1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:03,100 Our scripture. This morning is from Hebrews 2 00:00:03,200 --> 00:00:08,100 chapter 5 will start in verse 11 and read through chapter 6, 3 00:00:08,100 --> 00:00:12,200 verse 12, I'm reading from the Christian Standard Bible. 4 00:00:14,600 --> 00:00:18,500 We have a great deal to say about this and it is difficult 5 00:00:18,500 --> 00:00:22,700 to explain since you have become too lazy to understand. 6 00:00:23,400 --> 00:00:27,100 Although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone 7 00:00:27,100 --> 00:00:30,300 to teach you the basic principles of God's revelation 8 00:00:30,300 --> 00:00:34,200 again, you need milk, not solid food. 9 00:00:34,900 --> 00:00:38,300 Now, everyone who lives on milk is inexperienced with the 10 00:00:38,300 --> 00:00:41,900 message about righteousness, because he is an infant. 11 00:00:42,500 --> 00:00:46,800 But solid food is for the mature for those who senses have been 12 00:00:46,800 --> 00:00:49,600 trained to distinguish between good and evil. 13 00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:55,200 Therefore, let us leave the elementary teaching about Christ 14 00:00:55,300 --> 00:00:58,300 and go on to maturity, not laying. 15 00:00:58,300 --> 00:01:01,400 Again, the foundation of repentance from dead Works, 16 00:01:01,700 --> 00:01:05,800 faith in God, teaching about ritual, Washings laying on of 17 00:01:05,800 --> 00:01:08,600 hands. The resurrection of the dead and 18 00:01:08,600 --> 00:01:12,000 eternal judgment. And we will do this. 19 00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:16,500 If God permits for it is impossible to renew to 20 00:01:16,500 --> 00:01:20,400 repentance those who were once enlightened, who tasted the 21 00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:24,500 Heavenly gift who shared in the Holy Spirit, who tasted God's 22 00:01:24,500 --> 00:01:27,200 good word. And the powers of the coming age 23 00:01:27,400 --> 00:01:32,000 and who have fallen away this is because to their own harm. 24 00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:35,900 They are re crucifying the Son of God and holding him up to 25 00:01:35,900 --> 00:01:39,100 contempt for the ground. That drinks the rain. 26 00:01:39,100 --> 00:01:41,700 That often Falls. Jean in and that produces 27 00:01:41,700 --> 00:01:44,300 vegetation useful to those for whom. 28 00:01:44,300 --> 00:01:48,700 It is cultivated receives a blessing from God but if it 29 00:01:48,700 --> 00:01:52,900 produces thorns and thistles it is worthless and about to be 30 00:01:52,900 --> 00:01:55,800 cursed. And at the end we'll be burned 31 00:01:57,200 --> 00:02:01,800 even though we are speaking this way, dearly loved friends, in 32 00:02:01,800 --> 00:02:05,900 your case, we are confident of things that are better and that 33 00:02:05,900 --> 00:02:09,800 pertain to Salvation. For God is Not unjust. 34 00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:13,400 He will not forget your work and the love you demonstrated for 35 00:02:13,400 --> 00:02:17,500 his name by serving the Saints and by continuing to serve them. 36 00:02:18,300 --> 00:02:21,900 Now, we desire each of you to demonstrate the same diligence, 37 00:02:22,300 --> 00:02:25,200 for the full Assurance of your hope until the end. 38 00:02:25,600 --> 00:02:29,500 So that you won't become lazy. But will be imitators of those 39 00:02:29,500 --> 00:02:33,400 who inherit the promises through faith and perseverance. 40 00:02:33,900 --> 00:02:38,600 This is the word of the Lord. The 10,000 hour rule. 41 00:02:39,800 --> 00:02:43,500 Anybody ever heard of that? Nobody only got one smart person 42 00:02:43,500 --> 00:02:44,400 here. I'm just joking. 43 00:02:44,400 --> 00:02:47,600 Y'all are all smart just lazy. I'm just joking. 44 00:02:47,700 --> 00:02:51,200 That's a joke about the text. All right, in his 2008 book, 45 00:02:51,200 --> 00:02:55,500 outliers the author Malcolm Gladwell says that 10,000 hours 46 00:02:55,500 --> 00:02:58,200 is the magic number of greatness. 47 00:02:58,900 --> 00:03:02,100 So he makes the case that for a person to be truly proficient in 48 00:03:02,100 --> 00:03:05,000 something, they would have to intentionally practice that 49 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:08,200 thing for at least, 10,000 hours. 50 00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:10,500 So, to put it in, Into perspective. 51 00:03:10,500 --> 00:03:14,600 If you practice something for 20 hours a week, it would take 52 00:03:14,600 --> 00:03:17,700 almost 10 years to become an expert by these metrics. 53 00:03:18,300 --> 00:03:21,100 Now other authors and even Gladwell himself have pointed 54 00:03:21,100 --> 00:03:22,600 out. That there are a lot of other 55 00:03:22,600 --> 00:03:27,100 factors that goes into one success, such as natural Talent, 56 00:03:27,100 --> 00:03:30,500 someone's family, and friends, their support system, and maybe 57 00:03:30,500 --> 00:03:33,100 the quality of their teachers and trainers. 58 00:03:33,600 --> 00:03:39,000 But the larger point stands, that growth takes time it takes 59 00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:44,700 training Learning patience and Trust in the process and it's 60 00:03:44,700 --> 00:03:46,800 not always easy as that me popping. 61 00:03:47,300 --> 00:03:48,300 You know? I don't know. 62 00:03:48,400 --> 00:03:51,300 Okay, I don't normally have that, all right, if it gets 63 00:03:51,300 --> 00:03:52,700 really bad I can grab a handheld. 64 00:03:53,300 --> 00:03:56,100 All right, so yeah, it's not always easy, right? 65 00:03:56,100 --> 00:03:59,700 So last night my son was a little discouraged leaving his 66 00:03:59,700 --> 00:04:02,700 baseball practice. I wasn't sure why, because I 67 00:04:02,700 --> 00:04:06,000 thought he had a great practice. Once we started talking, we 68 00:04:06,000 --> 00:04:08,800 figured out that it was because at the end of practice, he was 69 00:04:08,800 --> 00:04:10,200 struggling to learn learn some new things. 70 00:04:10,200 --> 00:04:14,100 So on the select team he's on the runners they can lead off 71 00:04:14,100 --> 00:04:16,100 and still. And so when you're pitching you 72 00:04:16,100 --> 00:04:18,700 have to actually pay attention and learn how to do a pickoff 73 00:04:18,700 --> 00:04:21,600 move when you're running, you have to learn how to lead off 74 00:04:21,600 --> 00:04:23,700 and then dive head first back to the base. 75 00:04:23,700 --> 00:04:26,600 And so these are things that he's having to learn and 76 00:04:26,600 --> 00:04:28,800 struggle through their not, the natural things you did, when you 77 00:04:28,800 --> 00:04:30,400 play t-ball at an early age, right? 78 00:04:30,400 --> 00:04:34,600 But any baseball player will have to struggle through that if 79 00:04:34,600 --> 00:04:38,200 they want to mature and grow as an athlete, they can't just keep 80 00:04:38,200 --> 00:04:40,400 doing the same basic things. They I didn't hit the ball off 81 00:04:40,400 --> 00:04:42,800 the tee and run around the bases because the outfielders are 82 00:04:42,800 --> 00:04:45,800 fighting over, right? Like at some point we mature 83 00:04:45,800 --> 00:04:49,300 past that now we build on that Foundation that we learned back 84 00:04:49,300 --> 00:04:51,700 in t-ball. We never ultimately leave it but 85 00:04:51,700 --> 00:04:55,700 growing passed it to maturity and proficiency takes time and 86 00:04:55,700 --> 00:04:59,700 perseverance and that's true for anything not just baseball, 87 00:04:59,800 --> 00:05:01,800 right? If you've you're in a career or 88 00:05:01,800 --> 00:05:04,900 you're a student you learn that it takes time to understand 89 00:05:04,900 --> 00:05:07,100 things and to become proficient in them. 90 00:05:07,800 --> 00:05:10,100 Today we're continuing our sermon series through the book 91 00:05:10,100 --> 00:05:13,800 of Hebrews and our preacher is going to take a quick break from 92 00:05:13,800 --> 00:05:17,100 unpacking these deep glorious truths about the priesthood of 93 00:05:17,100 --> 00:05:22,100 Jesus to encourage his listeners toward perseverance and faith in 94 00:05:22,100 --> 00:05:25,000 Christ. He is going to exhort them to 95 00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:30,100 not grow dull, or lazy or bored with pursuing Jesus. 96 00:05:30,600 --> 00:05:34,300 Because there are so many Treasures that await the person 97 00:05:34,300 --> 00:05:38,200 and community that presses on into the depths of The goodness 98 00:05:38,200 --> 00:05:41,500 of Christ. The reality is that giving over 99 00:05:41,500 --> 00:05:47,000 our very lives to the pursuit of Jesus is worth more than any 100 00:05:47,000 --> 00:05:51,200 Earthly skill or function that we could ever learn. 