Anchors & Stones
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· 16 viewsIn times of calm and storm we need to be anchored to Jesus Christ, the cornerstone.
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Honor Merinda, Grandparents, Tom & Rhoda, Elders
13 May the God of your hope so fill you with all joy and peace in believing [through the experience of your faith] that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound and be overflowing (bubbling over) with hope.
Say, “I receive this” if you receive it today.
Pray
Message Title: Anchors & Stones
// INTRODUCTION
// INTRODUCTION
Anchors & Millstones
Anchors & Millstones
Anchors: in the early church days, anchors were used a disguised cross, also as a sign of hope
Millstones: in the Bible is can represent the economy.
A millstone was a large stone that was used to grind the grain into flour. This job would’ve been reserved for a servant.
Anchor = hope in God
Millstone = hope in World
Setup:
Paul put on trial for preaching the gospel
Paul appeals to Caesar (The Roman Emperor) - basically appealed to the Supreme Court
Paul is put on a boat headed from Rome for his trial
Side-note: Luke is with him, because Luke is the one writing and recording the events that follow.
We join them in port...
Read Acts 27:13-26 [1:30 read time]
STORMS CAUSE EVALUATION
STORMS CAUSE EVALUATION
Have you ever found yourself in a tough situation and asked, “How did I get here?” or “Am I supposed to be here?”
1. Purpose
1. Purpose
Acts 27:15,17 tells us that the boat was driven along by the storm. They dropped the physical anchors and the boat was driven along by the current.
sea-anchor: sail or large tarp used to slow or steady a vessel
There intended destination was Rome
“Storms have a way of taking us places we don’t intend to go.”
COVID-19 has probably taken all of us places or caused us to do things we never intended to do.
Driven Moments create a loss of hope
20 When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned.
Hope: (greek word = elpis): expectation or confidence
how many times have we found our life in tension because of mismanaged expectations?
Faith: (greek word = pisteuo): entrust or believe in
Paul drops a spiritual anchor
21 Since they had been without food for a long time, Paul stood up among them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me and not have set sail from Crete and incurred this injury and loss. 22 Yet now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. 23 For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, 24 and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ 25 So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told. 26 But we must run aground on some island.”
Paul is reminded that his purpose was to go to Rome
Paul’s hope (expectation) was that what God said would happen, would happen.
Paul demonstrates faith (belief) by standing up and taking action.
2. Values
2. Values
18 Since we were violently storm-tossed, they began the next day to jettison the cargo. 19 And on the third day they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands.
When the storm got bad there was a value assigned to everything
Essential Workers in COVID-19
When 2020 hit us with a storm we began to realize what was valuable.
Notice it says that they offloaded the ships tools “with their own hands”
“In the storms of life there are things you are going to have to remove from your life because you simply don’t have the bandwidth to worry about them.”
Worry & Anxiety
Worry & Anxiety
Our lives might be carrying some excess “cargo” that we worry (give thought) to much more than we ought
Worry is an incorrect value placed on something
Worry Cargo
physical desire
emotional desire
social desire (pride)
Worry in the Garden
Worry in the Garden
6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.
You might say this was the first case of FOMO (fear of missing out)
Results of Worry
Results of Worry
Genesis 3
nakedness revealed & shame enters
“who told you, you were naked?”
What words are you listening to that are bringing on shame?
TIED INTO POINT 1, EVALUATING YOUR PURPOSE
“If you don’t know who you are and whose you are you will believe what anyone says about you.”
Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me.
This is so wrong! Words can ABSOLUTELY hurt you.
Reminds me of John 8 - woman caught in Adultery
Jesus says, “you without sin throw the first stone.”
“These men were trying to put a weight or burden on this woman that they themselves weren’t capable of carrying!”
Stones of Defeat
Stones of Defeat
There’s baggage or cargo in your life you’ve been carrying around that wasn’t put there by you!
The Bad Stones:
Doctor’s report
Psalm 103:3 tells us that He heals all your diseases
News headline
Psalm 112:4 tells us the righteous man is not afraid of bad news
Insufficient Funds
Philippians 4:19 tells us that my God will supply every need
Mental Disorder
2 Timothy 1:7 tells us that God gives us a sound mind
Your Child has a disorder
Psalm 139:14 shows us that we & our children are fearfully & wonderfully made
The weight of your parents expectations
Jeremiah 29:11 reminds us that our heavenly Father has plans for our future
Stone of Victory
Stone of Victory
1 Peter 2:7-8 tells us that Jesus himself was rejected but has now become the chief cornerstone & whoever believes in him will not be put to shame!
What does the Cornerstone say about you? (1 Peter 2:9-10)
Chosen Race - new life principle
Royal Priesthood - new access to God
Holy Nation - new government
God’s People - new ownership
Called out of darkness, into HIS marvelous light
Called into mercy - we didn’t get the punishment we deserved
IF that’s who HE says you are…why are you worrying?
GETTING THROUGH THE STORM
GETTING THROUGH THE STORM
Acts 27:33-44 [1:30 Read Time]
“The things that matter make it through the storm.”
By the time they run ashore, they’ve offloaded everything except the people!
Cargo
Tools
Lifeboat
Food
When they threw the food overboard they hadn’t seen land yet!
24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Anchors
“Anchors don’t take you out of the storm, but they help you get through it.”
What are you anchored to?
What are you anchored to?
Lifeboat
the men tried to escape on the lifeboat surely would’ve been killed
they were trying man’s way to get out of the storm = millstone hope
God’s Word
the whole ship of 276 was saved because of where they put their hope
Anchored in God’s Word
Anchored in God’s Word
13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Faith = Action
Hope = Expectation
Love = Outward Focus
31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
In all that we do, we seek God first
replace worry with concern for God’s kingdom
remember the past, plan for the future, but live in the present
33 For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints,
God’s Word is Unchanging
God’s Word is Unchanging
6 “For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.
8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
If we are going to be anchored to anything, let’s be anchored to the cornerstone!
“Christ Alone. Through the Storm.”
“Cornerstone” CHORUS
13 May the God of your hope so fill you with all joy and peace in believing [through the experience of your faith] that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound and be overflowing (bubbling over) with hope.