Lifeboat Stations!
We are coming up to the 100 year anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. Such an indelible event, referenced so commonly even today. According to legend, when the Titanic was launched, a White Star Line employee made the bold claim, “God himself could not sink her.” Sink she did, squelching human hubris, on April 15, 1912. The last surviving passenger on the Titanic has died at the age of 97. At just nine weeks old, Milvina Dean was the youngest passenger on board the liner when it sank in 1912.
She died at a Southampton nursing home. Elizabeth Gladys Dean, known to friends as Milvina, was born on February 2, 1912 and died on Sunday, 30th May, 2009. You may be aware of the statistics, but I was again surprised:
Total On Board Titanic = 2229
Total Survivors = 713
Much of that event remains shrouded in mystery. Why did it sink so quickly? With sufficient lifeboats, why did 1500 perish? While many factors most likely played a role in this disaster, the people were woefully unprepared for a rescue mission of such a scope. After all, they were on a luxury cruise! First, second and third class passengers were enjoying the finer things in life.
Then . . .
I wonder what it sounded like. I wonder what it felt like to strike the iceberg. Too many of the crew and passengers panicked, some lifeboats went off with few or even no survivors. With a mission so vital, too many were not ready, willing, or able to rescue the perishing.
Did you realize you are in a similar situation right now? In a real and spiritual way, you have been yanked out of the inky waters of sin by your loving Savior. God has given you forgiveness of sins, eternal life, heaven, and true peace. God has saved you.
Eph. 2:8 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith— and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” But God has saved you for a purpose. You are now a part of God’s family in order to share the Good News of forgiveness with those who do not yet know it.
For this reason, some have described the outreach work of the Church as a rescue mission. You have been saved—pulled into the life raft. Our work; our calling; our lives are to bring more people into the life raft. (God the Holy Spirit creates faith, God is the One who saves. We are simply witnesses—we share God’s Word with others, show Christian love toward others. God uses us to share messages of His love and hope with others).
So who has God placed into your life who is not yet in the life boat? God will accomplish his will, yet allows us to be interacting and sharing with those on the sinking ship of this sinful world, or flailing around in the frigid waters of sin.
I was given the opportunity to throw a life ring to a new friend today. He grew up not knowing who his real mother was, abandoned by his father. He grew up on the streets. He came to the U.S. in 1990, got married, got a decent job. His wife abandoned him, he lost his job and he lost his home. He is starting over.
He came for help with some paperwork but also has received a message of hope. I shared with him how much God has helped me and God can help him, too. “With God there is hope,” I said. With tears in his eyes, he thanked me and said he has never been in church, but he believes in God. I handed him a short message entitled “Starting Over.” He shook my hand and we will meet again next week.
I had no idea who this man was or his story before this morning. But therein lies the lesson. We have the responsibility to be ready to give the reason for the hope we have. Times of witness rarely come at a moment of our choosing. Like survivors reaching out to others in order to pull them into the life raft, we can recognize the opportunity we have each day to interact with people not yet in the boat. We can be prepared to be a friend, to show self-less Christian love. We can be ready to listen and to care.
We can do these things because God has shown such love to us, saving our souls, and giving us a reason and purpose to our lives. God is with you and will bless you as you spend time with people not yet in the boat. Who knows what wonderful things God will accomplish, all to his glory, through your words and actions. All hands on deck! We have a lifeboat to tend to!
God richly bless your week.
Prayer idea: Pray for those in your life who are not yet “in the boat.” Or, for those whose faith is weak or troubled.