Everything to God's will perfectly or completely. Okay, go to James chapter 1
It should be on the same page. Probably look at verse number 2
My brethren count it all joy when you fall into diverse temptations knowing this that the trying of your faith work of patience
But let have let patience have a perfect work that ye may be perfect an entire
Wanting nothing. So the Bible often is referring to perfection in the kin in the context of
Being a complete Christian, you know when it was you talk about someone in a sports
Context you say this guy's the complete player. What does that mean?
He can play all the fields the complete baseball player. He can hit he can bat he can catch, you know
He can run he can do it all. He's not just a one-hit wonder. He doesn't just have one skill set
He's not just good at batting. He's good at everything and we want to be the complete Christian
We don't want to just have one aspect of the Christian life going. Well, we want all the aspects of the Christian life going
Well, we want to be perfect. And so in Hebrews chapter number 6, he says in order to do that
We have to leave those first principles. Okay. Now, let's get those principles again. It said in Hebrews chapter 6 verse number 2
Or
Backing up just a few it says what the foundation of repentance from dead works and a faith toward God. What is that?
Well repentance from dead works is salvation
Your works do not save you they are dead works
Repenting of that means I'm not trusting in my works to save me. What do I have?
I have faith toward God so repentance from dead works and a faith toward God is
The first principle I mean if I was gonna say hey, what do you think's the most important doctrine?
Like what's the first doctrine? What's the most principle doctrine? Isn't it salvation? That's where you start out now
What do you we're bad this here? Okay, what would be the next step?
How about baptism? Right? What does it say is the next thing it says of the doctrine of baptisms
So we're graduating from our learning. The first learning is salvation. The second learning is what baptism? Okay
What's the next one in our list the laying on of hands the next is the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment now?
What's laying on of hands? Keep your finger go to Acts chapter 6 Acts chapter number 6
And this is what the apostles are going out and preaching is the gospel
They repent for their preaching repentance from dead works and a faith toward God. They're preaching the doctrines of what baptism
They're getting people's baptized whether that be a water baptism or the baptism in the Holy Ghost we have both
Okay, they're teaching both. Okay, and we have both examples of this
What's another thing that's going on at the very beginning of acts in the early stages of the Christian Church?
Well, you have the laying on of hands of the Apostles now in what context and one context is to receive the Holy Ghost
Okay, and another context they're laying on of hands for ordination. Look at Acts chapter 6 verse number 6
the Bible says
Whom they set before the Apostles and when they had prayed they laid their hands on them
Now who is laying hands on who?
Well in order to understand that they there you have to back up to verse 3 where it says wherefore brethren
Look ye out among you seven men of honest report full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom whom we
May appoint over this business
So the Apostles are telling the congregation we want to appoint somebody what is the word appoint?
It's like ordain or choose or select they say we want to ordain or appoint people over a particular business
You need to pick out a few guys and then we're gonna lay our hands on them and ordain them
That's who did the ordination was the Apostles. This is a baby doctrine. Okay, this is just the beginning steps of the Bible
Now, what about resurrection of the dead? What is that? That's heaven
What about eternal judgment? That's hell. So what are our doctrines so far? We got salvation
Baptism just ordination heaven and hell. This is what you call just the basics. Just the very foundational
principal doctrines of
Christianity but here's the thing just knowing those few aspects. You're never gonna be a complete Christian. You're never gonna be perfect
Okay, you have to leave those
To go on to perfection meaning why what sense does it make let's let's imagine this for a second
Let's say those are the only doctrines I can teach on Sunday morning Sunday evening and Wednesday night
I can only teach you how to get saved
Getting baptized heaven and hell and who should be the pastor
I'm pretty sure you get pretty bored pretty quick. Wouldn't you who wants me to only preach on that who goes?
Have you been to a church where that's all they teach though?
What you don't grow you don't get any growth in order to perfect yourself
You actually have to leave those doctrines and you have to go on under perfection
You actually have to talk about other things now the Apostle Paul
He's bringing this up in the context of what well if I have the entire book of John explaining me how to get saved
And I have books like acts and Romans
Explaining all the other doctrines of baptism and everything else. Why do I need another book called Hebrews?
that's just gonna explain to me how to get saved again and
Explaining me how to get baptized again and explaining me like he's like no, I don't want to write those things again
I want to go on to perfect. I want to teach you some other things
I want to teach you some deeper doctrines here. That's the point that he's bringing up here
I'm not gonna lay again that same foundation. I'm not gonna go down that same road
I'm not gonna bring all these things up again
Look certain books of the Bible are for different purposes. The book of Esther is not to explain you how to get saved
Okay, it has some deep symbolism that's really cool right the book of Job's not a book on how to get saved
Okay, these are just bad with the book of Proverbs
It has its purpose, but it has a unique purpose in coordination with other books the Bible
What's the purpose of the book of Psalms so we can sing praises to God, right?
What's the purpose of Genesis and Exodus, you know, we have historical books. We have books about how to praise the Lord
It's the whole package. We need the whole package and the book of Hebrews
He's saying I'm not going to just explain you how to get saved again
Hopefully read John. Okay, read Acts read Roman. What books do I use when I go soul-winning?
Romans acts and John. Okay, you know what? I don't use what I'm getting people save Hebrews
Maybe I might use Hebrews for when it talks about in all points
He was tempted like as we are yet without sin
But the only aspect I'm using out of that is the fact that he was sinless
Because the book of Hebrews written to the saved how to be a perfect Christian
It doesn't make sense to use to try and get someone saved. All right
So what is verse 1 and 2 explaining to us?
Verses 1 & 2 is saying in order to be a perfect Christian
You have to leave the first principles right in order for your child to grow up. You have to start feeding it food
You will not have a healthy baby if it only gets breast milk for the rest of its life
It will be very malnutrition, you know a nourished. It'll be suffering
You got to start feeding that thing some apples and oranges and some meat and some you know
All the other food bread all these other things if you want them to grow up and be a complete human a complete
man or woman, okay, look at verse 3 and
This will we do if God permits? So what is he saying?
