WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:10.400 Welcome to Cheyenne Mountain Presbyterian Church. My name is Matthew Capone and I'm the pastor here and it's my joy to bring God's word to you today. 00:00:11.599 --> 00:00:15.320 If you've been with us, you know that we are in the book of Nehemiah. 00:00:15.800 --> 00:00:21.600 And as we come today, a special welcome if you are new or visiting with us. We're glad you're here. 00:00:22.080 --> 00:00:28.519 And we're glad you're here not because you are filling a seat, but because we are following Jesus together as one community. 00:00:28.519 --> 00:00:34.579 And as we follow Jesus together, we are convinced that there is no one so good that they don't need God's grace. 00:00:35.200 --> 00:00:37.359 And no one so bad that they can't have it. 00:00:38.359 --> 00:00:43.679 And so everyone needs to hear what God has to say in his word and God has something to say to everyone. 00:00:45.200 --> 00:00:49.620 It's with that that we come to Nehemiah. If you've been with us, you know we're at the end. 00:00:49.739 --> 00:00:53.060 There's two endings. We had the first ending to the book. 00:00:53.060 --> 00:00:55.940 And this is a book about a man named Nehemiah. 00:00:56.400 --> 00:00:59.460 And this man lived in the 5th century B.C. 00:00:59.600 --> 00:01:07.159 He returned to his homeland of Israel from living in Persia to help rebuild Jerusalem, the city that had fallen. 00:01:07.659 --> 00:01:10.300 And it had led to the exile of God's people, the Israelites. 00:01:11.480 --> 00:01:16.579 And they were led by Nehemiah in rebuilding this wall, this great work that we've seen for so many chapters. 00:01:16.579 --> 00:01:23.000 And we saw that celebrated at the very end of the first ending in Nehemiah chapter 12. 00:01:23.519 --> 00:01:27.359 We saw the joy that comes from the completion of God's work, the finishing of the wall. 00:01:27.780 --> 00:01:30.640 The wall had been finished after the temple, which was also completed. 00:01:30.780 --> 00:01:35.359 And so there was this great construction project to finish everything that had fallen down with God's city. 00:01:36.500 --> 00:01:38.219 But now we come to the second ending. 00:01:38.340 --> 00:01:42.200 And in the second ending, if you remember, when Nehemiah had left Persia, 00:01:42.200 --> 00:01:45.260 he made a promise to the Persian king that he wasn't going to go forever. 00:01:45.380 --> 00:01:46.980 He wasn't going to just leave. 00:01:47.060 --> 00:01:47.980 He was going to return. 00:01:48.879 --> 00:01:51.659 And so in chapter 1, they set a date that Nehemiah would return. 00:01:51.780 --> 00:01:54.900 He was only in Jerusalem for 12 years helping rebuild the wall. 00:01:55.359 --> 00:01:56.320 And then he returns. 00:01:57.120 --> 00:02:01.620 And at some point after he's returned to Persia, he asks permission to come back a second time. 00:02:02.040 --> 00:02:05.719 And when he comes back a second time, he discovers that God's people, 00:02:06.200 --> 00:02:08.719 who he had been working with to rebuild God's wall, 00:02:08.719 --> 00:02:12.960 and returned to God's word and walk in God's ways, 00:02:13.319 --> 00:02:18.340 in just a few short years had turned away from God's word and his ways. 00:02:20.180 --> 00:02:22.579 And as anticlimactic as this ending seems, 00:02:22.699 --> 00:02:25.000 when we've had such a great celebration in chapter 12, 00:02:25.079 --> 00:02:28.639 it's a helpful reminder to us from the author of Nehemiah that 00:02:28.639 --> 00:02:31.639 there is no idealism in the Christian life. 00:02:32.560 --> 00:02:33.759 We never arrive. 00:02:33.759 --> 00:02:40.799 Renewal and repentance and turning back to God are something that happen over and over again. 00:02:42.639 --> 00:02:46.659 So last week we saw that Nehemiah confronted the problems that had happened with people 00:02:46.659 --> 00:02:48.219 that had ceased to give the tithe. 00:02:48.459 --> 00:02:52.699 The temple was no longer supported, and so God's worship and his presence were neglected. 00:02:53.620 --> 00:02:58.739 And this week we're going to talk about not the tithe, not God's money, but the Sabbath, God's time. 00:02:58.740 --> 00:03:03.860 And as we come to it, I'm reminded of an article that I came across recently 00:03:03.860 --> 00:03:13.700 about many people in South Korea who are choosing to pay for the opportunity, the chance, the privilege of going to prison. 00:03:16.280 --> 00:03:23.600 There's a new industry that's cropped up where you can pay a service to be allowed to enter a prison for several days. 00:03:23.660 --> 00:03:24.760 Of course, these are slightly artificial. 00:03:24.960 --> 00:03:25.879 They're not run by the government. 00:03:25.879 --> 00:03:29.219 But this is your chance once and for all to actually get a break. 00:03:31.439 --> 00:03:34.539 And so people who enter these prisons, they're not allowed to bring their cell phones with them. 00:03:35.299 --> 00:03:36.120 There's no internet. 00:03:37.340 --> 00:03:42.919 They don't have any connection to the outside world, and they're willing to pay $90 a day to have this. 00:03:44.359 --> 00:03:49.740 And so in this article there's a few especially delicious quotes, and this is one of them. 00:03:50.359 --> 00:03:52.259 This prison gives me a sense of freedom. 00:03:52.259 --> 00:04:00.280 This is said by a 28-year-old office worker who paid $90 to spend 24 hours locked up in a mock prison. 00:04:02.359 --> 00:04:09.759 Since 2013, the, quote, prison inside me, end quote, facility has hosted more than 2,000 inmates. 00:04:09.759 --> 00:04:17.539 Many of them stressed office workers and students seeking relief from South Korea's demanding work and academic culture. 00:04:18.800 --> 00:04:22.740 After a stay in the prison, people say, this is not a prison. 00:04:23.519 --> 00:04:25.860 The real prison is where we return to. 00:04:25.860 --> 00:04:33.800 And if that story resonates with you at all, it's because it highlights something that is true. 00:04:34.220 --> 00:04:45.759 And it's that our need for rest, our need to take a break, our need for a day off, is not less important than it was in the Old Testament. 00:04:46.600 --> 00:04:51.639 It's not less important than it was in Nehemiah chapter 13, but in fact, if anything, it's more important. 00:04:51.639 --> 00:04:59.300 I mentioned last week that we live as people in the richest society, perhaps in the history of the world. 00:05:00.199 --> 00:05:04.579 And you might also argue that we live in the busiest society in the history of the world. 00:05:06.199 --> 00:05:10.019 And so things have not changed that much in 2,500 years. 00:05:10.019 --> 00:05:19.979 And just like every part of God's word, as we come to talk about the Sabbath, the idea of taking off one day in seven for worship and rest, 00:05:20.500 --> 00:05:21.959 it is meant to give us life. 00:05:23.240 --> 00:05:26.620 And so that's where we find ourselves as we come to this second ending of Nehemiah, 00:05:26.699 --> 00:05:30.659 that God's people return not just to his money, but also to his time. 00:05:30.740 --> 00:05:33.699 And so we're going to talk about this Old Testament concept of the Sabbath. 00:05:34.219 --> 00:05:38.120 And we're also going to talk about how it transfers over to us today in the New Testament. 00:05:38.120 --> 00:05:40.399 This is an area of a lot of confusion for many Christians. 00:05:41.300 --> 00:05:44.060 We might say, well, isn't that just an Old Testament thing that we don't observe? 00:05:44.160 --> 00:05:45.180 Isn't that a Jewish ceremony? 00:05:47.500 --> 00:05:51.019 We might say, isn't that something that Jesus condemned the Pharisees for? 00:05:51.120 --> 00:05:56.379 Isn't that something that's just legalistic that people do when they're trying to prove something to God? 00:05:58.920 --> 00:06:01.379 Nehemiah is going to hopefully show us a little bit of a third way. 00:06:01.500 --> 00:06:03.860 This is not something that we ignore on the one hand. 00:06:03.860 --> 00:06:08.080 It's not something that's legalistic on the other, but it's part of everything that we've seen in the book of Nehemiah. 