Hebrews 6:4-12 | Sermon Resources | 19 November 2023
Sermon Summary
We find ourselves this morning in the 3rd of 5 warning passages in the book of Hebrews. In chapter 2 we were warned of the danger of drifting from the truth. In chapter 3 we were warned to hold fast our confession and not yield to unbelief. Here we are warned about falling away. It speaks of the impossibility of restoring a certain kind of person. Last week Pastor Billy talked about leaving the elementary doctrine of Christ and going on to maturity. And the warning this morning is in the context of that greater call into Christian maturity. I’ve entitled the sermon, A Call to Faith and Patience, as we will return to the idea of Christian maturity in vs. 11-12. I want to at the start of this sermon confess my indebtedness to retired Scottish pastor Eric Alexander. I am borrowing heavily from his outstanding sermon on this passage.
Discussion Questions
- How would you defend the simplicity of Scripture against someone who believes that it takes an exceptional education and secret knowledge to rightly interpret the Bible?
- The principle of clarity states that we must interpret the less clear passages of Scripture by those that are more clear. How is that principle helpful with Hebrews 6:4-6?
- How does the idea of a bicycle race illustrate the point about slowing down the pace for the sake of the group to grow in maturity together? There are copies of Barb Gallagher’s devotional on the pastor’s book table.
- What do you find surprising about those whom it is impossible to restore to repentance? See vs. 4-5.
- What has happened to these people? See v. 6.
- What is the danger of being insensitive to this warning?
- What is the danger of being oversensitive to this warning?
- What are some things that this passage is not speaking of? See 1 John 1:9, 1 John 2:1, Ezekiel 37:23, and John 10:28.
- How do we know that this warning, which is meant to be taken very solemnly, very seriously, is not meant to depress us, to lead to hopelessness, but rather to galvanize us to going on with God?
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