2007 Book of Hebrews Series

2007 Book of Hebrews Series – “A Big ‘Pay’ Check”
Hebrews 2:1
Sermon preached at Curwensville Presbyterian Church – January 21, 2007

Prayer Introduction: At the Session meeting in December, as we talked about making today’s worship service different, in anticipation of changing things a bit starting in Lent, we had some great discussion about what “needed” to be in worship. [It’s not like God is checking things off; as though He’s keeping count of how many times you come to worship.]

However, God does care about what we do in worship. Over and over God reveals, in His Word, the importance of His Word being proclaimed in worship. This is why the central part of our worship is the sermon – the reading and proclamation of God’s Word.

Music, prayer, creeds, liturgies – all of these elements of worship should also be rooted in God’s Word AND direct us back to God’s Word. The preacher is given the glorious task of studying a passage, in order to help the church, gathered together, to understand it and apply it to each of their lives.

This morning’s passage is just one verse – Hebrews 2:1 – it is an incredibly important verse for us to understand and, more importantly, to apply to our lives. None of this can happen apart from the work of God’s Holy Spirit. So let’s begin with prayer…We pray now for the preacher in the pulpit. He is not worthy, but by your grace he is able. And so it is through Jesus Christ that we pray – Amen!

READ Hebrews 2:1: Did you see it? Did you see that this passage calls for “A Big ‘Pay’ Check?” We must “pay” more careful attention. To what? [What we have heard] Why? [So we do not drift away] How? [Let’s find out…]

I.A. Pay More Careful Attention to What?

In order to find out the how, we must first dig deeper into the what. To what are we to “pay more careful attention?” What does it mean to pay more careful attention? Let’s look at that second question first; and for this I need to get the kid’s attention. Where are all the kids this morning? We need you right now, in order for us to understand what God is trying to say to us right now.

It is really hard for you to pay attention to what’s happening in the worship service – and especially the sermon – isn’t it? You get easily distracted, thinking about other things, right?

Why does that happen? I don’t think it is because you don’t understand the words. I’m sure there are some words you don’t understand; but I bet that you could understand about 90% of what’s said.

Is it maybe just because you have a short attention span? I don’t think so. I’ve watched you; and I know you. You are able to watch a TV show, or play a video game, for hours on end; and, in fact, you are paying such close attention – you are so focused – that you don’t even hear your parents when they are talking to you. {Can I get an “Amen!” from the parents} You all are totally able to focus on things that you are excited about, aren’t you?

And that’s it. That’s the answer. The reason you aren’t able to pay attention in worship and the sermon is because you aren’t excited about it. You didn’t choose to be here this morning; you’re parents brought you. You will not be able to enjoy worship – to hear God speak to you – until you desire to be here.

Think about the things that you enjoy right now. TV – when you get to choose what to watch. Video Games – you get to choose what to play and what to do when you play it. Sports – you get to choose what to play.

You cannot enjoy something until you desire it. You must desire God in order to enjoy God. Mom and dad will keep bringing you to worship – as they should; but you must be glad that they do. If you are waiting for God to show himself to you, while you sit there doing everything but worshiping, you will never see him.

God is here right now and he wants you to hear him right now. How much longer will you wait? Desire God right now; and show this by paying more careful attention right now.

I. B. Pay More Careful Attention to What?

So what does it mean to pay more careful attention? It means desiring with your whole heart. So what is Hebrews 2:1 saying we are to desire with our whole heart? To what are we to pay more careful attention? “To what we have heard.”

This phrase ties back into the first chapter. Did you notice the “therefore” in this verse? And whenever you see a “therefore” you should ask, “What’s it there for?” It is pointing us back to the first chapter – especially chapter 1, verse 2: “but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son…”

We are not just to pay more careful attention to some THING that we have heard; we are to desire with our whole heart some ONE about whom we have heard – namely, Jesus, the Son of God who is supreme above the angels.

Every sermon should help you see Jesus, Himself; and help you come to Him. Many of us don’t realize this, because we grew up with morality preaching – instead of Christ-centered preaching.

Where are the kids again? Are you paying attention yet? Is your heart’s desire on Jesus? I really didn’t like going to church when I was younger? I thought it was so boring. Do you know what my favorite part of the worship service was? The pastor’s prayer. It was so long – and we got to close our eyes – and I could go right to sleep. The longer the prayer, the better – nap city!

You know when that all changed? When I became a Christian – receiving Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord. In 5^th grade Sunday School class I heard the gospel, and understood the teacher say that I could be born again; and I was. Soon after that, my parents had to wait for me to be ready to go home after church. I began to love being with God and God’s people.

But for years after that, I still used to fall asleep during many sermons. I just figured that I was lousy at listening to sermons, and the only way to stay awake for them was to be the one giving them. What I now realize is that I only fell asleep during sermons that weren’t about Jesus.

There are so many sermons that are just messages about morality – being good; and aren’t messages about the Redeemer – our Savior and Lord. We don’t want to listen to preachers tell us what they think; we want preachers to point us to Jesus. But even in good sermons, about Jesus, it is possible to miss hearing this – because we don’t know how to pay attention to it. There may be someone here this morning who has never had their heart’s desire for Jesus fulfilled in a sermon.

If all you have heard is “try to live a good life and do what is right,” then you have only heard the law and not the gospel.

