WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:28.000 Hebrews chapter 2 verses 1 through 4 and the word of the Lord says this therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard lest we drift away from it for since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? 00:00:28.000 --> 00:00:44.000 it was declared at first by the Lord and it was attested to us by those who heard while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to His will. 00:00:44.000 --> 00:00:49.000 It's amazing to think that think about God's sovereignty. 00:00:49.000 --> 00:01:00.000 If you ever sit down and ponder on God and who He is as far as His character goes that alone will be enough to make you stop and worship Him right then and there. 00:01:00.000 --> 00:01:04.000 Think about all the things that God has done from the beginning of time. 00:01:04.000 --> 00:01:10.000 We can read through Genesis and see God's intervention with Adam and Eve when they fell in a garden. 00:01:10.000 --> 00:01:18.000 God made a promise that would later be revealed and fulfilled in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. 00:01:18.000 --> 00:01:21.000 In Genesis we find the first glimpse of God's promise. 00:01:21.000 --> 00:01:28.000 He says I will put enmity between you and a woman and between your offspring and her offspring. 00:01:28.000 --> 00:01:31.000 He shall bruise your head and you shall bruise His heel. 00:01:31.000 --> 00:01:33.000 That's Genesis 3 15. 00:01:33.000 --> 00:01:42.000 What an amazing statement to make as a curse to the serpent who tricked Adam and Eve to eat of the fruit that God told them not to. 00:01:42.000 --> 00:01:46.000 This is what the Lord said the day that you eat of it you shall surely die. 00:01:46.000 --> 00:01:48.000 That's Genesis 2 17. 00:01:48.000 --> 00:01:51.000 They received a command from God. 00:01:51.000 --> 00:01:54.000 They disobeyed that command from God. 00:01:54.000 --> 00:01:58.000 So the just punishment for them would be death because God said so. 00:01:58.000 --> 00:02:09.000 But God also demonstrated His mercy but not dropping them there where they were but instead we read of the first steps of redemption. 00:02:09.000 --> 00:02:24.000 They spiritually fell from the Lord's favorable gaze but granted salvation through what we would later understand in what is meant behind a serpent's head being crushed or bruised as it says. 00:02:24.000 --> 00:02:32.000 If God has the power to bring about justice and fulfill it why would we want to forget God's mercy through His justice? 00:02:32.000 --> 00:02:40.000 You see we as descendants of Adam and Eve partook in that fall since Adam was our representative. 00:02:40.000 --> 00:02:54.000 We do not deserve another day of life yet the Lord in His mercy grants us another day to ponder God's truth and worship Him in all that we do or at least we ought to. 00:02:54.000 --> 00:03:08.000 What I want from us is to take our gaze off of ourselves off of our work off from our neighbor and have you look to the Lord in His beauty. 00:03:08.000 --> 00:03:11.000 How majestic is our Lord. 00:03:11.000 --> 00:03:16.000 Let's look at Hebrews chapter 2 and see what the Lord has in store for us tonight. 00:03:16.000 --> 00:03:28.000 What God wants us to see first in verses 1-2 is that God wants us to be reminded of the importance of guarding His good news the gospel in our hearts. 00:03:28.000 --> 00:03:33.000 There is a warning in not doing so and it's very simple. 00:03:33.000 --> 00:03:38.000 We are to receive the gospel with joy but more than that we must believe it and guard it. 00:03:38.000 --> 00:03:51.000 Look at what verse 1 says, "Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard lest we drift away." We must go back to Hebrews 1 to know the purpose of chapter 2. 00:03:51.000 --> 00:03:58.000 In chapter 1 the writer of Hebrews is writing from a position of knowing the Old Testament. 00:03:58.000 --> 00:04:14.000 Knowing the Old Testament in Greek because it is from that Septuagint which is the Old Testament Greek that the writer of Hebrews quotes in chapter 1 and there is actually more of the Old Testament quoted than his own words. 00:04:14.000 --> 00:04:18.000 Chapter 1 has more references from the Old Testament. 00:04:18.000 --> 00:04:29.000 This is done to make a point and what they are saying is backed up by a source that is reliable and it's God's word. 00:04:29.000 --> 00:04:33.000 He gets to the point in the first four verses of the chapter. 