Do you like to fish? I do, and I have found that if
you use a boat, you can fish trying various strategies.
You
can lower an anchor and sit down. I have done that before, fishing for crappie
or catfish.
Another
method is fish using artificial lures for bass. In the past, I have often enjoyed
pulling up the anchor and moving my boat a few yards from the bank. I would
then cast toward the bank.
I
cannot tell you how many times I would cast… and cast… and cast… and, all of a
sudden, notice that I had drifted. Sometimes, my boat would have moved as much
as a quarter of a mile. I would think to myself, “How did this happen?” The
reason, of course, was that it had happened so slowly, it was imperceptible.
The way the wind was blowing, the way the current was running, all of the
elements conspired together to cause me to drift.
If you don’t want to read this
post, here it is summarized in six words:
Don’t drift.
Focus on the Son.
About a month ago I was taking my son Timothy duck
hunting; we were on land that we had never been on before. It was the
afternoon, and since this was land with which I was not familiar, I was
concerned about being out after dark. I did not want to get lost.
I
had a compass with me, but something was wrong. I don't know the reason, but
somehow my compass was not functioning properly, and it got us off course. We
were supposed to be headed toward the pickup, but I could sense that we were
drifting off course.
I
was not surprised, because I knew how easy it is to get off course in the
forest. If you're at point A, and point B is two miles away, all you have to do
is walk one foot off course for every ten feet forward, and by the time you
have walked two miles, you will arrive at a place very distant from point B.
You will find yourself way off course.
That
can happen in life too. I have noticed that when I mess up, it is rarely
because I wake up one day thinking to myself, “I want to mess up today.” It is because,
little by little, I drift off course, spiritually. Often times it is because I
am distracted; I am not focused on the right things.
I
have seen this in the lives of others. When they really messed up, it is
because they have been distracted and they have gotten off course. This is
particularly true with catastrophic events.
The
secretary, who runs away with her boss and leaves behind her husband and
children, did not simply wake up one morning saying, “I think I'll sabotage my
family.” What happened was, she lost her focus, and, little by little, she
drifted off course.
This
is what is happening in the book of Hebrews. As a matter of fact, the preacher
uses a nautical term in chapter two pertaining to drifting, but more on that later.
He
is talking to a church that is distracted. Little by little they are drifting
off course. He is trying to call them back again before it is too late.
In
Chapter one of Hebrews, the preacher is trying to remind them of whom the focus
should be on.
THE ONE WORD (Heb. 1:1-4)
1 In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets
at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us
by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through
whom also he made the universe. 3 The Son is the radiance of God’s
glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his
powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of
the Majesty in heaven. 4 So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he
has inherited is superior to theirs. NIV 1984
In
Hebrews 1:1-4, you have the story of Jesus told in three stages. And through
that telling you see how He impacts us:
1. Maker-Jesus Made the Universe
(Heb. 1:2)
The
writer of Hebrews, the Preacher, wants his audience to remember that Jesus made
everything in creation. This is a point the Apostle John emphasized as well.
In
John chapter 1, John tells us that in the beginning was the Word, and the Word
was with God and the Word was God. Furthermore, John says, the Word, Jesus, was
the chief agent who created the universe. Everything that we know that has been
made, has been made by Him.
2. Redeemer-Jesus’ work took care
of removing our sins.
Any
Jew that heard of Jesus sitting down at the right hand of God would have perked
up his ears at that phrase. A writer from long ago, Arthur Pink, noted that the
Old Testament records the High Priests always standing up to offer sacrifices.
They could never sit down because their work was never finished.
Jesus
came to Earth, performed his saving work, and He sat down. The Preacher
is going to emphasize this over and over again: Jesus sat down.
3. Ruler-Our Lord rules this
world
Where
did Jesus sit down? At the right hand of God.
What
does this signify? He is ruling!
This
just in… we live in a fallen world. There are things that we dread; there are
things that we fear; and it is all because we live in a fallen world.
This
reality can affect a lot of areas. What's going happen to the economy? What is
going to happen in the world of terrorism? What is going to happen to my
family? What is going to happen to me?
I
don't know all that is going to happen, but I do know that our Lord is in
charge of this world. And nothing is going to happen unless our Lord allows it
to happen. Our Lord rules this world.
I
don't understand the decision-making process of the Lord, why He sometimes
chooses to act in this world, and why sometimes he chooses to abstain from
action, but I know our Jesus rules this world.
