Sermon Illustration: Getting My Oil Changed

Confession: I HATE getting my oil changed. In fact, hatred isn’t a strong enough word for it. Not only is it a hassle every 3-4 months, but it is one of those things that I am forced to trust a group of greasy guys whom I have never met.

I have a hard time believing they have my best interest at heart.

I know nothing about cars. I can put gas in the tank when the gauge reads “E.” I can check the oil. I can put air in the tires. I can change a tire if I have to. But that’s it. Seriously. That’s it.

So, when I am sitting in the waiting room while the oil in my car is being changed and someone comes to tell me I need a new air filter, I have to take a big risk. I take their word for it and spend more money, or I decline and hope they were just wanting my money.

When you factor in the reality that my car is 17 years old and is pushing 207,000 miles – that only adds to the merriment.

Every time I get my oil changed, I have to put my trust in a group of rough looking, greasy, dirty, and smelly men whom I have never met. I have to decide if they have my best interest at heart or the commission they will get for convincing me of how many things are wrong with my car. To be honest, I have a hard time trusting.

Confession: I fear I treat Jesus in a very similar fashion. I fear that I doubt He has my best interest at heart. I am afraid that I am guilty of not following through with something He leads me to do because I don’t trust that He knows what He is doing. That’s painful to see in writing. But I fear it’s true.

I would enjoy getting my oil changed if I genuinely believed the men in the garage were looking out for my best interest. I wonder how my joy would change if I lived out that belief in Jesus?

What about you: Are you able to live and rest in the reality that Jesus has your best interest at heart?

(This illustration was used to close a sermon from John 4:43-54 on Sunday, July 1st, 2018.)