Warning #3 - Apostasy

Introduction:

Pledge

Passage: Hebrews 5:11-6:12

11 About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.

12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food,

13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child.

14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

6:1 Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,

2 and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.

3 And this we will do if God permits.

4 For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit,

5 and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come,

6 and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.

7 For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God.

8 But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned.

9 Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things—things that belong to salvation.

10 For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do.

11 And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end,

12 so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Pray

Segway:

Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations 2039 What We Have in Christ

What We Have In Christ

A love that can never be fathomed;

A life that can never die;

A righteousness that can never be tarnished;

A peace that can never be understood;

A rest that can never be disturbed;

A joy that can never be diminished;

A hope that can never be disappointed;

A glory that can never be clouded;

A light that can never be darkened;

A happiness that can never be interrupted;

A strength that can never be enfeebled;

A purity that can never be defiled;

A beauty that can never be marred;

A wisdom that can never be baffled;

Resources that can never be exhausted.

Body:

After today we will be half way through this series “5 Warning Signs” found in the book of Hebrews.

2 weeks ago we discussed Warning #1 - Drifting

Last week we discussed Warning #2 - Unbelief

This week we are diving into Warning #3

We find this warning in this pericope we just read. (5:11-6:12)

This pericope is broken down into 5 sections:

Pre-warning - (5:11-14)

It’s the authors statement concerning the believers lack of spiritual growth

Vs 11 starts with the phrase “About this ...” (About What?) We have to find out what “THIS” is!

“This” is referring back to 4:14-5:10 (The Endorsement of Christ)

He is our High Priest called by God

He is a God who found empathy with Man (Bled, Suffered, and Died)

Sinless One

The great example of Obedience

The Author goes on to say “We have much to say”

This is typical of the Ancient writers using this statement which means to “draw attention to what they are about to say.”

Unlike Forrest Gump who would say, “That’s all I have to say about that!”

But ..... “Hard to explain since you have become dull of hearing”

This is better translated “since you are slow to learn”

Not talking about their inability to learn but their lack of desire to put it into action.

“by this time you ought to be teachers,”

But you have still not grasp ahold of the basics of God. (6:1b-2)

The author believes they should be farther along than where they are right now.

Now we move into the second section:

Challenge (6:1-3)

Move from milk to solids (Metaphor)

“Leave the elementary doctrine of Christ” (Should be second nature to you)

He defines what that doctrine is .... (6:1b-2)

Repentance

Baptism

Laying on of hands (Prayer)

Resurrection of the dead (Christ return)

Eternal Judgement (Eternity in heaven/hell)

“go on to maturity”

This is found in 5:14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

The phrase “powers of discernment” - capacity to make moral decisions

Now we move to the 3rd section:

Warning (6:4-6)

The general idea of this section is referencing the tasting and knowing of God’s goodness

“of those” ...... The author brings about 5 things a believer (follower) would have experienced:

“once been enlighten” - Grasp ahold of the knowledge of truth/as light shined into darkness

“who has tasted the heavenly gift” - Gift of salvation (Free from the bondage of sin)

“have shared in the Holy Spirit” - Have received guidance of the Holy Spirit

“have tasted the goodness of God’s word” - believing His word is truth

“the power of the age to come” - Have come to understand the present experience of Divine power is but a foretaste of the world to come

and “who have fallen away”

We are going to focus in on this phrase in few minutes but ....

The author says, “for those who have experienced all of these things and have fallen away ....”

“It is impossible ..... to restore them then again to repentance” (We will talk more about this, as well, in a few minutes.

You know what that word “Impossible” means in the Greek - Impossible

This is the only place this Greek work is used in the NT.

Moving into the 4th section of this pericope .....

Metaphor (6:7-8)

The author solidifies what he is saying with a metaphor .....

The author solidifies what he is saying with a metaphor .....

This illustrates the positive and the negative of the warning .....

Choose the curse after you have seen Gods blessings (8)

This leads us to the final section .....

