Lamoille Valley Grace Brethren Church
November 9, 2025

      • John 5:24NASB95

  • We Gather Together
  • My Faith Has Found A Resting Place
  • Blessed Assurance

      • Psalm 34:1–10NASB95

      • 2 Corinthians 9:6–7NASB95

  • People who hold on to religion to save them are immature and unsaved. Even if the religion is true like Judaism and Christianity, they are in supreme peril because the forms of religion cannot save. The author of Hebrews challenges his readers avoid spiritual peril by leaving behind the immature forms of Judaism and become mature by believing in Jesus.
    2 Perils to Avoid:

    I. Peril of Not Growing Up

    Hebrews 6:1–3 NASB95
    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.

    II. Peril of Falling Away

    A. 5 Blessings That Should Have Produced Faith

    1. They Had Light, But Were Unsaved

    Hebrews 6:4 NASB95
    4 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,
    This was a special case.
    The Light had shown on them.
    Matthew 4:16 NASB95
    16 “The people who were sitting in darkness saw a great Light, And those who were sitting in the land and shadow of death, Upon them a Light dawned.”
    But the light had no effect on them because of Satan.
    2 Corinthians 4:4 NASB95
    4 in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
    The 4 seeds of Matthew 13.
    Beside the road/eaten by the birds
    Rocky places/sprung up quickly but had no root/scorched because no water to feed them.
    Thorns/choked out
    Good soil
    Example: Balaam
    Numbers 24:4 NASB95
    4 The oracle of him who hears the words of God, Who sees the vision of the Almighty, Falling down, yet having his eyes uncovered,

    2. They Had Tasted But Were Unsaved

    Hebrews 6:4 NASB95
    4 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,
    “In the case of those”, then in verse 9…
    Hebrews 6:9 NASB95
    9 But, beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you, and things that accompany salvation, though we are speaking in this way.
    They tasted but had not eaten of the bread of Life
    John 6:50–56 NASB95
    50 “This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51 “I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh.” 52 Then the Jews began to argue with one another, saying, “How can this man give us His flesh to eat?” 53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. 54 “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 “For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. 56 “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.

    3. Associated with the Holy Spirit But Unsaved

    Hebrews 6:4 NASB95
    4 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
    They partook (took part) but had not fully shared of the Holy Spirit.
    Cyrus
    Genesis 6:3 NASB95
    3 Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; nevertheless his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.”

    4. Tasting the Good Word But Unsaved

    Hebrews 6:5 NASB95
    5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come,
    Jeremiah 29:10 NASB95
    10 “For thus says the Lord, ‘When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place.
    Example:
    King Agrippa in Acts 26:27-28
    Acts 26:27–28 NASB95
    27 “King Agrippa, do you believe the Prophets? I know that you do.” 28 Agrippa replied to Paul, “In a short time you will persuade me to become a Christian.”
    and Herod
    Mark 6:20 NASB95
    20 for Herod was afraid of John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. And when he heard him, he was very perplexed; but he used to enjoy listening to him.

    5. Tasting the Power But Unsaved

    Hebrews 6:5 NASB95
    5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come,
    Like the Pharisees…
    John 11:47–48 NASB95
    47 Therefore the chief priests and the Pharisees convened a council, and were saying, “What are we doing? For this man is performing many signs. 48 “If we let Him go on like this, all men will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”
    Like Judas — sent out to cast out demons, heal the sick, but he was never saved.
    Matthew 7:21–23 NASB95
    21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23 “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’
    As we said those who fit this description are a special case of people who had all these 5 blessings in abundance yet refused to believe in Jesus Christ but instead chose to return to Judaism.
    These Jewish professors were in danger and the author, with love for his fellow countrymen, is warning them.
    It is just as possible for a gentile, who has experienced all of these blessings, but have never truly believed in Jesus Christ, to choose instead to return to the world. The author’s warning is, don’t let that happen to you. If you are still listening and your heart is still being moved, there is still hope. Leave your religion behind and embrace Jesus.

    B. The Consequences of Rejecting the Blessings

    Hebrews 6:6 NASB95
    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.
    For me, this is the most sobering scripture in all the Bible.
    Impossible — (from verse 4) not just difficult or almost impossible.
    Hebrews 6:18 NASB95
    18 so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us.
    Renew — bring back to the original condition.
    These are confirmed in their unbelief. There is no other gospel to give to you.
    They take their place with crowd who cried out,”crucify! crucify! We reject Him as our king. We have no king but Caesar.”
    Peter denied Christ in highest treason a person can perform, but as a true follower of Christ, he was renewed to repentance. So we know this passage is not talking about believers.
    But Judas was confirmed in his unbelief with his rejection of Jesus.
    2 Corinthians 7:10 NASB95
    10 For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.

    B. The Illustration of Rejection

    1. Positive Results

    Hebrews 6:7 NASB95
    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;
    The blessings of salvation

    2. Negative Results

    Hebrews 6:8 NASB95
    8 but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned.
    burned — eternal punishment.
    Both have been tilled, both receive the same rain fall. Once is blessed and the other is burned.
    If you are on the fence, repent. Believe in Jesus today. If you are not sure, repent. Believe in Jesus today. Make a clean break from your old life, your old sins, your old way of thinking, your old religion, your old view of Jesus. See Him properly as the captain of your salvation, Who is supreme over the prophets, the priests, Moses, the law, Aaron, the sacrificial system, the angels, and all of mankind.
    For the sensitive believer who hears this warning, know that this is not your warning.
    If you believe…
    John 10:28 NASB95
    28 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.
    John 10:29 NASB95
    29 “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.
    Romans 8:35–39 NASB95
    35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 Just as it is written, “For Your sake we are being put to death all day long; We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
    John 5:24 NASB95
    24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.
    Romans 8:1 NASB95
    1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
    John 3:16 NASB95
    16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
    John 6:37 NASB95
    37 “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.
    John 1:12 NASB95
    12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,
    Ephesians 1:13 NASB95
    13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,

      • Hebrews 6:4NASB95

      • Matthew 4:16NASB95

      • 2 Corinthians 4:4NASB95

      • Numbers 24:4NASB95

      • Hebrews 6:4NASB95

      • Hebrews 6:9NASB95

      • John 6:50–56NASB95

      • Hebrews 6:4NASB95

      • Genesis 6:3NASB95

      • Hebrews 6:5NASB95

      • Jeremiah 29:10NASB95

      • Acts 26:27–28NASB95

      • Mark 6:20NASB95

      • Hebrews 6:5NASB95

      • John 11:47–48NASB95

      • Matthew 7:21–23NASB95

      • Hebrews 6:6NASB95

      • Hebrews 6:18NASB95

      • 2 Corinthians 7:10NASB95

      • Hebrews 6:7NASB95

      • Hebrews 6:8NASB95

      • John 10:28NASB95

      • John 10:29NASB95

      • Romans 8:35–39NASB95

      • John 5:24NASB95

      • Romans 8:1NASB95

      • John 3:16NASB95

      • John 6:37NASB95

      • John 1:12NASB95

      • Ephesians 1:13NASB95

  • Take My Life and Let It Be
Lamoille Valley Grace Brethren Church
pastorethan@lvgbc.net
8028883339
http://www.lvgbc.net
25 members