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Hebrew 5:11-14 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

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Good morning, church.
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If you will, please turn your copy of God's Word to Hebrews chapter 5.
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!
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He reads,
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Chapter 6, verse 1.
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Therefore, let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity.
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So this morning, we pick up in our study of Hebrews with a new section in the text,
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or a new subdivision in what the author of Hebrews is trying to communicate.
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In this section, most commentators agree, starts with the beginning of our text,
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in chapter 5, verse 11, to chapter 6, verse 12,
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and is bookended by the same Greek word,
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and it's only used in these two places in the New Testament,
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and this is the word for dull or sluggish.
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So if you look in verse 11, it says,
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Since you have become dull of hearing, and then flipping over to chapter 6, verse 12,
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it says,
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Now, a cursory reading of chapters 5 through 7 of Hebrews demonstrate this section as an obvious pause in the writer's argument.
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But the purpose of this pause is not totally clear,
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and there's no real consensus among commentators on its purpose.
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However, I believe that this section plays an important role in our understanding of the larger goals,
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of what the author of Hebrews, and therefore our Lord,
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is seeking to accomplish in writing to the Hebrew believers and writing to us today.
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So for the sake of context, I'd like to remind us of the condition of the Hebrew church,
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and take a quick look at where we've been in Hebrews so far,
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and where the author is in persuading his listeners of the argument that he's trying to make.
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So we've learned already that the Hebrews are heavily persecuted people.
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We're told in other places in the text that their property has been plundered,
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that they've been imprisoned,
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and that they should soon expect to shed blood for their faith.
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Based off of the author's writing, they're a pretty beat-up congregation.
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We've also noted how they were being tempted to conform to the acceptable version of religion to the people around them,
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and for the Hebrews, this was Judaism.
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These Jews would have been cast out of their families and communities,
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and would have been at an extreme economic disadvantage for claiming Christ as their Lord.
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So they were tempted to practice their religion in private,
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or simply believe that they were worshipping the same God,
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so what was the hurt in going back to the old religion?
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So let's turn back to Hebrews 1 and remind ourselves of the way that this author addresses their persecution and temptation
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by looking at the author's thesis in chapter 1, verses 1 through 4.
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And again, I just briefly want to go through where we've been in Hebrews so far,
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so that we can understand what this segment of Scripture is doing in the author's argument.
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So again, Hebrews chapter 1, this is kind of the thesis for the rest of the book.
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Chapter 1, verses 1 through 4, he writes,
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I want to pause.
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I think a lot of times, as we're taking notes in sermons,
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we kind of skip through the introduction with our notes,
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and wait for the body of the sermon where I give you the three points, which I'm going to do.
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But I would encourage you not to skip this particular introduction,
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not because others aren't good or important,
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but there's a lot of things to point out in the introduction that will have relevance to the points that we're making later.
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So if you haven't picked up taking notes, and you're ready to, I would encourage you to do so.
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Okay, so from the beginning, the author of Hebrews asserts that Christ is supreme.
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He's the supreme inheritor and heir, the creator and sustainer of all things,
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the radiator and representer of God, the purifier of his people, and ruler over all.
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He says this at the beginning, and then spends the next 10 chapters and 18 verses proving it
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by demonstrating how Christ is higher than angels, greater than Moses,
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a sympathetic and eternal high priest, greater than Aaron,
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and begins discussing how he's like the mysterious Melchizedek, and then pause.
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He inserts the section.
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After this section, he returns to spend a whole chapter talking about Christ's high priestly office,
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and how it's after the order of Melchizedek.
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And then he proves the covenant ushered in by Christ is better,
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that the earthly dwelling place in the Old Testament temple was a shadow of the heavenly one that Christ dwells in.
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And then gloriously and climactically, the author demonstrates Jesus as the perfect and eternal sacrifice for his people.
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So let's turn to the end of this author proving his thesis, chapter 10, verse 11.
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And it reads,
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Every high priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices which can never take away sins.
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But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins,
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he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet.
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For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
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And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us,
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For after saying, this is the covenant that I will make with them,
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and after those days declares the Lord,
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I will put my laws on their hearts and write them on their minds.
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Then he adds,
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I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.
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Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.
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And then drop the mic.
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The thesis has been proven.
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Right?
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Everything else, if you look forward in Hebrews from this point,
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is building on the implications from the thesis that he has proven in chapter 10, verse 18.
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Or through chapter 10, verse 18.
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But that begs the question,
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why pause for a whole chapter in the middle of this beautiful exposition?
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Especially when you're so near to the end.
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You're ramping up, and then you pause, and you insert this section.
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So to understand this question,
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we need to see one more point about this particular section of Scripture
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in our text this morning that stands out.
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So our text, verses 11 through 14,
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offer the only rebuke in the book of Hebrews.
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Now as I was discussing this with Nathan yesterday,
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I was like, I think this is the only rebuke.
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And he was like, I'm not sure.
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Let's double check it.
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So I double checked it.
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And this is the only rebuke.
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There are plenty of other warnings.
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There are heavy warnings, which we'll look at in a second.
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Serious ones that we need to take seriously.
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But this is the only charge that he brings against the church.
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And like I said, there are plenty of serious and heavy warnings issued along the way.
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And I want to look at some of these warnings,
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because he gives some heavy warnings,
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and yet only one rebuke.
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So that says something about the rebuke.
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So you don't have to follow along.
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You're welcome to if you want to.
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But like in chapter 2, verse 1, he says,
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we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard,
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lest we drift away from it.
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Chapter 4, verse 1,
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let us fear lest any should fail to reach God's rest
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because of disobedience or unbelief.
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Or 10, 26,
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if we go on sinning deliberately,
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after receiving the knowledge of truth,
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there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins.
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Followed by, it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
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Or lastly, in chapter 12, verse 25,
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see that you do not refuse Him, God, who is speaking,
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ending with,
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for our God is a consuming fire.
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Now, these are serious warnings.
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This is heavy.
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He goes on, I mean,
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he's warning them not to drift away,
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not to fall away from the faith,
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not to fall into the hands of a living God.
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And I point these things out to say
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that an author who feels the need over and over
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to warn these Hebrews to fear and to take heed,
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to be careful and diligent,
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issues but one rebuke in the text.
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So this tells us two things.
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Firstly, we really need to understand this text.
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And secondly,
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he probably placed this passage where he did,
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in the middle of a greater exposition,
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to grab his reader's attention.
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So before we move into the next body of text,
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I need to zoom in a bit
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and point out one last clue in our text,
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which indicates the role of this section
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from 5.11 to 6.12.
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So, if you'll flip back to chapter 5,
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we'll sit there for a minute.
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So, verse 11 in our text,
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the beginning of it reads,
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Now, many commentators read this verse
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and believe the this and about this
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brings the focus back to what he has previously been discussing,
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Christ as the eternal salvation
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and throws in there after the order
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or the priesthood order of Melchizedek.
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And so it seems when you read the English translation,
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the NASB actually translates this
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about him,
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there is much to say.
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And I want to point out something
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that Nathan's pointed out a couple of times,
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that in Hebrews,
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the author is writing in the highest form
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of the Greek language,
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far higher than the rest of the New Testament.
