Returning to God: Overcoming Spiritual Drifting

 

Summary

In today's message, I explored the theme of spiritual drifting, using the beach as a metaphor for the ease with which we can find ourselves distant from where we started, particularly in our relationship with God. I drew parallels between the physical act of drifting on a beach and the spiritual drift that can occur in our lives due to various 'currents' such as materialism, sexuality, busyness, pride, and tragedy. These forces can subtly pull us away from God if we are not vigilant.

I reflected on the story of Jacob in Genesis 35, highlighting how even a patriarch like Jacob was prone to drift away from God. Jacob's journey back to his father's home in Hebron was marked by partial obedience, which led to significant consequences for him and his family. I emphasized that partial obedience is still disobedience, and it can open us up to unnecessary pain and heartache.

I shared how Jacob's decision to stop short of God's destination for him resulted in his family being influenced by the surrounding culture, leading to tragic events such as the violation of his daughter Dinah and the subsequent revenge taken by his sons Simeon and Levi. This period of Jacob's life serves as a cautionary tale about the cost of compromise and the importance of full obedience to God's direction.

I encouraged the congregation to identify areas in their lives where they may have compromised their faith and to seek purification from ungodly influences. I urged everyone to listen to and fully obey God's voice in all things, just as Jacob eventually did when he returned to Bethel, repented, and recommitted his life to God.

I concluded by reminding the congregation that God is always pursuing us, even when we drift. Like Jacob, we are called to return to our first love, to repent, and to recommit ourselves to God. By doing so, we can experience God's redemption, restoration, and blessing in our lives.

Key Takeaways:

- Spiritual drifting is a subtle process that can lead us away from God, much like the unnoticed drifting on a beach. We must be aware of the 'currents' in our lives that can pull us from our spiritual moorings and take proactive steps to anchor ourselves in God's truth. [37:04 ]

- Partial obedience to God's will is a form of disobedience that can have significant consequences. Like Jacob, we may be tempted to stop short of God's full calling for our lives, but we must strive for complete obedience to avoid the pitfalls that come with compromise. [44:18 ]

- The influence of culture can be powerful, and without vigilance, we can find ourselves adopting worldly values and practices. It is essential to regularly evaluate our lives and remove anything that does not align with God's standards, just as Jacob instructed his family to do. [55:14 ]

- Listening to and fully obeying God's voice is the remedy for spiritual drifting. When we realize we have strayed, we must return to a place of surrender and follow God's guidance, as Jacob did when he went back to Bethel and renewed his commitment to God. [49:27 ]

- God's relentless pursuit of us is a testament to His love and grace. No matter how far we have drifted, God is ready to receive us back and restore us. We must respond to His call, repent, and embrace the relationship He offers, just as Jacob did. [01:03:46 ]

Study Guide

### Bible Study Discussion Guide

#### Bible Reading
1. Genesis 35:1-4, 6
2. Genesis 35:2-5
3. Revelation 2:4

#### Observation Questions
1. What specific instructions did God give to Jacob in Genesis 35:1-4, and how did Jacob respond? [48:55]
2. According to Genesis 35:2-5, what actions did Jacob instruct his household to take before returning to Bethel? [54:33]
3. In the sermon, what were some of the 'currents' mentioned that can cause spiritual drifting? [37:04]
4. How did Jacob's partial obedience lead to significant consequences for his family, as described in the sermon? [42:03]

#### Interpretation Questions
1. Why is partial obedience considered disobedience, and what were the consequences of Jacob's partial obedience? [41:31]
2. How does the story of Jacob illustrate the subtlety and danger of spiritual drifting? [37:04]
3. What does it mean to "purify our lives of ungodly things," and why was this necessary for Jacob and his family? [54:33]
4. How does Revelation 2:4 relate to the concept of returning to one's first love, as discussed in the sermon? [53:29]

#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your own life: Are there any 'currents' such as materialism, busyness, or pride that are causing you to drift away from God? How can you address these influences? [37:04]
2. Have you ever experienced a time when partial obedience to God led to unintended consequences? What did you learn from that experience? [41:31]
3. Jacob instructed his family to get rid of foreign gods and purify themselves. Are there any 'idols' or ungodly influences in your life that you need to remove? What steps will you take to do this? [54:33]
4. Think about a time when you felt distant from God. What actions did you take to return to Him, and how did that impact your relationship with God? [53:29]
5. How can you ensure that you are fully obeying God's voice in your daily life? Are there specific areas where you feel God is calling you to make changes? [48:55]
6. In what ways can you recommit to your 'first love' for God this week? What practical steps will you take to renew your relationship with Him? [53:29]
7. How can you support others in your small group or community who may be experiencing spiritual drifting? What role can you play in helping them return to God? [01:03:46]

Devotional

Day 1: Anchored Against Spiritual Drift
The subtle pull of life's currents can lead us away from our spiritual anchor. Recognizing these forces is the first step in maintaining a close relationship with God. Materialism, sexuality, busyness, pride, and tragedy are like the undercurrents at a beach, often unnoticed until one finds themselves far from where they began. It is crucial to remain vigilant and proactive in one's spiritual life, constantly checking one's position against the truth of God's Word. This vigilance involves prayer, reading scripture, and fellowship with other believers to help resist the drift and stay anchored in faith. [37:04]

Hebrews 2:1-3 (ESV): "Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?"

