ANCHORS IN THE STORM
drumbeat of love • Sermon • Submitted
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Introduction
When it was decided that we would sail for Italy, Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a centurion named Julius, who belonged to the Imperial Regiment.
We boarded a ship from Adramyttium about to sail for ports along the coast of the province of Asia, and we put out to sea. Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, was with us.
The next day we landed at Sidon; and Julius, in kindness to Paul, allowed him to go to his friends so they might provide for his needs.
From there we put out to sea again and passed to the lee of Cyprus because the winds were against us.
When we had sailed across the open sea off the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we landed at Myra in Lycia.
There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy and put us on board.
We made slow headway for many days and had difficulty arriving off Cnidus. When the wind did not allow us to hold our course, we sailed to the lee of Crete, opposite Salmone.
We moved along the coast with difficulty and came to a place called Fair Havens, near the town of Lasea.
Much time had been lost, and sailing had already become dangerous because by now it was after the Fast. So Paul warned them,
“Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also.”
But the centurion, instead of listening to what Paul said, followed the advice of the pilot and of the owner of the ship.
Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided that we should sail on, hoping to reach Phoenix and winter there. This was a harbor in Crete, facing both southwest and northwest.
What are You afraid of?
Maybe it is storms, or financial failure, or sickness, or relationships
Paul alone has the presence of mind to calm the crew, the soldiers, and the other prisoners
Paul took command of the ship because He knows the Lord and the captain of his fate
Can you imagine weeks of stormy weather on a boat with no sun
The captain is frozen with fear
the centurion is immobilized by anxiety
They strapped the ship with ropes to try to secure it
Paul warned them not to go on
The centurion wanted to get his prisoners to Rome before Winter
The captain wanted to get his cargo to his destination so he could make a profit
When all on board had given up Hope a messenger of the Lord gave him what he needed
courage, assurance that his heavenly vision of going to Rome would be accomplished and that all those with him would be saved
Then Paul took control of the ship, his words ringing above the howling wind
Look at his face, his immovable stature, his radiant, commanding leadership as he stands before the cowering, seasick crew and the fear-racked legionnaires
Now listen to his voice, clanging like a harbor bell
Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me
and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’
So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me.
On the fourteenth night we were still being driven across the Adriatic Sea, when about midnight the sailors sensed they were approaching land.
They took soundings and found that the water was a hundred and twenty feet deep. A short time later they took soundings again and found it was ninety feet deep.
Fearing that we would be dashed against the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight.
In an attempt to escape from the ship, the sailors let the lifeboat down into the sea, pretending they were going to lower some anchors from the bow.
Just before dawn Paul urged them all to eat. “For the last fourteen days,” he said, “you have been in constant suspense and have gone without food—you haven’t eaten anything.
Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head.”
After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat.
They were all encouraged and ate some food themselves.
Altogether there were 276 of us on board.
The first Anchor is Intercession
The first Anchor is Intercession
A messenger from the Lord
The Lord has many ways of getting through to his People
Fellow believers, circumstances, difficulties, and even our enemies
He had learned that tragedy was but the the prelude to a new intervention of the presence
He depended on the Lord, not only for his salvation by grace, but his protection by providence
This anchor stabilizes us in any storm
That is why I am suffering here in prison. But I am not ashamed of it, for I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until the day of his return.
Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;
The Second Anchor is Faith
The Second Anchor is Faith
But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.
Faith as abandoned trust was the anchor he lived, died, and rose to offer his people
It was this faith that allowed Paul to say.
I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
We all know fear, it is a part of living
But the anguished fear which grips us in life when we worry about people, present happiness or lack of it, and the uncertain future, can only be released by faith
Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress.
He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed.
They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven.
Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men.
Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people and praise him in the council of the elders.
He turned rivers into a desert, flowing springs into thirsty ground,
The Lord doesnot allow us to drift in a storm that does not end
The Third Anchor is Confidence
The Third Anchor is Confidence
He was told he must stand before Ceasar
The anchor is destiny is offered to eash one of us.
It is the reason we were born
Purposelessness is a dangerous drift
But once we become sure of why we are alive. we can take on any storm
the holding, anchoring power of purpose is liberating
It take our attention from our present troubles and frees us to get back to essentials
Often we become more aware of problems than purpose
Life is more than solving problems, it’s grasping opportunities the Lord has made available
The reason we have been given new life in Christ is to introduce him to others.
It is well with a Christian when he is sharing his faith
Paul’s recall to go to Rome did two things for him
It reminded him he had something bigger to do than just survive.that storm at sea
But it also reminded him that he would survive to Serve the Lord in Rome
The Fourth Anchor is Peace
The Fourth Anchor is Peace
acts27.29 29 Fearing that we would be dashed against the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight
The Holy Bible: New International Version. 1984. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
Sometimes there is nothing to do but to claim the promises and pray
it infuses power to wait patienly with endurance.
One of the greatest gift of the Holy Spirit is peace in times of storm
When our hope is in the lord, We can be at peace.
God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged.
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