Welcome.
Today is the first Sunday of the month and so we’ll take a few minutes to remember Him and His sacrifice for the sins of the world.
A sacrifice which we receive, by which we are saved from wrath, sin, hell, and the second death.
A sacrifice that takes us from being aliens and makes us sons and daughters of Glory.
A sacrifice that helps us overcome our flesh in ways pleasing to God almighty.
A sacrifice that us, justifies us, sanctifies us
And reconciles us once and for all to the invisible God.
His is a sacrifice that removes from us the demands of the Law, allowing us to be men and women who walk by faith, hope and love.
As a sacrifice of love, offered in love for God and Man, we receive of it in faith and then . . . LOVE in return.
Therein lies the difference between true believers and their God and the rest of the world . . . our love.
It is a love that says, “I do not come first – others do.” It’s a love that says, “Not my will God but thine be done.” It is a love that endures being misunderstood, a love that patiently undergoes injustice, a love that dies to the will of the flesh so as to walk in the spirit.
This love was evidenced in the life AND death of our Lord – who we remember now.
If you believe Jesus Christ lived on this earth, was taken by wicked hands, suffered and bled through crucifixion for the your sins and mine, died, and then rose from the dead on the third day, we invite you to come forward and freely partake of these elements representing His broken flesh and shed blood . . . for you.
Please, if you cannot get up here because you have limited mobility, raise your hand and I will bring these elements to you for our King.
If you are able and willing, we open this unleavened bread and wine to you. Take them and ingest them as you are moved.
We will play the music a few times through, sit in silent prayer, and then come back and sing praise before getting into our passages for today, which are ____________.
So let’s pray and then partake.
PRAYER
MUSIC
SILENT PRAYER TIME
Corporate Praise
All right, we left off FOUR weeks ago by ending our verse by verse of Hebrews chapter one.
We got ourselves sort of backed up over verse 13 and after coming out on the other side we’ve lost some regulars, I’ve been called a heretic and apostate, and I’ve even been threatened with some sort of “action.”
But let me reiterate, we not only seek but the Father seeks those who will worship Him in Spirit and (AND) truth.
Sometimes determining either one can be tough so I thank those of you who are still here with not being quick to anger.
Now in chapter one of Hebrews we read how the writer likened Jesus to prophets, to God Himself, and to angels.
This brings us to a sort of warning that is found in the first few verses of chapter three, which begins with “THEREFORE.”
I know you have all heard it before but where we come across a “Therefore,” in scripture we must ask ourselves, “Wherefore is there a therefore” or in more direct English,
“Why is the Therefore there?”
In this case, the writer of Hebrews has, in fourteen short verses, explained how wonderful Christ Jesus is (using a comparative analysis) and so he begins chapter two saying “Therefore.”
Therefore . . .
So let’s read the writers therefore together – verses 1-4 – and then we’ll get into discussing them.
Hebrews 2:1 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.
2 For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward;
3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;
Okay. Wow. Just when I thought I was out of the proverbial woods we are presented with another set of passages that take what is commonly taught by many today and turn them on their ear.
The Book of Hebrews is interesting because some claim it is a book that was written
ONLY to Jewish converts, and its contents do not apply to other converts because we have no ability to return to the Law.
ONLY written to Jewish believers who would go through the tribulation, hence the passages that speak of losing salvation.
But I would suggest that the Book was first written to Jewish converts who became Christians like anyone else and are therefore subject to the same dangers as the rest of us.
What dangers?
Well, this is where things can get a bit dicey.
See, to some – in fact a great many in the church today – salvation cannot be lost.
I would agree – we know right where we let it go.
For the proponents of “once saved always saved” (which is a modern way of echoing the Calvinist teaching that all true Saints will Persevere) a person who has been filled with the Holy Spirit cannot be “unfilled,” a person adopted by grace cannot be “unadopted,” etc. etc. etc.
The trouble with this teaching is so much of it is true.
We are His. We have been received by Him not of any of our own merits and so therefore cannot be unreceived by anything we do either.
Security in Christ is fundamental to all of Christiandom and cannot be diluted by scare or fear tactics employed by excitable men.
Saved by Grace Through Faith. Period. On this we stand.
However, as a means to promote this unconditional, gracious gift of God (which is a good promotion) there has been a tendency to go overboard with some biblical positions while ignoring others.
