You have probably seen tugboats moving ships and barges in New York harbor. Tugboats are the most needed of all workboats in every busy harbor. You see, they are designed to “tug” large ships or barges where precise, careful, slow, movement is essential.
When an ocean liner enters a port like New York Harbor, with its narrow channel and lots of water traffic, the liner will need a tugboat to come alongside and help to nudge her gently toward the pier so the ship can tie up and the passengers and cargo can go safely ashore.
Generally speaking, modern tugboats are small but they have extremely powerful engines and huge propellers. In addition, they always have a captain and crew with many years of tugboat experience. Because of this, the captain of a huge ocean liner is always most willing to let the captain of the tugboat to come alongside, take over the control of his ship, and push her ever so gently and safely alongside his homeport pier at the end of a long voyage.
Your church is like a tugboat. You have a captain: Jesus, and an experienced crew of “old salts” (regular church members) who have learned how to handle whatever problems life dishes out. When the water (of life) gets rough, as a seasoned crew, you know how to batten down the hatches, call up our reserves of prayer power and work together as a team to come through every storm with flying colors!
Now, the Lord who has trained us up in his ways over the years, wants us to put our experience and abilities to work for him. In many ways, he has trained us to be like the crew on one of those small, very powerful tugboats. He says: Now is the time for you to realize the people around you: neighbors, friends, family and associates at work are like “ships” that need a “tugboat” (us) to “come alongside.” Jesus wants us to use our Holy Spirit power and experience to help those folks along in their daily voyage - here and now! We can also help them to someday, get safely home where Jesus has already prepared in Heaven, a beautiful oasis-like place of refuge and rest for them - for all eternity.
Will you, as part of the crew of your church "tugboat”, volunteer to stand up, step out, make some phone calls and invite your spiritually disabled friends to come to your church next Sunday? When those folks get there, the crew of your small but very friendly “tugboat” will generously “come alongside” to help them in every way.
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