Misused verses
Key Passage: Hebrews 2:1-4
Date: June 7, 2024
Somebody suggested this, and I’m not sure how long the Lord will have us on it, but maybe just a couple of weeks and eyes on this: Misused verses, the most misused verses in the Bible. And we’ll just try to cover. You can’t cover them all, especially when you get into false religions. Typically, they’ll use a verse, but in the wrong way. We won’t be able to cover all of those. We’ll try to get some of those in there.
But tonight, just maybe a little introduction, if you will, into this thing of misused verses. And it just felt like the Lord would have us to go to this one, over to Hebrews chapter number two. And we’re going to start in verse number one, the most misused verse or verses—and so many in the Bible. We’ll try to get a couple of those in the next coming Wednesday nights. And so maybe there’s a verse you’ll like to be covered. You could mention it. If I don’t know what the world it means, I won’t preach on it. And we’ll do our best on it, amen. I’m joking a little bit there with you, but I for sure don’t understand it all. It’s an infinite book, amen. And it’s a wonderful book.
Hebrews chapter number two. Would you please stand as we read it together? Hebrews 2. And we’re going to start in verse number one, Hebrews 2 and verse number 1. By the way, I look back, Brother Justin gave us a thank you. We’ll read that on Sunday, and it was a blessing to be a part of their family on Saturday. It was sweet, wonderful people.
Hebrews 2, verse number one right there. The Bible says, “Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.”
For if the word spoken by angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward—I believe, verse number two, speaking specifically of the law—we’re not going to get into that a whole lot, but I believe you’re speaking of the law.
Now, verse number three: “How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation?” This will be our text verse. “How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation, which the first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him?” I think a lot, speaking of the apostles and others, those were with Jesus when he walked the shores of Galilee. God also bearing them witness both with signs and wonders, with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost according to his own will.
That middle verse there, verse number three: “How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation?” That’s what we’d have covered for a little while tonight. Would you pray with me that God would encourage and speak to us tonight? Would you do that?
Lord, we come. Thank you, Father, for faithful people, Lord. They’re just wonderful, faithful. Thank you for them, Lord. Lord, would you give them something tonight? Encourage them. Help us to be hungry, interested in your word. Lord, bless over a Master’s Club, the nursery, and then hear in the auditorium and speak to our hearts, Father, please. And we’ll brag on you for what you do. Lord, let the people leave being encouraged and more focused and more understanding into your word. And Father, we’ll thank you and praise you for what you do, Lord. And Father, we’re asking for this in the name of Jesus. We pray. Amen.
Thank you so much for standing. You may be seated.
So often that verse is used: “How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation?” And it’s kind of interpreted, “How shall we escape hell if we neglect so great salvation?” Of course, that’s a true statement. If we turn away, we’re in neglect. We don’t trust in Jesus Christ as our Savior. Of course, we’ll not escape. But I don’t believe that’s what he’s teaching here. Just a couple of thoughts.
Verse number one, verse number one. Would you look back there? He says, “Therefore, we ought to give the more earnest heed to them which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.” In other words, slip—typically, if you’re letting something slip away, you’ve got to have it in possession. You’re letting it slip out of your hand or slip away. You’re letting something slip away. Slip typically. It’s almost as if you’ve got it and you’re letting it slip. See?
Then notice how many times he uses this word “we.” Would you notice that so many times in these verses in this chapter? “Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. For if the word which were spoken by angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, which was confirmed unto us by them that heard him?”
But I want you to notice that word “we.” That begs a question, all right. Who is the book of Hebrews written to? Is it written to save people or not? Because he multiple times uses the word “we”—“how shall we,” and so on.
Let’s look over in chapter number three very quickly there. Chapter three, verse number one. Chapter three, verse number one: “Wherefore, holy brethren…” Now help me out. Holy brethren. Does that sound like lost people? No, saved people. “We.” “Wherefore, holy brethren, are partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the apostle and high priest of our profession, Jesus Christ.”