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And so it gives some translation issues
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because normally in translation,
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you're able to see,
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oh yeah, this word is used in this way,
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in these different contexts.
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But there's a lot of words
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and idioms and phrases
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in the Greek
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that are only used once
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or maybe twice
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in the whole New Testament.
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And so sometimes it becomes difficult
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to point out
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or to pin down
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exactly what the author
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is trying to say.
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So this is a good example
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of how we can miss an important point
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if we're not careful.
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And I'm by no means a Greek scholar,
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but I've read a couple.
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And so I want to be careful
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with this particular phrase.
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So this phrase
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in the beginning of verse 11
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is a Greek idiom
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commonly used by orators
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to serve a particular purpose.
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And it's probably better translated
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about these things
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we have much to say.
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Because that's how other Greek writers
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would use this phrase.
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They would say,
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about these things
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we have much to say.
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So William Lane
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in his commentary,
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which I'll be referencing
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a couple of times,
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demonstrates that speakers
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would use this particular phrase
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to get their listeners
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to perk up
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because they were about
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to make their main driving point.
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It's a phrase
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they would be speaking
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about something
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and right before
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they're about to get
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to the driving point
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in their argument,
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they would use this phrase.
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About these things
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we have much to say.
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So then our author
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was not on a roll
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and then randomly decides
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to drop in a rebuke
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that points backwards,
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lamenting the fact
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that further teaching
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cannot be given.
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Rather,
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as he picks up steam
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and is about to make
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his most important point,
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he pauses.
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He perks up his audience's ears
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to buckle up
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and issues then
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the only rebuke
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in this treatise
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that they're being lazy
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in their hearing.
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He then goes on
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to reveal,
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or to, sorry,
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revel in the glory of Christ
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as the perfect high priest
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and perfect,
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all-sufficient sacrifice
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for his people.
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Okay,
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so we understand
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the purpose
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of this greater section,
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to look forward
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to what's about to happen.
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Now we need to understand
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this rebuke.
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So,
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my three points.
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In our text this morning,
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we'll see
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point number A,
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the call to hear,
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the call to hear well.
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Point B,
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the call to teach
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in verse 12,
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the first part of verse 12.
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And thirdly,
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point C,
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the call to grow
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12B,
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through the end
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of our text
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in verse 14.
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And I'll repeat
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those as we go.
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So,
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first of all,
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point A,
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the call to hear
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or the call to hear well.
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So,
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if you think about this text
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for like three seconds,
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then you know
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that the writer
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is not claiming
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that the Hebrews
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get their ears checked.
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But something is wrong
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with the way
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that they are hearing
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or the way
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that they are perceiving.
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So,
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to understand
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what the author
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is trying to rebuke
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the Hebrews for
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and therefore
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warn us against,
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we must dive a bit deeper
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into the concept of hearing
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as it's used
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throughout the scriptures.
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And as we do so,
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we'll see that
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this accusation
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of being dull
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or sluggish,
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lazy in hearing
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is not merely
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an encouragement
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to pay attention
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or to take notes
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during a sermon.
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Not a bad idea.
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Nor is it a call
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to listen
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for special revelation
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in your prayer closet,
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but is a sharp rebuke
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against idolatry
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and a call
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to turn away
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from disobedience.
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So,
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hearing
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or the inability
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to hear
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is associated
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with a few
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key concepts
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both in the Old
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and New Testaments.
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So,
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first of all,
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a failure to hear
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is associated
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with idolatry.
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So,
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failure to hear
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is associated
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with idolatry.
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If you will,
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please turn with me
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to Psalm 115.
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Psalm 115.
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Now read verses 1-9.
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He says,
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Not to us, O Lord,
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not to us,
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but to your name
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give glory.
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For the sake
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of your steadfast love
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and your faithfulness.
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Why should the nation
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say,
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where is their God?
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Our God is in the heavens.
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He does all
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that He pleases.
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Their idols
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are silver and gold,
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the work of human hands.
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They have mouths,
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but do not speak.
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Eyes,
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but do not see.
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They have ears,
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but do not hear.
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Noses,
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but do not smell.
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Hands,
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but do not feel.
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Feet,
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but do not walk.
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And they do not make
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a sound in their throat.
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Those who make them
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become like them.
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And so do all
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who trust in them.
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O Israel,
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trust in the Lord.
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He is their help
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and their shield.
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So,
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based off this passage,
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we see that every object
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created has a purpose.
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And its worth
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to its creator
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is derived
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from its ability
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to fulfill the purpose
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for which it was created.
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So the mouth
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is created to speak,
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yet it's silence
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on the grave and idle,
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and it is therefore
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worthless.
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And so are we.
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If the measure
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of our worth
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as a creature
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is in fulfilling
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the purpose
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for which we are created,
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so are we,
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as we trust in things
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to satisfy,
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as we trust in idols
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to do what only God
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can do.
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When we're created
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for the specific purpose,
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to worship God
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and to be satisfied
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in Him,
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and then to bring Him glory
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by teaching others
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to do the same.
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Calvin famously
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once proclaimed
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that the human heart
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is a perpetual factory
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of idols.
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And if this is the case,
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we must seriously
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guard against idols
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taking the affection,
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the treasuring,
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the time,
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the energy,
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and the mental capacity
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that we devote
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to things,
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to people,
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to relationship,
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to status,
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that only belong
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to our Lord
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as the one
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who can satisfy.
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So what idols
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are you trusting in today
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that you need
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to cast aside
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so that you may hear
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as you ought to hear?
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Secondly,
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hearing is associated
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with understanding
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the things of God.
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So in the New Testament,
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our Lord often
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ended His parables
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and other sections
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of teaching
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with the phrase,
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those who have ears
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to hear,
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let them hear.
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He explains this concept
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to His disciples
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more clearly
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in Matthew chapter 13
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when they're asking
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why He speaks
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cryptically
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to the people
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in parables.
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So if you will,
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please turn again
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with me
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one of the last places
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to Matthew chapter 13.
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starting in verse 10.
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And again,
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oh yeah,
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it says in the text.
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Never mind.
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So in verse 10,
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it reads,
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Then the disciples
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came and said to Him,
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Why do you speak
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to them in parables?
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And He answered them,
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To you
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it has been given
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to know the secrets
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of the kingdom of heaven.
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But to them
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it has not been given.
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For to the one who has
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more will be given
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and he will have
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an abundance.
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But from the one
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who has not,
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even what he has
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will be taken away.
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This is why
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I speak to them
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in parables.
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Because seeing
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they do not see,
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and hearing
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they do not hear,
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nor do they understand.
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Indeed,
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in their case,
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the prophecy of Isaiah
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is fulfilled that says,
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and this is from Isaiah 6,
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You will indeed hear
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but never understand,
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and you will indeed see
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but never perceive.
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For this people's heart
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has grown dull,
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and with their ears
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they can barely hear,
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and their eyes
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have been closed,
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lest they should see
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with their eyes,
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hear with their hearts,
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hear with their ears,
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understand with their heart,
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and turn,
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and I would heal them.
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But blessed are your eyes
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for they see,
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and your ears
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for they hear.
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So Christ makes
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an important point
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that two people
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can hear the same teaching
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or the same information
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about the kingdom of God.
