For a CD of over 100 of sermons by Darrell Stetler II (most complete with handouts), please e-mail darrellstetler2@sbcglobal.net.
INTRO
How many of you feel tired or stressed out?
Yes, I’m tired. For several years I’ve been blaming it on middle age, iron poor blood, lack of vitamins, air pollution, water pollution.... But now, I find out, tain’t that. I’m tired because I’m overworked. The population of this country is over 200 million. Eighty-four million are retired. That leaves 116 million to do the work. There are 75 million in school, so that leaves 41 million to do the work. Of this total, there are 22 million employed by the [federal] government. That leaves 19 million to do the work. Four million are in the armed forces, which leaves 15 million to do the work. Take from that total the 14,800,000 people who work for the state and city governments, and that leaves 200,000 to do the work. There are 188,000 in hospitals, so that leaves 12,000 to do the work. Now there are 11,998 people in prisons. That leaves just 2 people to do the work. You and me. And you’re sitting there listening to this. No wonder I’m tired.
From a sermon by Chris Talton at sermoncentral.com as quoted in The Tale of the Tardy Oxcart by Chuck Swindoll, p. 319
Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days a week are set apart for your daily duties and regular work, but the seventh day is holy -- a day of rest dedicated to the LORD your God. On that day no one in your household may do any kind of work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. For in six days the LORD made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; then he rested on the seventh day. That is why the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.
Exodus 20:8-10 (NLT)
The word Sabbath means REST. So right here at the beginning of Creation, God established the pattern: One day in 7 is a day of rest. Now, what day of the week was this? We don’t know. Our calendar has changed since then. So what day is appropriate to be a Sabbath? The answer is: It could be any day, even though our 7th day NOW is Saturday.
As Christians, we have always believed (since the beginning) that Jesus honored Sunday in a special way by rising from the dead. So we call Sunday “The Lord’s Day”, and we celebrate that by worshipping him. I would suggest that you choose Sunday as your Sabbath (day of rest), and combine the two! Worshipping the risen Jesus, and taking a day of rest in one day.
Why would God give this command?
1. To teach us to value and enjoy his creation.
For in six days the LORD made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; then he rested on the seventh day. That is why the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.
Exodus 20:11 (NLT)
God ceased from his creative activity on the seventh day. He didn’t really rest in the way we understand it because he didn’t need to. God’s not a physical being like us. God’s rest was a cessation of his work. Why did he do it?
He [God] rested for the same reason there are rests in music. It’s not because the musicians are tired, but because they want to have a pause for emphasis and reflection – to rejoice in what has just gone before and to let it sink in.
~ Adrian Rogers, Ten Secrets for a Successful Family, p. 73
Everything that God give us is for our appreciation and enjoyment. Look what the Bible says:
“But their trust should be in the living God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment.” 1 Timothy 6:17 (NLT)
2. To teach us about our own value.
How many of you have ever relaxed and felt guilty? That’s because – down deep – many of us think that we only have value if we’re producing and doing. We’ve bought into the workaholic lie.
The Sabbath is one of the Bible’s revolutionary innovations. . . ancient societies tended to regard people as worthwhile only while they were working. Leading Roman thinkers ridiculed the Sabbath, citing it as proof of Jewish laziness … In the ancient world, the Bible’s struggle to establish that human beings have value even when not producing was a difficult one.”
Dr. Laura Schlessinger, The Ten Commandments: The Significance of God’s Laws in Everyday Life, p. 104
The Sabbath reminds us that we are human beings, not human doings.
3. To give us a break from the stress and strain of life.
Jesus said, “The Sabbath was made to benefit people, and not people to benefit the Sabbath. And I, the Son of Man, am master even of the Sabbath.” Mark 2:27-28 (NLT)
God knew how he had made us, and so he wanted to save us from destructive living. You weren’t meant to GO GO GO GO GO seven days a week. You were built to relax one day in seven. . . God created you that way.
Is it just me, or do people seem more tired today that ever? I typed in “chronic fatigue” on the internet this week. There were 12.7 million pages that had to do with that!
4. To allow us to reconnect with Him.
“...keep my Sabbath day, for the Sabbath is a sign of the covenant between me and you forever. It helps you to remember that I am the Lord, who makes you holy.” Exodus 31:13 (NLT)
Let me talk just for a moment to those of you who are believers:
God knows that if we’re not careful, we forget what we are. We forget that we are separated to Him as a special possession. (That’s what it means to be holy.) We need a day of rest and meditation and reconnection. . . because we need to refuel. We need to remember who we belong to.
God knew we needed this, so he created a special day that we can focus on Him and remember. . .
Don’t waste this opportunity that he gives you. So many stresses and problems and trials that we face are of our own making because we’ve not taken the time to hear his voice, to stay connected!
How can I keep the Sabbath holy?
1. By avoiding work and focusing on renewal.
“Work six days only, but the seventh day must be a day of total rest. I repeat: Because the Lord considers it a holy day, anyone who works on the Sabbath must be put to death.” Exodus 31:15 (NLT)
“Blessed are those who honor my Sabbath days of rest by refusing to work.” Isaiah 56:2 (NLT)
Why don’t people obey this command? I don’t know. . . what’s so wrong about resting?
God could have said, “Keep the Sabbath day holy by crawling on your knees for 5 miles over broken glass, knocking your forehead on the ground every 50 feet.” There are some religions that teach people to make pilgrimages like that. Every religion has its holy days. Many religions have holy days where you have to fast, and other things to even be a part of the religion.