If all you’ve heard is “thou shalt & thou shalt not,” then you have only heard legalism, not grace.

If all you have heard is “you are a sinner” and not “you are redeemed, forgiven, saved,” then you have only heard condemnation and not the cross.

The message, which I have preached over the last 6 ½ years is the message of the cross, the message of grace, the message of the gospel; but you can miss it if you are not paying careful attention (with Jesus being the desire of your heart).

If you have missed it, let me summarize 6 ½ years worth of preaching in 60 seconds (Lord, cause hearts and souls to pay careful attention). It is in four parts: (1) God created us to live in His love, to glorify and enjoy Him – forever. (2) However, sin entered into the world almost immediately after God created it good, bringing ruin to God’s perfect creation. The fall of mankind started with Adam & Eve and extends to you & me. Our sin is rebellion against God, making us His enemy. Sin brings us into the world spiritually dead, putting us into a condition of misery; because we don’t know God’s love, we don’t glorify and enjoy Him. (3) But God, in his great mercy, did not leave us in this condition; instead he sent Jesus Christ – His only begotten Son – who lived the perfect life we failed to live. By His death and resurrection, He has taken the punishment for all of our sins and given us the credit for all of his righteousness, so that we are declared perfect in God’s eyes. (4) O God, that is such good news that I don’t just want to hear it – I desire to respond to it. I want to repent of all my sin, trust Jesus as my Savior and surrender my whole life to Him as my Lord. Let the power of the Holy Spirit work within me, to make me righteous – to love you and my neighbor. Change me, from inside out, so that I can live in your love, to glorify and enjoy you forever as you created me to do.

Did you hear all 4 parts, or did you only catch the first one – and fall into the trap of secularism [“God created everything good, and we all believe in the same creator God…”]

Or did you hear only the first 2 parts – and fall into the trap of condemnation [“I am a sinner. I am guilty. There is no hope. I will never be able to get better. I keep trying and trying, but forget it…”]

Or did you hear only the first 3 parts – and fall into the trap of carnality [“Jesus was born at Christmas and rose at Easter; I can worship God on my own as well as I can with the church. I’m going to heaven, guaranteed; I can do whatever I want. I am forgiven, so I can sin all I want now.”]

Or did you hear all 4 parts – and see Christ changing your heart, your life [“Jesus loves me. Jesus loves me, a wretched sinner. I am so unworthy; thank you, Jesus. Make me like you, Jesus. I can’t wait for heaven, start making me holy now (from the inside out) so I can enjoy being with you right now.”]

II. Why Pay More Careful Attention

This brings us to the next question – Why? Why pay more careful attention? “So that we do not drift away.” This is, perhaps, the biggest challenges we face – not just as individuals – but as a church, especially within this current culture.

Over the years we have seen people “drift away” from Christ and from Christ’s church. This church had a long stretch of time in which it was difficult to “pay more careful attention.”

Personality conflicts – in & out of the church; pastoral searches and preaching that often was not Christ-centered; unrepentant immorality; a culture that has rejected Christ more and more. And so we have seen much drifting away.

Hebrews 2:1 shows us the key to bringing people back. “We must pay more careful attention.” We must desire Jesus with all our heart.

III. How to Pay More Careful Attention

This brings us to the all-important question – How? How do we pay more careful attention? How do we let Jesus be our heart’s desire so that we do not drift away from Him?

First, we must ask God to crucify, with Christ, the worldly desires that keep us from making Jesus our heart’s desire. This goes back to our resolutions – the areas of our life that need to change. How do we keep our resolutions this year?

(1) By realizing that we cannot do it alone: We need Christ, and we need an accountability partner, who will pray for us and pray with us – walking with us to the cross of Christ.

(2) Those prayers must focus on the person and work of Christ. Remind each other that Jesus is supreme above all things, including the angels. Remind each other, continually, that the cross is where we are forgiven and accepted by God.

Secondly, we must ask God to show us the reason why we desire the things of this world, rather than desiring Him. Our desires are the ways in which we cope with the guilt and misery of this life. We turn to things like alcohol, cigarettes, food, TV, money, video games, entertainment – and busyness – in order to cope – to forget for a few moments – the guilt and misery that is weighing us down.

Listen closely. Jesus did not come to bring you comfort; nor did he come to make you comfortable. Jesus came TO BE your comfort. The Apostle Paul begins his second letter to the Corinthian Church, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).

God, through Jesus Christ, brings us comfort by being our comfort. Release your guilt into God’s grace. Release your misery into His sovereign hands. Look beyond the circumstances of your life. You have to pay some attention to life; but pay more careful attention to Christ.

Life’s circumstances will give you ups and downs that are mostly out of your control. Stop turning to the things of the world to cope. Find your hope in Christ.

You are a sinner, but Christ came to set you free from guilt and shame – and from the power of sin. Stop turning to the things of the world to cope. Find your hope in Christ.

Instead of simply praying, “Lord help me to stop smoking,” pray, “Lord help me want more of you.” Make Jesus your heart’s desire. Only in Christ can we be set free to live in joyful obedience, by making Him our heart’s desire. Let him set you free from the guilt and misery that sets you drifting away to worldly desires.

MAY THE TRUTH SET YOU FREE – AMEN!