All right, well, this morning we come to one of the more challenging sermons that I may ever preach.
And we are compelled to go here because as we've been working our way through the story of Jesus and the Gospel of Luke,
we see this come up again and again.
We're talking today about the issue of the Sabbath.
And last Sunday we began to dig into this issue.
I explained how the Sabbath was the seventh day of the week,
counted from Friday at sundown to Saturday at sundown.
And we read the commandment that was given at Sinai
about how the Israelites were to keep that seventh day of the week holy and do no work.
From there we talked about how Israel went from blatant disregard for that commandment
into a hyper-legalistic, man-made religion of their own,
adding on countless rules and regulations which truly burdened the people
on the day that God intended for their burdens to be alleviated.
We saw in Luke chapter 6, verse 1 to 5, how Jesus was walking along with his disciples
and they were going through the grain fields on the Sabbath day
and he and his disciples were rebuked by the Pharisees
for gleaning and eating some of the wheat on their way by.
They charged Jesus and his disciples with breaking the law on the Sabbath.
And we looked at each of the Gospel accounts of that encounter
and saw how Jesus responded.
They were not guilty as far as the Old Testament commandment was concerned.
Jesus said they were innocent.
And he said also on that occasion that the Sabbath was made for the benefit of people,
not people for the benefit of the Sabbath.
And then we ended with Jesus' jaw-dropping claim to be the Lord of the Sabbath,
the one who is in charge of it,
and therefore the one to judge what was and wasn't a violation of the commandment.
Well, as we continue on through the Gospel of Luke,
we're going to see Jesus come into conflict with the Pharisees
three more times on this issue of Sabbath.
But before we go on to these passages,
I want to take a message here to speak about
how these passages on the Sabbath apply to us as followers of Jesus today.
These are the questions that we ended with last Sunday.
Must we as followers of Jesus keep the Sabbath?
And if so, how?
Is Sunday now to be our Sabbath day?
Or was the Sabbath commandment only fit to the Old Covenant?
This has been a point of division among followers of Jesus
since the earliest days of the church.
Men and women who love Jesus and who love the Word of God
have come to different answers on these questions.
We could skip over these passages
or just not try to apply them for unity's sake,
but I think it's better to grapple with them head on.
And so I want to begin this morning with two,
what I'll call North Star passages.
These are the passages we should keep before us
on this issue of the Sabbath.
And I believe they are clear enough
and strong enough to help us find our way through this issue
without dividing over it.
So North Star passage number one
is found in Colossians chapter two,
verse 16.
This is the Apostle Paul writing to the church at Colossae.
And he says,
Therefore,
do not let anyone judge you
by what you eat or drink
or with regard to a religious festival,
a new moon celebration,
or a Sabbath day.
These are a shadow of the things that were to come.
The reality,
the reality, however,
is found in Christ.
Whatever conclusion you come to
from the Bible
about the Sabbath day,
no one
has any right
to judge you
or condemn you
for how you do
or don't
observe the Sabbath.
Isn't that what he's saying?
Therefore,
do not let anyone judge you
by what you eat or drink
or with regard to a religious festival,
a new moon celebration,
or a Sabbath day.
whatever conclusion you come to
from the Bible
about the Sabbath day,
no one has any right
to judge you
or condemn you
for how you do
or don't
observe the Sabbath.
That Paul can make a statement
like this
about something as significant
as the fourth commandment
should be enough
to let us know
that with the coming of Christ,
things have changed
big time
for those who have faith
in Jesus.
In the past,
it was the responsibility
of the leaders
and elders
in Israel
to deal
with sin
in the camp,
which included
the sin
of breaking
the fourth commandment.
Let's remember,
I know I read it last Sunday,
but for those of you
who were not here
last Sunday,
let's remember
just what the Lord commanded
when he gave
the Ten Commandments
at Mount Sinai.
This is from Exodus
chapter 20
verse 8.
The Lord said,
Remember the Sabbath day
by keeping it holy.
Six days
you shall labor
and do all your work,
but the seventh day
is a Sabbath
to the Lord your God.
On it
you shall not do
any work,
neither you
nor your son
or daughter
nor your male
or female servant
nor your animals
nor any foreigner
residing
in your towns.
For in six days
the Lord made
the heavens
and the earth
the sea
and all that is in them,
but he rested
on the seventh day.
Therefore,
the Lord blessed
the Sabbath day
and made it holy.