This
preacher is not finished pointing to Jesus:
THE ONE SON (Back to the
Bible...Heb. 1:5-13)
5 For God never said to any angel what he said to Jesus:
“You are my Son.
Today I have
become your Father.”
God also said,
“I will be his Father,
and he will be my Son.”
6 And when he brought his supreme Son into the world,
God said,
“Let all of God’s angels worship him.”
7 Regarding the angels, he says,
“He sends his angels like the winds,
his servants like flames of fire.”
8 But to the Son he says,
“Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever. You
rule with a scepter of justice.
9 You love justice and
hate evil.
Therefore, O God, your God
has anointed you,
pouring out the oil of joy on you more than on anyone else.”
10 He also says to the Son,
“In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundation
of the earth
and made the heavens with your hands.
11 They will perish, but you remain forever. They will
wear out like old clothing.
12 You will fold them
up like a cloak
and discard them like old clothing.
But you are always the same;
you will live forever.”
13 And God never said to any of the angels,
“Sit in the place of
honor at my right hand
until I humble your enemies,
making them a footstool under
your feet.”
Jesus is better than angels (v. 5-7):
The
Preacher in Hebrews is holding up the one Son, Jesus, above the angels. We must
remember that before Jesus came upon the scene, the biggest thing that could
happen to a human being was to have an encounter with an angel–a messenger of
God. That was a big deal; humans of the late first century needed to change
their understanding—Jesus is greater than the Angels.
As
you read, the Preacher in Hebrews decides to do something interesting; he
decides to use a lot of poetry to express his ideas (for example, he draws
deeply from the Psalms.) This is not unusual; many writers in the Bible used poetry
to express great truth. Poetry is often the vehicle through which great ideals
are conveyed.
We
are familiar with this concept from history. For example, when Thomas Jefferson
and others were crafting the Declaration of Independence, they did not sit down
and write, “The guys and I have been doing a lot of thinking, and we have come
to this conclusion–we are right and you were wrong.” No, they put words such as
these down on paper, “… We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men
are created equal….” That sounds a lot better, doesn't it?
When
Abraham Lincoln began his crucial Gettysburg address, he did not commence with
a joke and then follow up with the words, “87 years ago….” No, he began, “Four
score and seven years ago….” When CBS invited the world to compare and contrast the respective values of rural life and city life, the network did not announce it in that way. Instead, CBS broadcasted it like this, “Come listen to a story about a man named Jed, the poor mountaineer barely kept his family fed, and then one day he was shooting for some food, and up through the ground came a rumbling crude….” I could go on and on with that beautiful portrait, but I think you get the idea.
This
writer, inspired by the Holy Spirit, is communicating wonderful ideals and he's
doing it concisely. He takes these passages from the Old Testament and uses
them to demonstrate that Jesus is the Son of God.
One
of his preferred verses is Psalm 2:7. (Incidentally, this is the second most
quoted verse from the Old Testament.) He deploys the psalm to illustrate how
the angels recognize Jesus' unique status.
Next,
he compares to Jesus with the Angels. We live in a time when many people are fascinated
once again with angels. People in the day of the Christians of Hebrews were
fascinated with angels as well. Nothing was more awesome for them than the
infiltration of angels from the spiritual world into our tangible, physical
world. As awesome as that was, this writer wants them to know that the angels
are nothing compared to Jesus. Jesus is greater than the Angels.
This
writer gives four facts, four demonstrations, four ways, or four statements illustrating
how Jesus is greater than the Angels.
1. His throne is forever and ever
(1:8).
This
is a quote taken from Psalm Ps. 45:6-7 and the writer was originally talking about the
Heavenly Father. The concept is the Heavenly Father puts His arm around the
Heavenly Son and says, “Our family business is the universe. Son, I am going to
turn it over to you.” It is a beautiful word picture of the Father the Son
walking through the scripture having and this conversation.
2. He stands above the
world’s change and decay (1:10-11)
The
creation is decaying. The Israelites understood this to a limited extent, and
the New Testament writings added more to the Christian understanding.
We
are all demonstrations of this. All of us are getting older. That is a nice way
of saying we are decaying. But Jesus is above that. Jesus is unaffected by the
decay of a fallen creation.
3. The universe will
be destroyed, he will remain. (1:11)
Some
of your translations here say, “he will abide.” I like that. We have a song
that is written in reflection of this: “Abide with Me.” We desire to connect
with some kind of spiritual being, who is all-powerful, and who will stay with
us. And we want this being to be someone whom circumstances and time cannot
affect.
