ARE WE LAZY? Hebrews 5:11-12.

Americans work so hard. But are we spiritually lazy?

“We have a great deal to say about this [doctrine] but it’s difficult to explain, since YOU HAVE BECOME TOO LAZY TO UNDERSTAND. Although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the basic principles of God’s revelation again. You need milk, not solid food” Hebrews 5:11-12.

The author of Hebrews—probably Paul—argues his readers are too lazy to understand what he wants to teach. So true. American Christians go to church, attend conferences, rock out with worship bands and smoke machines. But American Christians are lazy.

Do we read our Bibles daily? Do we memorize scripture? Do you know anyone other than your pastor who reads Bible Commentaries to gain more understanding? Do you know anyone who is NOT in ministry that ever covered a table with Bibles, a concordance, a Topical Bible, a few commentaries, maybe some maps, and dug in to a heavy Biblical topic for hours?

Be honest: do you even know PASTORS who study that way? Most probably do not.

How can we reach thinking non-believers if we are intellectually lazy?

Why should they pay any attention to us when writers both inside and outside the church have decried “Evangelical Anti-Intellectualism”? We are not just lazy—we are ANTI-Intellectuals! It was not always this way. The Christian church literally INVENTED European universities. Now some of our best-known leaders (I’m thinking of unnamed TV preachers) DO NOT EVEN GO TO COLLEGE. I could write pages on this, but I must stop….

God, help us to WORK HARD at our faith and our understanding, to “STUDY to show thyself approved”! Remind us that clear, doctrinally sound thinking is more important than inspirational feelings. Move us from baby food to spiritual meat.

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ANTI-INTELLECTUALISM in the United States. Hebrews 5:11-12,14.

–The following is from an article by Michael W. Austin, published by the Christian Research Institute:

“Anti-intellectualism is rampant in the United States. For quite some time now, our culture has exalted feelings above reason, pragmatism over wisdom, entertainment over intellectual engagement, and we’re now seeing the fruit of these choices. The criticisms are now clichés, but they are nevertheless true. Image often trumps substance. Slogans are more effective than sound policy proposals. The art of persuasion is less about truth and evidence, and more about tapping into the emotion of one’s audience to get them to do or believe what one wishes. People focus more on the messenger’s rhetorical abilities than the message itself. In these and other ways, the church often has followed suit.”*

Evangelicals are suspicious of higher learning. Baptist preachers better not mention church history, Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, or early church Fathers like Tertullian, Augustine, or Thomas Aquinas. Preach on anything in the Bible, but don’t get too deep. No doctrine, nothing intellectual, nothing that “makes my brain hurt”—in other words, DON’T ASK ME TO CONCENTRATE.

Wait, what? You give up your Sunday to hear about Jesus, but you’re not willing to work at it?

You spend your free time lifting weights, but you’re not willing to lift any weight with your mind?

How can God grow you or use you if you refuse to be challenged?

Who benefits from this pervasive mistrust of higher learning? The devil. He uses it to keep us from learning God’s truth. He has convinced us that big words and deep thoughts lead to falling away from God, and small words and superficial truth lead to faithfulness.

But did Jesus teach only small words and surface truths? Was he suspicious when spiritual teaching became sophisticated?

No. And isn’t He your example? Scripture rebukes anti-intellectualism:

“We have a great deal to say about this, and it’s difficult to explain, because YOU HAVE BECOME TOO LAZY TO UNDERSTAND. Although by this time, some of you should be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary principles of God’s revelation again. You are like babies who need milk, not solid food…. Solid food is for the mature” Hebrews 5:11-12,14.

Are you still learning the basics? Still figuring out the fundamentals of your faith? Are you an infant eating creamed corn because you have not advanced to steak? “Solid food is for the mature.” DO YOUR WORK! Pastors should not have to apologize when they discuss church history, or explore topics with big names like eschatology, predestination, or the priesthood of Melchizedek.

If you want to know Jesus, make up your mind to do the hard work. Read C.S. Lewis. Study deep topics. Search for teachers, ministers, and mentors who will challenge you. Reject anti-intellectualism. It is a trap from the enemy.

