WEBVTT

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 The scripture reading comes from Deuteronomy chapter 5. Please follow along on the screen.

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 Verse 1.

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 And Moses summoned all Israel and said to them,

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 Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the rules that I speak in your hearing today,

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 and you shall learn them and be careful to do them.

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 Verse 6.

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 I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

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 You shall have no other gods before me.

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 You shall not make for yourself a carved image or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above

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 or that is on the earth beneath or that is in the water under the earth.

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 You shall not bow down to them or serve them.

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 For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God,

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 visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,

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 but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.

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 You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain,

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 for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.

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 Observe the Sabbath day to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you.

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 Six days you shall labor and do all your work,

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 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God.

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 On it you shall not do any work.

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 You or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant or your ox or your donkey or any of your livestock

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 or the sojourner who is within your gates,

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 that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you.

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 You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt,

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 and the Lord your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm.

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 Therefore, the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.

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 Honor your mother and your father as the Lord your God commanded you,

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 that your days may be long,

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 and that it may go well with you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

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 You shall not murder,

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 and you shall not commit adultery,

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 and you shall not steal,

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 and you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor,

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 and you shall not covet your neighbor's wife,

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 and you shall not desire your neighbor's house,

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 his field or his male servant,

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 or his female servant,

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 his ox or his donkey,

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 or anything that is your neighbor's.

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 These words the Lord spoke to all your assembly at the mountain,

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 out of the midst of the fire,

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 the cloud,

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 and the thick darkness,

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 with a loud voice,

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 and he added no more.

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 And he wrote them on two tablets of stone,

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 and gave them to me.

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 This is the word of God.

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 Great.

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 Good morning, Watermark.

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 And for those of you who may be joining us for the first time,

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 or watching from further afield,

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 welcome.

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 My name is Kevin.

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 I'm one of the leaders here at Watermark,

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 and it's great to be with you together this morning.

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 Let's pray right away as we respond to God's word,

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 and pray for our time together.

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 Will you join me?

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 Gracious Father,

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 loving Son,

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 Holy Spirit,

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 we come before you this morning,

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 to calibrate and align our hearts with who you are.

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 We come before you this morning,

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 to worship you,

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 and to adore your name,

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 to give you the praise that you are due.

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 God,

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 we come before you this morning,

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 because you are God,

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 and we are not.

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 Because the things in our lives,

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 we tend to hope and trust,

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 and God cannot save us,

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 they cannot satisfy us,

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 they cannot revive our heart and soul,

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 as we sang about this morning.

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 But you,

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 God,

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 can.

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 You,

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 God,

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 can.

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 And so,

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 Lord,

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 you are the one true God.

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 You're the living God.

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 Jesus,

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 as the apostle said,

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 you have the words of life.

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 Where else should we go?

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 And so,

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 God,

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 this morning we come,

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 and we carve out this time,

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 to reorientate our hearts to you.

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 We do this because it's right to praise you,

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 and to worship you,

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 as your creation,

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 and your creatures,

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 as God.

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 It is right that we worship you,

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 and adore you,

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 but we do it even more than that,

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 because we need it,

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 God.

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 We so desperately need it.

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 And so,

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 God,

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 this morning,

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 as we look at these words for abundant life,

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 I pray that you do give us abundant life,

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 as we respond with simple faith.

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 God,

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 won't you revive our heart and our soul?

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 God,

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 won't you give us the faith,

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 to trust you,

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 to obey these words,

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 God,

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 to walk in obedience to them.

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 Help us,

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 God,

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 where we are fearful,

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 where there are things that get in the way,

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 where we are tempted to trust in ourselves,

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 our own way.

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 God,

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 we pray,

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 give us faith,

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 Lord.

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 Help us to trust you,

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 Lord.

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 God,

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 we pray also for ourselves,

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 at this time,

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 when there's so much uncertainty,

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 going on in our world,

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 in our city.

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 God,

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 we pray for our hearts.

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 Oh,

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 God,

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 this morning,

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 give us rest,

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 we pray.

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 Give us rest,

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 Lord,

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 where we're fearful and anxious,

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 where anxiety and despondency have gripped our hearts,

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 where the future for some of us may seem bleak and hopeless.

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 God,

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 remind us that you are on the throne.

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 God,

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 give us peace this morning.

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 Give us rest.

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 God,

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 I pray that just as I do my best to unpack these words,

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 and to look at this word for abundant life,

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 won't you be with me?

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 I pray,

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 God,

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 may anything I say that is not of you and your heart,

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 may it fall away,

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 God.

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 Stop me saying things that are not of your heart.

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 And God,

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 even things that I haven't planned to say,

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 God,

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 would you lead us in your truth?

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 We want to know your truth,

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 not my truth,

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 God.

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 We want to know what you have to say to us,

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 not what I have to say to us.

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 God,

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 we bring the next 30 minutes before you and say,

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 God,

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 come and lead us,

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 we pray.

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 We pray these things in your wonderful name.

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 Amen.

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 Amen.

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 Amen.

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 Well,

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 we are continuing our series,

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 these 10 words for abundant life,

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 more commonly known as the 10 commandments.

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 And this morning we are looking at the fourth of these,

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 and this is how it goes.

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 It says,

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 observe the Sabbath day,

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 keep it holy as the Lord,

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 your God commanded you.

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 Six days you shall labor and do all your work,

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 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord,

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 your God.

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 On it,

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 you shall do no other work,

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 you or your son or your daughter,

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 your male servant or your female servant,

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 or your ox or your donkey,

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 or any of your livestock,

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 or the sojourner,

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 the foreigner,

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 who's within your gates,

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 that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you.

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 Now,

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 when we think of the idea of Sabbath,

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 a couple of things might come to mind.

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 This idea of doing no work,

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 checking no emails,

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 unplugging from the regular rhythms and demands and routines of life,

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 that may sound very archaic.

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 If not something from another planet,

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 then at least something from a whole nother century.

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 You may have an idea in your mind of people dressed in very traditional clothing,

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 sitting quietly around the table,

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 sipping tea,

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 not talking,

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 doing no fun,

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 no laughter,

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 very serious,

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 traditional view of life.

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 Or maybe,

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 maybe it's not so much a view that is archaic or old school.

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 Maybe when the idea of a Sabbath comes to our mind,

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 in this high-paced technological world,

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 maybe the problem with the idea of observing a Sabbath,

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 of taking a day to unrest and unplug from the rhythms and the demands of life,

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 just sounds completely boring.

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 What on earth would you do with 24 hours,

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 with no email,

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 no WhatsApp,

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 no Facebook,

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 Instagram,

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 TikTok,

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 Netflix,

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 the idea of unplugging just sounds completely boring.

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 In a city like ours,

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 that has 500 million things to do on any given day,

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 why on earth would you want to unplug?

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 As we've spoken over the last couple of weeks,

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 God's word to us,

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 these 10 words for abundant life,

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 are given for our joy.

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 As we sang earlier,

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 to revive our souls.

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 They're given for our flourishing,

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 and our benefit.

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 God gives these words to his people,

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 not to constrain our joy,

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 but to maximize it.

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 Not to hinder our joy and our happiness,

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 but to see it grow,

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 to see it flourish,

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 to see it in its fullness.

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 These 10 words are given for abundant life.

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 And so,

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 listen up.

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 So this morning,

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 as we look at this idea of Sabbath,

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 I want us to look at three things.

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 The first,

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 what is the Sabbath all about?

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 Why is it so hard?

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 And then finally,

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 how are we going to apply it to our lives today?

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 So,

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 let's dive in.

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 Firstly,

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 what is the Sabbath all about?

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 Well,

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 the word Sabbath literally means to abstain from working.

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 It's the stop working day.

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 You could read it like this.

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 Observe the stop working day,

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 to keep it holy,

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 as the Lord your God commanded you.

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 Six days you shall labor,

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 do all your work,

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 but the seventh is a stop working day,

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 to the Lord your God.

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 And notice how it says we are to observe the stop working day.

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 To observe means more than just ring it on your calendar.

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 In Exodus,

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 it says,

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 remember the Sabbath.

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 That's more than just work out which day of the week it is.

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 It's to engage in it.

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 It's to prioritize it.

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 God says,

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 keep it holy.

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 It's to recognize that there's something different,

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 something distinctive,

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 something sacred about this day that God has called us to set aside.

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 And notice in verse 14 of our passage,

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 the egalitarian nature of the Sabbath.

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 You see,

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 sometimes in the old days,

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 someone might've said,

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 okay,

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 fine,

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 I'll abstain from working,

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 but my son,

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 he's going to work hard.

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 The farm needs to carry on being tended to.

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 Business needs to tick over.

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 I need to sell my wares.

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 My son's going to work.

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 And God says,

00:10:49.200 --> 00:10:49.360
 no,

00:10:49.440 --> 00:10:49.580
 no,

00:10:49.680 --> 00:10:50.320
 not you,

00:10:50.540 --> 00:10:52.540
 not your son abstain from working.

00:10:53.080 --> 00:10:53.340
 Okay,

00:10:53.400 --> 00:10:53.620
 fine.

00:10:53.660 --> 00:10:54.260
 My daughters,

00:10:54.260 --> 00:10:54.900
 they're going to,

00:10:54.900 --> 00:10:55.920
 they're going to have to work hard.

00:10:56.560 --> 00:10:56.940
 God says,

00:10:57.020 --> 00:10:57.120
 no,

00:10:57.180 --> 00:10:57.960
 not your sons,

00:10:58.460 --> 00:10:59.260
 not your daughters.

00:11:00.140 --> 00:11:00.860
 Someone may have thought,

00:11:01.220 --> 00:11:01.500
 okay,

00:11:01.580 --> 00:11:01.800
 fine.

00:11:01.860 --> 00:11:03.000
 Well then my servants,

00:11:03.400 --> 00:11:04.320
 if I can't work,

00:11:04.360 --> 00:11:05.480
 if my family can't work,

00:11:05.700 --> 00:11:07.440
 they're going to work doubly hard today.

00:11:07.980 --> 00:11:08.520
 And God says,

00:11:08.580 --> 00:11:08.700
 no,

00:11:08.760 --> 00:11:09.420
 not your sons,

00:11:09.520 --> 00:11:10.200
 not your daughters,

00:11:10.340 --> 00:11:11.260
 not your male servant,

00:11:11.400 --> 00:11:12.660
 not your female servant.

00:11:13.680 --> 00:11:13.980
 Okay,

00:11:14.020 --> 00:11:14.160
 well,

00:11:14.160 --> 00:11:15.040
 what about the foreigner?

00:11:15.560 --> 00:11:17.040
 What about the foreign domestic worker?

00:11:18.440 --> 00:11:19.120
 God's commanded,

00:11:19.280 --> 00:11:21.000
 they're going to work doubly hard today.

00:11:21.620 --> 00:11:21.960
 God says,

00:11:21.960 --> 00:11:22.100
 no,

00:11:22.180 --> 00:11:23.640
 not the foreigner within your midst.

00:11:23.639 --> 00:11:25.840
 What about the animals?

00:11:26.460 --> 00:11:26.740
 I mean,

00:11:26.799 --> 00:11:28.779
 there may not be anybody to help them plow straight.

00:11:29.000 --> 00:11:30.639
 The fields may be a bit crooked.

00:11:31.199 --> 00:11:34.299
 They may eat a little bit too much food while they're plowing the fields,

00:11:34.399 --> 00:11:35.819
 but at least let the animals work.

00:11:36.159 --> 00:11:37.379
 At least let the machines run.

00:11:37.519 --> 00:11:39.480
 At least let the technology do what it needs to do.

00:11:39.480 --> 00:11:39.940
 And God says,

00:11:40.320 --> 00:11:40.500
 no,

00:11:40.580 --> 00:11:41.320
 not your animals,

00:11:41.420 --> 00:11:42.060
 not your crops,

00:11:42.379 --> 00:11:42.860
 nothing.

