Anchors

Anchors

In the Navy we were taught the best way to fight a storm or hurricane was to move out to sea and anchor deep. There are times in our lives when we are caught in storms, maybe someone here is going through one right now. The best way to fight a storm is to anchor deep.

A friend tells a story about a storm he faced. It was Labor Day 1979, while the rest of the nation was celebrating with family gatherings, picnics, camping trips and the like, he and his buddies were preparing for Hurricane David.

He and his buddies were figuring out how to protect their houseboat. Ok, it was a leaky barge, rustic cabin, did not look very seaworthy. It may not have appeared to be much, but to them it was home. They had bought enough rope to tie up the Queen Mary, tie her down was all they can think of.

Another sailor showed up, feeling sorry for them he gave them very sound advice. “Tie her to land and you’ll regret it, your only hope is to anchor deep.”

In this life we will face many storms, if we anchor to material possessions, we will lose them. If we stake our hopes on the things of this world, we will lose, our only hope is to anchor deep.

You’ve done all you can to save your marriage. You’ve gone to counseling, you’ve followed all the advice of Ann Landers, Dear Abby, Dr. Phil, even Jerry Springer, but your marriage is failing.

You’re called to meeting at work, you’ve dreaded hearing of this meeting, already many have been laid off, you cannot afford to be unemployed, your family needs this income.

Maybe you have just been given news of illness, maybe even terminal illness. Maybe it is not you, but a loved one. What do you do?

Storms that suck the joy out of life, winds that rip out our hopes by its roots, the storm is taking away everything you have hoped for. Time to anchor deep.

Anchor points, firm rocks sunk deeply in a solid foundation. Not theories, or thesis, or casual debatable opinions, but solid rock.

There are three types of storms we face

Futility: Wondering ‘what is it all about’ By all estimations we should be satisfied we should be content, but we know it is not solid, with the rise there is also a fall.

Failure: We knew it, we blew it, we were wrong. Hard words to say. Instead of stepping out, we stepped back. Remember this, we either lead people to Christ, or we lead them away.

Finality: Graveyards, death, finality.

These storms happen in every life, but they do not have to an end, they don’t have to be defeat.

There are three anchor points we are going to discuss this morning. Each anchor point is firmly planted in bedrock. It is the rock that was planted over 2000 years ago. Six hours one Friday a carpenter’s son on a hill called Calvary gave us the anchor point we need. If our anchor is not embedded in this, we have nothing to grab on to.

Death has always been a fearful storm. He points his bony finger and says to us, why?

Why heal the sick to only postpone death, why give strength to only have it ebb away, why be born only to die? Who will be his next victim? Six hours one Friday his victim was God’s Son. Six hours one Friday God was on that cross. Six hours one Friday God was spat upon, cursed at, and bled. Death was looking for victory, yet only found defeat. Six hours one Friday gave us our anchor point.

Our anchor point depends on what we do with that Friday. Did it really happen? Is Jesus the Son of God? Did death triumph that day? Those six hours were no normal hours. They are the most critical hours in history. In those six hours God gave us three anchor points that are sturdy enough to withstand any storm.

Anchor point 1. My life is not futile.

God has given us purpose and direction. Our anchor point here is simple, God made us, he has given our life in Him purpose. Paul said he has learned the secret of fulfillment, that secret was his life in Christ. Sometimes God allows storms in our life to help us build character, to strengthen us in our resolve “this too will pass.” We have purpose.

Anchor point 2. My failures are not fatal

It is not that God loves what we did, but he still loves us. Remember what Paul said “Nothing can separate us from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus.” Every morning we are given a new opportunity, a chance to repent and be forgiven. No sin, no failure, is greater than God’s Grace.