In Times Like These
Acts 27:18-44
One day in 1944, during WWII, a woman was in her kitchen doing her normal tours. Like others of her day, she was tuned into the national radio broadcast. The tragedy of the war was brought home through the news stories and she knew the incredible suffering of the soldiers in battle and their families back home. She felt the Holy Spirit come on her and give her words for a song. She quickly found pen and paper and wrote what the Spirit spoke.
Since that day, the words the Holy Spirit spoke to Ruth Caye Jones have been a source of comfort and strength to millions.
IN TIMES LIKE THESE…
For Mrs. Jones… it means the horrors of war… the poverty of rationing… the tears of those who lost loved ones… and the fear of the great Anti-Christ… Hitler.
For us, IN TIMES LIKE THESE, can mean many things.
It may be having to seek public assistance for the first time… or standing in line at the unemployment office or showing up for an interview
It may be the pain of watching your child’s life spiral out of control because of drugs or bad friends… it may even mean having to bail your child out of jail.
It may be watching your marriage slowly fall apart… because of infidelity or external stress
It may be dealing with the mounting challenges of getting older… diminished health and abilities… increased pain and difficulties… and a sense of uselessness or at least being devalued
It may be when it costs more each month to fill your tank than to pay for the car… or having to choose between medicine or food.
This hymn says, “In times like these you need an anchor.”
And when it comes to our life… we need to have an adequate anchor for our ship (life)
We don’t need to deploy the anchor all the time… only in the storms.
But let me dispel one myth right now… God is our anchor, but He is not just a crutch or a help in the time of trouble.
For many people He is… they only call on God when they need help.
Like so many who call the church every month wanting help with their electric bill.
Most of them don’t come to this church except when they need financial help.
But God is much more than our anchor
He’s our Captain to show us the way
He’s our compass to guide our way
God is there with us when things are going well, to bring us closer to Him
But in those storms, in the hard times… He is there to be our anchor and protect us and keep us safe.
Now let’s get to the message.
God showed me something as He was writing this sermon… something I have never seen before
Paul and his fellow prisoners were being transported to another prison when a terrible storm accosted their ship.
These sailors were probably not rookies, but seasoned salts.
This was not their first storm, so the fact that they were so scared testifies to the severity of the storm.
It was bad, they did not think they could survive, they were sure they were going down, and they were making preparations.
They took ropes and passed them under the hull and cinched them up to strengthen the ship against the waves. They even threw the cargo overboard to lighten the load and allow the boat to float higher and take on less water.
Verse 18 says they even did the unthinkable, they threw the ship’s tackle overboard. This means they were taking desperate measures.
The next day a few of the sailors were so frightened that they attempted an escape in the life raft but their attempt was discovered by Paul and stopped by the captain.
At one point they took soundings… checked the depth of the water and discovered it was getting shallow. At about 90 feet deep, they decided that was close enough to shore because to get closer might cause them to be smashed on the rocks of the coast.
So they threw out four anchors and prayed.
I want you to see… the last thing they did was pray.
Prayer, religion, God were just last ditch anchors for them.
People who do that… never have hope in the storm.
Why?
That is the message God gave me.
The average depth of the Mediterranean Sea is 4,900 feet.
Boats do not anchor in water that deep… especially the boats of Paul’s time.
They only anchored in the bays and along the coast where the water was shallow.
Normally, I doubt they would have anchored in water as deep as 90 feet, but would have sailed into the port or closer to shore.
The only reason they were anchoring at this depth was their fear of the storm and being run aground.
They threw out four anchors… FOUR. Why so many?
You are thinking, “Because the storm was so bad.”
I want to teach you, that was not the reason.
The reason they threw out four anchors is because each one did so little good, so they thought there was safety in numbers.
Let me teach you something about anchors.
You know how they are made with arms, some two, some more, and these arms are curved with points.
The points are to help the anchor bite into the bottom of the sea. The deeper they bite or grab… the stronger their hold.
But because the arms are curved, it is necessary for the anchor to tip over to bite into the sea bottom.
If it does not tip over, it just slides along the bottom.
GOD SHOWED ME -- The problem for the sailors was not the storm… and it was not the anchors… it was the rope!
The rope was too short!!
It would not allow the anchor to tip and bite.
That is why they used so many.
Now watch this…
We all have a boat… our life
We all get into storms… problems
We all have an anchor… God
These are same for all
BUT… NOT ALL HAVE EQUAL ROPE
Some have more rope than others.
WHAT IS THE ROPE? FAITH!!!
Faith is the thing that connects the boat (US) with our anchor(God)
But we can have identical boats and the same anchor and one holds better than another. WHY?
ROPE… one has more rope and his anchor can tip more and bite deeper and hold stronger
I love the man in the bible who said, “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.”
Using this passage… he was saying, “Lord, I have enough rope (faith) for the shallow water (little troubles) give me more rope so I can handle the deeper water
How do we get more rope (faith)?
That brings me to the other things God revealed to me.
I BELIEVE—The sailors had more rope… enough rope to easily anchor at 90 feet… but they wasted it.
How did they waste it? Read verse 17.
They wasted some of their rope… rope that would have allowed their anchor to tip and grab and hold… they wasted it trying to save something that was bound to perish anyway.
Paul already told them the ship would be lost, destroyed.
But they took rope from the anchors, and used it to try to save the ship.
RESULT: Rope was too short for anchors
Ship lost anyway
APPLICATION: We all have opportunities to lengthen our rope… (FAITH)
When the sailing is smooth… more time to praise, pray, give thanks, read, meditate, etc.
That is when we have more time to devote to our faith
HOWEVER—like the sailors, we waste the time and the opportunity by using the time to try to tie up and protect the stuff that is going to perish anyway.
We spend that time…
Cutting grass that will grow right back
Planting flowers that will bloom and die
Watching TV shows that don’t matter
Playing inane video games
Am I saying we should not take care of our stuff… or have any fun?
NO… that is stewardship
I am saying, WE SHOULD USE MORE OF THAT TIME TO GET CLOSER TO GOD AND LET HIM GIVE YOU MORE ROPE
So you can handle the deeper water
Look at the sailors…
Rope too short
Anchor not holding
Look at Paul
Paul’s anchor was holding in the rock of GOD’S PRESENCE
vs. 23 “For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve.”
Paul’s anchor was holding in the bedrock OF GOD’S PROMISES
vs. 24-25 “…I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told to me.”
For Paul, just having a word from God was enough to anchor him and give him blessed assurance.
Why? He knew God was a PROMISE KEEPING GOD!
Romans 4:21 “What he promises He is able to perform.”
Paul’s anchor was holding in the solid ground OF GOD’S PLAN
vs. 24 “…fear not Paul thou must be brought before Caesar…”
The angel of the Lord that ministered to Paul told him God’s plan was for Paul to get to Caesar and to spare everyone on board.
Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you says the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans for hope and a future.”
Paul’s anchor was holding in the firm foundation OF GOD’S POWER
vs. 44 “…and it came to pass that they all escaped safe to land.”
God has the power to do all things
If God has the power to cause an ax head to float
If God can cause a donkey to talk
If He has power to split the Red Sea and the Jordan River
If God can raise the dead
If God can tell the thunder and lightning to cease
He has the POWER to keep me safe through the storm…
Why did Paul’s anchor hold and sailor’s didn’t
MORE ROPE
In times like these we need an anchor
Be very sure you anchor holds
And grips the solid rock
Is this one of those times you need an anchor?
Does your anchor hold?
Do you need more rope?
Come and ask
I have a powerpoint for this sermon... rhpendleton57@gmail.com
