Friday, April 23, 2010

Moved to Action

For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you, with many tears, not that you should be grieved, but that you might know the love which I have so abundantly for you.
—2 Corinthians 2:4

Even before Titanic arrived on the big screen in 1997, people have been fascinated by its story, perhaps because there is so much to it. Clearly, many mistakes were made that led to its sinking. Although it was called the unsinkable ship, it sank. And it sank relatively easily.

We know that 1,500 people perished in an icy grave. We know there were not enough lifeboats on board. We know that many of them went out half-full, some with only four or five people when they had the capacity to carry at least 60.

But one of the greatest tragedies about the Titanic is the fact that while there was room in the lifeboats, no one went back to save anyone else. They had rowed out a distance from the sinking vessel because they were afraid of its suction. Survivors said they could hear the screams of the people as the Titanic finally disappeared below the surface.

Here were people in lifeboats that had room. They could have rowed back and pulled others in. Yet they did nothing about it. They waited for about an hour, and then they went back. By then, they were only able to save a handful of people. They waited until it was too late.

Right now, there is a lost world around us. People are going down, and we have room in our lifeboat. Do we care enough to go and pull them on board? Do we care enough to do something for them? Or will we say, "They should have gotten into the boat when there was time"?

Do you have a burden for lost people? That is where it starts.

Copyright © 2010 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved. 
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New King James Version, copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.  Bible text from the New King James Version is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Attn: Bible Rights and Permissions, P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214-1000.

For more relevant and biblical teaching from Pastor Greg Laurie, go to www.harvest.org
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