When I was a teenager a friend of mine had a beach house in Laguna beach, and we would go down and spend the weekends at the beach! We would basically hang out at the beach all day, of course we wore our short “OP” shorts on and our “Hang Ten” tank tops, but we were not surfers, we did not have surfboards nor boogie boards, this was before boogie boards were invented! Instead we were "Rafters"! We each had one of those huge yellow and blue rafts, the kind with the rope to hold on to. We thought we were pretty cool with our beach towel in one hand and our big blue and yellow rafts in the other, strutting down to the beach! (Ok! we were nerds, but we thought we were cool, no wonder the girls ignored us!!!)
One of our favorite things to do would be to take our rafts the to the gas station and fill them up solid hard with air, then go out to the ocean and ride waves…which really amounted to what’s known as going over the falls. Now the surfers hated us because they would be trying to surf and here comes these nerd on a rafts, right in front of them!
But something would happen every time, after being in the water for a few hours when we came out on shore, we noticed that the towels our clothes, and things we left on the beach were literally hundreds of yards down the beach. How did they move? Did someone move them? Is there some group of kids playing a sick joke on us and moving our stuff??
Well, we know what was happening? We had moved! While we were in the water we were being pulled by the ocean currents And they were causing us drift down shore or even away from land and out to sea And the worst part was, we did not even realize it was happening!
We have all experienced some kind of Drifting before!
1.Maybe you were on a boat! And you stopped the engine for a while and just floated…you did not even notice it, but you were drifting…
ILLUS: Pastor John Courson told of a time when he was a young kid that he was on a boat on the Colorado River right near the Hoover Dam, when the motor on their boat sputtered out! They could not get it started, And they found themselves drifting closer and closer to the dam, passing the signs that say, Danger, Do not pass this point! His brother yelled out, throw in the anchor, and his sister picked it up and threw it in and as it went down into the water they realized the other end of the rope was not attached to the boat so down the anchor went until it disappeared, now they were drifting closer and closer to the dam and to danger! They eventually got the motor started! But they were drifting!
It’s important to have an anchor in order to keep from Drifting!
ILLUST: Have you ever heard of the Wellington River! It’s the River that feeds into the Niagra Falls! There is a sign posted where the Wellington River empties into the Niagra River that says: "Do you have an anchor? Do you know how to use it?" Obviously if you don’t, you are heading for serious Danger! you would not want to be on that river without an anchor, you might not want to be on that river at all!
Well listen, This drifting does not just happen physically, The Bible warns It can also happen spiritually! Just like there is a Current in the ocean, there is also a Rip Tide or current in our lives spiritually, as Christians, of the world, the flesh, temptation, and it’s continually and constantly pulling at us, attempting to draw us away from God! Away from church! Away from other believers! It can be business or busyness, or even bitterness! It can be idleness or indifference!
AND If you have been a believer for any length of time, you have felt this temptation to drift!! As The Great Hymn writer Robert Robinson said: "Prone to wander Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I love"
The worst part is we can be drifting and not even realize it?
I Think of Samson. Samson took a strict vow before God as a Nazarite. Yet he compromised his vow, and slowly drifted away, Judges 16:20 says "He did not know the Lord had left him"
Even king Solomon it says 4 times in 1kings 11.."his heart moved away from the Lord".
I’m sure you all have friends who once walked with the Lord? But now they don’t? What happened? They drifted away, it can happen to us!
Most people who drift away never intended on doing so! They just wake up one day & find they are miles from the Lord! How did I get here?
The Bible warns us many times of this! Rev 2:4 Jesus warned that they had left thier first love" Duet 4:9 and 6:12 warn to "take heed, and keep you soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which your eyes have seen… beware lest thou forget the Lord"
Bible Commentator William Newel said “Drifting is the quietest, easiest, most delightful way of dying”
John Courson said "Most of us are not in danger of plunging into the sea of carnality. This week or next week…most of us are not going to be murderers or drug addicts…The danger is not plunging into the ocean of perversity, but rather drifting away almost imperceptibly"
ILLUSTRATION: It’s aweful when you do not know something is happening! At the end of their first date, a young man takes the young lady back to her house and they are standing on the front porch! Feeling the night went well, with an air of confidence, he leans with his hand against the wall and smiling, he says to her, "So, how ’bout a good night kiss?"
Embarrassed, she replies, "Oh, I couldn’t do that. My parents will see us!"
