My favorite line in that song
is, emptied himself of all but love. He emptied himself of everything
in him but love. Go with me if you would back
to Hebrews 2. We went through chapter 1 six
months ago or so. I didn't know if we would go
through it then and don't know if we'll go through it now, but
I'm picking up where we left off. And, uh, let's read verse
one together. Hebrews two verse one says, 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. Wouldn't we love to do that?
Wouldn't we love to do that, really, truly? Wouldn't we love
to give more earnest heed? Are we finished with our fervency
for worship? Is this as good as it's going
to get? Is this all we have? Wouldn't
you love for God to give us infinitely more fervent heart for Christ
to worship Him. Wouldn't you love to be thrilled
to walk into His house and sit down and open His Word and read
it and hear it? Wouldn't you love that? More
earnest heed. I mean more just more earnest
heed. Wouldn't we be so grateful to
God if He would enable us, truly in the heart, truly in the mind,
to give more earnest heed, verse 1 says, to the things which we
have heard. More earnest heed to the things
which we have heard. What have we heard? What have we heard? What has
God in mercy caused us to hear? What have we heard? Look with me back at chapter
1. Chapter 1, verse 1. And if we could enter into how
rare it is for people to hear this. People don't know this. They don't know this. Chapter
1, verse 1 says, God who at sundry times and in diverse manners,
spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these
last days spoken unto us by his son, whom he hath appointed heir
of all things, by whom also he made the worlds, who being the
brightness of his glory and the express image of his person,
and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had
by himself purged our sins, he sat down on the right hand of
the majesty on high." That's what we've heard. That's what
we've heard. Look at verse 8. Hebrews 1 verse
8 says, But unto the Son he saith. Now I entered into this more
than I ever have. May God cause every one of us
to enter into this. We're about to read verse 8 down
to verse 12. And every bit of this is God
the Father speaking. This is not Paul speaking. This
is not one of the other apostles speaking. This is not us speaking. This is God the Father speaking. All right? Verse 8 says, But
unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever. A scepter of righteousness is
the scepter of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness
and hated iniquity. Therefore God, even thy God,
hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. And thou, Lord, in the beginning,
hast laid the foundation of the earth. and the heavens are the
works of thine hands. They shall perish, but thou remainest,
and they all shall wax old as doth a garment, and as a vesture
shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed, but thou
art the same, and thy years shall not fail. God the Father said
that. Your throne is forever. Thou,
Lord, don't you love that? You laid the foundations of the
earth, the heavens are the work of your hands. Would we not be so grateful if
God would allow us to give more earnest heed to that? More earnest The end of chapter
2 verse 1 says, lest at any time we should let them slip. Now let me ask this question.
Is God sovereign or not? Is He in control of me and everything
about my salvation or not? Is salvation in my hands or is
it in His hands? If I am in His hands, can anyone
or anything pluck me out? Then why is He warning me? If that's the case, why is He
warning me to give more earnest heed lest I let these things
slip? I think that's a good question. Why is He warning me? If God
is sovereign, and He is, if salvation is in His hands, and it is, if
I'm in His hands and nobody can pluck me out, why is He warning
me? Here's why. Number one, the warning
goes out to every man and woman so that every man and woman is
without excuse. That's the first reason. It goes
out to every man and woman so that all are without excuse. But the second reason for the
warning is to produce more earnest hate in the heart of his child. We know, God's people know what
we are. God's children know what they
are. They know what they're capable
of. God's people are not trying to
put on a front for anybody. They're not trying to fool anybody.
They know what they are and they know what they're capable of.
Isn't that right? I'm only a sinner saved by grace. I can't fool myself. I can't fool you. And this thing right here, what
we're doing, the reason we're back tonight, is because this
thing is life and death to us. Isn't that right? If we do let the things that
we've heard slip away, if the things of Christ end up meaning
nothing to us, then it's a bad sign that we're not being kept
by the power of God. If I'm willing to let these things
just slip away, then it's an evidence that I
never had him in the first place. When God draws a child, He keeps
that child. When God draws a sinner, He keeps
a sinner. Verse 1 says, 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, and angels are messengers, if the word spoken by messengers
was steadfast, 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." If we can
neglect this great salvation, the salvation God has revealed
through this word, if we can neglect it, if we can willingly
neglect it, then we shouldn't be shocked if we don't escape
the judgment to come. We shouldn't be shocked. If we
can neglect this great salvation, then it shouldn't be a shocking
moment to us when we don't escape. This just recompense for our
sin and our disobedience. All right, now let me tell you
where we are. Every true child of God in this room is saying,
oh no. If this thing is left up to me,
I will neglect it a thousand times over. This is terrible
news. If this is left up to me, I will
neglect it, no doubt about it. I am not faithful. I am not able. I didn't start
this thing. I can't finish it. And to any person who is saying
that in their heart, the answer is, good. That's the purpose
of the warning. That right there is the purpose
of the warning. It's to make us look to Christ
with more earnest heed. It's to make the wheels of the
world stop for just a second and cause us to, with more earnest
heed, turn to Christ. It's to make us cling to Him
and beg Him with more earnest heed. When the warning goes out,
God's people say, I hear it and I'm going to heed it. Help me,
help me, keep me, put me in your hands, please. This is life and
death to me. When the warning goes out, run
to Christ. Run to Christ. The end is near.
