The Importance of Anchors
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Intro:
Intro:
Good evening, and thank you for the invitation to be with you again this year.
I always enjoy coming to speak to you.
The topic I was assigned for tonight to kick off your summer series is “The Importance of Anchors.”
I think a theme verse you will probably keep referencing throughout your summer series is found in Heb. 6:19 which says …
This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil,
where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.
b. Hope in Jesus Christ is what anchors us — He is the High Priest of our faith.
If I think about the O.T. for a moment, the Israelites had to go to a high priest to bring their animal sacrifices to God as part of their worship.
Well, now that Jesus brought about the New Covenant, He is our sacrifice — He’s the perfect (capital L) Lamb of God who shed His blood on our behalf so that we can be saved.
We are ANCHORED by that hope that we have in Jesus — It should be what motivates us, what helps us not give up, what keeps us from backsliding back into our former lives before we became Christians, and it grounds us in the truth of God’s Word.
This evening, for just a few minutes, I’d like to talk about the idea of an anchor of a ship, what purpose it serves, and then hopefully we can make some application for ourselves as individual Christians as well as our congregations.
The Purpose of Anchors:
The Purpose of Anchors:
Here is the definition of an anchor: “An anchor is a device, normally made of metal, used to secure a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the craft from drifting due to wind or current.”
Anchors can either be temporary or permanent.
Permanent anchors are used for mooring, and are rarely moved.
Moorings are permanent structures to which boats and ships may be secured.
Examples of moorings include quays (pronounced kees), wharfs, jetties, piers, anchor buoys, and mooring buoys.
I think we are all familiar with the concept — I didn’t realize there were so many different names for the same idea.
Just an interesting tid bit - I read that the type of sea floor matters a lot in how well an anchor can hold its ship: Hard sand holds ships well, while sea shell floors hold poorly.
And then I also read this about the anchoring process: “The basic anchoring consists of determining the location, dropping the anchor, laying out the scope (which is the length of chain in relation to the water depth), setting the hook, and assessing where the vessel ends up. The ship seeks a location that is sufficiently protected; has suitable holding ground, enough depth at low tide and enough room for the boat to swing.”
“The location to drop the anchor should be approached from down wind or down current, whichever is stronger. As the chosen spot is approached, the vessel should be stopped or even beginning to drift back. The anchor should initially be lowered quickly but under control until it is on the bottom. The vessel should continue to drift back, and the cable should be veered out under control (slowly) so it is relatively straight.”
The article went on explaining further steps in the anchoring process, but I think this will suffice to show that anchoring a ship is a fairly complicated process!
It’s certainly a lot more complicated than I thought!
I was thinking just toss the anchor overboard and you’re done!
I say all that to say this — We go back to the first thing we said — The PURPOSE of an anchor, and it’s this: “to prevent the craft from drifting due to wind or current.”
Well, evidently using an anchor to keep ships from drifting is a fairly complex thing, but aren’t we glad that keeping ourselves from drifting as Christians and as congregations doesn’t have to be complicated at all … if we are anchored in the Word of God.
Let’s talk about …
The Danger of Drifting:
The Danger of Drifting:
When we talk about drifting as Christians and congregations, to me we are talking about one of two things:
We’re either talking about individual Christians drifting away from Jesus, slowly but surely backsliding back into a life of sin that we once left, right?
OR, we’re talking about congregations drifting in a doctrinal sense — drifting either to the right or to the left.
I want to talk about that one first, and then we will circle back around to individual Christians at the end.
Let’s talk about congregations in danger of drifting:
The thing about this is that it is probably pretty rare that entire congregations make a dramatic turn to either too far to the right or too far to the left, right?
That’s rarely how it works.
Usually, it’s a very subtle undercurrent, a very nuanced thing that starts small, and doesn’t go anywhere overnight, but takes years or even decades to come to fruition.
I think of an example of a congregation (I won’t say where) but they are doing all kinds of things that you just never would have thought they would do 30 or 40 years ago:
But now they do.
All kinds of things that are not according to what the Bible teaches, and now they don’t even call themselves a congregation of the church of Christ anymore.
How did they get there?
They didn’t get there overnight … They drifted.
Notice with me please Ephesians 4:11-16:
And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,
till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;
6. What’s Paul saying? He’s saying that Jesus gave these various roles so that the church could be equipped for ministry, so the church can be built up the right way, that the church can experience true unity based on faith and knowledge of the Son of God (which comes through His Word - Rom. 10:17), and perfection (or maturity) comes with that for the church.
