This one is going straight in the sermon illustration file:

The Amazing, True Story Of John Harper The Last Hero Of The Titanic  "There, alone in the night with two miles of water under me, I cried to Christ to save me. I am John Harper's last convert "

The unsinkable ship. It was April 15, 1912, when HMS Titanic sank beneath the icy waters of the North Atlantic, taking with it 1517 lives. The largest and most luxurious ship at the time was gone, reminding the world of our frailty as human beings. But there is more to the sinking of the Titanic than a historical tragedy. There is a story of courageous heroism and unshakable faith. Titanic, the "unsinkable ship" did nothing but sink. As the sounds of terror and mayhem continued, Harper focused on his God-given purpose. Survivors reported seeing him on the upper deck on his knees, surrounded by terrified passengers, praying for their salvation. The great ship hits an iceberg John Harper was aboard the Titanic when she set sail from Southampton, England, on her maiden voyage. An evangelist originally from Glasgow, Scotland, he was well known throughout the United Kingdom as a charismatic, passionate speaker who led many to Christ through his gift of preaching. In 1912, Reverend Harper received an invitation to speak at the Moody Church in Chicago, U.S.A. On April 11, 1912, John Harper boarded the Titanic. Some of the wealthiest people in the world were aboard. While many passengers spoke of business deals, acquisitions and material desires, John Harper was diligently sharing the love of Christ with others. In the days leading up to the tragedy, survivors reported seeing Harper living like a man of faith, speaking kind words and sharing the love of Christ. On the evening of April 14, as passengers danced in the ballroom and tried their luck at the card tables, John Harper put his daughter to bed and read his devotions as he did every night. At 11:40pm, the Titanic struck an iceberg. The "unsinkable" ship was doomed. Either in disbelief or unaware at the time, passengers continued about their pleasures. It wasn't until the ship's crew sent up a series of distress flares that passengers realized the seriousness of their situation. Then chaos ensued. It all happened so fast. But John Harper's response left an historic example of courage and faith. Harper awakened his daughter, picked her up and wrapped her in a blanket before carrying her up to the deck. There he kissed her good-bye and handed her to a crewman who put her into lifeboat 11. Harper knew he would never see his daughter again, His daughter would be left an orphan at six years of age. Harper then gave his life jacket to a fellow passenger, ending any chance of his own survival. From a survivor we learn that he was calling out, "Women and children and unsaved people into the lifeboats." So he understood that there was a more important thing than surviving that terrible disaster. He understood that there were those who were unprepared to face eternity. As the sounds of terror and mayhem continued, Harper focused on his God-given purpose. Survivors reported seeing him on the upper deck on his knees, surrounded by terrified passengers, praying for their salvation. At 2:40am, the Titanic disappeared beneath the North Atlantic, leaving a mushroom-like cloud of smoke and steam above her grave and, tragically, over 1000 people, including Harper, fighting for their lives in the icy water. He managed to find a piece of floating wreckage to hold onto. Quickly he swam to every person he could find, urging those about him to put their faith in Jesus Christ. While death forced others to face the folly of their life's pursuits, John Harper's goal of winning people to Jesus Christ became more vital. Are you saved? In the water, John Harper was moving around as best he could, speaking to as many people as possible. His question was, "Are you saved?" And if they weren't saved and if they didn't understand that terminology, then as rapidly as he could he explained the Christian Gospel. Soon John Harper succumbed to the icy sea. But even in his last moment, this tireless man of undying faith continued his life pursuit of winning lost souls. One person remembered, "I am a survivor of the Titanic. I was one of only six people out of 1517 to be pulled from the icy waters on that dreadful night. Like hundreds around me, I found myself struggling in the cold, dark waters of the North Atlantic. The wail of the perishing was ringing in my ears when there floated by me a man who called to me, ‘Is your soul saved?' Then I heard him call out to others as he and everyone around me sank beneath the waters. There, alone in the night with two miles of water under me, I cried to Christ to save me. I am John Harper's last convert." "Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved...and thy house." - Acts 16:31

http://www.nowtheendbegins.com/pages/preachers/john-harper.htm

Universities a morality free zone

So says this report in the SMH.

UNIVERSITIES are value-free zones and need to reassert the primary purpose of education, building the ethical and moral character of students, a Sydney vice-chancellor has said.

