Remember The Sabbath Day

C. Although most Protestant Christians today believe that only nine of the Ten Commandments are still applicable to our lives, the Bible is clear that ALL the Commandments, even and especially the fourth commandment is central to our relationship with our Creator. And, that to willfully neglect one is to break the entire Law. James says this in James 2:10,11 “ 10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. 11 For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.”

XVII. How do we know for certainty that our Saturday is the same biblical Sabbath referred to in the Fourth Commandment?

A. Although, over the centuries, days have been added to our calendar, the days of the week have never been affected. In fact, the only calendar change that has occurred since the time of Christ (He most certainly knew what day the Sabbath was!) was made in October of 1582. Eleven days were added to that month, but again, this did not affect the days of the week. In this particular month the calendar read in order; Thursday the 4th, Friday the 15th, Saturday the 16th, Sunday the 17th and so on…

B. Being a Jew Himself, Jesus kept the same Sabbath day as the Jewish people of our day.

C. Any knowledgeable pastor of most Christian denominations will tell you plainly that Saturday is the biblical Sabbath…but—they’ll be quick to add, “ it was changed to Sunday in honor of the Lord’s resurrection…”(the problem with this assumption is that there is no Scriptural evidence to support this theory—it is based solely on tradition.)

XVIII. When exactly do the Sabbath hours begin and end?

A. Genesis 1:3-5 “And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was ___________, and there was __________________—the first day.”

1. Notice that with every day of creation, the evening part of the day came first.

2. Luke 23 tells of the women who went to see where Jesus had been laid as the sun was setting on the first “Good Friday.” The bible says, that instead of embalming their Lord after sunset, that they “went home and rested according to the commandment.”

B. Jesus was Jewish, and the Jews continue to celebrate the same biblical Sabbath from sunset Friday evening to sunset Saturday evening. It has never changed.

XIX. How do we “Keep the Sabbath Holy”?

A. Exodus 20:8-10 ““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 ___________, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your ______________ or __________________, nor your animals, nor the alien ___________ __________ _________.”

B. Isaiah 58:13,14 “If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you ________________on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a _____________ and the LORD’s holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going _________ ___________way and not doing as you _____________ or speaking ___________ words, then you will find your joy in the LORD…”