Richvale Community Church
Sunday, June 21, 2026
- Good morning!Happy Fathers’s day…Today we get celebrate our dads today.. and show appreciation for the role of father hood… we give thanks to importance if that role…Today, I have been fulling.. this role ..took mouse and snake.. i Had laugh and Pam Colisure..how why we need men.!But seriously.Being a father is one the greatest Joy in my life… and our children are a blessing…as time goes on it see gets better..this morning we are continuing our anchored series in Hebrews .we looking at the question..ths comes up chapter 2.. that is.What has our attention?We live in an age of distraction.Never before have we had so much information competing for our attention…Our phones buzz.We get News alerts .Social media scrolls endlessly.Our minds are pulled in a hundred different directions.I read that the average person looks a their phones over a 100 times a day.. (I think that number is much higher…..)— what we think about really mattersRalph Waldo Emerson said..A man is what he thinks about all day long.Ralph Waldo Emerson (American Essayist)Stan Stol — in his book Rethink your life ..says..What we think about is what we become. HE GOES ON TO SAY.Unfortunately, many of us disregard this truth and carelessly ingest unhealthy content into our minds that inevitably produces a myriad of unhealthy thoughts, attitudes, and eventually, behaviors.Stan TolerThis really highlights the the importance OF what we focus on...In our text —The writer of Hebrews ( who we don’t know0)shares that same concern. He understood the importance of what we pay attention too..So he begins with this warning:
Hebrews 2:1 ESV Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.This is the first of several warnings throughout Hebrews.The Hebrew Christians at this time were under pressure.They were tempted to go back—to Judaism,to what was familiar, to what they had always known.But the danger was not merely persecution and rejection…The greater danger was losing their focus.Notice that the verse begins with the word "therefore."Whenever we see a "therefore" in Scripture, we need to ask, What's it there for?It points us back to chapter 1.Which is all about who Jesus is…Where…we have this apologetic ..this defense OF who Jesus is.. … —we toldJesus was greater than the prophets.Greater than the angels.Greater than every earthly authority.He is God's Son, our perfect Savior, and our eternal King.HE fulfilled all the Law and the prophets… perfectly..Now, in chapter 2, the writer says,Because Jesus is greater, we need to pay attention to Him.Lest we drift away....The phrase "drift away" means to “to flow past” or “glide by,” —…Drifting.. was often used of a ship that IN THE DOCKS THAT slowly slips past a harbor ..carried away by the current.A ship doesn't have to crash to be in danger. It can simply drift…That's how spiritual drifting works.Nobody wakes up one morning and says, "Today I'm going to walk away from Jesus."It happens gradually often througH inattention .A neglected prayer life.A neglected Bible.A neglected worship life.The danger is not always rejecting Christ… it simply drifiting..So the question Hebrews places before usis this:How do we keep from drifting?How do we live the attentive life?First...We1. Focus On What You KnowLast year, for Pastor Appreciation, I was given this incredibly powerful flashlight. It has thousands of lumens. When you turn it on, it's almost like daylight.The other night we played basketball by flashlight…What struck me is that whatever you point it at is what gets illuminated.The light doesn't shine everywhere at once—it shines where you focus it.Life is often the same way.When uncertainty comes, our natural tendency is to focus on what we don't know.We ask..questions likeWhy did this happen?How is this going to work out?What does the future hold?WE QUESTION GOD.And the more we focus on those unanswered questions, the larger they seem.But Hebrews reminds us that the answer to uncertainty is not having every answer.BUT focusing on what we know.Think about first responders. Firefighters, police officers, and paramedics step into unknown situations every day.They don't have all the information when they arrive.But in moments of uncertainty, they fall back on what they know. Their training kicks in. They rely on proven truths and practiced skills.The writer of Hebrews is calling us to do the same.When life feels uncertain, don't focus on what you don't know. Focus on what We know.AS BELEIVERSA. We CAN Know the the Message Is ReliableHebrews 2:2–4 ESV 2 For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, 3 how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, 4 while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.These believers are reminded that the message they received could be trusted.The Old Testament message was reliable.God’s Word had authority. His promises could be trusted.NOW IF THAT IS THE CASE..If the message delivered through angels was trustworthy,how much more should we pay attention to the salvation revealed through Jesus THE SON OF GOD.He says.. “How shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?"