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18 Oct 2020

The Blessed Day Of The Week [Genesis 2:1-3]

Overview

What do you understand by "the Lord's Day"? And how is it related to the seventh day of creation? Why did God bless that seventh day and "made it holy"? Find out the answers in this sermon and see if this can be what is really missing in your life. May God help you to re-invigorate your spiritual life today!  “If you turn your foot from the Sabbath,  from doing your pleasure on my holy day,  And call the Sabbath a delight  and the holy day of the Lord honorable;  If you honor it, not going your own ways,  or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly;  then you shall take delight in the Lord,  and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth;  I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father,  for the mouth of the Lord has spoken. ” (Isa 58:13,14 ESV)


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Sermon Transcript

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A very good morning to all of you and welcome to Gospel Light Christian Church. We're glad you can join us in our online service this Sunday morning. We are thankful to God for also allowing us to begin our on-site services here at 39, Punggol Field Walk. And we pray that whether it's on site or online, God's people's needs will be well met. And that we will continue to follow Jesus, as He has taught us in His Word.

Now this morning, I'd like us to continue our series in the book of Genesis. And we're starting with this word that you see right now. The word, ‘workaholic’. It's a very interesting word. Actually, it's a word that came up in 1968. It's coined by this Dr. Wayne Oates, for a psychology journal that he was writing for.

This is a word that he says is explaining or describing work like a kind of narcotic. In other words, he's saying, “Work can be addictive to people.” And therefore, he coined or first came up with this word, ‘workaholic’.

Now, we understand how men today can take work as a kind of narcotic. We are addicted to it. You can think about an alcoholic, he's addicted to alcohol. But different from alcoholism, workaholism is somewhat accepted, indeed applauded. People today would not like to be with an alcoholic. We think that's bad, alcoholism is toxic.

But however, in this world we live in, in Singapore especially, we sort of applaud workaholism. We think that a workaholic is somewhat better than someone who doesn't work at all. Imagine you were to tell people that you are very free, you have nothing much to do. They would think of you as a lazy bum here in Singapore. But if you tell them you're very busy, you have no time, you're always at work, they seem to think very highly of you.

So workaholism is a kind of addiction, but it is an applauded, accepted addiction in our world today. However, that's not quite God's will for us. God wants us to work, but he doesn't want us to be addicted to work. Now, let's get this right again. I'm not saying that, “Work is bad. Work is a good thing.” God gave man work. We're going to study that in Genesis, chapter 2 later on.

But God also set boundaries for work. He sets a rhythm that we have to kind of follow for healthy life and work. And we see that this morning in Genesis, chapter 2, we're going to look at the seventh day of creation.

And in Genesis, chapter 2:1-2, we read, “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God rested or God finished His work that He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work, and that He had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it, God rested from all His work that He had done in creation.”

So we see that God rested from His creation work. Let's be very clear, because God continued to work, John 5:17 tells us that, “The Father works up to the time of Jesus and beyond.” So God stopped His creation work, but He continued to work in many other ways.

But it is here that it is specifically stated that, “God created the world in six days, and rested on the seventh, and He blessed the seventh day and made it holy.” So there is a particular blessing. There's a particular specialness, if I may say, about the seventh day of creation.

Now, why does He do that? Well, He did that not because he was exhausted. He said, “Oh, it's so hard to create!” No, that's not the point! He was not exhausted, because He carried on working. But He rested on this day so that we as readers of the Bible, we, as men may say, “Oh, God has set an example for us.”

God has set a pattern, a rhythm for us. Not because He needed rest, but because we need rest. And therefore, because of Genesis, chapter 2, Exodus, chapter 20:8-11 tells us, based on how God has worked … creation work for six days and rested on the seventh, that's the rhythm of life that you and I are supposed to have.

We are to, “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days, we shall labor and do all our work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord our God.” And in order to encourage us to observe this seventh day of rest, the Bible also tells us, “Therefore the Lord bless the Sabbath day and made it holy.”

So today, we are looking at this one day in seven, that is special, that is set apart. That we are to cease from our usual weekly work and to keep it holy unto God. Now, some of you may ask, “The Sabbath Day is celebrated on Saturday, it's the seventh day of the week and that's a Saturday. Why is it that Christians, churches around the world celebrate not Saturday, but on Sunday?”

Well, the reason is, because, later on in the New Testament, we would read that, that's the regular day the church gathers, the people of God gathers. We see in Acts 20:7, “On the first day of the week”, that's Sunday. And, “On the first day of the week,” 1st Corinthians 16, verse 2. And again, a special mention of the “Lord's Day” [Rev 1:10], which is also the first day, the Sunday.

So it seems that in the New Testament, the day of emphasis has changed from Saturday, to now Sunday, to kind of commemorate the Resurrection Day of the Lord Jesus Christ. But the principle of one in seven, the rhythm of one in seven is still observed.

So today, I like to spend the remaining time we have, looking in particular at God's purpose for us on this blessed day of the week. Now, in a sense, every day is blessed, if you follow Jesus, if you are God's. But there is a particular blessing that God has pronounced back in Genesis, chapter 2, for this day that we can observe in this week. So I'd like us to put our minds, our hearts to study, to understand and to enjoy this blessed day of the week.

So today's the blessed day of the week, what is it for? What should we do? How can we enter into its blessings? Let's take a look at the Bible. So I'd like us to consider why did God give us this blessed day of the week. Three reasons I like to propose for you, from the Bible.

[1] Rest
Number one, I believe that this blessed day of the week is for us to rest. I know this is a word that you probably enjoy the most. I, I love to take a rest. I wish I could rest.

