Our Small Town Summits theme for 2024 is “Our Extraordinary Christ.” All six Summits in the New England states will include expositions from Hebrews as we see together that the supremacy of Christ is rocket fuel for a joyfully tenacious life and ministry. In light of this theme and goal, our Small Town Summits Articles for 2024 will highlight one chapter of Hebrews each month.

Of all of the chapters that fill the pages of the New Testament, Hebrews chapter 6 has always seemed to me to be the most foreboding. Upon every reading of it, it causes me to sit up straight and do some painful self-inventory. In my early twenties, during the formative years of my faith journey, I can recall how on numerous occasions I would read this passage and conclude that somewhere along the way I’d fallen off the wagon of faith. With much dread, I assumed that I would never be given the opportunity to get onboard again. All these years later, I’m still alarmed by what I read here, but not in the same ways.

If I had given this chapter a title back in those early days, it would have been, “Hold On For Dear Life.” In other words, I viewed my life and walk with Christ as though it took place upon a thin layer of ice in the middle of a New England lake somewhere. To me, the threat of falling through that ice seemed very real. More frightening was the thought that staying above ground or sinking like a stone to the bottom all depended upon me. How does one make progress with such paralyzing thoughts like these?

And yet ironically, that’s the last response that this passage is intended to bring about. The author is not trying to stifle us. On the contrary, he wants to see us thrive and progress in our faith. This is the core emphasis of this chapter. God desires our maturity in Christ!

What the Gospel proclaims to us is that because of the life, walk and work of Jesus, our prognosis, both now and forever, is altogether good! This is the foundation of our faith. Beneath our feet is not a thin layer of ice, but a firm foundation that none can destroy, not even us (Romans 8:31-39). This foundation has been laid, not by us, but for us. We have been redeemed with the precious blood of Christ (I Peter 1:19). Praise God!

With this understanding, our previous chapter (Hebrews 5) could be heard as a sobering diagnosis of spiritual immaturity. This of course is not what God would want for us. After all, it demonstrates that we are not experiencing the abundant life that He desires for us and has gone to great lengths to provide for us. All the more concerning, our spiritual immaturity poorly reflects the abundant splendor of who God is. This is of great concern to the author of this letter and should be to us as well.

Coming into chapter 6 then, the author (like a good doctor) sternly, but graciously exhorts us to strive for greater health and vitality in Christ. He provides us with a prescription that involves us thoughtfully toiling to build upon the foundation that we’ve graciously been given. We cannot replace, alter or improve upon this foundation. We cannot build a life apart from this foundation. But we must build our lives upon this foundation. This is the only way that we might grow in spiritual maturity.

As pastors and leaders, do we share our author’s earnest longing and deep concern for spiritual maturity? Is this reflected in our own lives? Are there ways that we might be walking on thin ice? How might we be forgetting the firm foundation that God has set us upon by his grace?

Extending out from here, do we concern ourselves with, and long for the spiritual maturity of those under our care? I think it’s worth considering the possibility that in the small places where we serve, we may have a more intimate view into the lives and struggles of those that we serve than others might. If this is true, how might we lean into this great privilege all the more and with greater excellence?

For both ourselves and those we serve, here’s one suggestion for how we might build toward greater degrees of spiritual maturity. It begins with a story. When I was roughly 11 or 12 years old I took my very first ride on a legitimate dirt bike. Billy, the older brother of my best friend Chris, had recently acquired a Honda CR250. To me, this machine was absolutely amazing! It was big, loud, and outrageously fast! I begged him to take me for a ride. Eventually he relented. I got on back and he told me to hold on. I placed my hands at his sides and said “ok.” This, as you might imagine, was a rookie mistake.

He popped the clutch and the bike squealed as it leapt forward, the front wheel coming at least a foot off the ground. As for me, I nearly came off the bike altogether and may have squealed myself. He stopped for a brief moment as I slid back into place. It was at this point that he gave me a stern, but gracious warning: “Ya gotta hold on tight dude!” He didn’t have to tell me twice. I wrapped both my arms around his stomach with my chest to his back and we were off and flying! His long hair was snapping at my cheeks. The wind caused tears to stream across my face as I peered around his shoulder. Within no time at all I learned to look ahead, anticipating and leaning into each turn with Billy. I was elated! It was all that I’d hoped and imagined it would be. Within the next year or two I’d saved enough to get a bike of my own. Good times!

So, what’s the lesson here? In the face of this stern, but gracious clarion call, here are a few things to remember: Jesus is our forerunner (Hebrews 6:20). He owns the bike. He’s graciously invited us to join him for the ride, and he’s out in front, not us. Put differently, he’s the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). To those of us who have fled to Christ for refuge, the writer of Hebrews sternly, but graciously appeals to us saying, “...hold fast to the hope set before [you]” (Hebrews 6:18). Jesus is that hope (Hebrews 6:19)!

So how might we mature in him? How do we build upon the foundation of his gospel with our people? What we learn here is that it begins and ends with us clinging to Jesus. In the wise words of Billy Thompson, “We need to hold on tight, dudes and dudettes!” We must stay close to our extraordinary Christ. Close enough that your heartbeat and his are nearly indistinguishable. Close enough that you can anticipate and lean into the turns with him. Remember, he is a “...sure and steadfast anchor of the soul” (Hebrews 6:19).

If I were to offer a title for this chapter today, I don’t think I’d change the name, but I would change the emphasis. Jesus is dear to those who know and cling to him by faith. And so, as you shepherd the little flocks among you, please remember to “Hold On For Dear Life!”