Turn back to Hebrews chapter
six, while you're turning there, Sarah Lynn had a surgical procedure
on her thyroid today, and it went well, and she's uncomfortable,
but the medication is going to help her, Billy said. Also, Burt,
we're remembering you, and you start your procedure this Friday,
and a young man by the name of Woodford Sharon was born this,
isn't that a cool name? Woodford Sharon. I would have
never thought of that, I like that. Nine pounds and how many
ounces? Thereabouts. I've entitled the message for
this evening, Going On Unto Perfection. Now the word perfection means
maturity. As a matter of fact, if you Look
back at verse 14, but strong meath in chapter five, but strong
meath belongeth to them that are of full age. People who are
mature, that's the adjective form of this same noun, perfection. Let us go on to maturity. Now,
aren't you interested in maturing in grace? growing in grace and
the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Now, in this passage of scripture,
he speaks of those who are of full age and he speaks of babes. Therefore, verse one, leaving
the principles The ABCs of the doctrine of Christ, the foundational
truth of the doctrine of Christ. Now, does he mean by that, leave
and not go back? Well, can you leave the alphabet
and not go back to it? The alphabet is in every word
you say. And it's the foundation of everything
you say. So he's not saying, let's leave
this and go on to bigger and better things and forget this.
No, we're not to have to lay AGAIN that foundation. Now, what prompted this? Chapter 6, verse 1 says, Therefore,
therefore, well, he's referring to what he just said, beginning
in verse 10, speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ, how He's called
of God and High Priest. after the order of Melchizedek. I can't wait to get into Hebrews
chapter seven. Melchizedek, the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ was
not a priest after the order of the Levites. They were given
simply to picture him, but a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. And look what the writer to the
Hebrews says in verse 11, of whom we have many things to say,
and hard, difficult to be expressed, to be uttered, to be spoken,
seeing that you are dull of hearing. Dull. Slow. Not quick. Dull of hearing. Now that's a, I guess that could
be a, an unusual way to speak to people. I think of a teacher
looking out over his or her students and saying, you guys are dull.
I'm sure that they would get some comments from the parents
for doing that, but yet here the writer to the Hebrew says
to these people, you are DULL of The reason I can't say these
things that I would like to say with regard to Melchizedek is
because of your dullness. And the word actually means sluggish,
slothful, lazy. And this is a dictionary definition.
This is one of the words Lynn said I should never use this
word from the pulpit, but I'm going to use it here because
this is what it means. Hi Lynn. Stupid. Stupid. That's the word. You become stupid.
You become dull. You become sluggish in hearing. Now, I have not flown a great
deal, but I've been on planes enough, some of you much more
than me, that when the attendant starts giving directions about
how to buckle the seatbelt, I don't listen. I already know that.
I'm familiar with that. I've got that down. And I don't
really listen. Sometimes I don't even establish
eye contact. That's very rude. Sometimes I think, well, I'd
establish eye contact anyway, even though I'm not listening.
But I don't really hear. I'm dull in hearing. It just does not mean that much
to me. I've already got that down pat.
I know how to buckle my seatbelt. I don't need to be told over
and over again how to buckle my seatbelt. Another thing that
I thought of, and I may have mentioned this not that long
ago, I remember when we bought a house in 1986 on Bobolink Drive,
and I did not know that within 50 yards of that house, after
I bought it, there was a railway. And a train came by the very
night that we bought it. And I didn't know that was there.
And the house rumbled. And it went through my soul.
And it was, I thought, I can't believe we bought this house.
I'm gonna have to deal with this because, I mean, it was so loud.
