Never before, in the history of the world, have people been so stressed out.
People are on the go 24/7.
We race through our day with little time to breathe.
We’re overloaded and overwhelmed. We feel like we have to over-commit and multi-task to get everything done.
What’s so amazing is the fact that we have never had more efficiency tools and time saving devices available to us.
We stay so busy that we don’t have time for the things that matter most.
Today we're going to look at what God says about taking a day off.
We're in this series focusing on the ten values that build strong families.
I think all of us can agree that overworked people, with overloaded schedules, is a bad combination for families
Commandment #4 is the longest of the Ten Commandments.
In this context, God said more to say about taking a day off than He did about committing murder or adultery.
It seems like this is something He wants us to take seriously.
God commands us to take a day off every week.
This is a commandment, not a suggestion.
Exodus 20:8-10 (NIV)
8 "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work,
10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates.
The Sabbath Formula is really very simple:
Work 6 – Rest 1.
The word Sabbath means "Day of rest".
God says every seventh day we are to take time off.
In Mark 2:27, Jesus said that the Sabbath was made to benefit man.
It is important to note that Sabbath keeping is for our benefit.
It is for our own good.
The purpose of Sabbath is to preserve health and to prevent burnout.
Every seven days we need time to recharge physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
We need to set aside time for rest, re-creation, restoration, renewal, and worship.
We all need these things. It is the way God made us.
God expects us to make Sabbath keeping a priority.
I know some of you are thinking, I can’t do that.
I have said the same thing.
But we need to be careful about trying to justify sinful behavior. You heard me right.
When God gives us a clear command, and we choose to purposefully, willfully, and continually violate that command, it is sinful.
Sin is defined as a willful violation of God’s known law.
And God’s law, on this topic, is quite clear.
In the past I have admitted that I spent a good portion of our ministry as a Sabbath Breaker.
I have confessed that sin publicly.
Nobody really seemed to be upset.
For some reason, we treat Sabbath breaking as an acceptable sin.
Can you imagine how you would view the confession differently if I was admitting to being an adulterer, a liar, or a thief, rather than a Sabbath breaker?
For some reason, we diminish this commandment.
We tend to overlook it and ignore it.
My hope and prayer is that will change today.
QUESTION: Do you think having a regular day off is a good idea?
Do you think that regular time off would be good for you, your health, your marriage, your family?
God has said…
Exodus 20:8 (NIV)
8 "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
How do I do that?
How do I keep a day holy, anyway?
Holy means "set apart".
The Sabbath is a day that is to be set apart.
It is to be different.
God says, I want you to set aside one day a week to do something different than you do the other six days of the week.
On the seventh day, you're to have a change of pace.
The Sabbath is to be unique, reserved, and special.
The way to keep the day holy is by using it the way God intended is to use it.
There are at least three Biblical Objectives for The Sabbath.
1. God wants me to REST MY BODY.
Psalm 127:2 (TLB)
2 It is senseless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, fearing you will starve to death; for God wants his loved ones to get their proper rest.
How many of you would say your body needs some rest?
I hear it all the time.
We all know we need it.
We just don’t get it.
It is not a priority.
But this principle is so important, God gave us an example.
When God created the world, He took six days to create the world and on the seventh day He rested.
Was God tired?
No. God does not get tired.
He is Omnipotent – All powerful.
He doesn’t need a nap.
So why did God rest on the seventh day?
He was modeling an important principal of life for us –
Every seven days we need a day to rest.
Do you know what this means?
Your Sunday afternoon nap is biblical!
We need to take a day off to rest.
It’s easy to be consumed by our career in today’s culture.
There are a lot of tempting things that pull us toward our work -- more money, more recognition, more promotion, a greater sense of fulfillment, more achievement, more productivity, etc.
And this is not even to mention the materialistic side of more toys, more gadgets, and more stuff.
We are driven to do more. We want more.
Where does it stop?
Did you know you can even become addicted to your work?
It is true. You can become addicted to things like adrenalin, affirmation, accomplishment, etc.
But our bodies were not built for non-stop work.
Something has to give.
Some have found that out the hard way.
If you continue to violate the Sabbath principle, something will break.
It could be your health, your marriage, your relationship with your family, etc.
We all need time to renew, refresh, and replenish.
We think we get more done by pushing harder every day.
But that is not always the case.
Sometimes we need to stop to sharpen the saw.
We are to rest our body on the Sabbath.
Psalm 23:1-2 (NIV)
1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,
Has God ever had to make you lie down because you wouldn't do it on your own?