00:06:08.160 --> 00:06:10.800 That is, we return to God's word and his ways. 00:06:12.080 --> 00:06:15.639 Those are things that God has given us that we would live and have life. 00:06:17.259 --> 00:06:20.780 And so it's with that that we come to Nehemiah chapter 13. 00:06:21.020 --> 00:06:23.139 You can open your Bibles or turn on your phones, 00:06:23.199 --> 00:06:26.400 or you can follow along near the back of your worship guide. 00:06:26.480 --> 00:06:29.160 This is printed for you, and we're going to be starting at verse 15. 00:06:29.160 --> 00:06:35.260 As we come to God's word, remember that God tells us that his word is more precious than gold, 00:06:35.880 --> 00:06:36.900 even the finest gold, 00:06:37.380 --> 00:06:39.160 and that it is sweeter than honey, 00:06:39.720 --> 00:06:41.840 even honey that comes straight from the honeycomb. 00:06:42.820 --> 00:06:48.440 And so that is the reason that we turn to Nehemiah chapter 13, starting in verse 15. 00:06:48.540 --> 00:06:49.340 Please read with me. 00:06:49.339 --> 00:06:54.439 In those days I saw in Judah people treading wine presses on the Sabbath, 00:06:54.839 --> 00:06:57.439 and bringing in heaps of grain and loading them on donkeys, 00:06:57.819 --> 00:07:01.319 and also wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of loads, 00:07:01.659 --> 00:07:04.039 which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. 00:07:04.839 --> 00:07:07.179 And I warned them on the day when they sold food. 00:07:08.699 --> 00:07:10.559 Tyrians also, who lived in the city, 00:07:10.679 --> 00:07:13.479 brought in fish and all kinds of goods and sold them on the Sabbath 00:07:13.479 --> 00:07:15.579 to the people of Judah in Jerusalem itself. 00:07:15.579 --> 00:07:19.419 Then I confronted the nobles of Judah and said to them, 00:07:19.579 --> 00:07:23.719 What is this evil thing that you are doing, profaning the Sabbath day? 00:07:24.659 --> 00:07:25.339 Verse 18. 00:07:26.060 --> 00:07:27.819 Did not your fathers act in this way, 00:07:27.879 --> 00:07:31.120 and did not our God bring all this disaster on us and on this city? 00:07:31.860 --> 00:07:35.620 Now you are bringing more wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath. 00:07:36.539 --> 00:07:37.240 Verse 19. 00:07:38.279 --> 00:07:41.899 As soon as it began to grow dark at the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, 00:07:41.899 --> 00:07:46.919 I commanded that the doors be shut and gave orders that they should not be opened until after the Sabbath. 00:07:47.599 --> 00:07:50.060 And I stationed some of my servants at the gates, 00:07:50.099 --> 00:07:52.579 that no load might be brought in on the Sabbath day. 00:07:53.599 --> 00:07:58.019 Then the merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares lodged outside Jerusalem once or twice. 00:07:58.659 --> 00:08:00.379 But I warned them and said to them, 00:08:00.979 --> 00:08:02.919 Why do you lodge outside the wall? 00:08:03.839 --> 00:08:06.339 If you do so again, I will lay hands on you. 00:08:06.899 --> 00:08:09.439 From that time on, they did not come on the Sabbath. 00:08:09.439 --> 00:08:11.199 Verse 22. 00:08:12.199 --> 00:08:14.879 Then I commanded the Levites that they should purify themselves 00:08:14.879 --> 00:08:17.899 and come and guard the gates to keep the Sabbath day holy. 00:08:19.040 --> 00:08:21.379 Remember this also in my favor, O my God, 00:08:21.439 --> 00:08:24.899 and spare me according to the greatness of your steadfast love. 00:08:26.420 --> 00:08:29.060 Please pray with me as we come to this portion of God's word. 00:08:29.060 --> 00:08:35.340 Father in heaven, we thank you for your word again, 00:08:35.779 --> 00:08:37.299 that you have given it to us, 00:08:37.539 --> 00:08:39.340 that you speak to us. 00:08:39.559 --> 00:08:42.399 You don't leave us alone to stumble in the dark 00:08:42.399 --> 00:08:45.899 trying to figure out the right thing to do or the right way to go. 00:08:46.940 --> 00:08:51.000 But instead, you've given us your word that we would know you and know your ways. 00:08:51.000 --> 00:08:54.620 We thank you that you are a God of rest 00:08:54.620 --> 00:08:59.379 and that you offer us rest, not just now in our physical bodies, 00:08:59.960 --> 00:09:04.019 but you offer us rest as we can cease from trying to earn anything from you 00:09:04.019 --> 00:09:06.299 because Jesus has earned everything for us. 00:09:07.240 --> 00:09:09.759 We ask all of this because he's earned it for us, 00:09:09.799 --> 00:09:10.980 and so we ask it in his name. 00:09:11.600 --> 00:09:11.840 Amen. 00:09:11.840 --> 00:09:11.960 Amen. 00:09:11.960 --> 00:09:19.340 We saw last week Nehemiah's frustration and anger 00:09:19.340 --> 00:09:22.139 over everything that had happened with God's people neglecting the tithe, 00:09:22.200 --> 00:09:23.879 and unfortunately for him, it hasn't stopped. 00:09:25.480 --> 00:09:28.300 They're not just neglecting supporting the temple, 00:09:28.440 --> 00:09:31.700 but they're also neglecting the day on which they would have worshipped the Sabbath day. 00:09:31.700 --> 00:09:36.080 And as he comes in, he finds out that people are doing all kinds of work. 00:09:36.900 --> 00:09:38.700 Now, at this point, we have to stop and back up 00:09:38.700 --> 00:09:42.940 because the Sabbath is something that's not necessarily as familiar in our society and our time, 00:09:43.000 --> 00:09:46.480 and so the Sabbath is something that we saw at the very beginning of the Bible. 00:09:46.600 --> 00:09:49.040 It shows up in Genesis when God creates the world. 00:09:49.259 --> 00:09:51.000 It's the seventh day that he rests. 00:09:52.020 --> 00:09:54.700 He spends six days working, and on the seventh he rests. 00:09:55.700 --> 00:09:58.840 He then reminds his people of that in Exodus chapter 20 00:09:58.840 --> 00:10:00.300 when he gives them the Ten Commandments, 00:10:00.340 --> 00:10:01.960 and he gives it to them as the fourth commandment 00:10:01.960 --> 00:10:03.720 that they would remember and honor the Sabbath day, 00:10:03.759 --> 00:10:06.400 and that's the reason given that they would rest on the seventh day 00:10:06.400 --> 00:10:08.400 because God rested on the seventh day. 00:10:09.460 --> 00:10:11.400 And then in Deuteronomy chapter 5, 00:10:11.500 --> 00:10:13.480 they're reminded again of the Ten Commandments, 00:10:13.540 --> 00:10:16.400 and the fourth commandment is again stated that they'd honor the Sabbath day. 00:10:16.460 --> 00:10:18.180 This time, though, a second reason is given. 00:10:18.259 --> 00:10:21.300 The first reason that God rested, and so they should rest. 00:10:21.720 --> 00:10:24.600 The second reason that they were slaves in Egypt. 00:10:26.500 --> 00:10:28.259 But now they're not slaves anymore. 00:10:29.420 --> 00:10:31.280 In other words, God has redeemed them, 00:10:31.379 --> 00:10:34.960 and so they don't have to work every single day like they did when they were in Egypt. 00:10:34.960 --> 00:10:39.240 They don't need to live as if they belong to the Egyptians anymore 00:10:39.240 --> 00:10:41.759 because God has redeemed them and brought them out of slavery. 00:10:42.460 --> 00:10:44.920 And so it's in that context that Nehemiah is coming, 00:10:45.019 --> 00:10:48.840 that he knows that God's people have been commanded to take one day out of seven 00:10:48.840 --> 00:10:50.280 and to not work. 00:10:51.420 --> 00:10:55.320 They've been commanded to take one day out of seven to rest and to worship God. 00:10:55.320 --> 00:11:00.160 It's with that passion and that zeal that Nehemiah shows up 00:11:00.160 --> 00:11:02.860 and discovers all the ways that this is being violated. 