Acting on What God has Revealed (Part B)

Amanda goes to the doctor and the doctor says you have a serious condition and I'm going to give you a medicine that can beat this thing. If you follow its instructions, you will be made well, but he scoffs in his heart at the doctor and he goes home and he doesn't take the medicine and then he drops dead fools fault is it is his spiritual issues is much more severe. This this is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston.

Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of Hebrews. Please stay with us after today's message to hear more about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching, and now here's Pastor Rick with part two of his study called acting on what God has revealed in Hebrews chapter 2, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward. We could stop right there is not complete. The boat is not complete but it begins complete because he says if if that if, as we know it is built upon what he's been saying that's enough. We understand it, but of course is is more to it to be brought out for if the words spoken through Angels. Now these are the angelic messengers. These are those who are spiritual beings. They have not gone through sin like we have that matters matters much for our destiny and the planet God has for mankind that a man that is save is no indication in Exodus, the giving of the 10 Commandments and the law of God that angels were active in this, but the Scripture makes it clear that they were without detail just tells us simply makes it clear we see it in acts we see that other places in the book when it's outrageous explicitly stated God's word to man frequently delivered by messengers angelic message of Sodom and Gomorrah house and lot know the place was going to go up in smoke, likely within hours is not minutes out of the know, the Angels came they told him how did Daniel get these in incredible visions of the future, much of which is been fulfilled to the letter and much which remains to be fulfilled. Angels than those Elizabeth the mother of John the Baptist. There was Zacharias, the father was Mary God uses his angels where the writer is going with this.

If God use those angels to speak a word and the consequences of those words were severe. How much more important coming from Jesus Christ himself who is the son of God. That's what he is trying to tell these Jews who are in danger of slipping so is says if the words spoken through Angels prove steadfast in every transgression and disobedience received a just reward.

So here is the point again. If the message of created beings who would dispatch to speak the mind of God proved to be sure and reliable and devastating. How much more when it comes from God himself that are not neglected. I don't know what his ornate audience was doing in their heads when they were hearing this document read you notice I keep referring to it as a document because as we did in the introduction it it it has the feel of a letter, though it does not have, but it's not addressed to anyone as a letter would be his other letters in Scripture are. It has the feel of a letter nonetheless but it also has the feel of of a theological statement of doctrine and exposition is both the disk quite powerful and here he's telling them these these very things. When God warns, be it through Angels or profits of serious business. He started out in the beginning God in various ways spoke in various times to the fathers by the prophets as in these last days spoken to us through his son, you better watch now the righteous who love the Lord when we hear that you better watch it.

We don't cower over God's going to get me. We know him. We know his love and his kindness. We know that watch.

It is severe is always there but is not something we tremble at unless we begin to mess around with it, then it becomes very serious that sense at the point that out because I want to encourage the Saints.

That's what this document does. It is intended to encourage, but you cannot encourage people on the battlefield without warning them of the dangers on that battlefield and pretend that everything is going to just work out just as well when it might not God's word is temp tampered with. It will not. Sodom and Gomorrah.

Jesus put it this way. Remember lots wife. See, don't neglect the Scripture asked lot, what happened to his sons-in-law and the daughters that married them. Genesis 1914, lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law would married his daughters and said get up get out of this place for Yahweh will destroy the city and here comes the punchline of this one verse, but to his sons-in-law. He seemed to be joking.

They laughed at him lot good one you subject Gary to Europe card lot need to be more people like you to bring laughter to us all the perished, how many people laugh at you, you share the message of Christ mock you in some way smirk same tragedy is being acted out as different characters on stage.

Verse three says, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord was confirmed to us by those who heard him. The pronoun is added. Rightfully so because it's talking about the Lord. But here's a question, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation. It is a question that God himself cannot answer reverently say that. In other words, God how is anyone going to escape if they neglect your son will that's what he said you know I'll forgive anything to a man except he blaspheme the Holy Spirit, what is that what is the role of the Holy Spirit comes alongside the soul and he leads them to Jesus. He points them to Christ. He ministers to their heart against him to listen to what Jesus is saying and who he is and if you laugh at him. In the end if you leave this life mocking him as lots son-in-law's mock him you perish is no solution you have sealed your own doing.

When you have no one to blame for yourself is worse than getting nothing. You get an eternity of misery. You may think that's harsh, but you've been warned to take Amanda goes to a doctor and the doctor says you have a serious condition and I'm going to give you a medicine that can beat this thing. If you follow its instructions, you will be made well, but he scoffs in his heart at the doctor and he goes home and he doesn't take the medicine and then he drops dead, whose fault is it is his fall in the spiritual issues.

It is much more severe than this four times in verses 1 to 3 we have the word we and once we have the word us.

The writer has Christians in mind is writing to believers those he considers brethren.