He's saying God willing we will understand the deep things and what go on under perfection. We will become perfect
So notice he's putting in a caveat. It's still up to God's will though
It's up to God's mercy and his grace that we get to do that
You know only Joshua and Caleb got to enter in the Promised Land. Why it was God willing, you know
We all make mistakes. None of us are perfect. That's the importance of finding grace to help in time of need
So God willing will all go into perfection
I hope that's you guys but you know what we have to understand
It's not just you wanting to you gotta let God on your side. All right, but if God be for us who can be against us
right
verse number four
For it is impossible for those who are once enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and were made
partakers of the Holy Ghost and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the world to come if they shall fall
Away to renew them again under repentance seeing they crucified themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to an open shame now
Verse three makes a lot of sense when you understand what he's about to bring up because he's gonna bring up people that don't go on
under perfection
Okay, that's why it's God willing just because you get saved does not mean you're gonna automatically grow in the Lord
There are people that do something here. What's called what falling away?
Now he uses the word those I've heard some people get caught up because it brings up a new
Group of people because he's saying us in verse number one now in verse number four. He's saying those
But the reason why I believe he's using the word those is because he's bringing up a hypothetical anyways
He's saying we're gonna I want us to go on to perfection, but let's just throw it out there
What about those who fall away?
Right. He's not saying you guys are gonna fall away. He's just saying hey, what about the people that fall away?
What's gonna happen to them right the those who fall away now, here's the question
First of all, people say who is the those is that those people that are saved or the those people that are not saved
Well, the Bible gives us some descriptions here, right? Let's let's pick them apart for a second
First one says once enlightened now keep your finger and go to Ephesians chapter number one Ephesians chapter one
What does it mean to be enlightened? Well, the Bible is the light
Jesus Christ is the light
so technically speaking if you just read one Bible verse you've been enlightened and
You can find that the Bible just the commandments of God enlighten you
Okay
But there's another connection that the Bible draws for us of being enlightened not just having discovered some truth
But the real truth, which is how to be saved. That's one picture. Another picture is the fact that after you're saved
You start understanding the deeper truths of the Bible and that's a picture eyes being enlightened. Look at Ephesians chapter 1 verse 15
Wherefore I also after heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and love unto all the saints cease not to give thanks for you
Making mention of you in my prayers that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of glory may give unto you the spirit
Of wisdom revelation and knowledge of him the eyes of your understanding
Being enlightened that you may know what is the hope of his calling and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance
In the Saints, so he's praying for them that their eyes would be enlightened
Who are those that are enlightened? It's only the saved in this context. Okay now
From this passage, it's clear that the ones that are enlightened are saved. Okay, go back to Hebrews chapter 6 for a second. I
Don't think that the enlightened gives us a definitive dogmatic answer, but we definitely can see it can be the safe
All right. I mean that's just provable. Okay, let's get a little bit more information though
What does it also say tasted of the heavenly gift?
it also if we skip one for a second says tasted the good word of God and
The work the powers of the world to come so we have three tastes now some people get on confused about taste
Okay. Well, you know Hebrews actually use the word taste in chapter 2 look at chapter 2 verse number 9
But we see Jesus who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor
That he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. So what does that mean?
Well, the word taste is a small sample or a short duration if you just taste something a shorter
Hey, how long was Jesus Christ in hell?
Three days and three nights. So he just tasted death
He was dead, but it was a short period of time. But notice that doesn't invalidate that he experienced that he really did do it
He really did experience. It was just a short amount of time. Okay, so if we use that definition
It's just saying for a short amount of time
They've experienced what the heavenly gift the good word of God and the powers of the world to come go
If you would to first Peter chapter number one first Peter chapter number one just to the right in your Bible
So this means for a short duration
They're experiencing the things of the Bible things that are going to come the world to come even the heavenly gift
Now if I've tasted of the heavenly gift, okay
When I think of the heavenly gift, which you can't necessarily find a perfect example is in the Bible
But I think of the gift of God, which is what?
eternal life
Even if I've sampled the eternal life, guess what? It's mine forever. I
Can't lose it. I've been sealed with that Holy Ghost. I've been sealed with his eternal spirit. Okay
What is it?
First Peter to okay. Yes chapter two. Sorry. I apologize. Thank you
First Peter chapter 2 verse 1 wherefore laying aside all malice and all guile and
Hypocrisies and envies and all evil speakings as newborn babes and Zaire
Notice this the sincere milk of the word that you may grow there by if so be
You have tasted that the Lord is gracious
So notice we have people that have tasted that the Lord is gracious. Who are they? They're the saved and
How are they gonna grow up? Well, they got that sincere milk. That's how they got that little bit of tasting
Doesn't that fit in perfect what we had in chapter number five where you have those newborn babes desiring the sincere milk of the word
So they've tasted it, but they're not necessarily going on to perfection yet
Okay, so they've tasted all the things that God has for us of the heavenly gifts of the good word of the power to come
Okay, so they have all those things they've tasted them, but they haven't really gotten there. They fell away didn't they?
Okay, and then also go back to Hebrews chapter 6. Thanks for that help. I don't
Put for each Peter one I was wrong there. I forgot to put the chapter
Number five we had in this list was partakers of the Holy Ghost now
Again, what does it mean to partake it means to?
In be enjoined to something or to participate in something. How do I participate in the Holy Ghost unless I'm saved?
But you know, it has something similar in chapter 3. It says in chapter 3 verse 1 we're for holy brethren
Partakers of the heavenly calling so the partakers of any calling in chapter 3 are the saved again, too. So from these
Basic, you know descriptions. I would say I lean towards it's pointing to someone who's saved
I mean, I think all these descriptions would point to someone who's saved
I think if you're just gonna, you know, give these verses first glance you would kind of think it's someone saved
But I think we get a smoking gun when we when we get a little bit further into this these few verses here
Okay
But I want to focus on the fact that they he's talking about someone who falls away before we get there
Because he's saying the person that was enlightened
Taste the heavenly gift taste the good word of God the powers the world to come and his partake or the Holy Ghost if that
Person ends up falling away
Now if we just look at our Bible, who is it that falls away? Well, what did it say in Hebrews chapter 4 verse 11?
