David Holwick C
First Baptist Church
West Lafayette, Ohio
January 15, 1989
Hebrews 4:1-11
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I. Excuses on Sunday morning.
A. God wants me to rest. I deserve this sleep.
1) Poor excuse - some find their best sleep here.
2) And wait till we get those padded pews and non-squeaking
floors.
B. The Sabbath belongs to the Old Testament.
1) Christians should not be legalists.
II. The purpose of the Sabbath.
A. The Sabbath is Man-centered: Rest.
1) Old Testament.
a) Example of God's rest at creation. Ex 20:11
b) Shows his concern for slaves and even animals. Ex 20:10
2) Jesus.
a) Sabbath is made for man. Mark 2:27
1> Healed.
2> Allowed disciples to pluck grain.
A> Provision for human need, not legalism.
b) Proper to do what's right and godly on Sabbath.
B. The Sabbath is God-centered: Worship.
1) OT - "a holy day of assembly."
2) NT - Jesus, apostles, worship on Sabbath.
III. Conflict? Not restful to crawl out of bed to worship?
A. Worshipping God is good for us.
1) Not for our self-indulgence.
B. Without God our lives are not complete.
IV. The origin of the Sabbath.
A. In the OT.
1) Ancient command.
a) Principle found in creation.
b) Plain in account of Manna.
c) Assumed in 10 Commandments.
2) Eternal command. Exod 31:12-16
a) 31:13 - A sign for generations to come.
b) 31:16 - An eternal covenant.
3) Serious command.
a) 31:14 - Death penalty. Numbers 15:32-36
B. Jesus' teaching.
1) He personally obeyed the Sabbath.
2) Sabbath has limits.
a) He broke men's rules, not God's. (six confrontations)
3) Application to others:
a) He never took away the privileges of a day of rest.
b) But he never commanded it to be observed.
C. Rest of NT.
1) Jewish Christians obeyed Sabbath rules.
a) Gentile Christians did not.
2) Paul says Sabbath rules are like food laws - they died on
cross with Jesus.
a) These laws no longer apply to Christians in literal
sense.
b) Sabbath laws are not required for righteousness.
1> Colossians 2:13-17 - The Spirit shows us how to
obey God, not the Law.
D. Church history.
1) Worship moved to Sunday, following NT pattern.
2) Sabbath rules not followed until late medieval times.
a) But Sunday not the same as the Sabbath.
3) Puritans made the full application.
a) Rebuttal by none other than King James I.
V. The advantages of Sabbath-keeping. (Not a command, but sensible)
A. Grace.
1) God rested, and so should we. Exodus 20:11
2) It reminds us of God's goodness to us.
3) Renews our strength and spirit for new week.
a) Maria Shriver - wish I had peace like godly relatives.
1> They are centered. #610
b) Sabbath symbolizes this peace.
B. Freedom.
1) No longer slaves in Egypt. Deut 5:15
2) Work should not dominate us.
(Bumper sticker - "I owe, I owe, it's off to work I go.")
a) Only the Lord should control us.
b) Signify this by going to church.
C. Hope.
1) The Sabbath looks to God's Kingdom, the Millennium. Heb 4
a) The "day of rest" is just a warmup.
b) Eternal retirement.
1> Not St. Petersburg - "The LAST resort."
2> Like Jim Stewart - fishing, walking, enjoying self.
2) Have confidence that the future is in God's hands.
3) Labor to enter that rest. Heb 4:11
a) Rest from toil but not God's work.
b) Apply yourself spiritually.
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SOURCE FOR ILLUSTRATION USED IN THIS SERMON:
#610 "Maria Shriver," by Susan Price, McCalls magazine, October 1988,
p. 153.
This and 30,000 others are part of the Kerux database that can be
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