A Warning Against Spiritual Drifting

Welcome to the intensified Catholic child family for Wednesday, September 14, the Bible alerts believers to the strong pull of the world, strengthen your commitment to Christ.

With today's morning again spiritual drifting is a very discomforting feeling to realize that you not where you all agree the relationship of the Lord and not where you will be, but it's even more discomforting to realize that you just don't even know how you got where you are. You certainly did not make a decision to choose to disobey God walk away from him and start living in sin. And so when you begin to realize that something's not right. You probably recall the past when you have peace with God and peace with yourself. How is it that now you could've drifted so far away what caused that to happen.

How did it happen. Why did it happen. How can you recover from all over to get back where you want to be what's what I want to talk about in this message I want to talk about a warning against spiritual drifting and when you turn if you will, to the book of Hebrews and wants to read just a few verses of the second chapter of Hebrews. The first four verses of this chapter, which is a very clear warning from God about drifting from him and his truth, and so he begins by saying, for this reason, which will explain in a moment.

For this reason, we must pay much closer attention to what we've heard, lest we drift away from it or if the words spoken through Angels proved unalterable that is unchangeable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense that is a fair reward.

How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation. After it was that the first spoken through the Lord. It was confirmed to us by those who heard God also bearing witness with them both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

According to his own will, he says. For this reason, we must pay much closer attention to what we've heard, lest we drift away from the other two terms here that are used in nautical ways seagoing ships and so forth. When he says, for example, the second one first. He says Leslie drift away that word simply refers to and was used of ships that would drift away from harbor all drift by the heart when he says, for example, we must pay much closer attention to at that phrase was used in terms of something that was anchored to a thing and so therefore what he saying here is this lest we drift away from our relationship with our Lord. Unless we drift away from an intimate relationship with him unless we drift away from those things that we know to be true. He says we must pay much closer attention to what we've heard listed you and I live in a fallen world is a world that is full of everything imaginable to draw us away from Almighty God.

A warning against drifting medicine. Nobody ever drifts into a holy life. No one ever drifts in the sanctification. No one ever drifts in the garden living no one are ever drifts into obedience to God that is always running against the current of the world we live in a fallen world. Everywhere you turn there is sin and disobedience and unrighteousness and untruth and evil and wickedness and lost and all the things that go with the world system which he warns us about that.

He says, beware lest you find yourself drifting into all of that drifting from the truth that you know and so it's dangerous to drift because this you do not drift upstream and downstream. You never drift toward God, but away from God. You never drift toward strong beliefs.

You drift away from strong belief. This is why he says, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation now some others as well. Why you drifting away. What causes people to drift will more than likely if I should say to you one of you come up with some reason why you have ever drifted and more than likely all of us to come up with something, but I would just begin with the bird basic reason people drift in their relationship with the Lord drift away from being the person's God wants him to be drift away from God's best, and the like. One of the do it. The lots reason going to give you several number one just simple neglect. Neglect of reading God's word neglect of spending quality time in prayer with him and neglect of corporate worship samosas you Mia to not have to be a check from to go to heaven though now you know the children to get there, but my friend, you will get Deborah happy. Listen, he says forsake not the assembling of yourselves together. There's a reason God wants his people to fellowship together.

We need one another. He's given us all different spiritual gifts while in order to help one another, God knows, in a fallen world's people need to be together. Worship him. Together, I could stay at my house, and worship God by myself and you know it wouldn't be nearly as enjoyable when it comes there worship has been time of the Lord paren I enjoy that. But there's something about getting in this place and singing together and praising God and seeing each other looking smile as well people's faces and watching them rejoice in our member on to our rallies that we had heard the same message both times when I was up in the Northwest part of our country in one state.

Another part of that country and one of the interesting things. I kept hearing from people they were just thanking us for coming and only known only when you know what I was saying. The thing that's so exciting about this is that we are seeing so many other Christians. We haven't seen a crowd this big and so long it's just encouraging none of the other folks out there like us and see if you neglect the assembling of yourself. If you neglect the fellowship of God's people.

You going to miss some, and one of the reasons people drift away from the Lord is they get to visit just don't have time to read God's work, they begin to neglect it.