Reflection: What 'currents' in your life might be pulling you away from your spiritual anchor, and what practical steps can you take to resist them?

Day 2: The Peril of Partial Obedience
Partial obedience is a deceptive form of disobedience that can lead to significant consequences in one's spiritual journey. Like Jacob, who stopped short of God's full calling, believers today may be tempted to compromise, rationalizing that partial obedience is sufficient. However, this can open the door to unnecessary pain and heartache. It is essential to strive for complete obedience to God's will, understanding that anything less can lead to pitfalls and compromise the blessings God has in store. [44:18]

1 Samuel 15:22-23 (ESV): "And Samuel said, 'Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry.'"

Reflection: In what areas of your life might you be practicing partial obedience, and how can you commit to fully obeying God in those areas?

Day 3: Purifying from Cultural Influence
The culture around us can exert a powerful influence, leading us to adopt values and practices that are contrary to God's standards. It is essential to regularly evaluate our lives and remove anything that does not align with God's truth. This purification process involves a conscious decision to reject worldly values and to embrace the principles found in Scripture. By doing so, we can protect ourselves and our families from the negative consequences that come from cultural assimilation. [55:14]

Romans 12:2 (ESV): "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."

Reflection: What aspects of the surrounding culture have crept into your life, and how can you take steps to purify yourself from these influences?

Day 4: Heeding God's Voice
Listening to and fully obeying God's voice is the antidote to spiritual drifting. When believers realize they have strayed, it is crucial to return to a place of surrender and follow God's guidance. This act of obedience can lead to renewal and restoration, as it did for Jacob when he returned to Bethel. It is a call to listen intently to God's voice through prayer, scripture, and the counsel of godly mentors, and to respond with decisive action. [49:27]

James 1:22-25 (ESV): "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing."

Reflection: Can you identify a time when you heard God's voice but did not fully act on it, and what can you do to ensure you respond obediently in the future?

Day 5: Embracing God's Relentless Pursuit
God's relentless pursuit of His children is a testament to His unfailing love and grace. No matter how far one has drifted, God is ready to receive them back with open arms. This pursuit calls for a response: to repent and recommit to the relationship God offers. Like Jacob, who returned to his first love and experienced God's redemption, believers are invited to embrace God's grace and to live in the fullness of His blessings. [01:03:46]

Lamentations 3:22-23 (ESV): "The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."

Reflection: Reflect on a time when you felt distant from God. How can you respond to His pursuit today and recommit to your relationship with Him?

Quotes

"Life just like the ocean is full of all kind of currents that pull us away from the god whom we love. We've got currents of materialism and currents of sexuality and currents of busyness and pride, and even tragedy that life just like the ocean is full of these currents that if we're not careful it will pull us away from the god whom we love." [37:04 ] ( | | )

"Partial obedience is still disobedience. Like for 8 years man he was outside the will of God and during that 8-year period that he is outside the will of God, the ways and the things of the world have begun to influence his family in a very dramatic and impactful way." [57:15 ] ( | | )

"Instead of us being Salt and Light which is what Jesus tells us to do, sometimes we begin to look and act just like the world around us and instead of us wetting people's appetites and making them thirsty and hungry for the things of God, all of a sudden we begin to just kind of fit in with everybody around us." [58:41 ] ( | | )

"The remedy to our drifting, the remedy to our compromise, is to listen to and fully obey the word of the Lord. The First Step that we got to do when we recognize like Jacob that we've drifted is we have to listen to and we have to fully obey the word of the Lord." [48:55 ] ( | | )

"God but there also has to be a time of repentance in our own life where we get rid and we have to purify our lives and our families of the ungodly things that while forgiveness comes from God, we have to do our part, we have to listen to, we have to obey, we have to cleanse our own life, we have to repent and come back." [59:12 ] ( | | )

"God is not the one who moved, it was Jacob. And listen, the same thing is true in our life, if this morning you find yourself you've drifted away from God, hear me today, God is not the one who left you did, you're the one who drifted just like at times of my life I've been the one who drifted." [01:03:18 ] ( | | )

"God loves us and God is going to pursue us. See, listen to what it says in Psalm, this passage of scripture Psalm 24:3-6... Such is the generation of those who seek Him, who seek your face, who oh god of Jacob. Isn't that awesome?" [01:05:23 ] ( | | )

"Jacob makes the transition from knowing about God to knowing God in a real and personal way. It was at Bethel that Jacob recognized that there's a real heaven, there's a real hell, there's that moment where Jacob recognized that heaven is not only a real place, it's an accessible place even for someone like him." [51:22 ] ( | | )

"By telling Jacob to go back down to Bethel, what God is saying to Jacob is, 'Hey, if you want to close this Gap because you've drifted away from me, then listen, you need to get back to the place where you are fully committed and surrendered to me.'" [52:52 ] ( | | )

"God speaks to Jacob yet again, God blesses Jacob, God reminds Jacob I've got plans and purposes for your life, I've got big plans and big purposes for you and your family for generations to come and God reminds him of all that." [01:00:44 ] ( | | )

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Transcript
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