Go on to Maturity!
Hebrews 5-7 contains one of the strongest warnings in the entire New Testament, a text that has been a cause of anxious concern for disciples across the ages. On one hand, the authors are befuddled at the ongoing immaturity of the church, and are challenging the seeming passivity: They are like nursing infants when they should be mature adults helping to feed others. On the other hand, they know this church is capable of love, service, and persevering faith. The call is to grow up, becoming a people solidly grounded in the basics of faith and fully equipped for everyday lives of service and ministry. In the middle, the authors warn that what starts as a refusal to grow up can become an inability to grow up, where our hearts become hard and we sever ties with Jesus altogether. There's only one solution: Go forward, in faith and patience, having the full assurance of hope in Jesus!
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
Read Hebrews 5-7
What seems to be the author's main concerns?
What problem is the author addressing in 5.11-14? What does this kind of immaturity look like?
What is the solution in 6.1-3? How well have you laid this foundation in your own life?
How can we avoid becoming the people described in 6.4-9?
In what ways are you content with immaturity? What does it look like to repent from that?
Mar 3, 2024 - Steve Hart