"Oh come on! Who’s gonna see us at this hour?"
"No, please. I would just die of embarrassment if someone saw us."
"Oh come on, there’s nobody around, they’re all sleeping!"
"No way. It’s just too risky!"
"Oh please, please, I realy like you!!"
"I like you too, but I just can’t!"
"Please? Just a small peck”
"NO, no. I just can’t."
"Pleeeeease?..." as He’s still standing up against the wall of the house!
When all of a sudden the porch light goes on, and the girl’s sister standing at the door in her pajamas and In a sleepy voice the sister says: "Dad says to go ahead and give him a kiss. Or I can do it. Or if need be, he’ll come down himself and do it. But for crying out loud tell him to take his hand off the intercom button!"… not Paying attention
Well,the author of Hebrews warns us about, that we need to be careful lest we drift away…
This is what the Hebrew listeners were in danger of doing! Drifting away! Drifting back into Judaism! Let’s Read V1-4
What the author is saying is we need an anchor! We need to pay careful attention, We need to Heed or listen, be aware, lest we drift away!
The word for Drift means: "To go astray", "To let slip", "to slip from ones mind"! Its about getting your mind off of what’s most important!
Perhaps the best definition I have heard for Drift is: "A slow and steady departure from the truth caused by not being fastened to a mooring!"
It’s not being anchored to something solid & secure! In our Minds!
And the real danger of drifting is, its not that we are heading in the wrong direction, it’s that we are not heading in any direction! We have just turned off our engines, we’ve not anchored to anything, we stopped moving forward, and as a result we have begun to slip back! We are drifting spiritually!
You see, simply doing nothing is so dangerous in the spiritual life. Relationships fall apart because we don’t work at them. A beautiful garden is destroyed by neglect; a house crumbles around you if you don’t maintain it…and ones faith weakens through neglect! And this is where some people find themselves in. There was a time when they were tied down to the church, involved, growing! They were happy and useful, But now that they lost their mooring and drifted away from their Christian support and the Gospel truths. Oh, they may still attend church occasionally, But they do not take a part any longer in the activities of the church. They are just drifting along. They fail to accept responsibility but would rather drift along in the spiritual breezes like a spiritual tumbleweed.
Solomon put it in Prov 24:33 "A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest; 34 So shall your poverty come like a prowler, And your need like an armed man".
Spiritual Neglect is the main cause of Spiritual Drifting!
But how do drift away?
Let me give you 3 things that cause us to drift!
You and I are drifting…
#1 WHEN RITUAL REPLACES RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST!!!
When we go through the motions, Rituals, rather than focus on our relationship with God!
In other words when you and I are going through the motions without really making a connection with God! We are doing spiritual things outwardly because we are supposed to, but there is no heart inwardly!
That’s what a ritual is…It’s doing something because It’s what you always do! It’s going through the motions with no real heart or no real meaning behind it!!
ILLUSTRATION: A little girl asked her mother one day, “Mommy, why do you cut off the ends of the ham before you cook it?” The girl’s mother turned and looked at her and said, “Oh, sweetie, I’m not really sure why, but I suppose you cut the ends off of the meat so that the meat can better absorb the juices and spices and make it more tender. Maybe you’d better ask Grandma since she was the one I learned it from. She always did it that way.” The little girl called her grandmother later that day on the phone and asked her the same question, “Grandma, why do you cut the ends off of the ham before you cook it?” The little girl’s grandmother responded, “Oh, sweetie, I’m not really sure. I think it is so that the juices will be absorbed better. Call your great-Nana. She is who I learned it from.” So she called her great-grandmother anyway. “Nana, mom was preparing lunch the other day and she cut the ends off of the ham before she cooked it. I asked her why she said she learned it from her mom. so, I called Grandma and she said the same that she learned it from you and I should ask you. Nana, why do you cut the ends off of the ham before you cook it?” There was a pause in the conversation and then the little girl heard he great grandmother laughing.. “What’s so funny, Nana?” “Oh, sweetie, I cut the ends off of the ham before I cooked it because my pan was too small!” It was a ritual that they kept but they did not know why!
We have our rituals, we get up in the early in the afternoon!, we take a shower, we go to work, we eat lunch, we go to church, we hang out with my friends, my family. I go to bed, I get up, Monday night I do this, Friday night I do that, Sunday I do this…It’s a ritual! our daily/weekly routine!
