Bad Advice: Part 1- "How to Drift from God" with Craig Groeschel - Life.Church

we are like church one church meeting in multiple locations and reaching around the world through Church online if you have any questions or you'd like to learn more about us as a church you can always visit us online simply by going to Life Church coming up pastor Craig Groeschel dives into an all-new message series and today we'll see how every temptation broken relationship bad influence and neglecting to spend time with God all contribute to losing our faith all that more coming up in part one of the message bad advice some of you may be thinking why in the world when I go to church for bad advice let me tell you that there are so many of us that when we look at the way we live when we look at the way we behave it's almost as if we're following bad advice what I want to do is give some bad advice and when we do it in the context of church I believe it's going to be incredibly obvious and oh my gosh oftentimes I'm actually following this bad advice then when we see it for what it is we're going to look at good and godly advice from God's Word and I believe that God will use this to impact a lot of lives in a very powerful way I'm wondering to all of our churches I want to ask an introductory question to today's message don't answer it yet I want to set it up and then I'm gonna ask it again the question is this I wonder how many of you at one point in your life were actually closer to God than you are today don't answer yet I want to kind of unpack it for a moment how many of you were closer to God at one point than you are today think about it this way was there ever time in your life maybe years ago when you were more passionate about God's word that you would faithfully study his word that almost daily there'd be like oh my gosh I didn't see that before they spoke to me in a powerful way I was transformed by the word in this way I want to get to church early I want to be on the front row I can't wait for worship I'm excited leaning in expecting to hear something great from God I'm bringing people to church with you oh my gosh if I could just have them here I believe their life would be changed you were on fire to pray faithfully seeking God as you were praying God would like answer prayers like wow he did it and he did that I believe he'll do this how many of you would say honestly that you maybe had a passion like that but somehow over time life kind of happened and you cooled in your passion for Jesus those who are Jesus followers how many would say yeah honestly there was probably a time in my life when I was more full of passion for God than I am today all of our churches would you be honest those of you would say that's true and raise up your hands raise up your hands raise up your hands raise up hands a lot of people would say yes that's absolutely and completely true for me I like the story that happened in a couple's marriage years ago there was a couple that always would sit side by side in the truck the husband would drive and the wife would cuddle up right next to her honey bunny and he'd put his arm around her snuggling as I drove in their truck well 20 years later or so the wife was actually sitting on the passenger side as the husband still drove the truck and the wife said honey what happened to us remember back when when we always used to cuddle as you were driving the truck what happened to us and the husband smiled playfully and said well sweetheart I wasn't the one who moved okay if there was a time in your life that you were closer to the presence in person of God than you are today may I suggest that God isn't the one who moved I believe God is going to use this message in a lot of people's life today we're talking about bad advice and I want to talk about how to drift from God in fact in order to do it I want to start with a parable from Matthew's Gospel Matthew chapter 13 and I'm going to summarize kind of what Jesus was saying and then I want to look at the application of the teachings of Jesus Jesus essentially was talking about his sword that was a guy who would have a bag full of seed and would go out and cast the seed out throwing it hoping for a harvest and Jesus said there was a seller who cast some seed out and some fell along a path and the birds came along and ate it and the seed was gone and disappeared he said the sower through some out on some rocky place isn't because there wasn't a lot of soil the roots couldn't really grab a hold and so when it tried to spring up very quickly the Sun scorched the baby plants and they died he said some fell among the thorns and when the little plants tried to grow the Fornes actually choked out the plants and there was no fruit then he said the sower threw saamana fell upon good soul and Jesus said when it did that it brought a 30-fold sixty fold even a hundred fold harvest and Jesus was essentially going to say to his listeners you're actually one of those different types of soils and I would challenge you maybe to ask yourself which type do you think I might be let's look at the application in Matthew 13 verse 19 Jesus talked about what this means to those who were along the path verse 19 jesus said when anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not what let's say too loud and does not understand it the evil one that Satan comes along and does what the Evil One snatches away what was sown in their hearts