The Unsinkable Ship

Bible Book: Mark 4 : 35-41

Subject: Tragedy; Faith; Security

Introduction

The unsinkable ship sank exactly one hundred years ago, today, in the frigid dark waters of the North Atlantic Ocean. April 15, 1912, marked a significant event in world history. “IT HAS BEEN SAID THAT ‘TITANIC’ IS THE THIRD MOST WIDELY RECOGNIZED word in the world following ‘God’ and ‘Coca-cola.’” Daniel Allen Butler further states in his book titled “Unsinkable”: The Full Story of R M S Titanic, “Few events sum up their times as decisively as the loss of the Titanic, and it is a rare man or woman who is left unmoved in some way, great or small, by her story.”[1]

“‘God Himself could not sink this ship,’ boasted a deckhand aboard R. M. S. Titanic in 1912. The men who built the ship, the civilized world, the credulous public—all believed and boasted that the ship was unsinkable. But God was not mocked. It is said that when the captain gave the order to abandon ship, many passengers simply could not believe that the Titanic could possibly sink and refused to board the lifeboats. And the crew was almost criminally complacent.”[2]

Through the years, I remember hearing and reading messages highlighting the sinking of the Titanic. For example, Rev. Jimmy Gandy preached a message at Greystone Christian School, Mobile, Alabama, on John 3:16, titled, “Rendezvous with Destiny”. Rev. Gandy preached this message about 55 times around the country.[3] Dr. Adrian Rogers (1931-2005) preached a message at Bellevue Baptist Church, Memphis, Tennessee, titled, “Noah’s Ark and the Titanic”, based on Hebrews 11:7.[4] This is an interesting comparison between these two vessels. Dr. Rogers also preached a message titled “Unsinkable Faith” based on Hebrews 11:7.[5]

Dr. Vance Havner (1901-1986) shares the following in his book titled Don’t Miss Your Miracle, “Mordecai Ham used to say that the sinking of the Titanic in 1912 was God's object lesson to America, but we never learned it. Many ships have gone down, but that this 'unsinkable' masterpiece of ship building should go down on its first trip and that simply by encountering a massive hunk of ice, still seems uncanny - not just an accident -- but an event accompanied by strange and sinister circumstances that allow no explanation. We are living in an hour when we seem to be on a toboggan slide out of control, worshipers of ourselves in the putridity of this age of humanism. 'Judgment day' and 'the end of the world', have disappeared from our vocabulary. The remedies for the world's troubles proposed by experts are pitiful. Recently, I heard the observation that the remedies offered for our malignancy are about as sensible as changing chairs on the deck of the sinking Titanic. One day each man has to face death whether he likes it or not. The Scriptures envision judgment day and heaven and hell. We have a date with destiny and an appointment with the Almighty. Every person has such an hour in God's Book whether he has noted it or not. We could be nearing that time, and only faith in the Christ who believed it and taught it can save us. Any effort to arrange for eternal life otherwise is like changing deck chairs on a sinking Titanic."[6]

Allow me to share three points about the unsinkable ship.

I. First, there is a remarkable linking of two accounts (literary fiction and fact).

Dr. Robert Jeffress, pastor of the First Baptist Church, Dallas, Texas, asks, “Have you ever read the novel Futility by Morgan Robertson? The book tells the story of a magnificent ocean liner named the Titan that strikes an iceberg on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York and sinks in the middle of the ocean. You are probably thinking, This sure does sound like the real story of the Titanic. Yet Robertson’s novel differs from the actual event in several ways. The ship in Futility was 1,800 feet long while the real Titanic was 1,882 feet long. The Titan was able to displace 66,000 tons of water, while the Titanic was able to displace 70,000 tons of water. Yet, both ships were triple-screw ocean liners that could travel up to 25 knots per hour and transport 3,000 passengers.

