Growing Up God's Way - Hebrews 5:11-6:8 (sermon)

This rebuke is designed to bring a self-awareness about themselves which otherwise the hearers would not know. Hebrews 5:11 shows us part of this problem - They are dull of hearing which is to say that they had grown lethargic. This is a rebuke to those who mindlessly hear the word; to those in whom there is no change happening by virtue of the word.

..we understand that their problem was an acquired condition characterized by an inability to listen to spiritual truth - Kent Hughes (p. 148).

App: Have you grown lethargic in hearing the word on Sunday mornings or day-by-day? How would you know…(see next)

Hebrews 5:12. The rebuke is given a biblical test of “you ought to be teachers”. That is to say that he is not talking about giftings as a test. He is saying that you have had enough truth given to you that you should be able to teach, but if you want to see how immature you are, note that you cannot even teach the word.

App: Are you able to explain the basics of what it means to be a Christian? Further, are you teaching the basics of what it means to be a Christian?

The rebuke concludes with a humbling metaphor. Hebrews 5:13-14. The metaphor is that of a baby who needs milk verses an adult who eats meat. Through proper development and usage, the adult is able to eat, digest, and put meat to use in his life.

There is a danger in not considering the context of this passage when interpreting this metaphor:

To say that they are dull of hearing = lack maturity. To say they lack maturity = lack of discernment. To say they lack discernment = lack of exercise by the Word. To say they lack exercise by the Word = they lack true faith that produces obedience to the Word.

App:

This kind of rebuke tells us:

Mature:

The mature are those who know they need to keep exercising (faith-filled obedience) and they do.

Their maturity is manifested by a humility that pursues growth in the Word.

Immature:

These are those who neglect growth in the Word for growth in the world...

Illustration: Luke 8:14, 21:34-36.

Are blind to their need to grow — often by pride.

These can be adults who are part of the community but who have no lasting fruit of faith-filled obedience to the Word.

There is no idea that we can be confident of the salvation of those who remain spiritual infants for years. - Schreiner (p. 173).

Transition: To continue growing up God’s way requires a regular dosage of rebuke by the word (II Timothy 3:16-17) — a rebuke that builds self-awareness and challenges us to intentionally exercise in the word...

(2) A reasonable command is necessary (Hebrews 6:1-8)

…because of our tendency of reverting back to faith in our religious activity...

Ill: There are habits which are built into our human nature. These can be very comfortable habits and difficult to break. When the north side of Union Rd. was closed...

If we will grow mature we need clear direction. This does not come easy because before we learned that Jesus was enough, we placed faith in what our parents told us that, “We are good children...” This command gives clear direction to help us keep growing up in the midst of trouble...

Hebrews 6:1-3. The command to forsake and follow. The command “let us go” is an ongoing process, and the verb is plural. Also, the command is not that we leave the “plan of salvation” but that we leave faith in any religious activities. This was the danger for the original hearers.

Have obedience-causing, true faith in the word and forsake faith in past, religious observances. That is the command.

App: What specific evidence is there in your life that you are maturing and becoming more like Jesus?

Hebrews 6:4-6. True faith vs. False faith. This is the reason behind the command. This is really what is at stake here. There are those who have been a part of the people of God, but like the wilderness generation, they do not make it. Their sin was unbelief.

App: According to the scripture, which faith do you have?

Hebrews 6:7-8. This metaphor helps clarify the reasoning of the writer. The land received the word of God but some produced fruit and some produced thorns.

The fruit in this passage is a faith that produces genuine obedience or exercise of the Word of God. They are practicing the principle they have received.

Those who do not yield a life of obedience to the word will burn — not because your obedience pays for your sins but because faithful obedience is the sign of true faith that endures; and where there is no obedience there is no true faith.

App: Do you know a person who cannot submit to anyone? One who is ruled by the spirit of rebellion? One who cannot be rebuked? One who, though they are among the people of God, are bearing no real fruit of faithful obedience to the word?

If this is you, you must consider that you have a false faith and not a true faith. You are keeping religious observances but you are not maturing. You are spiritually still-born.

Transition: To continue growing up God’s way, it is good to receive rebuke, and we need a command to tell us to keep exercising faith in the word and obedience to the word...

(3) A reassurance is necessary (Hebrews 6:9)

…because of our tendency to lack assurance after a necessary rebuke.

Ill: What is our typical response after the law has exposed our infraction (i.e. speeding, red light…etc)…

If we will grow mature we need assurance after the stinging rebuke and seemingly scary command. We need this reassurance from an outside source, and that is what we find in this verse.

Hebrews 6:9. What kind of outside source is this? One that verbalizes true, gospel-love. But beloved…The author also says, we are persuaded better things of you, and the things that accompany salvation…The source is one that is living in close enough proximity to the life of the recipients that they can see the fruit of genuine maturity in their lives. There is a kind of closeness that can help discern true versus false faith.

App: This is a word of encouragement to those who question whether vulnerability is a worthwhile risk. The right kind of vulnerability will not only lead to rebuke but to encouragement as well.

Who is in your life telling you these kinds of rebukes and reassurances?

Conclusion:

So, if we will endure, we must have some growing pains. These come by way of rebuke and commands to believe and obey the word. Then you have the icy hot pad of reassurance that is put on to help heal the soreness; but the reality is that some of us are not quite getting the full picture here.

God has not only spoken in times past by the prophets, but he has now spoken to us by His Son. In Jesus, we find the Rebuke, the Command, and the Reassurance.

His Person is perfect in obedience (Hebrews 5:8), and in this perfect obedience, we all should feel the stinging rebuke of our disobedience.

Are you busy comparing yourself to other people that you don’t see how Jesus exposes your flaws? He is the Word.

To the still-born, will you go ahead and give your life to Jesus?

To the lethargic Christian, have you stopped receiving the loving rebuke exposed by the perfect Jesus?

His Command is clear. Only those who obey Him have eternal salvation (Hebrews 5:9). In this command, he does not just call individual to obey him one time by believing but to follow Him in obedience.

Are you living a life of actual faith and obedience to Him?

His Reassurance is that He is the eternal High Priest, through whom we receive not only salvation but the things which accompany salvation (Hebrews 5:10).

What accompanies salvation? A life of obedience to His Word.

Illustration: The cross is the place of coalescence of rebuke, command, and reassurance.

Possible replacement:

Applications:

(1) Hunger for, hear the, and hearken to the Word

(2) Receive rebuke and reassurance within relationship

(3) Plan/prepare for obedience to the Word

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