At an inaugural annual oration last night at Macquarie University, the university's vice-chancellor, Steven Schwartz, said he wanted a return to education's ''ancient roots''.

He said the rector of St Andrews University in 1867, the British philosopher John Stuart Mill, correctly identified the object of universities was "not to make skilful lawyers, or physicians, or engineers, but capable and cultivated human beings''.

To address this educational philosophy, all new Macquarie undergraduates would be required to study arts, humanities and science subjects as well as work in the community.

Right...to produce graduates with values, pump a couple of Arts subjects into them.

Hmm, that'll work...not! Sadly I can still remember lectures from uni days including unnecessarily sexually explicit Psychology lectures; Sociology lectures where it was insisted as an article of faith that "human nature is an idiot notion"; Philosophy tutorials where a philosophers' god that no-one believed in anyway was soundly disproved; and reading articles for essays which suggested new and interesting ways of diminishing professional responsibility. Benefit of these things for developing healthy values? Nil.

Benefit of attending campus Bible studies for thinking about how to treat others better? Priceless!

Actually the dopey things said in Psychology and Sociology subjects did provide some really good opportunities for evangelism, including running a couple of tutorials explaining the gospel.

Anonymous mission

I've blogged about anonymous mission over on the Sola Panel. The first leaders of mission to non-Jews were not apostles or recognized church leaders, but anonymous Christians from Cyprus and Cyrene.

Basically the point is that if you want to tell someone about the Lord Jesus, you're allowed to do it without due authorization from the relevant authorities. They'll catch up with you eventually and may even offer some encouragement, as they should.

Hospitality, and an idea to help get the gospel out.

Nicole has started a series on Christian hospitality on her 168hrs blog. I'm looking forward to reading it.

One of the things I wonder is what the evangelistic impact would be for a church if they cancelled an evangelistic event with a band and a speaker and instead gave out $20 gift vouchers for the local supermarket, Coles or what have you. Not random handing out, mind you, but all part of a thought-out hospitality plan.

So, let's suppose you had been planning to go all out with advertising, band payment, speaker, hire a coffee machine, good PA system etc at a cost of $1500. Instead, you spend the money on the $20 vouchers and end up with 75 vouchers. You then give a voucher to each family in the congregation, along with the weekly church news sheet, and you encourage them to use the evening that they had set aside for your big church shindig inviting a non-church friend or two 'round for dinner.

The $20 wouldn't cover costs but it would help. Some might even donate their $20 voucher to another person in the congregation to help make their hospitality work a bit better. You could have some people who would combine forces and organize a get-together for people in their street, if they were that way inclined.

And in all this, no pressure to download the gospel on the visitors' poor unsuspecting heads would need to happen; no evangelistic conspiracy need be involved. You wouldn't even use it as a sneaky way to advertise the church. Just a real opportunity to show friendship to people you might be too busy to see otherwise, and some help in doing what all Christians should be doing anyway, which is offering hospitality to others.

Where the individuals doing the inviting took this would be entirely up to them. But from the church's point of view, it would be making a powerful statement that you didn't want to eat up all your congregation members' time by putting on church activities, as terrific as they are. Then later in the year, when you run your Simply Christianity course or what have you, and encourage church members to invite friends, they might actually have someone they could ask to come along!

By the way, if there's a hole in this idea that I haven't spotted yet, don't blame Nicole. Any shortcoming in this cunning plan is entirely mine. Her post got me thinking, and if people have ways of improving this concept or have seen something similar in action, don't hesitate to add your comment here.

Apologetics and idiot drivers

There's a story behind the latest op-ed piece that I did for the Daily Tele on Paris Hilton.

I e-mailed Justin at the Tele and asked if he wanted a piece on Mohammed Haneef, the cousin of the man involved in the failed Glasgow bombing attempt. Haneef was arrested last month under our new terrorism laws and interrogated for nearly two weeks before being released and deported without being charged.

His e-mail back said, thanks for the offer, but our readers aren't that interested and I wouldn't want you to waste your time. But you could do something on Paris Hilton or idiot drivers.

Hence the Paris Hilton piece.

Now I am a great fan of apologetics and see my writing for the paper in this category—apologetics here defined as using arguments to defend a Christian world view or attack a non-christian world view, with the ultimate intention of winning a better hearing for the gospel. In fact I've just finished a four week session with a group from 5.00 church at St Paul's Carlingford on just this subject (Thanks Chris F and Tracy G for the help!)

