Rest and Worship

Introduction

My Family Christian Bookstore story about being open on Sundays…

Sabbath observance is so misunderstood and debated about among Christians, that it is vital that we understand what the Bible teaches about it, how we as Christians should understand the Sabbath today, and what the timeless principles of Sabbath observance are.

Turn to Deuteronomy 5:12-15.

Explore the Text: Sabbath Observance Commanded

Key concepts:

Observe = “to conform one’s actions” or “to practice”

Sabbath = “to stop” or “to desist”

For Israel it began at sundown on Friday and ended at sundown on Saturday.

It was a time to stop many normal activities and productive work in order to rest and worship God.

keep…holy = to set aside as something dedicated and devoted to God.

Tying it all together:

Israel was commanded to practice a weekly work stoppage in order to devote themselves to rest and to worshiping God.

V. 14b - Your family, your servants, your livestock, the sojourner

Sabbath observance was unlike anything else in the ANE religions in that rest was to be granted to not just the individual and his family, but to those who work for him (bondservants), his animals, and even the non-Jew who was in the community.

Why was that?

Because Sabbath observance pointed to God as the Creator of all and Redeemer of His people.

V. 15 - You were a slave…but you have been redeemed!

Interestingly, this is one of the rare places where the Exodus presentation of the commandments and the presentation in Deuteronomy don’t match.

Exodus 20:8–11 ESV

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

So in Exodus, the command for Sabbath finds it’s foundations in the creation. However, rest comes not so much because God rested, but that God set the day aside, blessed it and called it holy.

Since God did that, Sabbath rest is grounded in His created order of things (thus, not just the people, but all the animals rest too).

But in Deuteronomy Sabbath observance is grounded in the Exodus experience.

The focus being, God’s redeeming Israel from bondage in Egypt.

Why is there a difference?

Because once Israel took the Promised Land they needed to see God as not only the Creator of all things, but their Redeemer as well.

Their Sabbath observance was to celebrate both truths.

God ordained Sabbath observance as part of His created order of things, but it was also a time to remember the great and mighty deeds of the Lord.

How is a Christian to approach Sabbath observance?

What the New Testament teaches us about Sabbath observance.

One of the greatest difficulties when it comes to Sabbath observance is that the New Testament doesn’t give specific guidelines for how Christians are to observe the Sabbath.

For all the other commandments we find Jesus and/or a NT writer giving more specific guidelines on how followers of Christ are to keep the commandment.

And, as we will see in a few weeks, Jesus often makes obeying the commandment a heart issue instead of just action based...”You have heard that it was said; but I say to you...”

But Jesus doesn’t give guidelines like this for Sabbath observance, thus it is a bit more challenging.

But the NT does teach us much about the Sabbath.

By the time of Jesus, the religious authorities turned Sabbath rest into a burden, not a blessing.

They did this at first because they wanted to obey God. However, eventually it became more about the rules and regulations than about the reason for Sabbath observance in the first place.

In fact, they identified thirty-nine tasks that could not be performed on the Sabbath, such as untying or tying a knot! Then they spent much of their time judging people’s piousness against their own when it came to Sabbath observance.

So, instead of the blessing of rest, worship and surrender, they turned the Sabbath into a tyrant.

And, what was happening was that the heart of the Commandment was lost in their rules and regulations.

One example, was when the disciples were walking with Jesus and plucked the head of grain…

Jesus pointed out that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.

i.e. it was a gift, not a curse.

Much more on that in a few minutes.

The Timeless Principles of Sabbath Observance

The Sabbath was a day of rest.

Sabbath observance has a very pragmatic side to it: Human beings need a day to rest and recuperate.

And unlike their experience in Egypt, they were to allow everyone, even slaves and visitors to observe Sabbath rest.

The Sabbath was a day of worship.

A day to remember what God has done and praise Him.

We see that most clearly in this passage as they were to remember how God redeemed them from slavery.

The only logical reaction to God’s provision is praise and worship!

The Sabbath was a day of surrender.

