Hebrews 5 - 12/14/25 - Pastor Charlie Branch

Welcome to [music] Meadows Baptist

Church of Walnut Cove, North Carolina.

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join Pastor Charlie Branch with a word

from God.

Just praying about the

service today, Sunday school time and uh

what the Lord would have us to say. Felt

God lead me to this passage of scripture

and [snorts] u

I want to encourage us this morning and

I want to say that on the precipice of

this this this lesson this morning could

be a very discouraging lesson but I'll

say this for those of us that's this

morning it's not discouraging. This is

preventative maintenance. And uh I want

to say thank you for being here this

morning. Uh every one of you. And I I

don't ever want to be, you know, we we

people preachers talk about they'll

preach on Sunday night and Wednesday

night and they'll preach about all the

people that's not there. And I don't

want to be that way. Never want to be

like that. And I always want to preach

to the ones that's here because I can't

help the ones that ain't. Amen. And uh I

want to share this truth with you and

try to encourage you uh with this

thought this morning. And like I said, I

want you to see this from positive

perspective as preventative maintenance.

All right. And uh we all have this a

little bit in our life. And so I pray

that God will help us with it. Hebrews

Hebrews 5 · chapter mention

chapter 5 11. Hebrews 5 verse number 11.

The Bible says, "Of whom we have many

things to say and hard to be uttered."

Speaking of Christ, seeing ye are dull

of hearing. For when for the time you

ought to be teachers, you have need that

one teach you again, which be the first

principles of the oracles of God, and

are become such as have need of milk,

and not of strong meat. For everyone

that useth milk is unskillful in the

word of righteousness, for he is a babe.

But strong meat belongth to them that

are of full age, even those who by

reason of use have their senses

exercised to discern both good and evil.

Therefore, leaving the principles of the

doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto

perfection, not laying again the

foundation 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. In verse

three, the Bible says, "And this will we

do if God permit." Now, I want to look

at this these verses that I've read to

you this morning, mainly just chapter 5,

11 through 14. And I want to consider

this thought, okay, just to get your

mind turned in in this direction. I want

to talk about what's missing in the

church. What's missing in the church?

Now, there's a lot of things that we

could say this morning, and our mind

always goes to people, but I'll say this

this morning. Who God's got here who

want who he wants here.

>> Amen. And you say, "Well, of course, he

wants more here than who's here." And I

understand that this morning, but it's

not chance or circumstance that you're

here. And uh when I think about what's

missing in the church, you know, we

could say it's people, but I really

don't believe it's so much people as it

is the the right attitude in the people

that are present. And when I consider

this text, Paul, the writer here, of

course, we believe it to be Paul. I'll

say more about that in just a minute.

And I believe there's partly a proof

here in this text as to why Paul did

write the book of Hebrews. But he begins

in verse number 11. And this is a

parenthetical statement that he has

literally just spent the last five

chapters up to this point talking about

Christ. And he is exhorting them to

learn of his high priestly position, how

that he's better than Moses, he's better

than the angels, he's better than men.

And he is teaching them all these

truths. And he comes to this point in

verse number 11 after he has talked

about Christ being after the order of

Melzdc in chapter 5 verse 9 and 10. In

verse 11 he says this. He begins with

this this statement. He says of whom we

have many things to say. And his

introduction to this parenthetical

statement in verse number 11 is three

things. And I I think this is what I

find interesting about this because

number one he points out their their

love for Christ. He says, "Of whom we

have many things to say." You understand

something? For the child of God, we

ought to never be able to get done

talking about him.

>> Amen. We ought to never run out of

things to say about who he is. And Paul

says, "Of whom we have many things to

say." He says, "There's a lot of things

that we want to tell you." But then he

not only mentions the love that they

have for him, but he mentions the labor

that's hard. Look what he says. Of whom

we have many things to say and hard to

be uttered. Do you understand? Sometimes

the truths that Christ puts in our heart

are hard to express. Things that God has

shown us and taught us in our Christian

life are hard to relay to others. And

that's just the truth. Because when you

really begin to dive into the word of

God and study, you're going to discover

the providence of God and the inner

workings of God and his will in the word

of God are hard to understand. They're

very hard to understand, hard to

express. But that ought not stop us from

telling it. But I notice what hinders

here in this text. I consider the love

that they have for him and the labor

that he mentions his heart. But then

this what interests me. What hinders in

the church in this day and time what's

lacking is is what he says in verse

number 11. He says of whom we have many

things to say and hard to be uttered.

