Sermon: Pay Attention--Hebrews 2:1-4

 Hello all:

I have the privilege of preaching occasionally at Forest Community Church in Forest, VA, and over one year ago (in April 2022) I began a series on Hebrews entitled: Keep Your Eyes on Jesus. I decided to post the links to the videos for these sermons in case their are those who may be interested in watching these sermons. This third sermon (from May 15, 2022) is entitled "Pay Attention" and covers Hebrews 2:1-4. The notes are written below, and you can use this link to watch the video (NOTE: there were some difficulties with sound at the beginning, so you cannot hear the sermon until around the 17:30 mark--sorry for the problems): Forest Community Church, May 15, 2022.

Intro: In chapter two our author makes the turn, as he so often does in this epistle, from exposition, from the theological discourse if you will, to exhortation, to telling us as a church what to do with all of that really rich theology that was unpacked for us.

We saw in chapter 1 that Jesus is depicted as the Final Word of God. That idea has a tremendous impact on the verses in chapter 2. The superiority of Jesus is the background for what our author says in Hebrews 2:1-4. Because Jesus is incomparably greater that prophets or angels, we need to pay attention to Jesus! That is the author's message for this section. 

The author encourages us to pay attention, and he gives us three things that we need to pay attention to: 1) the appeal, 2) the admonition, 3) the evidence.

Point 1—Pay attention to the Appeal (v. 1). The need for personal responsibility and commitment, be careful of drifting away from Jesus. He calls his readers to a personal commitment and responsibility—they must be careful not to drift away from the foundation of Messiah.

Heed the Word—What Word? Chapter 1 tell us--Jesus is the Word. Andrew Lightner: “So, in short, we heard throughout the entirety of chapter one that the one who is the Son is fully God, always has been and always will be. Then for us in the fullness of time he became fully man as our second Adam, our better David, and our great high priest. Friends this is the gospel. That the word of salvation that we’re commanded to pay much closer attention to, it’s the hope of the world.” 

Jesus is the Word! The appeal is to focus on Jesus. 

Benjamin Hutson—“What we have heard refers to everything he just spoke about in chapter 1. It refers to the superior message of Jesus. It refers to the message that God became flesh and dwelt among us. It refers to the Gospel.” 

God has come in the flesh to address human sin, human rebellion (John 1:14, 18). God has come to accomplish what humanity has failed to do! Jesus, the only one of his kind, has come to set everything right. Immanuel has come among us. God himself here to deliver humanity from bondage to sin, from living in a kingdom of darkness. God did for us what we could never do for ourselves. Jesus died for our sins and rose again on a Sunday morning. No other religious leader accomplished what Jesus accomplished. He died and rose again. None of the prophets, none of the patriarchs, none of them did what Jesus did. Jesus is totally unique in human history. We must pay attention to God, to put our focus on him and especially his revelation of himself in Jesus (John 1:18). That is the Word to which we must pay attention. We must have laser like focus on what Jesus is doing. What is the goal of Jesus? We need to focus on that! Jesus reveals God to us, and we must become obsessed with him. 

Andrew Lightner: “What does it mean to pay attention? Then on the flip side what it would look like to drift from that? Well in this opening verse it’s interesting that these two key words in verse one. The words that are translated in the ESV 'pay attention' and then 'drift away' are, in the Greek, sailing terms. . . . It is imagery of keeping a ship on its proper course and intentionally fighting the currents or the wind to keep it steadily pointed in the right direction.” Focus will keep us from drifting. Focus will help us avoid drift. 

Avoid drift—The first warning to these people was concerning neglect. Neglect is usually not a DELIBERATE thing. (Fishing Story—other areas of neglect?). The danger of drifting is a spiritual reality. Think of a boat tied to a dock, but the knot comes loose and the boat drifts away. This neglect is similar to what our author has in mind here. 

Marilyn Murphee: “The danger of drifting is not limited to the physical realm. Our scripture today gives the first of five warnings. Our spiritual life can drift toward destruction as well. Drifting requires no effort of us. It is a natural thing to move toward what is convenient and comfortable. Paying attention is hard work and it involves focusing. It involves focusing on not only hearing but obeying.”

Benjamin Hutson—“It has been proven that we have several tendencies. We have a tendency to forget who it is that has given us His Word. We have a tendency toward lightheartedness about the Word of God. Is it the overwhelming authority in your life? Do you feast from it daily? Make no mistake: A lightheartedness about the Word of God will lead to a lightheartedness about worship.” 

