Starting together now to the letter to Hebrews and chapter number 6 and we can read at the beginning of that chapter.
! Hebrews chapter 6 at verse 1.
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 towards God and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead and eternal life.
And this we will do if God permits.
And so on through the following verses and also taking into account the verses at the end of chapter number 5.
I guess in every area of life there are times when we can be discouraged.
There are times when we can be distracted.
There are times when we can be disappointed and never become disengaged from everything that is happening around us.
And I'm sure at different times in life we have experienced that.
When we think of the life of faith and read of the life of faith in the Bible, we see exactly the same thing.
Faith belongs to those who are the children of God.
They believe that he exists and that he is the rewarder of all those who diligently seek him.
And even in this letter itself we see that there can be discouragement.
We see that there can be distraction and disappointment.
And we can see that there is the danger of becoming completely disconnected from the gospel itself.
That's the nature of life for this people.
And it is the nature of life as we live as the children of God here in this world.
And as we do read through this letter, we recognize first of all that there is the kind of crisis that Scott McLeod referred to this morning.
There is a crisis in the hearing and the listening of the people.
And where there is such a crisis, then faith is really threatened.
There is a crisis in the way that they want to worship God.
They are wanting to fall back from the worship that is now in place through what Jesus Christ has done.
They want to fall back into old habits.
Does that remind you of yourself?
Does that remind me of myself?
We are prone to fall back into old habits and to lose sight of where we are and what we are doing.
And then that is the kind of thing that leads to the crisis of faith.
And there are two things that the writer does in order to address these crises.
And first of all, he wants to show to them the importance of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and his redeeming work.
That is what he is doing up until this point.
We are kind of stepping into this whole discourse about who Jesus is and what he has done.
Then he goes on to describe faith and how faith works in that great chapter about faith, chapter number 11.
But time after time, he throws in a wake-up call to those to whom he is writing.
These are warning passages that speak to those who are going to hear this letter read
so that they will pay attention to what he is saying about Jesus, pay attention to what he is saying about faith,
and be on their guard.
A wake-up call.
And sometimes I know that is what I need.
And I think it is true of all of us at different times in life.
We need a wake-up call from God to remind us of what is important,
and when we become distracted, to realign our lives with where we should be and what we should be doing.
And against that, back in this evening, I want to think of this passage
and to think of the assessment of faith and spiritual immaturity.
I want to think, first of all, that we have in this passage a review.
That is, there is a formal assessment by the writer with a view to bring about change.
It happens in my workplace.
It happens in my school life.
It happens in education circles.
A review is the kind of assessment that is necessary from time to time
to introduce change where it is necessary.
And when we look at review in this passage,
we see that the writer has to interrupt his discourse about the Lord Jesus
because of what he discovers in his review.
And we go back to verse number 11 in chapter 5.
About this time we are much to say,
and it is hard to explain since you have become dull of hearing.
He is telling them about the Lord Jesus.
He is telling them about the work that he has done.
He is telling them about this great high priest of God
who is our redeemer, who is our mediator.
Then he pauses because he is thinking of them.
And he is realizing, as he is writing this letter to them,
he is realizing that there is a problem.
There is a problem with his hearers.
And we could say that it is the problem of attitude.
In any kind of learning circle,
my progression in my learning depends on my attitude,
my mindset, the feelings that I have,
and the way I think of events and things that are brought before me.
It is exactly the same in our faith.
We need to have the right attitude in order to develop in our faith.
And if we do not have that, then we will stall,
we will stop where we are.
And instead of climbing upwards or even going horizontal,
we will begin to decline.
Attitude is really important.
And we find here that he is unable to carry on with this great message
about the Lord Jesus because of this problem.
They have become dull of hearing.
It is a kind of incapacity in receiving the message of God
and an incapacity, a sluggishness,
in putting the word of God into practice.
They are not hearing the way that they should
and they are not putting into practice.
They are not breathing in the word of God
that is written to them, that is spoken to them.
They are not breathing it in to take it into their own lives.
And they are not breathing it out in the sense of
living out the faith as they should.