Workaholics who never take a day off, and never observe the fourth commandment, sometimes end up observing a few Sabbath days in a row while they are in the hospital.
I used to feel guilty about taking time off to rest.
You should never feel guilty for doing what God commands.
Jesus relaxed and He never felt guilty about it.
He consistently took time off.
There was still work to do.
He hadn’t healed everybody.
There were always more people waiting to hear Him teach.
The world wasn’t 100% Christian.
There was more preaching, and teaching, and healing, and ministry to be done.
But Jesus intentionally chose to stop and rest.
If God took a day off after creation, and Jesus took time off when he was only going to be here such a short time, my question is, who do we think we are?
An unwillingness to take a day off is somewhat arrogant, don’t you think?
It is like we are saying, "I've got so much work to do, I'm so important, the world can’t get along without me."
I’ve got news for you. The world won’t shut down if you drop dead of a heart attack tomorrow. The company won’t fold. The business won’t close. Life will go on and it may go on without you if you continually violate this principle.
A reluctance to rest may be a sign of insecurity and/or immaturity.
Kids never want to go to bed on time, do they?
They don’t want to rest.
They argue and complain and think of ways to get out of going to bed. They don’t get it. They're immature.
But any wise parent will make sure their kids go to bed and get their rest whether they want to or not. It’s not an option.
Sometimes God will make us lie down.
He has a way of getting our attention.
You say, "I've got to get all of this done."
God doesn't care about the deadline, He cares about you.
That’s why He said, every seventh day, no work.
Take a day off and honor the Sabbath principle.
We need to rest physically, mentally, and emotionally.
The second thing that needs to be done on the Sabbath…
2. God wants me to RECHARGE MY EMOTIONS.
Use the day to recharge your emotions because work's stress drains you.
We need to find ways to replenish and recharge our emotions.
a. Include time for SOLITUDE.
Psalm 23:2-3a (NIV)
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,
3a he restores my soul.
Quietness and soul restoration go hand in hand.
We live in a world that is polluted with noise.
It's difficult to find a place where you can be totally quiet.
Yet the Bible says, in quietness you will find your strength.
Psalm 46:10a (NIV)
10a "Be still, and know that I am God;
I am thankful for a church that has a Sabbath policy in place.
We not only encourage our staff to take time off every week, but we offer an extended period called sabbatical, or Sabbath rest, in every 7th year of service here at The Point.
Last year, at this time, Laurie and I had the opportunity to be gone for an extended period of time. 14 year sabbatical.
Most of you know that we received a grant for our sabbatical from the Lilly Endowment.
Our grant proposal was based on Psalm 46:10.
I like the way it reads in The Message paraphrase.
God says…
Psalm 46:10a (MSG)
10a "Step out of the traffic! Take a long, loving look at me…
That is exactly what we did. We stepped out of the noise, out of the traffic, and out of the demands of daily life to focus on God, one another, our past, present, and future.
I loved the places we went, and the things we were able to do, but do you know what was the most important part of that experience?
No demands, no deadlines, no schedule, no responsibilities.
It was about recharging our emotions.
We all need to schedule quiet moments in our lives.
It is good to get alone with God and be quiet.
You may not be able to do that for an extended time, but all of us can do it one day a week.
Mark 6:31 (NIV)
31 Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, (Jesus) said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest."
We need some quiet time.
I heard about a jungle safari guide on the mission field who said, "We're going to rest today so that our souls can catch up with our bodies."
I have often thought about that.
We're speeding through life so fast.
We’re always in a hurry.
Sometimes we need to stop so our soul can catch up with our body. We do that in periods of quietness.
Emotions are recharged as we…
b. Include time for FAMILY.
I believe God wants us to plan some special time with our families, doing things that draw our families together.
That can be fueling on so many levels.
Make time for family.
Make time to enjoy life together.
Make memories together.
Relax. Chill out and take your time.
Proverbs 14:30a (TLB)
30a A relaxed attitude lengthens a man’s life;
Relax and have some fun with your family.
This is where great memories are made.
It happens when we set aside the phones and other devices, and focus completely on our family.
We all need some unhurried time with the people we love.
Men, what would it look like for you to go home, talk to your wife, and play with your kids and be 100% present?
Your family needs you and you need them.
Another way to recharge our emotions…
c. Include time for FUN.
Do you have activities that are fueling to you?
There are certain things in life that are just fun.
These are the activities you look forward to.
These are the things that bring a smile to your face.