101 00:05:51,800 --> 00:05:54,600 And the beautiful thing about giving over your life to Jesus 102 00:05:55,300 --> 00:05:58,600 is that the spirit is the one who Bears the fruit in our 103 00:05:58,600 --> 00:06:01,300 lives. And so the return on your 104 00:06:01,300 --> 00:06:06,900 investment is guaranteed and eternal and it is well worth the 105 00:06:06,900 --> 00:06:10,000 effort. So good morning again church, as 106 00:06:10,000 --> 00:06:13,300 I mentioned earlier, my name is Joel and I have the privilege of 107 00:06:13,300 --> 00:06:16,200 serving as one of the pastor's here, specifically the pastor 108 00:06:16,400 --> 00:06:19,800 for preaching and oversight. As always, I want to thank each 109 00:06:19,800 --> 00:06:22,800 of you for being here this morning and just taking time to 110 00:06:22,800 --> 00:06:26,200 gather with the church, it is always an honor to see each of 111 00:06:26,200 --> 00:06:29,400 your faces and know that we are in this together and that I get 112 00:06:29,400 --> 00:06:33,100 to serve alongside each of you. So like I said, we're continuing 113 00:06:33,100 --> 00:06:35,200 in this amazing book of Hebrews. Today, we're going to be in 114 00:06:35,200 --> 00:06:38,900 Hebrews chapter 5 verse 11 through If you can make your way 115 00:06:38,900 --> 00:06:42,100 there will also have some verses on the screen for you. 116 00:06:45,300 --> 00:06:49,100 So quick review, remember the goal of the preacher of Hebrews 117 00:06:49,400 --> 00:06:53,600 is to lay before his listeners. This Feast of the all Majestic 118 00:06:53,600 --> 00:06:57,600 glorious nature of Jesus. He is imploring his here. 119 00:06:57,600 --> 00:07:00,200 Is that Jesus is better than anything. 120 00:07:00,200 --> 00:07:03,300 This world could ever offer including better than what 121 00:07:03,300 --> 00:07:07,100 religion offers in this culture. It was the old Covenant way of 122 00:07:07,100 --> 00:07:11,100 relating to God and so the entire theme of this book is 123 00:07:11,100 --> 00:07:14,300 Jesus is better. Everybody say. 124 00:07:15,100 --> 00:07:18,900 Jesus is better. We said every, well, not every 125 00:07:18,900 --> 00:07:22,200 week, but most weeks, because we want to remind ourselves of 126 00:07:22,200 --> 00:07:25,300 this. But in the midst of this flood 127 00:07:25,300 --> 00:07:29,100 of this declaration of truths about Jesus, periodically 128 00:07:29,100 --> 00:07:32,800 throughout the book. He will pause to exhort and warn 129 00:07:32,800 --> 00:07:36,000 his listeners of. Not only the positive nature of 130 00:07:36,000 --> 00:07:40,600 what it means to follow Christ, but also what it means to reject 131 00:07:40,900 --> 00:07:44,000 Christ. And that's what our passage this 132 00:07:44,000 --> 00:07:46,300 week. Is there called warning 133 00:07:46,300 --> 00:07:48,500 passages. If you were with us, a few weeks 134 00:07:48,500 --> 00:07:51,300 ago, we introduced to these warning passages. 135 00:07:51,300 --> 00:07:53,800 There are five of them throughout the Book of Hebrews. 136 00:07:53,900 --> 00:07:56,600 This is the third one. I don't have time to do a full 137 00:07:56,600 --> 00:07:58,400 review. This sermons already, a lot, a 138 00:07:58,400 --> 00:07:59,900 lot, a lot longer than I normally do. 139 00:08:00,100 --> 00:08:03,300 Sorry, if you're in the kids space, but not going to a full 140 00:08:03,300 --> 00:08:04,900 review. If you didn't get to hear that 141 00:08:04,900 --> 00:08:07,300 sermon, I do encourage you to go back and listen to like the 142 00:08:07,300 --> 00:08:10,600 first 15 minutes in that I introduce these warning 143 00:08:10,600 --> 00:08:12,400 passages. It's helpful to have that broad 144 00:08:12,400 --> 00:08:14,300 context. You can go back and listen to 145 00:08:14,300 --> 00:08:15,900 it. It's called Jesus is better than 146 00:08:15,900 --> 00:08:17,900 unbelief, and that's from February 19th. 147 00:08:18,200 --> 00:08:20,300 If you want to listen to that later, if you missed it. 148 00:08:20,500 --> 00:08:23,100 So as we go in today's passage, I just want to tell you up 149 00:08:23,100 --> 00:08:26,100 front, it contains what is probably one of the most 150 00:08:26,200 --> 00:08:30,500 contested and hard to understand sections in the entire Bible. 151 00:08:30,500 --> 00:08:32,600 And I say this because there's a lot of different views and 152 00:08:32,600 --> 00:08:35,500 thoughts on it and nobody. It's not, there's not a 153 00:08:35,508 --> 00:08:39,400 consensus among Scholars and different views and I'll kind of 154 00:08:39,400 --> 00:08:41,500 try to explain that but I promise you, I'm just telling 155 00:08:41,500 --> 00:08:42,900 you up front. I will not be able to answer 156 00:08:42,900 --> 00:08:44,900 your questions. I would love to Discuss this 157 00:08:44,900 --> 00:08:47,900 further afterwards, feel free to grab me or we can grab coffee, 158 00:08:48,500 --> 00:08:53,000 but I still don't fully. I think I grasped them but 159 00:08:53,600 --> 00:08:55,500 there's a lot of humility there even though I spent a lot of 160 00:08:55,500 --> 00:08:58,600 time researching and studying. So let's just understand that 161 00:08:58,600 --> 00:09:01,600 going in. So let's get into the context. 162 00:09:01,800 --> 00:09:05,600 I'm going to reread Hebrews 5 verses 11 through 14. 163 00:09:05,600 --> 00:09:07,600 One more time. I'm gonna actually go back to 164 00:09:07,600 --> 00:09:10,600 verse 9 of last week's Tech so we can get the context. 165 00:09:10,900 --> 00:09:15,000 So Hebrews 5:9 it says, after he was perfected this Jesus. 166 00:09:15,200 --> 00:09:19,100 He became the source of Eternal salvation for all who obey him, 167 00:09:19,300 --> 00:09:21,900 and he was declared by God a high priest. 168 00:09:21,900 --> 00:09:25,800 According to the order of Melchizedek, we have a great 169 00:09:25,800 --> 00:09:28,000 deal to say about this. So the preacher says, Hey I want 170 00:09:28,000 --> 00:09:31,100 to tell you more about the high priest of Jesus but he stops and 171 00:09:31,100 --> 00:09:33,800 he says it is difficult to explain since you have become 172 00:09:33,800 --> 00:09:38,900 too lazy or board to understand. Although by this time you ought 173 00:09:38,900 --> 00:09:42,200 to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the basic 174 00:09:42,200 --> 00:09:47,000 principles of God's revelation. Again, you need milk, not solid 175 00:09:47,000 --> 00:09:50,000 food now. Everyone who lives on milk as an 176 00:09:50,000 --> 00:09:53,700 experience with the message about righteousness, because he 177 00:09:53,700 --> 00:09:57,300 is an infant. But solid food is for the mature 178 00:09:57,700 --> 00:10:01,400 for those who senses have been trained to distinguish between 179 00:10:01,400 --> 00:10:05,000 good and evil. And so, if you were with us last 180 00:10:05,000 --> 00:10:08,900 week, you might remember how we saw the preacher begins diving 181 00:10:08,900 --> 00:10:12,300 into the deep end of the depth of the riches about Jesus high 182 00:10:12,300 --> 00:10:14,400 priest, and he has a lot more to say about that. 183 00:10:14,500 --> 00:10:17,300 We're going to get to it. He's saying, there is no other 184 00:10:17,300 --> 00:10:19,300 way to God, except through Christ. 185 00:10:19,600 --> 00:10:22,200 The book of Hebrews makes that explicitly clear. 186 00:10:22,500 --> 00:10:25,000 And he wants to continue exploring this idea because even 187 00:10:25,000 --> 00:10:27,900 though like that truth seems simple on the surface like it 188 00:10:27,900 --> 00:10:30,800 affects our entire life and it's like you could build on that 189 00:10:30,800 --> 00:10:33,600 foundation for years for eternity because we actually 190 00:10:33,600 --> 00:10:36,300 will. And so before he does that, he 191 00:10:36,300 --> 00:10:40,000 stops and he inserts a warning about the problem of immaturity 192 00:10:40,200 --> 00:10:42,400 in their midst. And that's the first point we 193 00:10:42,400 --> 00:10:48,000 have today the problem. Of immaturity now admittedly our 194 00:10:48,000 --> 00:10:54,400 preacher is generalizing right as speakers do, but he tells his 195 00:10:54,400 --> 00:10:57,100 listeners that he wants to teach them more about their great high 196 00:10:57,100 --> 00:10:59,300 priest. But it's difficult and he says 197 00:10:59,300 --> 00:11:03,200 it's not difficult because it's a hard topic, it's difficult 198 00:11:03,200 --> 00:11:07,900 because you have grown bored. This were translated lazy and 199 00:11:07,900 --> 00:11:10,600 verse 11 is often translated dull. 200 00:11:10,900 --> 00:11:14,300 It has the idea that their their mind has become bored. 201 00:11:14,700 --> 00:11:19,500 They've just kind of grown mmm about the truth of Jesus and we 202 00:11:19,500 --> 00:11:21,900 all find ourselves at times. But the question is, what do we 203 00:11:21,900 --> 00:11:23,700 do? When we find ourselves there? 204 00:11:23,700 --> 00:11:28,100 And he says, this boredom is the reason for their immaturity. 