It is a real crisis.
They are not receiving the gospel as they should.
And because of that,
they have become exhausted in the life of faith.
They are beginning to grind to a halt.
It's too much for them.
That's what happens to your faith and mine.
Once I stop receiving from God
and once I stop living the kind of life that that produces,
once that stops,
then faith becomes all about what I can do myself.
And when it becomes what I can do myself,
then I realize I can do very little.
And then I begin to stall and I begin to stop.
That is where they were.
And the simple reason for that,
it seems to be from what the writer is saying,
the simple reason for that is their lack of discipline.
Being able to train themselves.
And that's what he refers to in verse 14 of chapter 5.
But solid food is for the mature,
for those who have their powers of discernment,
trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.
Their powers of discernment,
the way they're going to receive knowledge
and use that knowledge in their lives,
they have lost the ability to do so.
And they have lost that because of their failure
to train themselves,
to discipline themselves
in the ways of God,
in the things of God,
and in the Word of God.
And the writer is using an image
that comes from the Greek athletic scene
where the athlete would not only discipline
and training themselves,
but would discipline themselves
in removing all of the clothing
that was going to stand in their way
so that they could compete
with all of their energy.
Nothing was going to stand in their way.
And the writer brings up
something similar to that in chapter number 2.
Laying aside every weight
and the sin that so easily besets us.
Here we are.
We build up baggage along the journey of faith.
We build up things that slow us down.
We build on perhaps clothing, garments,
the garments of the world in a symbolic way.
And we begin to lose our way
in the life of faith.
We have lost our discipline.
And God wants you and me tonight
to consider that.
This is God's review
of your life and of mine.
And He wants you and me
to think of gratitude
towards the things of the Bible
and the things of the Gospel.
He wants us to look at our own lives
and to think of perhaps
the fact that we have stopped listening
the way that we were listening.
And because of that
we stopped living the life
that we were living.
And it's all because
we are not disciplined.
We are not watching over ourselves.
I go to,
the children go to their classroom
and they need to be disciplined.
And they are reminded
about the discipline
that they need
by those who are teaching them.
and being disciplined
in their learning
they are going to benefit
from all that they are taught.
And the same principles
apply in everything
that we are going to learn
and they apply here
in the Gospel.
That you and I
have to ensure
we have the right attitude
to receive.
That we have the discipline
that enables us
to focus on
what we are hearing
and that therefore
we are able to
live out the life
that God wants us
to live.
A review
that caused
an interruption
and that caused him
to think
of where
the people
were.
And in any kind
of review
there must be
something that needs
to be done
to address
the situation.
And what must
they do?
What must you
and I do?
In verse number 13
he speaks
of the way
in which
they ought
to be teachers.
They were supposed
to be helping others.
That's why God
has called us
to be his children
to be his disciples.
All of us here
tonight
who have faith
in the Lord Jesus
we are to serve him.
We are to teach
each other.
We are to teach
those who are around us.
We are to teach
not only your children
but all those
who are on the journey
of faith
with us.
We are all teachers
because we have
the spirit of God
in our hearts
and God has given
to us the subject
matter in his word.
But they were
unable to be teachers
and instead of that
they needed
in verse number 12
you need someone
to teach you again
the basic principles
of the oracles
of God.
He is saying
about them
that with regard
to faith
they are back
in their childhood.
They are back
where they were
at the very beginning
of their Christian journey.
Imagine a parent
receiving a review
a report
on their child
from school
and the child
is years up
into learning
for example
in primary school
and the review
the assessment
at the end of the year
is going to say
that your child
is like a child
who needs to go back
to the basic level
of understanding
and teaching school.
How heartbreaking
that would be.
How distressing
that would be.
that's something
of what the writer
here is referring to.
That here are
the people of faith
and God is saying
about them
you should be
way up in the standard
and the progression
and development
in the kingdom of God
you should be up there
teaching those
who are around you
and teaching
those who are
younger than you
in the faith.
