You are listening to a message from Sound Words. To find information about our ministry, please visit our website at soundwords.org. You can also download our free app from iTunes or Google Play to access more great sermons. We're going to Hebrews chapter 5. The richest treasure God has given us is the privilege of having His Word. Think about it. You carried a Bible in here today. Here you have the very words of God given to us so that we might know Him, His will, His provision, the decoration of His love, the provision He's made for us in Christ. This is what the book of Hebrews is about. God's provision of His Son, Jesus Christ, to be our Savior, started out by unfolding the wonder with clarity that God has climaxed millenniums of revelation with the coming of His Son. That's the finality, with a clarity and a fullness that had never been seen before. God in these last days has spoken to us in one who is Son. The book of Hebrews is unfolding the truth concerning the one who is the Son. And the first four chapters really focused attention on the fact that Christ is God's Son, demonstrating both He is God and He is man. That's preparing the way for what is the main theme and focal point of the book of Hebrews. And that is Jesus Christ, God's son, is the high priest representing man before God. And we come into chapter five. The first ten verses unfolded the comparison between the high priest of the Old Testament and Jesus Christ. There were certain requirements for a high priest in the Old Testament under the Mosaic law. Remember, the writer of the Hebrews is writing to a congregation of Jewish Christians. And these Jewish Christians have experienced much trial and conflict and persecution, and they are facing more. And some are considering, perhaps we should go back to Judaism. At least there was something of a refuge there. The writer is demonstrating that's not a possibility. As we come into chapter five, he wanted to talk about what characterized the Old Testament high priest, what was required of him. For example, he had to be taken from among his brethren, a fellow Jew, a fellow human being. He had to be able to offer a sacrifice for sins. And for the Old Testament high priest, he first had to offer a sacrifice for his own sins, and then he could offer a sacrifice for the sins of the people. And then he had to be one who was appointed by God. That's where verse 4, the first four verses of chapter 5, talk about what was required of the Old Testament high priest. And verse 4 of chapter 5 says, And no one takes the honor to himself. but receives it when he is called by God, even as Aaron was. So it wasn't a hope in a Jewish family that, oh, we're going to raise our little son and maybe someday he'll grow up to be high priest. No, he couldn't have that as his anticipation. God called the one who would be high priest. Aaron is the example. When God told Moses, take your brother Aaron and here's what you do to set him apart. and then his family line after him to be the high priest in Israel. Then with verses 5 to 10, he showed how Jesus Christ fulfills himself those requirements. And he picked up with that last one in verse 4. In verses 5 and 6, he said, even Christ did not glorify himself so to become a high priest. But it was God, the Father, who said, You are my son. Today I have begotten you. You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. So this one that has been demonstrated to be the Son of God through the first four chapters of Hebrews is now clearly shown to be the one divinely appointed to be high priest. The high priest's responsibility was to represent people before God. He was the Go between the mediator. And his key role was to offer a sacrifice to God on behalf of the people he represents. And God could provide forgiveness of sins. Jesus Christ is unique. He's not only been appointed by God as high priest, but he's God's son who has appointed him as high priest. I mean, remarkable. This supersedes any high priest that Israel ever had in their existence. He is the son of God. He offered a sacrifice for sins. Which was the sacrifice of himself. Now, there's a difference between Jesus Christ. Functioning as high priest and the Old Testament high priest, the Old Testament high priest had the first offer a sacrifice for his own sins. And then He could offer a sacrifice for the people that He represented. But Jesus Christ had no sin. He was without sin. He was the perfect Son of God. But He offered a sacrifice. And you'll note that sacrifice, verse 9, having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation. I did something that no other high priest could do. Jesus Christ offered a sacrifice for sins that would be sufficient for all people for all time. And it would be effective for those who would obey Him, come to place their faith in Him and submit their life to Him. And His priesthood is after the order of Melchizedek. He's God's Son. He offered a sacrifice of such significance, such completeness, such finality, there would never again be a sacrifice for sins. This sacrifice was sufficient, was all that's needed to bring eternal salvation to all who will believe in Him. And it's a unique high priesthood. It's not a high priest in the order of Aaron. in the line of the Levitical priest. This is a high priesthood after the order of Melchizedek. A unique and special high priesthood. First referred to in Genesis 14. The historical Melchizedek. And then the Psalm 110 that we quoted in verse 6. The priesthood of Melchizedek. Totally different order of Melchizedek. The Old Testament high priest could not be king. The king could not be high priest. The king had to be from the tribe of Judah. The high