Seeing you are dull of hearing. You see,

the problem we have in the church today

is that listening has been hindered.

And what this comes back to is years and

years and years of modern day technology

that have dulled our ability to listen.

And what I mean by that is it's not so

much that we can't hear it. We've got

ability to hear. There's people now that

couldn't hear and have hearing aids to

hear. That's not the problem. The

problem is not the physical ear, but is

this the the ear of the heart. It's the

the answer, the obedience of a heart to

the word of God. He says you're dull of

hearing. And the truth is for the child

of God, there is so much for us to learn

in this life about who he is. And I

believe at best we could only learn

about half of what really the scripture

teaches. I don't think we'll ever learn

the full extent. I think those that are

the smartest in the word of God and had

given their life to the scripture would

tell you that they are eternities away

from knowing everything that there is to

know. But what I'm afraid of is is that

because we have decided that we can't

know everything. We are unwilling to

learn anything else.

We are satisfied with the status quo.

We're satisfied with the basic truths of

Christianity. Well, I'm saved and I'm

going to heaven and that's good enough.

And you know what? In the flesh, that is

good enough. But if we're going to go

forward for Christ, it's going to

require us to know more than just the

basic truths. Because if you do not

learn more than just salvation, you will

never be effective in the ministry that

Christ has given you. Now, I want to

relay these truths on your heart. And

when I say what's missing in the church,

I would say it's this. We're missing

servants. We're not missing souls.

There's plenty of people that will come

to the house of God, but we're missing

servants. We're missing people who are

faithful. We're missing people who are

fervent. We're missing people who are

focused on the work of God. You see, all

of us as a whole, we are really, and I

want to just be nice when I say this

this morning, when it really comes down

to the ministry, we are disinterested

compared to what Christ teaches in his

word about the interest we should have

in ministry. You say, "Preacher, well,

how could you indict all of us in that

way?" Well, I know the time that we all

spend on ministry across the board. We

don't spend enough time doing the things

of God. You say, "Preacher, you don't

know what I do at my home. I don't have

to know."

This is the day that we live in

as a whole. The church is complacent.

The church is carnal. The church is

disinterested in the things of God. And

that needs to change. Notice verse 12. I

want to I want to re lay some truths on

your heart. Like I said, this is not

meant to be a discouragement to you this

morning. It's meant to be an

encouragement. It's a it's an

exhortation for us to get serious. Amen.

Notice this verse 12. For when the for

the time you ought to be teachers, you

have one need that one teach you again,

which be the first principles of the

oracles of God. Now, I want to highlight

first of all, and we consider this

thought here. Note the purpose that's

not been fulfilled in verse 12. Note

that first phrase, for when the time you

ought to be teachers.

When for the time you ought to be

teachers. Now you say, well, what's the

emphasis of that? Well, he has just told

them here, he says, look, I've got a lot

of things that I want to teach you. I've

got a lot of things that I want to tell

you, and I'm going to admit to you, this

thing's hard to understand. But the

reason it's that I can't tell you is not

because it's hard to understand. It's

because you don't want to hear it. You

don't want to listen to it. I think

preachers hands in many places are tied

in this damn time because they have

congregation that's just satisfied with

what they know and they don't want to

learn anything else. They don't want to

do anything else. They don't want to be

any more than what they are. And so when

I consider this, Paul is saying when the

time you ought to be teachers, what is

he pointing out? Well, he's pointing out

their age. Number one, look what he

says. for when for the time

he's saying look you've been saved long

enough you ought to be doing something

for the time you ought to be teachers

notice that not only their age here they

they're in Christianity they've not met

up with where they should be in the will

of God and in the work of God but they

also have missed the academia look what

he says for when the time you ought to

be teachers

it is there is no reason for a child of

God to be saved 10 15 20 years and they

can't give you a Bible lesson. There's

no reason for that. You say, "Preacher,

how can you say that?" Because if you

are living and walking with Jesus

Christ, you ought to know this book.

We ought to know this book. Hey, this is

the truth this morning. We ought to be

able to give the word of God. If you've

been saved many, many years, there's no

excuse. There's no excuse. Look what he

says. For when the time you ought to be

teachers, you ought to have the ability,

you ought to have the academia, your age

shows that you are far enough along to

be teaching. Look what he says. Ye have

need that one teach you again, which be

the first principles of oracles God. So

there's the purpose that's not been

fulfilled. They ought to be teachers.