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* https://www.equip.org/articles/anti-intellectualism-church/

ANTI-INTELLECTUALISM IN THE AMERICAN CHURCH. Hebrews 5:11-12

We evangelicals have been accused of being anti-intellectual—and it seems a fair assessment. Things that require concentration are often dismissed as “not of God.” We reject complexity and nuance. Some of us won’t read anything that requires us to turn off our music. Preachers have to hold our hands for challenging topics. I have heard the following comments. Have you?

I want to have a childlike faith

Man, I don’t know about all those big words, I just love Jesus

I’m just a country boy with a passion for Christ.

What would Jesus say to these comments?

I think Jesus would say: “Childlike faith is great, but do you want to be a child forever?

“If you really love Me, you will study this scripture until you figure it out. Being a country boy is no reason to be stupid, is it? Stop justifying your laziness.”

LAZINESS. That’s what anti-intellectualism is, and it is the plague of churches filled with good, godly people, people who love Jesus but have grown accustomed to American church culture. That is a culture that makes many demands on our time–there are services, pot-luck dinners, and events all week long–and many demands on our energy as we cook and clean and volunteer in roles too numerous to count. It is a warm affirming culture and a blessing to the members and families who have embraced it.

But this demanding culture makes few demands on our minds.

Those in the pews often have college degrees, even multiple degrees. Many work in intellectually challenging careers with impressive professional titles. But because of the culture of anti-intellectualism, some are surprised if the pastor dares to mention church history, shocked if he asks them to read something for homework. If a preacher pulls out a “ten-dollar word” like soteriology, he will have to spend five minutes explaining the word and “begging the pardon” of his congregation. (How dare you use a word we don’t know?)

Of course, this is not true of every member of every church. Our churches have many fine members with incisive minds!

But there are those among us that seem unwilling to study. Our frontier roots have left us with a historical mistrust of higher education. We tend to fear big-city journalists, big-city preachers, and most of all, big-city professors. We associate deep thinking and serious books with liberalism and falling away from God. There are probably solid historical reasons for this skeptical attitude about intellectualism and education.

But consider the examples of Moses, Daniel, Solomon, Jesus, Paul, and others. Education is a tool–a tool that God can use powerfully in the hands of His people.

The writer of Hebrews, whom I believe to be Paul, finds himself discussing a complicated topic, and offers an aside:

“We have a great deal to say about this, and it’s difficult to explain, since YOU HAVE BECOME TOO LAZY TO UNDERSTAND. Although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the basic principles … again. You need milk, not solid food” Hebrews 5:11-12.

Beware a lazy faith. When you read a tough passage, WRESTLE WITH IT! Grab it by the lapels, wrestle it to the floor, and keep fighting until you have MASTERED IT! NEVER GIVE UP! Never be lazy.

Never pretend like being mentally soft makes you more pure or your faith more wholesome in God’s eyes. It does not. God sees laziness for what it is.

“STUDY TO SHOW THYSELF APPROVED….” 2 Timothy 2:15.

If you want to know the mind of God, learn to use your own.

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Sure, You Sleep Like a Baby. But Do You Eat Like a Baby? Hebrews 5:11-6:1.

Do you remember baby food? That strange, mild-flavored mush, served at room temperature? Want some? You never do see parents eating it, serving strained peas and whipped carrots at Thanksgiving dinner, right? Honestly, it’s kind of nasty.

But the writer of Hebrews (I think it’s Paul, but no one is sure) brings up baby food:

“Concerning Jesus, I have much to say, and it is hard to explain, because you have become hard of hearing [poor listeners]. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk cannot consume the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice, have their senses trained to discern good and evil. Therefore leaving the simpler teachings about Christ, let us press on to maturity….” Hebrews 5:11-6:1.

The writer says his readers have stopped growing. “You should be teachers,” but you’ve plateaued. You’re stuck drinking milk when your body is ready for steak. You eat applesauce but you have the teeth for apples.

Do we do that spiritually? MOST Christians do. It is easy to go to church and be spoon-fed by preachers and teachers.

But who gets spoonfed? Where does the term come from? Babies—in high chairs. Nothing wrong with that, if you’re a BABY.