priest had to be from the tribe of Levi. Jesus Christ incorporates in himself both the ministry of king and the ministry of high priest. He's of the order of Melchizedek. a unique and interesting person. And the priesthood of Christ after the order of Melchizedek is of absolute essential importance. There is nothing more important. In all the Bible than understanding. The person work of Jesus Christ and that centers in his ministry as high priest. So the writer to the Hebrews is going to pick up in verse 11 and says concerning him we have much to say. But now we have a pause. But we can't say it now. And he won't talk about Melchizedek again until you get down to verse 20 of chapter 6. We'll say where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us having become a priest forever. according to the order of Melchizedek. And then chapter seven will begin the details of unfolding what it means that Jesus Christ is an order after the order of Melchizedek, which after seven verse one for this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest to the most high. There we see he's a unique man. He's both king and priest. Aaron was priest, but not king. And he'll unfold through subsequent chapters the importance of this high priest. But what happens beginning with chapter 5, verse 11, the writer is going to break off that discussion of Melchizedek and focus on a word of exhortation, challenge and warning to his readers. And we've talked about there's debate as you read the commentators. Is the book of Hebrews a doctrinal presentation? of the work of Christ with some exhortation and warning attached? Or is the book of Hebrews an exhortation and warning with doctrinal truth given to be foundational to that exhortation? In the reality of it, it's both. It's doctrinal truth woven with the exhortation and challenge and warning to the people of the seriousness of the truth about Christ. This is the third of these exhortation or warning sections in Hebrews. The first was back in chapter two. Come back. The first four verses. Where after talking about the son and his importance and superiority because he is the son, chapter two begins, for this reason, we must pay much closer attention to what we heard. The danger is we'll drift away from it. We don't pay close attention, we'll drift away. That's serious. He's coming back to almost that same theme. Very similar in the section we'll be in in a few moments. Then he connects it to the Old Testament because these are Jews who have professed faith in Christ. But under the pressure, they're thinking maybe they ought to return to Judaism. He draws the comparison. You remember under Judaism, every offense was met with a fit punishment. Now think about that. If you choose to disobey the revelation given in the Son, how much greater and more serious is that than any prior revelation? Think of how much more serious the penalty will be if you trespass Christ and fail to trust in Him. When you come to chapter 3, you have the second warning passage It began with verse 7 and went down through verse 13 of chapter 4. You see the extent of it, the seriousness of it. The warning was, as you have the quotes from the Old Testament in chapter 3, verse 7 and 8, if you hear his voice, don't harden your heart. That is serious. Disobedience and rebellion against God that brings eternal consequences. Verse 12 of chapter 3, Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away, apostatizes from the living God. This is a serious matter for you to contemplate turning away from Christ, going back to The Old Testament system, that's not an option. That is an act of rebellion. Now, we come to chapter five and we pick up with verse 11 and we have this third warning passage. And it, along with the one in chapter 10, is probably the most serious. And what is contained in this warning passage as we come into chapter six, which we won't get all to in this study today, is some of the most difficult material, not only in the book of Hebrews, but in all the Scripture. But it's given to be understood. It has clarity if we're careful. So the writer makes his transition into exhorting and warning his readers with the statement in verse 11 concerning him, Melchizedek, and Christ's priesthood in the line of Melchizedek. Concerning him, we have much to say. And he'll begin to say much with chapter 7, verse 1 and in subsequent sections all the way over into chapter 10, talking about this. We have much to say, but I have a problem. What I have to say is hard to explain. Some translators may have hard to understand. We get the word hermeneutics from this basic word. It doesn't mean hard to interpret, but it is hard to explain, hard to understand. You say, well, that's true, because the Perezidek and Melchizedek and people think the book of Hebrews. I mean, think about it. You think, oh, going to invite people to come to our church. What are you doing? We're studying the book of Hebrews. What's it about? Well, it's showing how the high priestly ministry of Christ is superior to the priesthood of the Old Testament. Oh, that really sounds like that'll be exciting. I can't wait to come. It just doesn't sound that even for many of us who have been believers in the Book of Hebrews, all that Old Testament material and comparing priesthoods and sacrifices and kinds of priesthood, it just, you know, sort of maybe it's hard. And so I agree with the writer here, he said it's hard to explain, but he doesn't mean the material's hard. It doesn't mean that it's hard to understand this truth about Melchizedek that I want to talk about. It's hard to explain it. Since you have become dull of hearing. The problem is not in the material about