Anchors for the Storm

Introduction

612,000. 677. Pretty irrelevant number. Except for the fact that it represents the total number of bridges in the United States of America.

And roughly 55,000 of them are in need of repair. They are substandard in terms of structure and support. No worries, that’s only 9% of the bridges in our country that are traveled over 174 million times a day. Well, that’s down from last year’s totals. And so you’re wondering which states should I avoid.

No problem, I’m going there in a couple of months. Iowa’s a bad state, and you’re wondering where does Texas rank, aren’t you? Well, by percentages, we’re the best in the country. At 1.3%. Everybody now pat yourself on the back because you’re responsible for building all of those bridges in Texas that are better than everywhere else. And of course, everything is always better in Texas. But by numbers, we’re a bigger state, so 695 bridges actually puts us at 22. Number 22 in the country. So we’re right in the middle in terms of actual numbers of bridges that need repair. So all I can tell you is avoid the 695 that are bad, and hope they’re not the ones that you’re traveling over.

These statistics and this point about U.S. bridges takes me to the topic of foundations and solid structures that can become compromised by subsidence or outdated material. Some of these bridges haven’t been touched since they were built 50 years ago. Shifting earth, tremors, earthquakes can all affect structures, foundations, and you probably know where I’m going with this. What’s the nature of your spiritual foundation? How sturdy is your spiritual structure. We have in Texas the dreaded cracked slabs. We don’t hear about that as much. I think now that they’re building on piers, our homes do a better job with the shifting terrain in this part of the world. Do you have a cracked slab spiritually?

1. The Bedrock Is Faith

And you might be saying, What storm? Fasten your seatbelt. Because one is likely coming. If you live long enough, you’re going to experience some billows. You’re going to experience some storms. And you’re going to need anchors when that happens. And so as we talk about firm spiritual foundations, we need to talk about the bedrock of faith. And again, I want to remind you of something I said about Acts 16 and verse 31 in the story of the conversion of the Philippian jailer, that we often try to dismiss Acts 16, 31, get as quickly as we can to his baptism in verses 33 and 34, and show that was essential to salvation, not just this verse that’s often isolated in the text, and somebody says, All you got to do is believe in your heart Jesus as the Savior.

And while I understand that the story of the Ethiopian eunuch can be abused, the story of the Philippian jailer can be abused, and all the other conversion stories in the book of Acts, we should not dismiss this verse. Believe in the Lord Jesus. You and your household, and you shall be saved. This is where it starts. This is the foundation, the undergirding, the support of all that we are in Christ. The bedrock is faith. Our trust and confidence in the unseen, but in terms of the billows that we face, perhaps faith does fluctuate from time to time in our lives. I don’t think it’s wrong to say that. Unwavering confidence, no matter what comes your way, though all hail, all hell should assault, as we’ve sung this morning.

Unwavering confidence. I think I like better the term undying. Confidence in the unseen. A confidence that cannot be shaken. That God is real, that the spiritual realm exists, that our destiny before us is either heaven or hell, and they are inescapable results, and that we have a soul, and that the Bible is the Word of God, we need to have an undying confidence. It cannot be quenched, it can’t be extinguished, no matter the flaming missiles that the adversary may throw our direction, no matter the pain of our circumstances. Undying confidence anchors for the storm. So I want to talk to you for a moment this morning about foundations, about those anchors that we need. What are some things that God has put in place that serve as anchors to our spiritual welfare, our well-being, and keep us sturdy spiritually?

Again, is the foundation compromised? Are you in a struggle that was not true maybe months and years ago? Do you need a shoring up of your faith?

2. Baptism Is One of Those Foundations

As storms will inevitably return if they are not billowing presently. So I started thinking a little bit about things that serve as foundations for us. And I think baptism is one of those foundations. And I say that because of the way the New Testament treats the subject beyond the book of Acts, which explains how people were baptized as a result of their faith and came into union with Christ. The epistles’ treatment of the subject of baptism is a little bit different. And I don’t know if you’ve noticed this. And I think it’s important for you to notice it. But a lot of the texts that follow in Paul’s epistles and even Peter’s in 1 Peter speak of baptism from the standpoint of what it meant in a believer’s life.

