FOUR ANCHORS FOR LIFE’S STORMS
Acts 27:1-44
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR
1. There was a farmer who had three sons: Jim, John, and Sam. No one in the family had ever attended church or had time for God. The local church and pastor had tried to reach them, but to no avail.
2. Then one day Sam was bitten by a rattlesnake. The doctor was called and he did all he could, but the outlook for Sam looked slim indeed.
3. So the old reprobate farmer called the Pastor and asked him to over and pray for Sam. The preacher arrived and prayed for Sam thus…
4. “Dear Father, I thank you that You in your wisdom sent the rattlesnake to bite Sam. He’s never been inside the church and it’s doubtful he’s ever prayed or acknowledged your existence. This may lead to his genuine repentance. And now Lord, will you send another rattlesnake to bite Jim and another to bite John and a really big one to bite the old man. We’ve tried to reach them for years and it seems that what our combined efforts could not do, this rattlesnake has done in 2 days. It appears the only thing that will do this family any good is rattlesnakes; so Lord, send us bigger and better rattlesnakes! Amen.” [Victor Yap]
B. TEXT [chapter greatly abridged]
1. When it was decided that we would sail for Italy, Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a centurion named Julius…. 2 We boarded a ship from Adramyttium…and we put out to sea….9 Paul warned them [at Crete], 10 “Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also.” 14 Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the Northeaster, swept down from the island. 15 The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along. 20 When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved. 21 Paul stood up before them and said: “Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. 22 But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. 23 Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me 24 and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’ 25 So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. 26 Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island.” 27 On the fourteenth night…about midnight the sailors sensed they were approaching land. 29 Fearing that we would be dashed against the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight. 39 When daylight came….41 the ship struck a sandbar and ran aground. 43 But the centurion wanted to spare Paul’s life… ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land. 44 In this way everyone reached land safely.
C. THESIS
1. We all face storms. Some are physical, such as hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, floods. Other storms are personal – such as death in the family, job problems, marital difficulties, child-raising headaches, etc.
2. Storms are a part of life. The question is not IF they will come or WHEN they will come, the question is “How will I respond to the storm when it comes?”
3. Paul found himself in a life-threatening storm. For 14 days the ship was in a raging sea. When the crew panicked, Paul stood and shared the anchors that held his life secure.
4. That night, “they cast four anchors…and wished for the day” KJV. Those four anchors kept them through the storm until daybreak.
5. I want to suggest FOUR SPIRITUAL ANCHORS that will keep you and I through all life’s storms:
I. 1ST ANCHOR: RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
A. KNOWLEDGE OF GOD’S CHARACTER
1. What kept Job from turning against God when he lost his family, his possessions, and his health? He knew his God!
2. What kept Joseph during the years of slavery and prison? His relationship with God!
3. What kept David during the years that Saul pursued him?
4. When writing the Book of 2nd Timothy, Paul had been arrested by Rome the second time.
a. The grim specter of death was before him. The executioner’s ax would soon fall. But Paul was not afraid.
b. He wrote, “…I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day” 2 Tim. 1:12.
c. What a Ringing Affirmation! When you know God and know His character, you know He will do no injustice or wrong! “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him!” Job 13:15.
5. We must come to know God personally! Do you know Him? Just because we know the Bible, go to church, etc. doesn’t mean we know HIM. We must spend TIME with Him to get to know Him.
6. People that work for the IRS know many things about you: where you work, how many kids you have, your salary, your S.S. number, your address and phone number, etc. But they don’t know YOU! They wouldn’t recognize you on the street!
7. But your dog, who doesn’t know any of the facts about you, couldn’t help but recognize you on the street, for he/she has spent a lot of time with you and knows you.
8. It’s the same with God. Do you just know facts about God or have you spent a lot of time with Him and would know which person was Him on a busy street?
B. IT GIVES REASONS FOR CONFIDENCE IN JESUS
1. Since Jesus is the Lord of All, He’s the Lord of the Storms of Life that come our way.
2. He is in control and will work out everything for our good, even if we can’t see how now. So even in storms it’s reasonable to trust Him.
3. Paul was in a terrible storm, but Jesus sustained him. Just because you’re in a storm doesn’t mean the Lord has forsaken you!
II. 2ND ANCHOR: WORD OF GOD
A. IT IS STABILITY IN AN UNSTABLE WORLD
1. In times of uncertainty, you can trust the Word!
“ “ “ confusion, “ “ “ “ “
When everything is changing, the Word doesn’t.
2. How could Paul be at peace? Because he had the written Word of God’s care. He also had a prophetic word from the angel; “You will stand before Caesar; none will perish.”
