The lifeboat gospel is the idea that salvation is all about avoiding hell and gaining heaven. The problem with this gospel is that it has sidelined entire generations of believers by telling them the earth is nothing more than a waiting room for eternity. Afraid of being left behind, Christians with a lifeboat mentality have opted out of the game. They want nothing to do with this filthy world lest they end up entangled in it. “Forget the arts, forget politics, forget science. This world is destined for the fire anyway, so why bother.”
Lifeboat Christians are hands-off Christians. Yet their passivity, which is really unbelief, means they regularly get steam¬rolled by the circumstances of life. When this happens it only confirms their belief that “the ship is sinking—you’d best get off.” …
As you grow in the confidence that he who saves you also keeps you, you will leave the dubious comfort of the lifeboat and return to the Titanic where you will bring the good news of salvation to others. You will lay hands on the sick and they will be healed. You will proclaim freedom to the captives and they will be freed. You will find that supernatural signs and wonders follow this good news wherever it goes.
Paul Ellis
The Gospel in Ten Words, KingsPress, 2012, 51,55.
GraceQuotes.com 
Good post. I understand what you’re saying, but it’s a little puzzling as far as logic goes. The Titanic was doomed when the lifeboats were out. ‘Returning’ would mean diving under the freezing waves unto one’s death. Perhaps a better analogy might be a situation where the boat is abandoned even though there’s nothing wrong. I think something similar happened in ‘The Hunt for Red October’.
The Costa Concordia would be an even better example. I just watched a documentary on that last night. The first wave of passengers taken to shore complained, “Where are all the crew?” There was no crew on shore because they had returned to the stricken vessel with their lifeboats. The captain was infamously negligent, abandoning ship rather promptly. But those crew members who stayed out all night rescuing people – when they might’ve stopped to get warm, phone home, or sleep – they were stars.