Hebrews #03: from Hebrews 2:1-4. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, April 13, 2014.
Intro:
We are in a time of crisis. Southern Baptist are in a period of sharp decline. Our numbers reflect those of the early 1970’s. We have bigger and better facilities, we have more money than ever before, greater means of communication yet attendance and membership are in free-fall. If we were to take the time most everyone of you could name people, friends, family who were once very active in the church who now seldom if ever walk through the door. Southern Baptists boast 16,000,0000 members but are lucky if 4,000,000 are in church on any given Sunday. 900 Baptist Churches closed their doors last year. Unfortunately we are not alone in our struggle. Churches of every stripe are in decline. The Church’s voice, once dominate in our culture, is now just one of many voices – and perhaps the least listen to. This is a truth that grieves me. Is your heart broken? Are you burdened by these facts? I’m burden because the name and the fame of our God is despised. I’m grieved because God is not honored as God. I’m also heart-broken because if you listen you can hear the faint rumblings of a gathering storm. That storm just beyond the horizon will bring great devastation. As the winds begin to blow, when the rain falls – I’m wondering if there will be any left standing? Having neglected their souls, having drifted from the moorings of their faith, where will they stand?
Spiritual neglect is not a recent phenomenon. Before the end of the first century our Lord instructed John the beloved to write to 7 churches in Asia Minor. He said to the church at Laodicea, “I wish you were either hot or cold. You are luke-warm and I want to spew you out of my mouth.” He said to the church at Ephesus, “You have abandoned your first love.” Within a generation of the founding of the church there were those who had lost their way. The author of Hebrews, less than a generation from the ascension, wrote, “How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?” Within 40 years of the cross there were those who had abandoned the faith and others who were on the verge of walking away. We are called to a Gospel work. Part of the Gospel is to warn of the peril of spiritual neglect. Our text this morning is found in the opening words of the 2nd chapter of Hebrews.
Text: Hebrews 2:1-4
Note our text begins with a “therefore.”
When you come upon a therefore you must ask, “What’s that there for?”
It means this warning in chapter 2 must be understood in light of chapter 1.
In light of God’s ultimate, final word in the person of the Lord Jesus…
Who is:
- Heir of all things
- Creator of all things
- The radiance/effulgence/shining forth of God’s glory
- The exact imprint of His nature
- Who has made purification for our sins
- The Son
- Who alone is to be worshiped
- Whose kingdom will have no end
- Who is eternally the same/unchanging
- Who is the sovereign ruler of all
“…we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift from it.”
The message of the biblical writer is clear…
Thesis: Biblical faith demands constant vigilance and determined commitment to the faith embraced.
The Gospel is the glorious good news that if you repent of your sins and trust in Christ and in him alone you will be saved. Once you are his you forever remain his but be careful. This is not “one and done.” I’m not saying, “You walked the aisle, signed the card, got dunked in water and you’re done.” Biblical faith, saving faith, is an active persevering faith.
There are three things I want to call to your attention from this text.
- The biblical writer warns of the peril of spiritual neglect. (2:2-4)
- The biblical writer underscores the insidious nature of such neglect. (2:3, 1)
- The biblical writer provides us the antidote for such neglect. (2:1)