Peace and Safety
David Wilkerson emphasizes the importance of remaining steadfast in faith to avoid spiritual drifting and apathy.
David Wilkerson emphasizes the danger of drifting away from Christ, warning that spiritual neglect and apathy can lead to a loss of communion with God. He highlights the importance of not just reading the Bible for quantity but for understanding and meditation, urging believers to heed the warnings of Scripture. Wilkerson encourages self-examination and diligence in maintaining a strong relationship with Christ, reminding us that we are partakers of His grace as long as we remain steadfast in our faith. He calls for a spiritual inventory to assess our walk with Jesus and to guard against complacency. Ultimately, the sermon serves as a wake-up call to remain vigilant in our faith and relationship with God.
Text
There is one thing I dread above all others and that is that I would drift away from Christ. I shudder at the notion that I would become slothful, spiritually neglectful, caught up in prayerlessness, and go for days without seeking God's Word. In my travels around the world I have witnessed a "spiritual tsunami" of evil drifting. Entire denominations have been caught up in the waves of this tsunami, leaving in their wake the ruins of apathy. The Bible warns clearly that it's possible for devoted believers to drift from Christ.
A Christian who goes after "peace and safety at any cost" and merely hangs onto salvation pays a high spiritual price. So, how can we guard against drifting from Christ and neglecting "so great a salvation"? Paul tells us how: "Give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip" (Hebrews 2:1).
God isn't interested in our being able to "speed read" through His Word. Reading many chapters a day or trying to get through the Bible quickly may give us a good feeling of accomplishment. But what's more important is that we "hear" what we read with spiritual ears, and meditate on it so that it's "heard" in our hearts.
Staying steadfast in God's Word was no small matter for Paul. He lovingly warns, "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" (Hebrews 2:1). He also says, "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith: prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates" (2 Corinthians 13:5).
Paul isn't suggesting to these believers that they're reprobates. Rather, he's urging them, "As lovers of Christ, test yourself. Take a spiritual inventory. You know enough about your walk with Jesus to know you're loved by him, that he hasn't turned from you, that you are redeemed. But ask yourself: How is your communion with Christ? Are you guarding it with all diligence? Are you leaning on him in your hard times?"
Perhaps you realize, "I see a bit of drifting in my life, a tendency to slumber. I know I'm praying less and less. My walk with the Lord isn't as it should be."
"We are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end" (Hebrews 3:14).
Sermon Outline
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I
- The danger of drifting away from Christ
- The spiritual tsunami of evil
- The consequences of apathy
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II
- The importance of earnest heed to God's Word
- Meditation over speed reading
- Hearing with spiritual ears
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III
- Paul's warnings about self-examination
- Understanding our communion with Christ
- The call to spiritual diligence
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IV
- Recognizing signs of spiritual slumber
- The importance of prayer
- Maintaining confidence in Christ
Key Quotes
“Give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.” — David Wilkerson
“Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith: prove your own selves.” — David Wilkerson
“We are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end.” — David Wilkerson
Application Points
- Regularly assess your spiritual health through self-examination and prayer.
- Prioritize meditative reading of Scripture over mere completion of chapters.
- Stay vigilant in your communion with Christ to prevent spiritual slumber.