this is the seed sown along the path in fact if I could be quite honest with you that is what will happen to some of you today at all of our churches God's Word the seed will be sown towards you and when you're here like ah doesn't really make any sense why wasn't he funny today there weren't any cat jokes I don't like his shoes in particular and the music was too loud and you'll go away completely as you came in you're watching online you click off and nothing happens at all you hear the word and yet nothing happens in your heart you go along the way then he talks about the rocky ground verse 20 Jesus said then the seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word at once and does what's a lot it once they receive it with joy but since they have no root they last only for how long just a short time just a little while when trouble or persecution comes because of the word what happens to them they quickly fall away quite honestly that will be some of you today you're going to hear this with joy oh yes you're right I want to be closer to God again so you're like the lady you're scooting back over toward through toward God no I I feel it I'm gonna be in a life group and I'm gonna start serving now I'm gonna start reading in the YouVersion Bible plan and I'm gonna get close to God again and for a little while you will and then boom one day something's going to happen a bad report someone makes fun of you are you getting a religious aren't you mr. religious mrs. religions something's gonna happen oh I didn't see that coming and instead of living with that passion you're going to fall away jesus said that's what happens when there's seed sown along the rocky ground then in verse 22 he says there's some seed that falls among the thorns and this refers to someone who hears the word but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth what does it do it chokes out the word making it unfruitful the worries of life guess what this will be some people too and this isn't bad people at all this is good people you might be sitting next to someone or you might be that person this is someone who really wants to get it right but what happens we get preoccupied with life you know I'm a student and you're not going to work hard and not getting so much debt and I've got to study really hard or you know I just got married and you know we're newlyweds and we're trying to get this figured out and she squeezes the toothpaste in the wrong place and he puts the ketchup was the refrigerator who does that and then we you know kissed a little too much and now there's a baby coming oh we got our firstborn and now I got to get a minivan ass would never drive a minivan and now we own a house and we got a yard and I got a mortgage to pay credit card bills and now two kids and another stroller water you know it had life just kind of happens to you you don't mean to but you just get dizzy and the worries of this life choke out the Word of God then verse 23 Jesus says but the seed that falls on what kind of soil the seed that falls on good soil and I would like to say today I believe that there are so many of you here today that your heart is good soil that God has been working on you preparing you for this moment and when his word lands in your heart we will see a divine harvest but the seed that falls on good soil refers to someone who hears word and understands it this is the one who produces a crop yielding a hundred sixty or thirty times what was sown now whenever Jesus said there's people to me like what no way because Jesus lived in an aggregation economy where essentially everyone would know if you get an Eightfold or a tenfold return on seed planted whoa you're excited okay thirty fold unheard of 60 fold miracle a hundred fold only God could bring that about but when the Word of God is planted in a heart and it lands in good soil the fruit that God can bring can go beyond your ability to imagine comprehend or even dream possible it's what happens when the seed falls on good soil but we have to be careful because there are so many of you who said there was a time when I was closer to God but I've drifted away years ago when I was a little kid we went on one Beach vacation so much fun I will never ever forget it and my mom was like crazy passionate be safe sunscreen watch out for the jellyfish watch out for the Sharks watch out for the under toes watch out for the tsunamis it could all get you okay and so what she did is she had a red towel that was on the beach and so when we're out playing you only go this deep you know no deeper because you know you'll be taken away okay watch for the red towel keep your eye on the red towel keep around the red towel so my little sister went there playing having fun red town red town red town red town red tail killer red town red town red town we know what happens when you're in the water and he ocean what happens the currents like you know and sudden we forgot the red town like we're doing that kind of stuff you're having fun looked up where's the red towel where's our beach house is all about what happened we had drifted unknowingly away just enjoying the beat just enjoying the Sun just enjoying the water we didn't even recognize what happened we drifted away could I say but there are many that don't even recognize how far we've drifted from the strength the presence the goodness of the grace of God Hebrews 2:1 says we must pay the most careful