Hebrews 1 Student Version
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Pay Attention
Pay Attention
Who here has a hard time paying attention in class?
I remember I used to get in so much trouble in school because I was always talking and drifting off in class. It was hard for me to pay attention.
In youth group my teacher had to threaten me with duct tape to keep me paying attention and not distracting others.
In life we are always giving our attention to something…
If there is ever a moment when we don’t have something taking up our attention we pull out and give it our attention
We pay attention to a lot of things
Have y’all ever ordered something online? When you do how often do you pay attention to the tracking link?
We pay attention to a lot of things. Things that feel important, things that we care about, and if we are honest sometimes we don’t even know why we are paying attention to them we just do.
You lay down after school and look up two hours later realizing you’ve been doomscrolling, pay attention to the reels for hours.
I’m not saying reels are bad, or anything like that, but what we give our attention to matters.
You know how social media makes its money? You know why its free? Because they are selling your attention to advertisers. People who want to convince you to believe something, to buy something, or to be a part of something.
So much of this world is calling for our attention and the author of Hebrews is pleading with us, and I am pleading with you, to pay attention to the right things.
Let’s Pray….
This being the first week of the series let’s start with some context for Hebrews.
Don’t know who the author is
written to jews or hebrews
It seems that the letter was written in response to this group coming under persecution, threatened with imprisonment, and this saw many believers leaving the faith, walking away from the truth of Christ.
So what we will see throughout Hebrews is the Author making the case that Christ is the center of everything. And as he makes this argument, he is going to try and convince them that Jesus is the most important thing to pay attention to. If you are going to pay attention to anything, make sure its jesus.
Let’s dive in.
Hebrews 1:1–2 (ESV)
Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son,
So first point we see the author make is that in previous generations, God had spoken to his people through the prophets, we remember this right? Think of Isaiah, Amos, Elijah but NOW God has spoken by his Son. Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 1:2–4 (ESV)
whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.
This jesus is:
Heir of all things
Creator of all things
The radiance of the Glory of God
The exact imprint of his nature
The one who upholds the universe
So this Jesus is a big deal. Here we see the author stressing a point he does not want the audience to miss. Jesus is not just another prophet, Jesus is not just some good dude, Jesus is not simply a really holy man metaphorically referred to as the son of God, Jesus is the creator, Jesus the one who holds the universe together, Jesus is the exact imprint of God’s nature, Jesus radiates the Glory of God, in simple terms JESUS IS GOD.
Make no mistake. Jesus Christ is God in human flesh.
And the author continues…
Hebrews 1:3–4 (ESV)
After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
This Jesus has made atonement for our sins and now sits next to the Father in glory. Y’all this is amazing, and you will see this referred to several places today, this picture of Jesus sitting at the right hand of the father.
What is the significance of this, The author goes into detail on later in Hebrews saying Jesus is not only our sacrifice, but he is our great high priest. Remember the priest was the mediator between God and man he would make sacrifices to atone for the sins of man, but Jesus is a greater high and the lamb. The sacrifice and the mediator.
So Jesus, God himself took on flesh, to be the lamb of God sent for the sins of the world and now he sits as our great high priest next to the father so when the father looks at us in all our brokeness and sin, Jesus leans over and says look at me the Lamb I have paid their debt in full and the father looks on us with the fullness of love.
Man this is good news.
having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.
Eternally existing as a member of the trinity. and he is Greater than the angels.
Now we might think, of course Jesus is greater than the angels. That seems obvious to us.
But, the Jews in Jesus time we obsessed with angels. It may have been the thing they argued most about. See in the old testament, the angles often delivered the word of God and so to the Jews Angles are the messengers of God.
It was an angel who appeared to Abraham and Sarah telling them they would have a son, it was an angel who appeared to moses giving him the law, it was the angel Gabriel who appeared before Daniel, it was Angels who warned lot to leave sodom. Angels are a big deal, they bring the message of God.
And so, if Jesus is greater than the angels, if Jesus is superior to the angels the messengers of God, then his message must be greater. He is a greater messenger bringing a greater message, if you are a jew you are thinking what could be a greater message than the law given to moses, the promise given to abraham, and the author of Hebrews wanting to tell us that the gospel of Jesus Christ, the gospel that says God took on human flesh, atoning for our sins as the lamb defeating death and grave is seated now next to the father, forever mediating on our behalf , that is a greater message.