Within a year, I didn't even hear it. When it would go by,
I didn't even notice. I became dull of hearing. Now, our Lord did not only say,
take heed what you hear. He said, take heed how you hear. I don't want to be dull of hearing. I want to hear what God's word
says. Now he says to these people in
verse 12, after he said, you're dull of hearing. He says, for
when for the time you ought to be teachers, you ought to be
teachers at this point. Yet you have need that one teach
you again, which be the first principles of the oracles of
God. And it becomes such as have need
of milk. and not a strong mate. You need to be taught the principles
again, the ABCs again. Now, how much progress are you
and I gonna have reading if we have to be taught the alphabet
over and over and over again? And if the alphabet doesn't become
automatic to us? I mean, I can say the ABCs in
my sleep right now, and you can too. But if you couldn't do that,
what kind of progress would you make in reading? You wouldn't
make any progress. What if a foundation had to be
laid over and over and over again? And that's what he says in chapter
six, verse one. Therefore, leaving the principles of the doctrine
of Christ, let us go on into perfection, maturity, not laying
again the foundation. Now, what if in a building, the
foundation had to be laid over and over and over again? You
lay it, tear it down and lay it again. The building would
never go up with it. There would never be a superstructure.
And this is what he's saying. He's saying we should not have
to always be laying again the foundational truths. You become
such as nothing but milk and not a strong meat. Verse 13,
for everyone that uses milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness. I like the way the Bible is called
the word of righteousness. The gospel message is called
the word of righteousness. How God makes a sinner righteous. I love the way Noah is called
a preacher of righteousness. I know exactly what that's talking
about. A preacher of the righteousness of Christ. Now he says, for everyone
that if all you can use is milk, you're unskillful in the word
of righteousness. You are a babe. You are an infant. Now it's okay for Woodford did not eat meat, didn't
he? You wouldn't expect it in any way. All he can take is milk,
and you're happy for that. That's what he should be having.
But if Woodford was six years old and all he had was milk,
there'd be a problem. He ought to be eating meat by
this time. It's okay for a four-year-old
to act like a four-year-old. But it's not okay for a 30-year-old
to act like a four-year-old. So he's talking about this thing
of maturity. He talks about babes, infants,
and he talks about men. Now, look in verse 14. He says, but strong meat belongeth
to them who are full age, those who are perfect. Those who are
mature, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised
to discern good and evil. Now, strong meat. Dullness of
hearing prevents us from eating strong meat. If I'm dull of hearing,
I'm not going to be able to eat strong meat. We're going to get
into what strong meat is toward the end of the message. Strong
meat is for the mature and look at how he addresses this. Strong
meat belongeth to them who are a full age, people who have grown
in grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Even those by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern
both good and evil. Now here's what a mature in grace
person can do. He can discern between good and
evil. He knows the difference between law and grace. He knows
the difference between faith and works. He knows the difference
between flesh and spirit. He knows the difference. He can
discern the difference between that which is of God and that
which is of men. And I have seen as a pastor over
the years, I've been pastoring for 40 years. Uh, that sounds
good. You know, it sounds like an authority
because I've been around 40 years. No, I don't mean it that way,
but I do know this. I have seen people lose their
discernment, become dull of hearing, and they all of a sudden cannot
discern what they are hearing. May we be swift to hear, as James
said. If we're not, we'll lose our
ability to. Dull of hearing. He says to people
who were believers, you become dull of hearing. And note this language. He says,
but strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even
those who, by reason of use, have their senses exercised. Now, who's gonna be, generally
speaking, in the best health? Somebody who exercises or somebody
who does not exercise? He said, you've had your senses
exercised by reason of use to be able to discern the difference
between good and evil. Now, a spiritual baby, a babe,
he'll hear something like, If you forgive not, you'll not be
forgiven. You'll hear the words of the
Lord and say, well, that sounds like works. Well, that's because you're a
spiritual baby. You haven't had your senses exercised to discern
the difference between good and evil. Really, if you don't forgive,
you'll not be forgiven. That's the meat of the word.
That's the meat of the word. that only someone who is, by
the grace of God, matured can get hold of. The milk of the
word is the ABCs, the fundamentals of the gospel. Now look what
he says in verse 1 of chapter 6. Therefore, leaving the principles
of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection, not
laying again. And then he names six things
which could be called the ABCs of the gospel. The foundational
truth of the gospel. And if I'm not grounded in these
things, just like I am the ABCs, I will not go on into perfection.
