Four Anchors of the Lord
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But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon.
And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive.
And running under a certain island which is called Clauda, we had much work to come by the boat:
Which when they had taken up, they used helps, undergirding the ship; and, fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands, strake sail, and so were driven.
And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest, the next day they lightened the ship;
And the third day we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship.
And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away.
But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss.
And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship.
For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,
Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.
Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.
Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island.
But when the fourteenth night was come, as we were driven up and down in Adria, about midnight the shipmen deemed that they drew near to some country;
And sounded, and found it twenty fathoms: and when they had gone a little further, they sounded again, and found it fifteen fathoms.
Then fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day.
The book of acts chapter 19 vs 21 Paul made this statement:
“I must also see Rome!”
These were his words during his ministry in Ephesus.
But little did Paul realize how everything would unfold in his life before he ever got the chance to get there.
He was Illegally arrested
He stood both Roman and Jewish trial
He was put in confinement
He was Prisoned
He was run off and run out
And he was shipwrecked.
Paul had longed to preach the gospel in Rome and then go to spain
But he never planned to travel as a prisoner
He never planned to be on a ship as a prisoner in the middle of the worst storm he had ever gone through.
The perfect storm.
All Paul was trying to do; was to preach the good news.
But through everything;
He was just trying to share the message of hope.
Paul trusted the Lord
He held to the promises of God
But yet he faced trials on every corner.
It’s never been promised to us that life would be easy.
and the Lord did not let him down.
It’s never been promised to us that once we got saved that we wouldn’t face storms.
Man that is born of a woman Is of few days, and full of trouble.
There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.
Friend you and I are going to face the storms of life.
Some of you already have.
Some of you are in a storm right now.
Some of you just came out of a storm
Some of you fixing to go into a storm.
It’s the realities of life.
Paul was trying to do the work of the Lord and was faced with storms on every corner
The question is not: are you going to face a storm
The question is how are you going to face the storm.
I want us to look at this tonight;
I want to preach on the subject:
The Anchor Holds.
The Anchor Holds.
One of the most exciting accounts in the New Testament is the shipwreck that left the Apostle Paul stranded on a barren piece of land in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea.
Somewhere around 60 A.D., Paul was en route to Rome on an Alexandrian grain freighter
He had boarded on the Isle of Crete when a fierce northeastern storm blew the ship off course.
It looked like all was lost.
The storm was more than they can bare
"It was on the 14th night,
They were still being driven across the Adriatic Sea when they sensed land approaching.
They took soundings(they measure the depth of the water) and found that it was 120 feet deep.
A short time later, they took soundings again and found that it was 90 feet deep.
A short time later, they took soundings again and found that it was 90 feet deep.
Fearing that they would be mashed against the rocks,
they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight.
When daylight came; the storm was still raging, but they could see the land
so they cut loose the anchors and ran the ship ashore.
The ship struck the shore and was totally destroyed.
now I realize that this story is not supporting my title
The Anchor Holds.
But what I want us to realize tonight is that sometimes we cannot rely on that which is tangeable.
The anchor on a ship or on any vessel is designed to hold that vessel in place.
but tonight I want us to look at a different anchor.
I would like to take a few moments to share with you “the anchors” that kept Paul steady during the storm.
You see, those same anchors are available to you and me this evening.
Four Strong Anchors For Life's Stormy Seas.
The Lord willing I will share two tonight and two tomorrow night
I. v.23 THE STRONG ANCHOR OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD.
For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,
Even in the midst of that raging storm, Paul found that he was not alone. The Lord came to him to minister peace to his heart.
Acts
Regardless of the storm that tosses your life and my life,
if we have the same confidence that Paul has in his relationship to the Lord,
Even in the midst of that raging storm, Paul found that he was not alone. The Lord came to him to minister peace to his heart.
then we can have faith in His promise to be with us always -
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
Matt. 28:20; Heb. 13:5 (Ill. David - Psalm 23:4)
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Psalms
O Lord, You have searched me and known me.
You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off.
You comprehend my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways.
For there is not a word on my tongue, But behold, O Lord, You know it altogether.
You have hedged me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain it.
Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?
If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.
If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me.
