Grow
Hebrews 5:11-6:12
God expects us to grow spiritually.
SLIDE #1
Introduction
• PC VIDEO- What if adults threw tantrums like toddlers?
• I am thankful that I have never acted that way as an adult!
• Our opening video clip, in a funny way, illustrates the matter at hand today.
• When we are toddlers, when things do not go our way, we tend to throw tantrums. Sadly for some, it never ends.
• As we mature in life, when we are faced with difficult situations, we learn that throwing a tantrum is not a good way to deal with the situation.
• Well, as I said, some learn this.
• By the way, FREE PARENTING TIP FOR TODAY. As a parent, when your child throws a tantrum or acts defiant, you can NEVER give in to that, or you will end up with an adult child one day who still thinks acting the fool will get them somewhere.
• If my kids threw a fit about what we were eating, they would go hungry (that never happened), or if they throw a fit about going with you somewhere, they are going, and I will let them act the fool.
• If we had Facebook when I was raising the girls, and if they would have acted that way, I would go live with it. Fortunately, my daughters were not prone to those actions; well one of them tried it when she was young. Once they realize you will not give in, it stops quickly.
• Off the rabbit trail.
• The message title this morning is simple. GROW! Grow to maturity.
• What is maturity? How do we gauge it? We think ages like 18 and 21 make people adults, with a new level of maturity. However, is it possible for an adult to be immature? YES!
• Maturity is not always about chronology; it is about growth.
• The Hebrew writer breaks from talking about the new High Priest (Jesus) and addresses the maturity of believers.
• He openly calls out some seasoned believers, saying, “You need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!” (Hebrews 5:12).
• These believers were still spiritual infants, immature in the things of God. Though they were possibly older and had been Christians for years, there was no maturity, and their spiritual formation was still at stage one.
• So today, we will go on a journey of growth together.
• Let’s begin with Hebrews 5:11-14
SLIDE#2
Bible Verse
Hebrews 5:11-14 (CSB)
11We have a great deal to say about this, and it is difficult to explain, since you have become too lazy to understand.
12Although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the basic principles of God’s revelation again. You need milk, not solid food.
13Now everyone who lives on milk is inexperienced with the message about righteousness, because he is an infant.
14But solid food is for the mature?—?for those whose senses have been trained to distinguish between good and evil.
SLIDE #3
1. I. Grow up!
Explanation
• The Hebrew writer seems to be going hardcore on the readers. He calls them out as lazy and as infants.
• Why?
• In the previous verses, which were a quote from Psalm 110:4, concerning the priesthood of Melchizedek, the Hebrew writer intends to expand its meeting at length. H
• However, he needed to make sure his readers are encouraged to put forth the mental effort to appreciate the full significance of the priesthood according to the order of Melchizedek.
• I do not know what took the writer down this path, but he must have known something about the spiritual condition of the reader.
• The context is Jewish Christians who are experiencing persecution and the temptation either to go back to the sacrificial system or to blend the sacrificial rituals with their Christian faith
• The author relates this spiritual immaturity to bad doctrine and practice that can eventually lead to leaving the faith.
• When the Hebrew writer speaks of how difficult it would be to explain the subject matter he wanted to cover, the difficulty did not lie in the material; the challenge was with the condition of the audience.
• The readers were not only seen as lazy, but they had gone backward.
• If they were still the ready listeners they once were, the writer would not have to need to stop for this third warning passage, but it could have plunged into a discussion of Jesus, the high priest.
• The readers, such as these, whose growing longing was in returning to the levitical priesthood, would be hard to convince concerning the different priesthoods.
• In verse 12, the readers are told that by now, they ought to be teachers.
• These folks had been in the faith long enough that they ought to be able to be teaching others the deeper aspects of the faith; however, many were on the verge of abandoning the faith.
• Why? Why would folks be tempted to go back to their old way of life? How could people who had followed Jesus for so long even consider the prospect of walking away from Jesus?
• Here is why, lack of maturity, lack of growth.
• It might seem hard to relate to the first-century Jewish temptation to revert to Old Testament practice.
• However, how many people have been saved from a form of Christianity that was mainly based on ritual?
• We can succumb to a cultural form of Christianity that can hinder our maturity as Christians.
• We might have a theology and practice that is based on saying the sinner’s prayer as a child and never fully growing spiritually, reverting to old ways of living and thinking that go against the good news of Jesus.
• We need to grow up because if we do not; we will be susceptible to the schemes of the enemy.
