What Gear Are You In? - Pastor Stacey Shiflett
- Pastor Shiflett
- May 8
- 7 min read
What Gear Are You In?
Psalms 119:60 I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments.
(Chapel message)
Intro: Most of you have never driven. The few of you that have more than likely have not driven a stick shift.
ILLUSTRATION 1: My first car was a stick shift. A 1982 Chevrolet Chevet.
I bought it for $600, and the next day, I started a newspaper route for the Atlanta Journal and Constitution.
I had to learn how to drive a stick real quickly!
ILLUSTRATION 2: When we landed in South Africa in March of 2001, we arrived at the airport in Johannesburg. We rented a Volkswagen van.
Guess what? They drive on the wrong side of the road, which means the steering wheel is on the right side of the vehicle. Which means you have to use your left hand to operate the gear shift!
ILLUSTRATION 3: We bought a Toyota Venture.
Mrs. Grace didn’t learn to drive a stick shift until we were in South Africa. She would go out early in the morning and she taught herself to drive on the roads around our house.
There are a few important facts to remember when you’re driving a stick shift.
You have to start out in FIRST gear. But you can’t stay in first gear very long.
You have to shift over to second gear pretty fast.
We call FIRST GEAR “Granny gear.” That is because it is so slow.
If you are stuck in traffic, you put it in first and just leave it as you inch along.
The faster you want to go, the higher of a gear you have to find.
· Ecclesiastes 12:1 Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;
So many people wait until they are OLD and FEEBLE to start making wise decisions.
I cannot stress the importance of getting it together NOW!!
WHAT GEAR ARE YOU IN?
What Gear Are You In when it comes to…
I. Helping People
Abraham - Genesis 18
· 1 And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;
· 2 And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,
· 3 And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:
· 4 Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:
· 5 And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said.
· 6 And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth.
· 7 And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it.
· 8 And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.
Abraham was 90 years old! But he was not in “granny gear.”
What gear are you in when it comes to helping people?
Rebekah - Genesis 24
· 16 And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her: and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up.
· 17 And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher.
· 18 And she said, Drink, my lord: and she hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink.
· 19 And when she had done giving him drink, she said, I will draw water for thy camels also, until they have done drinking.
· 20 And she hasted, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels.
The Bible says she drew water for ALL HIS CAMELS!! He had 10 of them. (see verse 10)
A camel can drink up to 40 gallons of water in one go after a long period without drinking.
She drew close to 400 gallons of water from that well. And she did it quickly!!
· 21 And the man wondering at her held his peace, to wit whether the LORD had made his journey prosperous or not.
He WONDERING AT HER!!! Imagine that scene!
Drawing water, run over to the trough, pour it out, run back to the well.
Eleazer knew that she was the right wife for Isaac because she was such a hard worker!
What Gear Are You In when it comes to…
II. Listening to Warnings
Lot – Genesis 19
· 15 And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city.
· 16 And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the LORD being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city.
What Gear Are You In when it comes to…
III. Ministry Opportunities
Elisha – 1 Kings 19
· 19 So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him.
· 20 And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee?
What Gear Are You In when it comes to…
IV. Following Orders
David - 1 Samuel 17
17 And Jesse said unto David his son, Take now for thy brethren an ephah of this parched corn, and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to thy brethren;
22 And David left his carriage in the hand of the keeper of the carriage, and ran into the army, and came and saluted his brethren.
What Gear Are You In when it comes to…
V. Facing Your Giants
· 48 And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.
· 51 Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith.
What Gear Are You In when it comes to…
VI. Intervening for Others
Abigail – 1 Samuel 25
· 17 Now therefore know and consider what thou wilt do; for evil is determined against our master, and against all his household: for he is such a son of Belial, that a man cannot speak to him.
· 18 Then Abigail made haste, and took two hundred loaves, and two bottles of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of parched corn, and an hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on asses.
· 19 And she said unto her servants, Go on before me; behold, I come after you.
· 23 And when Abigail saw David, she hasted, and lighted off the ass, and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground,
David was about to kill Nabal. But Abigail intervened and saved his life.
She didn’t waste any time. Someone she loved was in trouble, and she moved quickly!!
WHAT GEAR ARE YOU IN when someone you care about is about to get in trouble.
Do you say anything? Do you do anything? Do you just sit there and watch it play out?
What Gear Are You In when it comes to…
VII. Being with Jesus
The Shepherds – Luke 2
· 15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
· 16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
Zacchaeus – Luke 19
· 5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.
· 6 And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.
What Gear Are You In when it comes to…
VIII. Forgiving Others
The Prodigal’s Father – Luke 15
· 20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
He could have held a grudge.
He could have locked him out of the house.
He could have sent him away to live with his choices.
But he didn’t! He saw his son a long way off and ran to forgive him!
How quickly do you forgive?
What gear are you in when it comes to restoring someone?
When someone apologizes, are you in granny gear or are you quick to forgive?
What Gear Are You In when it comes to…
IX. Sharing the Gospel
Stephen – Acts 8
· 29 Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.
· 30 And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?
What gear are you in to help those that are searching for the truth?
What gear are you in when the Spirit nudges you to go talk to someone?
Or to give them a tract?
Do you drag your feet or do you obey and respond quickly?
Conclusion: Our text is a powerful statement coming from King David.
Psalms 119:60 I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments.
Can you say that? WHAT GEAR ARE YOU IN?
