Don't ignore the warning signs!

OPEN: Driving to Charleston in my Grand Am from Stony Point. The alternator light came on before I started. Wasn’t sure what it meant, but the car was running and everything still worked, so off I went.

The car started cutting out on I-26 with the traffic running about 75 mph. I pulled off, but when the car started, I got back on - almost got run over when it started shutting down.

Transition: Ignoring the warning signs on a car is not smart and can end up costing more money and / or getting hurt. Ignoring God’s warning signs is even more dangerous! God puts the warning signs out to get our attention! We need to heed them!!

Read the Text: Hebrews 2:1-4

Intro to the Warning Passages

A unique feature of Hebrews is the collection of warning passages. The warning passages are designed to reinforce the theme of the book, and that theme is Jesus is Superior and there is nothing to go back to. The writer builds his case with a repetitive pattern: he discusses an aspect of Jesus’ nature or His work as Redeemer, and then relates how this proves the excellency of Christ. He then follows that teaching with a warning. In essence, he teaches about Jesus and then says, “Pay attention to what I just told you - it is really important! There are five (5) warning passages in the book, and taken together, they form a very powerful method of reminding the listeners to stay on track.

The Church is to heed (follow) the teaching it has been given (Hebrews 2:1)

Explanation: This chapter begins with the word therefore, which serves as a call to action. Because of these previous things, you are to do such and such - so the reader is encouraged to look back to discover the content so they can act accordingly. In the first chapter, the author of Hebrews shares the inspired truth that Jesus is better than angels. Jesus is better because He is the Eternal Son of God, the Creator of everything, the One who holds together the creation, and the only One who was capable of paying the sin debt for Humanity. In summary, Jesus is THE most excellent and the only One worthy of our worship!

Therefore, because of the Truth of who Jesus IS and what He has accomplished, the readers are to pay attention! Not only are they called to “hear” the message, they are to “heed it!” This means to hold on to it, to embrace it and cherish it.

Here is the first warning: if we do not hold these truths tightly we will drift away from them.

Illustrate: being in the ocean. Go out about 30 yards in the ocean and just float. Pick a landmark on the beach (someone’s umbrella) and see what happens. In a few moments you will be down the beach from where you started.

Argument: There is no neutral in the Christian life. We are either moving forward or we are sliding back. The world system is actively seeking to derail those with convictions based on spiritual truth. Believers are called to understand the serious pull from the world system and to resist it.

What happens to those who choose to ignore the warning signs?

Ignoring the Warning has consequences (2-3a)

Explanation: The writer of Hebrews tells his audience that ignoring (or neglecting) the truth has consequences. “Neglect means literally without care and thus showing no concern. To be careless. To be unconcerned about or to care nothing for something or someone. It is to recognize but to ignore, to know but to fail to do, to admit but not to administer.” (preceptaustin.org/hebrews_23, accessed on 11/13/25)

Illustrate: Snow skiing resorts have trails for different skill levels: Blue for beginner, green for intermediate, and black diamonds for advanced. All the trails, however are marked with boundaries. Some skiers choose to go OB and many of those end up getting hurt or even killed.

Argument: The original audience of this message was a church that had members who were giving serious thought of leaving the New Covenant of the Christian faith and going back to the shadows and copies contained in the Old Covenant. They were neglecting the truths they had learned concerning Christ. Some had already departed and others were starting to drift. and once started, it was easier to move further and further away.

Why were they thinking of going backwards? Why were they considering turning away from Jesus and the Christian faith? It is very possible they were thinking about this because of the cost of following Jesus. Salvation is totally of God and it is based on the finished work of Christ on the Cross as our substitute - it is indeed a free gift! But make no mistake, there IS a cost involved in living for Jesus. Jesus was the One who said, “whosever will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” (Mark 8:34)

Living for Jesus is THE very best choice for your life. Belonging to Jesus is well worth any persecution or hardship or suffering that we may face in this life.(Romans 8:18). The Christ-follower is, however, called to a live a life that is different from those in the world and THIS is where the warning signs come into play.

The writer reminds his listeners that under the old covenant that sins were punishable. An Israelite could choose to ignore the law and do whatever he or she wanted. And many of them did just that - the OT is full of accounts of God’s people doing what they wanted instead of what He had commanded. Because God is Holy and Just, the people were punished for their disobedience!

The writer presents a lesser to greater argument to inform his audience about their own danger. If God brought judgment on the members of the Old Covenant communion for their rebellion, how much more severe will be God’s judgment on us who have the greater revelation through Christ? We have the privilege of the revelation of Christ, we have the eyewitness testimony of the apostles, we have the witness of 2,000 years of Church history AND we have the ongoing ministry of the Holy Spirit!

Conclusion:

What is the take away from the text? Don’t allow the influences of a hostile culture to lead you away from Christ. Bible-believing and Christ-honoring churches in America are coming under the increasingly wrathful gaze of the secular elites along with the ever leftward leaning, liberal arm of evangelicalism. Being a Christian with biblical convictions WILL lead towards persecution.

Along with persecution comes a thinning of the ranks. It is always easier to “go along to get along.” The temptation to compromise, to just slide a bit here and there, to accept unbiblical behavior without causing a fuss will increase. After all, what’s the point in getting others riled up by standing firm on biblical convictions when we can just “love and accept” everybody and everything?

The point is that Jesus is Supreme and He gets to set the standard. He is the One make the call. As Dietrich Boenhoeffer put it, “when Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die.” (The Cost of Discipleship)

Application:

Let each of us have the same attitude as Peter, when he was questioned by Jesus about his intentions. Jesus had been teaching some hard truths with the result that many of those who had been following Him turned away and left (John 6:66). Jesus looked at the 12 disciples and asked, “Will ye also go away?” Listen carefully to Peter as he answered for the group: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” (John 6:68)