Strathalbyn Church of Christ

Hebrews 5:11-6:20. Theme: Hold fast to hope! Sermon by Pastor David Williams. Strathalbyn Church of Christ. 3 Oct 2021.

Jack, you’re a dull blockhead! Jill, will you never stop daydreaming? Our writer is like an exasperated teacher! He has just been telling the readers, Since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens … so let us hold firmly to our faith, 4:14. This is a great hope and hope is the theme of today’s passage. There are 5 parts to it:

Our Hope

i. Don’t be lazy & childish 5:11-14

ii. But let us go on to maturity 6:1-3

iii. For there is no hope without Christ 6:4-8

iv. So be diligent in hope! 6:9-12

v. Hold fast to hope! 6:13-20

1. Don’t be Lazy & childish 5:11-14

Talking of this great hope – the writer says: 11 About this we have much to say … Yet his readers are falling asleep. They’re not even trying. “… it is hard to explain, since you have become too lazy to understand. You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things of God’s word”, 11-12.

For any new Christian, there are several important things to learn. Just for starters, there are things we need to know for our salvation, to live godly lives, to share our faith, to recognise and correct false teaching, and to build his church. The tragedy of the church in the West is we have given up on learning. Christianity is a religion of the book. Our God wrote a book for our salvation and life (Heb 4:12, 2 Tim 3:15-17). We cannot grow in faith without immersing ourselves in God’s word (1 Pet 2:2).

There are many barriers to learning:

i. Postmodernism rejects any book that claims to have all the truth. It says, truth is whatever I experience. So, we have Christians today who never read the Bible and instead rely on experience for their spiritual kicks.

ii. There are those who genuinely struggle with reading and learning. My heart goes out to you. God doesn’t expect us all to be theological scholars. And anyway, many of those scholars do not even know the Lord. But God does expect us to meditate on his word day and night (Psalm 1). We do not live by bread alone but every word that proceeds from the mouth of God (Matt 4:4). If we can’t read, we can still listen. Whatever it takes, immerse yourself in God’s word.

iii. There is a reverse snobbery about being anti-intellectual. Us Aussie blokes are masters at this. And it’s not just those who struggled at school. Even doctors and engineers who are highly skilled and qualified are often babies when it comes to studying God’s word.

Again, I’m not talking about being Bible scholars – but we do need to listen to God’s word and use the minds he has made to think about his word. Paul finishes his letter to the Philippians with these words. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right … think about such things, Phil 4:8_._

iv. And then there is sheer laziness: you have become too lazy to understand, v11_._ The writer compares them to babies. _You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child,_ v12-13.

He is amazed at their lack of growth. You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others, v12. Notice the expectation is that all his readers would grow up to be teachers. Are you a teacher of the faith? You should be. But you say, I don’t have the gift. Ok, not all are equipped to be pastors and preachers. Yet all can and should teach (2 Tim 2:24, 3:14-15). The older ones in faith should teach the younger ones. Teaching can be such a simple thing.

A friend says, what do you believe? Teach him, God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life, Jn 3:16. A brother is struggling with bad company. Teach him, “My son, if sinners entice you, do not give in to them” Prov 1:10. You see a friend who is rejected for her faith, teach her, “Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus”, 2 Tim 2:3.

The learning we need is not just head learning but heart learning, not just words, but deeds. We are to love God with … all our minds and all our strength (Mk 12:30). A Christian who exercises only mind or only muscle will end up very lopsided and of no use to anyone. So, as well as knowing the Word of God we need to put its teaching into practice: Solid food is for the mature, who through constant practice have the skill to recognise the difference between good and evil, 14.

As a child learns right from wrong, so we need to learn what is foolish from what is godly. This is something we never master, for we so quickly forget. And the goal posts are always changing – each era of our lives brings new challenges and temptations.

How to change?

a. Start learning. The TGC conference we are promoting is a great start. Three hours of getting immersed in the bible by 3 of Australia’s leading preachers. Join a bible study.

b. Start serving. We learn by doing. How are you learning to share God’s truth and love if you never try? How are you serving your neighbour? Or God’s people? We learn by doing – and by making lots of mistakes.

By learning – with our heads and hands, we mature.

2. Let us go on to maturity 6:1-3

Therefore, let us leave the basic teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, 6:1. He is not saying, let’s reject these basic teachings. We learnt the ABC in kindergarten. We don’t reject it in high school, but neither do we need to keep on re-learning it.

So, what are these basic teachings? The writer lists a few of them. Repenting from dead works, of faith, of baptism, or resurrection and judgment, v1-2. The writer assumes that even babes in Christ know these simple things, but today many Christians do not even know these. Can you explain why we baptise? Or what the Bible teaches about resurrection and judgment? We have churches full of milk Christians. Christians who scarcely know even the very basic teachings of Christ. Why does this matter?

I love milk. I’m a dairy farmer’s son. I’d go through a pint a day. Yet someone who just lived on milk would end up with serious health problems. They would get very unwell and could die.

Some Christians persist on a milk diet. They have never grown in their understanding of God’s word beyond some very limited ideas. And they fail to put into practice what they do learn. So, when struggles come, when false teachings arrive, they have no ability to deal with them. They fall away. And for those who fall away, there is no hope.

3. No hope without Christ 6:4-8

The writer has charged his readers not to be lazy. And he caps it off with this solemn warning:

For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, … then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, 4-5.