Look over in chapter number 10, if you would please. Chapter 10 of Hebrews, 10 and verse number 39. Just trying to find out, he’s “we”—all right, who is he speaking to here? Is he speaking to lost people or to saved people? Clearly, chapter 3, verse number 1, to saved people.
Chapter 10, verse number 39: “But we are not of them which draw back unto perdition, but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.” Is that lost people? Saved people? Yeah, he’s very clearly speaking to saved people.
Look at the very last chapter, kind of the conclusion of this book. Look in chapter number 13, if you would please, and let’s just see the closing and how he closes it out, who’s addressing it to and whatnot. Chapter 13 and would you look at verse number 20 please? Chapter 13, verse number 20: “Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will.” Does that sound like lost people? It sounds like saved people.
“Working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever. Amen.” “I beseech you,” what’s the next word? “Suffer the word of exhortation, for I have written a letter unto you in a few words. Now you that are brethren, Timothy is set at liberty; with whom, if you come shortly, I will see you. Salute all them that have the rule over you, and all the saints. They of Italy salute you. Grace be with you all. Amen.”
Now, help me out. Does that sound like he’s talking to lost people? No, he’s talking to saved people. So over here in chapter number two, when he’s using this “we,” he’s talking to the saved people, specifically the Jewish, but saved people. So it’s not saying here, look, if you neglect so great a salvation, you’re going to go to hell. These are saved people.
So what is he saying? Is he saying, “I’ll lose my salvation?” No. No, we know. “I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father’s gave me them is greater than all. No man can pluck them out of my Father’s hand. Him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out.” We don’t know. First Peter over there, “Hey, you’re kept by the power of God.” I’m so thankful for that. I didn’t get saved by my power, and I don’t stay saved by my power. I got saved by his power, and I stay saved by his power.
So we know, and by the way, in Bible study, that’s a principle rule: “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.” You can’t take it out here over privately interpret one verse; it has got to fit in with the rest of the Bible. So it’s not saying you can lose your salvation; we know that.
So what’s he teaching here? If we neglect so great a salvation, how shall we escape? We’re not going to escape.
Several years back—I don’t know, I’m bad about it. I’ll say it was a year ago, and it was 10 years ago, you know. I’m just horrible about it—but several years back, my wife surprised me, and she got me a bike. I think it’s 18-speed. And the only problem is, when they get you one of those, you’re supposed to use it. That’s the problem. And I do from time to time, but there are long periods during these last five years, whatever, that it doesn’t get used, you know. Now, it’s been in my garage, so I thought, well, it’s fine, and it’s good.
And every once in a while, I’ll get it out, and I’ll ride some, usually when I got to go to the doctor or something, and he says, “You’re gaining weight and getting fat, and you’ve got to get more blood pressure medicine.” And where’s the bike at? You know, you’re there. Don’t look at me like that. All of you out there like that, you know. And so anyway, you know, I’ve been trying to get it back out and all those things. And for a while, I thought, man, something’s wrong with this bike. It seems like the chain just slips, like the gears or something; it’s kind of between gears, and it just keeps… And I haven’t taken the time to mess with it.
Well, Monday, I thought, well, I’m going to find out what’s wrong with this bike. And as a little surprise, it’s actually just the chain. And I’ve rode it in the rain a little bit here and there and yonder, and I didn’t oil it like I should have oiled the chain. And so it’s got stiff in some of those links, you know; it’ll just get a kink in there, and it won’t form around the gears like it, and it’ll slip every once in a while. And so I spent a long time Monday trying to oil that crazy chain and get all the links where they loosen up. Still messes up, you know.
But here’s the problem: because I had neglected it, I thought since it was in the garage, I could escape all the problems. But how shall I escape if you neglect taking care of your bike? Both dumpers says, “Amen.” They say, “Take care of your bike.” Isn’t that going to preach right there, brother?
Now look, that’s what he’s saying right here: “How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation?” If you’re saved, praise the Lord, that’s a great salvation, isn’t it? Oh, you can do a whole lot better than that. Hey, if you’re not going to go to hell, you’re going to go to heaven forever. That’s a pretty great salvation, isn’t it? Amen. Praise the Lord for that. That’s great salvation. Man, and an old sinner like us, we don’t deserve it. I don’t deserve it. We can come to church to look real good and like we got it all together, but you and the Lord knows the truth of the matter.
