Let Us Not Drift: How Familiarity Makes Church People Miss God

Sermon outline

Knowing the Scriptures and the routine of church cannot replace knowing God personally, so guard against drifting and unbelief and take the first step to a supernatural year: let us fear the Lord.

1. The Hebrew believers had every advantage

   The Hebrew believers did not struggle with idolatry and false cults, because they had the law of Moses; they knew the Old Testament Scriptures; and they were familiar with the temple, its sacrifices and worship. The church today is the same: free from idolatry, at home in the Word and familiar with the order of a service.

   Illustration: We know when the songs come and how to clap, when the offering scripture is read and to get our offering ready, then the announcements and the saying of the grace.

   “We're familiar with the temple.”

2. You can know God's ways and still miss God

   With all those advantages we can still miss God, as the Israelites did: they knew His word and His ways but did not want to know Him intimately, preferring to hear God through Moses. In the New Testament church God wants each individual to have an intimate relationship with Christ and to know Him for yourself.

   “We can become so familiar with the word of God and the ways of God that we can miss God.”

   • Exodus 20:19

3. The danger of drifting and unbelief

   The Hebrews had been lulled into a false sense of security that their spiritual condition did not justify, so they were in danger of falling away, drifting and unbelief, and so are we. With an abundance of information on iPads, the internet, television and magazines, there is still an open door for unbelief to come in.

   Illustration: Friends, or even someone at the bank, ask why you tithe and give that much to the church; if you have not made a quality decision, they can sway you. Stories of preachers misusing money do not justify withholding the tithe: prisons are full of people whose mothers dreamed of a Prince Charming, yet nobody stops having babies.

   “In me giving God, I'm not a loser. I prosper in giving to God.”

   • Malachi 3:10
   • Genesis 1:28

4. Step one: Let us fear

   The first step to a supernatural year is Hebrews 4:1, 'Therefore, let us fear'. It is not the spirit of fear God has not given us, but a godly reverence and awe that the charismatic church has lost, because we do things for people and culture rather than out of the fear of the Lord. Nobody can fear God on your behalf: work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, because the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. The Hebrews had all their ducks in a row, but they became lazy, drifted and stopped fearing the Lord.

   “It's not for me to fear for you, but for you to fear for yourself.”

   • Hebrews 4:1
   • 2 Timothy 1:7
   • Philippians 2:12
   • Proverbs 9:10

5. Do not harden your hearts

   Hebrews 3:7-14 warns, 'Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.' Life is challenging because there are so many deceitful people: at work, in business and even in church, not everyone is upright, and some are waiting for you to fall. Be so wise, sharp and fearful of the Lord that the Holy Spirit leads, guards and guides you, because dealing with deceitful people for a long time can make you cynical.

   Illustration: He heard a commentator say of a presidential candidate in another country that he was too good and upright a man to be president, because he would not be able to handle the snakes.

   “Even in the church, we're not all sheep.”

   • Hebrews 3:7-14
   • Matthew 25:32