Number two, there's the problem that

showcases their failure. Look what he

says. You have need that one teach you

again. Well, look what he's saying here.

He says there's an essential need. That

word need means something that is that

is imperative. He says you have need

that one teach you again. So, it's not

something that they didn't know, but

it's something they had forgotten. Isn't

that interesting? You know, if you don't

int continually invest yourself in

truth, you know what'll happen? You'll

forget it. And I know about 30 of

y'all's turn me off this morning, but

listen to me, okay? If you do not

continually invest your life in truth,

wake up every day of your life making up

your mind, I'm going to learn something

out of that book and I need God's help

today. You know what you'll do? You'll

lose what you already have.

>> You will. That's the reason why people

that's been saved 10, 15, 20, even 30

years will come up in a to a place in

their life and you know what they'll do?

They'll start to doubt their salvation.

Why is that? They'll do that because

they have not been faithful to study the

word of God because they've not fed the

spirit of God. And he says, "You have

need that one teach you again." It's

essential, but it's for an explanation.

Look what he said. You need to be taught

again. We should never have to be taught

the same truth twice.

We ought to be able to hear the truth

one time. And you know what? But we

ought to be able to rehearse that thing

in our mind over and over again and

allow that growth to take place. Truth

is like a seed that's planted. You know

what happens when that truth gets put

in? You know what it's supposed to do?

It's supposed to grow, isn't it? So, you

know what happens if we need to be

taught again? That means we've choked

out the seed in our life. We have

allowed the word of God to become

unfruitful. We have refused to bear

fruit for the Lord Jesus Christ. And he

says because of that your essential need

is that you need to ex be you need an

explanation again of these truths. He

said you need to be taught again which

be the first principles of the oracles

of God. That phrase first principles

literally means this. It means

elementary

the basic things.

It's the one two threes and the ABCs of

Christianity so to speak. You know what

I see across the board in this day and

time? People are so ignorant of Bible

truth. People are so illiterate when it

comes to the scriptures. And you know

what that's an indictment on? That's an

indictment on parents.

Amen. That's an indictment on parents.

When we refuse to train our children the

word of God. When we refuse to teach

them the word of God, you know what

happens? There's a generation that rises

and they don't know. And in this text

here, he says, "You have need to one

teach you again, which be the first

principles, the elementary things, the

things that you learn right after you

get saved.

You're going to have to be taught them

again." Those first principles. I want

to move on here and give you this

thought. Okay? I I consider the purpose

that's not been fulfilled. The problem

that showcases their failure here in the

text, they need to be taught again the

first principles. But then I consider

the provision in verse 12 of their

feeling. Notice this. He says, "And are

become such as have need of milk and not

a strong meat." And I can't emphasize

this enough. He is telling them on this

text, look, he's telling them, he's

saying, "Look, you've become this way.

You've not always been this way." Look

what he says. He says, he says, "For the

time you ought to be teachers, you have

need one to teach you again. So you've

you've learned, you've you've been

taught, but you've forgotten it." He

said, "You've become such as have need

of milk and not of strong meat. You've

become a baby again, so to speak." What

does he contrast in verse 12? Such as

have need of milk and not of strong

meat. What's the difference here in this

text? Well, he's dealing with those

basic things that are different from

those deep truths of the word of God.

You see something? When you get saved

and when you live any amount of time and

you learn like you're supposed to learn

as a child of God, when you live the

Christian life the way that you're

supposed to, you're going to come to

find the milk don't satisfy you anymore.

>> You're not going to be satisfied with a

sippy cup. Amen. And and and mashed up

potatoes or apples. Amen. You're going

to have to have something a little more

than that.

And our churches are dying because

people are sitting on pews and they do

not want nothing more than that. They

want something that's easy to stomach.

They want something that's palatable for

a child with no teeth. Amen. You say,

"Well, how is that?" Well, notice what

the contrast is. He says that you've

become such as have need of milk and not

of strong meat. You know what that word

strong there means? It's mentioned

again, verse 14, but strong meat

belongth to them that are full age. That

that phrase strong meat, it means

strong, hard, solid, rigid, immovable.

And look what he says. He says, "You

become such as have need of milk and not

of strong meat." He said, "You're

needing something that babies need."

