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INTRODUCTION

The importance of the subject already treated.
The importance of the Message and the Messenger (Chapters 1 and 2).
The power of God's Word (Chapter 3 and 4).
Christ our High Priest (First part of chapter 5).
The absolute essential nature of all of this because it determines our relationship with God!
The danger now expressed in last half of chapter five was that they had become so immature that they did not grasp the lesson and thus were in danger of losing their relationship with God.

7. Let us Notice:

Cause for the Exhortation

THE WRITERS SUBJECT:
- Which only the mature could fully understand.
- How Christ is our High Priest, (Last weeks lesson).
- Their difficulty in understanding was a lack of keeping the basics.
AWARENESS OF THEIR BACKWARD PROGRESSION:
- Instead of growing in "grace and knowledge" ...
- They were actually gong backwards.
- They were forgetting the first things they had learned.
RECOGNITION OF GOD'S PURPOSE FOR HIS CHILDREN.
- "And having been made perfect, he became unto all them that obey him the author of eternal salvation." v. 9.
- Obedience is essential.
- But ...How can one obey if he doesn't understand?
- This inability to understand, is not because of the difficulty of the message...But because of the dullness of the hearer!
ULTIMATE ALTERNATIVE:
- Complete relapse and terrifying judgment. (10:27)

2. What is; and is the Cause of "Dull Hearing"?

DULL OF HEARING

A CONDITION INTO WHICH THEY HAD GRADUALLY LAPSED.
- They had not always been like this.
- Formerly they had had eager mind, but over the years had become "dull"
DULLNESS OF HEARING is a metaphor for mental sluggishness and spiritual apathy.
- "But I have this against thee, that thou didst leave thy first love" (R. 2:4)
- "I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot. So because thou art lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spew thee out of my mouth"

(Rev. 3:15-16)

SPIRITUAL IMMATURITY

"YOU NEED MILK, NOT SOLID FOOD."
- THE PARALLELS OF THE CHILD AND MILK, AND THE MATURE Christian and solid food were generally known (I cor. 2:6; 3:2; 14:29; Eph. 4:13-14; I Pet. 2:1-2).
- They were going in the wrong direction.....Back to infancy.
"WITHOUT EXPERIENCE" v. 13.
- A person might be physically mature; but if he knows nothing of the world, he would be called a "babe".
- **Babies do not have the ability to discriminate.
- - They cannot choose for themselves.
  - Must take whatever is set before them.
- An adult does not need someone to stand over him always reminding him of what foods are good and bad.

4. So the adult Christian is able to distinguish good from evil.

OUGHT TO BE TEACHERS

WHAT IS MEANT BY "TEACHER"?
- Some times we get the idea of classroom or...
- Class type situation.
TO BE A TEACHER meant to the ancient mind that one was able to think and to act maturely.
- That was something these Christians could not do.
- They still needed a teacher.

3. Needed to go back to the very ABC of God's Word.

CONCLUSION

TRAINED BY PRACTICE:
- In any endeavor in life the adage is: "use it or lose it."
- Things we may have once learned well...if we do not use it we will lose the ability to function. (Typing; math; cooking; etc.)
YOU DON'T GET THERE WITHOUT PUTTING FORTH THE EFFORT!
- "Give diligence to present thyself approved unto God.."(II Tim. 2;15).
- "I press on toward the goal unto the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:14).
- "Be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord" (I Cor. 15:58).
"For I am already being offered, and the time of my departure is come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give to me at that day; and not to me only,

but also to all them that have loved his appearing. (II Timothy 4:6-8)