All right, take your Bibles and
turn back with me to Hebrews, Hebrews chapter two. Look at one through five here. Most likely it's gonna be like one through three, but who knows? Maybe we'll get down there somewhere.
Scripture says, therefore, we ought to give more earnest heed
to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let
them slip. For if the words spoken by angels
were steadfast and every transgression of disobedience received a just
recompense of reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great
a salvation, which at first began to be spoken by the Lord and
was confirmed unto us by them that heard him? God also bearing
them witness and signs and wonders and diverse miracles and gifts
of the Holy Ghost according to his will. Unto the angels hath
he not put in subjection the world to come whereof we speak. Now, I guess if I had a title,
more earnest heed. More earnest heed. Again, remember the purpose of
this book of Hebrews. The purpose of this book was
written to those Hebrew believers who were tempted to go back under
the law of Moses. They were tempted by their families,
they were pressured, they were put in persecution. So as they
would neglect Christ, leave Christ and go back to the law of Moses. And so the apostle in this book
and throughout this book shows this, that Christ is better. Christ is better than all of
the prophets. Christ is better than Moses. Christ is better than Isaiah.
Christ is better than the prophet. Christ is his covenant. The covenant
of grace is better than the covenant of the law. And he goes through
this point by point showing how Christ is better, more excellent. And the beginning of this, he
begins by this. You know, God showed him in different
times, in different ways, in different manners. He spoke to
them. But now he has spoken his final
word. And that word is his son. This one Jesus Christ, the creator
and sustainer of all things. He was from eternity, John says
in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and
the word was God. Jesus Christ being the eternal
God, the creator of all things worthy of all praise. In verse three, he's of this,
he says, who being the brightness of his glory and the express
image of his person, upholding all things by the word of his
power. We see that he is God. And in
verse four, he tells us he is much better than the angels being
made so much better than the angels, as he had an inheritance
obtained a more excellent. A more excellent name than they.
See, Jesus Christ, who is God, was also purpose to be our mediator,
was also purpose to purge our sins. He said when he had purged
our sins, he sat down and he has a more excellent name than
all the angels. Why? Because he had an inheritance. Now, consider that Jesus Christ
as creator needed not inherit anything. It was all his. So
what is he talking about this inheritance? He's speaking of
him as the Christ, the mediator. He was purpose to obtain an inheritance. What is that inheritance? Well,
simply this, it's all things. He created all things. God purpose
that he should inherit all things. And notice what he says, he obtained
it. It's not only was he purposed to inherit all things, he actually
obtained that inheritance by his work as a man. Therefore, is he not better than
the angels? Well, of course he is. These
angels consider their power. I was as I was reading this,
I said, you know, one angel killed 185,000 men in one night. That's
some powerful stuff. One angel. Consider their holy
perfections. that they, by their holiness,
maintain their relationship to God by their obedience. Constant,
perpetual obedience unto God. How holy is that? So later on
he says, well, what in the world is man that you're mindful of
him? Consider that. He made man lower than the angels,
didn't he? So you consider the angels of
God. They're ministering spirits. They are holy. They worship God
without ceasing, obey all his commands. But behold, as Christ
is better. Christ is better than the angels.
It was even said of our Lord that they they're ministering
spirits. You know what they did when he after he triumphed over
Satan in the desert, they came down and fed him. Why? They're his servants. They're
his servants. Even so, God does send his angels
not to be worshipped or exalted, but rather to minister unto us. They're servants. You consider
their holiness and their power, and yet what? They're just servants.
But Jesus, he's altogether different. Consider him. Set your eyes on
him this morning because he is the eternal son of God. And he
has come to do what no angel could. Deliver his people from
their sins. He came to accomplish a work.
