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compared to what I've gained, I'm right with God now. I have Jesus.

You think I care that I don't get invited to Hollywood parties anymore? I have Jesus. You think I care that I'm not the toast of the town in the designer world anymore?

And he was very successful, by the way. Worked for William Morris, one of the biggest agencies in Hollywood. And was hung out with the, I hung out with the A-list celebrities, and they all abandoned him, wouldn't touch him.

They fired him from the company. Of course, they said that's not why, but he said it was awful. I did this, and then you all fired me.

But anyway, he said, this is it. But look what I've gained, and this is what the writer of Hebrews is saying.

Don't go back to something inferior. Anybody relate to that? You may not be going back to Judaism, but you ever crawl back to your sin, knowing it was inferior to Jesus?

Notice it can never do for you what Jesus did, and you crawl on back to it like we're told, like a dog returning to vomit?

I've been there. And you know what I have to remember? What am I doing? Paul talks about that in 7. Why in the world am I still struggling with this, knowing what I know in Romans chapter 7?

But then he says, so we need to move on. And it said, because let me tell you what's going to happen now.

He said, when you look at what's been replaced by the new covenant, eternal judgment has now been replaced by access to eternal life.

And he said, these Hebrews had been confronted with the demand from this writer to forsake immaturity, and he's now going to furnish them with the details of what's involved.

And as a famous word from a famous movie once said, buckle up, fellas, it's going to be a bumpy ride.

So now verse 3. Look what he says before he goes to these verses that have been highly debated, which are coming in 4 through 6.

Look what the writer has to write, I think, to himself. It's very simple, short verse.

And this we will do if God permits. What I'm about to say now, I got to go to God and say, God, permit me to do this right.

If God allows me, I'm going to now tell you what to stay here. And I hope this does it. Now we're going into some of the highly debated verses, the most, some of the most highly debated, but it's a warning.

And he says in three, I have no intentions of staying with elementary milk. I'm going to press on and I'm going to talk to you about a better and higher truth.

The spiritual dullness, which he talked about in chapter five, may hinder this. So I'm going to ask for God to help me as I now exhort the weak. I'm going to call their immaturity disgraceful, and I'm going to go as far to call it even dangerous.

They are going to have to make up their minds on whether they're going to move on or not.

And that's what he's praying about. I'm not going to accept this. And I'm going to tell you how dangerous this is.

And let me warn you, it's very dangerous. What we're talking about right now, this playing games of hearing the truth and knowing the truth and knowing exactly everything and still rejecting it is a very dangerous game.

Very dangerous. And the writer is going to talk about that. And I want you to right now, because this is where some of the controversy comes in, flip with me over to 1 John.

You're pretty familiar with this, but I think we need to read it. Let's go over to 1 John and let's look at chapter 2, verse 19.

Now, remember what John's doing in this epistle. He is taking on the Gnostics who have come into the church and said sin's no big deal.

It's not a big deal. There's no way that God took on human flesh, no way, and didn't sin.

They did not believe that Jesus was sinless. They did not believe either he wasn't sinless or he never really became fully man.

Sin's part of the human experience. Don't get uptight about it. We're all going to be okay anyway. God's going to be gracious.

Don't worry about the sin in your life. Now, as we know, John, we don't have time for it today with only a half hour on the clock.

John comes in and said, none of these people were actually with Jesus. I was. And that ain't what he taught. He actually taught that he transformed us and the sin would be removed from our life.

It would not just stay there. And he has some very straightforward verses we don't have time for there. But here he wants to talk about that there's people, see if this sounds familiar, that are buying into this and they're falling away.

Anybody seen United Methodist Church lately? They had a million people leave their church this week. A million.

Because of the embracing of homosexuality is not a sin. Their pastors can be in the pulpit as practicing homosexuals.

They will now marry homosexual marriage. So they've changed God's standard on this sin.

And the writer of Hebrews is about to talk about how this is not good. Now, praise God, there's been, now a million just left this week. Before that, tens of thousands had already left.

And when I got an email this week from one, this is what was said. You'll love this email. Mr. Burgess, as a remaining member of the United Methodist Church, do you think it's helpful for you to be using your platform to call us apostates? And I said, I find it to be incredibly helpful.

