When we think of Thanksgiving we often think of food. While we all know that Turkey is the top food for the Thanksgiving meal in America; the favorite side dishes vary. Yet, this week I did a little study to see which side dishes are America’s favorite.
Are you ready for this?
1. Stuffing; of course
2. Mom’s macaroni and cheese
2. Sweet Potato Casserole
3. Green Bean Casserole
5. Garlic Mashed Potatoes
What about the favorite desserts?
1. Apple Pie
2. Pumpkin Pie
3. Cheese Cake
4. Pound Cake
5. Kentucky Derby Pie
But what is interesting is, that 11,034, 857 people will have only milk for Thanksgiving dinner. That’s 3.3% of America’s population. Crazy right? The reason why is because 3.3 percent of the population are babies.
Babies, unfortunately can’t enjoy a Thanksgiving meal like you and me. It’s not a matter of the meal being unavailable; it’s a matter of the having the maturity and development necessary to experience it.
Transition:
As the writer of the Hebrews approaches the recipients of this book; He looks at them and says in verse 12: “...you have come to need milk and not solid food.”
The Book of Hebrews was written around 30 years after Jesus had died, risen, and ascended to heaven and many of the people this passage was originally written to had been followers of Jesus for up to 30 years.
Yet, the writer says: “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food.” Vs. 12
In other words, you should have been feasting on God’s Word and living out an abundant life in Jesus for a long time now, yet you are still in the spiritual high chair, sitting and sucking on a Biblical bottle when you should be preparing the spiritual meal and feeding others while enjoying the journey yourselves.
Yet, instead leading you have been loitering and laying around like a baby.
Yikes! Not the easiest thing to hear is it? Yet, as we approach this Thanksgiving, let’s take a moment to think about our spiritual maturity. Who are we currently like? This guy?
or this guy?
Transitional Sentence: In this passage God gives us three important lessons about growing spiritually. It tell us that if we are going to grow spiritually three things have got to happen:
I. We’ve Got to Know Why We Need To Grow
Vs. 11- “Concerning him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.”
Explanation:
When you were born, you were born to grow. As a matter of fact, God designed your body to grow. It started in your mother’s womb.
Think about it: When you were born, your body was designed with feet. Yet, those feet, in your mother’s didn’t have much purpose. If you were designed to stay in the womb, those feet would have been pretty useless. It’s pretty tight in there. There’s no room nor opportunity to run, walk, or even roam around.
Your feet were designed for the “outside” not the “inside.” They were designed to grow, gain coordination, and to walk on the ground “outside” the womb. You were designed for a better place, You were designed to grow. To walk. To run. To get places outside the womb.
Physically it is obvious that growth matters. Failure to thrive is a serious issue for babies and children who fail to grow properly.
Yet, failure to grow spiritually often goes unnoticed or undetected.
But, lack of spiritual growth is even more critical than lack of physical growth. Notice what Ephesians 4:14 says: “We are not meant to remain as children at the mercy of every change wind and teaching... instead we are meant to hold firmly to the truth in love and the grow up in every way into Christ.”
As the writer of Hebrews addresses the lack of spiritual growth; he describes it in an interesting way. He says: “Concerning him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.” Vs. 11
In this statement, He clearly notes that one of the first signs and signals of the lack of spiritual growth is this: There is a break down in the ability to hear and follow Jesus’s voice.
Listen: If you can’t hear God speak to you; your spiritual life is in a critical state. This is why:
In John 16:13 Jesus said this: “...but when He, the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.”
Likewise, Jesus said: “My sheep hear my voice, they know me, and they follow me.” John 10:27
Jesus even said this: “He that has ears, let him hear.” Matthew 11:15
When you are born again, God gives you spiritual ears. The recipients of the Book of Hebrews had spiritual ears. We know this because in verse 11, the writer does not argue that they are unable to hear because they lack “spiritual ears” instead, He argues that they have become “dull of hearing.”
The word “dull” comes from the Greek Word “nothros” which is the marriage of two words. One word means “no” the other word means “push.” So it means: “no push” or perhaps better understood as “slow”, “sluggish” numb, or thick.
Believe it or not, it was a word used in that day to describe a mule. Some said that it meant: “Mule headed- or unwilling to listen.”
The fact is: If Jesus is in your life; God designed for you to grow in your ability to hear God’s voice in your life. It’s imperative and important. Without hearing God’s voice how can you follow Jesus? How can you fulfill God’s plan and purpose for your life? How can you hear from God?
Illustration: Catfish ears
With no visible ears, it might seem that catfish can’t hear well, but that’s not true. A catfish’s body is the same density as water, so it doesn’t need external ears.
