1 00:00:00,480 --> 00:00:05,360 We continue our summer series on the 10 Commandments and with the 2 00:00:05,360 --> 00:00:09,000 4th commandment today. Earlier, as we recited in the 3 00:00:09,000 --> 00:00:14,280 Shorter Catechism, we read the first version from Exodus 20 and 4 00:00:14,280 --> 00:00:17,480 now as we read Moses second giving of the Law in 5 00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:19,240 Deuteronomy. You'll notice a few key 6 00:00:19,240 --> 00:00:22,080 differences now, with the most notable difference being an 7 00:00:22,240 --> 00:00:26,160 additional reason for why the Sabbath should be observed. 8 00:00:34,760 --> 00:00:38,400 Deuteronomy chapter 5, verses 12 through 15. 9 00:00:40,600 --> 00:00:43,920 Observe the Sabbath day to keep it holy, as the Lord your God 10 00:00:43,920 --> 00:00:47,600 commanded you. 6 days you shall labor and do all your work, but 11 00:00:47,600 --> 00:00:51,240 the 7th day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God, Anna. 12 00:00:51,240 --> 00:00:54,760 You shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, or 13 00:00:54,760 --> 00:00:57,720 your male servant, or your female servant, or your ox or 14 00:00:57,720 --> 00:01:01,120 your donkey or any of your livestock, or the sojourner who 15 00:01:01,120 --> 00:01:04,160 is within your gates, that your male servant and your female 16 00:01:04,160 --> 00:01:08,320 servant may rest as well as you. You shall remember that you were 17 00:01:08,320 --> 00:01:11,440 a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought 18 00:01:11,440 --> 00:01:14,760 you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. 19 00:01:15,040 --> 00:01:19,160 Therefore, the Lord your God has commanded you to keep the 20 00:01:19,160 --> 00:01:25,160 Sabbath day. Let's pray Lord Jesus, as we 21 00:01:25,480 --> 00:01:28,960 come now to your word, as we come now to your gospel, I pray 22 00:01:29,600 --> 00:01:33,200 that we would rest, that we would consider the works of the 23 00:01:33,200 --> 00:01:37,480 Lord Jesus Christ, and that we would enter into that rest 24 00:01:37,480 --> 00:01:41,680 through faith. Lord, help us to understand this 25 00:01:41,680 --> 00:01:45,160 4th commandment and help it to guide our lives today, to give 26 00:01:45,160 --> 00:01:51,360 us blessing and and rest and to grow us to be closer and closer 27 00:01:51,360 --> 00:01:55,200 and to be more like Jesus as we pray in Jesus name, Amen. 28 00:01:58,480 --> 00:02:02,680 Back in the 90s when I was a kid, I was swept up in a 29 00:02:02,680 --> 00:02:06,360 Christian fad, the WWJD movement. 30 00:02:07,480 --> 00:02:11,160 For those of you who are born in a different Millennium, WWJD 31 00:02:11,160 --> 00:02:15,000 stands for What Would Jesus Do? It's an acronym to help you 32 00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:18,840 remember to imitate Jesus. My church's kids program 33 00:02:18,840 --> 00:02:22,640 rewarded Bible memorization with the popular cloth brace 34 00:02:22,640 --> 00:02:26,120 bracelets with WWJD embroidered on them. 35 00:02:27,600 --> 00:02:29,040 That was highly motivating for me. 36 00:02:31,560 --> 00:02:35,040 I memorized so many verses and tried to collect as many 37 00:02:35,040 --> 00:02:41,160 different colored WWGD bracelets as I could and on my left arm I 38 00:02:41,160 --> 00:02:46,480 would wear all of them at the same time, like a sleeve tattoo. 39 00:02:48,240 --> 00:02:52,760 I was oblivious to how prideful and awkward I was. 40 00:02:54,360 --> 00:02:58,120 I was a lot better at memorizing Scripture than imitating Jesus. 41 00:03:00,160 --> 00:03:02,960 The phrase What would Jesus do? Gets at the heart of Christian 42 00:03:02,960 --> 00:03:05,240 ethics, which is that we are to imitate God. 43 00:03:06,440 --> 00:03:11,000 Every command in Scripture aims at us being holy as God is holy. 44 00:03:12,120 --> 00:03:15,080 We are to imitate God as a child imitates a parent. 45 00:03:16,160 --> 00:03:18,760 English Puritan Thomas Brooks said this. 46 00:03:19,440 --> 00:03:23,360 Certainly Christianity is nothing else but an imitation of 47 00:03:23,360 --> 00:03:27,360 the divine nature, a reducing of man's, of a man's self to the 48 00:03:27,360 --> 00:03:30,960 image of God in which he was created in righteousness and 49 00:03:30,960 --> 00:03:33,600 true holiness. A Christian's whole life should 50 00:03:33,600 --> 00:03:37,200 be nothing but a visible representation of Christ. 51 00:03:38,440 --> 00:03:42,200 We're to develop the same character as God's, to grow and 52 00:03:42,200 --> 00:03:45,640 loving what he loves and hating what he hates and doing what he 53 00:03:45,640 --> 00:03:48,400 would do. And so it shouldn't surprise us 54 00:03:48,400 --> 00:03:52,280 that the reason stated in Exodus 20 for obeying the 4th 55 00:03:52,280 --> 00:03:54,600 commandment is that we are to imitate God. 56 00:03:55,240 --> 00:03:59,560 Just as God worked 6 days and then rested on the 7th, so also 57 00:03:59,560 --> 00:04:05,200 we are to work and then rest. God is a working and resting God 58 00:04:05,200 --> 00:04:08,040 and so we are to be a working and resting people. 59 00:04:09,360 --> 00:04:11,680 Our outline today is similar to a couple weeks ago. 60 00:04:12,280 --> 00:04:15,160 Guilt, grace, and then gratitude. 