205 00:11:28,200 --> 00:11:32,400 So that's the root problem is their boredom to describe their 206 00:11:32,400 --> 00:11:34,500 immaturity. He uses a pretty basic 207 00:11:34,500 --> 00:11:36,500 illustration that we can understand a day. 208 00:11:37,100 --> 00:11:42,400 If a mature adult only ever drank milk, we would realize 209 00:11:42,400 --> 00:11:45,000 that there was something wrong and that that it would be hard 210 00:11:45,000 --> 00:11:49,000 to sustain them. It would be common sense and so 211 00:11:49,000 --> 00:11:51,900 he's kind of logically saying why would it be any different 212 00:11:51,900 --> 00:11:55,800 spiritually? Just as we expect a person to 213 00:11:55,800 --> 00:11:59,500 grow in maturity in regard to what they can handle, what they 214 00:11:59,500 --> 00:12:01,500 can eat? One of the things that I want my 215 00:12:01,500 --> 00:12:03,600 kids to grow into maturity, is that they can wipe their own 216 00:12:03,600 --> 00:12:05,700 butts, right? Like when we hit that point, 217 00:12:05,700 --> 00:12:08,500 like, there's not as many streaks on the underwear. 218 00:12:08,500 --> 00:12:11,000 We're like growing in maturity. Y'all know, it's true if you 219 00:12:11,000 --> 00:12:14,000 have kids, right? Like, I want you to grow in 220 00:12:14,000 --> 00:12:16,000 that. There would be something wrong 221 00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:18,400 if like we're continuing that later in life, right? 222 00:12:19,100 --> 00:12:21,900 And so the author at that wasn't in my notes, I don't know why. 223 00:12:21,900 --> 00:12:24,000 I use that illustrate, my worst illustrations are when they're 224 00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:28,200 not in the note. So But he expects followers of 225 00:12:28,200 --> 00:12:31,700 Jesus to grow in maturity, in their understanding of sound 226 00:12:31,700 --> 00:12:33,300 Doctrine, and their knowledge of truth. 227 00:12:33,300 --> 00:12:36,700 It's common sense. And the idea here like we hear 228 00:12:36,700 --> 00:12:39,300 these words and they come across as harsh and we think the goal 229 00:12:39,800 --> 00:12:43,100 of his talk is to shame his listeners, but that's not it. 230 00:12:43,800 --> 00:12:47,200 He actually wants them to grow in their understanding and so to 231 00:12:47,200 --> 00:12:51,100 do that, he wants them to recognize where they are. 232 00:12:51,700 --> 00:12:54,900 There is nothing wrong with an honest, acknowledgment of where 233 00:12:54,900 --> 00:12:57,300 we are in. In our spiritual journey, I 234 00:12:57,308 --> 00:12:59,900 would actually argue that. That is the first step to 235 00:12:59,900 --> 00:13:05,200 experiencing growth. There are times and seasons were 236 00:13:05,200 --> 00:13:08,800 all we can handle is milk for new Christians, the foundation 237 00:13:08,800 --> 00:13:12,600 of basic troops has to be late. They should be drinking milk and 238 00:13:12,600 --> 00:13:18,300 infant should be drinking milk, but generally speaking a healthy 239 00:13:18,300 --> 00:13:21,600 disciple of Jesus will always because we know we're dependent 240 00:13:21,600 --> 00:13:24,300 on Christ. We will always be actively and 241 00:13:24,300 --> 00:13:28,000 humbly learning and growing continually digesting. 242 00:13:28,000 --> 00:13:31,600 Truth about who God is and what he's accomplished in Christ. 243 00:13:32,100 --> 00:13:36,000 We're always Ways experiencing that all and that Wonder until 244 00:13:36,000 --> 00:13:39,200 one day our eyes, no longer see dimly. 245 00:13:40,200 --> 00:13:44,800 But we see him face to face. And so the idea proposed by our 246 00:13:44,800 --> 00:13:46,500 author is, if that's what's to come. 247 00:13:46,700 --> 00:13:50,400 Why wait, why not explore these riches now? 248 00:13:52,000 --> 00:14:00,100 Don't grow bored with Jesus. Because if we do at best, we 249 00:14:00,100 --> 00:14:03,800 remain, immature Christians at worst. 250 00:14:04,500 --> 00:14:07,400 We could prove ourselves to be false professors of Faith who 251 00:14:07,400 --> 00:14:09,700 never truly believed in the first place. 252 00:14:09,700 --> 00:14:11,600 And we're going to flush this out, okay? 253 00:14:11,800 --> 00:14:14,900 So stay with me. So if, if knowing the problem of 254 00:14:14,900 --> 00:14:18,800 immaturity is a part of the way, we grow our author continues to 255 00:14:18,800 --> 00:14:20,900 give us the evidence of immaturity. 256 00:14:21,400 --> 00:14:24,000 Well, how can we tell what happens when we only nurture 257 00:14:24,000 --> 00:14:26,500 ourselves with milk as he ABS it. 258 00:14:26,800 --> 00:14:30,500 And he says that this is evidenced by being unskilled in 259 00:14:30,500 --> 00:14:34,300 the message about righteousness. Some translations, say, the word 260 00:14:34,300 --> 00:14:36,800 of righteousness, this word is Reema or the message. 261 00:14:36,800 --> 00:14:38,800 It's not logos. It's not the person of Jesus, 262 00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:41,100 it's what the righteousness means. 263 00:14:41,100 --> 00:14:44,800 How do we acquire and believe? What do we believe about how we 264 00:14:44,800 --> 00:14:48,000 acquire righteousness? Contextually. 265 00:14:48,000 --> 00:14:51,400 I think this is important. I don't see any other way to 266 00:14:51,400 --> 00:14:55,600 interpret this in the context of Hebrews, except that our author 267 00:14:55,600 --> 00:14:57,600 is saying that. If one believes that 268 00:14:57,600 --> 00:15:00,000 righteousness could come from any other way, besides the work 269 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:03,000 of Christ because that's what his listeners are struggling 270 00:15:03,000 --> 00:15:04,800 with learning their own righteousness. 271 00:15:05,300 --> 00:15:10,200 He says that describes an immature Christian like a basic 272 00:15:10,200 --> 00:15:14,800 Christianity 101. We can't Christ did not our 273 00:15:14,800 --> 00:15:18,300 righteousness, not of Works lest Any man should boast. 274 00:15:19,700 --> 00:15:22,300 And we may think well, of course that's true. 275 00:15:23,600 --> 00:15:25,700 I almost went back to like old school like we may think well 276 00:15:25,700 --> 00:15:28,000 preacher. Of course that's true I never do 277 00:15:28,000 --> 00:15:29,600 that. Like hypothetical people talking 278 00:15:29,600 --> 00:15:31,400 to me? Well, brother Joel not anyways, 279 00:15:31,400 --> 00:15:34,000 all right. Here's the thing. 280 00:15:35,000 --> 00:15:39,500 The reality is there are many who profess Christianity, who 281 00:15:39,500 --> 00:15:43,200 think they have earned their righteousness and are trusting 282 00:15:43,200 --> 00:15:46,600 their own works, and merits to achieve, their right standing 283 00:15:46,600 --> 00:15:49,900 before God. And no matter how moral, those 284 00:15:49,900 --> 00:15:53,000 people may seem, no matter how many scriptures, they can, 285 00:15:53,000 --> 00:15:56,200 quote, the Pharisees knew the scriptures, but they miss Jesus. 286 00:15:56,700 --> 00:15:59,500 And so, if we don't understand basic principle of 287 00:15:59,500 --> 00:16:02,600 righteousness, by grace alone, through faith alone, then we 288 00:16:02,600 --> 00:16:07,500 prove ourselves to be immature and in need of spiritual growth. 289 00:16:09,000 --> 00:16:14,000 Inversely those that are mature. He says have had their senses 290 00:16:14,000 --> 00:16:18,400 trained to understand the difference between good and evil 291 00:16:19,500 --> 00:16:23,000 as one commentator pointed out again, contextually this most 292 00:16:23,000 --> 00:16:26,900 likely is in regard to the dominant message of Hebrews. 293 00:16:26,900 --> 00:16:30,100 What is evil as described by the author of Hebrews. 294 00:16:30,100 --> 00:16:34,700 It is going back to the law. It is running underneath the law 295 00:16:34,700 --> 00:16:38,100 and trying to earn salvation. That is actually evil it. 296 00:16:38,200 --> 00:16:41,200 Trying to measure up base by one's own works. 297 00:16:41,800 --> 00:16:46,000 And the reality is those that are spiritually mature, they 298 00:16:46,000 --> 00:16:50,400 will sense and smell forms of legalism creeping up in their 299 00:16:50,400 --> 00:16:54,000 own lives and the lives of others, they'll be able to smell 300 00:16:54,000 --> 00:16:56,600 it. And since it, you can always put 301 00:16:56,600 --> 00:16:59,700 your maybe words on it and I think that's the main 302 00:16:59,700 --> 00:17:03,300 interpretation here. Now, I also want to point out 303 00:17:03,300 --> 00:17:06,800 and this is also some interpretations, it is true that 304 00:17:06,800 --> 00:17:09,900 as we grow in Christ, Likeness as we recognize what he's done 305 00:17:09,900 --> 00:17:12,900 for us and we are transformed into His Image by the work of 306 00:17:12,900 --> 00:17:16,900 the spirit. It is true that we will be able 307 00:17:16,900 --> 00:17:20,800 to understand the difference between moral good and evil as 308 00:17:20,800 --> 00:17:24,300 well. The choices that we make if we 309 00:17:24,300 --> 00:17:27,800 truly trust God's plans in his ways and we say Jesus is better, 310 00:17:27,900 --> 00:17:31,700 we trust your plans and your ways, we will be able to also 311 00:17:31,700 --> 00:17:35,900 sense when other standards of Good and Evil arise in our 312 00:17:35,900 --> 00:17:38,100 midst, right? When people call good. 313 00:17:38,200 --> 00:17:41,400 Evil and evil good. When everyone is doing what is 314 00:17:41,400 --> 00:17:45,000 right in their own eyes. We will also be able to sense 315 00:17:45,000 --> 00:17:49,100 and smell that as well. And so, our author desires for 316 00:17:49,100 --> 00:17:53,800 his listeners, to be trained and settled in the understanding of 317 00:17:53,800 --> 00:17:58,100 the basics of Christ, Works Christ work and how that flushes 318 00:17:58,100 --> 00:18:01,100 itself out in the lives of Believers. 