Two men were arguing at work one day about religion. Neither really knew what they were talking about. Finally one said, “Man, you don’t know anything about religion. I’ll bet you ten dollars you can’t even repeat the Lord’s Prayer.”
The other grinned. “Oh yeah? It’s a bet!”
He straightened up and began to recite:
“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America … and to the republic … Amen!”
The first man looked stunned. “I didn’t think you could do it! Here’s your ten dollars.”
We laugh—but the story carries a sting. It shows how little many people today know about God’s Word. Yet the Bible is not a relic. It is living truth.
Today we are going to uncover some priceless treasures from God’s Word—truths that reach into the deepest desires of every heart and explain why we were created for something better.
---
Creation’s Forgotten Designer
In today’s scientific world many are wrestling as never before with the limits of Darwinian evolution.
Fresh voices—like legal scholar and author Phillip Johnson in The Wedge of Truth—are sparking renewed interest in Intelligent Design.
The deeper researchers probe the intricate machinery of a single living cell or trace the breathtaking sweep of distant galaxies, the more difficult it becomes to believe that such order and complexity could ever be the product of blind chance.
Think about it. The human eye, the human ear, the kidneys and heart—each is a marvel of engineering. Doctors admit these systems could not have just “happened.”
If there is design, there must be a Designer.
And yet in the rush of modern life, many have forgotten the Designer. Why? Where did the memory of our Maker go?
To answer, we turn to the Bible.
---
A Call to Worship the Creator
God’s final message to a restless world is found in Revelation:
> Revelation 14:7
“Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come;
and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.”
The heart of the last great controversy is worship.
Not first Armageddon. Not the number 666. Not who is “left behind.”
It is about who we worship—our ultimate loyalty.
At the very moment when evolution says we are cosmic accidents and the beast of Revelation 13 urges the world to accept a counterfeit sign, heaven calls us back to the real Creator and His genuine sign.
---
Genesis: The Original Week of Creation
Let’s open the very first page of the Bible.
> Genesis 1:1
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
God the Father, God the Spirit, and God the Son all took part.
Genesis 1:2 pictures the Spirit hovering over the waters.
John 1:3 and Ephesians 3:9 tell us that Jesus Himself shaped the creation:
“All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.”
Now watch the week unfold:
Day 1 – “Let there be light.” (Genesis 1:3)
Day 2 – Atmosphere and oceans. (Genesis 1:6)
Day 3 – Dry land and vegetation. (Genesis 1:9–13)
Day 4 – Sun, moon, and stars to mark seasons and days. (Genesis 1:14–19)
Day 5 – Fish and birds of every kind. (Genesis 1:20–23)
Day 6 – Land animals and, as the crown of creation, humankind in God’s own image. (Genesis 1:24–31)
How was it done?
Psalm 33:8–9 answers:
“He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.”
From nothing to everything—by the sheer power of His word.
---
The Creator’s Delight
But God was not finished.
> Genesis 2:1–3
“Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished.
And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.
Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.”
Here is something unique.
God blessed a day, not a mountain or monument.
He sanctified it—literally set it apart, infusing it with His own holiness.
He created a palace in time: twenty-four hours unlike any other.
And so we proclaim the first key refrain:
> Sabbath is God’s eternal sign of creation and redemption.
---
Why One Day Matters
Someone asks, “Does it really matter which day?”
If it were a popularity contest, Friday might win—one quarter of the world is Muslim.
But marriage illustrates the point:
A groom who has chosen one bride cannot say afterward, “Any sister will do.”
God likewise chose one day, blessed and sanctified it forever (1 Chronicles 17:27).
The Sabbath is not about limitation but relationship.
It is a weekly date with God, a living memorial of His creative power and His desire to re-create our hearts.
---
The Tragedy of Forgetfulness
Sadly, humanity forgot.
As sin deepened, people lost sight of their Creator and His Sabbath.
Every time Israel forgot the Sabbath, two things followed: captivity and loss of prophetic vision.
By the time of Moses, the people needed a dramatic reminder.
Enter the wilderness classroom and the miracle of manna—bread from heaven that fell six days each week, double on the sixth, and none on the seventh (Exodus 16).
