“A CALL TO
HEAR” (Heb
Feb
2nd, 03
1. Before us is a
practical application of what was brought before them in the previous
verses.
2. Jesus said: (Luke
a. It was this
principle fact that the Hebrews were now
reminded.
3. Paul had just completed the final
contrast between Judaism and Christianity. (Vr.
18-24)
a. Paul’s desire
was more than just enlightening their minds.
b. It was moving of
the will and ordering of their walk.
c. Sadly, today, there
is very little of this kind of teaching and preaching.
d. Today’s pulpits are
designed to entertain instead of enlightening.
4. Paul urges his hearers again and
again to resist the temptation to lapse back into
Judaism.
a. (Heb 2:1,3)
"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."
(Heb 2:3) "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;"
b. (Heb
c. (Heb 4:1) "Let us therefore fear,
lest, a promise being left us
of entering into his rest, any
of you should seem to come short of
it."
d. (Heb 6:4-6) "For
it is impossible for those who
were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made
partakers of the Holy Ghost, {5}
And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to
come, {6} If they shall fall
away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the
Son of God afresh, and put him to
an open shame."
e. (Heb 10:26-29) "For if we sin wilfully after
that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, {27} But a certain fearful looking for of
judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. {28} He that despised Moses' law died
without mercy under two or three witnesses:
{29} Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought
worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood
of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done
despite unto the Spirit of grace?"
f. (Heb 12:1) "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed
about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth
so easily beset us, and let us
run with patience the race that is set before
us,"
g. (Heb 12:15) "Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of
God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be
defiled;"
5. Paul’s kind of preaching may not
increase one’s popularity with me, but it will meet with God’s approval; and
NO FAITHFUL MINISTER CAN HAVE
BOTH.
I. CONSIDER THE COMMAND PRESENTED IN (Vr.
25)
A. SEE THAT YE
REFUSE NOT HIM THAT SPEAKETH.
1. The Greek word for
“see” is rendered
“take heed” in (Heb
a.
Matthew Henry: " It is the great concern of
every one of us to take heed to our ways, that is, to walk circumspectly, while
others walk at all adventures." God
instructed Moses to set bounds around the Mount and instruct the people to
"take heed". Three thousand
were slain that day for not taking heed."
(Rom
b.
(1 Cor
2. The word for
“Refuse” signifies
“depreciate” or
to “not regard” or still
less, “reject”
3. The realization of
the “wondrous grace of God” is the best incentive for a godly walk.
4. (Titus
B. THIS “REFUSE HIM NOT” IS
1. (Deu
18:18-19) "I will
raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put
my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command
him. {19} And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my
words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of
him."
2. (Acts 3:22) "For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A
prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto
me; him shall ye hear in all things
whatsoever he shall say unto you."
3. (Mat 17:5) "While he
yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them:
and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well
pleased; hear ye
him."
a. Moses was there; but God was
not well pleased with him.
b. Elijah was there;
but God was not well pleased with him.
c. Peter was there;
but God was not well pleased with him.
d. John was there; but
God was not well pleased with him.
e. James was
there; but God was not well pleased with him.
4. The righteous God
could never be well pleased with any sinful man considered in himself!"
C. HEARING AND HEEDING
HAVE THE SAME MEANING IN THE GOSPEL OF
CHRIST.
1. (Luke
II. CONSIDER HOW MEN REFUSE TO HEAR AND
HEED THE WORDS OF THE GOSPEL. (Vr.
25)
A. THIS IS DONE A
NUMBER OF WAYS
1. By neglecting to read daily and diligently the
Scriptures.
2. By failing to
attend public preaching whenever and where-ever it is faithfully
preached.
3. By failing to yield
ourselves to the Authority of God’s Holy Word.
4. By forsaking the
narrow way of his commandments and going back again into the
world.
5. By abandoning the
truth for error, which generally ends in apostasy.
III. CONSIDER THAT THERE IS NO ESCAPING THE
JUDGMENT OF GOD IN SUCH A CASE. (Vr.
25)
A. PAUL IS STILL
EMPHASIZING THE CONTRAST BETWEEN JUDAISM AND
CHRISTIANITY.