This is for us, for we who believe Peter will go on to say that the righteous are scarcely saved what I use what you do with the unrighteous. How serious is their predicament. Is there perishing going to be and so he says, how shall we escape if we neglect whether you be one who turns away the one who is never turned to Hebrews 12 verse 25.

See that you do not refuse him who speaks the him the pronoun. There is Jesus Christ. He says, for if they did not escape who refused him who spoke on earth much more shall we not escape if we turn away from him who speaks from heaven at the put it that way because there is a brand of Christianity that insists that you have nothing to worry about.

Once you've accepted Christ this all going to be automatic pilot, your responsibilities in your salvation are done with. Now he takes up the whole cause I don't find the Bible teaching. A lot of Christians don't like that. I think the more insecure ones don't like they're afraid that somehow they're going to now go to hell this something they going to do this going to mess it up.

You are saved eternally.

So long as you want to be.

It is that simple. You have no more to fear as a Christian of going to hell than you do have one standing up and jamming screwdriver and one of the outlets.

Any of you afraid of doing that you go to bed fretting about that who I hope I don't get up in the middle night and jamming screwdriver into the outlet know you know better. And while the danger exists and you not going there. So it is with your salvation. God does not strip us from our free will.

When we come to strengthens, he develops.

He uses it is remarkable human choice is not made invalid when you come to Christ. Even before Jesus lifted Jerusalem he said I wanted. Then he said, but you were not willing. But when Peter and the 12. Keeping in mind you, this of course harassed by Christ are you going to leave me to Peter said no way I'm not jamming the screwdriver in that outlet, you have the words of life and I'm not going anywhere and that is the declaration of the righteous makes us bold as a lion we can lay hold of it and we can't we become timid and relatively useless if we're not careful, so God treats you like a soldier he treats you like an adult, he treats you like someone who has a brain he says come with me and we come and then we find out we got this carnal nature is this okay.

I'll deal with that long as you deal with it with me.

There were the foolish virgins that he spoke about. He said remember what happened to them. The five of them. They neglected their responsibility and there was a consequence for that and I don't want you to fall to that consequence if I stood here and told you that you have nothing to worry about now you Christians let your guard down. You can neglect this no consequence ready long you do if your flesh gets the upper hand. It's okay. Jesus loves you. I'd be lying to your face and through my teeth. I rather tell you there's an enemy out there and we are called upon to engage him time without end. In this life and we will prevail even if we lose and we hold a sword, we win.

That's how great our salvation is Satan cannot defeat our salvation. This word for neglect in the Greek MLO deal. It is pronounced and it means to make light of to be careless with to not regard it is the same Greek word used here in Jesus speaking in Matthew 22 verse five but they made light of it and went their ways.

One, to his own farm, another to his business. This is when he uses the parable about inviting them into the to the meal to the supper they made light of it is that same single Greek word ML yield they neglected they would shrug your shoulders that Peter uses it in the reverse.

Peter says in second Peter one verse 12 uses for this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always. Of these things though you know and are established in the present truth is saying you you you might get tired of hearing me repeat this but it's intention because you need it. We all need this and so he uses that word. For this reason I will not be negligent. I will not Emma Elio. I will not be careless with these things serious. That is the message that is something that Satan does not want you to get. He wants you to neglect these things.

He doesn't want you to hear how many of you have heard anyone ever speak on this before. Not that I'm saying others don't others to how many do not. Satan loves people who neglect the truths of God, and he especially loves them. One found in people who claim to be Christian.

He can do so much more with that. What is the remedy and we know it. Here's the remedy. John one verse 12 as many as received him, then he gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in his name that excites action not negligence.

When you first got saved go back in your head to that time were you not excited.

Did you not feel I got to tell somebody what you think they did at the cave of Lazarus the tomb. When Jesus said Lazarus come forth and he came forth. Do you think those people were sick.

I got to tell somebody this I can't keep this to myself. These things should be invigorating, not looking at him from the negative and saying your book you said you could new and old losers of measured see that's the negative is got you your running around your screwdriver in your head. Panic stricken.

I rather run around with the sword of the word of my struggle to hear many things that I don't have that I want righteous things you not know that sometimes welling up in me. There is almost this insistence before God that I have them because they're so right and correct. I don't yield to them but that they are in force at the fight them have to still deal with the longing in my heart for them, but I have found Christ is worth. He happens to be worth whatever trouble I go through and this life is the only time that all have to do these things. Today is going to come when I cross the Jordan I will not have to swing the sword ever again, and no one's going to take that from me because he because he is the one that keeps me so long as I want to be And how long is that for ever, which at first began to be spoken. He says by the Lord. The recorded words of the public ministry of Christ. Matthew four here are the first words of his public ministry. What did when Jesus entered public ministry. What is the first thing that came out of his mouth that we know repent, deal with the sin. When you look at the cross when you when you bang one around your neck when you when you find one and you hang on the wall anywhere whenever you deal with the cross he was saying sin is dealt with and I am a sinner and my sin is dealt with in Christ Jesus and no one alone.