Let us labor therefore to enter in that rest. Let's any man fall
After the same example of unbelief, what do we learn in chapter number four the people that are falling there are the saved
We don't want to be like them go to James chapter number five James chapter number five
Let me prove to you that the people who fall in the Bible are almost every single time the saved
It says in James chapter number five verse number twelve
But all things above all things my brethren swear not neither by heaven neither by the earth neither by any other oath
But let your yay be yay and your nay be nay
Lest you fall into condemnation. He even brings up that he's talking to brethren. He's saying brethren
I don't want you guys to what fall look at 2nd Peter chapter 1
2nd Peter chapter number 1 look at verse 10
Wherefore the rather brethren give diligence to make your calling and election sure for if you do these things you shall never
Fall, okay. Look at chapter 3 verse 17
He therefore beloved seeing that you know these things before beware lest he also being led away with the air of the wicked
Fall from your own steadfastness
Go if you would to Jude 24 Jude 24
So I see in Hebrews 4 he's warning you not to fall James chapter number 5
He's warning you not to fall 2nd Peter chapter 1. He's warning you not to fall 2nd Peter chapter 3 say warning you to fall Jude
24 what is he gonna warn us here?
Now unto him that is able to keep you from
Falling and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy. So he's warning about people falling go back
towards Hebrews, but go to 1st Timothy chapter number 3 1st Timothy chapter number 3 and
Look at verse number 6
The Bible says not a novice less being lifted up with pride. He fall
Into the condemnation of the devil who's he talking about something about a saved pastor who gets lifted up with pride
Thinking he's so great when he hasn't proven himself. He falls into condemnation. Look at the next verse moreover
He must have a good report of them
Which are at all without lest he fall into approach and the snare of the devil
So again and two verses in a row he's warning about these guys falling falling. Look at chapter 6 verse number 9
First Timothy chapter 6 verse number 9
But they that will be rich fall and the temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtful lusts
Which drown men in destruction and perdition so every book surrounding the book of Hebrews every time it's talking about people falling
What's the context it's talking about a saved person?
Falling getting trapped in a sin the deceitfulness of riches some kind of pride some kind of arrogance
Just something going on affecting them and causing them to fall. How can you fall if you're not standing and
You know Romans chapter number 5
Clearly tells us that we stand by grace we get saved and that's a picture of us standing
okay, so the only person that can fall is someone that's already standing that's talking about a
Believer now, let me get even more stronger proof here
Go back to Hebrews chapter 6 and we're gonna look at this verse number 6
So it says if they shall fall away who's the day there it's talking about those who were saved
But on a taste level right? They've only tasted these things. They kind of just carts started out
They're kind of a babe Christian, but they end up falling away
Notice this next description. It says if they shall fall away to renew them again unto repentance
So he says it's impossible to what it's impossible to renew these people
Again unto repentance now we use the word repentance in this chapter
It was in verse number one. What did repentance mean in verse number one repentance from dead works?
It was talking about someone getting saved wasn't it?
So if I use the exact same definition of repentance that was already in this chapter
It would say it's impossible that someone who's saved if they fall away to what?
Get them saved again right to renew them again under repentance. Okay. Now, let me prove that even further
Keep your finger go to Titus chapter 3
Titus chapter number 3 look at verse number 4
Titus chapter 3 look at verse number 4
But after that the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared not by works of righteousness
Which we have done but according to his mercy. He saved us by the washing of regeneration
Notice this and renewing of the Holy Ghost
Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior. So notice the Bible describes someone getting saved as being renewed
By the Holy Ghost if someone saved I can't renew them again. Okay, that doesn't make sense
We don't believe that, you know, it's it's not a Methodist Church tonight
Okay
If you fall away
it's not like you have to get saved again and then you fall away and they get saved again and then fall away and they
Get saved again
And even if that's what this was saying, it's saying it's impossible to do that
If you think you could lose your salvation the Bible saying you could never get it back
But we know that's a dumb doctrine once you've been born
You don't have to get born again and again and again and again and again, you're born into the family
So it's saying hey if this guy falls away, you can't renew them again unto repentance
Let's just think of it from let's play the devil's advocate for a second. Let's say he was talking about an unsaved person. Okay?
What is an unsaved person repented of?
Nothing
Unsaved people haven't repented yet. You know what they do need to do. They need to repent the first time
So you can't you can't get them to repent again if they haven't already repented
What has an unsaved person ever repented of they haven't repented under under salvation?
They haven't repented from their dead works yet
It's talking about a saved person that's already repented from dead works and a faith toward God and they've tasted all these things
But they ended up falling away and how many other warnings were there in the Bible about people falling away?
I mean, it's a very common thing. Most people fall away
What about just the word repentance itself because you're saying well couldn't repentance mean something else?
Maybe but let's look at some definitions of repentance go to Acts chapter 2 because we're talking about foundational doctrine, right?
Then we start out with the foundational doctrine of repentance. Where does that start? Well, how about Acts chapter number two?
Look at verse number 38
then Peter said unto them
Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and you shall receive
The gift of the Holy Ghost. So when you put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ, you're saved
That's what the repentance is here. If they didn't believe in Jesus. He's telling these Jews
They need to believe in Jesus Christ in addition. Let's get baptized right now. It says in verse number
19 of chapter 3
Let's see if it says a different context. It says right here in chapter 19 repent ye therefore and be converted
That your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord
So when they went out they went out preaching what repentance? What did John the Baptist preach?
The baptism of repentance that they should believe on him that should come after him which is what Christ Jesus
So John the Baptist preached repentance. That was what to believe in Jesus Jesus preached repentance
What was that to believe in Jesus the Apostles in Acts chapter number two and three they're preaching repentance, which is what?