Praise the Lord, we’re saved though. All our sins are gone. Gone, gone. Yes, my sins are gone. I mean, as far as the East is from the West, so far as he removed our transgressions, but we’ll never see it again. Buried in the deepest sea. Yes, that’s good enough for me. That’s a great salvation. But if I neglect that…
You know, we live in the Bible Belt. I remember my dad when they moved up here so many years ago, and Dad’s always just a good soul in her. And praise the Lord, he just, the most faithful person at witnessing I’ve ever met personally. He was just so good at it. And he’d tell me, he said, “Man, Paul, it’s hard to find a lost person around here, or at least someone that thinks they’re lost. Everybody says they’re saved around here, the Bible Belt.”
But you know, right in the middle of the Bible Belt, I don’t know if they’re saved or not; God knows their heart. But if they’re being honest and they’re truly saved, it’s a whole lot of messed-up lives. Don’t know what I’m talking about there? How could that happen if they’re saved and yet their lives are so messed up? And then you find out their kids, and they’re just all the multitude of problems. Well, that’s what he’s saying: “How should we escape if we neglect so great salvation?”
Look, people, praise the Lord, we get to lead people to the Lord, and soul winning—that’s wonderful. That’s so right to do. But unless those young Christians get in church—and we can’t make them; we’ll do our best to get them there. I mean, I wish we could handcuff them and drag them to church. That might be a good thing, you know, the handcuffing ministry. Amen, I’d be all right now. You know, I like that, you know. Men’s Day at the range, we go gather up all the people that the Lord and get them in church, you know.
But look, if they get saved, even though they may truly be saved, I don’t know if they’re harmed. If they truly get saved, if they don’t get in church and they neglect their great salvation, they’re not going to escape problems galore. They’re not going to grow as they ought. You realize so many sins of commission—we commit sins—we commit them because we have sins of omission. You check it out.
And look, when we start neglecting—and boy, that’s one of the scary things about 2020 and COVID—look over in chapter number 10. You’re already in Hebrews. Look over there real quickly. It’s a familiar verse; you’ll know it. But just look at it. It’s amazing how God has got it all covered.
In verse number 25, Hebrews 10 and verse number 25: “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”
It’s amazing. The last times. So many churches are trying to do away… Well, I just have a Sunday morning, maybe a small group here, there, but, you know, they’re kind of getting away from assembly. But the Bible says, as you see the day approaching, you need it more.
Now, here’s the scary part. It’s almost as if COVID has given many an excuse. I understand some have health concerns, and some people watching it tonight, maybe some have true, true, sincere health issues, and I understand that. But I’ll be honest with some, it’s not a matter of that; it’s just kind of got a way out. And they’re not going to escape.
“How should we escape if we neglect so great salvation?” If I just get out of church, God’s house—He’s the one that made me His child, He’s adopted me in His family—and He said, “Hey, I want my children in my house.” And if I begin to neglect that, friend, I’m not going to escape.
“How should we escape if we neglect so great salvation?” But I’m neglecting that. Look, I’m not going to be a strong, thriving, winning Christian unless I’m getting some spiritual food. Amen. Yes, preaching God. He’s manifested His word through preaching, Titus says. Yes, that’s true. But daily, what’s such a better thing when you learn to take the word yourself? You’re eating daily. If I only eat three times a week, man, I’m in trouble. I’ll tell you what, I ain’t going to make it. I need more. And just daily getting in the Word. And it may be just a little sometimes; I’m just getting in the Word.
This Baptist bread we pass out every other month—the new ones are back there on the table for November, December—that may be the start of you getting in the Bible every day. And just a verse, a little paragraph about it. But you’ve got to be in the Word.
