Rev. David Holwick A
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey
January 4, 1998
Psalm 69:1-3,13-17
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I. A really big disaster.
A. Family history.
Magda Austad was born in Norway in 1910.
At age 2 her family decided to return to their new farm in
North Dakota.
So in 1912 they had high hopes of getting tickets on the most
luxurious ocean liner of its day - the Titanic.
Unfortunately, it had sold out so they had to come over on the
Lusitannia. (Which was itself torpedoed 4 years later.)
Magda Austad was my mother's mother.
B. A movie with awesome special effects, and a moving story line.
II. Just how great are we, anyway?
A. Pride of builders - "God himself couldn't sink this ship."
1) "Challenger" space shuttle.
2) Year 2000 computer glitch.
3) The more complicated our machines come, the greater our
pride, but the more likely they are to break.
B. Biblical root of pride of technology - Tower of Babel.
1) God has made us in his image, so we are by nature creators
as well.
2) Typical of humans to overreach, however.
a) We can do great things but we will always have limits.
b) Technology cannot solve all our problems.
c) Some, such as our sin nature, it barely touches.
3) Be wary of false confidence in human achievement.
III. God shows no favoritism.
A. If my grandmother had been on, she would probably be dead.
1) Very class-oriented society.
2) Uneven rescue percentages.
a) All first and second class children survived.
b) Two-thirds of third class children died.
B. We still have classes.
1) We all identify with poor passenger, DiCaprio.
a) His modern equivalent is in Newark.
2) Are we prejudiced?
a) Worst bigots think they are not prejudiced.
b) Everyone has some bigotry.
C. Peter and sheets.
1) God doesn't have favorites.
2) Christians must judge character and not superficials.
3) Every person - nationality, race, even religion - has worth
in God's eyes.
IV. Heed the warnings.
A. They knew icebergs were in area.
Ice berg warnings from other ships came in all night long to the
radio room of the Titanic, but no one paid any attention.
When lookouts were sent up into the crow's nest, they didn't
even have binoculars.
The ship plowed on through the night, full speed ahead.
B. Look out, before it's too late.
Looking back over our lives, what warnings did we fail to heed,
that caused us to quit too soon working on a marriage,
on our finances, on a secret habit?
As wise disciples we must heed warnings God has given about
dangers that can bring shipwreck to our lives.
One of the important reasons to come to church is to be
reminded of the course God wants us each to take.
It's never too late to change course.
If we are playing around with hidden sin, heed the warning
signs before it's too late.
There's always ice ahead.
V. Souls must be saved.
A. The ugly side of human nature.
1) One man uses a child to get on a lifeboat.
2) People fight each other, use bribes and guns.
B. Souls are in need.
1) Humans are called "souls" in shipwrecks.
a) Hint of immortality, and briefness of life.
2) The Bible tells us humans face a choice.
a) Heaven is not a guarantee, or even likely.
b) God requires faith and repentance.
c) Is your soul safe with Jesus?
C. Are we any more concerned about souls?
1) If we have chosen Jesus, we must tell others.
The survivors of the Titanic recalled the horror of its
sinking, but most dreadful of all was the cries of
the drowning people.
Twenty lifeboats and rafts were launched--too few and
only partly filled.
Most of the passengers ended up struggling in the icy seas
while those in the boats waited a safe distance away.
Lifeboat #14 did row back to the scene.
Alone, it chased cries in the darkness, seeking and
saving a precious few, only 6 out of 1500.
Incredibly, no other boat joined it.
Some were already overloaded, but in virtually every
other boat, those already saved rowed their
half-filled boats aimlessly in the night, listening
to the cries of the lost.
Each feared a crush of unknown swimmers would cling to
their craft, eventually swamping it.
#1818
a) Churches can be no better than those lifeboats.
b) We are safe, let others fend for themselves.
c) If you are not concerned about saving souls, are you
a real Christian?
2) What are you going to do about it?
a) Average person in our church has never led a single
soul to Jesus.
1> Members of your own family are not saved.
b) Opportunities at special services.
1> Pray for friends and family.
2> Invite them.
VI. Faith in midst of catastrophe.
A. A dramatic climax.
1) Back of mind: What would I do in a similar situation?
a) Women and children first still valid?
2) Examples of faith.
a) Priest quotes Revelation 21.
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the
first heaven and the first earth had passed away,
and there was no longer any sea.
He will wipe every tear from their eyes.
There will be no more death or mourning or crying
or pain, for the old order of things has
passed away."
b) Passenger recites Psalm 23.
c) Band plays "Nearer My God to Thee."
B. Would you have had faith?
1) We cannot know for certain until we face it.
2) Genuine faith can stand firm in day of trouble.
3) No one wants to die, but Christians can be prepared.
a) Are you? Now?
b) Our death may not be as dramatic, but it is coming.
Copyright © 2024 by Rev. David Holwick
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