Sabbath Day: The Principle

Transcription

1 Sabbath Day: The Principle Let me ask if you if any of these terms describe you? burnout? stress? workaholic? frazzled? worn out? bone tired? running on empty? sleep deprived? Chasing the American dream leads most of us to depression, sleep deprivation and destruction of our relationships and eventually our own bodies and souls. But this is not the way God intended it to be. And today and next Sunday, I want to look at The Sabbath Day: The Principle and the Promise. You see, the Gospel addresses the issue of rest with a wonderful principle and promise. Today, the principle. Thanks to Mark Dance for these four headings this morning with only a little modification and addition from me. I. The Sabbath is an Example to Follow - Genesis 2: 1-3 Why do we need to observe a sabbath? But God did. He finished His work and He ceased from His creative work. The very word sabbath means to cease, desist, cessation, silence God did not cease because He was tired or weary. He didn t get to Wednesday and say, If I can just make it through Friday. He rested in that He had set something into motion that was destined to come to pass without His further work or attention.

2 If God took a day off once every seven, what makes you think you don t need that, too? God was providing an example for all of us to follow. Balance in our lives. The rhythm of work and rest. I believe this is for everybody - not just believers. The principle of a sabbath is first in creation, not the law. But this principle is especially for believers and is incorporated into the very Gospel, as we ll see more next week. Mark 2:27 The Sabbath was made for man. II.The Sabbath is a Command to Obey - Exodus 20:8-10 This fourth commandment is the longest of the ten. Every seven days they were to cease from their labor - no work in the fields. Every seventh year, all the fields were to remain fallow and not be cultivated at all (Lev. 25: 1-7). Every 49 years there was to be a Year of Jubilee (Lev. 25: 8-11) of no labor and freedom. But it is the only one of the Ten Commandments that is not repeated in the New Testament because the strict observance of it was for Israel only. The church is under grace and in a New Covenant. We don t live under the letter of the law, but the spirit or principles of the law still guides us. Note: whatever came up in the fields that year was permitted. There needs to be days in our lives that whatever comes up in the field is just left there.

3 Israel was a land of rest and freedom. It was not a sign of laziness or lack of productivity. In face, in the long run, people who are deeply rested are far more productive. We need to be reminded we are not in control, we are not the providers of our family - God is. The world does not depend on me. In fact, by the time God made man (Day 6) - He had already created everything and then on Day 7, He rested. If you are worrying on your sabbath day - you are not resting. Matthew 6:25-34 is Jesus famous words three times given Do not worry. All of this is in the context of work. God is your provider. He is in control. Don t worry. Failure to honor this is nothing short of rebellion. III. The Sabbath is a Gift to Receive - Deuteronomy 5:12-15 This sabbath was given to ex-slaves. Normally, slaves don t get a day off, but God wanted them to know they were no longer slaves, but sons-and-daughters. The Sabbath is a reenactment of emancipation from slavery. You are free - no labor - no one telling you what to do. Their value now is not in what they can produce, but in their relationship. Notice in Exodus 16:21-30 that God even provided extra manna on the day prior to the Sabbath so they would not have to collect it on their only day of rest. If you can t observe a sabbath, it is a good sign you are still a slave. Your slavery may be at the hands of chasing the

4 American dream, medical school demands, your family s hopes for you, or even yourself. But God says - I am your provider. I am your protector. Take the day off. Unplug. Rest. Rejoice. Remember But being able to take and enjoy a sabbath is a sign of freedom. And the real freedom comes with the Gospel, as we ll see next week. IV. The Sabbath is a Person to Love - Matthew 11:28-30; 12:8 Matthew 11:28-30 is Jesus great invitation to come and rest. Then immediately in chapter 12 comes a showdown between Jesus and the Pharisees. They tried six times to place their rabbinical yoke on Jesus and His disciples. But Jesus declared For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath. (12:8) Trying to tell the Lord of the Sabbath how to observe it is laughable. The Sabbath is not just a day to observe legalistically, it is a person to love. Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath. And part of this is on the Sabbath Day was a day of sacred assembly. (Lev. 23:3) Most all the festivals were conducted on Sabbaths with sacred assemblies where the people came together to celebrate God and their faith. Don t you think a part of those assemblies were what Deut. 5 said, And remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord your God brought you out from there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm... This story of God s redemption is the most told story of the Bible

5 because they would tell it and remember the God who loved them. Sabbath is about honoring the Lord through worship and obedience. We turn our eyes and focus from being a Hockey Mom - President of the corporation - the athlete - the student - the teacher - we turn to the Lord. We are reminded We are not superman - God is. There is one who holds all things together by the power of His Word - and it is not us. The weight of the world is not on your shoulders. The provision of your family is not on your shoulders. Disconnect from the world (turn off the tv, don t live that day from Facebook post to FB post, come off the computer, turn your cell phone off). The word noise comes nausea - the Latin word for sickness. Tune out the world and tune in to God s voice. God didn t just stop from His creating, He stopped and enjoyed what He had done. We need to stop and enjoy God - what He has done, who He is. And His greatest work is not creation, but the cross. Sabbath is not just a day off, its a day up. Look up. Listen up. Build up. Make sure what you do replenishes, refreshes, renews you.