To believe on the Lord Jesus Christ right go to chapter number 20
Chapter number 11. I'll just read for you in verse number 18
It says when they heard these things
They held their peace and glorified God saying then God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life
So the Gentiles they repented from their dead works and put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. They were saved acts 2021
testifying both to the Jews and also to the Greeks
repentance toward God and
Faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ now, isn't that the exact pretty much definition?
We saw in Hebrews chapter 6 verse 1
So when they're saying repentance here in Acts chapter number 20
What are they talking about repentance from what your dead works and a faith toward God?
What does it say here repentance toward God and faith to our Lord Jesus Christ? Okay, so go back to Hebrews chapter number 6
Let's wrap these few verses together because it was one sentence verses 4 through 6 is one sentence
For it is impossible for those who are once enlightened and have taste in the heavenly gift and were made
partakers of the Holy Ghost and have taste the good word of God and the powers of the world to come if
They shall fall away to renew them again and repentance
Why seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to an open shame?
What is it the word afresh mean it means a new or again?
Okay, so it's saying you're crucifying Jesus Christ again
now think about this if I believe in Jesus Christ and then I fall away and
unless I
You know, but in if that falling away is gonna cause me to go to hell
You know what I need to do. I need to get saved again
Meaning what meaning that Jesus Christ sacrificed didn't end up paying all my sins
So, you know I have to do I have to crucify him again now think about this in context to who he's writing to his
Writing the Hebrews. Okay. What are the Hebrews have to do every time they sin in the Old Testament?
They have to go get a they have to get a goat or they have to get a cow
They have to get a lamb and they have to offer a new sacrifice
And then when they sin again the future they have to get another lamb sacrifice and then they get another lamb sacrifice
But here's the thing Jesus Christ is a different kind of sacrifice
He was a once-for-all sacrifice
And if I fall away and I have to get saved again
That means his sacrifice wasn't sufficient
That would be putting him to an open shame. That would mean I have to crucify him again
But the thing is Christ doesn't have to be crucified all over again. It was a one-time sacrifice. Look at Hebrews chapter 9
Just flip the page and look at verse number 12
Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place
Having obtained eternal redemption for us eternal redemption, you know that means forever all of it
For if the blood of bulls and of goats and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean sanctified to the purifying of the flesh
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
So notice what his sacrifice does it purges you from what those repentance from dead works and a faith toward God
So notice you don't have to worry about the dead works anymore
I don't have to offer another lamb another sacrifice or go through the new penance. No, it was a once-for-all
Sacrifice and that's why when I screw up I go to God the Father through the son
I need to go to the throne boldly to find grace to help in time of need
I don't have to offer another sacrifice. It's already been paid for I just go to the person already paid for it and say hey, I
Screwed up again
Can you have mercy this time?
but if I had to
Get saved again, that would mean Jesus would have to get crucified again, and that would put them to an open shame
Now, let's think what is this sin saying? What is this one sentence? Just four through six saying it's saying it's impossible
for someone to fall away and
Lose their salvation
That's what it's saying. Now. Let's think about the context of the sentences that we've been going through
What did verses 1 through 2 say we need to leave the principles of?
The doctrine of Christ so that we can go on to what perfection we can be a complete Christian verse 3 god-willing
Why because it's impossible to lose your salvation
Now, let me explain that to you after you get someone saved at the door
Do you think it's more beneficial to teach them new things or just to keep teaching them how to be saved?
Well, I want to explain to you now how to be saved again
And then I just want to explain to you how to be saved again or what doesn't say hey
Since they can't lose their salvation
Why don't we teach them something new?
Doesn't that just make perfect sense? Hey, I'm gonna stop teaching you how to get saved because guess what even if you fall away
You can't lose your salvation. It's impossible to lose your salvation
That seems like good motivation to stop teaching people how to get saved
You know, there's a lot of churches out there that teach a workspace salvation and you know what they teach every Sunday morning how to get
saved
Why because they don't even believe their congregation safe. I believe you guys are saved tonight
Okay
So I don't feel like I need to get up here and explain to you how to get saved over and over and over and
Over again you say why pastor Shelley hell is terrible. You don't want anyone to go there
You're right, but none of my people can because they're already saved. It's impossible. Even if they fall away
You say hey pastor Shelley, what if they stop coming to church still going to heaven
What if they get caught up in drugs and sin and wickedness still going to heaven?
There's nothing nothing can separate you from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord
You know what? I want to teach you something else. I
Want you to go on to perfection. I don't want you to be a baby Christian the rest of your life
It's perfectly making sense. Okay. Now, let's keep going from this chapter. Let's get a verses number seven and eight here
Verse number seven
For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh upon it and bringeth forth herbs meat for them by whom it is dressed
receive a blessing from God
But that which bear thorns and briars is rejected and is nigh unto cursing whose end is to be burned
Now some people they get caught up in verses seven and eight
But let me first explain this verses seven and eight is a parable
You never let the parable explain the passage you let the passage explain the parable now
What's great about this parable is it's mentioned like exactly in two places in your Bible
Okay
So it's gonna help us understand how to how to interpret this parable and then we're gonna put it in context
But keep your finger go to Genesis chapter 3
What do you talk about personally talking about the earth?
Bringing forth herbs and the earth
bringing forth thorns and briars
So we have to understand the carnal aspect before we can apply it to ourselves. Okay, what happens when the water?
You know rains out here. Well weeds grow and grass grows all kinds of stuff happens right good and bad
Okay now in Genesis chapter number three
We see that God gives this kind of a instruction
To mankind it says in verse number 18 to Adam
thorns and thistles shall it bring forth to thee and
Thou shalt eat the herb of the field and the sweat of thy face
Shout thou eat bread till the return unto the ground for out of it
West thou taken for dust thou art and unto dust shout thou return Adam sinned. He had a consequence to his sin
What is the consequence of his sin no longer is the earth just gonna magically produce food for him
He actually has to work for it. He has to do labor
He says hey
you're gonna have to go out and you're gonna have to work hard until the ground and the ground's gonna bear thorns and briars and
You're gonna have to dress the ground so that you can bring forth the herbs so that you can eat it
What is the context it's all about working if you don't work?