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One understands,
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and the other
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doesn't understand,
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because one has
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or has been given
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the ears to hear,
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and the other doesn't.
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So this can lead us
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to question God's authority,
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or it can well up
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in us
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in expressible gratitude.
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What a joy
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that we have,
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that we've been given
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to know the secrets
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of the kingdom of God.
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This is a privilege
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not to be squandered.
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If you can perceive
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the secrets of the kingdom,
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by all means,
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pursue them.
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Those who have ears to hear,
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let them hear,
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and let them hear
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abundantly.
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And lastly,
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hearing is equated,
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not merely associated,
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but equated
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with obedience.
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It's the third sub-point,
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hearing equated
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with obedience.
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So this concept
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is especially clear
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in the Old Testament
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because of the word
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used for hear
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in ancient Hebrew.
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And there's actually
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an awesome Bible project
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video on this word,
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the Shema.
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There's a whole series
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on this text
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in Deuteronomy,
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chapter 6,
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verses 4 through 5,
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called the Shema,
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which we'll talk about
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a little bit.
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But it's this word,
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Shema,
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which is translated here.
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So in the Greek,
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and obviously in the English,
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there are two different words
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for hear,
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something that you do
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involuntarily with your ears,
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and obey,
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something that you do
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with your will,
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affection,
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and action.
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However,
21:17
fascinatingly,
21:17
in Hebrew,
21:18
they're the same word,
21:20
Shema.
21:21
So listen to a few examples.
21:24
Deuteronomy 5.1,
21:25
this is the Ten Commandments,
21:27
says,
21:28
And Moses summoned all Israel
21:30
and said to them,
21:31
Hear, Shema,
21:32
O Israel,
21:33
the statutes and the rules
21:34
that I speak in your hearing today,
21:36
and you shall learn them
21:37
and be careful to do,
21:39
Shema,
21:40
them.
21:41
Deuteronomy 6.4-5,
21:43
which is again,
21:43
the Shema.
21:45
Hear,
21:45
Shema,
21:46
O Israel,
21:46
the Lord your God,
21:47
the Lord is one.
21:48
You shall love the Lord your God
21:50
with all your heart,
21:51
with all your soul,
21:53
and with all your might.
21:55
And then in Exodus 19.5,
21:58
Now therefore,
21:59
if you will indeed obey,
22:01
Shema,
22:02
my voice,
22:03
and keep,
22:04
Shema,
22:04
my covenant,
22:06
you shall be my treasured possession
22:07
among all peoples,
22:09
for the earth is mine.
22:12
So then to be dull in hearing
22:14
is to be sluggish or lazy
22:15
in obeying the knowledge
22:17
that we have received.
22:20
So the degree to which you hear
22:22
is then the degree to which
22:24
you respect the authority
22:26
of the one speaking.
22:27
So let's unpack that a little bit.
22:29
Because when you respect
22:30
the speaker's authority,
22:31
you don't merely take in
22:33
the information,
22:34
but you do so in such a way
22:35
that it produces the action
22:37
intended in the hearer
22:39
from the one who's communicating it.
22:41
So I'll say that again.
22:42
When you respect the speaker's authority,
22:44
you don't merely take in information,
22:46
but do so in such a way
22:48
that it produces the action
22:49
intended in the hearer
22:51
from the one communicating it.
22:52
So there's a responsibility
22:54
that comes with the way
22:56
that we are to hear.
22:57
There's a responsibility
22:58
with how we hear the word of God,
23:02
and the degree to which
23:03
we are truly hearing
23:05
is the degree to which
23:06
we respect God's authority,
23:08
which is also the degree
23:09
to which we obey the word
23:11
that has been spoken.
23:13
So I have maybe a silly example
23:16
that I think will help
23:17
illustrate this point.
23:19
And if my mom were here today,
23:21
she would attest to the truth
23:22
of this story.
23:24
So I had good parents,
23:26
which means that I had chores
23:27
growing up.
23:28
And when I was seven, eight, nine-ish years old,
23:33
one of my chores,
23:34
least favorite chores,
23:35
was cleaning the bathroom.
23:37
And as an eight-year-old boy,
23:39
like most eight-year-old boys,
23:41
I wasn't too concerned
23:42
with the details
23:43
of what it meant
23:44
to clean the bathroom.
23:46
So when mom says,
23:47
clean the bathroom,
23:48
what I take that to mean is,
23:51
make the bathroom look clean,
23:53
which are two different things.
23:55
And if you've ever cleaned a bathroom,
23:56
you know the difference.
23:57
Make the bathroom look clean
23:59
means when you walk into it,
24:00
do you think,
24:01
oh yeah,
24:02
this is a pretty clean bathroom.
24:03
But clean the bathroom
24:04
is like getting the mildew
24:06
out from under the ring
24:08
in the sink,
24:09
or scrubbing the shower floor
24:12
so that it's as white
24:13
as the walls.
24:15
And so there's a difference
24:17
in the way that I'm hearing
24:18
as an eight-year-old boy.
24:20
And so you get that picture
24:22
in your mind,
24:22
but then imagine that
24:24
as an eight-year-old boy,
24:25
I'm playing Donkey Kong Country
24:27
on my Super Nintendo,
24:29
and mom walks in,
24:31
and she says,
24:32
okay,
24:32
it's time to clean the bathroom.
24:33
And I say,
24:34
yeah, yeah,
24:34
okay,
24:34
I'll clean the bathroom.
24:35
And then she's explaining
24:37
what exactly she wants me to do.
24:40
And instead of asking the question,
24:42
okay,
24:42
is this the deep cleaning,
24:43
or is this like
24:44
make the bathroom look clean
24:46
because guests are coming over,
24:47
which is instead of asking that,
24:49
I just keep playing my video games.
24:50
And she says,
24:51
okay,
24:51
clean the bathroom.
24:52
And I'm like,
24:52
yeah,
24:52
yeah,
24:52
okay,
24:53
I'll get to it.
24:54
Just give me a second.
24:55
And then she's like,
24:56
no,
24:56
I want you to listen
24:57
to what I'm saying.
24:58
And I'm still playing the game.
24:59
Haven't paused it or anything.
25:00
I don't know if you can pause
25:01
Donkey Kong Country,
25:02
but I haven't paused it.
25:05
And she's still saying,
25:07
no,
25:07
I want you to like
25:08
really deep clean it,
25:10
get under,
25:11
you know,
25:11
the ring in the sink
25:12
and get behind the toilet
25:14
to whatever mess is back there
25:16
and all these other things.
25:18
And if I'm still paying attention
25:19
to the video game
25:21
that's in front of me,
25:22
then while I may be
25:23
receiving the information
25:25
in one way,
25:26
I'm not heeding it.
25:28
And I'm certainly
25:29
not going to transfer that
25:30
into the action intended
25:31
of the one who's speaking
25:33
because my attention
25:34
is elsewhere.
25:37
What she really wants me to do
25:38
when she says,
25:39
clean the bathroom,
25:40
is pause,
25:41
put it down,
25:43
look her in the eyes
25:44
and ask,
25:45
what do you mean?
25:47
And to say,
25:49
do you want me
25:49
to do a deep cleaning?
