The Fourth Commandment Lesson 4 Series

A. INTRODUCTION

FOURTH COMMANDMENT

“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. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. 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” (Exodus 20:8-11, NKJV).

1. Why doesn’t the Fourth Commandment begin with “You shalt not work on the Sabbath/Sunday? Too legalistically.

a. To teach rest.

b. The purpose is not to stop working but to start worshipping.

2. What should you remember about the Sabbath? You need rest to keep going.

3. Who is our Sabbath example? “For in six days did the Lord make heaven and earth . . .” (Ex. 20:11). I your Lord, rested

4. What do you know about My example?

a. I did much.

b. I did it in six days.

c. I finished.

d. I stopped for the seventh day.

e. I rested. The word Sabbath means rest.

5. Why does God tell us to remember the Sabbath? You get caught up in your work or you don’t think it is necessary to stop working. Because you forget.

B. WHAT ARE THE POSITIVE ASPECTS?

1. Why was a Sabbath necessary? “But the seventh day . . . you shalt not do any work” (Ex. 20:10). Because you work.

2. How should you work?

a. Completely. “You shall labor and do all your work” (Ex. 20:9).

b. Finish the job. “All that in them is” (Ex. 20:11).

c. Satisfactory. “And rested” (Ex. 20:11).

3. What is one of the greatest rewards for work? Rest.

4. What else are you to do on the Sabbath? Worship.

The word Holy means, “to set aside” or “separate.” When you worship God, you separate yourselves from your secular work to do your spiritual work. The word worship is liteago, i.e., “to serve Me with praise. You “rest” from secular work to minister to Me, i.e., it is called the worship service.

5. What will legalists do with the Sabbath/Sunday?

a. No work.

b. No job.

c. Negative.

d. Punishment.

e. No hope (optimism).

C. WHY WE KEEP SUNDAY INSTEAD OF SATURDAY

1. Resurrection. The greatest day in history also sanctified Sunday. “Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning” (Luke 24:1).

2. Example. The early church worshipped on Sunday (Acts 20:7; I Cor. 16:2).

3. My endorsement. All of Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances occurred on Sunday (John 20:19, 26).

4. My Day of Promise. Three of the most important Old Testament feasts ended Sunday for their greatest celebrations: (1) Week of Passover ended on Sunday with the Feast of First Fruits; (2) Pentecost was celebrated on Sunday, 50 days after Passover; (3) Feast of Tabernacles ended on the 8th day, i.e., Sunday.

5. My last physical appearance. “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day when I heard behind me a great voice” (Rev. 1:10).

6. Tradition. The Christian Church has celebrated on Sunday since the early church fathers.

7. My eternal plan. The Lord’s Day was instituted long before the law (Gen. 2:1-2) and continues long after the law is over.

D. SPIRITUAL MEANING OF REST

1. Two kinds of spiritual rest.

a. Death. Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord . . . They rest from their labours” (Rev. 14:13).

b. Spiritual. “Come unto Me all that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (salvation). Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and you shall find rest (victory) for your souls” (Matt. 11:28-29).

2. Future rest. What does the present Sabbath/Sunday predict? “There remains a rest for My people” (Heb. 4:9). Sabbatismos is “Sabbath rest,” i.e., do what I did after six days of work.

3. You possess My life in you. Observing the Lord’s Day is more than “sleeping.” It is yielding to Me and “partnering” with Me. It is getting My rest.

E. WHAT REST DOES FOR YOU

1. Prepares you for the future. You take your eyes off today’s task to become future oriented.

2. Makes you feel good. I want you to have some enjoyment in life.

3. Restores your soul. “I make you to lie down in green pastures. I lead you beside the still waters. I restore your soul” (Psa. 23:2-3).

4. You obey My command. “Rest in Me your Lord, wait patiently for Me” (Psa. 37:7a).

5. You forget the failures and problems of the past. “I will wipe away all tears” (Rev. 21:4).