No one else. Matthew 417 from that time Jesus began to preach and to say, repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

He echoed the ministry of John the Baptist, the forerunner the heralded stood before and said make way for the king because he is coming. That's John the Baptist. And when the king came.

What did he say he said what a servant was saying, because a servant got it from him. He said repent went on to tell John's disciples that the poor have the gospel preached to them going tell John the things that you have seen, and that you have heard anyone on to talk about the lepers being cleanse the deaf hearing the dead being raised in the poor having the truth preach to them. The gospel is the truth. That's why it is the good news because of the remedy that is the truth of Jesus Christ and so all the New Testament was revealed by him, at least in its foundation. Everything that came after.

In the New Testament was built on Christ already said and did. He was the truth, in flesh and blood living it out in front of all who saw him in his day, and he offered men salvation in exchange for belief exchange for trust in exchange for accepting the truth concerning himself. He breathed life into the Old Testament. He revitalized he gave it more life than it had previously so when the writer says here which is which.

At first began to be spoken by the Lord. These are the things he's talking about.

And if those who receive the message delivered through angels were punished for refusing it.

How much more of a problem. You will be faced with. If you refuse the words of Jesus himself.

This is what he's telling them that Harry says also by those who heard him. I used to believe this disqualified Paul from being it's often of this is not an essential but you can escape it.

If your Bible student things the they hold your attention is all the Bible does because we want to see it flow and fit real life. I do before I came to Christ.

I didn't think the Bible was really I just thought it was a bunch of men writing poetry is something it wasn't until I opened it up and began to realize that this was God speaking to me directly to me and hear what he says by those who heard him. I've since changed my view, of course, I happen to hold up all is the author probably call probably co-author, but this is not eliminate him by saying there are those who heard him.

Paul heard him to any can include himself in the statement asked 13 is what Paul says is seen that he was seen for many days by those who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses to the people.

Nepal met him he was one of those first Corinthians 9.

I am not am I not an apostle. Am I not free.

Am I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord, are you not my work in the Lord upon pausing here as I'm reading it is to the first Corinthians in this band.

Paul had to put up with so much junk from unworthy Christians LSA unworthy were all unworthy and one cents made worthy by Christ, but in another sense, we behave in such a way towards others that they don't deserve that from us. Paul did not deserve what he got from many of those Corinthian so many of them love them were solid but there was enough of them. There to break his heart. Time and time again we know he tells us about it and so as I'm reading anything. Am I not an apostle is to defend himself is like me saying am I not a pastor who did not God use me to lead you to Christ that were the case to a person that was now you know turning against me is appealing to them later. He writes again in first Corinthians is his last of all, he was seen by me also by one born out of due time he was seen by me, who was a train wreck good persecuting Christians who had no right to be born again, and yet here I am, we read those words and that includes me, includes you, in spite of our carnality in spite of our failures prices.

I'm not gonna let you go. David could not break free. Cindy egregiously with Bathsheba and numbering the people in no other way deep in ways not recording yet returning Jesus associates his kingdom with David. The apostle Paul will have his name inscribed in heaven. One of the 12 apostles, second Peter chapter 1, we did not follow cunningly devised fables, when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his Majesty. We saw the King as King and were not going to let it go friending don't care what the world says I don't care what their experts say care what we know to be true.

We have we have Jesus ask chapter 1 is one of the most beautiful introductions in Scripture. Lucas is such a writer even even in Luton is his gospel according to Luke uses the word that that he is researched. It is the word we get our English word autopsy from the left cut into these things and I have looked in them. That's his introduction to Luke, but his introduction to the book of acts. Speaking of Jesus, to whom he presented himself alive after his sufferings. He presented himself put in an understatement of the Bible when Jesus rose again. It didn't go to hear him weeping, presenting himself when never stop blooming the good could doom.

He was also pretty sorry. I got a little carried away just bring it down were almost done, to whom he also presented himself alive after his sufferings, by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during 40 days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom. We can't tell how wonderfully glorious the kingdom of God is going to be with our boots on the ground when we are there full you've been listening to cross reference radio the daily radio ministry of Pastor Rick asked Calvary Chapel in Mechanicsville, Virginia. As we mentioned at the beginning of today's broadcast. Today's teaching is available free of charge at our website. Simply log on to cross reference radio.com that's cross reference radio.com would also like to encourage you to subscribe to the cross reference radio podcast subscribing ensures that you stay current with all the latest teachings from Pastor Rick, you can subscribe cross reference radio.com or simply search for cross reference radio your favorite podcast to the next time as Pastor Rick continues teaching through the book of Hebrews right here on cross reference radio