DANGERS OF DRIFTING FROM GOD

Hebrews 3:12-13

 

Hebrews 2:1-3 – 1   Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. 2 For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, 3 how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him…

 

INTRODUCTION:

A.                 Writer of Hebrews knew of the dangers of drifting from God

1.                  He warns of its possibility

2.                  Hebrews 3:12-13 – 12 Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you and evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; 13 but exhort on another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

 

B.                 These words were written to Hebrew Christians

1.                  They had faced great trials for their faith in Jesus

2.                  Many were being tempted to turn back to the law of Moses

3.                  The Law which had been taken away through Christ

 

C.                 The Hebrew writer shows that Christ is our High Priest

1.                  After the order of Melchizedek – Hebrews 5:6

2.                  This was a different priesthood from Aaron’s that was under the Law of Moses

 

D.                This Law was changed

1.                   Hebrews 7:12 – For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law.

 

2.                  Goes on in Hebrews 7:18 – For on the one hand there is an annulling of the former commandment because of its weakness and unprofitableness…

 

3.                  He continues in Hebrews 10:9-10 –   9 Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God. He takes away the first that He may establish the second. 10 By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

 

E.                 There was a danger

1.                  For those who tried to go back to the old law

2.                  Galatians 5:4 – You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.

3.                  Just as there was a danger then – There is a danger now

 

F.                  Let’s look at some Dangers of Drifting From God

 

BODY:

I.                   THE DECEPTIVENESS OF DRIFTING

A.                 Many people don’t deliberately turn against God – Many Drift Away

 

B.                 This Drifting

1.                  Occurs slowly

2.                  Hard to detect

3.                  End result is just as fatal as openly rebelliously turning away from God

 

C.                 Stationary relationship with God

1.                  Cannot be sustained

2.                  We either draw closer to God / Slip further away

3.                  Either Better  / Worse       Higher / Lower

4.                  If we are not progressing in righteousness then we are retreating

 

5.                  Hebrews 2:1-3 – 1   Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. 2 For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, 3 how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him…

 

6.                  A person does not have to openly rebel against God to be lost

7.                  We can also be lost by drifting away through neglecting God and His will for our lives

 

II.                DRIFTING IS A GRADUAL PROCESS

A.                 Hebrews 2:1 tells us - Take Heed lest we DRIFT away

 

B.                 Deterioration

1.                  Seldom a sudden process

2.                  A decaying farm house often changes so slowly that the farmer is unaware of the changed until it is beyond repair

3.                  Soil erosion may be so gradual that the farmer is unconscious of the threat to his field until the worth of his land is permanently destroyed

 

C.                 Spiritual erosion

1.                  Is the same way

2.                  It may be so gradual that we end up in disaster and not realize how we got there.

3.                  When looking at the surface of a calm lake – No sign of movement or current

4.                  Yet, in the morning may find a floating log on a distant shore

5.                  Drifting will not attract attention as a sudden lurch would

6.                  Yet the end result may be even greater

 

D.                Our Spiritual life

1.                  No current may be detected on the surface

2.                  But an undertow can cause a drift that can take us far away from God

3.                  Subtle influences / Pressure of worldly affairs

4.                  These things can cause us to drift off course from God’s ways and teachings

 

III.             WE SEE EXAMPLES OF DRIFTING IN SCRIPTURE

A.                 The Pre-Flood people

1.                  Did not suddenly renounce their allegiance to God

2.                  They drifted away in small steps

3.                  Until they were so far away that we see in Genesis 6:5 – Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

4.                  God finally brought a flood to destroy the earth – Except for Noah and his family

 

 

 

B.                 Israel

1.                  Time and time again they drifted away from God

2.                  Until God allowed them to be taken away into captivity

 

C.                 King Jereboam

1.                  Turned Israel away from God

2.                  He did this by things that seemed to be small and harmless

3.                  Jerusalem is too far for you to go worship our God

4.                  So he made two calves of gold and said

5.                  Then said in 1 Kings 12:28-30 –   28 “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt!”29 And he set up one in Bethel and the other he put in Dan. 30 Now this thing became a sin, for the people went to worship before the one as far as Dan.