He came to reveal salvation. And not only reveal it, but accomplish
it. Jesus then, you know, the angels,
they conveyed the word of God to people. Read in the Old Testament,
an angel came down and said something. Well, he told them exactly what
God said to tell him. But Jesus Christ is what the
angel was speaking about. God told the angel, go down and
testify to my prophets. You know who that angel was talking
about? He was talking about Christ. And Christ came down. He is the
final word of God. So what does this mean for us?
It means that there's no more need for signs and wonders. There's
no more need for miracles. There's no more need for dreams
and visions. Somebody come up and say, well,
you know what? I had a dream. So what? I had a dream last night. I hope it never comes true. My
nightmare is always to come to church and not be dressed for
it. Be in my underwear, be in my pajamas. That's just a dream. It don't mean anything at all.
Why? Because the final word of God
is sealed. We don't need this anymore. Christ
said, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the
end. Search the scriptures, in them
you think you have eternal life. They are they that testify of
me. How singular is this book? How singular is this book? It's
about Christ. You get it? It's all about him. Therefore, the apostle in our
text gives this exhortation to us who have heard you who have
heard you who know who he is. You know, he is God manifest
in the flesh. You know his person. You heard
it. You believe it. You know He is
the express image of the Father and He by Himself purged our
sins. You know He is better than all
angels because He is the creator of all angels. You know that
He is the final word. And listen to this, Paul says,
therefore, listen, because you heard that, listen, you ought to just rely on what
you heard. Is that what he said? Therefore,
you should just trust in what you heard and don't have to hear
it again. Therefore, we ought to give the
more earnest heed to the things which we have heard. Why? Lest
at any time we should let them slip. Let them slip. You know what that word slip
is? Drip. Lest you let them seep out. Is that, do you have that problem?
When you get done, how much of this will you remember? And how
much will seep out? Why? You and I should give more
earnest heed to these things. Why? Because we are prone to
let them slip. We are prone to forget. When
sin comes in and trial and troubles and tribulation, what's the first
thing we do? We fear. We doubt. Now why would you fear? Why should
you doubt? Because you've let it slip. You've
let it slip. How many times does he tell us
fear not? You must let that slip out. Don't let that slip out. May God keep that in our minds
and heart. Don't let these things, give
more earnest heed. Now listen, there are some people
who are deceived. Some people have heard this gospel,
but they're still deceived. They think salvation is a one-time
thing. I heard that. I don't need to
hear it anymore. It's a one-time decision, one-time
religious act, and they've taken care of it. They've checked it
off on their box. I can't tell you. You think that's
silly, but that's exactly how the religious world believes.
They said, well, I've heard of Jesus Christ and crucified. Now
let's move on. Let's just move away from this
and start talking about me. You said enough about him. You
need you need focus on me. Nope. No salvation, not a one
time thing, nor does it focus on you. The only thing word of
God says about you is sinner. You want to hear what God says
about you? You'll be sadly depressed by the time you get done listening
to it. Some people think salvation then
is an endless accumulation of things, an endless accumulation
of works and religious ceremonies by which they are accepted. But
this is not the gospel we've heard. This is not the gospel
we've heard. It's not the gospel of Christ. You know, man by nature is apt
to believe anything but the gospel. He'd rather believe in Martians
and fairy tales than to believe the gospel. I guarantee you there
are a lot of people who claim to be Christian following around,
you know, alien stuff. They'd rather, they'd listen
to that. Why? It tickles their intellect. They'd rather hear anything but
the word of God spoken by His Son. But we who believe We desire
to hear nothing else. I need to hear about Him. Why? Because I often let it slip.