You might wonder why Morgan Robertson would bother to write a novel that so closely approximated a real-life event. And why go to the trouble of varying some of the facts ever so slightly, including the name of the ship? The reason is quite simple.”[7] The legendary news commentator, Paul Harvey (1918-2009), shares THE REST OF THE STORY. Harvey explains, “All of the specific similarities were there, and yet author Morgan Robertson did not call it history. Why? In the first place, Robertson's characters, the passengers aboard the Titan, were purely fictional. Their personal interactions, problems, fears, were examined closely, and at last the ship sank. Hence the novel's title, Futility. But there was another type of ‘futility’ demonstrated in Robertson's book . . . a hopelessness that not even the author himself could have recognized. For the novel that so accurately described an authentic disaster in the Atlantic, the book that chartered an invisible course through the water to an appointment with death . . . owned up to its title beyond the wildest dreams of its readers. For the literature that in every way seemed to recount . . . in reality foretold. In 1898. Fourteen years before the real-life Titanic set sail!”[8]

Columnist Cal Thomas shares, “In America, where Titanic was headed when it sank April 15, 1912, about 960 miles northeast of New York City, James Cameron's 1997 blockbuster film ‘Titanic’ is being re-released in 3-D. The film gives us the fictional romance between ‘Rose’ and ‘Jack’ and, as generally agreed, even by Cameron himself, a host of historical inaccuracies that may be all a generation of young people will learn about the ill-fated ship and its tragic maiden voyage.

The 1953 film, ‘Titanic,’ starring Clifton Webb and Barbara Stanwyck, also contained historical inaccuracies and fabricated scenarios, as did the 1958 film ‘A Night to Remember,’ another Hollywood interpretation of the tragic sinking.

The true story of the Titanic, however, is quite different and as far as I know has never been told in a feature film. In Cameron's version, he depicts the wealthy as asserting their privilege over third-class passengers and crew so they could escape in lifeboats not made available to all, a depiction that plays on issues of class warfare and social inequality. In many cases, the opposite was true, according to documented historical accounts that include real-life examples of rich passengers coming to the aid of the less fortunate.”[9]

II. Second, there was a regrettable sinking by two addictions (human passion and pride).

Dr. Vance Havner (1901-1986) writes about, “Pride”. He shares, “I recall the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, that early object lesson of the unsinkable ship that sank on its maiden voyage. What a rebuke to our pride, but we learned nothing from it!”[10]

Dr. Bob Reccord explains in Beneath the Surface: Steering Clear of the Dangers That Could Shipwreck Your Life, “While many later thought the Titanic sank because of a massive hole punched into the upward hull, this was later disproved. Instead, the Titanic sank because of six narrow gashes running down the starboard side of the ship. The unsinkable luxury liner had lost a battle with its enemy below the waterline . . . . The time taken to sink—less than three hours. The lifeboats and life vests—totally inadequate. And the speed of the ship—much too fast and overconfident in dangerous waters. And the real tragedy is that it could have been avoided. Warnings were unheeded. In fact, at least six warnings of ice fields were ignored. One was never delivered to the bridge. Another was ignored due to the Titanic’s wireless operator’s carrying out his own agenda and not wanting to be interrupted. And the captain was drifting in and out of sleep in his cabin. If only someone had paid attention to the warnings and been on guard!”[11]

Paul the apostle writes in Galatians 5:16-26, “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.” [Emphasis mine]

As the hymn writer, Lewis E. Jones (1865-1936), asks, “Would you be free from your passion and pride? There’s power in the blood, power in the blood; / Come for a cleansing to Calvary’s tide; / There’s wonderful power in the blood.”[12]

History chronicles regrettable decisions, based partially on passion and pride, which placed passengers on the Titanic at unnecessary risk. For example, the lack of lifeboats for everyone on board was due to mere cosmetic reasons.

The Bishop of Winchester preached in Southampton, 1912, “Titanic, name and thing, will stand as a monument and warning to human presumption.”[13] Allow me to reissue a warning from the conclusion of a previous message, “Beware of the danger of presumption.”[14]

III. Third, there can be a reasonable thinking with two affirmations (divine sympathy and sovereignty).

What do you think when the unthinkable happens? We read in Isaiah 1:18a, “Come, now, let us reason together. . .” While this verse declares God’s ability to cleanse us from sin, it also teaches in principle about His willingness to reason with the crown of His creation, within reason. Isaiah further exhorts, “Seek the Lord while He may be found, / Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, / And the unrighteous man his thoughts; / Let him return to the Lord, / And He will have mercy on him; / And to our God, / For He will abundantly pardon. ‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, / Nor are your ways My ways,’ says the Lord. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, / So are My ways higher than your ways, / And My thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:6-9). We read in Isaiah 26:3, “You will keep him in perfect peace, / Whose mind is stayed on You, / Because he trusts in You.”