But this e-mail exchange with Justin was a good reminder of what I already believe, which is that apologetics is always going to be a handmaiden to evangelism—that is, it should take second place to telling people the gospel. There are a huge number of people out there who just don't have a great interest in the outside world; or at least, not the sort of things that Christian apologists sometimes feel they ought to be interested in. To destroy a person's unsustainable and damaging world view by clever and intelligent argument is a good thing to attempt. But there will be a good proportion of the population who will rise from the ashes to say "Right...so who do you reckon will win the game on Saturday?"

In Romans 1:16 Paul insists "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek." [italics mine]

There is a lot to be said for cutting straight to the chase and just telling people the simple, unadorned news that in Jesus Christ, through his death and resurrection, the full forgiveness of sin is available to those who repent and trust him as Lord. If Justin at the Tele was a Christian, he would tell you that's pretty much what the readers need to hear (not to mention the rest of us).

Tim R's slogan question

Tim R asks a good question about my post on slogans, here.

Tim, I think that rightly understood the maturity of individual Christians is inseparable from the growing of the gospel message throughout the world.

Let me take slight issue with this bit of your quote:

...[it's not that] Paul is not concerned or involved in the sending of others and the spreading of the gospel, he does, however seem strongly concerned for the maturity of the individual, that the "end point" (I'm not sure I like my term) of the Church should be to present all perfect in Christ, mature in Him, to see that all finish running the race, to receive the crown etc. etc.

[italics mine]

Is this really the church's end point? I am not sure it is. If the church has a purpose

(and one of my favourite theologians, Broughton Knox, said the church has no purpose at all, it is the purpose—not an exact quote)

then it is to bring glory to God through his son Jesus Christ.

See Ephesians 1, esp vv 3-14, esp within them vv 8-9, and esp vv 20-23 and within them esp v 23—oh ok then, let's say especially the whole chapter!

Then when you continue his argument on into chapter 2 and chapter 3, you find at the climax of the argument towards the end of Ephesians 3 the following:

Eph. 3:7 Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power. 8 To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things, 10 so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.

and then again

Eph. 3:14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Eph. 3:20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

You see here in Ephesians 3 that glory to God comes through the church and is revealed to the whole of creation ("rulers and authorities in the heavenly places"—but if them, then everyone and everything).

So the point at issue is how we bring glory to God (soli Deo Gloria, one of the five great Reformation slogans). And this happens, in Ephesians and elsewhere, as we know him and proclaim him in the world. (Knowing will of course involve growing, or it is not true knowing).

I may be stretching, but is one of your interests in asking that you are concerned about doing evangelism in church meetings versus looking after the regulars by giving in-depth teaching and doing other things that will cater for their needs? If not, then feel free to ignore this as a silly question on my part. I have no idea whether it reflects your current situation!

Oh, and here is a great passage about what it's all about, 'it' including the church, I believe. It's Paul writing in 1 Corinthians:

15:20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27 For “God has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “all things are put in subjection,” it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. 28 When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all.

You see? The glory of God, manifested only in and through the glory of the Son, in fulfilment of the Son's prayer in John 17.

Now, it may be that God's "end point" (as you describe it) for us is that we be presented mature in Christ and so on. that's in Ephesians 5:21-31, Revelation 21:1-8, and elsewhere. But again, he does this for his own glory, not us. His love has no basis whatsoever in the righteousness of the ones he loves. (cf. Deut 7:6-8)

Oh, and if I remember I will get Fifi's recipe for that mince. I think the magic ingredient is red lentils. Thanks again for looking after our place.

Hey BTW yours is the first blog I've ever seen that is all profile and no blog! Great collection of music, I must work my way through the list with the help of the local library.

PS Have you seen our can opener?

The gospel goes out in Kashmir

There was a big earthquake in this part of the world in 2005, which killed many. 17 000 schoolchildren died!

Friends of mine, M. and N. are in there delivering aid to Muslims; a Christian presence in an area that has had nothing like this. Well, M. is there; N. is home with the family in Pakistan.

Meanwhile, back in Pakistan, Muslims are trying to kill Christians.

My friends are continuing fearlessly, since perfect love drives out fear. Pray for them! It would be easy to be frightened.