Now let's read about
what happened
on one occasion
not too long
after this command
was given
when a man
deliberately
disregarded
the Sabbath day
and went out
to work on it.
From Numbers
chapter 15
verse 32.
While the Israelites
were in the wilderness,
a man was found
gathering wood
on the Sabbath day.
Those who found
him gathering wood
brought him to Moses
and Aaron
and the whole assembly
and they kept him
in custody
because it was not
clear what should
be done
to him.
Then the Lord
said to Moses,
the man
must die.
The whole assembly
must stone him
outside the camp.
So the assembly
took him outside
the camp
and stoned him
to death
as the Lord
commanded Moses.
What we see here
is that
defying God,
disobeying
his commandments
is a serious,
serious thing.
It was serious
enough that
God himself
said,
this man
deserves to die.
This is one
of about
six incidents
in the Old Testament,
some before
and even some
after the exile
when the people
of Israel
were clearly
liable to judgment
because of a failure
to keep
the Sabbath day
holy
as God
had commanded.
Well,
with the coming
of Christ
and his church,
there are also
imperatives
given to us
about
dealing with sin
in the church.
We are called
to correct
and rebuke
one another.
We're called
to confront
a brother or sister
who is sinning.
Sin is still
serious
and yet
when it comes
to Sabbath
it would seem
that we may not
correct
or rebuke
one another.
As Paul says,
do not let
anyone judge
you
with regard
to a
Sabbath day.
If working
on the Sabbath
is a sin,
how can Paul
say this?
And if we look
carefully at this
we see that Paul
does two things
here.
First,
he lumps
the Sabbath
in with three
other things
that were commanded
in the Old Testament
and nearly
all Christians
agree that we
do not need
to keep the
commands
in the law
for these first
three things
in the list.
The first one
is,
do not let
anyone judge
you by what
you eat
or drink.
We do not
need to obey
the commands
given to Israel
regarding food
and drink
or eating
what is
unclean
or clean.
Jesus himself
declared
all foods
clean.
That's found
in Mark
chapter 7
verse 18
where Jesus
says,
don't you see
that nothing
that enters
a person
from the
outside
can defile
them?
For it
doesn't go
into their
heart
but into
their stomach
and then
out of the
body.
In saying
this,
Jesus declared
all foods
clean.
With the
coming of
Christ,
there's a
massive
change
in God's
relationship
with man.
The old
garment
is to be
set aside
and the
new garment
to be
worn
instead.
We do
not need
to obey
those old
commands
given to
Israel
pertaining
to food
and drink.
Neither
do we need
to observe
the annual
religious
festivals.
The festivals
were deeply
connected
with journeying
up to the
temple in
Jerusalem
and with
the special
sacrifices
which were
to be
offered
there on
those
occasions.
We heard
last week
Jesus say
in Matthew
chapter 12
verse 6,
I tell you
something
greater
than the
temple
is here.
Jesus would
then foretell
how the city
of Jerusalem
and the temple
would soon be
destroyed
and the good
news of Jesus
would be
proclaimed all
over the
world so
that even
the Gentiles
might be
included in
Christ as
well.
And so
naturally the
temple
sacrifices that
were commanded
and the
annual festivals
in Jerusalem
that were
commanded
would no
longer be
required to
be observed
for the
churches that
were arising
all over the
world.
The third
thing he
mentions is
the new
moon
celebration.
This is
actually a
reference to
the monthly
sacrifices that
were commanded
to be offered
by the
priests.
this is
found in
Numbers 28
verse 11.
And I
think we
all kind
of just
intuitively
know that
this is not
something that
we are required
to do as
followers of
Jesus today.
And so on
these three
things we
can all agree
that we do
not need
to observe
what God
commanded in
the Old
Testament law.
We easily
recognize them
as pertaining
to the Old
Covenant.
but Paul
lumps in
with these
three
Sabbath
days.
This is
our signal
from the
word of
God that
the Sabbath
commandment
itself is
of the same
sort of stuff
as the food
and drink
laws,
the religious
festivals,
and the
monthly
sacrifices.
Not only
does Paul
lump the
Sabbath in
with those
other things
but second,
he states
that the
Sabbath was
merely a
shadow which
points to
Christ, the
substance or
the reality.
We were
meant to see
the shadows
and truly the
Israelites were
meant to keep
these shadows.
It was a
matter of
obedience and
disobedience for
them.
