Sermon 02/08/04 am

Jim Huskey, More Earnest Heed

How many times have those of you who are parents told your child, "You

better listen to me, because.." "You better hear what I'm saying, or

else..." Well, believe it or not, there's some language like that in

the Bible. In the book of Hebrews, chapter 2, Paul began by saying,

"Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which

we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. For if the

word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and

disobedience received a just recompense of reward, how shall we escape,

if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be

spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;

God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with

divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own

will?" Heb. 2:1-4. "Therefore." Anytime you see that word at the

beginning of a sentance or paragraph, you need indeed to find what it

is "there for". It usually has a link back to what had preceeded that

particular point, as this one does. You remember, the greater part of

chapter 1 revealed the point the apostle was making - that Jesus was

better, superior, to the angels. Now the angels were ministering

spirits and the author pointed out very plainly that at no time did

He say to any of them "thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee."

To his Son he said, "...Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever; a

septre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom." vs. 8. In

verse 13 he said, "But to which of the angels said he at any time,

"Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?" Now

they are ministering spirits, he said, "...sent forth to minister for

them who shall be heirs of salvation."

But the point he made as he began chapter 2 is this; don't downplay

the significance of what the angels had said when they were used as

messengers, because one of the things you'll find is that when they

spoke, that's the way it was going to be. The point he made is, if

that was true concerning angels, what about that which was spoken by

him who is greater than the angels. But out of curiosity, let's go

back and see how stedfast the word of angels was. In Genesis 16, God

had made a promise to Abraham and Sarah that they would have an heir.

Sarah would produce that heir even though she was past the age of

bearing. It didn't happen as quickly as they thought it should. Man

is very impatient, so Sarah said 'We'll help God.' That's not exactly

what she said, but that was her reasoning behind what she said. So

she gave Abraham her handmaid, Hagar. He went in to her and a child

was later born. But when we don't do things the was God said do,

there's always a problem. Things didn't work out the way Sarah thought

it would, because now her handmaid looked "down her nose" at her

because she was with child and Sarah wasn't. As a result of that, Sarah

mistreated Hagar and Hagar ran away. In Genesis 16, verse 7 we begin,

"And the angel of the Lord found her by a fountain of water in the

wilderness, by the fountain in the way of Shur. And he said, Hagar,

Sarai's maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she

said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai. And the angel of the

Lord said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under

her hands. And the angel of the Lord said unto her, I will multiply

thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.

And the angel of the Lord said unto her, Behold, thou art with

child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because

the Lord hath heard thy affliction. And he will be a wild man; his

hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and

he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren." Gen. 16:7-12.

Well, what about the word of angels on that occasion? You can hardly

pick up a newspaper or hear a news report without there being something

about the fighting in the middle East !!!! The descendants of

Ishmael fighting against the descendants of Isaac !!!! Well, wasn't

that what the angel said ???? There has been that fighting the entire

time. The point the apostle was making in the Hebrew letter was this -

the word of angels proved stedfast !!!!

Turn over of chapter 19 of Genesis, beginning in verse 1. "And there

came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom;

and lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with

his face toward the ground; and he said, Behold now, my lords, turn

in, I pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night, and

wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And

they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night. And he

pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered

into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread,

and they did eat. But before they lay down, the men of the city, even

the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all

the people from every quarter; and they called unto Lot, and said

unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? Bring

them out unto us, that we may know them. (And we know what they meant

by that) And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door

after him, and he said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly.

Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man; let me,

I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in

your eyes; only unto these men do nothing; for therfore came they under

the shadow of my roof. And they said, Stand back. And they said again,

This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge; now

will we deal worse with thee, then with them. And they pressed sore

upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door. But the men

put forth their hand, and pulled Lot into the house with them and shut

the door. And they smote the men that were at the door of the house

with blindness, both small and great; so that they wearied themselves

to find the door." Gen. 19:1-10. Now those men had a message. Now

remember these men are angels. "And the men said unto Lot, Hast

thou here any besides? son in law, and thy sons, and thy daughters,

and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place;

for we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great

before the face of the Lord; and the Lord hath sent us to destroy it.

And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his

daughters, and said Up, get you out of this place; for the Lord will

destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in

law. And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying,

Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here, lest thou

be consumed in the iniquity of the city. And while he lingered, the

men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon

the hand of his two daughters; the Lord being merciful unto him; and

they brought him forth, and set him without the city. And it came to

pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape

for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain;

escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed." Vs. 12-17. Did God

destroy Sodom and Gomorrah? HE SURELY DID !!!! What did Lot's wife

do? "..look not behind thee." Oh she did. What happened to her? She

turned to a pillar of salt. vs. 26. You see, the point the Hebrew

author was make was this - the word of angels proved stefast. It did.

When they spoke, you could rest assured that the things they had said

would happen. In the book of Numbers, chapter 22, we find another time

when angel ministered. Balak wanted to cast a stumblingblock before

Israel and curse that people. God had told him 'no, you can't curse

them because I've blessed them.' Every time Balak would send back

a greater amount of money and more supposedly honorable men. So

Balaam wanted what they had to offer and he kept coming back with 'let

me go talk to God again.' Finally God just told him to 'go on'.