00:11:03.000 --> 00:11:05.000 God's people are doing their own work on the Sabbath. 00:11:05.200 --> 00:11:07.820 Verse 15, they're trading wine presses and grain. 00:11:07.940 --> 00:11:08.840 They're dealing with the harvest. 00:11:09.879 --> 00:11:12.620 There's also people who are outside of Jerusalem who are not Israelites, 00:11:12.760 --> 00:11:16.440 who are coming in and taking advantage of the fact that this is one more day 00:11:16.440 --> 00:11:17.920 that they can sell and do business. 00:11:18.560 --> 00:11:21.760 This is another chance for them to increase their bottom line and their profit. 00:11:21.759 --> 00:11:26.840 Seeing that, then Nehemiah, verse 17, confronts them 00:11:26.840 --> 00:11:29.899 and points out that this is not just a bad idea. 00:11:30.019 --> 00:11:32.860 This is an evil thing that they're doing, profaning the Sabbath day. 00:11:34.580 --> 00:11:38.240 And then we begin to understand Nehemiah's passion about this in verse 18. 00:11:39.639 --> 00:11:41.559 Did not your fathers act in this way, 00:11:41.620 --> 00:11:44.879 and did not our God bring all this disaster on us and on this city? 00:11:45.500 --> 00:11:48.700 Now you are bringing more wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath. 00:11:48.700 --> 00:11:54.940 In other words, Nehemiah has worked for years to turn God's people back to God's ways. 00:11:56.080 --> 00:12:00.240 He and the people who have returned to Israel and Jerusalem are those who made it through the exile. 00:12:00.379 --> 00:12:04.259 They made it through God's judgment when God's people failed to be a light to the nations. 00:12:05.300 --> 00:12:07.900 And now, after he has reached that exact moment, 00:12:08.000 --> 00:12:12.040 the place where he feels like they've turned the corner, 00:12:12.640 --> 00:12:15.360 they've repented from the things that led them into exile, 00:12:15.360 --> 00:12:19.440 it's at that very moment that God's people begin to turn away again. 00:12:23.419 --> 00:12:25.399 It's almost like you're a parent, 00:12:26.360 --> 00:12:31.940 and you've worked for years and years and years to raise and nurture your child. 00:12:32.039 --> 00:12:34.240 You've seen them launch well into adulthood. 00:12:35.120 --> 00:12:37.419 They've had some experiences of success. 00:12:38.399 --> 00:12:39.779 They've made wise choices. 00:12:39.779 --> 00:12:44.379 And then suddenly you look and you see them doing something incredibly foolish. 00:12:47.000 --> 00:12:49.919 And you think, of all the work that I've put in up to this point, 00:12:50.740 --> 00:12:55.019 am I going to let it all disappear now? 00:12:57.819 --> 00:13:02.100 Of all the investment that I've made, am I willing to see it go and be nothing? 00:13:02.100 --> 00:13:05.840 And that's the passion that Nehemiah has here in verse 18, 00:13:05.960 --> 00:13:10.899 like a parent to a child who has worked so hard with these people to turn them back to God's ways. 00:13:13.139 --> 00:13:17.080 He wants to do everything to pull them back from the brink of returning again 00:13:17.080 --> 00:13:20.560 to living as if there's nothing different about them from the rest of the world. 00:13:22.259 --> 00:13:26.180 Now, why was it that God brought disaster on these people for profaning the Sabbath? 00:13:26.179 --> 00:13:29.419 Why was it in the Old Testament and the prophetical books that over and over, 00:13:29.579 --> 00:13:34.219 this was one of the main reasons that God tells his people that judgment is coming? 00:13:34.319 --> 00:13:38.239 Well, first of all, one of the main reasons that judgment comes on Israel 00:13:38.239 --> 00:13:40.120 is because of their oppression of the poor. 00:13:42.959 --> 00:13:45.399 Now, think about this. This is true even in our own society. 00:13:45.519 --> 00:13:47.620 Who is it that has to work seven days a week? 00:13:48.279 --> 00:13:49.719 There's probably two categories of people. 00:13:50.959 --> 00:13:53.859 One, the hyper-wealth and the hyper-rich who have the option to 00:13:53.859 --> 00:13:55.759 and choose to do that for a limited amount of time. 00:13:57.179 --> 00:13:59.759 And then two, the poor who have no choice. 00:14:01.559 --> 00:14:04.959 And so this was part and parcel of everything that Israel was doing to neglect 00:14:04.959 --> 00:14:08.500 caring for those who were the most marginalized in their society. 00:14:08.599 --> 00:14:12.079 That's part of why God's wrath was coming because of their neglect of the Sabbath. 00:14:12.219 --> 00:14:15.139 They were making people who desperately needed rest to work. 00:14:16.419 --> 00:14:20.459 But the other reason that they went into exile is they had neglected their relationship with God. 00:14:20.559 --> 00:14:25.059 And so neglecting the day that they would work and build and worship with him. 00:14:26.179 --> 00:14:29.879 It was part of what severed their relationship with him. 00:14:29.879 --> 00:14:35.899 And so it's with that that Nehemiah comes, not with legalism here, 00:14:36.659 --> 00:14:41.419 but with an understanding that this is part of how God had given his people life. 00:14:42.159 --> 00:14:45.580 And in turning away from it, it's part of how they had turned to death. 00:14:45.580 --> 00:14:50.420 And so like a parent to a child, he comes in saying, 00:14:50.560 --> 00:14:52.740 No, come back from the ledge. 00:14:54.000 --> 00:14:56.220 We've done so much work to get to this point, 00:14:56.300 --> 00:15:00.800 and now you turn away from one of the things that was most important 00:15:00.800 --> 00:15:03.320 in us returning back to God and his ways. 00:15:03.320 --> 00:15:12.940 This is the same thing that we see in Mark chapter 2 when Jesus talks about the Sabbath. 00:15:13.060 --> 00:15:18.160 He says that the man was not made for the Sabbath, but the Sabbath for man. 00:15:19.260 --> 00:15:22.360 In other words, the Sabbath was meant to be a blessing to God's people. 00:15:22.920 --> 00:15:25.000 It was meant to give them rest when they needed rest. 00:15:25.680 --> 00:15:29.100 It was meant to call them back to God and their relationship with him 00:15:29.100 --> 00:15:30.220 when they needed to be called back. 00:15:30.220 --> 00:15:35.060 It was meant to remind them that they weren't just economic beings or slaves, 00:15:35.160 --> 00:15:35.980 but they were people. 00:15:36.580 --> 00:15:39.480 People meant for more than just a 9-to-5 grind. 00:15:43.519 --> 00:15:47.000 So as we come to this, we've talked about the story here of Nehemiah. 00:15:47.060 --> 00:15:47.840 It's a pretty brief story. 00:15:47.980 --> 00:15:49.279 He comes, he encounters the Sabbath. 00:15:50.139 --> 00:15:51.120 People are breaking it. 00:15:51.240 --> 00:15:51.920 He corrects it. 00:15:54.000 --> 00:15:56.440 But that's going to raise other questions for us as well 00:15:56.440 --> 00:15:58.160 as we look on this Old Testament story. 00:15:58.159 --> 00:16:00.559 And so I'm going to ask three questions. 00:16:00.719 --> 00:16:01.939 First, why is the Sabbath good? 00:16:03.419 --> 00:16:04.799 Why is it worth protecting? 00:16:04.939 --> 00:16:06.279 Why is it something that we should want? 00:16:08.480 --> 00:16:10.740 Second, how does the Sabbath apply? 00:16:11.339 --> 00:16:13.100 Does the Sabbath apply to us today? 00:16:14.959 --> 00:16:18.120 And really, I'm going to argue that there are certain ways in which it does. 00:16:19.219 --> 00:16:22.379 And then after that, if it does transfer over in some way 00:16:22.379 --> 00:16:23.819 from the Old Testament to the New Testament, 00:16:24.100 --> 00:16:25.199 how do we apply it? 00:16:25.200 --> 00:16:27.360 Why is the Sabbath good? 00:16:29.020 --> 00:16:31.160 How does it relate from the Old Testament to the New Testament? 00:16:31.780 --> 00:16:32.800 How do we apply it today? 