Lessons From The Unsinkable

Greeting: Greetings to each of you in the name of Jesus this morning. It is good to be here and to see all of you again.

It is good to see the house so well filled. I trust the Spirit of the Lord can speak to you in a way that can encourage and motivate you as an ambassador of Jesus Christ.

Childrens Meeting: Paul”s Shipwreck

Message Title: Lessons from the Unsinkable (awile ago sub looking at Titanic) This morning id like for us to look at some parralles from the Titanic story concerning the church and also us as individuals.

3 References: Matthew 28:18-20 Luke 10: 25-37 Acts 1:8-9 We see the need to be a people/Church, who are aware of those around us living is darkness..We see it is a CALL TO ACTION We see the words like Go/teach....and Being a witness Share to others about the one who has brought you from darkness to light...because of a burden for ones lost soul. Is that us today?

Going to read part of the story...and then we are going to be looking at four ships/Churches and see what God reveals to us.

April 15th, a day marked in history. We reflect on an event which happened over one hundred years ago...the sinking of the Titanic.

This ship, and the stories that surround it have fascinated people throughout the world ever since that fateful night. Thousands of books have been written and millions of dollars spent to bring to light all the events which created this mind-numbing tragedy.

Titanic was built before World War I, before the Great Depression, before commercial flight and during an era when automobiles were a luxury only the very rich could afford. Prosperity and hope rested in many hearts. The oceans and the railroad were the common means of travel, and millions of Europeans left hearth and home to pursue their dreams in America.

Shipyards competed to build greater and greater luxury liners to impress the world and make a tidy profit for their owners. White Star Line intended to dominate the industry by building three ships: The Olympic, The Titanic and The Gigantic.

With the initial success of The Olympic, White Star strove to even greater heights in plans for the Titanic. She would be the largest, most luxurious ship ever built with features never seen before including a swimming pool and amazing first class accommodations. The sheer magnitude of materials used to create the ship led some members of the press to suggest that even God could not sink the Titanic.

Captain Smith was selected to pilot the ship. One of the most decorated sea captains, he had never experienced a serious mishap at sea. Titanic’s maiden voyage was to be his last post before retiring.

In all its magnitude and luxury, the Titanic lacked a few key essencials due to the idea..that it was unsinkable.

First, the lifeboats. Titanic carried specially equipped lifeboats designed to hold up to 65 passengers. This was an amazing feat within itself. Unfortunately, lifeboats use up deck space. Even though building plans called for 48 lifeboats which could accommodate 3200 people, the managing director demanded the number be reduced to 16 so that more passengers could enjoy the magnificence of the ship.

Once underway, the normal procedure was to conduct lifeboat drills to ensure everyone knew what to do and where to go in case of emergency. None were held. Not a single crewman was trained to lower or deploy a lifeboat. Most had no idea of the special davits Titanic was equipped with allowing lifeboats to be lowered with increased capacity.

The night if the tragedy was absolutely calm. The sea was like glass on a moonless night. Fred Fleet, the lookout did not have a pair of binoculars to spot icebergs. he would only use his natural eyes.

Onboard, passengers ate and drank and danced and laughed oblivious to what would come stealthily in the night. Suddenly, a rubbing and breaking sound and the ship came to a halt. Chunks of ice appeared on deck and many passengers began playing with them, still unaware that their lives were in danger.

Gradually, the obvious was clear. Titanic would not survive the night. Reality set in. Many lives would be lost. Captain Smith would not retire, but go down with his ship.

How did all this happen? The simple answer is arrogance, but there is more to the story.

You see, the buzz about Titanic created the false idea that Titanic did not need lifeboats - she WAS a lifeboat! Why do you need drills if you cannot sink?

During the night, a German ship telegraphed the Titanic warning of icebergs. The message was ignored. Who cares? The ship can’t sink! But the fact of the matter was, Titanic was going down...

* So Here is were we get to our first ship. (Looking at the Titanic later...but i would like to compare the sinking Titanic as individuals around us that are lost in darkness,sinking into the depth of dispair and crying out for help. How do we as a church respond to those crys of help?