— The work neglect is connected to greatness.It’s is a Comparison between the message of law - with the message OF grace.There is this huge chasm between the two .If the message delivered by angels was powerful.. How much more the gospel that was delivered through the Lord (Kyrios)— A name designated for God and Christ (which means supreme in authority)-IN A NUTSHELL THIS IS SAYIG..This salvation THAT WE SHARE IN…WAS :Declared by the Lord in the Gospels.. through the life, teaching and ministry of Jesus.It was Confirmed by those who heard Him.AND IT came with power..it WAS Witnessed by God HIMSELF through signs, wonders, and the work of the Holy Spirit.THE BIBLE CAN BE TRUSTED.. all scripture is God breathed.We can trust the source..It is interesting..the ALPHA course THERE IS THIS discussion on the reliability of the Bible — that..When we compare the New Testament to other ancient writings we trust—like Plato,Homer, orHerodotus—we find something striking.The New Testament has thousands of manuscripts, some within decades of the original events, while many classical works are preserved in far fewer copies and much later manuscripts. Yet historians still treat them as more reliable sources…One of the greatest evidence of the Bible is transmission.. of scripture.How it got I to our hands.— SecondB. We Know Jesus CARES FOR OUR WELL BEING.Hebrews 2:5–8 ESV 5 For it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking. 6 It has been testified somewhere, “What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him? 7 You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor, 8 putting everything in subjection under his feet.” Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him.After reminding us that God’s message is reliable, the writer now focuses our attention on Jesus."It was not to angels that God subjected the world to come..."God’s plan was never centered around angels. - It was centered around His Son.He quotes Psalm 8:"What is man that you are mindful of him, or the son of man that you care for him?"This is the wonder of the gospel:The God who created everything did not stay distant from humanity.He came near.Jesus, stepped into our world.He experienced weakness. He experienced suffering. He experienced temptation. He experienced pain.—- and he had all things in controlIn verse 8 deal with one of life's greatest tensions in the Bible…Hebrews 2:8 ESV 8 putting everything in subjection under his feet.” Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him.The word Everything means — the whole - totality in other word the—— Whole of Creation is now subject to Christ.. (nothing outside of His reign) — However at the same time..— there is this apparent contradictionIf Jesus reigns over everything, why then does the world still seem so broken?We see wars. We see suffering. We see disease. We see injustice. We see death.Hebrews does not ignore this reality.It says:"At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to Him."That is the tension we live in.It what theologians call the already and not yet… Christ Kingdom both present and a coming Kingdom.Jesus has already won the victory, but we are still waiting for the day when all things will be made new.And so when life does not make sense, this is what we know:We may not understand everything.But we can know Jesus CARES for ME and you PERSONALLYThe One who holds the universe is the One who holds us.How do we live the attentive life?First...We1. Focus On What You KnowSecond .. we2. Focus On What Christ Has Done For YouIn the fall of 2010, billions of people around the globe were captivated by the story of the Chilean miners.They were Trapped beneath two thousand feet of solid rock, the 33 men were desperate. The collapse of a main tunnel had sealed their exit and thrust them into survival mode.They ate two spoonfuls of tuna, a sip of milk, and a morsel of peaches—every other day. For two months they prayed for someone to save them.On the surface above, the Chilean rescue team worked around the clock,consulting NASA, meeting with experts.They designed a thirteen-foot-tall capsule and drilled, first a communication hole, then an excavation tunnel. These men could not rescue themselves..Here is the thing they needed someone from the outside “to penetrate their world and pull them out..'this is what Christ did..a. He came to our Rescue.The writer of a Hebrews..takes us to the greatest truth of the gospel:Our rescue..Hebrews says:Hebrews 2:9–10 ESV 9 But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. 10 For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.We have this dual picture… Christ Above and Christ below… Jesus who was in Heavenbecame lower the angels…We have the Descent of Christ to this world…He came for our rescue..because if this ..“ but we see Jesus.”Notice what the writerdoes not say:“But we understand everything.”He says:“But we see Jesus.”We may not understand every trial.But we see Jesus.We may not know why suffering comes.But we see Jesus.We may not have every answer.But we see Jesus.The Christian life is not built on having every explanation.It is built on trusting the One who holds everything. we are toLe..It was fitting that he came.What happened at the cross was not an accident, nor was it contrary to God's character.It was fitting. It was appropriate.Because the One who created everything is the One who refused to abandon His creation.The Creator entered His creation.took on human flesh…Be a r our rescue..And why would He do that?vers 9 “So that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.”He came to save us from they powerfully if death..b. Jesus Defeated Our Greatest EnemyHebrews says:Hebrews 2:14–15 ESV 14 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.One of the most amazing truths about the Incarnation is that when Jesus took on our humanity, He entered into the very thing humanity fears most: death.The