If this has to be laid again and again and again, there will
be no maturity in grace. Now look what he says. Therefore
leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go
on into perfection. not laying again the foundation,
and then he named six things, of repentance from dead works,
and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, and of
laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And I love the way he says in
verse three, we'll do this if God permit. We know we're totally
dependent upon the grace of God for this to take place. And there's
an acknowledgement of that. We'll do this if God permit. Now let's consider, um, these six ABCs, foundational
principles, that there will be no growth unless I am grounded
in this to the point where it's an automatic to me. I don't have
to have it proven to me over and over again. It's automatic,
just like you don't have to learn the ABCs over and over again.
A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, you know it. You know it. You
don't even have to think about it. You're so versed in it and
believe it with all your heart. He says we can't be laying these
things again, and the first thing he mentions is repentance from
dead works. That's the first foundational
principle. Now what does repentance mean?
It means a change of mind. A change of mind. A change of
mind with regard to dead works. Turn with me to Hebrews chapter
nine. Verse 11. But Christ, being come an high
priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect
tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building,
neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood,
He entered once into the holy place. We're not just talking
about that material temple that was called the Holy of Holies.
This is the very presence of God, the holy place. What did he do? Neither by the
blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood, he entered
in once into the holy place. And may I say never to leave
again, having What? Obtained. That means you got
it. That means he accomplished it. And this happened outside of
any experience you have, or I have. He entered once into the holy
place, having obtained eternal. Don't miss that word eternal.
eternal, something that never had a beginning and something
that will never have an ending. He obtained eternal redemption
for us. And that's all my salvation.
Is that all your salvation? Well, I first had no. Well, I first had no. That's
a dead work. Any work that takes away from
what I just read is a dead work. Somebody says, well, I was saved
when I decided to accept Jesus Christ as my personal savior,
then I learned the gospel. No, that's a dead work. That's
all that is, it's a dead work. Have you ever had repentance,
a complete change of mind with regard to dead works? Now let's
go on reading, verse 13. For if the blood of bulls and
of goats and the ashes of an heifer, sprinkling the unclean,
sanctifies to the purifying of the flesh. And this is talking
about that typical, the ashes of the red heifer. How much more
shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal spirit offered
himself without spot to God. Purge your conscience from dead
works to serve the living God. We just read back in the study,
verse 17 of Hebrews chapter 10, their sins and iniquities will
I remember no more. Now where remission of these
is, there's no more offering for sin. Don't try to bring one.
Purge your conscience from dead works. Anything that comes from
me has the mark of death on it. What Christ accomplished. Repent
of anything that's contrary to him obtaining eternal redemption. That's complete, isn't it? Don't you reckon you and I'd
be grounded in that? And we ought not look anywhere but right him,
what he accomplished. You know, it'd save us a lot
of pain if The Lord give us grace to simply rest in him having
obtained, not making it available. If I do my part, him having obtained
eternal redemption for us. Repentance. Now, the next thing
he mentions in chapter six, verse one, Not laying again the foundation
of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God. Well, here we have repentance
and faith. The ABCs of the gospel. Do you
ever leave that? Repentance and faith. Repentance toward God, faith
toward the Lord Jesus Christ. And I love the way he says faith
toward God. He that cometh to God must believe
that he is. Without faith, it is impossible
to please God. Now, faith toward God is faith
that Jesus Christ is God. So simple. You know, everybody
believes he's man. You know, everybody says, well,
he's not a man. Everybody believes he's man.
Not everybody believes he's God. I think of what the Lord said
in John chapter 14. You believe in God? Believe also
in me. Do you believe God's all powerful?
Believe that with regard to me. Do you believe God is absolutely
sovereign, controlling everything and every event? Believe that
regarding me. Do you believe God is immutable?
I'm the same, yesterday, today, forever. In Him dwelleth all
the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and faith in Christ is believing
that he's God and relying on him as the God-man accomplishing
salvation. I rely on Jesus Christ as God. You can't believe on Christ if
you do not believe he is God, the creator of the universe.
