God Is Your Pace Car

GOD IS YOUR PACE CAR

2 JOHN 1:1-13

#pacecar

INTRODUCTION (p)

[engine racing sound effect]

It was race day. What does that mean? That means the exhilaration of speed and skill and competition. You get to the track early. The early bird gets the worm as they say. As soon as you get to the track, you check in with the Clerk of the Course and everything is in order. After that, it was to the Driver and Crew Chief meeting where everything was in order as well. You reviewed the free practice from the day before and made all the adjustments to the car and strategies for the day. Everyone was pleased that it rained overnight and you were facing a green track. You give a high five to the Steward when you pass him; it can’t hurt if he likes you a little. You look over your car with the highly skilled mechanics. A few hoses were adjusted in the setup process. The car is ready for the race. You are ready for the race. The crew is ready for the race.

People start filling into the seats and the cheers and excitement grows steadily. You put on your nomex suit. It is bright red with all of your sponsors. You always feel a rush of adrenaline and anticipation when you put on that suit. Then the gloves. Then the open-face helmet with goggles. Every time you put on your helmet you cannot help but say in a low voice… “I feel the need… the need for speed.”

READ 2 John 1:1-13

The elder, To the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in the truth-- and not I only, but also all who know the truth-- 2 because of the truth, which lives in us and will be with us forever: 3 Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father's Son, will be with us in truth and love. 4 It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us. 5 And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. 6 And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love. 7 Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist. 8 Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. 9 Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him. 11 Anyone who welcomes him shares in his wicked work. 12 I have much to write to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete. 13 The children of your chosen sister send their greetings.

START OF THE RACE (p)

You get in your car and enter the field. You look around the field and you see people you have competed against before and some new competitors. Everyone looks ready. The formation lap starts and the pace car is in the lead. Your hands grip the steering wheel and you feel excitement in your bones. All the cars are ready to race, but you know that you must keep behind the pace car. The pace car leaves the track and the race begins. Every driver presses the gas pedal and cars roar to life to reach their potential. Turns. Passing. Rubber meeting the road in a fast-paced dash to the finish.

PACE CAR INFORMATION (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safety_car)

In motorsport, a safety car or pace car is a car which limits the speed of competing cars on a racetrack for two specific reasons: in the case of an obstruction on the track or bad weather. The aim of the safety car is to enable the clearance of any obstruction under safer conditions or await more favorable track conditions weather-wise.

During a caution period the safety car enters the track ahead of the leader. Depending on the regulations in effect, competitors are not normally allowed to pass the safety car or other competitors during a caution period, and the safety car leads the field at a pre-determined safe speed. At the end of the caution period, the safety car leaves the track and the competitors resume normal racing. The first reliance on this safety measure occurred with the deployment of a pace car during the inaugural Indianapolis 500 in 1911.