But the
shadows were
given so that
ultimately we
would follow the
shadow to the
substance.
Christ.
And with
him having
come, it
doesn't make
sense to
cling to the
shadow.
We need to
cling to the
one the
shadows point
to, to
Jesus.
This metaphor
of shadow
and substance
is also used
by the author
of Hebrews
to describe
how the
old and
temporary
must give
way to
the new
reality.
Look at
Hebrews
chapter 10
verse 1.
The law
is only a
shadow of
the good
things that
are coming,
not the
realities
themselves.
He will
then go on
in this
passage to
describe how
the sacrifices
commanded in
the old
covenant law
were fulfilled
and made
unnecessary
forever by
Christ's once
for all
sacrifice which
inaugurated the
new covenant.
And so we
are meant to
move off from
the shadows
to the
reality, to
Christ and
his sacrifice,
the substance.
Similarly with
the Sabbath,
says Paul,
just like the
ceremonial food
laws and
festivals is a
shadow of
things to
come, the
reality, the
substance is
found in
Christ.
Let's think
about that for a
moment.
What does that
mean?
How is the
Sabbath, a
shadow, pointing
to Christ, the
ultimate reality?
Well, what was
the Sabbath all
about?
The Sabbath was
all about rest.
It was about
ceasing our
strivings and
finding rest in
the Lord.
Paul is saying
that Christ
himself is the
reality, that
Sabbath was
pointing to.
Jesus is our
ultimate rest.
Not a day of
the week, but a
person and a
relationship with
him.
He is the one
who truly brings
an end to all
of our toil and
all of our
strivings.
What did Jesus
say?
Matthew 11, 28.
He said,
come to me,
all you who
are weary
and burdened,
and I will
give you rest.
Take my
yoke upon you
and learn from
me, for I am
gentle and
humble in
heart,
and you will
find rest
for your
souls.
for my
yoke is
easy, and
my burden
is light.
So that's
North Star
passage number
one, Colossians
2, 16 and
17.
Do not let
anyone judge
you by what
you eat or
drink, or
with regard to
a religious
festival, a
new moon
celebration, or
a Sabbath
day.
These are a
shadow of the
things that were
to come.
The reality,
however, is
found in
Christ.
If we
can't even
judge a
brother or
sister's
keeping of
the Sabbath
anymore, then
surely the
commandment was
only binding
under the
old covenant
with Israel.
Paul speaks
of the
Sabbath among
other old
covenant things
that we know
we're not
beholden to,
and he tells
us that the
Sabbath's ultimate
reality has
come, and
that Jesus
is the
reality.
North Star
passage number
two, Romans
chapter 14,
verse 1 to
6.
Really just
5 and 6, but
we'll read from
1 to 6 to
kind of get
the context.
This is Paul
again writing to
the church at
Rome.
He says,
accept the
one whose faith
is weak,
without quarreling
over disputable
matters.
One person's
faith allows
them to eat
anything, but
another whose
faith is weak
eats only
vegetables.
The one who
eats everything
must not treat
with contempt the
one who does
not, and the
one who does
not eat
everything must
not judge the
one who does,
for God has
accepted them.
Who are you
to judge someone
else's servant?
To their own
master's servants
stand or fall,
and they will
stand, for the
Lord is able to
make them stand.
One person
considers one day
more sacred than
another.
Another considers
every day alike.
Each of them
should be fully
convinced in their
own mind.
Whoever regards
one day as
special does so
to the Lord.
Whoever eats
meat does so
to the Lord,
for they give
thanks to God,
and whoever
abstains does so
to the Lord,
and gives thanks
to God.
So Paul, again,
this time,
writing to the
church in Rome,
and this church
was a mixture of
Jewish and
Gentile believers,
some coming from
a background of
having observed
the Sabbath day
all their lives,
and some
having never.
He writes to
them about how
to handle what
he terms
disputable
matters.
Matters of
food and
drink,
and specifically
the issue of
how we consider
days in
relation to
each other.
First, let's
notice the
imperative of
Paul in
verse 1.
accept the
one whose
faith is
weak,
without
quarreling
over
disputable
matters.
And so
right off the
top, how
this is going
to end up,
how it should
end up, is
clear.
We're not to
break fellowship
with one
another over
these things.
We are to
accept one
another, even
if there are
differences among
us over
matters of
food and
drink, or
days of the
week.
we are to
accept as
brothers and
sisters those
who hold the
view that's
different from
ours.
