Duct Tape Dads
Father’s Day
June 20, 2021
As I was preparing for today’s message, I was torn on 2 different topics to talk about. While I think both are good, I found the information for what I’m going to talk about to be a little more intriguing and thought you would too.
As I was doing some research, I found the government center for homeland security has tons of information for us when there is virtually any type of disaster. In fact, one document was 29 pages. Admittedly, I only scanned the document. But it looked interesting. And as I looked at it, what struck me was one of the items they recommend us having in times of a natural disaster.
There are lots of really good ideas of items to have in times of a disaster, including a hand cranked or battery powered radio. Hand cranked? But one of the items that caught my attention was something that no home should be without, it came in one of the final paragraphs, saying this . . .
Our advice is to start now by gathering basic emergency supplies — flashlight, a battery-powered radio, extra batteries, a first-aid kit, prescription medicines, toilet articles, and duct tape.
DUCT TAPE!!!
That’s right . . . the government believes it is important to have duct tape. Well, this got me thinking and reading about duct tape. So, this Father’s Day, I’m going to talk about the fact that every man should be a DUCT TAPE MAN.
Of course, we know there are 1000's of uses for duct tape.
You can make sure your kids can’t get out of time outs.
You can make sure your injured thumb is well wrapped.
You can make sure your daughter’s dress is safe and disaster proof.
It’s even safe for kids. Look at this real headline from WEBMD. It helps get rid of warts.
Besides the crazy number of uses for duct tape. There are specifics I want to talk about this morning as we think about being DUCT TAPE MEN.
And there it is. DUCT TAPE — man’s best friend! It even makes mechanically challenged people like me, feel useful. What man doesn’t love the thrilling sound of ripping duct tape off the roll?
The government knew they had to get men to buy in to emergency preparation and they used the irresistible force — duct tape.
We keep hearing and I really believe there is a serious crisis in our families. Whether you’re a Christian or not, we’re at war to preserve the family. Statistics
are staggering regarding divorce, abuse, drugs, promiscuity and absentee fathers.
We hear about it, we lament these statistics, but they stay in the background. I truly believe as the man goes, so goes the family. When a dad or husband says, ‘let’s go to church,’ you know what, the family goes to church. When he sits at home enjoying the paper and doing yard work, the family tends to stay home. That’s a generalization, but it’s more true than not.
We don’t think those statistics will hit us, but they do. On a good day we thank God we’re not in crisis, on most days the thought never crosses our minds. So, men, what do we need to do to help keep our families out of crisis and what can we do to hold things together? Even if you’re on your own, how can you show others what a man of God looks like?
The Duct Tape Guys are a couple of men with very little to do, they have written like 10 books about duct tape. This is their motto: "If duct tape isn't the answer, then you must be asking the wrong question!" In the spirit of the Duct Tape Guys, we have to conclude that our families are going to be held together by Duct Tape Dads.
Here’s the first key to being a great duct tape man -
You must be available. That’s it. You see, this isn’t really hard stuff. Have you ever needed some duct tape or let’s say electrical tape, and you can’t find any? Is that not frustrating? You see, we need to be available.
Being present is a start. But it goes beyond that. Have you ever seen a person trying to use tape who doesn’t know what they’re doing? It doesn’t look good and may not do the job. You know where to apply the tape and when. If you never pick up the duct tape but have it on your shelf, then it’s useless.
If we’re going to be part of the solution, then we have to be available to our families, but more importantly than being available to our families, we have to be available to the Master Craftsman . . . and that’s God.
Whether you like the responsibility or not, the Master of this universe has set things up in the family in such a way that dads are tasked with holding things together, keeping the family operating effectively for the good of each other and the glory of God. We are only capable of doing our part when we place ourselves in the hand of the Master, as we allow God to guide us.
As Joshua was about to lead the people for the first time, as they were about to cross the Jordan River and enter into Israel, he must have been anxious and nervous. In Joshua 1, God told this to him and I believe it is true for all of us --
6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them.
7 Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you.
Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go.
8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night,
so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it.
For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord YOUR God is with you wherever you go. - Joshua 1:6-9
Amazing words from God!! Do you see what God is telling us? Three times in 4 verses God says be strong and courageous. That’s part of the calling!! Be strong! Be courageous! Don’t be afraid! Don’t be dejected or depressed, all because the Lord YOUR God will be with you wherever you go! So you can be filled with strength and courage because of that.
BUT . . . and this is what is really crucial here, it’s what God tells Joshua in verse 7-8. Do what the law commands you to do. Don’t turn from it to the right or to the left. Know the word of God, meditate on it during the day, meditate on it at night. In other words, have God’s words, His law, on your heart at all times.
Why? So that you do what He commands you to do. And as you do this, know and trust and believe that He is the one who gives you strength and courage during the difficult moments of life. He’s the one who empowers you to give that sound advice. He’s the one who helps you to be compassionate, to be a good listener, to be a faithful partner, parent, child and friend. God gives that to you when you’re available to Him.
If we’re not available to God and ultimately to your loved ones, then we will not have the power to do what God is calling us to do. You can’t be available to God when you want to — some nights and weekends. It requires daily communication with God. Duct tape is on 24-hour call, and you are too. If you aren’t available all the time you can’t truly call yourself available.
Besides being available, what makes duct tape do great to use is that it is effective. If it wasn’t effective, well, we wouldn’t use it. So, what makes it effective? I came up with a few things . . .
Duct tape is sticky, it’s durable and it’s flexible.