attention therefore to what we have heard so that we do not what's let's all say it aloud so that we watch so that we do not drift away so here's what I want to do today let me give you some bad advice all right you ready for some bad advice because that's the name of the message series here's some really bad advice if you ever wake up and you are sick and tired of the presence of God hears can't take it anymore you've got joy this abundant in your life you since God leading you you know the Holy Spirit is with you when you're praying you're seeing results when you're reading the word it's filling you God is using you in people's lives you're active in the church you're making a difference your spiritual gifts are alive God is using you for his glory you see I can't take it anymore I just can't take all this goodness and blessing in my life I want to show you very specifically how to drift from God are you ready for this if you don't know missus write this down number one so important neglect your time with God this is really important if you want to drift from God neglect your time with God in Psalm 63 verse 1 David was in the desert of Judah and he cried out you god oh my god earnestly I seek you I thirst for you my whole being longs for you in a dry and parched land where there is no water don't do that don't seek God don't yearn for him don't crave his presence because that'll only make you close to him just do not do that neglect your time with God do not enroll in a YouVersion Bible plan do not let your friends come along and support you because the Word of God is living and active and sharper than any double-edged sword it washes your mind and makes you new it speaks to you it encourages you it builds your faith and gives you strength so by all means neglect the Word of God don't ever worship listen if you go to church just don't worship sit there and look at the lights just don't let it get in your heart you know think about the music loud just look around come in late if you have to still in the back don't pay attention and if you could help but just don't go to church at all means even better you do like most American Christians come once a month that's really effective and then don't get involved don't use your gifts don't pray don't seek God don't ever like discipline yourself the fastest the best is you know how ignore God and neglect your time with him the second thing that you want to do if you truly want to drift from God is I encourage you to hang around the wrong people oh this is so good why because it's impossible to live the right life when you have the wrong friends so if you want to be outside the will of God make sure you hang around some really ungodly people and not to share your faith with them but just because you like being around people that are worse than you why because they make you feel better about yourself and they will drag you down 1st Corinthians 15:33 is so powerful do not be misled what is bad company do bad company corrupts good character so you need to remember that don't hang around people who are faithful in their walk with Jesus you know why they'll do stuff like encourage you in the Lord and annoying stuff like that they think I hold you accountable as iron sharpens iron they might like pray for you and who would want that don't be around people who make you better and make you more like Christ get around people that ignore Jesus that say a lot of bad words that like what's really bad stuff and just get around there and let it drag you down if you really want to go for it if you're not married my best advice would be marry a non-believer oh yeah be unequally yoked and they don't have to be like even a really bad bad person be even better they can be what I call a cultural Christian someone who claims Christ but doesn't know him at all if you really want to drift from God hang around the on people just so good I can't believe you guys aren't like cheering the way yeah three hey if you really want to do from God number three give in to temptation do this over and over and over again never resist temptation why because sin is so much fun how many of you would agree how many do we say since fun since then it is fun right if you don't have your hand up either you didn't do it right for your lion hey it's fun I mean it's a blast until it's not right I mean it's fun for a while until it kicks you in them hmm right is like a sneeze feels good coming out and then there's not everywhere my somebody said a man had been there I've been to that party I woke up the next day oh he's fine for a little while yeah you want to drift from God give into temptation in fact this is what James said the brother of Jesus James chapter 1 verses 14 and 15 he said and this is so exciting but each person is tempted when they're what when they are dragged away don't you love that imagery just imagine this you're like you were serving Jesus but no now you're ten day every dragged away by the evil one okay you're being dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed then after desire has conceived what does it do this is so fun it gives birth to sin and sin when it's full grown what does it do it gives birth to death didn't met the goal right it's not what you want me spiritual death okay where you've got no joy no passion no life no faith spiritual death in that our goal right right okay so when you're tempted do not fight it don't resist it