Sermon Information

Sermon Text

(January 7,2007)

Make the Best of the Day of Rest

Exo 20:8-11

How many devices do we have that are supposed to save us time?

Microwaves, Instant food fastfood (pkgs –restaurants) Coffee makers dishwashers Books on tape

Calculators Cell phones computers Blackberries internet remote starters chainsaws

It seems like all we’ve added is speed & noise? We get there faster, but more often we don’t know where, (sometimes WHY?) we are going! When you get there your so tired you don’t enjoy why you came!

Some parents overheard their kids saying “Let’s play church!” God the parents curious, so like all good parents they ease-dropped on the play time, only to be embarrassed: The kid’s started yelling ‘We only have 5 minutes, we’re going to be late again, why can’t you get ready on time?’ Then one of the kid’s said, I’ll pretend I’m in the car honking the horn, and you yell at me!!!”

We have lost what the Sabbath means…so do we quit (It’s a command)

Exodus 20:8-11

The Sabbath was first a gift to His ancient people, then Israel, Jesus said,

Mar 2:27 "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.

In reality the 10 commands were made for us, That’s why I said, “They are God’s way of saying ‘Don’t hurt yourself’ & ‘Help yourself to happiness’”

God did not give the 10 Commandments to make us squirm, like a worm in hot ashes, trying to keep them, God’s laws are good for us! A GIFT

The Old Testament Sabbath was a great gift to Israel, but greater still is the gift of the Lord’s Day to us!

as a Christian family, you have been given a special day of rest that if you use it properly, it will be a great treasure to your family.

The word Sabbath, means REST.

I. THERE ARE 3 DAYS OF REST IN THE BIBLE.

A. CREATION Day of Rest. Gen 2:1-3 Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. 2 And on the seventh day God

ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.3 Then God blessed the seventh

day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.

1. God made the world in 6 days, the rested. Was He tired?

God never gets weary (Isa. 40:28)

a. He rested for the same reason there’s a rest in music.

b. Not because of fatigue but for emphasis, to enjoy

2. God’s creation rest has been disturbed.

a. What interrupted God’s rest and put Him back to work?

b. Joh 5:1-16 Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath day, the day of rest.

c. the Pharisees let the milk of human kindness curdle condemning Him, for of all things working on the Sabbath.

d. NOTE: Jesus answer: vs 17 "My Father has been working until now, and I have been working."

B. The next day of rest is COVENANT Day of Rest.

Creation rest pertained to God Almighty, Covenant rest pertains to Israel

God gave His special Covenant people a special day of rest.

The 7th day, we call it Saturday, the last day of the week.

Exo 31:13,16-17a 13 "Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: 'Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you.

16 'Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. 17

'It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.'"

1. God gave His covenant rest to a particular people, the Jews. The Sabbath was a sign of the covenant, the 7th day of the week.

2. Some feel we should still follow this law.

3. To break an Old Testament law, meant punishment, and their was mostly just one punishment for breaking a LAW. DEATH

a. If you built a fire on the Sabbath—Death

So if you want to follow the Sabbath law, don’t start your car. You start a fire in every cylinder.

b. JUST THE BIGGING: there are 39 words in the Hebrew text. Jews added to the word of God, 39 ways to break the Sabbath.

Then added 39 divisions to the 39 ways. When they finished there were 1,521 ways to break the Sabbath.

c. If you got a tack in your Sandal, get it out on Fri afternoon, or you’d be caring a burden on the Sabbath. A flea on your shoulder, take care on Fri, if you wait until Sat. you’d be hunting. IT GOT BAD, they wouldn’t eat an egg laid on Sabbath, because the he worked on Sabbath.

4. SABBATH was to be a blessing not a burden.

a. Jesus was healing on the Sabbath (aren’t you glad) works of love

b. Jesus challenged their twisted view of all the commandments and said ' Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. Matt 15:6

C. CALVARY Day of Rest. This is how 4th Comand applies to you & I

1. Old Testament is the School Teacher, shadows of things to come. a. When did God rest—after His first Creation

When did Jesus rest—after His new Creation. 2Cor 5:17

2. Jesus came to do a work. He came to create a new race of people.

John 9:4 "I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.

a. He came to complete the Work of REDEMPTION

b. When He bowed His head on the cross saying “It is finished”Joh 19:30

c. Here is the picture: Heb 10:12 But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God,

d. The New Creation, REDEMPTION is finished now He is resting.