Surrender from productivity

i.e. that they were not to be a people defined by what they did, but as God’s people.

Surrender from self-sufficiency

That it was God who sustains them, not themselves.

What are the most important things for us to know about Sabbath observance today?

Understand the spirit of Sabbath observance.

The Sabbath should never be a test of spirituality.

The religious leaders of Jesus day made it a test of true spirituality.

However, Jesus made it clear that true spirituality was about a relationship with God through him, not simply through outward displays of spirituality.

Outward displays have a place, but not nearly as much as our heart and motivations.

When speaking about how we are alive in Christ, Paul says:

Colossians 2:16–17 ESV

Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.

Christ liberated us from the judgment of the law.

Thus, one is spiritual because of their relationship with God through Christ Jesus, not through slavishly observing the Law.

See Sabbath observance as a blessing.

The Sabbath was instituted to be a blessing for man:

To keep him healthy, (rest)

To render him holy, (worship)

To respond to God’s deliverance, (worship)

And to look forward to the ultimate Sabbath rest in Heaven. (surrender)

Of course, we live in a world that puts a high emphasis on our ability to produce and accomplish things.

Taking a day to rest, while devoting our day to the Lord is a good thing.

Too many people today look at Sabbath rest and worship as something of convenience (if I can I will) or circumstance (if nothing else comes up).

In essence, what they are saying is, “I will surrender parts of my life, only if it’s convenient and the circumstances are right.”

The sad thing is that when we have this attitude, we miss out on a blessing.

I look at it like tithing…one of my mentor pastor’s used to say, “The only people who complain about tithing are those who don’t do it.” That is very true.

And those who complain about Sabbath rest and worship are those who probably aren’t really doing it.

That being said, Sabbath observance isn’t about a particular day, but it should be a day to rest, a day to worship, and a day to surrender.

Like Israel, we too should observe a day of rest and worship.

However, we understand it’s not about looking pious, but about setting aside a time to rest, worship and surrender to God.

We need time to rest and recuperate.

We need time to praise and worship the Lord for all He has done.

In fact, if Israel worshipped God for redeeming them from slavery, how much more should we worship God from redeeming us from slavery to sin?

We need a time to surrender.

What is the center of your life?

Productivity and self-sufficiency or the Lord?

Know the Lord of the Sabbath and obey Him.

What Jesus says in Mark’s Gospel must be remembered:

Mark 2:27–28 ESV

And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.”

Jesus is Lord of all, even the Sabbath.

Jesus most consistent conflict with the religious leaders was about the Sabbath.

Jesus did not do away with the concept of Sabbath rest and worship.

On the contrary, Jesus observed the Sabbath as a day of worship in the synagogues and by teaching (Luke 4:16 & Mark 6:2)

However, he did not comply with the minute restrictions, which brought him into conflict with the religious leaders (Mark 2:23-28; 3:1-6; Luke 13:10-17; John 5:1-18).

As believers, we find our true rest in Christ.

Matthew 11:28–30 ESV

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

We must come to Christ to find our rest. And unlike the burden of slavishly following a bunch of man-made regulations when it comes to Sabbath observance, Jesus burden is light.

Additionally, we must pray and seek God’s guidance as to how we observe Sabbath rest and worship.

I love the example of Chick-fil-A…(third highest grossing fast food franchise, behind McDonald’s & Starbucks!)

Romans 14:5–6 ESV

One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God.

I spoke with a friend this week about the Sabbath and we both have different things we won’t do on the Sabbath…both for good reasons…but what was most important was we both felt like God had told us that we personally need to abstain from certain practices on the Lord’s Day.

It’s not a matter of convincing others you are right and they are wrong, it’s a matter of seeking God’s guidance and obeying Him.

So, in closing, should how should believers today approach Sabbath observance?

By understanding the spirit of Sabbath observance; see the blessing of taking a day for rest, worship, and surrender; and know the Lord of the Sabbath, Jesus Christ, and obey Him when it comes to your weekly rest and worship.