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Published: Oct. 31, 2023, 7 a.m.

Welcome to Day 2229 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Hebrews-2 Don't Neglect So Great Salvation - Daily Wisdom Putnam Church Message – 04/23/2023 “Don’t Neglect So Great A Salvation”  Hebrews 2:1-4 Last week, we began an extended series through the book of Hebrews in the New Testament. The theme of the superiority of Christ in His person and work resounds from every chapter of the book of Hebrews.   Today, our focus is a warning about drifting from our spiritual foundation. Let’s read Hebrews 2:1-4 on page 1863 of the Pew Bible to begin the message: We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. 2 For since the message spoken through angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, 3 how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. 4 God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.   It’s hard to imagine many contexts in which drifting is a good thing. Possibly, a lazy floating river ride in a kayak or canoe may be enjoyable until you have to disembark. On the other hand, if a car begins to drift from its lane, it’s only a matter of time before an accident. When a boat drifts off course, at best, it will miss its destination; at worst, it could crash and sink! If an airplane drifts from its flight path, disastrous consequences could occur. Of course, a little drifting, caught early, can be corrected with little more than inconvenient consequences. But if a driver, sailor, or pilot doesn’t pay attention and neglects their responsibilities, the drift could result in injury or death.   Similarly, neglect in spiritual matters can result in spiritual drifting. When we begin to ignore the guardrails of God’s Word, we can swerve from the truth and become trapped in a spiritual or moral ditch. Suppose we fail to navigate our vessel according to the safe principles of God’s revealed truth. In that case, the currents of cultural conformity will inevitably drive us into the jagged rocks of doubt, ultimately shipwrecking our faith. If we turn our focus away from our heavenly destination, the winds of false doctrine and worldly conviction can blow us into enemy airspace, leaving us open to spiritual attack.   You know I am certainly not a doom and gloom type of person, and there are many great awakenings within the worldwide church today, but the state of some churches and Christians appears to be drifting. Spiritual laziness has set in by neglecting the great salvation given to us as a gift through Jesus Christ. Just think about the downward trends in our churches:

• Doctrinal deviation
• Moral compromise
• Leadership failures
• Cultural conformity
• Political expediency
• Worldly priorities
• Evangelistic complacency

Sadly, the list could go on. These are the dangers of spiritual drifting. That’s why it’s so vital for believers to pay heed to the crucial tenets of the Christian life. There’s just too much at stake! Drifting from the message and morality of the gospel was as much a problem in the first century as it is in the twenty-first century. The challenges may have been