Melchizedek, the problem is in the condition of the listeners. They're not paying any attention. They're not listening. They become sluggish. That word dull means sluggish, lazy, dull. They're just not that interested. And you'll note here, this is not the way it's always been. It's not just, well, this is a congregation of people that, you know, aren't well educated, don't read a lot, aren't really into those things. No, that's not the problem. This is very understandable and would have been to these people at an earlier stage in their life. Look at that word become. Since you have become dull of hearing. In other words, there's a time when they weren't dull of hearing. And the word become, a perfect participle, perfect tense, something happened in the past tense. now has brought them to this condition in which they're in. Somewhere along the line, they have become disinterested in the serious things of God's revelation. Too much work. I don't see why I need to know that. You know, I come to church, I've got a lot of problems in my life. I've got persecution. I've got family conflicts. I've got problems at my job. I've lost my house, as some of these have when we get to chapter 10, and possessions. And you want to talk to me about these things. I've had a hard week. I just don't want to concentrate on this and try to work through it. I have to think through it. Just encourage me, lift me up, give me something light and refreshing, enjoyable. That becomes all of hearing. I was going to say, what's the major problem in the evangelical church today? God has addressed it right here. It becomes all of hearing. That would be offensive, isn't it? Think of what it means. Think of this. If I said, here we have a letter that was written to us. We're the congregation of Hebrews saying, pretend And I get to this point, and I say, and here's what whoever the author is says to us concerning which much to say, and it's hard to explain since you have become dull of hearing, since you're not interested. You know, it's like a teacher trying to explain to a class something that they need to pay attention to, and they should have been following along, you know. But if you don't follow along, now you've got to a point It was like, you know, I went to school back in the days before air conditioning. Some of you did too. And some of you can't imagine a life like that. But you know what happened when you're getting towards summer vacation? Still true for the students today. They're just thinking of an air conditioning. We didn't. They're looking out the window. And in those days, the windows were open. You think it's a beautiful day. Here I am sitting listening to stuff Oh, no, is that important? I wish I could get out there and play ball or be outside and do this or that. Just not paying attention to teachers trying to, what, say, now listen, now pay attention, we're going to have a test on this. Yeah. Yeah. That's what we have spiritually here. We have a congregation of people that gather together, but they're not interested. I didn't come for a serious lecture on biblical truth. I've got other problems in my life. Now you become. You know what happens? You become a believer. You start to grow. And you grow. And you're growing. And you're coming. But we're becoming more mature. More like Christ. Last hour I polled my class. How many of you say mature? And how many of you say mature? Everybody said mature, but one, the school teacher, said mature. So I'm still saying mature. We become more mature. You know what happened? Somewhere along the line, they began to decline spiritually. And the result was we never stay static in our spiritual life. We're either growing and becoming more like Christ and more able to grapple with the serious things of the Word of God, or we are on the downward slide. And just like there is no stop in this life to maturing, it will wait until we're glorified in His presence. I don't know where the bottom is when we start to slide. These people have declined to the point that the writer says, I'm not able to explain to you these important basic truths about the high priestly ministry of Jesus Christ, because you're not able to handle it. You're not interested, and that disinterest even has come to the point you are resistant to it. Serious matter. You have become dull, of hearing. This word translated dull, incidentally, is only used one other time in the New Testament. You know where it is? It's at the close of this exhortation over in chapter six, verse 12. So you will not become sluggish, same word, nothroy, sluggish, dull. We'll talk about that verse when we get there. But you see, this warning is bracketed by the concern about their Lack of interest and lack of readiness to seriously grapple with these truths. Verse 12, for though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God. You have need of milk and not of solid food. If they've been believers long enough, they should be able to teach others. That doesn't mean formal teachers like I'm teaching you or some of you have sat in classes earlier and have had a teacher. The point is you have been believers long enough. You ought to be able to explain this to someone else. You're in a situation, you shouldn't need me to be taking you back through this. You should be ready to teach it. It's not something for just a few believers, and some believers are more interested in the Word than others. The whole congregation ought to be here. You've been believers long enough. Now we see the danger that faces us. The danger that faces us as a local congregation. The church has been in existence since Acts chapter 2 now, the time that Hebrews is written, for maybe a little over 30 