Six Warning Signs of Drifting
July 24, 2005 Hebrews 2:1
HEB 2:1 We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.
“Warning comes before destruction.” Jonah / Nineveh
I believe God sends us warning when we start drifting away from Him.
When driving… warning sign – adjust our course. When warning light on dash – get it fixed. On the dash board of your Christian walk – want to point out some hazard lights - Not an exhaustive list – but these are some of the warning signs
1. Loss of Focus
When came to Christ – focus on Him – but focus can drift…
heart can change from the things of God to the things of this world.
1KI 11:1 King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh’s daughter--Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. 2 They were from nations about which the LORD had told the Israelites, "You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods." Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love. 3 He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray. 4 As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been. 5 He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molechn the detestable god of the Ammonites. 6 So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the LORD; he did not follow the LORD completely, as David his father had done.
• Wisest that ever lived – good beginning – did evil – as so many others
• King Solomon has a problem, allowed lust unchecked -
• Lust is a type of greed – never enough had to have more and more
• Focus was on temporal – no longer the Lord his God – turned heart away
1 John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
• Why tell us that? – world and things of it will steal our hearts
• You can possess the wisdom of the ages – still stray off course.
If focus not on God as it used to be – warning light is lit. Do whatever it takes to get focus back on the Lord.
• Something distracting? Getting in the way?
• Put it in proper place or get rid of it!
2. Loss of Priorities
Where do your priorities lie? Are you #1 in your life?
Are you more concerned about yourself than others, including God?
MT 22:37 Jesus replied: " `Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: `Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
• In a world of self-serving and self-centeredness, the Lord calls us to have a different priority.
Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
• We mistakenly think “…all these things…” means things for me, me, me…
• Listen, if your priority #1 is the kingdom of God – your affections will change
• If the first thing you consider isn’t the kingdom of God… - Jesus says… your priorities are messed up.
• Is that light glowing on your dash board?
3. Loss of Passion
You no longer have a passionate love for God or His Word
David had his problems but had a passionate love for God, and His Word
Beth
PS 119:9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word.
PS 119:10 I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.
PS 119:11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
PS 119:12 Praise be to you, O LORD; teach me your decrees.
PS 119:13 With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth.
PS 119:14 I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches.
PS 119:15 I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways.
PS 119:16 I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.
• Do you remember when you were in love with God?
• Couldn’t put the Bible down? Are you drifting away?
Sometimes only way to restore your hunger and passion is force feeding…
4. Loss of Discipline
You get lazy and allow more compromise in your life – leads to sin…
Ephesians 5:5 For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person--such a man is an idolater--has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. 7 Therefore do not be partners with them.
• Listen – if someone is telling you that it’s OK to compromise in the area of immorality, impurity, of greedy self pleasing and still feel secure in your eternal destiny – you’re being deceived with empty words!
• It takes discipline to not allow compromise in these areas!
• Heard so many – “I can’t do that it’s too hard!”
• Do you refrain from robbing banks? – yes – Why? – penalty too high!
• You don’t even entertain the thought because penalty is too high.
• Wouldn’t you agree that the penalty is pretty high for these as well?
Lack of discipline in these areas is a major warning light!
2 TIM 1:7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
• His Spirit is given to you for the purpose of self-discipline
• If you don’t discipline yourself – He will! – told my kids that.
1 COR 9:26 …I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. 27 No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
• Anyone can run aimlessly! You have been given an aim!
• You’re in training for eternity! On this earth you have a race to run!
• Can’t just roll out of bed and run a race (sprint, 1 mile or marathon)
• You have to stretch, warm up, spend months and years training and strengthening… - Because the prize is worth it!