Illustration: A man had his ritual of watching Sports every weekend…and one Saturday afternoon he just blurted out to his wife "Just so you know, I never want to live in a vegetative state, dependent on some machine and fluids from a bottle. If that ever happens to me, just pull the plug." His wife got up, unplugged the TV”
BUT we can do the same with God rituals: I go to church, I read the bible I pray, because that is what Christians do! That’s what I am supposed to do!
But there is no real connection with God! No real change!! It’s kind of dry, there is very little excitement in seeking God! It’s turned into a ritual!
Henry Blackably author of experiencing God said "Christianity is an intimate, growing relationship with Jesus Christ. IT is not just a set of doctrines to believe or habits to practice, or sins to avoid…” “God designed worship for us to see Him in His glory…But for many it has degenerated into religion. One more meeting to attend out of duty out of habit…God gave us prayer so we would have a intimate conversation with him, but we often distort this by ’saying prayers’ and hurrying off without ever listening to what’s on the fathers heart"..."God Looks beyond our godly habits, beyond our moral lifestyle and beyond our church involvement and focuses his penetrating gaze on our hearts. Has your worship become empty and routine? Have you lost your motivation to read the word of God? Is your prayer life reduced to a ritual…These are symptoms of a heart that has moved away from the Lord…"
That’s what happening to the Christians in the book of Hebrews were people who had come out of a lot of rituals, they offered sacrifices, they kept certain laws. But now they were believers in Jesus Christ, they had a relationship with the living God, they had left all of those ritual. but the problem was… they wanted to go back to it! It was easier, there was a tangible sense of accomplishing something in the rituals! They were hard to shake!and besides all their family did those things, all their friends did those things! They wanted the rituals again, but forgot about the relationship!
Well, the Author of Hebrews is telling them Don’t go back! Don’t drift away from the Lord! Don’t replace a vibrant, living relationship with God with an empty ritual!
Are you just going through the motions of your Christian life! Especially if you have been believers for many years?? Are you learning something new about God? Is your prayer life empty and ritualistic, how about your attempts to share with others? Are you doing it out of duty or out of a love relationship with God!
2nd we know your drifting when:
#2 WHEN WORKS/WORK REPLACES WORSHIP!!!!
In other words, when your busy schedule is more important than worshipping God! When you are doing more serving than you are sitting at His feet! Maybe you would say: “Man I used to love to show up early to church, ready to worship the Lord, I used to go to my friend’s house and worship God, I used be so into ’worship’, The worship generation! But man it been a long time since I worshipped I’m so busy Now!!”
And We can get so busy in our lives that we are neglecting our personal time with God! We are so busy serving that we are no longer seeking! We are so busy working that we are no longer worshipping!
I was talking with some of the brothers a few weeks ago about busyness even with work! And we concluded that the enemy can keep you busy! The enemy can give you work, in fact so much work that it takes you away from worship! He can make you talented in a sport, or music to keep you away from the sanctuary!
And because you are neglecting your worship, The next things you know you find yourself questioning, compromising, struggling with temptations you hadn’t before!
I have met so many that neglect worship, neglect church attendance, neglect prayer and Bible study, too busy in other things…and as a result they are drifting away! They just do not know it! Then they come to me, "Pastor I’ve made some sinful choices! I have gotten involved in something I should not have? Pastor our marriage is on the rocks! She wants a divorce? He wants to leave? How did this happen, we are Christians??? How did I get myself into this?" Well It did not start today or yesterday, it started way back when you stopped feeding the fire, when you thought you could cruse on the momentum of your previous history! You thought you did not need to pray or attend church, or read your bible! You drifted away from the Lord!!!!
We can even be doing the right things and still be drifting.
Rev 2. John wrote to the church at Ephesus: "I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love."
They had left their first love. And they did not even realize it
As someone once said: "People seldom lose their faith by a blowout--it is usually a slow leak"
Worship must be our priority, everything else will fall into place if that’s first!
Finally we know we are drifting when
#3.WHEN DOUBT REPLACES FAITH!
One thing that happens when we drift is we begin to question and doubt Gods word! Did he really mean that? You know the Bible does not speicifically say that? You know some say the Bible does have some errors?
When we doubt, It’s like removing the anchor! The anchor needs to be the truth!