years. These Jews that comprise this congregation have been believers for some time, but long enough that you ought to be well-versed enough in these truths. You ought to be teaching them and explaining them to others. And yet something's wrong. You have retrogressed. You have gone backwards. You have gone downhill. You know, I said we never stand still. There are people who at one time were very knowledgeable about the truths of God, the Scripture. You know, somewhere along the line, they lost interest. They didn't like the pressure of the seriousness of it, where he's going, to further emphasize. And, you know, it's not like I think of myself and I don't want to get there. Oh, well, I've taught the Word for years, you know. I quit studying the Word now. You know, just don't pay that much attention. At least I've got this vast reservoir of knowledge. It doesn't stay there. It begins to evaporate. We lose it. These people ought to be teachers. And now you need someone again. I say it's to take you back to where you've been, he says. and teach you the ABCs. Serious. You see, this is an exhortation to people. Look at what's happened to you. If you've been a believer long, you probably had contact with someone like this. One time they were into the Word. They were excited about the Word. They were studying the Word. They want to talk about the Word. You meet them. Where are you going to church? I was not a church teacher. I know, but I had family there and my kids liked it. You try to talk about it. I had this opportunity not long ago with a person I've known off and on over many years. We sat for hours talking about the Word. I couldn't believe. I knew this man, I won't say how many years ago, but many years ago. We interacted about the Word. This guy didn't know which end is up. He was talking about the Word and I went away. I said to Marilyn, I didn't know the basics. He didn't stay where he was. He lost what he had. This idea is where he's going to get when we get down into athletic training and that development. You know, when I was in high school, I could do a hundred push-ups and five hundred sit-ups. I know you can tell. I still put up those same numbers today. 1-0-0 and 5-0-0, except they're not the same order. Now it's 0-0-1 and 0-0-5. What happens? You lose it. Why is the football team out practicing? Getting in shape, conditioning. That's the example we're going to. Athletics here in a moment. You lose it. I studied French in high school. I still remember three or four words. I didn't use it, but I remember everything I studied. No, I didn't. I lost it. What happened? This is what this writer is saying happens. We just think, oh, well, that's all right. I've built this up. If I'm not as serious into the word as now, I've got this reservoir to draw from. The reservoir is evaporating. It dries up. We add to it as we're in the word, there's that richness that keeps building. The danger, I stress this because we've been a congregation. together for many years. Some of you have been through the Word many times. It's easy to get to the point, you know, it's just not as fresh and exciting for me anymore. Nothing wrong with the Word. It's the same Word. I find myself coming, oh, I just don't feel like... I better get at it. Just like the athlete. Better get at the conditioning. There's no other way to do it. By this time you ought to be teachers and you have need again for someone to teach you in the elementary principles of the oracles of God. The elementary principles of the oracles of God used in a secular statement like it would be you could be used in a school setting. You read secular writers at the time. You know what that teaching them the ABCs. He's not even talking about grammar and that. We have to go back so you can learn the alphabet. I mean, this is really a slap in the face to get some attention to these professing believers. You need to go back to the ABCs. We're starting over. Something is seriously wrong here. Now in this context, these Jews are thinking about going back to Judaism. And this expression referring to the elementary principles of the oracles of God could be referring to the Mosaic Law in the context. Because what was the Mosaic Law? It was the beginning. Or as Galatians said, it was the schoolmaster to oversee and help develop the child and bring him along and see that he was prepared for adulthood. What was the Mosaic Law for? To prepare Israel for the coming of the one who would be the great High Priest, who would offer the final sacrifice that could take away sin. So in all those sacrifices, in the High Priest of Aaron and subsequent ones, all this to be preparing Israel. Now they're talking about going back and you don't even understand the purpose. of God's beginning revelation. We have to go back there. Start over with the ABCs, come over to Galatians, chapter four. Similar kind of context, similar kind of battle. Paul writes of the Galatians because there were Judaizers that were infiltrating among the churches Paul had established in Galatia, trying to tell the people you have to keep the Mosaic law. You have to be circumcised. And the church is confused, and some are thinking, yeah, we better keep... Same kind of problem. And note the analogy he uses. He's going to use a word that's coming up in Hebrews 5. We haven't come to yet, but it's the word translated child, napios, infant, baby. Chapter 4, verse 1 of Galatians. Now, I say, as long as the heir is a child, and there's the word. Remember, we go back to Hebrews. We'll see this. Remember, it's the same word translated child here. In your margin, you may have a minor word to mean infant, baby. The word he uses to talk about those who