Because it drains out of me. And I need to be reminded again. One person said that the Holy
Spirit is the remembrancer. He is constantly reminding us
of Christ. We need constantly to give more
earnest heed to the message that Christ spoke, that the Lord gave
his apostles. And what is that message? It
is God manifest in the flesh. That's the message. That's the
message. Look at John. First, John, go
over first, John. John said this, that which was
from the beginning. Which we heard. which we have seen with our eyes,
which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled the word
of life. For the life was manifest, and
we seen it and bear witness and show it to you, that eternal
life which was with the Father and was manifest unto us. And
which we have seen and heard declare we unto you that you
may also have fellowship with us. And truly our fellowship
is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ. These things
we write unto you that your joy might be full. This then is the
message which we have heard of him. We declare unto you that
God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. We say we have
fellowship with him, we walk in darkness, we lie and do not
the truth. But if we walk in the light as he is in the light,
we have fellowship one with another. And the blood of Christ his son
cleanseth us from all our sin. This is the message. John says,
look, I heard him, that was from the beginning. I not only heard him, I seen
him. And I not only seen him, I touched
him. My hands have handled the word
of life and this is the message that he sent. that Jesus Christ is God, very
God. That the son of God who created
all things by the word of his power, John testifies, I've touched
him, I've felt him, I've seen him in the flesh. Therefore, let us give heed to
this person that was sent. Jesus was sent with the message
from God. We should give earnest heed to
it. We should give earnest heed to
his great condescension. How that God the Son became a
man. That he became our high priest
and our mediator between God and man. And then look, then the apostle
in Hebrews, look at this, go back there. Then the apostle
gives the comparison between this man who came, Jesus, the
son of God, who spoke to us. And he compares his word with
the word of angels. Look at that, he said, for the
word spoken by angels was steadfast and every transgression and disobedience
received a just recompense of reward. Listen to the word, their word,
anybody who disobeyed the word of the angel suffered for disobedience. Now the word of angels no doubt
has reference to the giving of the law. Now when Stephen was
preaching the gospel you remember he said in Acts 7.53 he said,
that they received the law by the dispensation of angels. The angels were messengers. That's
what all they were. They were conveying the word
of God. It is though God was speaking himself when he sent
the angel. And so in matters of the law,
when the law spoke was spoken by these ministers, it was steadfast. It was sure. I'll tell you right now, the
law is still sure. Listen to this, the soul that
sinneth, it shall surely die. That's the ministration of God
through the angels. That's the word that they spoke. God's holiness demands eternal
death as a recompense for sin. And so the apostle says, if the
words of angels were steadfast, that they should be heated by
the souls of men, how much more should the word of Jesus be heated
being the son of God? How much more should you listen
to him? Then listen to angels. How much higher and better is
his word than the word of angels? You remember Matthew 21, the
Lord gives a parable of those tenants. And he sent out, he
had a land, he plowed and everything, he put husbandry, he put people
over his vineyard. And he came to, he sent his servants
that they should receive the fruit from that. And you remember
what they did, they killed his servants, they tortured his servants. And the scripture says, and the
husbandman sent at last his son, saying surely they would receive
his son. And you know what they did to
his son? They killed him. And Jesus said, what in the world
should that man do to those servants? And they, oh, in their righteous
indignation, they said, oh, he should be killed. But then Jesus
said, you know what? I'm talking about you. I'm talking
about you. God sent His Son with a message
better than the message of angels, better than the message of the
law. Oh, that sinners would take a
more earnest heed to this message because the Son of God spoke
it. This is not my word. This is
not my word. It is the word of God spoken
by his son that you should hear. Remember in Deuteronomy told
Moses that he said, I'm going to raise up a prophet like you. And to him shall the people be
gathered to him, shall they hear. You remember he gave that warning
if they don't hear him. They die. They'll suffer. So this morning you should hear
him. Let us give more earnest heed to the word because the
son of God has spoken it. A more glorious word than the
law. Now listen, the giving of the
law. Can you not imagine a more majestic
and holy thing than the giving of God's law on Mount Sinai? It was a glorious and majestic,
it was an awesome thing. It was a fearful thing. What is the message of these
dispensation of angels given by the law? What's the message
of the law? Cursed is everyone that continueth
not in all things all things written in the book
