Sermon - October 4, 2015 - Hebrews 2:1-4 - Week 2, Is Seeing Really Believing?

We are in week two of our journey through the book of Hebrews. So far we have seen that throughout time God's message has been the same. Moses, the Judges, prophets, and even Jesus told them three very important things. God loves them, repent, and follow God. It is also the same message we receive today through the power of the Holy Spirit. We are supposed to live our lives with these three things in mind so others can see God's message through our actions.

This week we are moving on to chapter two, so please open your Bibles as we look at our verses for this morning.

Hebrews 2:1-4

“2 We must, therefore, pay even more attention to what we have heard, so that we will not drift away. 2 For if the message spoken through angels was legally binding and every transgression and disobedience received a just punishment, 3 how will we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was first spoken by the Lord and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him. 4 At the same time, God also testified by signs and wonders, various miracles, and distributions of gifts from the Holy Spirit according to His will.”

When we lived in So. CA my wife and I would tend to go to the Orange County Fair each year. In some ways the Orange County Fair is no different than the local fairs around here with people showing animals, projects, and plants. It was only much much bigger. It was not possible to see everything in a single day, you could not walk through every isle of vendors, games, and presentations. Not to mention the shows that you could see.

One year we had stopped to eat and were at the back of an auditorium and caught part of a hypnotist show. This guy was hypnotizing people and making them do funny things. Some of them would have been pretty embarrassed if they saw what they were doing. There was one person who was walking around like a chicken and was pretty convincing. There was a lady who was given a cup and was told when she looked through it she would see everyone in their underwear. She was a short, conservative looking lady and looked like she would be horrified if she saw how she acted. She was fascinated with looking through the cup at the audience.

I can picture the chicken guy and the cup lady even today. The thing is, all these years later, I do not believe that it was real. I am pretty sure these two people and maybe some of the others were plants. They acted their parts so perfectly, they had to be paid actors. I am very skeptical that any of that show was real and honestly do not believe it at all.

A skeptic is someone who questions the truth of something that is considered to be a fact. For example, a skeptic would be reluctant to believe that the hypnotist that I saw was real. It is likely that a true skeptic would question every little detail of something before they would be able to prove to themselves if it was true or not. They would require that proof to believe.

Many people are skeptical of the Bible. Some may be skeptical because parts of it can seem hard to understand at times. Others are skeptical because how long ago the Bible was written. Some are skeptical because all the people they see going to church are imperfect people and they think they are hypocrites. And still others won't believe anything that they cannot logically explain.

The writer of Hebrews tells us that we need to hold firm to what we have heard. We must also consider what we have witnessed that provides evidence of God's power throughout history.

God Showed His power so we could be certain, to eliminate doubt.

Hebrews 2:1

“We must, therefore, pay even more attention to what we have heard, so that we will not drift away.”

The author is reminding us that we need to pay attention to what we have heard. The audience would have had the Old Testament to 'pay attention' to in trying to understand if God was real.

The most common and something every Hebrew would have learned as a child were the wonders that God performed in Egypt leading up to the first Passover.

Water was turned to blood.

The plague of the frogs.

The plague of gnats.

The plague of flies.

The plague of Murrain, the death of their animals.

The plague of boils.

The plague of hail.

The plague of locusts.

The plague of darkness.

The death of the firstborn.

If these plagues did not inspire someone to believe in the power of God, I don't know what else would. Yet as we have seen throughout our Old Testament study in Sunday School the people keep seeming to forget it. You would think if you witnessed God do all that you would believe. Might make you question if seeing is believing.

Hebrews 2:4

“At the same time, God also testified by signs and wonders, various miracles, and distributions of gifts from the Holy Spirit according to His will.”

The author is reminding everyone that God did all of this; signs, wonders, miracles, and giving of gifts according to His will so people would believe. They were not done so He could toot His own horn, they were not done to be flashy, they were done so people would believe.

Matthew 16:1

“The Pharisees and Sadducees approached, and as a test, asked Him to show them a sign from heaven.”

If you look in the chapters prior to their request for a test Jesus had fed 5,000 men plus women and children, walked on water, healed a demon possessed girl, and so much more. How could they still doubt? Seeing must not lead to believing

Today we have all of this documented for us in our Bible, we have 2,000 years of history showing the impact this one man by the name of Jesus has had on so many. Yet people are still skeptical.