will need milk, not solid food that we're coming to in Hebrews chapter five. Those who need to learn the ABCs. As long as the heir is a child, an infant, a baby, he does not differ at all from a slave. He's under guardians, managers. So also, while we were children, here we go, we were held in bondage under the elemental things, the stoicheia. And in the context here, these elemental things, he's talking about the law. The fullness of time came. God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under law to redeem those who were under law. So now we're no longer under law in that stage of infancy. So you can't go back. You shouldn't be wanting to go back. You don't understand even the significance of what the Old Testament was in providing the way of salvation. So now we have an option. You can either place your faith in Christ or you can go back and observe the Old Testament system with its high priest and sacrifices. No, you don't understand. You can't go back. Those are the elemental things, the ABCs. Their purpose was to prepare you for this. You don't learn the alphabet and that's the end in itself. Alphabet, so you know how to put words together. So you learn how to put those words into sentences and those sentences into paragraphs and communicate. And you're thinking you just go back to the ABCs, you understand it was nice to go to preschool. But you're in college now. So you need to go back to preschool. That's where you are spiritually. Down in verse 9 of Galatians 4. Verse 9. But now that you have come to know God or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again? Turning back to Judaism is the context in Galatians 4. To weak and worthless elemental things. They had their purpose. They had their value. But they're fulfilled. It was the schoolmaster That in verse 21, where you're going to work. Tell me those of you who want to be under the law. Don't you listen to the law? I mean, should we who have placed our faith in Christ understand the role that the Old Testament played as preparatory time, even as Gentiles have been saved? We have come to learn that. No excuse for these Jews. Also, we won't turn there for time to Colossians chapter two. Verse 8, verse 20, use this same word, elemental, in the context of the Mosaic Law. So when you come back to Hebrews, you tell them, you need to go back to the ABCs, the very beginning, foundational things. That would include the Mosaic Law, which was to prepare the way. And now Israel should understand to be prepared. I need a sacrifice. I need a high priest offered the sacrifice that God has appointed by God's appointed person that will be acceptable. But now that that one has come and you want to turn away from him, we have to go back to the beginning, the ABCs and start over. Learn the alphabet here, the foundational things. Build up. You ought to be able to teach someone else this. And you're not even able to pay attention, you're resistant to what is being taught. You have come. to need milk and solid food. That's important. Again, that word translated come. That's the same word translated become in verse 11. The perfect participle. Remember that perfect tense. Something happened in the past. Results continue on to the present. And they're in their present condition because of this pattern they've been on. Now they have come to need. They've retrogressed. It's not pretty. Something's wrong. You've got this 25-year-old college student and he's back learning the ABCs and having only milk. Something's wrong. That's what he's saying. This is where you are spiritually. You have retrogressed to the ABCs. When you had a child and a couple of years later, you have another child, a baby, and the older child has his food and he's eating and he's going to help. So he's going to feed his food to the baby. And you say, no, no, you can't give that to your little brother or sister. They're not ready to eat that. You're a big boy now, but they're little. He's a baby. He has to eat this food. But they can't handle it. This is the way he's talking to them. You have need of milk, not solid food. You don't understand what I meant when I said you have to go back to the ABCs? You're a big baby. You're back to sucking on the bottle. Then you're not even ready to eat some solid food spiritually. This is what you have become. I think it's important to see this. This is not where they were. They had placed their faith in Christ. They had grown. They were doing well. Somewhere along the line, something happened. They have become something different than they were when they were growing. And now they're down here. Compared to where they were here, they've retrogressed and we're back at the beginning. Milk and not solid food. Look at verse 13. For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness. He is an infant. A baby. Child. That's the same word I said, remember, in Galatians. Translated child or children. An infant. A baby. Everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness. What a rebuke. When he talks about the word of righteousness, you know what he's talking about. The truth concerning Christ. Go back to 1 Corinthians chapter 1. 