Joseph Fehlen – Rules of Engagement – April 19th, 2009

From the five part series “The Sinai Code”

Why did God give us rules, and why in particular the Ten Commandments? Looking at Exodus 20, it becomes clear that the Ten Commandments were not given as conditions of a relationship with God but rather as confirmation of a relationship He had already established with the nation of Israel. We, too, can establish a relationship with God, not by following rules, but by trusting in Him, as the first commandment (Ex 20:3) encourages us to do.

Personal Questions
Read the beginning of the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20:1-2. Why was it important for God to remind the Israelites of His relationship with them before He gave them rules?

God’s first command to the nation of Israel as He prepared to lead them out of slavery in Egypt is found in Exodus 12:1-14. What was God teaching the Israelites about Himself through these instructions?

The last time Jesus celebrated the Passover is recorded in Matthew 26:17-30. What was Jesus teaching us about a relationship with Him?

Read the first commandment in Exodus 20:3. Trust is the foundation of a relationship. Why is it hard to trust God alone?

When did you come to realize that all you needed to do was trust God in order to have a relationship with Him?

After trusting in God for salvation, have you ever slipped back into focusing on following rules rather that pursuing an intimate relationship with Him? How do you keep from falling back into that mindset?

Personal Response
Write out the story of your exodus, when you exited “life apart from God” and entered into a relationship with Him.

Set aside time for a meal with friends or family in the next week or two in order to look back and celebrate what God has done in your life. Share your personal exodus stories with each other.

Has there been a time in your life when you felt that in order to gain God’s acceptance, you needed to follow a set of rules? How did this affect the way you related to God

For better or worse… to have and to hold, from this day forward… Wedding vows are more than a declaration of love-they hold the keys for a strong lasting marriage. Whether you hope to get married someday, or you’ve already tied the knot, discover what these words can mean for the future of your relationship.
Plan on taking four Wednesday nights the end of April and into May as we look at this great series.

This last Sunday I was with another pastor and I was trying to convince him that he needed to trade in his car for a motorcycle. His wife laughed at me when I made that statement and she said “where would he put all of his stuff?” “Exactly!”, was my response. I tried to convince him that this was one of the reasons why he needed a cycle. You see with motorcycle, as much as you try, you can not take a lot of extras with you.

While I am on the bike I try to focus on simplicity. Take only what is necessary. Don’t burden yourself with stuff that does not matter. If you take a five day journey, you can not take five days worth of clothes and supplies. You can not take your favorite pillows, blankets and hair products. Does this mean you have to wear dirty cloths?

No! That just means you might have to let others help and you need to understand you can only handle so much. You might need to wash your cloths at a friends house or God forbid wear the same thing twice in one week. Sharing might have to be in your vocabulary. I have needed to borrow and share a Bible, pillow, blanket, towels, and even a pen. I didn’t take with my computer mouse, extra books I won’t read or a comb.

So I go light…less burden…less clutter…less stuff.

This makes me think about how much other stuff I carry that I don’t need just because I think I have the space in my vehicle. Things like the burdens or concerns of others or an overscheduled life. We keep saying yes I can handle more. We pack more into our schedule, we take on other people’s drama, we add more to our to do lists, and we just keep throwing more in the trunk.

But soon like everyone we get overwhelmed and burdened by all the stuff that is in our vehicle of life. Then all of sudden you have a lot of stuff in your back seat. Why? Because you thought you had the space, but all you have now is a mess. But not on a motorcycle. You can only carry so much. You deal with one thing at a time, then move on to the next. Big things you have to leave up to someone else to carry…God.

You see at the end of the day you can only do what you can do. You can only physically, spiritually, and emotionally carry so much in your life if you live it on a motorcycle. Jesus put it this way for His followers in Mark 6:7-13, “when you are on your journey take nothing with you. Don’t burden yourself and trust that others will take care of you. ”

I think this is a good lesson from the Vulcan.

One thing that is true of all riders is that you wave at other bikers as you pass by. The approved jester is the left hand peace sign stretched out below your handlebars. If you are caught off guard you can do the peace sign while your hand is still on the grip. In a pinch or if you deem it unsafe to lift your hand may give the head nod.

The first thing I learned on my bike was that I was part of a community and didn’t even realize it. Granted there are some owners that think they have a superior bike and would not think about waving at someone on a “rice burner”. But for the most part it doesn’t matter what you ride you are in.

And it is more than just waves. If you stop in a parking lot and see another biker…you talk. If you need something for your bike and someone else has an extra…it’s yours. Need help changing the oil or doing a tune up…no problem come on over. Find a cool helmet sticker…get two. Free advice and encouragement always abounds.

While on the bike I always think “why can’t we be like this with other people in our lives?” Why don’t we buy two of something so we can share with those we go to church with? Why don’t I invite those in my neighborhood over to fix something? Why don’t all Americans wave at each other? Why does it take a bike to be in community?

Just the other day I was driving in our neighborhood around the church and was approaching a police officer on his motorcycle. My immediate thought was “I wonder if they wave?” So I waited to wave to see what he would do. And sure enough the police officer waved at me.

Being a biker even trump cards being a police officer. I waved back and said out loud to myself (because no one can hear you inside your helmet…see previous post)… I love motorcycling!

There is nothing like being on a bike. Before I was a biker my friends Micah, Todd or Rodney would try to explain to me the feeling of riding. My Uncle Steve would go into another voice when speaking about his Harley. I of course would glaze my eyes over or worse yet mock them for their “obsession”.

Then that night happened. A summer evening at the McNeals and I was hooked. All it took was ten minutes on dirt bike in their back yard, with a helmet that didn’t get over the top of my head. I did not own a bike but from then forward I told people “I was a biker”.

If you ask bikers why they like riding you will hear varied words…exhilarating, freedom, speed, or power. My word I like to use is… silence.

This became evident the other Sunday when we had three bikes lined up at church. Two Harley’s and my Vulcan. We started them up afterwards and I was sitting on my bike and could not hear it over the noise of the Harley. I had to check to see if mine was even on.

Then it hit me…I have enjoyed the silence the most about riding a bike. You see on a motorcycle you have no phone calls, no email, no texting (I have tried once at a stop sign), no tv, no conversations and no radio.

You see when I put my helmet on the only thing I hear is the noise in between my ears. When I eliminate all the other noise I can focus on the sounds that need the most attention. My thoughts which can be deafening seemed to have been always been pushed to the backburner.

Now when I am on my motorcycle they get a bit more attention which has allowed me to give greater attention to all the other areas of my life when I am off my bike. We are in a great lack of silence these days and I think it is hurting not only ourselves but our relationships.

What do you do to eliminate the noise? Garden, read, take a bath, run…