Will you examine yourself during this lesson?  II Corinthians 13:5 “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?”

I.  The text:  Hebrews 5:12-14 

A.  Some implications of this text:

1.  There is a time in which we should be teachers.
2.  We are taught the first principles.  Studying is a skill that is learned.
3.  We teach AFTER we know the first principles.  Some people want the meat too soon and they choke.  They cannot tell the plan of salvation, but they are in the middle of the book of Revelation.
4.  Once we have been taught we can loose that training and need to be taught again.
5.  Milk users are unskillful in the word.  The word is the sword (Ephesians 6:17 and Hebrews 4:12-13).  One that uses a sword must be weary that it is not taken off of them and used against them (Luke 11:21-22).
6.  The Bible, just as any other tool, needs to be used so that we have experience and knowledge of how it works.  Open the pages it will not break.  (II Timothy 2:15)
7.  Milk users are babes.  Babes are dependent, not able to support themselves.  Who does that place burden on?  (Hebrews 3:13)
8.  Age is determined by maturity in the word and ability to consume the meats.  The mature are those who can determine good from evil.

B.  First principles = milk.  What are the first principles?  (Hebrews 6:1-2)

1.  Could you teach someone the gospel plan of salvation?  Could you teach about the Judgment?  Could you teach about repentance and other first principle doctrines? 
2.  We have to grow II Peter 3:18.

C.  We need to train and be trained to teach others. (II Timothy 2:2) “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.”
D.  We need to be willing, able, and ready to give an answer (I Peter 3:15 and I Thessalonians 5:21).

II.  Gaining faith in God and taking him more seriously 

A.  How do we obtain faith?  (Romans 10:17)

1.  It will be obvious when we have faith (Isaiah 6:8).
2.  It is obvious when we lack proper faith (Exodus 3:6-4:17).

B.  Our faith or lack thereof will show (Matthew 5:14-16). 
C.  Our unwillingness to do the will of God will result in punishment.  (II Thessalonians 1:7-9) 
D.  God is not kidding.  HELL and JUDGMENT are real.

1.  Can’t have Heaven without Hell.  (Matthew 25:46) “And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.”

E.  Do you take God seriously?

1.  Hebrews 10:31 “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
2.  Ecclesiastes 12:13 “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”

III.  The need of urgency [our immediate attention] in our spiritual growth

A.  Time is not on our side (James 4:13-14).

1.  Proverbs 27:1 “
2.  Luke 12:16-21

B.  We will be judged on our works (II Corinthians 5:10-11, Romans 14:12, and Galatians 6:7-8).

IV.  Do you need to change your diet?

A.  Are you so fleshly and worldly that you are not ready for a spiritual filling of the word (I Corinthians 3:1-3)?
B.  Do you need the milk meant for babes so that you can grow (I Peter 2:2)?

1.  Babes cannot chew meat.  
2.  They might try before they are ready.

D.  Will you be honest with yourself about your spiritual growth?  Acts 28:26-27 “Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive: For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.”

Copyright 2002 by Brian Yeager may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes at no cost to others.