Preach This: Hebrews 6:4-6 Series

Communion Sunday: Play video Body worship during the passing out of the elements.

On the lighter side of life:

Open up with funny signs and then end with the picture of the signs pointing in different directions.

We can learn from the Bible which way to go if we listen to its directions.

Today we are continuing with questions from the survey we passed out a few months back. You had the opportunity to challenge the pastor to “preach this!” You had the opportunity to answer questions people had about the Bible and Christianity.

Preach this: Hebrews 6:4-6

Thesis: “Can a Christian Lose their salvation?”

Primary Scripture Text:

Hebrews 6 :1-8 (NASB)

The Peril of Falling Away

1Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,

2of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment.

3And this we will do, if God permits.

4For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit,

5and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come,

6and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.

7For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God;

8but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned.

Hebrews 6:4-6 (NIV)

1Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God,

2instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.

3And God permitting, we will do so.

4It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit,

5who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age,

6if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because£ to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.

7Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God.

8But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned.

Hebrews 6:1-6: The Message

1So come on, let’s leave the preschool finger painting exercises on Christ and get on with the grand work of art. Grow up in Christ. The basic foundational truths are in place: turning your back on “salvation by self-help” and turning in trust toward God;

2baptismal instructions; laying on of hands; resurrection of the dead; eternal judgment.

3God helping us, we’ll stay true to all that. But there’s so much more. Let’s get on with it!

4Once people have seen the light, gotten a taste of heaven and been part of the work of the Holy Spirit,

5once they’ve personally experienced the sheer goodness of God’s Word and the powers breaking in on us—

6if then they turn their backs on it, washing their hands of the whole thing, well, they can’t start over as if nothing happened. That’s impossible. Why, they’ve re-crucified Jesus! They’ve repudiated him in public!

7Parched ground that soaks up the rain and then produces an abundance of carrots and corn for its gardener gets God’s “Well done!”

8But if it produces weeds and thistles, it’s more likely to get cussed out. Fields like that are burned, not harvested.

Other Scripture texts that refer to what is addressed in Hebrews:

Matthew 24:22-27:

22“If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.

23At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it.

24For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.

25See, I have told you ahead of time.

26“So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it.

27For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.