So how does a catfish hear? Let me read the scientific explanation: “Sound waves traveling through water go right through a catfish as well. When sound waves hit the fish’s swim bladder, the bladder starts vibrating. This amplifies sound waves, which then travel to small bones (otoliths) in the inner ear. The otoliths start vibrating, too, and as they vibrate, they bend little hair-like projections on the cells beneath them. Nerves in these cells carry a sound message to the brain.”
Application:
When Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice. I know them and they follow me” (John 10:27), he wasn’t referring to external ears processing sound waves, but to a deeper spiritual perception.
Someone once asked the late Adrian Rogers who was Pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee: “Dr. Rogers do you mean to tell me that you can hear the voice of God audibly?” Rogers responded: “No its louder than that.”
When we struggle to grow spiritually one of the first things we will say is: “I can’t hear God speaking to me anymore, or worse, our number #1 question is, How can I hear the voice of God.”
The writer of Hebrews was being led by the Holy Spirit to help the Hebrews understand the deeper things of scripture. They needed to understand Jesus in contrast to Abraham’s High Priest Melchizedek; but it was hard to explain because they weren’t hearing well. They could not understand the deep things of God and the practical applications of the Bible to their life.
Listen: Spiritual growth is imperative because you need to hear and apply God’s Word in your life each day. Without it, you are in a critical place when it comes to the leadership of your life.
Transitional Sentence: In this passage God gives us three important lessons about growing spiritually. It tell us that if we are going to grow spiritually three things have got to happen:
II. We’ve Got Know What Makes Us Grow
vs, 12-13- For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the oracles of God, and you have to come need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant.”
Explanation:
What does it take to grow up? The first thing it requires is for us to humble ourselves.
As I mentioned before, this passage is written to some people who had been Christians for several decades. They had heard about Jesus and had been taught the truths of God’s Word for a long time. Yet, the writer comes to humble them again and say: “You’re not as mature as you think you are.”
Did you know that you can grow old and never grow up? There are people who are 50, 60, and 70 years old who still behave as children. Can I get a witness. (Ladies, quit elbowing your husbands. That’s not nice.)
The writer tells us that that some of these Christians that age on them were still infants. One of the weirdest things about spiritual immaturity is that often we don’t notice it in our own lives.
One of the reasons why is because we can read the Bible through 100’s of times and yet, God is still trying to get the Word into us. The writer says: “By this time you ought to be teachers; but you need someone to come back and teach you the elementary principles...”
The writer uses a well-known picture to help us “get the picture.” He says: “You have come to need milk and not solid food.” Vs. 12
He basically says, you’re still on milk. What’s the difference between spiritual milk and solid food? Write this down: You are still on spiritual milk if you are able to take God’s Word in intellectually but don’t live out God’s Word spiritually in your daily life.
Some people study the Bible to get the content; but it doesn’t change their life. You are a milk Christian simply by just learning what God’s Word says. Yet, a meat Christian doesn’t just know what it says, but uses it when it comes to making the decisions of their life.
Beware of the “know it all” Christian. Beware of the guy that always has all the answers. Beware if you can’t learn anything and don’t know how to be a student.
Jesus says: “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as a little children , you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:3
When we are humble, God’s Word is like a seed that falls on soft and fertile soil. If you harden you can regress and be where you an only handle milk again. It is imperative to be a student and learner in life. God is never finished teaching you.
In verse 13 we see what humble students of Jesus start experiencing; they become accustomed to the “word of righteousness.” Do you know what “the word of righteousness” does? It makes you more righteous.
Things change in your life. You handle your weaknesses God’s way. Your life is filled with spiritual fruit. Here’s the list: Love, you are more loving. Joy, you have more joy in life. Peace, you handle your frustrations better. Longsuffering, you deal with difficult people in a righteous way. Gentleness. Patience, and Meekness; you learn to speak the truth in love.
Let me just say: Don’t you like being around people like this? They are pleasant. Christ-like, genuinely righteous.
Which had you rather hang out with?
a) Someone who is loving, or someone that is hateful and rude?
b) Someone who has real joy, or a grumpy old complainer?
c) Someone who is at peace or someone who is an endless nervous wreck and worrier?
d) Someone who is longsuffering who is consistent in their faith, or someone who is
consistently frustrated? Afraid? Ready to throw in the towel?
e) Someone who is gentle, patient, and meek? Or gruff, rough, rude, non-compliant? Non-
cooperative?
