This is the second sermon in a series of messages designed to enlarge our concepts of what God has provided for us in and through Jesus Christ. He came to do something more than give us a ticket to heaven.
Hebrews 2:3 NIV how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him.
The text is addressed to believers, to those who have already received salvation and missed hell, but who face the peril of ignoring certain phases of that great salvation, resulting in their own hurt and the injury of others. The question that we have to ask ourselves is have we made a halfhearted response to the great salvation that God offers to us through Jesus Christ? Unfortunately, many have made only a halfhearted response and have only a fractional understanding of the great salvation available through Jesus Christ.
For an audio recording click the YouTube link at the end of the manuscript
Scripture Reading:
Hebrews 2:1-4 NIV We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. For since the message spoken through angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.
Text:
Hebrews 2:3 NIV how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him.
Introduction
The Bible is a book that reveals the way of salvation. Jesus Christ came to be our Savior. He lived a sinless life and died in our place for our sin. He rose from the dead, triumphant and victorious, to bring us salvation. Now he lives at his Father’s side, making intercession for those who trust him.
Romans 8:34 NIV Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.
Our text speaks about salvation as being a great salvation
Hebrews 2:3 NIV how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him.
The title of this series is “Experiencing the Great Salvation”
Unfortunately, many have made only a halfhearted response and have only a fractional understanding of the great salvation available through Jesus Christ.
Our text also speaks about the tragic possibility of believers ignoring their great salvation. "how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation?" This verse has often been used as text for an evangelistic sermon, emphasizing that unbelievers should no longer neglect to respond to Jesus Christ as Savior. But in reality, the text is addressed to believers, to those who have already received salvation and missed hell, but who face the peril of ignoring certain phases of that great salvation, resulting in their own hurt and the injury of others. The question that we have to ask ourselves is have we made a halfhearted response to the great salvation that God offers to us through Jesus Christ?
We know and we talked, last week, about Jesus being the only one who can save us from the death that sin brings.
Our text last week was;
John 14:6 NIV Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Salvation from death, however, is only part of the great salvation that is offered to us. Christ alone can save us from the downward drag of our inherited evil nature. And he alone can save us from the hopeless destiny to which sin leads. We should make a complete response to our great salvation rather than ignoring some aspect of it.
Last week we talked a lot about sin and our slavery to sin before our salvaton.
We said that Jesus is the way out of slavery to sin.
We said that people can become slaves to sin without: realizing it. That it can manifest itself in attitudes, actions, or ambitions.
Romans 6:16 NLT Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living.
We said that sin enslaves and separates people from God, and other people.
Romans 6:17-18 NLT Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.
Jesus is the only one who can deliver a person from slavery to sin.
For many people, salvation from the penalty of sin is a past experience. We are justified in God’s sight through faith in Jesus Christ.
Romans 3:28 NLT So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.
Galatians 2:16 NLT Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.”
Those who have already experienced salvation from the punishment of sin should now be in the process of being saved from the power and practice of sin.
This is salvation and sanctification in the present tense.
Furthermore, all who have trusted Jesus as Savior in the past and who are presently experiencing the Holy Spirit’s work in their lives look forward to salvation from sin in the future. This is salvation in the future tense; the Bible calls it glorification.
Romans 8:29-30 NLT For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.
As you take inventory of your own heart and your own faith, have you become satisfied with partial salvation, or are you hungry for and seeking the complete salvation that God offers to you through Jesus Christ? If you have trusted him as Savior, you should want his full and complete salvation in the present.
I don’t want to imply that your salvation is not complete now.
Scripture tells us that we are saved by God’s grace when we do what it says in:
Romans 10:9-13 NIV If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
And
Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.
I’m talking about experiencing all that salvation has to offer us beyond just going to heaven when we die. There are benefits to salvation and being a child of God that we can experience and enjoy now.
To experience complete salvation in the present, you must do a number of things.
Hebrews 2:3 NIV how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him.
The text is addressed to believers, to those who have already received salvation and missed hell, but who face the peril of ignoring certain phases of that great salvation, resulting in their own hurt and the injury of others. The question that we have to ask ourselves is have we made a halfhearted response to the great salvation that God offers to us through Jesus Christ? Unfortunately, many have made only a halfhearted response and have only a fractional understanding of the great salvation available through Jesus Christ.
For an audio recording click the YouTube link at the end of the manuscript
Scripture Reading:
Hebrews 2:1-4 NIV We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. For since the message spoken through angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.
