Today, I want to talk to you about something we all do – even if we don’t realize it – and that’s the phenomenon of “rubbernecking.”
Today’s message is titled “You Follow Me” and I believe – my prayer is that after today’s message, we will stop rubbernecking and focus on what God is calling on us to do.

There is an actual definition of this word, “rubbernecking” and I looked it up.

According to Merriam-Webster, rubbernecking as a verb means “to look about or stare with exaggerated curiosity, for example, ‘drivers passing the accident slowed down to rubberneck.’”

We all have our rubbernecking stories, right? But, a few years ago, I was driving home from work and there was traffic – I mean real traffic and one thing you have to know about me is that I hate traffic.

I absolutely hate traffic!

(and I was driving mid-morning to beat the traffic!)

Obviously, that plan didn’t work and I found myself complaining and wondering if “they” were doing roadwork of some sort?

I prayed there was no accident – with no injuries – but I was looking for something to justify why it took forty-five minutes to get from A to B.

In this case, there was an accident – with no injuries, praise the Lord, but that’s what held me up for forty-five minutes.

Though I was feeling a “bit salty,” the funniest thing was that the accident was on the other side of the road!

You know the Holy Spirit spoke to me this week to ask if I knew I was rubbernecking and causing a traffic jam in the things I want to do – and through – the Lord.

I was thinking, ouch that hurt, which is the reason I’m doing this message. It hits home for me, not only in my driving, but sometimes in non-driving life. I wander around rubbernecking as I wonder about everyone else around me, and this causes me to be less concerned about the things that God has called for me to do.

And in those times, I am way more concerned about everything else and less concerned about God and the things he’s trying to do in my life.

And when that happens, it can affect my ministry, it can affect my leaders, and it can affect my thinking, my life, my attitude and my heart.

All because I rubberneck.

I know you can relate. You can relate because you rubberneck, too. Really.

For example, sometimes we say to ourselves, and to those around us, “What about him? What about her? What about them?”

As Christians, we are not exempt, and we may even rubberneck the “holy way.”

What about that church? … praise the Lord!

What about that pastor? … give the glory to God!

What about that ministry? … Hallelujah!

Anybody relate?

Even as Christians, we are sometimes way more concerned with everyone else’s business, but when we are rubbernecking, two things happen in our lives:

·     We get DISTRACTED!

In other words, we lose focus. And then …

    *  We get LOST!

When I’m riding in the car with my wife, I’m always pointing out the errors of those around me.

One famous family episode has me at a red light and, as I see a guy running the red on the other side, I mutter about the fact that there is never a cop around when you need them.

As I’m waiting, I see other cars around me move and I turn left – even though I’m now myself turning against a red light, which is joined by a blue light as the cop behind stops me.

(I tell the wife so that’s where the cops are… behind me.)

I end up with a warning, but it was my entire fault, as I was so distracted.

So, what does God have to say about this issue of rubbernecking?

For me, I think that God must have known that we would struggle with this issue of rubbernecking, because Jesus himself addresses this in the Gospel of John.

I realize that you and I are not the first people to have to deal with this issue.

The people in Jesus’ day did the same too –but didn’t have to worry about getting a ticket.

In the story, as told in John, Chapter 21, even apostle Peter struggles in this area, too.

Let’s walk through this passage and see if we can learn something.

In this story, Peter is told by Jesus that Jesus is going to die soon and that everyone will fall away.

Peter says that everyone else can fall away, but not him.

Then we all know what happens next.

Jesus is betrayed by Judas, he is falsely arrested, later crucified and dies on the cross.

But the good news is that three days later, he rises again and soon He begins to appear to the disciples one by one – only to find out that Peter has returned to his old work of fishing.

And on one such trip, the fishermen caught nothing all night, until Jesus tells them to cast the net in a different area.

Jesus then tells Peter what will happen to him later.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress

yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will

stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where

you do not want to go.” (John 21:18 ESV)

Let me explain that passage a little bit. When Jesus uses “truly, truly…” it’s reserved for His more important sayings. He’s telling Peter that when he was younger, he was free to wear and go wherever he wanted.