319 00:18:01,700 --> 00:18:04,800 And this has to do with the foundational truths of 320 00:18:04,800 --> 00:18:09,000 Christianity, those those are settled those Score things so 321 00:18:09,000 --> 00:18:10,300 that they might flush themselves out. 322 00:18:10,300 --> 00:18:13,800 And we might grow, even though his words might seem a little 323 00:18:13,800 --> 00:18:17,600 harsh to our ears. He is actually incredibly 324 00:18:17,600 --> 00:18:19,700 hopeful. He kind of seems discourage that 325 00:18:19,700 --> 00:18:21,900 first like, yo, I can't move past these things and then he 326 00:18:21,900 --> 00:18:24,500 actually does move past them. So so he actually, you know, 327 00:18:24,500 --> 00:18:27,600 maybe like any author speaker, he kind of uses that as a 328 00:18:27,600 --> 00:18:30,400 rhetorical thing and then he's encouraged and he calls them to 329 00:18:30,400 --> 00:18:32,900 press on. Look at chapter 6, verse 1 and 330 00:18:32,900 --> 00:18:36,600 2, he says, therefore if this is how immaturity and maturity 331 00:18:36,600 --> 00:18:40,800 works, For let us leave the elementary teaching about 332 00:18:40,800 --> 00:18:43,400 Christ, don't leave Christ but the elementary teaching about 333 00:18:43,400 --> 00:18:46,800 Christ and go on press on to maturity. 334 00:18:47,000 --> 00:18:49,400 This word is even like in the passive form. 335 00:18:49,400 --> 00:18:54,900 Like we are carried on by another person to maturity not 336 00:18:54,900 --> 00:18:56,500 laying. Again, the foundation of 337 00:18:56,500 --> 00:19:00,100 repentance from dead Works. Faith in God, teaching about 338 00:19:00,100 --> 00:19:02,100 ritual, Washings laying on of hands. 339 00:19:02,200 --> 00:19:06,000 The resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. 340 00:19:06,400 --> 00:19:11,600 And so here, our author Begins to Define what he means by milk. 341 00:19:12,400 --> 00:19:15,000 What does he mean by we're only feasting on milky, he does it by 342 00:19:15,000 --> 00:19:16,600 naming three couplets. Okay. 343 00:19:17,200 --> 00:19:19,100 The csb kind of translate a little funny, but a lot of 344 00:19:19,108 --> 00:19:20,800 translations, you can see those couplets. 345 00:19:21,300 --> 00:19:24,300 He's not trying to give an exhaustive list about the 346 00:19:24,300 --> 00:19:28,200 foundations of Christianity. He's rather giving some of the 347 00:19:28,200 --> 00:19:32,400 core examples that he hopes his listeners will settle on. 348 00:19:33,100 --> 00:19:36,600 And he must believe that in some sense, they know and understand 349 00:19:36,600 --> 00:19:38,800 these core doctrines because he doesn't Explain them. 350 00:19:38,900 --> 00:19:42,100 He does it teach on and he simply gives them a list and he 351 00:19:42,100 --> 00:19:44,400 reminds them that they should have these things kind of 352 00:19:44,500 --> 00:19:48,200 settled at this point. The first couple of truths, he 353 00:19:48,200 --> 00:19:50,900 mentions is repentance and Faith. 354 00:19:51,500 --> 00:19:55,200 Okay, he specifically says again, contextually repentance 355 00:19:55,200 --> 00:19:58,800 from what dead works, could going back to earn your 356 00:19:58,800 --> 00:20:01,500 salvation. We repented from that, right? 357 00:20:01,600 --> 00:20:05,900 And then we turned in faith to God instead of oneself or 358 00:20:05,900 --> 00:20:08,000 rituals or the sacrificial system. 359 00:20:08,100 --> 00:20:11,800 Mmm, the next couplet he mentions is ritual Washings in 360 00:20:11,800 --> 00:20:15,200 the laying on of hands. Now, this is the most confusing 361 00:20:15,200 --> 00:20:19,300 for commentators. The most likely idea here is one 362 00:20:19,300 --> 00:20:22,500 of baptism, which was the entrance into the Christian 363 00:20:22,500 --> 00:20:25,000 faith. This sign of the sealed Covenant 364 00:20:25,000 --> 00:20:28,100 that had already taken place in one's heart and sometimes laying 365 00:20:28,100 --> 00:20:29,900 on of hands went with that. Okay. 366 00:20:30,400 --> 00:20:34,600 He hopes that mature Christians would begin to understand both 367 00:20:34,600 --> 00:20:37,400 what baptism is and what it's not. 368 00:20:38,700 --> 00:20:42,300 Especially if some are still counting on old Jewish Washings, 369 00:20:42,300 --> 00:20:45,300 which there was to save them if they're counting on these are 370 00:20:45,300 --> 00:20:48,800 like, like, we need to settle that and then the last couplet 371 00:20:48,800 --> 00:20:52,000 is the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. 372 00:20:52,600 --> 00:20:56,700 So, from the very beginning of the church, over 2,000 years 373 00:20:56,700 --> 00:21:00,000 ago, it has been understood and believed that there will be a 374 00:21:00,000 --> 00:21:05,300 final resurrection of the dead and that all will stand before. 375 00:21:05,300 --> 00:21:10,200 God, And the reward that we will receive will be Eternal either 376 00:21:10,900 --> 00:21:14,000 to Eternal damnation or eternal life. 377 00:21:15,200 --> 00:21:18,600 And he hopes he saying I'm hoping that these things will be 378 00:21:18,600 --> 00:21:21,800 settled on. These are our quarters. 379 00:21:21,800 --> 00:21:24,300 Like there's not many things we hold with the close hand here, 380 00:21:25,100 --> 00:21:27,100 but he's like some core things. Like we're going to read the 381 00:21:27,100 --> 00:21:29,300 Nicene Creed later. Like that's what we're talking 382 00:21:29,300 --> 00:21:32,200 about these core truths of Christianity. 383 00:21:32,600 --> 00:21:37,800 We want to settle on these and he encourages them to leave 384 00:21:37,800 --> 00:21:41,900 these Elementary teachings. Now again he doesn't say leave 385 00:21:41,900 --> 00:21:44,400 Christ, he says leave these Elementary teachings about 386 00:21:44,400 --> 00:21:46,700 Christ But we need to understand, this doesn't mean 387 00:21:46,700 --> 00:21:50,200 leave and never return to them. It means we're not like relaying 388 00:21:50,200 --> 00:21:52,200 the foundation. That's a big process doesn't 389 00:21:52,200 --> 00:21:53,900 mean that the foundation, isn't there. 390 00:21:53,900 --> 00:21:55,800 It doesn't mean that it's not what is built upon? 391 00:21:55,800 --> 00:21:58,200 As Paul said, there's no other Foundation that can be laid 392 00:21:58,200 --> 00:22:01,600 except that which is Christ. Like that's the foundation and 393 00:22:01,600 --> 00:22:03,900 so he said like can we settle on Christ alone? 394 00:22:04,600 --> 00:22:07,400 Because if we can't settle on that then like we can't even 395 00:22:07,400 --> 00:22:10,000 talk about spiritual maturity. We can't even get there. 396 00:22:12,200 --> 00:22:15,200 As a child, you don't learn your ABCs. 397 00:22:15,600 --> 00:22:18,100 Just so you have a great song to sing with other people. 398 00:22:18,100 --> 00:22:21,500 When you get older, right? If you're still running, I mean 399 00:22:21,500 --> 00:22:22,600 cool, you can sing that song, right? 400 00:22:22,600 --> 00:22:24,900 If you're teaching your kids or something else, but it's not 401 00:22:24,900 --> 00:22:26,800 just something. We sing for the sake of singing, 402 00:22:26,800 --> 00:22:32,800 it the ABCs are built upon to form beautiful. 403 00:22:33,000 --> 00:22:36,900 Life, changing words, and paragraphs and sentences and 404 00:22:36,900 --> 00:22:39,300 songs and all these other beautiful things and that 405 00:22:39,300 --> 00:22:41,400 Foundation is always still there. 406 00:22:41,500 --> 00:22:45,500 But we Leave it to see more beautiful flourishing. 407 00:22:46,200 --> 00:22:49,700 The idea here is that these foundational truth about Christ 408 00:22:49,700 --> 00:22:52,200 by the work of the spirit would be settled in her heart, so that 409 00:22:52,200 --> 00:22:55,900 that could flow up into every fiber of our being and change, 410 00:22:55,900 --> 00:22:59,000 everything about us Christ Alone, through faith alone, that 411 00:22:59,000 --> 00:23:01,600 transforms us. And that is the only foundation 412 00:23:01,600 --> 00:23:04,000 that can be late. Everything else is sinking sand. 413 00:23:05,300 --> 00:23:08,500 it's like the roots of the tree that are planted so the tree can 414 00:23:08,500 --> 00:23:12,500 blossom and flourish to maturity and this is what our preacher 415 00:23:12,500 --> 00:23:18,500 wants to lead his listeners to he says it plainly in verse 3 of 416 00:23:18,500 --> 00:23:23,100 chapter 6, Because I want to tell you about the depth of the 417 00:23:23,100 --> 00:23:29,800 riches of Christ and we will do this 6:3 if God permits. 