Exodus 20:8-11
This Special Day!
As I prepared this series, I realized how little we actually preach or teach on the Ten Commandments as if they are neither important nor relevant. They are both. It was very enlightening to me to preach through them. I learned a lot! I trust this series will encourage you to also preach through the Ten Commandments!
Introduction
"During the early days of the ministry of Dwight L. Moody, the great evangelist launched a series of meetings in Chicago with promise of the largest crowds that he had ever addressed up to that time. He was speaking of the life of Christ, and on the first Sunday night, October 8, 1871, he took as his topic the trial before Pilate. As he came to the end of his message, he turned to Matthew 27:22, ‘What shall I do then with Jesus, who is called Christ?’
He concluded, ‘I wish you would take this text home with you and turn it over in your minds during the week, and next Sabbath we will come to Calvary and the cross, and we will decide what to do with Jesus of Nazareth.’
It may have been an artistic device. But speaking of it in later years, Moody called that conclusion to his morning’s address the greatest mistake of his life. Even while Mr. Sankey was singing the final hymn:
‘Today the Savior calls;
For refuge fly;
The storm of justice falls,
And death is nigh-’
the fire engines began to sound on the street on their way to their first contact with the great Chicago fire in which Moody’s hall was laid in ashes, and in which it is estimated that over a thousand persons lost their lives. Moody never saw that congregation again, and some of those to whom he spoke on that night doubtlessly died.”
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.”
A Day of Remembrance 8
Simply put, this is a day set apart or consecrated to remember our Creator.
The Principle
It is a sacred day – a holy day (קָדַשׁ Piel intensive; to set apart as sacred, consecrate, dedicate, to observe as holy, to keep sacred). Our Creator chose for us to reflect and remember Him
It is also a solemn day. God desires our attention and affection.
The Purpose
It is for man’s R&R (rest and recovery). It is a time for us to breakaway and enjoy our time with our Savior.
And He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.” Mark 2:27
The Practice
So how do we observe it? Some people are Seventh day advocates. They believe Saturday is the only day one can worship. Others believe that everyday is special to the Lord. There are even others who hold that (for believers in Jesus Christ) that the day of rest is the first day of the week or Sunday. Regardless where you stand on this issue, one day ought to be set aside making it the Lord’s Day.
So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or Sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ. Colossians 2:16-17
One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. Romans 14:5-6
Illustration
The Jewish leaders got very specific when it came to classifying exactly what was work and what was not. The following 39 principal classes were prohibited as work: “sowing, plowing, reaping, gathering into sheaves, threshing, winnowing, cleansing, grinding, sifting, kneading, baking, shearing wool, washing it, beating it, dyeing it, spinning it, making a warp of it, making two cords, weaving two threads, separating two threads, making a knot, untying a knot, sewing two stitches, catching a deer, killing, skinning, salting it, preparing its hide, scraping off its hair, cutting it up, writing two letters, blotting out for the purpose of writing two letters, building, pulling down, extinguishing, lighting a fire, beating with a hammer, and carrying from one property to another.” Most of these general categories were then further elaborated on with the outcome that the Jews had several hundred activities that they must avoid on the Sabbath day if they were to follow the letter of the law. “For example, the prohibition about tying a knot was much too general and so it became necessary to state what kinds of knots were prohibited and what kind not. . . . allowable knots were those that could be untied with one hand. A woman could tie up her undergarment, and the strings of her cap, those of her girdle, the straps of her shoes and sandals, of skins of wine and oil, of a pot with meat. She could tie a pail over the well with a girdle, but not with rope” because it would take two hands to untie a knot tied with rope. [The Zondervan Pictorial Dictionary p. 756]
“Six days you shall labor (שַׁבָּת to serve, to sweat) and do all your work (מְלָאכָה messenger/angel business/occupation), but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates.” (Notice that the wife was excluded! Amen to that!)
A Day of Restoration 9-10
It is a day to restore the soul and spirit. We are to restore not only ourselves but also for our family, employees and outsiders.
