Moving On To Maturity
April 23, 2017 Preacher: Jeff Griffis Series: Hebrews
Scripture: Hebrews 5:11– 6:3
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Moving on to Maturity: Hebrews 5:11-6:3
Pray & Intro: Have you been informed lately that you are immature? Or at least behaving immaturely? [the time I told someone close to me, when they said, “quit treating me like a child,” and I said, “quit behaving like one.”]
– In our passage today there’s a confrontation of immaturity (5:11-14), and then a challenge to change (6:1-3). Change isn’t just inevitable; it is absolutely necessary. Growth REQUIRES change.
– I know, some of us are too quick to change things up just bc we get itchy or bc we tend to see shiny ideas and want to implement them. And you faithful folks hold my feet down and teach me to be consistent over the long haul. But it is also possible and even likely for some of us (if not many) that we are slow to grow bc of our aversion to change.
– All of us need to be seeking help from our brothers and sisters to reveal our blind spots. (Heb. 3:12-13) – The speaker of Hebrews does his listeners a huge favor by pointing out their immaturity.
- Teaching Tone Shift – The transition or switch in topic will feel less abrupt to you because we’ve had a couple of weeks out of our expositional series in Hebrews. But the author turns from explanation to correction. (Like a dad, the finger snap and the look and “Son, put down the cow pie.”)
- Then it will become, I warn you, as I did before… and then mitigation/encouragement (but I am confident of better things for you). Give you the benefit of the doubt to prove me wrong. – So 5:11-6:3 is confrontation, 6:4-8 is a warning, and then 6:9-12 is mitigation (or softening of the harshness and putting some confidence in them that he expects better things.
- Love means that in confrontation the goal is always correction, restoration. NOT to be right and make sure the other person looks bad, feels bad, knows what a dimwit numbskull they are. (I loathe the arguments on social media for this reason, and many of the debates at family gatherings…) – It’s well, it’s poop. I know, I tell my kids not do spout potty talk too. But this really is the best description. That stuff is verbal excrement, not medicine. = A surgeon cuts you and stitches you for your healing. Your family doctor chides you for your poor eating habits and puts you on a diet (all painful things), FOR YOUR GOOD. We might call that loving (agape: attitude and action based on the highest good of another, with unwavering commitment and undiluted devotion, at great expense to oneself). – That’s what we can do for one another in love. Correction is painful (for both parties, really), but right and good and loving. Training takes hard discipline and endurance, but it reaps a harvest. That’s the point.
- Transition in 5:11
- “About this” – Melchizedeken priesthood – “much to say” – and will say, ch. 7
- And it’s hard to explain (or understand) – Not bc of the author’s inability, or lack of reasoning capacity of the hearers, but bc of spiritual immaturity (which becomes clear)
- Since you’ve become dull of hearing – oh boy, here it comes – Lord, help me to listen with an open heart and thick skin: [keep going and come back to dull of hearing]
- 5:12
- Stuck on the ABC’s
- Why do I say ABC’s? – “basic principles” (5:12) and “elementary doctrine” (6:1), meaning the simplest truths you need to know that a child can grasp; it’s beginners level [you know in Spanish lessons, when you thought you’d never get beyond ba be bi bo bu…]
- ABC’s of what: “of the oracles of God” – a collection of sayings, divine utterances (the OT scriptures—in context of Hebrews esp. in light of their prophetic connection to Jesus – 6:1 elementary doctrine or instructions about Christ.) – Examples of these basics = content of 6:1b-2 [I believe that these are purposefully paired]:
- Foundation of repentance and faith – rep. from dead works: now you might think of works we do to see if we can earn God’s favor, and those are worthless too, but the emphasis here is to works that are done in our sinfulness (the works of the dead man), so repentance from acts that lead to death – Faith of course is faith in the righteous work of Christ to deal with our sin and empower us to serve him in righteousness (9:14)
- [second pair] Instruction about washings & laying on of hands – There could be some different interpretations here, but this probably refers to how washing for ceremonial cleansing in the OT is now accomplished fully by the blood of Christ (aka verse we just read). Could also reference baptism(s), but not likely the main idea since it’s never referred to in the plural like this anywhere. – And laying on of hands: another external demonstration; in OT it was symbolic when a person bringing a sacrifice would place his hands on the head of the animal to symbolically identify with the substitutionary sacrifice for sin. Again, that has been accomplished in Christ once for all (emph. in Heb. 10). [The other NT practices for laying on hands: praying for healing, praying for blessing, prayer for appointment to office, even receiving the HS for some early believers… aren’t mentioned elsewhere in Heb that I can find… so not likely the point.]
- Resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. (If the first pair refers to the initial foundation of the Christian faith, and the next two the status in which we stand, then the final pair clearly references the ultimate end: whether the Christian’s perseverance in the faith, or eternal judgment for those who remain outside of Christ.)
- The next point the author turns to will be… If you don’t move on to maturity you put yourself in great peril, the peril of eternal judgment: “These milk drinkers are in a perilous situation because they have neither an understanding nor an inclination toward deeper matters of the faith by which one understands the importance and means of perseverance.” (Guthrie)
- In God’s providence we just studied on the “resurrection of the dead” because of celebrating our Lord’s resurrection life at Easter. – By faith we have his resurrection life and one day will be given new resurrected bodies in the closing chapters of this world’s fate and the beginning of a new heaven and new earth.
- “You ought to be teachers by now.” You’ve been in the faith long enough to have matured beyond this point. Then he hits them with a harsh metaphor. – Big babies! … No, it’s much more loving than that, but still a tough correction to swallow (pun intended). “since he is an infant,” end of v. 13…
- You need to get past this and be moving on to deeper and better things, but you’ve hamstrung yourselves by refusing to move on, resisting necessary change, resisting growth. (Such as staying with practices of Judaism perhaps bc it’s comfortable… frankly easier; such as taking the easy route to avoid persecution rather than enduring in faith by standing with Christ, even through suffering)
- One growing and helping others grow…. If you come over to my place you’ll see that I’ve got a green thumb (or at least I like to think I do). I love to plant things and encourage things to grow, which includes pruning and pulling weeds etc. (that’s appropriate for this context) – My point is that I’m no expert gardener, but that doesn’t keep me from trying to do it and get better at it. And I’d be more than willing to listen to someone who knows more than me, as well as share the little experience I have with someone who hasn’t. – Why can’t we move forward in encouraging others to know Christ more deeply (making and maturing disciples, if you will) – “The exhortation is addressed to all, and ‘teachers’ is used informally: anyone who is a mature believer should be able to lead others by word and example to maturity.” (O’Brien)
- [Back in our text the author says] Don’t tell me it’s not your fault that you’re still a baby, that you don’t know this well enough to be instructing others. – Your problem is LAZY listening, tail of 5:11 (akoe – ability to hear with understanding and act accordingly). You’re not in fact “paying much closer attention to what we have heard” (2:1)
- Gk here means culpable negligence and sluggishness/laziness to be attentive and obedient. (How many of you want that kind of worker/employee? How many want that kind of player (if coaching) or teammate?) – So now apply what the author is saying to ourselves:
- We become spiritually hard of hearing when we resist laying our hearts bare before the heat and light of God’s word.
- When we are more concerned with rule-keeping and perception than integrity of character before God. (for both those two, Heb. 4:12-13)
- When we feel sorry for ourselves instead of seeking the face of God to change us.
- When we tend toward applying the texts we read and hear to someone close to us rather than to ourselves.
- When we get stuck on hearing every passage from our pet angle.
- When we cease to confront one another in kind humility when we spot a trend in sinful attitude or behavior.
- Move on to Maturity. – [Read 5:12c-14 & 6:1a] The mature are those who have trained faculties (the condition or state that results from training), enabling them to discern…
- BTW, saying move beyond the mere basics isn’t to say that reminding ourselves of gospel truth isn’t necessary and essential, but it means a need to understand grace in greater fullness and apply it on a deeper level.
- Milk vs. Solid food = Obviously milk is analogous to the basic teachings on their simplest level, and solid food then is more advanced teaching of the faith (like Christ’s priesthood in chs. 7-10 – It’s like him saying, ‘This next bit will only sink in if you’re mature enough to soak it up.’)
- “Unskilled in the word of righteousness” – when you are immature (still a babe nursing), you don’t know what great solid food you are missing at the adults’ table: We can hardly expect our smallest children to be phenomenally discerning. (If you have an actually nursing child: ‘something is bothering me, I will cry and complain.’ The kid doesn’t even know if it’s hunger, tiredness, or a gross feeling of something sticking to their backside. They just cry. You have the good fortune of figuring out what the problem is.)
- We learn through instruction and practice when it’s ok to joke around and when it’s not, which jokes are appropriate and which are not. We learn from training how to behave in social settings. – This means that maturity is the result of training. And maturity enables you to be discerning. Discernment is the ability to distinguish… distinguish good from evil, bad advice from good advice, and so on.
- Discernment training happens best in the arena of testing – If we do not press on in our faith to the point of being willing to suffer great cost, then we remain unskilled and miss out on the deeper implications of Christ’s righteousness on our behalf and living out that righteousness through the testing, as Jesus did. – [Thus] Apply the fundamentals you’ve learned in a much more tense environment. (Then you’ll see what you know and learn it significantly better still.)