It’s as if you’re being returned to the scene of that moment of union and reminded of the significance and importance of that act. A lot of the passages that we use in Paul’s epistles and Peter’s to explain to people the essential role of baptism in God’s plan of salvation were not originally written with that intention. Now, as I say that, God’s intentions for the things that He says could be far, the things that He says could be far greater than I could perceive. And I’m certain that He thought we would be using these texts to help explain the meaning of baptism. But to the original audience, the purpose, for example, of Romans 6 that describes our burial with Christ and our rising to walk in newness of life, our coming into union with Jesus’ death was not intended, first and foremost, primarily to instruct people about the mode of acceptable immersion.

That is immersion.

You need to show people that just as Christ was buried in the earth and arose from the dead, it’s a burial, it’s not sprinkling or pouring. You have to be immersed, and then you rise to walk in newness of life in likeness of Jesus’ death and resurrection. And so we explain to people it’s essential, and the mode is clearly explained in Romans 6. And you can do that with Romans 6. Just contextually, that’s not what Paul’s doing with it. Paul is saying, in a marvelous treatise about God’s sovereign right to include the Gentiles in the salvation of grace through faith. He is explaining to all believers the meaning of their conversion to the Lord. That you died to sin, and now you live to God. And the rest of Roman sense is about what it means to believers.

So, when what’s that point that you were baptized into Christ and into his death and rose to walk in newness of life? That is one of your anchors. A number of our young people. Tanner and Owen and Logan and our girls, Carissa, Meredith, and Sage. Have I missed anybody? We’ve had so many of late who have obeyed the gospel. That point is the point that you were set apart into the Lord and his purposes. It is an anchor for you. Now, let me also offer this word of caution. We should not exalt this critical and crucial step in coming into union with Christ to the point that we neglect faith and repentance that fuels the whole process. So often we spend so much time emphasizing the culminating act and the culminating step that we somewhat ignore the faith that is the fuel for the bedrock of faith that is the fuel for the whole thing.

Acts 16, verse 31. You submit to this instruction in order to come into union with Christ because you have tenaciously clung to the truth about Jesus. And if we don’t emphasize that, then what we do here won’t stick. It won’t last. Because trusting and turning is essential to the effectiveness of this act and the ongoing perseverance of the person in Christ. Let us not talk about the plan of salvation and primarily and almost always just emphasize the culminating step. Let us emphasize the whole process and going back even further to the grace that was extended that we did not deserve, as Bill pointed out. But it’s the fuel for even our response of faith. God’s greater part in the scheme of redemption. Marvel that we could do this to be saved at all.

3. The Lord's Supper Serves as an Anchor

And may it be an anchor. Through him we are believers in God and our souls purified in obedience to the truth, born again by a living and incorruptible word of God. 1 Peter chapter 1. The Lord’s Supper further serves as an anchor, as part of the bedrock of our faith. Or else, why would God have us doing it so frequently? Why would he have us doing it on a regular basis if it were not intended to serve us in some capacity for our spiritual well-being and betterment? What does the Lord’s Supper do for us? And it’s one of the reasons that I would say that I have no objections whatsoever to serving it on Sunday night. It’s the Lord’s day. People who need to partake get to do this important act of devotion to God that reminds us.

4. Remember Jesus Christ

It’s not an afterthought in our Sunday evening service and should never be regarded that way. It is a reminder. A healthy, important reminder of the purification of our sins, the purpose of our lives, and the provisions of God’s goodness. And it should always be done with great seriousness and inner reflection and praise of the Savior. May it never degenerate into a habit or a ritual. Heaven help us. When you partook of the supper today, it should further bolster the foundations of your faith. And of course, Jesus is at the center of it all. I could have started with him. Jesus is the fuel for the other two things. But we noted in our Wednesday night study recently in 2 Timothy chapter 2 and verse 8 that Timothy, a preacher, an evangelist of the gospel, was admonished to remember Jesus Christ.

