Sunday, October 23, 2016 - Are You Drifting?
Pastor Roger Marcos
Oct. 23, 2016
WORSHIP IN SPIRIT MEANS TO WORSHIP IN LOVE.. TO WORSHIP IN LOVE MEANS TO WORSHIP IN TRUTH. - No love no Worship!
There was a young lady prayed before the worship Lord, if I hurt anyone, GIVE ME THE STRENGTH TO APOLOGIZE and if people hurt me give me the love, faith, and strength TO FORGIVE.
Gratitude: Tersita, Miezel, and Kaithlyne for the Initiative giving the appreciation for the entire leadership 2016. Thank you all!
ARE WE DRIFTING? How Do You Know that You’re Not Drifting? Read our text:
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. Hebrew 2:1-3 NKV
1 That is why we must hold on all the more firmly to the truths we have heard, so that we will not be carried away. 2 The message given to our ancestors by the angels was shown to be true, and those who did not follow it or obey it received the punishment they deserved. 3 How, then, shall we escape if we pay no attention to such a great salvation? The Lord himself first announced this salvation, and those who heard him proved to us that it is true. GNT
In chapter one of Hebrews there are no commands for the church. We are not told to do anything. The whole chapter is a declaration and celebration of God's final word to the world -- Jesus Christ the Son of God. The chapter begins, "God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in his Son." This is the point of chapter one: something utterly stupendous happened in the coming of the Son of God.
All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are in Jesus (Colossians 2:3). Beyond what the Old Testament told us, whatever we need to know about God and how he relates to our lives we learn from what we hear and see in God's final, decisive Word, Jesus Christ.
That's the message of chapter one: God has spoken by his Son and this Son is Creator and Sustainer and Owner and Ruler and Redeemer of the world. There are no commands for us here. Only declaration and celebration of the greatness of Jesus, the final Word of God
The question today? Is “Are You Drifting?" Would you know it if you were?
With this message today, is enough to look and evaluate our own lives regarding the danger of drifting away from the Lord. Consider..
I. THINGS WE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT DRIFTING..
DRIFTING: be carried slowly by a current of air or water.
DRIFT: to move slowly, especially as a result of outside forces, with no control over direction.
Therefore We Must Pay Much Closer Attention to what we have heard, Lest We Drift Away From It. Hebrews 2:1
That is why We Must Hold On All the More Firmly to the Truths We Have Heard, so that we will not be carried away. GNT
The First Command in Hebrews -- Listen!
But in chapter two the first thing is a command or a duty -- something we must do. And the connection with chapter one is very important. Chapter two begins, "For this reason . . ." (Or: some versions have, "therefore"). In other words chapter two begins by telling us that chapter one is the reason for this duty. Because God has spoken by his Son in these last days, and because he is the Creator and Sustainer and Owner and Ruler and Redeemer of the world -- above all angels -- therefore ("for this reason . . .") "we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard."
So the first command in this book -- the first duty mentioned -- is that we give heed to the Word of God in his Son. We could boil down the two chapters so far to this: "In these last days God has spoken to us by a Son . . . for this reason we must pay closer attention to this word that he has spoken." In other words, God has spoken by his Son, so listen, listen very carefully.
What do you listen to? Whom do you listen to? God has spoken through his Son, do you listen to him? How does your listening to him compare to your listening to other things?
On and on it goes. We all want to listen to something. And we make plans for our listening and we buy things and go places and make sure we are not distracted. So how does all this compare to our listening to God's Word to us in his Son? Are you listening to that? Are you making provisions for that?
THE REALITY OF DRIFTING
The writer of Hebrews began with the possibility of God’s people drifting: so that we do not drift away”. Lot’s when he pitched his tent toward Sodom. He allowed the secularity of Sodom to influence him and his family.
Samson drifted in his relations with Delilah. He allowed himself to drift gradually into the thought patterns of the pagans.
David was a man after god’s own heart,” but in a moment of leisure, his heart drifted with lust toward Bathsheba. Peter did not mean to deny the Lord. His denial of Jesus came as a result of drifting away from commitment to Christ.
A. DRIFTING REQUIRES ABOSOLUTLY NO EFFORT.
1. Just stop oaring or tacking against the wind, and a boater will begin to drift.
2. The same is true for the Christian, that’s Why We Are Told:
"We must give the more earnest heed..." - He 2:1- “We Must Pay Much Closer Attention”
Then again in Hebrews 12:1-2 the author says, "Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus." There it is again: "Fix your eyes on Jesus." Consider Jesus! Listen to Jesus!
