ILLUSTRATION—I love trucks.
For most of my childhood, I wanted to drive an eighteen-wheeler. There was something about driving a huge truck that appealed to me.
Even today, I still admire a nice looking truck. Each time I pass by a truck, I will try and take a quick glance at the make, model, and color of the truck.
I love trucks.
Take a look at this truck. This is a Peterbilt Optimus Prime.
If the name Optimus Prime means nothing to you, I’ll forgive you this time, but Optimus was the lead character in the “Transformers” cartoon series and now the Blockbuster movie franchise.
I think it’s awesome that someone took the time to “transform” their truck into Optimus.
I love trucks.
I remember one time when I was a little younger than I am now, going into the Mack dealership in Fredericton and asking the sales associate if I could have some pictures of some of their trucks.
The salesman asked if I was interested in trucks, and I told him that I was,
and he asked me “what my favourite truck was” to which I immediately replied “Peterbilt”.
I don’t think that went over too well with the salesman, but I was young, and he realized that I didn’t have a million dollars to purchase a truck anyway, so he gave me the photos and I took them home and covered the wall in my room.
I love trucks.
I have always wanted to go on a Long Haul. To sit in the truck and go for a long drive would be greatàbut I would have to take my wife because I would want the full experienceà meaning I would want to sleep in the back as she drove!
I love trucks.
I think that doing life with God is a lot like driving a truck. It’s a Long Haul.
There may be stops along the way, things may even get a little rough; but God has asked all of us, to settle in with Him for the Long Haul.
So, today being Father’s Day, I would like to talk to Men in general and Dad’s specifically, but as for the rest of you: don’t tune out, for there’s a message here for you as well.
I believe that God is asking each of us to go on a Long Haul with Him in at least 3 ways.
1. With our Children.
I want to be involved in my kids’ lives. I want my kids to know that I love them. I want my kids to know that their father stands behind-- and will support—them.
While they may do things that I might not always agree with, I will always love them.
My children are my responsibility, and because I am a Christ follower, I have a God given responsibility to teach my kids about God.
The Bible says: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.
7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” (Deut. 6:4-9, NIV)
God had given His people instructions to follow and those instructions were to be followed exactly.
Part of what the people were to do, was to instruct their children in the ways of God.
God’s Word was to be the primary source of their education: before they slept, when they woke up, when they walked down a road… Parents were to teach their children.
The people were even instructed to tie symbols around their hands and heads to remind themselves to teach their children about the things of God. (show photo)
Parents were to teach their children God’s truth—they were to talk about God at home and on the Long Haul. Every opportunity was a chance for parents to talk to their kids about God.
ILLUSTRATION- A few weeks ago, Emma was showing me something that she had made at school relating to Easter.
I asked her if she knew why we celebrated Easter and she just shrugged her shoulders.
I sat her on my knee and began to explain to her, and Erica, the reason we celebrate Easter and about the Hope that Jesus brings with His Resurrection.
That was an opportunity for me to teach my children about God.
ILLUSTRATION-At each family meal, we pause for a word of prayer and if we don’t pray, one of the kids will say: “Hey! We didn’t pray!”
The Bible says: “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” (Eph. 6:4, NIV)
It’s my job as a father to teach my kids in the ways and things of God.
Parents, this is your job as well. Some of you still have children at home, but some of you don’t.
For those that have children at home, make sure you take the time to teach your kids about God… remind them about who He is and what He has done in your life. Use the Long Haul to teach your kids about God.
For the parents who don’t have kids at home anymore, your responsibility to teach your kids about God may have changed slightly, but you can still remind your children that God loves them and that you are praying for them.
While our parenting style can and will change as our children grow, we can still use the opportunities that we have to remind our kids about God.
If we’re in this parent thing for the Long Haul, then we must be willing to teach our kids about God.
Of course, it’s hard to teach your kids about God if you haven’t personally
experienced Him yourself….
If you have never invited Jesus into your heart, I want to encourage you to give it some serious consideration. It will be the best thing you can ever do for your family.
#2. The second way that God is calling us to the Long Haul is with our spouses.
ILLUSTRATION- Nine years ago this coming Tuesday, I made a decision that changed my life forever.
Nine years ago this week, I married Elizabeth Joy Brown. I don’t think I need to tell you that this was one of, if not the best, decision that I have ever made.
