“…yes, woe is me if I do not preach the Gospel!” The Apostle Paul (1 Corinthians 9:16b)

My family recently went to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and, on this particular visit, we went to the Titanic Museum Attraction.

If you have never been, I highly recommend it! Of course, most of my knowledge of the Titanic comes from the 1997 Leonardo DiCaprio film (don’t judge me!), but never did I realize so much work went into building this colossal ship! It was a wonderful visit with my family. 

As you walked around the museum, you took a journey as one of the original passengers boarding the ship that was scheduled to sail from Southampton, England, to New York City in April 1912. You would get an idea of what it was like to be on each level of the boat, as each room was designed to give you a taste of Titanic cruise life.

I discovered that if I were on the ship, I would have been a poor third classman.

The museum presented well over 400 genuine artifacts from the actual ship. There were pictures, clothes, dishes, lifejackets, tools, trunks and even pieces of wood from the original Grand Stair Case on the Titanic.

As we were touring, I noticed in one of the displays a family Bible — one of those old fashioned giant-sized Bibles that belonged to one of the victim’s family.

It was a beautiful Bible! It had golden trim, and I noticed on it a lock and key.

It occurred to me as I was looking at this ornate Bible that thousands of people would pass by this display case every single week, but could not read the words on its pages.

Maybe I’m thinking too far into this situation (I tend to do that from time to time), but, as I was looking at this Bible, I began to realize that while this awesome museum in Tennessee exists to share with the world the heritage and a personal interactive experience on a model of the 1912 RMS Titanic, history tells us that the Titanic is a story of tragedy and death.

Over 1,500 people died when the Titanic struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic Ocean and sank on April 15, 1912. Today, over 100 years later, people from all over the world come and tour this museum to hear this story of death — yet inside one of its cases of artifacts is the Bible, God’s word, the only source in the world that can bring freedom and life everlasting (see John 8:32)!

In no way am I disrespecting the thousands of people who were devastated by the sinking of the Titanic, but the greatest tragedy in the world today is that people are literally sinking to their eternal death and condemnation in hell because of humanity’s sin and rebellion against God, and we, the church, are often guilty of never speaking a word to someone who is on their way there.

I was heavily convicted standing in the museum that afternoon as I took in the reality that there are billions of people in the world who do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and I am one of countless witnesses who have been given the commission and responsibility of sharing the good news of the Gospel with those who are in need of salvation.

I was not gloriously saved and changed by God to conceal the truth that has made me free. I was not redeemed to sit still in a glass case and be a “museum Christian.”

That is my term for people who know the way to salvation in Jesus Christ, but never share it with anyone. God has called each of us who have been saved by Jesus Christ to obediently go and proclaim the Gospel to every person in every area of the world, and we are not to stop until the whole world hears about his love for mankind (see Mark 16:15).

Sure, God could have built a museum for people to come and hear his story of redemption for the world, but instead, he chooses to use people like you and me to proclaim this glorious news! I encourage you to not become a museum Christian who is content with just what God did for you alone.

My prayer is that you would have the desire to share the message of the Gospel with all who will hear so that they will be saved and enjoy eternal life in heaven with Jesus Christ our savior. 

“Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf: be reconciled to God.” (2 Corinthians 5:20)