00:11:43.000 --> 00:11:45.720
 It is to be an entire day of rest,

00:11:46.240 --> 00:11:49.659
 a stop working day for everyone under your sphere,

00:11:49.779 --> 00:11:50.279
 your household.

00:11:51.100 --> 00:11:52.480
 This wasn't just a class thing.

00:11:52.560 --> 00:11:54.180
 It wasn't just for the upper class,

00:11:54.259 --> 00:11:54.659
 the wealthy,

00:11:54.800 --> 00:11:55.779
 those that could afford it.

00:11:56.039 --> 00:12:01.460
 All people in society were to observe and enjoy the Sabbath day of rest.

00:12:01.460 --> 00:12:03.440
 Now the question is,

00:12:03.820 --> 00:12:04.139
 okay,

00:12:04.580 --> 00:12:06.480
 if they were to do this,

00:12:06.740 --> 00:12:09.840
 what were they to do on this Sabbath day of rest?

00:12:09.940 --> 00:12:10.900
 What did it involve?

00:12:11.800 --> 00:12:12.200
 Well,

00:12:12.639 --> 00:12:14.440
 look at what this passage says.

00:12:14.960 --> 00:12:15.340
 In fact,

00:12:15.440 --> 00:12:18.840
 actually the 10 words of abundant life are given twice in the Old Testament.

00:12:19.280 --> 00:12:21.460
 The first time they're given in Exodus 20,

00:12:21.580 --> 00:12:23.440
 and the second time in Deuteronomy 5.

00:12:23.879 --> 00:12:26.019
 And there are slight differences in emphasis.

00:12:26.300 --> 00:12:28.000
 Look at what it says in Exodus 20.

00:12:28.000 --> 00:12:29.220
 God says,

00:12:29.539 --> 00:12:32.440
 you shall remember the Sabbath for in six days,

00:12:32.600 --> 00:12:34.539
 the Lord made heaven and earth,

00:12:34.740 --> 00:12:38.120
 the sea and all that's in there and rested on the seventh day.

00:12:38.700 --> 00:12:38.980
 Therefore,

00:12:39.139 --> 00:12:42.340
 the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

00:12:42.820 --> 00:12:44.220
 So what's God saying here?

00:12:44.899 --> 00:12:45.440
 Well,

00:12:45.480 --> 00:12:48.299
 the scripture is telling us that God in his creation,

00:12:48.419 --> 00:12:53.980
 he finished creation and he specifically stopped working to enjoy his creation.

00:12:54.299 --> 00:12:57.779
 The picture here is of God seated on his throne.

00:12:58.000 --> 00:12:59.200
 He is resting,

00:12:59.620 --> 00:13:01.120
 but he's ruling and he's reigning.

00:13:01.600 --> 00:13:01.799
 Now,

00:13:01.879 --> 00:13:02.120
 of course,

00:13:02.200 --> 00:13:03.659
 God is still at work in the world,

00:13:03.759 --> 00:13:05.840
 but he's not frantically running around,

00:13:06.039 --> 00:13:07.320
 juggling a million plates,

00:13:07.440 --> 00:13:08.940
 trying to keep the world going.

00:13:09.500 --> 00:13:10.820
 God is at rest.

00:13:11.139 --> 00:13:13.100
 He's ruling and he's reigning.

00:13:13.539 --> 00:13:19.000
 He's on the throne and he's not frantic or worried about what's going on in the world.

00:13:19.480 --> 00:13:21.379
 All things are under his control.

00:13:21.379 --> 00:13:26.379
 And God then instructs his people to set aside some time,

00:13:26.539 --> 00:13:27.980
 one day in seven,

00:13:28.220 --> 00:13:33.000
 to remember that God is on the throne and that all the world is under his control.

00:13:33.539 --> 00:13:34.419
 But additionally,

00:13:34.840 --> 00:13:38.419
 God builds into the way that the world works,

00:13:38.759 --> 00:13:40.159
 this period of rest,

00:13:40.519 --> 00:13:41.919
 not because he needed it,

00:13:42.059 --> 00:13:44.240
 but because he knows that we need it.

00:13:44.240 --> 00:13:49.279
 And so to observe the Sabbath is part of the way that we are hardwired.

00:13:49.620 --> 00:13:50.820
 It's part of our design.

00:13:51.120 --> 00:13:52.820
 It's to celebrate our design.

00:13:53.399 --> 00:13:57.399
 To violate the Sabbath is to violate the way that God has designed us.

00:13:57.879 --> 00:13:58.460
 And therefore,

00:13:58.860 --> 00:14:02.600
 the Sabbath commands or calls us to rest,

00:14:03.299 --> 00:14:04.180
 to rest,

00:14:04.720 --> 00:14:08.100
 knowing that God is on the throne and that we aren't.

00:14:08.100 --> 00:14:11.120
 But then look at the passage in Deuteronomy chapter five,

00:14:11.279 --> 00:14:12.540
 which Claire read to us earlier.

00:14:13.180 --> 00:14:15.040
 Moses gives a slightly different emphasis.

00:14:15.240 --> 00:14:15.879
 He says this,

00:14:16.279 --> 00:14:17.820
 you are to observe the Sabbath.

00:14:18.500 --> 00:14:19.379
 And now here's the reason.

00:14:19.519 --> 00:14:20.100
 Verse 15.

00:14:20.779 --> 00:14:24.700
 For you shall remember that you were slaves in the land of Egypt

00:14:24.700 --> 00:14:30.340
 and that the Lord your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm.

00:14:30.940 --> 00:14:31.300
 Therefore,

00:14:31.580 --> 00:14:34.100
 the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath.

00:14:34.740 --> 00:14:36.420
 So what's God saying in this passage?

00:14:36.419 --> 00:14:37.779
 Well,

00:14:37.919 --> 00:14:42.360
 previously he rooted the command to rest in creation.

00:14:42.360 --> 00:14:45.639
 The fact that God rested and instituted this for our good.

00:14:46.099 --> 00:14:49.099
 But here he's commanding it not so much in creation,

00:14:49.399 --> 00:14:50.219
 but in redemption.

00:14:51.019 --> 00:14:53.599
 The Sabbath is not only the way we are wired.

00:14:54.059 --> 00:14:58.879
 It's also a reminder of God's mercy and his saving grace.

00:14:59.279 --> 00:15:02.579
 It's not just a sign that God has created us this way.

00:15:02.580 --> 00:15:07.820
 It's a reminder of his magnificent salvation and his mercy towards us.

00:15:08.639 --> 00:15:10.759
 Sabbath is a reminder that we are his people,

00:15:10.960 --> 00:15:13.720
 that he's called us out of our former way of life,

00:15:13.820 --> 00:15:15.540
 and that now we belong to him.

00:15:16.080 --> 00:15:16.580
 And therefore,

00:15:16.800 --> 00:15:21.340
 to celebrate the Sabbath is to celebrate God's saving grace,

00:15:21.340 --> 00:15:23.960
 and it calls us to worship.

00:15:24.800 --> 00:15:25.540
 To worship.

00:15:27.060 --> 00:15:30.420
 And these two things of rest and worship,

00:15:30.580 --> 00:15:32.040
 rest and worship,

00:15:32.240 --> 00:15:35.420
 are constantly portrayed throughout the Old Testament,

00:15:35.560 --> 00:15:36.280
 throughout the Scripture.

00:15:36.820 --> 00:15:39.160
 God calls his people to set aside time

00:15:39.160 --> 00:15:42.120
 in his weekly rhythm and pattern

00:15:42.120 --> 00:15:44.379
 to rest and to worship.

00:15:44.379 --> 00:15:47.240
 But then there's a third thing we see in this passage.

00:15:48.100 --> 00:15:51.240
 Do you remember how the passage called

00:15:51.240 --> 00:15:53.299
 not just the head of the household to rest,

00:15:53.539 --> 00:15:55.879
 but everyone in the family to rest?

00:15:56.240 --> 00:15:57.299
 What's going on here?

00:15:57.779 --> 00:16:00.200
 The Sabbath calls us to community.

00:16:01.000 --> 00:16:01.980
 Your children,

00:16:02.559 --> 00:16:04.019
 your foreign workers,

00:16:04.340 --> 00:16:05.399
 domestic helpers,

00:16:05.740 --> 00:16:06.120
 aunts,

00:16:06.279 --> 00:16:06.659
 uncles,

00:16:06.980 --> 00:16:08.879
 everyone was to rest.

00:16:09.139 --> 00:16:10.840
 It was a stop working day

00:16:10.840 --> 00:16:12.360
 for the entire family.

00:16:12.360 --> 00:16:14.220
 Now we sometimes miss this

00:16:14.220 --> 00:16:17.419
 because of the intensely communal aspect

00:16:17.419 --> 00:16:18.500
 of the Old Testament.

00:16:19.139 --> 00:16:20.220
 And we can sometimes think,

00:16:20.480 --> 00:16:20.600
 yeah,

00:16:20.680 --> 00:16:21.860
 God's rest is just for me.

00:16:22.000 --> 00:16:23.940
 I go take a day walking in the mountains

00:16:23.940 --> 00:16:24.899
 and I pray.

00:16:25.320 --> 00:16:25.800
 But actually,

00:16:26.139 --> 00:16:26.700
 in the Bible,

00:16:26.840 --> 00:16:29.120
 to Sabbath was an intensely communal affair.

00:16:29.720 --> 00:16:30.899
 Every Friday night,

00:16:30.980 --> 00:16:32.000
 from the setting of the sun

00:16:32.000 --> 00:16:33.460
 to Saturday evening,

00:16:33.759 --> 00:16:34.879
 when the stars appeared,

00:16:35.220 --> 00:16:36.360
 the entire family,

00:16:36.560 --> 00:16:36.940
 aunts,

00:16:37.080 --> 00:16:37.460
 uncles,

00:16:37.680 --> 00:16:38.039
 cousins,

00:16:38.279 --> 00:16:38.879
 grandparents,

00:16:39.519 --> 00:16:41.000
 everyone would gather,

00:16:41.680 --> 00:16:42.320
 pray together,

00:16:42.360 --> 00:16:43.620
 eat a big meal,

00:16:44.139 --> 00:16:45.300
 celebrate God's goodness,

00:16:45.759 --> 00:16:46.100
 worship,

00:16:46.680 --> 00:16:47.120
 rest,

00:16:47.620 --> 00:16:49.000
 celebrating one another

00:16:49.000 --> 00:16:50.279
 and God's goodness

00:16:50.279 --> 00:16:51.220
 to their family.

00:16:51.779 --> 00:16:53.500
 The Sabbath calls us to rest,

00:16:53.980 --> 00:16:54.940
 calls us to worship,

00:16:55.360 --> 00:16:57.680
 but it calls us to worship together.

00:16:59.360 --> 00:17:00.779
 These two things,

00:17:00.879 --> 00:17:02.560
 to rest and worship,

00:17:03.240 --> 00:17:03.940
 are throughout

00:17:03.940 --> 00:17:06.180
 the Old Testament principle of Sabbath.

00:17:06.599 --> 00:17:08.400
 But they're not to be done mechanically,

00:17:08.860 --> 00:17:10.380
 they're not to be done ritualistically

00:17:10.380 --> 00:17:11.380
 or superstitiously,

00:17:11.940 --> 00:17:13.600
 they're not to be done full of faith,

00:17:13.780 --> 00:17:14.780
 trusting the Lord,

00:17:14.900 --> 00:17:16.420
 by ceasing from work

00:17:16.420 --> 00:17:18.000
 and gathering with our family

00:17:18.000 --> 00:17:18.920
 to worship together.

00:17:19.520 --> 00:17:21.540
 We rest in part

00:17:21.540 --> 00:17:23.280
 so that we may be free

00:17:23.280 --> 00:17:24.120
 to worship God

00:17:24.120 --> 00:17:25.960
 undistracted from the demands of life.

00:17:26.300 --> 00:17:28.440
 And we worship God in part

00:17:28.440 --> 00:17:30.560
 by ceasing from our work

00:17:30.560 --> 00:17:31.980
 and resting.