25:50
Do you want me
25:51
to get the mildew
25:52
or is this just
25:53
a shallow cleaning?
25:56
Right?
25:56
And so she wants my attention
25:58
as she's telling me something.
26:00
And even though I may feel like
26:02
as an eight-year-old boy
26:03
that I know what she means,
26:05
that assumption
26:06
can be dangerous
26:07
and it can lead
26:08
to disobedience.
26:10
Right?
26:10
And so it is often
26:11
as we approach
26:12
the Word of God,
26:13
our attention
26:14
is elsewhere.
26:15
We're not really engaged.
26:18
We think we know
26:19
what we ought to be doing,
26:20
but we're making
26:21
a dangerous assumption
26:22
when we do so
26:22
because we may not
26:24
be hearing
26:24
as He
26:26
has intended us
26:27
to hear.
26:28
So we interpret
26:31
what God is saying
26:32
to our advantage
26:33
or in accordance
26:35
to what we already
26:36
want to hear,
26:37
seeking to do
26:38
the minimum required effort
26:39
to count
26:40
for obedience.
26:42
So often in the Christian life,
26:43
the problem is not
26:44
that we don't have
26:45
the right information,
26:46
but it's that we've forgotten
26:48
the God who has spoken
26:49
the information to us.
26:51
We hear,
26:52
but we don't heed
26:53
and obey.
26:55
So to not be dull
26:56
of hearing then
26:57
is to consume the Word
26:59
in such a way
27:00
that it produces
27:00
obedience.
27:02
So again,
27:03
the responsibility
27:04
in your hearing
27:05
of the Word of God,
27:05
whether that's you
27:06
listening here today
27:08
or in your personal time,
27:10
is to see how it's supposed
27:11
to be working out of you,
27:12
how it's supposed
27:13
to be applied to your life,
27:15
how you are to obey.
27:16
And this isn't something
27:17
that can be done
27:18
quickly
27:19
or with
27:20
half of a brain,
27:22
but you have to be
27:23
engaged.
27:24
So according to our
27:25
three observations
27:26
about hearing in the Bible,
27:28
to not be dull
27:29
of hearing,
27:30
we must be free
27:31
from idols,
27:32
able to understand
27:33
or perceive
27:33
the things of God,
27:35
and must take it
27:35
in in such a way
27:36
that it produces
27:37
the action
27:38
that it commands,
27:39
that He commands.
27:40
Therefore,
27:41
the author's rebuke
27:42
back in Hebrews
27:43
of being lazy
27:44
or sluggish
27:45
or dull
27:46
of hearing
27:46
on the part
27:47
of the Jewish believers
27:48
carries a great deal
27:49
of weight,
27:50
directly related
27:51
to the way
27:52
that they are
27:52
respecting
27:53
the authority
27:54
and the supremacy
27:55
of God,
27:57
which is why
27:57
it makes sense
27:58
that the author's thesis,
27:59
if this is a dull
28:00
of hearing people,
28:01
is Christ the supreme
28:02
over all.
28:04
As they see
28:05
Christ the supreme,
28:06
they begin
28:06
to pay attention,
28:08
they begin to hear
28:08
as they ought to hear.
28:11
So we should fear
28:12
this spiritual condition.
28:14
With all the warnings
28:16
that were given,
28:17
this is the rebuke.
28:18
We should fear
28:19
having this spiritual
28:20
condition for ourselves
28:21
and yet many
28:23
in our country,
28:23
our county,
28:24
and maybe in our midst
28:25
have likely
28:27
grown accustomed
28:28
to it.
28:29
We read
28:30
and we hear
28:30
the commands
28:31
of Scripture
28:31
and we feel
28:32
conviction in the moment,
28:34
yet we lose focus
28:35
a few hours later
28:36
when the next wave
28:37
of distraction hits.
28:39
We know we're commanded
28:40
to read
28:41
and to pray regularly,
28:42
to grow deep
28:42
in relationship
28:43
with believers,
28:44
to get accountability,
28:45
that we tell ourselves
28:47
we don't know
28:47
where to start,
28:48
that we don't have
28:49
the time to commit,
28:50
that we're too busy
28:53
and we don't know
28:54
where to start.
28:57
We're often prideful
28:58
about our appearance,
28:59
too prideful
28:59
to break down
29:00
and ask for help.
29:02
Or maybe you felt
29:03
conviction for years
29:04
to talk to a co-worker
29:05
or a neighbor
29:05
about the Lord
29:06
that haven't made
29:07
the sacrifice
29:08
of an evening
29:08
with your family
29:09
to be hospitable
29:10
to your neighbors
29:11
as the Lord
29:12
is hospitable to you.
29:14
Instead of trusting
29:15
that God has commanded
29:16
that which is best
29:17
for our flourishing,
29:18
spiritually or otherwise,
29:19
we buy into the lie
29:20
that whatever feels best
29:22
to us
29:22
should guide the decisions
29:24
that we make.
29:25
We judge the worthiness
29:27
of the command of God
29:28
in our lives
29:28
based off of the temporary
29:30
satisfaction and joy
29:31
that it brings
29:32
rather than trusting
29:33
that He has spoken,
29:35
that we are His creatures
29:36
and that He designed us
29:37
specifically
29:38
for His purpose.
29:41
When we don't get
29:42
emotional satisfaction
29:43
from obeying these commands,
29:44
we must see that the problem
29:46
is with our emotions.
29:47
Sometimes we need to obey
29:48
because He has said so
29:50
and allow our emotions
29:51
to catch up
29:52
as we trust our great Lord.
29:55
As we've seen,
29:56
this rebuke of sluggish hearing
29:57
is not merely a call
29:59
to perk up and listen,
30:00
but is meant to be
30:01
a serious wake-up call,
30:02
both for them
30:03
and for us.
30:05
So the Hebrews, too,
30:06
had the necessary information,
30:08
but they weren't applying
30:09
what they had learned,
30:10
and therefore
30:11
they could not mature
30:12
or bring others
30:13
into maturity
30:14
in their walk
30:15
with the Lord.
30:17
And this brings us
30:17
to our second point,
30:19
answering how the Hebrews
30:20
failed to hear
30:21
as they ought
30:21
the call to teach.
30:23
So,
30:23
point B,
30:24
the call to teach.
30:27
This is in
30:28
verse 12.
30:30
So if you're not back
30:30
in Hebrews,
30:31
please flip there again.
30:32
So verse 12.
30:42
For though by this time
30:43
you ought to be teachers,
30:45
you need someone
30:45
to teach you again
30:47
the basic principles
30:48
of the oracles of God.
30:49
You need milk,
30:51
excuse me,
30:52
not solid food.
30:54
So,
30:54
very simply,
30:55
note the word for
30:56
at the beginning
30:57
of verse 12.
30:58
It would seem
30:59
to this author
30:59
the first indicator
31:01
that he points out
31:02
in the Hebrew
31:03
sluggish hearing
31:03
is not an understanding
31:05
but rather an action.
31:08
They were dull of hearing
31:09
because they weren't
31:10
yet teaching others.
31:11
Get that logic flow.
