It was the greatest maritime disaster in human history . . .




Some had said of the Titanic, "Even God Himself couldn't sink it." But on April 14, 1912, just five days into its maiden voyage, the Titanic went down, taking 1,500 people to an icy grave.

The Ship Of Dreams



Perhaps the story of the Titanic looms larger than life because it was a "ship of dreams." This massive ship, the largest and most luxurious of its day, was a grandoise symbol of its time. People held a buoyant optimism about the future. A new philosophy for living was emerging. The new century had just dawned and man was going to build a "heaven on earth."
The thought prevailed that perhaps mankind could "best nature" and "even God" through technology. As a result, when the Titanic was built, nothing was spared. It harnessed all of the latest technology; it was filled with luxurious staterooms and elegant dining halls. And when it was finished, people called it "unsinkable."

The "Millionaire Special"



It seemed that everybody of stature wanted to be a part of its maiden voyage. So many millionaires were on board that it was dubbed, "The Millionaire Special." The combined wealth of its passengers equaled $500 million (multiplied billions in today's economy)!
The ship's passenger list included some of the world's wealthiest people. John Jacob Astor, whose fortune was estimated at $150 million, was returning from a trip from Egypt with his new 19-year-old bride. Benjamin Guggenheim, valued at $95 million, was on board with his mistress. Isadore Strauss, founder of Macy's department store, worth $50 million, secured passage, as did J. Bruce Ismay, with an estimated wealth of $40 million. Today's counterpart would be to set sail on a cruise with Ross Perot, Bill Gates, Steven Forbes, Steven Spielberg, and Donald Trump.

"Shut-up, shut-up! We're busy!"

Most of us are familiar with the story of the sinking of this great ship. There were repeated warnings of icebergs ahead. One ship, the Californian, sent the message via Morse code, "I say, old man, we are surrounded by ice!"
The reply from the Titanic was both tragic and telling. It wired back, "Shut up, shut up!" We're busy!"
Despite repeated warnings (seven in all), the Titanic sped ahead until it hit an iceberg that tore a 200-foot gash in its side. But when the passengers were instructed to get into the lifeboats, they failed to take the danger seriously. Some just went to bed, confident the Titanic would be fine. Many of the passengers just laughed it off-- drinking, dancing, gambling, and partying the night away. One person grabbed some broken chunks of ice from the iceberg saying, "Get me another one for my drink!" Others took hunks of ice back to their staterooms to show their friends when they arrived in New York City.
Still others put their life perservers on and danced around the deck while onlookers laughed. Some refused to put the life jackets on because they didn't want to dirty or wrinkle their expensive clothes.

Room in the Lifeboats



The ship's stewards literally broke into staterooms in order to rouse people from sleep and warn them of the peril. Most passengers simply couldn't believe that this unsinkable ship could actually sink! Because of their unbelief, lifeboat after lifeboat pulled away from the ship with only 10 to 15 persons on board, though they had a capacity of up to 60. When a series of loud explosions rocked the ship, it awoke the people to their impending doom, and panic ensued as they stampeded toward the remaining lifeboats.

Money Can't Buy You Life

There are many ironies associated with this tragedy. Chief among them was that many of those who perished on the ship could have "bought" the ship. But their money was not enough to secure just one seat on a lifeboat.
Imagine those men and women standing on the decks-- some draped in the finest furs that money could buy, others with rings on their fingers, pearls around their necks, diamond earrings in their ears, and diamond tiaras in their hair. Yet, at that moment, their lives counted for no more or less than the poorest steerage passenger. One first class passenger, realizing his fate, went to the side of the ship and dumped out all his money. Through it all, the band played on until the final, horrible end.

The Titanic's Message Today

If there is a message in the sinking of the Titanic, it may be that man has turned a deaf ear to his fate. While the world around us sinks, we choose to believe that everything is going to be all right. But is it? Should we "party" our lives away and forget that something called death is inevitably coming? It has been said that the statistics on death are quite impressive: one out of every one person dies.
You many be caught up in pursuing a career right now, chasing that elusive raise or that valued promotion. You may be hoping that once you reach that certain plateau, you will finally be "happy." But will you? What good was all the wealth of those who died that night in the icy Atlantic? Of what value was all that money when the ship was sinking?

Life can be like the Titanic

The "Titanic" we've booked passage on can come in the form of careers, relationships, and even religion. But one day, those ships will sink, and like the passengers aboard the Titanic, we will face eternity. Life for everyone-- be they the most famous person or the least heard of-- must eventually come to an end.

God has provided a lifeboat for you!



But God has provided a lifeboat for mankind. It is found in a relationship with Him through His Son, Jesus Christ. You see, we are all separated from God by our sin, be it intentional or unintentional. The Bible tells us, "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23). There is not a single exception to that statement. Every Titanic will sink!
That is why some two thousand years ago, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died on a cross for our sin. He personally paid the price for the sins we've committed.
Jesus said, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotton Son, that whosoever believes in Him (trusts in, clings to, relies on) should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16). Just as those passengers on the Titanic entrusted their lives to a lifeboat to keep them from the icy grave, so, too, we must entrust our lives to the "lifeboat" of Christ.

How to Get on Board . . .

In fact, committing your life to Christ can be compared to being on board the Titanic. As the water floods the decks, you realize you have only moments to decide. Before you a lifeboat is waiting. You have a choice: get in the lifeboat and live, or stay on the Titanic and die.
You might say, "I'm undecided! I'll just stay here and think about it for awhile." But to do so means certain death. Either you leave the Titanic for the lifeboat, or you stay on and go down.
The same is true of becoming a Christian. You either are one-- or you are not. Jesus has said that we are either for Him or against Him. (Matthew 12:30). To be undecided is to be decided-- decidedly against Him.


Do not foolishly say, like those on board that night, "Shut-up, shut-up! We're busy!" Take these steps and secure your passage to eternity!

  1. Realize that you are a sinner.
    No matter how good a life we try to live, we will still fall miserably short of God's standards.
    The Bible says, "No one is good-- not even one." (Romans 3:10). Another word for good is righteous. The word righteous means "one who is as he or she ought to be." Apart from Jesus Christ, we cannot become the person we "ought to be."
  2. Recognize that Jesus Christ died on the cross for you.
    Scripture says, "But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners." (Romans 5:8). God gave His very Son to die in our place when we least deserved it. As the Apostle Paul said, "[Christ] loved me and gave Himself for me...." (Galations 2:20).
  3. Repent of your sin.
    The Bible tells us to "repent and be converted." (Acts 3:19). The word "repent" means to change our direction in life. Instead of running from God, we can run toward Him.
  4. Receive Jesus Christ into your life.
    Becoming a Christian is not merely believing some creed or going to church on Sunday. It is having Christ Himself take residence in your life and heart. Jesus said, "Behold, I stand at the door (of your life) and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in...." (Revelation 3:20).

Would you like Jesus Christ to come into your life right now? You might want to pray this suggested prayer:
"God, I am sorry for my sin. But I thank you for sending your Son, Jesus Christ, to die for me and to pay the price for my sin. I turn from it now and turn to you by faith. Come into my life and forgive me. I want to follow you from this time forward as your disciple. Thank you Lord. In Jesus' name I pray."

This was taken from the pamphlet "Lessons From the Titanic" put out by Harvest Crusade. If you would like to know more about Jesus Christ and what it means to follow Him, we would encourage you to visit their website, and please feel free to email us!