One of the basic essentials to making process toward spiritual maturity is to recognize that every day is a brand-new opportunity to grow and develop spiritually.
The process of an ever deepening relationship with our Lord Jesus involves: (1) feeding daily upon His Word; (2) communion with Him in prayer; and (3) seeking His face.
These Christians are tempted to stop short rather than go on to grow and reflect His holiness, to bear fruit, to keep serving and to wearing out their spiritual gift.
The question we face this morning is: Are you serious about growth? None of us has arrived.
Because of who He is and what He has done, "For this reason we must be paying much closer attention."
Are we serious about what God is trying to say to us this morning?
2 Timothy 1:13: "Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus" (NASB).
William Barclay said:
There is a vivid picture there - the picture of a ship drifting to
destruction because the pilot sleeps while the insidious current sweeps
the ship past the harbour until it is wrecked. For most of us the threat
of life is not so much that we should plunge into disaster, but that we
should drift into sin. (The Book of Hebrews, 13)
"We must be paying much closer attention." The word "must" or "ought" could be translated "required," "goes with the course."
The Lord Jesus says to the church at Ephesus: "But I have this against you, that you have left your first love" (Rev. 2:4 NASB).
The revelation is anchored. It is we who are drifting. We are manifesting spiritual immaturity when we say we don't make long-term commitments. We talk a good game, we make a lot of promises. When it comes right down to it, we are not passionate about being totally and completely involved in what the Lord wants to do in our lives this day.
1 Timothy 1:19: "Keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith" (NASB).
The rough seas were tearing the anchor from the seabed.
How easy it is in life to get off schedule, to have botched-up priorities, to become tired and bored of the mundane sameness of everything.
We become reactive rather than proactive.
The picture here is of Christians being carried downstream past a landing place, thus missing the goal or destination.
Notice the text says: "we must be paying much closer attention to things which we have heard."
The big question that is asked at this point is, are you drifting?
Maybe you are involved devotionally this morning and you have drifted from His Word. You've lost your fellowship with Him and you no longer have power in prayer.
Drifting is dangerous, doom is pending, and disaster is certain.