All Hands on Deck !!!

I see a massive ship on the horizon. I shield my eyes from the sun as I gaze from afar. As her bow sways with the waves of the ocean she drifts aimlessly. Sadly she seems quite weather-beaten. Paint chips and exposed wood adorn her decks. She bares the scars of warfare.

Her brightness has faded to a dim gray and her sails flap about freely with the wind. She still bears the flag of crimson visible from the mast. But, she’s a ghost ship abandoned by her crew. The battles she has fought have left her floating aimlessly as she is exposed to the elements on the open sea. I can almost hear her creaking as the wind blows her out of sight.

What would it take to bring this once vibrant and purposeful ship back to life? You and Me.

God has commanded the church to be his chosen vessel for spreading the good news of Jesus Christ. The church itself is really just a group of God’s people doing the will of God. Just as a crew on board a ship work hard to keep a well oiled machine operating at its full potential so should the members of the church.

We must once again prepare for battle and make ready her sails. We must whitewash the decks and train the crew. There is much to be done. And it all begins with you and me.

“All hands on deck,” I say. “All hands on deck.” For if the church, that old battleship, is to sail once more proclaiming the good news of Christ, we must be battle ready. We must be prepared for war.

A war rages in the heavens. It is a battle we can not see but a battle that must be fought none the less.

To abandon ship is to care not about the plight of the church. To abandon ship is to care not that our brother perishes. To abandon ship is to care not for Christ return.

All hands on deck as we prepare for battle with the Sword, God’s Word in hand. We ready our armor, we gird our loins. We prepare our minds for battle as we pray.

The church should be on high alert but unfortunately we may have been lulled to sleep by the ocean waves and allowed ourselves to drift off course.

God forgive us! Help us see that old battleship, the church, requires you and me. “All hands on deck”, I say. “All hands on deck.”

“Fight the good fight of faith,lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate, that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing.” 1 Timothy 6:12-14