Forward 3: Spiritual Drifting Hebrews 2:1-4 Pr Chris Kam | 16/17 Jan 2021 ============================= (Hebrews 2:1-4 NIV) 1 We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. 2 For since the message spoken through angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, 3 how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. 4 God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will. # Five danger warnings in Hebrews # 1. Neglect (Heb 2:1-4) 2. Unbelief (Heb 3:7,8) 3. Falling Away (Heb 6:4,5) 4. Willful Sin (Heb 10:26,27) 5. Falling Short of the Grace of God (Heb 12:15) # Five setbacks that caused us to drift. # 1. Misplaced Schedule 2. Misplaced Affections - (1 John 2:15) Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. 3. Discouragement or Disappointments 4. Abundance - (Proverbs 30:8,9) “Give me neither poverty nor riches … Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you.” 5. Parasitic Sins – (Heb 12:1) “… the sin which so easily entangles us.” Big Idea: Spiritual drifting toward destruction # A. What is drifting like? 1. It requires no effort. 2. It is done unconsciously. 3. You never drift upstream or against the tide. 4. Downstream speed increases. 5. Danger to others. 6. Ends in shipwreck. # B. What are the signs of drifting? 1. No desire for God’s Word and prayer. 2. No desire to be with God’s people. 3. No desire to share the Gospel. 4. Increased desire for things of the world # C. How do we stop drifting? 1. Keep rowing in a specific direction. • (Phil 3:12-14) - 12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 … But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. 2. Watch out for undercurrents. • Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? • Proverbs 4:23 Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. 3. Expect to go against the tide. 4. We must have a strong anchor. • Rooted and grounded in Christ (Col 2:6,7) 6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. • Minds must be anchored to the truth (FAITH) (Ephesians 4:14) Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. • Possessing an unshakable hope (HOPE) (Hebrews 6:18,19) … 19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. • Rooted and grounded in the love of Christ (LOVE) (Eph 3:16,18) … And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ … Our spiritual emphasis this year: CHRIST IS MORE THAN ENOUGH! (Hebrews 12:2) … fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. Books by Stevens and Kaye Chan: (1) I Was Blind Now I See (2) My Resilience Recipe Application Questions: ====================== 1. Where do you think you are now in terms of spiritual drifting? Given a scale of 1 (backslided badly) to 10 (on the right track), what number would you pick for your current state? 2. Have you ever back-slided from your faith before? Describe what happened. Was it due to any of the five setbacks described above? How did you recover? 3. Were you able to spot the five signs of drifting that happened to you? Describe your experience. 4. Based on your current state, what can you do to prevent from spiritual drifting? Set some practical steps for yourself. 5. Discuss in your CG how you can hold each other accountable to pray for 5 people with the hope of seeing them come to know Christ. What can the CG do to help you in this?