Well, you're just gonna suffer the consequences of just having thorns and briars they eat from good luck with that
But if you want to eat, you're gonna have to work hard. You're gonna have to work by the sweat of your brow
There's gonna be difficulty. There's gonna be struggle here. Okay, that's what he's telling him now
Go if you had to Luke chapter number eight Luke chapter number eight. I
Believe that Luke chapter number eight is the key to understand this parable because it's the exact same parable and
Jesus gives you the answer
So you should just let Jesus give you the answer, you know
There's a lot of parables in the Bible where Jesus didn't just explicitly give you an answer and a lot of people argue about those
Some of the parables he just tells you like this is exactly what it meant
Hey, what is the parable of the sower? Let me just tell you now. What's the parable of the sower?
Its seeds being planted in the earth and then what grows out of the earth. What was our parable in Hebrews chapter 6?
Oh, yeah, the earth growing either thorns and briars or growing what some kind of a fruit some kind of an herb, okay
Luke chapter number eight look at verse number five a
Sower went out
so a seed and as he sowed some fell by the wayside and it was trodden down and the thousand the air devoured it and
Some fell upon a rock and as soon as it was sprung up the withered way because it lacked moisture and some fell among
Thorns and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it
Another fell on good ground and sprang up and bare fruit and hundredfold
So in verses number seven eight, we have what the earth bringing forth thorns and we have the earth bringing forth what good fruit
Exactly the same parable now Jesus tells us what this means. He says in verse number 12
Well, let's look at verse 11
Now the parable is this the seed is the Word of God
Those by the wayside are they that hear then come of the devil and take it away the word out of their hearts
Lest they should believe and be saved they on the rock are they which when they hear receive the word of joy
And these have no root which for a while believe and in time of temptation
fall away and
They which fell among thorns are they which when they have heard go forth and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this
Life and bring no fruit to perfection
But they on the good ground are they which an honest and good heart having heard the word
Keep it and bring forth fruit with patience
Now the parable of the sower we have a few options. We have the wayside
We have the stony ground
We have the thorns and then we have the good soil
Now let me explain this this is every person in the world
Okay
Everybody right here in this part is the unsaved
They heard the Word of God
But they didn't believe it and they didn't get saved now some are worse than others
Okay, some get so hardened like reprobate that the earth the seed can't even get in their soil anymore
Okay, but every unsaved person is in this category. What's the next group? The stony group is the people that they taste
They taste the Word of God they got saved at the door
They never come to church or they came one time and they're like the pastor was yelling I don't like that
I have to actually read the Bible. This is hard work. I want to watch a movie. Where's the movie?
Where's the movie version? They don't come there. They're basically you're just I wouldn't even say backslidden Christian
They're just like the you know, they're the where are the nine, right?
It's
Like didn't didn't ten people get say, you know, where's didn't ten people get saved where's the nine?
It's like they didn't really care. Okay, most people get out. So what saved out so winning is this person?
They don't go to church the nine stood in the Bible. They're not gonna really serve God
They're still going to heaven, but they're offended easily
Very quickly. They're offended just handing them a bibles offensive, you know, I read that
Just super easily offended what's the next group this next group is your Christians who in
Their new man, they really want to serve God
They're trying to get plugged into church
They start kind of trying but you know what this world has some strong temptations
And they just get caught away with the temptations of this world. These are backslidden Christians
You
Know what they try to get plugged in they try to do things but they just end up just not really end up
Producing any fruit. They don't really do anything with their Christian life
They go to church, but they don't really serve God
They get caught up in money and TV and sports and just anything and everything. That's not the Bible
They're just in the flesh. What's your last group?
Your last group is the people who actually succeed in the Christian life and they actually bring forth fruit
These are your soul winners. These are the people that are plugged in the church that are doing the works of God. Okay
Now what is the parable about though?
What the point of the parable you know what the point of the parable is?
About your heart
He said he told us what the good soil was those with a good heart and what happens in verse number
15 it says in an honest and good heart having heard the word notice this keep it
and bring forth fruit with patience, you know, the Bible says if today if you'll hear harden not your
Heart as in the day of provocation, you know what it takes to not let your heart get hardened work
You have to work on your heart
You have to constantly soften it with the Bible with doing the works of God
It's serving him and praising him and praying and seeking him when you don't seek God when you're not
Trying to live a separated life sin is going to harden your heart and you're not going to end up bringing forth the fruit
You're gonna let the world choke the cares of this world and you're not going to bring forth all the good fruit
okay, so this is the fruit bearing Christians and
Obviously, this is a parable in the sense of just you're like overall life
You know, sometimes people are get offended and then later they get into church or they could get whatever
But if you just look at someone's life as a whole you just say was this person just one that was just bringing forth fruit
His life was this the person that kind of started out and then just got caught away
Or is this the person that just pretty much did nothing they got saved, but they just barreled it
You know, they just buried in the ground. They just put under a bushel. Okay. Now, why is this important understanding our parable?
well, what did it say in verse number 14 and
That which fell among thorns are they which when they have heard go forth and are choked with the cares and riches and pleasure
This life notice this and bring no fruit
to perfection
What are we trying to do in Hebrew 6? We're trying to go on to what?
Perfection what stops you from going on to perfection the thorns and the thistles? What are the thorns and the thistles the cares of this life?
The deceitfulness of riches they're going to come and they're going to choke the word. You're not going to bring forth the fruit
So go back to Hebrews chapter number six
So, what is he saying?