1 Corinthians chapter 1. And look at verse, pick up with verse 30. We'll just break in here. But by his doing you are in Christ who became to us wisdom from God. Now note this. And righteousness and sanctification and redemption. He's the one in whom is found God's righteousness. And you're talking about going back to Judaism. The word of righteousness, God's word of His righteousness is focused in Christ. The unwillingness to listen to this, the inability to grapple with it. I mean, this is serious business. You're here in 1 Corinthians. While we're here, turn over to chapter 3. What's he going to talk about? And I, brethren, could not speak to you as spiritual men, but as the men of flesh, as to... Here's our word, infants in Christ. Same word we have in Hebrews. I gave you milk to drink. Not solid food. You were not able to receive it. And you're not able yet. Something's wrong. Of course, when Paul came to Corinth, he started out with the basics. He's presenting the gospel to bring salvation to the lost. If you don't stay back there, there are some people who have to go to church as long as the gospel is presented every week. We've got a wonderful church. The gospel is printed every week. You ever get anything out? No, we do the gospel every week. Well, you're going to stay on milk, huh? Paul's frustrated with the grain. Where are they stuck? Now, note here where this goes, because this is where Hebrews is going, so we won't come back here. For you are still fleshly. There is still jealousy and strife among you. Now, what happens when you don't grow? You're stuck in your infancy stage. Other problems develop. It's not just the doctrinal issue. Now the ability to discern good and evil, right conduct and wrong conduct, it's all messed up. He says, now you're behaving like you're not even saint. I mean, you're stuck in this infancy stage. And well, you know, I may not know much about the Word. I just like practical stuff. You can't function practically, quote. Discern and properly behave if you're not being nourished and maturing. It's not good to be still acting like a baby when you're 12, when you're 20, when you're 30. And then we have conflicts in the churches. Why? We have churches filled with babies. Spiritually, and they don't discern right and wrong, and so they're arguing over this. They can't even sort out what's important and what's not important. So he tells the Corinthians and uses the same analogy, milk and meat. Christ is the righteousness. We're growing in him. 2 Corinthians chapter 5, verse 21. We won't turn there for time. 2 Corinthians 5, 21. For God the Father made Him who knew no sin to become sin on our behalf that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. And we're talking about knowing and growing in our understanding of Christ and God's work in and through Him. A couple of passages. I'm going to take another in Corinthians. But come over to Ephesians. We'll jump to Ephesians. Ephesians, Chapter 4. And I say, I am blessed to be pastoring in a church where people are open and receptive and responsive and hear the word. And I don't say that to flatter you. But how many churches could I go and speak for an hour and have people have their Bibles open following along? An hour? You know, we've got 10 minutes to drive in and out churches now, not evangelical ones. But somehow we have to entertain the saints and keep them. This is the problem in the evangelical church. We have a new way to do church. How to do church. How do we reach this generation? Well, we make it light and lively. They're used to TV. So we do TV and we do clips and we try to keep it moving and we don't get too heavy and too serious. Let's keep them in a baby state like preschool. Much of what we do is entertaining, with just a little bit built in to help to prepare them for kindergarten. Wait a minute, is that what God's called us to do as a church? Ephesians chapter 4, talking about as a result of the work of Christ, gifts are given to the church. Some of those gifts are mentioned in chapter 4, verse 11. Gifts involve communicating the Word of God. They're listed there. And these are given in verse 12 for the equipping of the saints, for the work. of serving, to the building up of the body of Christ. God's Word is taught to believers who hear it and take it in, who grapple with it and grow in it. And God has gifted every believer with an ability to function as part of the body. And so as we mature, just like the parts of our physical body, that baby adult learns how to use his hands and not stick them in his eye and so on. Knows how to use his legs so he can walk. The body's developing and maturing. And it's taking in the Word. Taking in the Word. Tell young men going to a pastor and then a church, assume they haven't been taught the Word. Spend the first few years in Missoula, just build the Word into their lives. Build the Word into their lives. Build the Word into their lives. You'll find as they mature, they begin to want to function. You don't go into a church that hasn't been taught the Word and start to tell them what they ought to do. You have to feed them. Nourish them. Then grow and then they can function together. Then the body can grow. You know, we're growing up into Christ, to be like Christ, to have the maturity of Christ produced in us. Then verse 14, as a result, we are no longer to be, there's our word, infants, children, babies that just need milk. that just need the ABCs, that aren't able to sort out truth from error. They're no longer carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness and deceitful scheming. You see, there's discernment that comes with it. Any discernment in so much of the evangelical world today? I don't know the difference between a Roman Catholic and a biblical Christian. Some of them don't even know the difference between a Mormon and a biblical Christian. Some people don't know what proper biblical conduct is and what isn't. And they get carried about with whatever's coming along. Here's the newest plan for growing the church. Here's another plan for growing the church. Here's... What about God's plan? Nourish them unto word for the Spirit of God. can do what He does in our heart and life. So we don't