But in actual fact
you are like
a child
yourself.
and if it's
distressing
for a parent
to hear that
about their own
child in school
what do you think
God thinks
tonight?
If that's where
this review
finds you
in your faith
that it's childish
that it's
back to be
more or less
unnoticeable.
that it's
back to the
basic principles
that need to be
learned once more
to show what
faith should be
like.
How do you
think
God feels
if that's
where you are
tonight?
a review
with regard
to
their faith
and it
finds that
their faith
that they are
immature in their
faith
and there are
many hundreds
in their lives
that cause
them to
be back
where they
actually
started.
a fearful
situation
that needs
attention.
It is
as I said
in the beginning
it is one of
these passages
which is
a wake up
call
and perhaps
for all of us
wherever this
review finds us
and wherever
God finds us
tonight
perhaps it is
at one level
or other
a wake up
call
to us all.
There is
a review.
Secondly
there is
a recommendation.
If that's
the situation
advice must
be given
for the best
course of
action
to address
such a
poor attitude
and such
a lack
of
discipline.
And there
is the
message that
we have
then as we
move into
chapter number
six.
There is
a reference
to the
elementary
doctrine
of Christ
and it's
the basic
building blocks
that is the
very beginning
of me coming
to know
the Lord
Jesus Christ
as my
Savior.
The very
beginning of
things.
We have a
list of them
there.
The foundation
of repentance
from dead
works and
faith towards
God.
That's my
coming to
faith.
Then there
is the
instructions
about washing
and the
laying of
hands.
The way
in which
we're
devoted to
the Lord
Jesus and
the way
in which
the Spirit
of God
dwells in
our hearts.
The
resurrection
of the
dead.
The future
and eternal
judgment.
And this
is what we do
of God.
Permits basic
things.
It's the
kind of
things that
we learn
in Sunday
school.
that in
our infant
years there
were things
that were
taught to
us.
The basic
things about
salvation.
The
shorted
catechism.
The
messages that
we were
taught.
The
recommendation
is that
there must
now be
a departure.
A moving
on.
And not
in the
sense of
leaving these
things as if
they did not
matter.
It's
building on
these as
the basic
building blocks
that begin
a life of
faith.
And now
building on
that and
he says to
them,
let us
leave the
elementary
doctrine of
Christ and
go on
to
maturity.
It is
the sense
of bearing
a burden
the
going on.
It's not
simply
stepping
forward and
running
along.
It's
going on
in the
sense of
bearing a
burden.
And we
would be
kidding
ourselves if
we're going
to live the
life of
faith and
we're not
going to
carry the
burden.
The yoke of
Christ as
Christ himself
calls it,
there is that
sense of
bearing the
burden,
of bearing
the yoke,
there is
that moving
along,
bearing the
burden of
responsibility,
of learning,
and of
developing
faith.
And
interestingly,
when the
writer speaks
about going
on to
maturity,
in the
Greek language
it is the
sense of
being
passive.
And we're
not saying
that to be
complicated,
but we're
saying that
because it
draws attention
to the
fact that
God is
carrying them
along and
will carry
them along as
they go on
to maturity.
He is not
saying to
them, go off
on your own
and here is
where you're
at, but go
and embark on
this journey and
go towards
maturity and
you're going to
be on your
own doing
it.
God doesn't
work like
that.
He gave
us faith.
He gave
us of His
Holy Spirit
in our
hearts and
He gives
the strength
to us to
carry on in
the life of
faith.
It is
not quite
carrying us
along, but
it's giving
us the
strength to
go along
life's
way.
And that's
the encouragement
for you and
for me this
evening that
in our
good to
answer the
difficulties in
our faith and
our failure to
be as far on
our faith as
we should be
that we have
to go on
towards
maturity.
Maturity in
faith, of
course.
We read back
in chapter 5
and the writer
speaks about
that Jesus
Himself,
He learned
obedience from
what He
suffered and
being made
perfect,
becoming
mature, He
became the
source of
eternal
salvation.