How simple is that? You want your faith to be strong and sturdy. You must have constant reflection upon Jesus. Remember Jesus Christ risen from the dead, descendant of David, according to my gospel. Oh, the good news. Why, descendant of David risen from the dead? Why those two things of all the things that could be said about Jesus? Because he is emphasizing several things. The critical factors that relate to our Lord, that is his incarnation, that God became human flesh, his crucifixion, where the price was paid for our redemption, his resurrection that gives us hope, and his ascension that brought him to the right hand of majesty on high, where he wields all power. And let me tell you about those four things. I cannot surrender my faith because I cannot circumvent those.

5. Another Anchor We Will Need Is Hope

And they are the bedrock of my trust. They are the bedrock of my decision to get out of bed and come here and to sing his praise today. And they’re not going away. You should embrace those four things. And do so with all of your heart. And finally, as Jesus undergirds this whole picture of our foundation. Another anchor that we will need in the midst of life storms is hope. Far too many people are content with the joys and pleasures of this life. In essence, they’re not content with many things in their lives, the things that they already possess, but they are content with those things to the neglect of Jesus. In different times, in different places. Clinging to hope of something incredible beyond is far more appealing and motivating to them.

Other cultures, other places, and other times. Hope. Hope was huge. Is this all there is?

Oh, we experience troubles, but not like others in other times and places have and do experience. Where they see no better station in life than where they are right now. Oppressive government, substandard living, according to the way how we would describe it, as we sit here living like kings, and eating like kings, as I often say.

Hope. But it’s not just anything but this. But it is also the Lord is my shepherd. I shall have no lack. It is the realization that the Lord provides what I so desperately need, and only the Lord provides it. Your bank account can’t do what the Lord can do. Your retirement package can’t do what the Lord can do. Your square footage of your house, however large it is, and how many bathrooms that you have, or your air conditioner cannot do this for you. The Lord is my shepherd. I shall have no lack. In my remaining few minutes, I want to go to the book of Romans with you because, with the help of a friend, I noticed that hope is a huge theme in the book of Romans.

I talked to you about what’s going on in the book of Romans a minute ago. Surprisingly, woven through the book of Romans is the message of hope. What God has done is a fortress of hope for us.

Even in a different time, even in a different covenant. It’s always been about faith. And that’s the point Paul is making in Romans chapter 4 about Abraham. He believed, and it was reckoned unto him as righteousness. My confidence should be no different than Abraham’s. Oh, he wasn’t baptized like I’m baptized to come into union with Christ. He didn’t even know who the Christ was. But he knew he was a part of what God was working out. Through his descendants should all the nations of the earth be blessed. And so he went out not knowing where he was going. At the basis of everything for Abraham was faith. Even to the extent when he was told to offer his only son, the son of the promise. It says, in hope against hope.

In hope against hope, where there seemed to be no hope. In hope against hope. He believed. Are you there in Romans chapter 4? In Romans chapter 4 at the end of that treatise about Abraham. It says in verse 17, in the sight of him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist. This is the confidence in hope against hope he believed in order that he might become the father of many nations. That’s not all Romans has to say about hope. It’s mentioned three times in Romans chapter 5, and we’re instructed to exalt in hope, a hope that does not disappoint, in verse 5. And we are to add to proven character hope, the last thing in the list.

When you have pursued all the others, and the love of God has been taught to your heart, and you display it in your life. We exult in tribulations. We know those tribulations produce perseverance and the proven character that results from that proof of perseverance. And then he says, and hope, the hope that does not disappoint, he’s not done with the subject of hope. In fact, he says in Romans chapter 8 and verse 24 that we are saved by hope. Even creation has a hope of things better in the future. And with perseverance, we wait. And he says, we wait eagerly for this hope, even though we do not see it. So I want to tell you this. That what your eyes cannot see today. What it is impossible for your eyes to look at and behold.