There are many scriptures that assure us that those who have received the Holy Spirit, those who have truly repented of their sins have already entered into eternal life (Jn 3:36; 1 Jn 5:13, Phil 1:6). And having entered, there is now nothing that can separate them from the Father’s love (Rom 8:1, 38-39).

Yet this warning seems to contradict that. But we know_, All scripture is God breathed_ and so we know that scripture will not contradict itself (2 Tim 3:16). Hebrews is talking about those who have played the game, joined in the party at the clubhouse, even risen to coach or captain and won medals – but in their heart, they’ve never really been part of the team. They have played with the Crows but always had a secret loyalty to the Power. Like Judas, their hearts have never changed. So, these fake Christians have tasted the heavenly gift and shared in the Holy Spirit – _second hand._ They are the seed that fell on rocky soil, sprouted and died as soon as they hit a rock (Matt 13:5-6). There was never real life in them.

So, what is their fate? I realise this is hard stuff. Hard for those of us with loved ones who once seemed to be part of God’s people but no longer are. I repeat: For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened … then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, v4.

In other words, for those who have turned their back on Christ, there is no Plan B. There is no other hope for them. Unless they repent, they are eternally damned.

For those whose spirit bears nothing of value to God – no faith or love, it is like ground that just grows weeds. We had a paddock that was terrible. It was full of the worst of weeds – boxthorn, 3-corner jacks, horehound, Bathurst burr – it had them all. That is all it seemed to grow!

But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and about to be cursed, and will be burned at the end, v8.

While it may be impossible for men, nothing is impossible for God (Mk 10:27). We know of some who do repent and return. Many of us grew up in the church and had a time of rebellion, of rejection, until we were called back again to the Saviour. We should never give up hoping and praying for loved ones. Neither should we ourselves ever give up, for there is no Plan B.

4. Be diligent in hope! 6:9-12

Rather than being lazy, rather than falling away, let us press on. Let us be diligent in hope.

And we want each one of you to show the same diligence to have the full assurance of hope until the end, v11.

What counts is finishing the race_._ What matters is not how we began but how we end. We imitate the saints of old – like those in Hebrews 11, and like Paul who said, from a cold prison cell awaiting execution**_,_** _I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith_ (2 Tim 4:7).

We have all started projects that will never be finished. There comes a time to lay aside even very good projects to focus on the one project that is supreme. Playing our part in God’s kingdom work – there is no project more important.

But with any project, we can start with great enthusiasm. As the years draw on, so the enthusiasm wanes, and we may only finish by sheer grit, as you lift one leaden foot at a time.

Kingdom work can be like that. Yet as we persevere, God enables us. God encourages us. He lifts us on wings as eagles, Isa 40:31. With faith and patience, our hope will be reached.

Don’t worry that you don’t feel spiritual, or feel Spirit led. Your feelings will change like the weather. Like the parable of the Two Sons, the one who was blessed was not the bright eyed one with all the good intentions, but the one who dragged himself out to the vineyard with great reluctance and got the job done (Mt 21:28-32).

5. Hold fast to hope 6:13-20

We are encouraged to hold fast by

- God’s promises to Abraham

- Our great High Priest

1. We trust in the God who makes unbreakable promises.

God made a promise to Abraham – that promise was rock solid enough, but then God swore an oath – not that he needed to, but to emphasise that God’s promises never fail. Not one of God’s promises will ever fail. Are you encouraged by that? Do you know how many promises there are in the bible? Start making a list – you will fill up notebook after notebook. Not one of them will ever fail.

2. What was this promise?

Abraham was promised: Surely I will bless you and multiply you, Gen 22:17. God’s promise of blessing to Abraham was fulfilled in Jesus. Jesus is the great high priest who has gone into the inner place behind the curtain – that is, into the very presence of God. Jesus went as a forerunner for us. His death allows us to enter into God’s presence. He is our hope.

3 things to note:

a. Our hope will not save us from the storms. Rather, we have a sure and steadfast anchor that will survive any storm (v19). All we need do is hold fast to that hope (v18).

b. We wait in hope patiently, like Abraham (v15).

How many years did Abraham wait? How many years did Israel wait for the Messiah? And how many years will the church wait for Christ’s return?

This generation demands immediate responses. Email, Facebook, Instagram. Politicians used to have a 3-year vision. Now some just look to the next 24 hours news cycle. God doesn’t deal in years or decades, but millennia. Christ is coming soon, but that may be in a thousand years. A thousand years is as a day, 2 Pet 3:8. Abraham having patiently waited, obtained the promise, v15. So, it is for us too, to wait patiently.

c. Our faith is not wishful optimism. We don’t have faith in faith. We are not the church of the power of positive thinking. Our faith is grounded in none other than our eternal priest who saved us by his own blood.

So what have we learnt in the class of God’s word today?

· Don’t be lazy & childish

· But let us go on to maturity

· For there is no hope without Christ

· So be diligent in hope!

· Hold fast to hope! To our great High Priest.

As often, the writer ends one passage by introducing the next: Melchizedek, v20. I promise you, next time I preach, we will learn all about Melchizedek! He like Jesus, was both King and Priest. Let us pray to Jesus now, to our great High Priest:

Sources:

· Wright, N. T. (2015). Hebrews for everyone.

· Adam, P. (2004). The majestic Son: Reading Hebrews today. Sydney South: Aquila.