For example, the Book of Hebrews. Are these words to all men? Scripture for the benefit of all?
If so, how do we get around passages like what we are studying today?
How do we get around the plain and clear message of chapter three that is coming? Chapter six and chapter ten – which emphatically warn that a danger exists of walking from salvation.
And this is just the book of Hebrews?
Saved by grace through faith? Absolutely.
And from what I can tell, maintained by grace through faith.
Saved by His grace through our faith.
Maintained by His Grace through our faith.
Not our works of religious rites and rituals. Not by conformity of the flesh to external demands. Not having begun in the spirit being now perfected in the flesh.
Faith.
And if His grace was poured out on those possessing faith, I would strongly suggest that His grace will end IF faith ends.
Understand (so we don’t have more people walking out) this is NOT . . . IS NOT . . . IS NOT . . . faith that wavers, faith that fails in the short run, faith that question, wonders, doubts.
I don’t believe it is even faith that challenges God directly, like when believers ask in times of despair:
What are you doing?
Are you even there?
Do you even exist?
Such fluctuations come in the constant battle between the will of the flesh and the will of the Spirit.
No, we are talking about the complete and total desertion of faith. A void that, for whatever reason, looks to the heavens and says:
Done. Over.
Does God ever let us go? Never.
But I am certain, in the presence of so many contextual New Testament teachings, there are those who despite His allegiance and love, we run the risk of letting Him go.
And when this occurs, there, as Hebrews 10 says:
“ . . . there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.”
What on earth could POSSIBLY cause, or get, or entice a believer, spirit filled and an adopted son or daughter to abandon faith?
In my early babe years of Christianity I was so overwhelmed with Him and His protective love that I fought tooth and nail for the premise that there was nothing under the sun that could ever move me from faith.
Once saved always saved was one of fifteen or so of my favorite lines – especially in my work with the LDS.
Again, this is the difficulty of the teaching because in SO MANY WAYS it is true.
He does NOT abandon us when we falter or fail. Ours is not a salvation that is conditional upon perfection nor performance as every seasoned Christian knows that the author and finisher of our faith is Christ Jesus.
Alone. Period.
He did the work. He fulfilled the law out of perfect love for the Father and Man. He is our redeemer.
And we receive this by faith . . .(listen) . . . which is NOT a work.
James 2 makes this fact plain when the writer says, “Faith without works is dead,” differentiating (right there) between faith and works – they are different things.
So with Jesus as the author and finisher of our faith, we look to Him IN FAITH and hold fast.
The writer of Hebrews, as well as the teachings of Jesus, Peter, James, John, and certainly Paul, however, constantly give merit to the fact that faith can . . . lesson, abate, wain, and God forbid, disappear all together.
For this reason scripture is replete with warnings to the Saints. Some of them so emphatically placed it seems at times that disappearing faith is more common that we might imagine.
So what are some of the enemies to faith?
Scripture points to a number of them and here in Hebrew 2 we are presented with one of them.
Having been taught in the first chapter about how our Lord and Savior and King is better than a number of good things God has given man (administering angels and prophets) the writer then says
Hebrews 2:1 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.
“On account of this” (dia touto) “on account of the exalted dignity and rank of the Messiah, as stated in the previous chapter . . .” (beat)
“Since Christ, the Author and Finisher of this new dispensation and is so far exalted above the prophets, and even the angels, we ought to give the more earnest attention to all that has been spoken.”
To the things which we have heard.
Here the writer is saying that it is very important, with Christ being who He is, to give attention to all either Christ said and taught and/or his apostles.
Why the warning? What does the writer of Hebrews fear or what is the concern?
He tells us, saying:
“Lest at any time we should let them slip.”
This line, let them slip has been interpreted in a number of different ways over the centuries.
One scholar writes lest at any time the words run out as “leaking vessels.”
Tindal renders it this way, “lest we be split.”
Doddridge says, “Lest we let them flow out of our minds.”
Dr. Stuart translates it, “lest at any time we should slight them.”
Whitby writes, “that they may not entirely slip out of our memories.”
Part of the issue lies in the fact that the Greek word here used “pararrew” (par-ar-hroo-eh’-o) is only used ONCE in the entire New Testament.
And it combines the ideas of something “flowing by or out” and something “getting away.”
In the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament) the word is used once as well.