The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. It's going to be a shocking moment
when the end comes. That's it. Run to Christ. Run to Christ. Run to Christ. When the warning goes out, God's
people start running. They just do. Get me to Him. Get me to Him. Here's the warning
that he gives us. Verse 3 says, How shall we escape
if we neglect so great salvation? Charles Spurgeon said something
on this that was wonderful, just wonderful. He said, Notice that
he didn't say, How shall we escape if we reject? You don't have to reject it.
If we resist, if we despise so great salvation, he only said
if we neglect it. And then he gave an illustration
on this. He said if a man has a business, he doesn't need to
reject his business in order to fail. All he needs to do is
neglect it. I think that's an outstanding
illustration. When we hear that warning and
it does not produce more earnest heed in us to run to Christ and
to win Christ and be found in Him, it's a terrible indication
that we're not going to escape. When I can willingly neglect
Christ and neglect His gospel and His worship with His people,
it's a bad evidence that I haven't been plucked from the brand.
Now, in huge letters, I have it circled, underlined, starred,
exclamation points, and arrows. I have the word, but. But. If the warning of scripture causes
this heart to start running and start crying, God be merciful
to me. I need Christ. I need your blood. I see it. I've heard it. I know
the one thing needful. You've revealed to me the one
thing needful. I need your faithfulness. I need
to be in your hands. Please don't let me go." If that's
the response that the warning of Scripture produces in the
heart, then that is a wonderful, wonderful evidence that we are
founded on the rock. And God Almighty is our God.
And He's not going to let us and He's not going to let any
of these other things slip. We're in His hands. And we're
not going to slip. Verse 1 says, 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 steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience
received a just recompensive 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 diverse miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according
to His own will." It was all according to His own will, declared
and according to His own will, this great salvation. Do you
know what makes salvation so great? Seeing this is going to make
a child of God say, how on this earth could I neglect it? It's
so great. It is so great. You know what
makes salvation so great? I have five things that I want
to tell you very quickly. Five things that make this salvation,
this one, so great. The only salvation there is,
so great. Number one, the author of it. who the author is. Turn with me over to Hebrews
5. Hebrews 5, verse 5 says, so also
Christ glorified not himself to be made in high priest. That's
amazing to me. Christ glorified not himself
to be made a high priest, but he that said unto him, Thou art
my son, today have I begotten thee. As he saith also in another
place, Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek,
who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers
and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that
was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared. Though he were a son, yet learned
he obedience by the things which he suffered. And being made perfect,
he became the author." He became the author. The Son of God authored
this. Our salvation is so great because
it took the perfect one to author it. God Himself. Alright, now the second reason
it's so great is because of the power of it. Right here in verse 8. Though
He were a Son, yet learned He obedience by the things which
He suffered. And being made perfect, he became
the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him."
Our salvation is eternal. Eternal. But now you better be
careful. You'll lose your salvation. No, I won't. Not if the Son of
God saved me. Not if God Himself saved me.