of the law to do them. What an awesome message that
is. What a terrible message that
is. A strict message, an unwavering
message, an unmerciful message. Is there anyone anyone desires
to be under the law in any measure, in any commandment? Anybody. You are cursed. Cursed. This is the law by dispensation
of angels. This is the message they preach. God is light and in him is no
darkness at all. And in man is darkness and no
light at all. Take heed. Take heed, therefore,
by the deeds of the law shall no flesh, no flesh, no flesh
be justified in his sight. This was the message of angels. Take heed, sinner, and hear the
voice then of the Son of God who has a better message. A better
message, a greater message than that of the law, for his message
is one of mercy. The Son of God has a message
of pardon for sin, peace with God. This is his message. Is it not much greater than that
of the law? Is it not better? Listen, his message is better
to only one group of people, sinners. That's it. The only one who this message
applies to is sinners. Anyone who has heard the message
of the law and realizes they cannot by any means obey those
things. I got a good message for you
because the Son of God came with a better message than that. A
message of mercy. So this message of Jesus that
we are to take heed to is one to sinners. It's a message that
testifies to the depravity of our condition. It testifies to the ruined estate
of man. That in us is no power or ability
to please God in any measure. That's the message of Christ,
isn't it? When Christ came down, he plainly said this about man. No man can come unto me. Is there any worse condition?
Here he is, comes with a message of mercy, comes with a message
of forgiveness, and yet man has no ability to come to him. He says accept. I'm thankful he put that in there.
I'm so thankful there's an exception in there. Isn't it good that
there's an exception? Except the father which hath
sent me, draw him. Have you been drawn to him? You
know what it is to be drawn to him? It is to come to him. Have
you come to him? Who did that? You or God? Christ said God did. He drew
us. Therefore, take more earnest
heed that salvation is not of him that willeth or him that
runneth, but God that showeth mercy. This was the message of
the Son of God, that God must show mercy. Have you seen that
you cannot be justified by your works? Have you heard that your
sins have left you destitute and hopeless of pleasing God? Have you heard that if salvation
were to come to you, that God must give it? The scriptures are plain for
by grace you are saved through faith. And that, not of yourself. Faith is not of yourself. You
got that? You believe right now. Are you believing right now?
You who believe, you believe right now. Where does that come
from? Why do you continually believe?
Why do you desire to give more earnest heed to the things which
Christ spoke? We know this. It is the grace
of God that has given us such faith and salvation. It was by
the grace and power of God. He said in verse three, How shall
we escape when we elect so great a salvation? This salvation is
great, isn't it? Isn't it great? Isn't it wonderful
that God saves you freely? With no merit. It is an act of grace, and this
is the son of God who gives it. The son of God who became a man
for us. Look at this in verse nine, but
we see Jesus. This is how this great salvation
was given to us. We see Jesus, who was made a
little lower than the angels. For what purpose? For suffering
of death. What's the result of that? Crowned
with glory and honor. For this purpose, that he by
grace should taste death for every man. Jesus Christ, the
Son of God became flesh. And as a man, what was his mind
as a man? The mind of Christ was to be
obedient. who being in the form of God
thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made of himself
no reputation, took upon him the form of servant, and being
found in likeness as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient
unto death, even the death of the cross. That was the mind
of Christ, to taste death. That word taste death, I want
you to understand what that means, experience it. That's what he
did. The experience of death he came
for. He tasted death. He could not do that as deity.
Therefore, he must have become a man so that he might taste
death. In that word, every man, we know
this. He did not experience death for everyone without exception.
We know this because in the verses that follow. Look at this. For
it became him. It was just becoming. This was
just necessary. In order for him to redeem you,
this is necessary. It was necessary for whom are
all things and by whom are all things necessary in bringing
many sons to glory that he might make the captain of their salvation
perfect through suffering. We know this is not all for all
men. It's for the many sons that he came. Many sons. that he would come and die and
give his life for. And so when Christ came, consider
his grief, consider his suffering, give more earnest heed to his
suffering. How much time and energy do you
spend on your suffering? I could tell you in personal
experience I spend way too much time dedicated to my suffering. I give a lot of earnest heed
to my suffering. It don't take much for me to give earnest heed
to my suffering. No, you should give earnest heed
to his suffering. Because your suffering does what? I mean, it causes us to grow.
