Ten Minute Bible Talks Devotional Bible Study - How to Grow Spiritually | New Testament | Hebrews 5

Episode Date: March 7, 2023

Are you complacent in your faith? Do you think you're living to your fullest potential? In today's episode, Tanya uses Hebrews 5 to discuss the importance of and how to grow in your faith. Your support makes TMBT possible. Ten Minute Bible Talks is a crowd-funded project. Join the TMBTeam to reach more people with the Bible. Give now. Join the TMBT community in reading the entire New Testament in one year. Get your FREE reading plan here. Like this content? Make sure to leave us a rating and share it with others, so others can find it too. Use #asktmbt to connect with us, ask questions, and suggest topics. We'd love to hear from you! To learn more, visit our website and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter@TenMinuteBibleTalks. Don't forget to subscribe to the TMBT Newsletter here. Passages: Hebrews 5

Welcome to 10-minute Bible Talks, where we connect the Bible to your life. In the time it takes to get to work. I'm Tanya Wilmuth. Okay, pop quiz. I'm going to give you three options, and you have to choose the best option. From these three choices, which would you most like to hear someone you respect or admire say about you? Number one. I like the person you were.

Number two. I like the person you are. Number three. I like the person you're becoming. Now you can only pick one. I would guess number one didn't resonate so much with you. There are ways that hearing someone say, I like the person you were can sound like a loaded statement.

But what about two and three? I like the person you are or I like the person you're becoming. I think number three might not feel as amazing at the moment, but has a lot more potential than number two. See, there's this phrase in the marketing world about the danger of success. And it goes like this. The worst place to do you. to be is right in the middle of something that's working. You know why? Well, because that's where

you're the most complacent, the most content, the most vulnerable, because that's the place where you stop being curious and reflective. This relates to Hebrews because there's a temptation for their readers to be complacent in their faith. And the Hebrew's author argues that complacency isn't neutral. It actually makes you vulnerable to backsliding and false teaching. Either you're going forward or you're going backward. What about you? Can you pinpoint who or what you are becoming? The book of Hebrews is honestly a little complicated. There are passages in this book that help us make sense of other parts of the Bible

and really drive home big themes. There's a lot of talk about faith, perseverance, Jesus is our high priest. And there are also passages that can leave us scratching our heads. I've heard them called problem passages, because sometimes we have more questions than answers when we read them. Today we're looking at Hebrews 5, and the main point of this chapter is all about Jesus, who became our perfect high priest.

And faith of him isn't neutral. We have to think about who we're becoming as his followers. Life is going to throw things at us. We're going to get through seasons of intense work, intense relational challenges, intense success, intense frustration, and intense grief. Are we going to go back to who we were before we knew Jesus when we faced those challenges because it's easier? because it's muscle memory? Are we going to be content with where we are? Or are we going to become the people that God designs us to be?

We can't just let go and let God. That's not really biblical. Listen to what the author of Hebrew says to the Jewish Christians who were tempted to be complacent about their faith. Hebrews 5 verse 11. We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand.

In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food. The biblical authors were so good at using illustrations to help us see ourselves as God does, and this one nails it. When we aren't making the effort to mature in our faith, we're like babies or toddlers that demand someone feed us instead of going through the appropriate stages of development

to take personal responsibility for our faith. Do you know someone like this? Is it you? I love the office, and it wouldn't be the office without Michael Scott. His character is hilarious because he's the only one that doesn't know how immature and ridiculous he is. He thinks he's the boss, but he's really the dullest, dinsest, least self-aware person possible. We don't want to be like Michael Scott. He might be funny, but his character is satire for the pridefulness that has the potential to take over all of us

and make us feel like the boss while we're still drinking from a bottle. The consequences of not progressing are real. That's why the author of Hebrews starts off the chapter saying, I'm worried about you. You're not maturing like you should, and I'm worried about your spiritual health. If you aren't maturing, then you're susceptible to deception. You can't tell the difference between good and evil effectively.

You're like a three-year-old that runs in the street after a bouncing ball, unaware of the danger. So why does spiritual growth matter? Well, from Ephesians 414, growth means we will no longer be little children tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching. From Luke 814, those who hear the word of God but go on their own way can be choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. Now, if you look back at your life, two years ago or five years ago, is there a difference today?

Can you see God's work in you? Can other people see it? Are you less harsh today with your spouse than you were? Are you more willing to say yes to things that don't get recognition? Are you less critical? Are you more patient? Are you better at waiting for the right time to say things to others? Are you quicker to forgive?

Do you take ownership without deflecting blame? Do people feel more comfortable talking to you honestly about yourself today than they used to? If yes, then we need more of who you're becoming. The Hebrew's author only looks backward to show the superiority and perfection of Jesus. When he points readers back to the past, he's telling them to remember the one they placed their faith in, Jesus Christ. They should see all the ways he's been faithful to them and faithful to his word. They should see all the ways that he's been present in their lives. This is how to look at our past that shapes who we're becoming.

It's not chastising for who they were or really who they even are, only for who they're not willing to become. What do you want to be? Is what you're doing in line with getting you there? What do you need to change? The author of Hebrews gave a solution to our Michael Scott personalities, if you will. It says, anyone who lives on milk being still an infant is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. but solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. The solution is the teaching about righteousness, or the word of God, reading it, hearing it, preached, listening to it taught, standing with others, praying it for the power of the Holy Spirit, this is the constant use that trains us to distinguish up from down, right from wrong, old from new, flesh from spirit.

This is how small groups, Bible study, and college ministry grow us into better spouses, coworkers, friends, roommates, daughters, sons. There's a living power to the Word of God that shapes us and molds us into the people God intends us to be. It changes the way we show up to situations. It changes the way we respond in our homes. It shapes the way we think about our finances, our time, and even our enemies. Looking backward, we can feel like that shaking.

my head emoji. We can feel so much embarrassment or shame about who we were. But even better is looking at how much God has grown us. When we see ourselves do things differently, that's amazing. We should tell God thank you. From Psalm 1, Blessed is the one whose delight is in the law of the Lord and meditates on it day and night. That person is like a tree, planted by streams of water which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. It matters that we meditate on God's Word. It matters that we meditate on the word of righteousness, get it into our heads and into our hearts.

How can you do this? How can you get God's Word in your head when you wake up? Can you prioritize it overlooking at your phone? How can you make time to reflect on God's Word toward the end of your day? How did you see Him working in your life today? How can you keep track of who you're becoming? When you notice, a pause in your temper, empathy in your words, action in your complacency,

tell God thank you. He's working on who you're becoming. Dear God, thank you for not shaming our past but forgiving us. Thank you for not leaving us like we are but molding us. Make us more like you. So you may be known and glorified in the world. Amen. Before you forget, sign up for the brand new TMBT newsletter. Hit the link in the show notes and you'll get an email every Wednesday

that will help you beat the midweek slump and go deeper in your walk with Jesus. Thanks for listening.