Drifting Away (2)

Introduction

A dramatic word is employed for “drift away,” pararreō, which means “to flow by” or “slip away from.” It describes that carelessness of mind which, perhaps occupied by other things, is not aware it is losing ground. Plato used it of something slipping away from the memory, and Plutarch of a ring slipping from a finger. Another figure often suggested is that of a ship loose from its moorings. The danger highlighted is that of a great loss occurring unnoticed. The cause is not taking seriously the words spoken to them. Inattention or apathy will rob them of their treasure.

Reasons that people drift

1. Depth

Matthew 13:5-7, 20-21

Matthew 13:5-6(NIV)

5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.

Matthew 13:20-21 (NIV)

20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.

Those who settle for a shallow relationship with Christ will find that they will never have the depth to make it through the rough spots of life. The church of today has the spiritual depth of a mud puddle, small and shallow. We think it’s just fine to have this kind of spiritual life but in reality this is far from what Jesus expected of His disciples. The lack of spiritual depth will lead to nothing but a withered and dead spiritual life. 2. Denial - Mark 14:10-11

Mark 14:10-11 (NIV)

10 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them. 11 They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over.

There will be times in our lives when we deny Jesus. For whatever reason, if you’re honest, we’ve all done it. Whether it was simply doing something that you know was displeasing to Him or whether it was a moment to save yourself momentary difficulty. Maybe for you it was a time when you were supposed to speak up and didn’t or when you just didn’t follow the will Christ wanted for your life. There have been times when we all have chosen the easier path and sold out on Jesus. 3. Difficulties - Galatians 4:8-11

Galatians 4:8-11 (NIV)

Paul’s Concern for the Galatians

8 Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. 9 But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable forces[a]? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?10 You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! 11 I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.

When life gets tough we discover the mettle of our faith and the reality of God’s power in our lives. It is only when we hold strong to our relationship with Christ that He in turn holds strong to us. When we come through trials and difficulties with Christ by our side we will find the spiritual strength we so desperately need. 4. Deception - Galatians 1:6-9

6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! 9 As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse! Sometimes people are swayed to follow a doctrine that is false or unscriptural. There are times when people drift in their relationship with God because others have deceived them. It is vital to continually measure your opinions about God and Jesus with scripture. If your beliefs do not match the bible, you are in the wrong. 5. Division - Galatians 2:11-12