To grow, we all have to come to Jesus like kids who are in the struggle and need a Savior to lead, rescue, speak into their life, and fill them with love, joy, peace. Longsuffering, gentleness, patience, meekness, and temperance.
Maybe the best place to start is right here at this altar this morning. To come like a child and say, “Jesus, I’m here to unload my pride and problems and give them to you. I’m here as your child and I need you.”
That’s exactly where the writer of Hebrews was pointing the readers of this book to. He wanted those standing to fall to their knees and be a student and a Kings kid again.
Illustration: Dust of the ground- value
If you need to be humbled, think about what God made you from?
Genesis 2:7 says that we were formed “from the dust of the ground.” Therefore, as far as our bodies go, we are earthlings -- or dignified dirt.
I did some study to see what the value of a few bags of dirt are. Lowes sells dirt for between $3.00 and $5.00 per 40-pound bag and the average weight of an America male is 197.6 pounds. The average weight of an American female 170.8 so on average we are about 4-5 bags of dirt.
So in those parameters our value as dirt is about $20-$25 bucks.
So humility should not be too hard for us. Right? In contrast, the average car is $48,008.00 so think about it: $20-$25 dollars is driving a $48k car living in the suburbs in a $400,000 house, eating out once a week for almost your total dirt value. (Don’t be calling anyone a dirt bag ok?) ?
Application:
Aren’t you glad that we are not valued by God more than our “dirt” value? God made you but values you enough to come down, live, die, raise again, and to desire to be in your life and help you grow in your relationship with Him?
This type of love for us ought to literally cause us to humbly seek Him more than anyone or anything on this planet made of dirt.
As we humble ourselves and seek Him, we should hang on every word that comes from God.
Joshua 1:8 says: “Always remember what is written in this Book. Read it and think about it every day and be sure to obey everything written in it. If you do this, you will be prosperous and successful in your life.”
Humbling ourselves and seeking the oracles and righteous words of truth should be more than a priority; it should be the passion of our lives.
Transitional Sentence: In this passage God gives us three important lessons about growing spiritually. It tell us that if we are going to grow spiritually three things have got to happen:
III. We Need to Know What Keeps Us Growing
Vs. 14- “But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.”
Explanation:
As the writer concludes this portion of his discussion about spiritual growth; he reminds us that spiritual growth doesn’t happen automatically. It takes training and practice.
He concludes by likening spiritual growth to the practice and training of an athlete. Growing spiritually will require time, effort, and discipline.
Paul in 1 Timothy said this: “Train yourself in godliness. Exercise for the body is not useless, but godliness is useful in every respect, possessing, as it does, the promise of Life now and in the life which is soon coming.”
As a runner, one thing I know, if there is a season where I stop running, when you take it back up again, you don’t start back where you left off.
The same is true in the gym. You can lift weights, get ripped, and if you give it a short season of rest, you will get flabby again.
Do you know when the worst time to try to sell a gym membership is in America? Right now between Thanksgiving week and Christmas. There’s no motivation. People want to eat, go to parties, ignore their waistline.
Yet, do you know when the best time is to sell a gym membership? January. Why? People look in the mirror and see the results of the slack time and want change.
Illustration: Why people quit training and practicing
I was reading this week the top excuses for quitting an exercise of health program:
a. No time. (Yet we make time for everything else)
b) We want too much too fast. (We want those things we see on the internet to work that melts
away fat)
c) The wrong motivation. (For example: The desire lose weight instead of want to be healthy)
d) It’s not always fun and it hurts.
e) Lack of support. The people around you aren’t interested in getting healthy)
Application:
Probably the same reasons can be applied to spiritual practices in our life. Whether it be getting into God’s Word, participating in a small group discipleship, sharing our faith regularly, or building your life on truth.
Our church focus is simply that: “We exist to encounter God and build transformed lives on the truth of His Word.” Our goal is God’s goal--- to introduce you to Jesus and to help you grow closer and more like Him every day.
This is the same goal that Paul had for the churches as a missionary. He said: “Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.” Colossians 1:28
Spiritual birth is not God’s ultimate goal for your life; just like God’s ultimate goal was not just for to be physically born; His goal is for you to spiritually grow and become a mature believer.
When a mother has a baby, it’s not over; its only started. God wants us to grow and keep growing, so that we will become more and more like Jesus until we see Him face to face.
Invitation:
The church is a birthing room; it is a school room and living room where you learn and grow up-- a place you can call “home.” We invite you home this Thanksgiving. Come join us today.
But perhaps today you need to first be born again, and get started with spiritual growth. Whatever your place and position is today; come; you’ve got a home here with us.
