Restoring Your Cutting Edge Series

Restoring Your Cutting Edge

August 14, 2005 2Kings 6:1-7

Summarize series:

Drifting - A Candid Look at Spiritual Entropy

We must pay more careful attention, therefore,

to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. Heb 2:1

1. We live in a world that resists the Christian life in its very nature.

2. We have an enemy.

3. We must be vigilant.

Six Warning Signs of Drifting

1. Loss of focus. (off Lord vs. on world)

2. Loss of priorities. (love God vs. love self)

3. Loss of passion. (No longer for God and Word)

4. Loss of discipline. (lazy and allow compromise) (can’t just roll out of bed

and run a race)

5. Loss of Loss of commitment. (to God and church attendance)

6. Loss of tenderness (no longer respond to clear teaching of God’s Word)

Anatomy of a Drifter – Lot Genesis 13:1-13

A Drifter is…

1. Weak in his devotions. (13:5)

A. With no altar you will choose the path of lustful reasoning, least resistance, loose restriction.

2. Worldly in his desires. (13:10)

A. Lot had a desire for profit, pleasure, position

3. Wrong in his decisions (13:11)

standards, seed, spouse, sway is gone.

Anatomy of a Drifter – Peter Mark 14:26-72

The steps in drifting away from Christ…

1. Self-confidence (v. 29); 2. Asleep at the hour of prayer (v. 37); 3. An act of service without divine guidance (v. 47) 4. Following afar off (v. 54)

5. Warming himself at the enemies fire (v. 67) 6. Open denial (v. 71)

The steps back to Christ… 1. A rooster crowed (v. 72) 2. Jesus turned and looked on him (Luke 22:61) 3. The Lord restores Peter (John 21:1-19)

Now we understand this dynamic of drifting… - Now, how get back that cutting edge?

• God’s called us to be on the cutting edge – piercing darkness with light!

• Dressed in spiritual armor – wielding the weapons of our warfare with skill and precision.

• Performing at this level can take its toll – but must remain diligent – so can continue to be effectively used by Him.

At the Rock we’ve likened our ministry to a quarry where we are mining living stones…

1PE 2:4 As you come to him, the living Stone--rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him-- 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

• At times hard but rewarding… …a real “find”

• At times dangerous…

ECC 10:9 Whoever quarries stones may be injured by them;

• Workers injured…

• Some still working with wounds - others injured - gone to safer places…

Analogy we understand around here…

whoever splits logs may be endangered by them.

• We understand that analogy… - widow-makers, loggers killed…

They take a spiritual toll…

• May begin to withdraw – protect ourselves – afraid to chip off that next chunk of rock… uncertain whether it will hurt us…

• Stop relying on God for success and begin to trust in our own skill…

ECC 10:10 If the ax is dull and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed but skill will bring success.

• How many know though that a sharp ax works better?

• It takes discipline and effort to keep our cutting edge sharp – spiritually

Last several weeks – “drifting” – for many it’s not just a matter of keeping sharp – for some we find that – that cutting edge we used to have is missing altogether…

Our Biblical example this morning is of a young Bible School student who lost his cutting edge – and the steps he took to restore that cutting edge he once had…

2KI 6:1 The company of the prophets said to Elisha, "Look, the place where we meet with you is too small for us. 2 Let us go to the Jordan, where each of us can get a pole; and let us build a place there for us to live."

And he said, "Go."

3 Then one of them said, "Won’t you please come with your servants?"

"I will," Elisha replied. 4 And he went with them.

They went to the Jordan and began to cut down trees.

5 As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron axhead fell into the water. "Oh, my lord," he cried out, "it was borrowed!"

2KI 6:6 The man of God asked, "Where did it fall?" When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick and threw it there, and made the iron float. 7 "Lift it out," he said. Then the man reached out his hand and took it.

Background: Elisha not Elijah (asked for double portion) - Outgrew their campus – build a new one – kingdom increase – good