00:17:31.980 --> 00:17:33.759
 And the significance of this

00:17:33.759 --> 00:17:34.920
 being tied to creation

00:17:34.920 --> 00:17:35.900
 is that God is saying,

00:17:36.400 --> 00:17:37.099
 this isn't just something

00:17:37.099 --> 00:17:38.200
 you do once in a while

00:17:38.200 --> 00:17:39.759
 or when you have the time

00:17:39.759 --> 00:17:41.180
 or when work's not busy.

00:17:41.440 --> 00:17:43.799
 This is part of a weekly rhythm,

00:17:44.200 --> 00:17:46.259
 a rhythm that you put in your life

00:17:46.259 --> 00:17:47.980
 to rest and worship together.

00:17:49.160 --> 00:17:49.980
 Kevin DeYoung summarizes

00:17:50.620 --> 00:17:52.079
 the Sabbath like this,

00:17:52.500 --> 00:17:55.059
 rest, rejoice, repeat.

00:17:56.599 --> 00:17:58.180
 Rest our bodies and souls.

00:17:58.180 --> 00:17:59.740
 We revive our hearts

00:17:59.740 --> 00:18:01.060
 by worshiping God,

00:18:01.140 --> 00:18:02.420
 by rejoicing in who He is.

00:18:02.680 --> 00:18:03.900
 And we repeat this

00:18:03.900 --> 00:18:05.660
 every single week.

00:18:06.539 --> 00:18:08.680
 Now, what about the New Testament?

00:18:09.200 --> 00:18:10.160
 That's the Old Testament.

00:18:10.900 --> 00:18:12.560
 How do Christians practice this

00:18:12.560 --> 00:18:13.279
 in the New Testament?

00:18:14.039 --> 00:18:15.539
 Well, things get a little bit

00:18:15.539 --> 00:18:16.259
 interesting here.

00:18:16.340 --> 00:18:17.720
 And Christians have debated this

00:18:17.720 --> 00:18:18.480
 over the ages.

00:18:18.820 --> 00:18:19.440
 But generally,

00:18:19.680 --> 00:18:20.580
 we see three things.

00:18:20.940 --> 00:18:22.960
 The first thing we notice is this.

00:18:23.380 --> 00:18:25.000
 Jesus never violates

00:18:25.000 --> 00:18:26.340
 the Sabbath principle.

00:18:26.339 --> 00:18:28.179
 Now, at the time

00:18:28.179 --> 00:18:28.819
 of the New Testament,

00:18:29.019 --> 00:18:29.799
 the religious leaders

00:18:29.799 --> 00:18:31.439
 came up with a whole bunch

00:18:31.439 --> 00:18:33.179
 of other rules and regulations

00:18:33.179 --> 00:18:34.899
 about how the Sabbath applied.

00:18:35.199 --> 00:18:36.159
 In fact, they came up

00:18:36.159 --> 00:18:37.939
 with about 39 categories

00:18:37.939 --> 00:18:40.059
 of what you could or couldn't do

00:18:40.059 --> 00:18:41.779
 in order to honor the Sabbath.

00:18:41.939 --> 00:18:43.220
 And each one of those categories

00:18:43.220 --> 00:18:44.740
 had about 10 rules themselves.

00:18:45.279 --> 00:18:47.579
 So there's about 400 extra rules

00:18:47.579 --> 00:18:48.679
 that they came up with.

00:18:48.939 --> 00:18:50.639
 You can't pick a flower.

00:18:50.899 --> 00:18:52.919
 You can't smell a rose.

00:18:52.980 --> 00:18:53.939
 You can't throw water

00:18:53.939 --> 00:18:54.579
 out your window

00:18:54.579 --> 00:18:56.079
 in case that falls on a seed

00:18:56.079 --> 00:18:56.919
 and then the seed

00:18:56.919 --> 00:18:57.740
 starts to sprout

00:18:57.740 --> 00:18:58.500
 and then you've been

00:18:58.500 --> 00:18:59.899
 growing plants on the Sabbath.

00:19:00.000 --> 00:19:01.000
 So all these rules

00:19:01.000 --> 00:19:01.859
 that they came up with.

00:19:02.379 --> 00:19:03.319
 Jesus has no problem

00:19:03.319 --> 00:19:04.679
 breaking those human rules.

00:19:05.199 --> 00:19:06.299
 But the Sabbath principle

00:19:06.299 --> 00:19:07.339
 of taking time

00:19:07.339 --> 00:19:09.119
 to rest and honor God,

00:19:09.279 --> 00:19:09.980
 worship God,

00:19:10.319 --> 00:19:11.379
 Jesus never violates

00:19:11.379 --> 00:19:11.819
 the Sabbath.

00:19:12.839 --> 00:19:14.299
 Second thing we see is this.

00:19:15.439 --> 00:19:16.720
 The New Testament apostles

00:19:16.720 --> 00:19:18.079
 seem to untangle

00:19:18.699 --> 00:19:20.079
 some of the superstition

00:19:20.720 --> 00:19:22.539
 and the rigidness

00:19:22.539 --> 00:19:23.639
 of the Sabbath

00:19:23.640 --> 00:19:25.140
 that was prevalent

00:19:25.140 --> 00:19:25.780
 in the church.

00:19:26.180 --> 00:19:27.000
 So some people

00:19:27.000 --> 00:19:27.780
 viewed the Sabbath

00:19:27.780 --> 00:19:29.560
 highly superstitiously.

00:19:30.180 --> 00:19:31.020
 There's some things

00:19:31.020 --> 00:19:32.000
 that you can do

00:19:32.000 --> 00:19:33.020
 and there's a whole bunch

00:19:33.020 --> 00:19:33.920
 of things you can't do.

00:19:34.280 --> 00:19:35.080
 And the apostles write

00:19:35.080 --> 00:19:35.420
 and say,

00:19:35.800 --> 00:19:36.840
 no, that's not the honor.

00:19:37.020 --> 00:19:38.240
 That's not the heart

00:19:38.240 --> 00:19:39.120
 behind the Sabbath.

00:19:39.700 --> 00:19:40.700
 Honor the principle.

00:19:41.180 --> 00:19:42.040
 But some people think

00:19:42.040 --> 00:19:42.900
 this day is holy.

00:19:43.020 --> 00:19:43.620
 Some people say

00:19:43.620 --> 00:19:44.460
 that day is holy.

00:19:44.820 --> 00:19:45.120
 Actually,

00:19:45.180 --> 00:19:45.820
 these are things

00:19:45.820 --> 00:19:46.980
 that we shouldn't fight about.

00:19:47.300 --> 00:19:48.100
 You don't need to be

00:19:48.099 --> 00:19:49.339
 so superstitious

00:19:49.339 --> 00:19:50.240
 and meticulous

00:19:50.240 --> 00:19:51.539
 around it's from

00:19:51.539 --> 00:19:52.759
 6 p.m. on Friday

00:19:52.759 --> 00:19:53.980
 to 6 p.m. on Saturday

00:19:53.980 --> 00:19:55.359
 or it's 6 p.m. Saturday

00:19:55.359 --> 00:19:56.959
 to 6 p.m. Sunday.

00:19:57.419 --> 00:19:58.599
 There's a bit of

00:19:58.599 --> 00:20:01.079
 grace and freedom

00:20:01.079 --> 00:20:01.679
 in the way

00:20:01.679 --> 00:20:02.579
 that you apply it.

00:20:03.379 --> 00:20:04.379
 But the third thing

00:20:04.379 --> 00:20:05.559
 we do see is this.

00:20:06.359 --> 00:20:07.199
 Early on

00:20:07.199 --> 00:20:08.539
 in the New Testament

00:20:08.539 --> 00:20:09.779
 and in church history,

00:20:10.019 --> 00:20:11.219
 we see something else

00:20:11.219 --> 00:20:11.859
 taking place.

00:20:12.419 --> 00:20:13.899
 Rather than Christians

00:20:13.899 --> 00:20:16.959
 applying the gospel

00:20:16.960 --> 00:20:18.340
 to the Saturday Sabbath

00:20:18.340 --> 00:20:19.660
 to the seventh day

00:20:19.660 --> 00:20:20.200
 of the week,

00:20:20.319 --> 00:20:21.680
 which is what would happen

00:20:21.680 --> 00:20:22.779
 in the Jewish culture,

00:20:23.500 --> 00:20:24.420
 Christians gathered

00:20:24.420 --> 00:20:25.940
 on the first day

00:20:25.940 --> 00:20:26.460
 of the week

00:20:26.460 --> 00:20:28.440
 to celebrate the gospel,

00:20:28.940 --> 00:20:30.039
 to celebrate Christ,

00:20:30.500 --> 00:20:31.680
 to take communion together,

00:20:31.980 --> 00:20:33.480
 to worship together,

00:20:33.819 --> 00:20:35.420
 and to be community together.

00:20:35.960 --> 00:20:36.519
 We see this

00:20:36.519 --> 00:20:37.759
 in Acts chapter 20.

00:20:38.120 --> 00:20:38.980
 The Christians gathered

00:20:38.980 --> 00:20:39.799
 after work

00:20:39.799 --> 00:20:40.600
 at the end of the day

00:20:40.600 --> 00:20:41.620
 on the first day

00:20:41.620 --> 00:20:42.039
 of the week,

00:20:42.100 --> 00:20:42.700
 which they called

00:20:42.700 --> 00:20:43.620
 the Lord's Day,

00:20:44.019 --> 00:20:45.059
 to celebrate communion,

00:20:45.059 --> 00:20:46.539
 to listen to Paul preaching,

00:20:46.539 --> 00:20:48.299
 and to worship God together.

00:20:48.720 --> 00:20:49.240
 We see this

00:20:49.240 --> 00:20:50.420
 in 1 Corinthians 16

00:20:50.420 --> 00:20:51.379
 where Paul writes

00:20:51.379 --> 00:20:51.720
 and he says,

00:20:52.000 --> 00:20:52.659
 when you gather

00:20:52.659 --> 00:20:53.480
 on the first day

00:20:53.480 --> 00:20:53.920
 of the week,

00:20:54.240 --> 00:20:55.319
 take up a love offering

00:20:55.319 --> 00:20:56.000
 for the churches

00:20:56.000 --> 00:20:56.839
 that are in Judea

00:20:56.839 --> 00:20:58.119
 and are struggling financially.

00:20:58.619 --> 00:20:59.200
 And so the Christians

00:20:59.200 --> 00:21:00.460
 gathered on the first day

00:21:00.460 --> 00:21:00.819
 of the week,

00:21:00.879 --> 00:21:01.519
 the Lord's Day,

00:21:01.579 --> 00:21:02.460
 on Sunday,

00:21:02.899 --> 00:21:04.180
 to celebrate communion,

00:21:04.379 --> 00:21:05.460
 to listen to God's word,

00:21:05.500 --> 00:21:06.420
 and to worship together.

00:21:07.299 --> 00:21:07.960
 By the end

00:21:07.960 --> 00:21:08.639
 of the first century,

00:21:08.779 --> 00:21:09.920
 church history shows us

00:21:09.920 --> 00:21:11.139
 that many Christians

00:21:11.139 --> 00:21:12.599
 had actually stopped

00:21:12.599 --> 00:21:14.399
 observing the Saturday Sabbath

00:21:14.400 --> 00:21:16.080
 and were working

00:21:16.080 --> 00:21:16.640
 on the Sabbath

00:21:16.640 --> 00:21:17.519
 and were now

00:21:17.519 --> 00:21:18.680
 observing the Sabbath

00:21:18.680 --> 00:21:19.920
 on the Sunday,

00:21:20.460 --> 00:21:21.860
 gathering on the Lord's Day

00:21:21.860 --> 00:21:23.160
 for community and worship.

00:21:23.800 --> 00:21:25.019
 And why did they do that?

00:21:25.400 --> 00:21:26.759
 Well, because the Lord's Day,

00:21:26.840 --> 00:21:27.259
 the Sunday,

00:21:27.380 --> 00:21:28.320
 was the day that Jesus

00:21:28.320 --> 00:21:29.300
 rose from the dead.

