & your grandsons.”

—Illustration:

1997/Hilton Head Beach/Matthew/Gone!/Looked everywhere/Panic/Lost focus/Drifted with natural current/Lost-Separated-Detached-Dissociated/DISSOCIATING DRIFT

T-shirt— ‘Go Against the Flow!’

—Application:

?Your negligence netted a DISSOCIATING DRIFT?...Eternal Damnation & Temporal Misery!

?You endangered due to Spiritual Negligence?

The 2nd Danger of spiritual negligence is

A JUST REWARD(:2)

—Explanation:(:2)Recompence/Just desserts/Appropriate

:2—“For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, & every transgression & disobedience received a just recompense...”

“The word spoken through angels”—

Ps. 68:17—“The chariots of God are myriads, thousands upon thousands; The Lord is among them as at Sinai, in holiness.”

Deut. 33:2—“And he said, “The LORD came from Sinai, And dawned on them from Seir; He shone forth from Mount Paran, And He came from the midst of ten thousand holy ones; At His right hand there was flashing lightning for them.”

Acts 7:38, 53—“This is the one[Moses] who was in the congregation in the wilderness together with the angel who was speaking to him on Mount Sinai, & who was with our fathers; & he received living oracles to pass on to you.”....“you who received the law as ordained by angels, & yet did not keep it.””

“Unalterable”—bebaioV—Stable, fast, firm.

“Every transgression”—Cross the line; Going beyond the established limit.

Every “Disobedience”—‘failing to hear, or hearing carelessly & inattentively’—Refusal to obey or follow direct orders.

“Just Recompense”—misqapodosia—Payment of wages due; Natural(expected/anticipated) consequence— Properly due or merited; Consistent with what is morally right; righteous. .

Justice— Receiving the requirements of what is just.

Made bed—Now sleep in it!

If we make our spiritual bed we must lie in it!

—Argumentation:

2Cor. 9:6— “he who sows sparingly shall also reap sparingly; & he who sows bountifully shall also reap bountifully.”

Num. 14:29— “your corpses shall fall in this wilderness, even all your numbered men, according to your complete number from twenty years old & upward, who have grumbled against Me.”

General, natural thought that everything will work out for the best in the end, regardless of our decisions. If this were not true then why wouldn’t more come to Christ?

Gal. 5:13— “For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”

—Illustration:

Mid-summer/Buy perishables—ice cream-meat/Go visiting with groceries in back/Spoiled & melted/JUST REWARD

Landlord/Apts./Cut corners/Exterminating contract not renewed/Roaches take over/Tenants move out/Owner forced to lower rent/JUST REWARD

—Application:

?Your negligence netted JUST REWARD?...Eternal Damnation & Temporal Misery!

?You endangered due to Spiritual Negligence?

The 3rd Danger of spiritual negligence is

CERTAIN BONDAGE (:3)

—Explanation:(:3)Gate is Barred/Locked

:3—“...how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?”

?Can we escape the grip of hell? Yes!...But only thru the grip of God’s grace thru our faith!

Mat. 16:18— “And I also say to you that you are Peter, & upon this rock I will build My church; & the gates of Hades shall not overpower it.”

—Argumentation:

SALVATION Lost:

Jn. 3:18— “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

*God never sentences anyone to hell......we do it ourselves thru negligence!

CHRISTLIKENESS Lost:

2Tim. 3:1-7—READ—“men will be lovers of self...holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power...”

—Illustration:

TV show—‘Family Matters’—Steve Urkel/Steve & Carl in Fallout shelter with janitor/Steve moves box(propping door open) to use as a seat/Door closes/Sealed/Can’t Escape/CERTAIN BONDAGE from negligence.

Person on parole/Expected to maintain contact with parole officer at all times & possess no weapons/Neglect ensures CERTAIN BONDAGE

Crab trap-net/Neglect the cage-net they crawl into-over/Scent of food makes them oblivious to danger/CERTAIN BONDAGE