He's saying well, we want to leave the principles and we want to be a perfect Christian
God willing because it's impossible to lose your salvation and
Because you're gonna either receive blessing or cursing from God based on your works
Now, isn't that a good motivation a good reason to want to continually learn more about God. I
Mean if if it didn't really matter
If God was not going to reward me according to my works, why would I serve him?
What would be the motivation? What's the motivation to keep going to church Pastor Shelley? You know, why I have to say here
It's hot
You know
I could be doing all kinds of other fun stuff like
Staring at the walls in my house and wishing we didn't have a quarantine. You know, I don't know what you'd be doing
That's fun, but just watching more TV, you know more reruns of the same garbage
Why do I keep going to church
Why do I keep going soul-winning? Why read my Bible in the morning? Why serve God?
Well, because guess what? You're gonna either get blessing or cursing based on how you live your life
That's a real strong motivation for me to want to keep learning to keep growing
Why do you want your kids to learn more and to grow up and be mature because life is hard
And if your kids don't grow up life is gonna eat their lunch
You want your kids to be hard-working and intelligent and wise and ready to take on this world in this challenge and baby
Christians are not ready to take on all of this book
Baby Christians are not ready to take on the Great Tribulation
They need to grow
They need to get more the Word of God if you want to endure all the way to the end you have to grow
You have to get more knowledge. You have to put more things into practice. You have to getting more sin out of your life
Otherwise you're just not gonna make it you're gonna be one of these guys
It's all about your heart God's after your heart
Everything's about the heart under the Lord. Okay, why do people not get saved?
They didn't believe in their heart
Why do people not serve the Lord because they let their heart get hardened with sin
Who are those that serve God those that have a good heart if you love me?
Keep my commandments, you know, it truly loves God this guy
You
Saved this guy this guy this guy and it's basically, you know, if we were to really look at this
It's like a funnel, you know, it's like this huge funnel and it just keeps getting really really narrow of the world
Here's Caleb and Joshua down here
Okay, so I just want to help you understand this go look at verse number nine though, okay, and this is gonna help us
understand these points he says in verse nine, but
Beloved we are persuaded better things of you and things that accompany salvation though. We thus speak
So what is the though? We thus speak what he just brought up
Hey, even though people might fall away and they can't lose their salvation and though they might receive cursing. I'm persuaded that's not you guys
That whole group that I brought up of those just falling away. I'm persuaded you aren't the ones that are gonna fall away
I think the Wednesday night crowd. They're the guys that want to keep going on. They're the guys are gonna keep bringing forth fruit
They're the ones that aren't gonna get caught up with the cares of this world. I'm persuaded that and notice things that accompany
salvation
How does that make sense if he was talking about salvation?
He's not talking about how to get saved
He's talking about your works
But he brings up the fact you can't lose your salvation to emphasize the need for your works the need for
Continuing in the doctrine the need for leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ
I don't want to just go to church and hear the gospel
Over and over and over I can go so in and I can hear the gospel over and over
I want to come to church to hear new things. I want to come to church to learn more of the Bible
Understand the deeper mysteries of God. I want to draw closer to the Lord
You know, it always frustrates me if I start listening to a sermon and I feel like I already know all the material
If I already know all the material, you know
It's easy to be tempted to just be kind of like checking out not thinking about it. Not really caring
Not that interested not that plugged in and obviously we need reminders and I'm still gonna preach these doctrines and we're a fundamental Baptist Church
So we want to teach them and we want to emphasize them
But you know what? We need to go on under perfection, too
We need to leave these doctrines every once in a while and start going some deep stuff
That's why I have a Wednesday night Bible study. We're not teaching how to get saved on Wednesday night. All right
Now let's keep going in this chapter
He says in verse number
Well before I go there let me just I
want to recap one more time because I really want to drill this in because I think
When you keep the context in mind everything it helps you really feel confident about these verses
The verses number one through two are saying what let's leave the principles
And go on to perfection
What's verse number three god-willing right
What's verse four because
You can't
Lose your salvation
And verse this is verse four through six verse number seven and eight because
You receive
Blessing
Or cursing
From your works
Let's think about this sentence
so we're leaving the principles and going on to perfection god-willing because he can't lose your salvation and
Because you receive blessing or cursing from your works and verse numbers nine saying we're persuaded. That's you guys
Okay, we're persuaded that you're not going to be the ones that lose your salvation or blessing cursing, but we're persuaded
You're the ones that are gonna go on to perfection right these are what things that accompany
Salvation right so I'm persuaded
That you're gonna go on to perfection
Now because this chapter is so highly contentious that's the only reason I'm slowing down
I hope you've already gotten it, but let's plug in a few other options here. Let's just say hypothetically. I was wrong
Let's say that it was talking about an unsaved person, or as I say it's a person that loses their salvation, right?
Let's stop teaching you how to get saved god-willing because if you lose your salvation you can never get it
Back again
But I'm persuaded that that's not you guys
Now first of all we immediately reject that because you know we know he can't lose our salvation right
But then he's also gonna say in verse number 10 that he's not gonna forget our works, okay?
Why would I be motivated to continually work and serve God if I could lose my salvation and never get it again?
At that point. I'm done like if I realized that was reprobate
I'm not gonna be like well. I want to keep serving God anyways just for fun
No at that point. I'd be like see ya right
Let's think of another I've heard some people say maybe is talking about a rep or like somebody becoming reprobate, okay?
I'm gonna stop teaching you how to get saved god-willing
Because if you're a reprobate
Okay, you can't ever get saved, and I'm persuaded that that's not you guys
Now here's the thing
Why why would you just throw that in there?
Hey, holy brethren I
Persuaded you guys aren't reprobates just FYI and because I'm persuaded you're not a reprobate you need to keep serving God
Like that just doesn't fit well it just kind of it makes the context seem obscure
Okay, so I think it's very clear that we're talking about someone who is already saved and the fact that he can't lose his salvation
I've already showed you several different proofs here of why it means exactly what I put up on his board
But just the overall context again. Hey, I want you to stop being a babe in Christ I
Want you to be able to discern good from evil
Okay, why because you can't lose your salvation, right if I plug in anything else
It starts getting weird from the overall context of the book of Hebrews or this specific chapter. He says in verse number 10
For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love
Which you have showed toward his name and that you have ministered to the Saints and do minister
So he's saying God is going to reward you according to your works. What did it say in Hebrews 4 verse 11?
