Note: the following is the manuscript for the message and will not match exactly the recorded message above.
Introduction
We are on part 6 of 13 in the book of Hebrews, looking at Hebrews 5:11-6:20, which is a bit of a lengthier section. So, I have broken it down into three sections, and I’ll read each section of Scripture as we come to them.
The final statement of the previous section ends with a mention of Melchizedek and then abruptly changes topics. It’s as though the author wanted to get into the concept of Christ’s eternal priesthood using Melchizedek as an example but then thought, “I’m not sure these people will get it. They are still fixated on the basic things of faith.”
So, he addresses the issue of Christian maturity, which is where we are picking up today. I have titled today’s message Jesus Our Hope mainly because that’s what this section builds up to at the end. The first section is about the basic foundational elements of Christian faith. The second is about faithfulness and fruitfulness. And the third section is about the certainty of our hope in Jesus.
At the end of the message, we will transition to welcoming new members and renewing our membership covenant with one another.
Foundations of Our Faith – 5:11-6:3
We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And God permitting, we will do so.
We don’t know enough about the original audience to assess their spiritual maturity and why the author is bringing this up. The list of elementary teachings about Christ is interesting because none of those items are unique to Christianity. They are all things that the original audience would have been familiar with in their Jewish faith.
Going back briefly to the Israelites at Mount Sinai, they also were given foundational instructions. Those instructions were also very similar to many laws and rituals that other religions practiced, including those of their former masters, the Egyptians.
Just as Moses said to the Israelites at Mount Sinai, the author of Hebrews says, don’t go back to the former ways. Do these things in the way of Christ. And, just as the Law of Moses was meant to be a foundation for Israel as a nation in order for them to live as God’s people, so are the foundational teachings about Christ meant to help us live as God’s people.
But we must not stop building the kingdom of God at the foundation. There is more to what God wants for us.
There are some here today who are learning what Christianity is all about. You have recently decided to follow Jesus or are in the process of deciding. Perhaps you are not yet baptized. Concepts like repentance, laying on of hands, or resurrection are foreign or unclear.
And, some are unable to move past the foundational elements of the faith for some reason. Even though you have been baptized, you are still wrestling with what baptism means. Or, you are unsure about your relationship with the Holy Spirit or what exactly will happen when you die.
The foundational elements of our faith are important but we must not remain in a paralyzed position of wrestling with them.
The elements listed in 6:1-2 include the foundational beliefs and actions of Christianity. They are repentance, faith in God, rituals such as baptism, anointing of the Holy Spirit, and concerns about eternal life and judgment.
Maturing means moving forward with confidence in what we believe about these things and knowing how to make the right choices when confronted with critical decisions.
If you are new to Christianity, it makes sense that these foundational elements are unclear. If you have been a Christian for a long time and still have questions or are unclear about what you believe about these things, I hope we can get them settled for you as soon as possible.
So, what do we believe about these foundational Christian elements?
We believe that we need to repent from sin, first of all, the sin of doubting God and trying to bring meaning and hope to our lives apart from God.
We believe that God is faithful and can be trusted to keep all of his promises.
We believe that baptism and other rituals help us but do not save us. They represent something real that is happening and remind us of those things. Baptism is the first step of obedience in the life of a Christian. If you believe what the Bible says about Jesus, you should be baptized.
We believe that God anoints us with his Spirit by the laying on of hands. In the book of Acts, we read that the Holy Spirit filled the early believers and anointed them with the power to do things they couldn’t previously do. The main work of the Holy Spirit is to teach us about Jesus and help us obey him.
We believe that death is not the end of our existence but that through Jesus, we have the hope of resurrection and eternal life.
We believe that God and not humans judge our eternal destination, and his judgment is right.
The enemy would like us to become stuck here, trying to figure out what is true and right about these things so that we will be unfruitful. But, those who are mature will live a fruitful life based on this foundation.
The challenge for us is to have a mature hope. A hope that has these foundational elements solidified and unshakeable. This will happen when we are settled in our hearts and minds on these things. If you are having difficulty moving past these issues or if you have questions about them, I have a suggestion.
But first, I want to be clear. I am not judging or condemning anyone who is struggling with the foundational things. If you are in any way unsettled in these foundational things, this is not a problem. You have not done anything wrong. You are at a point in your faith that is vital and good. But do not get stuck there.
Here is my suggestion. This is actually for both the mature in faith and the immature because we need both in order for it to work. My suggestion is that we go through a program called Alpha. Many of you are familiar with this and perhaps have gone through it.
I have gone through it and helped to lead it twice. I can confidently say this will be a very helpful way of moving on to maturity in faith. But, it requires the participation of the mature and the immature in faith. Those who are confident in the foundational elements of their faith and those who are still learning and seeking to understand.
Some of the topics covered in Alpha include:
- Who is Jesus?
- Why did Jesus die?
- How can I have faith?
- Why and how do I pray?
- Why and how do I read the Bible?
- Who is the Holy Spirit?
- What does the Holy Spirit do?
- How can I be filled with the Holy Spirit?
- How can I resist evil?
These are foundational elements of the Christian faith. If you think this is a good idea, just give me a little nod, raise your hand, or give me some indication that you would participate. This is not a commitment, just an indication of how many would be interested.
Faithful and Fruitful – 6:4-12
It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned. Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are convinced of better things in your case—the things that have to do with salvation. God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.
This paragraph describes two pieces of evidence that will exist in someone’s life when they have moved past the foundational elements. Faithfulness and fruitfulness. Those who have a foundation built upon Christ will persevere because their faith has deep roots and is not dependent on circumstances or profound encounters with God.
