Sermon Tone Analysis

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

For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, 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,” [1]

“How shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?”

The Great Question posed in the message this day is frequently employed when confronting outsiders.

However, the question was intended to confront those who appeared at one time to be walking in the Faith, but who have begun to turn aside.

On one occasion, Jesus made a startling statement when He said, “Enter by the narrow gate.

For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.

For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few” [MATTHEW 7:13, 14].

The entrance to one gate is wide and easy, and the way beyond the gate is spacious; but it leads to destruction and ruin.

The majority of mankind opts to follow that path and to pass through that particular gate.

Another gate that Jesus described is said to be constricted; and after you have passed through that gate you will discover that the path leading beyond is narrow, requiring your full attention.

You know quite well the encouragement Paul and Barnabas offered to those who had come to faith during the first missionary tour.

“When [the missionaries] had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God” [ACTS 14:21, 22].

This same theme was presented at other times as the Master taught.

Near the end of His ministry in Judea, facing the Passion that was about to break over Him, we see the Master presenting this same teaching.

“[Jesus] went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem.

And someone said to him, ‘Lord, will those who are saved be few?’

And he said to them, ‘Strive to enter through the narrow door.

For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.

When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, “Lord, open to us,” then he will answer you, “I do not know where you come from.”

Then you will begin to say, “We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.”

But he will say, “I tell you, I do not know where you come from.

Depart from me, all you workers of evil!”

In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out.

And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God.

And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last’” [LUKE 13:22-30].

Canada is not a Christian nation; Canada has a Christian heritage, but the nation has largely jettisoned the Christian Faith for an eclectic, pragmatic compilation of philosophies that permit a patina of religion over much of the life of the nation.

Tragically, there is no way that any conscientious and knowledgeable person could say that Canada is a Christian nation, unless they meant by such a statement that it is not primarily Muslim or Buddhist or Hindu.

I was visiting a congregation just across the border in Washington on one occasion.

The pastor recognised me and asked me to say a few words concerning my service before the Master in the Lower Mainland where I was then pastoring.

I pointed out some of the needs and explained that despite a Christian heritage, the area was largely unchurched.

After the service, a couple were quite deliberate in making their way toward me.

They introduced themselves, explaining that they were visiting from Vancouver.

The woman got right to the point.

“You make it sound as if we were all pagans.”

I asked how many of her neighbours attended a church service with any regularity.

That was none of her business, she explained.

“Well, madam,” I explained, “the evidence is that less than one percent of the population self-identify as evangelical Christians.

Over one-quarter of the province self-identifies as either atheists or agnostics.

By these criteria, we are pagans.”

Dear people, note well that those who are born from above bear the image of the Father.

Should an individual claim relationship to the True and Living God and yet fail to reflect His image, he is deceiving himself.

One entire book of our New Testament was written to stress this truth.

Listen to a few of the teachings from that particular book.

“By this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.

Whoever says ‘I know him’ but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected.

By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked” [1JOHN 2:3-6].

“Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness.

Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling.

But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes” [1 JOHN 2:9-11].

“By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother” [1 JOHN 3:10].

Salvation is reflected in the life of the redeemed.

Merely to say one is saved, does not make it so.

Salvation is transformational; if there has been no transformation, the individual should check what has happened to her.

The Puritans of old were wont to say, “Say not thou hast royal blood save thou dare prove it by a holy life.”

Nor should one imagine that John was alone in stressing this truth.

Consider these words from the Apostle Paul.

“By grace you have been saved through faith.

And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” [EPHESIANS 2:8-10].

DRIFTING AWAY?

ME? — I do not doubt that hell is populated with many people who never actually opposed the Lord Jesus.

Many people are not actually against Jesus the Saviour; they simply neglect to respond to the message of life.

These people know the truth and they even believe the truth, after a fashion.

They acknowledge the veracity and the propriety of the truth; however, they are not willing to commit themselves to Jesus as Master of life.

The author of this letter warns, “We must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it” [HEBREWS 2:1].

Years ago, C. S. Lewis commented, “If you examined a hundred people who had lost their faith in Christianity, I wonder how many of them would turn out to have been reasoned out of it by honest argument?

Do not most people simply drift away?” [2]

I have not often used the term “drifting away,” though it is assuredly descriptive of a dangerous situation for the unwary.

However, I do recall generating intense animosity and fierce opposition on one occasion when I spoke of those who had been inoculated against the Faith.

[3] Those who are content to have a religion that makes them feel good, a religion that soothes their feelings of guilt because they know they are not serving as they should, a religion that affirms them though they do not witness the transformational power of the Risen Master, will always be offended when confronted by the mirror of the Word.

Compelled to see themselves reflected in the Word, they grow resentful and seek relief by removing what they believe to be the source of their discomfort—the herald of Christ.

James cautioned against precisely such action when he wrote, “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror.

For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.

But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing” [JAMES 1:22-25].

Tragically, we have raised a generation of church goers who appear content to be hearers of the Word.

They seem to resent being challenged to be doers of the Word.

Compounding the tragedy is the fact that their children are not even hearers of the Word.

Drifting away is an apt description of what is happening in the lives of such people.

I doubt there is a person listening to me that imagines they are susceptible to drifting away.

However, none of us are immune to running aground on the shoals of doubt or unbelief.

In saying this, I am not saying that we should not bring our hard questions to the Faith.

I received for Christmas a desk calendar.

Of course, because I have such an intense personality, I’ve already set it up and have it opened to January first.

Anticipation!

The cartoon for that day presents what is undoubtedly the popular view of religion.

A caveman is standing in front of a rock on which his features are chiseled.

He is addressing two other cave dwellers.

The caption at the bottom reads, “The Invention of Religion.”

The caveman in front of the carving is saying, “OK, here’s how it works… First, you NEVER question anything I tell you…”

Many people imagine that caricature aptly describes the Christian Faith, but those who are of the Faith know better.

Frankly, I am disappointed if you do not question what I say; no Christian should accept the word of a mere mortal on matters of eternal significance.

I want you to listen with an open Bible in hand, checking to see if the things I say are accurate.

My desire for you is that you will emulate the Bereans, of whom it is said, “Now these Jews [in Berea] were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so” [ACTS 17:11].

If you accept uncritically what I say, or what any preacher may say, you do God and His Word a disservice.

God is not dethroned because we ask hard questions.

God invites mankind to question Him.

“Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: