Booking a Cruise or Enlisting in a Battle?

by Dale Reeves

Story Pastor

This past Sunday at Christ’s Church as we continued our study of the apostle Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, our lead pastor Brad Wilson asked a penetrating question: “Is our church a cruise ship or a battleship?” If you missed that teaching, you can check it out here.

This is not a new question. It has been asked of many churches throughout the years. But it has taken on new meaning in my mind as some recently-baptized believers have experienced some persecution because of choosing to die to themselves and make Jesus Lord of their life through the act of baptism.

NEWS FLASH: Not every family member is happy when someone in their family goes against their wishes and chooses to pledge their allegiance to Jesus above everything else—regardless of the consequences. We have a real enemy who is not flesh and blood, who is not playing games. He is fine as long as we “play church,” but he doesn't like it when we storm the gates of Hell! That’s why the apostle Paul exhorts us to “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:11, 12, ESV).

Paul is reminding us that our battle is never with other people (flesh and blood), but with our archenemy Satan and his hierarchy of dark spiritual beings (demons) operating in the unseen world. The Greek word Paul uses that is translated as Satan’s “schemes” is the word methodeia, which literally means “method” or “strategy,” and it carries with it the idea of a sinister and calculated, rather than random attack. His tactics are crafty, cunning, systematic, and manipulative, designed to ensnare and distract followers of Jesus. Satan doesn’t just attack us blindly, he uses a “method to his madness” with deliberate strategies tailored to cause doubt, division, and distraction.

Cruise Ship Comforts

Don’t get me wrong, my wife and I enjoy a fun cruise ship excursion with our family members every now and then, and I might have participated in a few on-board contests through the years. But, these are vacations, we can’t live our lives there all the time. It would be a very bad thing for my body to be tempted with amazing “Guy’s burgers” and around-the-clock buffets every day of my life.

As Brad shared Sunday, “Passengers on a cruise ship are looking for a seat, those on a battleship are looking for an assignment. Passengers on a cruise ship are seeking their own personal comfort, those on a battleship are seeking to accomplish the mission.”

Passengers on a cruise ship might ask themselves these questions:

• Are the stewards cleaning my stateroom doing a good job?

• Do I like the captain and his crew?

• Are all my needs being met properly?

• Do I like the music they are playing on the stages and in the ballroom?

• Am I being well-fed?

• Do I feel comfortable all the time?

• If there is something that happens on the cruise that I don’t like, how quickly do the crew members make it right for me?

• Would I want to cruise with this company again?

People who view the church as a cruise ship are consumers seeking their own comfort above all else. They are looking to be entertained and fed well, and they expect their spiritual needs to be catered to by the church staff. They see church as an event to attend, not a mission to get engaged with, which leads to passive participation, spiritual stagnation, and a lack of any impact on other people. The concept of using one’s spiritual gifts to serve other people and move the mission forward is not even a thought in their minds, because there are many other people “on board” who can handle all the work that needs to be done.

Man Your Battle Stations

On the other hand, sailors on a battleship might ask themselves these questions:

• What is my specific role as a crew member on this destroyer?

• How can I help accomplish the mission we have been given by our Captain?

• Have I done everything I need to be equipped for the tasks I have been called to?

• Am I aware of the tactics the enemy might use against me?

• What can I do to help my comrades in arms when they need help?

• Am I doing my best to obey all the orders I have been given, even if I don’t like certain ones?

• Have I enlisted for the long haul?

People who view the church as a battleship are actively focused on being engaged with the mission. Even though they realize that Jesus has already won the battle over our enemy through his work on the cross (see Colossians 2:14, 15), they recognize that to reach others who are drowning in the seas of doubt, despair, and depression, it will require all hands on deck. They also understand that in order to accomplish the mission set forth by Jesus our Captain, it will require discipline, teamwork, and sacrifice as each member has a specific battle station, role, and responsibility (see Ephesians 4:11-16). Deep, resilient relationships are forged through shared challenges and reliance on one another, in overcoming our common enemy.

While a cruise ship mentality emphasizes, “What can I get?”, the battleship mentality constantly asks, “How can I serve?”

Why does this matter? Because souls are at stake for eternity, and those whom God has called us to help reach (our ONE MORES) are in danger of spending an eternity in Hell apart from God’s presence. I am appealing to you in the church to not just attend church on Sunday to “check a box,” or “fill a seat.” You have brothers and sisters who are on the frontlines in dealing with spiritual attacks from the enemy, from their own family members, and in their own flesh—and they are in desperate need for comrades to come alongside them in the fury. The war rages on, though we know our ultimate victory through Captain Jesus is sure.

“And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, ‘Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death’” (Revelation 12:9-11, ESV).