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Oberon Golf Course - Links Pro Am 2006 |
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PGA Chaplain Bible StudiesWeekly Bible Study - Study 5 - The Book of Hebrews Ch 2:1-4“We must pay more careful attention therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. For if the message spoken by angels w s binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. ” (Hebrew Chapter 2: verses 1 to 3 New International Version)
Golf is played at many different levels. You have the social game where a couple of friends or dad and his daughter or son may play a game together in the afternoon. Then you have the most serious where money and career are on the line on the USPGA Tour. The more social and friendly the game is the less likely the rules of golf come into play. It doesn’t really matter if you kick the ball out from the trees when playing with your children. Even at our local golf club competitions rules are broken weekly mostly through ignorance and often penalties are not applied unless there is a chance of winning the competition, because at the end of the day, it is as much about fun as it is about winning. A case can be made that golf at its most fun level is social in nature and most serious at the professional end. This also can be measured by the amount of practice and time devoted to improving your game. Professionals practise for hours each day because a lot is at stake when they tee off, while social players may play a few times each year and never practise. The social player is not surprised or worried when the ball goes sideways. Our writer is making the point that something great and unique has happened with the coming of Jesus and deserves our greatest attention. Jesus’ coming is not a social happening where we can pay attention depending on our mood or time available, but that we must pay attention because it is important. We have already noted in the last few studies how great Jesus is by virtue of him being the son of God who bears God’s exact likeness, has given his life for our sins and is greater than all the Prophets, Angels and Priests that have come before him. The point is that we must pay close attention to Jesus and respond in the appropriate manner. We in Australia have a misguided attitude that takes God for granted; that we can give God the leftovers of our time, our hearts, our money and devotion and still expect God’s favour. But the opposite is the case. We are urged not to take God for granted like people did in the past before Jesus came, but to give following God our first attention, because it has serious consequences when it comes to judgment when we meet God face to face. Our writer has moved from teaching to application; from facts to urging us to take the appropriate action. The coming of Jesus and all he accomplished is the greatest action of God in our history. As such it deserves our greatest respect and following. It is not enough to know facts; it is following Jesus that seals our destiny. Our response flows out of an understanding of Jesus and the great rescuing of us from the depths of despair that sin and death bring. My hope is that you will approach Jesus not with a come or go attitude of a social player who may play a couple of times a year, but like a true professional who practises daily and gives his greatest attention because he knows this is far more important than anything else we may do or devote ourselves to.
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