Part 5: It's Time to Grow Up!

Introduction

Peter Pan Syndrome

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhVIOifi83w

Lay the context of Hebrews passage

1. Characteristics of Infantilism (5:11-13)

Does Not Listen (v.11)

Hebrews 5:11 NASB95

Concerning him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.

What is one primary thing that parents have to do with their children? Repeat instructions to them over and over again. Why? Because they do not listen.

The Hebrews author is telling us that he has much to say about Jesus. And some of these things are difficult. The problem: his hearers and readers have become “dull of hearing.” They do not listen.

The is an a key characteristic of immaturity: not listening.

“dull of hearing” (νωθροὶ γεγόνατε ταῖς ἀκοαῖς) = lit. “you have become lazy hearers”

lazy = sluggish = lethargic = slothful = “asleep?” =>

NLT: “There is much more we would like to say about this, but it is difficult to explain, especially since you are spiritually dull and don’t seem to listen.”

AMP: “Concerning this we have much to say which is hard to explain, since you have become dull in your [spiritual] hearing and sluggish [even slothful in achieving spiritual insight].”

HCSB: “We have a great deal to say about this, and it’s difficult to explain, since you have become too lazy to understand.”

NIV: “We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand.”

The idea of hearing is not just about having information going into one’s ears or merely hearing what is said. It is about learning it, which means we do it.

It connotes intelligent hearing (i.e., learning).

Luke 11:27–28 “While Jesus was saying these things, one of the women in the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, 'Blessed is the womb that bore You and the breasts at which You nursed.’ But He said, ‘On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.’”

Matthew 7:24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.”

Matthew 13:23 “And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.”

John 10:27 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”

“You have become” = “The perfect tense ‘you have become’ indicates the readers were previously in better spiritual condition, but now are in a state of dullness.” [David Allen, Hebrews]

There was a time when they were awake; they were growing spiritually. But now they have fallen asleep.

Illustration

Whoever will listen will hear the speaking Heaven. This is definitely not the hour when men take kindly to an exhortation to listen, for listening is not today a part of popular religion. We are at the opposite end of the pole from there. Religion has accepted the monstrous heresy that noise, size, activity and bluster make a man dear to God.6

A. W. Tozer

Application

I know it may be shocking, but do you know it’s entirely possible to hear a sermon every week but never actually listen to it? To hear the Bible taught, but never listen to it?

One primary obstacle to listening: distractions. Lights, cameras, actions, stage, flowers, windows, sunshine, thunderstorm, thoughts, sleepiness, etc.

Another obstacle to listening: I’m already saved.

Why is it exactly that we start out listening to God’s Word and doing it, but then over time we become lethargic? => We are saved by grace not works. True. But sanctification works somewhat differently. As Dallas Willard says: “there is a difference between earning and effort.”

Christian maturity begins with listening and then doing.

Another characteristic of being immature as a disciple:

Does Not Know the Basics (v.12)

Hebrews 5:12 NASB95

For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food.

The author is telling his hearers that they have been Christians long enough that they should be able to teach others about the faith. But they evidently do not even know the basics so that they can make disciples.

Within Scripture there is an office of teaching, one who is gifted with teaching. But this is not what is meant here. The idea is what every disciple of Jesus ought to be able to do: make other disciples.

Every single Christian is called to make another disciple, and then another one, and another one. This is not the duty of the pastor/preacher/elder. It is everyone’s duty.

The author, therefore, chastises them for this inability. In fact, he says, they have “need again from someone to teach [them] the “elementary principles of the oracles of God” =

“again”

“the elementary principles of the oracles of God” (τὰ στοιχεῖα τῆς ἀρχῆς τῶν λογίων τοῦ θεοῦ)

“elementary principles” = lit. “the beginning elementary principles” - can be used of the letters of the alphabet

AMP: “For even though by this time you ought to be teaching others, you actually need someone to teach you over again the very first principles of God’s Word. You have come to need milk, not solid food.”

Yikes! This is a harsh indictment. These folks, evidently, had been Christians for a long period of time but were unable to teach just the basic things of God’s Word. They needed what an infant needed: milk.

Illustration

Hoosiers (look up)

The team had be stripped down, so to speak, because they had learned bad habits over time. They should have been a winning team that could show others what it meant to be a champion. They thought they knew it all, but they did not. What they needed were the basics. They had to go all the way back to the beginning: dribbling, running, shooting.

Application

Some, perhaps many of us, ought to be teachers by now. We ought to be able to make other disciples and teach others. We have been Christians for years, but we have yet to make one disciple. Something happened along the way.

And now, in some (many?) cases, we need the basic truths taught to us again. Like:

We are to be making disciples

What the Bible is

Who God is and his works

Who Jesus is and his works

Who the Holy Spirit is and his works

The Trinity

What we are as humans and the problem with humanity, sin

Salvation by grace through faith

Lord’s Supper

Baptism

The coming resurrection and return of Jesus

Heaven and hell

Can we tell others why they ought to believe in Jesus?

How to pray

The purpose and meaning of life

If we are not familiar with these elementary truths of the faith, then we are in need of growing up.

Another characteristic of being immature as a disciple:

Not Familiar with the Bible, Good and Evil (v.13)

Hebrews 5:13 NASB95

For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant.

“not accustomed to the word of righteousness” = lit. not familiar with, does not have experience with the word/message of righteousness

AMP: “For everyone who continues to feed on milk is obviously inexperienced and unskilled in the doctrine of righteousness (of conformity to the divine will in purpose, thought, and action), for he is a mere infant [not able to talk yet]!”

