Anchored or Drifting?

ANCHORED or DRIFTING?
James 1:12-16

1 One day, a great storm broke out while this man was sailing in his small boat down the Thames, the wind was blowing and the river was raging, so he tried to tie his boat to the harbor wall.

The next thing he knew there was a great big cruiser ship which collided with his small boat and substantially damaged his boat. Furious, he yelled, "Are you aware that power gives way to sail?" to which the owner of the cruiser replied, "I am aware of this but I happen to be anchored."

Just recently in the news we heard of a young actress and mother who lost her life because she failed to anchor the pontoon boat she rented with her 4 year old son. Authorities stated that she did not anchor the boat so it started drifting away from her while her and her son were swimming.
She struggled to save him but then was unable to save herself. He was wearing a life jacket but hers was found in its original spot on the boat.

I’m wondering how your anchor is holding this morning. Are you anchored or are you dangerously drifting through life.
The New Testament is filled with warnings about the possibility of falling away from the Lord. That’s why John tells us in
1 John 2:15 “Do not love the world or anything in the world.”
The apostle Paul reminds us that, that world reliance can lead to us falling away. You see loved ones falling away is a real possibility for all of us.

In 1 Timothy 1:19-20 we find that “Hymenaeus and Alexander rejected the faith” and Paul says that they had “shipwrecked their faith” because of that rejection.

In 2 Timothy 2:16-18 we find again that Paul says that
“Hymenaeus and Philetus were replacing their faith with godless speech.”

And finally in 2 Timothy 4:10 Paul says that “Demas deserted him and the faith because he loved this world.” And so one of the ways to help us remain faithful is to understand why some Christians drift away from among us.

A new minister in a small Oklahoma town spent the first four days desperately calling on the membership, begging them to come to his first services but sadly he failed. He placed a notice in the local newspapers, stating that as the church was dead, it was his duty to give it a decent Christian burial. The funeral would be held the following Sunday afternoon, the notice said. Morbidly curious the whole town turned out. In front of the pulpit, they saw a high coffin smothered in flowers. The minister read the obituary and delivered a eulogy; he then invited his congregation to step forward and pay their respects to the dearly beloved one who had departed.

2 The long line filed by. Each mourner peeped into the coffin and then turned away with a guilty, sheepish look. For in the coffin, tilted at the correct angle, was a large mirror where everyone saw themselves. Take a moment this morning to take a look at the people around you. Who do you see? Faithful brothers and sisters in Christ. Who do you not see?

I know that many of us have seen many faithful brothers and sisters in Christ over years simply disappear into the sunset. Some still faithful to the Lord but moved homes or jobs and some who have simply fallen away.

And they fall away for a number of reasons, and the 1 st reason we’re going to look at is this, “Their anchor didn’t hold because it got tied up in temptation.”

When Jesus is sharing the parable of ‘the seed sower’ He says that “some of the seed fell among the rocks.”
And so, in Luke 8:13 He says that, “Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away.”

In the film “Shawshank Redemption” which is about a prisoner called Andy who got convicted of crime he never committed. Now Andy was struggling to come to terms with life in prison and one of his friends says to him, “life in prison does strange things to a man, first you hate it, then you get used to it until finally you learn to depend on it.” And that’s how sin can work in our life.

Maybe you used to come to every worship service, every Bible study, every Men’s Class or Ladies Class, every time there was something happening at church you would be here. But then you started to miss a few of these days and you hated it at first, but now you are just in the habit of missing out
and now whatever it is your doing in it’s place
has become just too important for you miss out on.

You see that’s how sin works, sin grows and if you don’t put a stop to it, it will end up killing you. That’s what James was saying in James 1:12-16 “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. Don't be deceived, my dear brothers.”

James says that when you get involved with sin then it’s only going to lead to one thing and that’s spiritual death. And don’t be fooled loved ones, this testing that James and Jesus talk about can come to us in different forms. “Will your anchor hold?”

3 One of which Peter warns us about in 1 Peter 4:3-4 3 For we have spent enough of our past [a]lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles—when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. 4 In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you.

