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This is a sermon based on Hebrews 5:11-6:3 and it discusses the topic of spiritual maturity.
Written excerpts:
Introduction:
For the past several weeks I have been speaking from different passages found in the letter written to the Hebrews. For those who haven’t been here previously, I just want to explain that I am not doing a verse-by-verse series through this book. I am simply going through the book and selecting passages that I had underlined or noted in my Bible while listening to other sermons or while doing personal reading and study. These are passages that stood out to me as I read/heard them and made me think of truths that I thought would be essential for all believers to keep in mind as we endeavor to walk with the Lord in obedient faith.
The topic that is emphasized in the scripture selection for today relates to the issue of growing up, or spiritual maturity.
Before we go any farther I wanted to share a couple of stories related to this matter of growing up. The first one is on the lighter side.
CHILDISH FEAR C. S. Lewis – “When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty, I read them openly. When I became a man, I put away childish things—including the fear of childishness and the desire to be grown-up. (Illustrations Unlimited)
This next one is a story that is also somewhat humorous, but it applies a more serious message…
FAITH OR HUNGER? Ellen Hammonds – “My husband is a minister who conducts an expanded altar call at the end of his sermon. He asks those who wish to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior, as well as those with prayers or other requests, to come forward.
“To the surprise and delight of the congregation our three-year-old daughter, without a word to me, got up and made her way forward. She waited patiently while the others ahead of her made a request.
“When her turn came, my husband leaned down to ask for her request. She whispered, ‘Can we go to the restaurant after church?’" (Illustrations Unlimited)
In my years of ministry I have witnessed various occasions when a sermon or some other medium was used to convey a serious message about salvation or eternity, only to watch/hear grown adults immediately change the subject to the weather, sports, or something else that had absolutely no spiritual or eternal significance. It made my heart ache to think that there apparently was no ability and/ or desire to contemplate such serious subjects. It reminds me of a child that either cannot understand or will not consider any subject that requires deep thought.
Well, whether we’re talking about something serious or something that is a little more light-hearted, there are numerous situations that remind us of the importance of growing up and becoming mature adults. That is exactly what our Scripture lesson is about today. With the help of God’s Spirit, I want to talk to you about the need to grow up in our faith and in our spiritual lives.
I want to first of all take some moments to explain the meaning of the scripture text that we have before us. Then I want to use the basic principle that is expressed here and make some additional applications to Christian / Spiritual maturity in general.
I. The meaning of our text.
Our “first order of business” here this morning is to briefly describe the actual meaning of the verses in Hebrews 5. (Most of my information is taken from Greek scholars, Kenneth Wuest and William Barclay.)
We are starting in verse 11…
“of whom” (of which) – the prepositional phrase can be understood grammatically to refer to either the person Melchisedec or to the subject of his priesthood. Since the person is not mentioned again until chapter 7, it would be more appropriate to read it as referring to the subject of his priesthood and its application to Jesus Christ.
“hard to be uttered” – lit. difficult to interpret into words; not because of the speaker but…
“you are dull of hearing” – lit. slow or sluggish in hearing or understanding. The word “dull/slow” literally means “no push” i.e. no self-motivation or interest.
The structure of this phrase emphasizes that they had become slow in understanding in the past with the result that they are now unable to grasp difficult concepts. They apparently had learned better and known better in the past, but had become dull in hearing, i.e. had not continued to hear, or had carelessly listened, or had completely omitted the preaching and had forgotten what they heard. (Adam Clarke)
v. 12
In fact, their understanding is so dull/slow that now they have a repeated need for someone to continually instruct them at a time when they ought to be teachers instructing others.
“first principles” – the rudimentary or elementary ideas of God’s revelation.
“milk…strong meat” – metaphor used by the author to emphasize the contrast between the need for “first principles” (milk) like a young child/infant, rather that “strong meat” (i.e. solid food) that would be the primary diet of an adult.
v. 13
“everyone that uses milk” – not referring to occasional use of milk, but those for whom milk is their exclusive diet, nothing else.
“babe” – word used here is not the only word used for infant or child in the Bible. In this context it is a word that denotes one that is immature in contrast to the one that is of “full age” (v.14)
v. 14
“strong meat…full age” – solid food is the diet of those who are mature. Metaphor meaning spiritually mature people can “digest” more difficult concepts because of their habitual use of their “senses” or faculties.
This regular use of reasoning / thinking skills produces the ability to discriminate between good and evil.
