Hebrews 2:1 HOW ARE YOU CAPTAINING YOUR SHIP

Hebrews 2:1 “We must, therefore, pay even more attention to what we have heard, so that we will not drift away.”

1. COMMON THOUGHTS ABOUT DRIFTING

1. Drifting requires no effort *Stop rowing and the boat will drift *Same in the Christian life

2. It is an unconscious process *The undercurrent will drift your boat *Same in the Christian life- individuals and churches drifting into error

3. You will never drift upstream *Faithfulness to God is like rowing upstream *We must consistently continue to grow

II Peter 1:5 “For this reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with goodness, goodness with knowledge” II Peter 3:18 “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

4. As we float downstream our speed increases and we become a danger to others *When you can hear the waterfall it is too late *As believers, the farther we drift the less likely we are to hear God

*A drifting ship is a hazard to all other ships *Many drifters are tossed around by the wind

Ephesians 4:11-16 “And He personally gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, for the training of the saints in the work of the ministry, to build up the body of Christ, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into a mature man

with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness. Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit. But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into Him who is the head—Christ. From Him

the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building up itself in love by the proper working of each individual part.”

5. A drifting life will end in shipwreck *You will end up crashing on the rocks or go over the falls *For those who drift spiritually, there is no escaping the punishment- Hebrew 2:1-3

II. COMMON SIGNS YOU ARE DRIFTING

1. A lack of desire to study God’s word and pray *The Bible provides instruction for daily life

Psalm 1:1-3 “How happy is the man who does not follow the advice of the wicked or take the path of sinners or join a group of mockers! Instead, his delight is in the Lord’s instruction, and he meditates on it day and night. He is like a tree planted beside streams of water that bears its fruit in season and who’s leaf does not wither.”

*Jesus loved communicating with His Father Mark 1:35 “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, He got up, went out, and made His way to a deserted place. And He was praying there.”

Mark 6:46 “And after He said good-bye to them, He went away to the mountain to pray.” Luke 18:1 “He then told them a parable on the need for them to pray always and not become discouraged.”

2. A lack of desire to be with God’s people *We should be excited about our corporate worship time Psalm 122:1 “I rejoiced with those who said to me, let us go to the house of the Lord.”

*It should extend beyond that into everyday life Romans 14:19 “So then, we must pursue what promotes peace and what builds up one another.” Hebrews 3:13 “But encourage each other daily, while it is still called today, so that none of you is hardened by sin’s deception.”

*The right friends will strengthen you and the wrong ones will lead you to sin I Corinthians 15:33 “Do not be deceived: Bad company corrupts good morals.”

3. A lack of desire to share the Gospel *There is a desire to say it and show it Acts 8:4 “So those who were scattered went on their way preaching the message of good news.”

4. An increasing desire for the things of the world *Do we treasure God or this world more

I John 2:15-17 “Do not love the world or the things that belong to the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in him. For everything that belongs to the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride in one’s lifestyle— is not from the Father, but is from the world. And the world with its

lust is passing away, but the one who does God’s will remains forever.”

*Do we have an increasing enjoyment for things of this world II Timothy 3:1-5 “But now this: Difficult times will come in the last days. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, slanderers,

without self-control, brutal, without love for what is good, traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to the form of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid these people!”

III. HOW DO WE STOP DRIFTING

1. Keep rowing

1. Keep rowing 2. Watch out for the undercurrents

1. Keep rowing 2. Watch out for the undercurrents 3. Expect to go against the tide

1. Keep rowing 2. Watch out for the undercurrents 3. Expect to go against the tide 4. You must have a strong anchor

*Grounded in Christ Colossians 2:6-7 *Anchored to the truth Ephesians 4:14-15

Are you drifting toward the rocks of spiritual destruction? Are you floating to the waterfall of a ruined life?