Untitled Sermon (2)

Preaching Outline Hebrews 6:1-8

Proposition: We need to aim for maturity in our walk of faith.

Key Word: actions

Key question: How?

Introduction: I have only been able to kill one deer in my life without a vehicle. Give details on the hunt and now I had to aim carefully to hit the deer. Just like I had to aim to kill that deer, so in our walk of faith, we have to get our aim right. In this passage this morning, state proposition.

I. You push forward to maturity. 1-2

A. It requires moving on from basic truth.

1. The word “leaving” means “to move away, w. implication of causing a separation, leave, depart from”. The tense of the grammar points back to 5:12 as to what is being left behind.

2. The word “elementary” refers to a basis for further study and understanding. It is not “abandoning the basic teachings of Christianity, but rather the necessity of recognizing the foundational character of these teachings and thus the impropriety of going over the same ground.” Illustration: foundational truths learned in elementary school impacted high school learning and beyond.

3. The believer’s aim in understanding truth must be always looking to know more and not be satisfied with what knowledge he or she has.

B. It requires pressing on to deeper truth.

1. The word “go on” means to cause to follow a certain course in direction or conduct, move out of position, drive. The subjunctive mood indicates a wish or a desire. Some commentators put an imperatival force behind the subjunctive.

2. The word “perfection” means to be mature or complete. This word is used only one other time in Colossians 3:14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

3. The phrase “to perfection” indicates the purpose of going on. Pressing on in the Christian life always has a goal. 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14

C. Deeper truth does not rehash what is already been accomplished. E.g. High school English does not go over the alphabet in its courses.

1. The phrase “not laying again” means to lay something down with implication of permanence. The middle voice shows the action being on the subject. The permanent foundation of repentance has already been laid.

2. The word “foundation” means the basis for something taking place or coming into being.

3. Repentance from dead works and faith towards God refers to the salvation experience.

D. Going deeper into truth enables in depth understanding of its practices and teachings.

1. The author lists several topics not as an exhaustive list but as an example of truths to be understood and applied.

2. All the truths listed are worthy of being studied in depth and understood better. In fact, it is necessary to study them for this is how faith is strengthened.

POA: Are you going deeper into understanding the truth or are you satisfied to remain where you are?

II. You depend on God for maturity. 3

A. Maturity is a commitment to make.

1. The word “this” points back to the idea of maturity. It identifies what the goal is.

2. The future tense of the word “do” shows a commitment to the action and the grammar incorporates all believers to the process.

B. Maturity is not possible without God. E.g. Teachers and principal decide if a student gets to go to the next grade.

1. The word “permits” means to allow someone to do something. The subjunctive mood expresses a wish or desire to be fulfilled.

2. This phrase shows that without God’s permission, maturity is not possible. Example: I Corinthians 16:7

3. It is of God’s grace that we are saved, and it is by God’s gracious permission that we grow in our faith. It is all dependent on Him and not us.

POA: Are you depending on God for your spiritual growth?

III. You heed the warning that comes with maturity. 4-8

A. This warning is for believers. Recommend commentary by David Allen New American Commentary

1. This conclusion is based upon the context.

2. The word “enlightened” means to make known in reference to the inner life or transcendent matters and thus enlighten. It describes the word “those”. The word enlightened here refers to the salvation process whereby an unbeliever becomes enlightened because of the work of God through His Spirit so that he or she sees their condition before God and repents.

3. The word “tasted” means to taste or partake of. The word has been used already in 2:9 when it refers to Jesus tasting death for everyone. The word “heavenly gift” refers to salvation. John 4:20, Ephesians 2:8

4. The word “partakers” means participating or sharing in. Couple with the words Holy Spirit, this refers to the presence of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer through the indwelling of the Spirit.

5. The word “to come” refers to that which is still future. The good word of God refers to the content of God’s revelation made known through the prophets, the Scriptures, and creation. The powers to come points to the future eschatological plan of God.

B. The warning has identifying marks with it.

1. They apostatize or fall away. The word “fall away” means to fail to follow through on a commitment, fall away, commit apostasy. The idea is falling away from the faith. The NKJV has the word “if” in front of the participle which is not a good translation of that participle. The word itself is an adjective describing the word “those” in verse 4.

2. In their apostasy, they treat the sacrifice of Christ as meaningless and dishonor him. The word “crucify again” points to going through the crucifixion process one more time. The word “open shame” means to disgrace someone publicly, expose, make an example of. Falling away from the faith results in a believer acting like an unbeliever which brings shame to the name of Christ. E.g. David in his sin with Bathsheba II Samuel 12:14

C. The warning comes with consequences.

1. The word “impossible” means incapable of happening or being done, impossible.

2. The word “renew” means to restore.

3. The word “repentance” means to turn around.

4. The issue here is found in the word “repentance”. This is not about falling away from salvation else the word “salvation” would be used. This is about repentance which is turning from sin in one’s life and coming back to God. When one falls away from the faith, it is impossible to grant them repentance from that form of apostasy because God does not permit it. Hebrews 12:17 The example of Esau

D. The warning comes with an illustration.

1. The earth brings rain all the time. For those who have tilled the earth and prepared it for growth, they are going to have success in producing a crop.

2. They are blessed by God because they have put in the work. The word “receives” means to share or partake in something.

3. Those who have not prepared the earth for the rain get thorns and thistles which leaves the earth unfruitful. The result for those thorns and thistles is burning. Those who do not mature and fall away from the faith will be judged by God.

4. The illustration points to what will someone do with God in his or her life. It harkens back to the parable with of the sower in Luke 8:8-15. If you mature and let God work, it will result in growth. If you fall away from the faith, disobeying God in the process, you will experience his judgment.

POA: Are you progressing towards maturity or apostasy?

Conclusion: If you want to kill a deer, you first must aim at it even if your weapon is a vehicle. This passage this morning has showed us that in our walk of faith we have some thing to aim for: maturity. You push forward to maturity. 1-2. You depend on God for maturity. 3 You heed the warning that comes with maturity. 4-8As we continue on our walk of faith, lets press on to maturity and not be satisfied with anything less than that goal.