Sermon Illustrations
"Titanic": Invitation to Trust
The blockbuster Titanic tells the tale of how, on that ill-fated voyage, Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio) won the affection of a wealthy young woman named Rose Bukater (Kate Winslet).
Although Rose turns Jack away at first, she yearns inside for someone to break her free of her dismal life. She says, "Outwardly, I was everything a well-brought-up girl should be. Inside, I was screaming. I felt like I was standing at a great precipice, with no one to pull me back, no one who caredÂ…or even noticed."
In perhaps the most famous scene of the movie, Rose has decided to give their romance a chance and has sought out Jack on the bow of the ship. When he sees her change of heart towards him, he reaches out to her and says, "Take my hand." He asks her not to speak but to close her eyes, and then he leads her to the very bow of the ship. He has her stand up on the railing, while he holds her steady. He asks Rose, "Do you trust me?"
She responds, "I trust you."
The scene radiates as the sunset streaks in the background. As Jack stretches out her arms over the bow and tells her to open her eyes, she's overwhelmed by the beauty of the waters and the sunset before her. All she can say is, "I'm flying!"
Rose is being rescued from a predictable and passionless life and invited to pursue something more. This is what happens in our new life in Christ. Christ extends himself to us and commands graciously: "Take my hand." Then he asks one simple question, "Do you trust me?" What follows is pure adventure.
Elapsed time: Measured from the beginning of the opening credit, this scene begins at 1:18:00 and lasts about two minutes.
Content: Titanic is rated PG-13 for nudity, violence, and profanity.