58 Preaching teaching/ Hebrews 2: Beware of Wandering

Hebrews 2:1-4

“Beware” of Wandering from God

Such a great Salvation

FCF-Just like the Jewish believers who were in jeopardy of drifting from their Salvation, believers today are just as prone to drift from their salvation.

A. Foundational Elements

1. Sermon Title (in quotation marks; headline capitalization style): “Beware of Wandering”

2. Text: Hebrews 2:1-4

3. Central Idea of the Text (CIT) or Essence of the Text in a Sentence (ETS)

[A past-tense statement interpreting what the text meant in its historical context.] The author of Hebrews warned his audience of the danger of drifting from their salvation and the consequences of doing so.

4. Proposition or Essence of the Sermon in a Sentence (ESS) [A present- or future-tense, one-sentence application of the CIT to the contemporary context]: The author of Hebrews exhorts us to listen very carefully to the truth we have heard.

5. Purpose or Thesis [A brief statement of what the speaker specifically hopes to accomplish in the lives of the primary audience with this particular message on this particular occasion]: Hearers will preach the gospel to themselves daily because they are in danger of drifting away.

B. Formal Elements

Introduction: Brief paragraph of introduction.

The assignment Jesus had while on Earth is now every Christian’s assignment. Jesus saves us and then we are sent out as His followers to continue what Jesus started. The Great Commission is not the Great Suggestion. Our assignment is mandatory.

We must listen carefully to the truth of the Gospel because

Main Points:

I. Drifting away is possible [may] – (Hebrews 2:1) “Drifting away”

1. Jesus commanded every person to make disciples – “as you are going.” 2. Sharing Jesus is our personal assignment.

II. Drifting away is punishable – (Hebrews 2:2-3) “O.T Serious this is better and more serious consequences”

1. Jesus defined the limits of our assignment.

2. The limit is that there is no limit – “all ethna.”

III. Drifting away is preventable – (Hebrews 2:3-4) “Go and make disciples of every nation, baptizing them....teaching them.”

1. Jesus simplified every Christian’s assignment – “them.”

2. All of us have “thems” we can influence.

Conclusion: Brief paragraph of conclusion.

Rick Warren’s father’s last words – “Got to win one more for Jesus.”

Intro:

Story at New Life Church-Pastor was awesome

Later that month it came out that he was in serious homosexual affair and involved in drugs

Contrast Laura Nabholz-how she has walked with so many ladies in BSF and her church and taught them how to walk with Jesus for a lifetime and has modeled it right in front of them.

Greats in the Bible had times where they drifted away

Moses murdered a man

David had an affair and murdered

The list could go on and on

Peter drifted many a times-denied Jesus-Lived hypocritically

Tonight we are going to see that the author is going to give these Hebrews who were in Danger of turning away from Christ and back to their old ways

In other words they were in Danger from drifting away.

We all know people who were on fire for Jesus and now they would not even claim to know Christ. They have drifted away.

This is the first warning passage in Hebrews-There are other ones as well.

Chapter 2

Hebrews 2:1–4 NASB95

For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it. For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty, how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will.

Three great reasons we need to listen closely to the truth of the gospel:

The first reason is-

1. The first reason we need to listen carefully is because we are all prone to wander(1).

We drift when we forget how superior Christ is.

Sing the Hymn-prone to wander Lord I hear it prone to leave the God i love. Take my heart lord take and seal it seal it for they courts above.

O to grace how great a debtor

Daily I’m constrained to be!

Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,

Bind my wandering heart to Thee.

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,

Prone to leave the God I love;

Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,

Seal it for Thy courts above.

This is the very reason we need the gospel-

We have wandered

He rescued us

Therefore-

God’s final revelation is in Jesus: it was who the father made the world, radiance of his glory, the exact representation of his nature, upholds all things by the world of his power, he forgives us, He sat down on the majesty of high, he is greater than the angels He is the fulfillment of the Old Testament, he is king, he has a righteous scepter and much more.

Because this is true the author tells us we need to not forget how superior Jesus is.

31.47 ἐπέχωb; προσέχωc: to hold firmly to a particular belief—‘to hold firmly to, to continue to believe.’

‘that is why we must hold on all the more firmly to what we have heard’ He 2:1.

-The result of not paying closer attention is that they will drift away (1).

-The author commands the audience to pay close attention (v.1).

How do avoid drifting?

What is drifting away here

He 2:1 as ‘so that we will not gradually give up believing what we have believed in the past.’

Make sure you are a possessor and not just a professor

If you would have asked me if I was a Christian in High school I would have said yes

there are so many who can even articulate the gospel who do not know Jesus Christ

UCA shared with a guy who went to Chuck Swindolls Church, he could not even explain the gospel

Listen carefully and apply to God’s word

We need to listen very Carefully

We all have studied for a test before and memorized a bunch of information that meant nothing to us only to forget it a day later.

Or for me I have asked my kids to do something and they did not hear a word of what I said, maybe I asked them to clean up their room before i get back and then I get back and the room looks worst than it did before I leave.

We don’t read our Bibles like this or we don’t read them at all.

We can’t listen closely if we don’t know what God says.

