Defying the Drift

Hebrews 1:1-5, 14; 2:1-4
January 26, 2025
preached by Pastor Doug Cooper
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Time of Reflection Quotations

“[The fear of God] is the result of discovering that the God whom we thought of with slavish, servile fear, the holy righteous, terrifying God of judgment and majesty, is also the God who forgives us through Jesus Christ… One reason why we know so little of such filial fear is that we do not appreciate the gospel! If we would grow in grace so that we fear God like this, we must first return to the gospel, and to the meaning of the cross.”

~ Sinclair Ferguson (1948-present), Scottish minister and professor

“Only a fraction of the present body of professing Christians are solidly appropriating the justifying work of Christ in their lives… In order for a pure and lasting work of spiritual renewal to take place within the church, multitudes within it must be led to build their lives on this foundation. This means that they must be conducted into the light of a full conscious awareness of God’s holiness, the depth of their sin and the sufficiency of the atoning work of Christ for their acceptance with God, not just at the outset of their Christian lives but in every succeeding day.”

~ Richard F. Lovelace (1930–2020), American theologian, professor

“To be convinced in our hearts that we have forgiveness of sins and peace with God by grace alone is the hardest thing.”

“Every week I preach justification by faith to my people, because every week they forget it.”

~ Martin Luther (1483-1546), German professor of theology, author and seminal figure in the Protestant Reformation

“If we are going to persevere as committed disciples of Jesus Christ over the course of our lives, we must always keep the gospel of God’s forgiveness through Christ before us.”

“Our sins have been put away. To use the language of the Scriptures…they are completely removed, put behind God’s back, blotted out, remembered no more, and hurled into the depths of the sea.”

~ Jerry Bridges (1929-2016), American theologian & writer

Sermon Passage

Hebrews 1:1-5, 14; 2:1-4 (ESV)

Hebrews 1

1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.
5 For to which of the angels did God ever say,
“You are my Son, today I have begotten you”?
Or again,
“I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son”?
14 Are [the angels] not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?

Hebrews 2

1 Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. 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.