DRIFTING Dr. Ken Culver 1 Kings 4 INTRO: WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST FEAR?

YOUNG ADULTS Will I ever get married? Will I ever marry someone like my parents? Will I have a good job? OLDER ADULTS Will I be able to raise my children? Will I be able to retire? When will I die?

MY GREATEST FEAR IS THAT I MIGHT DRIFT FROM MY HEAVENLY FATHER. Definition of DRIFTING: To be driven or carried slowly by a current. Who is a candidate for drifting? ALL of us. 1 Kings 4:29-34 (NKJV) 1 Kings 10:23,24 (NKJV) I. WHAT DID SOLOMON DO WHEN HE STARTED DRIFTING? 1 Kings 11:9 (NKJV) God spoke to Solomon twice. 1 Kings 11:2 (NKJV) He married someone that God said Do not marry! 1 Kings 11:1 He did the same thing many times. HE KNEW THAT WHAT HE WAS DOING WAS WRONG BUT HE DID IT ANYWAY. II. WHY WAS THIS HIS START TO DRIFTING? 1 Kings 11:2 (NKJV) you shll not intermarry with them nor they with you. For surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods III. WHERE DID SOLOMON DRIFT TO? 1 Kings 11:26-8 (NKJV) He built places of worship for false gods He worshipped false gods. His heart turned from the Lord. IV. WHAT HAPPENED TO SOLOMON BECAUSE OF HIS DRIFTING? 1 Kings 11:9-11 (NKJV)

 God became angry with Solomon. God took Solomons kingdom away. V. HOW DOES DRIFTING START? It starts with a thought. Then a decision (attitude) Then it consumes our behavior. Drifting becomes a: S tandard O perating P rocedure VI. HOW DO WE STOP DRIFTING? 1. We must dig our heels in the sand and bear the force of the current. Lessons to learn: Wherever you decide to dig your heels in is where you will begin to feel the pressure at full force. The farther downstream you dig in, the swifter the current. The farther downstream you dig in, the more hopeless you feel about standing in the current. 2. You have to cry out for help. 3. Someone has to throw you a rope. Peter Lord: When your desperation factor exceeds your embarrassment factor you are a candidate for the grace of God. HOW TO KEEP FROM DRIFTING We must pay more attention therefore to what we have heard so that we do not drift away. Hebrews 2:1 IF WE ASKED THE WRITER OF HEBREWS WHAT WE NEEDED TO DO TO NOT DRIFT AWAY, HE WOULD SAY PAY ATTENTION. PRINCIPLE: WHAT YOU AND I FOCUS ON WE DRIFT TOWARD.

Whatever you focus your attention on eventually you focus your affection on and what gets your affection ultimately determines your direction. SAY IT WITH ME: ATTENTION AFFECTION DIRECTION PRACTICAL WAYS TO PAY ATTENTION YOU NEED TO ESTABLISH SOME REFERENCE POINTS. Drifting starts with a thought, then an attitude, then it consumes your behavior. Examples of reference points: 1. Devotional time 2. Prayer life 3. Church attendance 4. Giving record 5. Relationship with spouse 6. Physical/spiritual exercise YOU NEED TO ESTABLISH A REFEREE. We need someone to blow the whistle and say, Youre out of bounds. Drifting always starts out privately and almost always ends up public. YOU MUST PRAY FOR DISCERNMENT. The prudent see danger and take refuge, the simple just keep on going and suffer for it. Proverbs 22:3 A PRAYER TO PRAY EVERYDAY Lord, give us the wisdom to see trouble coming and give us the courage to respond appropriately. TWO PRINCIPLES ABOUT PAYING ATTENTION: 1. You can see what you are looking for. 2. It is there. The secret to not drifting is if you are looking for your reference points then you will see the danger and you will know if youve moved