- Sound theological instruction should lead us to skill in righteousness. Do you appreciate solid food (deeper teaching)? Do you know how to feed yourself (healthy, steady, balanced diet)? – And even reading on your Christian faith that makes you think… I saw a quote this week from DA Carson: “I cannot think of why any thinking Christian would not want to study theology.”
- The author’s clear goal is to move them on to maturity. So in spite of their immaturity, he will give them solid food in the coming chapters. He pushes them to the adult table, shoves them out of the nest. You’re stuck, let me help you. J
- And I love that he includes himself in this group that continues to strive forward in maturity. – “Therefore let usleave… and be taken on to maturity.”
- Nobody’s out of the ‘still needing to mature’ range – not even if you’re so old you’ve already got one foot in heaven.
- And the point is made here too that God’s empowering is what makes this possible. (passive voice above and v. 3 – read) – God enables those who are intentionally investing. He empowers the necessary change in those who are making the disciplined effort to listen to and obey his word and go on to a deeper theological understanding and practice. – We want God’s working in us, but we are fools to expect that to happen apart from the means of grace that he has set for us. (apart from listening to his voice in his word, apart from dependent prayer, apart from the fellowship of the saints)
- To move on to maturity, we need to grow, and we must change for that to happen.
- The major downside of not changing to grow in maturity is to miss the blessing of this deeper communion with Christ, experienced only through the fire; AND we lack discernment for important moral decisions and distinguishing between that which is spiritual and that which is of the flesh and the world.
- Listen, this is real life. And the Christian walk is one that we’re living together. Let’s help one another.
- You need some Paul’s and Barnabas’s and Timothy’s in your life. They challenge the status quo in you. (You know, Rich could have been like, “Man that little Jeff is always pushing and pulling and questioning and challenging.” But Rich’s maturity is revealed in allowing God to use even people with less knowledge and ministry experience to challenge him to grow.)
- (I want to best version of a dad that I can be. But if none of you is willing to notice, [list from Dave Mathis] to check your heart first, to try to sympathize, to pray for restoration, and then to be kind and quick and clear and specific in approaching me, and then be willing to follow up… - If nobody does that, I am left with two conclusions: I am in fact the best dad (or husband or pastor or whatever) you’ve EVER seen, OR we’re all too self-centered to care for one another like this author of Hebrews loves his readers.
- Now I’m not looking for 50 people to come to me complaining about what a sinner I am. I’m not saying you SHOULDN’T, but just know that I do have some trustworthy people speaking in my ear. I’m just picking on myself as an example but intend that you should see this as an invitation to do this not just with me but with one another. (and do it in person. Text an email are not the medium for correction)
- And don’t correct or rebuke a friend, even in love, bc of your preferences and opinions. The purpose is to rebuke sinful living and laziness of pressing on in growth, NOT getting people to live according to your preferences. (A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion. Prov. 18:2)
- On the receiving end, don’t take challenges and correction as an affront. Take them as a blessing at the hand of God in the voice of a friend. (Faithful are wounds of a friend… Prov. 17:6a; [or my favorite] Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness; let him rebuke me—it is oil for my head; let my head not refuse it. Ps 141:5)
- Closing: May God richly bless you as you seek to grow in him through hard change and disciplined endurance, and love one another enough to spur one another on toward love and good deeds. (Heb. 10:24)
Moving on to Maturity: Hebrews 5:11-6:3
We must be willing to lovingly confront one another with immaturity and challenge each other to change. – Change isn’t simply inevitable; it is absolutely necessary because growth requires change.
Teaching Tone Shift – turning from explanation to correction (5:11-6:12)
Stuck on the ABC’s – not getting past “basic principles” and “elementary doctrine” (5:12, 6:1b-2)
Moving on to Maturity – trained in discernment (5:13-14, 6:1a&3)
May God richly bless you as you seek to grow in him through hard change and disciplined endurance, and love each other enough to “spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” (Heb. 10:24, NIV)
Take It Home: (for further discussion and reflection) – re-read the passage
- What grabs your attention in this text?
- What do you learn about the character of God or practice of the Christian life?
- Is there still something in it that you struggle to grasp or are having difficulty with?
- What might be the most difficult thing to apply from what it teaches? What practical steps can you take to make the application a reality?
More in Hebrews
July 1, 2018
Equipped to Follow the Great ShepherdJune 24, 2018
Helping Leaders LeadJune 17, 2018
Follow the Leader: Leading Well