And really, you should be eating meat.

You ever seen children

get up in years and they'll get, you

know, 8, nine, 10 years old and they

still talk like a jibberjabber little

baby.

It's all right. Y'all can loosen up a

little bit. Amen. And just like like

that.

There's a man, there's a young man that

I know. He's actually about three or

four years older than me now that I

think about it. But I remember being in

school with him. He was he was u high

school. He was several years older than

me. I think I remember middle school he

was like a sophomore, a junior in high

school, but his grandparents had raised

him and it's no indictment against this

young man. He just his he was a little

bit a little bit slow in his mind and

that wasn't his fault, but his

grandparents had raised him and and

they'd always talked to him like a baby.

And I remember in high school that poor

boy got made fun of so much because he

he he his names for stuff like he he

called a truck a tu and and just spoke

like a little child even he's 18 17 18

years old still speaks that way and I

remember thinking about that and and

seeing him and and how embarrassing that

was you know because everybody looked at

him and said you know he should be

farther along than he is you know what

that's the way that you look when you

are illiterate in the things of God.

When you're ignorant of the things of

God, when there is simple truths that

you should know, things that we should

be acquainted with and understand. And

what happens when you're called upon to

present something to somebody that's

been just saved for, you know, a few

weeks or months and you can't answer a

simple question that they have. You know

what that is? That's that's unnatural.

When you've been saved, like I said,

when you've been saved 10, 15, 20 years,

you ought to be on from the bottom.

You ought to be teaching. You ought to

be teaching.

Really was hoping this would be received

better than it's being received right

now. But but you see this contrast here.

Now note not only the contrast, but note

secondly the character it's mentioned.

Verse 13.

He said you're become such as have need

of milk and not of strong meat. Verse

13. For everyone that useth milk. All

right. If you're still on the bottle, if

you're still taking those baser things,

if you're still constantly having to

have reassurance, constantly having to

um deal with basic things in

Christianity, look what he says. He

says, "For everyone that useth milk is

unskillful in the word of righteousness,

for he is obeyed." Now, I find

interesting here. He points out the

contrast in verse 12. But the character

in verse 13, I think is what's

interesting because he says, "Everyone

that useth milk, everyone that consumes

milk is unskillful." That word in

unskillful literally means ignorant or

immature.

Everyone that useth milk. If you find

somebody that is constantly living off

of John 3:16

John 3:16

or Philippians 4:13, taken out of

Philippians 4:13

context, God help us.

I can do all things through Christ which

strengthenth me. Those people will take

that and use it to go get a beer down at

the ABC store. I mean, it's just godless

the way people take scripture and

misapply. I'm saying when you just take

basic truths and people are just living

off of those things, you know what that

is? That's a baby. That's a baby

Christian. You say, "Preacher, they've

been saved 20 years." It doesn't matter

if they do not if they will not take

hard truth. If they will not listen when

a preacher just preaches it gun barrel

straight right by the book and don't

leave nothing laying on the side. Okay.

When he preaches it that way and they

will not accept that. You know what that

is? That's a baby. That's a baby. Look

what he says. He says everyone that

useth milk is unskillful

in the word of righteous. That means

they do not know the truth. What did

Jesus say? He said the truth shall set

you free. Didn't he? But what was the

stipulation on that? He said, "You shall

know the truth, and the truth shall make

you free." You see, the truth doesn't

make you free by itself.

You say, "Well, I'm saved. I'm free." Of

course, you are positionally, but

practically, let's just be real. You can

be saved and be as locked down

fleshly, physically, you can be as

locked down, locked down just as bad as

a sinner because you do not know the

truth. That's why people do not

understand, preacher, why do you

emphasize so much the knowledge of the

scripture? Because it's by the knowledge

of THE WORD OF GOD THAT YOU GROW.

>> NO, it's not appealing always. But I

understand the truth is if there's going

to be effectiveness in this thing, it's

going to come through the learning of

the word of God. For everyone that useth

milk, for everyone that consumeth the

basic things is unskillful. What is he

unskillful in? In the word of

righteousness,

a baby talks like a baby because they're

a baby. But an adult should not talk

like a baby. Somebody say, "Amen."

>> Verse 14.

