Remember the Sabbath #3

The point: Observe a Sabbath day, recognizing that the first day of the week is now the Sabbath of our God.

A friend confessed to keeping 'all nine of the Ten Commandments,' illustrating how easily the Sabbath commandment is forgotten or ignored by moral people, even Christians.

perfectly put it, he said, for a long time I was a very moral person. I kept all nine of the Ten Commandments, never even remembering that the fourth was included in this list of God's rules for mankind. Most Christians, even, would like to blot out the example of Christ, who kept the Sabbath, and who said that he was Lord of the Sabbath, a New Testament teaching. Many there are who would like to ignore Hebrews 4, verse 9, that tells us that there remaineth therefore a keeping of the Sabbath for the people of God.

1:03 - 1:34 Read in full sermon

The point: Rethink, concretely, the way you spend God's holy day, rather than following the world's habits.

The Sabbath is described as 'the cream of all time' for a Christian, emphasizing its superior value and spiritual richness compared to other days.

God blessed the Sabbath day, as well as Halloween. To a Christian, this is the cream of all time.

3:53 - 4:00 Read in full sermon

The point: Rethink, concretely, the way you spend God's holy day, rather than following the world's habits.

The six days are for gathering 'straw of this world,' while the Sabbath is for 'mining the gold of heaven,' highlighting the spiritual focus and unique opportunities for communion with God on this day.

Six days are spent gathering the straw of this world, and God says here's one day a week in which you may mine the gold of heaven. The spiritual things that you most hunger for are most available on this day. It's a day to...

4:02 - 4:16 Read in full sermon

The point: Rethink, concretely, the way you spend God's holy day, rather than following the world's habits.

The Sabbath is a day to 'file the rust off of the wheels of your Christian graces' and 'oil the wheels of your affection,' illustrating its role in spiritual maintenance and growth.

It's a day to file the rust off of the wheels of your Christian graces. It's a day of jubilee in which you are to converse with your Lord and your Savior. It's a day to oil the wheels of your affection so that they will run out toward God more abundantly.

4:16 - 4:31 Read in full sermon

The point: Students should complete papers and assignments before the Sabbath, not using God's day for work that should have been done earlier.

The example of a student with a paper due Monday illustrates how remembering the Sabbath means completing necessary work before the Lord's Day, rather than using Sunday for last-minute tasks.

And so the student who remembers or keeps in mind that there is a Sabbath day will not find himself on the day before the Sabbath day. And so the paper is due, spending God's day doing the work that he should have been doing for months before. Remember, get it done on Saturday. You know, America really has conditioned you to think about the weekend as the time when you should get in as much fun as you can possibly get in on the weekend.

10:54 - 11:16 Read in full sermon

The point: Students should complete papers and assignments before the Sabbath, not using God's day for work that should have been done earlier.

Martin contrasts the world's view of the weekend as a time for maximum fun with the Christian tendency to use Sunday as a 'wastebasket' for chores, rather than a day for God, highlighting a common misapplication of the Sabbath.

As soon as Friday comes, everybody's thinking about how they can get the most fun in until work starts again on Monday. And of course, Christians have come to think, well, you know, on Sunday, Christians aren't supposed to have fun. But there are certain things that I have to get done on the weekend. And I can't have my fun on Sunday, so the things that I have to get done, I'll do them on Sunday when I'm not supposed to have fun anyway.

11:16 - 11:37 Read in full sermon

The point: When planning a vacation trip, remember that Sunday is the Lord's Day for worship and soul refreshment, not just travel and sightseeing.

The Jewish custom of observing the Sabbath from sundown to sundown, with the preceding night devoted to preparation, is mentioned as a practical example of remembering and preparing for the day.