It is not a difficult command: Listen! Consider! Look! These are not hard things to do -- unless we don't want to do them. The first command of this book is not "labor for Jesus", but "listen to Jesus." He is not commanding us to work for him, but to watch him. All our spiritual life-changes come from that (2 Corinthians 3:18).
HEED V- To mind; to regard with care; to take notice of; to attend to; to observe.
HEED, n. Care; attention
1. Caution; care; watch for danger; notice; circumspection; usually preceded by take.
Take heed of evil company. Take heed to your ways.
2. Notice; observation; regard; attention; often preceded by give.
The preacher gave good heed. Eccles.12.
3. Seriousness; a steady look.
B. IT IS AN UNCONSCIOUS PROCESS ... (Eve in the Garden of Eden)
1. It is possible to drift unaware.
In a boat, the undercurrents are often unnoticeable from the surface and you may begin to drift and not realize it.
In a plane, the wind or gravitational forces move the plane without you realizing it. You’re not really aware of the speed that you are traveling.
2. The Same Is True in the Spiritual Realm.
Many individual Christians have slowly drifted away. They start filling their lives with worldly things and slowly and surely they start drifting away from God.
THE REASON FOR DRIFTING- The writer of the letter to the Hebrews diagnosed the cause of drifting as neglect. The believers were neglecting their great salvation experience in Christ, and this neglect caused them to drift
C. IT ENDS IN SHIPWRECK...
A boat a drift will crash on the rocks or go over the falls.
For those who drift spiritually through their own neglect, there shall be no escape from a just punishment
Hebrew 2:1 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,
The danger of drifting is real, or there would be no need to warn against it. So again I ask, "Are You Drifting?" To help answer the question, here are some...
II. COMMON SIGNS OF DRIFTING.
How can you tell if you’re drifting? Here are a couple of warning signs:
A. DIMINISHING DESIRE TO STUDY GOD'S WORD AND PRAY... You spend little, if any time reading God’s word and praying - “I’m just too busy right now to read and pray.”
Why We Neglect Our Bible Reading:
Many Christians find it difficult to get into a daily habit of Bible reading
Causes of Bible neglect in the Christian life, like: “I don’t read my Bible because..
. . . it seems so irrelevant to my life.”
. . . I don’t have time.”
. . . I go to church every Sunday.”
. . . I find it confusing.”
Psalms 1:1 Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. 3 He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.
When one loses their desire to study God's word, they are drifting!
Prayer is a wonderful blessing - an avenue to communicate with God!
Jesus, who loved His Father, prayed often - Mk 1:35 (before daylight); lk 6:12 (prayed all night)
He expressed concern that His disciples not grow weary to pray -
Lk 18:1Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart,
-- When the Christian prays less and less, he is drifting more and more!
B. DIMINISHING DESIRE TO BE WITH GOD'S PEOPLE.
1. This includes attending services to worship God on Sunday. (Sometimes, sending text or call people to find out what’s wrong or what happen when they are not at the church).
When a church member misses worship service, the church drastically suffers.
The Bible is emphatic about church attendance. The writer of Hebrews challenges us with convicting words, “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching” Hebrews 10:25 Have you ever thought about the effect your absence has in the House of God? When you are not there:
The body of the congregation is incomplete.
Your voice is not heard in the worship and singing.
You can’t partake the Lord Supper
You cannot contribute in the offering
So instead then.. Everyone should have the same attitude of the Psalmist -
Psa 122:1 I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go into the house of the LORD."
If we no longer rejoice in the worship of God in the presence of brethren, we are drifting!
Fellowship with God's people extends beyond the services of the church because we are to be concerned with edifying one another.
We have examined several signs of drifting away from God. Now let’s take a look at some..
III. REMEDIES AGAINST DRIFTING.
A. KEEP ROWING...
If you don’t want to drift in a boat you keep oaring. The same thing is true spiritually We need to strive with all diligence to grow in our faith. Yes we need to abound or increase our faith daily.
2 Peter 1:5-10 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these things is short-sighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. 10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble;
There is no place for "retirement" in living the life of a Christian! - Just look at Paul for an example. He lived a faithful life unto death. 2Tim 4: 7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
B. WATCH OUT FOR UNDERCURRENTS...
We must always be on the lookout for undercurrent of temptation. Peter tells us,
1Peter 5: 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
Peter goes on and tells exactly how we watch out for this.
9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.
CONCLUSION
1. Brethren, are we drifting?
The danger is real, we would be foolish if we never believe.
Many strong Christians have drifted away from the Lord and we would be arrogant to say it could not happen to us!
If we see that we are drifting from the Lord in any one of these then lets us encourage one another to give earnest heed as warned by the writer to the Hebrews:
"Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, 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..."
Brethren, our salvation in Christ is simply too great for us to neglect!