The Day Observed #3

The point: Observe the day from Saturday evening until Monday morning.

Martin shares his family's practice of observing the Sabbath from Saturday evening until Monday morning, commending it as a practical way to honor the whole day.

Now, as for me in my house, in practical terms, we observe the day from the time that we retire on Saturday evening, usually well before midnight, until we awake on Monday morning. Now, I realize that's more than 24 hours. But on a practical basis, that's what we do. And I commend that practice to you.

4:55 - 5:19 Read in full sermon

The point: Strongly advise against planning work or recreation that begins at midnight on Sunday (Sunday midnight-itis).

He warns against 'Sunday midnight-itis,' where people plan work or recreation to begin immediately at 12:01 AM Monday, arguing it ruins the Lord's Day evening by anticipation.

I strongly advise against Sunday midnight-itis. Now, what I mean by that is planning work or planning recreation that begins at midnight on Sunday, at 12.01 Monday morning. 12.01 a.m.

5:20 - 5:40 Read in full sermon

The point: Strongly advise against planning work or recreation that begins at midnight on Sunday (Sunday midnight-itis).

Martin describes night owls who, at midnight on Sunday, immediately engage in worldly activities like reading the paper, watching TV, or working, illustrating the temptation to cut the Sabbath short.

I have known folk who have, they're by disposition and temperament, they're night owls, and they come to Sunday night, come to midnight, and suddenly out comes the Sunday paper, or on goes the television, or out goes the port, open the... the portfolio from work, and launching into the activities of an ordinary common day.

5:45 - 6:06 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not follow a Sabbath schedule patterned after Judaism (sundown to sundown) if it leads to Sunday evening recreation.

He cautions against a sundown-to-sundown Sabbath schedule that ends Sunday evening with family recreation, arguing it divides the day's focus and diminishes the impact of worship.

I've known good folk who began the Sabbath on Saturday evening at 7, 8, 9 p.m., and ended their Sabbath on Sunday evening as soon as they returned home from the evening services of the church. And in some cases, what followed was a time of family recreation.

7:39 - 7:56 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The sermon outlines a dual approach to Sabbath observance: negatively, resting from certain activities, and positively, consecrating the day to holy uses, drawing on Puritan…

Martin quotes Puritan Lewis Bailey, defining Sabbath sanctification as resting from servile work and consecrating that rest wholly to God's service, providing a concise summary of negative and positive observance.

Now the Puritan Lewis Bailey in a work called The Lord's Day, in a work that at one time was as familiar in Christian homes where the English language was spoken as Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, Bailey says, and here I quote, the sanctifying of the Sabbath consists in two things. First, in resting from all servile work and common business pertaining to our natural life. Secondly, in consecrating that rest wholly to the service of God and the use of those holy means which belong to our spiritual life. Now there are two words in that statement I want you to focus upon.

10:48 - 11:28 Read in full sermon

The point: Consult the principle 'The Lord's Day is God's day' first when considering what to do or not do on the Sabbath.

He poses the question of whether to sleep in or go to church, using it to illustrate how the principle 'It's God's day' resolves the dilemma by prioritizing God's claim.

Does my choice, no matter what I may profess to believe, does my choice say I deny that this is God's day? That's a very simple question. Consider a few examples. The question is, should I stay in bed and get more sleep or get up and go to God's house in time to participate in all the services appointed for the day?

21:58 - 22:23 Read in full sermon

The point: Get up and make your way to God's house on the Lord's Day, rather than staying in bed for more sleep.

Martin uses the example of an engineer wanting to work extra hours on a Sunday project to show how the 'God's day' principle dictates against using the Sabbath for career advancement.

Another example. The question is, I want to go into work today and put in extra hours on a project that I'm working on. Perhaps you're an engineer, perhaps you're a computer analyst, whatever your career may be, but you wake up on a Sunday morning or you're planning your week and you say, well, I want to go into work on Sunday and put in extra hours on the project that I'm working on at work. There are so many distractions during the week that I'm not able to make as much headway as I want. There's all the time people coming by and wanting to know this and wanting to know that. The phone never...

