Warning Signs are put up for a reason. A simple look at this passage may challenge what you believe. If your belief doesn't line up with God's word then change your belief. Sermon audio available at http://edthepastor.podbean.com/e/a-word-of-warning-hebrews-61-12/?token=027ea89505cc7a94d8f95b9dbc37228f

2. Hebrews 6:1–12
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. 4 For in the case of those who have
once been enlightened and have tasted of the
heavenly gift and have been made partakers

3. of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the good
word of God and the powers of the age to
come, 6 and then have fallen away, it is
impossible to renew them again to
repentance, since they again crucify to
themselves the Son of God and put Him to
open shame. 7 For ground that drinks the rain
which often falls on it and brings forth
vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is
also tilled, receives a blessing from God; 8 but
if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless
and close to being cursed, and it ends up
being burned.

4. 9 But, beloved, we are convinced of better
things concerning you, and things that
accompany salvation, though we are speaking
in this way. 10 For God is not unjust so as to
forget your work and the love which you have
shown toward His name, in having ministered
and in still ministering to the saints. 11 And we
desire that each one of you show the same
diligence so as to realize the full assurance of
hope until the end, 12 so that you will not be
sluggish, but imitators of those who through
faith and patience inherit the promises.

6. Elementary School
Foundational-
Repentance
Hebrew-Change of action
Greek-Change of mind
Repentance is the turning from a self-centered,
self-directed life to a God-centered, God-
directed life

7. Elementary School
Foundational-
Faith directed toward God
…that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as
Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised
Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with
the heart a person believes, resulting in
righteousness, and with the mouth he
confesses, resulting in salvation.
Romans 10:9–10

8. Points of agreement
Washings
He who has believed and has been baptized
shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved
shall be condemned.
Mark 16:16

9. Et al
Laying on of hands-
Approval for service
Acts 6:6
1 Timothy 4:14
Blessing or prayer
Mark 10:16
2 Timothy 1:6

10. Basic Stuff
Resurrection of dead
Final judgment
All of these things considered elementary
Common to both Jewish and Christian

11. New Stuff
For in the case of those who have once been
enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly
gift and have been made partakers of the Holy
Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God
and the powers of the age to come,
Hebrews 6:4–5

12. Characteristics
Enlightened
Received heavenly gift
Partakers of Holy Spirit
Tasted God’s Word
Received power

13. Enlightened
There was the true Light which, coming into the
world, enlightens every man.
John 1:9
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be
enlightened, so that you will know what is the
hope of His calling, what are the riches of the
glory of His inheritance in the saints,
Ephesians 1:18

14. Received the heavenly gift
For by grace you have been saved through faith;
and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
Ephesians 2:8
Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be
baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the
forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive
the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 2:38

15. Partakers of the Holy Spirit
Or do you not know that your body is a temple
of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have
from God, and that you are not your own?
1 Corinthians 6:19
Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us,
the treasure which has been entrusted to you.
2 Timothy 1:14

16. Tasted God’s Word
if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.
1 Peter 2:3
O taste and see that the LORD is good;
Psalm 34:8

17. Received power
but you will receive power when the Holy
Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My
witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea
and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of
the earth.”
Acts 1:8
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels,
so that the surpassing greatness of the power
will be of God and not from ourselves;
2 Corinthians 4:7

18. A very real possibility
…and then have fallen away, it is
impossible to renew them again to
repentance, since they again
crucify to themselves the Son of
God and put Him to open shame…
Hebrews 6:6

19. Jesus said
I am the true vine, and My Father is the
vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not
bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch
that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may
bear more fruit.
John 15:1–2

20. Who does what?
I am the vine, you are the branches; he who
abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit,
for apart from Me you can do nothing. If
anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown
away as a branch and dries up; and they
gather them, and cast them into the fire and
they are burned.
John 15:5–6

21. Paul’s warning
Behold then the kindness and severity of God;
to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s
kindness, if you continue in His kindness;
otherwise you also will be cut off. And they
also, if they do not continue in their unbelief,
will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them
in again.
Romans 11:22–23

22. How does this happen?
Unbelief
Not abiding in Christ
Neglecting salvation or drift away
Continued sinning
Deny the faith or Jesus

23. Familiar metaphor
For ground that drinks the rain which often
falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to
those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a
blessing from God; but if it yields thorns and
thistles, it is worthless and close to being
cursed, and it ends up being burned.
Hebrews 6:7–8

24. What is our response?
If anyone sees his brother committing a sin
not leading to death, he shall ask and God will
for him give life to those who commit sin not
leading to death. There is a sin leading to
death; I do not say that he should make
request for this.
1 John 5:16

25. What is our response?
My brethren, if any among you strays from the
truth and one turns him back, let him know
that he who turns a sinner from the error of
his way will save his soul from death and will
cover a multitude of sins.
James 5:19–20

26. What is our response?
And have mercy on some, who are doubting;
save others, snatching them out of the fire;
and on some have mercy with fear, hating
even the garment polluted by the flesh.
Jude 22–23

28. Work is expected
For God is not unjust so as to forget your work
and the love which you have shown toward
His name, in having ministered and in still
ministering to the saints.
Hebrews 6:10

29. Sounds familiar
And we desire that each one of you show the
same diligence so as to realize the full
assurance of hope until the end, so that you
will not be sluggish, but imitators of those
who through faith and patience inherit the
promises.
Hebrews 6:11–12

30. Faith requires action
Faith without works…
Remember your leaders and imitate…
Surrounded by a great cloud of witnessess…