Christ went and preached to the spirits in prison, to those who were disobedient long ago.- 1 Peter 3:19

After some vile fellers nailed him ter tha mast and kilt him, tha Son be placed in a tomb and left fer dead. Only Skipper’s Son not stay dead. Tha grave not be able ter hold him.

So after being made alive he went and preached ter them unclean spirits in tha underworld. Now right off that be an odd thing ter ponder. A feller who be dead coming back ter life, then traipsing off ter preach to tha devil’s demons in hades, such a thing hain’t ne’er happened ‘fore or since.

Them tha Son went ter chat with them whar them who be disobedient a long time ago–all tha way back ’til tha days of Noah. Skipper waited patiently fer them reprobates ter stop thar sinning ways and repent. Months, years, decades, Skip waited. All tha while Noah banged on that ark, putting her in ter ship shape. 

When Noah be done and set sail he only carried a crew of eight–and them eight only be them in his family. Rest of tha lubbers on dry land stood by laughing, pointing at Noah’s ark, talking ‘bout how he had lost his ever loving mind, building a vessel so far from tha sea. Only Noah’s mind not be lost but fixed on tha words of Skipper. Eight clambered aboard tha ark: eight plus a boat load of critters. Them eight who set sail whar saved through tha water. Rest of them mocking lubbers on dry land went ter Davy Jones when tha flood come upon ’em.

Now tha water we used ter baptize folks symbolizes tha baptism that saves ya from yer sins. In tha same way Noah and his family believed and be saved, so ya ‘ave believed and be saved through a baptism of water.

Tha act of baptism be a commitment on our part of our agreement with Skipper that we ‘ave passed through tha water from death ter life through his Son. In tha same way tha ark saved Noah and his family from getting swept away ter Davy Jones, so tha Son saves us from getting swept away ter tha Lake of Fire. Water baptism itself be not able ter save us. It only symbolizes fer us and all who attend our baptism that we agree with Skipper that we be sinners, like them lubbers of Noah’s days, and be in tha new ark. . .  tha Son.

Tha Son ‘as gone ter heaven. He be at Skipper’s right hand. All tha angels, all powers, all jurisdictions, all commands, all control, all mastery, all charges and all powers in heaven and on earth be under submission ter tha Son. This be tha ark in which we ride through rough seas and high winds. This be our saving ship.

And still ter day a good many fellers stand by laughing, pointing at us, talking ‘bout how we ‘ave lost our ever loving minds. Only think on this: some of them folks be in yer family, yer neighborhood, tha place whar ya work, yer community. . . even yer church. If ya love ‘em, and I ‘spect ya do, try at least try ter talk ‘em in ter clambering aboard so they don’ end up swimming fer ever in tha Lake of Fire. 

Maybe if ya give ’em a ride on yer boat and tell ’em tha story of Noah they might come ter see that sailing on tha sea be a far better thing that swimming in it ’till yer arms grow tired and ya sink.