It's
perfection,
it's maturity
in the sense
of being what
God has
designed us
to be and
to be grown
up people of
faith and the
children of
God, walking
at that level
at which we
should be
walking in
comparison to
the number of
years that we
have lived the
life of the
Christian.
God wants
me and
you to
hear this
recommendation.
He wants
us to
remember the
building blocks
and He
wants us to
use these as
a springboard
from which
He Himself
will give us
strength to
go along
through this
world in
all of its
discouragements,
in all of its
distractions,
in all of its
disappointments,
discipline to
go forward in
life with a
kind of faith
that grows
strong in the
midst of all
the challenges
and that shines
forth in the
midst of all
the examination.
We know
our children,
we know how
well they've
learned and
studied when
they have their
examination
results and
we see
results and
we can say
wow and
we can say
that because
there has
been discipline,
there has
been hard
work and
now we have
the results.
It's the
same in the
life of
faith.
And let's
be clear,
that is not
to say that
this is faith
by works,
that we are
depending on
what we do
ourselves,
but our
development is
dependent on
what we do.
We have to
work out
our salvation
with fear and
trembling because
it is God
that works in
us.
It's God
and us and
it's us and
God and so
he carries
us along.
And in
any stage of
education there
is that sense
of age and
stage relevance
and age and
stage development
and God
does not
expect the
person who
has newly
put their
trust in the
Lord Jesus
to be at
the same
stage along
this journey
as the
person who
has for a
long life
lived trusting
in the
Lord Jesus.
It is age
and stage
relevant.
God expects
the development
at every
stage but
maturity is
God's design
and God's
goal and
that's where
we're all
moving towards.
And in
many ways
if there's
an examination
as to how
much we have
learned in
the Bible
the examination
is what
proves the
genuineness of
my faith.
And when
God is
reviewing your
life and
he finds
that things
are not
the way
they should
be and
he's
calling upon
you recommending
with this
imperative that
you go on
to maturity
he is
saying that
that's how
you prove
that your
faith is
genuine
it is real.
And that's
a wake up
call.
faith is
not the
kind of
thing that
can be
hidden.
We cannot
see it
but we
can see
the evidence
offered.
By the
fruits you
shall know
them.
A good
tree will
bring forth
good fruit.
How much
does your
life confirm
that your
faith is
genuine?
genuine.
That's
challenging
for me.
It must be
challenging
for you.
That life
is what
confirms.
That's
where the
examination
result is
seen.
What kind
of life
do you
live?
What kind
of life
do I
live?
How much
does that
life show
that our
faith is
genuine?
And the
flip side
of that
of course
is that
unless
our lives
show that
our faith
is genuine
then it
raises the
critical
question
do we
have faith
at all?
And we
know that
James speaks
about faith
without works
being dead.
That's the
way it is.
Genuine
faith shines
out in
the challenges
of life
in the
midst of
all the
disappointments
all of
the
disillusionment
everything
that knocks
us down
is where
faith springs
up and
comes to
the surface
and it
begins
to shine.
There is
a review
there is
a recommendation
and finally
there is
a reflection.
reflection.
A reflection
that calls
for
careful
and
thoughtful
consideration
of what
he has
said.
And
reflections
are really
important
and the
way reflections
take shape
and the
way they
happen
they are
crucially
important.
And the
writer here
brings them
to reflect
on something
that is
really critical
to their
faith,
critical to
their Christian
experience
and concerning
which they
must be
very mindful.
If it's a
warning from
God it's
worth listening
to we
have to
listen to
it.
And the
reflection that
he does
have he
places the
spotlight on
a group of
people and
he describes
that group of
people in
verse number
four.
Those who
have once
been enlightened
those who
have tasted
the heavenly
gift who
have shared
in the Holy
Spirit and
have tasted
the goodness
of the
word of
God and
the perish
of the
age to
come.
They were
once
enlightened.
The light
of God's
Spirit shone
into their
lives.
They're part
of this
Christian
community and
as being
part of it
they themselves
received that
measure of
light.
Along with
that they
tasted
the heavenly
gift.
They tasted
something of
the grace
of salvation.