3. PRAISE GOD, we were once DEAD and now we are ALIVE. we were SIN, now we are FORGIVEN.

4. Everything is CHANGED, old is passed away, all things are new. Remember Jesus fulfilled the Law, not dismissed it. NOW we get to

experience the Sabbath not in SHADOW form, but in the light. Have you ever seen a dog chasing the shadow of a bird flying overhead

That’s the picture of those still trying to follow this command.

Col 2:16-17 So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, 17 which are a shadow of things

to come, but the substance is of Christ.

THE POINT IS DON’T MISS JESUS That’s why Jesus could say,

"Come to Me, all you who labor & are heavy laden, & I will give you rest Mat11:28

Think of Jesus for a moment, He finished His Father’s work for US. Redemption is our’s

Here are 8 brief, biblical reasons for celebrating the Lord’s day.

1. We’ve noted the first, Jesus rose from the dead on the first day of the week, (Mark 16:9)

2. Jesus met with His disciples after His resurrection on the 1st day of the week. COMPARE John 20:19 & 26 Jesus appeared on resurrection day,

then again 8 days later, counting each Sunday as one of the days.

3. The disciples were commissioned to preach the Gospel on the 1st day of the week, at that meeting on resurrection day (Joh 20:21)

4. The Holy Spirit was also imparted to the apostles on the 1st day of the week, (Joh 20:22)

5. The church was born on the 1st day of wk, because the Day of Pentecost was on a Sunday (Acts 2:1)

6. The book of Revelation was given on the 1st day of the wk (Rev 1:10)

7. The early church regularly met for worship on the 1st day (Acts 20:7)

8. The church collected it’s offerings on the 1st day of the wk as they came together. (1Cor. 16:2)

REMEMBER SUNDAY is not the last day of your weekend, it’s the first day of your week, Start it right by being in the house of the LORD.

The covenant Sabbath speaks of the finished work of creation

Calvary speaks to the finish work of REDEMPTION.

The first Rest for man deals with the natural life.

Our rest in Christ deals with the supernatural.

The first Sabbath deals with life in Adam (in sin)

Our Sabbath deals with Life in Christ

The very first deals with the work of God’s Hands

Our Sabbath commemorates the work of God’s Heart

The first displays God’s power

Ours displays His Grace.

The first a day of the law

The last a day of LOVE

II. The DAY of the LORD, Is the Day of WORSHIP.

A. It’s a Celebration of His Love. So how do we treat this DAY?

Is it special, does it have rules????

Is the Lord’s DAY HOLY? ABSOLUTELY!

1. It’s Holy because it’s HIS DAY. It’s a day of love and not legalism.

2. That usually raises questions like these…. Does that mean it’s alright to watch television? If we can watch television, then can go to

ball games too? Can we eat out, read the news paper, play softball, go boating, grocery shopping, on SUNDAY’s?

Good Questions, the only think wrong is your asking the wrong man. It’s NOT my Day, it’s the Lords day, ASK HIM!

Whatever He says goes!

However, if all your asking is for permission to miss a Sunday, you sound like: A little boy lived out in the country around the turn of the 20th century. He had never seen a traveling circus, and one was coming to his town on a particular Saturday. When he asked his father for permission

to go, his dad said he could providing his chores were done early. Saturday morning came. Chores finished, the little boy asked his father for

some money to go to the circus. His dad reached down in his overalls and pulled out a dollar bill, the most money the boy had ever seen at one

time. Off the little wide-eyed fellow went. As he approached the town, he saw people lining the streets. Peering through the line at one point, he

got his first glimpse of the parade. There were animals in cages and marching bands. Finally, a clown was seen bringing up the rear of the

parade. The little boy was so excited that when the clown passed, he reached in his pocket and handed him the precious dollar bill. Thinking he

had seen the circus when he had only seen the parade, the little boy turned around and went home.

3. That’s how church is for some of us, we’ve seen the parade & we think that’s it, like coming to church on Easter & Christmas, it’s good, but

there’s more to it, & eternity more benefit if you learn it.