Observation + interpretation - application = Abortion

Pay close attention

to pay close attention to someth., pay attention to, give heed to, follow

Eternal Security-

If you are a believer Satan knows this so he wants to keep you from running the race that God has for your life.

God has a race and because we are secure in his hands should encourage us to run it better not discourage it.

“God wants his people to pay such close attention to what He has spoken through His Son (1:2) that they do not drift away. Perhaps these words were origianlly written to warn Hebrew Christians against the possibility of stagnation in their Christian growth. The text does not teach that believers can lose their faith.”

Satan wants you to make something greater in your life than Jesus.

Relationship

Iphone

Fill in the blank

Illustration:

When I was a in my senior year in College I was lethargic in Basketball-

Reasons

Team was not playing as good as we could of

it had become a job

I wasn’t playing as well as I could have

My career was almost don

Sometimes we are lethargic in our spiritual walk and we are not motivated to fulfill our calling of what God has called us to:

“The author is concerned that the readers not “drift away” or “ignore” (v.3) the message of God’s great salvation through Christ. They were lethargic and needed to hold fast to their confession.”

Application:

Are you sure that you have trusted in the salvation that is only in Jesus Christ?

If not today is your day

What has the potential to be greater in your life than Jesus right now?

Jeff Cade was in danger of drifting away-

Michael’s Soccer

A year in he realized he was not in Church and as a result was not listening Carefully

Results he said no more

Shares the gospel

Josie-Poem

Have you been drifting away?

What is your plan to listen carefully this week?

Have you wandered from the love of God-

How can you tell are you still passionate about loving God and loving others. What about discipling others.

The Second great reasons we need to listen closely to the truth of the gospel:

2. The second reason we need to listen carefully is because the gospel affects yours and those around you’s eternity—(2-3)

2 For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty,

3 how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? (NASB)

Exegesis:

-Another reason they need to pay closer attention is because the message declared by angels proved to be reliable and every transgression/disobedience received a just penalty (1-2)

-He compares the just penalty in the past to what they will experience if they neglect such a great salvation? (great to greater argument)

The Ten commandments show the holiness of God-That he is set a part and greater than us.

Numbers 15:35 NASB95

Then the Lord said to Moses, “The man shall surely be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp.”

I tell my kids that in the OT if you disrespect your parents you would be stoned.

NEGLECT

30.50 ἀμελέω: to not think about, and thus not respond appropriately to—‘to neglect, to disregard, to pay no attention to.’ οἱ δὲ ἀμελήσαντες ἀπῆλθον ‘but they paid no attention and left’ Mt 22:5; μὴ ἀμέλει τοῦ ἐν σοὶ χαρίσματος ‘do not neglect the spiritual gift that is in you’ 1 Tm 4:14; πῶς ἡμεῖς ἐκφευξόμεθα τηλικαύτης ἀμελήσαντες σωτηρίας; ‘how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?’ He 2:3.

How do we neglect our salvation?

We need to be honest if we really know Jesus Christ

What if I would have had this time when I experienced Jesus and then 5 years later I was telling people you are saved by your works.

Am I really saved-God knows but I sure hope I would really evaluate where I am with jesus Christ.

There is a serious consequence if we do not know jesus

There is hell

We think about it has past or future and not here and now

Such a great salvation he has risen from the dead he is still alive

He has saved us

He is saving us

he will save us.

We don’t realize what we are missing out on

Illustration:

What Mr Holland would have missed out on

Final scene from the movie all the lives he had impacted.

Application:

Do you know that you know where you are going?

Rick Gage with coach Conque

Do you affirm the seriousness and reality of Hell?

Jesus talked about hell more than he did heaven.

Are you inviting others with you to such a great salvation?

The one thing you can’t do in heaven

3. The third reason we need to listen carefully is because it is true—(3-4).

Explanation:

The author gives us 3 witnesses

a. Jesus

Who would die for a lie

b. Apostles-They are legally liable

c. Gifts of the Spirit

My life looked really good on the outside before Jesus but I was going straight to hell

Because we are prone to drift away from such a great salvation we must pay close attention. (1)

Because we are prone to drift away from such a great salvation we must realize the seriousness of disobedience. (2-3)

Argue from lesser to greater

Because we are prone to drift away from such a great salvation we must be confident in God’s works in history (4).

Illustration:

Application:

Observations:

Command must listen to something very carefully that they had heard in the past

Present, Active, Infinitive

Verb ‘greek'

to pay close attention to someth., pay attention to, give heed to, follow

ⓐ w. dat. of pers. (Polyb. 6, 37, 7; Cass. Dio 58, 23, 2; Diog. L. 1, 49; Jos., Bell. 1, 32, Ant. 8, 34; 264) τῷ ἐπισκόπῳ IPhld 7:1; IPol 6:1. τοῖς προφήταις ISm 7:2. Cp. Ac 8:10f. πρ. τοῖς φυσιοῦσίν με pay heed to those who puff me up ITr 4:1. πρ. πνεύμασι πλάνοις 1 Ti 4:1.

