Spiritual Atrophy Hebrews 5:11-6:8

A very poor, robotic-sounding recording... the result of removing interference from the trac. It is offered to maintain the continuity of the series. Here are the notes to the sermon

Spiritual Atrophy                                   Hebrews 5:11-6:8

Today is Palm Sunday, the day that Jerusalem went wild welcoming Jesus. John 12:18 says the reason the crowd went to meet Jesus was that they had heard about the signs he had done, including raising Lazarus from the dead. Less than a week later many of that same crowd would be cry for His crucifixion. The letter to the Hebrews is written to people who have welcomed the good news of Jesus and the miracles of Jesus and the benefits of fellowship with followers of Jesus, but who have never come to know and connect with Jesus personally.   

 DULL AND GETTING DULLER  vv 5:11-14 

Ø  At One Time Were Not Dull  v.11b “…have become dull of hearing.”

o    Desire for default (religion / rules / ritual)

o    Devolving into spiritual sloth

o    Developing fondness for the flesh

Ø  Plenty Time Under Influence Of The Gospel  v.12a “… by this time…”

o    Being bottle fed is OK for new born without teeth

o    Refusing to grow up is a tragedy in real life >>> sulking / temper tantrums / refusing to play if you don’t get your way >>> Babies sleep a lot… fuss a lot… are unstable … have to be coddled … have to be cleaned up

o    Refusing to advance/ develop would make a bad doctor >>> “We didn’t need - anesthesia/ antibiotics/ anything more delicate than a Bowie knife - in the old days”

o    Going back (“again”) to strained food = sign of ill health

§  Basics are not beneath any believer

§  Basics are for “building on” not “camping on”

Ø  Maturity/ Discernment Comes From Practice  v.14

o    Good and Evil >>> re. doctrine, not morals

LET’S GROW UP / GO AHEAD  v.6:1  “Let us leave…”

Ø  Elementary = Old Testament (Old Covenant) = pictures of what is to come >>> Basics of Judaism

o    Repentance from dead works >>> turn from evil work and turn to God (OT) + (NT) Have faith in Jesus  Acts26:20-23

o    Faith toward God (OT) + (NT) Jesus  John14:6; Acts2:38

o    Washings/ physical, symbolic, ceremonial cleansings (OT) + (NT) washing of regeneration  Titus 3:5; John 3:5

o    Laying on hands = re. sacrifices (OT) + (NT) Latch on to Jesus, the perfect “once-for-all” sacrifice. Trust Him

o    Resurrection of the dead/ vague references to reward and punishment (OT) + (NT) Jesus is resurrection John 11:25 and firstborn of dead Rev.1:5, Col.1:18 >>> details  1Cor.15; 1John 3:2

o    Eternal judgment / not much info other than Ecclesiastes 12:14 (OT) + (NT) Details e.g. Matt.25:31-46; Rev.20:11-15; and Romans 8:1

IMPOSSIBLE MEANS IMPOSSIBLE vv.6:4, 18, 10:4, 11:6

Ø  The Advantaged  vv.4-5  (none of the terms which describe the 5 great advantages here are used anywhere in NT for salvation)

o    Enlightened  >>> seen great light

o    Tasted heavenly gift

o    Shared in Holy Spirit

o    Tasted goodness of word of God

o    Tasted powers of age to come

Ø  Possible For Repentance To Become Impossible

o    Opportunity to receive salvation may be lost >>> not salvation itself  (John10:27-29; Romans 8:35,38-39; 1Peter1:4-5; Philippians 1:6)

o    To have heard and seen and tasted and then turn away is similar to vaccination / to be given a mild case of a disease to bring about immunity to the real thing

o    To go back to OT/ Judaism for salvation = not only hopelessness but denial of the complete work of Jesus for them on the cross

o    Falling versus Falling away / Peter versus Judas / Stumbling versus departing from Jesus Himself

BUT THERE IS HOPE  vv.9-12 

Ø  God Is Gracious And Merciful And Just = A note to believers /“beloved”  vv.9-10

Ø  We Anticipate Your Salvation  v.11

Ø  Prove Your Salvation v.11b; 2Peter1:10

Ø  Get The Lead Out v.12