“Word of righteousness” prob. about God’s word and knowing the difference between good and evil.

A characteristic, then, of being an immature Christian is one who does not know Scripture or the the difference between good and evil. Just like an infant, the Christian is still feeding on milk and is unaware/unfamiliar with meat and potatoes.

Actually, it could be said that the picture we get here is of a mature adult still needing to be weaned. That’s a bad mental picture.

But that’s clearly the indictment here: the Christians ought to be teachers by now and gone on to deeper teaching and understanding, but they are still an infant needing milk—a silly and shocking thing.

Illustration (warning: cringy)

In 2011, an article came out in Kveller, an online magazine, shockingly entitled, “Why I Breastfeed My Sixteen-year-old.”

“So will I stop breastfeeding my son any time soon? When he goes to college? When he moves out of our house? We’ll see. Only time can tell.” [https://www.kveller.com/why-i-breastfeed-my-sixteen-year-old/]

Application

Do we Christians approach our faith and relationship with Jesus in a similar way? Are we the same Christian infant we were when we first confessed Christ.? Have we ever been weened?

We have no need to grow. I may get to be 80 years old and still not read the Bible much, pray much, think much about God, fast, serve in my local church, just watch everyone else do their thing. We’ll just come and punch our time card on Sunday and then go home.

But as we have seen throughout our series, Christ has called us to grow up—to become mature in Him—to grow in sanctification.

Ephesians 4:11–15 “And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ.”

But what does Christian maturity look like? What are some of its characteristics?

2. Characteristics of Maturity (5:14-6:3)

Hebrews 5:14 NASB95

But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.

The Hebrews writer characterizes the mature Christian as eating solid food. The stands in contrast with the infant who can eat only milk.

The mature Christian is into meat and potatoes. Here in this text, the meat and potatoes are described, first of all, as knowing good from evil.

Knows Good from Evil (5:14)

Hebrews 5:14 NASB95

But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.

The interesting part of this verse is what it says about HOW the mature are able to discern between good and evil: “because of practice.”

“practice” (γυμνάζω) = where we get our word “gymnasium”; to train, exercise

This clearly implies we have to do something. We have to be disciplined, study, and put into action what we learn. I.e., we are to be disciples/students!

This passage teaches that spiritual maturity is more than what someone knows. It is what they put into practice. Mature Christians are able to discern between good and evil because they have practiced consistent godliness.

John F. MacArthur

Illustration

How I learned to paint. Before and after slides.

Application

So how do we as Christians become more mature and then know how to discern between good and evil? Through training—i.e., learning, studying, practicing.

Pew Research:

63% of Americans believe abortion should be legal in all/most cases; 25% of Bible-believing Christians

72% of Americans believe that homosexuality should be accepted in society; 36% of Bible-believing Christians (all denominations have increased)—illustration is popular multisite megachurch in Atlanta that now holds conferences that affirm and promote gay and transgender behaviors.

47% of Bible-believing Christians believe that sex between unmarried adults in a committed relationship is always or sometimes acceptable;

36% of Bible-believing Christians say it’s acceptable to have casual sex between consenting adults who are NOT in a committed relationship.

From studies and even from personal conversations with others, we can confidently say that many Christians are not mature enough to discern between good and evil.

Perhaps we need to remind ourselves of what acts, thoughts, and attitudes are sinful? I personally have not heard a sermon or Bible lesson that taught what specific sins are. And I think this is one reason why the American church acts just like the culture and looks no different.

1 Corinthians 6:9–10 “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.”

As disciples of Jesus, as the Lord’s students, we are to train ourselves by practice/training to discern between good and evil. And in so doing, purify ourselves:

1 John 3:2–3 “Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”

Another characteristic of Christian maturity is knowing the basics and moving forward to deeper study and understanding

Studies More Deeply (6:1-3)

Hebrews 6:1–3 NASB95

Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. And this we will do, if God permits.

“press on” = move on, press forward (implication that it takes some effort)

“maturity” - end/goal/perfection/completeness

To do this we are to leave behind “elementary teachings.”

Some of these elementary teachings are:

“repentance from dead works”; “faith toward God” => doc of salvation (past)

“instruction about washings [baptisms]”; “laying on of hands”; => doc of Christian practices (present)

“resurrection of the dead”; “eternal judgment [heaven & hell]” => the life to come (future)

What is interesting is that all these are referred to as “foundations” “elementary teachings.” These are things that every Christian should know at a very early stage of confessing Christ.

Illustration

The church I grew up in and some Christian circles today still today, referred to these basic doctrines/teaching of Christianity as the “deeper things” of Christianity. But according to Hebrews, these are elementary teachings. They are the milk.

Application

But how many of us understand and can explain these basic teachings?

If we find understanding these elementary truths as difficult, this should be a telltale sign of where our spiritual growth and maturity are.

Conclusion:

So, are you ready? Are you ready to grow up with me? We never reach full spiritual adulthood until we become gloried by our Lord when he returns. But he desires us to already be on that road. And I want to do this together with you. We are to be lifelong students of our Lord Jesus.

The goal of the ministry is the maturity of the saints.

John F. MacArthur

This is my goal for you and for me. This is the goal of all our leadership.

Is your goal of being a Christian that same as mine and the leadership’s goal?

The church [is] the gathering of God’s children, where they can be helped and fed like babies and then, guided by her motherly care, grow up to manhood in maturity of faith.

John Calvin (French Reformer)

Decision: Will be refuse to grow up like Peter Pan, or will we take the words of our Lord and Savior seriously?