ⓑ w. dat. of thing προσεῖχε τῷ πετάλῳ τοῦ ἱερέως he (Joachim) took note of the priest’s frontlet GJs 5:1. Heed words or instruction (Mnesimachus Com. [IV b.c.] 4, 21 πρόσεχʼ οἷς φράζω; Plut., Mor. 362b; PPetr II, 20 II, 1 τῇ ἐπιστολῇ; 1 Macc 7:11; Jos., Ant. 8, 241 τ. λόγοις; TestZeb 1:2; Just., D. 10, 1; Tat. 12, 3; Ath. 7, 3) πρ. τοῖς λεγομένοις ὑπὸ τοῦ Φιλίππου pay attention to what was said by Philip Ac 8:6 (λέγω 1bκ); cp. 16:14. πρ. μύθοις (Ps.-Plut., Pro Nobilitate 21, end τοῖς Αἰσωπικοῖς μύθοις προσέχοντες) 1 Ti 1:4; Tit 1:14.—Hb 2:1; 2 Pt 1:19. ἐμαῖς βουλαῖς 1 Cl 57:5 (Pr 1:30); cp. 57:4 (Pr 1:24; w. dat. τοῖς λόγοις to be supplied).—1 Cl 2:1; 2 Cl 19:1; MPol 2:3. (τούτοις) ἃ ἐνετείλατο προσέχετε B 7:6.—Mid. attach oneself to, cling to w. dat. of thing (lit. and fig. Trag., Hdt.+) εἴ τις μὴ προσέχεται ὑγιαίνουσιν λόγοις 1 Ti 6:3 v.l.

ⓒ abs. pay attention, be alert, notice (Demosth. 21, 8; Diod S 20, 21, 2 οὐδεὶς προσεῖχεν; PMagd 22, 5 [221 b.c.]; Sir 13:13) 2 Cl 17:3; B 4:9; B 7:9. προσέχετε ἀκριβῶς pay close attention 7:4. Foll. by indir. question: πῶς 7:7. τί 15:4. προσέχετε ἵνα see to it that 16:8.—προσέχετε as v.l. for προσεύχεσθε Mt 5:44.

ⓓ ἐπὶ ταῖς θυσίαις αὐτοῦ οὐ προσέσχεν (God) took no notice of (Cain’s) sacrifices 1 Cl 4:2 (Gen 4:5).

He tells us that the result of them not listening is that they may drift away from it

παραρρέω, aor. -ερρύην (v. infr.): pf. -ερρύηκα (v. infr.):—flow beside, by, or past, τὴν Νίνον Hdt.2.150; τὰς Πλαταιάς Str.9.2.31; παρὰ πόλιν Hdt.6.20, etc.: abs., Hp.Aër.6: prov., ὕδωρ παραρρέει, of those who promise to spare no effort, Cratin.60, cf. Lib.Ep.109.2.

II. slip off or out, εἴ τί μοι τόξων .. παρερρύηκεν S.Ph.653; ὅτῳ μὴ παραρρυείη [ἡ χιών] whom it did not slip off, X.An.4.4.11: metaph., πολλὰ ὑμῖν παρέρρει many points escaped you, Pl.Lg.781a; φιλοσοφίαν καὶ ῥητορικὴν παρερρυηκυίας having disappeared from memory, Gp.Prooem.4.

Questions v1-what is the truth they have heard?

God has spoken through his son-

Of this great salvation

What does it mean to drift away from it?

If we don't pay close attention we can drift away-

How do people drift away today?

Dad-

V.2

The reason they need to be careful is because message delivered by angels has always stood firm

(Quite possible Jews thought angels were involved in giving the 10 commandments)

And

Every act of disobedience was punished

Words:

Always stood firm

Unalterable

Could this be connected to Gods word?

How was every act punished?

Stoning

V3

Great salvation

It was announced first by Jesus

Then by his witnesses "apostles"

Is this a lesser to greater argument

Trying to magnify Jesus

Escape what?

Words:

If we ignore

Neglect

Where is salvation found in the book of Hebrews:

Hebrews 1:14 NASB95

Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?

Hebrews 2:3 NASB95

how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard,

Hebrews 2:10 NASB95

For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings.

Hebrews 5:9 NASB95

And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation,

Hebrews 6:9 NASB95

But, beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you, and things that accompany salvation, though we are speaking in this way.

Things will only accompany salvation if we have salvation

Hebrews 9:28 NASB95

so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.

Hebrews 11:7 NASB95

By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

What is the punishment for those who turn there backs on Jesus? 

Are there examples in the book

V.4

Word

Confirmed past

How did God confirm?

Signs 

Wonders 

Miracles

Gifts of the Holy Spirit

Really illustrate the difference between 10 commandments and gospel

Application

Gene Getz Bible 1708-1709

Cut this out for another talk

I came to know Jesus Christ as Lord and savior my first year in college. I was on fire and reading my Bible all the time I could. There were two moments of challenge for me and the first one came my second semester. I started thinking to myself what happens to all the people who do not know Jesus Christ. [What about the sincere Muslim or buddhist}. So I researched and found that all other religions where about working your way to heaven. Christianity is the only faith where it is based off of Grace and faith.