Where are you today? Right now? How is your relationship with God? Solid? Deep? Rich? Or mediocre? Or non existent? Do you feel deeply connected to Him right now or do you feel like you’re slowly drifting away? Or have you even given it much thought?
We are in week 3 of our series Drift – when your faith isn’t what it used to be. We’ve been looking at the book of Hebrews and finding different ways to keep from drifting and to stay deeply connected to God. And whether you are currently drifting or not – this series is for all of us – we all have the potential to drift – to move away from God. And thru this series we are attempting to give you the tools to keep that from happening. Some of you might be wondering – “am I drifting?” In the introduction to the series – Dave Rodriguez, our senior pastor, gave us a list of signs that we might be drifting.
1. Your devotional time is waning or non-existent
2. Your prayers are a laundry list of wants
3. When you do read the bible it is dull and meaningless
4. Your church engagement is sporadic and lifeless
5. You’ve faded away from your small group
6. You’ve lost accountability
7. Your relationships are shallow or uninspiring
8. Your anxiety is on the rise
9. Your morality is slipping or tanked
10. You are hurtling thru life without meaning
Do any or all of these sound like you? If so, then you then you are probably adrift.
Ok – great – I’m drifting – now what? How do I stop this? What can I do to change this? To find some answers we are looking at the book of Hebrews. Just a little background on Hebrews –it’s a letter – not sure of who the author is – possibly several – but we do know that it was written to Jews who had become Christians and were slipping back into their Jewish laws and customs. And because of Jesus those laws and customs weren’t necessary anymore. He took care of all of that. Jesus life, death and resurrection fulfilled the Jewish law. I love how the book of Hebrews describes the impact of Jesus. Look with me quickly at Hebrews 8 verse 1. Follow along as I read:
Here is the main point: We have a High Priest who sat down in the place of honor beside the throne of the majestic God in heaven. There he ministers in the heavenly Tabernacle, the true place of worship that was built by the Lord and not by human hands. And since every high priest is required to offer gifts and sacrifices, our High Priest must make an offering, too. If he were here on earth, he would not even be a priest, since there already are priests who offer the gifts required by the law. They serve in a system of worship that is only a copy, a shadow of the real one in heaven. For when Moses was getting ready to build the Tabernacle, God gave him this warning: “Be sure that you make everything according to the pattern I have shown you here on the mountain.” But now Jesus, our High Priest, has been given a ministry that is far superior to the old priesthood, for he is the one who mediates for us a far better covenant with God, based on better promises. Hebrews 8:1-6
The readers of Hebrews then and now – needed to be reminded of who Jesus is and what he did. If you look at verse 1 – the first words are – Here is the main point – the Greek word for main point is a derivative for the word “head” – Jesus is the high priest now – he is the head – and they and we need to understand that fully.
Look at the last verse again:
But now Jesus, our High Priest, has been given a ministry that is far superior to the old priesthood, for he is the one who mediates for us a far better covenant with God, based on better promises.
What an incredible verse! Jesus ushered in a new better ministry.
It’s important that you understand that foundation as we look at our scripture for today. And with all of this background in mind – we’re going to move into the focus for today. But first – ask yourself this question. What is keeping me from communicating with God?
It’s so frustrating, isn’t it? To need or want to talk to someone so badly but you can’t get to them. There is something or someone standing in your way. You know the person is right there – you can see them or hear them but you can’t get to them.
We’ve all been there, right?
And yet because of Jesus, we have direct access to our Heavenly Father – no barriers at all – but many of us, most of the time don’t take advantage of it. And some of us here today – probably all of the time.
Let’s look at Hebrews 10 – starting with verse 19 – where the author talks about this very issue.
19 And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. 20 By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. 21 And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, 22 let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. Hebrews 10:19-22
Isn’t that so beautiful? There is nothing standing in our way. We have direct access to our heavenly Father.
Look at verse 1 – it says we can boldly enter – this means we can appear before God as pardoned persons, through the blood of Christ – Jesus suffered it all on the cross so that we can enter boldly
Let’s keep reading, picking it up right there – we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place That is, the true sanctuary, the holy place not made with hands, the immediate gracious presence of God himself in Christ Jesus – we don’t have to go anywhere or do anything – we can enter right into God’s presence – there is no distance
Look ahead to the middle of verse 20 – Jesus opened a new and life-giving way thru the curtain - He refers to the curtain or veil that was between the holy place and the most holy place of the Jewish tabernacle and temple – because of Jesus that curtain no longer exists between us and God – Christ’s flesh became the curtain – that was ripped in two on the cross
Continuing with verse 22 - let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. No guilt or shame – we can enter right into God’s presence!
Isn’t that incredible? I mean – isn’t it?
Because of Jesus we have direct access to our Heavenly Father so why don’t we take advantage of it?
Our God – the creator of the universe – wants relationship with us – with me – with you – he sent Jesus to break down all the barriers – there is nothing that stands in our way – We can communicate at any time – at any place with Our magnificent savior – so what is stopping us – what is stopping you? We are not the person in the drama – we have no obstacles…
You want to stop drifting? Pray! Communicate with God.
Many of you in this room have surrendered your life to Jesus – you have made a covenant – you have entered into a “relationship” with Him. But you don’t pray? How can you have a relationship without communication? I don’t think it’s possible.
Think of an important relationship in your life – someone that means a lot to you – that you care very deeply for – I’m going to use my relationship with my husband, Jeff. Don’t worry I asked permission. I think most people would say that a key ingredient to marriage or any important relationship is communication. Right? And all different forms of communication:
Sometimes Jeff and I need to go out to dinner (by ourselves) – we need a couple of hours together
Sometimes we need a few days together – just to be in each other’s presence – to have time and space to see and hear each other
Most of the time it’s a constant dialogue thru out the day – I call him a lot – he loves it
Our communication takes on all different forms – it has to – depending on what is going on in our lives – but I know one thing for sure – when Jeff and I aren’t communicating things start to unravel – we both start to drift from each other
What I’m trying to point out here – is that a good relationship has good communication. We seem to understand that our earthly relationships need good communication and many of us try to foster that in those relationships.
Doesn’t our relationship with our savior deserve that same kind of attention? Many of us say it is the most important relationship in our lives and yet we spend no time together.
Because of Jesus we have direct access to our Heavenly Father so why don’t we take advantage of it?
God is here – desiring relationship with you – he wants to commune with you. Listen to you. Speak to you. And the primary way of doing that is thru prayer. So why aren’t you praying?
I think there are 3 basic reasons that people don’t pray. I’m sure there are more – but a lot of the other ones are just sub points of the 3 main ones.
1. I’m too busy.
2. I’m not worthy.
3. It doesn’t work.
I’m too busy. I get it. Believe me – I do. I have 4 kids between the ages of 9 and almost 19 and a job (and a puppy – ugh) – I have a large extended family that all live within 15 miles of me. My parents are getting older. I get busy – I really do – but you do what’s important to you. You make time for the things you hold valuable. You can fit prayer in somewhere. I know you can. 10 minutes. This has not been something I have been faithful about until the last few years – and it has changed me. If I can carve out 10-15 minutes a day – His presence is much stronger and evident the other 23 hours and 45 minutes of that day. If you need to start with 5 – start there – but find space every day. If you don’t want to drift you have to.
Number 2 – I’m not worthy. I think we covered that when we looked at the passage in Hebrews. You are worthy – we are all worthy because of what Jesus did on the cross – he took down all the barriers including your sin – you have the favor, friendship and fellowship of God because of Jesus. To say you are not worthy goes against everything Jesus (our High Priest) did for us. He made you worthy – now go confidently before God.
Number 3 – It doesn’t work. I think this is the hardest one for me. How do you know if something doesn’t work if you have never tried it? And what does it mean to you for prayer to work? Is it that you’re not getting the answers you want? Is it that you feel you are getting no answers at all? And what does answered prayer look like anyway? I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. Could it be that that we have an answer right in front of us but we don’t see it or hear it or sense it because we are not engaging with God on a consistent basis?
Romans 12:2 says:
2Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
When you continually and constantly take time to enter into His presence you will begin to see, hear and sense his voice – He will speak and move – you can’t expect to hear His voice if you aren’t consistently communing with him. Just as in any relationship, the better you know someone the better you understand them – the more aware you are of the way they communicate with you. But you have to be consistent.
The first part of Ephesians 6:18 says:
Pray in the spirit at all times and on every occasion.