That is a greater message from a greater messenger.
So now the author is going to try and prove that Christ really is this greater messenger with the greatest news. The author does it by using 7 quotations from the old testament.
Mostly these quotations are from the psalms that point to Jesus. It may seem complex but really it’s not, focus on following his argument.
For to which of the angels did God ever say,
“You are my Son,
today I have begotten you”?
Or again,
“I will be to him a father,
and he shall be to me a son”?
Well he has said that to none of the angels. None of the angels are Sons of God
And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says,
“Let all God’s angels worship him.”
So angels are supposed to worship Jesus. Well then he must really be this greater messenger with a greater message.
Of the angels he says,
“He makes his angels winds,
and his ministers a flame of fire.”
But of the Son he says,
“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,
the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.
But of the son, he rules it all.
You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has anointed you
with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.”
That is sounding different than angels. Now listen to this beauty:
And,
“You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning,
and the heavens are the work of your hands;
The angles did not make the heavens, but Jesus was the words God spoke in creation
they will perish, but you remain;
they will all wear out like a garment,
like a robe you will roll them up,
like a garment they will be changed.
But you are the same,
and your years will have no end.”
The angels were created, but Jesus is creator he was and always will be
And the final nail in the coffin:
And to which of the angels has he ever said,
“Sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”?
None of them.
See the author uses these old testament passages to say look, this messiah come, and he truly has brought the greatest message the world has ever known.
Furthermore:
Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?
These angels delivered a message that was important, but it was all pointing to the eternal salvation we have in Christ Jesus. In other words, it has always been about Christ. All the previous messages and messengers have been pointing to this one great message that Christ has come and in him is life, and life eternal.
So what?
Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.
This message is the greatest, most important message, this Jesus is what it is all about, and so we need to pay attention so we don’t drift away.
Hebrews 2:2–3 (ESV)
For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?
If the messages of the angels were true, like the message to lot leave sodom and dont look back or you will be turned into salt, if the disobedience led to a just retribution, then we better not neglect the truth of this greater message, or we will face a just retribution. We better not turn from the truth of Jesus Christ.
So the author is very concerned with his people paying attention to this greater message. He doesn’t want them to fall away.
And listen I have no doubt you pay attention to the message of Christ. You are here right now. Notice what the Author of Hebrews says.
Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.
I don’t care how much you are paying attention to Christ
And you may say well I pay attention to Christ, notice the WE. expound
When we pay attention to something we know that thing past, present, and future. We track that thing over time.
We understand what the trends on social media wer in the past, what they are now, and we try to be ahead for what the trends will be
We do the same thing with fashion styles, we pay attention to our sports teams their stats, trades, performance, we pay attention to these things past present and future,
The Author of Hebrews wants us to pay attention to the message of Jesus Christ in the same way. The message of jesus in the past present and future, thats what it means to pay attention and It is what the letter of Hebrews is all about, I can prove it to you, he’s still talking about it in Chapter 12
Hebrews 12:1–2 (ESV)
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Notice how the author describes this paying attention, as past present and future, we look, we pay attention to jesus the founder of our faith, it was Jesus who saved in the past, we run the race before us in the present paying attention to Jesus as we endure today, and we look, we pay attention to Jesus the perfecter of our faith, the one who will sanctify us and finish the work he has begun.
And so here we have this call to pay attention. To not just pay attention to Christ when we gave our life to him, we are called to pay attention to him now and forever
So many of us miss out on all of the goodness of God because we know what we were saved from in that past, but we don’t know what we were saved for in the present and future
Listen it is so important to recognize what we were saved from, SO IMPORTANT, we were saved from death and eternity in hell and that is an amazing thing
AND Christ also want’s to save you from the cost of falling asleep at the wheel, in the present. That is the LEST WE DRIFT AWAY Hebrews 2:1
Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.
This reality of being saved from is a past, PRESENT, and future reality, hence why we need to pay attention. God doesn't just want to save you from death and eternity in hell, he wants to save you from the present and future consequences of living a life of sin, a life that goes against God’s good design.
