2-17-19 Sermon Notes
Origins – Day 7 – Genesis 2:1-3 and Hebrews 4:9-10
Introduction
Last week, we focused our attention on the creation of man who was the final creation of God. This week we will turn our attention to the seventh day of creation.
Read Genesis 2:1-3
“Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.
2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.”
Introduction #2
Sunday is the typical “Sabbath day” in the United States. What usually happens on any given Sunday?
Message
God blessed the seventh day (i.e., Sabbath) for both physical and spiritual reasons. It is to be a special day of rest and a memorial, or occasion for reflection and praise to Him, for the completion of His created work. Ceased is a better word than rested. God did not rest on the seventh day of creation for His own sake (as if He was tired), but as an example for us to follow. Rest is necessary for our spiritual, physical, mental and emotional well-being. Our Creator provided the Sabbath as a special blessing for His people, to renew and refresh us on a regular basis. He designed it as a day of rest, worship and fellowship with Him. The Sabbath principle is so important that God made it one of the Ten Commandments for those who would become His covenant people.
A few more notes:
- Rested is the root word of Sabbath.
- Special days and the observing the Sabbath are no longer required under the “new covenant.” This is not to say that we should not set aside a day or time/s of rest to refresh ourselves and to honor God. After all, man was not created for the Sabbath, but the Sabbath was created for man!
- Observing the Sabbath day is not a requirement for our salvation. Only believe on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved. Nothing more – nothing less.
There is a spiritual component to resting found in Hebrew 4:9-10 – “There remains then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from His.”
God’s promised rest is both an earthly rest of peace with God and the eternal rest of heaven. For those of us who know the rest and peace that comes from a personal relationship with Jesus, there is also an eternal rest in heaven. Entering this rest is compared to the principle of practicing God’s Sabbath. As previously mentioned, it is a time of physical and spiritual refreshment for us. In a similar way, heaven will be the ultimate time to cease from our labors, sufferings and persecutions common to our lives on this earth. It will be a time of eternal refreshment in God’s presence , where we will experience unending joy, delight, love and companionship with God and all others who love Him. It will be a perfect “seventh day” without end.
Concluding Remarks and Application
Isn’t it interesting to see our weekly sequence of seven days patterned after God’s six days of creation (‘work’) and a day of ‘rest?’ Hmm, I wonder if an atheist or an agnostic ever pauses to wonder if it is just by chance that our week is governed by seven days? The same may hold true for Christians as well. I know that I never really thought about it until studying and preparing the creation messages.
While the New Testament does not identify a particular day or even the requirement to observe the Sabbath, we are reminded that the Sabbath principle provides us with refreshment, renewal and relaxation as we honor God. We do that by setting aside a time/s to honor and fellowship with Him. Resting in the Lord is good at all times!
Next Week – The continuation of the series – “Origins! Created with purpose”
Week 6 Study Notes – 2-17-19
The Principle of Sabbath
for Humanity
SUMMARY
Believers are not obligated to observe the Sabbath. The Sabbath was the sign of the Mosaic covenant. The Mosaic covenant and the Sabbath as the covenant sign are no longer applicable now that the new covenant of Jesus Christ has come. Believers are called upon to honor and respect those who think the Sabbath is still mandatory for believers. But if one argues that the Sabbath is required for salvation, such a teaching is contrary to the gospel and should be resisted forcefully. In any case, Paul makes it clear in both Romans 14:5and Colossians 2:16-17 that the Sabbath has passed away now that Christ has come. It is wise naturally for believers to rest, and hence one principle that could be derived from the Sabbath is that believers should regularly rest. But the New Testament does not specify when that rest should take place, nor does it set forth a period of time when that rest should occur. We must remember that the early Christians were required to work on Sundays. They worshiped the Lord on the Lord’s Day, the day of Jesus’ resurrection, but the early Christians did not believe the Lord’s Day fulfilled or replaced the Sabbath. The Sabbath pointed toward eschatological rest in Christ, which believers enjoy in part now and will enjoy fully on the Last Day.
ReadGenesis 2:1-3
What does it mean that God declared the seventh day holy?
What do you think it means when it says God worked?
Read Exodus 20:8-11
Do the 10 commandments affirm the 6 day creation?
What is the purpose of the Sabbath?
Read Matthew 12:1-8 and Mark 2:23-28.
Do the words of Jesus change your understanding of the purpose of the Sabbath?
Read Romans 14:5.
Is there any longer a special requirement for keeping the Sabbath?
Watch “Prepared for Influence” on RightNow Media. https://www.rightnowmedia.org/Training/Post/View/194563 Focus on times 6:35 to 7:30.
In our busy lives today, do you overlook the value of Sabbath and of rest?
Watch “The Dangers of Working Full Throttle” on RightNow Media. https://www.rightnowmedia.org/Training/Post/View/66804
In what ways do you create a Sabbath rest in your life?
List some ways you could improve the way you rest from work.