61 00:04:15,640 --> 00:04:19,120 We need to 1st consider our guilt, how we haven't imitated 62 00:04:19,120 --> 00:04:23,000 God with this commandment. And then before we consider what 63 00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:27,520 would Jesus do, we need to consider what did Jesus do? 64 00:04:28,320 --> 00:04:32,520 What did Jesus do in his life, death and resurrection to give 65 00:04:32,520 --> 00:04:38,040 us the abundance of God's grace? And then we will end with 66 00:04:38,040 --> 00:04:39,080 gratitude. How? 67 00:04:39,080 --> 00:04:43,440 How this commandment guides our life of Thanksgiving, How it 68 00:04:43,440 --> 00:04:48,440 guides our life in imitating God in his work and in his rest. 69 00:04:49,360 --> 00:04:51,720 So guilt, grace, and then gratitude. 70 00:04:52,400 --> 00:04:55,720 First, let's consider our guilt, how the 4th commandment shows us 71 00:04:55,720 --> 00:04:58,480 our sin. But before we do that, let's 72 00:04:58,480 --> 00:05:00,600 consider what this commandment is. 73 00:05:01,640 --> 00:05:05,600 As I previously mentioned, Exodus and Deuteronomy have two 74 00:05:05,600 --> 00:05:08,480 versions of the 4th commandment, with the main difference being 75 00:05:08,960 --> 00:05:12,200 the reasons that ground obedience to the commandment. 76 00:05:13,360 --> 00:05:17,360 The Hebrew noun Sabbath is connected to a similar verb 77 00:05:17,360 --> 00:05:20,920 meaning to cease, to stop, or to rest. 78 00:05:22,200 --> 00:05:24,600 Exodus. The Exodus version says remember 79 00:05:24,600 --> 00:05:28,120 the Sabbath, and the Deuteronomy version says observe the 80 00:05:28,120 --> 00:05:30,160 Sabbath. And putting those two together, 81 00:05:30,160 --> 00:05:32,960 it kind of fills out this general idea that the Sabbath 82 00:05:32,960 --> 00:05:36,720 was to be regularly and continually observed without 83 00:05:36,720 --> 00:05:40,440 neglect. The Sabbath is to be remembered 84 00:05:40,440 --> 00:05:44,320 and observed as a holy day, a day set apart from all other 85 00:05:44,480 --> 00:05:48,360 days of the week to worship the Lord and to rest from work. 86 00:05:49,520 --> 00:05:53,280 We also see in the text that it's a day of rest to be 87 00:05:53,280 --> 00:05:57,240 observed by all Israel, including servants and even 88 00:05:57,240 --> 00:06:01,360 livestock was also to be observed by the sojourner, the 89 00:06:01,360 --> 00:06:05,040 foreigner likely to prevent the temptation of foreign trade on 90 00:06:05,040 --> 00:06:09,600 the Sabbath. In Exodus 31, God called the 91 00:06:09,600 --> 00:06:13,680 Sabbath a sign between him and his people and and a covenant 92 00:06:13,680 --> 00:06:17,960 forever the Sabbath. There was therefore a key marker 93 00:06:17,960 --> 00:06:21,000 distinguishing the people of Israel from all the other 94 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:24,000 nations. And also in Exodus 31 God 95 00:06:24,000 --> 00:06:27,440 declares that the punishment, the punishment for breaking and 96 00:06:27,440 --> 00:06:31,000 profaning the Sabbath was no less than death. 97 00:06:32,720 --> 00:06:36,240 We see in Numbers 15 that this thread of capital punishment was 98 00:06:36,240 --> 00:06:38,760 taken seriously by Moses and the people. 99 00:06:39,640 --> 00:06:43,520 When Israel was wandering in the wilderness, a man was found 100 00:06:43,520 --> 00:06:45,480 gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. 101 00:06:46,480 --> 00:06:50,680 The Lord then commanded Moses to put him to death by stoning, and 102 00:06:50,680 --> 00:06:54,920 the order was obeyed. To put it bluntly, Israel was to 103 00:06:54,920 --> 00:07:00,040 rest or die. In this commandment we see not 104 00:07:00,040 --> 00:07:03,760 only a command to rest one day in six, but also the command to 105 00:07:03,760 --> 00:07:06,640 work. Work and rest go together. 106 00:07:07,520 --> 00:07:11,200 Work and rest are are like salt. Salt consists of two elements, 107 00:07:11,640 --> 00:07:16,280 sodium and chlorine. 2 elements that when separated become very 108 00:07:16,280 --> 00:07:21,120 dangerous if inhaled or eaten, but when combined they become an 109 00:07:21,120 --> 00:07:24,880 essential nutrient. So also work and rest when 110 00:07:24,880 --> 00:07:27,920 isolated from each other become spiritually dangerous. 111 00:07:28,960 --> 00:07:33,400 The union of the two bring a rich flavor, joy and blessing to 112 00:07:33,400 --> 00:07:37,080 the Christian life. So why are we to keep the 113 00:07:37,080 --> 00:07:40,440 Sabbath? That question is, is actually, 114 00:07:40,440 --> 00:07:42,600 it's actually a little misleading as I'll explain a 115 00:07:42,600 --> 00:07:45,800 little bit. Since as Christians, we, we 116 00:07:45,800 --> 00:07:48,480 don't keep the Sabbath in the original sense. 117 00:07:49,720 --> 00:07:52,720 So why are we to keep the the Christian Sabbath, the Lord's 118 00:07:52,720 --> 00:07:55,520 day? As I mentioned earlier, Exodus 119 00:07:55,520 --> 00:07:58,840 and Deuteronomy give different reasons for keeping the Sabbath 120 00:07:59,240 --> 00:08:01,760 and together they give us a deeper understanding of it. 121 00:08:02,600 --> 00:08:06,800 Exodus grounds Sabbath observance in creation, while 122 00:08:06,800 --> 00:08:09,160 Deuteronomy grounds it in redemption. 123 00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:13,120 Creation and redemption. Because God created the world in 124 00:08:13,120 --> 00:08:17,640 six days and then rested on the on the 7th, 7th, so also mankind 125 00:08:17,640 --> 00:08:20,840 is to imitate that pattern of work and rest. 126 00:08:21,840 --> 00:08:25,760 From this we see that Sabbath rest is not an invention at 127 00:08:25,760 --> 00:08:28,160 Sinai, but something rooted in creation. 