And we're to
do so, he
says, without
quarreling,
without fighting
over these
things.
But now look at
what Paul says
with regard to
the days of the
week here in
verse 5 and
6.
One person
considers one
day more
sacred than
another.
Another
considers every
day alike.
Each of
them should
be fully
convinced in
their own
mind.
Whoever
regards one
day as
special does
so to the
Lord.
Notice how
Paul does
not condemn
the person
who considers
every day
alike.
If Christ
expected us to
keep the
Sabbath
commandment
just as they
did long
ago in
Israel, this
would have
been the
perfect
opportunity to
say it.
He could
have said,
one person
considers one
day more
sacred than
another.
Another
considers every
day alike,
but that
person
considering
every day
alike is
clearly not
keeping the
Sabbath day
holy.
They need to
be considering
that one
day, this
one day, as
special to
the Lord.
Keep it
holy to the
Lord.
But no,
Paul doesn't
say that.
Neither does
he condemn
the one who
regards one
day of the
week over
the others,
because he
does it to
the Lord.
So the
point here
is that
Sabbath
keeping is
no longer
a covenant
obligation for
those who
are in
Christ.
Rather, it
is now in
the arena of
Christian
freedom.
You may
observe a
day as
special to
the Lord,
like the
Israelites did
long ago,
or you
may consider
every day
alike.
A precious
gift of
God to
be lived in
worshipful
relationship to
him.
As with
what Paul
said in the
previous passage,
it's almost
impossible to
believe that
the fourth
commandment,
to keep the
Sabbath day
holy, is
binding on
all believers
everywhere.
How could it
be when Paul
validates the
one who
considers every
day alike,
rather than
calling that
attitude out as
immoral?
or sin?
And so these
are my two
North Star
passages when
it comes to
the issue of
the Sabbath.
I think that
taken together,
these are clear
enough to
help us see
that the
fourth
commandment,
as weighty
as it was
for Israel,
was not
carried forward
by God
into the
new covenant
as an
obligation.
And as
we've seen,
we're not to
judge one
another in
regard to
the Sabbath,
we're not to
quarrel over
it.
It's a
disputable
matter,
and we are
to accept
those who
come to a
different
conclusion than
we do.
That's really
the bulk of
my message for
this morning,
but there's so
many extra
things that we
could talk about
here, so just
some additional
thoughts in no
particular order.
The Sabbath
commandment was
the one
ceremonial commandment
of the ten.
Sometimes we
may struggle,
how could one
of the ten
not be
carried over?
Well, the
other nine
things, they
commanded things
that were
inherently good
or prohibited
things that were
inherently evil.
The Sabbath
was not like
that.
Murder, for
instance, was
evil long
before the
Ten Commandments
were given.
We see that all
through the
book of Genesis.
But working
on the seventh
day of the
week was not
immoral.
Those who
worked on the
seventh day
of the week
before the
commandment was
even given
were not
sinning.
They were not
doing something
wicked.
This was a
ceremonial commandment
and a societal
religious ordinance
intended only
for Israel
until Christ
came and
fulfilled it.
Another thing
to keep in mind
is that we
often confuse
the Sabbath
with Sunday.
Sunday.
And I think
it's an
innocent mistake.
Honestly, I
grew up thinking
Sunday was the
Sabbath day
and that those
who worked on
Sunday were
disregarding that.
We're simply
trying to read
and apply all
that the Bible
says about the
Sabbath to our
lives as followers
of Jesus.
But the weekly
Sabbath day in
the Bible was
always the
seventh day of
the week,
marked as the
Jews marked
days from
sunset on
Friday to
sunset on
Saturday.
Many of the
early churches
and followers
of Jesus
began to
meet for
fellowship and
worship on
the first day
of the week,
which was
Sunday.
Yet both
in Israel
and throughout
the Roman
Empire, the
first day of
the week,
Sunday,
was a work
day.
And so
what that
means is
that when
the church
gathered,
when Christians
gathered,
they either
met early
in the
morning and
then went
to work,
or they
went to
work and
then gathered
together in
the evening
after work.
It wasn't
until the
fourth century
that Sunday
was legally
declared to
be a day
of rest for
city dwellers,
magistrates,
and craftsmen
under Emperor
Constantine.
Furthermore,
the Bible
says nothing
about the
Sabbath day
being moved
to Sunday,
or shifted
from the
seventh day
of the week
to the
first day
of the week.