23:50 - 24:31 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not use God's day to put in extra hours on work projects.

He uses the Super Bowl as a relatable example of a recreational activity that, despite its rarity, should not be pursued on God's day, reinforcing the priority of God's ownership.

The question is, it's Super Bowl Sunday. Is that a relevant question?

25:23 - 25:28 Read in full sermon

The point: Cease and rest from your ordinary labors on God's day, unless your vocation involves works of absolute necessity and mercy.

Martin shares a news clipping about ultra-orthodox Jews letting their apartments burn while waiting for a rabbi's permission to call the fire department, illustrating a misguided application of Sabbath law and the necessity of mercy work.

ran their business no reality is that we need policing seven days a week it's a work of necessity likewise firemen firemen you can't simply have the firehouses unmanned on Sunday things burn down on Sunday I have a clipping I've had this for about seven years this was clipped out of the Newark Star Ledger in 1992 and the heading says homes burn as tenants honor Sabbath tenant I'd like to read this brief paragraph to you the news line is from Jerusalem Associated Press tenants let their apartments burn yesterday while they asked a rabbi whether a call to the fire department on the Sabbath would...

45:09 - 46:39 Read in full sermon

The point: Cease and rest from your ordinary labors on God's day, unless your vocation involves works of absolute necessity and mercy.

He mentions a neighbor building a house seven days a week, using it as an example of work done for convenience or profit, not necessity, which violates the Sabbath principle.

or the employer or the customer or the public or somebody it's not a work of absolute necessity it's for someone's convenience and someone's profit but it isn't necessary in the absolute sense in most occupations the nature of the work itself does not warrant profaning the Sabbath that's reality isn't it that work ought it can be finished in the six ordinary days without carrying it over into the Lord's day we have a neighbor just across the fence who's building a new house and you hear the saws you hear the hammers you hear the workmen seven days a week I don't know all that lies behind my ne...

48:07 - 49:35 Read in full sermon

The point: Be clear in your thinking and commitments that the Sabbath is God's day and not your day.

Martin quotes John Owen on John 13:17, emphasizing that the purpose of learning scripture truths is to direct us to proper practice, not just to fill our minds, applying it to Sabbath observance.

I have to obey God's word then I can't do my work on those six days in violation of certain principles I can't do my work if it involves lying or stealing or other such things no there are rules there are principles there are duties even on those days how much more then when we come to God's day should we not then recognize we have to order the day in the way that God has appointed and very plainly He said this day is different you're to use it differently and high up number one on the list is that you are to rest you are to cease from the works of your ordinary employment in his masterful tre...

53:55 - 55:22 Read in full sermon

The point: Order your business affairs to honor the Lord's Day, even if it means potential material loss or inconvenience.

He shares a personal story about telling their Christian realtor they would not show their house or take calls on the Lord's Day, highlighting the shock of someone unfamiliar with Sabbath convictions in a secularized culture.

to our convictions but brethren that does not give us warrant to back off our convictions and it ought to cause us to redouble our prayers and redouble our efforts to stand by the truth and to walk in the truth believing that God honors those who honor Him are you committed God helping you to doing what you can do to rest from your ordinary labors on God's day I hope so brethren I cannot believe that God will bless us if in spite of the life that we've received from the scriptures we use the day of our own as our own to pursue our callings contrary to His command if we with light go forward it...

59:42 - 61:08 Read in full sermon

The point: Order your business affairs to honor the Lord's Day, even if it means potential material loss or inconvenience.

Martin uses the Puritan metaphor of the Sabbath as the 'market day of the soul' to convey that it's a day for spiritual business, where spiritual gain outweighs material loss.

we'll not be receiving any calls on the Lord's day on this business if there's an offer that is made we'll take it up Monday and if they can't wait till Monday well we'll take it up Monday and if they can't wait till Monday we're sorry he was very gracious but he was shocked and the reason he was shocked is he's never heard there is such a thing as the Lord's day all of his Christian life he's been in a setting where he's been taught oh Christ set aside the Sabbath don't worry about it well that man's operating with a good conscience but what of us we have light from the word of God we can't c...

61:08 - 62:36 Read in full sermon