Text:
Hebrews 2:3 NIV how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him.
Introduction
The Bible is a book that reveals the way of salvation. Jesus Christ came to be our Savior. He lived a sinless life and died in our place for our sin. He rose from the dead, triumphant and victorious, to bring us salvation. Now he lives at his Father’s side, making intercession for those who trust him.
Romans 8:34 NIV Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.
Our text speaks about salvation as being a great salvation
Hebrews 2:3 NIV how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him.
The title of this series is “Experiencing the Great Salvation”
Unfortunately, many have made only a halfhearted response and have only a fractional understanding of the great salvation available through Jesus Christ.
Our text also speaks about the tragic possibility of believers ignoring their great salvation. "how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation?" This verse has often been used as text for an evangelistic sermon, emphasizing that unbelievers should no longer neglect to respond to Jesus Christ as Savior. But in reality, the text is addressed to believers, to those who have already received salvation and missed hell, but who face the peril of ignoring certain phases of that great salvation, resulting in their own hurt and the injury of others. The question that we have to ask ourselves is have we made a halfhearted response to the great salvation that God offers to us through Jesus Christ?
We know and we talked, last week, about Jesus being the only one who can save us from the death that sin brings.
Our text last week was;
John 14:6 NIV Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Salvation from death, however, is only part of the great salvation that is offered to us. Christ alone can save us from the downward drag of our inherited evil nature. And he alone can save us from the hopeless destiny to which sin leads. We should make a complete response to our great salvation rather than ignoring some aspect of it.
Last week we talked a lot about sin and our slavery to sin before our salvaton.
We said that Jesus is the way out of slavery to sin.
We said that people can become slaves to sin without: realizing it. That it can manifest itself in attitudes, actions, or ambitions.
Romans 6:16 NLT Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living.
We said that sin enslaves and separates people from God, and other people.
Romans 6:17-18 NLT Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.
Jesus is the only one who can deliver a person from slavery to sin.
For many people, salvation from the penalty of sin is a past experience. We are justified in God’s sight through faith in Jesus Christ.
Romans 3:28 NLT So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.
Galatians 2:16 NLT Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.”
Those who have already experienced salvation from the punishment of sin should now be in the process of being saved from the power and practice of sin.
This is salvation and sanctification in the present tense.
Furthermore, all who have trusted Jesus as Savior in the past and who are presently experiencing the Holy Spirit’s work in their lives look forward to salvation from sin in the future. This is salvation in the future tense; the Bible calls it glorification.
Romans 8:29-30 NLT For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.
As you take inventory of your own heart and your own faith, have you become satisfied with partial salvation, or are you hungry for and seeking the complete salvation that God offers to you through Jesus Christ? If you have trusted him as Savior, you should want his full and complete salvation in the present.
I don’t want to imply that your salvation is not complete now.
Scripture tells us that we are saved by God’s grace when we do what it says in:
Romans 10:9-13 NIV If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
And
Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.
I’m talking about experiencing all that salvation has to offer us beyond just going to heaven when we die. There are benefits to salvation and being a child of God that we can experience and enjoy now.
To experience complete salvation in the present, you must do a number of things.
1. Respond to Jesus as the Teacher who came from God.
A. Jesus was more a teacher than a preacher.
His disciples and others addressed him as Master. This was the title of an authoritative teacher. The title Rabbi is translated in a number of places in the Bible as Master. The Rabbi was and is a scholar or teacher, especially one who studies or teaches Jewish law.
Nicodemus called Jesus Rabbi when he went to see Him and was told that in order to enter the kingdom of heaven you must be born again.
John 3:2 NLT After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.”
Then there was a time that Jesus went to teach at the synagogue in Capernaum.
Mark 1:21-22 NIV They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law.
B. Jesus came bringing God’s truth from heaven to the hearts and lives of people.
We must accept him as an authoritative teacher who came to reveal the way to live if we are to experience his full salvation in the present.
Something else we said last week.
Jesus is the way into an abundant life.
John 10:10 NLT The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying (abundant) life.
The abundant life that Jesus was talking about is a life that has a superabundance of joy and strength for mind, body, and soul.
Abundant life is eternal life, a life that begins the moment we come to Christ and receive Him as Savior, and goes on throughout all eternity.
John 3:16 NLT “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
Eternal life is given to those who receive Jesus and permit him to occupy the throne of their lives.