11 When Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. There will always be people who will seek to divide those around them. We have to make the choice to stand up when and where God calls us to. Standing for God is not always popular but it is always the right thing to do. The Essential Problem with Drifting 1. You won’t have a proper fear of sin Even good churches will go bad when they fail to recognize sin for what it truly is, rebellion against God. When those who know Christ continue in their sin, they do it in the full knowledge of His goodness and grace. It is an act of rebellion against the grace of Jesus. It is an act of rejection of the goodness of Christ. It is an act of ingratitude for Christ’s forgiveness. We live in an age where there is no longer any fear over the consequences of sin. Our society wants us to believe that God is benevolent and good and would never hold us accountable for our actions. We no longer examine our lifestyle by the principles taught by Jesus Himself in scripture. We often fool ourselves into believing that we live under grace so everything is taken care of and we can live how we please. God is clear on this issue, He loves sinners but hates sin. If God hates sin how can we think that it’s ok? 2. You will not repent your sin The word repent means to turn away from. The biggest problem in the lives of so many Christians is the fact that they may have given their heart to Jesus but never repented of their sins. Too many who come to the altar and pray for salvation walk right back into their old lifestyles and there is no change. The reality is that sin just doesn’t bother us enough to want to change or ask Jesus to help change us. 3. You wont have victory over sin One preacher describes an experience: there was a lady who would come to him every week and tell him where she was struggling. Her words began to bother him because of the nature of her attitude. She would say something like this: Pastor I have been doing my best to live over sin but Satan just keeps beating me. I can’t ever seem to defeat him. The only victory that you have in your life is the one that Jesus gained through His resurrection from the dead. The only victories that Satan can ever have over you are the ones that you let him have. We forget this simple fact and we live far below the level we are meant to be living at. You will never be able to defeat Satan in your own strength. You will never be able to overcome the power of sin in your own strength. The good news is that you don’t have to defeat Satan because he’s already been beaten. Jesus defeated Satan by beating him with a big ugly stick we call the cross. The power of sin is death and death has been destroyed through the resurrection of Jesus. Therefore, the only power sin can have over your life is the power you give in to. Sin only has the power you give it! The power given to you through the resurrection and the Holy Spirit is greater, you have been given victory. Start living like you’ve got it. Stop walking around with a defeated attitude, a defeated outlook and a defeated expectation. You have victory in Jesus and now is the time to live out that victory day in day out. Results of Drifting 1. You stop experiencing Growth We are meant to grow closer in our relationship with Jesus and it is absolutely impossible to grow in a relationship you choose to neglect. When we settle for a lower relationship with Christ we will never have the kind of relationship we are meant to have with Him. We lose the potential that we can only find in Jesus 2. You Stop Appreciating Grace When we live at a lower level we miss out on the higher blessings and benefits of a growing relationship with Christ. Grace is the undeserved favor of God in our lives. When we fail to live in Christ’s power we miss out on the grace moments of life. Grace moments are those times that you can look back and say God was with me in a real way. 3. You Stop Achieving Godliness When we strive to become like Jesus it shows in the spiritual disciplines we choose to live by. When we are not striving for more we tend to walk away from the essential spiritual disciplines. • Daily time with God in prayer and seasons of fasting for greater spiritual growth • Daily time in God’s Word and specific times of reflection • Seeking genuine times of praise and worship • Moving from talking about serving God to walking the talk with God • Burdened with a deep concern for those who are lost What Do We Do About Drifting? 1. Recognize You will never be able to embrace the change God has in store for your life until you recognize your personal need. There will never be a greater movement of God in your life if you are satisfied with where you are right now. How many of you here this morning need a closer walk with God? 2. Remember We must remember the key to a deep relationship with Jesus is the issue of closeness not feeling. You may be close to Christ but not feel like you are or you may be drifting and still feel as if you were close to Christ. Never base your relationship with Christ on the way you feel because feelings are fickle and they will betray you. If you can remember a time in your life when you were closer to Christ than you are right now, you need to get back to that place. Remember where you were. Remember what Jesus has done for you. Remember when you knew His presence and knew His power 3. Repent If there was a time when you were closer to Jesus, what made that a reality? 9 times out of 10 our relationship with Christ drifts when we neglect the spiritual disciplines such as prayer, reading the Bible and worship. Repent means to turn away from. Turn away from your neglect of your relationship with Jesus. 4. Return Return to the practices that helped you to grow and develop as a Christian. Return to your daily devotions. Return to your closer walk with Christ. Return to where you belong. 5. Revival When you make the effort to get back to God, He will bring inner revival to your soul. When you strive to be more like Jesus, He will bring a greater love into your life. When you seek more of the Holy Spirit, He will fan the flames of faith within your heart. Conclusion A few years ago a freighter sailing from Great Britain to the coast of France was experiencing engine problems. In fact, the engines had completely failed, just off the French coast, and the ship was beginning to drift at sea. The problem was that the tides were pulling the ship to the coast and a rocky shoreline that would inevitably cause the ship to crash. Such a crash could cause the loss of cargo, the loss of life or even the loss of the entire ship. The cause of this situation was neglect of proper care of the engines. The reason the engines shut down was due to a lack of lubricant. In other words, those in charge forgot to check the oil and let it run out. When you neglect your spiritual walk for even a short time you begin to drift away from God. Today, if you not as close to Jesus as you have been or know that you should be, make things right. Stop the drifting and draw closer to Jesus. Stop drifting and decide now to come back to the relationship you have been missing. Stop drifting and develop that intimacy you long for with Christ.