What Does Your Land Produce

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What Does Your Land Produce?

• Hebrews Chapter Six

2
Hebrews 61-20 (ESV) 1 Therefore let us leave
the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to
maturity, not laying again a foundation of
repentance from dead works and of faith toward
God, 2 and of instruction about washings, the
laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead,
and eternal judgment. 3 And this we will do if
God permits. 4 For it is impossible to restore
again to repentance those who have once been
enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift,
and have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 and have
tasted the goodness of the word of God and the
powers of the age to come, 6 if they then fall
away, since they are crucifying once again the
Son of God to their own harm and holding him up
to contempt. 7 For land that has drunk the rain
that often falls on it, and produces a crop
useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated,
receives a blessing from God. 8 But if it bears
thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to
being cursed, and its end is to be burned.
3
9 Though we speak in this way, yet in your case,
beloved, we feel sure of better thingsthings
that belong to salvation. 10 For God is not so
unjust as to overlook your work and the love that
you showed for his sake in serving the saints, as
you still do. 11 And we desire each one of you to
show the same earnestness to have the full
assurance of hope until the end, 12 so that you
may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who
through faith and patience inherit the promises.
13 For when God made a promise to Abraham, since
he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore
by himself, 14 saying, "Surely I will bless you
and multiply you." 15 And thus Abraham, having
patiently waited, obtained the promise. 16 For
people swear by something greater than
themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is
final for confirmation.
4
17 So when God desired to show more convincingly
to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable
character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with
an oath, 18 so that by two unchangeable things,
in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who
have fled for refuge might have strong
encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before
us. 19 We have this as a sure and steadfast
anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the
inner place behind the curtain, 20 where Jesus
has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having
become a high priest forever after the order of
Melchizedek.
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Flow of the Argument

• Necessity of moving on to maturity
• Evidence of moving on to maturity
• Foundation of moving on to maturity

6
Flow of the Argument

• Necessity of moving on to maturity
• Starting point from which we must move on (1,2)
• Elementary doctrine of Christ
• Foundation of repentance from dead works
• Faith toward God
• Instruction about washings
• Laying on of hands
• Resurrection of the dead
• Eternal judgement

7
Flow of the Argument

• Necessity of moving on to maturity
• Starting point from which we must move on
• Consequences of not moving on to maturity (4 8)
• A Falling away
• Impossible to restore again to repentance

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(4-6) Who cannot be restored to repentance?
Those who have

• Once been enlighted
• Tasted the heavenly gift
• Shared in the Holy Spirit
• Tasted the goodness of the word of God
• Tasted the powers of the age to come
• And thenfall away
• Crucifying once again the Son of God
• Holding the Son of God up for contempt

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Heb 67,8 For land that has drunk the rain that
often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to
those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a
blessing from God. 8 But if it bears thorns and
thistles, it is worthless and near to being
cursed, and its end is to be burned.
10
Heb 67,8 For land that has drunk the rain that
often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to
those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a
blessing from God. 8 But if it bears thorns and
thistles, it is worthless and near to being
cursed, and its end is to be burned.
11
Heb 67,8 For land that has drunk the rain that
often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to
those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a
blessing from God. 8 But if it bears thorns and
thistles, it is worthless and near to being
cursed, and its end is to be burned.
12
Heb 67,8 For land that has drunk the rain that
often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to
those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a
blessing from God. 8 But if it bears thorns and
thistles, it is worthless and near to being
cursed, and its end is to be burned.
13
Heb 67,8 For land that has drunk the rain that
often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to
those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a
blessing from God. 8 But if it bears thorns and
thistles, it is worthless and near to being
cursed, and its end is to be burned.
14
All the Land that is cultivated and receives rain
Land that produces a useful crop
Land that bears thorns thistles, is worthless,
near to being cursed, and whose end is to be
burned
15
The New Covenant

• Those in the new covenant
• Entrance is through the sign of baptism
• Receive grace from God and all blessings of the
  covenant

• Those within the new covenant who are true
  followers of God
• Entrance is by faith in Christ
• Receive saving grace from God
• All persevere through life

Those within the covenant who are not true
believers and will not receive eternal life
16
Flow of the Argument

• Necessity of moving on to maturity
• Evidence of moving on to maturity
• Foundation of moving on to maturity

17
Though we speak in this way, yet in your case,
beloved, we feel sure of better things (9)

• God will not overlook your
• Work
• Love you have showed for His sake in serving the
  saints
• We desire each one of you to
• Show the same earnestness to have full assurance
  of hope until the end
• Not be sluggish
• Be imitators of those who through faith and
  patience inherit the promise

18
Flow of the Argument

• Necessity of moving on to maturity
• Evidence of moving on to maturity
• Foundation of moving on to maturity

19
Certainty of Gods Promise
Hebrews 613-20 (ESV) 13 For when God made a
promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater
by whom to swear, he swore by himself, 14 saying,
"Surely I will bless you and multiply you." 15
And thus Abraham, having patiently waited,
obtained the promise. 16 For people swear by
something greater than themselves, and in all
their disputes an oath is final for confirmation.
17 So when God desired to show more convincingly
to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable
character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with
an oath, 18 so that by two unchangeable things,
in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who
have fled for refuge might have strong
encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before
us. 19 We have this as a sure and steadfast
anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the
inner place behind the curtain, 20 where Jesus
has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having
become a high priest forever after the order of
Melchizedek.
20
Progression of Certainty

• A promise
• A promise backed by an oath
• A promise backed by an oath given by God Himself
• A promise backed by an oath given by God Himself
  for whom it is impossible to lie
• A promise backed by an oath given by God Himself
  for whom it is impossible to lie, accomplished by
  the finished work of Jesus Himself who is our
  high priest forever

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Why do we waver?
Because we cant see the promise or our
inheritance in Christ
1 Peter 13-9 (ESV) 3 Blessed be the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his
great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to
a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus
Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is
imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in
heaven for you, 5 who by God's power are being
guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be
revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice,
though now for a little while, if necessary, you
have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that
the tested genuineness of your faithmore
precious than gold that perishes though it is
tested by firemay be found to result in praise
and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus
Christ. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love
him. Though you do not now see him, you believe
in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible
and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of
your faith, the salvation of your souls.
22
An Anchor for the Soul
We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of
the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place
behind the curtain, 20 where Jesus has gone as a
forerunner on our behalf, having become a high
priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.
Heb 619,20