128 00:08:29,400 --> 00:08:32,039 We see that it comes out of the nature of God. 129 00:08:32,840 --> 00:08:38,400 God is the ultimate worker who created all things visible and 130 00:08:38,400 --> 00:08:43,520 invisible, and sustains the existence of everything moment 131 00:08:43,559 --> 00:08:48,560 by moment. God is the ultimate worker and 132 00:08:48,760 --> 00:08:53,960 God is the ultimate restor. He is not tired by any of his 133 00:08:53,960 --> 00:08:56,920 work. He's he continually maintains 134 00:08:56,920 --> 00:09:01,960 infinite power. He works as he rests on his 135 00:09:01,960 --> 00:09:04,720 throne, ruling all things by his word. 136 00:09:05,640 --> 00:09:08,480 He never sleeps and He never exhausts himself. 137 00:09:08,960 --> 00:09:12,000 He never ceases to work and He never ceases to rest. 138 00:09:12,520 --> 00:09:18,080 He is God. The Sabbath command is also 139 00:09:18,080 --> 00:09:23,280 rooted in redemption. Deuteronomy 515 says You shall 140 00:09:23,280 --> 00:09:26,880 remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the 141 00:09:26,880 --> 00:09:29,840 Lord your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand 142 00:09:29,840 --> 00:09:33,280 and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God 143 00:09:33,280 --> 00:09:35,160 commanded you to keep the Sabbath day. 144 00:09:36,680 --> 00:09:42,480 Israel was was enslaved to the Egyptians, forced to work for 145 00:09:42,480 --> 00:09:46,360 them whenever they demanded it, with with no guarantee of rest. 146 00:09:47,360 --> 00:09:51,280 They could not rest regularly or worship God freely. 147 00:09:52,040 --> 00:09:58,480 They were enslaved, but because God redeemed the Hebrews from 148 00:09:58,480 --> 00:10:03,160 their slavery, they were then free to enjoy the dignity of 149 00:10:03,160 --> 00:10:06,840 consistent rest and the privilege of worship. 150 00:10:09,960 --> 00:10:14,720 Yesterday we celebrated America's 250th birthday. 250 151 00:10:14,720 --> 00:10:19,200 years of the freedom to worship Jesus and to rest as we please. 152 00:10:20,120 --> 00:10:23,200 And that long standing freedom should not be taken for granted. 153 00:10:25,720 --> 00:10:28,480 We must continually remember those in history who did not 154 00:10:28,480 --> 00:10:32,400 have this freedom, and those in the present who long for it. 155 00:10:33,760 --> 00:10:37,600 Freedom is never free. Freedom doesn't just happen. 156 00:10:39,160 --> 00:10:43,120 And so in a similar way, Israel was to remember their freedom 157 00:10:43,120 --> 00:10:47,480 from slavery to Egypt, to never forget what a priceless 158 00:10:47,480 --> 00:10:52,320 privilege it is to worship God in peace and to be no one's 159 00:10:52,320 --> 00:10:56,960 slave. The Sabbath is a sign of the 160 00:10:56,960 --> 00:11:04,240 freedom of God's people. The coming of Jesus Christ 161 00:11:04,280 --> 00:11:08,440 transformed every commandment, but I think the 4th commandment 162 00:11:08,440 --> 00:11:11,240 is transformed more than the others. 163 00:11:11,920 --> 00:11:15,080 So how did Jesus transform the Sabbath? 164 00:11:16,160 --> 00:11:19,600 With Jesus resurrection on Sunday and with the outpouring 165 00:11:19,600 --> 00:11:23,680 of the Spirit on Pentecost Sunday, Christians in the New 166 00:11:23,680 --> 00:11:26,680 Testament gathered together for worship on what they called the 167 00:11:26,680 --> 00:11:30,000 Lord's Day the first day of the week, Sunday. 168 00:11:32,160 --> 00:11:37,240 BB Warfield said this Christ took the Sabbath into the grave 169 00:11:37,240 --> 00:11:41,240 with him and brought the Lord's Day out of the grave with him on 170 00:11:41,240 --> 00:11:45,040 the resurrection morn. So what's the difference between 171 00:11:45,040 --> 00:11:48,000 the Jewish Sabbath and the Christian Lord's Day? 172 00:11:49,320 --> 00:11:51,760 To understand this, it's helpful to distinguish the three main 173 00:11:51,760 --> 00:11:56,640 categories of the Old Testament law, civil, moral, and 174 00:11:56,640 --> 00:11:59,960 ceremonial. With the coming of Christ, all 175 00:11:59,960 --> 00:12:03,960 the civil and ceremonial laws of Moses were fulfilled in Christ 176 00:12:04,200 --> 00:12:06,560 and then abrogated, done away with. 177 00:12:07,920 --> 00:12:12,160 But the moral law remains. It has always, it always has 178 00:12:12,160 --> 00:12:16,480 been and always will be wrong to worship other gods, to murder, 179 00:12:16,480 --> 00:12:18,320 to commit adultery, to steal, and so on. 180 00:12:19,920 --> 00:12:24,160 So with the coming of Christ, the ceremonial and civil aspects 181 00:12:24,160 --> 00:12:29,720 of the 4th Commandment are abrogated, signaling by signaled 182 00:12:29,720 --> 00:12:33,600 by the day of worship being Sunday instead of Saturday. 183 00:12:34,920 --> 00:12:37,800 And so, thankfully, there is no death penalty that the church 184 00:12:37,800 --> 00:12:41,080 enacts on its members for working on Sunday. 185 00:12:43,920 --> 00:12:47,720 All the particular Sabbath rules of the Old Testament are done 186 00:12:47,720 --> 00:12:49,880 away with. So what's left? 187 00:12:50,840 --> 00:12:54,520 What's required for Christians? What is required? 