I said, because the, I said, because what I, but the platform I've been given is to bring clarity to the situation. And if I don't get on the platform and warn people that y'all have gone apostate, then I'm not, then I'll be accountable to God for that. If you're upset with me, that's fine. As long as he's not.

And I said, and he's's not so you think you should do that i i don't not only think it i'm called to i said i said you ever read first john i said have you ever read john you ever read paul you ever read peter you ever you ever heard jesus pointing to false teachers false doctrine false teaching apostasy it's all they're all doing it. And if I'm with them, shouldn't I too? Are we saying they did the wrong thing? This is like the name and claimant people that apparently don't think Paul has enough faith. He can't get any of this suffering out of his life.

He can't get rid of any of it. He can't name the thorn and claim the thorn, can't get rid of it. You know, see how some of this apostasy just runs aground if you just read the Bible.

So anyway, so when this person said, did I think it was helpful I just answered yes I do I hope it's very helpful I hope it saves lives so so anyway this is what John said that we need to understand when it comes to this this back and forth can somebody go into apostasy after being truly redeemed? John says no. Listen to what John says. They went out from us, but they were not of us. For if they had been of us, they would have continued with us, but they went out, then it might become plain that they are not of us.

John doesn't think so. He doesn't think that they fell from grace. John doesn't think so. He doesn't think that they fell from grace. He doesn't think they lost their redemption. He said they never had it. Because if they did, they wouldn't have left. They wouldn't have gone after this. That's important because here's what happens next.

So he's going to talk about those who are wicked, those who are going back. Listen to this. And I know that these verses have been debated, but I want us just to calm down and let the Bible say what it says. Do y'all agree that the background we just got is pretty important up to this point? Now, you just grab four and six out of the Bible and you don't know what's going on. You can come up with all kinds of interpretations of it, okay? But listen to this. so here's what he says for it is impossible in the case of those who have once been enlightened who have tasted the heavenly gift have shared in the holy spirit i'm going on through six and have tasted the goodness of the word of god and the powers of the age to come and then have fallen away to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.

Everybody stay awake now. So what he's saying, he's been urging them to grow up, and now he wants to focus on those who have seen the truth, clear and unmistakable.

They've once been enlightened, meaning they are no longer ignorant to the new covenant, have decided to return to Judaism anyway.

They know the truth, and they return deliberately to the old covenant. D.L. Moody tells a story of a man that has nothing to do with Judaism. It just has to do with how it affects us even in the church. And he said the man was dying. He thought he was dying. He was very, very sick. And he said, I went to see him in the hospital and I begged him to repent. I begged him to give his life to Jesus. He'd been in my church. He knew the teachings. He knew everything about it. And I begged him to give his life to Jesus. He'd been in my church. He knew the teachings.

He knew everything about it. And I begged him to repent. He wouldn't do it. He said he got better. I went to see him again. I said, the Lord delivered you from this. He's given you a second chance. Repent. Repent. He wouldn't.

He said, and then it came back and he fell deathly ill, and he was not going to survive the second time. There was some time had passed. He goes back to the hospital. He said, this time when I went back, and he used the term, it was like trying to pray through a brass ceiling. He said, I prayed and I prayed and I prayed for him. And his heart had hardened.

He had heard it over and over again. He had rejected it over and over again. And he said, it's like the door of his heart just shut. And I couldn't, he wouldn't even have a conversation now. And he knew he was going to die. And he said, the only thing he said to me was, it's too late for me.

So keep in mind, let's go back to four. So let's kind of walk through this one by one on what's happened to these people.

And I want us to apply it to our own lives. And I want you to hear it out there. So first he said, those who have been enlightened, because he said it's impossible.

First, he said for those that had been enlightened. They had the truth. Now, let's say this.

It's true. Tasting something and consuming something isn't the same thing. and consuming something isn't the same thing.

Say I have, which I can't imagine, some of my mother's cornbread. I can't imagine this happening. Of course, he can't imagine people rejecting Jesus. And I said, and the person said, I don't know that I want cornbread. And I said, well, just have a taste of it. And they taste it, and then I put a piece over in front of them, and they just push it back and said, I'm not interested. Well, they tasted it, which means they know the flavor of it. And they taste it, and then I put a piece over in front of them and they just push it back and say, I'm not interested. Well, they tasted it, which means they know the flavor of it.