If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,” Even the night shall be light about me;
Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You.
For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb.
I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.
My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.
How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them!
If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; When I awake, I am still with You.
(Ill. David - Psalm 23:4)
The anchor is not some just some chain with a metal object that holds a vessel in place.
Our anchor is found in the presence of the Lord.
What an encouragement it is to know; that you will never face an “instant of life” on our own!
Every step, every valley, every mountain will be graced by His presence,
You may have to walk through the storms of life; but friend you can rest assure, you won’t have to walk alone.
The “presences of the Lord” will be your anchor your anchor,
It would be nice if we could see God in the midst of our storms as Paul did;
But even when we can’t see Him;
He is still there;
He is watching over you
He is Leading you,
He is Guiding you
He is protecting you
The Psalmist said; He knows when you sit down and when you rise up
He said that He
is acquainted will all your ways.
You may think that you are walking through the trials of life all by yourself
You may think that no one cares for you.
But We have an anchor found in the presence of the Lord.
It’s an anchor that you can hold on to when the winds begin to blow and you feel like you can continue on
It’s an anchor you can hold to when the waves get too much to handle.
It’s an anchor you can hold to when the enemy’s got you penned against the wall and you don’t know what to do.
It’s an anchor you can hold to when all hell breaks loose at home and mom and dad are fighting and you can’t seem to do anything right.
It’s an anchor you can hold to when your life seems to be falling apart; and no matter what you do; it don’t get any better
there just something about the presence of the Lord.
The Hebrew term for "presence" is panim ,
which is translated "face to face, " implying a close and personal encounter with the Lord.
You and I having a close personal encounter with the Lord.
Face to face.
Gods presence carries such a wide meaning
To some His presence means fear
we see this in the story of Adam and Eve. they hide from the presence of God
God’s presence in meant light;
Light that Illuminated their sins.
God's presence provided comfort in times of trouble and anxiety for Joshua
His presence was encouragement and strength for the down-cast in psalms 42
2 Chronicles the Israelites experienced God’s presence in worship
The manifest presence of God was so strong when Solomon dedicated the temple the priest couldn’t even perform their duties, 1 kings 8
Before Isaac died, he blessed his son "in the presence of the Lord" ( ).
Aaron was confirmed as high priest in God's presence ( ; )
As the Israelites prepared to enter Canaan, Moses told them they stood in God's presence ( ).
The apostle Paul charged Timothy to remain faithful to the Lord, reminding to remain in watchful presence of the Lord as he performed his ministry ( ; ).
The Bible describes heaven as a place filled with God's presence.
David sought the Lord's presence when Israel faced a three-year famine ( ).
David counted it a joy to experience the Lord's presence ( )
God's presence is a place where prayer is heard.
God's presence is a place of judgment
But God's presence is a place of blessing.
Nothing in this world can compare to the presence of the Lord.
Pauls anchor in the midst of the raging storm was the presence of the Lord.
What are you facing tonight
What storms are raging in life.
There’s an anchor in the Presence of the Lord.......................
2. vs 24-25 The Strong Anchor of the promises of God
A. As Paul weathered that long, terrible storm, the Lord came to him with a precious promise. He reminded Paul that he would stand before Caesar, and that all those on the ship were to be spared as well. For Paul, just having a word from God was enough to anchor him and give him blessed assurance.
As Paul weathered that long, terrible storm, the Lord came to him with a precious promise.
He reminded Paul that he would stand before Caesar, and that all those on the ship were to be spared as well.
For Paul, God’s promise was enough to anchor him and give him blessed assurance.
Why was this?
Because Paul knew that if God said it; He would fulfill it.
God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.
that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.
I COME TO TELL YOU TONIGHT THAT GOD IS NOT SLACK CONCERNING HIS PROMISES.
HIS PROMISES ARE STEADFAST AND TRUE.
Allow me tonight to remind you of just a few of God’s many promises.
1. Brighter Days -
2. Deliverance -
3. Everything is for our Good - ; ; Cor. 4:17
4. Divine Grace -
5. Ultimate Glory -
For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
You might be in the middle of the battle of your life that has caused countless tears.
