Jesus, the Anchor For our Soul
Hebrews 6:19

It’s been 15 years since life in America changed; some of you still remember what you were doing when you saw or heard the news that our country was under attack.  This event hit us to the core, it affected our economy, travel, security infrastructure; it created a lot of changes in the way we do life in our nation and how we look at the world in general.  Things have never been the same.  Sometimes you are hit with situations that shake you at the core of your existence; you may not even know how you will be able to move forward in life.  Where do you run? To whom do you turn?  What do you do when you feel hopeless, defenseless?

Where do you find hope? What do you hope in?  For some people their hope is placed on the government, a political leader, education system.  All these things are prompt to fail us.

In Scripture teaches us that the hope for those in Christ is an anchor for our soul.  This hope is made possible to us by the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.  Hebrews 6:19

Hope in the Biblical sense is: expectation, trust, confidence.
This expectation, confidence we have because of Jesus is the anchor for our soul.

Anchoring a ship is a very important function that a boat or a ship has to do in order to stay stable in water. Whenever a vessel has to stay afloat in a stationary position on water when the engines are turned off, the anchor is cast into the sea so that the vessel does not drift unnecessarily from its position due to water currents.

If ever you have the chance to visit the catacombs in Rome, those tunnels under the ancient city, where many of the early Christians were buried, you can see the symbols of faith on their tombs. Three common symbols appear: the dove, the fish, and the anchor. The anchor came from the idea that as Christians were going through difficult, insecure times, their hope anchored their souls. Besides it also reminded them of their glorious expectation of eternal life. The anchor was a popular symbol in the early church. At least sixty-six pictures of anchors have been found in the catacombs.
Our hope in Christ is like an anchor for the soul.  The anchor keeps the ship stable in water; it will keep it from drifting away by the wind or water currents.
The hope we have in Jesus keeps us afloat in the midst of turbulent waters and hard winds.

1 Pet.1:3-6
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,  4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.  6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.

Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.
God is the one who made this hope possible for us.  HE promised it to us and he is faithful to his promises.  Example of Abram Heb.6:13-18
God is the one guaranteeing this hope- It is his promise to those who profess Jesus as their Lord.
This hope brings us courage in the midst of fear.
It gives us stability in the midst of a sea of turmoil.
It keeps us secure fastened until we reach our final destination.

Paul’s talk on the supremacy and sufficiency of Jesus. Col.1:15-23
Jesus is that hope that holds us together in the midst of rough waters.
The gospel or good news of Jesus that gives people this hope; but they must remain in it.  Stand firm, hold fast to that hope we have in Jesus.  This is our anchor for our soul.

What are you holding on to?  What kind of anchor do you have?  A storm is coming to threaten you, to shake you.  “We aren’t promised deliverance from every difficult situation we face.  But we can be confident that God hears our prayers and will walk alongside us through everything.”  (Dennis Fisher:  Our daily Bread Sep.11, 2016)

Only Jesus can hold you together; only he makes you stable and secure in the midst of the storm.  It is only in Jesus that you can say like Horatio Spafford said after huge traumatic events in his life; the death of his 22 year old son, the Great Chicago of 1871  fire ruined him financially, later he lost four daughters in the Atlantic ocean; not long after that he travel to meet his wife and as he approach the place where he lost his daughters, he was inspired to write the famous hymn “It is well with my soul”
His soul was anchored by the hope he had in Jesus. What is anchoring your soul today?