1. Califonian Churches:

* The Californian travelled the same ocean 17 miles away. In the middle of the night, flares went up into the sky from the Titanic pleading for help. Now this great ship which could not sink was sinking. The Californian saw the flares and did absolutely nothing. They never investigated and never made any efforts to assist until it was too late.

* How is this possible? How could this crew be so callous and uncaring?

* Captain Lord was a very distant and self-centered man. The crew disliked him for his supreme dedication to his agenda. Lord was tired that night. He was more interested in sleep than investigating dubious flares. Even though some crew members urged him, Lord judged it too risky to respond to the distress call for fear of the icebergs. So he did nothing.

* Seeing a need, but doing nothing about it, for fear of what it may cost us...(Time, mental energy,money) the personal comfort that we have to leave to address that need. Fear of what it may look like...not wanting to stand out..(Delyn Dillion)

* Matt 18:11 For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.

* Jesus came not to be served but to serve...He calls us follow of His footsteps and do the same..

* Californian churches never step out of the normall lines. Just keep doing the same always. Don’t change anything. Ignore the changes in the culture around you. Make no effort to outreach or understand where/why people are hurting. The main objective of Californian churches is to keep the organization running. Taking time the lost is nearly irrelevant.

* This is also a challenge for leaders...to be open to the counsel of the crew.. or church members.(Employer-Employees) What would have happened if captain Lord had thought about the crew urging him, and decided they were right, they needed to go and try to help that ship...regardless if he was tired. They possibly could have saved many lives. Leaders dont always make the right decision...they need to have ears open for wise Godly counsel. Godly counsel can sometimes come through men..

Proverbs 19:20 Hear counsel and recieve instruction, that thou mayest be wise in the latter end

2. Samson Churches

Another ship was even closer to Titanic that evening: The Samson. Only 7 miles away, The Samson saw the flares and turned the other way. What? How could they ignore the distress of a fellow ship in need?

The Samson it turns out was not supposed to be there at all. The Samson was engaging in the illegal act of hunting seals, which was prohibited in that area. The flares threatened to reveal their deeds, so they turned ship and ran. Their motives were entirely about self preservation and continuing to operate their business illegally.

* Living in sin has a way of making a person cauloused, until they are no longer aware and consious and burdened about a soul that they see sinking in darkness.. Can we send the true light if we arent walking in the light ourselves?

2 Corinthians 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the eyes of them that believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

When we are living in defeat, it is like putting the eye-blinders on..to where things can pass on either side and no attention is paid. Horses (Judas)

The Church is made up of individual people and so how they conduct their lives...makes the church. What does Christ desire for His Church to look like? Ephesians 5:26-27 Revelation: 19:7-9

* God’s desire is to return and find the Church in this state: glorious, unspotted, unwrinkled, unblemished, life of righteousness...able to live out the calling of going and serving others with the Light.

3. Carpathian Churches

Finally, a willing servant: The Carpathia. Captain Rostron’s ship was 58 miles away from the Titanic. As soon as he heard word from of Titanic’s distress call, his plans changed. Instead of being a smaller luxury liner transporting passengers to their vacation destinations, Carpathia would become a rescue vessel.

Immediately, Carpathia turned toward the Titanic and went full speed into the same field of icebergs that the Titanic hit. Praying on the bow of the ship, Captain Rostron gave the orders. Top speed for Carpathia was 14.5 knots, but Rostron ordered extra stokers to create the additional steam that would accelerate the ship to more than 17 knots. While the ship headed for the Titanic, the ship would be transformed into a hospital. Passengers willingly gave up their paid berths and started preparing medical supplies. Everything used for luxury now had to be adapted to help the injured. Blankets were stripped from the beds. Passengers became staff.

When they arrived, Carpathia rescued 700 of the 2300 passengers who remained alive. All efforts focused in ministering to see strangers rescued and helped. Sacrifices were gladly made so that those who were hurting could find refuge. (REPEAT) People paid great money to be on that luxury liner...heading toward a vacation destination...

* Is that us today?? Is that the ship we are aboard? Are we a Carpathian Church here this morning...