Recently saw story of young woman who was born with a short leg (no muscle to speak of) – at 9 Amputated at knee and fitted with a prosthesis – always athletic – entered a marathon – finished dead last but finished – everyone amazed except her – didn’t want to be last – kept training – entered again and finished – she said – “nowhere near last” – then goal to enter the iron man race in Hawaii (attempted by few women let alone a legless one) – swim, bike, and run – didn’t know how to swim or ride a bike – she learned and began to train (fell often… but stuck with it) – Entered the competition – did well on the swim – attached a special bike riding leg – and began peddling with the strength of one leg – in order to continue the race – needed to finish the bike riding portion in a certain time – she gave it all she had but was 15 minutes late – disqualified from continuing – heart broken, fighting back tears – could have quit – could have said “it’s too hard for me, God made me with a handicap – why even try? I can’t be an iron-man.” – but she didn’t – she went back to beating her body into submission – training, training, training, - especially biking – but didn’t stop swimming and running – entered next competition – did great on the swim – finished ahead of many – made the bike ride within the time limits – and ran the final leg and finished the race within the time limits – didn’t win – but placed in the iron-man competition. First one legged woman to do so!
• Seen so many men and women who have a ministry goal – who just wash out when it didn’t come easy – “this isn’t what I expected at all! – I thought I’d just show up and God would bless me with success!”
• Now is the time to invest in disciplining yourself to run the race better
• “Well if God really called me it would come natural – it wouldn’t be so hard!” REALLY?
LISTEN - Defeat is not a reason to quit! It’s a reason to get serious! To beat your body into submission!
• Stop with the “I can’t, I can’t, I can’t!”
• Your flesh doesn’t want to, your enemy doesn’t want you to
• But God does – you’re in training to rule and reign with Him – you think He’s just going to rubber stamp you for that?
• You have to be faithful in little before given much (little/much principle)
If not willing to discipline yourself – then you’re drifting.
5. Loss of Commitment
Usually the first to go is church attendance
• If church attendance is a negotiable for you – all manner of things will crowd in and push it out. – work, leisure, laziness
• When that happens – only a matter of time – completely backslidden.
Hebrews 10:25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
• The “Day” is approaching – if don’t see that – blind!
• God has called you to a commitment of meeting together as the church
• There are a lot of reasons for that… encouraging one another…
• Includes teaching – corporate praise and worship – fellowship
• Ministry of presence – encouragement – empty chairs – discouraging
• Not feeling good is not a reason to miss church – if so… never come
• Enemy will use that every time – you’re flesh will rule you
• How many times – didn’t feel like coming – later… glad you did?
• For your encouragement too – God designed it that way!
Luke 4:16 Jesus regularly went to church on the Sabbath day
He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom.
• If going to church with everyone else was modeled by Jesus –
• That needs to be a non-negotiable for you and me as well!
6. Loss of Tenderness
You no longer respond to the voice of the Spirit
• When the clear teaching of God’s word points out areas in your life that need to change – and you resist…
• Pride in your life.
The Bible says that Pride goes before the Fall, and a haughty spirit before destruction
• When your heart is no longer willing to respond to the warning signs of the Holy Spirit – then you’re drifting - and in danger of a ship wrecked life.
• Because when we do not respond to the Lord’s calling to us we say that we are fine without Him – and we’re not!
Warning signs may come in the form of correction or rebuke – Lord may bring discipline into your life – for the purpose of restoration…
HOS 6:1 "Come, let us return to the LORD. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds.
HOS 6:2 After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence.
HOS 6:3 Let us acknowledge the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge Him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth."
Whenever you drift you introduce tearing and injury into your life – you introduce drought, famine, devastation - the cure is to return to the Lord with your whole heart – stop drifting – let Him heal, revive and restore you – that you may again live in His presence.
Pray
Six Warning Signs of Drifting
July 24, 2005 Hebrews 2:1
We must pay more careful attention, therefore,
to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.
1. Loss of ____________________.
1 Kings 11:1-6; 1 John 2:15
2. Loss of ____________________.
Matt. 22:37-40; Matt. 6:3
3. Loss of ____________________.
Ps. 119:9-16
4. Loss of ____________________.
Eph. 5:5-7; 2 Tim. 1:7; 1 Cor. 9:26-27
5. Loss of ____________________.
Heb. 10:25; Luke 4:16
6. Loss of ____________________.
Hos. 6:1-3