But he’s not that kind of God. Instead, he said, “Rest on my day.” And then people complain. . . ?
Now, let me open a big can of worms. I’ve seen some people who would not only break God’s commandments themselves, but would cause others to do the same thing. Would you agree that this is not right?
Now, let me ask you. If God instituted the Sabbath day as a day of rest, and cared enough about it to put it in the 10 Commandments, and cared enough about it to institute the death penalty in ancient Israel if someone broke it. . . Shouldn’t you and I care about people that are out there violating God’s laws?
If we care about them, is it appropriate for us to make them work? Yet thousands of Christians make their way to restaurants and stores after church, and let people violate God’s commands by making them work.
You might say, “They’re going to be working anyway.” Not good enough. 75% of this country call themselves Christians. If all of a sudden, 75% of people quit going to stores, the stores would decide it wasn’t worth it to stay open.
EXCEPTIONS:
A. Work that is necessary for emergencies.
Then He answered them, saying, "Which of you, having a donkey or an ox that has fallen into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?" Luke 14:5 (NKJV)
B. Work that is necessary for helping others.
The Pharisees asked Jesus, "Is it legal to work by healing on the Sabbath day?" (They were, of course, hoping he would say yes, so they could bring charges against him.)
And he answered, “If you had one sheep, and it fell into a well on the Sabbath, wouldn’t you get to work and pull it out? Of course you would. And how much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Yes, it is right to do good on the Sabbath.” Matthew 12:10-12 (NLT)
2. By avoiding selfishness and focusing on God.
"Keep the Sabbath day holy. Don’t pursue your own interests on that day, but enjoy the Sabbath and speak of it with delight as the Lord’s holy day. Honor the Lord in everything you do, and don’t follow your own desires or talk idly.” Isaiah 58:13 (NLT)
“Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10
Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 (NLT)
The ability to calm your soul and wait before God is one of the most difficult things in the Christian life. Our old nature is restless...the world around us is frantically in a hurry. But a restless heart usually leads to a reckless life. ~ Warren Wiersbe
Not only does God want you to appreciate and enjoy what he’s given you, he wants you to appreciate and enjoy him. Church attendance is vital to truly experiencing a Sabbath. For those who are tempted to set it aside the Bible says …
And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage and warn each other ... Hebrews 10:25 (NLT)
On your day of rest take time to pray and meditate. Read about spiritual subjects. Go for a stroll in God’s creation. Take a lunch to a park, and spend some time reading the Bible and thinking on subjects that lift rather than depress – thinking about Godly things.
Get reconnected.
___________________________
HANDOUT
___________________________
Workaholics, Lighten Up!
How to Prevent Unnecessary Pain in Your Life
#4 - Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
Six days a week are set apart for your daily duties and regular work, but the seventh day is holy -- a day of rest dedicated to the LORD your God. On that day no one in your household may do any kind of work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. For in six days the LORD made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; then he rested on the seventh day. That is why the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy. Exodus 20:8-10 (NLT)
The word Sabbath means _________. So right here at the beginning of Creation, God established the pattern: 1 day in ____ is a day of rest.
What day of the week was the Sabbath? ________________________
What day do most Christians celebrate the Sabbath? ______________, also called “_______ __________ _________.”
Why did God give this command to take a Sabbath day of rest?
1. To teach us to value and enjoy his _________________.
For in six days the LORD made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; then he rested on the seventh day. That is why the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.
Exodus 20:11 (NLT)
2. To teach us about our own ____________.
The Sabbath reminds us that we are human ____________, not human _____________.
3. To give us a break from the _______ and _______ of life.
Jesus said, “The Sabbath was made to benefit people, and not people to benefit the Sabbath. And I, the Son of Man, am master even of the Sabbath.” Mark 2:27-28 (NLT)
4. To allow us to ________________ with Him.
“...keep my Sabbath day, for the Sabbath is a sign of the covenant between me and you forever. It helps you to remember that I am the Lord, who makes you holy.” Exodus 31:13 (NLT)
How can I keep the Sabbath holy?
1. By avoiding _______ and focusing on ______________.
“Work six days only, but the seventh day must be a day of total rest... Because the Lord considers it a holy day, anyone who works on the Sabbath must be put to death.” Exodus 31:15 (NLT)
“Blessed are those who honor my Sabbath days of rest by refusing to work.” Isaiah 56:2 (NLT)
EXCEPTIONS:
A. Work that is necessary for ___________________.
Then He answered them, saying, "Which of you, having a donkey or an ox that has fallen into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?" Luke 14:5 (NKJV)
B. Work that is necessary for helping ___________.
The Pharisees asked Jesus, "Is it legal to work by healing on the Sabbath day?"... And Jesus answered, “If you had one sheep, and it fell into a well on the Sabbath, wouldn’t you get to work and pull it out? Of course you would. And how much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Yes, it is right to do good on the Sabbath.”
Matthew 12:10-12 (NLT)
2. By avoiding ________________ and focusing on _____.
"Keep the Sabbath day holy. Don’t pursue your own interests on that day, but enjoy the Sabbath and speak of it with delight as the Lord’s holy day. Honor the Lord in everything you do, and don’t follow your own desires or talk idly.” Isaiah 58:13 (NLT)
“Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10
Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 (NLT)
