“Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.” (Acts 27:31 ESV)
Before praise teams displaced devotions led by the devoted Deacons, designated to do so at local churches, one of the acapella songs we sang was “Tis The Old Ship Of Zion.” Some did not give thought to the song and it’s meaning, and some were merely singing the multiple verses of the song as they awaited service to begin not recognizing that the devotion period was part of the service. If a preacher was to lead off with this song from the pulpit in many places today, many mouths would never open. There would be a loss for words. Oh feet would be patting up and down, but more so would be a demonstration of a lack of patience for the Call to Worship to be given. For those who knew the song and realized it was about staying with the church, the song had great meaning, great instruction, and it generated a great feeling of assurance for believers on the old ship of Zion.
One late and great Pastor who played a role in my development preached a sermon I will never forget from Acts 27, the chapter where our opening verse comes from. I suggest you read the whole chapter when you have time today. Yes, do it before you forget to do so, or the enemy keeps you from opening your Bible to this account. The Pastor’s sermon was entitled, “Stay With The Ship.” The “ship” he was referring to was the church, just as in the old song I described. I can still hear his voice saying, “Even if it seems like you are not going to make it – stay – with the ship. If it seems like you have to ride in on broken pieces – stay – with the ship.” I’m still saying, “Amen!”
Keep those words extracted from that unforgettable sermon in the place of the mind where you store invaluable advice. Now, since you know staying with the ship is important, let me mention reason “ships” sink, different, but not altogether so, from what you will find in Acts 27. Below are some “how to” tips to keep a ship from sinking, presented in a brief fashion.
In an article published by Marine Insight on December 16, 2021, there was a list of reasons and explicit explanations for why ships sink. Let’s look at the list, not from every ship’s perspective, but from the ship that is the church, “The Old Ship Of Zion.” These tips could be discussed in greater detail, but you meditate on them and with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, add more meat on them. Ships sink because of: (1) Improper Maintenance. (Tip: Avoid sinking by maintain your habits of prayer, studying the word, and fellowship with the saints!) (2) Wartime Casualties. (Tip: Oh pray that we may not suffer loss! Stay on the battlefield and do your part to guard the ship from attacks launched by our enemies. You know them as Satan, the secular world, and the seducing flesh.) (3) Piracy in these modern days, where technology is being used to takeover ships is another reason that ships sink. (Tip: Be on guard and do not let technology’s offering of easy access to things that will sink your spiritual control become a problem.) (4) Dock Mishaps. (Tip: Be mindful of where you walk, stand, and sit. Don’t park your being in the presence of the wicked!) (5) Grounding on Rocks. (Tip: Keep your eyes on the true Rock, Jesus Christ and avoid getting into waters that are shallow and filled with danger.) (6) Loss of Stability.(Tip: Walk upright as the righteous person should and keep looking to Lord to keep you from stumbling, falling, or even failing in your Christian walk.) (7) Poor Weather Conditions. (Tip: Call on the Lord to see you through the storms of life and declare, “Peace! Be still!) (8) Collisions With Other Ships. (Tip: Stay away from false teachers and false teachings. Stay with the Old Ship of Zion! Avoid new thoughts that are declared to be theology, but their doctrines collide with your Christian doctrine.) (9) Negligence and Human Error. (Tip: Best way to counsel you is from one of your favorite verses, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”) (10) Faulty Equipment. (Tip Your equipment is the word of God! Read it! See what it says! See what it means! See what it means to you! See to it that you comply with it!)
Go over the list again at your convenience. Think about what you have read in terms of yourself and in turn how you can help keep your local church sailing on these rough and rugged seas of life; something we must do until we are ready to reach the celestial shores of Glory! One more thing: Let Jesus climb into your boat! Have a great Friday! Be blessed!
“One day as Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, great crowds pressed in on him to listen to the word of God. He noticed two empty boats at the water’s edge, for the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon, its owner, to push it out into the water. So he sat in the boat…” (Luke 5:1-3 NLT)
Still committed to the climb,
Mark L. King