But if you’re not—if God has brought you as far as college or beyond—you have the tools, the teeth, to start teaching yourself! Start reading the Bible on your own. Read books ABOUT the Bible. Ask hard questions. Research the answers. Find the STEAK! It is truly satisfying when you do, I promise. It is amazing. 

I read all of Hebrews today, and it is DEEP. It is tough. Trust me, Paul’s letters* to the churches alone could keep you busy studying for the rest of your life. The Bible is FILLED with meat. You have to get beyond baby food and spoonfeeding, and begin mining God’s word for treasure. It’s so rewarding!

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  • I am one who believes Paul wrote the book of Hebrews, but no author is listed so you cannot be sure.

NO FISHING. Hebrews 4:15.

Corrie Ten Boom says when God forgives our sins, “He casts them into the deepest sea” (Micah 7:19) “and He puts up a sign that says, ‘NO FISHING.’”

Stop dredging sins back up. Stop going back there to punish yourself. If the HOLY GOD WHO PUT THE STARS IN ORBIT can forgive you, then be humble enough to accept His forgiveness. You cannot atone for yourself, so stop trying—thank God for His amazing sacrifice and walk in His Grace.

Some say that God has FORGOTTEN your sins. Indeed, the Bible supports such a position: “Their sins I will remember no more” Hebrews 8:12. God promises not to remember your sins. But what does that mean? Are there gaps in God’s memory? If a man wakes from a night of drunken sin unable to remember what happened, does that mean both he and God had blackouts and gaps in their memories?

Are there gaps in God’s memories where He has no idea what His children were doing? Does He choose to supernaturally erase His own omniscient Mind?

No. Some translations explain that God will no longer “remember their sins AGAINST THEM.” That is, He will wipe sin off the books. Your account is CLEAN. But God still remembers. He understands your testimony. He knows where you have been and where you are going. He does not LITERALLY FORGET your sins. The point is, He no longer remembers them AGAINST YOU.

And that is BETTER. God knows. You can talk to Him about … EVERYTHING. Because He knows, He understands, and He already paid the price. Go to Him when you are tempted. Talk to Him about your struggles. Ask Him to help you make positive changes. He is not shocked by your past, your temptations, or your problems—He knows it all!

“For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet was without sin” Hebrews 4:15.

God, help us walk in Your grace every day.

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LAUGHTER. John 13:7-10.

As a child, I loved pictures of Jesus: Jesus and the children, Jesus walking on water, feeding the 5,000, talking to Zacchaeus, and more. But He was so serious—pleasant, more or less, but serious. The man in the drawings and paintings might hint at a smile, but NEVER laughter. People imagine Him as serious, never wasting time with funny. He thinks only of duty, rules, and order.

FALSE. Hebrews 1:9 says Jesus was “anointed with the oil of joy above all His brethren.”

Based on this verse, Sherwood Wirt argues Jesus was the most joyful person on earth—joy that would have overflowed in smiles and laughter—otherwise, children would not have been drawn to Him. (And who do you think INVENTED laughter?)

If you keep this truth in mind—His TOTAL JOY—you will see it in the Bible.

His days were FILLED with laughter. After all, He walked among His children. He loved them, delighted in them, and would have found them cute, delightful, even downright funny. Consider Peter’s behavior when Jesus tried to wash his feet:

“Lord, do you think you’re going to wash my feet?”

“You don’t understand it now, but you will.”

“Lord! You will NEVER wash my feet!”

“If I don’t wash you, then you have no part with me.”

“Well then, Lord, wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head!”

“And Jesus leaned back and roared with laughter. Peter always made Him laugh. Jesus laughed long and hard, allowing the moment to take His mind off the pain ahead. Soon, everyone in the room was laughing. Jesus shook His head, smiling, and wiped His eyes. Then He looked at Peter, everyone still giggling, and said, “You are already clean—but not ALL of you. So let’s do this!” and He slapped a wet towel across Peter’s grubby hooves” John 13:7-10.

Okay. I paraphrased a bit. Jesus was deep and thoughtful and righteous. But oh, how He could LAUGH! You have to see it in the scripture. The Messiah ADORES His children. He GETS them. He LAUGHS with them.

