People Who Live On Milk

I. EXORDIUM:

Are you hungry and thirsty of the WORD?

II. AUDIENCE PROFILE:

Believers

III. OBJECTIVES:

To show that we need to be like babies in desiring the WORD, yet mature in understanding it.

IV. TEXT:

Hebrews 5:13 (Amplified Bible)

5:13 For everyone who continues to feed on milk is obviously inexperienced and unskilled in the doctrine of righteousness (of conformity to the divine will in purpose, thought, and action), for he is a mere infant [not able to talk yet]!

V. THESIS:

I am thirsty in the milk of the WORD, I am growing in the milk of the WORD and skillful in the WORD of righteousness.

VI. TITLE:

People Who Live On Milk

VII. EXPLICATION:

A. Date of writing: Before AD. 70

B. Style of writing: Best Greek style

C. Authorship: Not specific, but generally attributed to Apostle Paul. Can be also ascribed to Barnabas, Luke, Apollos

D. Audience: Hebrew Christians

E. Theme: Christ is superior to the prophets; Christ is superior to angels—J. Vernon McGee's Thru The Bible

F. Purpose: The chief doctrinal purpose of the writer was to show the transcendent glory of the Christian dispensation, as compared with that of the Old Testament.—Thompson Chain - Bible Book Outlines

G. Keyword: better

VIII. MAIN BODY:

A. They are obviously inexperienced and unskilled in the doctrine of righteousness

"For everyone who continues to feed on milk is obviously inexperienced and unskilled in the doctrine of righteousness (of conformity to the divine will in purpose, thought, and action),"

Unskillful is "apeiros" in Greek meaning:

1. inexperienced - never experienced the LORD in their lives

2. ignorant - ignorant of GOD's WORD - JESUS in their lives

Doctrine of righteousness is the "WORD of righteousness"

Romans 1:17-18 (Amplified Bible)

1:17 For in the Gospel a righteousness which God ascribes is revealed, both springing from faith and leading to faith [disclosed through the way of faith that arouses to more faith]. As it is written, The man who through faith is just and upright shall live and shall live by faith.

1:18 For God’s [holy] wrath and indignation are revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who in their wickedness repress and hinder the truth and make it inoperative.

If you don't even know where to look for Habakkuk or Joel in the Old Testament then you are unskillful in the WORD, you have rejected the knowledge of these experiences with the LORD, all you feed on are milk, then you are unskillfull, inexperienced and ignorant of GOD's relationship with you.

Romans 10:5-6 (Amplified Bible)

10:5 For Moses writes that the man who [can] practice the righteousness (perfect conformity to God’s will) which is based on the Law [with all its intricate demands] shall live by it.

10:6 But the righteousness based on faith [imputed by God and bringing right relationship with Him] says, Do not say in your heart, Who will ascend into Heaven? that is, to bring Christ down;

2 Corinthians 3:9 (Amplified Bible)

3:9 For if the service that condemns [the ministration of doom] had glory, how infinitely more abounding in splendor and glory must be the service that makes righteous [the ministry that produces and fosters righteous living and right standing with God]!

B. They are mere infant (not able to talk yet)

"for he is a mere infant [not able to talk yet]"

A babe or infant is "nepios" in Greek meaning:

1. negation

2. figuratively a simple minded person, an immature Christian

3. an infant, babe, not yet speaking

If you can't still speak, then how can you teach?

Romans 2:20 (Amplified Bible)

2:20 You are] a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of the childish, having in the Law the embodiment of knowledge and truth—

Isaiah 28:9 (Amplified Bible)

28:9 To whom will He teach knowledge? [Ask the drunkards.] And whom will He make to understand the message? Those who are babies, just weaned from the milk and taken from the breasts? [Is that what He thinks we are?]

1 Corinthians 14:20 (Amplified Bible)

14:20 Brethren, do not be children [immature] in your thinking; continue to be babes in [matters of] evil, but in your minds be mature [men].

Ephesians 4:14 (Amplified Bible)

4:14 So then, we may no longer be children, tossed [like ships] to and fro between chance gusts of teaching and wavering with every changing wind of doctrine, [the prey of] the cunning and cleverness of unscrupulous men, [gamblers engaged] in every shifting form of trickery in inventing errors to mislead.

Be like babes in desiring the milk of the WORD but in thinking, understanding and in our mind be mature.

IX. CONCLUSION:

I am thirsty in the milk of the WORD, I am growing in the milk of the WORD and skillful in the WORD of righteousness.