A story has been floating around the internet for more than twenty years about the Titanic and Lifeboat #14. I’ve heard several different versions of this story, not all of which agree. After doing some research on my own, here’s what I discovered.

• April 14, 1912 2203 people including crew onboard the Titanic.
• 9:30 p.m. Ship is warned about an Iceberg, but the warning was disregarded.
• 11:40 p.m. Titanic strikes Iceberg.
• 11:50 p.m. Water rises in bow of ship 14 ft.
• 12:05 a.m. Lifeboats uncovered and passengers brought up on deck. There were 20 Lifeboats on the Titanic capable of saving 1178 people.
• 12:45 a.m. First of 20 lifeboats lowered. Sadly, the boats were not filled to capacity. Women and children and some men got in. Those in the boats paddled away from the liner as quickly as they could so they would not to be dragged under when she went down. They kept their distance.
• 1:30 a.m. Some passengers already jump into freezing waters.
• 2:05 a.m. Last lifeboat lowered. Remember those twenty boats could hold 1,178. But only 705 people survived.
• 2:18 a.m. Many more passengers jump. Titanic breaks apart and begins to go down.

There were 20 so called lifeboats. But they kept their distance from the people screaming in the water. Those on board were afraid of being swamped by those in the water.  They were unwilling to take the risk of helping others, fearful they might sink with weight of those who would try to climb aboard.

The majority of the lifeboats were less than half full. Many of the boats could easily have held 40 more people.

Fifth Officer Harold Lowe was in command of Lifeboat #14. He managed to round up four other boats and tied them together. He transferred all but three of his Lifeboat 14 passengers onto the other boats and rowed back toward the wreck with his small crew to attempt a rescue. He found four survivors, but by morning, two fell victim to exposure. Out of the twenty lifeboats launched that night, only Lifeboat #14 returned to the wreckage. The other 19 were safe boats. Only Lifeboat #14 went back to reach out to those who were dying.

Every congregation has to make a choice. Are you content to merely be a safeboat, or do  you want to be a lifeboat? You can sit around and debate the issue, but in the meantime people are perishing without Jesus. There are those all around you who are lost, alone, and dying. What will you do?

It is easy to sit there week after week, content in the knowledge that God has sent His Son to be your Savior. You rejoice in the Good News that the death of Jesus has paid for your sins and His resurrection is your guarantee of eternal life. But is that all there is to being a disciple? God has called you into His kingdom not just to have you in it, but so that you will bring others in as well. We can get so comfortable in the church that we forget that we are among those who needed saving. It started with God’s great love:

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

God accomplished the salvation of all people by allowing Jesus to take our sins on Himself and carry them to the cross. Jesus did it, and anyone can get the benefit of His death by believing in Him. That means someone has to tell people about it. Do you know who that “someone” is? The only ones who can tell others are those who already know. You and I are to be the “someones” who reach out with this Good News. You and I are to man the lifeboats. That does not happen by just showing up here and sitting in the pew. Something more has to happen.

Luke 19:10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”

That was the mission of Jesus while He was with us here on earth until His Ascension. To whom has He entrusted this mission now?

Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Are you sitting in a lifeboat as an observer or are you part of the crew of Lifeboat #14?