418 00:23:30,800 --> 00:23:33,400 So what will we do? We will move into these depths 419 00:23:34,200 --> 00:23:38,200 but I love that even in this. He recognizes that ultimately 420 00:23:38,700 --> 00:23:43,000 maturity and understanding is not based on human effort or the 421 00:23:43,000 --> 00:23:47,100 eloquence of one's words, but rather on the work of the 422 00:23:47,100 --> 00:23:52,600 spirit, he's like this is the plan. if God permits, And that's 423 00:23:52,600 --> 00:23:55,900 his aim very soon and I'm looking forward to it because we 424 00:23:55,908 --> 00:23:59,600 get past this difficult text he will get to exploring the depths 425 00:23:59,600 --> 00:24:01,300 of Jesus as our high priest. What? 426 00:24:01,300 --> 00:24:04,400 He introduced back in chapter 5, he will continue on at the end 427 00:24:04,408 --> 00:24:09,900 of chapter 6 and into chapter 7. But before he does, he continues 428 00:24:09,900 --> 00:24:14,500 this exhortation by revealing, the end result of our board on 429 00:24:14,500 --> 00:24:17,000 with Christ. Again, these warning passages 430 00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:21,400 intentionally use extremes to kind of wake us up a little bit 431 00:24:21,400 --> 00:24:24,200 and say, well, if that's the end result of boredom with Christ, 432 00:24:24,700 --> 00:24:27,500 why would I go there? I'll turn to Christ, right? 433 00:24:27,500 --> 00:24:31,200 It's a, it's a rhetorical means to wake his congregation his 434 00:24:31,200 --> 00:24:35,300 listeners up. So that's what he does in verses 435 00:24:35,300 --> 00:24:39,200 four through eight. Again, this is the text. 436 00:24:39,200 --> 00:24:42,400 That is extremely complicated. Let's read it together again. 437 00:24:42,400 --> 00:24:47,600 I think we'll make sense of it if you're 64 3, it says for we 438 00:24:47,600 --> 00:24:51,000 will move on if God permits because it is impossible to 439 00:24:51,000 --> 00:24:53,800 renew to repentance those who were once. 440 00:24:53,800 --> 00:24:57,200 Enlightened, who tasted the Heavenly gift who shared in the 441 00:24:57,200 --> 00:25:00,600 Holy Spirit, who tasted God's good word and the powers of the 442 00:25:00,600 --> 00:25:03,800 coming age and who have fallen run away. 443 00:25:04,800 --> 00:25:07,000 This is because to their own harm. 444 00:25:07,300 --> 00:25:10,200 They are free crucifying. The Son of God and holding him 445 00:25:10,200 --> 00:25:13,700 up to contempt for the ground. That drinks the rain. 446 00:25:13,700 --> 00:25:17,600 That often falls on it and that produces vegetation useful to 447 00:25:17,600 --> 00:25:20,700 those for whom. It is cultivated receives a 448 00:25:20,700 --> 00:25:26,200 blessing from God but if it produces thorns and thistles it 449 00:25:26,200 --> 00:25:31,300 is worthless and about to be cursed and at the end will be 450 00:25:31,800 --> 00:25:34,800 burned. We saw the problem of 451 00:25:34,800 --> 00:25:37,600 immaturity. Now, we see the danger of 452 00:25:38,200 --> 00:25:41,100 immaturity. So again, there's a lot going on 453 00:25:41,100 --> 00:25:43,400 in this few verses. I don't have time to dissect 454 00:25:43,400 --> 00:25:47,800 everything, many views, many of them valid some of them not but 455 00:25:47,800 --> 00:25:50,500 I think again one of the main thing is going on here is that 456 00:25:50,500 --> 00:25:53,800 the preacher wants to make plainly aware of what our 457 00:25:53,800 --> 00:25:56,900 boredom with Christ and his listeners boredom with Christ? 458 00:25:56,900 --> 00:26:00,300 And spiritual immaturity can lead to as a means of helping 459 00:26:00,600 --> 00:26:05,200 wake us up and that in V is making the decision to walk away 460 00:26:05,200 --> 00:26:09,100 from Jesus and the church community at large. 461 00:26:09,800 --> 00:26:12,400 I don't mean just one individual church, I mean the The Universal 462 00:26:12,400 --> 00:26:17,300 Church community so this warning is a means of Grace for those 463 00:26:17,300 --> 00:26:21,200 who are in Christ, truly in him to Spur them toward a greater 464 00:26:21,300 --> 00:26:24,000 pursuit of knowing Jesus. So let's look a little closer to 465 00:26:24,000 --> 00:26:26,600 understand how this flesh is out, okay? 466 00:26:26,600 --> 00:26:27,800 We're going to try to explain some of this. 467 00:26:27,800 --> 00:26:30,400 First of all, remember this is a specific context to a specific 468 00:26:30,400 --> 00:26:33,300 people, right? So he's talking to That probably 469 00:26:33,300 --> 00:26:36,500 experienced Pentecost in the early Church in these Jews that 470 00:26:36,500 --> 00:26:38,800 had experienced these things that are in danger of going back 471 00:26:38,800 --> 00:26:41,400 to that old way, okay? But I do believe that it also 472 00:26:41,400 --> 00:26:45,100 has application. So let's like, who is it that he 473 00:26:45,100 --> 00:26:47,900 describes Falling Away, who are these people? 474 00:26:48,600 --> 00:26:52,100 So in verses four through five at a cursory reading, it could 475 00:26:52,100 --> 00:26:54,700 seem as if he was talking about actual Christians. 476 00:26:55,000 --> 00:26:58,200 He uses strong language, but we've already seen this a 477 00:26:58,208 --> 00:27:01,300 previous sermons again, later, I love to give you scripture to 478 00:27:01,308 --> 00:27:03,800 back this up, but the book of Bruised and the entirety of the 479 00:27:03,800 --> 00:27:06,700 scriptures, very clearly teach that those that are truly in 480 00:27:06,700 --> 00:27:08,900 Christ, cannot lose their salvation. 481 00:27:09,300 --> 00:27:10,800 All that the father has given me. 482 00:27:11,700 --> 00:27:15,200 I will hold onto, right? That's what Jesus says, we can 483 00:27:15,200 --> 00:27:18,800 turn in the first place, so you can't lose it, okay? 484 00:27:19,300 --> 00:27:23,600 But this does seem to describe those who are fully invested in 485 00:27:23,600 --> 00:27:26,100 the church Community. Not just those who may be heard, 486 00:27:26,100 --> 00:27:28,700 some Plan of Salvation at one time, but those who were like 487 00:27:29,000 --> 00:27:32,300 fully in right? Maybe the example is those Jews 488 00:27:32,300 --> 00:27:34,600 that Saw Pentecost saw the Spirit moving. 489 00:27:34,700 --> 00:27:37,500 It was more than just hearing, there was an experiential 490 00:27:38,700 --> 00:27:42,400 understanding of Truth and there's even sincerity in the 491 00:27:42,400 --> 00:27:46,500 involvement. But in the end, these people 492 00:27:46,500 --> 00:27:52,100 reject that in favor of their own self-righteousness, they 493 00:27:52,100 --> 00:27:55,300 were informed but not transformed. 494 00:27:56,500 --> 00:28:00,000 These seem to be the soil that Jesus describes in Matthew 13. 495 00:28:00,000 --> 00:28:02,600 Jesus made it very clear that this would happen. 496 00:28:03,000 --> 00:28:05,700 People who originally received the word with joy. 497 00:28:05,700 --> 00:28:09,900 There's, there's an emotional experience, even But there's no 498 00:28:09,900 --> 00:28:14,200 route and these people fall away because of distress or 499 00:28:14,200 --> 00:28:16,700 persecution. Okay? 500 00:28:17,100 --> 00:28:19,800 And let me say something very, it is not our job to label who 501 00:28:19,800 --> 00:28:22,100 those people are and who those people aren't, right? 502 00:28:22,100 --> 00:28:24,300 We're not. I've heard this used is, you 503 00:28:24,300 --> 00:28:27,400 know, evidence of people because they left one specific Church 504 00:28:27,400 --> 00:28:29,500 like, well, they must not be Christians and it's like, whoa, 505 00:28:29,500 --> 00:28:31,300 like, let's be careful about that, right? 506 00:28:33,000 --> 00:28:35,800 But if that's the case, if this is how we interpret it, then the 507 00:28:35,800 --> 00:28:40,000 warning is to those who might be in the church Community, who are 508 00:28:40,000 --> 00:28:43,300 considering rejecting Christ for whatever reason, because of 509 00:28:43,300 --> 00:28:46,700 pressures persecutions and our author is exhorting. 510 00:28:46,700 --> 00:28:48,900 Those people because again, he's not labeling, he doesn't know 511 00:28:48,900 --> 00:28:52,300 who it is and who it isn't? He says, we'll play around. 512 00:28:53,200 --> 00:28:57,300 This is a life and death matter. There is eternal judgment that 513 00:28:57,300 --> 00:28:59,900 awaits. So this isn't a game, this isn't 514 00:29:00,000 --> 00:29:03,000 something we just kind of trifle with and and play with. 515 00:29:03,300 --> 00:29:05,400 And we can we can have doubts and questions and we wrestle 516 00:29:05,400 --> 00:29:07,200 through those. Like that's there's so much 517 00:29:07,200 --> 00:29:09,400 space for that for like these core things. 