Anchor Away

God will lead us to Him if we listen and obey.

Acts 27:27-44

Why did the Author write this story? Was it to show that God will pull us through the storms of life? Or was it to show us how God provides for us and will lead us to safety if we will listen and obey?

Background Paul was brought before Herod Aggrippa by the Jews for fake charges. And now was being sent to Caesar in Rome. SO they were on their way and in not a very good time of year- winter. Paul tried to tell them not to go but they did and got into some rough storms. The storm of all storms, they even roped the ship’s hull trying to hold it together. They were violently being storm-tossed. After throwing out the cargo and the tackle they got to the point where all hope of being saved was gradually abandoned. Life sounds a little like that at times. WE get tossed around in our jobs, in school, in family and maybe even in church. But God leads us to safety if we will listen and obey.

1. with nothing holding us—We are drifting toward an unknown shore. Verses27-29 They had no idea where they were going. Paul had the faith that what God had told him would happen. He knew that God promised safety and everyone would live. It’s the times in our lives that we are heading somewhere and we don’t know where we are heading that we throw out the anchors to slow us toward God.

IN this passage I thinks Paul is trying to share with us that there are things we throw out and there are things we hang on to. There are our way then there is God’s way.I’m going to use anchor as our analogy.You know those little boat anchors in the coofee can with the metal u shape in them, they were great for my little row boat. But in the big ship you have those huge anchors that look like anchor and the weight a ton. If you try to put the big anchor on my 14 foot aluimiunm boat it will sink if you take the little anchor and try to use it on the ocean liner you wouldn’t even feel it. Sin is like that at times. They either sink you completely or they are so little that you hardly notice they are there.

a. The sin anchors-miss matched anchors the sin anchors are the anchors we have in our lives that stop us from going the direction that God has planned for us. Even though the men in Acts didn’t know that God was directing their ship they threw out four anchors to stop them from heading in any direction in the night The direction they needed to go.(dark). They feared running aground. What is it we fear that we throw out anchors for? Maybe not being loved , maybe our physical or spiritual needs not being met.All those things come into play when we are dealing with stopping ourselves from what God has planned for our lives.

b. Look at Four sin anchors.What could be four sins that we anchor ourselves with .

i. Self-centeredness- Verse 30 there were some men that were only thinking about themselves. And they lied about what they were going to do so they could escape. Ro.2:8 But to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation.

1Corth. 13:5 Love does not seek it’s own. The opposite of Love is self.

ii.Lust of the flesh-1John 2:16 “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life is not from the Father, but is from the world.

The lusts of the flesh are easy to identify Gal. 5:19 says they are--- now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are; immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enminties, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these….

An overwhelming desire or craving. Have to have it! That is the sin of lust.

ii. Money- An anchor that gets a lot of us. We say oh I wish I had a lot more money. I could buy this and that. Some people will do almost anything for money.

Matt 6:24, “ You can not serve God and mammon.” Jesus said.

Now that is one of those anchors that get is into a lot of trouble. Oh you mean to follow God it means getting into my pocket? Yes it does because everything you have belongs to Him anyway. Read Matthew 6:25-34

1Timothy 6:10 “ For the love of money is the root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many a pang.”