Let us labor therefore to enter in that restless any man fall after the same example of unbelief
So again, he's wanting us to labor
What's gonna motivate me to labor the fact that I either get blessed or cursed on how I live this life
I can't lose my salvation. So I'm not working for my salvation. That's off the table
Once you're saved, you're always safe and you can't lose it. But what it is on the table is blessing and cursing
Okay, and so God is not unrighteous to forget my work and labor of love meaning how you live
Your life is very important. Don't don't think that it's not it's extremely important. Well, I'm saved
I'll just be the doorkeeper in heaven. Well, that's great way better than hell, but I also want to receive blessing
I also want God to be pleased with me. You know, the Bible says these people that we read about in the Luke parable
These people on the stony ground when Christ comes they're gonna be ashamed at his coming I
Don't want to be ashamed that Jesus Christ coming. It's Jesus Christ. I'd be excited you want to be excited
You know, most kids love their parents, right? But if they just ate a bunch of cookies and didn't clean their room
They're not excited when mom and dad comes home, you know, 99% of the time they're excited when dad walks through the door
They're like dad. Yeah wrestle with us, you know, throw us around and you know, put me in your arms
But you didn't clean your room and you disobeyed
He's not he's not excited at dad's home. The garage goes up and he's like, you know, you're running you're hiding
You're like, I hope that dad doesn't realize I exist right now, you know
That's what it's like for most Christians at Christ coming. I don't want to be that person
I want to be really excited at Christ coming. I don't want to be super terrified
You know knowing the terror of the Lord we persuade men, you know
I don't want to stand there for Jesus Christ and just watch all my works just burn up and I'm just like
He's like did you tell anybody about me?
No
That's gonna be rough I don't want that I want him to be well done now good and faithful son
Entering the joy of my love of your Lord, you know
And he's not gonna forget all the works that you do every single one good or bad will be judged
All of them so that also means you can't lose yourself you can't lose your works that you've earned
Verse number 11. We desire that every one of you do
So the same diligence notice this to the full assurance of hope unto the end that you be not
Slothful but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises, you know
It gets inherit the most promises those who are faithful unto the end
Notice you have to do it though. What through patience?
You can't be slothful he brings up several different things here you have to be diligent
You have to have hope you have to have faith and you have to have patience
Those are the only people that will endure to the end if you want to be Joshua and Caleb you have to have those attributes
It took a lot of diligence to get through the wilderness
It took a lot of hope to get through the wilderness
It took a lot of faith to get through the wilderness and it took a lot of patience to get through the wilderness
But they did and they get to receive extra blessing verse number 13
For when God made promise to Abraham because he could swear by no greater
he swear by himself saying surely blessing I will bless thee and multiplying I will multiply thee and
So after he had patiently endured he obtained the promise now again, this promise is not salvation
You don't have to patiently endure to get saved. It's the moment you believe
He that believeth on the Sun hath everlasting life. I don't have to patiently endure as soon as I believe I've got that
What's the promise he's talking about the promise of rewards?
Abraham is getting great inheritance and great rewards and he's gonna be inheriting that promised land
He never inherited the promised land while he's on this earth, you know when he obtained that great reward
After he'd endured afterwards
He's he's seeking a heavenly country, which is all what Hebrews is about when we get to the latter chapters
Those who are not seeking anything here. They were seeking the things above which comes from what hope and faith
Go to James chapter 2 we're talking about Abraham and how he finally received these promises
There's something special about Abraham in the book of James
James chapter number 2
Look at verse number 21
Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he'd offered Isaac his son upon the altar
Seest thou how faith wrought with his works and by works was faith made
Perfect and
the scriptures are filled with saith Abraham believed God and it was a putative righteousness and
He was called the friend of God you see then how that by works a man is
Justified and not by faith only if you want to be the friend of God
You must you must follow his commandments. It is dependent upon your works
Every one of your physical friends on this earth is dependent upon your behavior
I'm not just automatically friends with people, you know, it makes you friends with someone they're friendly towards you
A man that hath friends must show himself
Friendly someone that I like to talk to is pleasant towards me does things nice to me, you know a person
That's a jerk to me and blows off his mouth and goes and talks behind me behind my back. He's not my friend
And you know what if you don't serve God, you're not his friend
Yeah, Saul became the enemy of the Lord and he was saved as the day is long
You know what?
He became an enemy because he started rebelling against God's commandments and not following them
And you know what Abraham was considered the friend of God why because of his works not because of his faith
Obviously without faith you could never be the friend of God first
You have to have the faith but then with the faith you need to have your works working
That's why it has that important word in the book of James 2 it says you see then
How that by works a man is justified meaning what and what way do my works justify me and
Making me the friend of God not getting me to heaven
It already explained that in that same chapter how that by his faith. He was considered righteous
That's how he was saved
But in in coordination his works allowed him to be the friend of God and have an additional justification. Okay
Go back to the Hebrews chapter 6. We're almost finished with this chapter. All right
I wanted to make you explain it very well verse number 16 Hebrews chapter 6 verse 16
it says for men verily swear by the greater and
An oath for confirmation is at them an end of all strife. What is he saying here?
He's saying if two people are at odds and there's a kind of a disagreement and there's something that you can't really discern
You know eventually one person will just end up swearing and that'll cause there to be no more
Disagreement they'll say well, did you did you steal my cookie and it's like no I didn't it's like well
I feel like you did it's gone and you got crumbs on your cheek, you know, or whatever
There's some kind of a disagreement. Did you eat my cookie and the guy finally says, you know what I swear on the Bible
I did not
Eat that cookie. Okay, which the Bible says we're not supposed to do this
Okay, but I'm just saying that's how the world works and as soon as someone does that then it's like the end
They're like, okay, then fine
But notice they swear to something they swear on the greater
What does that mean something more trustworthy than themselves? What's more trustworthy than me the Bible? What's more trustworthy than me God?