The commandment
as stated
in Exodus
20 is not
that we are
to take one
day in
seven to
rest,
but that we
are specifically
to rest on
the seventh
day,
which means
that for most
of us as
Christians,
we've never
kept the
Sabbath day
commandment,
except maybe
unintentionally.
There are
only two
places in
the entire
New Testament
where it's
even mentioned
about the
church gathering
on the
first day
of the week,
and this is
after the
resurrection of
Jesus.
One is in
the narrative
of Acts
chapter 20
verse 7
and refers
to,
did I lose
it there?
It refers
to the
gathering
of the
church
which Paul
stopped by
for the
night that
Eutychus
fell out
of the
window.
They met
on the
first day
of the
week that
time.
And the
other is
in Paul's
letter to
the Corinthian
church where
he tells
them to
put aside
money on
the first
day of
the week
to get
ready for
the collection
that Paul
was going
to make
for the
Jerusalem
gift.
So there's
hardly a
prescription
or a
mandate
in the
scriptures
for gathering
to worship
on the
first day
of the
week.
These are
maybe two
glimmers
in the
Bible of
the tradition
that emerged.
There's also
the mention
in Revelation
by the
Apostle
John of
the Lord's
day.
On the
Lord's day
I was in
the spirit
he said.
Most agree
that this
came to be a
Christian
reference to
the first day
of the week
since that's
the day that
Jesus rose
from the
dead and
that's the
day that
the church
began to
gather on
for worship.
But again
there's nothing
saying that the
Sabbath
became the
Lord's
day.
One of the
reasons why
Paul likely
taught what
he did about
the Sabbath
in these
two North
Star passages
is because
Sabbath
observance
actually
continued
amongst
Jewish
believers
in Israel.
It was
part of
the culture.
Everything
in Israel
ground to
a halt
on Friday
at sundown.
And so
it seems
the Jewish
Christians,
the Jewish
church there
just continued
doing what
they always
did.
They took
it as a
day to
rest.
But churches
elsewhere in
the Greco-Roman
world didn't
all do this.
Some of them
saw Sabbath
as distinctly
Jewish.
And they
just met for
fellowship and
worship after
work on
Sunday evening.
In fact,
there's even
more to it
than this.
For a time
in certain
regions,
Sabbath
observance
seems to
have become
popular among
Gentile
Christians.
For one,
there was a
certain
attractiveness
to it.
We've been
working seven
days a
week.
Take a
day off
every week
to rest?
Yes.
But then
there was
also the
influence of
the Jews
and even
the Judaizers
which sought
to compel
Christians to
keep the
Sabbath along
with the
other old
covenant
commandments.
And so in
some churches
they became
very opposed
to the
Sabbath
gathering,
to the
Sabbath
ordinance,
I mean.
And it
was important
to them
that we
worship
Christ
on the
Lord's
day,
but we
don't do
what the
Judaizers
are teaching
or what the
Jews are
trying to
force us
to do
on the
seventh
day.
Meanwhile,
in Israel,
some of the
Christians there,
it seems,
were likely to
do both.
They would
observe the
Sabbath day
and then they
would gather
for Christian
worship on
the first
day of
the week.
And so in
this context,
as things
kind of
developed and
the church
grew and
spread,
it's
understandable
why Paul
wrote what
he did
about the
Sabbath.
And it's
also evident
that the
Sabbath day
and the
Lord's
day were
never
conceived
of as
the same
thing by
the early
church.
The point
of all this
is to see
clearly that
keeping the
Sabbath is
not a
covenant
obligation for
Christians
today.
And yet,
as Jesus
said,
the Sabbath
was made
for man.
As in
for the
benefit of
man.
It's not
an obligation,
but it is
still something
that we may
choose to
do.
It was a
gift to a
people who
had just
come out of
slavery and
working non-stop
day after
day.
In Christ,
we have the
freedom to
consider one
day a week
special to
the Lord.
Just as
Paul said
some in
the church
at Rome
were doing.
And if it
was God's
idea to
give a
weekly day
of rest to
his people
as a gift
and for
their benefit,
perhaps we
shouldn't be
so quick to
just throw
out the
principle,
the principle
of Sabbath
as merely
an old
covenant
thing.
Here's a
reality that
we probably
all know.
People who
work seven
full days a
week,
often burn
out.
