Introduction:
Just over a hundred years ago, artist Vincent Van Gogh was feeling rejected and forgotten so he shot himself in the chest. He left behind hundreds of drawings and paintings no one wanted or so he though. He believed that he was a total failure as an artist. The artist lived his entire life in poverty and sold only one painting. By about 1885, he had developed the techniques that would mark his genius. Thinking that he should get away from Paris, Vincent moved to the south of France before his death. In seventy days, he executed seventy paintings, most of them of the highest quality. Then he entered the period of mental and emotional distress that resulted in his shooting himself in the chest with a borrowed revolver. Today he is one of the most famous artists in the world. In 1990 a paintings sold for $148.6 million in and 1998 over $82 million dollars in Europe.

You can image if he returned to the world today that he would be shocked to learn that his genius was acknowledged and to find himself a famous artist whose total wealth would be in the billions of dollars. But during his own time, he never received from others any inkling of his talents. Vincent van Gogh was totally ignored, forgotten by everyone during his lifetime.

Many Christians live with the feeling that they are not appreciated, and forgotten by God. There have been millions of people who have served the Lord” – the majority of them are unknown people that history didn’t remember. God does not forget those that labor in His vineyard and his army. Today’s message amplifies this.
I Mature Christians Bear Fruit (6:7-9).

1. Earlier in this chapter, the author warns that those who refuse to go on to maturity (6:1), or progress, will regress in their spiritual lives. Using an illustration from farming he now writes that mature believers are like soil that soaks up rain and produces a good crop because he it received blessings from God. However, Christians who refuse to mature are like soil that pro¬duces worthless thorns and briers that in the end are burned (6:7-8). The unproductive “believers” are not burned; their fruit, or work, is. Look at 1 Corinthians 3:15 it describes the judgment for someone who refuses to ma¬ture and produce good works.

2. The writer to the Hebrews applies the point: “You’ve been blessed. But where’s the fruit?” God is looking for what grows in us after He blesses us, especially what grows in terms of maturity. God desires that we produce spiritual fruit. That we reproduce ourselves. We are reminded that growth and bearing fruit is important to keep from falling away. When we bear fruit, we are serving and when we serve Christ we grow and His church.
3. The author writes that he and his associates are confident better things are true in the lives of his readers-things that accompany salvation (6:9). We should make a different!
Application: Sadly, most churches and church members plod along week after week, year after year, stuck in a “do nothing” rut, all the time wondering, “Why don’t people want what we have?” and “Why doesn’t God send us new members?”
The answer is simple: We are the reason why the people around us don’t want what we have! Christ and the church have made such little difference in our lives that those around us don’t see any point in trying it out! Our walk doesn’t match our talk.
4. Verse 9 does not seem to be inspiring but it is a verse of encouragement; these Christians are in danger of falling away… not so much out of a deliberate rebellion but because of depressing discouragement. They need to be warned, but they also need to be encouraged! Don’t be discouraged into giving up on serving Jesus because God hasn’t forgotten about you!
II Mature Believers Trust God’s faithfulness vv. 11-12

1. Many Christians live their entire lives with the feeling that they are not appreciated and forgotten even by God. They see others receiving honors for their contributions and they feel that they have been forgotten or neglected. Naturally their feelings are hurt. Sometimes our fear that God forgot our work and labor of love comes from relying on the attention and applause of people. It is true that some people may forget your work and labor of love, but God never will.
2. He reminds them God will not forget the work and labor of love they have shown in God’s name as they minister to the saints (6:10). Jesus taught us what should always be the desired result of our good works in Matthew 5:16. He said,” Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
We must remember that the good works we do are for the sake of Christ, not for the praise offered by others. The Scriptures make clear that God rewards those who do good works. You must rest in that the righteous Judge of the universe does not forget. He not only won’t forget the good deeds but he won’t forget a single tear of affliction.
3. Maybe everybody else has forgotten the service you have given, the sacrifice you have made and the hours you invested. But God has not! Our feelings may be hurt and our hearts broken. But God has promise he will never forget. God requires no other proof of the good we have done. He will never forget. He is a righteous God who will reward us someday accordingly and we will reap. Galatians 6:9
God hasn’t forgotten you He hasn’t forgotten your labor and sacrifice. But God has forgotten something. Yes, God has forgotten something about every born again child of the Father in Jesus Christ. He has forgotten your sin! Amen!
III Mature Believer Possess Hope vv. 11-12
1. Next, the writer desires each of his readers, including you and me, to keep on demonstrating works of love so we have the full assurance of hope unto the end (6:11). Maturing believers don’t perform works of love in order to go to heaven, but because we have assurance that what we hope for is cer¬tain. We don’t produce works of love for humanitarian purposes, but be¬cause we have assurance of our future, eternal life with Christ.

2. If we don’t have assurance of our hope, we will become slothful (6:12a). The great enemy of a mature, fruitful Christian life is laziness. When our hearing becomes slothful, or lazy, we don’t desire to hear God’s Word taught and preached. As a result, our spiritual lives begin to produce spiri¬tual weeds. Proverbs 24:30-32

Application:
When you see a lawn or garden overgrown with weeds, what do you usually conclude about its owners? They are neglectful and lazy. Instead of being slothful, we should be followers of them who through faith and patience have inherited the promises (6:12b).

One great example of this truth is the apostle Paul who, near the end of his faithful, patient life, wrote that in store for him was a crown of righteous¬ness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, would give him (2 Tim. 4:8a-b). The Lord will not only give Paul a crown, but whom else, according to the last phrase of that verse to all that love His appearing.

Conclusion:
Folks when true salvation takes place sovereign grace reaches down and totally transforms a person and there will be an abandonment of sin and abandonment of self to the sovereignty of Christ as a part of that saving work. Let’s take time to examine this truth in our lives.

Communion: One of the most powerful images is that of the church as family. It is powerful because it focuses on the essential ingredient of relationships. In families we are related to one another by blood in the church family by the blood of Christ.