Latest / Traveler’s Tales / Streetcorners to a Sinking Ship: The True Story of John Harper

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Streetcorners to a Sinking Ship: The True Story of John Harper · Traveler’s Tales

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  There are some stories that history records in headlines, and others that heaven records
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  in eternity.
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  When most people hear the name Titanic, they think of luxury, icebergs, and tragedy.
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  They think of the band playing as the ship tilted, of lifeboats lowered into the freezing
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  Atlantic, or, tragically, of over 1,500 lives lost in a single night.
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  But woven into that darkness is a quieter story.
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  A story about a preacher, a widower, a father, a man whose final sermon was preached while
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  floating in the Atlantic Ocean.
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  His name was John Harper, and his final message was the same one he had preached his entire
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  life.
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  Welcome to Traveler's Tales, brought to you by Enjoying the Journey.
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  I'm your host, Greg Dowdy.
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  It is my privilege to share the faith stories of men and women in history who were uniquely
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  used by God to impact their generation with the gospel of Christ.
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  The God they served is the same God you and I serve.
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  And may today's story stir your heart to serve the Lord.
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  John Harper was born in Scotland in 1872.
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  He was converted at 13 years of age, and by 17, he was preaching Christ in the streets.
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  This wasn't emotional enthusiasm or young, temporary zeal.
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  No, it became the steady direction of his life.
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  He pastored near Glasgow and watched a small congregation grow from 25 people to nearly
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  500.
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  Later, he would serve in London.
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  In 1911, he crossed the Atlantic to preach at what we now know as Moody Church.
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  Those meetings were so powerfully blessed that a two-week invitation turned into two
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  months of ministry.
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  But Harper's life was not easy.
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  His health failed, his wife died, and he raised his daughter alone.
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  Here's something remarkable about John Harper.
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  He was afraid of water.
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  He couldn't swim and had nearly drowned three times before.
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  Yet he was never afraid to speak for Christ.
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  In April of 1912, John Harper and his young daughter boarded the Titanic.
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  He was returning to Chicago for another season of meetings.
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  A friend had even offered to pay for passage on a different ship, but Harper had declined.
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  And on April 14th, the Titanic struck the iceberg.
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  When panic spread across the deck, Harper first made sure his daughter was safely placed
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  in a lifeboat.
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  Witnesses said that he then urged men to give their places to women and children.
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  And when the great ship finally slipped beneath the surface, Harper found himself in the icy
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  Atlantic.
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  After nearly 50 minutes, 50 minutes in freezing chaotic darkness, he moved from person to
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  person asking a single question, are you saved?
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  Not can you swim?
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  Not what class were you traveling in?
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  Not even do you think help is coming?
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  But are you saved?
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  He quoted Acts 16 31 to those who floated by him while clinging to wreckage, believe
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  on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.
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  Years later in a church meeting in Hamilton, Ontario, a powerful moment unfolded.
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  Young Scotsman stood to give his testimony.
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  He explained that he had been aboard the Titanic that night.
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  He described clinging to a piece of wreckage in the freezing Atlantic when a voice called
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  out to him through the darkness.
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  It was John Harper.
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  The young man recalled Harper asking him plainly, are you saved?
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  And when he answered no, Harper urged him with the words of Acts 16 31.
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  Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.
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  The young man admitted that he resisted at first.
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  Moments later, John Harper slipped beneath the surface of the water into eternity.
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  A short time later, as the cries grew fewer and the cold grew sharper, this young man
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  called out to God himself and trusted Christ.
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  Standing there in that meeting years later, he concluded his testimony with words no one
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  in the room would ever forget.
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  He said, I am John Harper's last convert.
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  Something powerful about this story.
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  The Titanic had three passenger classes, first, second, and third.
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  But after the sinking, the white star line listed only two categories, known to be saved,
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  known to be lost.
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  Wealth didn't matter, influence didn't matter, titles didn't matter.
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  When time ran out, there were only two outcomes.
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  And friend, that's still true today.
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  Each of us will fall into one of those two categories, known to be saved or known to
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  be lost.
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  And John Harper lived his life like he believed that.
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  It's a challenging lesson for us all, because Harper didn't suddenly become bold when the
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  ship began to sink, no.
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  He was bold for Christ, long before the iceberg.
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  He preached on street corners, he prayed through the night for church members by name.
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  He dedicated his life to proclaiming the gospel.
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  The ocean that night simply revealed what years had prepared.
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  Harper feared water, but he feared wasted opportunity more.
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  He couldn't swim, but he could witness.
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  And while most of us will never have an opportunity like Harper did that night, each of us walk
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  past eternal souls every single day.
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  Neighbors, coworkers, family members.
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  When was the last time eternity shaped your urgency?
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  When was the last time you spoke plainly and lovingly about Christ?
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  And even more personal, have you believed on the Lord Jesus Christ?
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  Before Harper could preach salvation that night in the Atlantic, he had settled it in
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  his own heart.
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  Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.
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  This wasn't just his final sentence, it was his lifelong conviction.
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  Friend, someone near you is drifting closer and closer to eternity, and you may be the
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  only voice who will speak to them about Christ.
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  Don't wait for a crisis to make you bold.
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  Share Christ today while there is still time.
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  Thank you for taking time to listen to Traveler's Tales today.
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  Our prayer is that the Lord uses this story of faith from a fellow traveler to strengthen
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  and encourage your own walk with Christ.
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  For more stories like this one, and for many helpful Bible study resources, we invite you
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  to visit us at ETJ.Bible, where you'll find podcasts, articles, videos, devotional materials,
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  and much, much more, all designed to help you follow God's Word and find Christ's joy.