In March a cargo ship crashed into a big Bridge in Baltimore. What was wild about the crash is that everyone knew it was coming, They knew almost 120 seconds beforehand that the bridge was very possibly going to be hit.
See a cargo ship is not NIMBLE, nor is it easily controllable. By the time the cargo ship knew there was a problem, there simply was not enough time to prevent the collision.
A lot of us think we are more nimble than we actually are.
See you deciding to sin with your boyfriend or girlfriend is not something that happens overnight, you getting drunk at a party is not something that just happens, you failing classes in school, you sneaking out behind your parents back, you crying in your room because you are paying to much attention to what other people look like, say and do
These things don’t just happen, you slowly stop paying attention to Christ, and your focus shifts to things that will lead you into sin and the consequences you will have to face for that.
See God has saved you from hell, but he also want’s to save you from the consequences of your sin. So pay attention.
And let me remind if you this morning are feeling the weight of the consequences of your sin, remember, Christ paid the debt for your sin and he is seated at the right hand of the father mediating on your behalf and nothing is ever too far gone for God to restore it.
And I want to encourage you, nothing you have done, nothing God has saved you from, negates what God has saved you for.
There is such a thing as a healthy fear of what you are being saved from in paying attention to the message of Christ.
At the same time, we want to balance that with a very healthy serving of what we are saved FOR.
You are saved for love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self control you were saved for a purpose, good works which God has prepared ahead of time, you were saved for a peace that surpasses all understanding, for a relationship with the father that guards your heart and mind in Christ Jesus, you were saved for a healthy marriage and family, God-honoring children, a legacy of faith, you were saved for the sake of your neighbors and the broken and hurting, you were saved to be a light in a dark and fading world, you were saved for the glory of god and to enjoy him forever.
You were saved from so much, AND you were saved FOR so much. So pay attention or you will miss out.
God doesn’t promise a life that is perfect with money and health and all those things, but he promises you so much that will satisfy you no matter what situation you find yourself in.
I know that can all seem like something a pastor would say, but trust me a life following God is so much better than a life following this world. God made life, he made you and me, and as wade puts it “he knows what leads to human flourishing” and so a life lived in line with what God has saved you for truly is the place where your soul finds its most satisfied position.
The writers of the new testament wrote really beautiful passages about jesus.
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,
Man this is so good, its beautiful.
We see this language reflected in John 1 as well, in this magnificent description of Jesus as the word of God
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Throughout the new testament we get these captivating descriptions of Christ. What these writers are trying to articulate to these new followers of Christ is LOOK, PAY ATTENTION, LOOK CHRIST HAS COME, PAY ATTENTION
There are trying to captivate us, to pull us in to the beauty that is Christ Jesus.
They are trying to tell us that there is so much more for us if we would pay attention to Jesus.
They had so looked upon christ, they had so paid attention to Christ that Christ became to them the greatest object of their affection.
What we pay attention to becomes what we think about, the decisions we make, the things we do, the words we say, the things we worry about.
And so we talk about in Church this list of things we should do, read our bibles, pray, go to church, yes we should do those things, and really what those things are is paying attention to Christ.
When we read our bibles we are paying attention to the heart of Christ, when we pray we are paying attention to Christ work in our lives, when we go to church we are paying attention to the Body of Christ, spiritual disciples are ways that we pay attention to Christ they remind us what we are saved from and what we are saved for.
So my prayer for myself and for you, for us is that we would be the kind of people who, for the sake of our families, our neighbors and ourselves, PAY ATTENTION to Christ, walking in the fullness of what Jesus saved us from and what he has saved us for for.
So here’s your application point, find some way to pay much more attention to Christ. In your life, in your family, in your community. Set your gaze upon him. Pay Attention.
I promise there is not a greater message in the news, there is not a greater message in the markets, there is not a greater message in your DMs, Jesus is the greatest message.
And so our lives and our families must be centered on this greatest message.
SPIRIT LEAD
I long for my heart and yours to be so consumed with Christ…as I was meditating on this passage this week these lyrics kept coming to mind.
In the morning when I rise, give me jesus, you can have all this world, just give me Jesus.
Just give me Jesus. So I leave you with this..
let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Let’s pray.