It is constant – at all times and on every occasion. When you get in a rhythm of consistent, continual, constant communication with God you will start to hear from Him. You will be amazed at the way He shows up. When you enter into the presence of God and invite the presence of the Holy Spirit into your life on a regular basis you will begin to feel the power of the Holy Spirit work in and thru you in ways that you never imagined. You will have new ears to hear, new eyes to see and a new spirit to sense.
I have a couple of very concrete examples of the way God has spoken to me over the years.
- To Kill A Mockingbird
- Meeting with a friend
- The drama ministry at Grace – my whole life – I have always sensed Him
- Times I haven’t listened or I’ve heard but haven’t obeyed.
If you give prayer a chance – He will show up. If I can hear from God – me – with all of my baggage – with all of my issues – with all of my sin – then so can you. You just have to do it.
I know there are some of you out there – that are in the valley right now – maybe living in the land between – waiting to hear – waiting for an answer. I know that is a hard place to be. Look for the answer possibly in the non-answer. Wait patiently – but don’t stop praying. He is there with you.
Romans 12:12 says:
Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.
Don’t give up. I have several friends right now that are going thru deep stuff – financial, physical, relational, emotional – everything you can think of – and they’re not sure what’s next – but they are persistent in prayer – in communing with God because they know the only true hope can be found there.
Jeremiah 29:12 says:
Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.
So even in your darkest hours keep communicating with the only true giver of hope. He is listening. And if you can’t pray – you have no more words – then please make sure someone is praying for you. I am blessed to have a prayer team – 4 beautiful Godly women that intercede on my behalf. You may not have or want a full team but you need at least someone in your life that is praying specifically for you.
Pray – talk – listen - commune with God – consistently - your heart will become His heart.
Because of Jesus we have direct access to our Heavenly Father so why don’t we take advantage of it?
I get it – I need pray – you’ve made your point. So where do I start? How do I pray? I want to finish up by getting very practical.
First of all, just do it – start talking to Him – start listening for Him. It’s not hard – you know how to communicate – you do it all the time – as a matter of fact – we are really good talkers – as a society we could work on our listening skills…
There are prayer practices you can follow –
Silence and solitude – being alone – being quiet – unplugging – we actually have retreats for this
Praying thru scripture – psalms – lamentations – pick up your Bible and let the scripture guide your prayers
Breath prayers – to refocus
Dialogue – just a constant interaction – all day long – always aware of His presence and interacting with Him
Google prayer guides – one nice thing about the internet
Sermon series on prayer – back in August and September – listen to those again
Read The Circle Maker – do the 40 day prayer challenge and put it on repeat
Prayer walks
Ask people to pray with you – friends – our prayer team
Come to the once a month prayer gatherings
Find the best way for you – God created you in a unique and beautiful way – including the way you connect with Him – He just wants relationship with you – to engage with you – whatever way that works for you – I believe He will honor that – just engage
I love this quote from John Ortberg:
“The goal of prayer is to live all of my life and speak all of my words in the joyful awareness of the presence of God.
Prayer becomes real when we grasp the reality and goodness of God's constant presence with 'the real me.' Jesus lived his everyday life in conscious awareness of his Father.”
― John Ortberg Jr., The Me I Want to Be: Becoming God's Best Version of You
God’s constant presence with the real me.
Because of Jesus we have direct access to our Heavenly Father so why don’t we take advantage of it?
So why not try it? Or re-engage with it? What harm can it do? I would venture to say it is very difficult to drift from someone you are in constant communication with. Prayer is one of our most powerful tools. I truly believe the other areas of our spiritual journey would begin to fall into place if we were intentionally and purposefully entering into the presence of the Holy Spirit on a consistent and constant basis.
Prayer has become the foundation of this church – but revival will not occur unless we as individuals, surrendered to Christ pray on a daily basis.
I want to close by going back to the scripture – back to Hebrews 10. This time from the Message – I just love how bold it is.
21So, friends, we can now—without hesitation—walk right up to God, into “the Holy Place.” Jesus has cleared the way by the blood of his sacrifice, acting as our priest before God. The “curtain” into God’s presence is his body.
22-25So let’s do it—full of belief, confident that we’re presentable inside and out.
So let’s do it, friends. Let’s engage with God – enter the presence of the Holy Spirit and drift no more.