I love what Thomas said. My Lord. And what? My God. Faith toward God. And the next thing he mentions,
and you're probably, I would do well to bring out these six
things every time I preach. Somebody says, well, aren't you
supposed to leave them? No, you're not, you should have to not be
grounded in them over and over again. This ought to be automatic.
The next thing he mentions is the doctrine. Now the word doctrine
is teaching, the teaching of baptisms in the plural. Now in the New Testament, We
read of three different baptisms. Water baptism. What is water
baptism? Well, it's going all the way
under and coming back up. And what it signifies is union
with the Lord Jesus Christ. When he lived, I lived. When he died, I died, my sin
was paid for. When he was raised from the dead,
I was raised from the dead. The doctrine is union with the
Lord Jesus Christ. Now, we also read of the Lord
speaking about being, I have a baptism to be baptized with,
talking about being baptized under the wrath of God. Now,
what does that teach? Union, his union with us. He took my sin. Not only am I
united to Him, He became united to what I am. And He was baptized
under the wrath of God for me. And then there's the spirit baptism
we read of, baptized with the Holy Ghost. That's being united
to Him in my experience to where I find out that all I want, when
I'm born again, you know what my greatest desire is when I've
been born in the Spirit? When I've been given this holy
nature, I just want to be found in Christ. That is what I want
more than anything else. That's a conscious desire at
all times. Oh, that I may win Christ and
be found in Him at all times when God looks at me. I simply
want Him to see me in His Son. So the doctrine of baptisms is
the doctrine of union with the Lord Jesus Christ. We're given,
I think, the best illustration of this in verse 9, chapter 7
of Hebrews. And as I may so say, Levi also,
who received tithes, paid tithes in Abraham, for he was yet in
the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him. Now notice
what it says. It doesn't say it was as if he paid tithes. It doesn't say the paying of
tithes was imputed to him. It says when Levi paid those
tithes, I mean when Abraham paid those tithes, even though Levi
was not yet born, Levi paid those tithes. Union. with the Lord Jesus Christ, the
doctrine of baptisms. And then the fourth thing he
mentions in Hebrews chapter 6 verse 2 is the doctrine of the laying
on of hands. The laying on of hands. Now we've
all read in the New Testament where The apostles could lay
their hands on people, and the Holy Ghost would be given. Now
that's not talking about being born again. That's how the gifts
of the Holy Spirit were transferred. When they saw that through the
laying on of the apostles' hands, the Holy Ghost was given. And
when that happened, they had these supernatural powers in
the early church. They could heal the sick. They
could raise the dead. Some of them did it. They would
speak in other languages. They could drink poison. All
these different things. And then we also read in the
New Testament of, lay hands suddenly on no man. And laying on hands
speaks of affirmation and approval. If somebody comes into this church
and says, I believe what you're all preaching, are we going to
have them up here in the pulpit two weeks later? No way. Lay
hands suddenly on no man. Is that a foundation of the gospel?
No. It's in the Bible. It's valuable
to understand these things. But the laying on of hands spoken
of in the New Testament is not what he is talking about. Would
you turn with me to Leviticus 16? This is the doctrine of the
laying on of hands, and this is what I must be grounded in. Verse 21, Leviticus chapter 16,
verse 21. And Aaron shall lay both his
hands upon the head of the live goat. Picture that in your mind, the
scapegoat, still alive. Aaron takes both of his hands,
it's tied up, and he places it on the head of the live goat. And confess over him all the
iniquities of the children of Israel and all their transgressions
and all their sins, putting them the transgressions, the iniquities,
the sins upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away
by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness, and the goat
shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited,
and he shall let the goat go in the wilderness." Now, here
we have what he's talking about. Now, did sin actually go into
that goat? No. This is given to teach us
what happened on the cross. The sins of God's people, Christ
actually bore in his own body on the tree. This is talking
about the transference of sin. Now listen to me. Sin cannot
be two places at once. If Christ bore it, I don't bear
it. My sin was transferred by God
to him and his righteousness is transferred to me so that
I am the righteousness of God. And that's the ABCs of the gospel.
