Time To Engage: "Distant Discipleship”

Keeping God’s word, therefore, is not beyond our reach, and as believers in Jesus Christ we have the Holy Spirit to guide and empower us along the way. In fact, it was Peter who said that God has given us everything we need that pertains both to life and godliness. (2 Peter 1:3)

With this being said, what keeps us following God at a distance?

I believe God said it best.

“But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, I announce to you today that you shall surely perish.” (Deuteronomy 30:17-18a NKJV)

What Keeps Us Following At A Distance?

Simply put, A Heart Shift

Moving away from God doesn’t begin with wrong activity; rather it begins with a move or a shift in one’s heart. It begins with a heart shift away from God. It’s where we no longer love the Lord the way we once did, which begins when we don’t obey God’s word thinking it’s no big thing, and we start substituting the philosophy of the world for God’s word.

To the church of Ephesus Jesus said, “I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works.” (Revelation 2:4-5a NKJV)

They were doing church for church’s sake. They were acting the part, but their heart wasn’t in it. They left their loving relationship with Jesus for ritual and tradition.

But such a drift takes time, and involves a period of neglect, carelessness, and rebellion against God and His word. We see this in statements like,

“Well, I don’t have to go to church to be saved.”

“I don’t have to give the tithe, God doesn’t care, and He doesn’t need it, but I do.”

“God is a God of love, and besides, marriage is just a piece of paper.”

Statements like these reveal our drift, and that we’re beginning to follow God at a distance. 

So, what are the Signs of a Heart Shift?

Lack of Obedience

Jesus made it clear that our obedience comes from the heart and is a sign of whether or not we love Him.

“Those who obey My commandments are the ones who love Me…All those who love Me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and We will come to them and live with them.” (John 14:21a, 23 NLT)

If we want to solve the disobedience problem, we need to return to that first love relationship we had with Him. How do we get back to that loving relationship?

First, we need to love others as Jesus has loved us. Jesus said, “A new commandment I give you, that you love one another; as I have loved you.” (John 13:34 NKJV)

And second, we need to forgive others as God has forgiven us. Jesus said, “If you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.” (Mark 11:25 NKJV)

The second sign of a heart shift is when we develop God substitutes.

Develop God Substitutes

Through the prophet Jeremiah, the Lord talked about how Israel began to drift and follow from a distance.

The Lord said, “What fault did your fathers find in me, that they strayed so far from me? They followed worthless idols and became worthless themselves.” (Jeremiah 2:5 NIV)