want to be any longer babies. We want to grow. Come back to Hebrews. Not accustomed to the word of righteousness. Depths here we will never fully plumb for all eternity. We finite creatures are going to be growing We will have been perfected that all sin and so on will be removed in every way from our lives, but we will never exhaust the knowledge of the inexhaustible God. So we're on a track now and heaven will never be boring. What am I going to do after the first hundred billion years? I mean, I just, you know, I don't need to sleep. I assume there'll be no TV. I wonder, what are we going to do? They're going to have ESPN? I mean, sports? What are we going to do? We won't be bored. I know that. Growing. Look at verse 14. I'm back in Hebrews 5, 14. But solid food is for the mature. Go back to that word, mature. Those are growing. Not that we're done. But those who have come to an adult state, That's it. Now they can take in more. We can study Hebrews. We can grapple with the Melchizedekians. I understand they're going to be people come in and visit and they come in and they visit. They're going to be lost as a goose. I don't know. What did he talk about? I don't know. He talked about priests and some kind of strange character, Mel somebody. I never heard of him. And I don't know. And you shouldn't drink milk. You should eat meat. I don't know what he's talking about. I expect they're going to be lost. Confused. You tell a friend, you don't tell, oh, I hope we'll have something light and interesting for him. The Spirit of God working in his life, he'll supernaturally come back. And the Spirit of God not working in his heart, he's not going to be interested no matter what you do, all he can do is bring him to be exposed. Tell him, no, we're studying the Bible. Our concern is to find out what God has said and to understand it. Don't get discouraged if you don't understand it to begin with. It's like anything you're new to. You have to learn. You have to begin at the beginning and you'll pick up a piece here, a piece there, and you'll find pretty soon those pieces are fitting together and you grow. We have the idea, well, if we're going to have a church that reaches out, we're going to have to do it light and easy and fun. Well, who's going to do the work in the heart? God or us? If we're going to have God do the work in the heart, we'll have to do it God's way. Solid food is for the mature. Because of practice, they have their senses trained to discern good and evil. These are athletic metaphors. Their senses trained, we get the word gymnastics or gymnasium from the word, has the picture of the result of the training. Solid food is from the mature because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil. Remember 1 Corinthians 3? They couldn't even sort out good and evil, right and wrong in the congregation. They're picking their favorite star, Kephas, Paul. They're arguing and divided. And the mature can sort out these things. We're committed to God's truth. We're trained. It's developed. It's work. You come here, it's work. People think they go to church on Sunday morning because they've worked hard all week. Get a little breather. and relax and sit back. The family comes over on the holidays. Sometimes there's sports on. We turn on the game. I like to really get involved with them. It depends on certain sports. Now watch as I sit in my recliner with something to drink. Two or three different kinds of snacks to nibble. Life is good. But those poor fools down there getting all beat up That's some 330-pound guy running full force into some 190-pound guy and knocking the daylights out of him. Running around there. They ought to take it easy. They ought to get a nice easy chair on the side there and just sit back. You can't be involved in the game and do that. I mean, it takes discipline. And how about those who because of practice, discipline, have their senses trained. They've developed. It's not easy. What happens when they're on the off season? It's hard to keep in shape. So then we're back early. What? Going through training. They're going through discipline. These are the analogies Paul's using. Whoever came up with the idea of church is the fun place, the relaxing place. This is the place where you really do your serious work. You're involved in digging in, working through, thinking through these things, concentrating on a level maybe you don't otherwise, because this is the most important thing you do. This will matter in a hundred million years. I have to be diligently at it. God never said, He says His work is clear, but He doesn't say it's easy. You have to work at it. I want to run through some scriptures with you and we will be done. Come to First Corinthians chapter nine. Used to have a song quartet saying many years ago, some of you were here for that when they did a little song, but just a couple of lines in it stuck in my mind over the year. It's a battlefield, brethren, not a recreation room. It's a fight and not a game. And somehow along the way, the church has lost that simple truth. Look in the first Corinthians, chapter nine, and incidentally, chapter 10, we'll move into the Old Testament and the situation there and the contrast and what we're having in Hebrews. But look at verse 24, first Corinthians, chapter nine. Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. In other words, don't be just happy to be in the race. I don't care if I come in. They've lapped me 40 times. That's all right. I'm still in the race. Hall says, no, you have to run with passion and commitment. Everyone who competes in the game exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath. We an imperishable. Therefore, I run in such a way as not without aim. I box in such a way as not beating the air. But I discipline my body. They were originally meant to hit somebody under the eyes so they turn black and blue. Picture, I discipline my body, black and blue. Make it my slave. If I don't feel like going to church tonight, I don't feel like, you know, really concentrating on the Word. I don't, all that I don't let my body decide what I do. It's not a matter of what I feel like. It's a matter of what I have to do. I discipline myself. My body is my slave so that I don't get disqualified even after I preach to others. Discipline. Come over to Philippians. Chapter three, Philippians chapter three. Verse 12, Paul talked about his experience in Judaism, all that had to be left behind. Verse 12, then he says, Not that I have already obtained it, the full maturity that will be his in Christ, or have already become perfect. There's our word. We talk about mature, perfect. But I press on so that I may lay hold of that which I was laid hold of by Christ. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it. One thing I do for getting what lies behind, for reaching toward what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call in Christ Jesus. And this is not just something for me. Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude. Verse 17, Brethren, join in following my example and observe those who set a pattern like I do. And then the sad thing, some have turned away from the cross and even become enemies. Paul has no false illusions. One more passage, Paul, 2 Timothy, chapter 2. 2 Timothy, chapter 2. Verse 1, Paul writing to Timothy, his last letter. Paul languishing in a prison, awaiting execution. A body that had to be in sad shape. Read 2 Corinthians 11, how many times he was beaten. How many times he went without sleep. He didn't baby himself. How many times he went out without food and drink. And the pressures. And he's there and you think, man, I should have taken it a little easier. Taking time to smell the flowers, enjoy life a little more. Here I am at the end in a prison with a body that's beaten and bruised and aches and pains. Timothy, learn from me. Have a little more balance in your life. I didn't tell Timothy that. Verse 8, join with me in suffering for the gospel. 2 Timothy 1.8. Join with me in suffering. Come down in chapter two of Second Timothy, verse one. Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. The things you heard from me, you teach them to other men who will teach other men. And that's the process. No change in the plan of God. Oh, what's a new way to do church? God's way. Start out. Oh, if you teach men, then you teach them and you teach them. And that will equip the saints to function as God intends them and the body will mature. Suffer hardship with me as a good soldier. It's not a game. We're here. I understand people coming in. I don't think I fit here. Maybe they don't. This is a serious place. I go into the training facilities of the football team. I don't fit there. Well, then maybe we ought to make the training facilities different so he'll fit. You don't fit here. Everybody's welcome, but not everybody's going to fit. Not even people who claim to be evangelical Bible believers. They're looking for something light, something more relaxing, something easier, something more fun. No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life so he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier. I forget who we're trying to please. If anyone competes as an athlete, he does not win the prize unless he competes according to the rule or the hard working farmer ought to be the first to receive. Consider what I say. Pay attention. There's no other way to get it done and be what God intends you to be, Timothy. Don't think you can find an easier way than I found. Pattern your life after mine. Throw your life into it with abandon. You don't have to baby that body, give it to the Lord. I'm not saying we shouldn't take care of ourselves, but oh, well, well, I need to spend time with my family so we don't go to church on Sunday night. And this is family time. And I need relaxing time. I work hard. Oh, you think Paul didn't work hard? Serious business we're in. We're followers of Jesus Christ. We're slaves. And why do you call me master and not do what I tell you? Our passion and overwhelming concern of life is to be pleasing to Him. These Hebrew Christians have lost sight of that. And you know what? They've been on the down slide. And they've retrogressed. Now the writer says, I have to take you back to the ABCs. Get out the bottle and give you some milk and try to bring you along again. We're going back to where you were. I have to start over with you. That shows the seriousness of decoying. The best thing is, Keep on the right track. And then you don't have to build back to where you were. Let's pray together. Thank you, Lord, for the riches of your Word. How blessed we are to belong to you. How marvelous is our salvation. God, may we never become bored with the truth you've given. May we never become lazy and indifferent and uninterested in the marvelous wonder of the righteousness you've provided in Christ. Rather, may our passion grow stronger that we might be men and women that have lives that reflect the beauty of the character of the Savior that we love and serve. We pray in his name. Amen. Thank you for listening to this message from Sound Words, a ministry of Indian Hills Community Church. Make sure to download our app from iTunes or Google Play for more messages like the one you just heard. If you would like to contact us, please email soundwords at IHCC.org or give us a call at 402-483-4541.