Now let me say something for those that you… I’ve been in the Word for years and years. If we’re not careful sometimes, we’ll just get into ritual reading it. Can I just recommend this? Can I recommend you looking for the verse God wants you to have that day? Remember, we preached not too long ago, “Faith cometh by…” Yeah, hearing. We always said faith comes by the Word of God, and that’s true somewhat, but that’s actually not what it says. Faith comes by hearing. Now, hearing comes by the other word of God. But I get faith when God gives me a verse, and I hear it. God speaks to me.
And so can I just encourage you, hey, get in the Word every day because I don’t want to neglect my salvation. I want to be in the Word. Lord, you give me a verse today. Sometimes you’ll give you a verse. I’ll ask for a week or two, for a month. How many got a verse in your mind, your heart right now? God’s kind of good. You got a verse? That’s good. You need verses. And God gives you those verses. And it’s saying, “Don’t neglect so great salvation.”
What do you mean? Get in church. Stay in the Word. If I neglect, I’m not going to escape. Well, you’ve been preaching for years and years, been in church, pastor, you’ll be all right. No, if I neglect my great salvation, I’m not going to escape for him. It’s going to hinder me. It’s going to harm me. I’m going to backslide. I’m going to get defeated. That’s what he’s teaching here. You’re not going to escape. And he’s teaching us, “Hey, don’t neglect that great salvation.”
By the way, the most miserable person in the world is a saved person that’s backslid. They have tasted the Lord. They know what it is to have God working in their life. They know what it is to have a clear line between heaven and them, and they know the joy of it. And yet they’re backslid, and they’re convicted in nothing. You’ll never find a happy backslider in Christian life. Never has been, never will be. They might have a quick, temporary fix on something, but they’re not true, joyous, and happy people. He’ll find it. He’s saying, look, “How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation?”
What does it mean escape? What are you going to escape? Well, look over in chapter number 12 of Hebrews. Let’s you look over in chapter number 12. Okay, if I neglect it, then I don’t escape. Then what do I get? Chapter number 12. And when you’re looking, verse number five. Chapter number 12, verse number five.
And this is often called the chastening chapter. It talks about chastening a lot in this chapter right here. Verse number five: “And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto the children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?”
“But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.” But let’s get the next verse. “Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?”
Now look, here’s what he’s saying. Look, if I neglect my great salvation, I’m not going to escape chastening. If I’m never, ever chastened, I better check up on my salvation. If I’m never, ever chastened, I might act like I’m a child of God, but I might be an illegitimate child. No, if I neglect my salvation, there’s going to be chastening. Can I say the first part of chastening is conviction? Just the Spirit of God and a separation from God.
Would you look over in Isaiah, Isaiah? Would you look, I think it’s 59. God’s been using this verse in my life here recently. Isaiah 59, if you would, please. Just a couple of words God’s been speaking to my heart about. Isaiah 59, and those first two verses, you’ll know very familiar verses. Isaiah 58—excuse me, 59. And verse number one, if you would please. Isaiah 59, verse number one. If you’re there, would you say amen? Amen.
Look at verse number one: “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God.” God’s still working every day and time. Neither his ear heavy that it cannot hear. God still hears what you pray, and he can still answer prayers. He’s got a long enough arm to reach down into your life. Here’s the phrase God’s been using in my life: “But your iniquities,” sins in your heart, “but your iniquities have separated between you and your God. And your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.”
So here’s the thing: If I’m neglecting so great salvation that God’s given me, and I’m not going to escape the separation between me and God. And it’s been so good for me here lately. God’s kind of used that: “But your iniquities”—the iniquities often you don’t even know that they’re in your heart. “If I regard iniquity in my heart,” a little over there. Yeah. And why I’ve been going to, “Lord, hey, Lord, I just don’t feel closer.” And sometimes there’s testing and trials; I understand all that. But so often, “Lord, is there something between me and you I don’t even know about that’s separating me and you?” And God says, “Yeah.” He’ll put his finger on that. Sometimes I’ll say, “Lord, I didn’t even know it was there.”