believers receiving this letter understood fear. They were facing pressure, rejection, and persecution.They knew what it was like to wonder, “What is going to happen to us?”They feared losing their families. They feared suffering.They feared the future.And underneath all those fears was the deepest fear of all—the fear of death.Fear has a way of controlling our lives.Fear of losing control. Fear of what tomorrow holds. Fear of suffering. Fear of what happens after this life.Eli Stanley Jones said, “Fear is the sand in the machinery of life.” It gets into our hearts and minds, slowing us down, robbing us of joy, and keeping us from living with confidence.But the good news of the gospel is this: Jesus stepped into the very thing we fear most—and He defeated it. when death off then table nothing else matter.The resurrection was more than a miracle. It was a declaration that death no longer has the final word.He walked into death. And He walked out victorious.How do we live the attentive life?First...We1. Focus On What You Know2. Focus On What Christ Has Done For You3. Focus On Who Walks With You TodayPam and family my family is spread across three different continents, so distance has always been a part of our story.We are grateful for technology that helps bridge that distance.Today, we can FaceTime family, see their faces, hear their voices, and share moments together even though we are thousands of miles apart.But as wonderful as that is, we all know there is still a difference between seeing someone on a screen and having them right there with you.And that is what makes the Incarnation so powerful.God did not stay distant from us. He did not simply send a message from heaven.Jesus stepped into our world. He entered our struggles, our suffering, and our fears.The God of the universe came close so we could know Him personally.He came near…. He made us sons and daughters..Hebrews says:Hebrews 2:11–12 ESV 11 For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers, 12 saying, “I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.”jesus clearer the pathway for sonship…“He is not ashamed to call them brothers.”Think about that.God..Calls redeemed sinners His family…He is not ashamed of us.What incredible grace.Is acceptance…he does thenwork…—- One of the great promises in the bible is that we gather together… he is present … when two or more gathered in his name is he there… that is why when worship… we can sense his presence in a tangable way..Verse 12 is one the most interesting versesHebrews 2:12 ESV 12 saying, “I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.”This a picture of corporate worship… (Sunday mornings) Where Christ speaking to his church.. he is declaring the Fathers name…ThenChrist actually perfects our praise - Our praise is often comes place of imperfection… from our own brokeness..Remember Christ is our High priest… sanctifies us he makes us holy.. He is the one who makes our worship acceptable to God…He perfects ours imperfect worship..Keller gives the example of a Barbershop quartet people(four guys:high tenor,tenor,baritone, and bass)say when their voices blend perfectly, when they’re singing their best, they talk about a fifth voice.When the four voices are singing perfectly, there’s a sense that there’s a fifth voice.Some kind of beauty comes through that is greater than the sum of the parts… He make a our worship acceptable..We are coming to One who carries our scars.And then Hebrews gives us this promise:“He is able to help those who are being tempted.”Notice the word:Help.Not just sympathize.Help.Not just understand.Help.Not just observe.Help.Jesus does not stand on the sidelines of our struggles.He walks with us in the middle of them.The focus of Hebrews 2 is not ultimately about our ability to hold on.It is about Christ’s ability to hold us.When we feel weak, He is strong.When we feel alone, He is near.When we are tempted, He helps.When we are afraid, He reminds us:You are not walking through this alone.Because the One who saved you is the One who walks with you today.ConclusionOne of my lecturers in seminary was Leighton Ford (Billy Graham’s brother in law), he who wrote a book called The Attentive Life.In the book he Warns that one of the great dangers of our day is spiritual inattentiveness.We become so busy, distracted, and preoccupied that we fail to recognize God's presence and activity around us.He calls us back to what he describes as "the attentive life"—a life that is attentive both to God and to others.He describes attentiveness with four qualities:Being present in the moment.Looking long enough.Looking freshly at the familiar.Being available.In other words, slowing down enough to recognize what God is doing and listening closely enough to hear His voice..It means to .“Pay much closer attention… lest we drift away.”A ship does not have to sink overnight to be in trouble.It simply has to lose its anchor.The answer to drifting is fixing our eyes on Jesus.He is not ashamed to call you His own.He understands your weakness. He knows your struggles. He is able to help you.So what has your attention?Because what captures your attention eventually captures your heart.And when your heart is fixed on Christ, you do not have to drift.You can remain anchored.Look to Jesus. Hold on to Jesus. Stay close to Jesus. Hebrews 2:1ESV
Hebrews 2:2–4ESV
Hebrews 2:5–8ESV
Hebrews 2:9ESV
Hebrews 2:9–10ESV
Hebrews 2:14–15ESV
Hebrews 2:11–12ESV
Richvale Community Church
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