Got Milk?

Got Milk?

1. Be Aware of Milk’s Expiration

The question “Got Milk?” became famous through advertising campaigns that celebrated milk as something desirable and healthy. But there comes a point when a milk mustache is no longer cute. A grown adult walking around with milk on their upper lip would raise concern, not admiration.

Hebrews 5 uses that same picture to describe spiritual maturity. Milk represents the foundational truths of the faith. Those truths are essential, but they were never meant to be the permanent destination.

The passage begins with a sharp warning. The readers had become “dull of hearing.” They were hearing truth without engaging with it. They knew the basics, but they were no longer allowing truth to shape their lives.

Truth Must Move Beyond Awareness

There is a difference between dabbling in truth and being devoted to truth. It is possible to know about sin, the cross, and salvation while remaining spiritually stagnant. Truth that never moves beyond the mind and into behavior produces no maturity.

Faith is demonstrated through fruit. Belief becomes visible through obedience, transformation, and growth.

Spiritual Growth Has an Expected Progression

Hebrews says, “by this time you ought to be teachers.” Spiritual growth is expected over time. Not everyone grows at the same pace, but every believer should be moving forward.

If there is no noticeable growth in understanding, obedience, discernment, prayer, worship, generosity, or service, something is wrong.

Milk has value, but only for a season. Eventually there must be movement toward deeper understanding and deeper practice.

Staying on Milk Leads to Spiritual Immaturity

The passage describes those living only on milk as “unskilled in the word of righteousness.” The issue is not that milk is bad. The issue is remaining there too long.

Training wheels are useful for children learning to ride a bike, but they are not meant to stay on forever. In the same way, foundational truths are essential, but believers are called to mature beyond spiritual infancy.

Growth requires intentionality. Reading Scripture, praying, worshiping, serving, giving, confessing sin, and pursuing holiness are all part of moving forward in maturity.

2. Go Deeper in Your Diet

Hebrews 5:14 says that “solid food is for the mature.” Spiritual maturity requires more than surface-level understanding. It requires depth.

Solid food includes growing in theological understanding, learning the truths of Scripture, and wrestling with doctrines that shape how life is lived.

But maturity is not simply about collecting information.

Discernment Is Essential

The passage says mature believers have their “powers of discernment trained by constant practice.” Discernment is the ability to apply truth correctly in real life.

Many people know biblical information without ever practicing biblical wisdom. The gap between knowledge and obedience is where spiritual growth often breaks down.

Discernment grows through practice.

Growth Happens Through Engagement

Spiritual maturity is not developed by waiting until everything feels clear and comfortable. It grows through stepping out in obedience.

Giving develops through practicing generosity.

Serving develops through stepping into ministry.

Prayer develops through praying.

Understanding Scripture develops through reading, studying, and applying it consistently.

Practice is where growth takes shape.

Distinguishing Good From Evil Is More Than Mental Knowledge

Some truths seem obvious in theory. Sin is evil. Godliness is good. But daily life reveals how often people still struggle with temptation, impurity, selfishness, pride, gossip, fear, and disobedience.

Discernment means learning to choose what is right repeatedly until obedience becomes the default response.

Like an athlete training through repetition and pressure, spiritual maturity develops through constant practice. Over time, right responses begin replacing old habits.

3. Be Filled With the Main Course

Hebrews 6 begins with a call to “leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity.” The foundation matters deeply, but believers are not meant to rebuild the same foundation forever.

Repentance, faith, resurrection, eternal judgment, and the work of Christ are essential truths. They are foundational truths.

But foundations are meant to support growth.

The Christian Life Must Continue Growing

It is possible to stay focused only on the most familiar truths while neglecting deeper understanding and deeper transformation.

The gospel is not something believers graduate from, but it is also not something believers remain shallow in. The truths of Christ are meant to lead into deeper worship, deeper holiness, deeper obedience, and deeper understanding of God.

God’s Word contains a feast of truth that stretches far beyond the basics.

Growth Requires Going Beyond Comfort Zones

Some passages of Scripture require deeper study, deeper thought, and deeper trust. Hebrews itself pushes believers into conversations about priesthood, holiness, perseverance, warning passages, and maturity.

Spiritual growth happens when believers stop limiting themselves to familiar truths and begin pursuing the full counsel of God.

The Feast Has Been Prepared

Milk was necessary at the beginning, but the invitation now is toward maturity.

The main course is already on the table.

Growth may involve joining a growth group, serving in ministry, becoming serious about generosity, studying Scripture more deeply, confessing long-standing sin, or taking practical steps of obedience that have been delayed.

God has prepared more than survival for His people. He calls believers into maturity, discernment, endurance, and deeper fellowship with Him.

The bottle is not the destination.

The feast is waiting.

SERMON DETAILS

Speaker: Jeff McNicol
Series: Greater Than
Sermon Title: Got Milk?
Date: May 17, 2026

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES

• Hebrews 5:11–6:3

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