Intro:

1. Pay Attention! How many times have we heard that in our lives, growing up

2. Text: Heb. 2:1-4 -We must pay closer attention to what we have heard! Why? Dangers:

I. Because of the Danger of Dullness to God’s Final Word

A. Jesus was God’s final superior word?

B. Did you pay attention? Then what are you doing about it?

1. What is the obvious implication of chapter one? -- PAY ATTENTION!!

2. Text says how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation!

a. It is not talking about rejection, but about negligence

c. What message are we sending God when we neglect our salvation?

-We don’t consider it so great

-Other things are more important

d. John 12:44-50 - Jesus’ words will judge us

-If his words will judge us, what should you do?

-PAY ATTENTION!!!

C. Air Force Tech Manuals (They were called Tech "Orders")

1. They had warnings sprinkled throught them

2. Some said "Caution, contact with voltage will cause injury our death"

3. One had 15,000 Volts! Warning read "contact WILL CAUSE DEATH"

4. We were intructed to pay attention (They were called Tech-Orders)

D. If you sign a $100,000 contract, you read the fine print or get a lawyer.

1. Why? You have a lot riding on it

2. You have a lot riding on this contract, the Bible

3. Worried about small print? Then get a large print Bible

4. God spells out what you need to do, SO PAY ATTENTION!!!

II. Danger of Drifing Away

A. If you are not really paying close attention, you might easily stray, deviate, and wander

B. Will paying attention help keep you from straying away?

1. You can hear but not really pay attention

a. This letter begins with things we probably already know, Jesus is superior

b. Are you paying attention?

c. If all you get out of it is that Jesus is God’s final word, you haven’t listened

2. These Jewish Christians had stopped paying attention, now look at them:

a. They began to get hard hearts (3:12), in one ear out the other,

b. They became dull of hearing (5:11)

c. They stopped growing and maturing (5:12-14)

d. They were forsaking the assembly (10:25)

e. One things leads to another, from a hard heart to forsaking God

3. Readers of James were in the same boat, they stopped paying attention

a. Faith without works is dead (not talking about Salvation experience, but about Christian living)

b. They were doubting God in trials

c. Showing partiality to social elite in their assemblies

d. Gossiping and speaking evil against their brothers

e. Puffed up with Pride

f. Leaving God out of their plans and trying to get ahead in the world

g. Ceased praying with and for each other

h. Began to forget that Jesus can come at any moment

C. If you don’t pay attention you will forget what you are about

1. I was visiting my cousing Geri

2. Riding bike at night, not paying attention.

3. I got lost. Didn’t know address, last name or anything

4. Have to pay attention, or will drift away

D. These people were neglecting their salvation:

1. What does negligent mean?

a. To Neglect - Omit, overlook, ignore, undervalue, disregard

b. Negligent - Careless, Thoughtlessness, inconsiderent, indifferent.

2. Don’t be Negligent, PAY ATTENTION!

III. Danger of Death, Eternally

A. Rhetorical Question: How shall we escape if we neglect so great a Salvation?

B. What escape?

1. Punishment

a. Word spoken through Angels proved steadfast

b. Every Transgression and Disobedience (through Prophets) punished

c. But Jesus is Now God’s word, not angels and prophets

-JESUS IS GOD’S FINAL EXALTED SUPERIOR WORD!!!

-Will His word be any less steadfast?

-Will disobedience to him be have less recompense?

2. Punisment described

a. Gehenna - City Dump

b. Eternal Darkness

c. Lake of Fire and Brimstone

d. Where the worms dieth not and their fire is not quenched

e. Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth

f. Smoke of their torment goes up day and night and there is not rest

g. Be with Satan and his Angels (will satan like you since you went to Hell? You are made in the image of God!!!)

3. Only one was to escape - PAY ATTENTION!!!

C. Once I was Driving from Omaha to Ft. Worth.

1. Began to get the stares, zoning on the road

2. I should have stopped, but I fell asleep and didn’t know it.

3. I awoke to spinning, didn’t flip car (luckily was sports car)

4. Didn’t know which way to go afterwards

5. Driver’s Manual says to get out, take breaks while driving, etc.

6. I’ve heard it all before, I quit paying attention

D. Results can be disasterous if you don’t pay attention

1. Do you feel yourself falling aspleep at the wheel?

2. It’s time to get up out of that pew and come forward

3. It’s time to wake up

4., PAY ATTENTION!! OR YOU MIGHT DRIVE OFF THE ROAD

1. You must pay closer attention to what you have heard

-Because of the Danger of Dullness to Christ

-Because of the Danger of Drifting Away

-Because of the Danger of Death Eternally

3. If you are:

Not Studying the Bible

Participating in Dirty Jokes at Work

Not coming to Worship

Not showing Hospitality to Your Brothers and Sisters

Working So much overtime you have no time for God or Family

THEN YOU ARE NEGLECTING YOUR SALVATION!

4. It's time to Wake up and Pay Attention!