The Danger of Drifting

Hebrews 2:1 – “Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.”


How can I not go the way of the world?

Asked positively – How can I go only the way of God?


We are all apt to drift because:

  1. It is easy to drift away from the things of God.

  2. We drift when we fail to attend all of the church services.

  3. We naturally drift and lose spiritual power when we fail to pray as we should.

  4. We naturally drift and lose spiritual power when we fail to read our Bibles.

  5. Our nation has drifted from where it started, and people and churches have drifted away from where they started.

The following examples clearly show the slow progression away from Godliness and toward wickedness. It is important to understand that these laws were made starting in 1947. These laws were made by the courts (not by the legislative bodies of congress) in order to change that which was already there. From the founding of the United States of America, it was legal to do what these court created laws prohibited.

Ø In 1947, the Supreme Court in Everson vs. Board of Education deviated from every precedent for the first time and in a limited way affirmed a wall of separation between church and State in the public classroom.

Ø In 1962, 40 years ago, in Engle vs. Vitale, the Supreme Court removed prayer from public schools. We know that before 1962 it was legal to pray in public schools.

Ø On June 17, 1963, the Supreme Court ruled in Abington vs. Schemp that Bible reading was outlawed as unconstitutional in the public school system. Bible reading in public schools was legal before June 17, 1963.

Ø In 1965, the Courts removed the right of a student in the public school cafeteria to bow his head and pray audibly over his food. Before 1965 any student could pray audibly in any public school cafeteria.

Ø On January 22, 1973, in Roe vs. Wade, the courts decided that a woman’s right to an abortion fell under the right of privacy, protected under the 14th amendment. It is plain to see that the founding fathers had no intention of making abortion legal when they wrote the constitution.

Ø In 1980, in Stone vs. Graham the Ten Commandments were outlawed in our public school system. Before 1980, the Ten Commandments were displayed in many public schools. It is odd that the Ten Commandments are prohibited from public schools, yet to this day, above the seat of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court; the Ten Commandments are listed with the American eagle standing symbolically protecting them. Yet those justices said, "Not for our children."

Ø Find that piece in the July Baptist Challenge that tells of the delivery of cheese to Thomas Jefferson the third president of the United States, _____________ and his subsequence letter to the Baptist explaining about the separation of church and state, and how on Sunday this American president attended church services in the House of Representatives and was preached to by the man (Leland) who the president had written the letter to.

Check out the list I put by the side of the bed. If I am not mistaken, these statistics were true in 1996.

  1. 60% of Florida citizens were not born in the U. S.

  2. 28% of California citizens were not born in the U. S.

  3. 10% of Texas citizens were not born in the U. S.

  4. This shows us the terrible consequences of politicians letting all kinds of people into this country for votes. How will the U. S. be in years to come?


Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, speaking to the American Constitution Society (liberals) noted the value of foreign jurisprudence in shaping the court’s rulings, argued that it was acceptable to be influenced in decisions by international law and the provisions of the constitutions of other countries. She said, “Our island or Lone Ranger mentality is beginning to change” as justices become “more open to comparative and international law and perspectives.”


Some might think we will stay true to God if we keep the doctrines correct. Keeping doctrines is correct, but we can have all the true doctrines, and still depart from the love of God.


Remember that Satan never appears as evil, but always as an angel of light. His ways are logical, and good to keep us out of trouble and deliver pleasure to us. (At least for the short run.)


2 Timothy 4:10 For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.


Paul did not say that Demas had forsaken God, but that Demas had forsaken him. Demas did not rebel against God openly, but in his heart he had rather live in peace on this earth than fight the good fight of faith.


Compare to Alexander who openly opposed and fought Paul and the gospel of Christ. 2 Timothy 4:14-15 “Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works: Of whom be thou ware also; for he hath greatly withstood our words.”


Barnes - Verse 10. For Demas hath forsaken me. Demas is honorably mentioned in #Col 4:14; but nothing more is known of him than what can be gathered from that place and this—that he was at first a friend and fellow-labourer of Paul, but that, under the influence of a desire to live, he afterwards forsook him, even in circumstances where he greatly needed the presence of a friend.


Having loved this present world. This does not mean necessarily, that he was an avaricious man, or that, in itself, he loved the honours or wealth of this world; but it means that he desired to live. He was not willing to stay with Paul, and subject himself to the probabilities of martyrdom; and, in order to secure his life, he departed to a place of safety. The Greek is, agaphsav ton nun aiwna—having loved the world that now is; that is, this world as it is, with all its cares, and troubles, and comforts; having desired to remain in this world, rather than go to the other. There is, perhaps, a slight censure here in the language of Paul —the censure of grief; but there is no reason why Demas should be held up as an example of a worldly man. That he desired to live longer; that he was unwilling to remain, and risk the loss of life, is indeed clear. That Paul was pained by his departure, and that he felt lonely and sad, is quite apparent; but I see no evidence that Demas was influenced by what are commonly called worldly feelings, or that he was led to this course by the desire of wealth, fame, or pleasure.


And is departed unto Thessalonica. Perhaps his native place. Calmet.


Family New Testament Notes - Having loved; this life and its enjoyments so much that he left Rome to avoid the danger of losing them.


(WWR – this reflects a lack of faith on the part of Demas for God to keep his earthly riches for him. Demas felt compelled to keep his riches himself.


Matthew 13:22 – “He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.”

Luke 8:14 – “And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.” The parable of the sower – one type of the seed fell on ground, but the thorns and weeds of this world caused no fruit to completion.


Be careful of how far we go in our own thinking, because we can easily go too far away from God. Example: (1) Read about checking out what we believe for future generations because we know the truth and we will not go away from the truth because we have a stable background of truth. This is found in the book we preachers have been studying. (2) The issue of how a church is organized. The issue is two sided. One is that a church cannot be properly organized unless it is done a certain way. The other side is that none of this matters, but that God organizes churches without any input from man – that the only true churches are “self-constituted.” Both are wrong. The procedures of church organization is important only to the extent that God is included. If God is not there, there is nothing to a formal church organization. (3) God saves people, but God uses means to bring the gospel to them.