Introduction

Good morning, beloved congregation. I trust that God's grace has been sufficient for you this week. We are gathered here today to peel back the layers of a passage from the book of Hebrews, a passage that calls us to grow, to mature, and to deepen our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Let's take a moment to read together from the book of Hebrews, chapter 5, verses 11 to 14:

"We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil."

A powerful set of verses, aren't they? They speak to us about the necessity of spiritual growth. They call us out of infancy and into maturity. They challenge us to move beyond the elementary truths of God's word and to feast on the solid food of His deeper teachings.

As we prepare to unpack these truths, let's remember the words of John Wycliffe, who once said, "All Christian life is to be measured by Scripture; by every word thereof." May we, too, measure our lives by the Scripture we are about to study.

Let's pray together.

"Dear Heavenly Father, we thank You for this day and for Your Word that is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. We pray that as we study Your Word today, You would open our hearts and minds to understand it. Help us to grow in our faith and to mature in our walk with You. We ask this in the precious name of Jesus. Amen."

Hebrews' Highlight on Spiritual Infancy

The book of Hebrews presents us with a vivid image of a person who is stuck in a state of spiritual infancy. This person, although they've been a believer for some time, is still reliant on the basic teachings of the faith. They're still drinking milk when they should be eating solid food.

This image is a powerful one. It's a wake-up call for us. It's a reminder that we're not meant to stay in the same place in our faith. We're meant to grow, to mature, to deepen our understanding of God's word.

But what does it mean to be in a state of spiritual infancy? What does it look like to be stuck in this stage of our faith journey?

Firstly, being in a state of spiritual infancy means that we're still reliant on the basic teachings of the faith. We're still drinking milk, so to speak. We're still learning the ABCs of Christianity. We're still grappling with the fundamental truths of who God is, what He has done for us, and how we should respond to Him.

This isn't necessarily a bad thing. After all, we all have to start somewhere. We all have to learn the basics before we can move on to the more complex aspects of our faith. But the problem arises when we stay in this stage for too long. When we become complacent. When we stop pushing ourselves to learn more, to understand more, to grow more.

Secondly, being in a state of spiritual infancy means that we're not equipped to teach others about our faith. The writer of Hebrews tells us that by this time, we ought to be teachers. But instead, we need someone to teach us the elementary truths of God's word all over again.

This is a sobering thought. As believers, we're called to share our faith with others. We're called to make disciples of all nations. But how can we do this if we're still stuck in the basics? How can we teach others if we ourselves need to be taught with the basic teachings?

Thirdly, being in a state of spiritual infancy means that we're not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. We're not familiar with the deeper aspects of God's word. We're not able to discern between good and evil. This is a serious issue. As believers, we're called to live righteous lives. We're called to be holy as God is holy. But how can we do this if we don't understand what righteousness is? How can we live holy lives if we can't distinguish between good and evil?

Finally, being in a state of spiritual infancy means that we're not growing in our faith. We're not maturing. We're not deepening our understanding of God's word. We're not becoming more like Christ. This is the ultimate goal of our faith journey. To become more like Christ. To be transformed into His image. But how can we achieve this goal if we're not growing? How can we become more like Christ if we're still stuck in spiritual infancy?

The book of Hebrews challenges us to move beyond this state of spiritual infancy. It calls us to grow, to mature, to deepen our understanding of God's word. It beckons us to leave behind the milk and partake of the solid food.

Hindrances to Spiritual Growth

In the realm of spiritual growth, there are certain barriers that can hinder our progress ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO