To
view all of the free Bible studies by Dr. Guido on
the Book of Hebrews, select the page number from the
menu on the left.
The Book of Hebrews: Message Forty
By Dr. Michael
Guido, D.D.
Rowland Hill
visited a home and watched a child riding a
rocking-horse. Smiling, he said, "Your boy
reminds me of some Christians. There's plenty of
motion, but no progress." That's the way the
writer of the book of Hebrews felt when he watched
some Christians in his day. There was the nativity,
but not the maturity. They weren't growing up as
Christians.
Are you? Let's
apply the fourfold test that's found in Hebrews 5:11
through 14.
Look at the
intake. There was much that the writer wanted to say
to those Christians about Christ. But it was
difficult for him to make it clear to them. Why? They
became "dull" in their spiritual senses.
The word "dull" fascinated me. It's a
combination of two words. One meaning "no,"
and the other meaning "push." By putting
the two words together you have "no push."
Those Christians were "slow" or
"sluggish" in their spiritual senses. They
had a lot of "push" when it came to making
money and making merry; but none when it came to
searching the Scriptures or saving souls. They'd
shout in a coliseum over a game, but snore in the
church over God. They knew more about the stars on
the stage than they did about the saints in the
Scriptures. They'd go to their tables, but not to the
Lord's table. They'd listen to gossip, but not to the
Gospel. They'd invite others to their clubs, but not
to their church. They were willing to take in the
word of man, but not the Word of God. How about you?
Look at the
insight. Instead of growing in grace, the Bible says
they needed "someone to teach them the ABC's of
God's Word again." I was shocked the other day
when I read a statement of a former prominent bishop.
He said, "I don't know as much about God now, as
I did when I was ordained." That's tragic!
Imagine a teacher in geography saying to his
students, "I don't know as much about geography
today as I did when I was given my diploma!"
Why, you'd say, "Buy some books on geography,
and travel a little." What about the man of the
cloth? I wonder if his retrogression wasn't a failure
to admit the Bible as the Word of God, to commit it
to his heart and head, to submit his life to it, and
to transmit it to others. It's impossible for a
born-again believer to read the Bible faithfully and
prayerfully without growing in grace! How's your
insight? Confessed a brilliant young man who was
working on his doctorate, "I've taught in Sunday
School. I consider myself a person of average
intelligence, but I'd flunk on a simple Bible
examination." Would you? Then begin now to
seriously, earnestly, anxiously, regularly, carefully
and humbly search the Scriptures.
Look at the
incapability. The Christians that are mentioned in
the 5th chapter of the book of Hebrews couldn't feed
themselves, they had to be fed. They were drinking
only milk, when they should have been eating solid
food. How far have you gotten along in your Christian
life? Are you in the milk stage or the solid food
stage? Whatever stage you're in, make sure you're
getting the right food for your soul. Some time ago
the San Antonio Zoo was given some flamingos. The zoo
keepers gave them their proper food - fresh shrimp
and dried flies, and they remained healthy and
beautiful in their gorgeous red feathers. But after a
while the keepers became careless and gave them a
mixture of dog meal and vegetables. Soon their red
feathers faded to a sickly pink and then turned to a
dirty white. Seeing their mistake, the zoo keepers
put the birds on the right diet and within six months
their feathers regained their full color. What's the
color of your feathers? A dirty white? Then get back
to the right diet. Feed your soul on the Word of God.
Look at the
intelligence. A mark of maturity is the ability to
know the difference between right and wrong. But the
Hebrew Christians, according to verse 14 of chapter
5, were having difficulty along this line. Are you? I
have a friend who loves the Lord and the law of our
land. He's a fine law man, and is well trained. One
part of his training program had to do with
counterfeit currency. He made a thorough study, not
of the "phonies," but of the genuine bills.
Now he knows the difference between the counterfeit
and the genuine bills. There's a lot of false
preaching and practicing in our day. If you'd know
the difference between right and wrong, you must know
the Word of the Lord. So read it to be wise, believe
it to be safe and practice it to be holy.
"Try the
spirits," Christian, test them by the Word,
See if they
acknowledge Christ as living Lord.
All Scripture verses are
quoted from the New King James Version.
Click here to go
to the next message in this Sower Scripture Study on
the book of Hebrews.
This series of messages on the
books of the Bible were originally written for
broadcast on Dr. Guido's radio program, "The
Sower." They are collected and reprinted here
for your enjoyment and spiritual edification.