00:21:29.740 --> 00:21:31.140
 It was the day

00:21:31.140 --> 00:21:31.940
 that Jesus rose

00:21:31.940 --> 00:21:32.519
 in resurrection,

00:21:32.720 --> 00:21:33.420
 power, and glory.

00:21:33.980 --> 00:21:34.820
 Interestingly enough,

00:21:34.860 --> 00:21:35.680
 in John's Gospel,

00:21:36.120 --> 00:21:37.700
 Jesus rises from the dead

00:21:37.700 --> 00:21:38.220
 on Sunday,

00:21:38.500 --> 00:21:39.700
 appears to his disciples,

00:21:39.700 --> 00:21:41.220
 and then the next time

00:21:41.220 --> 00:21:42.299
 he appears to them again

00:21:42.299 --> 00:21:43.700
 is seven days later

00:21:43.700 --> 00:21:45.539
 on the next Lord's Day,

00:21:45.640 --> 00:21:46.360
 the next Sunday.

00:21:47.500 --> 00:21:47.819
 Now,

00:21:48.120 --> 00:21:48.779
 is Sunday

00:21:48.779 --> 00:21:50.200
 the new Sabbath?

00:21:50.779 --> 00:21:51.380
 Is Sunday

00:21:51.380 --> 00:21:52.420
 more spiritual

00:21:52.420 --> 00:21:53.420
 than any other day

00:21:53.420 --> 00:21:53.900
 of the week?

00:21:54.539 --> 00:21:54.920
 No,

00:21:55.000 --> 00:21:55.779
 not necessarily.

00:21:56.299 --> 00:21:57.480
 In Romans chapter 14,

00:21:57.620 --> 00:21:58.100
 Paul writes,

00:21:58.140 --> 00:21:58.500
 and he says,

00:21:58.960 --> 00:22:00.420
 don't make a big deal

00:22:00.420 --> 00:22:01.500
 about one day

00:22:01.500 --> 00:22:02.539
 as opposed to other days.

00:22:02.819 --> 00:22:03.480
 Every day,

00:22:03.559 --> 00:22:04.080
 in some ways,

00:22:04.140 --> 00:22:05.480
 is the day we celebrate God

00:22:05.480 --> 00:22:06.220
 and worship Him

00:22:06.220 --> 00:22:07.460
 and align our hearts to Him.

00:22:07.980 --> 00:22:09.340
 If you have to work

00:22:09.339 --> 00:22:09.839
 on a Sunday,

00:22:10.139 --> 00:22:11.079
 let's say you're a pilot

00:22:11.079 --> 00:22:12.500
 and you're rostered

00:22:12.500 --> 00:22:13.379
 to fly on a Sunday,

00:22:13.839 --> 00:22:15.039
 should you insist

00:22:15.039 --> 00:22:15.679
 that you will do

00:22:15.679 --> 00:22:16.899
 no work on a Sunday

00:22:16.899 --> 00:22:17.439
 ever

00:22:17.439 --> 00:22:18.939
 and refrain from flying?

00:22:19.659 --> 00:22:19.819
 Well,

00:22:19.899 --> 00:22:21.019
 Paul says there's freedom,

00:22:21.359 --> 00:22:22.000
 there's grace

00:22:22.000 --> 00:22:22.939
 to do that.

00:22:23.199 --> 00:22:24.119
 We shouldn't be

00:22:24.119 --> 00:22:25.039
 superstitious

00:22:25.039 --> 00:22:25.779
 about Sundays,

00:22:26.139 --> 00:22:27.659
 but what we should do

00:22:27.659 --> 00:22:28.619
 is make sure

00:22:28.619 --> 00:22:30.480
 that as a weekly rhythm,

00:22:30.699 --> 00:22:31.619
 we are gathering

00:22:31.619 --> 00:22:32.859
 with God's people,

00:22:33.459 --> 00:22:34.699
 resting and unplugging

00:22:34.699 --> 00:22:35.879
 from the regular demands

00:22:35.879 --> 00:22:36.899
 and rhythms of life,

00:22:37.459 --> 00:22:38.539
 worshiping God,

00:22:38.539 --> 00:22:39.799
 not just on our own,

00:22:39.899 --> 00:22:41.379
 but with God's people.

00:22:42.619 --> 00:22:43.779
 The issue is

00:22:43.779 --> 00:22:44.960
 to set time aside,

00:22:45.180 --> 00:22:45.980
 to rest,

00:22:46.339 --> 00:22:47.779
 to worship together,

00:22:48.000 --> 00:22:49.139
 to remind ourselves

00:22:49.139 --> 00:22:50.279
 that Jesus rules,

00:22:50.440 --> 00:22:51.099
 work doesn't,

00:22:51.440 --> 00:22:52.220
 to remind ourselves

00:22:52.220 --> 00:22:53.779
 that Jesus is on the throne,

00:22:53.980 --> 00:22:54.659
 not us,

00:22:54.819 --> 00:22:55.619
 to remind ourselves

00:22:55.619 --> 00:22:56.480
 that our lives

00:22:56.480 --> 00:22:57.480
 and our family's lives

00:22:57.480 --> 00:22:59.279
 are in God's hands,

00:22:59.599 --> 00:23:00.519
 not our own.

00:23:01.980 --> 00:23:02.339
 Now,

00:23:03.339 --> 00:23:04.440
 second thing is this,

00:23:04.440 --> 00:23:05.779
 why do we find

00:23:05.779 --> 00:23:06.820
 this so hard?

00:23:08.440 --> 00:23:09.160
 I'm sure you agree

00:23:09.160 --> 00:23:09.580
 with me,

00:23:09.700 --> 00:23:10.620
 most Christians,

00:23:10.820 --> 00:23:12.759
 even gospel-centered Christians

00:23:12.759 --> 00:23:13.500
 like Watermark

00:23:13.500 --> 00:23:14.160
 tries to be,

00:23:14.559 --> 00:23:15.920
 we're pretty bad at this.

00:23:16.320 --> 00:23:17.360
 Why is that?

00:23:18.240 --> 00:23:18.539
 Well,

00:23:18.559 --> 00:23:18.900
 I think there's

00:23:18.900 --> 00:23:19.700
 a couple of reasons.

00:23:20.140 --> 00:23:21.019
 The one reason

00:23:21.019 --> 00:23:22.680
 is because we're fearful.

00:23:23.080 --> 00:23:23.860
 We're fearful

00:23:23.860 --> 00:23:24.799
 of what we might

00:23:24.799 --> 00:23:25.720
 miss out on.

00:23:26.600 --> 00:23:27.640
 While this is true

00:23:27.640 --> 00:23:28.500
 of everywhere,

00:23:28.820 --> 00:23:29.500
 there's probably

00:23:29.500 --> 00:23:30.620
 very few cities

00:23:30.620 --> 00:23:31.440
 in the world

00:23:31.440 --> 00:23:34.000
 in which this is

00:23:34.000 --> 00:23:34.580
 more prevalent

00:23:34.580 --> 00:23:35.279
 than the city

00:23:35.279 --> 00:23:35.980
 of Hong Kong.

00:23:36.259 --> 00:23:37.240
 Because of just

00:23:37.240 --> 00:23:39.200
 the extreme competitiveness

00:23:39.200 --> 00:23:40.360
 of our city,

00:23:40.820 --> 00:23:41.840
 the idea of

00:23:41.840 --> 00:23:43.160
 setting aside time

00:23:43.160 --> 00:23:44.279
 to rest,

00:23:44.779 --> 00:23:45.740
 to switch off,

00:23:46.240 --> 00:23:46.920
 to not answer

00:23:46.920 --> 00:23:47.440
 your phone,

00:23:47.920 --> 00:23:48.559
 to not answer

00:23:48.559 --> 00:23:49.380
 emails or

00:23:49.380 --> 00:23:50.299
 WhatsApp messages,

00:23:51.000 --> 00:23:52.180
 to not be

00:23:52.180 --> 00:23:53.180
 on call,

00:23:53.299 --> 00:23:53.900
 on demand,

00:23:54.200 --> 00:23:55.080
 just seems

00:23:55.080 --> 00:23:56.500
 absolutely crazy.

00:23:57.039 --> 00:23:57.740
 The ethos

00:23:57.740 --> 00:23:58.480
 of our city

00:23:58.480 --> 00:23:59.200
 is that if you're

00:23:59.200 --> 00:23:59.640
 not going to be

00:23:59.640 --> 00:24:00.279
 the fastest,

00:24:00.279 --> 00:24:01.500
 the best,

00:24:01.879 --> 00:24:02.720
 the hardest working,

00:24:03.039 --> 00:24:03.980
 just get out the way

00:24:03.980 --> 00:24:04.940
 and let somebody else

00:24:04.940 --> 00:24:06.319
 in your place.

00:24:07.039 --> 00:24:07.819
 And so the idea

00:24:07.819 --> 00:24:08.539
 of switching off

00:24:08.539 --> 00:24:08.940
 your phone,

00:24:09.059 --> 00:24:10.160
 not checking emails,

00:24:10.399 --> 00:24:11.259
 closing shop,

00:24:11.700 --> 00:24:13.000
 means we could

00:24:13.000 --> 00:24:13.519
 miss out.

00:24:14.079 --> 00:24:14.960
 There's the fear

00:24:14.960 --> 00:24:15.599
 that I could

00:24:15.599 --> 00:24:16.759
 miss out on profits,

00:24:17.160 --> 00:24:17.940
 I could miss out

00:24:17.940 --> 00:24:18.480
 on income,

00:24:18.859 --> 00:24:19.680
 I could miss out

00:24:19.680 --> 00:24:20.339
 on bonus,

00:24:20.460 --> 00:24:21.059
 I could miss out

00:24:21.059 --> 00:24:21.680
 on recognition,

00:24:21.960 --> 00:24:22.799
 I could miss that

00:24:22.799 --> 00:24:23.740
 promotion that I've

00:24:23.740 --> 00:24:24.539
 been longing for

00:24:24.539 --> 00:24:25.639
 and needing.

00:24:26.339 --> 00:24:27.420
 That maybe switching

00:24:27.420 --> 00:24:28.180
 off from Facebook

00:24:28.180 --> 00:24:28.859
 or Instagram

00:24:28.859 --> 00:24:29.839
 or social media

00:24:29.839 --> 00:24:30.359
 means I'm going

00:24:30.359 --> 00:24:30.859
 to miss out

00:24:30.859 --> 00:24:31.980
 on what's

00:24:31.980 --> 00:24:32.419
 happening with

00:24:32.419 --> 00:24:33.319
 my social circle,

00:24:33.439 --> 00:24:34.039
 what friends

00:24:34.039 --> 00:24:34.879
 are up to

00:24:34.879 --> 00:24:35.939
 and my social

00:24:35.939 --> 00:24:36.459
 credit.

00:24:37.259 --> 00:24:37.579
 But friends,

00:24:37.639 --> 00:24:38.159
 what this means

00:24:38.159 --> 00:24:38.639
 of course

00:24:38.639 --> 00:24:39.399
 is that we are

00:24:39.399 --> 00:24:39.899
 slaves.

00:24:41.059 --> 00:24:41.759
 Anybody who

00:24:41.759 --> 00:24:43.279
 cannot say no

00:24:43.279 --> 00:24:44.859
 is a slave.

00:24:45.819 --> 00:24:46.559
 Is it possible

00:24:46.559 --> 00:24:47.199
 that we've become

00:24:47.199 --> 00:24:48.000
 slaves to the

00:24:48.000 --> 00:24:48.779
 culture of our

00:24:48.779 --> 00:24:49.039
 city?

00:24:50.220 --> 00:24:50.599
 Friends,

00:24:50.659 --> 00:24:51.319
 the truth is

00:24:51.319 --> 00:24:52.659
 that even for

00:24:52.659 --> 00:24:53.399
 ancient times

00:24:53.399 --> 00:24:53.959
 the fears

00:24:53.959 --> 00:24:54.699
 were no less.

