Training Vs. Trying Series

Good morning. Please open your Bibles to Hebrews 5. We are starting a new series called “Next Steps.” Appropriate for the beginning of the year, isn’t it? The New Year is always a great time to try to begin a new program or routine or regimen. Nothing wrong with that. There is something about turning the calendar page that gets us into the mode of first steps.

A 2018 survey showed that 44% of American adults said they were likely to make a new year’s resolution.

These were most popular resolutions:

1. Exercise more (13%)

2. Stop Smoking (12%)

3. Lose Weight (10%)

4. Be a better person (9%)

5. Spend less money/save more (8%)

6. Improve health, Self-Improvement (6%)

7. Other (5%)

8. Use time better, go back to school, enjoy life, or get closer to God (3%)

So it shouldn’t surprise anyone that more gym memberships happen in January than any other month. More people sign up for diet plans in January. More people start reading their Bibles. More people listen to Dave Ramsey.

But guess what happens in February? More people stop going to the gym. More people give up on their diets. More people stop reading their Bibles.

Now, as a pastor, I can tell you that I really don’t care whether or not you exercise more. I mean, I do, but I don’t. I can’t give you any advice on quitting smoking. I’m all for it, but whether you smoke or not makes zero difference in your spiritual life. And while I can point you to biblical principles about money, I will never be an expert on how to manage your money.

What I do care about is that you grow in your Christian maturity. That’s why we are beginning the year talking about spiritual disciplines. My prayer is that a commitment to grow in Christ isn’t just a new year’s resolution.

The author of the letter to the Hebrews had a lot to say about spiritual maturity. Let’s look at our passage together. This is Hebrews 5, beginning in verse 13. If you are physically able, please stand to honor the reading of God’s Word:

11 About this 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 need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, 13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. 14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Let’s pray…

I want to start with a little background on the book of Hebrews. It was written around AD 67-70, so about thirty years or so after Jesus had risen from the dead and ascended into heaven. No one knows who wrote Hebrews, but since it is called Hebrews, we can assume the primary audience is Jewish Christians. In other words, some of the very first to believe the gospel about Jesus.

And let’s remember the last thing Jesus said to His disciples when He left the earth. He said, in Matthew 28,

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I’ll be with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Jesus didn’t say “go and make believers, or go and make church members.” He said, Go and make disciples. And notice, He didn’t say, “baptize them, then give yourself a pat on the back and declare mission accomplished.” He said baptize them and teach them to obey everything I’ve taught you.”

So fast forward to the book of Hebrews. A generation after Jesus gives this command, and what do we find?

A bunch of members. A bunch of baby Christians.

The writer has just laid down some of the most complicated teaching in the entire New Testament, about how Jesus is a priest in the order of Melchizidek. And in verse 13, it’s like the writer stops himself and says, “You know, I know you guys aren’t tracking with me.” (preachers and teachers can tell that, you know). He says, “I would love to unpack this with you, but y’all ain’t getting’ it.” Verse 11 says, that they have become “dull of hearing.” That’s actually one of the nicer translations. The NIV says, “you don’t even try to understand,” and the CSB says, “You’re too lazy to understand.”

Remember these are Christians. He’s not saying they have given up on God; he’s saying they have given up on moving forward in spiritual maturity. Did you know you can be a Christian and give up on growing spiritually? It’s possible to be at church every weekend and no longer be trying to grow closer to Jesus.