Week 3
READ Hebrews 5:11-14 – “Full Commitment to Christ”
QUESTIONS:
Up until this point, the author of Hebrews has been implying there is a problem with the Christians he is writing to but hasn’t come out and said what the problem is. Hebrews 2:1, “We must pay closer attention to what we’ve heard, lest we drift away.” Hebrews 3:1, “Consider Jesus.” Hebrews 3:8, “do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion (of Israel)…in the wilderness.” Hebrews 3:12, “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart.” Hebrews 4:1, “Let us fear, lest any of you fail to reach (the rest of God).” Hebrews 4:11, “strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.” Hebrews 4:14, “Hold fast to your confession.” Up until now, the author has only been hinting at a problem and telling us the cure for the problem. His solution is to treasure Christ because he is greater than everything, but he hasn’t come out and told us directly what the problem is. Now he is about to. We are about to see why he included all the previous warnings. Listen closely to make sure you don’t have the same problem. Read v. 11 and write below what problem the author sees in the Hebrew believers.
“Dull of hearing” is an extremely dangerous problem. If left unchecked, it means a life of rebellion, unbelief, and can mean separation from Christ. Let’s look closely to make sure we know what “dull of hearing” means.
First, let’s look at the word “Dull”. Read Hebrews 6:11-12. In this passage, you will see 2 very different words that describe 2 different responses to Christ and his words. The 2 words are “earnestness” and “sluggishness”. (Sluggish is the same Greek word as Dull in Hebrews 5:11) Describe the differences between someone who hears “earnestly” and someone who hears “sluggishly” or to say it another way is “dull in hearing”.
Now let’s look at the word “Hearing.” Now read Hebrews 4:2. In this passage, we see a group of people who “heard” the message but it didn’t benefit them. Why?
"Dullness of hearing" is hearing without faith and without the moral fruit of faith. It's hearing the Bible or the preaching of the Bible the way you hear the freeway noise on I-95 driving down the road, or the way you hear music in the dentist's office or the way you hear recorded warnings at the airport that this is a smoke-free facility. You do but you don't. You have grown dull to the sound. It does not awaken or produce anything.
Read Luke 8:18. What does this say about the way you listen to the words of Jesus? What are the results that take place depending on the way you listen to Jesus?
Now let’s answer the question, “How do I NOT have dullness of hearing?” Read Hebrews 5:12-14. As you may know, anytime the Bible uses symbolism or illustrations, you must pay close attention to the lesson being learned. Within this illustration is the answer to how NOT to have dullness of hearing. Again, read Hebrews 5:12-14. Now let’s spend some time understanding the illustration.
- Is it wrong for a baby to drink milk?
- Describe the process of a baby transitioning from milk to solid foods.
- What must happen for a child to start eating meat?
- Is it wrong for a completely mature adult to have an all-milk diet?
SUMMARY: As maturity and physical development takes place in a child, what once was appropriate (milk) begins to prepare the way for more substantial sustenance (meat). Milk serves a purpose, to grow the maturity of the body towards meat. But if a full-grown adult only drinks milk, something is definitely wrong.According to v. 14, what are some characteristics of those who are mature and ready for solid food (deeper obedience and knowlwedge) of Scripture?
If someone is not practiced in discernment and is not ready for solid food, what might be true about their lives in regards to elementry teaching of Scripture and how they obey it? (Milk)
Milk must grow a baby’s body so it can be ready to handle solid food. Verse 14 says that solid food is for the mature that by “constant practice knows the difference between good and evil.” If you want to grow in Christ, you don’t do it by jumping from studying milk to studying meat. You do it by the way you drink milk, act in faith, and act in obedience. What do I mean by this?
When you experience milk from Scripture, simple truths you know how to apply to your life, what should be your response to ensure you do not have “dullness in hearing”?
Now, summarize v. 11-14 in your own words.