Museum, Mothballed, Cruiseship or Battleship

Today’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Isaiah 57
NT: Romans 9
W&W: Psalm 82

Today’s Reflection:

On the closing night of SWO Nazarene campmeeting, Evangelist Tim Hancock shared a message comparing the church to four different types of sailing ships.

Do we treat the church as one of the beautiful tall ships of old? Is the church like a museum, holding precious memories and offering nostalgic imaginations?

Does our church resemble a decommissioned warship, a mothballed vessel sitting at harbor and offering regular tours?

Perhaps we liken the church to a cruise liner. Everything on it is designed to make us “comfy” and offer us unimaginable luxury.

Or should we see the church as a battleship? On a battleship, the mission is preeminent over the memories. The members are not visitors coming for regular tours, but are committed sailors who stay with the vessel in safety and storm, in harbor and on hazardous journeys. The battleship, while serviceable, puts function over comfort.

May God enable us to see that the church is like a battleship, that we do have a mission, and that we have been commissioned in the spiritual warfare of the ages. We do not fight with the weapons of this world, nor do we measure success as does this world. Rather our victory comes when we are able to win the hearts and souls of people for whom Christ died and rose again.

All hands on deck! Battle stations!

This Week’s Scripture to Memorize:
Put 1 John 1.5-10 together: 5This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. 7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 8If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.