It has a purpose. I'm not saying your suffering
is without purpose. It's necessary for you as believers
that you should grow. But truly, it has nothing to
do with my salvation. My suffering has nothing to do
with it. I could suffer all of my days. And how many sins did that pay
for? Not one. So I think we are to listen to
his suffering. Look at his suffering. And I
think we'll see our sufferings are very light compared to his. He was a man of sorrows and acquainted
with grief. We hid as it were our faces from
him. He was despised and we esteemed
him not. We esteemed him stricken, smitten
of God and afflicted. And yet he opened not his mouth. I don't know, that don't sound
like me at all. I think I opened my mouth too
much. I should give earnest heed to how he suffered. He opened his mouth. Even unto death. In facing the eternal wrath of
God for my sin, He didn't say a word. Such love is not found among
men. The justice God demanded of me,
the righteousness He demanded of me, Jesus obtained that. by his suffering. He obtained righteousness by
his obedience and atonement by his death. So then we are to give more earnest
heed to his righteousness, don't you think? His righteousness. The Lord Jesus Christ was always
righteous as God. He could not see it. So why did
he subject himself to the law that he might obtain a righteousness
as our federal head? He obtained righteousness as
a federal head. In Isaiah chapter 42, it says
in verse 19, who is blind? but my servant, deaf as my messenger
that I sent, who is blind as he that is perfect, blind as
the Lord's servant, seeing many things, but thou observest not,
opening the ears, but he heareth not, the Lord is well pleased
for his righteousness. Give earnest heed whose righteousness
God accepts. That righteousness that you as
a believer possess, whose is it? His righteousness. It's mine
in the fact that He gave it to me. But truly, I do not contribute
anything to it. Isn't that right? You that believe, what do you
contribute to His righteousness? Name one thing you are able to
add to his righteousness. Take earnest heed to that, because
we often want to add something. Why am I going to be accepted
with God? Because of his righteousness. Because of this, he made me righteous. Give earnest heed to that. Lest
we let it slip. How many believers have been
duped into this? I want to give I want to give,
you know, benefit of the doubt to some of these brethren. These
these ones who desire to be progressively sanctified by their obedience. They've been duped. to think
that they're able to add to the holiness that Christ has given
us the righteousness that Christ has given us. And somehow by
your spiritual growth, you add righteousness. No. No. When a child is born, he has
five fingers on a hand. Does he ever get six? Now, the hand may get bigger.
and may get stronger, but he don't grow any more fingers.
The same is with our righteousness. Surely we grow in the grace and
knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we don't add anything to
his righteousness by our growth. Not one thing. Consider then
his great salvation, his great redemption. Let us take more
earnest heed to his death. Let's focus more on his death. I know I've heard this. Will
you preach too much about his death? No, I don't preach it enough. Do you realize that all time
in the time state, all time hinges on that one event at Calvary? You understand that? All time
hinges on that one event at Calvary. Everything before it led up to
it and everything after it looks back at it. It's what we call the great transaction.
It is a mysterious thing. because the sinless son of God
was made sin for us. I can't tell you how that is. I think men that try to explain
it, it just gets confusing, doesn't it? He was made sin so much that
he was guilty. God can't punish an innocent
man, it's an abomination. Am I right? Is that not right?
He has to punish anybody. That person has to be guilty. And yet I know fully that Jesus
Christ never committed a sin, never thought, never felt sin,
did no sin. And yet he was made sin in such
a way that he was guilty for it. I don't know. Don't know
how that's happened. Don't know how it's possible.