We can
taste something
and not
swallow it
because we
don't like
it.
We can
taste it
and swallow
it.
But here are
those who
have tasted
something of
the experience
the grace
of salvation.
And they
are also
those who
have shared
in the
Holy Spirit
tasted the
goodness of
the word
of God
and the
powers of
the age
to come.
The word
of God
has touched
their lives.
The kingdom
of God
which is
future
which is not
yet has
touched
their lives
also.
Their lives
have been
impacted by
the word
of God
and by
the gospel
the good
news of
Jesus Christ
and they
have seen
the light.
And it
draws our
attention
to what
can happen
and to
how much
can happen
and yet
there is no
genuine
faith.
life.
And that
alarms me
tonight.
And it
should alarm
all of us
that we
can look
as if we
have all
the
characteristics
of being
a person
of faith
and being
the child
of God
and has
gone no
deeper than
passing
experience
in life
where because
of the fact
that we're
in the
community
of faith
and under
the ministry
of the gospel
where the
Holy Spirit
of God
is working
that because
of all of
that
our lives
were impacted
for a
while.
We need
to allow
ourselves
to reflect
upon that
as the
writer wanted
them to
reflect
upon it.
They were
bearing
all the
hallmarks
of genuine
faith
and
Christianity.
it seems
that if
we were
going to
look
at this
group of
people that
he is
referring to
and we
to observe
where they're
at
we would
conclude
these are
Christians
they are
people
of faith.
And the
reflection
takes us
to the
way in
which
he speaks
about
something
that's
impossible.
And we
know that
in the
Old Testament
the Bible
tells us
with God
nothing is
impossible.
He has
the power
to do
everything
that he
must do
in order to
fulfill his
own plans.
Nothing is
impossible
with him.
In this
letter itself
it's impossible
for God
to lie.
It simply
cannot happen.
And here
there is
something else
that is
impossible.
And it
is in
relation to
God
but more
especially
it's in
relation to
you and
to me.
And the
impossibility
is with
regard to
those who
may fall
away.
If they
then fall
away.
If they
disappear
over the
edge
they're
on the
edge
anyway
because
the
faith
that they
have
is not
genuine
it hasn't
really
changed
their
hearts.
And
because of
the
disappointments
and the
distractions
and the
discouragements
they are
ready to
become
disconnected
and if
that
happens
if they
fall
over the
edge
if they
abandon
their
faith
what is
it
that's
impossible
it's
impossible
to
restore
them
again
to
repentance
the
repentance
that is
at the
very
beginning
of the
journey
of faith
the
repentance
where I
change my
mind
about my
sin
because
God
has
shone
his
light
upon it
and I
turn
away
from my
sin
and I
seek
to put
my
trust
in the
Lord
Jesus
there is
that
physical
turning
around
in the
Old
Testament
there is
that
heart
turning
around
in the
life
of
faith
in the
New
Testament
there is
that
repentance
and the
writer is
saying here
that if
there are
those
and they
did taste
something
of
Christian
experience
and it
didn't
really
reach
their
hearts
then if
they
subsequently
fall away
for whatever
reason
then it is
impossible
for them
to be
restored
again
to
repentance
there is
no lifting
up what
has fallen
down in
this case
but regularly
through the
Bible we
see that
God is
the person
who lifts
up those
who are
cast down
he lifts
up those
who fall
those who
are as
genuine
people
but in
this case
they are
a separate
case
they don't
have the
genuine
faith
they have
claims
they could
be confused
but they
don't have
the genuine
faith
and if
they fall
away
they cannot
be restored
it is
impossible
and it is
impossible
he says
because
they are
crucifying
once again
the son of
God to
their own
harm
and told him
up to
contempt
which of
course
literally
cannot
happen
Jesus died
for sin
once
and he
will return
at the
end of
this age
as we read
in chapter
9
at the
end of
this age
without
sin
he will
come to
save his
people
he died
once
for sin