00:16:32.940 --> 00:16:34.740 First, why is the Sabbath good? 00:16:35.660 --> 00:16:37.940 And as we ask that question, I'll ask you a question. 00:16:39.300 --> 00:16:40.620 What do you call someone, 00:16:41.160 --> 00:16:43.780 biblically speaking, in terms of the Bible and its language, 00:16:43.860 --> 00:16:45.259 what do you call someone who works 00:16:45.259 --> 00:16:46.660 seven days a week? 00:16:46.659 --> 00:16:51.959 You call them a slave. 00:16:55.480 --> 00:16:57.779 If someone works seven days a week, 00:16:58.039 --> 00:16:59.059 they are a slave. 00:17:01.860 --> 00:17:04.240 That's the reason given in Deuteronomy chapter 5, 00:17:04.299 --> 00:17:05.019 as I mentioned before, 00:17:05.099 --> 00:17:06.740 that God's people should honor the Sabbath, 00:17:06.899 --> 00:17:08.920 that they are no longer slaves in Egypt, 00:17:09.619 --> 00:17:11.980 that this is God's gift to them. 00:17:12.019 --> 00:17:12.500 In other words, 00:17:12.599 --> 00:17:15.680 he is a better master than the masters they served in Egypt. 00:17:16.660 --> 00:17:20.540 He's one who actually cares for his people, 00:17:20.620 --> 00:17:21.759 who's not just using them. 00:17:22.740 --> 00:17:24.900 And so the Sabbath is good because it gives us rest. 00:17:26.080 --> 00:17:26.880 We're humans. 00:17:27.940 --> 00:17:29.900 God has not designed us to be machines. 00:17:30.480 --> 00:17:31.920 He hasn't designed us to be slaves. 00:17:33.820 --> 00:17:36.440 Instead, he knows that there's so much more to our lives 00:17:36.440 --> 00:17:38.200 than our economic endeavors. 00:17:38.200 --> 00:17:41.620 And so he wants to give us a great gift, 00:17:41.740 --> 00:17:43.819 that there would be a day that we could not work 00:17:43.819 --> 00:17:45.299 and have no guilt about it. 00:17:48.259 --> 00:17:51.380 That we would know that we can trust God enough for that. 00:17:54.100 --> 00:17:55.900 The second reason that the Sabbath is good, 00:17:55.980 --> 00:17:57.580 besides the fact that it gives us rest, 00:17:57.640 --> 00:17:58.980 that it no longer makes us slaves, 00:17:59.080 --> 00:18:00.559 is that it protects us from ourselves. 00:18:00.559 --> 00:18:03.419 We are, 00:18:03.659 --> 00:18:06.139 the Israelites were threatened in Egypt 00:18:06.139 --> 00:18:07.899 by others who would make them slaves. 00:18:10.679 --> 00:18:12.359 And yet, especially in America, 00:18:12.519 --> 00:18:15.899 we have faced the threat of wanting to make ourselves slaves. 00:18:17.339 --> 00:18:19.819 We live in a society that values productivity, 00:18:20.839 --> 00:18:24.299 that values just being able to try to squeeze in a little bit more. 00:18:24.839 --> 00:18:27.839 If we can just take the toothpaste and push it another time, 00:18:27.899 --> 00:18:29.279 maybe we can get a little bit more out. 00:18:30.559 --> 00:18:33.700 And so God protects us from destroying ourselves. 00:18:35.519 --> 00:18:37.619 You can work seven days a week 00:18:37.619 --> 00:18:40.079 for a certain amount of time. 00:18:41.259 --> 00:18:42.619 You can't do it forever. 00:18:44.220 --> 00:18:46.960 One of my favorite quotes comes from a man named Cary Newhoff 00:18:46.960 --> 00:18:47.399 who says, 00:18:47.700 --> 00:18:48.700 Either you take the Sabbath, 00:18:49.839 --> 00:18:52.539 or one day the Sabbath will take you. 00:18:54.319 --> 00:18:55.659 Either you take the Sabbath, 00:18:55.759 --> 00:18:56.919 or the Sabbath will take you. 00:18:56.960 --> 00:18:57.639 In other words, 00:18:57.640 --> 00:19:01.820 you can get away without resting for a certain amount of time, 00:19:01.860 --> 00:19:03.520 but at some point it will catch up with you. 00:19:05.180 --> 00:19:07.100 Another friend of mine in seminary put it this way, 00:19:07.200 --> 00:19:09.300 That's great if you don't want to take a day off. 00:19:10.540 --> 00:19:12.500 Just give me a call in 30 years 00:19:12.500 --> 00:19:14.020 and let me know how it worked out. 00:19:14.019 --> 00:19:18.920 There's something about the Sabbath 00:19:18.920 --> 00:19:20.279 that has a cumulative effect. 00:19:21.740 --> 00:19:23.720 And God, being wiser than us, 00:19:24.539 --> 00:19:26.500 knows that we need a reminder. 00:19:26.980 --> 00:19:27.859 We need protection. 00:19:28.359 --> 00:19:31.019 We need good boundaries and limits on our time. 00:19:31.819 --> 00:19:34.019 So the Sabbath is good because it gives us rest. 00:19:34.160 --> 00:19:35.740 It's good because it protects us. 00:19:35.740 --> 00:19:39.039 It's also because it reconnects us with reality. 00:19:40.900 --> 00:19:43.160 We live in a world that is insane. 00:19:46.200 --> 00:19:50.759 There is a certain insanity to the 24-7 cycle of our world. 00:19:52.460 --> 00:19:54.660 And it's something that we face in 2019 00:19:54.660 --> 00:19:56.500 more than anyone else ever has. 00:19:58.480 --> 00:20:01.440 And so as important as the Sabbath was in Nehemiah's time, 00:20:01.480 --> 00:20:03.539 I would argue it is even more important today. 00:20:03.539 --> 00:20:08.359 that we need a time to stop and remember 00:20:08.359 --> 00:20:10.240 that we are not just workers. 00:20:10.879 --> 00:20:12.099 We're not just machines. 00:20:13.000 --> 00:20:14.859 And we're not what our society tells us 00:20:14.859 --> 00:20:15.599 that it wants us to be. 00:20:15.659 --> 00:20:16.680 We're not just consumers. 00:20:17.559 --> 00:20:19.859 There is something more important about us 00:20:19.859 --> 00:20:21.039 than what we do with our money. 00:20:21.799 --> 00:20:23.279 There is something more important about us 00:20:23.279 --> 00:20:27.440 than our ability to consume and to buy. 00:20:29.839 --> 00:20:31.559 And so halting our economic lives, 00:20:31.559 --> 00:20:32.440 halting our work, 00:20:32.440 --> 00:20:34.680 helps us remember who we actually are. 00:20:34.799 --> 00:20:36.140 It connects us with reality. 00:20:37.820 --> 00:20:40.340 The Sabbath is good because we desperately need rest. 00:20:41.299 --> 00:20:44.000 Sabbath is good because often we're too stupid to take it. 00:20:45.559 --> 00:20:47.940 And the Sabbath is good because it helps us understand 00:20:47.940 --> 00:20:48.720 what's really true. 00:20:48.720 --> 00:20:55.539 Imagine for a second that your employer came to you 00:20:55.539 --> 00:20:55.960 and they said, 00:20:56.059 --> 00:20:57.920 we have a new HR policy. 00:20:58.620 --> 00:21:00.100 We're going to be really strict 00:21:00.100 --> 00:21:03.200 about policing, vacation, and time off. 00:21:04.660 --> 00:21:05.180 You thought, 00:21:05.620 --> 00:21:06.160 oh no. 00:21:07.140 --> 00:21:07.839 I hope that 00:21:07.839 --> 00:21:09.120 they're not going to 00:21:09.120 --> 00:21:11.259 lessen the amount of vacation time I take. 00:21:11.319 --> 00:21:13.279 I hope they're not going to suddenly start counting days 00:21:13.279 --> 00:21:14.279 that I didn't think they were counting. 00:21:14.279 --> 00:21:16.000 But the next thing they say is, 00:21:16.220 --> 00:21:18.299 we are going to mandate that all of you 00:21:18.299 --> 00:21:20.660 take every single one of your vacation days. 00:21:23.399 --> 00:21:25.379 In fact, if you don't take your vacation, 00:21:25.539 --> 00:21:26.720 you're going to be in trouble with us. 00:21:26.779 --> 00:21:27.639 You're going to be an employee. 00:21:27.779 --> 00:21:29.700 You're going to get a bad work review. 00:21:30.779 --> 00:21:33.139 You're not going to receive meets requirements. 00:21:33.140 --> 00:21:34.940 You're going to receive needs improvement 00:21:34.940 --> 00:21:36.180 on your performance review 00:21:36.180 --> 00:21:38.180 if you haven't taken all your vacation time. 00:21:40.480 --> 00:21:41.640 And we're going to have to talk about 00:21:41.640 --> 00:21:42.980 an accountability plan for you 00:21:42.980 --> 00:21:45.340 that you'd be willing to take more time off. 00:21:48.259 --> 00:21:49.660 What would you call that employer? 