Thoughts on Work, Rest and Worship

Most everyone looks forward to this holiday weekend. Labor Day pays tribute to the contributions and achievements of American workers and is traditionally observed on the first Monday in September.

It was created by the labor movement in the late 19th century and became a federal holiday in 1894.

Labor Day weekend also symbolizes the end of summer for many Americans and is celebrated with parties, street parades and athletic events. (Labor Day 2024: Facts, Meaning & Founding | HISTORY)

We all appreciate a day off. One of my friends from Kansas, who just sold his car dealership, said that this was the first year in many that he did not have to work for four days.

Labor Day reminds us that both work and rest are good. And I’m reminded of Jesus’ words in Matthew 11:28

Matthew 11:28 ESV

28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

The subjects of work, rest and worship have always interested me. Over the last few years, I’ve found myself curious about time management, organization skills and things of the like. It’s a growing edge for me. Maybe because i’m lousy at it.

I like to hear or read of the practices of efficient people. Those who do simple things like make a list the night before a big day. Those who carry around a legal pad to jot things down, so as not to forget details. And to hear family members speak of their loved ones who have passed, what they did and how they approached their professions with passion.

What makes an excellence in life? In the workplace? This moring, I want us to think of the topics of work, rest and worship and look at some Scriptures that speak to them.

God worked; and rested; and employed the original couple to do the same.

Work is good. It is honorable. God said to Adam in Genesis 1:28

Genesis 1:28 ESV

28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

And so the first job that God gave to the man and woman was a management position. To subdue the earth and fill it. In addition, we are told in Genesis 2:1:

Genesis 2:1–3 ESV

1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 2 And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. 3 So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.

Work and rest are good things, because God did both. And as a result, He instructed man to do both.

Genesis 2:15 says:

Genesis 2:15 (ESV)

15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.

When you think about it, God have you a brain and a body to be productive. All work can be seen from a management perspective; doing what needs to be done in a timely fashion to benefit others.

Some of us have the most interesting jobs. Others have less exciting positions but nevertheless have importance.

I have a friend who is a structural engineer. He spends his days repelling from tall buildings and checking their architectural integrity. He uses a small hammer and taps on the material several stories up, to see if the building is sturdy or has weak points.

I also have a friend that works for the ATF. He investigates fires to determine their cause and studies the presence of criminal activity.

I have another friend who writes books and studies. He analyzes texts and informs people of the Bible and its writings.

And then there’s these folks. These are the most dangerous jobs in America. First are fisherman, loggers, pilots and roofers, then tradesmen, truck drivers, iron workers and groundsmen. But someone has to do it! We need them all to have the kind of lives we enjoy.

Isn’t it a shame when some businesses have to shutter because no one wants to work?

Work is a noble activity, and part of God’s provision.

In God’s instruction on the Sabbath (the fourth commandment) we see an indicator of how Israelite society was constructed. There was six days to do your work. And one day for rest and worship.

Also, it is important to know that the concept of the Sabbath was born out of Genesis, rather than in the Ten Commandments, which are in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5. Exodus 20:8-11 reads:

Exodus 20:8–11 (ESV)

8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work… 11 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.

Interesting as we look at this last of the vertical commandments, those that apply the greatest commandment found in Deuteronomy 6:5 which says:

Deuteronomy 6:5 ESV

5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

And as Meredith Kline states:

“…according to the principle articulated in the sabbath commandment, the imperative to love God is also a demand to be like him.” (Meredith Kline, The Structure of BIblical Authority, 130).

We love God, in part, by working, resting and worshipping, and all in their proper time slot, on a weekly basis.

Work shows up as a subject in several places in the Old Testament.

And it is to be done in six days, with the seventh designated as a day of rest and worship . Listen to these words:

Exodus 23:12 (ESV)

12 “Six days you shall do your work, but on the seventh day you shall rest; that your ox and your donkey may have rest, and the son of your servant woman, and the alien, may be refreshed.

Exodus 34:21 (ESV)

21 “Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest. In plowing time and in harvest you shall rest.