but what
the writer
does mean
is that
when this
happens
the falling
away
leads to
them
aligning
themselves
with the
kind of
people
that actually
hated the
Lord Jesus
and crucified
him on
Calvary's
cross
aligning
themselves
with those
who are
the enemies
of Jesus
and who
are the
enemies
of God's
kingdom
and there
is
an example
in chapter
11
and chapter
12 of
this letter
and it's
the example
of
Esau
the brother
of Jacob
he sold
the blessing
he sold
the birthright
they were
meaningless
he didn't
see any
value in
them
but though
he
sorted
with tears
afterwards
there was
no place
for him
to have
them
restored
and that's
an awful
place to be
that I
can
fall away
from where
I am
and be in a
place where
I cannot be
restored
and like
Esau
I come to
the place
where I
suddenly realize
what I've
lost
and yet
it's without
my reach
it's out
there and I
let it go
I turned my
back upon it
and it's
no longer
available
to me
the reflection
I'm going
to close
with a
reflection
from personal
experience
which I
don't do
often
but when
I was
struggling
and trying
to seek
the Lord
and trying
to put
my trust
in the Lord
Jesus
and struggling
with all that
was happening
around me
I found
myself in
a place
and the
following
morning I
woke up
from that
place
and I
realized
that unless
I straightened
out my
life
that the
most precious
thing
that I
could see
in life
would be
lost to
me
it was
reflecting
on something
like this
this is
what I
want more
than anything
and I'm
not now
going to
let anything
else get
in the way
of that
so I
give my
life
to seeking
to know
the Lord
Jesus
and perhaps
you may be
like that
this evening
struggling
with faith
with issues
of faith
struggling
and coming
to put your
trust in
the Lord
Jesus
well if
you are
God is
telling you
tonight
don't let
that go
don't shut
that door
pray that
God will
will help
you through
that process
and will
bring you
through the
door into
his kingdom
and be
in the place
with the
people of
God
concerning
whom it
is through
that it
is impossible
to get
them out
of the
kingdom
and that
it is
impossible
for anyone
to take
them out
of the
hands
of God
may God
help us
to review
may help
us to hear
the recommendation
and may help
us to reflect
for the
improvement
of our
faith
and for the
transformation
of our
everyday
lives
may God
bless his
word
let us
pray
most
gracious
God
we
rejoice
in you
as
the
God
who
speaks
into
our
lives
and
who
highlights
for us
the
dangers
that we
are open
to
and
who
draws
our
attention
to the
riches
of your
grace
in the
gospel
help us
oh Lord
God
tonight
to see
both of
these
things
and help
us
to see
more and
more of
the value
and the
preciousness
of the
redemption
you have
secured
in the
Lord
Jesus
and give
to us
to put
our
trust
in his
name
day
by day
and to
live
for you
to hear
what you
have to
say
to us
to live
our lives
in accordance
with it
and to
so discover
the joy
of knowing
that you
are our
God
and our
saviour
our
father
in heaven
who cares
for us
endlessly
we pray
hear us
and accept
us
for Jesus
sake
Amen
the
closing
psalm
is
psalm
number
71
in the
Scottish
Psalter
at
verse
number
14
psalm
71
at
verse
number
14
it's
on
page
3
1
but I
with
expectation
will hope
continually
and yet
with praises
more and
more
I will
thee
magnify
and we're
singing from
verse 14
to
verse 17
to God's
praise
but I
with
expectation
will hope
continue
and yet
with praises
more and more
I will
be magnified
thy
justice
and
salvation
I
must
approach
a
true
in
over
it
for
I
thereof
that
numbers
do
not
know
and
I
will
haunts
and
be
go
on
it's
strength
of
God
the
Lord
!
of
thy
own
righteousness
in
life
alone
I
will
report
for
even
thought
my
youth
O
love
I
thee
I
have
been
told
and
never
do
I
have
been
here
the
wondrous
the
Lord
I
been
here
after
the
malediction
I
go to
the
door
on
my
right
the
grace
of
the
Lord
Jesus
Christ
the
love
of
God
the
Father
and
the
fellowship
of
the
Holy
Spirit
be
with
you
all
now
and
forever
more
Amen