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November 9, 2008
Move on to Maturity
#18 Hebrews 5:11-6:3
Now begins the third warning and it goes from 5:11-6:8. This warning shows that there is a certain group who will not find repentance, who will never follow Christ.
I will lay out the whole section but then we will deal with the first part in today’s talk
“Move on to Maturity.”
Get this, this is the basic argument of the whole section.
1. The whole group needs to mature 5:11-6:3
2. God will permit them to grow but some will not be permitted.
3. This small group are those who have decided to turn away(4-8)
4. But most of this group are not in this category.
We will deal with the primary thought today and hopefully the warning next time.
We all desire to be or at least to be thought of as Mature.
As parents w desire our children to mature (won’t you grow UP for heaven’s sake) If there are problems with growth we worry. If our child isn’t as tall or athletic or smart we fret.
So too is God. He desires his children to come to maturity: look at 11-14 with me as we see the desire for Maturity then in v 15-6:3 we will see the design for maturity.
The desire for maturity grows out of the thoughts in verse 10 “Melchisedek” refers to the priesthood of Jesus and the natural thought he would go on to explain that priesthood.
BUT n verse 11 he goes off on a side road. Why?
Because the person of Melchisedek and his office are subjects of real importance but his readers may not be able to get it because of sluggish growth.
V12 God expects maturity after a certain time. The ball is in your court to mature. It doesn’t say “we will grow when God shows us this or that,” (habits fall away as we don’t need them because we are complete in Christ)
First principles refers to the ABC’s of faith.
Oracles here is the Old Testament (Rom 3:2, Acts 7:38)So read the Old testament as a basis for a new faith.
Mile here is those first principles
Meat Solid food, teaching and moral truth. (Bottle vs. Fork)
Look at First Peter 2:1-5 So get rid of all evil and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2 And yearn like newborn infants for pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up to salvation, if you have experienced the Lord's kindness. 4 So as you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but chosen and priceless in God's sight, 5 you yourselves, as living stones, are built up as a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood and to offer spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
Since you are saved and have put off those verse 1 things that hinder growth, make room for, crave, desire strongly that which promotes growth.
CRAVE, yearn for pure milk as newborns do. A Baby cries, we should crave after the word of God, hunger for it to know and have a taste for it. Pure mile means Get rid of the poison of the past and eat pure milk.
1. CULTIVATE a desire for God’s word, for God’s truth.
2. Don’t mix it with error, Pasteurize it, boil out all the verse 1 stuff
The Bible is our authority. Now back to Hebrews 5:12.
He is fussing at them because they don’t know basics, aren’t familiar with the ground work of God’s word. Do you know the basics?
If you are in business you learn all you can about it so as to do your best.
But as a Christian we fizzle out. Many sit in Church without a clue as to what is going on. When we get to the Old Testament we have to explain. But you Must study that too. (2 Tim 2:15)
Look at v.13 (For everyone who lives on milk is inexperienced in the message of righteousness, because he is an infant. ) Are you a baby Christian? Are you a ten year old Baby? Think about it. God expects growth in his children.
Amy Grant Song “Fat Baby”
(know a man, maybe you know him, too.
You never can tell; he might even be you.
He knelt at the altar, and that was the end.
Hes saved, and thats all that matters to him.
His spiritual tummy, it cant take too much.
One day a week, he gets a spiritual lunch.
On sunday, he puts on his spiritual best,
And gives his language a spiritual rest.
Hes just a faaa...
Hes just a fat little baby!
Wa, wa, waaaaa....
He wants his bottle, and he dont mean maybe.
He sampled solid foods once or twice,
But he says doctrine leaves him cold as ice.
Ba, ba, ba, ba...ba, ba...ba, ba!
Hes been baptized, sanctified, redeemed by the blood,
But his daily devotions are stuck in the mud.
He knows the books of the Bible and john 3:16.
Hes got the biggest king james youve ever seen!
Ive always wondered if hell grow up someday.
Hes mommas boy, and he likes it that way.
If you happen to see him, tell him I said,
Hell never grow, if he never gets fed. )*
It is sad if a chlid can’t grow because of a disorder, but what if a child just would not eat and didn’t grow? More sad isn’t it?
Verse 14( But solid food is for the mature, whose perceptions are trained by practice to discern both good and evil.)
Don’t just settle in. Don’t be content with where you are in growth. DO you ant me to just stop reading, stop learning, stop growing? Something would be wrong with that huh? Same with you. These Hebrew Christians didn’t grow, why? Because they didn’t exercise and feed.
They had spiritual atrophy. Of course they didn’t understand Melchizedek and the correlation between Him and Jesus Christ, they were still infants.
God wants us to put to use what we know and grow in GRACE AND KNOWLEDGE, that involves habitual Bible study. Eph. 4: 22-32 put on put off.
Not he says here “having your senses or perceptions exercised.
Discernment is a matter of continually weighing things according to scripture, seeing if your response is right or wrong. There must be a desire for maturity, you need to want to grow and that involves feeding.
2 Tim 3:16-17 All Scripture…leads to being mature or completely equipped.
So what do we do? We desire maturity, then what? Well in 6:1-3 we apply God’s word as we see #2 THE DESIGN FOR MATURITY.
1: ( Therefore we must progress beyond the elementary instructions about Christ and move on to maturity, not laying this foundation again: repentance from dead works and faith in God,) Therefore begins an application. Because you need to grow then do this: Press on to perfection, perfection equals Maturity, completeness here. Go past the ABC’s , don’t stay with the beginning of Christ’s word but grow.
You already have repented of sin, don’t haggle over that.
You should already know that faith is the real deal whether in law or in grace, so move on, grow up people. Grow past the ceremonial washings and forget the Old Testament priest putting his hands on a bulls head for taking your sins. Grow up.
Learn about the resurrection…
Even the Old Testament Daniel 12:1-2, Dan 12:1 "At that time Michael,
the great prince who watches over your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress unlike any other from the nation's beginning up to that time.
But at that time your own people, all those whose names are found written in the book, will escape. 2 Many of those who sleep in the dusty ground will awake —
some to everlasting life, and others to shame and everlasting abhorrence.
Ezekiel 37 Dry bones Spoke of the resurrection from the dead .
He says “Don’t fight it grow up.”
God would say the same to you and I, grow up. Grow up!
Where do you feed? Do you get your Christian info? TV?
Ladies Home Journal? Popular Mechanics? Or even some new Christian book. Where do you feed?
God has only one feed bag. 1 Peter 2: Milk of His word. Are you feeding there?
Keith Green “You Love The World and avoiding Me”
Are we dedicated to God?
Which comes first?
God or the playoffs?
God or time off
God or fishing?
God or well pastor I am just too tired.
God or well the kids…
God or “well Christians don’t get along”
God or worshipping at the altar of past hurt.
GROW UP !! GROW UP !!!
Verse 13 says “we will grow up if God permit.”
If indeed God lets us.
Next time we will see that there are some who will to be permitted to mature because they have never been born.
BUT you: are you seeking spiritual maturity ?
Have you examined your attitudes in light of scripture right or wrong?
Your thought life?
Your actions?
Your entertainment?
Your motives?
Your tongue?
Make it a priority to have your life in line with his word,
* “Fat Baby” Artist: Amy Grant, Album: Age to Age, Year: 1982 RCA Records