00:21:49.759 --> 00:21:50.700 What would you say about them? 00:21:52.600 --> 00:21:53.620 Would there be articles 00:21:53.620 --> 00:21:55.800 about the legalism 00:21:55.799 --> 00:21:59.579 of this company 00:21:59.579 --> 00:22:03.480 and how they were just cruel 00:22:03.480 --> 00:22:04.359 to their employees? 00:22:07.299 --> 00:22:08.339 No, there would be articles 00:22:08.339 --> 00:22:09.960 about how counterintuitive it is, 00:22:10.460 --> 00:22:11.940 how radical this is, 00:22:12.039 --> 00:22:14.159 and how much this employer 00:22:14.159 --> 00:22:15.759 cares about their employees. 00:22:16.960 --> 00:22:18.279 That their HR policies, 00:22:18.419 --> 00:22:19.779 instead of policing to make sure 00:22:19.779 --> 00:22:20.680 people are at work 00:22:20.680 --> 00:22:21.680 when they need to be at work, 00:22:22.279 --> 00:22:23.460 they're policing to make sure 00:22:23.460 --> 00:22:24.139 people are resting 00:22:24.139 --> 00:22:25.000 when they need to rest. 00:22:25.799 --> 00:22:31.079 Kids, let me ask you this. 00:22:33.339 --> 00:22:34.559 What if your parents came 00:22:34.559 --> 00:22:35.440 and said to you, 00:22:36.440 --> 00:22:38.379 it is really important to us 00:22:38.379 --> 00:22:39.879 that you take a day off 00:22:39.879 --> 00:22:41.460 from doing chores and homework? 00:22:44.099 --> 00:22:46.240 In fact, it's so important to us 00:22:46.240 --> 00:22:47.180 that we're going to stop you 00:22:47.180 --> 00:22:48.019 if you try to do it. 00:22:49.579 --> 00:22:51.159 What kind of parents would you have? 00:22:52.919 --> 00:22:53.539 That's right. 00:22:53.919 --> 00:22:55.639 Awful, terrible parents. 00:22:55.799 --> 00:22:59.039 I cannot imagine having parents like that. 00:22:59.039 --> 00:23:00.460 I hope you don't have parents like that. 00:23:00.960 --> 00:23:02.500 I hope your parents make you work 00:23:02.500 --> 00:23:03.319 seven days a week. 00:23:05.519 --> 00:23:06.139 Just kidding. 00:23:08.019 --> 00:23:09.099 Let's take that a step further. 00:23:09.200 --> 00:23:10.200 What if your parents came to you 00:23:10.200 --> 00:23:10.619 and said, 00:23:11.099 --> 00:23:12.500 we know that mom and dad 00:23:12.500 --> 00:23:13.119 are really busy. 00:23:15.259 --> 00:23:16.599 And we're busy with many things, 00:23:16.639 --> 00:23:17.799 and there's times that we don't spend 00:23:17.799 --> 00:23:18.940 a lot of time with you all. 00:23:18.940 --> 00:23:22.920 But there's going to be one day a week 00:23:22.920 --> 00:23:23.740 that we're going to make sure 00:23:23.740 --> 00:23:24.559 we're not busy. 00:23:27.180 --> 00:23:28.820 And on that one day a week, 00:23:28.860 --> 00:23:29.640 we're going to make sure 00:23:29.640 --> 00:23:30.620 that we're going to rest 00:23:30.620 --> 00:23:32.059 and we're going to spend time with you. 00:23:34.720 --> 00:23:35.980 Now, if you're a kid listening to this, 00:23:36.059 --> 00:23:36.960 some of you might be thinking, 00:23:37.180 --> 00:23:37.580 oh no. 00:23:37.579 --> 00:23:41.740 But hopefully you're thinking at last. 00:23:44.919 --> 00:23:46.000 There's a blessing 00:23:46.000 --> 00:23:47.059 and a goodness 00:23:47.059 --> 00:23:48.359 and a provision 00:23:48.359 --> 00:23:51.399 to God giving rest to his people. 00:23:51.400 --> 00:23:57.780 But there's a catch, right? 00:24:00.540 --> 00:24:02.480 Why is the Sabbath so hard? 00:24:06.000 --> 00:24:06.800 The catch is that 00:24:06.800 --> 00:24:08.060 if your parents came and told you 00:24:08.060 --> 00:24:09.820 you're not allowed to do any chores on Sunday, 00:24:09.920 --> 00:24:10.860 what would that mean for you? 00:24:13.140 --> 00:24:14.140 You'd have to get them done 00:24:14.140 --> 00:24:15.240 the other six days of the week. 00:24:18.240 --> 00:24:19.440 And if your employer came 00:24:19.440 --> 00:24:21.060 and mandated that you take vacation, 00:24:22.400 --> 00:24:23.120 what would you have to do? 00:24:23.160 --> 00:24:23.700 You'd have to budget 00:24:23.700 --> 00:24:25.240 the rest of your time well. 00:24:27.820 --> 00:24:29.100 And so the Sabbath is hard 00:24:29.100 --> 00:24:30.019 for the same reason 00:24:30.019 --> 00:24:30.960 that tithing is hard. 00:24:31.019 --> 00:24:32.460 There's a relationship, by the way, 00:24:32.519 --> 00:24:34.160 between tithing and the Sabbath. 00:24:34.259 --> 00:24:34.840 They're similar. 00:24:35.240 --> 00:24:36.460 And they're similar in the sense 00:24:36.460 --> 00:24:37.840 that we have to trust God. 00:24:40.040 --> 00:24:41.200 We have to trust God 00:24:41.200 --> 00:24:42.120 that he's going to be willing 00:24:42.120 --> 00:24:44.500 and able to provide for us 00:24:44.500 --> 00:24:48.480 with less than we think we need. 00:24:49.720 --> 00:24:50.640 If we're tithing, 00:24:50.640 --> 00:24:51.680 we have to trust God 00:24:51.680 --> 00:24:52.860 that he's going to provide for us 00:24:52.860 --> 00:24:54.240 with 90% of our income. 00:24:55.920 --> 00:24:57.160 If we take a Sabbath, 00:24:57.280 --> 00:24:58.540 we have to trust God 00:24:58.540 --> 00:25:01.000 that he is going to care for us 00:25:01.000 --> 00:25:01.960 and provide for us 00:25:01.960 --> 00:25:03.000 and sustain us, 00:25:03.140 --> 00:25:04.380 even if we rest. 00:25:07.460 --> 00:25:09.259 And so there's the same principle here 00:25:09.259 --> 00:25:10.980 that just as we do this 00:25:10.980 --> 00:25:11.620 when we tithe, 00:25:11.700 --> 00:25:12.640 when we take a day off, 00:25:12.680 --> 00:25:14.020 we express our trust 00:25:14.020 --> 00:25:15.660 and our confidence in God. 00:25:15.660 --> 00:25:19.180 And not only do we express 00:25:19.180 --> 00:25:20.980 our trust and our confidence in God, 00:25:21.040 --> 00:25:22.080 we also build it. 00:25:24.160 --> 00:25:25.720 Just as when we tithe 00:25:25.720 --> 00:25:26.720 and we see God 00:25:26.720 --> 00:25:28.080 still provides for our needs, 00:25:28.200 --> 00:25:29.540 so when we take a day off, 00:25:29.660 --> 00:25:30.840 we see that God 00:25:30.840 --> 00:25:32.000 still cares for us. 00:25:33.000 --> 00:25:34.540 The world does not come 00:25:34.540 --> 00:25:35.480 to an end. 00:25:35.480 --> 00:25:41.120 Now, many of you 00:25:41.120 --> 00:25:42.400 are probably thinking, 00:25:42.519 --> 00:25:43.200 this sounds great, 00:25:43.240 --> 00:25:44.920 I'm happy to take a day off. 00:25:46.019 --> 00:25:47.339 In fact, I believe in the principle 00:25:47.339 --> 00:25:48.279 of taking a day off. 00:25:49.240 --> 00:25:50.220 I just don't think 00:25:50.220 --> 00:25:51.180 the Sabbath applies 00:25:51.180 --> 00:25:52.000 in any way 00:25:52.000 --> 00:25:52.860 to us today. 00:25:53.339 --> 00:25:53.819 I don't think 00:25:53.819 --> 00:25:54.940 this Old Testament rule 00:25:54.940 --> 00:25:56.120 applies in the New Testament. 00:25:59.059 --> 00:25:59.839 And I'm going to make 00:25:59.839 --> 00:26:01.759 a brief argument 00:26:01.759 --> 00:26:02.720 for the application 00:26:02.720 --> 00:26:03.819 of the Sabbath 00:26:03.819 --> 00:26:04.539 from the Old Testament 00:26:04.539 --> 00:26:05.200 to the New Testament. 00:26:05.279 --> 00:26:06.079 I realize we're not all 00:26:06.079 --> 00:26:06.960 going to agree about this, 00:26:07.000 --> 00:26:07.460 that's okay. 00:26:07.859 --> 00:26:08.659 I'm also going to make 00:26:08.659 --> 00:26:09.299 a brief argument, 00:26:09.359 --> 00:26:10.119 not a long argument. 00:26:10.659 --> 00:26:11.159 You're welcome. 00:26:12.679 --> 00:26:13.519 But that's to say 00:26:13.519 --> 00:26:14.439 that if you have questions, 00:26:14.500 --> 00:26:15.439 I am happy to talk 00:26:15.439 --> 00:26:16.039 about this more. 00:26:16.659 --> 00:26:17.480 So I'm not going to say, 00:26:17.539 --> 00:26:18.179 as I said last week, 00:26:18.200 --> 00:26:19.059 I'm not going to say everything, 00:26:19.159 --> 00:26:20.000 but I'm going to say something. 