518 00:29:09,400 --> 00:29:11,500 Like we are, pleading and begging. 519 00:29:12,600 --> 00:29:19,500 To believe the gospel of Jesus. So it is for those people but it 520 00:29:19,500 --> 00:29:24,400 is also for those of us who are truly Christ, who might just 521 00:29:24,400 --> 00:29:29,000 find ourselves lazy and board. It is meant to stand even if 522 00:29:29,008 --> 00:29:31,200 it's not to you because you are in Christ. 523 00:29:31,200 --> 00:29:33,400 And I hope you have that full assurance and I'm confident that 524 00:29:33,400 --> 00:29:35,200 we're going to get to that. But here's the thing. 525 00:29:35,200 --> 00:29:39,000 Even as you listen, just like you might hear a son, might hear 526 00:29:39,000 --> 00:29:41,000 his father. Tell his daughter don't run in 527 00:29:41,000 --> 00:29:43,500 the road. The sun can learn from that, 528 00:29:43,500 --> 00:29:47,100 right? And so those that truly belong 529 00:29:47,100 --> 00:29:50,400 to, the father will see this warning and we will avoid the 530 00:29:50,400 --> 00:29:53,200 end of Destruction. This is actually one of the 531 00:29:53,200 --> 00:29:55,900 means of your perseverance is to point out. 532 00:29:55,900 --> 00:29:58,900 What happens if we reject Christ? 533 00:29:59,200 --> 00:30:04,400 It is a gift to us verses 7 and 8 illustrate this. 534 00:30:04,400 --> 00:30:06,000 We could talk the scriptures. Do this a lot. 535 00:30:06,000 --> 00:30:09,200 This idea of burying and producing fruit, the range, just 536 00:30:09,200 --> 00:30:11,000 falling. It, is this almost passive 537 00:30:11,000 --> 00:30:15,100 Spirit work in US, But we can look at our lives and say what 538 00:30:15,100 --> 00:30:18,900 is bearing fruit or is it thorns and thistles that are useless? 539 00:30:19,900 --> 00:30:24,400 The main message here is that life without Jesus is useless 540 00:30:24,600 --> 00:30:29,900 and leads to destruction. So so if these people described 541 00:30:29,900 --> 00:30:32,900 are those who are informed but not transformed. 542 00:30:33,600 --> 00:30:35,900 What do we do with it? Is impossible to renew to 543 00:30:35,900 --> 00:30:39,500 repentance these people that he describes some people think this 544 00:30:39,500 --> 00:30:42,800 is a rhetorical argument where he's making kind of a absurd 545 00:30:42,800 --> 00:30:45,500 statement that for these people to leave when crucifying Christ 546 00:30:45,500 --> 00:30:46,500 again is. So it can't happen. 547 00:30:46,500 --> 00:30:49,600 That's one view. There's other views quite a few 548 00:30:49,600 --> 00:30:52,700 interpretations here again, don't have time. 549 00:30:52,700 --> 00:30:55,800 So I want to just share a couple of thoughts K where I've kind of 550 00:30:55,800 --> 00:30:59,900 landed I think. One view understands this word 551 00:30:59,900 --> 00:31:02,600 impossible to mean generally impossible. 552 00:31:02,600 --> 00:31:05,900 The root word in the Greek, could also be translated week or 553 00:31:05,900 --> 00:31:08,400 powerless. And the idea here is that this 554 00:31:08,400 --> 00:31:11,300 person is weak. It is nigh impossible for this 555 00:31:11,300 --> 00:31:13,700 person to be renewed to repentance through, the normal 556 00:31:13,700 --> 00:31:17,200 means of experiential Grace, we use that even in our culture, it 557 00:31:17,200 --> 00:31:19,900 is impossible for this team to beat that team and we don't mean 558 00:31:19,900 --> 00:31:23,100 literally impossible or say like the odds of it are so low, 559 00:31:23,100 --> 00:31:26,300 right? And the idea here, it's 560 00:31:26,300 --> 00:31:28,900 important. Want to remember the idea here 561 00:31:28,900 --> 00:31:31,800 is that those that have experienced Christ and heard the 562 00:31:31,800 --> 00:31:36,800 message and reject it. Generally and they walk away. 563 00:31:37,100 --> 00:31:40,000 Generally don't easily come back. 564 00:31:40,700 --> 00:31:43,500 Okay. Another key thing I think is 565 00:31:43,500 --> 00:31:46,900 important to remember is that this conversation about these 566 00:31:46,900 --> 00:31:50,200 people comes just after the preacher says, I'm going to move 567 00:31:50,200 --> 00:31:53,200 to deeper things with you guys if God permits. 568 00:31:53,200 --> 00:31:55,600 I think it's important to remember that the thing he says, 569 00:31:55,600 --> 00:31:57,300 because I always want to what is this for for. 570 00:31:57,300 --> 00:31:59,500 It is impossible. It's like because of what I just 571 00:31:59,500 --> 00:32:03,500 said it is impossible. So this if God permits, why does 572 00:32:03,500 --> 00:32:06,400 this fit here? And I think what he could be 573 00:32:06,400 --> 00:32:10,200 saying is that because he turns to language that is third person 574 00:32:10,200 --> 00:32:13,300 for the one who rejects it is, impossible to renew the one, 575 00:32:13,500 --> 00:32:15,500 he's not talking to them directly anymore and I think 576 00:32:15,500 --> 00:32:19,400 he's maybe telling the church, hey, to restore or renew these 577 00:32:19,400 --> 00:32:23,500 individuals that have rejected, you can't restore renew them to 578 00:32:23,500 --> 00:32:26,200 repentance. They've rejected kind of the 579 00:32:26,200 --> 00:32:29,300 basic foundational truths about Jesus that we would normally 580 00:32:29,300 --> 00:32:32,300 communicate to each other. See a means of Grace that the 581 00:32:32,300 --> 00:32:34,100 church does to each other. We were store each other to 582 00:32:34,100 --> 00:32:36,300 repentance. It's to confession. 583 00:32:36,300 --> 00:32:38,500 We do. We remind each other of the good 584 00:32:38,500 --> 00:32:40,300 news of Jesus, in the futility of running. 585 00:32:40,300 --> 00:32:43,300 After other things, that's a means of Grace as we are engaged 586 00:32:43,300 --> 00:32:45,600 in community together. And he said, hey, with these 587 00:32:45,600 --> 00:32:49,500 people that have rejected that core message of the Gospel is 588 00:32:49,500 --> 00:32:53,100 not going to work. This is impossible. 589 00:32:55,300 --> 00:32:58,600 If these people have rejected Christ work, then the normal 590 00:32:58,600 --> 00:33:01,700 means of Grace of rehearsing the gospel message to each other. 591 00:33:01,900 --> 00:33:06,000 It is Weak and Powerless. And again this largely Bears 592 00:33:06,000 --> 00:33:11,100 true, but this doesn't mean we give up hope This is important 593 00:33:11,100 --> 00:33:15,400 to understand. The scriptures and human history 594 00:33:15,700 --> 00:33:20,500 are replete with stories of those who walked away for a Time 595 00:33:20,700 --> 00:33:24,400 who even denied look at Peter. Look at King David. 596 00:33:25,200 --> 00:33:30,000 But God brought them back to his fold because they were his. 597 00:33:31,000 --> 00:33:34,500 I can't read this passage without remembering Matthew 19, 598 00:33:35,100 --> 00:33:38,800 the disciples are astonished at the impossibility of the rich, 599 00:33:38,800 --> 00:33:41,700 entering the kingdom of God and Jesus says, looks at them and 600 00:33:41,700 --> 00:33:46,500 says with, man, this is impossible, but With God, all 601 00:33:46,500 --> 00:33:52,300 things are possible. So however, you interpret this 602 00:33:53,000 --> 00:33:55,800 my encouragement to you pass. Oesterle. 603 00:33:56,200 --> 00:33:58,500 If you have people in your life, who you've seen walk away? 604 00:34:00,900 --> 00:34:07,200 With God, all things are possible, we don't give up, we 605 00:34:07,200 --> 00:34:12,199 pray, and we plead with the spirit to supernaturally work in 606 00:34:12,199 --> 00:34:15,500 the lives of those. We love who have walked away. 607 00:34:16,800 --> 00:34:21,600 And then we continue with those that are still in our midst to 608 00:34:21,600 --> 00:34:24,500 Bear the burdens that are actively engaged. 609 00:34:24,500 --> 00:34:27,800 We restore those who have fallen as Galatians says, in love and 610 00:34:27,800 --> 00:34:32,000 humility and patience, we don't get angry at them for asking the 611 00:34:32,000 --> 00:34:36,600 questions. We don't get mad We bear with 612 00:34:36,600 --> 00:34:40,199 them, long-suffering, patient. Because at the end of the day, 613 00:34:40,500 --> 00:34:43,900 we all need Jesus. That's what Galatians says. 614 00:34:43,900 --> 00:34:48,699 Consider yourself. Lest you also be tempted And so, 615 00:34:49,000 --> 00:34:52,900 what is this drive us to do? It drives us to build on the 616 00:34:52,900 --> 00:34:55,300 foundational truths of the gospel. 617 00:34:55,500 --> 00:34:59,500 And this active building on this Foundation is one of the means 618 00:34:59,500 --> 00:35:02,200 that God uses to keep us from ever rejecting these core 619 00:35:02,200 --> 00:35:04,400 foundational truth. That's why I encourage people 620 00:35:04,400 --> 00:35:06,200 that are wrestling with some of their faith. 621 00:35:06,200 --> 00:35:08,900 Do that in community, like, let's wrestle. 