4. Even though the
universe changes, he remains the same (1:12)
Jesus
is not going to change. The Preacher affirms this in Heb. 7:24; he had talked
about how the priesthood of the Old Testament had wound down. It went out of
business. But, in 7:24 we read, 24 But because
Jesus lives forever, his priesthood lasts forever. NLT (Consider also
Heb. 13:8, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today
and forever. ESV)
I
think that is pretty good news.
Now,
having said all of this, if Jesus stands above all
else, if Jesus stands above everyone else, why would one turn to anyone else or
anything else for salvation? Yet, there are plenty of people who are
guilty of this; as a matter of fact, the majority of the world is guilty of
this. The majority of the world turns to someone else or something else for
salvation.
Some
turn to pop psychology. A lot of the new recruits in the New Age movement come
because they are looking for something else in their lives.
Some
people get discouraged in their Christianity and turn to politics for
salvation. Others, in their discouragement, turn to moralism for salvation. Part
of this is because politics and morality are more tangible. You can see the
results much sooner. This is why you will see Christians sacrifice and slave
for hours and hours and hours doing things that no one likes to do-such as
knocking doors and talking to strangers-for political or moral causes.
A
lot of churches today are concerned about losing the crowds. So what they do
now is lick their fingers to hold them up to the wind, and try to figure where
the cultural winds are blowing. They will literally do a market survey to see
what the average pagan is thinking and then construct a worship service to try
to appeal to this modern pagan.
(I
am certainly all for studying the culture. I am in favor of finding points of
intersection with the lines of non-Christians. However, to apply Hebrews, we
use that information to bring a focus on Jesus, not humanity.)
A
lot of people understand they need salvation. Our job, according to this
letter, is to help them understand that salvation will only be found in Jesus.
And we commit to Him and live a life that exemplifies Christ. That is what we
need, that is what our churches need, that is what our cities need, that is
what our countries need, and that is what our world needs.
Do
you member where you were on the morning of September 11, 2001? Do you remember
how you felt when you watched the Twin Towers fall? We thought they would stand
forever, but they fell. That is a great symbol of the fact that everything in
this world we think will stand, will ultimately fall. However, Jesus will never
fall.
The Application:
Pay careful
attention. Focus! On Jesus
How
do you keep from drifting? The writer of Hebrews has preached a little sermon
in chapter one, and as he moves into chapter two, he basically offers his
application. Look at chapter two and verse one, We must pay
the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not
drift away (Heb. 2:1.) NIV 1984
Do
you hear what he is saying? Here is this Jesus; here is this elevated Christ;
here is this King; He has a Kingdom; focus on him. Focus on the Son. Focus on
Jesus.
Don't
get distracted. Don't lose your focus. If you do, you will drift away.
The
idea of drifting away is a nautical image; they used it back then to describe a
boat or ship moving slowly off course.
“Focus!” he says.
Sometimes, it is amazing
how we can become distracted from what is important. The DALLAS MORNING NEWS’
columnist, Kevin Sherrington, wrote about 10 years ago about three guys, who
were fishing off the coast of Florida.
They
noticed something floating in the water, approaching their boat. Upon further
review, they observed that it was a human head. They scooped the head up with a
net, put it on ice in a bucket and… fished on for two more hours!
When
they finally arrived to shore, someone asked them about why they had not
immediately returned after finding the head. One of the fisherman answered, “We
figured there was nothing we could do anyway, two more hours would not hurt. So
we kept on fishing.”
How
in the world could these fishermen be so blasé about another human being so
obviously victimized in such an inhumane way? My guess is that they had become desensitized
by the violence of our society, and they had become distracted from what was
important.
Finding
a human head floating in the water is a tragedy of awesome proportions.
Unfortunately, humans can be desensitized to the awesome, especially when the
awesome is God.
The
fishermen got so distracted, they lost focus as to what was important. The
Preacher of Hebrews says, “Do not lose focus!”
Last
week, we read about some of the evil things they culture was doing to the
Christians in Hebrews. These were tempting the Christians to lose focus.
This
week I want to assert that the Christians were receiving some data from the
society around them that, in itself, was good; after all, the Roman Empire had some
good things to offer. Sadly, even good things could get Christians off God’s
course, and that was happening to some of these Hebrew Christians. So, whether
it was a good reason or sinful reason, they were drifting. They were headed in
a bad direction. This preacher is trying to get them to stop. He tells them,
“Focus on the Son.”