In Proverbs 3:21, which, in the H says:
“My son, let not them depart from thine eyes”
But the Greek reads
“Son, do not pass by, but keep my counsel.”
So what we have here is one single, solitary warning to the reader of Hebrews:
To give careful attention not to let the Words of God pass or flow or move by us without our taking notice of them all.
Bible scholar Passow says “the best way to understand this is we need to be careful to not let the words of God (given by Christ and/or the apostles) flow by us and therefore flow away from us, where they are then forgotten.”
Interestingly enough, the Syriac and Arabic translators have rendered this line:
“that we may not fall.”
The imagery would be, since the book is written to believers, that they have believed on Him, have been saved by grace through faith and are therefore part of the Body or church (depending on how you define these things) and you take your place along- side a slow moving river.
And as you sit there dozing, His words float by (let’s say in little glass bottles) but you miss them. And once they pass, you will not have a chance to pay attention to them again.
Approaching life as a Christian in this way has dangers, which is why the writer is giving this warning.
BUT WHY? This is what he says (verse 2-3)
2 “For if the word spoken by angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward;
3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him.”
I’ll get to explaining these passages line by line in a minute, but the writer expresses himself plainly.
Because of who he has explained who Christ is (in chapter one) believers (therefore) ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, (the words spoken in the Old and New Testaments) lest at any time we should let them slip. (And now he gives his reasoning) “For if the word spoken by angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; How shall we (believers) escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him.”
I would suggest that what the writer is saying is don’t let the Word of God slip by you through indifference.
And the reasoning he puts forward is if the Word is steadfast and every evil receives a just reward, how can believers escape the same judgment by maintaining a neglectful attitude which is indifferent toward the Words spoken by the Lord Himself?
In this we discover both a threat to faith and a booster shot to maintaining it – ignoring OR giving attention to the Word.
I think the formula is pretty straight forward and it is found in Romans 10:17
“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
Neglect it – neglect hearing it, neglect reading it, neglect it in letting it pass by or slip beyond our grasp without a care and I can assure you faith is neglected.
And when faith is neglected, it can and will grow weak. So we are warned, here in Chapter two, not to let the Words float on by.
The value and import of the Word is SO valuable to saving and maintaining faith, we decided to put it to song.
We could sing easier lyrics with more emotive music and messages. But . . . why? If and since hearing the Word produces faith why give time or attention to anything from Man?
The import of the Word is made obvious by the Lord and His parable of the Sower, one of my favorites of the parables.
Here, instead of the Word passing or floating by, it fails to take root, and the end result is not pretty.
Read it with me – Matthew 13 beginning at verse 3:
3 Behold, a sower went forth to sow;
4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:
5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:
6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:
8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.
9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Later, his disciples came to Him and asked for Him to explain it. This is what He said:
Matthew 13:18 Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.
19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.
20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.
22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
In light of this parable the simple formula expands.
Christ has come. The Word became flesh.
He spoke, as have his prophets, as have His apostles.
These words come our way – to the writer of Hebrews they are flowing and he warns, don’t let them flow by or past.
Take them, give them attention. Why?
By them comes faith.
Jesus taught it another way. And likened the His Words to seeds planted on four types of ground.
The first never receives it because Satan snatches it away. It never germinates. This soul was never a believer.
The writer of Hebrews is not writing to Him.
But the second, third and fourth soil are all believers hearts. And the writer of Hebrews warns them, saying “Don’t let these words slip by.” And Jesus warns them saying, “Make sure these words take strong root.”
Why? Because there is a danger of losing faith – something always necessary to both salvation and bearing fruit as a sign of salvation.
Where the writer of Hebrews simply tells us not to let His words pass us by Jesus actually tells us what would motivate (or demotivate) us from letting the Word flourish.
In the second heart-ground, He says:
20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.
This believer hears the word and receives it with joy. He or she even endures in it for a while.
But Jesus makes it plain while they will then let the word slip or will fail to grow in it:
“for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.”
This is talking directly to believers who, in my opinion are not babes, but have heard enough of the Word to be offended through tribulation or persecution over it.
The Word says divorce is forbidden in all cases but one – that’s offensive.
The word says homosexuality, or fornication, or unforgiveness is a sin. That’s offensive.