Well you not want to stand and I don't since I don't understand. It also partly reads of motto understands that the preacher preach and I listen to Hillman and let him explain it, but the you know, why should I recently don't understand you understand because you do read you know what, if you not spending time with him.

If you not in his word. I don't mean you have to have some big-time Bible study with ripple dictionaries and commentaries and I'm a target that would lease reading God's word said Lord speak to my heart Lord speak to my heart utilizes you got the same Holy Spirit in you that I have in me. He can teach you the truth of his word, and so therefore this excuse will you not as though understand and always your understated is to get in and read it and then got situated me, you neglect his word. You neglect prayer you neglect, corporate worship, you will drift away from God. He didn't give us this just for our enjoyment.

But for safety and artless not just save us. Once background and experience with the Sabres continually from wrecking and running our life.

He says not what is a lamp on the my feet and a light in the my pad and our member David said he said before I was afflicted, I want to stray but now thy statutes and over and over and over again.

He refers in the 19 somebody statutes are laws that commandments. So when the primary reasons people drift. No time for God's word no time for prayer or just a little bit of this is something justice of the subject conscience and the and so therefore you know this move on with life and listen I can. You know what I can do just like you can I can sentencing a human think of a lot of things living think about the words I can read the script to be thing that some houses like you can and is it true that you can be talking to God in prayer, think about something else absolutely.

So when we told that drifting if the only, praying you doing as they met some else while you're talking to him and reading the Scripture. They met some else while you're reading it and sitting him or something. And you know what was going to happen and not listening you are to drifting.

So we talk about quality were talking about giving God you genuine attention, listening to what he has to say God will you speak and what he is saying to my heart that apply this to my heart got what you want to say to me Lord through all of this will certainly one of the reasons is just to neglect the second reason is this, and the lots of and that is a lack of sense of direction for your life.

You know what, if you have a sense of direction of your life. If you are interested in God's will feel like you going to drift.

If you have a sense of direction, then God's course for your life. His choice for your life's purpose for your life's goals for your life and then not even meaningful enough to you to seek God's direction, then you're going to drift because what's life all about.

If you not on his course in his path. You have a sense of direction for your life and you decide. Living day-to-day, week to week and one of these days that younger son when you're done. Maybe go to heaven is that you gonna drift because you you not directed toward anything. What is God's course rely.

He has a course for every single one of some of the primary reasons is that oftentimes relaxants of direction. Another is the influence of other people and that is we drift. Listen we drift because we let Joan to someone or we want someone else, and what happens is we pick up on what they say what they do.

Think about all the negative things are going on the world. Think about all the negative talk that you hear on the radio or television negative negative negative negative negative habit of people talking about God talk of the Lord Jesus Christ. If you allow yourself to listen to and be influenced by people around you.

You will drift away from God by following them. They're not gonna compensate please leave your God, and follow me know. It's that suppleness that Satan uses things that they say people get involved in this involvement. Next thing you know what they're involved in takes precedence over their relationship to God. The next thing you know they're in real serious trouble. A lot of people drift lots of reasons one the reasons is there unsure about what they believe is personally get say nobody ever teaches the truth about it takes time to instruct them to disciple them and so they come along. They get hit situations and circumstance of all the temptation. Maybe over something in getting the grief and discouragement and guilt and know how to work through all that and how to get forgiveness in several days thing the Lord is not working in an sans muscle give up and stop praying and stop because is not working in a way and so because they will understand the Scripture know understand what they really believe and how it works. They just begin to drift away from God, which leads me to say when the primary reasons is that people begin to doubt when people begin to doubt God. They gonna start drifting you start doubting God. Next thing you gonna know if you doubt it will. While reading, I don't understand it and I'm not sure this is really true. Anyway, and I hear that the lots of mistakes in the Bible and so they begin to doubt what happens, they begin to drift. Well I think were the primary reasons people drift is this in some area of their life. Satan finds their weakness and they begin to be tempted and they keep on falling in the same temptation keep on being defeated over and over and over in the same temptation life on the say you know what Christian life is not what it's cracked up to be. It's not working. I pray and look at me now not promise God's will to God and and told that I would not do this again and now. Then again something is wrong so you know what I must've this forget it because I just now I'll go to church God. Now pray and I'll read your word Lord is just I don't understand this and so they begin to drift away from God. I'm not doing any of those thing.

