Four Anchors Of Faith You Can Hold Onto

TEXT: Acts 27:23-25

TITLE: FOUR ANCHORS OF FAITH YOU CAN HOLD ONTO

I want to briefly share this true story with you: On January 17, 1984 a son was born to Richard & Lindsay Roberts. Thirty-six hours later the precious life of little Richard Oral Roberts slipped away forever to rest in the arms of Jesus.

In a special memorial service held on the Oral Roberts University campus, Richard and Lindsay wept openly at times. Yet from the depths of their hearts, Richard shared these words with those in attendance: “Yes, we hurt…but we’re not defeated by this. We want the world to know what we’re made of. We believe what we preach and teach. We practice it in our lives.”

Richard who was scheduled for an upcoming healing crusade in Africa at the time of the tragedy, made this pledge of faith to those counting on his ministry: “I covenant with God and with my wife that we will go to Africa and we’ll stand tall. And I will not be ashamed of the overcoming spirit that I feel rising up in me now. The world will know what this man is made of.”

What a commitment of faith. What a declaration of trust in the great God that we serve. This is the kind of faith that needs to be exercised today.

You and I cannot escape the storms of life. We will face storms, but praise God, we do not have to let our faith in God dwindle.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow captured this point that we must all face stormy days in his poem titled: The Rainy Day.

THE RAINY DAY

The day is cold, and dark, and dreary; It rains, and the wind is never weary; The vine still clings to the mouldering wall, but at every gust the dead leaves fall, and the day is dark and dreary.

My life is cold, and dark, and dreary; It rains, and the wind is never weary; My thoughts still cling to the mouldering past.

But the hopes of youth fall thick in the blast,

And the days are dark and dreary.

Be still sad heart! And cease repining!

Behind the clouds is the sun still shining;

Thy fate is the common fate of all,

INTO EACH LIFE SOME RAIN MUST FALL,

SOME DAYS MUST BE DARK AND DREARY.

When a Person makes a declaration to put faith in God, the devil says: “Well, we’ll just see about that.” He will put our faith to the test to see if it is genuine.

Satan will try that which we call “faith” to see if it is true faith or if it is just mental assent.

He will see if we really mean what we say or not.

Peter said: “…think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as you are partakers of Christ’s sufferings…” (1 Peter 4:12, 13 KJV)

Trials and storms will come our way because Satan is out to destroy us, to destroy our faith in God if he can. But for our faith to grow it must be tested. God lets us go through trials not to destroy us but to develop us.

If we let him he will steal our faith, kill our testimony, and destroy our health.

Picture this scene in Acts 27. Paul was in a boat on his way to Rome, in God’s will. He was one of 276 passengers in this boat.

The Bible tells us that for many days the wind blew against the boat, the sea washed over the deck tossing the helpless vessel to and fro. In a frantic attempt to save themselves from drowning, the crew threw every thing they could overboard. They even went on a fast and cried out to God to save them. But still the storm raged and the wind blistered its way across the water. The lives of the passengers continued to be in jeopardy.

They seemed without hope, destitude to be destroyed when Paul finally stepped forward. Calmly and with great strength he gave them Four (4) anchors for their faith. These anchors will hold you steady during the storms of life.

First, verse 23 – “Whose I am” or “to whom I belong.” Paul recognized that he belonged to God.

We need to realize that we belong to God and that God will not let anything happen to his property that will destroy it.

You and I must look at that storm and say – “I am a child of God, I belong to God and you cannot destroy me.” (Have the congregation to repeat this after you)

Romans 8:35-39 (AMP.) – “(35) Who shall ever separate us from Christ’s love? Shall suffering and affliction and tribulation? Or calamity and distress? Or persecution, or hunger, or destitution, or peril, or sword? (36) Even as it is written, for thy sake we are put to death all the day long, we are regarded and counted as sheep for the slaughter. (37) Yet amid all these things we are more than conquerors and gain a surpassing victory through Him who loved us. (38) For I am persuaded beyond doubt—am sure—that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things impending and threatening, nor things to come, nor powers, (39) nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”