00:26:20.539 --> 00:26:21.740 And that's not a cop-out, 00:26:22.240 --> 00:26:23.099 but it is an invitation. 00:26:23.659 --> 00:26:24.960 So if you'd like to talk more 00:26:24.960 --> 00:26:25.759 about the relationship 00:26:25.759 --> 00:26:26.519 of the Old Testament 00:26:26.519 --> 00:26:27.319 to the New Testament, 00:26:27.819 --> 00:26:28.379 of the Sabbath 00:26:28.379 --> 00:26:29.259 to New Testament Christians, 00:26:29.339 --> 00:26:30.159 I'm happy to do it. 00:26:30.619 --> 00:26:31.419 I'm more than happy 00:26:31.419 --> 00:26:31.899 to sit down 00:26:31.899 --> 00:26:32.720 and have that conversation. 00:26:33.819 --> 00:26:34.519 But I'm going to make 00:26:34.519 --> 00:26:35.519 a brief argument right now 00:26:35.519 --> 00:26:37.319 for why the command 00:26:37.319 --> 00:26:38.259 from God to rest 00:26:38.259 --> 00:26:39.200 one day out of seven 00:26:39.200 --> 00:26:40.379 still applies to us. 00:26:41.019 --> 00:26:41.519 And at this point, 00:26:41.539 --> 00:26:42.439 I'm hoping that you hope 00:26:42.439 --> 00:26:43.980 it still applies to us, right? 00:26:44.419 --> 00:26:45.319 If God commands 00:26:45.319 --> 00:26:46.179 that we take one day 00:26:46.179 --> 00:26:46.659 out of seven, 00:26:46.740 --> 00:26:47.460 then we have a really 00:26:47.460 --> 00:26:48.519 good excuse to do it. 00:26:50.899 --> 00:26:51.579 First reason, 00:26:51.659 --> 00:26:52.339 it applies today. 00:26:52.419 --> 00:26:53.559 It's one of the Ten Commandments. 00:26:55.839 --> 00:26:56.859 So the Ten Commandments 00:26:56.859 --> 00:26:58.240 express God's moral law. 00:26:58.319 --> 00:26:58.799 That's his law 00:26:58.799 --> 00:26:59.679 that's unchanging 00:26:59.679 --> 00:27:00.419 throughout time. 00:27:00.420 --> 00:27:02.420 And God decided 00:27:02.420 --> 00:27:03.920 to put it in the Ten Commandments 00:27:03.920 --> 00:27:04.940 to make it clear to us 00:27:04.940 --> 00:27:05.660 that this is something 00:27:05.660 --> 00:27:06.880 that's for all people. 00:27:08.620 --> 00:27:09.019 Second, 00:27:09.120 --> 00:27:10.200 it's rooted in creation 00:27:10.200 --> 00:27:10.860 and redemption. 00:27:12.500 --> 00:27:13.279 It's part of 00:27:13.279 --> 00:27:14.560 the creation story 00:27:14.560 --> 00:27:15.320 that God took 00:27:15.320 --> 00:27:16.440 one day off in seven. 00:27:17.180 --> 00:27:17.880 It's not something 00:27:17.880 --> 00:27:18.720 that just appeared 00:27:18.720 --> 00:27:19.259 magically 00:27:19.259 --> 00:27:20.980 when God's people 00:27:20.980 --> 00:27:21.500 left Egypt, 00:27:22.160 --> 00:27:22.920 but it's something 00:27:22.920 --> 00:27:23.539 that was intended 00:27:23.539 --> 00:27:24.360 from the very beginning 00:27:24.360 --> 00:27:24.900 of the world. 00:27:25.259 --> 00:27:26.420 So it's rooted in creation. 00:27:27.140 --> 00:27:27.539 Second, 00:27:27.640 --> 00:27:28.460 it's rooted in redemption. 00:27:28.640 --> 00:27:29.720 We're told in Deuteronomy 5, 00:27:29.720 --> 00:27:30.620 as I mentioned before, 00:27:31.299 --> 00:27:31.880 that the reason 00:27:31.880 --> 00:27:32.380 for the Sabbath 00:27:32.380 --> 00:27:33.160 is that God's people 00:27:33.160 --> 00:27:34.019 aren't slaves anymore. 00:27:35.779 --> 00:27:36.519 And when 00:27:36.519 --> 00:27:39.039 Jesus rose from the dead, 00:27:39.100 --> 00:27:39.860 we did not suddenly 00:27:39.860 --> 00:27:40.660 become slaves 00:27:40.660 --> 00:27:41.380 in Egypt again. 00:27:42.420 --> 00:27:42.759 In fact, 00:27:42.839 --> 00:27:43.420 if anything, 00:27:43.559 --> 00:27:44.440 we are even more, 00:27:45.259 --> 00:27:45.700 we have an even 00:27:45.700 --> 00:27:46.539 greater redemption. 00:27:48.380 --> 00:27:49.059 Now at this point, 00:27:49.120 --> 00:27:49.480 you're thinking, 00:27:49.779 --> 00:27:50.400 you might be thinking, 00:27:50.480 --> 00:27:50.579 well, 00:27:50.660 --> 00:27:51.759 the Sabbath in the Old Testament 00:27:51.759 --> 00:27:52.600 was on Saturday, 00:27:52.980 --> 00:27:54.120 and that's the seventh day. 00:27:55.440 --> 00:27:56.299 And you'd be right. 00:27:57.440 --> 00:27:58.200 So what changes 00:27:58.200 --> 00:27:58.819 in the New Testament? 00:27:58.819 --> 00:27:59.439 In the New Testament, 00:27:59.519 --> 00:28:00.379 we see a change 00:28:00.379 --> 00:28:01.159 from the seventh day 00:28:01.159 --> 00:28:01.960 to the first day. 00:28:02.679 --> 00:28:03.539 And there's all sorts 00:28:03.539 --> 00:28:04.220 of reasons for that. 00:28:04.299 --> 00:28:05.319 The primary reason is 00:28:05.319 --> 00:28:05.980 it's the first day 00:28:05.980 --> 00:28:06.319 of the week 00:28:06.319 --> 00:28:06.740 is the day 00:28:06.740 --> 00:28:07.679 that Jesus rose 00:28:07.679 --> 00:28:08.259 from the dead. 00:28:09.139 --> 00:28:10.099 Another way of putting it 00:28:10.099 --> 00:28:10.659 would be this. 00:28:11.059 --> 00:28:12.559 God rested on the seventh day 00:28:12.559 --> 00:28:14.879 from his work. 00:28:15.480 --> 00:28:16.460 What day did Jesus 00:28:16.460 --> 00:28:17.279 rest from his work? 00:28:18.980 --> 00:28:19.859 The first day, 00:28:20.359 --> 00:28:21.139 because that's the day 00:28:21.139 --> 00:28:21.939 he rose from the dead. 00:28:23.559 --> 00:28:24.720 God rested on the seventh. 00:28:25.720 --> 00:28:26.879 Jesus rested on the first. 00:28:26.880 --> 00:28:28.980 People in the Old Testament 00:28:28.980 --> 00:28:29.840 looked forward 00:28:29.840 --> 00:28:30.660 to God's redemption, 00:28:30.860 --> 00:28:31.680 so they started the week 00:28:31.680 --> 00:28:32.220 and looked forward 00:28:32.220 --> 00:28:33.020 to the seventh day. 00:28:34.420 --> 00:28:35.560 We start our week 00:28:35.560 --> 00:28:37.240 knowing about God's redemption. 00:28:39.400 --> 00:28:40.680 So the moral command 00:28:40.680 --> 00:28:41.620 still remains. 00:28:41.700 --> 00:28:42.540 It's in the Ten Commandments. 00:28:42.640 --> 00:28:43.440 The day has changed. 00:28:43.500 --> 00:28:44.060 We see that because 00:28:44.060 --> 00:28:45.300 it's modeled in the New Testament. 00:28:45.480 --> 00:28:46.440 We see Christians meeting 00:28:46.440 --> 00:28:48.420 on the first day of the week. 00:28:48.880 --> 00:28:49.620 That's when they meet. 00:28:49.720 --> 00:28:50.360 We see them meeting 00:28:50.360 --> 00:28:51.740 with Paul in Acts chapter 20 00:28:51.740 --> 00:28:52.860 when he preaches. 00:28:53.000 --> 00:28:53.680 That's when Eutychus, 00:28:53.760 --> 00:28:54.040 by the way, 00:28:54.100 --> 00:28:54.820 falls out of a window 00:28:54.819 --> 00:28:55.319 and dies. 00:28:55.419 --> 00:28:56.179 That's a whole other story. 00:28:56.299 --> 00:28:57.480 Paul preaches for too long. 00:28:57.980 --> 00:28:58.700 So if you ever want 00:28:58.700 --> 00:28:59.339 to confront a preacher 00:28:59.339 --> 00:29:00.879 about preaching too long, 00:29:00.939 --> 00:29:01.639 you can remind them 00:29:01.639 --> 00:29:02.799 that people die sometimes 00:29:02.799 --> 00:29:03.700 when you talk for too long. 00:29:06.359 --> 00:29:07.740 We also see in 1 Corinthians 00:29:07.740 --> 00:29:08.480 chapter 16, 00:29:08.599 --> 00:29:09.419 Paul commands the church 00:29:09.419 --> 00:29:11.139 to be collecting their tithes 00:29:11.139 --> 00:29:12.179 on the first day of the week. 00:29:14.079 --> 00:29:15.439 And it's something that we know 00:29:15.439 --> 00:29:16.119 just from the history 00:29:16.119 --> 00:29:16.740 of the church, right? 00:29:16.740 --> 00:29:17.299 As we look back 00:29:17.299 --> 00:29:17.759 to the beginning, 00:29:17.839 --> 00:29:18.799 the reason we meet on Sunday 00:29:18.799 --> 00:29:20.460 is that this is what 00:29:20.460 --> 00:29:21.099 the church has done. 00:29:21.159 --> 00:29:21.960 There was an understanding 00:29:21.960 --> 00:29:22.840 that the day changed. 