The Sabbath - The Principle Part I

The message Sunday was not recorded, so let me over the next two days share the essence in the message "The Sabbath:  The Principle"

Let me ask if you if any of these terms describe you?  burnout?  stress?  workaholic?  frazzled?  worn out? bone tired? running on empty?  sleep deprived?

Chasing the American dream leads most of us to depression, sleep deprivation and destruction of our relationships and eventually our own bodies and souls.

But this is not the way God intended it to be.  In this message and next Sunday, I want to look at “The Sabbath Day:  The Principle and the Promise.”  You see, the Gospel addresses the issue of rest with a wonderful principle and promise.

Today, the principle.  

Thanks to Mark Dance for these four headings this morning with only a little modification and addition from me.

1. The Sabbath is an Example to Follow - Genesis 2: 1-3

Why do we need to observe a sabbath? But God did.  He finished His work and He ceased from His creative work.

The very word “sabbath” means to “cease, desist, cessation, silence” 

God did not cease because He was tired or weary.  He didn’t get to Wednesday and say, “If I can just make it through Friday.”  He rested in that He had set something into motion that was destined to come to pass without His further work or attention.

“If God took a day off once every seven, what makes you think you don’t need that, too?”

God was providing an example for all of us to follow.  Balance in our lives.  The rhythm of work and rest.  I believe this is for everybody - not just believers.  The principle of a sabbath is first in creation, not the law.  But this principle is especially for believers and is incorporated into the very Gospel, as we’ll see more next week.

Mark 2:27 “The Sabbath was made for man.”

More tomorrow....