1. (Heb
2. It is in the light
of that statement: “In these last days has
spoken unto us by his Son.” that (Heb
3. (John
4. Under the O. T. men were unable to go in to God, but under the N. T. God has,
in the person of Christ,
come out to men.
B. A. W. P. says: “Though Christianity has in it for
less of what is terrifying than had Judaism and far more in it which exhibits
the grace and mercy of God, nevertheless, apostasy from the one cannot be less
terrible of its consequences than the apostasy from the
other.”
1. Paul points this
out in no uncertain terms in (Heb
a. (Heb
C. IT WAS NOT MOSES OR THE PROPHETS, BUT
BY THE LORD JESUS CHRIST THAT THE EVERLASTING FIRES OF HELL WERE MOST VIVIDLY
DEPICTED.
1. (Mat
2. Seven times over, our Lord mentions
the “gnashing of teeth.” in the gospels.
3. C. H. S. said: "The Weepings and Wailings of the Damned are but the deep bass of the
astounding praise which the whole
universe, willingly or unwillingly,
must give to Christ.”
IV. CONSIDER THE CONSEQUENCE OF REFUSING TO HEAR
HIM THAT SPEAKS.
A. THEY ESCAPED NOT
THAT REFUSED HIM THAT SPAKE ON EARTH.
1. The phrase, “How shall we escape is
found twice in Scripture...(Isa 20:6; Heb
2:3)
2. F. B. Meyers on (Isa 20:6)
said: “If
a. “The moral is obvious, and it is well pointed by the
apostle Peter when he says: (1 Pet
3. The
4. "If saints, whom God loves so well,
suffer so much in this world, what will be the punishment of sinners
hereafter?"
5. The infant
Church was threatened with torture, the sword, the stake, the lions; the savage
shout was "Christianos
6. (Amos 3:2 )
"You only have I known of all the families of the earth:
therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities."
a Though they had
been delivered from the house of bondage. (Ex
12).
b. Though they had
been delivered from their enemy at the
c. Though they had eaten of the heavenly
manna and drank of the waters from the Rock at Horeb.
(Ex
17)
d. (1 Cor 10:5) "But with
many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the
wilderness."
7.
God will not
accept you or me apart from Christ.
a. It does
not matter who your father is.
b. It does not matter
what rituals you have performed.
c. It does not matter
what experiences you have had.
d. If you do not have
Christ, `you will perish in this wilderness!
B. THE APOSTLE REMINDED THEM THAT
IT WAS OF THEM WHOM GOD SAID:
1. (Heb
2. (Psa 95:10)
"Forty years long
was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not
known my ways:"
a. C. H. S. said: "Put the law into the heart, and the
whole man is right. This is where the law should be; for then it lies, like the
tables of stone in the ark, in the place appointed for it. In the head it
puzzles, on the back it burdens, in the heart it
upholds."
b. Cotton
Mather said: ""I have often
thought of Mr Paul Bayne, his fairwell words to Dr
Ames when going to Holland; Mr Bayne perceiving him to be a man of
extra-ordinary parts, 'Beware (said he) of
a strong head and a cold heart.'"
C.
1. (Exo 19:8) "And
all the people answered together, and said, All that the LORD hath spoken we will do.
And Moses returned the words of the people unto the
LORD."
2. (Ex 20:3) “Thou shalt have no other gods
before me.”
a. (Ex 32:4) “And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with
a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O
D.
1. They listened to
the skepticism of the ten spies. (Num
13:26-27)
a.
“Grapes, Giants and Grasshoppers.”
CONCLUSION: (Heb 2:3) “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;
"Hear Ye
Him."
"
Come and hear him now describing
Man's foul heart-so prone to sin;
Tracing every inward
turning
Full of error, found within,
And disclosing many secrets
To the righteous on the way
While enlivening death's cold
region
With the glorious gospel
ray.
Come and hear him now expounding
Heaven's free redeeming
grace;
Loudly praising the
Redeemer
Of our poor apostate race
Lo!
He causes many a
pilgrim,
Sore oppressed with fear and grief,
To depart in joyous
freedom
From the bonds of
unbelief.
He supports the arms that languish,
And gives courage to the
faint;
He sustains them with his
doctrine,
Heeding to their souls' complaint
Glowing words, profound and
earnest,
Temper'd in the
flame's caress;
Light to lead the weary pilgrim
Safely through the
wilderness."