The focus of our message, as someone explains, is “about that other ‘unsinkable ship’—the frail boat on the Sea of Galilee, unsinkable because the Master of land and sea was asleep on a pillow in the after part of the vessel. Thank God He still lives and rides the billows and controls the storms, and when the children of men take their only true Pilot back on board, we will ride out the present storms and He will bring the vessel through to the fair harbor of our hopes.”[15]

We read in Mark 4:35-41, “On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, ‘Let us cross over to the other side.’ Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, ‘Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?’ Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace, be still!’ And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. But He said to them, ‘Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?’ And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, ‘Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!’”

Russell L. Kelfer (1933-2000) with Into His Likeness, explains, “His message was about another unsinkable ship— a tiny frail fishing boat, which was being tossed and beaten upon the waters of the Sea of Galilee. This one was unsinkable, because there was asleep on a pillow in the after part of the vessel, the Master of land and sea— His name was Jesus.

What a comfort to know that it isn't the size of the ship or the value of its cargo that guarantees its safety through life's waters. It is the credentials of the Captain that assures its safety. For, in reality, there is nothing in life of less value than a ship which leaves the harbor with fanfare and festivities, with high hopes and elevated expectations; with pomp and circumstance and promoted promises, but never reaches its destination. Somewhere along the way the contrary winds begin to blow, and the ferocious waves of life begin to beat against it, and suddenly down into the frantic waters it goes, taking cargo and crew to a watery grave, burying with it all of those dreams and all of those promises.”[16]

We read in Hebrews 4:14-16, “Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

One man was “Saved by Doing His Duty”. As I recently read, "Rev. James M. Gray [1851-1935], dean of the Moody Bible Institute, probably owed his life to his conscientious desire to return to America in time to preach the baccalaureate sermon to the graduating class of the institute. He was about to start for home when Rev. Dr. Harold urged him to remain and embark on the Titanic on her maiden voyage. He refused to do so on the plea that he must be in Chicago to preach to the graduates. He took another steamship a week earlier.”[17]

Peter Kennedy shares, “The Reverend John Stuart Holden [1874-1934], rector of St. Paul's Church, Portman Square, London, was booked on the Titanic to sail from Southampton of 10 April 1912. He was to have occupied cabin D-11, one of the first class cabins.

But on 9 April, Mrs. Holden became ill and Rev. Holden cancelled his trip to nurse her. He missed out on the maiden voyage of the most luxurious ocean liner that had ever been built. But four days later more than 1,500 passengers and crew died when the ship sank after hitting an iceberg in the North Atlantic. Reverend Holden was the only first class passenger to have cancelled his voyage.

After the ship sank in April 1912, he mounted the ticket he had purchased for the Titanic in a cardboard frame on which he wrote: ‘Who redeemeth thy life from destruction. [Psalm 103:3]’

The ticket carried the warning: ‘The company's liability for baggage is strictly limited but passengers can protect themselves by insurance.’

The ticket hung in the Reverend's study until his death and is now on display at the Merseyside Maritime Museum, in Liverpool.”[18]

Philip Mauro (1859-1952), Attorney-at-Law [internationally famous patent lawyer], was unable to board the Titanic, however, he did board the Carpathia. He wrote two Gospel tracts on the sinking of the Titanic, The Life-Boat and the Death-Boat and The Titanic Catastrophe and Its Lessons: By a Passenger on the Rescue-ship “Carpathia” (London: Morgan and Scott Limited, 1912) 28 pages [One of the few accounts written by a passenger of the rescue ship, Carpathia. Mauro was a passenger on the rescue-ship Carpathia and writes of his experience on Monday April 15th 1912 and the lessons to be drawn from the tragedy.][19]

Daniel Allen Butler shares the following in his book titled “Unsinkable”: The Full Story of R M S Titanic, “Lawrence Beesley, a young school teacher from London who was traveling to see his brother in America, remembered how movingly everyone joined in to sing ‘Eternal Father, Strong to Save.’

