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.
2. The same thing happens when anyone who is a part of the family of God resents its lifestyle. Instead of changing their hearts and minds toward Jesus, they remove themselves from the family of God, in effect recrucifying Jesus in their hearts so that they may live lifestyles contrary to the Word of God.
D. Those who remove themselves from the family of God cannot be brought back to repentance.
1. And believe me, I have tried. It won’t work. I have been paraded around to see people who at one time were “on fire” for Jesus, but for whatever reason, left the family of God for a different way of life. It is a frustrating experience because they will acknowledge that God’s way is right, that they should be in the family of God. But they won’t do it contrary to what they know is right. They are the worst kind of lost soul.
2. They removed themselves, and they must of their own decision bring themselves back or they will never be restored.
Transition: Immature Christians are not only at risk of removing themselves from the family of God, they are at risk of being removed by God from the family as well.
II.Christians who do not mature are useless and in danger of being removed.
A. You are the ground from which the Lord hopes to gain a crop of souls, a beautiful garden of worship. And a testimony of His goodness before the world.
1. The word of God is as common and widespread as rain in this country. Preachers and teachers are everywhere for us to access.
2. Prosperity of soul and personal wealth are available to all who are part of God’s family.
3. God’s promises are at work in every believers’ life, and confirm the truth and mercy of God.
B. However, you must choose to right with the blessings that God has given you.
1. People who take in the good things of God can be useful for God. This happens when they receive from God, and in turn put what He has given to work for His will. They give so the church may be supported, and its missions. They invite people to church and tell them about the salvation that comes only through Jesus. They are involved in the task of raising disciples. God will cultivate them and make them to be a blessed people who carry on His name. (Cornelius, Zaccheus)
2. People who take in the good things of God, yet use them for their own purposes, are useless to God. They enjoy His blessings, use them up, and then ask for more blessings. Sometimes, they even demand more blessings. (Simon the Sorcerer, Ananias and Sapphira)
Transition: Everything that God gives you, he gives as an investment into His kingdom. The fact that you have time off on the weekends is a blessing to be used for His kingdom. The fact that you have income is an investment in His kingdom. Your friends and family, are a blessing to be used to enlarge God’s family.
Conclusion:
A. Salvation is a free gift. The gift of entry into God’s family because of the price Jesus paid for your salvation. It is a serious business we are in, and everyone is expected to be a part of it.
B. It is not too late for anyone who will accept their place at the family table. You can be a part of the work of God. You can accept your inheritance along with everyone else. Get to work, take responsibility. The family business must be done!