00:24:55.519 --> 00:24:56.159
 If you were a

00:24:56.159 --> 00:24:56.379
 farmer,

00:24:56.480 --> 00:24:57.019
 you had to get

00:24:57.019 --> 00:24:57.699
 your crops in

00:24:57.699 --> 00:24:58.500
 when harvest was

00:24:58.500 --> 00:24:58.639
 due,

00:24:58.640 --> 00:24:59.120
 before the

00:24:59.120 --> 00:24:59.640
 rains came

00:24:59.640 --> 00:25:00.080
 and destroyed

00:25:00.080 --> 00:25:00.600
 your crops.

00:25:01.040 --> 00:25:02.000
 When traders

00:25:02.000 --> 00:25:02.440
 were coming

00:25:02.440 --> 00:25:02.940
 through the

00:25:02.940 --> 00:25:03.220
 village,

00:25:03.300 --> 00:25:03.780
 you had to

00:25:03.780 --> 00:25:04.240
 sell your

00:25:04.240 --> 00:25:04.940
 wares before

00:25:04.940 --> 00:25:05.480
 they moved

00:25:05.480 --> 00:25:05.780
 on.

00:25:06.440 --> 00:25:06.759
 In the

00:25:06.759 --> 00:25:07.440
 ancient times,

00:25:07.560 --> 00:25:08.480
 the fear of

00:25:08.480 --> 00:25:09.360
 missed opportunity

00:25:09.360 --> 00:25:10.200
 was no less.

00:25:10.759 --> 00:25:11.500
 And yet God

00:25:11.500 --> 00:25:12.140
 makes this

00:25:12.140 --> 00:25:13.240
 promise that

00:25:13.240 --> 00:25:14.240
 if you'll trust

00:25:14.240 --> 00:25:15.720
 me enough to

00:25:15.720 --> 00:25:16.640
 rest and to

00:25:16.640 --> 00:25:16.940
 worship,

00:25:17.060 --> 00:25:17.660
 I promise I'll

00:25:17.660 --> 00:25:18.300
 take care of

00:25:18.300 --> 00:25:18.460
 you.

00:25:18.960 --> 00:25:19.780
 God promises

00:25:19.780 --> 00:25:21.220
 his people that

00:25:21.220 --> 00:25:21.860
 he is faithful

00:25:21.860 --> 00:25:22.460
 and he'll take

00:25:22.460 --> 00:25:23.060
 care of us.

00:25:23.660 --> 00:25:24.580
 Maybe for some

00:25:24.580 --> 00:25:25.000
 of us,

00:25:25.380 --> 00:25:25.980
 the fear is not

00:25:25.980 --> 00:25:26.940
 so much the

00:25:26.940 --> 00:25:28.120
 opportunity cost,

00:25:28.539 --> 00:25:29.360
 the fear is

00:25:29.360 --> 00:25:30.059
 something else.

00:25:30.940 --> 00:25:31.839
 For many of

00:25:31.839 --> 00:25:32.099
 us,

00:25:32.140 --> 00:25:32.740
 it may just

00:25:32.740 --> 00:25:33.220
 seem too

00:25:33.220 --> 00:25:33.900
 scary,

00:25:34.680 --> 00:25:35.400
 too daunting

00:25:35.400 --> 00:25:36.599
 to have to

00:25:36.599 --> 00:25:38.140
 deal and face

00:25:38.140 --> 00:25:39.079
 the things in

00:25:39.079 --> 00:25:39.720
 our lives,

00:25:40.120 --> 00:25:40.720
 the things in

00:25:40.720 --> 00:25:41.259
 our hearts,

00:25:42.120 --> 00:25:43.099
 the anxiety,

00:25:43.940 --> 00:25:44.759
 the loneliness,

00:25:46.299 --> 00:25:48.319
 the despondency.

00:25:49.460 --> 00:25:50.660
 Any prolonged

00:25:50.660 --> 00:25:51.500
 quietness or

00:25:51.500 --> 00:25:52.180
 stillness means

00:25:52.180 --> 00:25:52.740
 that we need to

00:25:52.740 --> 00:25:53.920
 face the

00:25:53.920 --> 00:25:54.880
 insecurities and

00:25:54.880 --> 00:25:55.440
 the addictions

00:25:55.440 --> 00:25:56.259
 in our lives.

00:25:56.800 --> 00:25:57.580
 It's easier

00:25:57.580 --> 00:25:58.220
 just not to

00:25:58.220 --> 00:25:58.660
 go there.

00:25:59.259 --> 00:25:59.700
 And so we

00:25:59.700 --> 00:26:01.120
 mask over the

00:26:01.120 --> 00:26:01.759
 fears in our

00:26:01.759 --> 00:26:02.480
 hearts and the

00:26:02.480 --> 00:26:03.180
 anxieties and

00:26:03.180 --> 00:26:04.539
 insecurities with

00:26:04.539 --> 00:26:05.720
 constant busyness,

00:26:05.980 --> 00:26:06.880
 never able to

00:26:06.880 --> 00:26:07.460
 switch off,

00:26:07.900 --> 00:26:08.519
 never able to

00:26:08.519 --> 00:26:09.240
 put our phone

00:26:09.240 --> 00:26:09.539
 down,

00:26:10.039 --> 00:26:10.720
 never able to

00:26:10.720 --> 00:26:11.720
 be quiet and

00:26:11.720 --> 00:26:12.700
 rest because the

00:26:12.700 --> 00:26:13.519
 voices and the

00:26:13.519 --> 00:26:14.200
 fears and the

00:26:14.200 --> 00:26:14.820
 worries of our

00:26:14.820 --> 00:26:16.160
 hearts are just

00:26:16.160 --> 00:26:16.940
 too loud.

00:26:18.060 --> 00:26:18.600
 Now, of course,

00:26:18.680 --> 00:26:19.180
 the problem with

00:26:19.180 --> 00:26:19.620
 this, friends,

00:26:19.720 --> 00:26:20.519
 is that that means

00:26:20.519 --> 00:26:21.340
 we never deal with

00:26:21.340 --> 00:26:21.519
 it.

00:26:22.000 --> 00:26:22.820
 They're still there.

00:26:22.880 --> 00:26:23.539
 They just push

00:26:23.539 --> 00:26:24.279
 down deeper,

00:26:24.779 --> 00:26:25.200
 waiting for

00:26:25.200 --> 00:26:26.839
 another time to

00:26:26.839 --> 00:26:27.359
 surface.

00:26:28.259 --> 00:26:28.740
 And over and

00:26:28.740 --> 00:26:29.700
 against these two

00:26:29.700 --> 00:26:30.819
 fears, God gives

00:26:30.819 --> 00:26:31.859
 us this gift,

00:26:32.319 --> 00:26:33.180
 this incredible

00:26:33.180 --> 00:26:34.799
 gift of freedom,

00:26:35.200 --> 00:26:36.200
 this gift of

00:26:36.200 --> 00:26:37.359
 Sabbath rest.

00:26:37.859 --> 00:26:38.839
 It's a day in

00:26:38.839 --> 00:26:39.579
 which we declare

00:26:39.579 --> 00:26:40.279
 our freedom,

00:26:40.399 --> 00:26:40.899
 that we are not

00:26:40.899 --> 00:26:42.119
 slaves to our

00:26:42.119 --> 00:26:43.079
 culture, not

00:26:43.079 --> 00:26:43.759
 slaves to our

00:26:43.759 --> 00:26:44.720
 families, to our

00:26:44.720 --> 00:26:45.599
 schools, to our

00:26:45.599 --> 00:26:46.460
 bosses, to the

00:26:46.460 --> 00:26:47.680
 stock market, not

00:26:47.680 --> 00:26:48.539
 even slaves to our

00:26:48.539 --> 00:26:49.220
 own fears and

00:26:49.220 --> 00:26:49.799
 insecurities.

00:26:50.279 --> 00:26:51.399
 God gives us this

00:26:51.399 --> 00:26:52.180
 gift where we

00:26:52.180 --> 00:26:53.500
 declare and stay

00:26:53.500 --> 00:26:54.539
 our freedom,

00:26:55.000 --> 00:26:55.880
 knowing that if

00:26:55.880 --> 00:26:56.559
 we are free in

00:26:56.559 --> 00:26:57.180
 Christ, we are

00:26:57.180 --> 00:26:58.440
 free indeed.

00:26:58.880 --> 00:26:59.700
 But God also

00:26:59.700 --> 00:27:00.619
 gives us this gift

00:27:00.619 --> 00:27:02.259
 of faith because

00:27:02.259 --> 00:27:03.019
 the Sabbath is

00:27:03.019 --> 00:27:03.740
 meant to be a day

00:27:03.740 --> 00:27:04.759
 where we lift our

00:27:04.759 --> 00:27:05.759
 eyes off of the

00:27:05.759 --> 00:27:06.880
 circumstances around

00:27:06.880 --> 00:27:07.980
 us, off of the

00:27:07.980 --> 00:27:08.880
 things that demand

00:27:08.880 --> 00:27:09.519
 our attention.

00:27:09.920 --> 00:27:10.960
 We lift our eyes to

00:27:10.960 --> 00:27:11.640
 heaven and we

00:27:11.640 --> 00:27:12.640
 remember, we

00:27:12.640 --> 00:27:13.859
 behold our God

00:27:13.859 --> 00:27:14.980
 and see that he is

00:27:14.980 --> 00:27:15.619
 on the throne.

00:27:16.099 --> 00:27:17.180
 It's this gift where

00:27:17.180 --> 00:27:18.480
 we remind ourselves

00:27:18.480 --> 00:27:19.440
 what's true in the

00:27:19.440 --> 00:27:20.359
 world and what's

00:27:20.359 --> 00:27:21.660
 real and where our

00:27:21.660 --> 00:27:22.720
 lives really are.

00:27:22.720 --> 00:27:24.740
 God commands us to

00:27:24.740 --> 00:27:25.920
 obey the Sabbath but

00:27:25.920 --> 00:27:27.180
 he also gives us the

00:27:27.180 --> 00:27:28.039
 gift of Sabbath.

00:27:28.600 --> 00:27:29.440
 And so the Sabbath is

00:27:29.440 --> 00:27:31.360
 both a command and a

00:27:31.360 --> 00:27:31.640
 gift.

00:27:33.259 --> 00:27:34.420
 I want us to take a

00:27:34.420 --> 00:27:35.519
 few minutes now and to

00:27:35.519 --> 00:27:36.940
 reflect on two

00:27:36.940 --> 00:27:37.480
 questions.

00:27:38.299 --> 00:27:39.480
 And if you're with

00:27:39.480 --> 00:27:40.259
 somebody else, maybe

00:27:40.259 --> 00:27:41.480
 take some time to

00:27:41.480 --> 00:27:42.720
 discuss these questions

00:27:42.720 --> 00:27:43.620
 with them.

00:27:43.779 --> 00:27:44.579
 If you're on your

00:27:44.579 --> 00:27:45.420
 own, maybe take a

00:27:45.420 --> 00:27:46.380
 journal and jot down

00:27:46.380 --> 00:27:46.920
 these questions.

00:27:47.299 --> 00:27:48.019
 Let's take two

00:27:48.019 --> 00:27:49.600
 minutes to think about

00:27:49.600 --> 00:27:50.860
 these two questions.

00:27:50.859 --> 00:27:53.899
 Firstly, have you

00:27:53.899 --> 00:27:54.979
 ever thought of how

00:27:54.979 --> 00:27:56.199
 the Sabbath applies

00:27:56.199 --> 00:27:56.679
 to you?

00:27:57.339 --> 00:27:57.919
 Have you ever

00:27:57.919 --> 00:27:58.500
 thought it does

00:27:58.500 --> 00:27:59.240
 apply to you?