God used these three daily miracles to teach trust and to re-establish the rhythm of Sabbath rest.
---
The Manna Classroom
God’s Sabbath school in the wilderness featured three weekly miracles.
> Exodus 16:4
“Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you. And the people shall go out and gather a certain quota every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in My law or not.”
Miracle one: Manna fell every day for six days—fresh, nourishing, heaven’s own bread.
Miracle two:
> Exodus 16:5
“On the sixth day they shall prepare what they bring in, and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.”
Every Friday a double portion appeared.
Miracle three:
> Exodus 16:24–26
“Bake what you will bake today, and boil what you will boil; and lay up for yourselves all that remains, to be kept until morning… Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, which is the Sabbath, there will be none.”
Unlike any other day, the Friday manna kept overnight without spoiling.
God literally built the Sabbath rhythm into their diet.
Some ignored the lesson and went out with their pots on Sabbath morning anyway. The Lord asked pointedly:
> Exodus 16:28
“How long do you refuse to keep My commandments and My laws?”
He wasn’t scolding to be harsh; He was teaching trust and relationship.
Once again we echo the heartbeat of the message:
> Sabbath is God’s eternal sign of creation and redemption.
---
Written in Stone
When Israel reached Mount Sinai, God made sure the Sabbath principle could never be erased.
He engraved it with His own finger into the heart of the Ten Commandments:
> Exodus 20:8-11
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God… 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. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.”
The Sabbath command sits at the very center of the Ten—like a flag planted in the middle of God’s law.
---
God’s Flag of Loyalty
Every nation has a flag.
A plain red or blue cloth means little, but sew those colors into the Stars and Stripes and it instantly becomes the emblem of a nation’s honor.
Treat it carelessly and every patriot feels the insult.
Likewise, God took an ordinary slice of time and invested it with eternal meaning.
The seventh day became His royal banner, His sign of creative power and saving grace.
To ignore it is more than breaking a rule; it is trampling heaven’s flag.
Isaiah foresaw a day when this banner would be forgotten and called for repair:
> Isaiah 58:12–14
“You shall be called the Repairer of the Breach, the Restorer of Paths to Dwell in… If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on My holy day… then you shall delight yourself in the Lord.”
And again our refrain rings true:
> Sabbath is God’s eternal sign of creation and redemption.
---
The Lord of the Sabbath
Some argue the Sabbath was merely “for the Jews.”
But Scripture says otherwise:
> Mark 2:27–28
“The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is Lord also of the Sabbath.”
Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath—its Creator and its interpreter.
He worshiped on it (Luke 4:16) and used it to bless others.
When critics complained, He replied, “Don’t tell Me how to keep My own day.”
The New Testament never shifts the day of worship.
Revelation calls it “the Lord’s Day” (Revelation 1:10).
And Isaiah looks ahead to eternity:
> Isaiah 66:22–23
“From one Sabbath to another, all flesh shall come to worship before Me, says the Lord.”
From Eden to eternity the seventh day remains God’s chosen memorial.
---
Sabbath as Redemption’s Sign
The Sabbath is not only a reminder of creation; it is a sign of re-creation—the new life we receive in Christ.
> Ezekiel 20:12
“I gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between Me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them.”
Every Sabbath we celebrate not only the world God made but the new heart He is making in us.
It is a weekly gospel celebration that salvation is by grace, not works.
Again we say with conviction:
> Sabbath is God’s eternal sign of creation and redemption.
---
A Foretaste of Heaven
In many homes believers welcome the Sabbath with special joy:
candles at sunset, the best food, songs of praise, unhurried family time.
It is a 24-hour palace in time—a preview of the world made new.
If Sabbath was celebrated before sin and will be celebrated after sin is gone, isn’t it logical to honor it now?
Jesus thought so. He “went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, as His custom was” (Luke 4:16).
Following His example is always the safest path.
---
Closing Appeal
God calls us back to His flag, His forever sign.
He invites each of us to reorder our lives around a weekly appointment with Him—
not out of duty but out of delight.
Will you choose today to honor the Creator and Redeemer who set apart the seventh day?
Will you accept the gift of Sabbath rest and let Jesus re-create your heart?
