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.”
Let the devil know that you are God’s and that God will protect what is His.
Second, “whom I serve” (v. 23). Even though it appeared that the storm held a death grip on the Apostle Paul and all of those with him in that storm battered boat, he knew that he was serving God. He knew that he was a servant of God and that God was not finished with him yet. He knew that there was still a work for him to do.
There are times and still are times when the only thing that sustains me is the fact that God has called me, that I am His servant and that knowing I am in His will is sufficient enough to see me through the storm.
There are many times I have wanted to stop what I was doing but faith would rise up and I would declare to the enemy, “I am called of God. I know whom I serve. I know I am in His will and I know that He will see me through.”
There are times when you are working in the kingdom that you will go through a storm and be tempted to loose hope. Remember that you are a servant of God and he will enable not only to do the work He has called you to do but He will enable you to make it through the storm so you can finish what He has for you to do.
Third, “God has granted you all those who sail with you” (v. 24). Paul trusted in the promise of God. That’s all he needed to make it through was God’s word. Listen, God’s promise, God’s Word will always be an anchor during the Storm.
Fourth, “I believe God” (v. 25). Not only did he have God’s Word but he chose to believe God’s Word. What good does it do us to have God’s Word if we don’t believe it? What good does it do us to read God’s Word if we don’t believe it? What good does it do us to quote God’s Word if we don’t believe it?
It is in those dark bleak moments that we must stand and say with Paul, “I BELIEVE GOD.”
There have been times when the storm was very boisterous and almost overwhelming in my life, but I have had to look that storm in the eye and say: I BELIEVE GOD. (Say that with me.) In whatever storm you and I are going through we need to know God understands what we are facing and God knows everything about that situation. We must know and believe that God has our best interest in His hands and that He will not let us down.
Have you ever been trying to get a child or someone else to do something and you said: “Just trust me.” That what God wants us to do, just trust Him.
Closing: Remember this point: In the midst of your storm don’t get out of the boat!
You may be in the midst of one of your greatest storms. You may feel like doing what the passengers on the ship felt like doing, abandoning ship. They had even put down the lifeboat and were ready to set forth into the stormy open sea. But Paul said, “don’t do it. The only way you can be saved is to stay in the boat.” The little boats were no match for the storm. Only in Christ can we weather the storm.
No matter how the winds rage…no matter how terrible the circumstances… no matter what people say, think, or do hold fast to your commitment of faith. Hold fast to the 4 anchors Paul gave us.