Eternal Father, strong to save,

Whose arm hath bound the restless wave,

Who bidd’st the mighty ocean deep

It’s own appointed limits keep.

O hear us when we cry to Thee

For those in peril on the sea.”[20]

Dr. Dan Crawford, Senior Professor of Evangelism and Missions and Chair of Prayer Emeritus at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, Texas, shares the following in his book Connecting with God, “One illustration of praying in the Spirit happened one Sunday in April 1912. On that night the Titanic struck an iceberg. Colonel Gracy, a passenger on the ship, after helping launch the few lifeboats that were available, had resigned himself to death. However, as he slipped beneath the waves, his wife at home was suddenly awakened with great concern for her husband. She prayed for several hours, until peace came. Meanwhile, Gracy bobbed to the surface near a capsized boat and eventually was rescued. He and his wife later discovered that during the very hours she was agonizing in prayer, he was clinging desperately to this overturned boat.

Colonel Gracy was certainly blessed to have an intercessor for a wife!”[21]

Dr. David Livingstone (1813-1873) stated, "I am immortal until the will of God for me is accomplished."[22]

Donna Wallis wisely states, “Sometimes God calms the storm, sometimes He lets the storm rage and calms His child.”[23] Doubtless, God calmed the heart of Rev. John Harper (1872-1912). He preached his last sermon and had his last convert as he perished in the chilly waters of the North Atlantic Ocean. Dr. Ramesh Richard shares the following account, “John Harper, a Scot and minister of the Gospel, boarded the Titanic with his six-year-old daughter, Nana. He planned to travel to the Moody Church in Chicago, where he'd been invited to preach for three months. When the ship struck the fateful iceberg and began to sink, Harper made sure his daughter was placed into one of the lifeboats. He then began what would be the last evangelistic work of his young life.

As the freezing waters began to fill the ship, Harper was heard shouting, ‘Let the women, children and the unsaved into the lifeboats.’ Survivors reported that Harper took off his own life jacket and gave it to another man. ‘Don't worry about me,’ he reportedly said, ‘I'm not going down, I'm going up!’

When the ship began to sink, more than 1,500 passengers jumped or fell into the icy waters. As they gradually drowned or froze to death, Harper was seen swimming from one passenger to another, pleading with them to accept Christ.

Only six of the 1,500 people struggling in the water were later rescued, including a man who later identified himself as Harper's last convert. This young man had climbed up on a piece of debris. Harper, who was struggling in the water near him, shouted out, ‘Are you saved?’ ‘No,’ the man replied. Harper then shouted the words from Scripture: ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.’ The man did not answer, and a moment later he drifted away on the waves.

A few minutes later, the current brought the two men back together. Again Harper asked, ‘Are you saved?’ Once again, the answer was ‘no.’ With his dying breath, Harper shouted, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.’ He then slipped under the waves for the last time.

Then and there, the man he had witnessed to decided to turn his life over to Christ. Four years later, at a Titanic survivors meeting in Ontario, Canada, this man tearfully gave his testimony recounting how John Harper had led him to the Lord.”[24]

Dr. Tim LaHaye, Jerry B. Jenkins, and Frank M. Martin further explain in Embracing Eternity: Living Each Day with a Heart Toward Heaven, “As the man later retold the story of his encounter with Harper, he said with reverence, ‘There, alone in the night, with two miles of water beneath me, I believed.’ John Harper's unwavering faith, even in the face of death, had brought the man face-to-face with his own mortality. And he called out to God for salvation. ‘I am John Harper's last convert,’ the man said.