Satan's founder, weakness, and he's hit them with. Then of course when the primary reasons people drift is because they become preoccupied with the things in life rather than the source of life which is God himself. If you think about the day that more people in the most narrow in church today number one shopping day in America Sunday. What is that say it says things take precedence over my relationship to God. He says forsake not assuming it is so still I know that's what it says but after all, you know you can go to church all the time the loan shall never hurt anybody besides it you not to work six days a week of five days a week. You gotta take salad often son his own dad got the not only a drifting, drifting from God that they gonna drift themselves right into debt and all kinds of things. This is when you start drifting.

It isn't just one thing that happened all, things begin to become involved as a part of that and so the lots of reasons people drift in and you probably have thought about some of those yourself now is the big question I watch this carefully. How do you recover how does a person restored from this drifting and you and you you got yourself in the biggest mess you so ashamed of yourself. You got guilt and anxiety, frustration and fear, and you can tell your hearts begin to be the heart about things of God and you know like it this way, you don't want it this way you won't have peace with God, you won't have peace. In itself you want to read the problems that you want to pray you will have fellowship you will be with God's people. Yes yes yes I do all hello I get back and remember what we said listen very carefully what we said where people drift.

They drifted all companies. How far can a person drift. How far can you drift you can drift. So far, that God's chastising hand upon you. It will seem almost on bearable to Barrett to get that you can drift so far that God's chastising hand can be so painful it's almost unbearable for you, but you cannot drift so far that you just beyond his love beyond his forgiveness and beyond his restoration. He's there waiting for you my friend.

The only reason he sends pain and emptiness and frustration and anxiety is because he's trying to rescue well how do you get rescued how to get restored how to get back where you are therefore simple. Listen for simple steps. I didn't say they were easy, very essential steps to being restored was the person acknowledging that I've been drifting confessing to God. That's what's going on in my life, Lord, as you warned us here you want is against drifting and got that's what I've been doing so you confess you acknowledge it you recognize that's what I've been doing the second step is very simple but very important. The acknowledgment of drifting must be followed by genuine repentance. Repentance is not just feeling sorry. Repentance is not crying repentance is not feeling guilty. All three of those things to be a part of it that's not what repentance is repentance is a decision. Repentance is a change of mind. I don't want to continue this way. This is not God's best. This is not God's will.

I don't want this kind of life out what the consequences. And I don't want to miss God's best. It is a change of mind is a change of mind.

This can result in a change of direction and conduct. A person cannot repent of their sin and keep on doing the same thing they're doing.

They can feel sorry for they can confess that they can weep they can feel guilty until counselors over and over and over to the oldest was going on in my life. That's not repentance. Let me make something clear of all the counselors but I will tell you what many people do when they face what's going on in their life rather than repent of their sin. You know what they do, they will go talk to a counselor because it makes them feel good to talk about when the truth is they need to genuinely repent of their sin have a change of mind and turnabout and move in the right relationship. So step number one acknowledging recognizes true confessing step number two, genuine repentance, change of mind this a decision to change the way I'm going change the way of living, and number three return to a life of submission to the will and purpose of God for your life return to a life of submission to the will and purpose of God be like if you don't go back to a submissive life before I God, you have Gina repent. Repentance is going to lead you to a life of submission to God genuinely return God I choose to walk in obedience to you.

Once the fourth step simply this, you make a decision to re-adjust the priorities of your life in the prior art in your life is your personal relationship with God through his son Jesus Christ and so was the project I'm going to make Bible reading and Bible study meditation upon God's word, the priority of my life everyday.

I'm going to spend time with him. Quality time sharing the heart and talking to him and getting to know him better. Again, I'm going to meet with God's people fellowship and worship with them. You see, it's a change of priority, no matter how far you've drifted what you've drifted into as a loving father willing to rescue you willing to draw you back, but it takes your acknowledgment convention repentance and submissive will and a change of your lifestyle in order to be recovered and to remain. Thank you for listening to a warning against spiritual drinking if you like to know more about Charles Stanley are intact ministry intact started writing this podcast is the presentation of intense ministry in Atlanta, Georgia