just give in to it tell yourself well this is just the way I am I can't overcome this I mean this is just by one or my to buddy just by a few things okay that I do to help me call with life okay if you have to bring God into the whole thing if you got and bring God into it okay just ask him to forgive you and then keep on doing it hey just tell yourself he understands and just keep on doing it above all else hide your sins rationalize them don't tell anyone about it hey if you want to drift from God give in to temptation neglect your time with God hang around the wrong people give in to temptation and number four if you want to drift from God love this world more than you love God oh this is so good okay John said this first on to 15 do not love the world or anything in the world if anyone loves the world what did he say love for the father is not in them okay that's why you want to fall in love with this world believe this world is your home sell out to materialism get more and more and more and then if you can get into debt that's even better because you'll have financial bondage to go along with your materialism okay obsess about things that don't really matter I mean we can all enjoy sports but it's better if you obsess about them Fitness is good we agree but if you can obsess about it it's even better if you pick your favorite hobbies I don't know what they might be extreme ironing yeah competitive dog grooming whatever it is just go all into it with everything that you have so that you stop being connected to God whatever it takes follow people on Instagram that make you hate your life you just look at him and go oh I hate them I hate my life my life stinks trade got exciting lives mine is horrible I want more of this world how do you drift from God love and pursue the things of this world more than you love and pursue the things of God one more thing if you're taking those write this down if all else fails fake it okay if everything else fails just fake that you're still close to Jesus and that is the guarantee way to make it not work I love Isaiah 29 verse 13 when the Lord says this these people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips don't miss this but where is their heart the Lord says but their hearts are far from me that's exactly what you want you don't have to be incredibly immoral you can just fake it you know the drill I mean you can come to church if you want you know put your hands in the air they're all chemical l that guy was really love God he's got his hands in the air you can put a bumper sticker on your car you can learn the Christianese language if you don't know it maybe some of you aren't church people we have our own language just throw in some spiritual words like Lord sanctify me whoa that person must be really on fire listen you can fight with your spouse all the way to church but when you come in just say praise Lord brother hallelujah glad to see you and you can fool everybody just learn to fake it now that was really hard to be sarcastic for that long in the middle of a message but I hope you'll see some effectiveness in what I just did that when we talk about what we often do in terms like that it becomes incredibly obvious that many of us are essentially following that advice and the reason why I was so insistent on trying to make this point is not because I'm coming down on anybody else but because this was a real issue in my life at a very significant point in my development as a pastor in fact years ago before Amy and I had the privilege of starting life church I served for five years at First United Methodist Church in downtown Oklahoma City and I was just under the impression that hey when you became a pastor you'd be like going to work prayer meetings fasting meetings you know your Bible would hover above the desk everybody be holy and we'd all get along and what I didn't realize is there's people there and people are Duff and their real problems and it was really a job and as a very young pastor who was really still developing in my young faith I ended up playing the role more than I was pursuing Christ and I'm not proud to tell you this but I would just I played the role if I see someone who's hurting I say I'll be praying for you and I wasn't praying for them I back then when I studied the Bible it was more in order to preach than it was in order to feed on the Living Word that would transform my heart if someone said hey pastor Craig what's God showing you in the world I'd be like way too much to talk about right now you know and the reality was that I just wasn't really pursuing God in the word and the image that I felt like God gave me is one that some of you will relate to today I felt like God showed me that I'd become a full-time pastor and a part-time follower of Christ okay full-time passion of part time follower of Christ and I don't know what your image would be but some of you might say well I'm a full-time parent and a part-time follower of Christ I'm a full-time student and a part-time follower of Christ I'm a full-time business owner and a part-time follower of Christ because when you look at it if there was a time before that you are closer to Jesus than you are today what happened we need to recognize that he didn't move that we actually drifted away now if you're feeling what the Bible or you know scholars might call conviction right now if you're if you're feeling that's a good thing meaning oh