 

6.                  Jereboam was branded as the “One who made Israel to sin”

 

D.                God

1.                  Shows us these examples and others as warnings

2.                  He tells us to “Take Heed” – Psalm 119:9 / Eccl. 12:9 / Acts 8:6 / Heb. 2:1

 

E.                 God continued to give us warnings through Paul

1.                  1 Cor. 11:28 – But let a man examine himself…

2.                   2 Cor. 13:5 – Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith.  Test yourselves.

 

F.                  We need to check ourselves and see where we are in our spiritual lives

 

IV.              LOVE OF THE WORLD CAUSES DRIFTING

A.                 One of the most dangerous factors in drifting

1.                  The desire to conform to the world

2.                  Our desire to be accepted by others leads us to the point of compromise

3.                  We want to be accepted by others so bad – We will soft step around Bible teachings so we won’t offend someone else

 

B.                 We want to be accepted by the world

1.                  We want to be in favor in the sight of our neighbors / friends

2.                  It is convenient to ease our conscience with the idea that “times have changed”

 

C.                 God tells us

1.                  2 Cor. 6:17 – Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord

 

2.                  Romans 12:2 – And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

 

D.                It is easy to DRIFT WITH the world

1.                  It is hard to stand against the multitudes and stand for Truth and Righteousness

2.                  1 John 2:15 – Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

3.                  If you really care what the world thinks – There is a great possibility that you are drifting from God – Right Now

 

V.                 ANOTHER SIGN OF DRIFTING IS SPIRITUAL IRRITABILITY

A.                 Spiritual Irritability

1.                  Bickering / Backbiting

2.                  Selfish whims and desires

3.                  These are signs of possible drifting

 

B.                 Other signs

1.                  When we ridicule the work of the church

2.                  When we gossip and fault-find / When we tear down instead of build up

3.                  Not only are we drifting away from God – We are nudging others farther away from God

4.                  If we find that Godly People are rubbing us the wrong way – It just may mean that we have the problem and we are the ones drifting

 

VI.              LACK OF SPIRITUAL APPETITE ALSO SIGNIFIES DRIFTING

A.                 Lack of hunger and thirst for righteousness means we are drifting from God

 

B.                 Such a person

1.                  May go for days without spiritual food

2.                  May find themselves absent from times of fellowship

3.                  May be Worship / Bible Study / Bible Classes

 

C.                 Drifters

1.                  Feel one hour a week is sufficient and the rest of the week the Bible lays unopened

2.                  Don’t allow Spiritual Things get in the way of “Living a Christian Life”

3.                  Compare themselves with the bad parts of the world and not against “The Word”

 

VII.           RELIGIOUS IDLENESS PORTRAYS DRIFTING

A.                 This is probably the most noticeable symptom

1.                  Anything lifeless will drift with the tide

2.                  And the tide of the world will not draw one closer to God

3.                  It takes Energy and Action to stand against the influence of the world

 

B.                 Fish

1.                  A dead fish will drift with the current

2.                  A live fish will swim against the current

 

C.                 Christian

1.                  A dead Christian will drift with the worldly currents

2.                  A live Christian will fight against its pressures

 

VIII.        HOW CAN WE PREVENT DRIFTING?

A.                 We must be aware of the possibility of drifting

 

B.                 Ephesians 5:14-16 -   14   Therefore He says: “Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.”  15   See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,   16   redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

 

C.                 Once we are aware

1.                  We must take active steps toward God

2.                  We must realize that we didn’t drift far away from God overnight

3.                  We must also realize that we won’t drift back to God

4.                  It must be with deliberate steps

 

            D.        Hebrews 11:6 – He is a rewarder of those who those who diligently seek Him.