http://bible.com/events/7130573
Hebrews 2:1
Understanding the Greek word “drift”
• It is NOT a falling away or sudden crash
• It is slippage, like sand slowly through our fingertips or something that slips past us unseen
• Drifting is not sudden, but subtle and gradual.
Hebrews 1:1-2
The background of Hebrews 1
• Hebrews 2:1 is the first command in the book of Hebrews, but we must refer to Hebrews 1 for its context
• Hebrews 1 is about recognizing who Jesus is as Creator and Sustainer and Owner and Ruler and Redeemer of the world
• This is much like John’s gospel begins….”In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God”
In summary, Hebrews 1 says that the Son of God (Jesus) is:
• the heir of all things (verse 2),
• the creator (world made through him) (verse 2)
• the radiance of God’s glory (verse 3)
• the exact representation of God’s nature (verse 3)
• the sustainer (he sustains all things by his power) (verse 3)
• the purification for sins (verse 3)
• at the right hand of God’s majesty (verse 3)
• greater than any angel (verse 4)
• worshipped by the angels (verse 6)
• the mighty God (verse 8)
Understanding Hebrews 1 gives us important context when it says “therefore” in Hebrews 2:1:
Two guiding principles in regards to drifting from Hebrews 2:1….
1. Focus matters…..
• We are all listening to something….Driven by something…In step with something….
•“You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.” Augustine
•We are instructed to pay attention, tune in, and remember who Jesus is
2. Urgency matters….
• This is not a message of convenience, or a message of “when I’m in crisis, then do it”.
• We shouldn’t be fearful, but we should be urgent.
Bottom Line:
(In God’s design) If you’re standing still, you’re drifting
We must swim against the stream of sin, the stream of indifference, the stream of doing what everyone else does.
Hebrews 12:1-2
We must keep our eyes on Jesus (focus)
We must run the race marked out for us (urgency)
The good news: our God passionately pursues every one of us, even those who are drifting.