00:29:25.380 --> 00:29:26.259 I'm well aware 00:29:26.259 --> 00:29:26.880 of Paul's words 00:29:26.880 --> 00:29:27.720 in Romans 14, 00:29:27.880 --> 00:29:28.519 Colossians 2, 00:29:28.640 --> 00:29:29.420 Colossians 4 00:29:29.420 --> 00:29:30.920 about Sabbath days. 00:29:31.360 --> 00:29:32.259 I'm just going to say briefly, 00:29:32.360 --> 00:29:32.960 I think two things 00:29:32.960 --> 00:29:33.640 are going on there. 00:29:33.700 --> 00:29:35.680 One, there was a transfer 00:29:35.680 --> 00:29:36.840 when people who were Jews 00:29:36.840 --> 00:29:37.759 then became Christians. 00:29:37.900 --> 00:29:38.500 Some of them wanted 00:29:38.500 --> 00:29:39.640 to continue observing 00:29:39.640 --> 00:29:40.799 the Sabbath day on Saturday. 00:29:41.940 --> 00:29:42.740 So I think part of what 00:29:42.740 --> 00:29:43.519 Paul's talking about there 00:29:43.519 --> 00:29:44.279 is that observance. 00:29:44.840 --> 00:29:45.460 And part of what he's 00:29:45.460 --> 00:29:46.240 talking about is 00:29:46.240 --> 00:29:48.700 the many ceremonial feasts 00:29:48.700 --> 00:29:49.759 and events that went along 00:29:49.759 --> 00:29:50.240 with the Sabbath. 00:29:50.240 --> 00:29:51.680 Again, we can talk about 00:29:51.680 --> 00:29:52.559 that more at another time 00:29:52.559 --> 00:29:53.120 if you'd like to. 00:29:54.000 --> 00:29:54.480 And finally, 00:29:54.660 --> 00:29:55.359 of my short, 00:29:55.460 --> 00:29:56.519 now slightly long argument, 00:29:56.720 --> 00:29:57.859 Hebrews 4 tells us 00:29:57.859 --> 00:29:58.920 there remains a Sabbath 00:29:58.920 --> 00:29:59.700 for God's people. 00:30:01.539 --> 00:30:02.799 That we have not fully 00:30:02.799 --> 00:30:04.400 entered the rest 00:30:04.400 --> 00:30:05.519 that Christ offers for us, 00:30:05.539 --> 00:30:06.319 but we persevere 00:30:06.319 --> 00:30:07.480 and we look forward to it. 00:30:09.319 --> 00:30:10.519 So that's my brief argument 00:30:10.519 --> 00:30:10.880 for you, 00:30:10.920 --> 00:30:11.400 that the Sabbath 00:30:11.400 --> 00:30:12.359 still applies today. 00:30:12.680 --> 00:30:13.359 We can talk more 00:30:13.359 --> 00:30:13.720 if you'd like. 00:30:13.779 --> 00:30:14.220 This is also, 00:30:14.319 --> 00:30:14.640 by the way, 00:30:14.660 --> 00:30:16.099 I'll give a two-second plug 00:30:16.099 --> 00:30:16.940 for Chris Bradley's 00:30:16.940 --> 00:30:17.519 Ten Commandments 00:30:17.519 --> 00:30:18.319 Sunday School class. 00:30:18.319 --> 00:30:19.519 This is why we continue 00:30:19.519 --> 00:30:21.019 to study God's Word 00:30:21.019 --> 00:30:22.500 after we have 00:30:22.500 --> 00:30:23.220 our worship service 00:30:23.220 --> 00:30:23.980 because this is a time 00:30:23.980 --> 00:30:25.099 for us to delve deep 00:30:25.099 --> 00:30:26.000 into some of these questions 00:30:26.000 --> 00:30:27.139 and that Sunday School class 00:30:27.139 --> 00:30:27.740 has done that. 00:30:27.819 --> 00:30:28.859 So if you've been in that class, 00:30:29.439 --> 00:30:29.779 you have spent 00:30:29.779 --> 00:30:30.799 a much longer time 00:30:30.799 --> 00:30:31.960 than I'm able to devote 00:30:31.960 --> 00:30:32.819 to this talking about 00:30:32.819 --> 00:30:34.220 the Old Testament Sabbath 00:30:34.220 --> 00:30:34.859 and how it applies 00:30:34.859 --> 00:30:35.519 to the New Testament. 00:30:37.759 --> 00:30:38.159 Finally, 00:30:38.579 --> 00:30:40.859 if the Sabbath is good for us, 00:30:40.879 --> 00:30:41.619 if it's God's gift 00:30:41.619 --> 00:30:43.500 and it still is in effect today, 00:30:43.539 --> 00:30:44.359 how do we apply it? 00:30:44.359 --> 00:30:47.059 Quite simply, 00:30:47.159 --> 00:30:47.919 if we are able to, 00:30:48.959 --> 00:30:50.079 we don't work on Sunday. 00:30:52.879 --> 00:30:54.019 Al Clark tells me 00:30:54.019 --> 00:30:54.839 that spreadsheets 00:30:54.839 --> 00:30:55.579 are work for him 00:30:55.579 --> 00:30:57.479 so he does not open up 00:30:57.479 --> 00:30:58.439 Excel on Sunday. 00:31:02.000 --> 00:31:02.959 If you're a student, 00:31:04.459 --> 00:31:05.699 plan your six days 00:31:05.699 --> 00:31:07.599 so that you can have 00:31:07.599 --> 00:31:08.859 a day off from homework. 00:31:10.379 --> 00:31:11.019 Now I'm going to give 00:31:11.019 --> 00:31:11.919 one caveat here. 00:31:12.000 --> 00:31:12.879 It's been recognized 00:31:12.879 --> 00:31:13.779 throughout all of the church. 00:31:13.779 --> 00:31:14.680 Jesus made this clear 00:31:14.680 --> 00:31:15.879 that there is such a thing 00:31:15.879 --> 00:31:16.839 as works of necessity. 00:31:17.059 --> 00:31:17.660 So for example, 00:31:17.759 --> 00:31:19.420 if you are an ER doctor, 00:31:20.039 --> 00:31:21.319 I'm really hoping 00:31:21.319 --> 00:31:21.980 there are some Sundays 00:31:21.980 --> 00:31:22.539 that you work. 00:31:24.440 --> 00:31:25.539 And if you're a policeman 00:31:25.539 --> 00:31:26.740 or a fireman, 00:31:27.160 --> 00:31:28.539 I am really praying 00:31:28.539 --> 00:31:29.339 that the policemen 00:31:29.339 --> 00:31:30.160 in Colorado Springs 00:31:30.160 --> 00:31:31.240 don't all take Sunday off. 00:31:33.680 --> 00:31:34.660 But if you are able, 00:31:34.799 --> 00:31:36.639 if your work is not necessary 00:31:36.639 --> 00:31:38.200 for society to keep on functioning, 00:31:38.299 --> 00:31:39.599 for people to have mercy 00:31:39.599 --> 00:31:40.299 given to them, 00:31:41.740 --> 00:31:42.539 take Sunday off. 00:31:43.779 --> 00:31:45.500 second, 00:31:46.279 --> 00:31:47.599 worship here with us 00:31:47.599 --> 00:31:48.079 on Sunday. 00:31:49.160 --> 00:31:50.639 God gives his people rest, 00:31:51.059 --> 00:31:52.079 but part of that rest 00:31:52.079 --> 00:31:53.180 is returning to him 00:31:53.180 --> 00:31:53.799 and his ways. 00:31:55.200 --> 00:31:56.180 And so we honor 00:31:56.180 --> 00:31:56.899 the Lord's day 00:31:56.899 --> 00:31:58.139 by not doing our work. 00:31:58.220 --> 00:31:59.119 We also honor it 00:31:59.119 --> 00:32:00.639 by coming and worshiping 00:32:00.639 --> 00:32:01.220 with his people. 00:32:04.420 --> 00:32:05.160 And finally, 00:32:05.259 --> 00:32:06.339 as much as you are able, 00:32:06.420 --> 00:32:07.240 as much as we're able, 00:32:08.299 --> 00:32:09.619 let's take a break. 00:32:09.619 --> 00:32:12.239 let's take a break 00:32:12.239 --> 00:32:13.519 from the non-stop 00:32:13.519 --> 00:32:14.559 American economy. 00:32:16.339 --> 00:32:17.099 If it can wait 00:32:17.099 --> 00:32:17.599 till Monday, 00:32:18.239 --> 00:32:19.299 let's let it wait 00:32:19.299 --> 00:32:19.739 till Monday. 00:32:21.259 --> 00:32:22.019 If it can get done 00:32:22.019 --> 00:32:22.539 on Saturday, 00:32:23.399 --> 00:32:24.699 let's do it on Saturday. 00:32:25.879 --> 00:32:26.459 I'll just say 00:32:26.459 --> 00:32:26.959 there are ways 00:32:26.959 --> 00:32:27.419 to do this 00:32:27.419 --> 00:32:28.239 that are wise 00:32:28.239 --> 00:32:29.799 without being 00:32:29.799 --> 00:32:31.219 legalistic or rigid. 00:32:32.439 --> 00:32:33.459 So I'm not asking you 00:32:33.459 --> 00:32:34.159 to be a legalist, 00:32:34.199 --> 00:32:34.719 I'm not asking you 00:32:34.719 --> 00:32:35.339 to be a Pharisee. 00:32:35.399 --> 00:32:36.299 What I am saying is this, 00:32:36.379 --> 00:32:37.599 God's gift to us 00:32:37.599 --> 00:32:38.079 is the Sabbath 00:32:38.079 --> 00:32:39.119 and it's good for us. 00:32:39.960 --> 00:32:41.159 And whatever we can do 00:32:41.159 --> 00:32:42.500 to have that rest, 00:32:42.619 --> 00:32:43.460 to worship God 00:32:43.460 --> 00:32:44.480 and protect ourselves, 00:32:44.720 --> 00:32:45.680 we should do. 00:32:47.099 --> 00:32:48.019 And we do all 00:32:48.019 --> 00:32:48.759 of these things 00:32:48.759 --> 00:32:50.940 not because we're Pharisees, 00:32:51.019 --> 00:32:51.960 not out of legalism, 00:32:52.259 --> 00:32:53.839 not because we're trying 00:32:53.839 --> 00:32:55.099 to prove something to God, 00:32:55.180 --> 00:32:56.200 but because of everything 00:32:56.200 --> 00:32:57.119 that we've seen already 00:32:57.119 --> 00:32:58.899 that God has redeemed us. 00:33:00.019 --> 00:33:01.200 He redeemed his people 00:33:01.200 --> 00:33:01.940 in the Old Testament 00:33:01.940 --> 00:33:02.700 from slavery. 