The Anchor Of The Soul Series

The Anchor of the Soul

Hebrews Series * Heb. 5.11-6.20

April 2, 2014 Chester’s FBC, Chester, IL Dr. Mike Fogerson, Speaker

Introduction:

A A traveler to Greece witnessed a worker cleaning the Pantheon; the worker commented to the tourist, “You know, what 25 centuries could not do to this beautiful structure, the corrosive breath of the 21st century is quickly doing!”

1 Our nation is suffering from the corrosive immoral breath of the 21st century.

a Secularism, humanism, materialism, liberalism, commercialism have devastated our sources of security.

aa The bedrock of our society has been eroded (Families, marriages, homes)

bb Big Government & Big Business have put us in Big Trouble (With all the whistles & bells: Fear, anxiety, despair, hopelessness, uncertainty, & insecurity)

b Churches have abdicated its authority & power at the altar of “Seeker Friendliness.”

aa The Ol’Ship of Zion is full of passengers who feel as helpless, defeated as cruise goers on a stranded Luxury Liner sitting dead in the water.

bb Our churches are overcrowded with weak pulpits, spineless preachers, and often times pews filled with Christians who know less about God than unbelievers.

2 The passage we’ll read in Hebrews speaks directly to the enemies & essentials of hope.

Hebrews 6:11-12 (NASB) 11 And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, 12 so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

a In a world shrouded in hopelessness it is important there is a strong testimony from the Church that we know where true hope rests, in Christ.

b Heb. 6.11, “show . . . the full assurance of hope until the end.”; To do that we must deal with the enemies & essentials of our hope.

c Heb. 6.12, encourages the believer to “ . . .imitate those who through faith & patience inherit what has been promised.”

B The text of this message is often misunderstood, & is a difficult passage to exegete.

1 Remember, Paul is educating his audience by comparing the Ancient Israel’s exodus to the first century believer trust/hope/faithfulness to YHWH.

a If you remember your OT, after Israel left Egypt they soon found wanted to go back.

aa The result was that an entire generation failed to inherit what God had promised them.

bb They were delivered out of Egypt, but they never enjoyed the promised rest in Canaan.

cc Many Believers today make the same mistake: They get saved but make no spiritual progress.

b The misunderstandings & misinterpretations of this passage can be steered cleared of if we keep in mind that the emphasis of this section is on making spiritual progress.

2 Pray

I The Enemies of Assurance (5.11-6.8)

A Hebrews 5:11 - 6:8 (NASB) 11 Concerning him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 12 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. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.1 Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. 3 And this we will do, if God permits. 4 For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame. 7 For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; 8 but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned.

1 Immaturity (5:11-6:3)

a “Dull” (vs. 11) would be better translated as “lazy” or “slothful”; An I don’t care, attitude towards the Word of God.

aa These believers started their backward journey by “drifting” from the Word. (2:1-4) then “doubting” the Word. (3:7-4:13) And the result is now, “dull of hearing.”