That's why people would say I swear to God or I swear on the Bible. I swear they're swearing to something
That's supposedly greater than them. Okay to try and make their claim seem more legitimate or more authoritative
Most of the time when people do this, it's actually because they're lying. I
Swear on a stack of miles. I didn't eat that cookie. Mm-hmm. You know, it's like
You're lying, you know, if you hear someone say I promise on everything I didn't do that, you know that guy's lying, okay
People that aren't lying to just say I didn't do it. No
No, and I'm not trying to teach you out a lie. Okay, I'm just saying
This is what people are like. I
Didn't eat the cookies that I didn't mention cookies, you know
Our
Kids are like that. I think they said that today. I think we didn't get any chocolate chips out of the freezer. It's like what?
Okay, I was real specific
But the Bible is saying that God wanted to make a promise to us, okay, but here's the thing there's nothing greater than God
God if he was gonna make an oath to us if he's gonna make a promise to us
He can't he doesn't have he's not gonna swear on anything other than himself because he is the greatest thing possible
So that's why it says in verse number 17. We're in God willing more abundantly to show into the heirs of promise the
Immutability of his counsel confirmed it by an oath that by two
Immutable things and which was impossible for God to lie
We might have a strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon this the hope set before us now
I always struggled with this because it says two things two immutable things and I was always confused
But it's actually very clear now the word immutable
It means it cannot change. It's impossible to change something. That's mutable means it can be transformed or changed
Immutable means it cannot change. It's impossible and programming. That's a pretty common concept
So something that's immutable means it's not something that can change. It's not something that is could ever do something different
Okay, so what's the first thing the first thing is that God swore to us the promises in the Bible?
But the second immutable thing is he can't lie
Okay, so think about it this way I could promise you something
But you wouldn't necessarily have a lot of confidence if I'm known as a liar
Right if it's possible for me to lie
Then me swearing to you doesn't necessarily have as much of an impact right but God if he swears
You know, he's gonna pay it's God we're talking about. Okay, but then on top of that God can't lie
Okay, if someone that can't lie never promises you anything. What good is that?
Okay, but you have both you have someone promise you something and addition to that. He can't lie
So, you know, it's gonna come to pass
So you have so much more confidence by two immutable things what God promised it to you and on top of that he can't even lie
So whatever the Bible says you take it to the bank
Hey when God told something to Abraham, he's just like well, I know that's true
I know he said that he's given me a promise seed. I'm 99 years old and my wife's 90
But it's true. I don't know how it's gonna work. You know, God told me to put my son in the altar and kill him
But you know what? He's still gonna be that promised seed. He's still gonna have a multiplicity of
Descendants, I don't know how it's gonna work. Even if I kill him God
I'll just bring him back to the dead because whatever God said he can't lie
Whatever he promised that's the faith that Abraham had
That's the type of faith that we need to get when we see something in the Bible
We need to just know hey God not only swore this to me. He can't even lie
We need to take everything he said to the bank and when we have that confidence notice what it says in verse 19
Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul?
Both sure and steadfast and which entereth into that within the veil
Whether the forerunner is for us entered in even Jesus made in high priests forever after the order of Melchizedek
So he's saying you know what anchors our soul
the Word of God
The Word of God is what anchors our soul. It's all about the Bible. It's all about God's Word
It's all about Jesus and guess who Jesus is. He's the Word and guess who the Word is. It's Jesus Christ
Okay, and he enters into that veil
It's a picture of him entering in that veil is like the Word of God entering into your heart
Because that holiest of holies is a picture of your heart that carnal temple and the Old Testament
Pictures your body you are that temple and you say where's that? Holy is holy. That's your heart
Okay, and God wants his word to enter in your heart
Just like Jesus Christ would enter in the holiest of holies and that's what's gonna give that anchor
That's what's gonna cause us to be steadfast in our Christian life. It's all about your heart
And this is a great chapter it's saying you don't want just the foundation
You don't want you know a house needs a good foundation. You know what you can't live on a foundation
You need walls
You need a roof
You need some plumbing. You need some electricity. You need to put the curtains up
I mean you need a lot of things in that house. I don't want just a foundation. I want the whole package
I want us I want to make a sure house
Okay
So this is what Hebrews chapter number six is emphasizing and let's think about one last thing with the broad context here
We have chapter five
He's instructing us about Jesus
But he's saying in order to understand all the aspects of the high priesthood
You actually have to go on from the principal doctrines
You have to learn more and you have to put into practice and then we go right into chapter number seven
Which he's gonna explain more about that high priest
So I'll give you one last thought about all these chapters what is chapter one
God spoken to us by his son
Chapter two we need to take more heed to the son who was made like us to succor us or to help us
Chapter three consider Jesus who was faithful
Chapter four fear we need to fear labor and find grace so that we can be faithful and we find that grace from Jesus
Who's our high priest and in chapter six?
We need to pursue going on to perfection by laboring through patience and hope when we look to Jesus
Okay, and then we're gonna learn more about Jesus in chapter number seven. So it's fitting together
Perfectly with the context. Let's close in prayer
Thank you father so much for giving us this word for giving us your son as the perfect once for all sacrifice
Thank you that we have the confidence that we know we're saved forever
Thank you for not just getting us saved
But also giving us an opportunity to work and to serve you and that we can also receive blessing and reward and that you're not
Gonna forget our work and labor of love
I pray that we be motivated in our hearts to continually read the Bible and to serve you and
That we would notice that all your promises that they're a sure bet
They're a sure thing that we can have complete confidence in everything that you said
It's impossible for you just to lie to us and you've given us so many great promises
I pray that we get them deep in our hearts
So that we continue to serve you all the way unto the end in Jesus name we pray