Take it on the Run
Exodus
32:1-15
Objectives
· To
explain why God is passionate about His relationhip with you.
· To
define what it means to love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul,
and strength.
Overview
When
God created man, he was unlike anything else that God had created. Every living thing up to that point was
spoke into being. God spoke and it
appeared. Man on the other hand
was created by God personally. He
scooped the dirt out of the ground and breathed the life into it. (Genesis 2:7) Therefore we are his prize creation and
He is jealous for us. The term
jealous is not what we typically think of when we think of jealously. God is not a mad and brooding God, but
a passionate one. He is passionate
about his relationship with us.
After God had brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, he gave Moses
the divine law to reveal His heart to the people He loved so much. In the commandments that were given,
God instructed the people to have no other God before Him. He also told them
not to make any images or objects to worship above him. In Exodus 34:14, it states that we are
not to worship any other image or God because our God is “passionate” about His
relationship with us.
I
grew up in the 70’s and 80’s. The
music of that era really has a special place in my heart. When I began to choose songs for this
series, this song just jumped out at me.
In Take it on the Run, REO Speedwagon tells the story of a girl
that has been seen with other men around town. She was caught cheating and the rumors were already starting
to spread. This song depicts a
very similar event in the Bible.
This event deals with the children of Israel cheating on their God. After Moses lead the people out of
Egypt, He went up to Mt. Sinai to meet with the Lord. While he was there, God began to reveal a moral law that
would be a guide to the Israelites as they followed God into the Promised Land
that was promised to Abraham long ago.
Moses was away from the camp for some time and the people were getting
restless and worried. They thought
that God had led them to the desert and had forgotten about them. Their faith was slipping because they
had lost sight of the promise. They
were also growing tired of worshiping a God that they could not see. They were no doubt remembering their
time in Egypt and the many gods that they saw on display in the cities and
temples. So they decided to make a
golden calf to worship. They wanted
to “take it on the run” or commit adultery against the very God who had
miraculously saved them from utter destruction. The first four of the Ten
Commandments, commonly called the first table, puts the emphasis on man’s
relationship with God. It is
appropriate that those should be put first, because man had a God to love,
before he had a neighbor to love. It cannot be expected that he should be true
to his brother, who is false to his God. The first commandment concerns the
object of worship, JEHOVAH, and him only. The worship of creatures is here
forbidden. Whatever comes short of perfect love, gratitude, reverence, or
worship, breaks this commandment.
Whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God. The second commandment
refers to the worship we are to render to the Lord our God. It is forbidden to
make any image or picture of the Deity, in any form, or for any purpose; or to
worship any creature, image, or picture.
But the spiritual impact of this command extends much further. All kinds of superstition are
forbidden, and the using of mere human inventions in the worship of God.
In
a world that is so complex and busy, we tend to fill our lives with idols of
convenience rather than live a live of obedience to God. Many Christians
believe that as they are better able to discipline themselves, God's grace
becomes available to them.
Actually the exact opposite is true. It is God's grace that gives us the ability to discipline
ourselves. As we become more dependent on God to empower us in these areas of
discipline, and then apply the grace that God gives us, then we will mature as
Christians.
In
order to truly experience God’s grace we must be disciplined in the area of
obedience. Jesus tells his disciples
“if you love me, you will keep my commandments. Jesus also expounds on this by telling us in Matthew
22:36-40 that the greatest commandment is to love God with all that we are;
mind, body, heart.
Many of us have a racecar type of obedience. We need to be ever alert and cautious as we live our
lives. We must be willing to move
fast when God calls us to obey.
Too many of us are content to live on cruise control, and watch the
world go by. Obedience requires
fast action, almost an involuntary reaction to God’s call.
We
must also be dependent on God in order to experience the fullness of His
grace. Dependence must be accompanied
by discipline. Just as an airplane
needs both wings to fly to great altitudes, we need both discipline and
dependence to soar to the heights of God’s amazing grace. Once we truly acknowledge our utter
dependence on God and take “me” out of the picture, then and only then, will
our lives be open to God’s leading and direction.
Commitment plays a big role in a pursuit of holiness and grace. First, we need to be committed to
living a life that is pleasing to God.
It is a resolute commitment.
Commitment is a choice.
Whatever plan of action we take in our Christian life speaks to our
commitment level. If we are
striving to live a life free of sin, we must be committed to the example left
for us by Jesus and God’s Word. In
order to truly understand God’s grace, we must search our hearts and see how
committed we are to the cause of Christ.
If we are not willing to fully commit by giving control of our lives to
Christ, how can we expect others to do the same.
Song
Take
it on the Run – REO Speedwagon (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMODgJpxVVw&feature=related)
Lyrics
Heard it from a friend who
Heard it from a friend who
Heard it from another you been messin'
around
They say you got a boy friend
You're out late every weekend
They're talkin' about you and it's
bringin' me down
But I know the neighborhood
And talk is cheap when the story is good
And the tales grow taller on down the line
But I'm telling you, babe
That I don't think it's true, babe
And even if it is keep this in mind
{Refrain}
You take it on the run baby
If that's the way you want it baby
Then I don't want you around
I don't believe it
Not for a minute
You're under the gun so you take it on the
run
You're thinking up your white lies
You're putting on your bedroom eyes
You say you're coming home but you won't
say when
But I can feel it coming
If you leave tonight keep running
And you need never look back again
{Refrain x 3}
Heard it from a friend who
Heard it from a friend who
Heard it
from another you been messin' around
Discussion Guide
Open
· Why
is it so easy for us to “take it on the run” on turn away from God?
· What
are some idols in your life that have taken the place of God in your life?
· What
are some things you can do to put God first in your life?
· What
does it mean to love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength?
Dig in
1. Transition
into your study by explaining what it means “to have no other gods before
me”.
2. Discuss
the following questions and look up the appropriate verses to support your
discussion on the importance of making God the center of your life.
· What
is the greatest commandment? (See Matt 22:28)
· Why
is God so jealous? (See 1 Exodus 34:14)
· Why
is God so passionate about His relationship with us? (See John 3:16; Romans 5:8)
Close
1. Are
there any idols in your life that are taking the place of God?
2. Are
you really able to love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength? If not, what is getting in the way of
you being totally in love with God.
3. Take
some time alone with God and be honest about times when you have “taken it on
the run” or loved something more than God.
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