The Dangers And Antidote Of Drifting

SC 7/2008

THE DANGERS AND ANTIDOTE OF SPIRITUALLY DRIFTING

HEBREWS 2:1-4

INTRO

THIS MESSAGE THIS MORNING IS DIRECTED TOWARD BOTH THE SEEKER AND THE BELIEVER . SEEKERS WHO ARE TIRED OF FLOATING THROUGH LIFE AND FEELING LIKE THEY ARE OUT OF CONTROL. GOD HAS A WORD FOR YOU THIS MORNING. TO THE BELIEVER WHO KNOWS CHRIST, BUT HAS ALLOWED LIFE AND PEOPLE TO GET THEM OFF TRACK. THE LORD HAS A WARNING FOR YOU THIS MORNING. GET BACK ON TRACK BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE. THE TENDENCY IS TO DRIFT, NOT RUN AWAY FROM GOD. MOST HAVE NOT PURPOSELY RUN AWAY FROM GOD, BUT IF WE ARE NOT CAREFUL WE CAN FIND OURSELVES FAR FROM GOD AND WONDERING HOW WE GOT SO FAR FROM HIM.

DRIFTING (DEFINITION) IS NOT REALIZING THAT YOU HAVE GONE OFF COURSE AND IS USUALLY UNCONTROLLED. (SLOW UNNOTICED CHANGE). NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH DRAFTING.

DRAFTING OR SLIPSTREAMING IS WHERE YOU TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE PERSON OR CAR IN FRONT OF YOU TO REDUCE THE DRAG AND RESISTANCE TO MAINTAIN YOUR SPEED OR POSITION WITHOUT AS MUCH ENERGY.

ONE YOU FALL BACK ON (DRIFTING) AND ONE KEEPS YOU IN FRONT TO MAINTAIN AND BE STRONG FOR THE LEAD (DRAFTING). BICYCLE RACING, CAR RACING, SPEED SKATING, SWIMMING ALL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF DRAFTING OFF THE EFFORTS OF SOMEONE ELSE TO KEEP MOVING AHEAD.

THE WRITER OF HEBREWS GIVES US THIS WARNING THAT WE MUST BE PAYING ATTENTION AND BE MINDFUL OF WHERE WE ARE IN LIFE.

QUESTION:

HAS THERE BEEN A TIME IN YOUR LIFE WHERE YOU WERE MORE DEDICATED TO CHRIST? HAS THERE BEEN A TIME THAT YOU WERE CLOSER TO JESUS? HAVE YOU EVER BEEN MORE COMMITTED TO JESUS? IF YOU ANSWERED YES TO ANY QUESTION, YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL THAT YOU ARE NOT DRIFTING.

ILLUSTRATION-

HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU BEEN TO ONE OF THE OCEAN BEACHES ENJOYING THE WATER, LOTS OF PEOPLE AROUND YOU AND YOU HEAR THE LIFE GUARDS BLOWING THEIR WHISTLE AT SOMEONE TO GET WITHIN THE SWIMMING AREA. THEY WERE BOUNCING AROUND AND HAVING A GOOD TIME, NOT REALIZING THAT THEY HAVE WENT OFF COURSE NOW THEY ARE CLOSE TO BEING INTO THE JETTY ROCKS OR OUT TOO FAR AND THE LIFEGUARDS HAVE TO GO BRING THEM BACK.

DRIFTING FROM GOD IS A SPIRITUAL ISSUE. IT IS ALLOWING SOCIETY’S CURRENT OF INFLUENCE TO TAKE YOU AWAY FROM WHERE GOD INTENDS YOU TO BE. IT IS LETTING DESTRUCTIVE PHILOSOPHY TAKE YOU OFF COURSE.

PSALM 119: 9-10

HOW CAN A YOUNG MAN KEEP HIS WAY PURE? BY LIVING ACCORDING TO YOUR WORD. I SEEK YOU WITH ALL MY HEART. DO NOT LET ME STRAY FROM YOUR COMMANDS.

QUESTION- ARE YOU GOING TO FLOAT OR ARE YOU GOING TO PADDLE?

PADDLING UPSTREAM AGAINST THE CURRENT, AGAINST WHAT THE WORLD IS DOING, IS MAKING AN EXERTED EFFORT TO GET AWAY FROM WHAT EVERYONE ELSE IS DOING.

THE DRIFTER ALWAYS GOES DOWNSTREAM- IT TAKES EFFORT TO GO UPSTREAM

ANYTHING DEAD OR LIFELESS FLOATS DOWNSTREAM. SALMON GO UPSTREAM.

HERE IS THE PROBLEM WITH DRIFTING

1. CREATES COMPLACENCY, THE “GOOD ENOUGH” ATTITUDE. WE DON’T WANT TO TAKE THE PATH OF RESISTANCE. WE WANT TO FOLLOW THE EASIEST COURSE- DOWNHILL

WE LIVE IN AN AGE WHERE THE GOD WE CREATED, (NOTICE I SAID CREATED, NOT THE TRUE GOD)WOULD EVER HOLD US ACCOUNTABLE FOR OUR ACTIONS.

WE NO LONGER HAVE TO COMPARE OUR LIFESTYLE TO THE PRINCIPALS THAT JESUS TAUGHT, BUT WE HOLD THEM UP TO SOME OTHER PERSON.

WE FOOL OURSELVES, THAT GRACE IS FREELY GIVEN SO WE CAN LIVE OUR LIVES THE WAY WE WANT TO.

IF YOUR BELIEFS OR THE OPINIONS OF PEOPLE YOUR LISTENING TOO DIFFER FROM THE WORD OF GOD- YOU ARE WRONG YOU ARE MOVING AWAY FROM GOD.

RESULTS OF DRIFTING

LOSS OF GROWTH

YOU WERE CLOSER TO JESUS BEFORE, THEN YOU ARE NOW.

I ALWAYS THOUGHT OF A DERELICT(TERM OF THE 70’S) AS A DRUNKEN, UNEDUCATED, HOMELESS PERSON WHO HAD NOTHING TO CALL HIS/HER OWN. THE PROPER DEFINITION OF A DERELICT IS A DRIFTING WRECKED SHIP. A SHIP WITHOUT A RUDDER AND AIMLESSLY FLOATING AND ENDANGERING OTHER SHIPS BECAUSE IT IS OUT OF CONTROL.

A DRIFTING CHRISTIAN HINDERS GOD’S WORK AND DESTROYS OTHERS AROUND THEM.

FIRST YOU DRIFT IN CALM WATER, THINKING YOU NEED NO PADDLE. THEN YOU FIND YOURSELF GOING FASTER DOWN THROUGH THE CURRENT AND YOU REACH THE POINT OF NO RETURN AND YOU ARE HEADED FOR THE WATER FALL- WITH NO PADDLE

EVERYDAY WE HAVE SIGNS WARNING US OF DANGERS:

STOP SIGNS, TRAFFIC LIGHTS, ROAD CONSTRUCTION SIGNS, SPEED LIMIT SIGNS.

WE GO PAST THE SAME SPOTS AND WE DON’T RECOGNIZE SOME OF THE WARNING SIGNS ANYMORE BECAUSE WE ARE SO USE TO SEEING THEM BUT NOT REACTING TO THEM.

PEOPLE DIE BECAUSE THEY DO NOT HEED WARNINGS.

WE KNOW WE ARE DRIFTING WHEN WE NEGLECT TO PRAY