Exodus 35:2 (ESV)

2 Six days work shall be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on it shall be put to death.

But the Sabbath was more than just a day off. It was a day to gather as God’s people. Leviticus 23:3 (ESV)

3 “Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work. It is a Sabbath to the Lord in all your dwelling places.

And that is one of the purposes of worshipping with a body of Christians. It is a holy convocation. The Hebrew מִקְרָא קֹ֫דֶשׁ מִקְרָא which can mean “a summons, a means of communication.”

We come to this place on a weekly basis to hear from God and for God to hear from us. We are called to gather together to worship the Lord. We need to be together. John Sailhamer, former professor at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, wrote:

“The purpose of the Sabbath day was to give rest from one’s labor and to provide an occasion for an assembly of the nation in a holy convocation.”

Dr. Al Mohler, President of Southern Seminary states:

“The worldview of the Ten Commandments honors labor. We are commissioned and commanded to work. In the curse given after the fall, we are told that it is by the sweat of man’s brow that the earth will yield forth its fruit. And yet, although labor is dignified throughout the Scripture, labor is only a temporary reality that passes quickly. All that man does so quickly turns to dust.” (Al Mohler, Jr., Words from the Fire, 81).

To contribute to something that is larger than yourself, yields great satisfaction. You might be thinking: “Well, Pastor David, I’m retired!” Good for you! But you can still contribute to a cause or help an individual or a company.

For instance, your church needs you. The Mennonite Resource Center needs you. UNTO in Mount Joy needs you. The Happy Hollow Recreation Center in Germantown needs you. The Schwenkfelder Library and Heritage Center in Pennsburg needs you! Central’s Country Fair needs you!

There are plenty of opportunities to use your gifts and abilities to bless and help others.

Our work is best done out of an attitude of worship of and thankfulness to Christ.

Notice Paul’s words in Colossians 3:22-24

Colossians 3:22–24 ESV

22 Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.

We make so much of our work as a sense of identity. When men get together and they do not know each other, one of the first things out of their mouths are: “What do you do?”

But more important than what we do is how we do it.

Most recently, I interviewed the Jeff Hartman family. Jeff recently lost his battle to cancer. What I did not know is that he spent a 40-year career providing dental care to people in our area, as did his father Paul before him.

Jeff would treat many free of charge. He did this because he was kind, and the need was great.

On one occasion, an older, disabled lady had to have several teeth pulled. Jeff did it for free. On another occasion, a local business owner had to have vast amounts of dental work done. Jeff collaborated with the person and agreed to fix the problem. He was not in it to get rich. Rather, he wanted to offer a service.

But what if I have to work on Sunday? Well, if you are in the helps profession, it is quite alright. Sometimes people choose to work on Sunday. I would say there are better choices to make. But if your job calls you to help others in a specific way, then there are allowances.

Jesus did many healings on the Sabbath in order to show that compassion is more important than the sabbath. The Pharisees got it backwards.

Luke 13:14 ESV

14 But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the people, “There are six days in which work ought to be done. Come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day.”

Moreover, work is more than just making money. It is a calling, a vocation.

I have a friend that is a seamstress. She has sold her dry cleaning business and is eventually going to the Peace Corps to teach her skills to those in need- probably in Bangladesh or in Taiwan. She wants to give back and serve others, with very little in return.

Maybe you’re hear and you don’t know what your calling is. Why don’t you make that your prayer for the next 8-12 weeks. “Lord, how can I glorify you the most? What is it that you want me to do?”

Conclusion

It was the 18th century British author Samuel Johnson who said: “The person who waits to do a great deal of good at once will never do anything.”

Before James Garfield went into politics and became president, he taught at what is now Hiram College in Ohio. The ambidextrous Garfield would amuse his students by writing on a chalkboard with both hands—one in Greek and the other in Latin—at the same time!

It is said that on one occasion a father came to Garfield and complained that the academic course at the school was too long and arduous and asked if it could be shortened.

“Certainly,” Garfield replied. “But it all depends on what you want to make of your boy. When God wants to make an oak tree, He takes a hundred years. When He wants to make a squash He requires only two months.”

In a world filled with people looking for shortcuts or ways to get out of working- doing just enough to get by.

But God calls you to work for His glory. To be consistent and diligent. Such is the path to success.