• When one is in the faith for many years, one should be able to stand firm, they should have grown enough so that when the world or circumstances attack, one can stand firm.
• These folks were still digesting the elementary principles of the faith.
• They were like children. Children are naive and can and will fall for almost anything. It is not because they are stupid; they simply lack maturity.
• In verses 12 and 13, the Hebrew writer tells the readers that they need milk, not solid food.
• What happens when you give a baby a steak and lobster and tell them to have at it? They will starve because they cannot chew it.
• In verse 13, there is a change of expression concerning milk.
• The change of expression is the issue of LIVING on milk.
• This is important because only babies and adults who are sick live solely on milk (ENSURE).
• The fact is these folks who should be mature are not mature. This is an indication of their stunted spiritual growth.
• If you see a 35-year-old adult who only drinks milk, you would find that odd. If you find an older adult who can ONLY drink ENSURE, you know that is not a good sign.
• One characteristic of spiritual maturity is laid out in verse 14.
• But solid food is for the mature — for those whose senses have been trained to distinguish between good and evil.
• The characteristic is the ability to distinguish between good and evil.
• In this context, remaining true to Jesus would be good, and returning to the old Hebrew religion would be bad.
• By this time, if the readers really were mature and accustomed to the word of righteousness, they should have been able to judge what Behavior was proper and not make any foolish choices.
• How long have you been a Christian, a follower of Jesus? How deep is your knowledge of God and His word?
• If it is lacking, why? We need to realize that a lack of spiritual maturity can be our downfall.
• We must grow up.
• Let’s turn to chapter 6, verses 1 through 8 now.
SLIDE #4
Bible Verse
Hebrews 6:1-8 (CSB)
1Therefore, let us leave the elementary teaching about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works, faith in God,
2teaching about ritual washings, laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.
3And we will do this if God permits.
4For it is impossible to renew to repentance those who were once enlightened, who tasted the heavenly gift, who shared in the Holy Spirit,
5who tasted God’s good word and the powers of the coming age,
6and who have fallen away. This is because, to their own harm, they are recrucifying the Son of God and holding him up to contempt.
7For the ground that drinks the rain that often falls on it and that produces vegetation useful to those for whom it is cultivated receives a blessing from God.
8But if it produces thorns and thistles, it is worthless and about to be cursed, and at the end will be burned.
SLIDE #5
2. II. Grow deep
Explanation
• Verses 1-8 are pretty straightforward, yet very controversial.
• The controversy has nothing to do with what the text plainly teaches.
• But instead, it has to do with the fact that it does not line up with some of the popular theology that is taught in many circles today.
• It’s interesting to read with the commentators who do not like with this passage says have to say to try to discount it.
• When we look at the context of these verses, the thing that we have to understand is that the Hebrew writer is trying to encourage people to grow.
• In verse 1, he talks about leaving the elementary teachings about Christ because these things are the basics, and their level of maturity should have taken them to a deeper level as they pressed on to maturity.
• The readers are encouraged to press on because going back to the way they used to do things will not benefit them in the least.
• Then the writer continues to tell them that we don’t need to be laying a foundation of repentance from dead works and faith toward God again.
• In verse 2, he gives them some more things that they should have really grown past by now.
• The context of these issues is Old Testament Levitical teachings. Leviticus 1,:4, 3:2, 4:4, etc…
• The lay on of hands evidently refers to the laying on of the offer’s hands upon the sacrificial offerings of the Levitical system.
• The Hebrew writer is urging that this obsolete method of dealing with our sins be abandoned.
• Now we get to verse 4. In verses 4 through 8, we start to see the importance of why we need to press on to maturity.
• Verses 4 through 8 are basically a warning of the consequences of the continuing to defect from God spiritually.
• This section of text flies right into the face of the thought that we can never lose salvation.
• We do not have to wake up each day, wondering if we’re saved, but what we find is that we can walk away from our salvation.
• Commentators who don’t believe this thought will say that these passages are hypothetical and can never happen.
• But when you think about it, does that really make sense, why would God included His word things that hypothetically could never happen?
• That doesn’t pass the smell test.
• In verses 4 through 6, there are seven phrases used to describe the people about whom it is. It is impossible to renew them to repentance.
• Verse 4 starts the phrases with “they once been enlightened.”
• If we use the same word that used in Hebrews 10:32 to guide us this means people in view here or thought of his actually having been converted at some time in the past.