Notice not only the contrast, the

character, but not the completion that

he calls for here. He says, "But strong

meat belongth to them that are of full

age." At full age, that means maturity,

even those who by reason of use have

their senses exercised to discern both

good and evil. Now, this verse is powerp

packed. All right. Now, get this, okay?

He says, "Strong meat belongth to them

that are full." So, I'm thankful that

there are truths that can sustain us.

You You realize that life is more than

just storms and suffering. I swear 95%

of Baptist preachers I hear anymore,

that's all they know how to preach on is

storms and suffering. I'm thinking, we

don't know nothing about suffering in

this country. We really don't. I mean,

we talk about cancer and I realize that

that is a suffering of the flesh. But

I'm talking about when you compare

suffering in that book to what

suffering, what we think suffering is,

it's not even close.

>> The storms that we face, the issues that

we deal with are so small compared to

what scripture teaches. And this strong

meat, if it's good enough for those that

were burned at the steak, for those that

had their heads chopped off, if this is

what caused them to go all the way to

their death, unwilling to step back or

to turn around, it's that that we need.

The reason why we're so soft and so

sensitive is because we're on the milk.

Because notice this, strong meat

belonging. There's a people. There's a

group. There's a position that deserves

this. What is what what is that

qualification? It belongs to them that

are of full age. Complete maturity. Look

what does he look what he says. What

defines this maturity? What defines this

crowd who is of full age? Well, look

what he says. Even those who by reason,

notice this little phrase here, of use,

by reason of use have their senses

exercised to discern both good and evil.

So first of all, if you're going to be

of full age, if you're going to be a

perfect man, as the scripture teach,

this completeness that Paul is calling

for, number one, there's got to be

determination,

discipline. What is that? Well, look

what he says. Even those who by reason

of what? Use. Use. You know the reason

why people are not effective in the

ministry? Because they've never done

anything.

I do not know why it's so quiet this

morning. Y'all going to have to liven up

a little bit.

The reason people can't do anything is

because they've never tried to do

anything. And this is the excuse we use

in this damn time. Well, that's just not

my personality, preacher. I'm not loud

and boisterous. I'm not really I'm just

to myself. I'm not going to go talk to

people. Well, let's just back up on that

a minute, okay? If you want, you find

something you want to buy, you wouldn't

care who you had to talk to

>> to get it. Amen.

And I'm going to pick on you ladies for

a minute, okay? But when you go in the

store and you see that piece of jewelry

in there, it don't matter what the

cashier looks like. It doesn't matter.

If you like it, you going to go talk to

that person cuz you want what's in the

case. Amen. What I'm saying is is that

person's got a soul. And we use excuses

so many times wherever we're at. We

can't minister. we can't do this, we

can't do that. Men are the same way,

man. We'll we'll we won't we won't

witness to somebody. We won't talk to

somebody about the Lord, but we'll go

down to the dealership and we'll talk to

the roughest looking dude that there is

so we can buy us a truck.

>> We're without excuse.

>> And what I'm coming back to on this

right here is is it's not just

witnessing, but the ministry itself, our

teaching. Well, we're afraid. We're

afraid of crowds. Well, the ball game

doesn't bother you.

I hit a stump right there.

>> Straw meat belongth to them that are

full age, even those who by reason of

use. There has to be discipline.

Further, it goes further than just use.

Look what he Look what else he says. Who

by reason of use have their senses

exercised. Oh, that's a dirty word,

ain't it?

You've got to work it out. What did Paul

tell the Philippian church? He said,

"Work out your own salvation with fear

and trembling." He wasn't talking about

work out how you're going to be saved.

He said, "But since you have been saved,

you ought to be working because you are

saved."

>> It should not be so much of a problem.

Hear me out what I'm saying. All right?

It should not be so much of a problem to

find people to teach Sunday school

classes and to teach classes in the

church to fulfill ministry positions. Uh

we should not have to beg and plead to

get five people to go on visitation on

Saturdays.

That's that's not there's no re You say

preacher, well I just I'm just not that

way. Well, I'll tell you this. Jesus

wasn't a sinner. But you know what? He

became sin who knew no sin that we might

be made the righteousness of God in him.

>> I'm saying he did what he did not want

to do, but he had to do so we could be

saved. We ought to be willing to do just

a little bit. He's not asking us to die.

He's just asking us to live. Have some

determination. Have some discipline.