this is speaking to me I'm recognizing this is really me okay if that's happening to you let me just tell you that's a good thing it's a good thing why because your hearts good soil that means that is a word is going out the Holy Spirit is speaking to you okay don't worry if that's you be encouraged if on the other hand you know you've drifted from God and you're hearing this you're thinking yeah don't really like this one huh where she's talking about something else huh why am I even here today okay if you know you drifted from God and that's your attitude that's when you really need to be cautious be aware pay attention because your heart the soil might be rocky ground or thorny and what we want to do is go before God and say make it good make it good make it good make it good Revelation chapter 3 verse 1 Jesus was talking to the church in Sardis and here's what he said he said I know your deeds and and what do you have let's say this aloud he said and you have a what you have a reputation of being alive in other words you hey we all think you're alive you have a reputation for it I mean yeah she's a Christian yeah he's a Christian yeah they're a member of such-and-such Church yet they were confirmed there yeah they were baptized when they were a kid yeah their church members yeah you know there's such a such denomination you have a reputation for this but then Jesus said but what are you he said your your debt you have a reputation for being alive but your debt the scary thing is that there are some of you here that you have a reputation for being a Jesus follower why because at one time you were really really passionate about pursuing him but if you were really really honest right now some of you would say I'm actually more spiritually dead on the inside of me like let me not dead but I'm just not passionate if you're really really honest many of you say yeah there was a time in my life when I was really really much closer to knowing God intimately than I am today I drift to give a reputation for being alive but the fact is you're really really not so what do we do what do we do when we recognize this could be an issue for us I love what Jesus said in Revelation chapter 2 about returning to your first love some very strong words he said to the church in Ephesus he said this to them he said you have forsaken the love that you had it first in other words it was a time when you were more passionate about the love that God had for you you forsaken that love and then he said this consider how far you've fallen that's maybe what some of you need to do right now consider where you were and consider where you are consider how far you've drifted away and then Jesus said very simply and if there's any application for the message this is hands-down the application jesus said this what do you do say it aloud everybody all of our churches let's say it aloud what do you do jesus said you repent and do the things you did it first let's say to get all of our churches I need somebody in Wichita I need someone in Kansas City I need someone in Albany I need someone in Tennessee I need someone in Florida I need someone in Texas I need people all over Oklahoma you have done what do you do what do you do you repent and do the things you did it first one more time what do you do you repent and do the things you did it first what is repent me repent simply means Riemann's to turn tenth means to go back to the highest what does it mean whatever wherever I'm going I'm turning away I'm going back to that which is highest I'm turning back to God and I'm going to do what I did at first I don't know what that means for you I don't know what you did it first you know what I did it first I was passionate about God in his word I shared my faith everywhere all the time I prayed a lot every single day fasting was a part of my life church wasn't an option it's who I am where I belong what I do using my gifts that was just all in there and it wasn't a religious ritual wasn't I I have to I've got to well I better and they're looking no it was a response to the grace of Jesus who saved a person who was lost dead and hurting and my only response was Jesus take all of my life everything I have I give it to you I want to know you pursue you put you first nothing less in my life but serving you with all of my heart what do you do if you recognize you drifted from God cry a little bit feel it feel it feel it repent crave something more something better deep from the depths of your soul I want to be intimate with my first love I don't want to sell out to the things of this world I don't want to be held and bonded to the temptation I don't even drive down by the wrong people I want to be a light that drives people closer to God I don't want to neglect the God who sent his son for me I want to put him first I want to love his church I want to embrace his word I want to be filled with his spirit I want to be led every day step by step and I want my life to glorify the one who gave His life for me what do you do when you wake up and realize that you've drifted you recognize that God never moved because when you draw near to him he always draws near to you and so what do we do very simply we repent and we do the things we did it first the grace of God is there to take us back in a moment we can be intimate with him again and that is good advice and godly advice that can transform all of our lives so father we pray