The Story Chapter 5 - God The Kill-Joy

Rules, rules, rules....All I see are rules.  If that is all that we see, we are completely missing the point when it comes to God and the Bible.  The truth is that many people shy away from faith because of these "rules".  I think it is fairly common knowledge that we, by nature, hate those rotten things.  We like to do our own thing.  We like to do it our way.  "How dare anyone tell us how we should do anything?  It's my life and I will live it how I want to."

As parents, it frustrates us when our children don't follow our rules.  Certainly there is frustration because they are disobedient, but for me that frustration really comes because I wish they could see why I give them rules in the first place.  I certainly don't give them rules to abide by to make life miserable.  I give them rules for their own good.

All of that said, there are times in our lives that we espouse the ideology of "Do as I say, not as I do." We are grown-ups.  Things are different for us.  We know what life is all about and we know how to navigate anything life throws our way.  We don't really need anymore rules.  Sure we have the government that sets a few laws in our way, but we are capable of making our own choices.

While that may be true, some of our choices come with consequences because we "choose" not to follow some "rules" that another parent has given us.  Do you think that our Heavenly Father sometimes can look down upon his children with frustration in his eyes?  It is not a frustration that comes from the fact we choose to be disobedient.  He, as a parent, is no different than us.  I think His frustrations come from the fact that He wishes we would understand why He gave us "rules" in the first place.

As we continue on with "The Story" in chapter 5, we read one of the most famous stories of the Bible.  This story conjures up images of Charlton Heston standing on a mountain with 2 huge stone tablets that contain some "rules" for the people of Israel.  This weekend, we will take a look at the "Why" behind The Ten Commandments and we will discover that God is not some cosmic Kill-Joy, but a loving father that wants the best for his children.

The Story Chapter 4 - When You Are Walled In, Look For The Way Out

There’s a wall in front of you.  Behind you is a past you are running from.  Beyond the wall awaits the promise of a new life.  But you’re not moving because there is this “wall.”  You feel trapped.  No way out.  This is just the sort of situation in which God does some of his finest work.  

You need only ask the Israelites.  Behind them was a life of back-breaking work and slavery.  Ahead of them was a life in the land of Promise.  Behind them was the fierce army of a fanatical Pharaoh coming towards them.  Ahead of them was a wall.  Their obstruction was made of water.

Your “wall” may be a fear of failure.  Or maybe it’s a lack of confidence that has grinded your progress to a halt.  Or it could merely be too many problems that have piled up in front of you at the same time. And you have no clue which one to tackle first.  

So you stopped.  And you aren’t sure if there is a way over, around, or under this imposing impediment.  

At this point many people panic.  Anxiety courses its way through the body, atrophies the movement muscles, and rigor mortis overtakes their resolve.  Eyes which once had clear focus now only focus on the wall just inches away.

But some look elsewhere.  The Israelites looked to Moses.  They began belting him with blame.  Have you done the same?    Blame the boss.  Blame a co-worker.  Blame your dog.  Blame God.  Maybe even blame yourself?   Blame all you want but the wall remains.

While the Israelites were body punching Moses, he opted to look elsewhere.  His options?  He could have looked at the enemy’s army.  He could have looked at the ungrateful people he led.  He could have looked at the wall of water spread out before him, sat down, and given up.  

Instead he looked to God.  And God opened an unlikely route through the wall of water.  Safely on the other side, the very wall that had halted their steps closed in on and covered the sources of their fears.  

The very name of the book where we find this story serves as a reminder when we face our “walls.”  “Exodus” is a compound Greek word meaning “the way out.”  And in case you might have missed it, the way out was not a better job, a different spouse, or a victim mentality.

No, the way out is God.  Next time you find yourself up against a wall try looking to him.  

BIGGEST SUNDAY EVER AT SKYLINE

I don't know how many of you have noticed something special happening at Skyline Church.   Energy is everywhere.  People are excited.  People are coming to Christ nearly every week.  Attendance is up more than ever.  Have you noticed?  In fact, this past weekend was the largest attendance in the history of Skyline Church on a "regular" Sunday (not a holiday or special event).  That's EXCITING!

There are 2 very visible things.  The parking lot is full and the auditorium is getting full (mostly).  As the church continues to grow, I want to challenge those of you who call Skyline home.  We constantly need to make room for more.  As God is moving, more and more people will come to experience what He is doing through our church.  What can we do to make the most of what God is doing right now in our church?  I would like to offer you 3 things.

1.)  HAVE YOUR ANTENNAE UP FOR NEW PEOPLE.  Make new guests feel welcome by offering a genuine smile, a kind word, and a warm handshake.  Never forget what it is like to be a new person in a new church.  If you don't know anyone, it can be very uncomfortable and even frightening.  Let's be intentional about letting our guests know.... "We were expecting you.", "We are excited you are here.", and "We anticipate your return."

2.)  MAKE MORE ROOM IN THE PARKING LOT.  This is the first area that will be full.  The fact is that people will not fight for parking.  If we don't make room...no one else will.  If you are volunteering on a given weekend, consider parking behind the school and entering in through the back door.  If you park in the front of the school, park in the farthest parking spaces.  Let's reserve the prime spots for those newer folks and make sure they have a spot.

3.)  MAKE ROOM IN THE AUDITORIUM.  Last Sunday, the auditorium was packed...or so it seemed.  The reality is that the room was almost half full.  What was empty was the first 5 rows at the front.  Would you consider sitting in the front to leave the spaces further in the back open for newer guests?    I promise, I won't spit on you...:)  In all seriousness, new comers prefer a further seat.  Maybe it is to ensure a quick escape if need be, but it is most likely they want a seat in which they can simply observe what's going on.  You can make a better experience for those new guests by giving up your back seat.

In addition to those things, our First Impressions team is going to begin putting the "Ush" in "Usher". When the auditorium gets full again, please do not be offended if an usher asks you to scoot down to make room for a new guest.  Our desire is to make their experience as incredible as possible.  To make that happen, we can all do our part.

These are exciting times and I am thankful you are part of it.  As we continue to grow, we will see more and more new faces.  These are faces of people who could very well be searching for what God has to offer them.  Each of us has the privilege and responsibility to be willing to do our part as tools He uses to share the love of Christ with them.  As we do that, eternity will be impacted!

Here's to God-Sized Dreams!!!