Decide in your heart this morning that

you're going to do what you have to do

because God's called you to. You have to

be disciplined or you're going to spend

the rest of your life on the milk. And

you know what'll happen? You'll never

grow that way. You know what? It burdens

me. You go places preaching and I used

to do this a lot more when I was

preaching out all the time before I

started pastoring. that you see people

that's they'll tell you, "Preacher, I've

been in this church for 40, 50, you

know, years, years upon years upon years

and and then you get to having a

conversation with them. They'll tell you

they're saved and they got a good

testimony, but then you just go to

talking about things. You ever done

that? You ever just talk about church

things and you find that they don't have

a clue

about anything scripture- wise? They

can't tell you the reason. They can't

tell you simple reasons why we should

testify. They can't tell you reasons. I

mean, why why do we do baptism? What's

the purpose of that? Why do we knock on

doors? Why do we sew? Why do we believe

in Sunday school? What are the reasons

for all? And you ask them and they have

no answer.

They're a baby.

And it is not defined by how long you've

been in church.

>> And I'll say this, a lot of this falls

back on the preaching in this country. I

I'll say this, 75 to 85% of this falls

back on the preaching this country.

People will be in a church their entire

life and a preacher won't never preach

nothing other than a topical sermon on

on suffering or storms like I said and

they never grow. They never grow. They

never get past the basic things.

You know what's going to happen to that

place? It dies.

It's defined here in this text. What

happens to it? There's determination. I

got to move on here. This completion

it's determination. But out of that

determination and discipline, verse 14,

there's discernment. Look what he says.

Who by reason of use have their senses

exercised to discern both good and evil.

They are able to discern between what's

beneficial for them and what's bad for

them. And this is the indictment that

I'm seeing against the church this day.

People can say the right things and do

the right things, you know, or say the

right things, but when it really comes

down to their actions, they don't really

know what's best for them.

I'm being honest with you, okay? When

you think about people and you know, you

say, "Preacher, well, I know the

scripture. I know what I'm supposed to

do." Let me ask you this. If you know

it, why aren't you doing it?

Because here's it's to know it is one

thing. To have the meat on on the table

and able to partake of, it's one thing.

But to eat it is a whole another thing.

You see, it's not so much what people

say that tells me where they're at

spiritually, but what they do that tells

me where they're at spiritually, the way

they live their life, what they do

outside of the church. They these this

man that's complete, that's of full age.

He have his has his senses exercised to

discern both good and evil. He knows

what's beneficial, but he also knows

what's bad for him. And he is going to

follow only what is beneficial for him.

Now

talking about this thought of what's

missing in the church and service the

reason service is missing in the church

is because much of the church is carnal

we are carnally minded and isn't it

interesting that the other time this

phrase milk is used Paul was right in

Corinthians I told you that there's

there's many proofs but I think this is

just one that goes to show Paul was

writing this 1 Corinthians 3

listen what it says 1 Corinthians 3:es

1-3. Look what he says. He says, "And I,

brethren, could not speak unto you as

unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even

as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you

with milk and not with meat, for

hitherto you were not able to bear it,

neither yet now are you able, for ye are

yet carnal." What is what is the

description of this carnal church? Well,

look what he says. The problem is for

whereas there's among you envings and

strife and divisions. Are you not carnal

and walk as men? For while one saith, I

am a Paul, another am I, I am of

Apollos. Are ye not carnal? You want to

know, you want to know a description of

a carnal church? Church is full of

division.

Church that's full of envy,

covetousness, strife,

backbiting, malignity, all of those

terms. That's carnality in the church.

You say, "Preacher, well, we're not

committing fornication and adultery."

Praise God for it. But you mad at

everybody in here.

I'm saying carnality is not just

immorality.

It's not it's not even just being mad at

somebody. But if you are so consumed by

your flesh and yourself, that that is

carnality and that is hindering service

in the house of God.

>> This strong meat belongth to them that

are full age. people who are not carnal.

The carnal man receiveth not the things

of God. The Bible says they're

spiritually discerned. He cannot know

them because the spirit teaches them.

And so I would say carnality hinders

growth, but complacency hinders growth.

Complacency hinders growth. It's not

just that you have to be worldly minded,

but you just can be nothing minded. Men,

we know all about this, okay? We get in

our box of nothing, all right? and we

just don't think about anything. We're

just decided we're just not going to be

decided about anything basically.

And we know this well. And you say,

"What is that?" Well, he describes it in

the verses just prior to this in an

admonition that he gives to the church.