And you know what, you never get tired of hearing that, do
you? Somebody says, well, I already got that down pat. No, it's amazing. It's glorious. This is how God
can be just and justify the ungodly through this amazing transfer
that took place, which is symbolized by the great high priest laying
his hands on the head of that sacrifice. Be grounded in that. My sin's
gone. Christ bore it. Put it away, it's gone. His righteousness
is given to me. It's mine. And the fifth thing
he mentions, the doctrine of baptisms, laying on of hands,
and of the resurrection of the dead. Now here's the fifth thing
I must be grounded in. The resurrection of the dead. Now, in Matthew chapter one,
verse 21, one of our favorite scriptures, thou shalt call his
name Jesus. For he shall save his people from their sins. Now how that takes place is seen
in the resurrection. Now in the Bible, we read of
three resurrections. There's the bodily resurrection
of the Lord Jesus Christ. There's spiritual resurrection
in the new birth. The hour is coming and now is
when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and
they that hear shall live. And I'm given a new nature, born
again. That's called the spiritual resurrection. And then the third resurrection
is the final resurrection, when the dead in Christ shall be raised.
Now, in those three resurrections, first in the physical resurrection
of Christ, I see salvation from the penalty of sin. He bore the
penalty. And I'll never have to. In the
spiritual resurrection, I see salvation from the power of sin. Before I was born from above,
I couldn't believe. I couldn't repent. I had no love
for God. I had no understanding. Oh, I
could read things, but there wouldn't be true spiritual understanding.
But when God gave me life, I was given grace to do what I was
powerless to do before. I can come to Christ. I can believe
on Him. I can love Him. I've been saved
from the power of sin. There was a time when I could
never do those things. I can now. And in that final
resurrection, when we're gonna be raised incorruptible, when
we're gonna be raised sinless, don't you look forward to that
day when you're gonna be raised sinless? I'll be saved from the
very presence of sin. Oh, the resurrection. Should I ever lose sight of that? The resurrection, you know, that
was the principal teaching of the apostles in the early church,
preaching the resurrection. And then the last thing he mentions,
and I love the way he says this, and of eternal judgment. Don't
miss the word eternal. Everything God does is eternal. Everything God does never had
a beginning and will never have an end. eternal judgment now my judgment
took place eternally in the lamb slain from the foundation of
the world and before I ever committed a sin
the payment had already been made and I am eternally justified
you know people say well you know aren't you justified when
you believe? I wouldn't take issue with somebody
that, with that. But I know this, I was also justified
when Jesus Christ was raised from the dead. Scripture says
that. He was delivered for our offenses
and raised again for our justification. Now I didn't believe at that
point because I wasn't even born, but my justification was accomplished.
And you know what? If he's the lamb slain from the
foundation of the world, he's the lamb raised from the foundation
of the world. And that is eternal. And we have
eternal life because of this eternal judgment. Everything
God does is eternal. And if what I believe is not
grounded in eternity, I believe wrong. Ephesians 1 verse 4 says,
according as he has chosen us in him before the foundation
of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before
him. Now, what I've been talking about
is the milk of the word. Somebody says, that's the meat,
isn't it? No, it's the milk. It's the milk. It's the ABCs. It's the foundational truths
of the gospel. And if I'm not grounded in these
six things, it will be impossible for me to go on to maturity. What's the milk of the word? Husbands, love your wives as
Christ also loved the church. What's the meat of the word? Wives, submit yourselves to your
husband as under the Lord, willingly, because that's what you want
to do. Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
That's the meat of the word. You know, the meat of the word
is here in James chapter two. You see then how that a man is
justified by works and not faith only, and you understand what
it means. Instead of getting all confused,
is that saying salvation is by faith and works? You know what
it means when you eat the meat of the word. The meat of the word is love,
the bond of perfectness, the more excellent way. The meat
of the word is to forgive somebody even when they don't ask for
your forgiveness. That's the meat of the word. The meat of
the word is being merciful. The meat of the word is being
kind. The meat of the word is being patient. The meat of the
word is being a servant. The meat of the word is taking
the lowest seat. The meat of the word is humbling
yourself under his mighty hand. The meat of the word is giving
up your rights. The meat of the word is not trying
to justify yourself before men. The meat of the word is keeping
your mouth shut. The meat of the word is not being
judgmental. The meat of the Word is being
generous. The meat of the Word is in honor,
preferring one another, in love, looking not on your own things
but also on the things of others. The meat of the Word is to not
need to be recognized, to be content, to be nothing. That's the meat of the Word. I love what James said in James
chapter three, verse two, four. In many things we offend all. Amen. In many things we offend
all. If any man offend not in word,
the same is a perfect man, a mature man, a grown up man. It is only the mature man that
will not be tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine, as
Paul says in Ephesians chapter 4. Now, what is perfect? Let's go on into perfection.
