Sermon: "Where the Rubber Meets the Road"
Have you ever heard the saying, “Where the Rubber Meets the Road?” Do you know what it means?
It means …
Coming through in the clutch
or
Performing when it counts
or
Doing the right thing at the right time.
Do you know where the statement originated? Of course we know it has something to do with the invention of rubber tires. A tire can look nice, it may have a special tread, it may have fancy lettering on the side, but what really counts is where the rubber meets the road. Will it stand up to the rough treatment it will receive? Will it provide good traction?
We aren’t sure when this saying was first used, but we found it in an old Firestone Tire Radio Commercial. Listen to it …
Wherever wheels are rolling
No matter what the load
The name that’s known is Firestone
Where the rubber meets the road.
On tractors and combines for working the land
Those big tough tires wear the Firestone brand
Tires for RV’s, big trucks and small
Whatever you’re driving we make them all.
Wherever wheels are rolling
No matter what the load
The name that’s known is FIRESTONE
Where the rubber meets the road.
Many of you know that our Children’s Music Camp begins tomorrow morning. All next week they will be working on a musical called, DONKEY TALES, which they will present next Sunday in the Worship Center at the 9:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. services.
You might be wondering how the expression “Where the Rubber Meet the Road,” is connected to a donkey. We will see that connection in a few moments, but first, let’s review last week’s lesson.
The lesson revolved around Balaam and his talking donkey. It was called “What God Thinks of Fence Sitters.” We saw that …
- YOU CANNOT SERVE TWO GODS
You must love God with all your heart, soul and mind. When it comes to loving and serving God you can’t “sit on the fence.” You must give yourself completely to him.
We also saw that …
- GOD CAN USE YOU
If God could use Balaam’s donkey, he is certainly able to use us. The song the children will be singing says …
If God used a donkey, my friend,
Then wouldn’t you agree God can use me.
This morning we are going to look briefly at two Donkey Tales which can teach us something about living our lives in a way that is pleasing to God.
To please God we need to be willing to help others “where the rubber meets the road.”
The first Donkey Tale we are going to look at this morning illustrates that truth in a very graphic way. It is a very familiar story told by Jesus. We call it …
I. THE PARABLE OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN
Listen to this very well known passage of scripture.
LUKE 10:25-37 -- 25On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
26“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”
27He answered: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”
28“You have answered correctly; Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
29But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
30In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and sawhim, passed by on the other side. 33But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. (In this Donkey Tale the donkey plays a supporting role … no pun intended. The donkey carries the injured man to an inn). 35The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
36“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
37The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
The Samaritan loved his neighbor, “where the rubber meets the road.” The priest and the Levite didn’t “come through in the clutch.” They didn’t “perform when it counted.” They “failed to do the right thing.”
The children will be singing a song about the Good Samaritan which tells us the keys to obeying Jesus’ command to “love your neighbor as yourself.”
Here are some words from the song called – “Like the Good Samaritan.”
Like the Good Samaritan, if you care you can see a need.
Like the Good Samaritan when you’re there you can meet it.
Like the Good Samaritan if you share you can change someone’s life.
So be there, care, share the love of Christ.
Let’s briefly examine those three keys.
A. A GOOD SAMARITAN CARES
A tire can’t perform properly when its rubber meets the road if it doesn’t have the right stuff on the inside. You can’t reach out and help someone in need if you don’t prepare your heart in advance. Listen to the thoughts that you need to hear, accept and have become a part of who you are as a person.
GALATIANS 6:2 – Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
Do you believe that you should be willing to carry the burdens of others? Some people think everyone should carry their own burdens. Others are constantly looking for someone to help them carry their burdens.
Here is another thought we need to absorb into our being.
ACTS 20:35 – In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
Are you involved in help the weak? How do you feel about those who aren’t as intelligent as you? Who don’t have a good job like you? Who weren’t taught how to work? Who constantly make poor decisions? Who have more health problems than you can shake a stick at?
It takes practice and discipline to teach yourself to care about the weak. It is much easier to be like the priest and Levite and just pass by weak people. Here is one more thought.
HEBREWS 13:3 – Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.
This is not easy. Most of us do forget those who are in prison. Too often we feel they are just getting what they deserve and so it is okay for us to forget them. When it comes to those being mistreated in some way we find it is much easier to just not get involved and we won’t get involved if we don’t train ourselves to have hearts that care.
I know nothing about the Good Samaritan. I don’t even know his name. But I’m sure he was a caring person long before he came upon the injured man by the road side.
If you are going to obey God you need to be constantly training yourself to care about people in need as much as you care about yourself. Next we see …
B. A GOOD SAMARITAN IS THERE
Many times we don’t have to go out of our way to “be there.” The Good Samaritan was just going about his normal business when suddenly he was there. If we cultivate a caring heart and keep our eyes and ears open, we will find that we have many opportunities to “be there” for someone who is hurting.