What does a day of rest do for us?
It Revitalizes my body.
It Recharges my emotions.
It Refocus’s my spirit.
It Refreshes my family.
Illustration
A Sunday School teacher was telling her children about the importance of observing the Sabbath Day. "I never go FISHING on a Sunday!" piped up little Johnny. "VERY GOOD, Johnny!" said the teacher. "Won’t you tell the other children why you don’t go fishing on a Sunday?" Johnny replied: "Because my Daddy won’t let me go along!"
“For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day.”
A Day of Reflection 11a
This day allows us to reflect upon God’s majesty and grace.
It is a reflection of God’s Power.
This is a testimony of His creative and sustaining power
It is a reflection of God’s Character.
We follow His leadership among a perverse people today.
We are God’s witnesses to the world.
It is a reflection of God’s Faithfulness.
It shows His provisions in redemption and sustaining our lives.
Illustration
Eli Herring, a 340-pound offensive tackle. In his senior year He had a 3.5 grade-point average and was judged a top senior offensive tackle in the pro draft. But Herring turned down a possible multimillion-dollar deal with the Oakland Raiders because he, too, won’t play on a holy day. Unfortunately, his holy day, Sunday, comes up once a week, just when the Raiders buckle on their equipment and go to work.
Herring meditated intensely over his dilemma. He could sign up with the NFL, play ball on Sundays and fill his life with fancy cars and houses, or he could teach math for $25,000 a year and honor the Sabbath. Herring’s answer was to honor the Sabbath. He announced to the NFL that if he were drafted, he wouldn’t serve. Now, six years later, Herring is a math teacher at Mountain View High School in Orem, UT. He and his wife of eight years have four children. His church calling keeps him busy, as do his familial responsibilities.
Unable to get football completely out of his blood, Brother Herring now coaches the offensive line at Mountain View. Without hesitation, he says he does not regret his decision to forego professional football.
“Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed (קָדַשׁ Piel intensive to set apart as sacred, consecrate, dedicate, to observe as holy, keep sacred). it.”
A Day of Reverence 11b
Finally, note that this is also a day to reverence Him!
It is His day.
Everyday belongs to Him but He desires one day for us to revere His name.
It is a Special day - blessed
This day was chosen by Him. How often do we cheapen this day?
It is a Sacred day – consecrated, set apart
Finally, it is a sacred day.
Illustration
A man told a story about the time his son’s sixth birthday was approaching. He had mentioned he wouldn’t mind a party, and as his son usually was very specific about the kind of presents he liked the dad asked him what he could get him. Bill expected a well-planned reply, such as "I’d like a baseball glove; you can find it at Toys ‘R Us, aisle 6, below the batting helmets, or a Parcheesi board; the games are in alphabetical order in aisle 1; it’s between the Pac Man and Pay Day." But his son’s request was a bit different. He said, "Dad, I’d like a ball to play with for my birthday." Bill said "Great, what kind of ball?" "Oh, I want don’t know, either a football or a soccer ball." "Well, which would you want more?" He said, "Wellll," and thought about it. Then he said. "If you have some time to play ball with me this year, I’d really like a football so we could throw it back and forth in the back yard. But if you’re gonna be real busy this year, maybe you just better get me a soccer ball, because I can play soccer with the rest of the kids in the neighborhood." The dad thought about this and said, "Let me surprise you. How does that sound?" And the little boy smiled and said, "Oh that would be great Dad. I really love you." Then Bill went in and shared this little encounter with his wife and together they agreed, their son was not so much interested in the gift. He was interested in the giver. Shouldn't we be interested in the Giver of our life?
As a believer in Jesus Christ, I am convinced that we too ought to make our Lord’s Day a special day. It should be kept separate and special in His eyes. Years ago, we observed the Blue Laws. There were certain items that were allowed to be sold on Sunday and certain businesses that were allowed to be open either on Saturday or Sunday but not both. My how times have changed! The Lord’s Day is treated like any other day. How are you treating it?
