The Danger of Drifting Spiritually

Last time, including my series of Bible studies, we want to call them on the calendar, I showed how important... I showed I had an important spiritual lesson, I should say. We can learn from coming to Pentecost from the day after the weekly Sabbath, that when you count that way it makes Pentecost always fall on a Sunday, thus eliminating a preparation day for Pentecost.

And a spiritual lesson from that is, of course, when it comes to making ourselves ready to become the firstfruits and become the bride of Christ, we can't wait till the last day or the last moment. We have to be working on that now. We have to be working on preparing ourselves for the return of Christ now, not at the last minute. Back on July 25th, Vincent Koviak, who pastors in St. Louis, Missouri, he posted an interesting question on the elders forum, and I didn't respond to it because I wasn't sure what the answer was either. But anyway, it caused me to do some thinking and do a little bit of research, but here's the question. Do any of you have any information on Hebrews 1034, referring to the Hebrews who joyfully accepted the plundering of their goods? Is this referring to the Roman authorities who possibly took possession of whatever people owned? Or is it a reference to the Jews that were expelled from Rome, Acts 18.2, and perhaps were forced to leave possessions behind? I wonder if there are any possible connections to the future of the church with this verse and when persecution sets in. Interesting question. Again, it caused me to pause and think and do a little bit of studying and research. Are there any possible connections to the future of the church with Hebrews 10 verse 34? Especially in regards to where we stand now and in regards to maybe when persecution might set in in the future. Let's read there. Let's go to Hebrews 10 and read Hebrews 10.34, but let's read it in the context in which this is given, which we'll go back and we'll start at Hebrews 10 verse 32. Verse 32 says, Verse 32 says, But recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings, partly while you were made a spectacle both by reproaches and tribulations, and partly while you became companions of those who were treated that way as well. For you had compassion on me, it says, in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven. Therefore, do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God you may receive the promise.

For yet a little while, and he who is coming will come and will not tarry.

Now the just shall live by faith, but if anyone draws back, my soul has no pleasure in him.

But we are not of those who draw back into perdition, but to those who believe to the saving of the soul. Again, verse 34 again, verse in question here, starts out by saying, You had compassion on me in my chains. Now the book of Hebrews is anonymous.

No one really knows for sure who wrote it. Many feel it was written by the Apostle Paul.

And this particular statement right here, You had compassion on me in my chains, would tend to indicate that Paul was likely the author, because of course, as we know, Paul was imprisoned and in change on three separate occasions. So it very well could be the Apostle Paul when he says, You had compassion on me in my chains. Then it says, And you joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods. Then you have a better and enduring possession for yourselves in heaven.

Not that heaven is our reward. That is not that we will go to reward in heaven when we die.

But that a reward of receiving the gift of eternal life that will be deserved for us by God in heaven until we are resurrected, that's going to be an enduring possession at the time of our resurrection. But again, verse 34, You had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and more enduring possession for yourselves in heaven. But visible is an interesting question. Are there any possible connections with this verse to the future of the church? In what ways can this verse apply to all of us, and to God's church, and God's people at this time? At this point in our history, what lesson can it leave us with? Is there a lesson here that directly ties in to making use of the time we have now in order to prepare ourselves to become ready to become the bride of Christ? Again, as I say, this question made me pause and think and say, what can we learn from this? What lessons do apply to us today? So today I want to give all of us some important lessons that we can learn from the book of Hebrews. I'm not going to go through the whole book of Hebrews, but a few lessons here from Hebrews that especially apply to God's church and God's people at this particular time in history, and lessons that we can learn from this section of Scripture here, Hebrews 10 verses 32 to 39. The title for my sermon here actually comes from William Barclay's New Testament Study Bible. In his New Testament Study Bible, he has a title for this section of Scripture, Hebrews 10, 32 to 39, and he titles that the danger of drift. My title, I'm just going to add to that a little bit, is the danger of drifting spiritually. The danger of drifting spiritually. Let's look a little more closely and a little more deeply into who the book of Hebrews was written to. To whom was the book of Hebrews written? Now the authorized version of the old King James says, the epistle of Paul, the apostle to the Hebrews, but in reality it's anonymous.

The title in earlier times before it was canonized in the New Testament was simply to the Hebrews or the epistle to the Hebrews as it is in the New King James. But maybe it's anonymous for a reason. See, far more important than who wrote it is to whom was it written? To whom is this book of Hebrews directly written to? Again, the original title simply says to the Hebrews, well, who were the Hebrews? Well, as we know, you go back, the Hebrews were the sons of Eber going way back, but I'm going to look at it in a more general spiritual overall sense.

And in the Old Testament, the Hebrews were God's people. They were God's holy people who were called out of Egypt, who were called out of the world to be a special treasure to God above all the people on the face of the earth. Deuteronomy 7, verse 6. Today, those of us who have been called out of the world and into the two churches of God, the two become part of the two people of God, whoever they are and wherever they are, are those special people. So in essence, the book of Hebrews is also a book to all of us, to all of God's people today, wherever they are and whoever they are. It's a message to all of God's people today. So let's look then into the book itself to see what it tells us in regards to the question to whom was the book of Hebrews written. It has some interesting scriptures in there that indicate some things. Let me ask this question. You wouldn't normally think about this, but was it written to first-generation Christians or to second-generation Christians? Of course, whatever applies to first-generation Christians also applies to second, third, fourth-generation Christians as well applies to all of us. But it's interesting because God's church today is made up to a large extent, at least, of second, third, maybe fourth-generation Christians. So it makes it interesting to look into the book of Hebrews from that particular point. Interesting scripture there in that regard is Hebrews 2 verse 3. Hebrews 2 verse 3, where the writer says, How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, by Jesus Christ, and was confirmed to us by those who hurt him?

Now, back at that time, those who hurt him, those who hurt Christ and learn from Christ directly, were first-generation Christians. In fact, they were the first of the first-generation Christians, if you will. And those first-generation Christians, those who hurt him directly, then confirmed what Christ taught them to us, it says, to us. The us, then, would be the next generation of Christians, or the second generation. So to a degree, then, at least, the book of Hebrews was written to a group who were now, by this time, second-generation Christians at the time this book was written. That is, they were not brand new to the Christian faith, but they had it passed down to them from their peers, their parents, or whatever, from the other first generation, passed it down to them.

What additional indication is there in the book of Hebrews of that? Let's go to Hebrews 5, verse 12. Hebrews 5, verse 12. It says, by this time, you ought to be teachers.

You need someone to teach you, again, the first principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. So this often indicates these people had had had the truth for a while. At least they had understanding for a while.

The basic principles of truth had been taught to them for some time, apparently.

So they should have been spiritually mature by this time, but the writer of Hebrews says here that they needed someone yet to teach them, again, the first principles of the oracles of God, that they needed milk and not solid food. They weren't quite mature enough to handle solid food yet, even though he indicates that they should have been, because obviously they'd been around for a while, been exposed to the truth for a while. Does the book of Hebrews indicate that these Christians had a fairly long history of being a part of the people of God? And when I say at least one generation or more, maybe two generations. An interesting scripture there is Hebrews 10, verse 32, which we read just a little while ago, but Hebrews 10, 32, let's look at again, where it says, recall the former days. So all these people it's written to had former days as being a part of God's people. Recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated to the truth, you endured a great struggle with sufferings. So it would appear, at least, that many of them had been a part of God's church, going back at least quite a number of years, that they had a relatively long history of being a part of the people of God. Now, when was Hebrews written? Well, if you go and look it up, they'll say anywhere from the 60s AD to the maybe the 80s AD. In that period of time, within 20 years, it's hard to pinpoint exactly. Obviously, the Apostle Paul wrote it, as indicated by verse 34 and chapter 10. If Apostle Paul wrote it, it would have been written probably in the about around the mid 60s AD, 64, 65, somewhere in there, because the Apostle Paul, as far as we understand, was martyred at the end of his third impri- during the time of his third imprisonment, about around around 67 AD, is a guess, when Paul was martyred. So if he wrote it, it would have been written prior to that, probably around 64, 65 AD possibly, in there sometime. But that would still be, you know, 30, 35 years after Christ died.

So at least these people would have been a part of God's church, maybe going back at least 30, 35 years.

They have a relatively long history of being part of God's people.

Again, verse 32, we call the former days, and then it says, in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings.

Now we can all relate to that, but most of us can't anyway. The time- we go back the time that our minds were opened and we became illuminated, whether we- it was for the first time as first generation Christians, or maybe we grew up in a family that taught us the truth, but all of a sudden our minds really became illuminated. Well, yeah, this is it. I know this is right. I want to make a commitment to it. We can all relate to when this- you come to that point and you make that commitment and you get baptized. Many of us, after that, you know, we had a little bit of a struggle sometimes when it came to making that unconditional commitment to God and keeping that and following through on it to put God first in our lives. Sometimes we have struggles and sufferings we had to go through as we made that commitment and we followed through with it. We can all, some of us, recall the former days in which we were illuminated and we can recall the struggles we may have had with maybe with an employer on trying to get the Sabbath off in the holy days, maybe with family members who didn't understand what are you doing, what kind of a church you're getting involved in, maybe with some friends we had that we didn't have quite the same relationship with. Now we're putting God first in our life and making that commitment to follow God because it's going contrary to the ways of the world and it means changing the way we live and we relate to some people in some ways. In other words, it wasn't easy to dedicate our lives to following God and going contrary to the ways of the world and the way the rest of the world is going. And that's still a struggle for all of us sometimes, for second, third, and fourth generation Christians who maybe make that commitment today.

It's much easier, of course, to go the ways of the world than it is to commit your life to God and to God's ways. So the people to whom the Book of Hebrews was written had others also they could look up to, as indicated here, who exercised faith and trials and had seen some of those others who had gone through difficult times and struggles and they remained faithful and they were good examples that they could follow. That's indicated in Hebrews 13.7. Hebrews 13.7, where it says, remember those who are leaders up to this point, who have spoken the Word of God to you, whose faith... Look at how they went through these struggles and trials and they kept the faith. They followed God. They were faithful, even though sometimes they had a lot of struggles they had to go through and a lot of trials. Followed their faith, he says, considering the outcome of their conduct and where they are now. They committed what they made to God.

So these people had teachers and leaders who looked to as examples, had gone through a lot of time and trials and been faithful. So God's Church is a very dynamic organization.

It's changing continually. People come and people go. Trials come and then new trials come along to take the place of the old trials sometimes. And the situation we can find ourselves in at any time in God's Church can change very, very dramatically, maybe very quickly. But there is one constant in God's Church, and it's right here in Hebrews 13, verse 8. Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today, and forever. He's a constant. He never changes. My original question was, to whom was the book of Hebrews written? Well, it was written to a people of God that are very much like God's people today, wherever they are, whoever they are. They had a history, maybe going back at least a generation or more. They had leaders who had gone through a lot of trials and struggles, who people could look to, or knew maybe, and say, yeah, look, they've gone through a lot of trials. They were able to make it through what you can, too. And they had members who were, by this time, second or maybe third generation Christians, as we have today, that had gone through many trials and times of testing, as all of us have. So that then brings us to our next question. Maybe a more important question is, why was the book of Hebrews written? Why was it written? What problem was the writer of Hebrews addressing? What dangers were these people of God facing back when this book was written? What did Paul, the writer of Hebrews, exhort them to do, and for what purpose?

What danger did they need to avoid that he was trying to make them aware of here?

And for the answer to that, we go to Hebrews chapter 2. It's a while ago I read Hebrews 2, verse 3. Let's go now and read Hebrews 2, verse 1. Hebrews 2, verse 1.

Therefore we must give the more earnest he to things we have heard, lest we drift away.

Now the first part of this verse, we must give the more earnest he to the things we have heard.

That ties in with Hebrews 13, verse 9, which I haven't read yet, but Hebrews 13, says, Do not be carried about by various and strange doctrines.

And so that ties in with what he says here, give the more earnest he to things you have heard, because it appears at this time that some strange doctrines are beginning to enter their way into the church or into God's people and find their way in there, which is causing what to happen then. That is part of verse 1 of chapter 2, I mean, lest we drift away. Apparently these different doctrines of things were causing confusion, and they were causing some people to drift away from what they had originally been taught. Now in the first century AD, or CE as they now designated, Christian Era, a lot of the way they traveled by then, especially out there in the Mediterranean, a lot of the travel was either had to go by, they had to walk, they either had a donkey or a horse, or they traveled a lot of times by boat if they could. That was the best way to travel if you could, if you could travel by water or by boat. So the reference here where it says, to lest we drift away, would have readily been understood to those people, because it was a seafaring people to a large degree. They traveled a lot by boat. So that would have been an instant word picture to them of a boat being loose from its moorings and drifting downstream with the currents it was tied against. Now what currents can cause people, God's people today, whether second generation, third generation, or any generation, to be loose from their moorings?

What downstream current can cause people to drift away? This current is a very, very strong current and it's getting stronger and stronger and swifter and swifter every week and every year.

It's the current of the ways of this world and the ways of this world is beginning to be a very strong current. And it's going as fast as it can, it's picking up momentum and it's getting larger, larger river or stream, if you will, and it's going totally contrary to God and it's very hard to go against that current if you're going to make your commitment to God today. Because the ways of this world can not only be very enticing, they can also just be easy to get caught up in. And if you get caught up in that current, it can easily cause a person to be swept away in the wrong direction.

So we must not allow ourselves to be caught up in the current of this world's ways, this world's attitudes and conduct, which flows in the opposite direction of God's ways in the mind of Christ.

And the current, again, of this world, the direction this world is going, is getting stronger and it will cause anyone who gets caught up in that current to drift away.

But to whom was the book of Hebrews written? Well, it was written to all of us.

Well, the special warning to second, third, and fourth generation Christians.

And to all who had the truth passed down to them from others.

Like it says, give them more earnest heed to things we have heard, lest we drift away. Anyway, we look today in God's church and how many youth have been brought up in God's church and young people, and yet a lot of them have drifted away, haven't they? Far too many.

But the book of Hebrews, at least to a large extent, was written to a generation of Christians who were in danger of drifting spiritually, because that's what it would appear. And there are many lessons we can learn from the book of Hebrews, but I want to narrow it down to two overall lessons. The first lesson has two points, and the second lesson has three points.

But those two overall lessons are, number one, what two major things can lead to spiritual drift, and three, what three things can help prevent spiritual drift. So first, then, what two major things can lead to spiritual drift? One of the major things that can lead to spiritual drift is parent loss of leadership, or I want to qualify it the loss of the right kind of leadership.

One person who heard this last week, who was a visitor, said, not loss of leadership, leadership can cause drift, and the wrong kind of leadership can, but the wrong kind of leadership is the loss of the right kind of leadership. So it still falls under the category of loss of leadership. But it's interesting to look what happened back in the case of Moses with Israel. When Moses delayed his return as their leader from going up to Mount Sinai the second time to receive the Ten Commandments, this is in Deuteronomy, or not generally, Exodus 32. This is where, you know, the first time he came down, he saw what the people were doing, he broke the Ten Commandments, and he had to fast for another 40 days and 49s and go back up there again and receive a second set of tablets. This is about that time. Exodus 32, let's begin in verse 1 of Exodus 32. When the people saw the Moses delayed coming down, the people gathered together to Aaron and said to him, well come make us gods that shall go before us. For this Moses, whom we brought out of the line of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.

They rolled golden earrings and so on. They broke them off and so on. They made the golden calf, and they rose early in the next day. Verse 6 offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings where people sit down to eat, and they drank and rose up to play. And the Lord said to Moses, get down for your people whom you brought out of the line of Egypt, corrupt themselves.

They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them, and they made themselves the molded calf and so on. This might have been the first time I forget. I mean, better than the second time, but at any rate, we know they made that golden calf. They went right back to the ways of the world. They went back to idolatry and to go in the ways of the world that they lived in.

So they went back and looked at the world they had come out of for a solution, and they quickly returned to the culture that they had previously lived in.

And again, that can still happen today. For because we know today our real leader is Jesus Christ.

But you can't see Him. You can see Him in God's Word. You can see God's Word.

But it's interesting what happened 2,000 years ago after Christ was resurrected.

Then when His proclaimed return was delayed, they thought He was always going to be there and be their leader. And of course, He died. That shocked them. And they went back to their old former professions. Let's go to 2 Peter, 2 Peter chapter 3, the first two verses.

He said, Beloved, I write to you this second epistle in which both I want to stir up your firm minds by way of reminder that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the prophets and of the commandments of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior.

And the reason being that you can give the more earnestly things you have heard, lest you drift away, as we were told in Hebrews 2 verse 1.

Because some were turning back to the ways of the world in the context here in which He said this. In fact, just go back a few verses to 2 Peter 2, 20. Some were going back to the ways of the world.

The loss of leadership can cause people to drift away.

And that includes the loss of the right kind of leadership, good leadership that's going to keep God's people trying to keep them focused on God and God's ways when they're going through a lot of trials and difficulties when things can be very confusing. Especially if people are not real mature. Now, obviously, when Moses left them, they go up there. Those people were just called out of Egypt. They're very mature. They hadn't grown in maturity yet.

And that's when it's a real danger when you lose leadership. When you've been in the Jewish Church for many, many years, it's not as much of a danger because each person builds their own strong relationship to God. And you're not looking to human leaders. You're looking to Jesus Christ and to God. But Christ, in essence, had to lead them on their own, at least for a large degree there, when He finally sent it back to His Father in Heaven, and they were on their own.

And they had to survive. And that happened with the Apostle Paul, too. The Apostle Paul started many churches, but he would start the church, and he'd stay sometimes for a few months. One place I think he stayed for like 18 months, but then he would leave and go somewhere else to start up more churches and have to leave others there to lead the church and to be the leaders.

And the people then had to follow that new leader, or they had to try to hold on to, even though Paul was no longer there with them. And it's interesting what Paul wrote now. Let's go to Philippians chapter 2. Philippians 2 verse 12. Paul wrote, Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence. He says, I'm not going to be there. He was going, why? And he said, so work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

Don't look to me. I can't always be there. You have to build your own relationship with God and with Jesus Christ, and you have to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Then he says, verse 13, For it is God who works in you. It's not me. It's God who works in you, both to will and to do his good pleasure. But it's interesting that in God's church today, things are changing. A lot more small churches. Pastors have a lot more responsibility to pastor maybe four or five churches in some cases. And there are some cases where a pastor could only be in each congregation once a month, and that congregation then has to be left to watching videos or other local leaders the rest of the time.

So everybody is in the emphasis, everybody's going to have to build a really good, strong relationship with God on their own, through their own efforts spiritually. And that's good, because that's what really can bring us all to the spiritual maturity that God wants to bring us to. But let's look at one additional major factor that can lead to spiritual drift in addition to either loss of leadership or the loss of the right kind of leadership, and that's persecution or trials.

I'm just going to read one brief section of scripture to illustrate that particular point. Paul's final letter that he wrote was to Timothy, written during his third and final imprisonment. At the time Paul wrote that second letter to Timothy, he realized this imprisonment he was in at the time he wrote that letter would likely be his last letter, likely this likely be his death, that this imprisonment is probably going to end up in his death, because the great persecution was now enveloping the people of God, primarily Roman persecution and probably by at the hand of Nero, who was the emperor during this time in all likelihood.

But here's what Paul told Timothy, 2 Timothy chapter 4. 2 Timothy 4, verse let's begin in verse 5. We look at verses 5 and 6. 2 Timothy 4 verse 5, Be watchful in all things, endure afflictions. He's telling this to Timothy, because he knows Timothy's going to have to try to encourage God's people through all these trials and persecutions they're going to be facing.

He says, you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. Then he says, verse 6, for I am already being poured out as a drink offering and the time of my departure is at hand. So Paul, when he wrote this, he realized he may not get out of prison this time. This may end up in his death. Paul's leadership was about to be lost. He was about to become a martyr, if you will. And great persecution was coming upon the people of God. We don't know when that might happen again. It's absolutely amazing, though, to see the direction the world is going when it comes to becoming anti-Christian. I can't even imagine that group of what, and I don't know if they're all Christians, but a lot of them are, there's 40,000 people in Iraq on that mountain, and they're surrounded by ISIS, or that Islamic State group of people. And they come down on the mountain, they're going to be brutally murdered. And they stay up there as they're trying to do now. They're starving, they don't have any food. Their children are dying. Horrible situation to be in. Persecution. And you wonder, can that ever come here? Well, you think, well, that could never come here to the United States? I don't know, could it? You don't know, we don't know what's going to happen, but the world is changing, and things can change very rapidly, and attitudes are changing. The whole culture is changing, and it's not changing in the right direction.

So some of these things that they face then could, we might even have to face in the years ahead of us as well. But all this was already taken to toll, not only on God's people, because of the persecution and trials, but even on the leadership, who were also, back at this time, were beginning to drift away because of these persecution and very sore trials. 2 Timothy 4, verse 9, Be diligent to come to Me, Paul tells Timothy, and try to come to Me quickly, because he wasn't sure how much longer he was to be able before something would happen where he might be martyred or put to death. And then he says in verse 10, For Demas has already forsaken Me, having loved this present world, and has departed for Thessalonica. So persecution and trials, this time becoming so prevalent and so hard to stand up against, that it caused Demas to already drift back into the ways of the world and to depart to Thessalonica, as it says here. Then he goes on, verse 10, and Cressons has gone to Galatia and Titus for Domatia. He says, Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me in my ministry. So only Luke is with me. So all of those who were there with Paul apparently had drifted away and back into the world because of trials and persecutions that were happening, become very difficult to keep that commitment.

But two major things that can cause spiritual drift are the loss of the wrong, the right kind of leadership, or trials and persecution.

However, many like the Apostle Paul and Luke, who stayed with Paul, Luke did, they triumphed and they were made stronger by their trials and persecutions. Instead of being overcome by those trials and persecutions, actually made them stronger. Going on here in Luke 4 verse 16, he says, If my first defense, no one stood with me, they all forsook me, they all thought they're all going to get arrested and put in prison, may not be charged against them. Verse 17, Paul said, But the Lord stood with me, and He strengthened me, and made my commitment even stronger, so that the message might be preached fully through me, with an even stronger message, and that all the Gentiles might hear. Also, I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion, and many commentaries think maybe that was in reference to Nero.

And then verse 18, And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work. Of course, Paul realized that he had absolute faith in the matter, even if it came to the point where he was put to death, he would still be delivered by a future resurrection. He had that kind of faith and absolute assurance. The Lord will deliver me from every evil work, and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom, and to Him be glory forever and ever. Amen. There's one final lesson I just want to bring out here that we can learn from going through and during trials and persecution.

Ephesians 6 13, I won't turn there, I'll just read it, but in Ephesians 6 13, Paul wrote, Take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand. Interesting question then. Is it easier to stand adversity, or is it easier to stand prosperity? See, during times of adversity, we have to go... forces us to go to God, doesn't it? When you're going through a tough trial and persecution, and things just aren't right, and you're struggling, you wonder what's going on, what's happening, it forces you to go to God, to try to get the strength from God, to go through that trial or persecution. But during times of relative comfort and prosperity, it's easy to let down spiritually, and to maybe begin drifting.

So never take yourself out of the battle because things seem to be getting too tough. But battles can make us strong. They can keep us prepared, and they can help us to get strong within faith so we can withstand whatever Satan throws our way, whatever the world throws our way.

Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 2, verses 3 and 4, he said, You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. So Paul likened a Christian calling to being that of a soldier being thrown into warfare. Only our warfare is spiritual warfare. And it's for life, it's a life and death battle that we face.

But what can happen to soldiers who take themselves out of the battle to pursue relative comfort and prosperity? And some have done that.

Some people of God have called have done that because God's too tough, too difficult. It's much easier to go back into the world and not have to have that fight. Interesting example that William Barclay gives. Ancient Carthage was in Northern Africa. It existed as a nation between about 650 and 146 BC. One of its greatest generals was Hannibal, who up to the Battle of Zama in 202 BC had routed the Roman armies. Carthaginians had defeated the Romans. But at the Battle of Zama, a Roman army of 34,000 defeated Hannibal and his Carthaginian army of 50,000. Plus, Hannibal also had 80 war elephants as well. Now, William Barclay in his New Testament study Bible regarding Hebrews 10, he tells us why Hannibal was defeated. It's very interesting what he says. Ease has ruined far more men than trouble ever did. The classic example is what happened to the armies of Hannibal. Hannibal of Carthage was the one general who had routed the Roman legions, while winter came and the campaign had to be suspended. Hannibal wintered his troops in Capua, which he had captured, which was a city of luxury. And one winter in Capua did what the Roman legions had not succeeded in doing. The luxury so sapped the morale of the Carthaginian troops that when the spring came and the campaign was resumed, they were unable to stand before the Romans. Ease had ruined them when struggle had only toughened them. And he says, Barclay says, that is often true of Christian life. Often a man can meet with honor the great hour of testing and trial, and yet lets the time of plain sailing sap his strength and emasculate his faith. So never take yourself out of battle. Battles make us strong. When you're in there fighting and you continue to have to fight, it strengthens your faith spiritually. It makes you stronger to withstand anything else that may come your way in the future. But times of ease can be more dangerous than in times of struggle. Finally, then, what three things can help prevent spiritual drift? What can keep a boat from drifting away in a current while in anchor? Large boats have anchors to keep them from drifting when to keep them anchored. Here's another lesson then from the book of Hebrews. Hebrews 6 speaks of two immutable things, two things that can never change. The first thing Hebrews 6 says is immutable is that it's impossible for God to lie. Hebrews 6, 18, it's impossible for God to lie. That will never change. Any promise God makes, God is going to follow through to keep that promise because it's impossible for God to lie. That is unmutable. That will never change. The second thing which Hebrews 6 calls immutable or things that will never change is the hope that is set before us. Hebrews 6, 19 then tells us the first thing that can help prevent spiritual drift. Let's go to Hebrews 6, verse 19. Hebrews 6, 19, talking about the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor that can cause you from drifting. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, which enters the presence behind the veil, which eventually take us into the kingdom of God and into the very presence of God we hold on to that hope. That'll keep us from drifting. We have to make the sure hope of God's future promises, this steadfast anchor of our very being, of our heart and soul, if you will, and keep that continually before us. Now, second thing we need in order to prevent spiritual drift is we need fortitude and endurance.