But hold on friend
The morning is come upon us
Your tears are gonna be turned into joy
C. His promises are based in and on His Word. It is pure, inspired and will stand when the world is in flames, !
(Ill. Dr. Everek R. Storms of Ontario spent a vast amount of time studying the promises of Scripture. Writing in Contact Magazine, he said: "The Holy Scriptures contain a grand total of 8,810 promises. How do I know? I counted them.
"All my life I have seen various figures quoted as to the number of promises in the Bible. The one most generally given is 30,000. Since this is a round number with four zeroes in it, I have always been a little suspicious about it. Furthermore, since there are only 31,101 verses in the Bible, it would mean that there would be practically one promise in every verse. I do not guarantee my count to be perfect, but it is the most accurate I know of."
Dr. Storms goes on to classify the promises found in Scripture into eight kinds:
•There are 7,487 promises from God to man (about 85 percent of all the Bible's promises).•There are 991 instances of one person making a promise to another person.•There are 290 promises from man to God.•There are 29 promises made by the angels, most of them found in Luke.•There are 9 promises made by "that old liar, the devil." (For example, his promise to give Jesus all the kingdoms of the world if he would fall down and worship him.)•2 promises are made by an evil spirit.•2 are made by God the Father to God the Son.Dr. Storms additionally found that one book of the Bible contains no promise at all--Titus. Ephesians has only six promises. On the other hand, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel have over 1,000 promises each.
What section of Scripture most impressed Dr. Storms? He wrote, "The most outstanding chapter as far as promises are concerned in . Practically every verse is a most wonderful promise.")
(Ill. In one memorable scene from Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, Christian, finding the pathway difficult, climbed over a stile to walk in a meadowy bypath. Eventually the ground grew soggy and covered with poisonous vines. The sky became black, and Christian spent the night huddled at the foot of an oak tree, caught in a downpour. Next morning, Giant Despair came upon him, captured him, beat him, and imprisoned him in the dungeon of Doubting Castle with its grim battlements and thick, black walls. Christian tried to sing, but couldn't. His mood was dungeon-dark. Giant Despair beat him mercilessly, and he grew weaker each day. At length he found in his cell a rope, a knife, and a bottle of poison, the tools of suicide, and for a moment he was tempted to end his misery.
But one evening about midnight he began to pray, and …… a little before day, good Christian, as one half amazed, brake out into this passionate speech: What a fool am I, thus to lie in a stinking dungeon, when I may as well walk at liberty! I have a key in my bosom, called Promise, that will, I am sure, open any lock in Doubting Castle."
It did. Using the key of God's promises, Christian escaped, never again to fall into the clutches of Giant Despair or Doubting Castle.)
D. Claim the promises of God as an anchor for your soul as you sail the story seas of life! They will unlock the prisons of despair in which the devil seeks to chain you!
III. v. 24 THE STRONG ANCHOR OF THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD
2. Deliverance -
A. Paul is told by the Lord that this storm is a part of God working out His plan in Paul's life. At that moment in time, that storm was the safest place in the world for Paul to be! Why? Because he was in the will of the Lord and God was working in a mighty way in the situation to bring about His will for Paul's life.
B. Did you know that God is doing the very same thing in your life as well? It may be simple faith, but I still believe that God is Sovereign! This just means that He is in absolute control of everything that happens in life! He is a Sovereign Lord - . Listen to the testimony of James concerning this sovereign Lord - . If I didn't know God was on His throne, I would not want to live in this world another second, but as long as I know He orders the storms, (Ill Disciples and storm - ), I can weather them. He knows what is best and that is all He sends into your life and mine, . The best thing we can do when the storms rage about us is run to Him for refuge and cling to Him until the storm passes, ; .)
(Ill.Emperor Charles V was trying to assassinate John Brenz, friend of Martin Luther. Hearing of the plot, Brenz barely had time to grab a loaf of bread and duck into his neighbor's hayloft. There he hid fourteen days. The bread was quickly gone, but the Lord sent a hen who showed up and laid an egg each day for fourteen days. In this way, Brenz was kept alive. On the fifteenth day the chicken didn't come, and the reformer wondered what he would do. But from the street below came the cries, "The cavalrymen are gone at last."