Notice verse 12 of chapter 6 of Hebrews.

Hebrews 6:12. Look what he says. What's

Hebrews 6:12

that first phrase? That you be not

slothful. You know what that is? That's

laziness.

That's complacency.

Brother Jimmy said this during revival

meeting. And I hope y'all didn't miss

this. He said, "The Christian life is

like this." He said, "You're either

paddling upstream or you're floating

down.

>> The moment that you start pressing

forward,

you're going backward."

Because that's just the truth. The

stream of this world and your life is

against you.

And if you're not careful, complacency,

complacency will hinder growth.

Slothfulness, unfaithfulness, all of

these hinder growth. And this is what

keeps you from being a mature Christian

of full age.

Christianity is not for the lazy man.

The ministry is not for the lazy man.

And if you are going to do anything for

God, you will have to decide. You will

have to decide number one to be

disciplined.

And out of that discipline will arise

discernment who by reason of use. You

got to use it. Here's here's the reason.

And and I've said this before at the

church, I think I' I may have mentioned

this in passion, but a lot of the reason

why I think ministry has been so

neglected this d time is because we put

all the emphasis on training, training,

training, training. We want to train

this one, train that. And here's the

thing about it. I'm all for training.

Okay? But when it comes down to the

ministry, if you're ever going to do it,

you going to just have to start.

You just have to start. You don't know

it all at the beginning. You ain't got

it all figured out. I mean, if you need

an example of that, just look at the

pull pit. Amen.

You ain't going to know it all. You're

not going to have it all figured out,

but if you wait until you do, you will

never start.

And so, I noticed this in the text and

I'm done. You see the purpose that's not

been fulfilled, the problem that

showcased their failure, the provision

of their filling. They were drinking

this milk when they needed to be on

meat. But notice what he begins with in

chapter six. And I'm going to deal with

this again on next Sunday. And I know

it's going to be the Sunday before

Christmas, but we're going to deal with

it anyway. Chapter 6 and verse one. He

says, "Therefore, all right, therefore,

because strong meat belong unto them

that are of full age." He says,

"Therefore, there's some things we're

going to have to leave and we're going

to have to part from some things in

order that we might finish." Look what

he says. Therefore, leaving the

principles of the doctrine of Christ,

let us go on unto

perfection. Well, you know what that is?

That's completeness.

Can I can I as a pastor put this to you

this morning? Grow.

Make it your desire that tomorrow you

going to be closer to God and know more

about God than you did today.

>> And the day after that, you're going to

be farther along with God and for God

than you was the day before that. The

reason why we do not go anywhere for God

is because we do not have any goals for

God.

Get you a burden.

Find somebody that needs to be saved and

pray for them and pray for an

opportunity to witness to them and pray

until God gives you that opportunity.

Lead them to God and then disciple them.

Our churches are dying because we're not

doing this. And you say, "Preacher, I

thought this was supposed to be an

encouragement." Well, let me say this to

you. It's supposed to be an

encouragement to you because this is the

faithful crowd. You are the ones that's

here for Sunday school. You are the ones

that were here last night and here for

visitation and here for the ministries

of the church. Let me encourage you.

Grow. Grow.

There's people that's not going to grow.

Don't be one of those people. Amen.

Father, thank you for this time. Lord, I

pray God you'd bless this thought this

morning. Help us as we preach today. Get

glory to yourself. Help us to grow. Draw

closer to thee. Help us to get off the

milk, Father. Not be so carnal and

fleshly, God. We're worried about our

salvation and worried about this and

worried about that and Lord carried

caring about others opinions of us and

all this that and the other. Lord, help

us just be settled and grounded. Just

get busy. Lord, I sure love you. Thank

you for allowing us to serve you. Bless

the service today. We pray in Jesus

name. Amen.

>> Thank you for joining our service

[music] today. We'd love it if you join

us in person the next time you are able

at Meadows Baptist Church. Our physical

[music] address is 2988 Stewart Road in

Walnut Cove, North Carolina. Our service

[music] times are Sunday school at 10:00

a.m., Sunday morning worship at 11:00

a.m., Sunday evening [music] worship at

6:00 p.m., and Wednesday evening Bible

study at 7:00 p.m. For more information,

visit us at meadowsbaptisturch.com.

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Thanks again for tuning in.

>> [music]