188 00:12:54,640 --> 00:12:57,840 What is required are the remaining moral aspects of the 189 00:12:57,840 --> 00:13:01,080 4th Commandment. That is the creation pattern for 190 00:13:01,080 --> 00:13:05,320 all mankind to work and to rest one day of the week and the 191 00:13:05,320 --> 00:13:07,680 gathering of God's people on the Lord's Day. 192 00:13:07,680 --> 00:13:11,760 To worship, to continue to worship on Saturdays would be to 193 00:13:11,760 --> 00:13:15,600 stay in the shadows of the Old Testament, shadows that gave way 194 00:13:15,600 --> 00:13:18,560 to the reality of Jesus with His coming. 195 00:13:20,400 --> 00:13:22,080 Paul teaches this in Colossians 2. 196 00:13:22,600 --> 00:13:24,480 Therefore, let no one pass judgement on you. 197 00:13:24,520 --> 00:13:28,920 And questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or 198 00:13:28,920 --> 00:13:32,840 a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things 199 00:13:32,840 --> 00:13:36,120 to come. But the substance belongs to 200 00:13:36,280 --> 00:13:40,040 Christ. We have no need for the shadows 201 00:13:40,040 --> 00:13:44,000 of the law anymore now that Christ the substance is here. 202 00:13:45,920 --> 00:13:48,720 And so a pattern of work and then corporate worship on the 203 00:13:48,720 --> 00:13:51,320 Lord's day is what is required of Christians. 204 00:13:53,320 --> 00:13:56,880 And as we look at the ministry of Jesus, we see that several 205 00:13:56,880 --> 00:14:00,360 times the Gospels. The gospels record Jesus being 206 00:14:00,360 --> 00:14:03,720 accused of breaking the Sabbath for healing someone. 207 00:14:05,560 --> 00:14:08,040 But Jesus taught and demonstrated that the heart of 208 00:14:08,040 --> 00:14:12,160 the Sabbath is all about rest and freedom and showing others 209 00:14:12,160 --> 00:14:15,040 mercy on the Sabbath as a fulfilling of the heart of the 210 00:14:15,040 --> 00:14:19,240 Sabbath. And so on the Lord's Day, as we 211 00:14:19,240 --> 00:14:22,880 rest from our normal work and gather with the church to 212 00:14:22,880 --> 00:14:26,680 worship, let us also keep our eyes open for opportunities to 213 00:14:26,680 --> 00:14:30,680 show mercy to others, to those who need rest, to those who need 214 00:14:30,680 --> 00:14:33,360 freedom, to those who need Christ. 215 00:14:36,400 --> 00:14:38,920 That's required. What is required of us in the 216 00:14:38,920 --> 00:14:41,760 4th Commandment? So what is forbidden? 217 00:14:43,320 --> 00:14:47,640 What does it look like to break a profane the Lord's Day Lord? 218 00:14:47,640 --> 00:14:51,560 The New Testament doesn't have long lists of things people 219 00:14:51,560 --> 00:14:55,880 can't do on the Lord's Day. The New Covenant is not like the 220 00:14:55,880 --> 00:14:59,520 old, and so my goal isn't to create a whole new list of Thou 221 00:14:59,520 --> 00:15:02,440 shalt nots that are binding on the consciences of all 222 00:15:02,440 --> 00:15:06,520 Christians. Instead of lists, let's focus on 223 00:15:06,520 --> 00:15:08,800 general categories and principles of things that are 224 00:15:08,800 --> 00:15:12,160 forbidden. Here's the summary from the 225 00:15:12,160 --> 00:15:13,800 Shorter Catechism, which you read earlier. 226 00:15:14,560 --> 00:15:18,200 The 4th Commandment forbids the omission or careless performance 227 00:15:18,200 --> 00:15:22,320 of the duties required and the profaning the day by idleness or 228 00:15:22,520 --> 00:15:26,800 doing that which is in itself sinful, or by unnecessary 229 00:15:27,240 --> 00:15:30,800 thoughts, words, or works about a worldly employments or or 230 00:15:30,800 --> 00:15:34,000 recreations. I think it's important to 231 00:15:34,000 --> 00:15:37,320 clarify that the idleness spoken of here isn't prohibiting 232 00:15:37,320 --> 00:15:39,080 something like taking a nap on Sunday. 233 00:15:40,480 --> 00:15:44,880 I think sinful idleness is when we're completely aimless in what 234 00:15:44,880 --> 00:15:49,080 we do, when we waste the day away by point doing pointless 235 00:15:49,080 --> 00:15:52,880 things that are neither restful for our minds, bodies, or souls, 236 00:15:53,000 --> 00:15:57,200 or Worshipful in any sense. That kind of living is foolish 237 00:15:57,200 --> 00:16:00,320 on any day of the week, but especially on the Lord's Day 238 00:16:00,320 --> 00:16:04,880 when when God has given us this amazing freedom and opportunity 239 00:16:04,880 --> 00:16:12,440 to rest and we don't take it. It's also important to note that 240 00:16:12,440 --> 00:16:16,160 the 4th Commandment is not forbidding every kind of work or 241 00:16:16,360 --> 00:16:20,040 employment on the Lord's Day. Here in Rochester, we have many 242 00:16:20,040 --> 00:16:23,280 who work for Mayo Clinic and need to work shifts on Sundays 243 00:16:23,280 --> 00:16:25,560 in order to show mercy to those in their care. 244 00:16:27,080 --> 00:16:29,840 There are many other kinds of jobs that require work on Sunday 245 00:16:29,840 --> 00:16:32,560 to sustain and protect the lives of others. 246 00:16:33,480 --> 00:16:37,640 Our perspective needs to change from God is restricting me from 247 00:16:37,640 --> 00:16:41,640 working to God is freeing me to worship. 248 00:16:44,360 --> 00:16:47,400 Where's your heart's attitude about the Lord's Day? 249 00:16:51,280 --> 00:16:54,560 So what are some common ways that we in 2026 break this 250 00:16:54,560 --> 00:16:57,280 commandment? How are we guilty? 