Again,This is was specifically happening in the book of Hebrews, they were being tempted to drift away, again to go back to their old ways! They were questioning and even leaving their faith in Christ and Christianity and go back to Judaism!
The author writes and exhorts them: "We must give the more earnest heed to the things we heard, lest we drift away!"
In other words they were about to drift because of inattention and carelessness about what they had heard concerning Jesus!
ILLUST:Its been said Familiarity breeds contempt, the more we hear something the less of an impact it has on us! A good example of inattention to truth is seen everyday on board any commercial airliner. Before the plane leaves the runway the flight crew goes over the safety instructions; how to fasten the safety belts, how to use the oxygen mask, how to use you seat cushion as floatation device, etc. people do not pay attention… because you have heard it all before, many times. And that information seems irrelevant and unimportant!
ILLUSTRATION: Imagine how you would react however to this true story! A woman was flying from Seattle to San Francisco. The flight attendant explained that there would be a delay at the next stop over, and if the passengers wanted to get off the aircraft the plane would re-board in 50 minutes. Everybody got off the plane except one lady who was blind. The man had noticed her as he walked by and could tell the lady was blind because her Seeing Eye dog lay quietly underneath the seats in front of her throughout the entire flight. He could also tell she had flown this very flight before because the pilot approached her, and calling her by name, said, "Kathy…Would you like to get off and stretch your legs?" The blind lady replied, "No thanks, but maybe my dog would like to stretch his legs." Picture this: All the people in the gate area came to a complete standstill when they looked up and saw the pilot walk off the plane with a Seeing Eye dog! The pilot was even wearing sunglasses. People scattered. They not only tried to change planes, but they were trying to change airlines!
Listen the writer here is saying in essence says: your spiritual life depends on what you pay attention too. Pay attention to the truth!
There are some of you who have drifted in the past, you know what I am talking about! There are others who maybe on the verge right now! But I want to spare you all the trouble by exhorting you to heed Gods word today!
But how we are to keep from drifting:
The author of Hebrews tells them! V1 "Give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard,lest we drift away"
You see, these Hebrew believers held a high view of Angels and actually exalted them because after all, it was through angels that the 10 commands were mediated, it was through angels the Law was communicated to man. (Look at V2)
And they began questioning doubting! how Could Jesus be greater than the angels?. How can Christianity (salvation through Jesus) be greater than the law of Judaism which God gave through angels??
And their view of Christ began to slip! So the author to them Jesus more superior to the angel Therefore, They were to give earnest heed to the things they had heard about Jesus…
In fact inV3 we are told what they heard, he called it "so great a salvation which at first was spoken by the Lord (it was what Jesus taught it) and was confirmed to us by those who heard Jesus (It was what the apostles taught)"
V5 it was something "God bore witness to by signs, wonders, miracles, and gifts!"
What They were neglecting the simple truth of Jesus Christ and HIm dying for the sins of man, once for all! They were taking lightly what Christ has done! They were questioning it, ignoring it! The very reason Hebrews was written was to show how superior Jesus was and how salvation if found only in what he did for us! He was greater than angels who brought the law! He was Greater than Moses, Abraham, Joshua! He brings us into the true Sabbath rest! He is the final sacrifice to take away our sins! He offers us forgiveness and eternal life when we did not deserve any of it!
When I take lightly what He has done, I am open game for sin and compromise! -That’s why a healthy view of what God has done for me in Christ is important!
This is why we need to stay in the word, in church, this is why I believe Jesus commanded us to take of communion often!
Later the author of Hebrews says in 12:1-2 "let us lay aside every weight and sin that so easily besets us and let us run the race with endurance looking unto the author and finisher of our faith..."
He knows when we get our eyes and attention on what he has done and how great our salvation is, it will keep us following after him!
Get your attention on what Jesus Christ has done for you!
We are sinners in need of a savior! There is nothing we could do! No religion, no ritual! God did it all through Christ! And we simple need to believe to have faith!
Maybe you would say Pastor you have been describing me! I have been drifting away! Or I have already drifted away! I have woke up today and realized how far from the Lord I really am! I have been neglecting what’s most important, My relationship with Him, my worship of Him, the fact that he died for me! The fact that He loves me! I have allowed my lusts to lead me away! But I want to come back!
That’s the great part! If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us! If we take one step back towards him he will come the rest of the way for us! But we must make that step!
Will you make it today!