And He GETS you and LAUGHS with you, too. Enjoy Him!

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WHAT WAS JESUS LIKE? Hebrews 1:9.

The Bible is not a novel, is it? It employs brief descriptions, hints at personalities, settings, and the details readers love. Parts of it read like a plot summary. But if a novelist were in charge, the Bible might be a fifty-volume set.

Yet we have questions: Were Adam and Eve tall or short, thin or thick, with dark hair or light?

A better question is, what was Jesus like? We can infer answers:

  1. He was kind, approachable, and humble, or children would not have adored Him.
  2. He was a hard worker with amazing endurance—not only was He raised as a carpenter (before power tools), but He sometimes prayed all night, walked for miles, often went without food, and fasted for forty days. This Man was not “soft.”
  3. All His life He trained His mind. His home-school education was unsurpassed, and His oratorical skills were astonishing. But He also knew how to braid a whip, and was not afraid to use it, picking an incredible fight with dozens of greedy money changers at the temple. And no one could stand against Him.
  4. He possessed great skill with words: the Pharisees lost every verbal battle that they tried. They never scored a point on the brilliant debater.
  5. He was compassionate: He took an interest in Zacchaeus, in the woman caught in adultery, the woman with five ex-husbands, and Mary and Martha when they lost Lazarus, and He patiently explained things to Pilate and later the thief on the cross. His compassion was BOUNDLESS.
  6. Jesus was JOYFUL! He had more joy than anyone who ever lived! Why? Because He did not sin:

“You loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; this is why God has anointed You with the oil of joy above ALL your brethren.” Hebrews 1:9.

Finally, some say God the Father is wrath-full, but Jesus is merciful. FALSE!

“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the EXACT EXPRESSION of His nature.” Hebrews 1:3.

The Trinity is ONE—there are no differences: the Father is also merciful and full of joy.

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IF THERE WERE A SECRET RECIPE FOR JOY, WOULD YOU FOLLOW IT? Hebrews 1:9

When I cook, I almost never use a recipe. I like to be creative and “let the spirit move me.” But I also cook things that are easy and that I am used to cooking (you could argue there is a recipe; I simply memorized it).

But if you cook challenging meals for large groups of people, you can’t afford to wing it, to “play it by ear.” You have to get it right. So good cooks use recipes, and often have books full or a box of them. My mother keeps an alphabetized box full of 3″ x 5″ cards. There are recipes in the box that go back generations.

If you need to cook well when the stakes are high, you must follow a recipe.

Life is like that. You can wing it every day if you that’s your choice. But if you want to be certain of reaching your goals, there are plans, ordered ways of approaching challenges that will yield the desired results.

Have you ever failed? Have you ever set a goal and NOT reached it? If so, maybe it’s time to follow the recipe. Open up the recipe book and look for instructions. Do you need wisdom? Read Proverbs. Love advice? Consider the Song of Solomon—and many other books. Help with your finances? It’s all in the Bible.

What about simply being happy? Would you like to know the recipe for having a good, happy day?

I think there are two key ingredients in scripture.

Step One toward happiness is to cultivate an attitude of gratitude.

Why do I say cultivate? Because gratitude is like a plant—it will grow larger the more you pay attention to it. Spend time every day being thankful. Make a list. Thank God for every good thing you can think of. If you do that, you will become much, much happier. That is step one.

Step Two toward happiness is obedience.

Consider Hebrews 1:9: “You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness, therefore God has anointed you with the oil of joy above all your brethren.”

Jesus obeyed the Father. And because he was obedient, what did God do? He “anointed [Him] with the oil of joy” above all His brethren. In other words, because Jesus obeyed God’s plan, God blessed Him with more joy than anyone who ever lived. Can you imagine that? Can you imagine meeting the most joy-filled person who EVER LIVED? No wonder children loved Jesus and were drawn to Him. No wonder! He was bursting with joy because He did not walk in sin every day. In fact, He never got dirty with sin. So not only did He not have to battle the guilt and shame that sin brings people every day, but also God gave Him an extra dose of joy as a reward for His obedience. Imagine that—the most joyful man who ever lived. Isn’t that awesome? (You don’t see that in most movies or paintings of Jesus, do you?)

