The Need to Grow

Introduction

Welcome. Vision series. Once a month.

Mission Statement: Taking the truth of God to one neighbor at a time.

Discipleship Pathway: Gather. Grow. Go.

Hebrews 5:11-6:2

Main Idea: We must move on to maturity

Truth #1: Maturity is expected (11-13)

Exp. Verse 11. He just finished talking about Melchizedek. Jesus is the greater one. Their spiritual maturity is what made them dull of hearing. Lazy. Author is purposeful in trying to goad them. Verses 11-12. You ought to be teachers by now. Teaching requires a different level. You need milk, not solid food. You should be eating solid food by now, but you can’t.

Ill. Clear progression. Christian was an infant. He drank milk, then pureed food, then small bites of chicken nuggets, then hot dogs and burgers. etc. He grew into eating solid food as his body adjusted.

Exp. The author is clearly living in expectation that these believers should be mature. In the same way that you expect a baby to grow and mature, we expect believers to grow and mature. If someone does not mature and develop, then questions are raised. Verse 13. Living on milk makes you unskilled for the word of righteousness. Means the ability to follow in righteousness.

Christ - Christ gave us righteousness and now we live from it.

App. There is an expectation of growth for each of you here at Mission Oak. We cannot allow just a few people to lead. Our Discipleship Groups are geared to raise up new leaders to be sent out. That means, that the expectation is not that you would come hear me and hear your leader, but you would be equipped for the work of ministry.

Other places where maturity is expected:

Marriage - must grow as a spouse.

Work - get better at your job.

Hobbies - the more you work at it, the more mature you are.

Today, Christian churches eat on capri suns and snickers bars. We need to a church who consumes meat and potatoes.

Truth #2: Maturity is evident (14)

Exp. Verse 14. Powers of discernment. Means that we don’t get disoriented when we read the Bible.

Ill. Many students are skeptical of Scripture and they will laser focus on one part. Can’t worship a God who would flood the earth. Or who would put a tree they couldn’t eat from. Who allows evil to exist.

Exp. It also means to not get disoriented when we watch the news. Not so much people walking away from Christianity as much as it is following the wrong things. CNN, Fox News. If we are eating solid food, we are not easily disoriented. How do we grow in this? Constant practice. The author is not as worried about more theological knowledge as he is believers living in the knowledge they already have.

Ill. I grew up playing baseball. I know the ends and outs. I can breakdown a game and tell you why the batters are hitting ground balls or pop ups.

App. Why would I learn more when I don’t live in what I already know? We live in the gospel. Why would we want to try and grasp the doctrines of election and free will when we do not live out and practice the foundations of the gospel? We would rather have a breadth of knowledge than a depth of knowledge.

Questions to consider:

Are you tripped up by biblical doctrines?

What foundational truths do you struggle to live out?

Are you disoriented by what happens in the world?

Truth #3: Maturity is intentional (1-2)

Exp. Verses 6:1-2. Leave elementary doctrine of Christ. Like being the better Melchizedek. Go on to maturity. Not laying another foundation about these other doctrines.

Repentance from dead works and faith toward God

Instruction about washings - baptism most likely.

Laying on of hands - clearly discussed in Acts and Pauline letters.

Resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment - the end.

Ill. We must not have to relearn foundational things. CentriKid. Teaching kids how to bathe and brush their teeth.

Arg. We should know these things like the back of our hand because we practice them constantly.

App. We must be intentional in saying no to things to say yes to the right things. For some of you, you need to take the next step. There are immature things we must do away with. What things do you need to do away with? Friend group? Video games? Hobbies?

Christ - Not just a do better. You cannot make yourself mature. Only God can. You will not be able to do these things perfectly. There is only one who could. There is only one who did. It’s because he did that we can.

Jesus matured like us so he could endure for us.

Conclusion

The goal is not for you to become smarter. The goal is in verse 11. “And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end.” The goal is perseverance. Those who mature will persevere. Those who do not mature, will not persevere.

Swimming pool: If you only ever stay in the shallow end, and you never explore the deep end of the pool, you’ll eventually get out of the pool because you’ll grow out of it. If you don’t explore the depths of Christianity found in Scripture, you’ll get out of the pool.