Previously we went through what God does not want us to do on this day. Today we will go through more of what He does want us to do in order to keep His Sabbath day holy.
Review of Part 1
A day of ceasing from our work, our ways, our pleasures, our words and our burdens and instead we plan and prepare to keep the Sabbath Holy – it is a test (that Judah and Israel have continued to fail) but if we observe it properly it is a sign to God that we are His people.
Not just a day of dont’s
We have gotten this wrong idea that it is a day of severe self-discipline and abstention from every form of joy. This not the case!
We saw in Isaiah 58:13 last time
We are to call The Sabbath a delight; we are to honor the day: It is a day that we esteem highly and greatly respect; elevate and praise above the others because it is The holy day of the LORD: a time set aside for God for a particular purpose.
We need to understand and formulate a right approach to this day. It cannot be just like any other day of the week.
If it is not a day for doing our work and our pleasures and our words then it is a day for God: for doing His Work, His Pleasure and speaking His Words
These three are inextricable linked and intertwined with one another
Work of God
John 6:29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.“
Mark 16:16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
We have a part in this:
Philippians 2:12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;
Philippians 2:13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
God’s Pleasure
Luke 12:32 “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
Ephesians 1:5 … predestined us to sonship by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,
God’s Words
Luke 4:4 But Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE, BUT BY EVERY WORD OF GOD.’ “
Feeding the flock with spiritual food
Christ’s example
Luke 4:16 So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.
Luke 4:17 And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:
Luke 4:18 “THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE HAS ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR; HE HAS SENT ME TO HEAL THE BROKENHEARTED, TO PROCLAIM LIBERTY TO THE CAPTIVES AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET AT LIBERTY THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED;
Luke 4:19 TO PROCLAIM THE ACCEPTABLE YEAR OF THE LORD.”
Luke 4:20 Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him.
Luke 4:21 And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
Acts 17:2 Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures,
Acts 17:3 explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ.”
These are the examples that we follow
A day of fellowship
Notice more of the good or Godly works we are to be doing in this regard (remember this is a day of ceasing from our works, but not from godly works)
Hebrews 10:24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,
Hebrews 10:25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
Leviticus 23 holy convocation
Leviticus 23:3 ‘Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work on it; it is the Sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings.
From latin verb “vocare” (“to call”)
to call together to a meeting
something called out, that is, a public meeting (the act, the persons, or the palce); also a rehearsal: – assembly, calling, convocation, reading.
This is a symbol of our being called out of the world. We renew it each Sabbath by being called out from daily our walk in the world to come to out of it and be separate and different.
Nehemiah 8:8 So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading. [same word as convocation; calling]
This is the example we have been left
Acts 18:4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded both Jews and Greeks.
Acts 18:11 And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.
Make every effort to attend;
Acts 2:1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
Good thing that they were there as this was where the holy spirit was poured out.
Acts 2:42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.
Coming Before God
Leviticus 19:30 ‘You shall keep My Sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary: I am the LORD.
Wherever we meet and all come together, that is where God is and that is today’s sanctuary.
We need to be aware that wherever we hold services that is where God is. God is literally here. So knowing that it should dictate what we do at church and how we act; even how we present ourselves physically.
Day of Atonement
Leviticus 16:1 Now the LORD spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered profane fire before the LORD, and died;
Leviticus 16:2 and the LORD said to Moses: “Tell Aaron your brother not to come at just any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat which is on the ark, lest he die; for I will appear in the cloud above the mercy seat.
Leviticus 16:3 “Thus Aaron shall come into the Holy Place: with the blood of a young bull as a sin offering, and of a ram as a burnt offering.
Leviticus 16:4 He shall put the holy linen tunic and the linen trousers on his body; he shall be girded with a linen sash, and with the linen turban he shall be attired. These are holy garments. Therefore he shall wash his body in water, and put them on.
Exodus 28:1 “Now take Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister to Me as priest, Aaron and Aaron’s sons: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
Exodus 28:2 And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty.
Exodus 28:3 So you shall speak to all who are gifted artisans, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron’s garments, to consecrate him, that he may minister to Me as priest.
Important to focus on the inside
1 Peter 2:5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
A day of doing good
Within the bounds of everything that we have discussed before
Matthew 12:9 Now when He had departed from there, He went into their synagogue. [on the Sabbath as was His custom]
Matthew 12:10 And behold, there was a man who had a withered hand. And they asked Him, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—that they might accuse Him.
Matthew 12:11 Then He said to them, “What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out? [This was okay within their rules especially since it was based on scripture (Exodus 23:4-5; Deuteronomy 22:4; Luke 14:5)]
Matthew 12:12 Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”
Matthew 12:13 Then He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and it was restored as whole as the other.
Matthew 12:14 Then the Pharisees went out and plotted against Him, how they might destroy Him.
The Pharisees had made the Sabbath a burden with their own rules and completely missed the point that healing a man freed him of his burden.
A day of healing and rejuvenation
Christ did many healings on the Sabbath. It shows a time of rejuvenation and refreshing from our ways and shows and promotes becoming more like the individual that we should be.
Deuteronomy 5:15 And remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out from there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the LORD your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.
A day of freedom
The Sabbath liberates man so that he may meet with God.
Conclusion
The Sabbath day is His day
God is a jealous God : Vigilant in guarding something; intolerant of disloyalty or infidelity
a shift in thinking
A day of contrasts: looking to God not to our self; His desire, not our own; look to the future not the present; to the eternal not the temporal
Make careful use of this day