in your presence that while our actions may reflect sometimes what looks like bad advice that in your presence about the power of your word we receive godly advice and we want our hearts to be good soil that we would reap a 30 60 or a hundredfold spiritual harvest and all of our churches today as you're reflecting in prayer I want to just ask again I'm going to add a little extra portion to the question I asked earlier how many of you would say that you've drifted from God and now I want to ask a second part of that question and that is how many would say I want to come back and be good so all of our churches if you say yes I've drifted some but I believe it God brought me here today because my heart is good soil and the seed is landing in my heart and God wants to do something with it I want to draw close to God again that's your prayer would you lift your hands high right now all of our church and say yes I am good soil and God is speaking to me father I thank you that you've been preparing hearts to hear this message and God if it feels like we've been knocked upside of the head so be it we receive what you want to show us as your church today god I pray that every person would have a special encounter with your living presence even now and God that we would grieve over any sinfulness in our lives anytime we've neglected you or taken you for granted and God as we know you have loving arms to welcome us back we simply repent and God tell you that we're sorry and we thank you God that your goodness your grace takes us back it's a prodigal return to the Father so you receive us with joy grace Thanksgiving and say let's have a party my son is back my daughter is back god I pray that very very practically we would do the things that we did at first as simple as it is never taking the rich disciplines that we have as Jesus followers for granted pursuing you and being transformed by your power god I thank you today there are people at churches all across our nation and beyond that are full of people with good soil in their hearts and God that as your word is proclaimed there will be 30 60 or hundred fold returns because your word has landed in good soil as you keep praying today at all of our churches there may be some of you would say you know I don't know if I if I really drifted to God I don't know if I was ever really close to God I don't know if I've ever really known God personally what's really interesting about my story it may be similar to some of yours I actually grew up going to church in church and yet didn't know God personally fellows confirmed I was baptized I did all the rituals but I had a head understanding of who God was but didn't have a heart rule a ship with them and quite honestly some of you would say well that's you others if you'd say well I'm not a church person at all I mean I can't even believe I'm watching this right even in a church building right now you know is God gonna strike me down but something right now is drawing you toward God what is that let me just tell you what it is that is the love of God that is this holy spirit there's a longing inside of you that only Christ can fill and all of our churches there are those of you who would recognize not only have I not drifted from God but I don't think I've ever really known him I've never been alive in him when you call on Jesus and do just what we talked about when you repent when you say I recognize I've sinned and I turn away from my sins and I turned toward Jesus and when you call on him the one who was without sin who died in our place on the cross to do for us what we couldn't do for ourselves when you call on him he hears our prayers he will forgive your sins in a moment and you will be completely brand new in fact that's why many of you are here today and you can sense it and all the churches those who say yes I'm ready I want to know him I want to call on him today by faith I surrender my life to Christ that's your prayer would you lift your hands high right now all of our churches say yes I surrender my life to Jesus as a church we are honored to play a very small part in all that God is doing in and through your life and we would love to continue with you on that journey to find out what your next steps could be in your relationship with Christ just go to Life Church slash next as a church we love partnering with parents to lead kids to become fully devoted followers of Christ and one of the ways our team has done that is by developing the Bible app for kids curriculum a series of shows that takes kids on a Bible adventure and teaches the practical biblical truths and as a result God's Word is being written on the hearts of kids around the world and it's adorable check it out ok listen to what the Bible says about Jesus for additional resources for you and your family you can find all that and more simply by going to life that church slash kids or you can download the Bible app for kids to any one of your mobile devices here at Life Church it's our mission and our passion to lead people to become fully devoted followers of Christ and we're willing to do anything short of sin to make it happen all because we truly believe whoever finds God finds life you

Channel: Life.Church

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Keywords: Craig, Groeschel, lifechurch

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Length: 37min 1sec (2221 seconds)

Published: Sun Jun 12 2016