Keeping the Sabbath #1

In this part of the sermon: Using a visual aid, Martin traces the Sabbath's journey from creation (Genesis 2) through Mosaic legislation, rabbinic traditions, Christ's dismantling of those traditions, the…

Martin uses a diagram on a board with colored circles and blocks to visually represent the Sabbath's journey from creation, through Mosaic legislation, rabbinic traditions, Christ's fulfillment, and its New Covenant reality, helping the congregation grasp its overarching teaching.

with reference to the abiding authority of God's appointed day of rest and worship. What I'm going to do is I'm just going to pin this on top of the board and use a pointer I hope to move the board forward so more of you can see it and if you don't get everything I hope you'll at least catch something of the overall thrust of what I'm attempting to set before you. Now as we consider God's appointed day of rest ADR, the little red circle all the way across is God's appointed day of rest ADR equals appointed day of rest Jesus tells us that the Sabbath the appointed day of rest was made for man a...

11:38 - 13:04 Read in full sermon

Driving home: to refuse to regard an appointed day of rest and worship under the Lordship of Christ is to oppose the authority of Christ himself he is Lord of the Sabbath he has every right to demand of us that we keep holy and appoin…

Martin quotes John Bunyan's 'Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners' to illustrate how Bunyan's first conviction of sin came from a sermon on the fourth commandment, demonstrating the moral force of the Sabbath command.

but also now listen for that the first conviction that the Holy Ghost made upon their consciences to make them know they were sinners began with them for the breaking this Sabbath day which day by that same Spirit was told them was that now called the first day and not the day before and the Holy Ghost does not use to begin this work with a lie which first conviction the Spirit has followed so close with other things tending to complete the work you see what he's saying many a person can testify their first conviction of sin came from the fourth commandment and it came in terms not of violatin...

27:39 - 29:08 Read in full sermon

Driving home: to refuse to regard an appointed day of rest and worship under the Lordship of Christ is to oppose the authority of Christ himself he is Lord of the Sabbath he has every right to demand of us that we keep holy and appoin…

Martin recounts Bunyan's personal story of playing a game of 'cat' on the Sabbath, where a voice from heaven convicted him of his sins, emphasizing the Holy Spirit's use of the fourth commandment to bring about conviction.

thinking and believing he made that sermon on purpose to show me my evil doing and at the time I felt what guilt was though never before that I can remember for then I was for the present greatly laden with it and so went home when the sermon was ended with a great burden upon my spirit what brought him under conviction of sin a sermon on the fourth commandment now what did he do listen as Bunyan writes this for that instant did benumb the sinews of my best delights it did him bitter my former pleasures to me but behold it didn't last before I had well dined in other words before he finished h...

29:08 - 30:38 Read in full sermon

The point: Recognize that moderate involvement in cooking meals, changing diapers, personal cleanliness, and essential services (hospitals, utilities, farming) are lawful works of necessity on the Sabbath.

Martin uses the analogy of cows and a 'two-day button' to illustrate that some works, like milking, are necessities because God designed creation in a way that requires continuous care, justifying works of necessity on the Sabbath.

hospitals and the maintenance of power companies communication systems the milking of cows the feeding of livestock and animals all of this comes under that heading works of necessity so the day of rest was made for man man in his real world a real world in which you can't go to a cow and push a two day button on it and say hold your milk till Monday morning God didn't make cows that way now he could have he made the manifold in double portion the day before the Sabbath didn't he? didn't he? two days worth and it didn't breed worms any other day they tried to get two days worth and had worms b...

40:47 - 42:14 Read in full sermon

The point: Examine your conscience regarding activities like professional sports or recreational lounging on beaches, and determine if they are truly works of necessity.

Martin provides examples of activities like professional sports (baseball, football) and lounging on beaches, challenging the audience to consider if these are truly 'works of necessity' on the Lord's Day, thereby applying the principle to contemporary life.

that's a work for which you need strength it's a work but it's a work of necessity and since the Sabbath was made for man how could God make illegal what man needs in order to be strengthened to do what God tells him to do on his day now fully realizing that people can rationalize I'm fully conscious but surely dear people is there anyone prepared to say that 18 grown men out on a ball field in front of 35,000 hitting a little white ball on the Lord's day is a work of necessity anyone prepared to say when 22 overgrown bullies butt one another's heads for 3 hours on Sunday afternoon 11 months o...

42:14 - 43:41 Read in full sermon

The point: Engage in social interaction with the needy, ministering comfort, visiting the lonely, and caring for the hospitalized, as these are lawful works of mercy on the Sabbath.

Martin references Jesus's teaching about pulling an animal out of a ditch on the Sabbath to highlight the greater importance of showing mercy to a human being made in God's image, reinforcing the principle of works of mercy.

have to wait till he said if your animal falls in the ditch on a sabbath day you pull it out what's worse an animal in the ditch with a busted rib or a creature made in the image of God with all of the trauma and you remember what tradition says that that man was probably a stone mason and Luke says it was his right hand I naturally stretch forth my left being left handed can there be anything dishonoring to God that mercy should be shown to make a man more of a man by healing him and you see most of Christ's works of healing done on the sabbath day were underscoring that principle it is lawfu...

45:09 - 46:37 Read in full sermon