Open My Mind

By Odon Bulamba (15th April 2012)

T I T A N I C



Tic-Tac Naufrage Is Coming


Small damage, invisible to most, can sink not only a great ship but a great reputation.

Luke 24:45 “Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures…”
Ps.108:12 "Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man."

INTRODUCTION:


A. TITANIC 100TH ANNIVERSARY

1. Have you seen the movie TITANIC?
2. This fictional movie story is based on the facts concerning the sinking of the Titanic.
3. The Titanic was known as "unsinkable ship."
4. People said, "Not even God Himself could sink the Titanic."
5. Human being was in control. This was the spirit of the day.

B. AN UNSINKABLE SHIP?
1. They all claimed that the Titanic was unsinkable.
2. They said: "We don't need God's protection. We've built an unsinkable ship!"
3. But, a strange, uncontrollable and unpredictable thing happened to Titanic.
4. It sank on its first voyage out to sea.
5. Don’t we need God after all? Psalm 108:12 says: "Vain is the help of man."

C. THE FATEFUL NIGHT

1. It’s 11:40 p.m. 14, 1912, the greatest maritime disaster in history began to unfold.
2. Human being pride, Titanic, approached the iceberg
3. Almost 2,206 people were on board
4. The first ever S.O.S from an Ocean Liner was sent out.
5. Although the California was only minutes away, the Carpathia, which was nearly 58 miles away, would be the first to arrive.
6. Titanic broke in two and went under at 2:40 am April 15, 1912 with over 70% of its passengers
7. Eventually 705 passengers and crew were rescued by the Carpathia.
8. Over 1500 people went to an icy grave that night.

1. DON’T LIE TO YOURSELF! YOU ARE UNSECURE WITHOUT GOD

A. THE WORLD'S MOST LUXURIOUS SHIP

1. Titanic had received world-wide publicity as the world's largest and most luxurious ship ever.
- The Titanic had tennis courts, a gymnasium, ball rooms, elevators, etc…
2. Titanic was known as the safest of all liners.
3. Never before had a crew and passengers been so secure on a sea-going vessel.
4. The Titanic had all of these accommodations, but not enough lifeboats!
5. Owners, travellers, crew and the builders had a false sense of security.

B. PASSENGERS
1. The passengers on this ship were men, women and children from different backgrounds and social classes. We may assume pets were also part of the vessel.
2. These brilliant and knowledgeable men, as they walked calmly on that ship, were a sign to all that everything was secure.
3. Did they seriously think about the unpredicted coming danger? May be not! They would focus on enjoyment rather than number of life boats.
4. They were unsecured.

C. THE FARE


1. The Titanic was an expensive ride. Best suites were reserved for $4,300.
2. A suite without a private promenade went for $2,300.
3. These were the most expensive transatlantic accommodations ever offered.
4. The fare gives the impression that everything, including lifeboats, would be taken care of.
8. They were unsecured.

D. THE SIZE OF THE LINER (1 Thessalonians 5:3)

1. Titanic was the largest marine vessel in the world at that time.
2. Titanic was on top of the list with all its contents.
3. Compare to other liners, passengers were given more confidence and felt more secure
4. From the time they left the port/shore to 11:40pm, all appeared to be good, relaxed and more
5. What appears to be good now may, at any second, turn to evil or worse. God should be in control

E. ALARMING SITUATION - THEY DID NOT TAKE IT SERIOUSLY

1. April 14, 1912 at about 11:35 p.m. three warnings were sent from the crow's nest that ice had been spotted. The first two messages were ignored.
2. Finally, the officer picked up the phone but it was too late.
3. Some passengers were drinking, while others were dancing, gambling and having a great time, unaware that they were living their last 2 hours – the liner would soon sink.
4. May be photographers took a few photos while gamblers went on deck to look around and returned to their cards to sink with the ship.
5. They’re warned, but many went on to bed with confidence in the Titanic's ability to stay afloat.
6. They joked, laughed and mocked the stewards and porters who tried to warn them that the liner was going down

2. MANY OF THEM WOULD NOT PERISH IF…

A. LIFEBOATS RESCUE WAS REJECTED

1. Lifeboat after lifeboat pulled away from the ship with only 10, 12, 15, when they had a capacity of nearby 60.

2. The total capacity of all the life boats put together was 1100 souls. Only 705 people could be convinced to get into the life boats.


B. PRIDE LEADS TO REFUSAL AND REFUSAL LEADS TO DEATH

1. Lifeboats pulled away with only a few people in them. There is no time to waste!
2. Because of pride, folded eyes, lack of intelligence, etc… people wouldn't get in them.
3. They wouldn't believe that the ship was going to sink.

3. TIME FOR SEPARATION – TOUGH DECISION TO BE MADE


A. SEPARATION WAS HORRIBLE

1. Time to say goodbye with almost 0% of chance to see each other again came
2. Wives were torn from their husbands.
3. Children were literally snatched from their parents' arms and in many instances, thrown into the lifeboats.
4. Husbands and wives stood clutching each other as the ship went down.

4. CARELESS CHRISTIANS DON’T WANT TO RESCUE


A. CALIFORNIA LINER WAS ONLY MINUTES AWAY

1. Did you know that there was another ship only minutes away when the Titanic went down?
2. Later, at a senatorial investigation, the captain of the California was asked why he didn't come to the rescue of a ship in distress.
3. He said, "I didn't realize the ship was sinking."
4. He was then asked why he didn't hear their cries for help.
5. He said that at midnight he had turned off the wireless and went to sleep.
6. Then he was asked if he didn't see the Titanic sinking.
7. He replied, "We didn't know it was sinking because you see, as deck by deck went below the waters and the lights went out one by one, we thought the ship, being faster than we, had sailed off into the night."
8. Eph 5:14-16 says, "Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil."


5. HELP FOR YOUR TROUBLED LIFE IS IMMINENT


A. THE CARPATHIA WAS ON ITS WAY

1. Most sources agree that the Titanic collided with the iceberg at 11:40 pm and finally sank at 2:40 am.
2. Out in the darkness, there was no moon that night, the people waited for help.
3. They wondered if anyone had heard their distress signals.
4. They wondered if anyone would arrive to help.
5. Then, at 4:10 am, only one and a half hours later, the Carpathia began picking up the first of Titanic's lifeboats.


B. PASTOR JOHN HARPER


1. What do you know about his last ministry?


C. JUST AS RESCUE WAS IMMENENT FOR THEM, IT IS FOR YOU

1. During the darkest of nights, when all hope seems lost, help is only a prayer away.
2. God is there to reach out and pull you into the warmth of His loving arms.
3. Like the lights of a ship approaching from the distance on a dark sea, He brings hope into troubled lives.
4. He is the light in the darkness.
5. As our text says, "Vain is the help of man."
6. But, there is a Saviour you can depend on.
7. His name is Jesus!

James 4:14