To his dying breath John Harper preached the salvation of Jesus. He gave himself fully to the work of the Lord, even to the disregard of his own life. And today countless people believe because of his tenacious faith. We can only hope that our legacy emulates his.”[25]

Comparing this world to the tragedy of the Titanic, Joni Eareckson Tada shared some penetrating thoughts under the title, “Rescue the Perishing” or “The Titanic is Going Down”. At the Moody Founder’s Week, February 6, 2002, she explained, “The Titanic is a powerful metaphor of a frightening reality…our planet has been dealt a death blow after rebelling against God, and it is going down and dragging a lot of people with it...Do you hear the rattling and groaning in the bowels of the planet of something gone haywire?...People are being lulled to sleep by music to die by."[26] Joni further reminded listeners of their evangelistic responsibility as she sang, “Rescue the Perishing”.[27]

Elizabeth Gladys ‘Millvina’ Dean, born on February 2, 1912, was the youngest passenger on the maiden voyage of the R. M. S. Titanic. She was one of the first steerage passengers to board Lifeboat 10 with her mother and brother. “After their boat drifted in the water for some time, the survivors were rescued and taken aboard the Carpathia, a ship that answered the Titanic's distress call. They arrived safely in New York City on April 18.” She lived 97 years, thus taking her voyage into eternity on May 31, 2009.[28]

I must confess I do not know the spiritual condition of Elizabeth Dean. However, I do know it would be the ultimate tragedy for her to be saved from an early death in the sinking of the Titanic, only to be lost for all eternity! As history records the fate of 2,208 passengers and crew aboard the Titanic, some were saved and over 1,500 were lost.

Conclusion

Dr. Vance Havner writes, “The word ‘lost’ has almost disappeared from our vocabulary and any mention of eternal punishment is smiled away as a leftover from a dark theological past.

I remember when the Titanic sank in 1912, it was the ship that was supposed to be unsinkable. The only thing it ever did was sink. When it took off from England, all kinds of passengers were aboard—millionaires, celebrities, people of moderate means, and poor folks down in the steerage. But a few hours later when they put the list in the Cunard office in New York, it carried only two categories—lost and saved. Grim tragedy had leveled all distinctions.”[29]

Dr. John Phillips (1927-2010) shares, "One night in the cold Atlantic there was a grim countdown. The mighty Titanic hit an iceberg and plunged into the icy depths of the sea, carrying with it many of those who were on board--some drinking, some debating, some despairing, according to their various dispositions. Our planet is but a larger Titanic, carrying its enormous passenger list to the chill waters of the grave."[30]

Do you have an unsinkable relationship? From Romans 8:28-39 we read, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: ‘For Your sake we are killed all day long; / We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.’ Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Have you come to believe the gospel as a repentant sinner in need of a Savior? Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4,”Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.”

In the last stanza of the hymn “How Firm a Foundation” we read, “The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose, / I will not, I cannot, desert to his foes: That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake, / I'll never - no, never, no, never forsake!”[31]

Are you a part of an unsinkable fellowship? Jesus Christ says, in Matthew 16:18b, “On this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” Our desire is to be a part of “The Fellowship of the Unashamed” and “The church within the church”.

Are you partnering in an unsinkable stewardship? We read in 1 John 2:15-17, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.” Are you wasting, spending, or investing your time, talents, and treasures? Under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, we will give account of our life to Him.

May we heed the warning of the unsinkable ship.

[1]Daniel Allen Butler, “Unsinkable”: The Full Story of R M S Titanic (Mechanicsville, PA: Stackpole Books, 1998), p. ix

[2]Paul Lee Tan, Signs of the Times: A treasury of illustrations, anecdotes, facts and quotations for pastors, teachers and Christian workers, 947, “God Could Not Sink Ship”, (Dallas, TX: Bible Communications, Inc, 1998), Database © 2004 WORDsearch

[3]Amy Grace Robertson, “Someone You Should Know”, James U. “Jimmy” Gandy (Birmingham, AL: The Alabama Baptist, May 21, 2009), Available from: http://www.thealabamabaptist.org/print-edition-article-detail.php?id_art=11079&pricat_art=9 Accessed: 04/11/12

[4]Adrian Rogers, “Noah’s Ark and the Titanic”, Hebrews 11:7, Available from: http://www.sermonsearch.com/content.aspx?id=14690 Accessed: 04/11/12

[5]Adrian Rogers, “Unsinkable Faith”, Hebrews 11:7, Available from: http://www.sermonsearch.com/content.aspx?id=14399 Accessed: 04/11/12

[6]Vance Havner, Don’t Miss Your Miracle (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1984), Available from: http://biblegems.blogspot.com/2009_07_01_archive.html Accessed: 02/29/12