251 00:16:58,520 --> 00:17:01,280 Kevin Deyoung, in his excellent short book on the 10 252 00:17:01,280 --> 00:17:06,880 Commandments, said that we often don't trust Christ enough to 253 00:17:06,880 --> 00:17:10,319 rest. We worry about tomorrow and 254 00:17:10,400 --> 00:17:13,079 don't trust in God's faithful provision of daily bread. 255 00:17:13,280 --> 00:17:16,680 And so we anxiously pick up a Sunday shift or we open the 256 00:17:16,680 --> 00:17:18,560 laptop and try to get ahead on work. 257 00:17:19,720 --> 00:17:22,440 This is the kind of thing that God wants you to be free from. 258 00:17:23,440 --> 00:17:28,280 God isn't like like an Egyptian slave master driving us to work 259 00:17:28,280 --> 00:17:33,200 and work and work. He wants you to flourish in the 260 00:17:33,200 --> 00:17:38,480 freedom of meaningful work, regular rest, and corporate 261 00:17:38,480 --> 00:17:42,520 worship. It takes faith to rest on 262 00:17:42,520 --> 00:17:45,920 Sundays, to trust in God's future provisions. 263 00:17:46,920 --> 00:17:49,280 We often break the 4th commandment because we listen to 264 00:17:49,280 --> 00:17:53,920 our fear instead of our faith think. 265 00:17:53,920 --> 00:17:57,120 We also break this commandment when we turn it into a list of 266 00:17:57,120 --> 00:18:01,600 do's and don'ts and we judge others for not following the our 267 00:18:01,600 --> 00:18:07,120 exact list of do's and don'ts. It's wise for families to make 268 00:18:07,120 --> 00:18:11,040 some family rules or guidelines about what the Lord's Day will 269 00:18:11,040 --> 00:18:16,120 generally look like for them. But to take your rules and then 270 00:18:16,120 --> 00:18:19,520 a bind the consciences of others, I think is in violation 271 00:18:19,520 --> 00:18:23,720 of Romans 14 and the freedom of conscience we have in Christ in 272 00:18:23,720 --> 00:18:26,120 the specific ways we worship and rest. 273 00:18:27,920 --> 00:18:31,440 It's also too common that the Lord's Day turns more into a day 274 00:18:31,440 --> 00:18:35,000 about our own personal rest and worship, and we don't consider 275 00:18:35,000 --> 00:18:39,200 the needs of our neighbor. We often neglect acts of mercy 276 00:18:39,360 --> 00:18:44,120 on the Lord's Day to in a sense, heal as Jesus healed to free 277 00:18:44,120 --> 00:18:49,160 others as Jesus freed others. Neglecting mercy is a another 278 00:18:49,160 --> 00:18:51,800 common way that we sin on the Lord's Day. 279 00:18:53,120 --> 00:18:56,560 We also have the tendency to let Sunday just be like any other 280 00:18:56,560 --> 00:19:01,000 day. Husbands, if your wife is a full 281 00:19:01,000 --> 00:19:05,160 time homemaker, are you helping making helping to make sure that 282 00:19:05,160 --> 00:19:08,400 the Lord's Day is different for and restful for her? 283 00:19:09,680 --> 00:19:12,960 There's always mouths to feed and chores to be done. 284 00:19:13,400 --> 00:19:16,760 And so if expectations don't change for Sunday, or if you 285 00:19:16,760 --> 00:19:20,680 don't help, will your wife be able to rest as God intended? 286 00:19:22,520 --> 00:19:26,240 That's just one example of how we all too often treat Sunday as 287 00:19:26,360 --> 00:19:30,560 any other day. I think it's also common for us 288 00:19:30,560 --> 00:19:35,560 to not make corporate worship the normal #1 priority of each 289 00:19:35,760 --> 00:19:39,120 Lord's Day. Our children will notice what's 290 00:19:39,120 --> 00:19:43,640 most important to us. If we worship except for when 291 00:19:43,640 --> 00:19:47,440 there's sports to play or watch, then our children will notice 292 00:19:47,440 --> 00:19:51,840 that sports are #1 If we worship except for when we would rather 293 00:19:51,920 --> 00:19:55,520 work and earn extra money to get ahead, then our children will 294 00:19:55,520 --> 00:20:00,480 notice that money is #1 if we gather for worship except when 295 00:20:00,480 --> 00:20:03,040 we're too tired because of Saturday's late night 296 00:20:03,040 --> 00:20:05,600 activities. Then our children will notice 297 00:20:05,600 --> 00:20:11,040 that having fun is number one. In Romans 12, Paul urges us, 298 00:20:11,040 --> 00:20:15,360 saying, present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and 299 00:20:15,360 --> 00:20:18,240 acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 300 00:20:18,520 --> 00:20:22,840 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the 301 00:20:22,840 --> 00:20:27,880 renewal of your mind. Our culture tries to conform us 302 00:20:27,880 --> 00:20:33,000 and to shackle us to its values, but God has set us apart. 303 00:20:33,240 --> 00:20:37,400 He has freed us to be holy worshippers. 304 00:20:39,880 --> 00:20:42,000 There are many other ways we are guilty of breaking this 305 00:20:42,000 --> 00:20:45,160 commandment. Law shows us our guilt, but 306 00:20:45,520 --> 00:20:48,600 praise God that we're not left stranded in our guilt. 307 00:20:49,120 --> 00:20:52,280 The Law also points us to the grace that we need in Jesus 308 00:20:52,280 --> 00:20:56,120 Christ. Jesus kept the whole law 309 00:20:56,320 --> 00:20:59,360 perfectly. He worked, He rested, He 310 00:20:59,360 --> 00:21:02,280 worshipped, He showed mercy through healing and deliverance. 311 00:21:02,480 --> 00:21:06,760 He was the perfect Sabbath keeper, not just externally but 312 00:21:06,760 --> 00:21:10,600 also internally, always trusting His Father for His daily bread. 