We have a tendency to drift from the things we have heard. We have a tendency to forget to focus. We have the Bible, God's revelation of himself to humanity. To neglect it is to set myself up for the danger of drifting. If we are not careful, mission drift can set in, and we may forget our mission. 

David Gibson: “You may have heard the story of the Mennonite Brethren movement. One particular analysis goes like this: the first generation believed and proclaimed the gospel and thought that there were certain social entailments. The next generation assumed the gospel and advocated the entailments. The third generation denied the gospel and all that were left were the entailments.” 

So when we come to verse 1 of chapter 2. It can be said this way: Because Christ is so much greater and the message of Christ is so much greater we need to focus on him. We need to be tied tightly to Jesus. He is the only sure foundation. Remember this is what he begins the book with and this is the overwhelming and overarching theme of the book of Hebrews: “Christ is better.” So in light of that idea, our author goes on to say that “we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard.” There are dire consequences of drifting. Because the content is better, our attention to it must be better. 

Point 2—Pay attention to the Admonition (v. 2-3). There are dire consequences if they drift. He warns his readers of dire consequences if they drift.

Andrew Lightner: “Now bear in mind that when we read in our text about the message declared by angels or delivered by angels, well that’s not a reference to some esoteric knowledge that’s out there in the ether. No, rather that’s a reference to the law that was given to Moses, and by extension to Israel on Mount Sinai in the book of Exodus.” 

In that the idea is that in the law, the law was binding. There was a legally binding requirement in the Law (that may have been provided by angels), so how much MORE important to us should be the word spoken through the incomparable Messiah. How MUCH greater is the failure if we do not heed or obey the word of God Incarnate! We need to connect with and listen to him because he alone is our life and our deliverance. We must keep the connection with Jesus fresh--we must NOT neglect our salvation or else we will drift. What one generation permits, the next generation accepts as law. Where have we slipped from our connection to the truth about God and Jesus? How have we experience mission drift? We need to focus all the more on the salvation that God has produced by the death and resurrection of Jesus. We need to fixate on and even obsess over what God has said in Messiah. God's salvation is the need here, and drifting from it is the danger. Why focus on God's salvation? 

a) Our salvation is great because of its price (the life and death of the Savior--Jesus the Messiah)

b) Our salvation is great because of what it procured for us (eternal life with God himself)

Point 3—Pay attention to the Evidence (v. 4). Remember the message of salvation. He calls them to renewed focus on the message of salvation. 

a) Our salvation was declared by the Lord--our focus should be on what Jesus says about salvation and how it is given and received. The words of Jesus are the focus. We need to pay attention to what Jesus is saying. Look at Jesus. See how he lived, how he treated people, how he spoke of God. Jesus declared salvation from God! 

b) Our salvation was confirmed by the Apostles--God has given us historical evidence in how Jesus affected the lives of his followers. We can find confirmation in how Jesus changed the lives of those before us! 

c) Our salvation was demonstrated true by God in: 1) Signs, 2) Wonders, 3) Miracles, and 4) Gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Conclusion

First, we ought to be obsessed with Jesus. Do you know him? If not, why not turn from (repent of) your sins and turn to Jesus. Acknowledge him as boss, as Lord, as King. Serve him, obey him. He took our rebellion against God and paid the price by dying on the cross. He rose again after paying for our sins. Jesus promised eternal life and is the firstborn of the resurrection. Acknowledge your rebellion against Jesus. Confess your sins, and turn from (repent of ) them. Trust Jesus as the only means to save you. He is the ONLY way to God. Today, go to him as ask for his salvation. 

Second, Are you currently drifting? If so, where do you need to tighten your rope to Jesus? This week, spend some time looking at your life and your language. Ask God to show you any areas where you are neglecting God or where you seem to be drifting. Get some accountability with someone to help you tighten your grip on the Lord.

Third, Are you listening to this message of salvation? How is your time in God’s Word? This week, spend time in the following chapters and ask God to direct your steps. Psalm 8, Psalm 24, Luke 4, 1 Corinthians 10, and Ephesians 2. Reflect on what God has done to purchase salvation for you, and then ask God how you can tighten your connection to him and his ways to avoid drifting.

Thank you for reading!