6.2.37 8.11.2024 Overcoming Spiritual A.D.D. Hebrews 2

Start:

Entice: If you like happy-story sermons about Bible heroes, or exciting tales of adventuresome faith, featuring anyone other than Jesus, you may be disappointed over the course of this sermon series.

The Hebrew author has designed his work to bring virtually every discussion, regardless of how wandering it may seem, back to Jesus. This is important because we humans have always been subject to a kind of spiritual attention deficit disorder.

Spiritual A.D.D.

Engage: Think back on your life. Have you ever been attracted to sparkly, new, shiny, popular brands of faith.

There are entire movements which seem designed

to distract us,

to distort our vision,

to detach from Jesus,

and

to appeal to our Spiritual ADD.

The Hebrew author both warns us and instructs us to keep our eyes on Jesus.

Expand: Hebrews can be a difficult book to follow. The Hebrew author alternates encouragement with correction. He weaves in large blocks of material from the OT, with illustrations from Hellenistic culture. He sometimes seems to go off on a tangent and then Boom! All of a sudden he circles back to Jesus and we realize that Jesus was the point all along.

Excite: There is no medicine for Spiritual ADD. It’s not a real thing at all. The term is my way of simplifying the issue before us today. I thought it did a good job of graphically illustrating the discussion with a familiar issue. But we actually don’t need a prescription. We need to carefully listen and diligently obey.

Explore:

When we keep our eyes on Jesus we won’t easily wander.

Expand: Since Jesus is the point let’s look at how He keeps us on track. Right off the bat we find that

Body of Sermon:

1 Jesus is our Focus

Hebrews 2:1–4 ESV

1 Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. 2 For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, 3 how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, 4 while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

If Jesus is the object of our focus, then we must take the initiative to keep our eyes on Him. We are instructed to

1 Be attentive.

Next, we are instructed to

2 Be careful.

It sometimes slips our minds that neglect has an antidote. Neglect is the result of not taking care to hear Jesus in obedient discipleship.

He also reminds us to

3 Be grateful.

careless, inattentive neglect indicates that we do not take seriously the work of Jesus or those before us who preached the word to us.

Next, we need to remember that

2 Jesus is our Founder

Hebrews 2:5–13 ESV

5 For it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking. 6 It has been testified somewhere, “What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him? 7 You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor, 8 putting everything in subjection under his feet.” Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. 9 But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. 10 For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. 11 For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers, 12 saying, “I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.” 13 And again, “I will put my trust in him.” And again, “Behold, I and the children God has given me.”

In this portion of our text, we encounter the Hebrew author’s characteristic of weaving Biblical argument, practical advice, and cultural—even personal persuasion into a single argument He reminds us that

2.1 Jesus is our representative.

The dominion of Man is only fully realized in Jesus, Lord of heaven and earth.

As the founder of our faith we see

2.2 Jesus is our redeemer.

Suffering of death

Crowned with Glory

Perfect

And

2.3 Jesus is our resource.

Jesus not only redeems us He also resources the process of our sanctification.

Finally,

3 Jesus is our Facilitator

Hebrews 2:14–18 ESV

14 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. 16 For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. 17 Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

A facilitator is someone who makes progress easier!

There are some specific ways Jesus makes our progress easier

3.1 Identification.

He partook the same things…

3.2 Liberation.

…delivers us from the fear of mortal slavery.

3.3 Propitiation.

His death is our liberating sacrifice.

3.4 Temptation.

Though tempted He is sinless and facilitates our growing holiness.

Shut Down

When we are distracted by what is incidental, secondary, and peripheral our spiritual ADD hampers our discipleship.

The stakes can be high. For some who become perpetually, constantly distracted faith becomes an afterthought or a garnish on how they have decided to live their lives.

Knowing the name of Jesus, it is possible to forget what it means to answer His call.

Don’t be distracted. Remain focused. Build in partnership with Jesus, the founder of our faith. And let Him facilitate your progress to fruitful, mature discipleship.

There is no miracle antidote to Spiritual attention deficit disorder. The solution is to keep our eyes on Jesus following Him in daily discipleship. Does he have your attention?