313 00:21:11,920 --> 00:21:15,800 By faith and repentance, Jesus Law keeping becomes our 314 00:21:15,920 --> 00:21:20,480 righteousness, our guilt is forgiven and God sees us in 315 00:21:20,480 --> 00:21:24,400 Christ washed clean and shining with the holiness of Christ. 316 00:21:25,960 --> 00:21:30,160 We could never be obedient enough to cover our sins, and so 317 00:21:30,160 --> 00:21:34,040 God graciously forgives us of all our sins when we trust in 318 00:21:34,040 --> 00:21:38,120 Christ as our Lord and Savior and turn our back on our sin and 319 00:21:38,120 --> 00:21:45,240 our old slave master, Satan. The Sabbath commandment also 320 00:21:45,400 --> 00:21:48,360 points us to Jesus as Lord of the Sabbath. 321 00:21:49,120 --> 00:21:52,040 In the Gospels, Jesus revealed Himself as Lord of the Sabbath. 322 00:21:53,280 --> 00:21:56,680 As Lord of the Sabbath, Jesus had the authority to transform 323 00:21:56,680 --> 00:22:00,240 the Sabbath to the Lord's Day with his just as much authority 324 00:22:00,440 --> 00:22:04,240 as the Lord God had to establish it at the beginning of creation. 325 00:22:05,200 --> 00:22:08,400 As Lord of the Sabbath, Jesus declared that the Sabbath was 326 00:22:08,400 --> 00:22:13,840 made for man, not man for the Sabbath, that the purpose of the 327 00:22:13,840 --> 00:22:17,360 Sabbath was not for man to maintain it, but for man to be 328 00:22:17,360 --> 00:22:21,720 blessed by it, or, to be more specific, to be blessed through 329 00:22:21,720 --> 00:22:24,720 the Sabbath by him, the Lord of the Sabbath. 330 00:22:29,520 --> 00:22:33,080 Furthermore, we see that the Bible teaches that in Jesus we 331 00:22:33,080 --> 00:22:37,240 have the sure hope of an everlasting Sabbath. 332 00:22:38,160 --> 00:22:41,760 The Lord of the Sabbath shows us that the earthly Sabbath was a 333 00:22:41,800 --> 00:22:46,160 foreshadow of Him, and the everlasting rest in Him in the 334 00:22:46,160 --> 00:22:50,440 new heavens and new earth. Let me read again from Hebrews 4 335 00:22:50,440 --> 00:22:54,760 on this future Sabbath rest. For if Joshua had given them the 336 00:22:54,760 --> 00:22:58,080 rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. 337 00:22:58,640 --> 00:23:03,360 So then there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for 338 00:23:03,360 --> 00:23:07,800 whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works, 339 00:23:08,280 --> 00:23:11,600 as God did from his brothers and sisters. 340 00:23:11,600 --> 00:23:15,680 There is another day of rest coming, the day when Christ 341 00:23:15,680 --> 00:23:19,240 returns and establishes his Kingdom of forever peace. 342 00:23:20,360 --> 00:23:24,600 That day of rest is coming, but you can enter into God's rest 343 00:23:24,680 --> 00:23:28,960 today. We enter into God's rest by 344 00:23:29,160 --> 00:23:32,880 coming to Jesus and receiving all that he has promised to be 345 00:23:32,880 --> 00:23:35,960 for us. We enter into God's rest by 346 00:23:36,120 --> 00:23:38,520 accepting this invitation from Jesus. 347 00:23:38,520 --> 00:23:43,920 In Matthew Chapter 11 he says, come to me, all who are we who 348 00:23:43,920 --> 00:23:48,920 are labor and a heavy are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 349 00:23:49,440 --> 00:23:53,080 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and 350 00:23:53,080 --> 00:23:56,960 lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 351 00:23:57,880 --> 00:24:00,360 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. 352 00:24:03,720 --> 00:24:08,120 If God's law is heavy upon your soul, you need to come to Jesus 353 00:24:09,720 --> 00:24:12,880 and receive His grace and be freed from your guilt. 354 00:24:13,880 --> 00:24:17,440 His burden is light. His commandments will become 355 00:24:17,440 --> 00:24:20,800 your freedom and joy, not your condemnation. 356 00:24:22,520 --> 00:24:25,720 Worshipping Jesus with the church on Sundays will become a 357 00:24:25,720 --> 00:24:32,920 deep rest for your soul. But as Hebrews says, to enter 358 00:24:32,920 --> 00:24:36,560 into God's rest, you must also rest from your works. 359 00:24:37,560 --> 00:24:40,680 You cannot present any of your good works before God is your 360 00:24:40,680 --> 00:24:45,000 ticket into His heavenly rest. You must put no trust in your 361 00:24:45,000 --> 00:24:47,040 goodness. You must acknowledge your wicked 362 00:24:47,040 --> 00:24:50,880 rebellion, and you must rest in Jesus Christ and His works 363 00:24:51,160 --> 00:24:55,800 alone. The law convicts us of our 364 00:24:55,800 --> 00:24:58,240 guilt. It shows us that our only hope 365 00:24:58,240 --> 00:25:01,680 is in the grace of Jesus. And then the law becomes for us 366 00:25:01,760 --> 00:25:07,240 a guide for our Christian lives, an expression for our gratitude 367 00:25:07,360 --> 00:25:12,320 for what Jesus has done for us. The 4th Commandment guides and 368 00:25:12,320 --> 00:25:17,120 encourages our rest in Christ, our faithful work. 369 00:25:18,880 --> 00:25:21,640 It encourages the rest, encourages our rest in Christ, 370 00:25:21,640 --> 00:25:25,760 our faithful work and the other six days and in our in our 371 00:25:25,760 --> 00:25:30,600 corporate worship. So what are some practical ways 372 00:25:30,600 --> 00:25:33,440 we can remember the Lord's Day and keep it holy? 373 00:25:35,720 --> 00:25:38,160 Pastor Chris gave me a few questions to ask ourselves. 