God spoke His message so we might believe.

Hebrews 2:2-3

“2 For if the message spoken through angels was legally binding and every transgression and disobedience received a just punishment, 3 how will we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was first spoken by the Lord and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him.”

This would have resonated with the authors original audience. Most of their teachings about the Old Testament Scriptures were given via word of mouth. As young children they would begin to memorize the first five books of the Old Testament.

Deuteronomy 6:6-9

“6 These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. 7 Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead. 9 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

God's message was passed down from generation to generation, starting with those who heard it directly from God and witnessed miracle after miracle, and is still passed on today. God did not give us His message so we could second guess it or be skeptical about it. His message was given so that we would believe it. In other words, we need to have faith in it.

If we believe that our Bible is the Word of God and hence it is 100% accurate we need to believe everything it tells us. God's message is all over the pages of our Bibles. We get to read about the wonders and miracles performed throughout the entire book. We even get a snap shot of the future. All of it has been given to us so that we may believe, so that we may have faith.

God shared His gifts so we would serve.

Hebrews 2:4

“At the same time, God also testified by signs and wonders, various miracles, and distributions of gifts from the Holy Spirit according to His will.”

God gives gifts according to His will and these gifts are given to us so that we can serve Him, serve others, and glorify God in every way.

John 14:12-14

“12 “I assure you: The one who believes in Me will also do the works that I do. And he will do even greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in My name, I will do it so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.”

Through our faith in Jesus and the saving grace He has given us, we will be given gifts. These gifts are how the world will see God working through us. If we are seeking God and praying for the Father's will to be done God will work in us. Since Jesus mentions that He is going to the Father, the gifts mentioned here are most likely the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 12:7-10

“7 A demonstration of the Spirit is given to each person to produce what is beneficial: 8 to one is given a message of wisdom through the Spirit, to another, a message of knowledge by the same Spirit, 9 to another, faith by the same Spirit, to another, gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another, the performing of miracles, to another, prophecy, to another, distinguishing between spirits, to another, different kinds of languages, to another, interpretation of languages.”

We do see these Gifts of the Spirit today, but not very often. What I have seen more of is the list of gifts found in Romans.

Romans 12:6-8

“6 According to the grace given to us, we have different gifts: If prophecy, use it according to the standard of one’s faith; 7 if service, in service; if teaching, in teaching; 8 if exhorting, in exhortation;
giving, with generosity; leading, with diligence; showing mercy, with cheerfulness.”

These gifts I believe are more common today. I am sure we have all known people who have one or more of these gifts. Some people give freely of themselves, their time, and their money. There are others we are willing to help no matter what, they have the gift of service.

Why is list in Romans more common today than the one found in 1 Corinthians? My opinion is that people today do not believe like previous generations have. They are skeptics of anything they cannot touch and feel. They are like the Apostle Thomas.

John 20:25

“So the other disciples kept telling him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “If I don’t see the mark of the nails in His hands, put my finger into the mark of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will never believe!””

Thomas would not believe even having witnessed the miracles Jesus performed. He did not believe hearing the other Apostles tell him what had happened. He need to see and touch on his own.

There are many things about following Jesus that can be difficult, hence the need for faith. There is nothing wrong with being skeptical, it keeps us from being deceived, but it also can keep us from seeing the gifts that God wants to give us.

We will encounter skeptics who will ask, “How can a loving God punish people to hell?” I think a harder question to answer is “How can an all powerful God not stop His beloved Son from being punished?” The answer is love.

Hebrews 2:3a

“how will we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?”

We can't! The offer is there and God has given us our sign and wonder, all we need to do is to believe. Our sign is the cross as it is the symbol of our death. Our wonder is the blood of Jesus, it is with His blood that we have been completely cleansed of our sin.

God took the punishment upon Himself because of His love, truly wishing that none would perish. Do we need to see to believe? No! I did not see Jesus perform those miracles, but I believe. I did not see Him take on my sin, but I believe. I did not see or touch His side, feet, and hands, but I believe.

Do You?

Thanks for reading and God Bless,

Robert