Paddling Upstream Antidote To Drifting. Series

Hebrews chapter 2/

In this Tuesday’s Southland times there was a dramatic picture of a digger jammed under a bridge in Rockdale Road in Invercargill.

The digger had been on the back of a truck that had not considered the 4.4 metre clearance warning that was on a sign before the bridge.

The result was the digger fell on the road and got jammed between the bridge and the road.

A Truck that had been following the vehicle carrying the digger then crashed into the digger.

The result was the digger had to be cut free -

The truck needed repairs

The road was blocked.

Why did all this happen?

Because the driver ignored the sign.

Every time we drive to the city we pass a number of signs that we have to pay heed to.

Slow Road works.

Stop signs

Give way signs

Traffic lights.

And so on.

We ignore them at our peril.

Every year in New Zealand six hundred or so New Zealanders die on the road.

Many persih because somebody didn’t pay heed to a warning sign of one sort or another.

Chapter two of the book of Hebrews warns Christians:-

HEB 2: 3 how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation?

Hebrews chapter 2 begins with one of five serious warnings in the book of Hebrews.

This warning is couched in a question about how shall escape if we ignore such a great salvation?

There are according to one writer six signs that you are drifting in you faith.

They are:-

1. Loss of Focus.

2. Loss of Priorities

3. Loss of Passion

4. Loss of discipline

5. Loss of Commitment

6. Loss of Emotions

HEB 2:1 We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. 2 For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment,

HEB 2: 3 how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation?

There is in Hebrews chapter 4 - powerful reasons for us to consider these symptoms of drifting and adjust our lives accordingly.

But firstly - Why bother???

Aren’t I doing all right - isn’t my life already perfectly acceptable to God??

There was a canoe drifting down a river - the occupant was enjoying his trip and was particularly being refreshed by the scenery as it passed by.

After a while he found he could steer the canoe with his hands - so he threw the paddles overboard. Someone from the bank yelled at him about such a dangerous pursuit - but he just laughed.

Presently he put his book down and decided to have a sleep.

Someone had said there was a massive waterfall - downstream but he was perfectly sure that it was miles away.

His hand dangled in the water.

The sun smiled on his brow - a gentle breeze ruffled his hair and kept him cool.

In his dream he could hear a roar was it an airplane?

Was he dreaming about a truck?

No it was real - he looked up spray and mist marked the edge of the waterfall - just metres away.

Panicking he looked around for his paddles but they had been thrown overboard.

He started to paddle with his hands but in seconds the current had swept him downstream and over the edge - gone - lost for ever.

Drifting in a river with a huge waterfall will do that!

The book of Hebrews says:-

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

Today many people are drifting in the Christian life.

We can be sure that if we were in the river with the waterfall we would be paddling our canoe upstream.

HEB 2: 3 how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation?

If we throw the paddles overboard - we cannot paddle our canoe.

If we jetison our relationship with Jesus then we can read the words of Jesus that say -

MT 7:21 "Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, `Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, `I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

Now these days it is not fashionable to discus what is on the other side of the waterfall even in Christian circles.

Someone said to me a few years ago when I preached about our need for salvation and their words have rung in my ears down through the years-