In his book, The Tipping Point: How Little things Can Make a Big Difference, Malcolm Gladwell talks about little things that can cause a movement, an idea, or a product to tip and explode. The three laws of The Tipping Point are: The Law of the Few, the Power of Context, and the Stickiness Factor.
According to Gladwell, stickiness means that a message makes an impact because the message sticks. So, when someone can communicate their message with a high stickiness factor, they win. For example, years ago, Wendy’s won with “Where’s the beef?” Nike generated stickiness with “Just Do it!”
For Duct Tape men - - stickiness is about carrying and delivering God’s message so that it sticks. But what I think is really important in the stickiness factor is that stickiness isn’t predicated on the message, but on how the message is modeled. The only way for it to stick is if you are living it. Listen to Paul’s words to the church in Corinth - -
15 For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. 16 I urge you, then, be imitators of me. 17 That is why I sent Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church. - 1 Corinthians 4:15-17
Paul’s point is that he has become a spiritual father to the new believers. That is so important for us to get. He spoke the words, but then he lived the words that he spoke. That’s why we say - ‘we should walk our talk.’ They need to match. You can’t say I am a Christ follower, but not act like one. That’s not sticky, that’s teflon. It slips and slides off.
So, Paul is urging the people to be sticky. Our messages must be sticky because of how we live our lives and demonstrate the love of Christ.
We can’t hold our families to some standard that we’re not willing to live up to ourselves. If we want our children to:
- love God and His church, then we have to demonstrate God’s love and serve in His church
- love and respect their mother, we have to love and respect their mother
- to guard their hearts, you have to guard your heart
- be generous and share, then we have to be generous and share
- to listen to us, we have to listen to them.
We can go on and on, but I think you get the point. It’s true at home, it’s true at school, it’s true at work, it’s true with friends. Remember, the way you live your life as a Christian - the way you live your life may be the only Bible someone will ever read. So what are they reading when they see you living your life? Is it sticky?
Paul added this in chapter 11 -
1 Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. - 1 Corinthians 11:1
He had a right to claim a lot of things, but what he wanted more than anything was to have the opportunity to preach Christ and he did that through his words and actions. That’s why in Colossians 3, Paul said - -
17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. - Colossians 3:17
Whatever you do, whether you speak it or do it . . . do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus. That’s about as clear as it can get so that you can leave that sticky message about who Jesus is. Stickiness comes from the message, but more than that, it comes from the authenticity of the messenger.
Next is durability. Durability is the ability to endure, to last. When something is durable, it is tough, sturdy, and stable. Duct Tape men prove their durability as they declare themselves dependable as providers, teachers, mentors, and models in good times and bad.
Think about the world we live in - Times are definitely changing at warp speed. Our families, our friends, all those we love and know need to know that we aren’t going to change who we are because the world says we need to change. If need to demonstrate stability in an ever changing and evolving world.
That doesn’t mean we don’t change and adapt, but we do it in a manner which is God honoring and glorifying.
In Psalm 15, the Psalmist asked - - -
1 O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill?
What a great question for us. Who shall dwell on God’s holy hill or holy land? Here’s the answer the psalmist gives us - - -
2 He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart;
3 who does not slander with his tongue and does no evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his friend;
4 in whose eyes a vile person is despised, but who honors those who fear the Lord; who swears to his own hurt and does not change;
5 who does not put out his money at interest and does not take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved. - Psalm 15
That’s the sign of a durable man. I love the end. He who does these things shall never be moved. He’s durable! He’s solid. He’s the rock. That’s the durability of a duct tape man.
It’s the sign of a righteous man, who lives with honor and honors the commitments in life, even the difficult ones.
Duct tape men are durable, tough, and steady. No matter the storm that arises, he’s going do his part to weather the storm. Duct tape dads don’t run for cover, they provide it. They are durable and cannot be defeated, no matter what is thrown their way.
This doesn’t mean you are a pushover and give in to every whim others have. It means you are strong and courageous in the Lord, trusting in God and not relying only on yourself for all the answers.
Lastly, a duct tape man must be flexible. One of the things that you have to love about duct tape is it’s flexibility. I mean it does more than tape ducts right. You saw those outfits. It can be harnessed into a belt, a suit, a dress, a bandage. There’s even duct tape wallets. Being flexible is part of its effectiveness.
The same thing is true with duct tape men. We must be willing to stretch, give, and adjust as the situation demands it for the good of others.
In Philippians 2, Paul tells us - - -
3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.
4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. - Philippians 2:3-4
For me that is a sign of being flexible. You see in our world we are told to worry more about ourselves, to look out for our own interests, not to worry much about others or we’ll get taken advantage of . . . yet, the sign of a flexible man is someone who looks out for himself and family, but also has his eyes open to care for others and has the guts and belief in practicing humility.
It’s seeing a need and being flexibly enough to not just stand there and think someone else will do it, but to get his hands dirty.
I believe that’s what Micah was talking about - -
6 “With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?
7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”
8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? - Micah 6:6-8
What does the Lord require of us? To be a man of justice, to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God. That causes us to be flexible, because that’s not always the thing to do. But in the end . . . I don’t have to answer to any man or woman . . . I have to answer to God.
I will stand before the throne of God.
But to get there, and get there with confidence, I need to be available to God and to others. Without being available, I will never be what I can be to the Master Craftsman, God.
Then I must be sticky, durable and flexible. Then I can honor God as He created me to do.