00:04:33.000 --> 00:04:41.000 God has spoken through the prophets of old but now in their time and even today God speaks through His Son. 00:04:41.000 --> 00:04:44.000 Well, now we ask who is His Son? 00:04:44.000 --> 00:04:50.000 The question is answered with Him being the one who is the heir of all things. 00:04:50.000 --> 00:04:54.000 He was in the beginning as creator of all things that exist. 00:04:54.000 --> 00:04:58.000 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature. 00:04:58.000 --> 00:05:07.000 This means that if any body or anyone resembled God on earth it was His Son. 00:05:07.000 --> 00:05:15.000 He is extremely powerful in upholding the universe by the word of His power and let me ask you something who sustains the world? 00:05:15.000 --> 00:05:19.000 Is it God or is it His Son? 00:05:19.000 --> 00:05:31.000 Well, here in Hebrews according to the writer His point was to set our gaze, the audience, to Jesus, the Son of God as the creator and sustainer of all things. 00:05:31.000 --> 00:05:40.000 We get to the Son being the one who has purified the sins of the world and is now seated on His throne as King of the world. 00:05:40.000 --> 00:05:47.000 Verse 4 of chapter 1 then sets the stage for Christ being much superior to the angels. 00:05:47.000 --> 00:06:01.000 You see, look to Christ as Lord and King every time you think of Him and pray to Him and worship Him because He is Lord, King and Christ. 00:06:01.000 --> 00:06:04.000 Again, how can we forget? 00:06:04.000 --> 00:06:08.000 Well, this is what the writer of Hebrews is saying here in chapter 2. 00:06:08.000 --> 00:06:14.000 Reading chapter 2 we see dangers of not heeding the call of salvation through the gospel. 00:06:14.000 --> 00:06:24.000 This is what it says, "Therefore we must pay much closer attention." And more importantly, God, right? 00:06:24.000 --> 00:06:37.000 Because Jesus Christ is the sustainer of the world and has conquered the grave, making a way to be reconciled to God, we must pay much closer attention to that truth. 00:06:37.000 --> 00:06:42.000 The danger is knowing and hearing what is proclaimed and disregarding it. 00:06:42.000 --> 00:06:45.000 Listen and heed the call. 00:06:45.000 --> 00:06:53.000 This is the real danger, and this danger is far worse than the worst trial you have ever experienced or are experiencing now. 00:06:53.000 --> 00:07:03.000 The gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is nothing to be played around with because it's only through Christ that we can be reconciled to God. 00:07:03.000 --> 00:07:13.000 Without Christ, you are a dead corpse awaiting to forever experience God's justice and His wrath. 00:07:13.000 --> 00:07:24.000 The thing about this salvation is that through though we are guilty of a highness crime, we can be forgiven through Christ's death, burial and resurrection. 00:07:24.000 --> 00:07:35.000 The danger of not paying much closer attention to the gospel, preach, is that there is a drifting away and that's what it says. 00:07:35.000 --> 00:07:39.000 And let me ask you, how is it possible to drift away? 00:07:39.000 --> 00:07:40.000 Let me start off by saying this. 00:07:40.000 --> 00:07:49.000 If you are truly in Christ, you cannot fall away from God's finished work of salvation through Christ. 00:07:49.000 --> 00:07:58.000 This is God's grace that isn't dependent on how strong you have a hold of this salvation, rather it is dependent on Christ's hold of you. 00:07:58.000 --> 00:08:04.000 God was rich in mercy and granted you who believed eternal life. 00:08:04.000 --> 00:08:11.000 Now, it's not up to you to keep eternal life, it's up to God who keeps you secured. 00:08:11.000 --> 00:08:13.000 So praise God for that. 00:08:13.000 --> 00:08:17.000 So with that, how is it possible to drift away? 00:08:17.000 --> 00:08:21.000 Well, by never receiving the gospel in your heart. 00:08:21.000 --> 00:08:23.000 What I mean is this. 00:08:23.000 --> 00:08:31.000 After 13, we are told the parable of the sower and we can see the different places that the seed lands on. 00:08:31.000 --> 00:08:37.000 And only when it lands on good soil is when it grows and becomes a tree that bears fruit. 00:08:37.000 --> 00:08:44.000 This soil is soil that has received the word, hears it and understands it. 00:08:44.000 --> 00:08:51.000 But there is also ground that is not habitable for the seed to grow. 00:08:51.000 --> 00:08:53.000 This is the rocky ground. 