The Danger of Drifting Away

Introduction

Most products today—no matter what it is—comes with a warning label. It’s probably because companies are afraid of being sued for any reason—especially by people who do really dumb things with their product and wind up getting hurt. This week, I looked up some of the most ridiculous warning labels and I wanted to share a few with you.

On a letter opener package, a warning label read, “Safety goggles recommended.” Someone some dimwit hurt his eye with a letter opener.

On a Dremel rotary tool, the warning label read, “This product is not intended for use as a dental drill.”

On the packaging of a Superman costume, the warning label read, “This costume does not enable flight or super strength.”

The warning label on a sun shield reads, “Do not drive with sun shield in place.”

Some warnings are serious, though.

Sometimes, we have to warn our children of dangers…rooted in love.

This morning, as we come to Hebrews chapter two, we find the first of FIVE warnings the author issues to believers throughout this letter.

The Five Warnings

Against DRIFTING away from the Word of God

Against DOUBTING the Word of God

Against growing DULL towards the Word of God

Against DESPISING the Word of God

Against DEFYING the Word of God

CONTEXT

Why this letter was written—to Jewish Christians who were tempted to go drift backwards to Judaism.

They are being pulled back to the “old” system of Judaism—compromise and leave the faith. It was “easier.” There was more acceptance by the Romans if you were Jewish…persecution.

Hebrews 2:1–4 (ESV)

Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

“Therefore”—everything he’s just written/argued—Jesus is the full and final revelation of God. He is greater than any prophet. He is the Creator. He is greater than the angels.

Main Point: Pay close attention to the gospel so that you do not drift away from Jesus.

1. The Warning of Drifting

Drifting doesn’t happen over night. It happens slowly and subtly. Implied, here, is that drifting away from the gospel/away from Jesus happens when we DON’T “pay close attention” to what we have heard. In other words, we drift when we aren’t intentional.

There have been several times when my family and I are at the beach and me and the kids will be out in the ocean playing…just having a good ole’ time. You’ve probably experienced this, too. You go out in the water and look back to the shore where your stuff is…maybe where your wife is sitting and telling you that the water is too rough for the kids. Anyway, you’re out there and you’re playing with the kids and you’re having a good time and a little while later you look up at the shore and you’re not in the same spot you started. You didn’t stay intentionally locked into your point of reference and you’ve wound up a quarter-mile down the beach.

Now, we laugh at that and can all relate to that but drifting can be really dangerous. Just a few years ago, one of our church members, Jeff Baldwin almost drowned!

Drifting happens when you lose your point of reference. You don’t try to drift.

Marriages drift in intimacy and closeness over time. Churches drift from their mission when they neglect their purpose. Business drift from their core values.

Now, remember, this letter is written to believers. But, I believe that there’s a word of warning here for both believer and unbeliever.

Neglect the gospel//drift from the truth and you will bring judgment on yourself.

The author doesn’t say “what” we will escape but he does point to the Israelites of the OT.

OLD vs. NEW—If the “old” law had consequences for transgressions…?!?!

For unbelievers—the bible is clear. There is an eternal consequence for not paying heed to the message of the gospel—hell.

Now, I want to be clear about something. Some people will take this passage and argue that the author is saying that someone can lose their salvation. I do not believe that

the author says that there are consequences for our sin. God takes sin seriously.

2. The Warning Signs of Drifting

We neglect what we don't view as important.

Again, it’s implied, here, that drifting begins when we don’t “pay close attention” to what we have heard.

Is the gospel/Jesus just a slice of the pie of your life?

We neglect what we don't view as valuable.

“such a great salvation” // the infinite value of your salvation

the grace upon grace that you have received from God through Jesus

The blood that was shed for your salvation

The love that you are loved with by God even while you are in your sin

We neglect what we don't view as true.

The author argues, here, for the validity of the message of the gospel.

3-fold witness—The Lord (Jesus); the apostles; the miracles and works of the Holy Spirit through the apostles.

“relevant”

Churches that drift from the gospel—changing what they believe about social issues…drifting away from what the Word of God says and conforming to what the world says.

Bringing God’s judgment on them.

Is the way that we live our life make God a liar?

3. The Way We Can Avoid Drifting

We come back to verse 1…we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard.

“continue to give oneself to”

Daily nurture your love for and devotion to Jesus by anchoring yourself to the gospel.

Kristy and I will drift apart from each other in marriage if we aren’t paying close attention to one another. You will drift in

Is Jesus greater to me than anything that would cause me to drift?

Repeat—we drift when we’re not intentional.

Would you, being honesty with the Lord, say that you’ve neglected the gospel in your life?

The author isn’t saying that they have drifted—he is warning them that there is a temptation to DRIFT…and he’s warning them of the disastrous outcome in their lives and church if they allow themselves to drift from the gospel.

On the morning of December 6, 1917, the world witnessed the greatest man-made pre-atomic explosion in history in Halifax, Canada. It was one of the greatest disasters caused by negligence. The SS Mont-Blanc, a French ship, collided with the SS Imo, a Norwegian ship, early morning. SS Imo was carrying war relief supplies. It needed to quickly get out of the harbor. The SS Mont-Blanc had both right of way and an explosives-laden cargo. The blast had the equivalent of 2.9 kilotons of TNT, making it the greatest in history up to that point, and the largest until the atomic bombing of Japan in 1945.

This disaster caused by negligence resulted in nearly 2000 dead and 9000 injured. The casualties included sailors on the two ships as well as onlookers at the harbor-front. Because of the ongoing world war, port authorities had eased safety protocols to speed up operations. Experts believed that if these protocols were properly followed, this disaster would not have happened.

(https://www.oshaoutreachcourses.com/blog/5-workplace-greatest-disasters-caused-by-negligence/

Heed the warning. Neglecting the gospel leads to catastrophe. If a church drifts and neglects the gospel, people die and go to hell.

If a believer neglects the gospel it leads to catastrophe and disaster in our spiritual lives.

Make this your prayer today:

O to grace how great a debtor daily I’m constrained to be…

Let they grace, Lord, like a fetter bind my wandering heart to Thee…

Prone to wander, Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I love…

Here’s my heart, Lord, take and seal it, seal it for Thy courts above.

PRAYER TEAM

ANNOUNCE GINGER & STEPHANIE