7. Let’s contrast that with IM-maturity now, and I want us to notice something Paul says in verse 14:
that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,
8. What’s Paul saying? We need to make sure and not DRIFT away from the doctrine of Christ into every wind of other doctrines.
9. True or False?
Sometimes churches start drifting too far to the RIGHT from the doctrine of Christ, binding things that Jesus never bound? (True)
And true or false? Sometimes churches start drifting too far to the LEFT and loosening things which Jesus did not intend to be loosed? (Also true).
The Bible has several passages in it warning us to not go to the right OR the left of what God has plainly taught — Joshua 1:7 being one: “Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you (we’re under the law of CHRIST today - Gal. 6:2 - still some application we need to glean from this though); do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.”
10. In short, we’re saying let us be careful not to DRIFT too far in either direction, less we cease being of Christ.
11. Well, how can we go about carefully doing that? The next verse …
but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up (spiritual maturity) in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—
from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
12. Ultimately, that’s what we are after, right? Growth and edification of the body of Christ in love!
13. Alright, so we have talked about what an anchor is, we’ve talked about the spiritual application of churches that sometimes drift — They’re anchorless we might say — Again, Heb. 6:19 - Ultimately, the Anchor is our Hope in Jesus Christ!
14. Now, I want to give a couple of New Testament examples of Christians who DID drift in some way.
15. And the first one is the church at Corinth:
I thought about surveying the book of 1 Corinthians as a large part of this sermon, but I think we will just mention very briefly and then move on to something else.
The church at Corinth was, perhaps aside from maybe Laodice in Revelation chapter 3, THE church that was the most eat up with various problems.
Would you agree with that?
There are some honorable mentions — Maybe the churches of Galatia, maybe a few others, but Corinth definitely is in the running!
16. Anyways, just think about a quick listing of some of Corinth’s problems:
Chapter 1 - The church had divisions (specifically, they were dividing over who had baptized them).
Chapter 3 - Again mentions envy, strife, and divisions that was going on.
Chapter 5 - They had flagrant sexual immorality (fornication) going on — such that was so uncommon that even the Gentiles were surprised by it - A man had his father’s wife.
Chapter 6 - They had Christians suing each other in a court of law.
Chapter 7 - There were some marriage problems that Paul addressed.
Chapter 8 - Paul has to remind them how to handle matters of opinion.
Chapter 10 - Paul goes on a lengthy treatise explaining how Christians do not need to be like the sinful Israelites in the wilderness wandering, committing idolatry, sexual sin, and complaining.
Chapter 11 - The Corinthian church was not observing the Lord’s Supper correctly.
Chapters 12-14 - The Corinthians church was fighting over miraculous gifts, specifically the gift of tongue-speaking.
17. Corinth had a lot of problems!
Well, newsflash — Churches aren’t perfect, there are always problems, right?!
I like to say that any time to try to get two or more people together in the same room for very long, there are bound to be some problems eventually …
The question is — Did all of that just come upon Corinth overnight?
Or is it much more likely that they DRIFTED into it? That things came up, perhaps things were swept under the rug, perhaps things were allowed to fester, and then boom! Paul has to write them a letter to try to get it all straightened out!
(And if you read 2 Corinthians, they made some really good progress)!
18. Can you see why churches must remain anchored?!
19. Well, go with me to one more passage as it pertains to churches, and then I want to make application for individual Christians and then the lesson will be yours.
20 . Let’s go to 1 Tim. 4:
Here we have warning about drifting into false doctrine don’t we? So let’s read that.
Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,
speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.
For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed.
But reject profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness. For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.
This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance. For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe. These things command and teach.
What About Individual Christians Who Drift?
What About Individual Christians Who Drift?
We’ve made this practical at the congregational level, which is critical, but now let’s talk about as far as our individual souls are concerned.
Because at the end of the day, Chase Green is going to answer to God on the Day of Judgment for the way Chase Green lived his life, and Todd McCray is going to answer for Todd McCray, and the same can be said for all of us, right?
We are all individually accountable to God in the ultimate and final sense.
So how often is it the case that individual Christians drift away from Christ?
They aren’t using their Anchor?
And they end up falling away?
Sadly, it happens all the time doesn’t it?
1 John 1:6–7 - “If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”
People usually don’t flip a switch from light to darkness to light overnight …
Usually, they DRIFT into it slowly but surely!
Let’s go to two more passages on this idea, and then the lesson will be yours:
Christians, what is our responsibility to those who have drifted away?
Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.
Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For each one shall bear his own load.
One more passage - James 5:16
Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back,
let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.