31:12
It's not that
31:13
they didn't understand
31:13
that they were
31:14
supposed to be teachers
31:15
given the sharpness
31:16
of this rebuke,
31:17
but it is that
31:18
they weren't applying
31:19
what they knew
31:20
they ought to be doing.
31:21
So,
31:22
hear this clearly
31:23
this morning.
31:24
Believers are meant
31:25
to be teachers.
31:26
All of us.
31:27
There's not something
31:28
reserved for
31:29
ordained clergy,
31:30
for missionaries,
31:31
or for people
31:32
on stage.
31:33
And while teaching
31:34
may seem like
31:34
a daunting task,
31:35
it can take many forms,
31:37
most of which
31:38
have nothing to do
31:38
with standing
31:39
behind a lectern
31:40
and speaking publicly,
31:42
and all of which
31:43
are essential
31:43
to the life
31:44
of the church.
31:46
Many find themselves
31:47
wondering what their
31:48
place in the church is.
31:50
Some of you here
31:50
likely feel that way.
31:52
While each of us
31:53
have different gifts
31:54
and will certainly
31:54
exercise them
31:55
in different ways,
31:56
we are all meant
31:57
to teach
31:58
in some way.
31:59
So,
31:59
I want to look
32:00
at a couple
32:00
of ways
32:01
in Scripture
32:01
that we're
32:02
called to teach
32:04
one another
32:04
and those outside
32:06
of the congregation
32:06
really quickly.
32:09
I don't think
32:10
I want you guys
32:11
to turn anywhere
32:11
maybe to Matthew 28
32:13
if you want to move
32:14
in that direction.
32:16
So,
32:16
first way that
32:17
each believer
32:17
is called to teach
32:18
is through
32:19
rebuking,
32:20
admonishing,
32:21
and or counseling.
32:23
So,
32:23
Paul writes
32:24
in Colossians 3
32:25
to the church
32:26
at Colossae,
32:27
let the word
32:28
of Christ
32:29
dwell in you
32:30
richly.
32:31
How?
32:31
Teaching and
32:32
admonishing
32:33
one another
32:34
in all wisdom.
32:35
So,
32:35
teaching and
32:36
admonishing,
32:37
which is like
32:38
a soft rebuke
32:40
or correction
32:40
in instruction.
32:43
Secondly,
32:44
in encouraging
32:45
each other.
32:45
First Thessalonians
32:46
5,
32:47
14,
32:48
we urge you,
32:49
brothers,
32:49
admonish the idle,
32:51
encourage the faint-hearted,
32:52
help the weak,
32:53
and be patient
32:54
with them all.
32:55
Again,
32:56
written to
32:56
the church.
32:58
Thirdly,
32:59
in discipling,
33:00
and that takes
33:00
so many different forms,
33:02
but one example,
33:04
a good one,
33:04
in 2 Timothy 2,
33:06
chapter 2,
33:06
Paul shows
33:07
four generations
33:08
of discipleship.
33:10
As he writes
33:11
to Timothy,
33:11
he says,
33:12
what you have heard
33:13
from me
33:13
in the presence
33:14
of many witnesses,
33:15
entrust to faithful men
33:17
who will be able
33:18
to teach others also.
33:19
So,
33:20
Paul is teaching
33:20
Timothy.
33:21
Timothy is
33:22
entrusting
33:24
this information
33:25
to faithful men
33:26
who will then
33:26
be able
33:27
to teach others.
33:28
It's meant to be
33:29
this family tree
33:30
of believers
33:31
teaching,
33:32
discipling
33:32
one another.
33:33
And then,
33:34
if you'll turn with me
33:35
to Matthew 28,
33:36
verse 18.
33:38
This is the Great Commission.
33:39
And I understand
33:59
we've probably heard
34:00
all these things before.
34:02
If you've been around here,
34:03
you have.
34:04
And you've probably
34:05
heard these things before
34:06
in your own churches,
34:08
but I fear that oftentimes
34:09
they're taught
34:10
as suggestions,
34:12
things that are
34:13
like beneficial
34:14
if you want to be
34:15
a deep Christian.
34:16
But note that
34:17
the rebuke
34:18
that's here
34:19
is not given
34:20
to the deep Christians,
34:21
but it's given
34:22
to the believers.
34:23
They're being sharply
34:24
rebuked
34:25
for not hearing
34:26
as they ought to hear.
34:27
So,
34:27
I encourage you
34:28
now,
34:29
hear this
34:29
as you ought to hear it.
34:31
We're all meant
34:32
to be teachers.
34:33
So,
34:34
the Great Commission,
34:34
Matthew 28,
34:36
starting in verse 18.
34:38
Jesus came to them
34:39
and said to them,
34:40
His disciples,
34:41
All authority in heaven
34:43
and on earth
34:43
has been given to Me.
34:45
Go, therefore,
34:46
and make disciples
34:47
of all nations,
34:48
baptizing them
34:49
in the name of the Father
34:50
and of the Son
34:51
and of the Holy Spirit,
34:52
teaching them to observe
34:53
all that I've commanded you.
34:55
And behold,
34:56
I am with you always
34:58
to the ends of the age.
35:01
So,
35:02
first thing to point out,
35:03
that it says
35:04
make disciples
35:05
of all nations.
35:06
It's not making converts
35:07
of all nations.
35:08
Converts are important.
35:10
That's the first step
35:10
in discipleship,
35:11
but it doesn't stop there
35:12
if we're going to mature
35:13
to the end.
35:16
Secondly,
35:16
Jesus Himself
35:17
took three years
35:18
of living
35:20
with His disciples
35:21
to teach them.
35:22
Living with them.
35:23
He's teaching them.
35:24
He's discipling them.
35:26
How much more
35:27
does it take
35:28
relationship with others
35:29
as imperfect teachers,
35:31
us,
35:31
to do the same?
35:33
Also,
35:34
note that
35:34
the task at hand here
35:36
is not simply
35:36
to teach
35:37
all that Jesus commanded,
35:39
while that is
35:39
a daunting task
35:40
in and of itself,
35:41
but He says
35:42
teach them to observe
35:43
or to obey
35:44
all that I've commanded.
35:47
And this takes a lot.
35:48
It takes devotion,
35:49
relationship,
35:50
love,
35:50
counsel,
35:51
and yes,
35:52
it takes teaching.
35:55
Now,
35:55
of course,
35:56
the power to do this
35:57
is not in ourselves,
35:59
right?
36:00
We know
36:00
that the Spirit
36:01
has to work
36:02
in the lives
36:02
of others
36:03
to do it,
36:04
but God
36:05
works through
36:06
His people
36:06
to accomplish
36:07
His purposes.
36:08
He doesn't need us
36:09
to do this,
36:09
but He has chosen
36:10
to invite us
36:11
into the work
36:12
that He's doing
36:12
in this world,
36:13
so He calls us
36:14
to teach.
36:16
Fourthly,
36:17
we teach
36:17
through personal evangelism.
36:20
You can listen
36:20
to this one.
36:21
2 Corinthians 2,
36:22
15-17 says,
36:25
We're the aroma
36:26
of Christ to God
36:27
among those
36:28
who are being saved
36:29
and among those
36:30
who are perishing.