But if I neglect my so great salvation, I’m not going to escape that separation from God. I’m not going to escape the chastening of God. You don’t spank the neighbor’s kids. Well, back of the day, I hear they did. You know, if you do it in our day and time, you’d be in trouble, you know. Back in the day they did, but nowadays, you’re about to get in trouble. Spank your own kids nowadays, you know. No, no, you just make it. And God’s an ideal of my children that way, see? And if I neglect—oh, if I neglect my so great salvation, I’m not going to escape the chastening hand of God. Oh, what a sad thing when a mourning Christian, they’ve kind of just neglected it.
I mentioned church and reading the Bible. There could be so many more specific things. Maybe right there where you said, you can just ask the Holy Spirit, say, “Holy Spirit, is there some way I’m neglecting this great salvation?” Maybe just right there you said, “Hey, maybe the Holy Spirit is bringing something to my God.” I’ve been neglecting the great salvation God’s given me in such and such a way. And God’s exhorting His people: Don’t neglect it. You’re not going to escape.
“How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation?” Here’s a sad thing. You’ve probably seen it, and I’m not trying to judge people, whatnot, and think about it, but you’ve probably seen them where a family—a pretty good family, mom and dad’s pretty good, if you will—they’ve been around church, raised in church, and yet sometimes they’ll backslide and get out of church for a couple years. And their kind of mindset is, “Well, I won’t go too far out,” and say it. “I’m grounded enough.” And sometimes there’s some truth to that. And praise the Lord, five or so years down there, whatever, they get back in church. And it’s a wonderful thing to see God working their heart in their life, and the tears start coming back, and the joy comes back, and the excitement comes back, and it’s awesome to see. And it’s almost like they escaped besides.
So often you see the children. You remember Abraham over there? Abraham backslid, and he went down into Egypt. Egypt is a picture of the world in the Bible, and he’s down there for a little while, but then God kind of gets a hold of his heart, and he gets back up. But remember, had a little fellow there younger than him named Lot. You’ve probably heard it said, “You can get a lot out of Egypt, but you can’t get Egypt out of Lot.”
And the sad thing is sometimes you see those families; they get back in church, and praise the Lord for that, it’s wonderful. But their children… And I have no greater joy than to hear them, the children, walk in truth. And it’s such a tragic thing that they didn’t escape. And so often the children, oh, they got the world because they’re out in the world for a while, and you just can’t get the world out of that child that got a good taste of the world during those five years.
“How should we escape if we neglect so great salvation?” You understand that’s what that’s the Lord’s teaching. What a sad thing. You see that, and it’s a whole such a sad thing.
Just very quickly here, can I just—just for a little bit—let’s just talk about neglect for just a moment here? Can I be honest with you? It is easy to neglect something. I wasn’t trying to neglect the bike my wife got me. I thought, it’s pretty good; it’s in the garage. Lisa’s in a dry spot. You know, I mean, sounds good to me. Anybody with me? You know, I thought, man…
Have you ever read these manuals you get? You know, years ago, there’s a swing set. You know, it’s got about a thousand screws and bolts and washers and tab ZZ goes to, you know, tab Y over here with all these different things. And then it says, “And you must oil monthly.” You’re thinking, “Ain’t no way I’m going to oil all these screws monthly.” That’s just crazy. And so, you know, the bike, I’m thinking, there’s no way I’m going to oil this chain all the time, you know. I didn’t mean to neglect it, but I did. And it didn’t escape. I’m going to have to get another chain. It’s just so easy to neglect.
Hey, is there a part—maybe it’s just the fact of just remembering your salvation? If we’re not careful, I got saved when I was about eight years old. And so it’d be kind of easy for me to forget about my salvation. And it’s good for me to go back to remember. Oh, for maybe a month or so before that, I don’t know how long, I would lay awake at night time in my bed thinking, “Am I going to heaven right?” And it’s good for me to remember that a little bit. And boy, on the back seat that call, and I asked the Lord to save me. And I was very quiet and a loner, and I didn’t tell anybody. But man, God moved inside my heart, and something happened. And it’s good for me to remember my salvation.