Hebrews 10, look with me over at Hebrews 10. Hebrews 10 verse 11 says, And every priest standeth daily,
ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can
never take away sins. But this man, after he had offered
one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of
God forever. forever. One sacrifice forever. It is eternal. Forever. It's eternal. The author of it,
this is what makes it so great. Who authored this? The author
of it, the power of it, the third reason this salvation is so great
is because of the wisdom of it. This is wonderful. Look with
me at Romans 3. Romans 3 verse 23 says, For all have sinned
and come short of the glory of God, being justified freely by
His grace. Now I'm going to back up and
read that again, okay? For all have sinned and come short of
the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace. through the redemption that is
in Christ Jesus, whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation,
a bloody victim, a bloody sacrifice, through faith in His blood, to
declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are
passed through the forbearance of God, to declare, I say at
this time, His righteousness, that He might be just and the
justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. This salvation right
here is so wise. It is the only salvation that
makes God just and justifier at the exact same
moment in time, at the exact moment in time. I'll never forget
this. Years ago, I had a conversation. I was a teenager. I had a conversation
with a guy who was a little bit older than me, and we were talking
about these things, talking about the gospel, talking about the
things of Christ, talking about how God deals with man's sin,
how people are saved. And he said some things that
I couldn't believe he even knew to say. He physically said the
word just and justifier, which I didn't. I didn't. But ultimately,
what he asked me was, he said, are you saying, are you telling
me that God judges us and condemns us and justifies us and sets
us free at the exact same moment in time? I said, yes. He said, that's impossible. And with man, he's right. He's exactly right. If you think
about what that is, here a judge is and here's a man. And he judges
and condemns him and justifies him and sets him free at the
exact same moment in time. With man, that is impossible. But with God, with the all-wise
God, he is the judge and the justifier of the exact same sinner. Now here's the best illustration
I know of this. I've given it to you before,
but. If my father murdered somebody
in your family, each family, go through the families. If my
father murdered somebody in your family, and he was caught, and
he was brought before judge, and that judge asked him, how
do you plead? And he said, guilty. And then
that judge was just with his sin and sentenced him to death. That's what he deserves. All
right, and then as soon as he gave that sentence, I said, here
I am sitting in the courtroom, and I said, I will die in his
place. And the judge says, okay. And they send me off to die. They send me off to kill me,
and then he turns my father loose. If that happened, every one of
you would say, justice has not been served. If he killed somebody in your
family, and you watched him walk out, all eyes would be on him,
and you would say, justice has not been served. He did it. Isn't that right? He did it. Not him. The wrong man has died. Wouldn't that be the outcry?
The wrong man has died. The innocent man died. You just turned the guilty man
loose. Now what's going to stop him
from doing it again? Isn't that right? The only way justice could
be served would be if I could actually become my father. And my father could actually
become me. And as I went to the electric
chair, you all actually watched Marvin Stoniker die. And as Marvin Stoniker walked
out of that courtroom, you watched Gabe Stoniker leave. Then you
would say, we're satisfied. Justice has been served. That's
what was supposed to happen. The guilty man died and the innocent
man was set free. We're satisfied. All right, now
turn with me to Hebrews chapter seven. Hebrews 7 verse 25 says, Wherefore,
he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto
God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them,
for such an high priest became us. You see that? Substitution is not just Him
taking our place. He became us. He became us. Everything that we are was pressed
into Him, and everything that He is was pressed into us. And
God judged me in him. And God justified him in me. That's what happened. I died
in him. He lives in me. And that's the
answer to the fourth reason salvation is so great. It's great because
of the cost of it. the cost of it. Look at Hebrews
9, we're almost finished. Hebrews 9, verse 22 says, Hebrews 9, 22, and almost all
things are by the law purged with blood, and without shedding
of blood is no remission. 1 Corinthians 6 says, you are
bought with a price. You're bought with a price. This
salvation is so great because it costs the Lamb of God His
precious blood. Peter said, you were not redeemed
with corruptible things as silver and gold, but with the precious
blood of the Lamb. That is an amazing price. If
there was anything else that could have paid that price, God
the Father would have never shed the blood of His Son. Never. But this salvation took a great
payment. And it was the only payment that
could make it. So our salvation is great in every sense of the
word. It's great because of the author of it. It's great because
of the power of it. It's great because of the wisdom
of it, it's great because of the cost of it, and here's the
last reason we'll look at tonight. Not the last reason for sure,
but here's the last reason tonight. It's great because of the success
of it. The success of it. Hebrews 9
right here, verse 24 says, For Christ is not entered into the
holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the
truth. but into heaven itself, now to
appear in the presence of God for us. Nor yet that he should
offer himself often as the high priest entereth into the holy
place every year with blood of others, for then must he often
have suffered since the foundation of the world. But now once in
the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the
sacrifice of himself. And as it is appointed unto men
once to die, but after this the judgment, so Christ was once
offered to bear the sins of many. And unto them that look for him
shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. That means it truly is finished.
That's what it means, it is done. God the Father said he shall
not fail and he didn't. He didn't. We are absolutely
safe and secure in him. What a great salvation. What
a great salvation. How on this earth could we neglect
it? How could we neglect it? Like when the Apostle Paul said,
if any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed.
The answer to that is, how could we not? I see how this wicked
flesh could not. But after God in mercy comes
and opens these things to us, opens our eyes, opens our heart,
causes us to see mercy, grace, peace, and love. How could we
not? If we do not neglect it, all
glory and praise will go unto the Lamb that was slain. Isn't
that right? If we don't neglect it, if we keep it, it's Him keeping
us. It's Him keeping us keeping it,
and we give Him all glory and praise. So that's what we say.
Lord, keep us. Run to Christ. So every time
I look at me going, I gotta keep it, I gotta keep it, boom, run
to Christ. I can't keep it. I will neglect
it. He won't. Run to Christ. All right, let's all stand together.
Be dismissed in prayer.