Episode 181 – Disciple Up

Disciple Up #181
Greater Than: Hebrews 2:1-4, Don’t Drift Away
By Louie Marsh, 10-12-2020

Intro:

Simple Outline of Hebrews Chapter Two:

1) I must stay focused on Jesus & His Salvation (1-4)

2) Jesus was a servant, but will be exalted (5-9)

3) Jesus suffered & died to bring believers back to God (10-18)

“¹Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. ²For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, ³how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, ⁴while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.” (Hebrews 2:1–4, ESV)

1) I must stay focused on Jesus & His Salvation (1-4)

Therefore – For this reason – We need to realize that Christ is pre-eminent over everything else. Because of this, the salvation He offers is of utmost importance that requires all of our attention.

This here is the same idea as we saw in Chapter One. Because Christ is supreme, everything He has done for us and teaches us is of maximum importance that we should pay attention to and not deviate from in the slightest.

Pay attention – really focus on this new covenant and upon Jesus who gave it to us. If you don’t then you’re going to end up in trouble.

Some Actions that will help your focus:

Fellowship – depending on how real your fellowship is.

Read & Study the Bible.
Meditate on Scripture
Find your ministry and do it full force!

“¹Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, ²looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:1–2, ESV)

Drift away – Notice the word “drift.” Drift means to slowly change direction. This change in direction is not done on purpose, it’s an accident or happenstance. Boats will slowly drift off course if the captain is not paying careful attention to maintain his heading. It’s also used of boats and other floating things that are NOT powered; they just drift along with the current.

Drift Away

Uncle Kracker (Sang by Dobie Gray in 1973)

Day after day I’m more confused
Yet I look for the light in the pouring rain
You know that’s a game that I hate to lose
I’m feelin’ the strain, ain’t it a shame

Oh, give me the beat, boys, and free my soul
I wanna get lost in your rock and roll and drift away

“¹⁹holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith,” (1 Timothy 1:19, ESV)

A married couple will slowly drift apart in their relationship. A student may slowly drift off to sleep in class. You slowly fall asleep while driving. None of these things are intentional.

Drifting happens subtly and without warning. It’s hard to notice unless you are really paying attention. It’s very hard to see unless you have a fixed point to focus on. If you have a fixed point then the drifting can be seen much easier.

This also happens with churches drifting away from sound doctrine and individuals drifting away from God in their relationship with Him.

Strong believers don’t just wake up one day and decide to leave church and never come back. It is incremental. It’s a slow, steady process that eases you into doing and believing things you once would have never considered. Sin creeps in on us gradually. This is Satan’s method. He wins little battle at a time until he has won the war.

“⁶I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— ⁷not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. ⁸But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. ⁹As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.” (Galatians 1:6–9, ESV)

The word “word” or message in verse two refers to Scripture. This is the greater/less than argument. If the lesser is true (the words from angels are true and do not change and can’t be altered) then certainly Jesus’ words are true (verse 3) and the consequences of rejecting His words are serious.

“¹This is the blessing with which Moses the man of God blessed the people of Israel before his death. ²He said, “The Lord came from Sinai and dawned from Seir upon us; he shone forth from Mount Paran; he came from the ten thousands of holy ones, with flaming fire at his right hand.” (Deuteronomy 33:1–2, ESV)

Verse 2 implies the spiritual law that “sin must be punished.” If this was not true, Christ would not have to die for us. But because sin must be punished it is either we face the punishment or Christ face it for us.

“⁵For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, ⁶who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. ⁷For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.” (1 Timothy 2:5–7, ESV)

Verse 3 – If even disobeying the angels comes with a very costly punishment, how about if we reject the great salvation that Christ has made possible for us?

This great salvation was offered by Christ. For that reason alone we should not ignore it, take it for granted, reject it, or drift away from it.

God used a variety of signs and wonders and miracles to verify this gospel.

You need to check this site out – fantastic videos! https://patternsofevidence.com/

Please Get In Touch!

Email – louie@discipleup.org