Throughout my life, I have had several spiritual awakenings. These were moments in time when God drew me close to himself so that I could receive very specific instructions on how to be obedient to him.
One of these moments was when I was 13 years old. I was at a youth retreat, and God revealed himself to me through the guest speaker at the retreat. During a moment of intense prayer and worship, I encountered God’s presence. I could taste the goodness of God, and I could see the power of God’s kingdom.
God told me that weekend that I would one day be like that guest speaker. I would bring the gospel to people through preaching and teaching. It wasn’t until I was 30 years old that I began in full-time pastoral ministry, and it was only a year ago here that full-time preaching ministry began for me.
Another time was after three months of unemployment after graduating high school. I was severely depressed. I was not seeking God. Instead, I was numbing the pain through substances. God intervened. He spoke to me one day with these words: “Remember that calling I gave to you that youth retreat weekend five years ago? You may have given up on it, but I haven’t.”
I don’t remember how it happened, but somehow, I received a message from a local Bible camp inviting me to work there for the spring and summer. I went for an interview with two of the directors of the camp, which turned into a two-hour-long spiritual deliverance. At that moment, I tasted the goodness of God. I experienced the power of the Holy Spirit as he delivered me from dependence on substances.
These experiences may or may not happen in the life of someone who follows Jesus. God initiates them. They cannot be mustered up or created on our own strength. And they are not a requirement for salvation. Moments of encounters with God are not enough to keep us faithful. What we need is constant repentance, each and every day, a reorientation toward God.
Salvation is freely given to us, but it is not just a ticket we carry around in our pockets. Salvation is not just an eternal destiny, as though we wait idly on an airplane as the pilot brings us home.
The Christian life is a pilgrimage. A journey on foot which we travel together. You may have a moment of encounter with God, which gives you a taste of what is promised to you in eternity. But, it will not be enough to chase moments.
The way I have heard it described is through the example of a parent telling her child not to run out into the street. The parent could build a fence, and the fence would protect the child. But that is not how God keeps us from falling away. God is more like the parent who, with tremendous wisdom and patience, teaches the child to stay off the street.
God teaches us how to be faithful through the Scriptures, the church, and the Holy Spirit. While we have the freedom to reject God, he will be patient with us. So, if someone in your life has rejected God, patiently pray for them. Hope is not lost.
The call to faithfulness comes with a call to fruitfulness. Our pilgrim journey with Jesus and the church is not meant to be a hard slug through life. It is meant to produce good fruit for the benefit and enjoyment of ourselves and others and for the glory of God.
Hebrews 6:7-8 refers to a field meant to represent us as people. The rain is like God’s goodness. It is his grace and love toward us. What are we producing with this life we are given and the grace and love God has given us? Are we producing good fruit for the benefit of others? Or are we producing useless thorns and thistles that are a nuisance for others?
Have you ever heard of or done a spiritual inventory? This is a relatively simple practice. Every so often, make a list of what your life is producing. Is it producing good fruit or useless weeds? This is not a means to puff yourself up or put yourself down. It is a way to make shifts in your life.
A really simple way to do this is to write down the fruit of the Spirit from Galatians 5:22-23. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Write those down and ask how you have practiced these things lately. Write down examples. Ask God to show you what has been lacking. Prayerfully consider what needs to change. If possible, do this with a trusted friend or family member.
It is important not to use this as a way to assess your salvation or the salvation of others. Our salvation is guaranteed by Christ, not by what we do. The fruit in our lives is evidence of God’s work, but we are all at different points in our journey.
Sometimes, we are moving more slowly than others. Other times, we may see others as moving more slowly. God is patient with us in our journey, so we should be patient with ourselves and others.
Whatever pace we are moving at, we keep looking to Jesus as our hope. Let’s read the final passage, and I’ll share just one quick thought about it before we move on to our membership covenant and communion.
Eternal Hope – 6:13-20
When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, saying, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.” And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised. People swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument. Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.
The promise of salvation, originally given through Abraham, passed down through the generations, and fulfilled by God through Christ, is based on God and God alone. There is no greater name on which to base a promise of eternal life. If God cannot do it, no one can. But God can and is doing it through Christ.
Our hope is not in our own accomplishments or faithfulness. Our hope is in Jesus Christ, who has gone before us into the very presence of God. We can follow him into that presence freely. His priestly ministry is eternal and unlimited.
As we move from the foundational elements of faith to maturity, a key part of that growth is committing to one another as a spiritual family. The community of faith is where we grow to mature hope in Christ. It is how we are able to be faithful and fruitful in our pilgrim journey.
We are called to live lives of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, self-control, and faithfulness together. While God will give us grace in seasons of isolation, his intention is for us to walk with one another. United by the call of Jesus to follow him, we live as his people, beacons pointing the world to their Creator and Saviour.
Our membership covenant is the only real way in our church tradition we have to formalize that commitment to support, encourage, and challenge each other as we follow Jesus. It’s not just a formality; it’s a reflection of the unity we share in Christ.
Hebrews Series Bibliography
Allen, David L. Hebrews. The New American Commentary. Nashville, TN: B & H Publishing Group, 2010.
Bruce, F. F. The Epistle to the Hebrews. Rev. ed. The New International Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1990.
Guthrie, George. Hebrews. The NIV Application Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1998.
Lane, William L. Hebrews 1-8, vol. 47A, Word Biblical Commentary. Dallas: Word, Inc., 1991.
New International Version Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2016.
Wright, Tom. Hebrews for Everyone. London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 2004.