| urches today are struggling to survive. Pastors and | | | | us. God’s Word never fails! It is our stronghold in |
| church leaders seem to get a lot of pressure when | | | | time of trouble. Earnestly heeding the things we have |
| their churches fail to grow. Churches are living | | | | heard means to listen diligently to them in all the |
| organisms, and as such they are not intended to | | | | opportunities we have to do so; to meditate on them |
| remain the same. If they are nourished, they grow. If | | | | closely; to mix our faith with them and put the Truths |
| they are underfed and neglected, they go the other | | | | into practice. |
| direction and begin to die. The church depends upon | | | | Not only is it our duty to heed the things we have |
| the condition of each individual member for it’s | | | | heard, it is our priviledge. |
| existence. In all churches we find some members who | | | | 2. The 2nd thing that causes a falling away which |
| really find the right nurturing and grow rapidly. They get | | | | follows neglecting the things we have heard is to |
| on fire and want to do what they can for the ministry | | | | neglect so great salvation, which was spoken |
| of the church. Yet we also find in all churches | | | | by the Lord and confirmed by those who heard Him. |
| members that get to the point they become under | | | | We need to remember what the Great |
| nourished and begin to drift away from a desire to | | | | Salvation is that the writer is describing. The writer |
| contribute to the body of the church. This is not | | | | views salvation as nothing less that the exaltation of |
| something new. This has gone on since the beginning | | | | humanity (Hebrews 2:5-13). In Christ, the Great |
| of the Church. The writer of Hebrews (commonly | | | | Salvation has lifted us to share in His glory. In Christ we |
| assumed to be the apostle Paul) addresses this very | | | | have been accepted into God’s family and are |
| issue (Hebrews chapter 2). In Paul’s earlier | | | | called by Jesus himself, my brothers. This |
| writings, he addressed doctrinal issues for the new | | | | exaltation, vaulting us far above the angels to be |
| Christians. Doctrinal issues were important for the | | | | Christ’s brothers in God’s family is also |
| Church in it’s beginning because of the rapid | | | | our deed to freedom. We are freed from the power |
| growth. But at the time of the writing of Hebrews, | | | | of death that Satan holds. |
| approximately 65 years after the birth of the Church, | | | | How terrible and sad when people get the the point |
| Paul is addressing the fact that converts were drifting | | | | that their salvation no longer means what it did when it |
| away. | | | | was first received, and is neglected. Again neglect, |
| What are some of the causes that cause people to | | | | comes from a lack of nourishment. Again it comes |
| drift away? | | | | from not focusing on it. When we neglect the things |
| 1. One of the 1st things that cause a falling away is | | | | we have heard and become indifferent to our |
| neglecting the things we have heard. The things | | | | salvation we open our hearts to unbelief. Our hearts |
| we have heard refer to the Truth that has been | | | | turn away from God when we stubbornly refuse to |
| communicated to us. Communication is accomplished in | | | | believe Him. All of us that have received salvation |
| different ways (speaking, seeing, experiencing). The | | | | have received from God new hearts, new desires, |
| most recognized way of having Truth communciated | | | | and new souls. It should be our desire to keep these |
| to us is through the spoken word of Preaching & | | | | things that God has so graciously given us. |
| Teaching. We also learn Truth by reading God’s | | | | What are some things we can do to safeguard the |
| Word. We are also made aware of Truth through | | | | things God has given us and keep ourselves from |
| experiences as it is applied to our lives and the lives of | | | | falling away? |
| others. These experiences have to be the result of a | | | | 1. Hebrews 2:13
Exhort one another daily, lest you |
| relationship with Jesus. | | | | be hardened through the deceitfullness of sin. We |
| In Old Testament times it seemed so simple. God had | | | | need to stay in fellowship and share our mutual faith. |
| given laws and rules through Moses that regulated | | | | We need to encourage each other with love and |
| every aspect of life. When special guidance was | | | | concern. |
| needed God sent a prophet, authenticated by miracles. | | | | 2. We need to keep our minds focused on the things |
| Now, however, as the Hebrew Christians felt, the | | | | we have heard, and the great salvation that has been |
| voice of God is certainly heard. The writer here | | | | given us. We need to focus on daily Bible study, to |
| understood. He moved to make one thing clear, that in | | | | keep in remembrance of the Truth. We need to focus |
| Christ we have an even greater revelation than what | | | | on daily prayer to thank God for His grace and |
| Moses gave. Through relationship with Jesus, we have | | | | wonderful gift of salvation. |
| access to the very voice of the living God. | | | | We have been raised to a position in Christ. Why |
| The writer implies that it is our duty to give heed to the | | | | would we want to give up that position? Our share in |
| things we have heard. It is our duty because it is the | | | | Christ makes us the new men and women that we |
| 1st way we show our love to Christ and His Gospel. It | | | | are. Our share in Christ offers us a victorious life. Our |
| is the great concern of every one under the Gospel to | | | | focus today is not to be on a list of do’s and |
| give the most earnest heed to all discoveries of | | | | don’t’s, or even the Bible’s |
| God’s Truth and to the directions that Truth | | | | revelation of right and wrong behavior. |
| provides. It is also our duty because it is important to | | | | |