Sermon notes from Sunday 2 September 2018 pm
Hebrews 2 verses 1 - 9
"Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip" verse 1
The Lord does not want selective hearing. We need to give the earnest heed to this today. This is a book written to a group of Jewish men and women who had come to the knowledge of saving faith in Christ Jesus. They reallised deep down in their souls they had sinned, were shapen in iniquity. The ritual they were carrying out week after week would never atone for their sins. When they heard that Jesus came into the world and died on the cross for their sin they turned away from the gods they served and trusted Christ as Saviour. They were now under extreme pressure and turning away from faith. Some of them are losing their livelihoods, families for the sake of the Lord. This word comes to them at a very prominent time. Take heed to the things they had heard, hold onto them and keep them. Satan doesn`t forget about you when you get saved, when you trust the Lord as Saviour. Satan is on you until you take the last breath in your body. He will try to discourage you, defeat you, bring so much to you. God says take heed to what you have already heard. In the word of God where is the danger - "lest at any time time we should let them slip."
The greatest privilege for you and I. "which we have heard" When the Lord gathered that faithful band of disciples before he was taken up into heaven he gave them the great commission. He told them to go into all the world and preach the gospel. What a privilege to hear the gospel especially when we are sinners and on the way to a lost hell. Then someone comes to us, shows us we need not be condemned but we can be saved. It is a wonderful privilege to hear that message. They were to tell men and women of their lost condition. We will never look to be saved until we realise we are lost in sin, unless we come to Christ, realise we are lost, on that broad road that leads to hell and destruction. The disciples were to tell the people there was one mediator between God and man. There is one way to heaven. That is through Jesus` own blood shed on Calvary. Someone said the bible is like a telescope. When you look through it you see the worlds beyond. As we read the word of God we can see eternity beyond. If we merely look at the word of God that is all we see. Nothing about eternity, just God`s word. Remember how Paul answered in Romans 3 verse 1 "what advantage then hath the Jew?" Paul said "much every way chiefly because that unto them were committed the oracles of God." What a privilege to hear this wonderful message. Paul said to the Jewish people what a privilege you had. You first received the oracles of God, were given the inspired word of God. Mary listened to the angel when told she would have a baby. She listened and took it to heart. Joseph also received a message. It was sure and steadfast. We need to give a similar good hearing to the word of God. In Acts 10 Cornelius had a great privilege. God heard his prayers and sent an angel right into his house. God took note and was pleased with the works of this man`s hands. That didn`t save him. The angel said "send for Peter he will tell you words whereby you might be saved." What a privilege we have to hear the gospel message heralded from every corner in our province.
The greatest priority. The writer wants us to hear "give more earnest heed". We have heard the greatest mistake. When Cornelius received that heavenly visitor on that day he didn`t leave it like Agrippa. Agrippa said "I will leave this until a more convenient season". He wanted to hear him again. When that message came to Cornelius he gathered all his family and servants together. He sent for Peter in Joppa, nearly 30 miles away. He realised his soul was in the balance. Your soul can also lie in the balance as God directs you to Calvary and what you do with Christ. It was Cornelius who made that decision. The angel told him what to do but he had to act on that word. He had to think for a moment whether he should send for him straight away or not. He sent his servants immediately to Joppa to contact Peter and to come back to him as quickly as possible. As we look to Christ suffering and bleeding for us on Calvary we have to ask the question "what am I going to do, wait and act another day or not?" Jesus spoke of the sower going out to sow the seed. He likened that to the man or woman sowing the seed of the word of God. He said to those who heard "be careful of what you hear and be careful how you hear it." There can be a danger of hearing the word of god that is able to make you wise unto salvation. We need to be careful of how we hear. You can hear without a great priority. You can be thinking of what you are going to do tomorrow or what you were doing yesterday but you need to careful how you ought to hear - "give the more earnest heed to the things you hear." Amos chapter 8 "behold the days come when I will send a famine of hearing the words of God."
The greatest peril. "lest at any time we should let them slip." The wording is that of a boatman and he is making for the harbour and into safety. As he comes along with his boat he falls asleep and instead of taking the turn to the harbour he drifts on past out into the angry sea. Are we drifting on the sea of this old world? Another picture here is used of a pot not holding in water, it is leaking. It is the same illustration God is giving here. We should give the earnest heed lest at any time we should let them slip. Hebrews 4 verse 2 many have heard the finest preachers and the most powerful sermons but not saved - why - because we have slipped past. We haven`t realised it was for us. A decision needs to be made. Have we allowed the things of God to slip from us? It is possible that we haven`t applied them to our hearts yet and they have slipped away? These things are slipping away from you. There was a time when you were sold out for God, studying the bible and seeking the Lord, liked to come and congregate with the people of God but now over time things have slipped from you. What a peril - of letting things slip.
The greatest price. Toying about with the word of God. We shall pay the greatest price if we allow these things to slip away from us. We will pay it with our souls in a lost eternity.
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