I don’t know how it is, but I know Satan would love to get us to neglect our so great salvation. He does it in so many different ways. I mean, it’s just so easy to do. Maybe that’s why God said, first of the Ten Commandments, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me,” because this is so often what Satan does.
Remember over there in Job? He took everything away from Job, and Job said, “I will come forth as gold.” Maybe the old devil learned a little bit from that. Later on in the church of Laodicea, he gave them everything: rich and increased with goods, and boy, the back of it. And it’s so easy for us; we’ve got so much, we get so busy in such a frantic, busy day and time, and we’re not careful. We’re not planning on it; we just neglect.
Do you have your time alone? Do you have your time alone with God every day? Did you get away from the world? I’ll be honest with you; as I was studying this message this morning, I had forgotten to turn my cell phone off right in the middle of the message. Of course, and it’s one of these issues things, you know. I got a text. It just happens without you noticing.
Here’s what I’m saying: If you’re not going to neglect your salvation, you’re going to have to work in it. It’s not going to happen by accident. You’re going to have to on purpose say, “I’m not going to neglect my great salvation.”
Ever think about it? Typically, great things don’t demand your attention. Typically, it’s the little minor things. I go to somebody’s house and visit someone’s house, and they’ll have the TV on, and I’m trying to lead them to the Lord, and I’ll catch my eyes wandering to the TV screen, bloop, bloop. I’m like, “Why in the world am I doing that?” Because it demands your attention. The Bible, not so much. I have to say, “I’m not going to neglect it. I’m going to be in there. I’m going to get up, going to read it, study it.” I’m saying, you’ve got to work if you don’t want to neglect. If you’re going to be living for the Lord over the long haul, I’m saying, “I’m not going to neglect it.”
This is a good statement. God uses a statement in my life a lot. Sometimes we’ll get so busy we’re doing the urgent things instead of the important things. And I have to on purpose say, “I’m not going to neglect my great salvation. I must work at it.” You know, I’m going to get a new chain for that bike, and I’m going to oil this next one, especially if I go out riding in the rain.
And for your salvation, I think about a lady in our church, just a dear lady. And she had some health issues about a year ago, and she had to get out of church for a while; she had to. But she said, “You know, years ago, I got out of church, and I just got away for a while.” And she said, “I’m not going to do that again.” She’s determined. And she had some major health issues, and she was out for a couple months, but she’s back in. She’s here tonight. She said, “I’m not going to neglect. I’m not going to get away from this time,” because you start neglecting it, it gets easier and easier and easier. And God’s saying, “Hey, how should we escape if we neglect so great salvation?”
Hey, it’s a busy America. We’ve got a busy America, and I must say, “Hey, I’m not going to neglect this great salvation.” Can I say this? You don’t set your priorities by what you do; you set your priorities by what you don’t do. In other words, you can’t do everything you want to do—there’s just not enough time, at least in my life. So I set my priorities by what I say no to. And I must say no to some things because I don’t want to neglect this great salvation.
Now here’s typically how it happens. How many of you have had a garden before? How many of you have ever had a garden before? A vast majority of you have had a garden before, good. Yeah. Be honest with me: here’s what happens, ma’am. You want to till it up. You know, when you get a couple frosts in there, you get those roots turned up and get some frost in there, you know, and you’re just excited about it. You can’t wait, and you get a warm day so you till it up in hopes of a couple frosts. And then you get all the grass, and you’re just excited about it. And that’s nothing like it. Everything ready to go. And then that day you plant, you know, and I like straight rows, so I’ll pull a string, man. I want some good straight rows. And I’m going to plant this year. God will always have okra in there. Amen. Come on now. Anybody out there like okra? Got a couple. Anybody out there so bold to say you like bold okra? Anybody like bold okra out there? Got a couple of us. Amen. Got a couple of them.
And you put some okra out there and some… I never did good on my corn. My corn never did good. I gave up on corn. And you got to have some cucumbers; they run all over the place. Get you some cucumbers out there. And get some green beans in there. And, oh, let’s see, some black-eyed peas, you know, and some squash and some zucchini. And at first, man, you’re so excited about it. And boy, it’s always a good day. And the first day there are little things popping up out of the ground, you’re like, “Wow, man, it’s coming through.” It’s exciting.
