What do you do on Sundays?
Is it a day of relaxation? Or are Sundays full of tuition lessons, Kumon, Learning Lab, AGrader, Tien Hsia, Berries, MindStretcher, Heguru, ICRC, British Council, Yamaha, Violin, Piano, Soccer, Badminton, Fencing, Swimming and Ballet lessons? Does work spillover from weekdays to Saturdays and into Sundays? Do we always monitor the most recent information to grasp market developments and actions, particularly on Sundays earlier than markets open on Mondays? Are we a nation of “workaholics” the place additional time and busyness invitations reward and luxury from others?
Today’s sermon by Ps Jason is an apt reminder that there’s a higher method. The sample and rhythm that God had established when He created the world. Read on to seek out out extra – we significantly love level 2 under!
God’s Intended Purpose – A Work-Rest Cycle
By the seventh day God had completed the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, as a result of on it he rested from all of the work of making that he had carried out.
– Genesis 2:2-3
Ps Jason requested this query,
“Did God have to rest on the 7th day after creating the world in 6 days?”
The reply isn’t any. God is all-powerful – of limitless energy. He didn’t need to relaxation. But He rested to create a sample and a mannequin for man to observe. Of course, as man in a fallen world, we by no means observe the foundations. We “test” the foundations. We are “tiki” (silver enamel) or cussed.
So what will we do? We don’t work once we are presupposed to work and we don’t sleep once we are presupposed to sleep. And consequently, we are sometimes drained, stressed and possibly even scorching tempered. In actuality, work is a God-given present – a method for us to do our day by day mission. And so is relaxation.
In reality, God is so severe about relaxation that He stated,
For six days work is to be carried out, however the seventh day is a day of sabbath relaxation, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day is to be put to loss of life.
– Exodus 31:15
And for those who learn Numbers 15:32-36, it was precisely what occurred to a person who was discovered gathering wooden on Sabbath.
Death?! But how about in our trendy occasions? Surely I received’t die as a result of I don’t relaxation
Although God is severe about resting on Sabbath, Jesus additionally clarified what’s the intent for Sabbath when the Pharisees (lecturers of Jewish regulation) accused Jesus’ disciples for selecting on heads of grains for meals throughout Sabbath. He stated,
The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.
-Mark 2:27
Again, one other man requested Jesus if it was lawful to heal on Sabbath? Jesus then answered,
If any of you has a sheep and it falls right into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not grab it and elevate it out? 12 How rather more beneficial is an individual than a sheep! Therefore it’s lawful to do good on the Sabbath
– Matthew 12:11-12
In abstract, Sabbath was meant for man and was meant for good. Instead of protecting Sabbath as a regulation that can’t be damaged, we are able to entry God’s blessings and profit for us by way of Sabbath.
How Can We Access God’s Blessings Through Sabbath?
Ps Jason then shared 3 details, first on
1. Rest in Him.
In Exodus 23:12, the phrases “rest” and “refresh” in Hebrew refers to
“Shabbat” (שַׁבָּת) which suggests to cease
“Nuach” (נוּחַ) which suggests to be in a state of peace and quiet, somewhat than merely an absence of exercise
“Naphash” (נָפַשׁ) which suggests to be refreshed. It is carefully associated to the Hebrew phrase for soul, “Nephesh” (נֶ֫פֶשׁ), suggesting a deep, holistic refreshment.
What these all imply is that on Sabbath, we should always cease, take a breath and relaxation. Be refreshed in His presence.
2. Rely on Him.
When God gave the ten Commandments to the Israelites, which included observing the Sabbath, the opposite nations truly continued to work on the Sabbath. They would have needed to proceed working within the fields – ploughing, planting, watering, tending.
However, for the Israelites, it was to easily relaxation.
It factors to one thing deeper. The name to relaxation is definitely a name to belief God. He would have been seen to have stated one thing alongside the strains of,
“The plants will continue to grow if you would trust in me.”
This is definitely our largest takeaway from in the present day’s sermon. Having carried out “work” for six days (no matter kind it could be – finding out, home tasks, workplace/office work), resting is a type of belief in God. That no matter occurs, now we have religion that God will carry us by way of. It is a stupendous manifestation of who we belong to, particularly in our busy and trendy society.
Of course, that’s not to say that when you’ve got “nua-ed” all through the week, you count on to nonetheless relaxation on Sabbath and all the things will end up effectively.
3. Remember What God Had Done
In Deuteronomy 5: 12-15, apart from giving the command to look at the Sabbath, God reminded them of how He introduced them out of Egypt,
Remember that you simply had been slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God introduced you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God has commanded you to look at the Sabbath day.
– Deuteronomy 5:15
God wished Israel to recollect His goodness and faithfulness when He led them out of Egypt. His mercies included miracles resembling the ten plagues in addition to the parting of the Red Sea. There’s a hyperlink to the earlier level that God had carried out miracles of their lives earlier than and since man are typically forgetful, significantly about God’s faithfulness…
Only watch out, and watch yourselves carefully in order that you don’t overlook the issues your eyes have seen or allow them to fade out of your coronary heart so long as you reside. Teach them to your youngsters and to their youngsters after them.
– Deuteronomy 4:9
After that complete technology had been gathered to their ancestors, one other technology grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what he had carried out for Israel.
– Judges 2:10
But whoever seems intently into the proper regulation that provides freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they’ve heard, however doing it—they are going to be blessed in what they do.
– James 1:25
Hence, it might do us effectively that even whereas we relaxation in His presence, we keep in mind the goodness and faithfulness that He had already carried out in our lives.
4. Relieve – Finding Joy in Meeting the Needs of Others
If you eliminate the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger and malicious discuss,
10 and for those who spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and fulfill the wants of the oppressed,
then your mild will rise within the darkness,
and your night time will grow to be just like the noonday.
11 The Lord will information you all the time;
he’ll fulfill your wants in a sun-scorched land
and can strengthen your body.
You will likely be like a well-watered backyard,
like a spring whose waters by no means fail.
12 Your individuals will rebuild the traditional ruins
and can elevate up the age-old foundations;
you’ll be referred to as Repairer of Broken Walls,
Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.
13 “If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath
and from doing as you please on my holy day,
if you call the Sabbath a delight
and the Lord’s holy day honorable,
and if you honor it by not going your own way
and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,
14 then you will find your joy in the Lord,
and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights of the land
and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.”
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.
– Isaiah 58:9-14
Another perspective of Sabbath in our modern-day shared by Ps Jason is
“How should we then spend Sabbath? Is it just to rest?”
This verse shares that apart from resting and counting on the Lord in addition to remembering His goodness, we are able to use Sabbath for good. Just like what Jesus talked about in Matthew 12:12, that it’s “lawful to do good on Sabbath”, we are able to use Sabbath to serve others.
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All in all, personally, in the present day’s sermon is a very good reminder for us, in a fast-paced society like Singapore to
1. Rest in Him. Not solely bodily however spiritually connecting with the Lord.
2. Remember His Goodness and Rely on Him. That He had introduced us by way of many difficult occasions in life, and once we relaxation in Him, as a substitute of counting on our personal human power, we are literally trusting that He can and can proceed to see us by way of.
3. Doing Good. Using Sabbath to serve others whether or not in church or in any other case is an effective technique to share God’s goodness with others even on the day of relaxation resembling Sabbath.
Hope that you’ve been refreshed by this message as a lot as now we have! Have a blessed week forward!