PAY ATTENTION

SERIES: JESUS CHRIST IS GREATER AND BETTER

TEXT: HEBREWS 2:1-4

“Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away.” Teachers are always telling their pupils or students to pay attention. Commanders tell their soldiers attention. When you hear the word “attention” your mind is being called back from somewhere else. Our minds and hearts wander away. Some people hear noises, we need to give heed to that we hear, what we hear and how we hear. Are you paying attention to the message of Jesus Christ?

The word “therefore” connects this passage to chapter one, where we learned that Jesus Christ is God’s final revelation of Himself. We have already learned that Jesus Christ is better than the prophets and angels. He is the divine Son of God. Through His own blood, He purged our sins. Are you paying attention to the gospel of Jesus Christ? Pay more careful attention to what you have heard. There are three main reasons why we should pay careful attention to what we have heard:-

I.   WE SHOULD PAY ATTENTION BECAUSE OF THE DANGER OF DRIFTING. (V.1)

• This message was given not to sinners but to believers.
• Because of persecution, the Jewish believers were in danger of drifting back to Judaism.
• Therefore the writer of Hebrews urges them to give “earnest heed to the things we have heard lest we drift away”
• To drift is to “slip” to “flow past” to glide by”- it might be used of a ring slipping off a finger or of truth slipping out of memory.
• To drift might be used of a ship drifting at sea
• For example on March 24, 1989, the oil tanker Exxon Valdez drifter into a reef and spilt 11,000,000 gallons of oil, causing the biggest ecological disasters in American history.
• The disaster was caused by a captain who was tired and slept and carelessly drifted away.
• Do not drift away from the gospel
• Many people do not intend to go to hell, they drift along in life and ultimately wind up there.
• They drift by their opportunities for salvation, they drift along with the crowd, they sleep while they should be listening.
• Pay attention

II.   WE SHOULD PAY ATTENTION BECAUSE OF THE CERTAINTY OF GOD’S DISCIPLINE. (V.2)

• In the past, God spoke through prophets and angels
• Those who refused and rebelled against that word, they invited God’s discipline and chastisement of God.
• They violated God’s word, they stepped aside or over the line of God’s law. They transgressed, neglected, refused and failed to obey the law.
• Every transgression and disobedience had its appropriate punishment, active sin or passive sins of commission and sins of omission incur God’s chastisement. PAY ATTENTION.

III.  WE SHOULD PAY ATTENTION BECAUSE OF THE GREATNESS OF SALVATION (V.3-4)

• If those who neglected God’s word spoken by prophets and angels were punished by God, how much more those who neglect the gospel of Jesus Christ?
• Neglect of the word of God is the cause of spiritual drifting.
• Robert Robinson was converted under the mighty preaching of George Whitefield and for a time he was a pastor and singer greatly used by God.
• Robert, however, drifted because of the neglect of spiritual things.
• In his search for peace, he began to travel the world, once on a journey he met a young lady who was spiritually minded.
• “What do you think of this hymn I have been reading?” she asked Robinson. As he looked at the hymnal, he discovered that it was his own hymn, he broke down and confessed who he was and how he had been living away from the Lord.
• But these “streams of mercy” are still flowing” through this encouragement, Robison was restored to fellowship with the Lord.
• Are you also drifting away from God? “PAY ATTENTION” God is speaking to you today.
• Please note three things about this great salvation.

1. This salvation was spoken to us by the Lord Himself.

• He is “the Author and finisher of our faith” (Heb. 12:2)

2. This salvation was confirmed by those who heard it.

• The Apostles and those who have experienced the gospel down through the ages.

3. This gospel was attested by God by signs and wonders by various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will.

CONCLUSION

• Are you in danger of drifting to your old life of sin? – “Pay attention” God is speaking to you today.
• To you who have never trusted in Jesus Christ – “Pay Attention” – you will never have a better opportunity than today.