Interesting what William Barkley makes in that in that essence, in regards to that. He says, William Barkley says, Perseverance is one of the great unromantic virtues. Most people can start well and almost everyone can be fine in spasms. To everyone, it is sometimes given to mound up with wings of an eagle. In the moment of the great effort, everyone can run and not be weary for a while. But the greatest gift of all, he says, is to walk and not faint. To keep moving forward, maybe one step at a time, no matter how tough it is, no matter how hard, no matter how difficult, you just keep moving forward one step at a time. You never faint. You never give up. That's a real test. One scripture by Christ Himself sums up the second point on what we need in order to help spiritual drift. Matthew 24. I'll start in verse 7 of Matthew 24 because it kind of ties into where we see the world going now. Even though some of these things have happened in the past, they're coming to a more momentum and not right now, right before our eyes. Nation will rise up against nation, verse 7, and the kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and pestilences and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows, because then they'll come to time when they will lover you up to tribulation and kill you.

And you're going to be hated by all nations for My name's sake. And that's starting to happen in the world, against Christians. Christians are beginning to be hated. Again, I mentioned those 40,000 or so that are trapped in that mountain in Iraq, surrounded by this Milton group that wants to just kill them, just because they're Christians, because they don't believe like they do.

Many will be offended and betray one another and will hate one another. Many false prophets will rise and deceive many. And because the love of many will abound, the love of many will grow cold.

And the lawlessness is abounding more and more every day. It should never allow our love for God or one another to grow cold. It should strengthen our love for one another. Verse 13, but he who endures to the end shall be saved.

So the second thing we will all need in order to prevent spiritual drift is fortitude and endurance. He who endures to the end shall be saved. The primary scripture we were looking at was Hebrews 10.34. But right within the context of that very verse, it tells the same thing. Again, verse 34, Hebrews 10, for you had compassion on me and my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and more enduring position for yourselves that is being preserved for you in heaven. Therefore, do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward, for you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God you may receive the promise. So again, emphasizing having fortitude and endurance.

Now let's look at a third thing we need to prevent spiritual drift. It's also given to us right here in the context of Hebrews 10.34. That is, we need a clearer vision of the goal that is set before us. Hebrews 10 here, let's begin in verse 37 again. Read that again. It says, Forget a little while, and he who is coming will come, and will not tarry.

Think, what's going to be brought? Christ is going to return. I don't know, but it's going to happen one of these days. What do you do in the meantime? The just shall live by faith. But if anyone draws back, my soul has no pleasure in him. But we are not of those who draw back, but of those who believe in the saving of our soul. We are of those who keep the hope of God's promises continually before us. We are those who have fortitude and who endure to the end. We are those who have a clear vision of the goal that is set before us. Now here, I want to go on just for a few more minutes here. Here in verse 37, this is a loose quote from Habakkuk chapter 2 verse 3.

You can be turning back to Habakkuk in the minor prophet so you can find it. I'll get there in a moment. It was very interesting that when the time that Habakkuk wrote, he wrote during the very death throes of the house of Judah, just before it fell to the Babylonians. There had been repeated warnings for Judah to change her ways, but she refused. You could say at the time Habakkuk wrote, and if we had now come to the full until there was no more remedy. Actually, before we go to Habakkuk, you can be going there, but hold your place if you found there. Let's just go quickly. I'll just read one scripture. 2 Chronicles chapter 36. Actually, 2 Chronicles is a very interesting book because 2 Chronicles is actually the last book of the Old Testament in the way it was originally arranged, and there's a reason for that, which ties directly into the New Testament, but that's another story. But Hebrews 36, notice verse 14. This gives you the time setting there.

Moreover, all the leaders of the New Testament, 2 Chronicles 36, verse 14, moreover, all the leaders of the priests and the people transgress more and more, according to all the abominations of the nations around them, and they defiled the house of the Lord, which he had consecrated in Jerusalem. And the Lord God of their fathers sent warnings to them by his messengers, rising up early and sending them because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place.

But they mocked the messengers of God, despised his words, and scoffed at his prophets until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, till there was no remedy. And that's where they were at this point. Therefore, he brought against them the king of the Chaldeans. There was no remedy. And this is the time Habakkuk wrote at that point in Judah, who got to that point where there was no remedy. Let's go to the book of Habakkuk chapter 1.