00:08:53.000 --> 00:09:05.000 Rocket ground is no place for planting seeds, yet there are some who at the base of their heart are resistant to the gospel, thus proving them to be rocky ground. 00:09:05.000 --> 00:09:07.000 At first, you may have a feeling. 00:09:07.000 --> 00:09:19.000 You may believe that in that feeling rather than the gospel that was received, but what proves your faith in the gospel to be faulty and false are the trials that you experience. 00:09:19.000 --> 00:09:23.000 See, we as Christians, we go through trials. 00:09:23.000 --> 00:09:29.000 We go through trials in our lives so that what is genuine may be strengthened. 00:09:29.000 --> 00:09:32.000 It's good to be tried. 00:09:32.000 --> 00:09:35.000 It's good to be tested. 00:09:35.000 --> 00:09:42.000 And the one who isn't strong in a trial is the one who proves themselves not to trust God or not trusting in God. 00:09:42.000 --> 00:09:49.000 Trials are God's way of proving our faith to be true by the reliance on Him through that trial. 00:09:49.000 --> 00:09:55.000 We must cling onto Christ and His finished work on a cross. 00:09:55.000 --> 00:10:02.000 The gospel of Jesus Christ is mighty to save even the most wretched soul. 00:10:02.000 --> 00:10:07.000 This is the sovereign gospel that comes from the sovereign God. 00:10:07.000 --> 00:10:11.000 This is all we have and this is all we need. 00:10:11.000 --> 00:10:21.000 The gospel, the good news, if you lack faith and are unsure if you are in Christ, the call is to be made right with Him now. 00:10:21.000 --> 00:10:27.000 Ask God to forgive you and your sins and turn from them to Him. 00:10:27.000 --> 00:10:28.000 Hate your sin. 00:10:28.000 --> 00:10:30.000 Kill it. 00:10:30.000 --> 00:10:33.000 Trust in Christ to save you from your sins and He will. 00:10:33.000 --> 00:10:35.000 And He has. 00:10:35.000 --> 00:10:37.000 Christ died 2,000 years ago. 00:10:37.000 --> 00:10:42.000 But again, it doesn't stop there. He rose from the grave. 00:10:42.000 --> 00:10:48.000 He has ascended and He has assumed His position as king as He is seated on His throne. 00:10:48.000 --> 00:10:57.000 This is the message which was declared by angels because it was by them that the message came to us, creatures made in God's image. 00:10:57.000 --> 00:11:06.000 Salvation has come to us through God's messengers, first revealing it through their message, God's message. 00:11:06.000 --> 00:11:10.000 And by this message, we are saved. 00:11:10.000 --> 00:11:15.000 And again, brothers and sisters, let me ask you, are you in Christ? 00:11:15.000 --> 00:11:25.000 Can you say for a fact that if you died tonight, if you died 10 minutes from now, that you are secure? 00:11:25.000 --> 00:11:29.000 Let's go back to Hebrews. 00:11:29.000 --> 00:11:54.000 Hebrews verses 3-4, what God wants us to see here is that God wants to remind us of the dangers of rejecting the great salvation that is preached by the beautiful feet of those who proclaim His good news as it is confirmed through the signs, wonders, miracles, and gifts by Christ and His apostles. 00:11:54.000 --> 00:12:14.000 Let me repeat that. God wants to remind us of the dangers of rejecting the great salvation that is preached by the beautiful feet of those who proclaim His good news as it is confirmed through the signs, wonders, miracles, and gifts by Christ and His apostles. 00:12:14.000 --> 00:12:22.000 The question is put this way. How shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? 00:12:22.000 --> 00:12:26.000 The answer to this question is easy. We can't. 00:12:26.000 --> 00:12:35.000 Peter puts it well in Acts chapter 4 verses 11-12. During his sermon before the council, he says this. 00:12:35.000 --> 00:12:44.000 "This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 00:12:44.000 --> 00:13:10.000 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." I hope that you don't fall or fail this examination of yourselves. Do you believe this truth? Do you believe that this is true? 00:13:10.000 --> 00:13:18.000 There are two options. You believe in Christ and live for eternity in glory. 00:13:18.000 --> 00:13:30.000 Or two, reject God's salvation through Christ and suffer what is rightfully earned by every single person who has transgressed against the Lord. 00:13:30.000 --> 00:13:36.000 You see, those who believe are not better off than anyone else. 00:13:36.000 --> 00:13:41.000 Or they are not better than anyone else. They are just better off because of Christ. 