“Reasons We Resist Maturing!” Hebrews 2:1-3a

Remember when you were younger and you could not wait till you were older?...

Since this is God’s will for us, why do each of us resist growing in our faith? What must we do to cooperate with God’s plan leading to our maturing in Christ?

to renew the urgency of our maturing in Christ Purpose: to renew the urgency of our maturing in Christ

I Areas of Honest CONFESSIONS A. We Are Creatures of Habit

Henry L. Ellsworth, commissioner of the U. S Henry L. Ellsworth, commissioner of the U.S. Patent Office said, “Mankind has already achieved all of which it is capable. There will be no more inventions requiring patents.” The year he said this was 1844!

To a certain extent, we all cling to the familiar and resist change…

I Areas of Honest CONFESSIONS A. We Are Creatures of Habit B. We Want a Savior but Not a Master

“We want, in fact, not so much a Father in Heaven as a grandfather in Heaven – a senile benevolence who, as they say, ‘liked to see young people enjoying themselves, and whose plan for the universe was simply that it might be truly said at the end of each day, a good time was had by all.’” Clive Staples Lewis

I Areas of Honest CONFESSIONS A. We Are Creatures of Habit B. We Want a Savior but Not a Master C. We Stop Short of Our Potential

Rather than pursuing that which would stretch us, we often choose the path of least resistance…

2 Corinthians 10:12 “For we are not bold to class or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves; but when they measure themselves by themselves, and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding.”

II FOUR Reasons We Resist Matur -ing A. We Drift Away from What We Hear

Hebrews 2:1 “For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.”

II FOUR Reasons We Resist Matur -ing A. We Drift Away from What We Hear B. We Fall Away from the Truth

Hebrews 3:12-13 “Take care, brethren, lest there should be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart, in falling away from the living God. But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called ‘Today,’ lest anyone of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”

II FOUR Reasons We Resist Matur -ing A. We Drift Away from What We Hear B. We Fall Away from the Truth C. We Fail to Trust the Truth

Hebrews 4:1-2 “Therefore, let us fear lest, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you should seem to have come short of it. For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard.”

Matthew 6:33 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

Isaiah 55:11 “So shall My word be which goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.”

1 Corinthians 15:58 “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.”

Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

Romans 8:1 “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

II FOUR Reasons We Resist Matur -ing A. We Drift Away from What We Hear B. We Fall Away from the Truth C. We Fail to Trust the Truth D. We Have Been Dull of Hearing

Has the Word of God become “old hat” to us because of our living The Bible Belt?

Hebrews 5:11-12 “Concerning Him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food.”

Summary and Conclusion: …The key to becoming spiritually mature is to remain T-E-A-C-H-A-B-L-E!... One author put it another way, “What every church needs is F.A.T. people = Faithful, Available, Teachable… May we remain teachable people, ever maturing in our worship and service to Christ our Lord.