#1) THE NATURE OF STORMS
Micah 7:8 Rejoice not against me, (1) O mine enemy: (2) when I fall, (3) I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me.
Ø Promise #1: You will have enemies
Ø Promise #2: You will fall
Ø Promise #3: You will arise
#2) LESSONS FROM NOAH
Ø ONE: DON'T MISS THE BOAT.
§ “When your ship comes in, don’t be at the bus station.” – Pastor Wayne Huntley
Ø TWO: REMEMBER THAT WE ARE ALL IN THE SAME BOAT.
§ Ephesians 4:16 From whom THE WHOLE BODY FITLY JOINED TOGETHER and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
§ When the lead goose gets tired, it rotates back into formation and another goose flies at the point. The geese in formation honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed. Below are three “HONKS” from Adrian United.
o HONK ONE: Affirm one member of Adrian United
o HONK TWO: Affirm one friend of Adrian United
o HONK THREE: Affirm someone who has never attended Adrian United
o HONK THREE: Affirm someone who has never attended Adrian United
Ø THREE: PLAN AHEAD. IT WASN'T RAINING WHEN NOAH BUILT THE ARK.
Ø FOUR: DON'T LISTEN TO CRITICS; JUST KEEP WORKING.
John Maxwell’s “The Elevator Principle” states: “People can be the wind beneath our wings or the anchor on our boat.” If you want to add value to people’s lives, keep the following in mind:
§ Lifters commit themselves to daily encouragement.
§ Lifters initiate the positive in a negative environment.
§ Lifters understand life is not a dress rehearsal.
#3) LESSONS FROM JONAH ~ CAST UNWANTED ITEMS OVERBOARD
o Jonah 1:4 But the LORD sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken. 5. Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and CAST FORTH THE WARES THAT WERE IN THE SHIP INTO THE SEA, to lighten it of them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep.
o Hebrews 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
#4) LESSONS FROM JESUS ~ AWAKEN YOUR FAITH
Ø Mark 4:37 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. 38. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? 39. And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? 41. And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?
#5) A NAUTICAL LESSON ~ YOU NEED AN ANCHOR
Hebrews 6:18-19 That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;
Ø An anchor dropped to keep you from moving but in a storm a dropped anchor (not all the way down but partially) will steady the course during a storm.
Ø Old “ham” radios were called “boat achors.”
o Ham radios were short wave radio’s that were used a lot of times for emergency calls and situations of distress.
o When we are distressed we have an achor, who is monitoring the radio signals of life, and is waiting for your call – He will send the help you need.
Ø THE HOPE WE HAVE IS “STEADFAST”
o The word "steadfast" is from a Greek word which basically means: the base.
o In nautical terms it might be used of the floor of the ocean.
o The anchor is not in soft sand, or in the seaweed, or attached to a big stone.
o The anchor is steadfast, it is in the base, or the floor of the ocean.
o It is attached to something that will never move or let go.
THE ANCHOR HOLDS
Words and music by Lawrence Chewning
I have journeyed
Through the long, dark night
Out on the open sea
By faith alone
Sight unknown
And yet His eyes were watching me
CHORUS:
The anchor holds
Though the ship is battered
The anchor holds
Though the sails are torn
I have fallen on my knees
As I faced the raging seas
The anchor holds
In spite of the storm
I’ve had visions
I’ve had dreams
I’ve even held them in my hand
But I never knew
They would slip right through
Like they were only grains of sand
CHORUS
I have been young
But I am older now
And there has been beauty
That these eyes have seen
But it was in the night
Through the storms of my life
Oh, that’s where God proved
His love to me
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