Drifter's Beware

Drifter’s Beware

Hebrews 2:1

Introduction:

We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. Hebrew 2:1

There is nothing more pitiful to see than a drifter. Just drifting along – aimlessly, thoughtlessly, hopelessly just drifts along from day to day. He has no concern or thought for tomorrow. He is just living for today. Kind of like the old western song, “drifting along with the tumble weeds”.

If you drive along the coastline from Louisiana to Alabama – after you leave the tourist area – you can see all kinds of broken down boats just drifting. All of these boats use to be somebody’s pride and joy, their fishing or pleasure boat. But somehow they broke loose from their mooring. Now after drifting along with the waves and ripples of the gulf they lie broken, deserted and useless.

What an awesome snapshot of the situation that some church members find themselves in. There was a time when they were tied down to the church program, they were happy and useful, they were somebody’s pride and joy. But look at them now that they lost their mooring and drifted away from their Christian support and the Gospel truths.

Oh, they may still attend. But they do not take a part in the programs of the church. They are just drifting along. They fail to accept responsibility but would rather drift along in the spiritual breezes or as a spiritual tumbleweed. To be quite frank, they’re a has-been when it comes to their church life.

This message is to those who are drifting, those who are not anchored or tied down to any church program. Maybe you are in the community and not even a member of any church. Maybe you are living elsewhere and your membership is back at the little church where you joined and you are just drifting along spiritually.

This message is to some of our own people who ought to be actively engaged in the work of the Lord through the activities of this church; but you will not accept responsibility and instead you are drifting to and fro.

This message is to those of you who are elected already by your church to do a job. However you have grown tired and neglectful of it. Just drifting along until the end of the church year where you will be given another job to neglect and get tired of.

This message is to those of you who need a revival. You feel like you need something to revitalize you and re-fire you. Because the fires in your soul, your supply of spiritual energy, has become diminished. You are just drifting along from day to day.

This message is for those of you who have accepted Christ Jesus but have never joined a church. You try to reason that you can be a Christian and not be an active member of a church. You are weak and need spiritual nourishment but instead Satan has convinced you that you don’t need Church and you decide to just drift along.

SPIRITUAL DRIFTING – What a pitiful sight!

I. A classic example of spiritual drifting is that of Peter.

A. Peter was at on time well anchored in his faith.

1. He was actively engaged in the work of the Lord.

a. He was quick to defend his Master.

b. He boldly confessed his own faith.

c. Then Peter started drifting.

i. Started with his denial of the Lord.

ii. Then a flat refusal to be counted in the number of followers.

B. Notice the three steps to Peter’s drifting. (Because these are the same three steps that all drifters take.)

1. FIRST – he followed his Lord from far off.

a. Beginning with Jesus’ arrest in the garden through his trials before the Sanhedrian and the Roman government and continuing to those dark hours on the cross.

b. Peter was the first absentee member of the church.

c. The first step to drifting is that of absenteeism.

i. Those that are drifting today began when they first stayed out of the services of the church.

ii. They begin by missing on Wednesday night.

(1) Their conscience hurt them.

(2) But after a couple of weeks they started feeling better.

iii. Next they missed Sunday night.

(1) Again their conscience bothered them at first.

(2) After a couple of Sunday’s they began to justify themselves in what they were doing.

(3) Finally they begin to think that it didn’t really matter.

2. The second step in Peter’s downfall was in the courtyard –He didn’t want to be associated with Jesus.

a. This is your next logical step.

b. You say things like:

i. I don’t like Sunday School.

ii. I don’t like the way the preacher preaches.