ONE ASSERTION (Heb. 2:1-4)
Salvation has consequences!
If
you read my blog last week, you might remember we talked about how the
Christians had begun bailing out on Jesus. They had been persecuted, or
insulted, or ostracized; consequently, they were making decisions to leave
Jesus. We also talked about where the parallels lie in our own Christian lives.
It
is Jesus to whom we look to for salvation, but this salvation has consequences.
Whether they are negative or positive, there are consequences.
2The
message spoken by angels proved to be true, and all who disobeyed or rejected
it were punished as they deserved.
3So if we refuse this great way of being saved, how can we
hope to escape? The Lord himself was the first to tell about it, and people who
heard the message proved to us that it was true. 4God himself showed that his
message was true by working all kinds of powerful miracles and wonders. He also
gave his Holy Spirit to anyone he chose to. CEV
Hebrews
is filled with concepts of reward and punishment. As we read, 2:2 speaks of two
punishments in the Old Testament. Meanwhile, chapter eleven inspires the
Christians as the Preacher refers to the faithful of God in the Old Testament who
sought their reward. Finally, in Heb. 2:3, the Preacher is emphasizing--don’t
ignore this message!
Think
about today. You go into any bookstore and the biggest section is the self-help
section. While these books are not inherently wrong, they can lead us to lose
our focus.
Ever
had a week where you daily read out of your favorite self-help book but not out
of your Bible? It is just a little step, but the little steps get us off track and
even into a catastrophe.
According
to Hebrews, the biggest catastrophe is a break in our relationship with God;
second on the list is a break in our relationship with the community of God.
With
great salvation comes great opportunities, and great consequences. The stories
of the Old Testament illustrates this principle. In chapters three and four, he
will be discussing how God’s people got off course, and they received
punishment from God. Later in Hebrews, you see where God is described as a
father, who sometimes must discipline his kids. To the Preacher, this is
important stuff.
You
may be sitting there reading this thinking, “I don't know Mark. I don't think I
like all this talk about sin, rewards, and punishment.” Remember, this is God's
Word we are talking about. Keep in mind also, the church that is receiving this
letter is a church that needs to be revived. These people need to be refreshed.
They have gotten complacent, they have gotten stale, and they are drifting off
course.
If
you notice in Scripture, typically when God’s people experienced a revival, it
came after they recognize the sin in their lives. They recognize the need to
confess that sin. They recognize the need to repent of that sin. Furthermore,
throughout history when you see great revival, that is the place it always
starts: people recognizing sin, confessing sin and repenting of sin.
It
does not begin with people who say, “Wow, I've got a great life, but
Christianity will make it a little bit better.” No, it begins with brokenness.
You
find the call for conviction over and over again the Hebrews. Look at 10:26, “Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we
have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that
will cover these sins” (Heb. 10:26) NLT
Sin is serious business.
Incidentally,
you know what 10:26 follows, don't you? In Heb. 10:25–he says, in effect,
“Guys, you need to be meeting together every Sunday. You've got to be gathering
around the table. You've got to program into your mind what is critical--what
is essential. You’ve got to focus together on Jesus and encouraging each
other.”
He
is saying this because somebody in this church is saying, “You know, they
killed my aunt Gertrude. I don't think I want to go to church because I may
die.”
To
which the preacher responds, “And?”
Keep
in mind, he is not saying this so that they can punch a time clock for God;
he's talking about a view that elevates Jesus as King over everything. He’s
admonishing them, “I want to organize my life around King Jesus; I want to be
part of a community that organizes its life around this reality. That is what
will drive our lives. Whether the data around us is good or bad, at some point
it will take us away from the King, if the King is not over everything, and if
His Kingdom is not over everything.”
If
you are part of the Kingdom of Satan, you see the power of this prioritizing,
which the preacher is proclaiming. But if you are part of any other
organization on the planet, even those that are good, it is harder to recognize
this. They can distract us. We forget that at some point, every organization on
earth, outside of the Kingdom community, breaks off from the agenda of the King
and his Kingdom.
Harding
University is a great place. ACU is a great place. I went to ACU. But at some
point, their agenda breaks off from the King and the Kingdom.
Hopefully,
they submit themselves to the King in the Kingdom, but the mission of Harding
and ACU ultimately is to academically graduate people. Granted, they wish to
graduate them with a Christian worldview, but there is still an academic
element to the mission. People will go to heaven without college degrees.