622 00:35:09,100 --> 00:35:11,200 Some things need to be torn down. 623 00:35:11,300 --> 00:35:12,900 Some things need to be. Can I use the word 624 00:35:12,900 --> 00:35:15,200 deconstructed? Right, that's a hard word right 625 00:35:15,200 --> 00:35:19,600 now some things need to be torn down but that Foundation of of 626 00:35:19,600 --> 00:35:22,300 salvation, by grace alone, through faith alone of, of all 627 00:35:22,300 --> 00:35:25,500 these things that he mentions. Like man we want to build on 628 00:35:25,500 --> 00:35:30,000 that and reconstruct Beauty and life because that's what 629 00:35:30,000 --> 00:35:32,900 settling on this will lead to the the lot of the things we're 630 00:35:32,900 --> 00:35:35,000 tearing down our things that were built on, a totally 631 00:35:35,000 --> 00:35:38,500 different Foundation of legalism, and Prosperity Gospel, 632 00:35:38,500 --> 00:35:44,300 and other things that exist out there, So, after all of that, 633 00:35:44,500 --> 00:35:48,100 thankfully, for my sake, this passage ends with some explicit 634 00:35:48,200 --> 00:35:49,600 encouragement. And I think this is an 635 00:35:49,600 --> 00:35:51,700 important, the author. He gives some hard things, but 636 00:35:51,700 --> 00:35:53,200 he doesn't stop there. Look at verses 9 through 12. 637 00:35:53,200 --> 00:35:56,200 I love this, even though we are speaking this way, so, he 638 00:35:56,200 --> 00:36:01,100 recognizes this is hard. Dearly loved friends. 639 00:36:01,800 --> 00:36:05,900 Only time he uses that in Hebrews, in your case, we are 640 00:36:05,900 --> 00:36:09,500 confident of things that are better and that pertain to 641 00:36:09,500 --> 00:36:15,500 Salvation for God is Not unjust. He will not forget your work and 642 00:36:15,500 --> 00:36:19,100 the love you demonstrated for his name by serving the Saints 643 00:36:19,100 --> 00:36:25,400 and by continuing to serve them. Now we desire, each of you to 644 00:36:25,400 --> 00:36:29,600 demonstrate the same diligence, for the full Assurance of your 645 00:36:29,600 --> 00:36:32,800 hope, you see, this language of assurance and hope until the end 646 00:36:33,300 --> 00:36:38,000 so that you won't become lazy or bored, but will be imitators of 647 00:36:38,000 --> 00:36:42,800 those who inherit the promises through faith and perseverance. 648 00:36:45,900 --> 00:36:48,400 After exhorting them toward maturity, he encourages them 649 00:36:48,400 --> 00:36:51,400 with Incredible words of. Hope we saw the problem of 650 00:36:51,400 --> 00:36:54,100 immaturity, the danger of immaturity and the last thing 651 00:36:54,100 --> 00:36:56,800 we'll see, is the call to maturity. 652 00:36:58,300 --> 00:37:01,200 Even though I just said all this, I am confident of things 653 00:37:01,200 --> 00:37:05,800 much better for you, dearly loved friends, and this is my 654 00:37:05,800 --> 00:37:08,300 encouragement to you. I don't know where all of you 655 00:37:08,300 --> 00:37:10,900 are. But if you are sitting here, 656 00:37:10,900 --> 00:37:15,600 wondering if you're in danger of Falling Away, the fact is and I 657 00:37:15,600 --> 00:37:17,700 mean this you should be encouraged. 658 00:37:18,500 --> 00:37:21,900 I have yet to meet the person who has rejected God that cares 659 00:37:21,900 --> 00:37:23,100 about what God thinks about them. 660 00:37:24,100 --> 00:37:28,100 The fact that you care the fact that you even want to care the 661 00:37:28,100 --> 00:37:30,600 fact that you even want to be settled on. 662 00:37:30,600 --> 00:37:33,900 This is evidence that the spirit of God is at work in you. 663 00:37:34,700 --> 00:37:36,900 Because on our own, we just reject it. 664 00:37:38,200 --> 00:37:40,900 So, even though there might be some immaturity in the church 665 00:37:40,900 --> 00:37:45,700 Community, it is not a reason for Doom and Gloom, and he tells 666 00:37:45,700 --> 00:37:49,700 them this God is Not unjust. The fruit of the spirit in your 667 00:37:49,700 --> 00:37:55,900 lives, will not be overlooked and I want to encourage you. 668 00:37:55,900 --> 00:37:59,500 I Echo the words of the preacher of Hebrews here in New Eden. 669 00:37:59,700 --> 00:38:04,100 I have watched the way you served one another I've watched 670 00:38:04,100 --> 00:38:07,300 as you've treated each other as brothers and sisters, and 671 00:38:07,300 --> 00:38:10,600 fathers and mothers, and daughters and sons honoring each 672 00:38:10,600 --> 00:38:12,800 other with your words and actions. 673 00:38:12,800 --> 00:38:17,300 It is a beautiful family. I've watched the way you've 674 00:38:17,300 --> 00:38:20,400 confessed sin and stumbled forward. 675 00:38:20,900 --> 00:38:23,500 I've watched the way you've wrestled with and taught each 676 00:38:23,500 --> 00:38:29,100 other, the beautiful doctrines of God patiently and humbly just 677 00:38:29,100 --> 00:38:34,200 learning together. I've watched you sacrifice with 678 00:38:34,200 --> 00:38:38,400 love and send families to the ends of the Earth, so that 679 00:38:38,400 --> 00:38:42,900 others might hear this foundational gospel message. 680 00:38:43,900 --> 00:38:48,400 I am absolutely confident of better things for you church, so 681 00:38:48,400 --> 00:38:54,200 be encouraged. Your works that are done not to 682 00:38:54,200 --> 00:38:57,400 earn salvation but out of gratitude of what Christ has 683 00:38:57,400 --> 00:39:02,700 done God sees those. And he is not unjust, there is 684 00:39:02,700 --> 00:39:07,600 eternal work that is being done because of that and even more 685 00:39:07,600 --> 00:39:13,300 than that, he sees the work of Christ on your behalf. 686 00:39:14,400 --> 00:39:17,400 And so he looks at you remember this passage about going on to 687 00:39:17,400 --> 00:39:20,900 maturity comes on the heels of talking about Christ becoming 688 00:39:20,900 --> 00:39:24,600 the perfect and complete son who obeys perfectly. 689 00:39:24,900 --> 00:39:28,200 That's not an accident. We don't press on to maturity 690 00:39:28,200 --> 00:39:31,700 without getting the fact that Christ first pressed on on our 691 00:39:31,700 --> 00:39:34,100 behalf. And so when God sees you he sees 692 00:39:34,100 --> 00:39:41,100 complete mature perfect. That is why he is all of this 693 00:39:41,700 --> 00:39:45,000 with an encouragement to be imitators of those who inherit 694 00:39:45,000 --> 00:39:48,100 the promise of God, through what faith and perseverance. 695 00:39:48,500 --> 00:39:51,600 This word is more commonly translated patients. 696 00:39:52,600 --> 00:39:56,000 It is. This active waiting on God to 697 00:39:56,000 --> 00:40:00,000 fulfill what he promised. So the heart behind this is not 698 00:40:00,100 --> 00:40:04,500 to hang on in your own strength. If we take this passage as a 699 00:40:04,508 --> 00:40:09,000 call to start, earning your way into God's favor, we've missed 700 00:40:09,000 --> 00:40:14,400 it, this passage is a call to trust in Christ alone, through 701 00:40:14,400 --> 00:40:19,000 faith and then through suffering through pain through doubts and 702 00:40:19,000 --> 00:40:24,400 struggles to just wait on God to fulfill what he promised with 703 00:40:24,400 --> 00:40:28,600 patients. See, at the end of the day, we 704 00:40:28,600 --> 00:40:32,500 can only demonstrate what Christ has already assured. 705 00:40:32,500 --> 00:40:36,600 Us will come to past, we can only work out. 706 00:40:36,600 --> 00:40:42,300 What Christ has already worked in US, we can only pursue 707 00:40:42,400 --> 00:40:48,500 knowing god because God made himself known through Christ 708 00:40:48,500 --> 00:40:54,800 pursuing us. We love because he first loved 709 00:40:55,100 --> 00:40:59,600 us. He became flesh and entered our 710 00:40:59,600 --> 00:41:02,700 world as we'll see. Next week with his life, he 711 00:41:02,700 --> 00:41:06,200 became he becomes our sure and steadfast hope he enters into 712 00:41:06,200 --> 00:41:09,900 the most holy place. He pressed on to maturity and 713 00:41:09,900 --> 00:41:12,700 completeness. So we might receive the promise 714 00:41:12,700 --> 00:41:14,600 of hope and it's based on his work. 715 00:41:14,600 --> 00:41:17,800 He says, I'm swearing by This Promise by myself because 716 00:41:17,800 --> 00:41:19,300 there's no one greater to swear on. 717 00:41:19,300 --> 00:41:22,300 I'm still in Kevin's passage next week, it's all of grace 718 00:41:22,300 --> 00:41:25,100 alone. And so the encouragement is, 719 00:41:25,100 --> 00:41:28,400 here's the Hope set out like a beast sees what Christ has 720 00:41:28,400 --> 00:41:31,800 already done, its the hope of the Cross and Resurrection. 721 00:41:33,300 --> 00:41:36,800 With this death on the cross. Jesus, purchased life for all 722 00:41:36,800 --> 00:41:38,300 who would believe in, trust in him. 723 00:41:39,000 --> 00:41:41,100 He becomes the sacrifice for sin. 724 00:41:41,200 --> 00:41:44,400 He absorbs all of the evil that the world could throw on his 725 00:41:44,400 --> 00:41:49,300 shoulders, the thorns and thistles that, our sin, and 726 00:41:49,300 --> 00:41:54,600 immaturity produces, they were rammed into his head and he 727 00:41:54,600 --> 00:42:01,800 willingly took it And he's laid in a tomb buried, underneath the 728 00:42:01,800 --> 00:42:04,800 weight of sin and death and the enemy. 