Most of you know that for me, that is riding.
I love motorcycles.
It may sound odd to some, but there is a spiritual component to riding for me that is hard to explain. It fuels my soul.
I feel closer to God when I ride.
Last Sunday it was 50 degrees. I bundled up and took off. I probably rode about 50 miles and I loved every minute of it.
That chilly ride was rejuvenating to me.
What fuels you? Where do you feel closer to God?
For someone else, it could be gardening.
For others, reading a book.
For some it could be knitting, and for someone else it may be restoring an old car.
Find time for fun.
Fun and rest are fuel for the soul.
Without them, you are headed for burnout.
Find out what makes your heart sing.
If not don’t know what that is, keep looking until you find it.
Then make that activity a part of your Sabbath keeping.
The first Sabbath objective, rest your body.
Second, recharge your emotions.
3. God wants me to REFOCUS MY SPIRIT.
This is about getting my heart in tune with God.
Psalm 95:6 (NIV)
6 Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker;
Sabbath is a day to worship.
It is time to focus our attention on God.
It is a time to remember what's important.
It is time to realign our heart with the heart of God.
Cars need tune ups. They need an oil change.
Maintenance is required on machines.
People are no different.
Our body, our mind, and our spirit need to be recalibrated every seven days.
We need to be realigned, refocused, and recalibrated.
That's what worship does.
It helps brings our focus back to what's most important.
Sabbath is about taking care of the whole person, body, mind, and spirit.
Don’t just focus on physical needs.
It is not just about our emotional needs.
Don’t neglect the spiritual aspect of your life.
We are spiritual beings. So often, our spirit is empty.
It needs to be refilled with God's presence, and God’s power, and God’s love.
We need to increase our awareness of His presence in our lives. Sabbath will do that.
We need to be reminded that there's a lot more to life than just work and play.
Mark 8:36-37 (NIV)
36 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?
37 Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?
It would be good to ask yourself that question every seven days.
"What am I willing to give in exchange for my soul?
What did I give the last 7 days of my life to?
Where did I invest the last 168 hours of my life?”
Sabbath provides the opportunity to slow down, step out of the traffic, and look to God.
It is time to relax, re-examine our lives, to regroup, re-evaluate our priorities, to tune into God, to listen to Him, to regain the proper perspective on life, to re-balance and re-calibrate our lives, and make sure our focus is on God.
We all need that.
It is a healthy practice.
Sabbath really should be a priority in the life of a dedicated follower of Jesus Christ.
Fathers, if you are looking for a practical way to be a spiritual leader in your home, here is a great place to start.
Your faithfulness in worship is a wonderful example for your family. Your are leading by example.
Don't just teach values to your kids, model them.
Every time you say,
"We're not going to go to church this week.
We’re going to the lake…
We’re going to the cabin…
We’re going to the game...
You have made a statement. You taught a lesson.
Every time you say,
• “I’m just too tired today,
• we've got some extra work to do around the house this weekend,
• we're going to take the day off,
• we’re going to skip church today,
• we’re going to stay home”,
• you are teaching, by your example, a lesson that I promise, you will not want them to replicate later in life.
Don’t model inconsistency before your family.
In so many ways, this is another test of priorities.
Who is first in your life? What is first?
Commandment #1 – God First.
Commandment #2 – God only – No idols
Commandment #3 – Take His Name seriously.
Commandment #4 – Do what He says.
Every seven days, you need to rest, you need to recharge, and you need to refocus your life.
What is the most important thing in your life?
Lead by example.
This is about living life God's way. When you do, you benefit physically, emotionally, spiritually, and in every other way.
Our goal here is to Point people to Jesus. As we close this morning, Jesus has a message for people who are overloaded, overworked, and overwhelmed.
This is His invitation to you.
Matthew 11:28-29 (NIV)
28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
Don’t that sound good?
Jesus said if you're carrying a heavy burden today, it is burden I never intended for you to carry. Give it to me.
I hope you will start taking this commandment seriously.
You will benefit personally and it will be a blessing to your entire family.
This is an investment that will pay rich and lasting dividends.
You’ll be modeling a lifestyle that you will be glad to see your kids emulate.
In today’s 24/7 world, Sabbath-keeping is counter-cultural; it doesn’t just happen by accident.
You must do it on purpose.
You have to plan for it.
You’ll have to make it a priority.
And you’ll have to keep fighting for it.
Otherwise, you will drift right back into complacency on a commandment that God expect us to take seriously.
We can do it with God’s help.
CLOSING PRAYER
