When I was a teenager the Explorer Scouts of the Sam Houston Area Council joined forces with the Sports Car Club of America to put on a youth road rally. Please understand this was not a race, it was quite the contrary. One of their primary goals every year was to encourage safe driving. The objective in these road rallies was to finish the closest to the correct time it would take to drive the course, following a very specific set of instructions. Generally the course was somewhere between one hundred fifty and two hundred miles long. There were checkpoints all along the way and each team received penalty points for the number of seconds that they were too fast or too slow arriving at the checkpoint. It was always a lot of fun.
Each car or team consisted of two people. One was the driver and one was the navigator. The drivers in these events had to be licensed drivers that were registered Explorer Scouts. The navigator only had to be a member of an Explorer Post.
When the rally starts the navigator reads the instructions aloud to the driver. The driver follows them. For example if we were in a road rally and going to Lakeview instructions might say something like "N. on U.S. 287." "At Elkhart city limit change average speed to 38." "Left at traffic light." "At Elkhart city limit change average speed to 62." "Right at Lakeview." Most of the time the instructions are more complicated that that. They often use this cryptic code the navigator has to decipher. The navigator is responsible for giving good directions. Both watch for clues and landmarks along the way. The driver is responsible for operating the car safely and following instructions. Together they make up a team.
When we watch an auto race on television from Indy or NASCAR, generally we only hear the name of the driver. Occasionally we may hear the name of the crew chief or some other crew member, but mostly it is the driver. In road rally, rare is the time you hear one name mentioned without the other.
I have been thinking about those days some this week. They, in turn, helped bring to my mind an old bumper sticker. I love bumper sticker theology. It may not always be the most sound theological statements, but they generally at least have the ability to make you think. The one in particular that I am thinking about said, "God is my Co-pilot." Do you remember the sticker? It took a great deal of heat. Perhaps that heat is what made a new saying come out. It has been seen more on church signs. Church sign theology is also kind of fun. This one says, "If God is your Co-Pilot, change seats."
As I think about them, I really think I like the original better. I understand what folks are thinking about when they say that God in the Co-Pilot?s seat isn?t actually the best thing. God should be in charge. That is true, but it is also true that God never demands that we give up the day to day operation and running of our life. God gives us the instructions and then expects us to turn the plane, as it were.
That is why, I think I like the analogy of the driver and navigator better to show my relationship with God. God, through His grace and love allows me to sit in the driver?s seat. To a degree, you could say that I am in charge. God is my navigator. God tells me when and where to turn, how fast to go, and what I should watch out for. As for my part, God expects me to remain alert, to watch, to listen, and to follow instructions, His instructions. The choice, however, is always mine. I have the control and the power to say yes or no to God?s instructions.
God doesn?t drive, but God sure tells me how to drive. The question must remain, will I follow those instructions. Instead of saying, "God is my Co-Pilot," we could say, "God is my air traffic controller." God doesn?t play second fiddle to us at any point in time. God is in charge of the entire world and everything around us. God just gives us the ability to make decisions for ourselves.
The pilot or an airplane also must follow directions. Someone sitting in a control tower or other control center watches the radar screen. They are able to see the big picture. They no where all the other planes and other hazards to aircraft are and give the pilot instructions so that he or she can steer around them. Does the pilot have to listen and follow the directions of the air traffic controller? Well, it is a good idea. And, if they want to continue flying the pilot might really want to consider it. But, the pilot does have control of the airplane. The pilot can decide to go against those instructions. When that happens, the pilot usually will have to pay the consequences. So do we.
Our lesson this morning is the story of Jesus? temptations in the wilderness. Following His baptism, Jesus went into the wilderness, spending forty days in fasting and prayer. When the forty days ended he has an encounter with Satan, who tempts Jesus three times. In the first, Satan tells Jesus to turn stones to bread. There is nothing wrong with wanting to take care of our hunger. But, what Satan was asking Jesus to do was to use divine power to care for his hunger. He was to use His own power instead of focusing on his dependence on the Father.
In the second temptation Satan asks Jesus to worship him. Here Jesus was to turn His back on the Father to worship Satan. I know that if I were to poll you, everyone would say that they worship God and not Satan, but do we? What Satan was trying to do first and foremost with each of the temptations is to put up serious barriers between Jesus and God. He wanted to separate the two of them. That is just exactly what he wants to do with us too. Whenever we allow anything to get between us and our service and worship of almighty God we are serving other gods. When we serve other gods we serve Satan who creates things that are false to lure us away from our relationship with the one true God. And, all too often we serve the god of money, sports, television, power, sex, drugs, music, the list could go on and on. Jesus reminds us of the importance of this when He quotes Scripture to Satan saying, "Worship the Lord your God, and serve only Him."