But I know this, that's what's happened. That's what happened. He was made sin and the fury
of God's wrath for all of our sins was punished that very day. Give more earnest heed to that.
You that are convicted of sin, don't you think that would be
refreshing if you gave more earnest heed to that? You that know your guilt of sin. Isn't it refreshing to know that
all my sin was purged that very day? Matter of fact, when God looks
for my sin, he can't find it. And that day shall the sins of
Judah be sought for and there shall be none. I think we would be less fearful
if we gave more earnest heed to his death. And what were his words before
he gave up the ghost? What did he tell you? What did
he tell us when he died? Right before he gave up the ghost,
what were his words? It is finished. It's done. Give earnest heed
to those words. All your salvation is done. It's
done. Matter of fact, the scripture
tells us that he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. This one offering of Christ,
how great is it? It was so great that no need
of one. Isn't that different than the
law? How many sacrifices were needed in the law? I know this,
there were minimum two sacrifices a day. If nothing else was going
on, if there were no other feasts, there was at least two. And I
know that there was more because there were always people bringing
up these other sacrifices that these priests had to offer. Daily,
constantly, serving in the tabernacle. They never sat down. Give earnest heed to this. Christ,
after he had offered one sacrifice for sin, he sat down. He's done. Expecting something. He's expecting something. His enemy, he's been made his
footstool. Weren't you an enemy? I love to sit at his feet. Don't you? Some of you may aspire to be held in his breast. I long just to sit at his feet. to adore the prince of his feet. So great was his offering. He
only needed one, and he sat down. I like that idea of the scapegoat,
don't you? Professing all the sins on that
scapegoat, pictured Christ, and how that strong man bore that
goat out there, And you see the people looking on. They saw the
blood was shed. Where are their sins? On the
goat. And as that guy goes further
and further away, the man gets smaller and smaller and smaller.
He's gone. Where are your sins? Gone. Christ took them away to a land
uninhabited, never to be seen. Don't you think you ought to
give more honesty to that? I think we should. I think we should. Believer, our captain of our
salvation is perfect. Perfect. We need not add anything
to it. We dare not take anything away
from it. Christ is all. Give more earnest heed to his
word. Christ is all. And the last thing
you should heed is this. Take heed to this. Take heed to his word because
there is no escape from it. You that believe do not want
to leave it. You want to heed it. You desire
it. You need it. But there are some
who desire to run from it. Isn't this something? Men like Adam still running. Trying to hide in the trees. How shall you escape if you neglect
so great salvation? Simple answer is you won't. You
won't escape. He's not saying, you know, there's
possibility of escape. He's saying, look, there is no
escape. If men heard angels and they
did not heed angels, they were punished. How much more if the
Son of God has spoken mercy and grace and forgiveness and pardon,
how shall you escape Him? You won't. You won't. We preach the gospel of grace
and I preach it as a man. I preach it as a man who knows
something about sin. I know who I am and I know what
I am. I have experienced the grace
of God, the forgiveness of mercy, as a man who needs forgiveness. And I have never stopped needing
forgiveness. If any man say he had not sinned,
he's a liar and the truth is not in him. If we confess our
sins, he is what? Faithful and just to forgive
us our sins. We preach the gospel of hope
as men who have found hope. We preach as dying, a dying man
to dying men. If you will not believe the Son
of God and neglect to hear His word, you will suffer the vengeance
of God. There is no doubt. None. None. Everyone will be judged by the
word of the risen Son of God who is seated on the throne.
Therefore, the question is not what will you do with Jesus,
but what will Jesus do with you. Who's ruling who? Who judges
who? I beg you. Forsake everything. Come to Christ. Take that fist. that you have
clenched in the face of God and open it and you'll find mercy. Know what you found? Know what
you found? I found mercy. I constantly need to hear it
lest I let it slip. I pray that God would give us
grace to take more earnest heed to the things that the Son of
God spoke. And if you don't, you won't escape.