00:28:00.059 --> 00:28:01.500
 Secondly, what

00:28:01.500 --> 00:28:02.419
 stops you from

00:28:02.419 --> 00:28:03.699
 taking time to

00:28:03.699 --> 00:28:04.579
 unplug from the

00:28:04.579 --> 00:28:05.299
 rhythms and the

00:28:05.299 --> 00:28:07.539
 demands of life and

00:28:07.539 --> 00:28:09.079
 to rest and to

00:28:09.079 --> 00:28:10.579
 worship and to

00:28:10.579 --> 00:28:11.199
 Sabbath well?

00:28:11.740 --> 00:28:12.559
 Let's take a few

00:28:12.559 --> 00:28:13.519
 minutes to do

00:28:13.519 --> 00:28:13.819
 that.

00:28:13.819 --> 00:28:16.359
 Let's take a few

00:28:20.859 --> 00:28:22.319
 moments to three

00:28:22.319 --> 00:28:22.399
 scruration.

00:28:22.399 --> 00:28:22.639
 Thank you very much.

00:28:23.559 --> 00:28:31.659
 Had to do that.

00:28:31.879 --> 00:28:32.339
 Thank you.

00:28:32.339 --> 00:28:32.419
 Listen.

00:28:33.179 --> 00:28:33.559
 backpack.

00:28:34.359 --> 00:28:34.479
 Yes.

00:28:35.019 --> 00:28:36.779
 These seven

00:28:37.279 --> 00:28:38.879
 evenings remind you

00:28:38.879 --> 00:28:39.659
 of the upper

00:28:39.659 --> 00:28:42.079
 stairs for the

00:28:42.079 --> 00:28:43.399
 aid for the

00:28:43.399 --> 00:28:45.939
 injection of

00:28:45.939 --> 00:28:49.240
 the

00:28:49.259 --> 00:28:50.339
 water stadium

00:28:50.339 --> 00:29:20.319
 Thank you.

00:29:20.339 --> 00:29:50.319
 Thank you.

00:29:50.339 --> 00:30:20.319
 Thank you.

00:30:20.339 --> 00:30:22.339
 Thank you.

00:30:22.339 --> 00:30:24.339
 Thank you.

00:30:24.339 --> 00:30:26.339
 Thank you.

00:30:26.339 --> 00:30:28.339
 Thank you.

00:30:28.339 --> 00:30:36.179
 And the reason I'm saying that is because I really want myself and you and for us as a church to take this seriously.

00:30:36.339 --> 00:30:39.899
 It's an outstanding book that's going to help us practically think about this.

00:30:39.900 --> 00:30:41.660
 So add that to your list.

00:30:42.060 --> 00:30:42.300
 Okay.

00:30:42.960 --> 00:30:45.080
 Finally, how should we do this practically?

00:30:45.240 --> 00:30:46.980
 How should we apply this to our lives?

00:30:47.380 --> 00:30:54.220
 Now, as I said earlier, the New Testament isn't strictly saying that the Sunday is the new Sabbath.

00:30:54.380 --> 00:30:57.319
 But we do tend to see this principle.

00:30:57.900 --> 00:31:06.940
 If there is another way that you can do this, that you can gather with God's people in community to rest and to worship, be free.

00:31:06.940 --> 00:31:14.860
 But what is critical to the idea of the Sabbath is these three things of rest, worship, and in community with God's people.

00:31:15.180 --> 00:31:16.019
 Feeding your soul.

00:31:16.200 --> 00:31:18.840
 Reminding ourselves that God is on the throne, not me.

00:31:18.980 --> 00:31:23.440
 That Jesus rules, not work, not social media, not culture.

00:31:23.440 --> 00:31:26.559
 And so find time to do that.

00:31:26.960 --> 00:31:28.100
 How should we do it practically?

00:31:28.840 --> 00:31:31.920
 Well, in order to do this well, there's four things that we need to do.

00:31:32.500 --> 00:31:38.019
 In our family, we've been trying to do this the last couple of months and it's been so good and life-giving.

00:31:38.240 --> 00:31:43.480
 We haven't got it perfectly down yet, but we're trying our best and I'll tell you a little bit about that in a minute.

00:31:43.820 --> 00:31:45.400
 Four things we need to practically do.

00:31:45.759 --> 00:31:50.019
 First thing, you need to prioritize it above everything else.

00:31:51.000 --> 00:31:52.440
 You need to look at your calendar.

00:31:52.440 --> 00:31:54.440
 If you're married, talk to your spouse.

00:31:54.820 --> 00:32:00.980
 Otherwise, look at your calendar and prioritize this time above everything else.

00:32:01.759 --> 00:32:04.640
 What is the time when you and your family are going to Sabbath?

00:32:04.840 --> 00:32:07.480
 And you need to guard it as if your life depends on it.

00:32:07.620 --> 00:32:10.100
 And the reason is because your life does depend on it.

00:32:10.180 --> 00:32:11.019
 It really does.

00:32:11.480 --> 00:32:14.600
 If you have to quit some things to fit it in, do that.

00:32:14.940 --> 00:32:18.380
 If you have to leave some clubs, if you have to give up some hobbies,

00:32:18.380 --> 00:32:26.680
 if you have to make some changes, do whatever is required to prioritize a set time weekly in your calendar

00:32:26.680 --> 00:32:30.860
 when you can rest, revitalize your soul, and connect with God.

00:32:30.859 --> 00:32:36.240
 You know, one of the things we like to do is to tell our children, hopefully we do this,

00:32:36.619 --> 00:32:37.779
 that Christ is King.

00:32:38.479 --> 00:32:39.539
 Jesus is God.

00:32:40.019 --> 00:32:45.500
 But it's hard to convince our children of that when soccer practice, piano lessons,

00:32:46.240 --> 00:32:53.299
 tuition, needlework, housework, Netflix, Instagram, social media, cooking,

00:32:53.299 --> 00:32:56.200
 every other thing takes priority.

00:32:56.879 --> 00:32:59.460
 When following Jesus and gathering with his people,

00:32:59.579 --> 00:33:04.799
 when getting into God's word is 17 on our priority list,

00:33:04.919 --> 00:33:08.339
 it's hard to convince anyone in our family that Jesus is King.

00:33:09.099 --> 00:33:16.119
 Friends, I want to encourage us to do whatever it takes to prioritize this Sabbath time in our weekly schedule.

00:33:16.740 --> 00:33:17.579
 Second thing is this.

00:33:17.879 --> 00:33:22.119
 You need to turn off your phone and disconnect from all connectivity.

00:33:22.119 --> 00:33:25.979
 Now, I know that sounds like I live in the dark ages

00:33:25.979 --> 00:33:30.439
 and that I don't know which city I live in and which century I'm part of.

00:33:30.779 --> 00:33:35.479
 But honestly, our culture is absolutely addicted to our cell phones.

00:33:35.739 --> 00:33:37.859
 There's all sorts of books and research about that,

00:33:37.979 --> 00:33:41.819
 about the addiction that mobile phones are having on our culture

00:33:41.819 --> 00:33:43.799
 and the effects that it's having.

00:33:44.559 --> 00:33:47.000
 Now, whatever your views are of social media,

00:33:47.000 --> 00:33:51.759
 what is unquestionable is the way that mobile phones and connectivity

00:33:51.759 --> 00:33:56.619
 have absolutely hijacked our minds and our hearts and us as human beings.

00:33:57.160 --> 00:33:58.400
 And we know the results of this.

00:33:58.960 --> 00:34:04.279
 Teenage anxiety, depression, suicides are absolutely off the charts.

00:34:04.920 --> 00:34:09.980
 Cultural analysts that have tracked teenage anxiety and depression throughout the decades

00:34:09.980 --> 00:34:14.840
 have tracked the rise and suddenly in 2010 with the advent of the smartphone,

00:34:15.260 --> 00:34:18.240
 anxiety and depression have absolutely gone off the charts.

00:34:18.920 --> 00:34:23.599
 Friends, many of us spend more time looking at our screens than we do at our kids in the eye.

00:34:24.260 --> 00:34:28.420
 Many of us spend more time looking at our phones than we do at God's Word.

00:34:29.119 --> 00:34:32.300
 Our phones have hijacked our hearts and our souls.

00:34:32.300 --> 00:34:35.400
 And so, for some of us, it may not be social media.

00:34:35.539 --> 00:34:39.200
 It may be checking emails or WhatsApp messages or other forms of communication.

00:34:39.900 --> 00:34:44.400
 Can I plead with us for the sake of our soul, for the sake of our sanity,

00:34:44.620 --> 00:34:48.700
 for the sake of our humanity, for the sake of your children and your marriage,

00:34:48.800 --> 00:34:53.920
 whatever Sabbath looks like, turn off your phone and disconnect from the demands

00:34:53.920 --> 00:34:57.360
 and the connectivity of our world.

00:34:57.700 --> 00:35:00.860
 In our family, because Sunday is a workday,

00:35:00.860 --> 00:35:05.880
 we try and do Sabbath from 5 p.m. on Friday evening till Saturday lunchtime.

00:35:06.380 --> 00:35:09.280
 And so, in our family, at 5 p.m. on Friday evening,

00:35:09.480 --> 00:35:11.099
 sorry, 5 p.m. Friday evening,

00:35:11.500 --> 00:35:13.059
 all cell phones get turned off,

00:35:13.440 --> 00:35:14.760
 all iPads get turned off,

00:35:14.940 --> 00:35:16.000
 computers get turned off,

00:35:16.200 --> 00:35:17.160
 TV gets turned off,

00:35:17.460 --> 00:35:20.620
 all digital equipment gets put away in the drawer.

00:35:20.960 --> 00:35:24.099
 And from 5 p.m. Friday evening till Saturday lunchtime,

00:35:24.460 --> 00:35:26.900
 nobody is allowed to look at a screen.

00:35:27.539 --> 00:35:28.840
 And though sometimes it's hard,

00:35:28.840 --> 00:35:30.940
 it's been the best thing for our family.

00:35:31.059 --> 00:35:33.860
 As we get to engage and pray together and have a meal

00:35:33.860 --> 00:35:37.660
 and celebrate one another and what God is doing in our lives.

00:35:38.800 --> 00:35:39.800
 Third thing is this.

00:35:40.539 --> 00:35:42.380
 You need to find out what relaxes you,

00:35:42.600 --> 00:35:43.620
 what revives you,

00:35:43.840 --> 00:35:44.900
 what refreshes you,

00:35:45.000 --> 00:35:46.079
 and do that thing.

00:35:46.440 --> 00:35:48.019
 For some people, it may be hiking.

00:35:48.440 --> 00:35:50.579
 Some people, it may be an extended time of reading.

00:35:51.079 --> 00:35:52.579
 Some people may be being on the water,

00:35:52.980 --> 00:35:53.700
 in the beach,

00:35:54.160 --> 00:35:55.460
 baking.

00:35:55.460 --> 00:35:57.840
 For some people, it may be playing guitar,

00:35:58.179 --> 00:35:59.179
 playing a round of golf.

00:35:59.639 --> 00:36:03.019
 Find out what makes you grateful to be in God's will

00:36:03.019 --> 00:36:05.440
 and a part of His creation and do that thing.

00:36:06.179 --> 00:36:08.519
 But here's the fourth thing and the most important thing.

00:36:09.579 --> 00:36:12.500
 You need to tune your heart to worship Christ.

00:36:13.880 --> 00:36:15.139
 In the book of Hebrews,

00:36:15.400 --> 00:36:18.420
 the writer is talking about the way that God's people

00:36:18.420 --> 00:36:20.780
 in the Old Testament and the leadership of Joshua

00:36:20.780 --> 00:36:23.840
 were going towards the promised land.

00:36:24.600 --> 00:36:26.180
 And under Moses,

00:36:26.320 --> 00:36:27.660
 they were going from the wilderness,

00:36:27.960 --> 00:36:29.460
 this place of being nomads,

00:36:29.560 --> 00:36:32.800
 this place of danger and armies and battles and enemies.

00:36:33.220 --> 00:36:35.600
 And they were on their way towards the promised land.

