Title: The Calm Before The Storm (Part One)
(Has anyone been in a tornado? Story of Dan Hart’s experience, and the eerie lull right before the chaos…dogs stopped barking, birds stopped chirping, there was nothing, no sound, no movement…then…utter chaos)
I say that because, beginning in verse 4, we are going to start discussing one of the most divisive and important theological questions of the New Testament:
Anyone know what that question is?
Can Someone Lose Their Salvation?
Because this is such an important question and it will take a few weeks for us to unpack the verses beginning in verse four we’re going to deal with it in a few weeks by setting the stage today and next week.
Then Mark is going to speak his next sermon on discipleship culture on February 2 while I am on my camping trip and then when we return on the ninth, we will dive in full go with the storm itself. But for now for the next two weeks, we are dealing with the calm before the storm.
Do you guys remember last week when I talked about the gentleman who brought his cousin to church some years ago and asked me to dumb down my teaching for him?
It was very interesting from my perspective seeing the reaction on all of your faces. Some of you shook your head and mild discussed. Some of you dropped your draw in a bit of disbelief… all of you thankfully were of the same mindset in that you knew that me dumbing down the teaching was not the correct course of action.
The correct course of action was to get that young cousin discipled, and grow with him and bring him to a point of maturity where he could join the rest of us.
We also always know that each, and every one of us has different levels of maturity right now. Some of us have been believers for longer than others, some of us are older, and have experienced more of life to compare against the truth, subscription and many of us have simply had unique experiences that are singular that other people find fascinating and rewarding to listen to, but they’ve not experienced those things themselves.
Well, here’s how I know that that course of action is biblical. It has to do with what the author of Hebrews says next. As you recall, the last four sermons covering the last few verses of chapter 5 were all about the authors desire to want to go further, but his audience was being immature and they were only suckling on milk so what does he do in chapter 6? He puts aside the milk and he puts an actual meal in front of them. Look at what he says here in the opening versus of chapter 6:
1 Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,
2 of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and about the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment.
3 And this we will do, if God permits.
“Leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ…”
(Leaving milk for meat…let us grow)
This has the idea of “rudiments” or “ABCs.” They are basic building blocks that are necessary, but must be built upon — otherwise, it has only a foundation and no structure. (Guzik)
(There are two unfinished Churches I pass by regularly, one on Claremont across from the fairgrounds, which I think they tore down, and another on PAW on the left side of the road as you head into Ontario)
(Slide)
Do any of you ask, “I wonder what happened?” When you see unfinished churches? It’s really sad to see.
We are in this together
The author says “let US press on maturity” he doesn’t say, “YOU, go get mature and come back.”
(This is a stretch, but how many of you understand what this rebuke means “Git Gud”)
Point: The Author understands it’s HIS responsibility to spur his readers on, not just to rebuke, but to encourage, build up, teach and bring along.
Application: Don’t ever let ME leave YOU in the dust. I am required by God to be patient, loving, caring, and available to all of you as we all work through the foundations of the faith so that we can transition from milk to meat.
Don’t EVER apologize for asking a question.
Don’t EVER think “I’m just slowing us down”
Don’t EVER think “I’m not good enough, smart enough, mature enough for this church.”
Those are lies from Satan, not from me.
It is my JOY to walk with you wherever you start from, so that we BOTH can go where we are called.
“What do you think? If any man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains, and go and search for the one that is lost?”
-Jesus in Matthew 18:12
Close: “Let US press on to maturity”
Maturity is Teleiotes in the Greek.
It does not imply complete knowledge but a certain maturity in the Christian faith.” (Barclay)
Point: Do. Not. Stagnate.
Pray/QA