Four Great Things
Hebrews 2:1-4
Text – Great salvation, Great Confirmation, Great Responsibility and a Great Condemnation.
Theme of chapter one – "Christ superior to angels, therefore…"
Theme of chapter two then is not a change in subject but a conclusion (vs. 1)
Circumstances of the book of Hebrews: a large element of former Jews on the verge of leaving Christianity.
a. It was the ancient religion of Moses.
b. It was the religion of our fathers.
c. Christianity is new and controversial; the law is not. Come back to Judaism.
Hebrews was written for the purpose of stopping this "falling away" (Once saved always saved?)
A Great Salvation (verse 3)
A. Because it is universal.
1. All races, kindred and tongues.
2. Mt. 16:15; Mt. 28:19
B. Because of the cost.
1. The blood of Christ!
2. Mt. 26:28
3. Rev. 1:5
4. Eph. 1:7
C. Because of the promises.
1. I Jn. 2:25
2. Resurrection from the dead.
a. Jn. 11:25
b. I Cor. 15:54-57
D. Because of its power to transform lives. (Rom. 12:1-2)
A Great Confirmation (3-4)
E. Confirmed by the apostles (3).
1. Lk. 1:1-4
2. II Pet. 1:16-18
3. I Cor. 15:5-8
4. Eyewitness, not second hand.
F. Confirmed by God with miracles (4).
1. As to purpose – signs (Think significance)
2. As to reaction – wonders (Provoked astonishment, wonder because of their unusual nature)
3. As to nature – Miracles (Mighty works pointing to a supernatural force)
4. As to source – Gifts of the Holy Spirit.
5. All this proved they were from God and were witnesses attesting to the truth of the gospel (not just an ecstatic show).
A Great Responsibility (1-2)
G. The more unquestionable the gospel message is, then greater is the responsibility of those who hear it.
H. The revelation to Moses spoken through angels proved steadfast or true (2).
1. One greater than Moses has spoken, one greater than angels (chapter one) has spoken His name is Jesus Christ.
2. We therefore have a greater responsibility than to Jesus to what He says.
3. Grace, Yes, but it is not a cheap grace and it does not excuse sin.
4. Heb. 10:28-29
I. We will be held more responsible, since we have a greater messenger and a greater message.
A Great Condemnation (1-3)
J. Here is the point of the whole book – "Therefore we ought…"
K. "Let them slip" – to flow by or go past, in the sense of a boat adrift, drifting past the landing place.
1. Christians might be swept away from Christ.
2. Illus. – Buffalo River trip
L. "How shall we escape?" – "WE?"
1. We to whom the revelation of the Son has come, we who are highly privileged, we who have no excuse.
2. Do we really think we would escape the judgment day if we left the Lord for the world or anything else?
M. "If we neglect?"
1. What is neglected? So great salvation!
2. Key word here is "neglect."
a. Difference in rejecting and neglecting.
b. Both will be lost but those who neglect implies in difference (don’t care).
c. Look at what you have been given but you simply don’t care!
3. The consequences (Heb. 10:28-31; II Pet. 2:20-22)
1. The hardest person to reach is an indifferent one.
2. The hardest church to reach is an indifferent one.
3. Poem: Indifference by G.A. Studdert-Kennedy.
James Pharr
Lenoir, NC
When Jesus came to Golgotha
They hanged Him to a tree;
They drove great nails through His hands and feet
And made a Calvary.
They crowned Him with a crown of thorns,
Red were His wounds and deep,
For those were crude and cruel days
And human flesh was cheap.
When Jesus came to our town of Lenoir
We simply passed Him by;
We never hurt a hair of Him.
We only let Him die.
For men had grown more tender,
And we would not give Him pain,
We only passed on down the street,
And left Him… in the rain.
Still Jesus cried, "Forgive them, for they know not what they do,"
And still it rained the winter rain
That drenched Him through and through.
The crowds went home and left the streets without a soul to see,
And Jesus crouched against the wall… and cried for Calvary.