But then wait for about a month or two. Man, you’ve cut okra until you’re like, “I’m sick of okra.” Planted too much, you know. Grass is… At first, any little bit of grass in there, you’re going to pull it out. After a while, I’m fully on the grass. Typically, towards the end of the growing season, I have my wheat eater out in the garden, getting the grass out of there just enough. At the end, you’re like, “Oh, who cares, man,” you know?
And that’s so typical. When he gets saved, man, we’re so excited, and we don’t neglect a thing. It’s all excited and fresh and new. And praise the Lord, “I’m saved. I’m going to heaven. I’m going to get in the Bible. I’m going to be a prayer warrior. I’m going to get to know God. I’m going to walk with God, and He saved me.” And man, it’s so exciting. But it’s so easy over the years. By the way, you’re here on Wednesday night. Praise the Lord for you. I know a little bit; I’m preaching to the choir tonight. Hey, can I just say, don’t neglect it?
“How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation?”
Would you bow your heads and close your eyes, please? You’re here tonight. Praise the Lord, you’re here on Wednesday night. You’re doing a wonderful job. Praise the Lord for that. But Satan would love to get you just kind of all… “I’ve been doing this so long, and I’m just so tired,” and it gets you so busy wrapped up in this old world. He’d love to get you where you’re neglecting, because we don’t escape them and neglect.
Maybe you’re here tonight and you say, “Preacher, help me. Lord, help me. My heart is… Lord, help me not to neglect.” I don’t want to neglect. And God spoke to my heart. I don’t want to neglect the great salvation God’s given. God spoke to my heart about that tonight. That’s you tonight? Sleep you in a preacher. “I don’t want to get to that point where I’m neglecting the great salvation.” God bless you. God bless you. Me either. Me either. I’ve been there before. Thank you for letting the Lord work in your heart.
Maybe you’re here tonight. You said, “Preacher, there’s an area or two. Maybe something I did not even mention, but you say, ‘I’ve been neglecting just an area.’” God spoke to my heart tonight. I want to get back at that thing I’ve been neglecting—some part, some area of my Christianity that’s so great salvation. God spoke to my heart. I’ve been neglecting. I want to get that thing right in my life tonight. That’s you tonight? Sleep you in a preacher. That’s me. Anybody like that? God bless you. God bless you. All of us are there from time to time. God bless you. God bless you.
Thank you so very much. Would you please stand? We’ll have a word of prayer. And let’s come just spend some time with the Lord tonight. It’d be a great night to say, “I will not neglect, and we’ll get back close to you.” Would you do that?
Father, thank you for your goodness. Thank you for your word. Lord, forgive me many a time, many a time. You’ve given me such a great salvation; I’ve neglected it. Father, help us tonight not to neglect this so great salvation you’ve given to us. Bless our people during these few minutes, Lord. We’ll thank you for what you do. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Would you come? With our answers, Mr. Lord, would you come? Would you come? Satan is so crafty at just getting us to neglect. He knows that’s all he’s after—time to get us to neglect so great salvation. You have to do it on purpose. “I’m not going to neglect it given to me. I’m not going to neglect it.” Amen. Praise the Lord. If you’re in church on the way tonight, glad to have you here. Glad to have every person here. And good to have Brother John Casey’s dad. One of these days I’m going to get his name. I apologize. I’ve always these years; I’ve just got introduced to Brother John Casey’s dad. And we’re glad to have with us tonight. Amen. Amen. You’ve got a great son. Amen. We’re glad you’re here tonight, every person. Appreciate you being in the house of God, and that’s just wonderful. Glad to have you on it, or Wednesday night. Praise it before. Keep after your faithfulness. That’s just keeping, not neglecting. That’s wonderful. Brother Ted, back there, would you dismiss us with a word of prayer, please?
Original File: Missed used verses - Pastor Paul Chisgar Wednesday 102721