Peter says that our old friends can come along and test us.
We’ve all got history and we’ve all probably been involved in some ungodly activities at some point in our lives. But when we became Christians that ungodly behaviour came to a stop. And Peter says, “Listen, when you meet up with old friends, they are going to come along even though they know you’re a Christian and tempt you.” They are going to tempt you to go back to the way you were before. And so loved ones we need to be on our guard against that. Do your non-Christians friends have more influence in your life than Jesus Christ does? Because if they do, you could be one step closer to going out from among us.

Jesus continues to say in Luke 8:14 “The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature.” Now I believe that these are probably the most popular ways of falling away. Worry, riches and pleasures!

Christians get so tied up in this world and they get so involved in their jobs, their professions that their love for God takes 2nd place in their lives. There’s a big difference between working to live and living to work. Jesus said in Luke 12:15-21 “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.' "Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry."'
"But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?' "This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God."

Jesus says in Matthew 6:33 “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” You see money has caused people to fall; money has caused people to grieve.

1 Timothy 6:10 “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” It was the love of money that caused Judas to betray Jesus according to Matthew 26:14-16.

Money caused Ananias and Sapphira’s death because they lied to God according to Acts 5. Which Tom mentioned in a recent sermon.

Hebrews 10:25 “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

If you’re spending less time with God and His people and spending more time in perusing sport and pleasures, or making money then you could be on the slippery slope to falling away.

And then finally some people fall away because “their anchor got tied up in false doctrine.”

John warned these early Christians in 1 John 4:1 he says,
“Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”

Jesus warned His disciples in Matthew 7:15, He says, “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing,
but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.”

in Ephesians 4:14 The apostle Paul described them as being “Tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming”

Now we need to understand that the Bible wouldn’t warn us about these things if they weren’t a reality. People would rather trust people than trust God’s word.

Paul said to the church in Galatia in Galatians 6:6-9 6 Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches.  7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. 9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
Galations 1:7-8 "some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!”   Because you see loved ones not only do those who teach false doctrine have a penalty to pay, so do those who fall away.

Hebrews 6:4-6 4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.

You see the Hebrew writer was writing to Hebrew Christians who were saved. He says that they have tasted the heavenly gift. They have received the Holy Spirit. They have tasted the goodness of God’s word. They saw and heard about the miraculous events through the Holy Spirit.

But because Christianity wasn’t their idea of Christianity they wanted to go back to Judaism. Some people can become Christians and months or even years later fall away and don’t come back,

not because they can’t ... but because they won’t.

1 John 1:6-9 “If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

I want to leave you with some good news. Those Christians who fall away can return, if they so desire too.

James 5:19-20 “My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.”

I don’t know how your anchor is holding up this morning, but I do know that God does. And please don’t think that you are beyond falling from grace, because nobody is. I have heard Christian after Christian say, “I will never leave the Lord and His church.” Only to find out a few years later they have fallen away.

6 Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10:12 “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!” And if you’re finding yourself slipping from the faith then take Isaiah’s advice.

He says in Isaiah 55:6-7 “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.”

Because loved ones there is only one thing more tragic that falling away from the Lord and that is dying in that same condition. Because it’s only faithful Christians who have the hope of eternal salvation.

Song # Will your Anchor Hold ...

Or Song # You are Drifting TOO Far From Shore ...

And Hebrews 6:19 tells us that, “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” And I hope that your anchor is steadfast and sure even though the billows are rolling. I hope and pray that your hope is anchored and fastened to the Rock Jesus Christ, grounded firm and deep in our Saviour’s love.

Will your anchor hold?

(compare to the regret that the actress had that she did not put on the vest before going swimming with her son....
It was available... it is something we all know would have saved her life ....
BUT, could have only SAVED her IF she had it on!!!!!

God’s Word is that LIFE JACKET that can save us but ONLY IF you take advantage of it’s purpose.

Be found faithful until death that you may receive that crown of righteousness that is prepared for us.!!!!!!