They just don't want to eat it. And so, remember, the Bible tells us if we taste of the Lord and we truly get it, we'll find that He is good. But apparently, He's saying there's some people that have tasted the truth, they've heard the truth. They've been enlightened to the truth. They just don't want it.

They're just not in. Then he goes on and says in a part that really had some people concerned, but stay with me.

He says not only have they been enlightened, they have tasted the heavenly gift and have shared in the Holy Spirit. Underline shared.

It doesn't say they possess it. They've been exposed to it. How many of you, I'm one, I'm going to raise my hand.

How many of you throughout your life before you were redeemed heard the preaching of the Word of God and the Holy Spirit convicted you and you would not repent?

Well, you felt it, didn't you? I did. And I knew that I was under conviction. But in that moment, I still wanted sin more than I wanted Jesus.

Now, I will tell you, this is only me. I'm not putting this on you. I'm just telling you my truth. What I was knew i knew it i knew so much about the gospel praise god i did not go into apostasy i knew so much about the gospel i knew that if i repented truly to to christ the things that i was doing i would be i would not be able to do anymore the sin in my life he was gonna because when Jesus says count the cost a lot of us say nothing wrong with this we say what it might cost me my job it might cost me a friendship might cost me you know some money it might all that's true but really the one that cost everybody is your sin and for me I'm not saying you for me I didn't really I wasn't concerned about i never was a people pleaser i didn't care people like me or not uh i certainly didn't care if somebody fired me i didn't i was willing to do that for jesus you know what i wasn't willing to do for a long time give up my sin now that's what i still wanted the rest of it didn't really matter to me but that did.

And I didn't know him well enough because I had shared in the Holy Spirit, but I didn't possess the Holy Spirit. So guess what? I went out and lived a dark, twisted life, and the conviction eventually went away. Now, praise God, I never turned away and left the faith or anything like that. I was a work in progress and eventually was brought to true repentance. Praise God. But if I had rejected it again, I don't know. I don't know. I'm just glad I did. I don't know the answer to that, thank goodness, because I didn't do it. I know it radically changed my life. And it's such a better life, as the writer of Hebrews is trying to say.

changed my life and it's such a better life as the writer of hebrews is trying to say it's such a better life it's not an easier life but it's a better life so then he says so these are the people that go to church they hear the word of god and in our if you want to apply it to our lives they've come under conviction they sense the holy spirit you think people that come to church on Easter and Christmas, they don't ever sense the Holy Spirit?

See, that's that nominal Christian. That's that cultural Christian. But what we're afraid to say, I don't know who started the carnal Christian thing. Because there's some of the commentators I read say, well, carnal Christians are bad examples of Christianity, but they're Christians.

Where is that in the Bible? So Jesus is that insignificant? I mean, there's a version of redemption where you just live your life like you always have and the Holy Spirit comes into your life, God's seed comes into your life.

Now I'm getting to 1 John again, and nothing changes. See, the reason why you've got to be careful with these acrobatics is nothing in this part of the Bible, not just my opinion, the opinion of great theologians, there's nothing in these scriptures that should ever make you fear that if you don't just let them say what they're saying, that somehow you're endorsing that we're not once saved, always saved.

It's not asking you to do that. It's not asking you to do that. What it's really saying is you aren't saved.

And if you don't go all the way in and become redeemed, and you fall back and reject the new covenant and reject Jesus, then there's no way to get repentance.

He's going to come back to this in Hebrews 10, by the way. And you're really going to hate what he says in Hebrews 10 if you hate this. Because he's going to use the term, if you continue to go on sinning deliberately.

That's worse than this. Because this this one we're all kind of like, I think I'm okay right now, but wait until we get to that.

Okay? But listen to this. He says they've tasted the Holy Spirit. They've shared in it.

They've been under conviction. Now here comes one that is very, very popular. We see this. And look what's next. And have also tasted the goodness of the word of God. They've been taught the word of God. You've been taught the new covenant. Anybody in here never been taught the word of God? Do you realize, I talked about this on the show today. Can you imagine going to the original church, the church of Acts and the churches of the new covenant, the first ones out.

