Sermon Tone Analysis

Outline:

Text: Hebrews 5:11-6:12

Title: Where Are We Headed?

Big Idea: When we begin a relationship with Jesus, we begin a journey.

That journey is not meant to stay in one spot but to progress to maturity.

In order to mature in Christ we must know where we are today, where we are going tomorrow and how we will get to God’s desired destination.

Intro: Where are we headed?

1.

Where are we today?

5:11-14

The author of Hebrews takes a pause from the conversation on Jesus as our High Priest to issue another warning.

He has already given a couple others (don’t drift, don’t harden your heart and fall away from the living God, don’t miss God’s rest) here his warning concerns our spiritual maturity.

First, he gives a reality check for where they are at.

If they are like most of us we naturally think we are better off than we are.

(like going to the doctor to be told you are out of shape, well I mean I am not as bad as that guy, yeah, BUT… you are not where you should be: Saw a friend say how unrealistic his ideal weight was the other day).

These Hebrew Christians should be mature able for solid food but they are not.

They are still discussing elementary truths because they lack maturity.

So, does bible knowledge equal maturity?

5:12 teachers.

Every believer is to be a teacher (Col.

3:16; 1 Pet.

3:15; cf.

Deut.

6:7; 2 Tim.

3:15).

If these Hebrews had really obeyed the gospel of Christ, they would have been passing that message on to others.

The Jews were instructed in the law and prided themselves because they taught the law, but had not really understood or appropriated its truths to themselves (see notes on Rom.

2:17–23).

oracles.

These are contained in the OT Scripture, which had laid the foundation for the gospel and had been committed into the care of the Hebrews (Rom.

3:1, 2).

The ABC’s of the law tutored the Hebrews in order to lead them to faith in the Messiah (Gal.

3:23, 24).

They had also heard the NT gospel (2:2–4; 1 Pet.

4:11).

The “elementary principles” (NASB) or “elementary truths” (NIV) are the rudiments or basics (summarized in 6:1–2); Greek writers often applied the term to the alphabet.

Some writers frequently reproved their readers in similar ways (“You should be teachers by now!”) to stir them to learn what they should already know.

5:13.

Some philosophers, like Pythagoras, distinguished between elementary and advanced students, calling them “babes” (cf.

v. 13—NASB, KJV) and “mature” (cf.

v. 14; “perfect”—KJV) respectively.

The immaturity of the readers prevented their usefulness and skillful performance for God (5:11–14).

The writer warned his readers that no one could ever repeat the experience of repentance and conversion if he committed apostasy (6:1–8).

Some see this warning as a teaching that a true Christian can lose his salvation.

That position would contradict the teaching of such New Testament passages as John 10:27–29; Romans 11:29; and Philippians 1:6.

Others see the warning as hypothetical and not a realistic possibility.

The repetition of the warning here and also in 10:26–31 makes this interpretation less likely.

Others see the warning as directed at those who are almost Christians but not genuine Christians.

In opposition to this view is the fact that a passage such as “shared in the Holy Spirit” (6:4) could not be used of one who was not a Christian.

The preferred interpretation is to view this passage as addressed toward professing Christians.

The writer urged them to show the reality of their faith by enduring in their commitment to Christ without falling away (6:6).

The writer spoke to his readers in accordance with their profession, but he urged them to show their true faith by producing real works.

2.

Where are we headed tomorrow?

6:1-10

Here the author sets the tone for leaving where we are (elementary teachings and forging ahead to maturity) BUT with a major warning about the inability to taste the heavenly gift, truly depart from Christ and come back (it would mean Jesus has to be crucified again).

BUT then he ends with assurance based on God’s justice and the fruit of love they have shown, thus believing they are headed for better days.

The evidence this is true appears to be not only their past love (WORKING ON THIS, MAY CHANGE MY MIND) for others but their tasting of the goodness of the Word of God and the powers of the age to come (???) and remaining in a state of repentance.

Unable to repent?

The point here is not that God does not accept the repentant, but that some hearts become too hard to consider repenting, because they refuse to acknowledge Christ, the only means of repentance.

By willfully choosing the kind of belief that nailed Jesus to the cross, they accept responsibility again for killing him.

3. How will we get there?

6:11-12

We get there by obtaining a full assurance of hope by not being sluggish and being imitators of those who have risked greatly with patience to inherit the eternal promises.

6:11–12.

Ancient moral exhortation often emphasized imitating positive role models (some of whom this writer will list in chap.

11).

As Israel “inherited” the land, so Judaism said that the righteous would “inherit” the world to come.