TEXT: Hebrews 5:11-6:12
MESSAGE: “When Jesus Isn’t Enough”
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ — Matthew 7:21-23
TEXT: Hebrews 5:11-6:12
How does the author address their current faith?
He challenges them by…(1. Diagnosing shallow faith 2. Exposing False Faith 3. Encouraging Authentic Faith)
1. Diagnosing shallow faith (v. 5:11-14)
“About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, 13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. 14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.”
“…attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.”
— Ephesians 4:12-14
“That’s not just good from evil in a moral sense, but also good from evil, I think in the context, in a discernment sense, in a sense of understanding what Scriptures really do teach.” — D.A. Carson
“Discernment is not knowing the difference between right and wrong. It is knowing the difference between right and almost right.” —C.H. Spurgeon
2. Exposing false faith (v. 1-6)
“Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And this we will do if God permits. 4 For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.”
“In this specific case, judging by the whole book and not just by these verses, there is a desire to go back to the old rites, the old traditions, the old covenant in such a way that their true pointing to Christ is not seen…one is fixating on the old covenant and does not see how it is pointing to the new which has now dawned. As a result, the effect of all of this is to relativize the exclusive sufficiency of Christ and all his work.” — D.A. Carson
“Repentance in 6:4-6 is “impossible” because there is nowhere else to go for repentance once one has rejected Christ. The apostate in effect has turned his or her back on the only means available for forgiveness before God.” — George Guthrie
3. Encouraging authentic faith (v. 9-12)
“Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things—things that belong to salvation. 10 For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do. 11 And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, 12 so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
TAKEAWAYS: Questions to diagnose our hearts…
* Where are you spiritually?
* Where do you place your faith?
* Where do you find your strength to keep going?
“Look at (Jesus), and see his glory; listen to (Jesus), and hear his word; go to (Jesus), and have life; get to know (Jesus), and taste his gift of joy and peace.” – J.I. Packer
John 15:26…“When the Advocate comes…he will testify about me.”
*Where is our security?
“We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, 20 where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” — Hebrews 6:19-20