I love my wife with all my heart. I made a commitment to be with her for the Long Haul.
It hasn’t always been easy, it won’t always be easy, but because I made a commitment to her, because I love her, I want to stay with her.
The Bible says: “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her….” (Eph. 5:25, NIV)
The kind of love that Christ has for the Church—agape—is the same kind of love that I am to have for my wife. I am to love her with an unconditional love.
The only way that we can love our wives, men; the only way you can love your husbands, ladies, is by allowing the Holy Spirit to produce in our lives the Fruit of the Spirit called Love.
We are unable to love our spouses the way Christ loves the church unless the Holy Spirit grows love in our lives.
ILLUSTRATION- Several years ago, the Harry S. Truman Library in Independence, Missouri, made public the 1,300 recently discovered letters that the late President wrote to his wife, Bess, over the course of a half-century.
President Truman had a life-long rule of writing to his wife every day that they were apart. He followed this rule whenever he was away on official business or whenever Bess left Washington.
… Every day (that) he was away, the President of the United States took time out from dealing with the world’s most powerful leaders to sit down and write a letter to his wife. (unknown)
ILLUSTRATION-I still have the old letters that my girlfriend then, wife now, wrote to me one summer 12 years ago when we were apart.
I still have on file several hundred emails that she sent to me over that same period.
I have old movie ticket stubs, golf score cards, and photos of some of the
events that Beth and I have been on since we’ve been together... (She’s going to have one pile of junk to throw away when I’m gone.)
Because I’m in my marriage for the Long Haul, I choose to love my wife and stay with her no matter what.
Men: Do you love your wives? Are you honouring your wives? Are you listening to your wives?
The Bible says: “He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the LORD.” (Pr. 18:22, NIV)
To be in our marriages for the Long Haul, we must love our spouses.
There’s at least one more way that God wants us, married or not, kids or not, to commit to the Long Haul: with our lives.
Colossians 3:17 says: “…whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (NIV)
And just so we don’t miss this important truth, Paul says the same sort of thing in verse 23: “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.” (Col. 3:23, NLT2)
As followers of Jesus Christ, it’s our responsibility to listen to Him, to take direction from Him, to figure out what He wants us to do and do it to the best of
our ability.
As followers of Jesus Christ, we have a responsibility to live our public lives in a way that brings honor and glory to God.
We have a Biblical mandate to give 100% effort at whatever we find ourselves doing.
As followers of Jesus Christ, we have the responsibility to live our private lives in a way that brings honor and glory to God.
We have the responsibility to be pure, God-honouring people; to be “…above reproach…” (1 Tim. 3:2, NIV) and to ensure that what we allow to enter into our hearts and minds and homes is God honouring.
If you are a follower of Jesus Christ who is in it for the Long Haul, then: “Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ….” (Philippians 1:27a, NIV)
ILLUSTRATION- If you really want to go somewhere that you’ve never been before, generally, you do one of two things: you will consult a map, or you will ask for directions from someone who knows the way.
In many cars and trucks today, people have what’s called a Global Positioning System, or GPS.
These little machines will tell you exactly where you are, they will show
you where you need to go, and give you the route that you need to take to get you to where you want to go.
They are a wonderful device to have, especially if you don’t know where you are going.
If we want to reach our final destination and have a successful Long Haul, then we are going to have to follow the Map:
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.
2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith....” (Hebrews 12:1-2a, NLT2)
Friends, the race has already been marked out for us, the only thing that we have to do is follow directions.
We are to follow “…the race marked out for us.” (Heb. 12:1c NIV)
We are to follow the One who said: “…I am the way and the truth and the life…” (John 14:6, NIV)
We must follow Jesus Christ.
So how about it church? Are you in it for the Long Haul? Is it your desire to
follow Jesus Christ?
If your answer is yes, then come along and enjoy the Long Haul that God has prepared for you. He will not leave you stranded on the side of the road somewhere. He is with you each step of the way:
“…God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." (Heb. 13:5b, NIV)
If you are not on the Long Haul with Jesus, know that you can pull over and stop where you are and you can ask Jesus to take the wheel of your life and help you teach your kids, love your spouse, and live your life in a way that pleases Him.
If you want to arrive at the Ultimate Destination—Heaven—after the Long Haul is over, you will have to follow the One who said: “Come, follow me…” (Matthew 4:19, NIV)
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