Hebrews 2:1-9

February 20, 2012

Here at Harrisville UMC we are crawling, verse by verse through the book of Hebrews. You can here the audio at the bottom, or on iTunes. Enjoy!

Hebrews 2:1-9

Verse 1:

This is why it’s necessary for us to pay more attention to what we have heard, or else we may drift away from it.

We must pay close attention to what we have heard. Just before this we heard about Jesus being the highest, best, and only way to salvation. We must pay close attention to this or else we will begin to forget.
This is where Scripture comes in. We must read it, on a regular basis. If we do not we will forget. Faith is like a muscle. The more we use it and practice it the stronger it will get. But when we stop we forget and our faith grows weaker.
Read your Bible, every day. Start in Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John. Read it.
cell groups. getting together in community with people who are on this journey too that can hold you accountable and help you stay close to god and not drift away.
Drift in Greek is Pararrein. Think of slip away quietly. It leaked away. thoughtlessly been allowed to become lost. It is used a lot in ships drifting at sea because the captain is asleep. It is moving imperceptibly away from Jesus until we are so far away we feel as though we can’t go back.
we know this feeling. we know people who used to be very active in the church and now don’t come and have drifted away because they were not connected and were not practicing what they heard.
In College I had 5 semesters of German. I was pretty fluent in it. Last year I had a chance to go Germany. After not using my German for 6 years I had forgotten all of it, except for the days of the week song.
Your faith is like that. When you stop paying attention to it you forget it.

You may remember the songs from when you were a kid. but how much of your faith have you forgotten? Things you were taught but no longer remember?

Verse 2-4

If the message that was spoken by angels was reliable, and every offense and act of disobedience received an appropriate consequence, how will we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? It was first announced through the Lord, and then it was confirmed by those who heard him. God also vouched for their message with signs, amazing things, various miracles, and gifts from the Holy Spirit, which were handed out the way he wanted.

During the time Hebrews was written there was a belief that when Moses received the 10 commandments they were given to him by Angels.

Shows up in Galatians 3:19 and Acts 7:53

. This law required that every time one of those laws was broken there MUST be retribution
Author of Hebrews doesn’t go against this tradition but points out the flaws in it.
The author is saying that if the original law from Moses is reliable we are all up the creek without a paddle because we fulfilled Romans 3:23 That says we have all sinned against God.
This old law from Moses means all of us are in trouble and need to be made right with God because none of us can live up to the standards put forth.
If we ignore our Salvation we will suffer those consequences of no longer being in right standing with God. An eternal separation from God.

What is the great salvation?

It was first announced with Jesus
Confirmed by those who heard Jesus
Vouched for by God with awesome things.
Holy Spirit gave gifts because of it.

The Great Salvation is that; through the blood of Jesus on the cross the laws that you broke are paid for. The debt you owe is gone, and you are now in right standing with God.
How great is that?

It is so great because it means this is the closest to hell you will ever get.
It means those times when God seems far away won’t last.
It means that when God looks at you God smiles.
It means that when God organizes the events of your life, they will all eventually work for good.

Verse 5-8

God didn’t put the world that is coming (the world we are talking about) under the angels’ control. Instead, someone declared somewhere, What is humanity that you think about them? Or what is the human being that you care about them? For a while you made them lower than angels. You crowned the human being with glory and honor. You put everything under their control. When he puts everything under their control, he doesn’t leave anything out of control. But right now, we don’t see everything under their control yet.

This is a quote of Psalm 8:4-6
The World that is coming is not a reference to some future end times event. It is the world in which Jesus is alive. It is this idea that the old world/law/system is gone and there is now a new world here now that was inaugurated in and through the life and word of Jesus. It is this world that is not under control of angels.
Instead it is under the control of people.
Everything is under our control.
In Genesis everything is put under the control of Adam. He lost that control at the fall. Now, through Jesus’ work on the cross we get that back. We get to have control over the things that God created for us. The rest of Psalm 8 says “all sheep, cattle, wild animals, birds, fish, everything that travels the sea” in other words all this stuff around us.
For a little while we were lower than angels but now, because of Jesus we are better than angels. We are an heir to the throne.
However, the author touches on one eternal truth. Sometimes we aren’t free. We aren’t in control, we fail, we are tempted, we are controlled by objects instead of us controlling objects. Too often we are bound to the things we are supposed to control. Most of the time we can’t even control our own emotions let alone anything else in the world.
When we realize we are not in control like we thought we were it becomes easy to become disillusioned and disheartened with God because we were taught we have control but the reality is we don’t.
But Hebrews understands this and says:

Verse 9

However, we do see the one who was made lower in order than the angels for a little while—it’s Jesus! He’s the one who is now crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of his death. He suffered death so that he could taste death for everyone through God’s grace.

The answer to our lack of control is Jesus.
Jesus gave up control and became lower than the angels for a little while. By giving up control he suffered death so that everyone could experience God’s grace.
So that you could know God’s grace in the midst of your chaos and mess Jesus gave up control and died.
God’s grace also gives you the strength to seize that control back.

Maybe that means you need professional help.

Because of Jesus’ work on the cross it is okay to get help.

Maybe that means you start saying “No” to things that are unhealthy.

When Jesus died on the cross he tore down the curtain between us and the divine. Because of that, we no longer have to do things that will eventually kill us.

Maybe that means you move out.

Because of Jesus’ work on the cross you don’t have to stay in places that are unsafe.

Maybe that means you get a new job.

Is that job killing you? Jesus’ job on the cross killed him so that you may have a real life.

Whatever it means, through Jesus giving up control and dying we are no longer slaves to objects, people, jobs, money, or titles, instead we are able to reach out and bring all those things under our control.

You are not a doormat to be walked on, trampled on, and have people leave their mud all over.

Instead because of Jesus you can stand up, declare that the past does not control you and that you get to change your life.

We get a few basic ideas for us today.

1. Don’t forget what you have learned. If you are a Christian you need to read your Bible and be in community with other believers so that you don’t forget your faith.

2. There is an old law and that law has consequences that result in you being cut off from God.

3. You were saved by Jesus and now have control over all the things you used to have control over.

4. We don’t always feel like we have control. Sometimes our life is spinning out of control.

5. Jesus gave up control so that you can have control of your life.

So then, read your Bible and realize that Jesus saved you and gave you back your control over your life. Take the authority God has given you and take your life back. so then, stand up, get help, reach out to your cell group, your family, do whatever it takes so that you are not a slave to your job, your checkbook, instead because of Jesus work on the cross those things come under your control. as you follow Jesus. more comes under your control.

Sermon Audio