And notice the conditions of the house of Judah as given in the first four verses of Habakkuk 1. The burden was the profit Habakkuk saw. O Lord, how long shall I cry? How long am I crying out to you? When are you going to intervene to bring a halt to all this?

And you will not hear because you don't you're not just haven't intervened yet. Why not?

I even cry out to you. Look at all the violence all around you. Every day, every week, someone's murdered. Some people are slaughtered. Look at all the violence. Look at all the planned violence.

And yet, it doesn't seem like you're intervening to save.

Why do you show me all this iniquity and cause me to see all this trouble?

How long is it going to go on? It says, plundering and violence are before me.

We almost got plundered last night. There's strife and contention everywhere. You see any strife and contention in the world today?

Right here in America? Any violence? Plundering?

And then notice verse 4. We've got laws, don't we? We've got laws in this country.

Do they do any good? The law is powerless, verse 4 says. We've got laws, but nobody enforces them. People get away with murder. The law is powerless. Justice never goes for it. We've got corrupt judges.

The wicked surround the righteous. Therefore, a perverse judgment proceeds.

That was the state of the House of Judah at the time this particular book was written.

There was nothing left for that anyone could do at this point to turn things around.

All the one could do now was to keep a clear vision of the goal that God has sent before him and to live by faith because the fall of the House of Judah was now irreversible because there was no remedy. It had gone too far. There was no way to turn things around.

Go to back up to verse 1. Back up says, I will stand my watch. I will sit myself on the rampart.

And I will watch to see what he will say to me and what I will answer when I am corrected.

Then the Lord answered me, verse 2, and said, write the vision and make it plain on tablets that he may run who reads it. He better react fast when you read this. He better respond to it.

The vision is yet for an appointed time. Time is appointed and this is going to all be fulfilled. And at the end it will speak. It's not going to lie. It's going to come forth just as I have said.

And though it tarries, though it seems to be not happening yet, though it seems to be still tearing and waiting and not happening, wait for it because it is going to happen. It will surely come. And God says, I will not tarry. There's going to be time when that's it. There's going to be no more waiting. God's going to intervene. Verse 4, behold the proud. His soul was not upright in him.

But in the meantime, when it comes to this point, when there is no remedy and iniquity has come to the full, then the just shall live by his faith.

So God's vision through Habakkuk was a vision of the fall of Judah, who's fall was now from a point of time that would surely come because there was no remedy. All on Judah who were still upright must then, from that point on, live by faith, live by his or her faith that they had in God, in God's Word.

The writer of Hebrews is loosely quoting verses 3 and 4 back here in Habakkuk and bide it in a positive way to the return of Jesus Christ and how those who were still upright in the time leading up to Christ's return must also then live by faith and not draw back to the ways of the world which are getting stronger and stronger all the time. Stating in Hebrews 10 verse 39 that we are not of those who draw back but of those who believe to the saving of our soul, the saving of our lives. And to keep from drawing back, we have to keep a clear vision of the goal that is set before us even though through very, very troublesome and difficult times we may face, which is what Habakkuk did as indicated in the very end of this book, the final scripture back of chapter 3 beginning verse 16.

Back to when I heard all this, my body trembled. I thought, wow, what's going to happen in the years ahead? When I heard my body tremble, my lips quivered at the voice. Rotten the center of my bones and I trembled in myself that I might somehow find some kind of rest in peace until that time of trouble came. And I came upon the people because he knew the time was coming when Judah was going to be invaded and Judah was going to fall because he will invade them with his troops.

Then he describes the time that they were living in verse 17, the time, troublesome times ahead, and he describes this poetic form. Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit beyond the vines, though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food, though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no hurt in the stalls, even through all that may be happening, describing how horrible things were going to get, he was going to have to live through. He said, yet in verse 18, I will rejoice in the Lord. I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.

Why? Verse 19, because the Lord God is my strength.

He is my strength, and he will make my feet like deer's feet, and he will make me walk on the high heels. If we, like a backer, keep a clear vision of the goal that is set before us, we too will walk on the high heels. We will be kept above all the turmoil going on all around us, and we will be preserved to inherit the kingdom of God. In conclusion, and there are many lessons we can learn from the book of Hebrews and from Hebrews 10.34, which definitely have connections to the future of God's people when persecution sets in, but this section of Scripture, Hebrews 10.32-39, that we looked at here today, shows us, as William Barkley properly labels it, shows us the danger of drift. So make sure you are properly anchored to God's Word and to your relationship with God and Jesus Christ and to the truth of God's way of life to eliminate the danger of drifting spiritually.