Exodus 20 v. 8 - 11
Intro - 1st Commandment - Worship God only
2nd Commandment - Worship God correctly
3rd Commandment - Worship God sincerely
4th Commandment - Worship God regularly
Note:-
1. GOD'S PROVISION OF THE DAY - v. 8 "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy."
The sabbath is given as a day of:-
(a) Rest - v. 9 "Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:"
1 Timothy 5 v. 8 "But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel."
Labour is commanded, commended, compensated but it is also confined - six days not seven
(b) Reflection - v. 8 "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy." - i.e. reflect on:-
(1) God's Power v11 "For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it."
(2) God's Provision
(1) Spiritually - Why Sunday? - Day of
(a) His Resurrection - Mark 16 v. 2 - 9
(b) His Commission - Matthew 18 v. 19 & 20 "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.."
(c) His Visitation - Pentecost - Acts 2 v. 1 "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place."
(d) His Celebration - worship services - Acts 20 v. 7 "And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight."
1 Cor 16 v. 2 "Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come."
(e) His Revelation - Revelation 1 v. 10 "I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,"
(2) Emotionally - A day to:-
Rest the body, Restore the soul, Renew the spirit, Rejoice in the soverign
(3) Physically - reflect and refocus - "Come unto me all ye the labour"
(3) God's Presence Matthew 28 v. 20 "Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen."
Hebrews 13 v. 5 "Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."
(4) God's Purpose - i.e. A time for the:-
(a) Adoration of a risen Lord - 1 Corinthians 11 v. 25 " This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till he come."
(b) Celebration of a reigning Lord - Philippians 2 v. 9 - 11 "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
(c) Communication of a revealing Lord - Acts 9 v. 4 - 6 "And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do."
(d) Preparation of a returning Lord - 1 Corinthians 11 v. 26 "For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till he come."
(c) Renewal - Isaiah 40 v 31 "But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."
2. GOD'S PROTECTION OF THE DAY - v. 8 "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy." Note:-
(a) The Value of God's Work - Genesis 1 v. 31 "And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day." - v. 11 "For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it."
It was a perfect work - "God saw everything" a pure work - "he had made",
a pleasing work - "it was very good"
(b) The Value of Man's Worth - Mark 2 v. 27 "And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:"
(c) The Value of the Soul's Welfare - Luke 19 v. 10 "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost."
3. GOD'S PRESCRIPTION OF THE DAY - Isaiah 58 v. 13 & 14 "If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it."
(a) The Responsibility - "if thou turn away thy foot"
(b) The Refusal - "from doing thy pleasure"
(c) The Respect - "call the sabbath a delight"
(d) The Reverance - "and shalt honour him"
(e) The Reward - praise - delight thyself, power "ride upon the high places of earth", plenty - "feed thee with the heritage of Jacob",performance - "mouth of the Lord hath spoken it"
4. GOD'S PROMOTION OF THE DAY - 1 Samuel 2 v. 30 "Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the LORD saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed."
story about watch in ice house - listen for God
The Lord's day whatever else I ponder, and wherever I may plod
I must remember in my heart This day belongs to God
This day is meant to honour him who understands my cares
And who is not too occupied, to listen to my prayers
And so I try to live my life, according to his way
Because I know that Sunday is, his very special day
These four and twenty hours are the least that I can give
To say my thanks because he has, enabled me to live
And that is why when Sunday comes I set the day apart
And offer God the gratitude that fills my humble heart.