00:33:02.700 --> 00:33:06.559 And how much more 00:33:06.559 --> 00:33:07.580 has he redeemed us 00:33:07.580 --> 00:33:08.539 in the New Testament 00:33:08.539 --> 00:33:10.319 through Christ's death 00:33:10.319 --> 00:33:11.100 and resurrection 00:33:11.100 --> 00:33:11.880 and his work? 00:33:13.220 --> 00:33:13.640 If you notice, 00:33:13.740 --> 00:33:14.259 we've been talking 00:33:14.259 --> 00:33:15.220 about sonship 00:33:15.220 --> 00:33:16.440 in our confession of faith 00:33:16.440 --> 00:33:17.519 on Sundays mornings. 00:33:19.600 --> 00:33:21.259 The opposite of a son 00:33:21.259 --> 00:33:22.000 in the passage 00:33:22.000 --> 00:33:22.700 that we've been reading 00:33:22.700 --> 00:33:23.400 from Galatians 00:33:23.400 --> 00:33:24.420 is a slave. 00:33:25.640 --> 00:33:26.980 Because of Christ's work 00:33:26.980 --> 00:33:27.380 for us, 00:33:27.440 --> 00:33:29.420 we are not slaves anymore. 00:33:30.779 --> 00:33:32.000 And so he cares for us. 00:33:32.000 --> 00:33:33.759 We can take a day off a week 00:33:33.759 --> 00:33:34.880 because we trust him. 00:33:36.240 --> 00:33:37.460 We know that no matter 00:33:37.460 --> 00:33:38.900 what happens in our economy 00:33:38.900 --> 00:33:39.559 and our world, 00:33:39.619 --> 00:33:40.279 it is God 00:33:40.279 --> 00:33:41.799 who holds us up 00:33:41.799 --> 00:33:43.059 and sustains us. 00:33:47.099 --> 00:33:48.720 In the 19th century, 00:33:50.019 --> 00:33:50.859 it's around the time 00:33:50.859 --> 00:33:52.140 that insurance was introduced. 00:33:53.740 --> 00:33:55.079 And there was a big problem 00:33:55.079 --> 00:33:56.480 at that time 00:33:56.480 --> 00:33:57.359 when insurance was introduced 00:33:57.359 --> 00:33:58.200 because there were people 00:33:58.200 --> 00:33:59.759 who were unscrupulous 00:33:59.759 --> 00:34:00.799 and they wanted to take advantage 00:34:00.799 --> 00:34:01.539 of this new thing 00:34:01.539 --> 00:34:03.099 that they could make claims for 00:34:03.099 --> 00:34:03.759 and get a lot of money. 00:34:03.879 --> 00:34:04.779 And so one of the groups 00:34:04.779 --> 00:34:05.659 of people who took advantage 00:34:05.659 --> 00:34:07.920 of it were unethical ship owners. 00:34:08.759 --> 00:34:09.619 And these ship owners 00:34:09.619 --> 00:34:10.239 would take out 00:34:10.239 --> 00:34:12.199 large insurance policies 00:34:12.199 --> 00:34:13.739 and then they would 00:34:13.739 --> 00:34:14.539 purposefully overload 00:34:15.119 --> 00:34:15.659 their ships 00:34:15.659 --> 00:34:16.719 with too much weight, 00:34:17.059 --> 00:34:17.639 too much cargo. 00:34:19.519 --> 00:34:20.320 And then the ship 00:34:20.320 --> 00:34:20.940 would get out 00:34:20.940 --> 00:34:21.519 into the sea 00:34:21.519 --> 00:34:22.059 and it would sink 00:34:22.059 --> 00:34:23.099 because it had too much 00:34:23.099 --> 00:34:24.800 that it was carrying. 00:34:25.860 --> 00:34:26.079 In fact, 00:34:26.119 --> 00:34:27.079 this happened so often 00:34:27.079 --> 00:34:27.960 that these ships 00:34:27.960 --> 00:34:28.460 became known 00:34:28.460 --> 00:34:29.440 as coffin ships. 00:34:31.960 --> 00:34:32.779 So there was a man, 00:34:32.920 --> 00:34:34.299 a British legislator 00:34:34.299 --> 00:34:35.699 named Samuel Plymsell 00:34:35.699 --> 00:34:38.019 and this man decided 00:34:38.019 --> 00:34:39.019 something had to be done 00:34:39.019 --> 00:34:39.460 about this 00:34:39.460 --> 00:34:40.579 and so he passed an act 00:34:40.579 --> 00:34:41.480 to deal with this 00:34:41.480 --> 00:34:42.759 and what it became known 00:34:42.759 --> 00:34:43.199 as the, 00:34:43.579 --> 00:34:43.920 well, 00:34:44.000 --> 00:34:45.179 it was the Merchant Shipping Act 00:34:45.179 --> 00:34:46.360 but they instituted 00:34:46.360 --> 00:34:46.980 what became known 00:34:46.980 --> 00:34:48.319 as the Plymsell Line. 00:34:48.860 --> 00:34:49.819 And this was a line 00:34:49.819 --> 00:34:50.519 that would be painted 00:34:50.519 --> 00:34:51.239 around the hull 00:34:51.239 --> 00:34:51.799 of a ship. 00:34:52.940 --> 00:34:54.000 Everyone could see the line 00:34:54.000 --> 00:34:55.539 and if the line 00:34:55.539 --> 00:34:56.599 was under the water, 00:34:57.380 --> 00:34:58.440 you knew that the ship 00:34:58.440 --> 00:34:59.320 was overloaded. 00:35:00.039 --> 00:35:01.460 So everyone could look 00:35:01.460 --> 00:35:01.980 at your boat 00:35:01.980 --> 00:35:02.880 and see if you had 00:35:02.880 --> 00:35:03.880 a coffin ship or not. 00:35:06.599 --> 00:35:07.420 They would know 00:35:07.420 --> 00:35:07.920 if you had put 00:35:07.920 --> 00:35:08.679 too much cargo 00:35:08.679 --> 00:35:09.599 on your ship. 00:35:11.239 --> 00:35:11.639 And so instead 00:35:11.639 --> 00:35:12.519 of coffin ships, 00:35:12.860 --> 00:35:13.460 Plymsell worked 00:35:13.460 --> 00:35:14.440 so that these sailors, 00:35:14.599 --> 00:35:15.500 the people sailing them, 00:35:15.539 --> 00:35:16.260 would have life. 00:35:17.320 --> 00:35:18.559 That they wouldn't die 00:35:18.559 --> 00:35:19.920 from being overloaded 00:35:19.920 --> 00:35:21.039 and overweighted. 00:35:21.039 --> 00:35:24.380 brothers and sisters, 00:35:25.800 --> 00:35:27.259 God has asked us, 00:35:27.440 --> 00:35:27.960 commanded us 00:35:27.960 --> 00:35:28.599 to take off 00:35:28.599 --> 00:35:29.659 one day in seven 00:35:29.659 --> 00:35:32.420 because he wants us 00:35:32.420 --> 00:35:33.139 to have life 00:35:33.139 --> 00:35:35.159 and he wants us 00:35:35.159 --> 00:35:35.860 to protect, 00:35:36.059 --> 00:35:37.099 he wants to protect us 00:35:37.099 --> 00:35:38.400 from overloading ourselves 00:35:38.400 --> 00:35:40.380 so that we would not sink. 00:35:41.980 --> 00:35:43.639 And so it's this great gift 00:35:43.639 --> 00:35:44.119 to us 00:35:44.119 --> 00:35:44.900 and he does it 00:35:44.900 --> 00:35:46.800 because he loves us. 00:35:47.800 --> 00:35:49.219 And so we can obey him 00:35:49.219 --> 00:35:50.539 showing and building 00:35:50.539 --> 00:35:51.199 and expressing 00:35:51.199 --> 00:35:52.000 our confidence 00:35:52.000 --> 00:35:53.259 and our trust 00:35:53.259 --> 00:35:54.000 in him. 00:35:55.119 --> 00:35:56.099 Please pray with me. 00:35:58.340 --> 00:35:59.320 Dear Father in heaven, 00:35:59.440 --> 00:36:00.500 we thank you 00:36:00.500 --> 00:36:01.759 that you do long 00:36:01.759 --> 00:36:02.659 for us to have life 00:36:02.659 --> 00:36:05.659 and so you protect us. 00:36:06.059 --> 00:36:06.699 You long for us 00:36:06.699 --> 00:36:07.320 to have rest 00:36:07.320 --> 00:36:08.480 and so you've redeemed us. 00:36:09.500 --> 00:36:10.559 We ask that you would 00:36:10.559 --> 00:36:11.219 drive it deep 00:36:11.219 --> 00:36:11.840 into our hearts 00:36:11.840 --> 00:36:12.519 that we would know 00:36:12.519 --> 00:36:13.340 and understand 00:36:13.340 --> 00:36:15.059 how much you love us. 00:36:15.840 --> 00:36:16.820 And it would help us 00:36:16.820 --> 00:36:17.619 to take a break 00:36:17.619 --> 00:36:18.360 knowing that 00:36:18.360 --> 00:36:19.099 not a hair 00:36:19.099 --> 00:36:20.300 can fall from our heads, 00:36:20.539 --> 00:36:21.519 without you knowing. 00:36:22.840 --> 00:36:24.440 We ask all these things 00:36:24.440 --> 00:36:26.000 not because we have earned them 00:36:26.000 --> 00:36:27.820 but because Jesus 00:36:27.820 --> 00:36:29.019 has earned them for us 00:36:29.019 --> 00:36:30.119 and so he's given us 00:36:30.119 --> 00:36:30.860 rest 00:36:30.860 --> 00:36:31.900 and life 00:36:31.900 --> 00:36:32.539 and provision. 00:36:33.059 --> 00:36:33.719 So we ask them 00:36:33.719 --> 00:36:34.259 in his name. 00:36:34.940 --> 00:36:35.159 Amen.