00:36:35.640 --> 00:36:38.900
 And the promised land is described as this place of milk and honey.

00:36:39.280 --> 00:36:44.780
 It's a description of luxury and rest and perfection.

00:36:45.180 --> 00:36:47.240
 This place where there's no more battles to fight.

00:36:47.239 --> 00:36:50.819
 This place where your heart is full and satisfied.

00:36:51.699 --> 00:36:52.559
 And so for 40 years,

00:36:52.659 --> 00:36:55.939
 God's people are anticipating getting to the promised land.

00:36:56.419 --> 00:36:59.799
 Finally getting there and being able to rest from the journey,

00:36:59.959 --> 00:37:02.759
 but also being able to rest from warfare and battles

00:37:02.759 --> 00:37:04.699
 and from manna and quail.

00:37:05.199 --> 00:37:07.699
 Finally, they could get to the promised land.

00:37:09.119 --> 00:37:10.359
 But Joshua says,

00:37:10.539 --> 00:37:12.259
 the book of Hebrews says this,

00:37:12.260 --> 00:37:42.160
 What's the writer saying?

00:37:43.260 --> 00:37:48.300
 He's saying that even though God's people finally got to the promised land,

00:37:48.960 --> 00:37:51.140
 their hearts were not ultimately at rest.

00:37:51.920 --> 00:37:57.420
 He's saying that the perfect circumstances of our lives don't give us rest.

00:37:57.980 --> 00:37:59.600
 He's saying that rest,

00:38:00.020 --> 00:38:01.960
 true rest is not found in circumstances,

00:38:01.960 --> 00:38:03.720
 it's found in a person.

00:38:04.220 --> 00:38:05.680
 It's found in the person of Jesus.

00:38:05.679 --> 00:38:07.899
 What Hebrews is telling us,

00:38:08.000 --> 00:38:08.179
 friends,

00:38:08.239 --> 00:38:13.859
 is that if you managed to buy a perfect island in paradise,

00:38:14.099 --> 00:38:17.139
 and you had servants waiting on you all day long,

00:38:17.339 --> 00:38:19.099
 you had all the money in the world,

00:38:19.199 --> 00:38:21.219
 you had all the food you could possibly eat,

00:38:21.500 --> 00:38:22.859
 you could wake up in the morning,

00:38:22.980 --> 00:38:24.179
 go for a run on the beach,

00:38:24.259 --> 00:38:26.099
 you had a sailing boat waiting there for you.

00:38:26.099 --> 00:38:27.900
 If you had the most perfect,

00:38:28.079 --> 00:38:32.440
 idyllic life that you could ever possibly dream of,

00:38:32.799 --> 00:38:36.099
 your heart would not be at rest.

00:38:36.519 --> 00:38:40.400
 That would not guarantee that your heart would be rest and satisfied.

00:38:40.960 --> 00:38:41.380
 Friends,

00:38:41.440 --> 00:38:42.460
 how many people say,

00:38:42.819 --> 00:38:43.519
 I'll work hard,

00:38:43.599 --> 00:38:44.519
 I'll make a ton of money,

00:38:44.639 --> 00:38:46.239
 and once I get $5 million,

00:38:46.619 --> 00:38:47.259
 $10 million,

00:38:47.579 --> 00:38:48.299
 $20 million,

00:38:48.300 --> 00:38:49.480
 I'll kick back,

00:38:49.580 --> 00:38:50.200
 and I'll relax.

00:38:50.820 --> 00:38:51.360
 You know what?

00:38:51.720 --> 00:38:53.360
 No matter how much money you make,

00:38:53.680 --> 00:38:55.039
 your heart's not going to be at rest.

00:38:55.660 --> 00:38:56.880
 Because true rest,

00:38:57.620 --> 00:38:58.500
 ultimate rest,

00:38:58.740 --> 00:39:01.120
 is found in our hearts and our souls,

00:39:01.260 --> 00:39:03.060
 coming to the one that knows us the best,

00:39:03.440 --> 00:39:05.160
 who made us for a relationship with him,

00:39:05.460 --> 00:39:08.160
 and calibrating our hearts to him.

00:39:08.860 --> 00:39:09.680
 In the Old Testament,

00:39:09.820 --> 00:39:11.600
 Joshua did take them into promised land.

00:39:12.039 --> 00:39:14.600
 They were no longer wandering throughout the wilderness and the desert,

00:39:15.039 --> 00:39:16.700
 but they got to the promised land,

00:39:16.699 --> 00:39:20.639
 this land of milk and honey and luxury and of plentiful,

00:39:21.159 --> 00:39:22.779
 and they still were not satisfied.

00:39:24.299 --> 00:39:25.579
 Because though they got there,

00:39:25.679 --> 00:39:28.679
 they'd wandered away from the God who knew them and made them.

00:39:30.199 --> 00:39:30.500
 Friends,

00:39:30.579 --> 00:39:31.199
 in Jeremiah,

00:39:31.859 --> 00:39:32.819
 chapter 6,

00:39:33.339 --> 00:39:34.919
 God's people are in the promised land,

00:39:35.079 --> 00:39:38.000
 and things are going bad because they've wandered away from God.

00:39:38.779 --> 00:39:40.960
 And so Jeremiah gives this amazing verse.

00:39:41.039 --> 00:39:41.719
 He says this,

00:39:42.159 --> 00:39:44.879
 Stand by the roads and look.

00:39:44.880 --> 00:39:47.480
 Ask for the ancient paths,

00:39:47.740 --> 00:39:48.980
 where the good way is,

00:39:49.400 --> 00:39:50.400
 and walk in it,

00:39:50.820 --> 00:39:53.860
 and you will find a rest for your souls.

00:39:54.460 --> 00:39:54.940
 Friends,

00:39:55.000 --> 00:39:56.900
 I know that the idea of taking a Sabbath,

00:39:57.480 --> 00:39:59.760
 of carving out time in our busy city,

00:39:59.820 --> 00:40:01.240
 sounds absolutely ridiculous.

00:40:01.660 --> 00:40:04.280
 I know it may even sound like something from the dark ages.

00:40:04.280 --> 00:40:07.120
 But if the mental health statistics,

00:40:07.320 --> 00:40:11.000
 if the divorce rates of our city are anything to go by,

00:40:11.100 --> 00:40:15.140
 if the burnout and the anxiety and the loneliness of our city is anything to go by,

00:40:15.860 --> 00:40:16.160
 friends,

00:40:16.240 --> 00:40:17.680
 maybe we need to stop,

00:40:18.380 --> 00:40:20.240
 look for the ancient paths,

00:40:20.880 --> 00:40:22.540
 find out where the good way is,

00:40:23.019 --> 00:40:23.980
 and walk in them.

00:40:24.740 --> 00:40:27.580
 Maybe that's the way to find rest for our souls.

00:40:27.579 --> 00:40:31.119
 Jesus picks up on this verse in Matthew chapter 11,

00:40:31.799 --> 00:40:32.239
 and he,

00:40:32.739 --> 00:40:33.819
 speaking to his disciples,

00:40:33.980 --> 00:40:34.860
 who would have known Jeremiah,

00:40:35.179 --> 00:40:36.779
 he takes this verse,

00:40:36.860 --> 00:40:38.119
 and then he applies it to himself.

00:40:38.880 --> 00:40:39.819
 And he says this,

00:40:40.099 --> 00:40:42.199
 and this still applies to us all these years later,

00:40:42.199 --> 00:41:00.199
 Friends,

00:41:01.239 --> 00:41:03.099
 some of us here are frenetic,

00:41:03.739 --> 00:41:04.719
 and anxious,

00:41:05.039 --> 00:41:05.659
 and worried,

00:41:05.839 --> 00:41:06.639
 we are angry,

00:41:07.019 --> 00:41:07.939
 we are stressed,

00:41:08.379 --> 00:41:10.019
 we have explosions of anger,

00:41:10.259 --> 00:41:12.019
 because we've never come to Jesus.

00:41:13.000 --> 00:41:13.279
 Friends,

00:41:13.339 --> 00:41:15.099
 maybe you've been part of church for many years,

00:41:15.179 --> 00:41:16.099
 you've sang the songs,

00:41:16.259 --> 00:41:17.379
 you've given your offering,

00:41:17.779 --> 00:41:19.159
 you've been part of a Bible study,

00:41:19.519 --> 00:41:21.299
 but you've never really come to Jesus.

00:41:22.019 --> 00:41:23.859
 You've never really surrendered your heart to him.

00:41:24.419 --> 00:41:26.879
 You've still wanted to be in control of your life.

00:41:27.299 --> 00:41:30.139
 You've felt that your life is ultimately in your hands.

00:41:30.819 --> 00:41:31.079
 Friends,

00:41:31.079 --> 00:41:32.619
 Jesus calls us today,

00:41:33.000 --> 00:41:33.719
 today,

00:41:34.059 --> 00:41:36.500
 to find our Sabbath rest in him,

00:41:36.719 --> 00:41:38.139
 to surrender to him,

00:41:38.519 --> 00:41:40.480
 to maybe for the very first time,

00:41:40.779 --> 00:41:41.359
 to admit,

00:41:41.360 --> 00:41:41.840
 Jesus,

00:41:42.000 --> 00:41:42.599
 you are God,

00:41:42.660 --> 00:41:43.320
 and I am not.

00:41:43.660 --> 00:41:43.900
 God,

00:41:44.000 --> 00:41:44.880
 you are on the throne,

00:41:44.980 --> 00:41:45.620
 and I am not.

00:41:45.880 --> 00:41:47.320
 My life is in your hands.

00:41:47.800 --> 00:41:48.059
 Friends,

00:41:48.140 --> 00:41:50.019
 you cannot save yourself from your sin,

00:41:50.360 --> 00:41:52.760
 but you also cannot save yourself from your anxiety,

00:41:52.980 --> 00:41:53.740
 and your worry,

00:41:53.860 --> 00:41:54.620
 and your fears.

00:41:55.059 --> 00:41:56.140
 Only Jesus can.

00:41:56.720 --> 00:41:57.039
 Friends,

00:41:57.160 --> 00:41:57.720
 come to him,

00:41:57.719 --> 00:41:59.219
 and find your rest in him.

00:41:59.579 --> 00:42:01.399
 Come to him and align your hearts to him.

00:42:01.459 --> 00:42:02.579
 Come and worship him.

00:42:02.919 --> 00:42:04.299
 Come and let him be your God.

00:42:04.399 --> 00:42:05.159
 Let him be your king.

00:42:05.299 --> 00:42:06.899
 Come and surrender your life to him.

00:42:07.500 --> 00:42:07.739
 Friends,

00:42:07.819 --> 00:42:09.559
 maybe the reason why you've never rested,

00:42:09.699 --> 00:42:11.679
 is because there's an idol that you've served,

00:42:11.759 --> 00:42:12.419
 called yourself,

00:42:12.779 --> 00:42:14.199
 or an idol called work,

00:42:14.279 --> 00:42:15.359
 or an idol called money.

00:42:15.839 --> 00:42:16.099
 Friends,

00:42:16.179 --> 00:42:18.099
 those idols are going to destroy you.

00:42:18.539 --> 00:42:20.619
 There is one God who can save you,

00:42:20.619 --> 00:42:21.679
 not only from hell,

00:42:21.799 --> 00:42:22.299
 that's true,

00:42:22.420 --> 00:42:23.719
 but also from the anxiety,

00:42:24.000 --> 00:42:24.639
 and the worry,

00:42:25.039 --> 00:42:27.219
 and the despondency of our hearts.

00:42:27.299 --> 00:42:28.960
 There is one God and king,

00:42:29.460 --> 00:42:30.579
 who can give you rest.

00:42:31.299 --> 00:42:32.159
 His name is Jesus.

00:42:33.519 --> 00:42:33.819
 Friends,

00:42:33.900 --> 00:42:34.599
 come to him today.

00:42:35.460 --> 00:42:36.639
 Come to him this morning.

00:42:37.159 --> 00:42:38.619
 Don't go another minute,

00:42:38.719 --> 00:42:39.659
 another hour,

00:42:40.179 --> 00:42:42.239
 still being God and in control of your life.

00:42:42.920 --> 00:42:46.099
 Come to him and find your Sabbath rest in him.

00:42:47.380 --> 00:42:47.779
 Friends,

00:42:47.779 --> 00:42:49.059
 I know it's a fearful thing,

00:42:49.059 --> 00:42:50.599
 to cut out time,

00:42:50.920 --> 00:42:51.960
 to say no,

00:42:52.079 --> 00:42:53.840
 to switch off your phones and our emails.

00:42:54.460 --> 00:42:57.000
 I know that maybe there's a fear of losing out.

00:42:57.579 --> 00:42:58.719
 Of course there is.

00:42:59.940 --> 00:43:00.299
 Friends,

00:43:00.420 --> 00:43:02.360
 Jesus is more than adequate to look after you.

00:43:03.019 --> 00:43:04.940
 He's more than adequate to look after your family.

00:43:05.559 --> 00:43:07.519
 He's more than adequate to look after your children.

00:43:08.420 --> 00:43:08.639
 Friends,

00:43:08.719 --> 00:43:10.259
 your life is not in your boss's hands.

00:43:10.820 --> 00:43:12.599
 Your life is not in your client's hands.

00:43:13.000 --> 00:43:14.719
 Your life is not in the stock market.

00:43:15.299 --> 00:43:16.639
 Your life is in King Jesus.

00:43:17.480 --> 00:43:18.179
 Trust him.

00:43:18.179 --> 00:43:19.639
 Trust him.

00:43:20.419 --> 00:43:22.099
 And then for those of us that are so fearful,

00:43:22.839 --> 00:43:25.239
 to engage the stuff in our hearts.

00:43:26.259 --> 00:43:30.940
 It's scary to take a Sabbath because we don't know what we'll find in our lives.

00:43:31.919 --> 00:43:32.159
 Friends,

00:43:32.239 --> 00:43:35.500
 maybe confronting the pain and the agony is a fearful thing.

00:43:35.739 --> 00:43:36.440
 Don't you see?

00:43:36.579 --> 00:43:37.859
 Jesus is a good physician.

00:43:38.699 --> 00:43:41.179
 Jesus is the best counselor you'll ever come across.

00:43:41.699 --> 00:43:43.119
 Jesus is the great physician.

00:43:43.119 --> 00:43:45.440
 He is there to heal your heart.

00:43:45.440 --> 00:43:47.179
 He's there to bring you freedom.

00:43:47.900 --> 00:43:48.119
 Friends,

00:43:48.280 --> 00:43:49.599
 Jesus died on the cross,

00:43:49.720 --> 00:43:51.119
 not just to save you from hell,

00:43:51.220 --> 00:43:53.820
 but also to bring healing to our lives and our souls.

00:43:54.460 --> 00:43:54.639
 Friends,

00:43:54.780 --> 00:43:58.639
 Jesus is the one who invites us to come and to bring our burden to him.

00:43:59.019 --> 00:43:59.760
 Jesus says here,

00:43:59.760 --> 00:44:00.380
 come to me,

00:44:00.480 --> 00:44:06.260
 those of you who are burdened and anxious and worried and frightened and fearful.

00:44:06.640 --> 00:44:07.460
 Come to me.

00:44:07.540 --> 00:44:08.920
 I will give you rest.

00:44:09.420 --> 00:44:09.740
 Friends,

00:44:09.860 --> 00:44:12.960
 bearing those things with the business of life will never deal with him.

00:44:13.520 --> 00:44:14.980
 Come to Jesus.

00:44:14.980 --> 00:44:18.039
 Come and find your rest in him.

00:44:18.539 --> 00:44:18.940
 Friends,

00:44:19.019 --> 00:44:19.880
 can I beg you?

00:44:20.199 --> 00:44:23.119
 The frenetic pace of this city is killing us.

00:44:23.519 --> 00:44:24.539
 It's killing our marriages.

00:44:24.920 --> 00:44:26.000
 It's killing our children.

00:44:26.420 --> 00:44:27.360
 It's killing our hearts.

00:44:27.619 --> 00:44:28.639
 It's killing our peace.

00:44:28.960 --> 00:44:32.740
 We're on the treadmill and it's getting faster and faster and faster.

00:44:33.360 --> 00:44:35.820
 And those things that we are hoping and trusting,

00:44:35.940 --> 00:44:37.280
 and not only are they killing us,

00:44:37.340 --> 00:44:38.199
 even if we get them,

00:44:38.260 --> 00:44:39.480
 they will not satisfy us.

00:44:40.199 --> 00:44:41.480
 They cannot save our souls.

00:44:42.059 --> 00:44:43.280
 They cannot satisfy us.

00:44:43.280 --> 00:44:44.640
 Jesus says,

00:44:45.040 --> 00:44:46.000
 come to me.

00:44:46.360 --> 00:44:48.560
 All you who are weary and heavy laden,

00:44:48.860 --> 00:44:51.600
 come to me and I will give you rest.

00:44:52.019 --> 00:44:53.400
 Let's pray together.

00:44:58.740 --> 00:44:59.580
 God,

00:45:00.280 --> 00:45:02.100
 sovereign God,

00:45:02.900 --> 00:45:03.880
 gracious King,

00:45:04.519 --> 00:45:05.540
 majestic Lord,

00:45:06.380 --> 00:45:06.860
 God,

00:45:06.940 --> 00:45:08.280
 we come to you this morning.

00:45:09.140 --> 00:45:10.680
 We are anxious and worried,

00:45:11.780 --> 00:45:12.940
 fearful and frightened,

00:45:13.280 --> 00:45:14.680
 worn out,

00:45:15.260 --> 00:45:15.940
 burnt out.

00:45:17.940 --> 00:45:18.380
 God,

00:45:18.420 --> 00:45:19.640
 we've come to the end of ourselves.

00:45:21.560 --> 00:45:23.540
 And the amazing thing is that we've done this,

00:45:23.660 --> 00:45:23.760
 God,

00:45:23.820 --> 00:45:25.480
 because we've trusted in false gods,

00:45:25.840 --> 00:45:26.500
 other idols.

00:45:27.380 --> 00:45:27.880
 And though,

00:45:27.960 --> 00:45:28.220
 God,

00:45:28.300 --> 00:45:29.200
 that alone

00:45:29.200 --> 00:45:32.000
 means that we deserve to be

00:45:32.000 --> 00:45:34.160
 banished to hell forever.

00:45:35.240 --> 00:45:35.640
 We've

00:45:35.640 --> 00:45:37.980
 kicked you out of our lives

00:45:37.980 --> 00:45:39.260
 and trust in other things.

00:45:39.420 --> 00:45:39.699
 God,

00:45:39.800 --> 00:45:41.420
 in your incredible mercy,

00:45:42.159 --> 00:45:44.139
 in your outstanding grace,

00:45:45.019 --> 00:45:46.480
 you come to us and say,

00:45:47.179 --> 00:45:47.559
 come,

00:45:48.039 --> 00:45:48.820
 my children,

00:45:48.920 --> 00:45:49.699
 my sons and daughters,

00:45:50.380 --> 00:45:51.800
 come and find your rest in me.

00:45:54.199 --> 00:45:54.599
 Jesus,

00:45:54.699 --> 00:45:54.840
 though,

00:45:54.900 --> 00:45:56.719
 we are like prodigal sons and daughters

00:45:56.719 --> 00:45:58.980
 that have run off to a faraway country

00:45:58.980 --> 00:46:00.980
 to try and find our satisfaction

00:46:01.500 --> 00:46:02.740
 in all sorts of things.

00:46:02.739 --> 00:46:04.279
 God,

00:46:04.339 --> 00:46:05.339
 many of us have come

00:46:05.339 --> 00:46:06.899
 to the end of ourselves.

00:46:08.139 --> 00:46:09.019
 We've realized,

00:46:09.199 --> 00:46:09.319
 God,

00:46:09.379 --> 00:46:10.659
 that coming back to you,

00:46:10.739 --> 00:46:12.399
 even being a servant in your house

00:46:12.399 --> 00:46:13.279
 would be better than

00:46:13.279 --> 00:46:15.299
 serving some false idol

00:46:15.299 --> 00:46:16.359
 that is killing us.

00:46:17.419 --> 00:46:18.019
 And yet,

00:46:18.079 --> 00:46:18.239
 God,

00:46:18.279 --> 00:46:19.479
 as we come back to you this morning,

00:46:19.559 --> 00:46:20.439
 we find you

00:46:20.439 --> 00:46:21.819
 as a father

00:46:21.819 --> 00:46:24.119
 that is waiting for us,

00:46:24.739 --> 00:46:26.739
 that is running towards us,

00:46:27.159 --> 00:46:29.279
 that is throwing his arms around us

00:46:29.279 --> 00:46:29.639
 and saying,

00:46:29.639 --> 00:46:30.119
 my son,

00:46:30.199 --> 00:46:30.659
 my daughter,

00:46:31.339 --> 00:46:32.219
 welcome home.

00:46:32.940 --> 00:46:34.319
 It's so good to have you.

00:46:38.639 --> 00:46:39.079
 God,

00:46:39.139 --> 00:46:40.379
 you didn't just slaughter

00:46:40.379 --> 00:46:41.639
 the fattened calf

00:46:41.639 --> 00:46:43.299
 and I returned.

00:46:43.859 --> 00:46:45.119
 You let your son

00:46:45.119 --> 00:46:46.179
 be killed.

00:46:47.259 --> 00:46:48.059
 You let your son

00:46:48.059 --> 00:46:49.319
 hang on the cross for us.

00:46:51.679 --> 00:46:52.159
 Jesus,

00:46:52.359 --> 00:46:52.859
 as we

00:46:52.859 --> 00:46:55.179
 read earlier,

00:46:55.400 --> 00:46:56.440
 better is one day

00:46:56.440 --> 00:46:57.420
 in your house

00:46:57.420 --> 00:46:58.819
 than a thousand elsewhere.

00:46:59.639 --> 00:47:01.379
 better is one day,

00:47:01.559 --> 00:47:01.799
 God,

00:47:02.079 --> 00:47:03.339
 with you

00:47:03.339 --> 00:47:04.599
 than all the pleasures

00:47:04.599 --> 00:47:05.639
 that this world could offer.

00:47:07.859 --> 00:47:08.299
 God,

00:47:08.359 --> 00:47:08.779
 I pray,

00:47:08.900 --> 00:47:09.519
 won't you give us

00:47:09.519 --> 00:47:10.099
 the faith

00:47:10.099 --> 00:47:11.019
 to trust you,

00:47:11.839 --> 00:47:12.579
 to unplug

00:47:12.579 --> 00:47:13.500
 from the demands

00:47:13.500 --> 00:47:14.059
 of life,

00:47:14.659 --> 00:47:16.920
 to switch into

00:47:16.920 --> 00:47:18.819
 you,

00:47:18.940 --> 00:47:19.079
 God,

00:47:19.099 --> 00:47:19.940
 and to switch off

00:47:19.940 --> 00:47:21.460
 from the regular

00:47:21.460 --> 00:47:22.279
 rhythms of life.

00:47:22.379 --> 00:47:22.719
 Help us,

00:47:22.879 --> 00:47:23.119
 I pray.

00:47:26.379 --> 00:47:26.799
 God,

00:47:26.859 --> 00:47:27.279
 won't you open

00:47:27.279 --> 00:47:28.039
 the eyes of our hearts

00:47:28.039 --> 00:47:28.840
 to see you,

00:47:29.460 --> 00:47:30.360
 to adore you,

00:47:30.420 --> 00:47:31.320
 and to come back to you.

00:47:32.199 --> 00:47:33.039
 We need you,

00:47:33.119 --> 00:47:33.380
 Jesus.

00:47:35.079 --> 00:47:35.480
 Amen.

00:47:35.480 --> 00:47:35.619
 Amen.