The fourth hurricane in as
many weeks has just hit the USA. Jeanne
is the most recent storm to have come across the land.
Who would have thought the storms would have come this many and this
fast. When the wind blows there
is nothing to hold on to when everything gets blown away.
What
are you holding on to? Some are
holding on to their bank accounts. One
fellow who had recently retired with 100,000 dollars in his bank account was
soon to realize that it was all gone due to hospital bills.
Some are holding onto secular institutions such as insurance,
retirement accounts, and IRA’s. But
soon they too realize that these are very temporary when the storms of life
come on the horizon.
Scripture
Text: Acts 27:27 On the
fourteenth night we were still being driven across the Adriatic Sea, when
about midnight the sailors sensed they were approaching land. 28 They took
soundings and found that the water was a hundred and twenty feet deep. A short
time later they took soundings again and found it was ninety feet deep. 29
Fearing that we would be dashed against the rocks, they dropped four anchors
from the stern and prayed for daylight. 30 In an attempt to escape from the
ship, the sailors let the lifeboat down into the sea, pretending they were
going to lower some anchors from the bow. 31 Then Paul said to the centurion
and the soldiers, "Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be
saved." 32 So the soldiers cut the ropes that held the lifeboat and let
it fall away. 33 Just before dawn Paul urged them all to eat. "For the
last fourteen days," he said, "you have been in constant suspense
and have gone without food--you haven't eaten anything. 34 Now I urge you to
take some food. You need it to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair
from his head." 35 After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks
to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat. 36 They were
all encouraged and ate some food themselves. 37 Altogether there were 276 of
us on board. 38 When they had eaten as much as they wanted, they lightened the
ship by throwing the grain into the sea. 39 When daylight came, they did not
recognize the land, but they saw a bay with a sandy beach, where they decided
to run the ship aground if they could. 40 Cutting loose the anchors, they left
them in the sea and at the same time untied the ropes that held the rudders.
Then they hoisted the foresail to the wind and made for the beach. 41 But the
ship struck a sandbar and ran aground. The bow stuck fast and would not move,
and the stern was broken to pieces by the pounding of the surf. 42 The
soldiers planned to kill the prisoners to prevent any of them from swimming
away and escaping. 43 But the centurion wanted to spare Paul's life and kept
them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump
overboard first and get to land. 44 The rest were to get there on planks or on
pieces of the ship. In this way everyone reached land in safety.
Purpose
of this sermon is to urge us to place all of our hope in the Lord
through life.
1.
Life's Storms: Each of us face the
storms of life. We struggle with many different types of storms in life.
These storms can take us down or they can be the source of turbulence
that propel us forward in our hope and trust in God.
The storms of life are common to all who live.
Learning how to survive through them is an individual process.
How do you deal with the struggles of life?
2.
The Ship:
The ship is that which carries
us through the storms to the other side. The gospel ship will carry all those who place their trust
and hope through to the safety of God's prepared dwelling place.
Some choose to jump ship and try to make it on their own.
They swim and tread water on their own power.
But the end is always the same. We
can't make it on our own. We have
to place our trust in the word of God as spoken by Paul who said, "Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be
saved."
3.
The Anchors: The anchors are sure
and steadfast. They hold sure on the rock of the bottom of the sea.
They keep us steady and safe while we live through the storms and
struggles of life. We have to
throw out these anchors and place them in the rock on the bottom to enjoy the
benefits they provide. Have you
cast out the anchors of life.
a.
The anchor of the "Wisdom of the Lord":
Trust
in the Lord’s wisdom to carry us through.
Don’t rely on the ideas of man to carry you through.
Don’t jump out of the ship. Hang
in there through the good and the bad. Be
patient and wait on the Lord and His salvation to bring us all to him.
His wisdom is not of this world. It
doesn’t make sense to the world to believe in the Lord or His ways. It
doesn’t make sense to stay in the boat with the Lord.
b.
The anchor of the "Word of the Lord":
Hear the message of the Lord and
obey His direction for our lives. The
message in the scripture and the message from the messenger of the Lord.
c.
The anchor of the "Power of the Lord": God
can do what we can’t. He
is the Lord of heaven and earth. God’s
power will come through in His time and in His way.
The God of all creation wants to recreate you.
d.
The anchor of the "Salvation of the Lord":
There will be a final redemption of all creation.
God
will save the whole of creation. Will
you put yourself in His hands?
Don't
Jump Ship. Stay on board and cast
out the anchors of God.