Balaam was riding on his ass and we remember what happened. He got

between a rock and a hard place and the Lord sent an angel with a

sword to stand in his way. In Acts, chapter 12 we find Peter had been

put into prison, James had been beheaded. Peter was there in chains

and in the middle of the night suddenly there's an angel there with

him, taps him on the shoulder and says 'get up, let's go.' Poor old

Peter wasn't sure what was happening, until he was standing out in

the middle of the street, rather than in chains in the prison. But

what happened? God used an angel and what the angel said was to

happen, happened. He said, 'get up and go', and the next thing

Peter knew he has gone, he was out in the middle of the street.

Well, the Hebrew author was emphasizing the point of when the Son of

God speaks. Wasn't that how the book of Hebrews began? "God, who at

sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers,

hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son..." One of the ways

God spoke to the fathers in time past was through angels. The point

the Hebrew author made at the end of chapte 1 and into chapte 2 is

that the Son of God is greater than the angels. They were just

ministering spirits. They did sit on the throne, the Son of God did.

The point they made, and they made it rather forcefully, trying to

reinforce the idea of how important it was that the people listen, was

to not forget what God had said. Why? "For if the words spoken by

angels was stedfast." and it was, when they said 'this or that is

going to happen', it did. When their word was disobeyed, those who

disobeyed it were punished. That's what the Hebrew author said.

"....and every transgression and disobedience received a just

recompense of reward." Now that being the case, as we deal with

someone greater, better than the angels, how shall we escape. Now

that's the theme of the book of Hebrews - better. The author was

trying to stop the Jews who had become christians from going back into

Judaism. "How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation;

which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed

unto us by them that heard him; God also bearing them witness...."

There are an awful lot of folks in the world today, and their number

seems to be increasing, who don't put too much stock in what the Bible

says. A lot of them are religious folks. Numerous are the times I've

talked with people about various things said in the Bible concerning

what God wants us to do, only to have them respond, "Now, it says

that, but that's not all that important." Now stop and think about

that kind of reasoning for a minute. It would appear to me, just

being an old country boy, that anything God said to man would be

pretty important. You know, God isn't like we are. Some people run

off at the mouth all the time, and hopefully not too many people pay

any attention to what they say. God dosen't do that. When God says

something, it's important. Brother, if he says it more than once, you

sure better pay attention to it. That's the very point the Hebrew

autor was making. You see, these Jews to whom the book of Hebrews was

addressed place great stock in those old messages that had come from

angels and Moses and prophets, so the author is reminding them, when

those fellows spoke, whether angels, Moses or prophet, the things they

spoke came to pass. If there was a warning and the warning was

disobeyed, the punishment was meted out. Doesn't it make sense that

if God sent one greater than any of those, it would be of utmost

important to give heed to the things he said, and not disregard them

nor let them slip away, go in one ear and out the other, or drift

away from them.

Then the author went on to point out why, verse 9 beginning, "But we

see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering

of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God

should taste death for every man. For it became him, for whom are all

things, and by whom are all things; in bringing many sons unto glory, to

make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both

he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one; for which

cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, I will declare

thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise

unto thee. And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I

and the children which God hath given me. Forasmuch then as the

children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise

took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that

had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them who through

fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. (how) For

he verily took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the

seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made

like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high

priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins

of the people. for in that he himself hath sufered being tempted,

he is able to succour them that are tempted." Heb. 2:9-18. Angels

couldn't do that. He tasted death for every man. Angels couldn't do

that either, because they were not part of man. But then he did

something else. He came to destroy him that had the power of death, the

devil, and to do something that had not been done until that time, and

a lot of folks still have a problem with it. Men are fraid of dying

because they don't know where they're going, or maybe some are afraid

because they do know where they're going, or they should be. As far

back as Job, the question rang out 'If a man die, will he live again.'

There's hope of a tree if it's cut down. There were glimpses back

there, but no assurance until Jesus came victorious from the grave

and became the firstfruits, Paul said in the I Corinthian letter, of

them that slept. There's a term from the Old Testament that we

sometimes misunderstand - the offering of firstfruits. A lot of folks

think that's the giving of the first part, God gets his first. That

was not the primary significance of it. The primary significance was

that none of the rest of it would be wasted either, that the entire

crop would be harvested. When Paul said Jesus became the firstfruits

of them that slept, he was God's assurance that the grave isn't the

end, that there will indeed come a time when all that are in the

grave will hear his voice and come forth, they that have done good to

the resurrection of life, they that have done evil to the resurrection

of condemnation.

So it's no wonder that the Hebrew author would say we ought to give

the more earnest heed to the things we've heard, lest haply we

sould let them slip, or drift away from us. Someone, even greater

than the angels, brought that message. That's what was echoed on

the mount of transfiguration, "...This is my beloved Son in whom I

am well pleased, hear ye him." That's still true today.