3. So Paul had confidence. He wrote; “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness…” 2 Tim. 3:16.
B. WE CAN’T CHANGE THE WORD: THE WORD CHANGES US
1. Get that Word in your soul and it will change you!
2. ILLUSTRATION
a. Years ago a missionary employed two Chinese scholars to translate the Gospels into the Chinese language. After many months the work was complete.
b. When they gave the translation to the missionaries, they said, “We are converts to Christ! The more we studied the sacred writings of the Chinese, the more obscure they became. The longer we read the Gospels, the more simple and intelligible they became, until at last it seemed as if Jesus was talking with us!”
3. I remember reading about the bandit in India who was saved by reading Bible pages he was using to roll cigarettes!
4. ILLUS.: Is Bible study just a waste of time? One time Henry Ford hired an efficiency expert to evaluate his company. After several weeks, the expert made his report, which was favorable except for one thing:
a. “There’s a man down your hall, and every time I go by, he’s just sitting there with his feet up on his desk. He’s wasting your money.”
b. Ford replied, “That man once had an idea that saved us millions of dollars. At the time, I believe his feet were planted right where they are now!”
c. Saints, maybe it would be good for you to put your feet up and save yourselves a million dollars – or a million heartaches – by reading and meditating on the Word of God!
III. 3RD ANCHOR: THE PEOPLE OF GOD
A. IMPORTANCE OF FELLOW BELIEVERS
1. A wise man once wrote, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: 10 If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls
and has no one to help them up. 11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? 12 Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken” Eccles. 4:9-12.
2. In times of trials, believers are to pray for each other and give whatever help they can.
3. How many of you have been encouraged by another believer? We are here to help you through your storm! We are one of your anchors!
B. PAUL’S FRIENDS ON THE JOURNEY
1. Acts 23:7 mentions Paul’s friends at Sidon, where their ship stopped on the journey. We know of no church at Sidon, but these believers ministered to Paul’s needs.
2. On the ship – Paul was not alone! He at least had his friends Luke and Aristarchus (vs. 2). Luke was Paul’s physician.
3. But Aristarchus? Why would the Centurion allow him to accompany Paul? Some scholars think he became Paul’s personal slave in order to accompany him!
4. Let God’s people help you through the storms too!
IV. 4TH ANCHOR: PATIENT ENDURANCE
A. PATIENCE ISN’T EASY
1. Phillips Brooks, a famous pastor of the last century, was in his office, pacing the floor, frustrated. Somebody walked in, saw him and asked, “What’s the matter, Pastor?”
2. He answered, “I’m in a hurry and God isn’t!” How many can relate to that?
3. Hebrews 10:36 says, “For you have need of patience, that, after you have done the will of God, you might receive the promise.”
4. Patience is letting your motor idle when you feel like stripping the gears!
B. ENDURANCE – TO STRUGGLE ON
1. It had been two long weeks on that terrible ship – wet, cold, tossed around constantly, crammed in there with 276 people, no one felt like eating…
2. And Paul was still hearing from God! He had endurance; it must be developed, we don’t automatically have it.
3. The Lord Jesus said, “…he that endures to the end shall be saved.” James said, “Blessed is the man/woman that endures temptation: for when they are tried, they shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him” (1:12).
4. It’s not the ones who start this race, but those who finish who get the prize!
5. “To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne” Rev. 3:21.
6. Paul later said, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith!” (2 Tim. 4:7). We must be able to say that too!
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION: Value of Storms
1. Jim happened to meet the minister on the street one day, and during conversation told him of all the troubles he had had during the past year.
2. He wound up with, “I’ll tell you right now preacher, it’s enough to make a man lose his religion!”
3. “Seems to me, Jim,” the minister told him quietly, “It’s enough to make a man use his religion!”
4. Did you know that storms are some of God’s best tools? And though I don’t believe He causes every storm, I know that He uses every storm.
5. When the storm hits – that’s when we start thinking about what’s really important.
6. Acts 27:20 “we finally gave up all hope of being saved,” is one of the saddest, but also one of the best verses in the Bible.
7. It was when they finally gave up all their own efforts and looked only to God that an angel of deliverance appeared!
8. They’d done everything they knew to do – trim the sails, dump the cargo, clear the decks, tie ropes around the ship, exhaust all their efforts – that God said, “Alright, now I’m going to save you!”
B. SAVING THE DROWNING MAN
1. I’ve told the story of the life guard who stood on the bank watching the drowning man flail in the water until he sank, before jumping in.
2. Later he was asked by a bystander why he’d waited so long to assist him. “If I’d tried while he still had strength, he might have drowned me. But once he was exhausted, I could control him and save him.”
3. Similarly, God can’t save you from your storms until you’re ready to surrender!
C. THE CALL
1. Are you ready to let God handle your problems?
2. Are you ready to let Him take the wheel of the direction of your life? The ‘God who knows the future’ knows which direction your life needs to go.
3. How many of you are in a storm right now? How many have been struggling and you don’t seem to be making any headway against your circumstances?
4. Why don’t you join me at the front and let’s pray.
5. How many have been trying to do it by yourself and your ready to let God do it?
6. Prayer for needs and salvation.
