Series Review
1. When You’re In A Storm, You Cannot Depend On Human Wisdom
The sailors knew what to do when they found themselves caught in a storm so they begin to lighten the ship’s load and even threw the tackle overboard.
2. When You’re In A Storm, You Can Depend On Godly Wisdom
After the sailors had done all that they knew to do, Paul stands up and gives them the “Word of the Lord” to let them know that they will all survive the storm they were in.
3. When You’re In A Storm, You Need To Drop Some Anchors
Acts 4:29 says, “Then, fearing lest we should run aground on the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern, and prayed for day to come.”
A. The Anchor of Prayer
Jeremiah 33:3 God says, “Call unto Me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things which you do not know.”
B. The Anchor of Fellowship
Hebrews 10:25 Living Bible says, “Let us not neglect our church meetings, as some people do, but encourage and warn each other especially now that the day of His coming back again is drawing near.”
C. The Anchor of Faithfulness
Galatians 6:9 says, “Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we will reap if we do not lose heart.”
Sometimes when people are going through a storm, they will quit being faithful to the ministry that God has called them to.
2 Corinthians 8:1-4 Contemporary English Version says, 1“We want you to know that the churches in Macedonia have shown others how kind God is. 2Although they were going through hard times and were very poor, they were glad to give generously. 3They gave as much as they could afford, and even more, simply because they wanted to. 4They even asked and begged us to let them have the joy of giving their money for God’s people.”
The Macedonian Christians were going through an incredible storm but they still remained faithful in their giving. In fact, the text tells us that they “begged” Paul to allow them the opportunity to give.
Giving to the Lord is not a financial decision. Giving to the Lord is a spiritual decision.
1 Kings 17:8-12 says, 8“The word of the Lord came to Elijah, saying, 9‘Go to Zarephath and dwell there. I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.’ 10So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the gate of the city, a widow was there gathering sticks and he called to her and said, “‘Please bring me a little water in a cup that I may drink.’ 11As she was going to get it, he called to her and said, ‘Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.’ 12She said, ‘As the Lord your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar. I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.’”
This widow woman was in the most difficult storm of her entire life. She only had enough flour and oil to bake one final meal for she and her son and she knew that death was imminent.
1 Kings 17:13-16 says, 13“Elijah said to her, ‘Do not fear. Go and do as you have said but make me a small cake first and bring it to me. Afterward make some for yourself and your son. 14For thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the Lord sends rain on the earth.’ 15So she did according to the word of Elijah and she and he and her household ate for many days. 16The bin of flour was not used up nor did the jar of oil run dry according to the word of the Lord which He spoke by Elijah.”
Because this widow woman was willing to trust and obey, God miraculously caused her flour and oil to never run out!
Less than 5% of American Christians tithe. If every church member were to tithe, there would be an additional $131 billion available for God’s work (Julia Duin in “The Philanthropy Roundtable”).
On the way home from church one morning, a mother said, “The music was awful this morning.” The father said, “The sermon was too long.” Their 7 year old daughter said, “But you’ve got to admit, it was a pretty good show for a dollar.”
But money is not the only place we stop being faithful during a storm. The widow didn’t just give Elijah the flour and oil, she used her ability to cook the biscuit…
Part 4
D. The Anchor of Hope
Hope is defined as “a feeling of expectation and desire for something to happen.”
Acts 27:20 says, “Now when neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest beat on us, all hope that we would be saved was finally given up.”
These sailors had been in this storm now for 14 days without any indication that the storm was going to end. They had done all that they had been trained to do (lighten the ship, throw the tackle overboard) and they had even heard the Word of the Lord that Paul brought to them. But despite all of that, they had lost all hope that they would be saved from the storm.
Psa 31:24 “So be strong and take courage, all you who put your hope in the LORD!”
Psa 33:22 “Let your unfailing love surround us, LORD, for our hope is in you alone.”
English poet Joseph Addison said, “Three grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love and something to hope for.”
Some one once said “Let your hopes, not your hurts, shape your future.”
Ecclesiastes 9:4 Contemporary English Version says,
“As long as we are alive, we still have hope, just as a live dog is better off than a dead lion.”
As long as you’re breathing, there’s hope that you can make it through this storm!
Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.”
Job 14:7-9 says, 7“There is hope for a tree, if it is cut down, that it will sprout again and that its tender shoots will not cease. 8Though its root may grow old in the earth, and its stump may die in the ground, 9at the scent of water it will bud and bring forth branches like a plant.”
Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Psalm 33:22 Living Bible says, “Lord, let Your constant love surround us, for our hopes are in You alone.”
Edward Mote put it this way, in His hymn “The Solid Rock” “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus’ Name. On Christ the Solid Rock I stand all other ground is sinking sand. All other ground is sinking sand.”
Conclusion
Proverbs 10:25 Living Bible says, “Disaster strikes like a cyclone and the wicked are whirled away but the good man has a strong anchor.”
“Are You Anchored In The Storm?” I want you to remember:
1. You Cannot Depend On Human Wisdom
2. You Can Depend On Godly Wisdom
3. You Need To Drop Some Anchors
a. The Anchor Of Prayer
b. The Anchor Of Fellowship
c. The Anchor Of Faithfulness
d. The Anchor Of Hope