* If the Carpathia could only hold 700 from the Titanic until it was full to the brim...what happened to the other 1600 people? How many do you think could have boarded the Samson or the California...if they would have been willing to help?

* Carpathia and Captain Rostron were willing to step into the darkness(Field of bergs) to take the Light.

* John 8:12 Then spoke Jesus again unto them saying, I am the light of the world: He that FOLLOWETH me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of Life.

* So Christ = The light....and so if a person follows Christ they have the light. How does an idividual share the light like 1st peter calls us to?

‘’ To proclaim the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness, into his marvelous light. Proclaim= Show..report.

* Every person who has ever been called from the darkness to light has a story of that happening. Each story is different. But its there..and its real. Its a testimony… And it is something that is to be shared with others that are in darkness..and it needs to point to the one that does the transforming. Jesus

* Sometimes people dont understand the transformation...until they hear or see it in person. Paul testimony is found 5 times in the Bible.

* Is darkness only on the outside? Often we think of going out to make an impact..i belive that is true...and we need to have a great focus there....but i believe there are times when there is some darkness within. And it cannot afford be overlooked....It may look good on the outside...but within it could be dark.

* Are we aware and ready to serve and give up of ourselves and our time when we see that need,and stay committed. In 2 Timothy (Paul/Demas/Hand to the plough)

4. The Titanic: ( We didnt look at much yet) (Look at as an individual with a hurting soul VS a church)

* So what went wrong with it....What took it down? (2.5 miles) You could possibly say the idea of self- suficiency. The Titanic seemed untouchable...unsinkable.

It seemed huge..it was 882Ft. long, 92 ft wide and 60 ft deep (2 noahs arks)

* Even those on board didnt think it needed anything… sometimes people are the same way...I dont need anything...i got it myself...i can take on the world and anything that comes my way,and we bypass anything that says otherwise

* The Titanic recieved 7 warning messages that night about the direction they were headed..and the danger ahead. But they didnt listen.

* One very clear message telling them “heavy pack ice and a great number of large bergs ahead” But the messages never got passed to the Bridge...

* Another ship told them “ We are sitting here with ice all around us” SHUT UP ! Replyed the operator...Im busy...

* Not long after is when the ship struck...and after a while realized they were going down. Then thats when the Titanic began radioing for help and sending signals.

* What would happen if an individual would be willing to heed the calls of warning before they run up against the iceberg of sin...so much can be saved...(Many could attest to that)

John 3:3 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.

* Abstain from fleshly lusts...that war against you...Satan wants to war against you until has you sunk into bondage 2.5 miles deep. Its pitch black where the titanic lays now. Zero light...only darkness.

* Maybe theres someone here this morning..heading towards the iceberg...thinking that you may be indestructable...please heed the warning. Slow down and change direction. (Captain Smith..never slowed the Titanic down)

* The titanic was built to be able to hit icebergs and take blows..(Front end) But the curved side panels on the side had to be rivited together by hand...and they had to use iron rivets vs steel that way the men could pound them...and that was the weakspot....and thats were it hit..

* Satan knows were to hit us as well to try and take us down...

* And maybe your here this morning and youve already hit...and the water has come aboard..and youve slipped beneath the surface...and your sinking.

* Because of God’s love for you...its not the end....there is hope..there is a rescue unit available...And its Jesus.

* And I truly believe that there is someone close to you in your life...that is willing to do there very best and help you to turn it over completely to Him.

* But one of the most important questions a hurting, sinking person has to ask themselves is....Am i willing to recieve help...am i willing to let go of the end of the rope into the arms of Jesus.. Am i open and willing to allow someone i trust very much… to help me to get to that place....

* Or will i continue to stay within walls...and sink?

* And so my main encourement back to the Church...let us be aware of our surroundings...if we see the flares and crys for help..are we willing to sacrifice and come to the rescue...Or are we narrowminded and blinded by self, busy schedules and the cares of this world.

* We can look at this as a call to the community and the world around us..however i want us to also take this challenge to look within us..are their sinking hurting people within the Church? If we see it, let us as brothers and sisters care for one another. Let us go and heed Gods call and send the LIGHT.