I was on the plane, returning from ministry in Belfast, Northern Ireland when I heard the fascinating story. Danielle, the woman next to me, has deep roots in Northern Ireland. We got to talking about the Titanic, which was built in Belfast. That's when she told me about her great-grandfather. He was a professional seaman - and he had been assigned to sail on the Titanic. But at the last minute, his orders were changed - to sail instead on the Carpathia, the ship that was first on the scene of the Titanic's sinking - actually the ship that rescued the survivors from the icy waters of the Atlantic.
Well, I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Spared To Be A Rescuer."
That's what this seaman felt had happened to him. He could have died with two-thirds of the Titanic's passengers. But he was spared, he felt, so he could be a rescuer of people who otherwise might have died. So were you. You and I have been saved by Jesus - and then put in a position where we can rescue other people who may die if we don't get to them.
That's the message of our word for today from the Word of God in 2 Corinthians 5, beginning with verse 18. "God...reconciled us to Himself through Christ" - praise God, we were saved from our deadly condition of being cut off from God. But then the Bible goes on to say, "He gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ (now here's some great news), not counting men's sins against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation" (in other words, the message that can bring a person together with God).
Here's your assignment from heaven that is literally God's call to spiritual greatness - "We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God." So, someone cared enough to give us the life-saving message from Jesus...now it's our turn to deliver that life-or-death information to someone else. Someone you may very well see day after day...someone who is in that little part of the world to which you are Jesus Christ's primary ambassador!
God is counting on you to establish a caring relationship with the spiritually dying people in your world...to pray for, to look for natural opportunities to bring up your relationship with Jesus. You may feel inadequate - unqualified - but you're the rescuer God decided to put in their lives. And what God calls you to do, He qualifies you to do. It isn't up to you to persuade them to say yes to Jesus...it is up to you to present what Jesus did for them when He died for them on the cross. Without that information, the lost people you know have no chance of heaven.
So don't be content just to settle in on the rescue ship with others who have already been saved. The orders of our Captain in Jude 23 are to "snatch others from the fire and save them."' And, as D. L. Moody said, "There is no greater honor than to be the instrument in God's hands to lead a person out of the kingdom of Satan and into the glorious light of heaven."
You have been saved from certain spiritual death...now don't just be content to enjoy a cruise on the rescue ship of Jesus. You've been spared to be a rescuer.