The
Lions Club is a great group, but it is not the kingdom.
Homeschooling
is a great thing, but at some point its mission breaks off from the King and
the Kingdom.
Your
work may be terrific and meaningful, but at some point there is a deviation
from the King to the Kingdom. All focus has to be on the King and His Kingdom.
Hebrews
1-2 tells us—watch the Son, and watch His Kingdom. Keep your eyes on the Son.
Remember,
Satan wants to take you away, and he does not have to use the Church of Satan
to do so. If you're not focused on Jesus, any good thing can take you off the
King and the Kingdom.
Whether
it is a good thing or a bad thing, you have to be careful and watch the King
and His Kingdom.
Extraordinary
salvation–extraordinary consequences. If you and I submit to Jesus and watch
the Son, we can influence a lot of people to become part of the Kingdom of God
and live with Him forever. But, if we get eyes off of Him, we can hurt people.
What
is the most dangerous group of people in America? You may be thinking terrorists,
or you may be thinking teenage boys. I would vote for middle-aged men. I have
watched this a lot through the years.
A
teenage boy can make a bad decision and wreck his car, and that will wreck his
car. A middle-aged man can make a bad decision, and it will wreck his career.
A
teenage boy can do something stupid, and fracture his fibula. A middle-aged man
can do something stupid, and fracture his family.
Whether
it is a teenage boy, a middle-aged man, the event is precipitated by a
distraction, a loss of focus, and drifting. The ending can be a shattering event;
the beginning is typically slow and subtle. But gradually, an individual gets
off course.
We
live in a world that offers us a lot of data. We have smart phones, Internet,
TV, radio, papers, magazines, and billboards—all offering us input. Typically,
this information encourages us to maintain the attitude of a consumer that can
get us off course.
Living
in a materialistic culture creates and forms people who treat the Kingdom in a consumerist
way. You then have the church filled with consumers. That’s not good.
If
you discover in your church a Christian who's living a sexually immoral
lifestyle, it is not difficult to discipline that individual. But if you have
someone in your church who is maintaining consumer mentality, the implications
or more ambiguous, and that's why this mentality is dangerous.
Typically
these steps in the consumer mentality are so tiny they are imperceptible, yet
they take us away from God. Ultimately, those steps take the consumer way off
course. God did not call us
to be consumers, he called us to be Christ followers. Disciples stay focused on
the Son.
A
young man told me about a song from the Christian group Casting Crowns. The
lyrics are powerful. The song is called “Slow Fade.”
Some
who have been Christians for a long time will remember a song from Vacation
Bible School with words like, “Be careful little feet where you go” and “Be
careful little hands what you do.”
The
lyrics of “Slow Fade” evoke those memories. The video is very powerful (here's
a link– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QASREBVDsLk)
and here are the lyrics to the song:
"Slow Fade"
Be careful little eyes what you see
It's the second glance that ties your hands as darkness pulls
the strings
Be careful little feet where you go
For it's the little feet behind you that are sure to follow
It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
It's a slow fade, it's a slow fade
Be careful little ears what you hear
When flattery leads to compromise, the end is always near
Be careful little lips what you say
For empty words and promises lead broken hearts astray
It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
The journey from your mind to your hands
Is shorter than you're thinking
Be careful if you think you stand
You just might be sinking
It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
Daddies never crumble in a day
Families never crumble in a day
Oh be careful little eyes what see
Oh be careful little eyes what you see
For the Father up above is looking down in love
Oh be careful little eyes what you see
The
writer of “Slow Fade” is saying, “Don't drift off course. Pay attention; keep
your eyes on the Son.” That is what the writer of Hebrews is saying as well.
As I wrote
earlier, I was duck hunting with my son, Timothy, and we were on land with
which I was not familiar. I had a compass with me, and for some reason, it did
not work correctly.
I
sensed we were getting off course. Something did not seem right.
I
was receiving input from the compass, yet I looked up at the sun and became
worried. As I looked back at my compass, I asked myself this profound question,
"When did the sun start setting in the East?"
I
knew that winter did crazy things to the solstice, but this? I then faced a
difficult decision: do I follow my compass-seemingly the best data that the
world has to offer-or do I follow the sun?
I
chose to follow the sun, and Timothy and I made it home.
You
and I must make a decision today and every day. Will we choose to follow the
best data that this world has to offer, or will we follow the Son? The preacher
of Hebrews says, “Follow the Son, and you will make it home.”