• Verse 4 talks about them having tasted of the Heavenly gift.
• Most likely, the word gift here refers to the forgiveness of sins and the life that we enjoy life in Christ.
• In Hebrews 2:9, the word “tasted” is used in this metaphorical sense as “experienced.”
• People in this section are thought of as having been forgiven of past sins; they are saved.
• Verse 4 also says they’ve been made for takers of the Holy Spirit.
• The Hebrew writer used the word “PARTAKERS” before in chapter 3:1 and 3:14.
• This term can’t be diluted to mean anything less than genuine participation or sharing of the Holy Spirit.
• When we were baptized into Christ, we receive the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.
• We also learn from the scriptures that you have to have the Holy Spirit within you to belong to God.
• So you can’t fake Having the Holy Spirit thus once again, this third phrase describes somebody who saved.
• The 4th phrase found in verse 5 talks about one who’s tasted the good word of God.
• This thought means that the gospel was found to be good and pleasant to the soul.
• They found that the gospel did good for them and it was the power of God to Salvation.
• Verse 6 gives another phrase, says, “and then have fallen away.”
• I think about this one for a moment.
• If they were never saved and never a Christian, what do they fall away?
• The answer there was nothing to fall away from. These folks are falling away from the faith.
• The verb that’s translated falling away is not used anywhere else in the New Testament though it does occur in the Septuagint in passages that deal with apostasy.
• In the context, falling away talks about a person who is going to leave Christianity in favor of returning to Judaism.
• The person who deliberately repudiates Jesus once becoming a Christian is doing something that renders renewal to repentance and impossibility.
• In verse 6 concludes with, “it’s impossible to renew them again to repentance.”
• This is the sixth phrase that speaks of one who walks away from God.
• Renew again is an active voice verb, which implies someone or something is trying to bring the person to repentance, but there’s nothing that will lead them to repentance.
• The word impossible is emphatic in the Greek.
• God or man can’t bring about life-changing repentance in the case of the one who deliberately repudiates Jesus after once been one of his followers.
• Verse 6 gives us the seventh reason why a person can’t be brought back when this line is crossed.
• It is because they again crucify to themselves the son of God. This is why Falling Away has such dire consequences.
• They’re kind of acting in such a way where they say, “you know I know Jesus died, but His sacrifice is a joke to me, and it was not good enough for me.
• When you turn your back on Jesus is is what you’re precisely is what you’re saying.
• Verse 6 concludes with the fact that when we do this, we hold Jesus in contempt.
• Some versions say we put him to open shame.
• This word contempt brings back a picture of the shame and the pain that Jesus felt when he was being crucified naked.
• I need to move on to the next point, but verses 7-8 punctuate the point made thus far.
• The ground that produces vegetation, spiritual growth is useful.
• The ground that does not is worthless, about to be cursed and in the end, will be burned.
• We need to grow deep so that we are growing spiritually and producing useful fruit.
• Let’s turn to verses 9-12 for a concluding thought.
SLIDE #6
Bible Verse
Hebrews 6:9-12 (CSB)
9Even though we are speaking this way, dearly loved friends, in your case we are confident of things that are better and that pertain to salvation.
10For God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you demonstrated for his name by serving the saints?—?and by continuing to serve them.
11Now we desire each of you to demonstrate the same diligence for the full assurance of your hope until the end,
12so that you won’t become lazy but will be imitators of those who inherit the promises through faith and perseverance.
SLIDE #7
3. III. Grow out!
Explanation
• I am good at this one!
• I will keep this one short, the Hebrew writer almost apologizes for the way he has addressed the readers.
• But he as done so to both warn and encourage them to keep the faith!
• The salvation they possess in Christ is worth holding on to.
• This point speaks of growing out, meaning that we need to share our faith not only verbally, but by finding ways to serve other folks.
• We do this both within these walls and in the world, we live outside of these walls!
• Verse 10 reminds us that God will not forget our work and the love that we demonstrate for His name by serving the SAINTS!
• Verse 11 reminds us to do this until the very end!
• Verse 12 says that if we focus on that endeavor, we will not become lazy.
• We are called to be imitators of those who are going to inherit the promises of God through faith and perseverance, in other words, not quitting on Jesus!
Application
• We must grow in our walk with Christ and lead others to grow as believers.
Conclusion
• Never give up, never give in, love and serve the Lord until your last breath!
• Love and serve one another.
• It is worth it in the end, and it is fun along the way!