The third temptation was for Jesus to throw himself from the highest point of the temple, because God would rescue him. Satan wanted Jesus to test God. In essence it meant, "OK God, prove you are God." Oh, how often the world wants God to prove His existence and power. We can hear the world saying, "if there is a God, this would happen or that would happen." What people outside of the faith fail to realize is that knowing and experiencing God?s power and love is not a matter of empirical proof. Knowing God in our lives is a matter of faith and faith cannot be proven by any earthly test. God is God and God has power. We can accept that or reject it, the choice is ours.
What is at the root of each of these temptations is the issue of control. Some might say it is a question of who is in the driver?s seat. I see Jesus in the driver?s seat. For me the question really is who is to navigate who is in control? Satan wants that control and the question behind the temptations is, will Jesus give it to Him? Of course, we know from the story that the answer is no.
We too, however, face the same question. Who is going to navigate our lives? I don?t think that God is asking us to give up the driver?s seat. For that matter I don?t think Satan asks that either. That is because the real control isn?t in the driver?s seat. The real control is in the one that gives the directions.
Jesus knew that. Each time Satan comes to Jesus with a temptation, Jesus responds by quoting Scripture. Jesus knew that the navigator gives instruction through Scripture. Later we read that the navigator gives instruction through prayer and worship and service.
The same is true for us. When we let God be our navigator, we are still in the driver?s seat, the only difference is whose instructions we are following. We find those instructions in Scripture, prayer, worship, meditation, those that God places around us, service, nature, and so many other places. We find it this morning at the Lord?s Table. We find it this Lenten season in our devotion, self-denial, sacrifice, and repentance. And, when we listen to the instructions of the navigator, the controller, we can safely steer our lives around whatever may come. When we place our trust in God as our navigator, we can successfully fight off any temptation that Satan might place in our path.
Some time ago I received an email that someone with a rather vivid imagination put together that I wanted to share with you this morning in closing.
At first I saw God as my observer, my judge, keeping track of the things I did wrong, so as to know whether I merited heaven or hell when I die. He was out there sort of like a president. I recognized his picture when I saw it, but I really didn?t know Him.
But later on, when I met Christ, It seemed as though life were rather like a bike ride, but it was a tandem bike, and I noticed that Christ was in the back helping me pedal.
I don?t know when it was that he suggested that we change places, but life has not been the same since. When I had control, I knew the way. It was rather boring, but predictable. . . It was the shortest distance between two points.
But when he took the lead, He knew delightful long cuts, up mountains, and through rocky places at breakneck speeds, It was all I could do to hang on! Even though it looked like madness, He said, ?Pedal?
I worried and was anxious and asked, ?Where are you taking me?? He laughed and didn?t answer, and I started to learn to trust. I forgot my boring life and entered into the adventure. And when I?d say ?I?m scared, ?He?d lean back and touch my hand.
He took me to people with gifts that I needed, gifts of healing, acceptance and joy. They gave me gifts to take on my journey, my Lord?s and mine. And we were off again. He said, ?Give the gifts away; they?re extra baggage, too much weight.?
So I did, to the people we met, and I found that in giving I received, and still our burden was light. I did not trust Him, at first, In control of my life. I thought He?d wreck it; but he knows bike secrets, knows how to make it bend to take sharp corners, knows how to jump to clear high rocks, knows how to fly to shorten scary passages. And I am learning to shut up and pedal in the strangest places, and I?m beginning to enjoy the view and the cool breeze on my face with my delightful constant companion Jesus Christ. And when I?m sure I just can?t do anymore, He just smiles and says . . . ?Pedal.?
It is an interesting illustration. In theory and in the point it is trying to make, I don?t disagree. As a matter of practical theology, however, I just don?t see that God is asking for the front seat on the bike. Yes, we must pedal. And, yes, we should go where God leads us. But God is the navigator giving the instructions. God still leaves the control and the decisions about following the instructions with us.
But I do know this. If we will follow those instructions, if we will listen to God, God will help us steer our lives around some of the rough spots, around the temptations. If we choose to ignore those instructions, we ignore God, we help Satan to build up a barrier between us and our loving Father and, Satan?s battle is already won.
