Maturity A Must

Maturity is a Must

Rev. Sean D. Lester

June 15, 2003

Text: Hebrews 6: 1-8

Hebrews 6:1-8

Therefore 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, [2] instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. [3] And God permitting, we will do so.

[4] It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, [5] who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, [6] if 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.

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

Introduction

A. “Therefore” is the first word of the passage. It compels us to first ask the reason for which the “therefore” is there, for.

1. Since we are getting too big to have only the basics spoon-fed to us.

2.Since we are training our minds to use Scripture for decision making so that we can do what is righteous before God.

B. “Leaving the elementary teachings about Christ”

1.Foundational instructions are tools. They are meant to give you the skills that you need in order to discover truth. Like reading, writing, and arithmetic, they allow you to discover.

2.Foundational teachings do the same thing. They give you a frame of reference about the things that accompany salvation.

a. .Acts that lead to death and faith in God are the basic instructions that tell you that salvation is not a matter of religious disciplines, but a relationship built on trust with God.

b. .Instructions about baptisms tell us that we don’t just give God a part of our lives, but that our lives are totally immersed in our relationship with Him.

c. Laying on of hands is the truth about anointing people for service and imparting the Holy Spirit into them for the power to do so.

d. Resurrection of the dead is the teaching that all people will be called from the grave.

e. Eternal judgment teaches us that all people will give an account of their lives on earth to determine whether they belonged to Christ.

C. “Go on to maturity”—That is, perfection. Grown ups in the Spirit.

1.Maturity is the point when you are responsible for making good decisions about your life, and take responsibility in the work of God’s kingdom.

2.It is the difference between being a child and an adult. Age does not really determine maturity, responsibility does. An adult who won’t provide for his family and himself is immature. The same is true in the family of God.

Proposition: All believers are required to take responsibility for the work of God.

Interrogative: Does it matter if a believer matures into taking responsibility in the kingdom of God? After all, if you are saved by grace and not by works, then heaven is certain, isn’t it?

Transition: Faith in Christ is not the simple act of acknowledging that He is Lord, but the relationship you have because He is Lord. That relationship, like all relationships, is real only so long as it is maintained. For the immature believer, there are two dangers in front of them.

I. Christians who do not mature are at risk of falling away from the family of God.

a.There are blessing that come with being in the family of God that prove the conclusion that the believer’s way of life is superior to anything else.

1. They have experienced the joy of forgiveness of their sins.

2. They have experienced the fellowship through the Spirit of God and the other believers.

3. They know the power of God.

4. They have experienced the powers of the age to come, when the miraculous will become common.

b. The family of God, like every family, has a lifestyle and a business to support. However, those who reject that lifestyle, like Judas and the Jewish rulers, are in danger of withdrawing from the family of God.

1. They heard Jesus’ preaching and saw His miracles. Yet, they didn’t believe in Him, nor did they acknowledge that he was right. Instead of repenting, they had him murdered so that he would no longer be a threat to the way of life that they preferred.