The more one practices sound reasoning resulting in good moral choices, the more one will be able to continue to discriminate between good and evil; right and wrong; etc.
6:1-2
Two different views regarding this section.
a. “leaving the principles… foundation of repentance… let us go on to perfection…
These are all phrases that emphasize the need to leave behind (abandon) all the “elementary” teachings of the old covenant involving those ideas and practices that they were tempted to return to, and let’s move on to faith in the new covenant and the finished sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
b. These items mentioned that must be left behind are the elementary principles of the gospel necessary for the beginning of faith. However, they must recognize the importance of growing in their understanding of Christ, His nature and His work.
I personally think it is more likely that the first option is correct because of the background information we have mentioned several times in the past… The believers in Palestine
In this case, the lesson I take from it is that the writer is urging them to move away from their dependence on physical, temporal, elementary symbols of salvation and trust in the real thing. The more one relies on physical and symbolic images and practices to maintain his/her faith, the less the are able to wrestle with the invisible truths of the faith.
II. Spiritual applications of the biblical principle of maturity.
A. Christians need to recognize the necessity to grow up mentally and intellectually.
I see this point clearly in the text that we have just reviewed. The writer was obviously frustrated with the fact that his readers were not capable of digesting difficult concepts and ideas regarding the new priesthood of Jesus Christ and how much better it was than Aaron’s priesthood in the OT. They didn’t seem to have the mental stamina to follow his message. Far too many Christians in our modern culture in America
Let me put a plug in here for the adult Sunday school class. There are topics discussed in that class that make a person think. This quarter that has just started today is a good example: “Studies in Christian Holiness.”
B. Christians need to recognize the necessity to grow up emotionally.
One of the passages that we read earlier in our responsive scripture reading was taken from Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. (1 Cor. 3) In that text he rebukes them for the envy, strife and divisions that had developed among them and presents that as evidence that they are still babes; children; and carnal. He is urging them to grow up and get past all the petty things that they have allowed to divide them from their fellow believers.
I have been amazed at the kinds of issues or problems that Christians have allowed themselves to become offended over and allowed divisions to develop between them and the brothers and sisters they are supposed to love. I recognize some of this comes from the emotional baggage that people have accumulated before they come to Christ, but there is help and victory in Jesus to overcome and grow out of all that, if we are willing to allow Him to work on us.
I currently have 300+ friends on Facebook. (I know some of you are surprised that I’m on Facebook. The rest of you are probably surprised that I have friends!) But I’ve noticed a host of people posting cute little sayings about “everyone just needs to accept me the way that I am, cause I’m not changing.”
I don’t know about you, but I’m thankful that I am not still acting in some of the ways that I used to. I’d like to think that I’ve learned to handle some things better than I used to…. God does accept us the way we are, but thank God, He doesn’t leave us the way He found us. He stretches us, molds us, forms us and rebuilds us into His likeness; not just spiritually, but emotionally and mentally.
C. Christians need to recognize the necessity to grow up spiritually.
The Bible is full of admonitions and exhortations for believers to “go to perfection” or “maturity.”
Much of the emphasis in Scripture regarding holiness and sanctification really relates to the issue of becoming mature in our walk with Christ. It is moving on from the elementary principles of repentance and the new birth, and learning the life of a disciple. Some of the references are strongly worded as commands for believers to experience the cleansing fire of God’s Spirit and to develop Christ-like attitudes and conduct.
Another emphasis in Scripture regarding spiritual maturity involves the issue of suffering and its usefulness in developing our faith. Read again through Hebrews 11 and see how many of these people listed there demonstrated the quality of their faith by the suffering they endured.
Conclusion:
I’ve been frustrated many times by the attitude among some Christians that seems to say, “I have confessed my sins and put faith in Christ, and I’ve ‘got my ticket to heaven,’ and that’s good enough for me.” They don’t seem to have any desire to grow more like Christ or to develop their understanding of the Christian faith. They are content to “stay a baby their entire Christian life.” I don’t believe it works that way. First of all, because I believe if someone’s conversion is really genuine, then they will desire to grow up just as naturally as a child wishes to become an adult.
Secondly, I don’t think we can just stay in the say immature status, because I believe we cannot remain static in our spiritual development. We will either grow up and become more mature or we will get farther and farther way from the Lord and eventually die spiritually.
The closing song I have chosen for us to sing emphasizes one aspect of the Christian life that facilitates maturity.
“Jesus, I My Cross Have Taken”
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