[7]Robert Jeffress, As Time Runs Out (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman, 1999), pp. 1-2

[8]Paul Aurandt, Paul Harvey’s The Rest of the Story (New York: Bantam Books, 1977), pp. 43-45

[9]Cal Thomas, “Titanic: The reality vs. fiction”, Press-Register, Wednesday, April 11, 2012, Section 6A

[10]Vance Havner, Three-Score & Ten, (Old Tappan, NJ: Fleming H. Revell, Company, 1973), p. 18

[11]Bob Reccord, Beneath the Surface: Steering Clear of the Dangers That Could Leave You Shipwrecked (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2002), pp. 1-3

[12]Lewis E. Jones, “There Is Power In the Blood”, (1899), Available from: http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/t/h/therepow.htm Accessed: 02/29/12

[13]Available from: http://www.titanicuniverse.com/titanic-quotes-and-sayings/1067 Accessed: 02/29/12

[14]Franklin L. Kirksey, “The Danger of Presumption” Sermon Notes, (Numbers 15:30-31), Available from: http://sbctoday.com/2012/03/19/monday-exposition-ideathe-danger-of-presumptionnumbers-1530-31/ Accessed: 04/12/12

[16]Russell Kelfer, “Shipwrecked Saints”, Lesson Notes, (1 Timothy 1:18-20), #1217-A, Available from:http://www.dtm.org/lessons/1217a.htm Accessed: 02/29/12

[17]Wreck and Sinking of the TITANIC: The Ocean's Greatest Disaster, ed. Marshall Everett, (L. H. Walter, 1912), p. 232

[19]Available from: http://sites.google.com/site/davidkeames2/championofthekingdom-introductionandcontents Accessed: 02/29/12

[20]Daniel Allen Butler, “Unsinkable”: The Full Story of R M S Titanic (Mechanicsville, PA: Stackpole Books, 1998), p. 65

[23]Roy B. Zuck, The Speaker's Quote Book: Over 5,000 Illustrations and Quotations for all Occasions, Revised and Expanded (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1997, 2009), p. 376

[24]Ramesh Richard, Preparing Evangelistic Sermons: A Seven-Step Method for Preaching Salvation (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2005), p. 72, [Moody Adams, The Titanic's Last Hero (Columbia, SC: Olive Press, 1997), quoted in Charles Colson, "Twice Saved--A True Titanic Hero," Breakpoint Commentary, Wednesday, April 14, 1999]

[26]Christina Ramey, Message Summary, “Rescue the Pershing” by Joni Eareckson Tada, Moody Founder’s Week, February 6, 2002, 7:15 p.m., Available from: http://www.moodyconferences.com/con_mainPage.aspx?id=16270 Accessed: 04/07/12

[27]Joni Eareckson Tada, “The Titanic is Going Down”, Available from: http://www.moodyradio.org/brd_mainpage.aspx?id=52446 Accessed: 03/24/12

[28]Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/millvina-dean-283812 Accessed: 03/01/12

[29]The Vance Havner Quotebook, Sparkling Gems from the Most Quoted Preacher in America, Compiled by Dennis J. Hester, “Lost”, (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1986), Database © 2006 WORDsearch Corp.

[30]John Phillips, Exploring Psalms, An Expository Commentary, Volume Two, (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 2002), p. 24

[31]“How Firm a Foundation” (1787), [This hymn first appeared in A Selection of Hymns from the Best Authors (1787), published by Dr. John Rippon (1751-1836), noted pastor of Carter’s Lane Baptist Church in London, England. Interestingly, Dr. Rippon provided only the initial “K” for the author’s name.] Available from: http://nethymnal.org/htm/h/f/hfirmafo.htm Accessed: 02/29/12

By Dr. Franklin L. Kirksey, pastor First Baptist Church of Spanish Fort 30775 Jay Drive Spanish Fort, Alabama 36527

Author of Sound Biblical Preaching: Giving the Bible a Voice Available on Amazon.com and WORDsearchbible.com

http://www.amazon.com/Sound-Biblical-Preaching-Giving-Bible/dp/1594577684