If you have a caring heart and look at your weekly newsletter, read a prayer request sheet that might be circulated in a Sunday School Class, look at our website, or just really listen to what people say to you, you will have plenty of opportunities to “be there.” A visit, a phone call, a listening ear, a helping hand, or maybe some financial guidance may be your way of being there.
We don’t like to admit it, but far too often we play the part of the Levite and priest. We have the opportunity to “be there” but it just isn’t convenient. We have other things we need and want to do.
If you are going to obey Jesus’ command to love your neighbor you must “be there” when he puts you there. In the providence of God he put three people there who could have helped the injured man, but only one choose to “be there.” How often do you choose to “be there?” Finally we see ….
C. A GOOD SAMARITAN SHARES
In the parable Jesus told, the Good Samaritan choose to share his time, his oil and wine, his donkey and his money.
If you are going to be the person God wants you to be, you must train yourself to be quick to give what God has given to you.
Again, this is not easy to do. We live in a society where we have been taught to take care of ourselves. We don’t need help from others and we don’t want others to expect us to help them … but that attitude doesn’t cut it with God. The Bible says …
PROVERBS 21:13 – If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered.
JAMES 4:17 –Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.
The Levite and the priest committed a sin. When we have an opportunity to share and chose not to do so, we are as guilty as the person who views pornography, robs a bank or commits a murder.
Our first Donkey Tale this morning teaches us that we need to be a Good Samaritan.
- By Caring
- By Being There
and
- By Sharing
The second Donkey Tale shows us those very things being put in action. We call it …
II. JESUS, THE GREAT EXAMPLE
Jesus surely set the example for us when it comes to loving our neighbor as ourselves … when it comes to caring, being there and sharing.
Let’s take a moment and read this Donkey Tale from the scriptures.
MATTHEW 21:1-11 - 1As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”
4This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the Prophet: 5“Say to the Daughter of Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ” 6The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. 8A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,
“Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”
10When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”
11The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
The children will be singing a song about this passage of scripture which explains it quite well. It’s called … “Close Enough to Touch Him.” Here are some of the words …
One day Jesus asked his friends to go to town for him
And come back with a donkey he’d ride through Jerusalem
With a coat thrown on its back so Jesus could climb on
The gentle little donkey was our humble Savior’s throne.
We rushed out to praise him, cutting branches down
We threw them on the dusty road as Jesus rode through town
He was not what we expected, not a soldier on a steed
But a servant on a newborn colt to show his love for me.
Once inside the city everyone could tell
That the gentle little donkey had served the Savior well
Then Jesus walked the lonely road that brought him to the cross
And as he died we all could see how much our sin had cost.
We remembered long ago the prophets said a king
Would be born in Bethlehem and die upon a tree
Oh, the pain he suffered as his love reached out to men
When he brought salvation to all who reach for him.
And then the chorus says …
Close enough to touch him, He loved us so much
Jesus rode a donkey to be close enough to touch.
Do you see how Jesus set the example for us? He showed us how to be a Good Samaritan. He showed us how to care, how to be there, how to share.
He left heaven and came to earth … but he not only came to earth he lived in a human body … but he not only lived in a human body, he humbled himself and lived as a servant … but he not only lived as a servant, he gave up his life so that we might live forever.
CONCLUSION
Aren’t these Donkey Tales great! They teach us how to live out what are sometimes called the two greatest commandments.
LUKE 10:27 – He answered: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”
Let’s quickly review what we have learned from these Donkey Tales concerning obeying those two commands.
FIRST - YOU CAN’T BE A FENCE SITTER
You can’t serve two masters. You must give yourself completely to God.
SECOND – GOD CAN USE YOU
You just need to offer yourself to him each day.
THIRD – GOD WANTS YOU TO BE A GOOD SAMARITAN
By caring – by being there – and by sharing.
FOURTH – JESUS SET THE EXAMPLE FOR US
We need to be a servant as he was a servant.
I would like to close with the words from two little songs that the children are going to sing to close the presentation next week.
They are called, “That You May Believe” and “Donkey Tales.”
THAT YOU MAY BELIEVE
These things are written that you may believe,
Jesus is Messiah, the Son of God,
And in believing you may have life
In Jesus’ name, in Jesus’ name.
Do you believe in Jesus? Have your received him as your Lord? If not, as we close this morning ask him to come into your life and help you become part of his kingdom.
DONKEY TALES
Donkey Tales are short(like the two we read this morning)
Donkey Tales are long (like the tale of Balaam and his donkey)
Donkey Tales are told (as we have done the last two weeks)
Donkey Tales are sung (as they will be next week)
Donkey Tales come from the Bible, so they’re true
God put them into his Word for folks like me and you.
What are you going to do with them?