Can you imagine going to them and say, guess what? We're living in a church that we really struggle with cultural Christianity.

And they're like, what? And also they're afraid they will get killed. No, nobody's trying to kill us. What? Y'all go to church and nobody tries to kill you?

Thank you for being. No, nobody. Really? killed no nobody's trying to kill us what y'all y'all go to church and nobody tries to kill you no nobody really and people are too uncomfortable they why aren't they following jesus you mean they can follow jesus with very little if any repercussions that is correct we've never heard of such a thing so the is the government trying to kill you? Not yet. So, well, what's their problem?

They're just apathetic about it. They've heard it, and it just doesn't really do anything for them. God coming to us when we couldn't come to him, taking on human flesh, going to the cross to complete the sacrificial system, to be the one and only Lamb of God, to tell the whole world that he has paid for their sins and all they have to do is repent of their sin and turn from their sin and turn to him, leave faith in themselves and put their faith in him and he'll radically change their life and give them a supernatural peace that they've never experienced before?

Yeah, a lot of people just say no to that. They wouldn't even know what we're what but this is what he's warning about right it's guys what he's saying is so you know the New Covenant you know what I'm teaching you you fully understand it you remain immature you remain elementary with it and now you're willing to leave it all together and go back to Judaism.

He said, well, that's going to be very dangerous. Now, don't think, because we're going to get to the end, that he's saying that they're going to do this. Verse 9 and 10 is going to help us there. I'm only going to get to 9 probably today. He's not saying that they're hopeless yet.

He's warning. That's important. Don't do this. Everybody hear me? That's one of the debates too. Are these people that have already done it? No, no.

He's warning them not to do it. He's going to say in a minute that he actually believes and is encouraged that they won't do this.

But he's warning them not to. Right? I'm glad that. I'm glad I got people in my life that warn me. Are you ready for that? Hey, I'm so glad. I mean, I have a wife that will warn me quite often. Let me tell you, if this happens, let me tell you what's going to happen. And I'm like, I appreciate the heads up.

You know what I mean? And so, so, so right. Don't you like having people like that? Aren't you glad that Jesus warns us? Aren't you glad that the Bible warns us? Aren't you glad that God warns us? He loves us enough to warn us. Hey, this is going to be bad if you do this. Now, let me tell you that I saw this in one of my, I saw it in the office that I was at before this one, where I was for 12 years. And it was a D.L. Moody kind of experience. Now, this person is still alive, so I hope that there's hope. I sat across from a man who was in sin, being unfaithful to his wife.

And I even got him to fully understand that he was not sinning just against his wife and his children. He needed to understand he was sinning, David, sinning against God himself. Ananias and Sapphira, you're not lying to us. You're lying to God. He was so under conviction sharing in the Holy Spirit that came in the room. God loved him enough that he was weeping and sobbing.

And I'm talking about squalling, making noise. And I thought, this guy's coming to repentance. I remember I was celebrating.

I said, there it is. It's broke through. Do you know what he did when he left my office? He went right back to that woman and got right back into bed with her and left his family.

he went right back to that woman and got right back into bed with her and left his family.

Now see, I don't have a lot of hope for him. Because he was under conviction. He knew exactly what he was doing. And he just did it anyway.

You know, God's quite gracious with the ignorant thankfully but not so much you remember when jesus said that i mean he even throws out tire he throws out sidon he throws out sodom and gomorrah and he tells capernaum and bethsaida and uh what's the other chorism he says y'all had me with you for three years.

90% of all these miracles and me revealing myself as a son of God happened here.

But you remain unchanged. And then he says this, how much more bearable will it be on the day of judgment for Sidon, Tyre destroyed, Sodom destroyed, Gomorrah destroyed, than you.

Because they didn't see me, you did. You got the truth. You have access to God's spirit.

You have God as a man in front of you. God is among you. They didn't have that. And if they had, they would have repented.

You see, the ignorant, if they die in their sin, certainly they're not going to be in the presence of God.

But there seems to be less nausea, if I can use an analogy, in God's stomach for the ignorant than those of us that he has revealed himself clearly and we've just said no thanks.

Or I think maybe worse, we're just apathetic about it. Kind of good, kind of not good.

I'll do my, I'll see. Sort of involved, sort of not. Sounds good, maybe.