But when he is older, maybe someone will be dressing him and maybe this attire is, for example, prison clothes and he will be in handcuffs and being led from place to place.

“This He said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God. And

after saying this He said to him, ‘Follow Me.’” (John 21:19 ESV)

Follow Me is very important for us to understand.

In other words, Jesus was saying, “Here is your future; your future will be following me to the cross – and your death will glorify me.”

And, according to some historians, Peter did die on the cross, but he requested to be hung upside down because he didn’t feel worthy enough.

Here’s where the story gets very interesting for me, personally. Peter comes face to face with the risen Lord, which to me is a miracle.

To stand before the living Jesus after He died, that is a miracle.

Peter is having a conversation with Jesus about his future, his death and what God called Jesus to do. If I was in Peter’s shoes, I must say I have lots of questions I would like to ask– but here is the one he asked:

“Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the

one who had been reclining at table close to Him and had said, ‘Lord, who

is it that is going to betray You?’” (John 21:20 ESV)

And then Peter looks at the disciple John.

“When Peter saw Him, he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, what about this man?’”(John 21:21 ESV)

Isn’t that interesting? With all the questions he could have asked, Peter chooses to ask about John and his future. Peter wants to know would John even have a future and would he die on the cross and glorify Jesus as well?

Looking at this, you can see that we are not the first people to struggle with rubbernecking. By focusing on the other disciple, Peter is struggling with rubbernecking issues. So Jesus said to him, ‘If it is My will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!’” (John 21:22 ESV)

In other words, Jesus is telling Peter not to worry about John – to not get distracted by what He is calling John to do. That’s John’s assignment from Jesus to John – that’s not for Peter to worry about. Peter is to follow Jesus. He is to focus on Jesus.

You see, Jesus knew Peter’s commitment and attention needed to be to God, and what God was calling him to do. Peter’s focus wasn’t suppose to be on John’s assignment and so Jesus could not let Peter continue in the ministry thinking like that, because he knew that Peter had too much at stake.

Here is the main point that Jesus is telling us today:

POINT: FOCUS ON WHAT GOD IS CALLING YOU TO DO.

Why? Because God knows that when we are rubbernecking, we cannot follow very well. You try look one way and walk another – you’re going to bang into a wall.

God also knows we cannot laser focus on the things he is calling on us to do – while we are rubbernecking. You should all ask, “What is GOD CALLING you to do?”

See, the problem is that more often than not, we focus in on all the things going on around us, but Jesus gives a solution to those of us who are rubbernecking.

He tells us to do the opposite and follow Him – that is what He is calling us to do.

Why?

Because Jesus knows that we have too much at stake to be more concerned about what everyone else is doing and less concerned about what He is calling us to do.

When you have a laser focus you can follow what God is trying to do in your home, at work and with friends at play.

Try this in your life. Before the next time you attempt to rubberneck in regards to your spouse, pray to God and ask Him what He is calling you – not your spouse - to be in your marriage?

In this example, God is calling on husbands to be great husbands and for wives to be great wives.

In your workplace, instead of rubbernecking, ask, “God, what are You calling me to do? What kind of employee are You calling me to be? What kind of boss or leader?”

Follow and focus in on this and watch what God does to change your attitude at work.

In your ministries, instead of rumbling, grumbling and rubbernecking, ask God what He is calling for you to change in your ministry?

And then follow and focus in on what God does to change the way you view your ministry.

And this applies to all things in life, not just the examples listed above.

In conclusion, God is saying, “Let there be no rubbernecking, but laser focus on ‘You follow Me.’”

Can you imagine when you and I stop rubbernecking and we know what God is calling on us to do – you can follow God with all your heart and laser focus on what He is calling you to do, because God knows we need to be way more concerned about what He is calling on us to do for Him, for his Kingdom and for His people.

Questions:

·     Spend some time with the Lord. What God is calling you to do?

·     What can you do to lessen rubbernecking in your life?

·     How can you share the “You Follow Me” message with friends, neighbors and family?