But this is the second step to being happy—be obedient. If you are following God’s plan every day, then you will be blessed with so much joy.

  • Step one—cultivate an attitude of gratitude. PRACTICE gratitude by thanking God for every good thing every day; and
  • Step two—walk in obedience. Seek His plans and do your best to follow them. Avoid sin at all costs. And He will fill you with His joy!

Pray. God, teach us to be thankful. Remind us to count our blessings. And help us to walk in obedience. Remind us that sin will rob us of our joy. Help us to obey you and spend time with you every day, and when we obey more, give us more joy, just to remind us of the importance of obedience. We need your joy, Lord Jesus. Life on this earth can be staggeringly hard. But we have so much to be thankful for. Remind us to count our blessings and to obey you in the big things and the small things. Anoint us with your joy, and show us how to share that joy with others! We love you.

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KNOW THE WORD AND DEFEAT YOUR ENEMY. Revelation 12:10-12.

Christians should not give the devil too much credit. It is usually silly to think the devil gave you a flat tire, or a late fee, or made you spill your lunch, or catch a cold. Most of our problems are natural things that happen in life. We need to expect the speed bumps and handle them with patience and wisdom.

But don’t completely forget your fierce, murderous adversary. He is real, and He hates God and he hates God’s people. He hurts us to hurt the Father.

“Woe to the earth and the sea, for the Devil has come down to you with great fury, because he knows his time is SHORT” Revelation 12:12.

Banished from Heaven, the devil prowls the planet every day, searching for lives he can ruin. His rank and title were stripped from him and he was kicked out of Heaven. He suffered the ultimate humiliation and he is angry, filled with fury at God. Now he prowls the earth “like a roaring lion, seeking someone whom he may devour” 1 Peter 5:8. He is much stronger than we are, but we can defeat him by the blood of Christ.

“The Accuser of the Brethren has been thrown down, the one who accuses believers before our God both day and night. They conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony” Revelation 12:10-11.

How do you win a spiritual battle with a stronger being? Quote scripture.

That’s it. Do what Jesus did in the wilderness: talk to God and quote scripture. Verses 10 and 11 above may be all you need. Say it on repeat:

“the Accuser of the Brethren has been thrown down… they conquered him by the blood of the lamb!”

God, prepare us for battle. Call us to Your word.

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Two Causes of Stumbling. 1 Peter 5:8-9

Christians get tripped up two ways:

(1) By our fleshly desires: lust, gluttony, pride, envy, laziness, unforgiveness, jealousy, etc.,

And

(2) By the lies of the devil.

But many of us do not take #2 seriously. Most of us figure that we are nobody special, so the devil would not waste his time on us.

But the devil has thousands of fallen angels working for him. There are a few set aside just for you. Really.

The second thing to understand is that the devil has some knowledge of the future. He is not omniscient like God. But He knows enough to recognize the threat that you are. He knows what God plans to do with you. Maybe you will lead one child to faith. Maybe your son will be the next Billy Graham. We don’t know. But the enemy knows—and he and his minions (that’s the real word) are working to ensure that you will never experience the future God has planned for you.

Please don’t be deceived. Don’t assume there is no enemy. Don’t tell yourself he exists but doesn’t care about you. His plan is to hurt God, whom he hates, and the only way he can hurt God is by hurting God’s people. That means you. Yes, you do have an enemy.

He whispers lies to you and disguises them as YOUR THOUGHTS.

Begin opening your mind to the reality that some of your “thoughts” are being spoken into your mind by your enemy.

“Be ON THE ALERT, sober in spirit, knowing that your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone whom he may devour. But resist him, standing firm in the faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are throughout the world” 1 Peter 5:8-9.

Bonus: You know what happens when you resist (as mentioned above)?

“Resist the devil and he will FLEE from you.” James 4:7.

Ask God to help you recognize the lies the enemy is whispering in your ear, and to resist those lies.

Don’t think it’s all just you (#1 above). Always remember you have an enemy. And he has a plan to destroy you. Don’t listen to his lies.

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