Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
This automated analysis scores the text on the likely presence of emotional, language, and social tones. There are no right or wrong scores; this is just an indication of tones readers or listeners may pick up from the text.
A score of 0.5 or higher indicates the tone is likely present.
Emotion Tone
Anger
0.1UNLIKELY
Disgust
0.09UNLIKELY
Fear
0.1UNLIKELY
Joy
0.53LIKELY
Sadness
0.16UNLIKELY
Language Tone
Analytical
0.64LIKELY
Confident
0.01UNLIKELY
Tentative
0UNLIKELY
Social Tone
Openness
0.83LIKELY
Conscientiousness
0.71LIKELY
Extraversion
0.09UNLIKELY
Agreeableness
0.71LIKELY
Emotional Range
0.56LIKELY
Tone of specific sentences
Tones
Emotion
Language
Social Tendencies
Anger
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9
(HEBREWS) PURSUING SPIRITUAL MATURITY: CALLED, EQUIPPED, WARNED
Hebrews 6:1-8 – Mountain Home AFB, Protestants – 7/31/22 – Pastor Matthew Ellis
I. Slide 1) Introduction
A. Introduction:
1.
How many of you are frustrated when you encounter an immature person?
(Not handicaps, but…
emotional immaturity, socially immature, immature behavior, immature humor, etc.)
a) It’s expected for certain ages, but when we see it in an older person… wow!
b) Ever been frustrated when you found it in yourself?
2. Although we’d hate to admit it publicly,
a) A close look into the dark recesses of our heart will reveal that each of us struggle with
immaturity and regressive tendencies!
b) At times in our lives, we realize that we must actively fight against it!
3. Let’s talk about those regressive tendencies for a moment…
a) Ever noticed teenagers who don’t want the responsibilities that come with their age?
(Story of getting my driver’s license)
4. Now, let’s consider immaturity & regressive tendencies in regards to spirituality…
a) Do we struggle with spiritual immaturity?
Absolutely!
b) It is easy & natural to remain immature!
c) Many Bible verses actually address this, trying to spur us on toward maturity & progression!
d) What is the danger of spiritual immaturity?
(After answers are shared…)
i) You certainly do not receive as many blessings as God wants to give you, do you?
ii) It’s like a parent who has to keep dealing with immaturity issues with their kids…
(i) There’s a lot of great things those kids don’t get, because discipline keeps falling!
iii) We can encounter the same issues with our Heavenly Father
B. Big Picture:
1. S2) Welcome back to Chaplain Little’s sermon series on “Hebrews”!
2. The last time I had the honor of preaching to you (May 22), I shared a message about
“Disobedience & Unbelief” from Hebrews 3:7-19;
3. Today I have the honor of an excellent follow-up sermon from Hebrews 6:1-8,
a) S3a) Entitled, “Pursuing Spiritual Maturity!”
In this, we will see how we are…
i) Called to spiritual maturity
ii) Equipped for spiritual maturity,
iii) And warned away from refusing spiritual maturity!
4. Both of these passages give strong warnings to the hearers of Hebrews to avoid falling away from
Christian faith & maturity.
5.
As we go through today’s passage,
6. S3b) Thesis: I hope that we will each see how…
God provides for & thus expects us to… continually grow in spiritual maturity & depth
C. Appeal: The severity of the warnings given in this passage are meant to catch our attention
1.
There are very real spiritual dangers we face when we refuse the spiritual maturity & depth that
God calls us to
D. Scripture Context: As with every part of the scriptures, be careful not to take this passage out of
context from the book in which it is found…
1.
The theme of “warning us away from immaturity” was really started in Hebrews 5:11;
2. Which was addressed by Chaplain Little on July 10th, as he looked at…
a) The problem of, cause of, & cure for spiritual immaturity
E. Transition: So today, I invite you to join me in digging a bit deeper into this topic in Hebrews 6:1-8
1.
In honor of the Lord & His Word, I invite you to stand with me in this first reading,
2. As we see…
II.
God’s Call to Spiritual Maturity
A. Verse: after correcting us to not only partake of spiritual milk & exhorting us to partake of spiritual
solid food—we come to Hebrews 6:1-3,
1. S4) 1 Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not
laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 of instruction
about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment.
3
And this we will do, if God permits.
(NASB95)
B. Explain: These verses establish our first point for today…
1. S5) God call us to spiritual maturity.
2. Our faith starts with certain core beliefs & practices
a) Here the author of Hebrews addresses those as “elementary teachings about Christ”
i) S5) We need elementary teachings of Jesus! (c.f.
Hebrews 5:11-14)
Without them,
(i) We don’t even know how to enter into a relationship with Him
(ii) We don’t understand the fundamentals of Christian faith & growth
ii) And so, when Hebrews 6:1 says to “leave the elementary teachings about Christ & go on to
maturity,” He isn’t saying that we abandon these teachings…
(i) S5) And as we grow, we don’t replace or disregard these!
iii) On the contrary, he is highlighting that these beliefs are a foundation upon which to grow!
(i) S5) We build on their foundation!
C. Illustrate: In many ways, you can think of them like the “Elementary School” of your faith
1.
The basic arithmetic, reading, & writing skills that you learned in primary school—
2. Did you abandon them in middle school, junior high, or high school?
3.
Not at all!
But you didn’t keep taking 1st grade math over & over again, did you?
4.
And so it is with Christ, with the Lord’s help,
a) S5) We must press on toward maturity!
b) This Greek phrase encourages swift & energetic movement—
c) The middle voice that it is placed in suggests that God is helping move us along toward this goal
d) We must, by God’s grace, grow beyond the elementary teachings of Christ.
D. Expand: In this discussion, the author of Hebrews mentions several elementary teachings of Jesus—
It would do us well to briefly consider these & our own understanding of them.
1.
He briefly mentions six in what seems to be organized as three pairs.
a) The first 2 deal with things of the past; the fundamentals of salvation
i) Elementary to coming to faith in Jesus is what we turn from & what we turn to!
ii) We repent from dead works; those fruitless deeds of the past –those old sinful actions
iii) We then turn to faith in God, through Jesus Christ (see Hebrews 11)—
(i) Belief that He is who He said and that His teachings are true
(ii) Trust in His death & resurrection for the forgiveness of our sins & our right standing
before God
(iii) Understanding that He ascended to God & reins in power!
iv) These are fundamental ‘things of the past’ in our Christian walk—
(i) Foundations of salvation!
But He didn’t stop there…
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9