729 00:42:05,900 --> 00:42:11,000 But he rises again on the third day and he completes the work on 730 00:42:11,000 --> 00:42:14,000 our behalf. He is greater than your 731 00:42:14,000 --> 00:42:17,000 immaturity and he says, it's not that. 732 00:42:17,000 --> 00:42:18,500 I'm just mad at you for being immature. 733 00:42:18,600 --> 00:42:21,200 Like, I'm inviting you into Union with me. 734 00:42:22,200 --> 00:42:25,000 I want this relationship. That's the invitation. 735 00:42:25,000 --> 00:42:27,600 He said you can know God through Christ. 736 00:42:27,800 --> 00:42:31,000 You can pursue me. This relationship that the fall 737 00:42:31,000 --> 00:42:33,900 broke. You can now be restored to that 738 00:42:34,300 --> 00:42:37,000 and explore the depths of it. Here you go. 739 00:42:37,100 --> 00:42:43,900 You got eternity, get started. The answer to your boredom is 740 00:42:43,900 --> 00:42:48,200 not to white-knuckle it to do more to get busy to write new 741 00:42:48,200 --> 00:42:52,200 laws and new resolutions. The answer to your boredom is to 742 00:42:52,200 --> 00:42:58,000 be reminded again, of the all sufficient work of Jesus Gaze on 743 00:42:58,000 --> 00:43:01,700 his goodness. Look at the finished work of 744 00:43:01,700 --> 00:43:04,500 Christ. And as that happens as that 745 00:43:04,500 --> 00:43:10,400 Foundation is laid and settled, we will respond in gratitude and 746 00:43:10,400 --> 00:43:15,600 we will actually be transformed He is more glorious than 747 00:43:15,600 --> 00:43:18,000 anything else you could ever imagine. 748 00:43:18,100 --> 00:43:20,200 And I know, it doesn't always feel like it because we see with 749 00:43:20,200 --> 00:43:23,100 eyes dimly. So I recognize that as excited 750 00:43:23,100 --> 00:43:26,200 as I am here on Sundays because I'm gathered with the church 751 00:43:26,200 --> 00:43:28,600 Monday morning, I don't want anything to do with the truth 752 00:43:28,600 --> 00:43:30,800 about Jesus. Sometimes I just want an app 753 00:43:31,000 --> 00:43:33,200 which can be a glorious, right? Jesus, nap, too. 754 00:43:34,200 --> 00:43:38,500 But here's the point, if we could spend eternity searching 755 00:43:38,600 --> 00:43:41,600 and learning and we've only begun to grasp the surface, 756 00:43:42,500 --> 00:43:45,600 That's why the gospel is so beautiful simple enough for a 757 00:43:45,600 --> 00:43:49,900 child to understand and believe, but deep enough for the smartest 758 00:43:49,900 --> 00:43:52,700 Minds in the world, to explore for eternity. 759 00:43:54,200 --> 00:43:55,500 That's why our preacher is adamant. 760 00:43:55,500 --> 00:43:56,900 That he's the only way he'll say this. 761 00:43:56,900 --> 00:43:59,100 In Hebrews 10, there's no other sacrifice for sin. 762 00:43:59,800 --> 00:44:02,400 You might be looking for something better, and I get that 763 00:44:02,400 --> 00:44:05,700 long and that desire, but there is nothing better. 764 00:44:06,700 --> 00:44:11,100 There's nowhere else to turn and he is worth pursuing because he 765 00:44:11,100 --> 00:44:14,900 pursued us. And we don't pursue him to earn 766 00:44:14,900 --> 00:44:18,000 anything when we see the Life. Death, burial, resurrection of 767 00:44:18,000 --> 00:44:19,300 Jesus. And that's captured. 768 00:44:19,300 --> 00:44:21,300 It's like, why would I want to run anywhere else? 769 00:44:22,500 --> 00:44:26,700 If we really get what Christ has done for us, our response is one 770 00:44:26,700 --> 00:44:30,600 of deep gratitude and joy. Not he's necessarily, but 771 00:44:30,600 --> 00:44:35,100 following Jesus, abiding in him, resting in his work, trusting 772 00:44:35,100 --> 00:44:39,000 him in the everyday, waiting into the depths of his love. 773 00:44:41,000 --> 00:44:45,400 Through faith and patience, you will inherit what's in store. 774 00:44:46,000 --> 00:44:49,800 His kingdom will come and his will will be done. 775 00:44:49,900 --> 00:44:51,500 And all the things were searching for. 776 00:44:51,600 --> 00:44:54,900 And longing, for all the promises we desire to come to 777 00:44:54,900 --> 00:44:58,500 pass will, I'll pain sin, death will cease. 778 00:44:59,400 --> 00:45:02,500 This is the day long for been jokingly because he's in pretty 779 00:45:02,500 --> 00:45:04,400 team and I was telling about how tough the sermon was like one 780 00:45:04,400 --> 00:45:07,800 more pray for Jesus to come back at 10:30 last night and I was 781 00:45:07,800 --> 00:45:09,600 like, why don't you just pray like earlier in the day because 782 00:45:09,600 --> 00:45:10,700 I don't want to prep for nothing. 783 00:45:12,700 --> 00:45:14,200 So, I remember where I was going with this. 784 00:45:14,500 --> 00:45:16,500 Jesus is returning, I don't even know. 785 00:45:17,100 --> 00:45:20,500 Oh, I know what it is. Yes, one day we will no longer 786 00:45:20,500 --> 00:45:24,000 be bored because we will see Jesus face-to-face. 787 00:45:24,700 --> 00:45:27,600 We will no longer have to wrestle with immaturity because 788 00:45:27,600 --> 00:45:31,400 we will be presented like a bride adorned for her groom, 789 00:45:31,500 --> 00:45:37,000 perfect and complete in Christ. We will dwell with God, we will 790 00:45:37,000 --> 00:45:39,200 be his people. This is the Hope. 791 00:45:40,100 --> 00:45:42,400 And so what do we do with this church? 792 00:45:43,300 --> 00:45:47,000 How do we respond in the here and now and between the first 793 00:45:47,000 --> 00:45:50,900 out of and of Jesus, and the second return when the days are 794 00:45:50,900 --> 00:45:55,700 long and the night is hard, the goal of this passage is not for 795 00:45:55,700 --> 00:45:59,000 you to grow fearful. It is to encourage you. 796 00:45:59,800 --> 00:46:01,800 In the Assurance, you have in the gospel. 797 00:46:03,300 --> 00:46:08,600 So we Press On Together pursuing Jesus serving each other in love 798 00:46:09,200 --> 00:46:12,200 we teach each other, we humbly learn whether this comes through 799 00:46:12,200 --> 00:46:14,900 a Bible study or growth Partnerships or missional 800 00:46:14,900 --> 00:46:18,400 communities and decision. Just head knowledge, it is fully 801 00:46:18,400 --> 00:46:21,400 transformed the way we live. That's why he talks about what 802 00:46:21,400 --> 00:46:23,000 they do, not just what they know. 803 00:46:23,600 --> 00:46:25,800 And here's the thing. I don't care who you are, I 804 00:46:25,800 --> 00:46:28,800 don't care, your education level, you are welcome to this 805 00:46:28,800 --> 00:46:32,900 table of knowing Christ, come on, come feast. 806 00:46:33,100 --> 00:46:34,600 You don't need a seminary degree. 807 00:46:34,600 --> 00:46:38,100 It is not a prerequisite, just trust in the word of Christ. 808 00:46:38,200 --> 00:46:41,900 He's done everything. And in the end, it's all for 809 00:46:41,900 --> 00:46:46,100 intimately knowing Jesus together pursuing him, more and 810 00:46:46,100 --> 00:46:48,000 more. And so we hold tightly to the 811 00:46:48,000 --> 00:46:50,200 gospel. That's why it's important for us 812 00:46:50,200 --> 00:46:52,300 that are members of Newton. Understand, like, you are a 813 00:46:52,308 --> 00:46:54,300 piece. That's not, yes, Elders, protect 814 00:46:54,300 --> 00:46:57,300 sound, dr. Lee we honor you, we submit to 815 00:46:57,300 --> 00:46:59,500 you together mutually as members. 816 00:46:59,800 --> 00:47:02,400 We bear each other's burdens. We were knew each other to 817 00:47:02,400 --> 00:47:06,500 repentance and we together. Pray for those who have gone out 818 00:47:06,500 --> 00:47:08,900 from our midst, that the spirit might give them eyes to see, 819 00:47:09,200 --> 00:47:13,300 perseverance of the Saints is a community project, you are not 820 00:47:13,300 --> 00:47:16,800 meant to do it alone. So maybe we constantly remind 821 00:47:16,800 --> 00:47:20,300 each other of the gospel, maybe press on toward the flushing out 822 00:47:20,300 --> 00:47:23,900 of the Gospel into maturity into the depths of gospel truth. 823 00:47:24,700 --> 00:47:28,500 And may our eyes be fixated on Christ because he is better than 824 00:47:28,500 --> 00:47:31,400 your boredom. He's more attractive than 825 00:47:31,400 --> 00:47:32,900 anything else. That could be offered us. 826 00:47:33,700 --> 00:47:37,300 We wait with patience, hanging onto faith in the work of Jesus 827 00:47:37,300 --> 00:47:39,800 alone in close. Let me leave you with this 828 00:47:39,800 --> 00:47:43,000 encouragement from Paul to the Philippians church. 829 00:47:43,800 --> 00:47:48,600 He says, I am sure of this that he who started a good work in, 830 00:47:48,600 --> 00:47:53,500 you will carry it on to completion until the day of 831 00:47:53,600 --> 00:47:57,300 Christ. Jesus be encouraged Church.