4. Some struggle w/the benefit of what every Sunday will do for you. Some struggle recognizing God commanded, we attend church every week, Heb 10:25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the

more as you see the Day approaching.

AND we should plan the day to celebrate our freedom from sin. Lord how can I honor You on this DAY?

How can I take this day and show you reverence?

How can I give you glory & Praise so at the end of the day I can say

THIS HAS BEEN THE LORD’S DAY INDEED.

John 4:19-24

What is REAL WORSHIP? Here is our definition….

WORSHIP is our RESPONSE to God, for WHO He is and WHAT He has done, EXPRESSED in the things we SAY and the way we LIVE.

The best part of The Lord’s Day, is He promised to be here.

What happens when God’s people recognize God’s presence?

Luk 19:28-40

A. Spontaneous praise. expression in what we say

They sang, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord”

Then someone got inspired, “they cut down branches to wave, and laid down their clothes as a worship highway of affection.

GREAT TIME, so loud, so good, the RELIGIOUS came out.

“Teacher rebuke your disciples” STOP IT, stop it, shhhhh

B. What if Jesus had listened to the Pharisees? Luke 19:40

But He answered and said to them, "I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out."

C. What would Rocks Say? I took a roll of Rocks back in 2003.

A rock service from Scripture….. REMEMBER first what worship is:

Worship is our RESPONSE to God, for WHO He is and WHAT He has done, EXPRESSED in the things we SAY and the way we LIVE.

ROCK STORIES

Exodus 17—rock Moses struck, Praise Him, He had power to quench the thirst of those who are in the desert, He meets our needs.

Exo 34—the stone tablets from the Mt. of God. Praise— He saves you and then points you the right way. He loves you enough to discipline

Jud 16—the grinding stone Sampson was tied to. His strength not in hair

but in commitment. Praise—He’s the God of 2nd chances

He picks us up when down, restores our strength at repentance.

ISam 17—Listen to the 5 smooth stones David picked up. Praise GOD -

He can take down any giant in any valley. Battle belongs to the Lord

IKing 18—Elisha and the Great God Contest - He builds the altar with 12 stones. Pours 12 barrels of water on it. A most precious commodity They would say Praise GOD, When you put something precious on the altar something great happens. He is the God who answers prayer

Neh. Rebuilding the walls, every stone placed in the wall Praise Him

He rebuilds families, lives, homes, future and joy.

Luke 2—a manger was probably hewn rock, the animals ate from, if that rock cried out, “I got to hold the baby” X2 PRAISE HIM

Because now the baby holds you. And no one can take you out of it.

Matt 4—Tempted by the tempter, turn the stones into bread. Fasting 40 days

Praise—We have a HOLY God, not for 1 second did He compromise.

John 8—The woman caught in Adultery, thrown at the Masters feet

Not about her, it was about Jesus. He talked grace, love & forgiveness

They knew the law and whether entrapment or legit, doesn’t matter.

They found a victim, a pawn for their plan. So they threw her down.

Moses commanded such to be stoned what do you say? Their hands

already loaded with DEATH ROCKS. JESUS says, he who has no sin throw first. PUT yourself there a moment

Listen to her whimpering, laying in the mud, hear the jeers/sneers

of all those gathered round. Then quiet, do hear, the stones hitting the ground “POOF” the redemptive sound of rocks hitting the dirt.

I don’t condemn you, go and sin no more. PRAISE HIM
He forgives all of our sins, and redeems us.

Mark 16—The stone rolled in front of the tomb. A borrowed tomb.

What you borrow you intend to give back. Jesus on the 3 day plan.

Then Easter morning, not bonnets and baskets, VICTORY Sunday

IF ANY ROCK WOULDN’T YOU LIKE TO HEAR THIS ONE

I seen HIM, throw off the death robes, and rise off that death bed,

and put on a GLORY suit. I don’t know if it was Him or Angels or what. I started to move and I was out of there. They didn’t move me so He could get out but so you could see in. HE’S ALIVE

are you discouraged, troubled, on our worst day it’s all good ALIVE

If you would serve HIM today TURN YOUR EYES UPON JESUS.

So WORSHIP becomes our main activity on the LORD’s DAY,

Invitation Hymn #320 “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus”