Torn: Everyone Has an Anchor, Hebrews 6:18-20

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Opening Scripture:

Prayer

Worship Set

Prayer

Worship Through the Word:

Torn

The Word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God!

Father, please bless this Word which you have provided and which we now receive. Amen!

I. Everyone Has an Anchor Hebrews 6:18-20

One of the earliest Christian symbols, one that was used even before the cross itself, was the anchor. Tour the catacombs in Rome, and you will fi nd hundreds of anchors sketched on the walls. The anchor represented stability and safety to early believers. In the anchor, the persecuted church saw the cross—hidden from those outside the faith but evident to those who knew to look for it. Maybe you’ve done some boating, but whether or not you have ever used an anchor to secure a boat, you undoubtedly have experience with anchors. Everyone has an anchor for his or life. The only question is “How well does your anchor hold?” If your soul is anchored to money and investments, what happens when the stock market crashes? If your life is anchored to your spouse and your family, what happens when loved ones are taken from you? If your identity is anchored to your career, what happens when you are laid off? If your hope is anchored in the pursuit of pleasures and enjoyable experiences, what will you do when hard times come? All anchors like those I just named have one thing in common: they are unreliable. When you set an anchor in sand, it will eventually fail, pull loose, let go. Everyone has an anchor. However, our anchors are only as stable as the lake bottom or seabed—the “holding ground”—in which they are set. To fi nd stability in life, we need a fi rm holding ground; we need a place to set the anchor of our soul, trusting it will not move or shift like sand. The truth is that nothing in this world can promise us permanent security. Nothing in this world. We typically think of anchors that descend, falling through the water to rest at the bottom of a river or ocean. The anchor I have in mind, though, goes up—up to heaven. (Read Hebrews 6:19–20; see above.) The anchor of our soul rests behind the veil. It is fi rmly set in the eternal Holy of Holies, in heaven, in the presence of God himself. How did this anchor get there? Jesus took it there. (Reread Hebrews 6:19–20; see above.)

A “forerunner” in the sense of this passage is a smaller boat that goes ahead of a larger ship, guiding it safely into the harbor. Even when storms rage, the forerunner plows ahead, carrying the anchor of the larger ship into the harbor and securing it there. When the storm has passed, the larger ship then enters the harbor as it is drawn in by the anchor. You see, an anchor not only stabilizes a ship (or a soul) in the midst of a storm but it also draws a ship (or a soul) toward the anchor itself. After rising from the dead, Jesus went into heaven, entering the true Holy of Holies there. The earthly tabernacle built by Moses included a room called the Holy of Holies; Solomon’s temple had such a room as well. But these earthly places were only models, pictures of the real thing, the Holy of Holies in heaven itself. Savor this and ponder this. Jesus entered the heavenly Holiest Place and he is there still, praying for us before his Father and our Father. We are as safe as Jesus is safe. His presence not only keeps our soul steady; his presence before the throne draws us in toward himself when storms and temptations rage and we are apt to drift. (Reread Hebrews 6:19–20; see above.) As you ponder this truth, take some time to cherish the words of a hymn written almost 200 years ago: My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness; No merit of my own I claim but wholly lean on Jesus’ name. On Christ, the solid rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand! When darkness veils his lovely face, I rest on his unchanging grace; In every high and stormy gale my anchor holds within the veil. On Christ, the solid rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand. Edward Mote (1797–1874)

Jesus, our Forerunner, has ascended to heaven. He has gone before us, and he promises we will follow. The Bible says, “We have this [hope] as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul.” But what exactly is this hope? The answer is found in the preceding verses. (Read Hebrews 6:18–19.) God’s Word is our hope. It is the holding ground in which we rest securely. God does not lie. In fact, it is impossible for God to lie. God keeps his promises. No matter what storms batter your life, your anchor holds! God’s promises will keep on holding. God’s forgiveness and love for you are fi rm and secure. The hope God’s Word gives will hold you steady. That Word is steadfast. Our anchor will not fail. Our anchor will not slip. The anchor of our soul will not give way because it is set in the unchanging Word of God. It is set in Jesus, our Forerunner—in his life for us, his death in our place, his resurrection from the dead, and his ascension into heaven. That’s true security!

But consider. What good is an anchor if it is securely set in the bedrock of the ocean fl oor but not attached to the boat itself? So it is with us; our soul must be fastened securely to the anchor, to the Word of God. This calls for us to be honest with ourselves regarding two questions: • First, where are you really casting the anchor of your hope in life? When the rubber hits the road, is your hope anchored in heaven, where Christ is seated? Or are you anchoring your hope in someone or something in this present life? • Second, are you abiding in God’s Word on a daily basis? Are you growing more and more secure in the hope that Word creates? Everyone has an anchor. Only one anchor will hold our soul secure and draw us home to our crucifi ed, risen, ascended Savior. When he shall come with trumpet sound, oh, may I then in him be found, Clothed in his righteousness alone, redeemed to stand before the throne! On Christ, the solid rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand. Edward Mote (1797–1874) We pray . . . Heavenly Father, without you, nothing is secure and nothing is reliable. Work in me a greater confi dence in your faithfulness. Teach me to trust your promises, which never waver. Teach me to anchor my life in your Word, making it the holding ground of my hope. Lord Jesus, you are my Forerunner. You will guide me safely into heaven’s harbor. Until then, thank you for your continuing prayers for me. Amen.

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Prayer

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