Turn with me to Matthew chapter 5. I'm going to close by reading
two passages of scripture. Matthew chapter 5. Here is the meat of the Word. Verse 43. You have heard that it has been
said, thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy. But I say
unto you, love your enemies. Bless them that curse you. Do good to them that hate you. And pray for them which despitefully
use you and persecute you. that you may be the children
of your father which is in heaven. For he maketh his son to rise
on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just
and on the unjust. For if you love them which love
you, what reward have you? Do not even publicans the same?
And if you salute your brethren only, what do you more than others? Do not even the publicans so?
Be ye therefore, what? Perfect. There's the word, same
word. Be ye therefore perfect, even
as your father, which is in heaven, is perfect. Now that, my dear
friends, is the meat of the word. If I'm not grounded in the six
foundational principles, I'll end up making a work out of it
somehow. But oh, when I'm grounded in
the gospel, Turn with me to Luke chapter six. This is the last
scripture we'll look at. Verse 27. And don't miss the significance
of this. I say unto you, which hear. Get that? The writer to the Hebrew said,
you become dull of hearing. He said, I say unto you which
hear. Boy, I want to be one of those, don't you? Swift to hear,
slow to speak. I say unto you which hear, love
your enemies. Do good to them which hate you. Bless them that curse you. And pray for them which despitefully
use you. And unto him that smiteth thee
on the one cheek, offer also the other. And him that taketh
away thy cloak, forbid not to take thy coat also. Give to every
man that asketh of thee, and to him that taketh away thy goods,
ask them not again. As you would that men should
do to you, do ye also to them likewise. There's the meat of
the word. For if you love them which love
you, What thank have you? Where's grace there? For sinners
also love those that love them. And if you do good to them which
do good to you, what thank have you? And the word is actually
generally the same word translated grace. Where's their grace in
that? For sinners also do even the same. And if you lend to
them of whom you hope to receive, what thank have you? for sinners
also lend to sinners to receive as much as again but love your
enemies and do good and lend hoping for nothing again and
your reward should be great and you should be the children of
the highest for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil
be ye therefore merciful as your father also is merciful judge
not and you shall not be judged condemn not and you shall not
be condemned. Forgive, and you shall be forgiven. Give, and it shall be given unto
you. Good measure, pressed down and
shaken together and running over, shall men give unto your bosom.
For with the same measure that you meet with all, it shall be
measured to you again." Isn't that beautiful? That's the meat
of the word. We love milk. And we can't do
without milk. And this is not saying we can
just leave milk and go on to meat in the sense that the milk
is in every word we say. The alphabet is in every word
we say. But may the Lord give us grace
to be grounded so we can grow up going on to perfection. Let's pray. Lord, we ask in. Thy son's name. That we might be. Grounded. In repentance from our dead works.
And faith toward your son is God. And our union with him and. Understanding that our sin became
his sin and his righteousness becomes ours. understanding the
accomplishments of the resurrection and the eternal nature of your
judgment. Lord, let us be grounded so that
we might go on unto perfection, that we might be mature men and
women in Christ Jesus, eating the meat of the word. I bless
this message for the Lord's sake, in his name we pray.