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he
San Diego Tribune newspaper in the United States
ran the following story about a woman and her bird.
“One unusual reason for giving up smoking is that
of a Rancho Santa Fe, California, woman who quit smoking
because of her pet macaw. It developed a persistent
cough. A veterinarian checked the macaw and determined
that it didn’t have pneumonia or psittacosis, two
of the possibilities that worried her. The final diagnosis
was that the macaw was imitating the cough of its cigarette-smoking
owner.” The owner thought the bird had a problem.
She must have been very surprised and embarrassed. The
bird was simply imitating her. When we spend time with
others, we begin to imitate them just as the bird did.
The Holy Spirit has a surprise for us in this study!
Not
The Macaw.
The book of Hebrews must have been a surprise to the
readers to whom it was written. They worshipped together
(Heb. 10:24-25) but not every week. They had been taught
the word (Heb. 5:11-14). They had cared for and helped
others (Heb. 6:10). They even suffered for Jesus! If
they were alive today, they might have helped with the
sound ministry, worked in the children’s Bible
school, served on the leadership team, or ministered
to prisoners. To many, this would seem as if the person
is a great, dynamic Christian or even a church leader.
But the Holy Spirit says in
Heb. 5:11-14 that they were just baby Christians. For
twelve chapters God has warned them that their faith
was weak or non-existent. This is one sign of a non-Christian
or a baby Christian. The major symptoms of a baby Christian
who has weak faith are disobedience and an unwillingness
to endure suffering for Jesus (Heb. 11-12). The major
symptom is that they do not know the Bible well enough
to be teachers of it (Heb. 5:11-14). |
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.
. . you have come to need milk and not solid food. For
everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the
word of righteousness, for he is a babe. (NKJV) Heb.5:12-13 |
ò
They needed to really know the Bible in depth. He said they
were “dull of hearing,” which means they were no longer
interested in seeking to know God’s Word. Bible study was
boring and social times had become more important. Today, we
hear the same idea, “What we really need is fellowship
and an opportunity to apply the Word.” Just like the Hebrews
some churches are minimizing the teaching of the Word of Truth.
It appears thattheir church was a social group. They came to
church when they wanted to; they “studied the Bible”
when they wanted to; they helped others and ministered in the
church when they wanted to. God was no longer their focus and
they thought Jesus was the reason for their problems. They did
not understand that they were the problem.
The Holy Spirit has been calling them to respond. He has been
calling them to have faith, to listen, to know the Bible, to
gather with other Christians, and to endure suffering. But He
is not finished. Now He calls them to a life of love and imitation.
Someone
To Love.
Early in Hebrews they had been praised for their love of other
Christians or the saints. Now He says this,
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Let
brotherly love continue. (NKJV) Heb. 13:1 |
ò
If they had been doing so well, why say this? Is it possible
they had become a social group loving those within their group?
If so, the poor soul who was visiting and tried to “break-in”
had great difficulty. This can happen anywhere. There is the
initial warm greeting for new visitors, and later it becomes
apparent the people in the church really do not care. They have
their own group. |
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