This confidence that we have in Jesus, the promises upon which we stand, tell us of something that is beyond our ability to see that will satisfy like nothing in this world can. Nothing. Not even close. An Astros World Series would be nice.

Did you see the interview with Joe Morgan? Was that yesterday or the day before? As he talked about he had two championships with the Reds. Okay. But he learned everything as an astro. Being a Cincinnati Reds fan, I’ve known three World Series championships. But you know what happens after all? I live in the glory days of the big red machine and Joe Morgan. Those were great times to be a Reds fan, but you know what we’re saying now? Could we at least get a winning percentage over 500? It’s hard being a Reds and Bengals fan. Whatever pinnacles of emotions you might experience with your sports teams, whatever it is that motivates you.

Thus we are to be rejoicing in hope. Again in the book of Romans, persevering in tribulation. It’s interesting how those two things are put together. And then the last phrase, wow, why is Romans 12 and verse 12 worded this way? It just hit me. Rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer. You know, those three things just need to go together. Rejoicing about your hope, persevering in the midst of trial and devoted to prayer. Well, there was the message that involved Abraham in days of old.

6. Through the Scriptures We Might Have Hope

That there is something just on the horizon. Oh, that gets me back to Star Wars. And K2SO. When he is called to bring the ship to rescue them as they’re getting out of prison and the planets being destroyed, he says, there’s a problem on the horizon. There is no horizon. And ultimately, there will be no horizon here. But there is a great horizon beyond. We have a great hope. An exceeding hope. One more verse from Romans. You know this one. It’s actually earlier in this chapter. About the things written aforetime were written for what purpose? Why should we delve into that, all of that old testament material like we did last week with Ralph and learn the lessons of the Old Testament and all the promises and provisions that are described as the blessings of the Messiah.

Why should we delve into all of that? That we, through patience and comfort, some versions say encouragement, that we through patience, comfort, and encouragement might have hope.

You ignore scripture, and you’ll forfeit hope. You write that down. You neglect scripture and you’ll forfeit your hope.

We, through patience and comfort and encouragement of the scriptures might have hope. Spend time in the Word. This is where faith is bolstered. Neglect of the word will destroy your faith. So don’t be children tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine. But grow up into all aspects unto him who is the head, even Christ. We can weather the storms. God made us so that we can endure the storms. Okay. One verse is missing from the sermon. What? You left out, I love this. When people come up to me and say, ah, but you didn’t add that verse in the sermon. You missed that verse. Listen, I might have overlooked it, but it might just not have made the cutting board. Because if you want me to be exhaustive of everything in the scriptures that pertains to a certain lesson, that lesson could be an hour or two hours, okay?

So don’t hassle me about the verses that I miss. I didn’t quote every passage on baptism this morning, or I wouldn’t be near the conclusion at this point. But it is indeed appropriate that I end with Hebrews chapter 6, where hope is described as the anchor of the soul. Two unchangeable things. Two immutable things in which it is impossible for God to lie because our God desired to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of his purpose. God had a singular, unchanging purpose to bring redemption through the Messiah, and beyond that, he took an oath about it. Two immutable things. We may have strong encouragement, we who have fled for refuge in laying hold of the hope set before us, and this hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast.

Because our Messiah entered in through the veil.

Conclusion

You need this. You need baptism. You need faith that fuels the baptism. You need repentance. You need confession of the name of Jesus. You need it. You need to be partaking of the Lord’s supper regularly. And you need to reflect constantly on Jesus and our hope. A marvelous hope that we have. You need it more than you need lunch in the next few minutes. You need it more than you need any food the rest of the day. What’s your trajectory right now? Are you going in the right direction? Are you sure? Can we assist you in embracing the acres or the storm? Let’s stand and sing.