374 00:25:39,960 --> 00:25:43,960 How can you make the Lord's Day holy and set apart a day 375 00:25:43,960 --> 00:25:46,920 different than all the other days of the week? 376 00:25:47,320 --> 00:25:49,920 So what are some things that you should do because it's the 377 00:25:49,920 --> 00:25:51,840 Lord's Day? What are some things you 378 00:25:51,840 --> 00:25:53,880 shouldn't do because it's the Lord's Day? 379 00:25:55,240 --> 00:25:58,560 I think these questions help us to consider what our normal 380 00:25:58,560 --> 00:26:02,160 weekdays look like and how we can make Sunday a uniquely 381 00:26:02,240 --> 00:26:07,880 restful and Worshipful day that will look different for 382 00:26:07,880 --> 00:26:11,080 different people. For the person with a sedentary 383 00:26:11,080 --> 00:26:15,480 job at that, a computer resting on the Lord's Day might look 384 00:26:15,480 --> 00:26:19,200 like getting physical exercise. On the other hand, for the 385 00:26:19,200 --> 00:26:21,960 farmers who labor with their bodies day in and day out, 386 00:26:22,680 --> 00:26:25,480 resting on the Lord's Day might look more like bodily rest. 387 00:26:27,080 --> 00:26:30,200 For those who, because of busy schedules, are more isolated 388 00:26:30,200 --> 00:26:33,000 from fellowship with other believers, the Lord's Day might 389 00:26:33,000 --> 00:26:36,120 be an excellent opportunity to have extended fellowship with 390 00:26:36,120 --> 00:26:39,760 other believers, perhaps in a small group or or by having 391 00:26:39,760 --> 00:26:44,040 people over for a meal. For homemakers, it it might look 392 00:26:44,040 --> 00:26:47,400 like doing errands and chores on Saturday or Monday so that 393 00:26:47,400 --> 00:26:53,360 Sunday isn't just another day. Spouses consider mixing it up, 394 00:26:54,120 --> 00:26:58,440 mixing up the the usual rules on Sunday to give the other person 395 00:26:58,440 --> 00:27:04,240 rest from their usual duties. Remember, the Sabbath was meant 396 00:27:04,240 --> 00:27:09,240 to be a blessing to you, a rest for you physically, spiritually 397 00:27:09,240 --> 00:27:12,640 and emotionally. The To Do List will never 398 00:27:12,640 --> 00:27:14,680 always. It'll never all get done. 399 00:27:15,800 --> 00:27:20,000 So slow down and take a break. We got to hear that as 400 00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:25,560 Americans, one essential way that we are to obey this command 401 00:27:26,360 --> 00:27:29,800 is that we are to rest spiritually each and every 402 00:27:29,800 --> 00:27:35,120 Sunday in the Gospel. Rest in the finished work of 403 00:27:35,120 --> 00:27:38,600 Jesus on the cross. Rest in the promise that your 404 00:27:38,600 --> 00:27:41,520 sins are forgiven. Rest in the truth that you've 405 00:27:41,520 --> 00:27:44,920 been justified in God's sight and you've been adopted into his 406 00:27:44,920 --> 00:27:47,240 family, and you are an heir of all things. 407 00:27:48,120 --> 00:27:51,160 Rest your soul knowing that you have God's Holy Spirit dwelling 408 00:27:51,160 --> 00:27:54,040 in you and each and every Lord's Day. 409 00:27:54,520 --> 00:27:58,720 Rest in God's promise to you that He will preserve your faith 410 00:27:58,720 --> 00:28:02,440 in this life through all the trials and tribulations and 411 00:28:02,440 --> 00:28:06,480 sufferings and temptations, and He will guide you and grant you 412 00:28:06,480 --> 00:28:09,200 everlasting life in the Kingdom to come. 413 00:28:11,800 --> 00:28:17,280 Rest spiritually every Sunday. But resting doesn't just happen, 414 00:28:17,280 --> 00:28:21,160 does it? It takes intentionally 415 00:28:21,160 --> 00:28:23,080 remembering these gospel promises. 416 00:28:23,680 --> 00:28:26,080 It sometimes. Sometimes it takes memorizing 417 00:28:26,080 --> 00:28:29,000 scriptures so that you can remember those promises. 418 00:28:30,040 --> 00:28:33,720 It takes focusing on each element of the worship service. 419 00:28:35,400 --> 00:28:37,160 Spiritual rest doesn't just happen. 420 00:28:38,160 --> 00:28:43,000 It takes remembering, listening, focusing, sometimes slowing down 421 00:28:44,480 --> 00:28:46,240 And ultimately it takes believing. 422 00:28:49,120 --> 00:28:52,560 Next, living the God-given balance of work and rest. 423 00:28:54,400 --> 00:28:56,560 Living that balance. Rochester is a it's a very 424 00:28:56,560 --> 00:29:00,000 professional city, so the temptation to be a workaholic is 425 00:29:00,000 --> 00:29:03,560 very real. Resist the culture that posts 426 00:29:03,560 --> 00:29:08,920 work and career goals first. Don't bow down to the idols of 427 00:29:08,920 --> 00:29:11,920 achievement, professional recognition, and selfish 428 00:29:11,920 --> 00:29:16,400 ambition for others of you. You face more of the temptation 429 00:29:16,400 --> 00:29:19,400 to rest too much. Whether you're retired, 430 00:29:19,600 --> 00:29:22,280 unemployed, working part time, or you just got a lot of free 431 00:29:22,280 --> 00:29:25,960 time on your hands, it can be tempting to be unproductive and 432 00:29:25,960 --> 00:29:27,840 just to indulge in endless entertainment. 