In a similar way, a dog provided for the needs of another reformer, John Craig, who was arrested during the Inquisition. On the eve of his scheduled execution, Craig escaped, but while fleeing through the Italian backcountry, he ran out of food and money. Suddenly a dog approached him, a purse in its mouth. Craig tried to drive the animal away, but it dog persisted in bringing the purse to Craig. In it was enough money to take him to freedom.
Similarly, Robert Bruce of Scotland was running for his life, fleeing persecutors. He ducked into a small cave, and a spider immediately appeared and spun a web over the opening. Bruce's pursuers fanned across the landscape, knowing he was near. Two of them approached the cave, and one of the men started to go in. The other one stopped him, saying, "He could never have gotten in there without breaking that spider's web."
Bruce breathed this prayer, "O God, I thank Thee that in the tiny bowels of a spider you can place for me a shelter.")
C. Ill. V. Raymond Edman said this in a book called Quietness and Confidence, "First, He brought me here, it is by His will I am in this strait place: in that fact I will rest.
Next, He will keep me here in His love, and give me the grace to behave as His child.
Then, He will make the trial a blessing, teaching me lessons He intends for me to learn, and working in me the grace He means to bestow.
Last, in His good time He can bring me out again--how and when He knows.
Let me say I am here,
(1) By God's appointment
(2) In His keeping
(3) Under His training
(4) For His time."
E. That is the kind of confidence that will let you shout in the devil's face, even while the storm still rages, Ill. Job - !
F. Notice this: even after Paul received the great promise of the Lord for himself and all on board the ship, the men still tried to take care of matters on their own, v. 28-39, and some even tried to get off the ship, v. 30-31. Even in the face of God's promise, v. 21-26, the men in the ship fought, feared and fretted in the midst of the storm. There was just one guy on board who was enjoying the trip: Paul! Why? Because he believed God! He knew God was working and he used that truth as an anchor!
Friends, we live in a day when men are abandoning ship at an alarming rate! The storms of life attack them and they run from the church, the old ship of Zion. Can I remind you that the best place you can be in the storms of life is in the ship, where the Lord wants you to be. If you leave the ship, you might face the fury of the storm on your own. If you stay where the lord has planted you, you can be assured that His providential work in your life will be carried out to completion!
3. Everything is for our Good - ; ; Cor. 4:17
IV. v.44 THE STRONG ANCHOR OF THE PERFORMANCE OF GOD
4. Divine Grace -
A. What the Lord told Paul, and what Paul believed would happen came to pass: everyone made it safely to the shore. God kept His Word! He spared every life and proved Himself to be as good as His Word!
B. God is able to work it all out! He will get you through your storm and
land you safely beyond it! It may look this evening like the boat is going to sink. It may look like the storms of life are going to prevail. However, when the waves have all settled down, when the winds have ceased their blowing, when the rains have abated, when the storm clouds have moved off to the horizon: you will see that God was in control all along! I can promise you this, no storm in this life will be able to blow you off the course God has determined for your life! He will secure you during the storm and He will successfully deliver you to the safe harbor of His glory!
C. Corrie Ten Boom said it this way, "When Jesus takes your hand, He keeps you tight. When Jesus keeps you tight, He leads you through your whole life. When Jesus leads you through your life, He brings you safely home."
D. I would just remind you this evening that our God is a strong and powerful God, ; . He cab do anything that needs to be done, . The fact of the matter is, He didn't save you to lose His grip on you in a storm. No! He saved you to take you home to glory and that is just what He will do, !
5. Ultimate Glory -
Conc: Have you set your anchors deep in the Lord this evening? If you have, then you can weather life's storms. If you haven't, be prepared to be blown about by the winds of adversity. I would encourage you to come before the Lord and say something like this, "Lord, I cannot fix my situation. I cannot calm the raging seas of my life and I cannot still the winds that blow against me. I need help today. By faith, I cast the anchors of your presence, you promises, your providence and your performance into my stormy sea. I am resolved to trust you to walk onto my storm and speak peace when it is your will to do so. Until then, I will not fear, I will not fret, and I will not fight. I will trust you to do what is best for me." When you throw in the towel and come to a place of total trust before the Lord in your storm, it gets His attention and you can be sure that He will do something about your situation!