Are You Paying Attention!
How many times have we heard that in our lives, growing up!
Well this morning follow along with me in Hebrews 2:1-4 as the writer of Hebrews says to us Are You Paying Attention.
It is crucial to keep a firm grip on the gospel of Jesus Christ, less we be drawn away by the enticements of the environment around us.
We need to understand that it can be easily taken from us by enticements and neglect that can come upon us.
If we but stop from our busy schedules and remember that we have been given a magnificent salvation, delivered by our heavenly Father and confirmed by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
If you would please let us honor the Word of God by standing and follow along with me as I read from our passage this morning.
Scripture
Therefore we must give the more earnest heed (Pay Attention!) to the things we have heard, lest we drift away.
[2]For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward,
[3]how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him,
[4]God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will? Hebrews 2:1-4
Prayer
We must pay closer attention to what we have heard!
Why?
1. Lest we Drift Away Verse 1
Therefore we must give the more earnest heed (Pay Attention!) to the things we have heard, lest we drift away.
When we enter into the harbor of salvation we must tie up our boat to the rock of salvation less we allow ourselves to drift.
We must pay closer attention and become more serious about our Christian faith, because we are in danger of making a shipwreck of our lives.
PAY ATTENTION!
2. Signs are Everywhere Verse 2
[2]For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward,
When God sends a messenger, he is trying to get our attention. Yet there are some that just don’t see the need to pay attention.
There are signs all around us yet we neglect them, like when I worked in the public arena. There were Material Safety Data Sheets (They were called MSDS)
If you work in a public place or deal with goods for the public, then you are required to have MSDS on hand.
MSDS accompany all materials that are hazardous to your health.
On their pages they have:
1. They have warnings sprinkled throughout them
2. Some said "Caution, contact with voltage will cause
injury our death"
3. One had 15,000 Volts! Warning read "contact WILL
CAUSE DEATH"
4. They instructed us to pay attention.
We must pay closer attention to what we have heard!
Why?
3. How Shall we Escape? Verse 3
[3]how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him,
When disobedience to the older covenant of the law was ignored, it brought swift judgment.
How much more will the disobedience of the New Covenant, the gospel of salvation, which was implemented by the Son of God who is much more superior than a messenger of God.
So many hear but really don’t pay attention.
We must realize that Jesus is God’s final word.
These Jewish Christians had stopped paying attention. Listen to what had happened to them and see if this is not what is happening to Christians today.
a. They began to get hard hearts (Hebrews 3:12 Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God;), in one ear out the other,
b. They became dull of hearing (Hebrews 5:11 of whom we have much to say, and hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.)
c. They stopped growing and maturing (Hebrews 5:12-14 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. [13] For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. [14] But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.)
d. They were forsaking the assembly (Hebrews 10:25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.)
One thing leads to another, from a hard heart to forsaking God
The Book of James we might be in the same boat, and we have stopped paying attention
a. Faith without works is dead (not talking about Salvation experience, but about Christian living)
b. They doubted God in trials (double minded)
c. Showing partiality to social elite in their assemblies
d. Gossiping and speaking evil against their brothers
e. Puffed up with Pride
f. Leaving God out of their plans and trying to get ahead in the world
g. Ceased praying with and for each other
h. Began to forget that Jesus can come at any moment
We must pay closer attention to what we have heard!
Why?
4. God has Placed Signs All Around Us Verse 4
[4]God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?
God has given us signs that let us know that we must enter into the harbor of salvation and anchor ourselves to the rock of salvation.
Look around you today and you will see signs and wonders, all kinds of miracles and the gifts of the Holy Spirit at work.
Read your Bible and you will see that these signs and wonders where present then and they are present today.
The problem is that we are so busy doing that we never stop long enough to enjoy that which is all around us.
Conclusion/Invitation:
You must pay closer attention to what you have heard
• Lest we Drift Away
• Signs are Everywhere
• How Shall we Escape
• God has placed Signs All Around Us
We need to PAY CLOSER ATTENTION TO WHAT YOU HAVE HEARD!
If you are:
• Not Studying the Bible
• Participating in Dirty Jokes at Work
• Not coming to Worship
• Not showing Hospitality to Your Brothers and Sisters
• Working So much overtime you have no time for God or
Family
THEN YOU ARE NEGLECTING YOUR SALVATION!
OR
YOU HAVE NEVER RECEIVED YOUR SALVATION!
It's time to Wake up and Pay Attention!