00:13:41.000 --> 00:13:54.000 "As long as you have breath in your lungs, there is still time to turn to Him in faith." Again, there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. 00:13:54.000 --> 00:14:02.000 Jesus Christ is powerful enough to save you from your sins because He is the one who is God incarnate. 00:14:02.000 --> 00:14:08.000 He Himself is the only one that can suffer the wrath of God and live. 00:14:08.000 --> 00:14:20.000 He is the sinless one who became sent on our behalf of all of us who believed in Him and believe in Him. 00:14:20.000 --> 00:14:31.000 Do not be like those in chapter 2 where it seems that they have to be reminded of the Gospel truth and is in danger if not paid much close attention to Christ and His kingship. 00:14:31.000 --> 00:14:37.000 The Lord declared this message. When God spoke, He spoke truths. 00:14:37.000 --> 00:14:43.000 He created all things, but He also spoke the first Gospel where we can find in Genesis 3.15. 00:14:43.000 --> 00:14:51.000 Salvation came through the Word of God. Salvation came through the Word Christ Himself. 00:14:51.000 --> 00:14:58.000 How can we escape such a great salvation? We can't without Christ. 00:14:58.000 --> 00:15:03.000 He is the saver of the world, so why not put your trust in Him? 00:15:03.000 --> 00:15:08.000 If you have believed in Him, keep believing. Keep trusting in Him. 00:15:08.000 --> 00:15:17.000 Jesus suffered death for all His people so that His people would not taste death but instead be found in life, in Him. 00:15:17.000 --> 00:15:26.000 Jesus Christ is merciful. Jesus Christ is faithful in His priesthood who made atonement for our sins. 00:15:26.000 --> 00:15:31.000 Jesus Christ is the name of which we must believe in and trust in. 00:15:31.000 --> 00:15:41.000 He had to be made like His brothers, the chapter goes on to say, so that He can make propitiation for the sins of the people, of His people. 00:15:41.000 --> 00:15:45.000 Praise God for a saver like Christ. 00:15:45.000 --> 00:15:50.000 All glory to God for bringing about a salvation we are undeserving of. 00:15:50.000 --> 00:15:59.000 We send not Him, yet He suffered our punishment because He loved us, and He still loves us. 00:15:59.000 --> 00:16:04.000 Pay close attention to this Gospel message. Hide it in your heart. 00:16:04.000 --> 00:16:11.000 The sovereign God of the universe has given us this great salvation that is able to save us from our sins. 00:16:11.000 --> 00:16:16.000 Repent from your sins and believe in Him if you have not done so already. 00:16:16.000 --> 00:16:21.000 Let's pray. 00:16:21.000 --> 00:16:28.000 Dear Heavenly Father, Lord, we thank You for sending Your Son to us. 00:16:28.000 --> 00:16:35.000 We thank You, Lord, for this great salvation that You have revealed to us. 00:16:35.000 --> 00:16:40.000 We are but a worm, God. 00:16:40.000 --> 00:16:51.000 But yet You showed Your mercy. You showed Your love that You sent Your Son to die on our behalf because we are unable to pay for our own sins. 00:16:51.000 --> 00:17:01.000 God, we have transgressed against You and we do not deserve this Gospel, yet You give it to us freely. 00:17:01.000 --> 00:17:05.000 God, we thank You for this Gospel. 00:17:05.000 --> 00:17:17.000 God, we ask that You grow us in His Gospel. Lord, let it not escape our tongue, but instead let us hide it in our hearts and remember forever. 00:17:17.000 --> 00:17:26.000 God, our bodies deteriorate. They fall apart. Eventually, they go back to dust. 00:17:26.000 --> 00:17:34.000 But until we breathe our last breath, God always reminds us of this good news that we have in Christ. 00:17:34.000 --> 00:17:43.000 And those who are here tonight, God, that has not believed in You, God, I pray and ask that You change their hearts. 00:17:43.000 --> 00:17:53.000 You give them a heart of flesh to believe this great salvation that is found in Christ. 00:17:53.000 --> 00:18:03.000 God, grow us. Be with us. Help us. 00:18:03.000 --> 00:18:09.000 Help us understand that the trials that we are put through is to grow our faith. 00:18:09.000 --> 00:18:17.000 Lord, we are dependent upon You and apart from You, we do not stand. Apart from You, we will disintegrate and fall apart. 00:18:17.000 --> 00:18:26.000 God, You hold us together by the word of Your power. 00:18:26.000 --> 00:18:33.000 So, God, be with us and help us. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. 00:18:33.000 --> 00:18:39.000 Amen.