433 00:29:29,400 --> 00:29:33,480 If that's you find good and honorable work or study to do, 434 00:29:33,920 --> 00:29:37,320 whether it's a paid job or unpaid volunteering in the 435 00:29:37,320 --> 00:29:41,440 church or local ministry, or consider how you can help others 436 00:29:41,440 --> 00:29:47,600 in less formal ways. Or maybe it's time to grow in 437 00:29:47,600 --> 00:29:51,320 more regular seasons of prayer on the Lord's Day. 438 00:29:52,400 --> 00:29:57,480 Prayer is restful work. Prayer is restful work because 439 00:29:57,480 --> 00:30:00,920 we're asking God to do the work that only He can do. 440 00:30:02,040 --> 00:30:04,480 And so prayers often often neglected because we it just 441 00:30:04,480 --> 00:30:09,040 feels so unproductive. But prayer is good for your 442 00:30:09,040 --> 00:30:12,520 spiritual rest. As we train our souls to wait on 443 00:30:12,520 --> 00:30:17,520 God during the school year, we have a prayer gathering on the 444 00:30:17,520 --> 00:30:19,600 1st Sunday of every month in the evening. 445 00:30:19,600 --> 00:30:22,200 And so I just, I'd encourage you that that could be a really 446 00:30:22,200 --> 00:30:24,960 wonderful way that you could rest in prayer. 447 00:30:27,400 --> 00:30:30,880 Another important application is to consider how you can show 448 00:30:30,880 --> 00:30:33,040 mercy to others on the Lord's Day. 449 00:30:34,440 --> 00:30:38,080 How can you bring rest to those with heavy burdens? 450 00:30:38,560 --> 00:30:42,000 How can you bring freedom to those who are perhaps enslaved 451 00:30:42,000 --> 00:30:44,680 or trapped? How can you bring healing to 452 00:30:44,680 --> 00:30:46,920 those who are sick and hurt and dying? 453 00:30:48,880 --> 00:30:51,560 Yes, that might mean that the Lord's Day might just not be as 454 00:30:51,560 --> 00:30:56,160 restful for you, But God wants his Sabbath rest to extend to 455 00:30:56,160 --> 00:31:02,160 more and more people. Are there lonely people in our 456 00:31:02,160 --> 00:31:05,760 church who would be so encouraged with a visit on 457 00:31:05,760 --> 00:31:08,560 Sunday? Are there lonely people in a in 458 00:31:08,560 --> 00:31:11,600 a local nursing home that you could go to and and sing hymns 459 00:31:11,600 --> 00:31:14,480 to? Are there people in our church 460 00:31:14,480 --> 00:31:18,480 body in need of a of a meal or with a project that they're 461 00:31:18,480 --> 00:31:23,600 unable to do themselves? Show mercy on the Lord's Day. 462 00:31:23,840 --> 00:31:30,480 Give God's rest to others. Or maybe instead of giving 463 00:31:30,480 --> 00:31:32,520 mercy, you need to receive mercy. 464 00:31:33,840 --> 00:31:36,200 Maybe your life is so hectic with things that are just out of 465 00:31:36,200 --> 00:31:39,040 your control. Maybe with your health, or with 466 00:31:39,040 --> 00:31:42,440 the constant high needs of those that you care for, or with your 467 00:31:42,440 --> 00:31:45,320 financial situation. Maybe things have just been so 468 00:31:45,440 --> 00:31:49,000 hectic that you have not been able to have a restful Lord's 469 00:31:49,000 --> 00:31:54,760 Day in a long, long time. I think then it's perhaps it's 470 00:31:54,760 --> 00:31:58,840 time for you to ask for someone to help so that you can rest. 471 00:31:59,960 --> 00:32:03,320 If you don't have family who can help, you do have church family. 472 00:32:04,200 --> 00:32:07,000 The church is here to give God's rest to you. 473 00:32:08,560 --> 00:32:13,640 Maybe it's time to ask. Finally, we give God's rest in 474 00:32:13,640 --> 00:32:18,040 Christ to others through evangelism, discipleship, and 475 00:32:18,040 --> 00:32:20,840 missions. The mission of the church is to 476 00:32:20,840 --> 00:32:25,160 share the good news of Christ so that people here and so the 477 00:32:25,160 --> 00:32:28,320 people near and far may enter into His rest. 478 00:32:29,200 --> 00:32:32,160 That mission is the work that we all share as the Church. 479 00:32:33,240 --> 00:32:36,120 Let us therefore labor in the harvest field so that others may 480 00:32:36,120 --> 00:32:40,760 be freed from their bondage to sin and Satan and gathered into 481 00:32:40,960 --> 00:32:44,760 the everlasting rest of God. Let's pray. 482 00:32:46,240 --> 00:32:51,400 Heavenly Father, we thank you so much that you have given us 483 00:32:51,920 --> 00:32:58,840 rest, that in Christ we have all the rest that we could ever hope 484 00:32:58,840 --> 00:33:04,240 for. We thank you, Lord Jesus, that 485 00:33:04,400 --> 00:33:07,280 you have freed us from our sin. You have freed us from our 486 00:33:07,280 --> 00:33:09,880 slavery, and so we can worship you freely. 487 00:33:10,200 --> 00:33:12,960 Thank you for the freedom that we have in this country to 488 00:33:12,960 --> 00:33:14,920 worship you freely and regularly. 489 00:33:15,520 --> 00:33:17,720 We pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ around the 490 00:33:17,720 --> 00:33:19,600 world who do not have that freedom. 491 00:33:20,400 --> 00:33:24,920 Lord, I pray that you'd open up countries to be open to 492 00:33:25,640 --> 00:33:32,080 religious liberties, Lord, so that your freedom to worship 493 00:33:32,080 --> 00:33:34,480 would extend all around the world. 494 00:33:35,600 --> 00:33:39,080 Lord, I pray that you'd help each one of us to consider 495 00:33:39,600 --> 00:33:44,160 giving rest to others. Help us to show mercy as you 496 00:33:44,160 --> 00:33:48,760 have shown mercy. Thank you so much for giving us 497 00:33:48,760 --> 00:33:52,960 a day to rest and to worship. Lord, I pray that you'd change 498 00:33:52,960 --> 00:33:54,520 your attitudes about the Lord's Day. 499 00:33:55,400 --> 00:33:58,600 Help us to see it as a as a freedom, as an opportunity, 500 00:34:00,000 --> 00:34:04,440 instead of as a as a burden. So where we ask for a change of 501 00:34:04,440 --> 00:34:07,400 heart, this we pray in Jesus name, Amen.