36:31
To one,
36:32
a fragrance
36:32
from death to death,
36:33
to the other,
36:34
a fragrance
36:34
from life to life.
36:36
Who is sufficient
36:37
for these things?
36:39
For we are not
36:39
like so many
36:40
peddlers
36:41
of God's Word,
36:42
but as men
36:43
of sincerity
36:43
as commissioned
36:44
by God
36:45
in the sight
36:46
of God,
36:46
we speak
36:47
in Christ.
36:49
So it flows
36:50
out of us.
36:51
We speak
36:52
in Christ,
36:53
commissioned
36:53
by God
36:54
in the sight
36:55
of God
36:55
to believers
36:56
and to unbelievers.
36:58
And lastly,
37:00
a way,
37:01
these aren't
37:01
necessarily all the ways,
37:03
but a way
37:03
that we teach
37:04
is through parenting.
37:06
So I quoted
37:07
earlier from
37:08
the Shema
37:08
in Deuteronomy 6,
37:10
4-5,
37:11
and I'd like to read
37:12
that again
37:13
and go on
37:13
through verse 9
37:14
to demonstrate
37:15
this point.
37:16
You're welcome
37:16
to turn there.
37:17
You don't have to.
37:19
Pretty straightforward.
37:19
It says,
37:22
Deuteronomy 6,
37:23
starting in verse 4,
37:25
Hear, O Israel,
37:26
the Lord,
37:26
our God,
37:27
the Lord is one.
37:29
You shall love
37:29
the Lord your God
37:30
with all your heart,
37:31
with all your soul,
37:32
and with all your might.
37:33
And these words
37:34
that I command
37:35
to you today
37:35
shall be
37:36
on your heart.
37:38
You shall teach them
37:38
diligently to your children
37:40
and talk of them
37:41
when you sit in your house
37:42
and when you walk
37:43
by the way
37:43
and when you lie down
37:44
and when you rise.
37:46
You shall bind them
37:46
as a sign on your hand
37:48
and they shall be
37:48
as frontlets
37:49
between your eyes.
37:50
You shall write them
37:51
on the doorposts
37:52
of your house
37:52
and on your gates.
37:55
Each of the above,
37:56
rebuking,
37:56
admonishing,
37:57
encouraging,
37:57
counseling,
37:58
preaching,
37:58
evangelizing,
37:59
and discipling
38:00
are first and foremost
38:01
to be done
38:02
with our kids,
38:03
those in our immediate context.
38:06
And as God teaches here
38:07
through Moses,
38:07
teaching isn't merely
38:08
an event.
38:10
It's not that you're moving
38:11
from one teaching event
38:12
to the next teaching event,
38:13
but it's something
38:14
that happens on the way
38:16
as you're going.
38:17
And to get to this point,
38:18
you've got to believe
38:19
it first.
38:20
We read earlier
38:20
in 2 Corinthians 2
38:23
that we are not
38:24
peddlers,
38:26
but we are those
38:27
who are men
38:28
of sincerity,
38:30
which means
38:30
we've got to believe
38:31
it for ourselves.
38:32
We've got to hear it
38:33
right first,
38:34
and then we're able
38:35
to teach it
38:36
to others.
38:37
So God's people
38:38
were always meant
38:39
to be teaching people
38:40
in this way.
38:41
Israel,
38:41
a light to the nations
38:42
around them,
38:43
and now the church,
38:44
a light to one another
38:45
and to the world
38:46
around us.
38:47
The salvation
38:48
that you have
38:48
been given
38:49
was not merely
38:50
for you to know
38:51
and to enjoy God,
38:52
but for you to become
38:53
the means by which
38:54
God works in the lives
38:56
of others.
38:57
As we often say,
38:58
God doesn't need us
38:58
to accomplish this work,
38:59
but has chosen
39:00
to use this
39:01
as the way for others
39:02
to learn about
39:02
who He is
39:03
and what He has done
39:04
in creating the world
39:06
and saving the people
39:07
for His own possession
39:08
that He might dwell
39:09
with them forever.
39:10
So how are you
39:12
teaching the people
39:13
around you?
39:14
Do you meet with someone
39:15
in the church
39:16
on a regular basis,
39:17
both to teach
39:18
and to be taught
39:19
by sharing your struggles
39:20
and sharing how God
39:21
is working with your life?
39:22
Are you seeking
39:23
to build relationships
39:24
with unbelievers
39:25
so you can share
39:26
the good news
39:26
of the gospel?
39:27
Are you intentional
39:28
in your parenting
39:29
and in family worship
39:32
and with conversations
39:33
with family?
39:34
Do you seek
39:35
close enough friendships
39:36
with other believers
39:37
so you can speak truth
39:38
into their lives
39:39
that brings encouragement
39:40
or counsel
39:41
or correction
39:42
when needed?
39:43
While some of these things
39:44
are certainly easier
39:45
in some stages of life
39:47
than others,
39:48
I fear that we often
39:49
excuse ourselves
39:50
entirely from our role
39:51
as teachers
39:52
and neglect the work
39:53
God has given us
39:54
in the church
39:55
and in the world around us.
39:56
We may fall short
39:58
in this area
39:58
because we haven't
40:00
prioritized it
40:00
in our lives.
40:01
We may fear
40:02
losing social equity
40:03
in the eyes of others.
40:04
We may be doubting
40:05
the sufficiency of God
40:07
to work in
40:07
and through you
40:08
in the lives of others
40:09
or we may simply
40:11
be too selfish
40:12
with our time.
40:13
Like the Hebrew church,
40:15
we may not be teaching
40:16
because we need
40:17
to grow up
40:17
in the cheersome
40:19
in our relationship
40:19
with the Lord.
40:21
So join me
40:21
as we look at our
40:22
last main point
40:23
together in the text.
40:24
Point C,
40:25
the call to grow.
40:28
Second part of verse 12,
40:30
really looking at 6.1.
40:33
So turn back to Hebrews
40:34
if you're not there.
40:43
I'll go ahead and read
40:43
verse 11
40:44
to get the full picture.
40:47
It says,
40:47
About this we have
40:48
much to say
40:48
and it is hard to explain
40:50
since you have become
40:51
dull of hearing.
40:52
For though by this time
40:54
you ought to be teachers,
40:55
you need someone
40:56
to teach you again
40:57
the basic principles
40:58
of the oracles of God.
41:00
You need milk,
41:01
not solid food.
41:02
For everyone who lives
41:03
on milk is unskilled
41:05
in the word of righteousness
41:06
since he is a child.
41:08
But solid food is
41:09
for the mature,
41:10
for those who have
41:11
their powers of discernment
41:12
trained by constant practice
41:14
to distinguish good
41:15
from evil.
41:16
Therefore,
41:16
let us leave
41:17
the elementary doctrine
41:18
of Christ
41:19
and go on to maturity.
41:22
So,
41:22
looking at the call to grow,
41:24
I have three more
41:25
sub-points for you
41:26
if you're taking notes.
41:28
First,
41:28
and I'll go through these again
41:29
as we're going.
41:31
The Hebrew is growth,
41:32
secondly,
41:33
the assumption of growth,
41:35
generally,
41:36
and thirdly,
41:37
the means of growth.
