The Disease of Dullness

Introduction: For years, Emma and Daniel had hoped and prayed for this moment, but it never seemed to come. Every month brought new heartache, a reminder that their dream of becoming parents was still just out of reach. They had faced disappointments, uncertainty, and endless tests. Doctors had told them it might not happen for them. The dream felt increasingly distant with each passing year.

But then, one morning, something was different.

Emma had woken up feeling a quiet sense of hope, a flicker of possibility deep inside her that she couldn’t quite explain. Hesitant but hopeful, she decided to take a pregnancy test. After years of disappointment, she tried to temper her expectations, but as the minutes passed, the faintest second line began to appear. It wasn’t strong, but it was unmistakable.

“Come here... look at this,” she called out, her voice shaking with disbelief and excitement.

Daniel rushed into the room, his eyes widening as he saw the test in her hands. His heart skipped a beat, and slowly, a smile spread across his face. He pulled her into an embrace, and in that moment, they both knew: their dream had come true.

They were going to be parents. It was real. Their miracle had arrived.

After years of waiting, hoping, and wondering if this day would ever come, they were finally pregnant. The joy they felt was overwhelming, a culmination of all the years they had spent praying and dreaming for this moment. The test had turned in their favor.

The next nine months were filled with joy, anticipation, and careful preparation. They decorated the nursery, bought tiny clothes, and imagined the life they would share with their baby.

Then, the big day arrived: their healthy baby boy was born. He was perfect—full of life, with a loud cry and bright eyes that melted their hearts. It was everything they had dreamed of and more. Their miracle was finally in their arms.

In the first few months, it seemed like everything was falling into place. He was eating well, sleeping soundly, and meeting milestones—his first smile, his first tiny coos. He was growing in every way that mattered. But then, something started to feel off.

While other babies his age were rolling over, sitting up, and outgrowing clothes, their son seemed to be stuck. He was still smiling, still cooing, still eating—but he wasn’t growing. He wasn’t hitting the physical milestones they expected. Day after day, week after week, he remained the same size.

Concerned, they spoke with their pediatrician. They were reassured at first, but as the months went by and their son’s growth didn’t pick up, they were sent for a series of tests.

Then came the phone call—the diagnosis that would change everything.

Their son had a rare condition that wasn’t obvious at first glance. He seemed fine. He wasn’t sick. He wasn’t failing in other areas. But deep inside, his body wasn’t producing the necessary hormones for growth. While he seemed outwardly healthy, his internal growth had stalled. Without treatment—daily hormone injections and long-term care—he wouldn’t grow. He wouldn’t mature, and with each passing year he would fall further and further behind physically.

Without intervention, he would never fully develop into the man he was meant to be.

Likewise, in your years of being a Christian, how many believers have you known who, at first glance, seemed fine on the outside? They attended church, used the right language, and went through all the right motions. But deep inside, something was terribly wrong. They were stuck—still consuming the “milk” of God’s Word when it was long past time for them to move on to “solid food.”

The author of Hebrews speaks to this very issue in Hebrews 5. After revealing the greatness, perfection, and eternal nature of Jesus' High Priesthood, it's as if he sighs in disappointment and points out that something has gone terribly wrong. The diagnosis? His readers were spiritually dull. They were suffering from a disease that left them spiritually stagnant and unable to progress. Without intervention, they would never grow into the mature and thriving Christians they were meant to be.

Transition: So, as we study Hebrews 5:12-14 this morning, we’ll see that, just like Emma and Daniel’s son, it’s possible for us as Christians to appear fine on the outside but still stop growing spiritually. As we do so, we’ll also identify two key symptoms of spiritual dullness and explore the cure for this condition.

Read Hebrews 5:11-14

Dullness Causes Stagnation (Hebrews 5:12a)

“you ought to be teachers”

ought = obligated

Luke 11:4 - And forgive us our sins, For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one.

Hebrews 5:3 - Because of this he is required as for the people, so also for himself, to offer sacrifices for sins.

2 Thessalonians 2:13 - But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.

To whom were they obligated?

To others in the church

Romans 15:1–2 - We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification.

To their God-given role

Ephesians 4:11–12 - And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.

“you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God”

Illustration: My pre-algebra class was struggling to understand equations because they didn't even know the basics of math.

Transition: So, the first symptom of spiritual dullness is stagnation, while the second is dependence.

Dullness Causes Dependence (Hebrews 5:12b-13)

Read Hebrews 5:12b-13

“you have come to need milk and not solid food”

the purposeful use of the verb signifies that they were not always this way

“For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness”

those who are satisfied with only hearing the message of God are unfamiliar with the requirements of God

Transition: Thankfully, there is a cure for this serious condition.

The Cure for Dullness (Hebrews 5:14)

Read Hebrews 5:14

“solid food belongs to those who are of full age”

“those who by reason [means] of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil”

good = morally helpful

evil = morally harmful

Example: My nutrition clients don’t know what will work for them unless they start doing something in the first place.

What’s the solid food that mature believers should be putting into practice?

Jesus is better than the angels (Hebrews 1-2)

The solid food: Don’t just understand who Jesus is, be in awe and wonder of Him.

Jesus is the promised rest (Hebrews 4)

The solid food: Don’t rely on works of legalism or striving to achieve a righteousness of your own, but rest in the finished work of Christ.

Jesus is the merciful Perfect High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-5:11)

Solid food: Run to him confidently in times of need instead of retreating in apathy and inaction.

Conclusion: Are you stagnating in your spiritual growth? Are you stuck rehashing the intellectual knowledge of Scripture without putting it into practice? If so, it’s time to put that knowledge into action, because that’s the only way discernment in Christian living is developed.