Hope (6:9-12)

We find the author encouraging the church (the readers of that day)

We will address this encouragement at the end

Warning #3 in this pericope is found in 6:4-6

“It is impossible to be restored “again” too repentance (Forgiven again) after you have already been forgiven in the past.

What’s the qualifier of that?

Let me explain what the author is talking about ....

To explain I need to tell you what this idea of “being impossible to forgive” is not referencing.

The author is not talking about (What we would call) backsliding.

Turning away from someone or something.

Slowly, over a period of time, walking away from someone or something (Marriage, church attendance, etc)

Turning back to someone or something.

Slowly, over a period of time, going back to a bad relationship, a bad habit

To become less passionate about something or someone.

Slowly, over a period of time, becoming less passionate about God

To be less upright in your morals.

Things you once would never dream of doing, your dreaming of doing or you are participating in them now

All of these examples for backsliding can and will be forgiven if you ask!

This is backsliding! (The Author is NOT talking about this!)

The good news about this, if you have been backsliding in your marriage, relationships, allowing bad habits to come back into your life, have become less passionate about God, or have seen your morals decline ...... IT IS NOT IMPOSSIBLE to ask for forgiveness and receive it.

So, if its not Backsliding that the author is talking about then what is it?

What the Author is warning us about is “APOSTASY!”

Denial of faith by those who once believed.

PAUSE

Let me tell you how serious this is ....... “Its impossible to be forgiven!”

Apostasy is Eternal damnation!

Climax:

This is how we know its Apostasy the author is talking about and not Backsliding

Go back to 6:6 “Fallen Away”

The Greek word for this phrase is - Parapipto

The only place it is used in the NT

This word is 2 fold (Can be viewed in a General and Specific sense)

First: in a general sense, this would be the Backsliding view.

He who in anyway or anything, offended or has fallen away from their position as a Christian

The author is not talking about theft, perjury, murder, drunkenness, or adultery.

Second: in a more specific view, this would be Apostasy view.

The author is not talking about theft, perjury, murder, drunkenness, or adultery.

When someone offends God not in some “one thing”, but ENTIRELY renounces Gods Grace!

What are they renouncing? The very things they had once experienced.

What is that?

Let me remind you because we read it at the beginning of this message ......

Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations 2039 What We Have in Christ

A love that can never be fathomed;

A life that can never die;

A righteousness that can never be tarnished;

A peace that can never be understood;

A rest that can never be disturbed;

A joy that can never be diminished;

A hope that can never be disappointed;

A glory that can never be clouded;

A light that can never be darkened;

A happiness that can never be interrupted;

A strength that can never be enfeebled;

A purity that can never be defiled;

A beauty that can never be marred;

A wisdom that can never be baffled;

Resources that can never be exhausted.

Conclusion:

For some of us here this morning we might be thinking, “How could someone who has tasted the goodness of God renounce it?”

I am in that camp.

I just cannot comprehend it.

But it must have taken place for the Author to warn them about it.

And If it took place back then, rest assured, it is happening today as well.

As I was working on this sermon I was led to the question, “How do we assure ourselves of not Apostatizing against God?

What sure fire way can we assure ourselves this won’t happen to us?

The answer is found in this pericope as well.

Move from the Milk to the Solid food (5:14)

What does that look like?

Get skilled in the word of God

Daily Reading

Weekly Bible Studies

Start eating Solid food

Put into practice what the Word is teaching you.

(ESV) - But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

(NIV) - 22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

The Holy Bible: New International Version. (1984). (). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear!

(The Message) - Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear!

Serve

Close to 75% of Christians have not shared the gospel or served outside the church walls.

We are seeing a decline in the retention rate of New believers.

Meaning people who start on the milk and never get off it, moving to the solid food. They walk away from the faith all together.

My encouragement - STARTS SERVING NOW or CONTINUE DOING IT (There is no retiring in the work of the Lord)

Do it out of love for Christ

(6:12) tells us to be imitators of Christ

No Altar call today!

There is a challenge to be given .....

The Warning is “Apostasy”

The antidote is 2 things

Get off the Milk and move into solid food

Get out and serve

Do it out of love by being imitators of the one who dwells within you.