I think there's even value in noticing what the Jewish custom with respect to the Sabbath was. I don't think we're bound by it, but it's interesting that the Jews did recognize that the Sabbath was from sundown to sundown. And so the night before the day which they spent worshiping God was a night devoted to preparation for the purpose. And just practically speaking, many of our own Sunday school teachers have mentioned to me that on, when they spend Sunday night preparing for their Sunday school lesson in the word of God and praying, when they spend Saturday night that way, getting ready for ...

12:56 - 13:32 Read in full sermon

The point: When planning a vacation trip, remember that Sunday is the Lord's Day for worship and soul refreshment, not just travel and sightseeing.

Sunday school teachers who prepare on Saturday night find their Sundays more blessed, illustrating the benefit of pre-Sabbath preparation for spiritual engagement.

I think there's even value in noticing what the Jewish custom with respect to the Sabbath was. I don't think we're bound by it, but it's interesting that the Jews did recognize that the Sabbath was from sundown to sundown. And so the night before the day which they spent worshiping God was a night devoted to preparation for the purpose. And just practically speaking, many of our own Sunday school teachers have mentioned to me that on, when they spend Sunday night preparing for their Sunday school lesson in the word of God and praying, when they spend Saturday night that way, getting ready for ...

12:56 - 13:32 Read in full sermon

The point: Rest on the seventh day, even if it's a busy season at your office or farm.

The example of a farmer needing to harvest during 'earing time' or 'harvest' illustrates that even urgent worldly work must cease on the Sabbath, emphasizing God's command for rest.

Exodus 34 verse 21. Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest. You need a rest and God's appointed a rest. In earing time and in harvest thou shalt rest.

14:08 - 14:23 Read in full sermon

The point: Remember that those who serve you (e.g., paperboy, gas station owner, grocery clerk) also have a Sabbath day, and you should not tempt them to sin by requiring their services.

Doug Rogers' experience in Nigeria, where a local convert had to work for a missionary on the Sabbath, illustrates the principle that Christians should not prevent others, especially those under their authority, from observing the Sabbath.

Thou shalt not work, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, thy maidservant, nor even the strangers that are within your gate. It's a day of rest for everyone. I'll never forget when Doug Rogers came back from Nigeria and mentioned that he had been teaching the commandments to some of his students, to some of the Nigerians, to some of his friends, and somebody came to him and said, but I have a problem with honoring God on the Sabbath day. He said, I have to work at the missionary's house this afternoon.

16:16 - 16:45 Read in full sermon

The point: Guard the Sabbath day by avoiding all circumstances that will lead you away from the blessing God intended.

The Proverbial warning against going near the harlot's door, even if walking past is not inherently sinful, is used to illustrate the principle of avoiding circumstances that tempt one to break a commandment, specifically the Sabbath.

If he had everything in his farm working for him on that day, then his mind would start working again in that direction. There's still a principle that's recognized in the other commandments that there are certain legitimate things that it's necessary for a Christian to put aside because it tempts him to break a commandment. For instance, when you come to the book of Proverbs in the seventh commandment, Thou shalt not commit adultery, the Proverbs says don't even go close to the door of the harlot. What's wrong with walking down the street past the door of the harlot?

22:35 - 23:08 Read in full sermon

The point: Consider 'closing the gates' of your TV or other distractions on the Lord's Day to avoid idleness and worldly entertainment.

The analogy of 'closing the gates of your TV' on the Lord's Day, inspired by Nehemiah's actions, illustrates the need for personal rules to guard against temptations to idleness or worldly entertainment that distract from Sabbath observance.

Nehemiah recognizing this principle that he had to take certain stern measures to bring the Jews to keeping the commandments. Sometimes you have to clean up the gates of your Sabbath day. If you turn on the television to hear a few moments of news maybe you'll be tempted to listen to that political debate that's going on right afterwards or to get into those games that take all afternoon or to listen to that concert that's coming on next. You may have to lay hands and say I'm going to close the gates of my TV on the Lord's day so that I don't waste the whole day.

25:57 - 26:28 Read in full sermon