The word says that hell is a place of dark torments, that there is a lake of fire where men and women are cast due to unbelief. This is offensive.
And according to Jesus fruit is never produced. What kind of fruit? Fruits of love.
And Jesus tells us in John 15 tells us what happens to fruitless vines doesn’t He?
He does.
He says
(John 15:2) Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away (Every Christian who does not love He takes away) and then He adds later (“If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.”)
The writer of Hebrews says it another way, asking:
2 “For if the word spoken by angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him.”
Going back to the parable of the Sower, the Lord explains the third ground, saying:
22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
Again, speaking of believers, Jesus says there are some who receive the seed among thorns, and they are those who HEAR the WORD and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches CHOKE the Word, and they become unfruitful.
It’s a real warning, a genuine concern. And here the Lord tells us yet another way where the word is able to slip or float by.
Care of this world and/or the deceitfulness of riches.
The writer of Hebrews warns alludes to this state when he writes:
Hebrews 2:1 Therefore, we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard (we ought to give more care and attention to the Word) lest at any time we should let them slip.
And then asks:
3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation . . .
Here Jesus tells us more distinctly what causes many to fail to give earnest heed or to neglect the Word given . . . the cares and/or the riches of the World.
It happens so easily – hence the warnings.
The cares of the world. The events, the classes, the wolf at the door, the family, the job, the bills, the home improvements, the children, the grandchildren, the hubby, the wife – all carrying the potential of causing us to let His word slip by because we are choking on activity – there’s just too much to do to concern ourselves with what He has had to say. Too much real living, some believe.
I would suggest there is no living without it.
And of course there’s the riches. Our eyes are so focused on getting at the gold flakes in the river bottom we neglect the living Word floating right on by. (Verse 2)
2 For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward;
While the Old Testament was certainly delivered by Jehovah, the Jews at times were of the opinion that these words written by the prophets were from the ministry of angels.
This opinion is, in fact supported by scripture – and for times sake I won’t even touch on the Old Testament but listen to these New Testament verses:
In Acts 7:38 Luke records Paul saying:
“This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us.”
And again,
Acts 7:53 Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.
Paul also wrote in Galatians 3:19
“Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.”
For this reason the writer of Hebrews intimates that the Old Testament was delivered to prophets by the ministry of angels on behalf of Jehovah.
And his point is since this word was steadfast (firm, settled and established)
and under it every transgression and disobedience was met with a just reward (was rightfully punished)
Here’s his question folks:
3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him.
Notice what the writer chooses to say is being neglected – salvation.
The salvation is ours – as it was theirs, the recipients of these writings – but the writer says such a salvation, once obtained, ought not be neglected, it cannot be allowed to slip by, and plainly wonders how escaping hell and sin is possible if it is.
It is interesting, but in Christianity, it seems that neglect of faith or salvation is warned against by almost every pastor, but there is a disconnect inherent to the warning.
You are saved, you cannot ever, ever, ever fall, or walk, or get taken out of His hand.
BUT you had better read your Bible, and you had better come to church, and you had better serve, and pay tithes, and do this, and do that . . .
Why? How? To what end?
This disconnect used to plague me.
We are either saved period – and if so, it made no sense to preach any sort of warnings . . . . OR we are not saved period and warnings are apropos.
The scripture is clear.
I mean look at the world around us.
A businessman doesn’t need not commit forgery or robbery to ruin his enterprise – he only to neglect his business and ruin is inevitable.
A guy doesn’t have to drink cyanide to kill himself – he only need to neglect to care for himself and ruin is certain.
All you have to do to go over a waterfall is to stop rowing the other direction.
These examples are why scripture constantly reminds believers to take precautions, to row.
But here’s the spiritual key – listen and we’ll wrap it up.
We are NOT talking about physical fitness or resisting a watery course over the falls.
We are talking about spiritual matters – not physical.
And we pay attention to our spiritual health through spiritual means, not physical.
We feed the spirit.
We die to the physical flesh.
We neglect the things of this world.
And give care to the things of God.
We walk in faith, trusting in Him and His works, not our own. And we love, which is always based in dying to self – a giving up, not a managing.
We overcome tribulation and persecution from the Word, and the cares and riches of this world by dying to them, not caring for them.
Make sense?
As we do, we will discover our heart ground being how Jesus describes the fourth ground in the parable of the Sower, saying:
23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