C. Jesus' followers, and that includes us, were called disciples.
A disciple is a follower or student of a teacher, leader, or philosopher.
This meant they were seeking to receive new truth about God, life, and the issues of life in the future.
The Sermon on the Mount ends with an exhortation not only to hear but also to do the things Jesus taught.
Matthew 7:24-29 NLT “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.” When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, for he taught with real authority—quite unlike their teachers of religious law.
Are you seriously committed to the practice of Jesus’ teachings? To be halfheartedly committed is to fail to experience the great salvation God has for you in the present.
2. Respond to Jesus as the Teacher who came from God and let the Holy Spirit work within you.
When Paul wrote to the church is Corinth, some people were, like many believers today, uninformed of the glorious truth that the Holy Spirit had filled them the moment they trusted Jesus as Savior.
1 Corinthians 3:16 NLT Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you?
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NLT Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.
To be uninformed about the personality, presence, and purpose of the Holy Spirit is to live on crumbs rather than feast at the Lord’s table.
A. The Holy Spirit convicts us of our need for Christ.
John 16:7-11 NKJV Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
B. The Holy Spirit causes the miracle of the new birth.
Remember Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus?
John 3:5-8 NIV Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
C. The Holy Spirit assures us of our relationship with God.
2 Corinthians 1:21-22 NIV Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
Ephesians 1:13-14 NIV And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.
D. The Holy Spirit came into our hearts to change us.
He resides within us to transform our lives and cause us to be in harmony with the mind of Jesus Christ.
Philippians 2:1-5 NLT Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
E. The Holy Spirit wants to correct and instruct us.
He desires us to live in the ways of our Lord, and he recalls to our memory things that Jesus taught.
John 14:26 NLT But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.
To ignore the Holy Spirit or to respond negatively to him is to deprive yourself of the fruit of the Spirit in your heart and life.
Ephesians 4:29-32 NIV Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Galatians 5:22-23 NIV But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
There is no escape from living an unproductive and unhappy “Christian” life if you ignore the Holy Spirit’s influence.
3. Respond to Jesus as the Teacher who came from God, let the Holy Spirit work within you in the present, and let the church be your spiritual family.
The church is often called the household of faith. God meant for each of his children to be a vital functioning part of a local congregation of believers.
We had a series and a Bible Study on the Gifts of the Spirit and we learned how important each one of us is in the Church.
1 Corinthians 12:12-13, 27 NLT The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit. All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.
Just as children need parents and the security of a home, the children of God need a spiritual family to give them care and shelter if they are to grow to maturity.
- The church is responsible for teaching you what Jesus taught.
- The church, as your spiritual family, should encourage you in your walk with Christ.
- The church should show you how to live a Christian life and how to serve Christ and each other.
- The church can assist you in many ways as you seek to be a loyal servant of Christ.
Without positive and constant participation in the family of God, the church, it is impossible for you to experience the full and great salvation that God offers through Jesus Christ.
4. Let the Bible become a recording of God’s messages to your heart.
Have you ever stopped to think of the Bible as a spiritual recording that contains the voice and messages of God to your heart?
A. God’s Word should be your spiritual nourishment
1 Peter 2:1-3 NLT So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness.
You will always stay a baby and remain in spiritual infancy if you ignore God’s Word.
B. Daily study of God’s Word can be your spiritual road map.
To ignore the Bible as a daily companion will cause many detours and wrong turns in your life.
Psalms 119:105 NLT Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.
Psalms 32:8-9 NLT The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you. Do not be like a senseless horse or mule that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control.”
Back to our text.
Hebrews 2:3 NIV how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him.
If you thought our text was just for unbelievers? Think again.
Conclusion
If you are a nonbeliever, you should recognize the peril of ignorance and neglect. You should realize that every day you postpone committing your life to Jesus as Lord and Savior increases your risk of never giving your life to him. To ignore Jesus is to deprive yourself of a full spiritual life, of a loving relationship with God, of the privilege of going to heaven when you die, and of the finest and best of both this life and the life to come.
If you are a believer, you need to recognize the tragic possibility of ignoring God’s great salvation. You should decide several things today in order to experience this full salvation.
- Determine to listen intently to the Holy Spirit’s voice and God’s precious Word.
- Determine to obey lovingly, instantly, and completely.
- Determine to trust Jesus always in all ways.
Consult your great Savior about every issue in your life. Then consent to his will so you will experience fully the great salvation he offers you.
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