The Church: Battleship or Cruise Ship?

At the Friday morning Log House Bible Study for men, we are working our way through John Eldredge's book EPIC, using the companion video series. In this morning's lesson Eldredge cautioned us to remember the reality of Satan in "the epic story" in which we find ourselves. One man posed penetrating question, "Is the Church a battleship that we have converted to a cruise ship?" Have we so little regard for the Enemy that we have set about to make the time on the ocean comfortable? When trouble comes, do we resort to rearranging the deck chairs? (adding new programs?) If we do encounter the Enemy and a battle is inevitable, will anyone remember how to fire the guns?

Coach Bill McCartney, one of the founders of Promise Keepers and former President of PK (Dr. Tom Fortson has been the President for almost four years now), once said that one of the most serious problems affecting the Church was that "we are in a war but most men are not at war!" How about you? Are you at war? If you are not, then you can be sure that others as well as yourself are at risk.

What to do? Well, as any good military leader knows, troops need to be organized, trained, and equipped and they need a chain of command (competent leadership). It would be utterly foolish to enter the battle alone, which is why you need your (band of) brothers (fellow warriors) to be next to you. The training and equipping comes through discipleship and spiritual disciplines, including prayer and Bible study. Don't go before you are ready, but get yourself and others ready, put yourselves under the leadership of the Lord, and then go! Then when the Enemy confronts you, you'll know how to fire the guns!