The Story Of The Moral Series

Selected Exposition #108

Series: NASCAR Comes to Church

Title: The Story of the Moral

Topic: Christian Living

Theme: Living according to God’s Pattern

Purpose: to be the Holy Spirit’s second witness calling God’s people in my care to consider his pattern for life in his kingdom.

Response: Individuals prompted by the Holy Spirit will begin to read and reflect on God’s pattern for living as well as committing to come each Sunday for five weeks as we consider it in relations to NASCAR.

Pattern: An inductive series of parables.

Visual Illustration: NASCAR items

Introduction:

Jesus told STORIES called "parables" to bring EVERYDAY experiences along side ETERNAL spiritual truths. His goal was to help people like you and me understand God and his PATTERN for LIFE. You could say that Jesus always told the STORY of the MORAL. Parables make us think. They teach us to ask questions and to seek answers for them in the story.

GOD’S PATTERN FOR LIFE IS LIKE….

 the NASCAR driver who works out everyday -- training hands, feet, eyes and mind to function at his peak on race day. (1 Corinthians 9:24-27)

GOD’S PATTERN FOR LIFE IS LIKE….

 the NASCAR driver who studies every rule and decision made by the Racing officials in order to avoid any possibility of being disqualified on race day. (1 Corinthians 9:24-27)

GOD’S PATTERN FOR LIFE IS LIKE….

 the NASCAR drivers who focus all their energy on finishing the race. Once the green flag has been waved they forget the qualifying runs. They know the prize goes to the winner and each one is determined to take the checkered flag. As the laps mount, up they try harder and harder to finish the race well because they know Victory Lane is reserved for one who finishes the race first -- no matter how many laps were led by someone else. (Philippians 3:13-14)

GOD’S PATTERN FOR LIFE IS LIKE….

 the NASCAR drivers who keep a sharp eye out for other drivers who might cut them off and send their cars into the wall. (Galatians 5:7)

GOD’S PATTERN FOR LIFE IS LIKE….

 the NASCAR drivers who work with their pit crews and other teammates to lighten and tune their cars so that they can have nothing holding them back on race day. (Hebrews 12:1-3)

Application:

 We need to choose the Necessary Actions for Superb Christ-like Attitudes & Relationships because living according to God’s pattern for life doesn’t happen by accident. It is something we do intentionally.

Next Steps:

1. Read Jesus’ teachings about God’s pattern for life in MARK.

2. THINK about God’s pattern for life.

3. Look for lessons and reminders of God’s pattern for life in your everyday LIFE.

4. COMMIT to considering the parable of NASCAR with us every Sunday for the next five weeks.

Responding to God:

By the way, perhaps you already know an area of your life where you’ve been driving the wrong direction. Maybe God’s Holy Spirit has put his finger on that area this morning and is warning you of the possibility of being disqualified.

As you look at your life can you say, "I have finished the race … there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me…."?

If the Spirit is speaking to you about conforming to God’s pattern, why not deal with that issue now?