THE TITANIC

In 1912, the largest and most luxurious ship ever to be afloat, the R.M.S Titanic, embarked upon her maiden voyage. As the prize steamer of the White Star Line, she was the wonder of her day. More opulent than the palaces of Europe, her interior comforts were the talk of two continents. She was the largest vessel that had ever been put to sea-more than four city blocks long and over ten storeys high. In spite of her size, She was able to travel at speeds in excess of twenty-five knots. The marvel of the engineering world-divided into sixteen watertight compartments-she was believed by all to be unsinkable.

Her crew was the pride of the British merchant marine. She was loaded with a galaxy of millionaires and notables from the business, social and political world. Also on board were hundreds of second and third class passengers. Indeed, with such a variety of people on the voyage, she seemed to be a microcosm of the whole civilized society.

The Titanic began her maiden voyage in an atmosphere of exuberant confidence in the accomplishment of human technology. Aboard, all were jubilant. Multiple parties were in progression on her layer decks. Music filled the air. It was boasted of the Titanic “even God could not sink her”.

Yet, ironically, five days out, by an extraordinally series of confidences, in the winter-cold waters of the Atlantic, the Titanic collided with an iceberg. Far below the water line, a huge slash was open on the side. The impact was hardly noticed or felt by anybody. When it was announced that she had struck an iceberg, the reaction of passengers and crew was one of laughter. Yet in the few short hours that followed, people’s attitudes changed from unbelieving indifference to mortal fear as they realized the impossible was happening: the Titanic was sinking. With lifeboats for scarcely half the passengers, the majority froze to death in the chill waters of the Atlantic.

The story of the Titanic is a lesson to all humanity The presumptuous trust in the accomplishments of man was the cause of the complacent attitude resulting in the loss of many lives. Many on board that night could not be convinced to get into the lifeboats, having believed that the ship was unsinkable. Several of the lifeboats left the ship only partially filled. Many people refused the cries of the stewards to enter the boats because they didn’t want to go out on a cold winter night.

In a similar way today many people are confident and proud of the accomplishments man in every area of endeavour. They are indifferent to the fact that there is a real danger that everything could be lost in just a few short hours, The marvelous ship that we are all riding on is indeed sinkable. The Bible says, “There is a way that seems right unto man; but the end thereof are the ways of death.” (Proverbs 14:12)

All the millions accumulated by the wealthy, all the achievements of the famous and even the knowledge of the wise that night meant nothing. “For what shall a man be profited if he gains the whole world, but forfeits his soul-life?” (Mathew 16:26)

We – just as the stewards that night – are asking everyone to take heed to our warning and to arise out of the sleepy stupor of our age. The salvation that is in Jesus Christ is just as easy to get into as the lifeboats would have been that night, had people heeded to call. “And the world is passing away, and its lusts, but he who does the will of God abides forever.” (1 John 2:17)

There is still time for you to come to salvation that is in Jesus Christ and to be saved from the course and the end of our present age. We ask you to come, believe, and be saved. “He who believes into Me (Jesus Christ), even if he should die, shall live.” (John 11:25) Moreover, “For whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13)