They Abandoned Their Faith

I. EXORDIUM:

Have you abandoned your faith? Do you have faith in JESUS in the first place?

II. AUDIENCE PROFILE:

Believers

III. OBJECTIVES:

To show that faith is our overcoming factor.

IV. TEXT:

Hebrews 6:6 (Today's English Version)

6:6 And then they abandoned their faith! It is impossible to bring them back to repent again, because they are again crucifying the Son of God and exposing him to public shame.

V. THESIS:

I am victorious, I am more than an overcomer because of my faith in JESUS.

VI. TITLE:

They Abandoned Their Faith

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:

Review: Hebrews 6:4-5

People who were impossible to restore are:

1. Those who have been once for all enlightened -- we need not only to be enlightened, we need to be the light ourselves.

2. Who have consciously tasted the heavenly gift -- tasted only, but for us, we need to consume and drink in our heart's delight, until overflowing, eat and drink JESUS CHRIST Himself.

3. Who have become sharers of the HOLY SPIRIT -- sharers only, why not make your whole body, the temple of the HOLY SPIRIT. Why not let the HOLY SPIRIT dwell in your body?

4. Those who live by their five senses not by faith -- no feelings, no five senses, make sure faith is our lifestyle.

a. They have felt how good the WORD of GOD is

b. They have felt the mighty powers of the age

c. They have felt the mighty powers of the world to come

Hebrews 6:4-5 (Amplified Bible)

6:4 For it is impossible [to restore and bring again to repentance] those who have been once for all enlightened, who have consciously tasted the heavenly gift and have become sharers of the Holy Spirit,

6:5 And have felt how good the Word of God is and the mighty powers of the age and world to come,

A. It's impossible to bring them back to repent again

"And then they abandoned their faith! It is impossible to bring them back to repent again,"

Isaiah 1:28 (Amplified Bible)

1:28 But the crushing and destruction of rebels and sinners shall be together, and they who forsake the Lord shall be consumed.

2 Timothy 2:25 (Amplified Bible)

2:25 He must correct his opponents with courtesy and gentleness, in the hope that God may grant that they will repent and come to know the Truth [that they will perceive and recognize and become accurately acquainted with and acknowledge it],

Because, in the first place, there's no faith to be restored.

B. They are again crucifying the SON of GOD, and exposing Him to public shame

"because they are again crucifying the Son of God and exposing him to public shame."

Hebrews 10:29 (Amplified Bible)

10:29 How much worse (sterner and heavier) punishment do you suppose he will be judged to deserve who has spurned and [thus] trampled underfoot the Son of God, and who has considered the covenant blood by which he was consecrated common and unhallowed, thus profaning it and insulting and outraging the [Holy] Spirit [Who imparts] grace (the unmerited favor and blessing of God)?

Mark 15:29-32 (Amplified Bible)

15:29 And those who passed by kept reviling Him and reproaching Him abusively in harsh and insolent language, wagging their heads and saying, Aha! You Who would destroy the temple and build it in three days,

15:30 Now rescue Yourself [from death], coming down from the cross!

15:31 So also the chief priests, with the scribes, made sport of Him to one another, saying, He rescued others [from death]; Himself He is unable to rescue.

15:32 Let the Christ (the Messiah), the King of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see [it] and trust in and rely on Him and adhere to Him! Those who were crucified with Him also reviled and reproached Him [speaking abusively, harshly, and insolently].

These people are stubborn enemies of CHRIST and because of their envy, they can't believe on CHRIST that can save them.

IX. CONCLUSION:

I am victorious, I am more than an overcomer because of my faith in JESUS.

1 John 5:4 (Amplified Bible)

5:4 For whatever is born of God is victorious over the world; and this is the victory that conquers the world, even our faith.