41:39
So,
41:40
there are a few
41:40
reasonable ways
41:41
to interpret
41:42
this section
41:43
of our text.
41:44
And generally,
41:45
commentators disagree
41:46
on what the nature
41:47
of the Hebrews problem
41:48
is
41:49
and their lack
41:50
of maturity.
41:51
Some believe
41:52
that the author
41:52
is addressing unbelievers
41:53
who have made their way
41:54
into the church,
41:56
here from verse 11
41:57
through chapter 6-8,
41:59
and then changes audiences,
42:00
transitioning back
42:01
to speaking to true believers.
42:03
Secondly,
42:04
and more commonly,
42:05
some read this text
42:06
like the author
42:07
as saying
42:08
that the Hebrews
42:08
had believed the gospel
42:10
but had basically
42:11
stagnated at that point.
42:13
According to this reading,
42:15
the appropriate response
42:16
would then be
42:16
to go over
42:17
the basic truths
42:18
of the gospel
42:18
and to feed them
42:19
spiritual milk.
42:20
But this isn't really
42:21
what the author does.
42:23
While these readings
42:24
are possible,
42:25
based off of the
42:26
surrounding verses
42:26
and the general context
42:28
of the Hebrew church,
42:29
some of which
42:29
we've touched on,
42:30
I believe the most
42:31
reasonable approach
42:32
to understanding the text
42:33
goes something like this.
42:35
Though you should be teachers
42:36
and are ready
42:37
for solid food,
42:38
you have begun
42:39
to live as infants
42:40
in need of milk.
42:41
So instead of seeing
42:43
Hebrews
42:43
as the Hebrews
42:45
as having never matured,
42:46
I believe the text
42:47
and surrounding context
42:48
supports the position
42:49
that they have deviated
42:51
from the initial course
42:52
that they were on
42:53
and have four basic reasons
42:55
for why that's the case
42:57
really quickly.
42:59
So firstly,
43:00
as we said,
43:00
the author responds
43:01
with solid food
43:02
and not milk.
43:04
Commentator William Lane
43:05
mentioned earlier
43:06
points,
43:06
puts it this way.
43:08
He says,
43:08
it is commonly assumed
43:09
on the basis
43:10
of this passage
43:11
that the community
43:12
addressed
43:13
had failed to mature
43:14
in faith and understanding
43:15
and consequently
43:16
required rudimentary
43:18
instruction
43:18
rather than
43:19
the advanced
43:21
exposition
43:22
of Christ's priesthood
43:23
and sacrifice
43:24
presented in the rest
43:25
of the sermon.
43:25
The problem
43:26
with this reconstruction
43:27
of the situation
43:28
is that it is not
43:30
supported by the detail
43:31
of the text.
43:32
The author presupposes
43:33
advanced Christian instruction
43:35
and shows no inclination
43:37
to review with his hearers
43:38
the foundational elements
43:40
of the Christian faith.
43:42
So,
43:43
in other words,
43:44
if they really needed milk,
43:46
if he's literally saying,
43:47
this is kind of
43:48
where you guys are at,
43:49
then why doesn't
43:50
he give it to them?
43:51
He responds
43:52
with solid food.
43:53
He's been giving them
43:54
solid food so far,
43:55
and then continues
43:56
to give them
43:57
solid food.
43:58
These are not basics.
43:59
Again,
43:59
the highest form of Greek,
44:01
he's not giving them milk.
44:02
He doesn't take the time
44:04
to walk them through
44:05
the basics
44:05
of the gospel.
44:07
So,
44:07
that's reason one.
44:07
If this is true,
44:08
the problem was not
44:09
with their diet,
44:11
per se,
44:11
but with the digestion
44:13
of the diet.
44:14
They had the information
44:15
they needed,
44:16
but they weren't
44:16
putting it into practice.
44:17
They had become
44:19
dull of hearing,
44:20
but they weren't always.
44:21
Secondly,
44:23
they had already
44:24
demonstrated maturity
44:25
through the endurance
44:26
of suffering.
44:27
So,
44:27
he speaks in the past tense
44:29
in Hebrews 10,
44:30
32-33,
44:32
he says,
44:32
recall the former days
44:33
when after you were
44:35
enlightened,
44:36
you endured a hard
44:36
struggle with sufferings,
44:38
and sometimes being
44:39
publicly exposed
44:40
to reproach
44:41
and affliction,
44:42
and sometimes being
44:43
partners with those
44:44
so treated.
44:45
So,
44:45
they're pretty mature
44:47
if they're able
44:47
not only to suffer
44:48
for their faith,
44:49
but like tie themselves
44:50
to other people
44:51
who are suffering.
44:53
Thirdly,
44:54
they had demonstrated
44:55
maturity through hope
44:56
in a better abiding
44:58
possession,
44:59
being the hope
45:00
that they had in Christ.
45:02
So,
45:02
continuing on
45:03
Hebrews 10,
45:04
verse 34,
45:05
he says,
45:06
for you had compassion
45:07
on those in prison,
45:09
and you joyfully
45:10
accepted the plundering
45:11
of your property,
45:12
since you knew
45:13
that you yourselves
45:14
had a better possession
45:15
and an abiding one.
45:17
Therefore,
45:17
do not throw away
45:18
your confidence,
45:19
which has great reward,
45:21
for you have need
45:22
of endurance,
45:23
so that when you have
45:23
done the will of God,
45:25
you may receive
45:26
what is promised.
45:27
So,
45:28
again,
45:28
joyfully accepting
45:30
the plundering
45:30
of their property
45:31
because they were
45:32
looking to a better
45:34
possession.
45:36
Okay,
45:36
reason number four,
45:38
they had already
45:38
demonstrated maturity
45:39
through love
45:40
and through service.
45:42
So,
45:42
the next bookend
45:44
on this section,
45:45
again,
45:45
is Hebrews chapter 12.
45:47
So,
45:47
I'll read,
45:48
and you can turn there
45:49
if you're not already there.
45:50
It's just a page for you.
45:51
Hebrews 6,
45:52
10 through 12.
45:59
It says,
46:00
God is not unjust
46:01
so as to overlook
46:02
your work
46:02
and the love
46:03
that you have
46:04
shown for his name
46:05
in serving the saints
46:06
as you still do.
46:07
And we desire
46:08
each of you
46:08
to show the same
46:09
earnestness
46:10
to have the full
46:11
assurance of hope
46:11
until the end
46:12
so that
46:13
you may not be sluggish
46:14
but imitators
46:16
of those
46:16
who through faith
46:17
and patience
46:18
inherit the promises.
46:20
So as we've established in our study in the Hebrews,
46:23
these believers are under constant temptation to practice the culturally acceptable version of religion
46:28
instead of an uncompromising, obedient life devoted to God and His work.
46:33
The author is constantly reminding them of the hope that they were once holding on to,
46:37
but now seems to be slipping away.
46:39
He's saying to them in the midst of this constant temptation,
46:42
Stay strong. You have already endured so much. Keep enduring.
46:46
Don't give in now. Don't forgive the hope to which you once clung so closely.
46:51
Finish the race. Keep the faith. Stay the course.
46:55
The Hebrews needed this encouragement, and some of us need to hear it this morning.
46:59
They needed to be reminded of the way that they had once held on to hope so closely
47:03
and the fruit of righteousness that had produced in their lives
47:06
to the point where they were joyfully accepting the plundering of their property.
47:11
As we often do, they needed to remember the hope that they had in Christ
47:15
to stand before God as sons looking forward to the abiding city He has made for His people.
47:23
Okay, next.
47:25
In the call to grow, sub-point two, the assumption of growth.
47:30
So this is growth generally.
47:32
The assumption of growth.
47:35
Note the author's tone in the way that he speaks of maturing in the faith.
47:40
It's the same that he is saying about teaching.
47:42
He's expecting them to grow.
47:45
It's not an option.
47:46
It's an expectation.
47:48
And as we're teaching, sanctification, becoming more and more like Christ
47:52
as we are in longer relationship with Him,
47:55
is not reserved for a select few serious Christians,
47:58
those who want to get plugged in,
48:00
but it is a normative part of the Christian life
48:02
and an indicator of the genuine nature of one's faith.
48:07
2 Corinthians 3, verse 18 says,
48:13
And we, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord,
48:17
are being transformed into the same image,
48:20
from one degree of glory to another.
48:22
For this comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
48:26
So believers, every believer is being transformed to be more like Christ.
48:31
The negative of this statement.
48:32
If you aren't being transformed,
48:34
then it's possible you may not be a believer.
48:36
Now, this doesn't mean that if you've had a bad week or a bad month,
48:40
that you are all of a sudden no longer a believer.
48:43
The Christian life is a life of endurance through these ups and downs,
48:46
trusting that even though you don't feel,
48:48
you may not feel like you're growing in the moment,
48:51
that you continue to seek and obey that God,
48:54
or seek and obey, trust that God is growing you,
48:57
and that He will finish the work that He started in you.
49:00
Remember, the Hebrews themselves had stopped growing.
49:02
They had stopped applying the truth that they had once held on to.
49:07
And while the warnings and the rebukes were certainly warranted,
49:10
the author held out continued hope for this church.
49:13
If you read through Hebrews,
49:17
the warnings and even this rebuke are kind in so many ways.
49:23
There's a warning,
49:25
and then He assures them,
49:27
but I've seen these things in you already.
49:30
So there's like the warning,
49:32
and the point backward to the way that the Spirit was once working in them.
49:36
And so there's this kindness in the way that He gives these rebukes.
49:41
There's hope that's there,
49:42
but the point still stands,
49:44
that the trajectory of our life will have its downs,
49:48
but should generally be trending towards Christlikeness.
49:51
So, in your life,
49:53
when you look back on the past six months,
49:56
or the past year,
49:57
or two,
49:57
or five,
49:59
or a couple decades,
50:01
do you see yourself being transformed into the image of Christ,
50:04
or do you basically see yourself stagnant,
50:07
the same?
50:08
And again,
50:09
sometimes it feels this way.
50:11
Sometimes it feels like we haven't grown in a while,
50:14
but as we seek and trust in the Lord,
50:17
He transforms us to the image of His Son.
50:19
So thirdly,
50:22
the means of growth,
50:23
answering the question,
50:25
how then do we grow?
50:27
Very simply,
50:28
the consumption,
50:29
digestion,
50:30
and use of the right food.
50:33
So we saw from our study today,
50:35
how the content of what we take in matters,
50:38
but so does the way that we treat this content.
50:40
As believers,
50:41
we grow when we receive the truth of God's Word,
50:44
and apply it to our lives,
50:46
through believing He who said it,
50:48
and therefore obeying that which we have received.
50:51
So first,
50:53
we remind ourselves often of the milk.
50:56
We remind ourselves,
50:58
regularly consume the basic reality of the gospel,
51:02
this milk.
51:04
We daily speak to ourselves and to one another,
51:06
the fact that God created this world by speaking it into existence,
51:10
that He's holy,
51:11
totally separate from sin,
51:13
that He designed humanity with a purpose to obey Him,
51:17
and to submit to Him as their Creator,
51:19
and each one of us rebelled,
51:22
and decided that we knew better than Him,
51:24
that our version of right and wrong,
51:26
was more suitable for our lives,
51:28
than His version.
51:30
This sin separated us from God eternally,
51:34
making us enemies of God,
51:36
worthy of eternal spiritual death,
51:38
and physical death.
51:40
And this was our deserved status,
51:42
what we bought with our sin.
51:44
Then out of nothing that we could ever do,
51:46
out of no good thing that He saw on us,
51:49
or merit of our own,
51:50
God sent His Son Christ to be the substitute in our place,
51:54
to live a perfectly sinless life,
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to then bear the wrath of God,
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the punishment that we deserved.
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Christ died,
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rose three days later in accordance with the Scriptures,
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and is now exalted on high with the Father,
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until the day when He returns for His bride.
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Us, His people,
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those who have placed their faith in these truths,
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and have turned away from their sin,
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seeking instead to obey God's commands,
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and now await His return.
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So this is our spiritual milk.
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This is the basics.
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And if there are any of you in this room,
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who haven't turned from their sin,
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and begun to pursue right relationship with God,
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through a life of obedience,
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don't harden your hearts this morning,
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place your faith in Christ today.
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Secondly, we grow by seeking after solid food.
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The solid food is the deep truths of God.
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God gave us brains,
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so that we could understand and process a great deal.
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And the more we're able to understand the nature and the character of God,
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the more we're able to know, appreciate, and worship Him,
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which is why He created us.
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In addressing the question,
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which is the greatest commandment,
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Jesus answered in Matthew 22,
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something that's very familiar to us now.
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He said,
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You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
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with all your soul,
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and with all your mind.
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John Piper comments on this text in his book called Think.
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He says,
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I take this command to mean that we direct our thinking in a certain way.
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Namely, our thinking should be wholly engaged to do all that it can
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to awaken and express the heartfelt fullness of treasuring God above all things.
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I'll read that again.
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Our thinking should be wholly engaged to do all that it can
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to awaken and express the heartfelt fullness of treasuring God above all things.
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So then,
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to fail to study His Word
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and seek after a deeper and deeper knowledge of Him
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is to fall short of the design that He has for your life,
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and it's to neglect the growth and maturity that is ours in Christ.
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Again,
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thinking back to Psalm 115,
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we don't want to become like our idols,
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not fulfilling the purpose for which we were created.
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We were designed to know Him deeply and intimately
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and to grow in this knowledge which satisfies our souls.
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And when we fail to do so,
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we inevitably fill the void with the first available idol
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and settle for that which our hearts were not meant to love and to treasure.
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So speak zealously after the knowledge of God as a treasure to be found.
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Hear and heed His voice as you ought
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and do the work He has designed you to do.
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So we've seen our text this morning.
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A sharp, three-pronged rebuke of the Hebrew believers
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warning us not to be dull in our hearing,
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to be diligent in teaching,
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and to seek maturity in our relationship with the Lord.
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May we be a church
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zealous for deeper knowledge of the Lord.
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May we have ears to hear
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and eyes to see the truth of God.
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May we continually pick up
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the glorious task of teaching
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as the means by which God saves
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and perfects a people for His possession.
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Let's pray.
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Let's pray.