They find
themselves in
an awful
state.
And so
for Christians
who choose
to practice
the principle
of weekly
Sabbath on
any day of
the week,
it can be
such a
life-giving
and refreshing
thing and
is truly a
gift from
God.
So long as
we don't
turn it back
into a
religious rules,
do's and
don'ts,
which puts
us back
under the
law that
Christ has
set us
free from.
Here's
something you
can try if
you wish.
You have
the freedom
in Christ
to do
this.
Experiment.
Try for
one week
sometime
here,
observing the
Sabbath the
way some of
our Christian
brothers and
sisters in
the first
century may
have.
Friday at
sundown to
Saturday at
sundown.
Do all
your yard
work and
your meal
prep and
your errands
either before
or after,
but take a
full 24
hours to be
at home as
a family or
with friends
and just
rest.
Spend some
time in
family worship.
Enjoy your
backyard if
you have
one.
I'm not
saying do
this every
week.
I'm saying
as a one
time thing
to try to
experience
something of
what God
wanted to
give to
his people
one day
every week.
Maybe the
gift of
Sabbath in
principle is
what you
or your
family are
really in
need of.
Maybe you
and your
family have
been going
a million
miles an
hour and
traveling here
and there
and everywhere
for work,
sports,
family
gatherings,
meetings.
things.
Maybe what
you and
your family
really truly
need is a
day at home
with each
other each
week where
nothing is
planned,
where it's
not just a
home and
yard work
day but a
chance to
spend time
together.
Maybe play a
favorite game,
maybe throw the
football or the
frisbee.
And with the
freedom that we
have in Christ
on this matter,
there's nothing
saying you
have to stay
home.
What do you
find restful?
What is truly
restful?
Take a day out
at the lake
or at the
mineral spa or
whatever it is
for you.
Maybe in the
city.
Whatever truly
meets that need
for you and
your family.
Here's a
question.
If you don't
take a day
to rest each
week, when
do you rest?
Maybe the
benefit of a
full 24 hours
every week is
the needed
part of the
Sabbath principle
that you've
been missing.
Maybe that's
what would make
all the
difference to
your exhausted
and burnt
out state.
We don't
have to keep
the Sabbath
commandment
anymore, but
the Sabbath
was made for
man to meet
a need we
all have.
ironically, for
practical
considerations, for
those of us who
choose to
receive the
Sabbath in
principle as a
gift and take
a day to rest,
and because of
the way that our
society is still
set up today,
Saturday and
Sunday still end
up being the
logical choice for
many to take for
themselves a
Sabbath-like day
of rest.
Of course, on
those days, there's
no school, and
gathering for
worship like we
are right now,
here on Sunday
morning, it's a
life-giving thing.
It brings spiritual
renewal and
refreshment to us
in the Lord.
Those of us who
work Monday to
Friday, we still
need at least one
day a week to
do the home
stuff and the
yard stuff, the
gardening, all
that stuff, and
so that often ends
up being Saturday,
and so Sunday
ends up being the
day that we
practice Sabbath
rest if we
choose to.
Unless maybe you
do it the other
way around.
Maybe you take
your Saturday to
rest and recreate.
Come to church on
Sunday morning and
then do all your
yard work and all
that stuff after
church today.
Whatever you
choose, know that
you have the
freedom in Christ
to do so.
Let no one judge
you with regard to
the Sabbath, and
accept those who
think and do
differently than
you without
quarreling over
disputable matters.
The reality that
the shadow was
pointing to is
here.
Jesus has come,
and he is now and
forever our ultimate,
true, deepest, and
most needed rest.
rest.
And so if you're
weary, if you're
burdened, if you're
exhausted or tired,
come to me, says
Jesus, and I will
give you rest for
your soul.
let's pray.
Father in heaven, we
want to say thank
you that you have
got us out from
under the law, and
that you have put
now in charge of us
a new master who is
Jesus, the one who
gives us a light
burden, an easy
yoke, the one who
gives us that peace
deep down inside that
we all need with
you.
And I pray that we
would all cling to
him.
I pray that you would
guide us and give us
wisdom when it comes
to this in our own
lives, in our own
families.
We may end up
walking away from
here all choosing to
do some little bit
different things for
our family, but I
pray that you would
give us wisdom and
guide us into the
thing that best meets
that need, and that
we would do those
things as unto you
for your honor and
your glory.
in Jesus name we pray
Amen