Scripture

Our verse for today comes from Matthew 14:33, “And those in the boat worshiped Him, saying, ‘Truly You are the Son of God.'”

Background

You would have to look long and hard to find someone who knows less about boating than I do. Back in high school, my good friend used to invite me to his family’s place at the lake, and eventually he trusted me enough to let me drive their power boat. I got to man the helm when anyone wanted to go skiing, and if we were taking a leisurely excursion out on the water, he would let me steer the way. I even got pretty good at working the throttle to bring the boat in for a smooth docking. But I never came close to thinking that I was comfortable enough on the water to take the boat out by myself. I could reproduce a good portion of what my friend had taught me, but there was quite literally a boatload of information and experience that I lacked before I could consider myself capable of going it alone. And so, when the topic came up this weekend of comparing a yacht club to a lifeboat, I didn’t have much to offer. A few points came to mind, but if they were obvious to this land rover, then they were certainly apparent to everyone else. However, when the transition was made to compare these water vessels to the church, a couple of points eventually came to mind that might be of some relevance.

Application

One had to do with the functioning of the yacht. On board, the passengers are guests, taxed with no responsibilities other than to relax and enjoy. Any work that must get done, and any task that must be accomplished, is to be done by the staff. The professionals on board are the only contributors to the operation of the ship. That’s great for a yacht, but horrible for a church. The other point related to a possible point of contention. When someone on a yacht is running around and acting like they are on a lifeboat, interrupting your cruise with warnings of danger and pleas for rescue, it could become quite annoying. Worse yet, if some on a lifeboat are lying back as if they are vacationing on a yacht while others are on a rescue mission, the success of the mission is jeopardized. All those on board need to be “on board” with the directive of the Captain. And I think we all know what boat He’s on.

Charge

As we seek Him today, examine your ticket to remind yourself the type of boat that you are on. Then make sure you are following your Captain’s instructions.

Salvation – Eternal Life in Less Than 150 Words