Well, let me tell you, your wish is fulfilled every single week that you can take this one day in seven, to rest. And the this is seen, for example, in Exodus, chapter 23, verse 12, “Six days you shall do your work, but on the seventh day you shall rest, that your ox and your donkey may have rest, and the son of your servant woman and the alien, the foreigner may be refreshed.”

So what's the purpose of this blessed day of the week, whether it's a Sabbath or the Lord's day? What is it for? Well, the Bible tells us it's for you to rest.

I like the, the Bible in its original Hebrew language here because the first rest, that is stated here is the word, ‘shabbat’, from which we get the word, ‘sabbath’, is the Day of Shabbat. And what is this day of rest or shabbat for? For you to shabbat.

So what is shabbat? It means to cease, to pause, to stop. So why did God give this one in seven? So that you may cease, you may pause, you may stop from your regular work. Imagine you were a farmer in those days, you have to work hard from the morning [sic: to dawn], to dusk. And you have to be about planting, sowing. It's a lot of work, it's hard work. And it is good that on this one day in seven, you can pause, you can cease, you can stop to take a break, as it were.

Now, that's the first word, rest. The second word here, rest, or the second repeat of this word, rest, seems to tell us it's the same word as the first one. But actually in the Hebrew, it's different. This is the word, ‘nuwach;’, which means to actually let down or to put down.

So the first one is shabbat, the second one is nuwach. It's a different word. But the idea I guess is the same, it's also to rest. But I think if you understand the original word, the picture is more graphic. The first one is someone who has been trudging along, doing a lot of things. He now just stops, he doesn't go on anymore. He stops. He pauses. He ceases.

And then the second word, tells us nuwach. He puts down. He lets down. He lays down the burden that he has been carrying. So what a picture! A man hard at work, he can now shabbat – cease. He can now nuwach, that is to let down and not carry those heavy burdens.

And then the third word you see is the word, ‘refreshed’. And that's the word, ‘naphash’, which is very closely related to the word, ‘nephesh’, which King James Bible translates into a living soul. The idea of the word, ‘naphash’, the word here, is to breathe, to pant. So it is the idea of someone who is trying to catch a breath.

So what a picture, isn't it? The Sabbath is given to you so that you may cease, so that you may let down the burdens, so that you may now catch your breath. Don't you want to do that in your life? Don't you realize that many people in Singapore are just wishing for a break, for a release of the burden and for the space and time to catch a breath.

And that's exactly why God gives you the Sabbath. So that you don't have to be running all the time, from Monday to Sunday and Monday to Sunday and Monday to Sunday, there is no break. It is not God's will for you to be overworked by carrying your work burdens every single day of your life. It is not God's will for you to be always running and not able to catch your breath of life.

He has given you the Sabbath, so that you will not be burnt out, so that you will not be exhausted, so that you will not be going through the grind without a break. He wants you to shabbat, to nuwach and to naphash.

Vance Hafner, a Baptist preacher of time past, he says, “You must come apart to rest, or we come apart.” And I realized that there are many people right here in Singapore who are coming apart. Their lives are in a mess. They are always under tension and stress. They don't sleep well. They have ulcers. They have … they have all kinds of bodily symptoms.

And you know, the body and the mind is very closely related together. If you're undergoing a lot of stress and tension, your body will break down, your life will break down, your spiritual life will break down. You'll be so cold and lifeless in the things of God. Why? I don't … I'm not surprised that you'll go through that, because you have no time even to catch a breath.

You're loaded with burdens. How much mindshare can you give to the things of God? I'm not surprised that your family is breaking down, that you're irritable at home, that you're always thinking of your work. And you're not present for your kids for your wife. You … you snap at them because you are under so much pressure. It's hard! And like Vance Havner says, “You must come apart to rest, or you will literally come apart.”

I think it is God's wisdom that in the creation account, knowing us and creating us the way we are, the … our Creator has set that manual, the instruction manual for a healthy running of your life. You need to obey and appreciate the wisdom of the creation rhythm in you and learn to shabbat, learn to nuwach and learn to naphash.

I … I ache when I hear of brothers and sisters in Christ in church, just going through so much stress at work, going through so much burdens at work. And you almost feel like you've got to work all the time, otherwise God or otherwise your family will not be provided for and you will not be provided for.

Because maybe some of you are thinking, “Pastor, if I don't work every day, I cannot catch up, I cannot finish my work. And I may be demoted, I may not have the same progression in my career and I will not provide for my family well.” I want to tell you, “My brothers and sisters in Christ, God is the one who gives us this eternal principle. He is the one who set the example Himself, you can trust Him.”

A farmer doesn't need to toil in his agricultural plot seven days a week, if he … if he believes in God. He can say, “Lord, I'm going to work on my ground for six days. I'm going to work hard for all these six days, but on the seventh day, I'm going to obey You, trust you, follow the Genesis rhythm and rest and I trust you to provide.”

Do you think God will not provide for this man who believes in Him? At the end of the day, it's about worship. It's about whether you believe your God is worthy of your trust. That if you work six days a week, work real hard, give your best in these six days a week, you can trust Him to provide for all your needs.

Now, some of you said, “Yah, but if I do that, I know God will provide for my needs. But you know, I can’t then upgrade in my condominium. I can't get a nice car. I won't be able to take my holidays.” I say, “You're absolutely correct!” There is no guarantee that God will give you a nice car, a nice condo, nice holidays every year. You're right!”

But if you really want these things, then I say, “Yah, go ahead. Work real hard! Work more than what God has ordained in His Word for you. And maybe you will get your car, maybe you get your condo, maybe you get your holidays. Maybe you won't, I'm not sure, maybe you will.”

But let me tell you something as well, “You will pierce yourself with many sorrows. Because that's what 1st Timothy 6 tells us, “They that desire to be rich pierced themselves with many sorrows.” You will be burned out! You'll be stressed! You will have insomnia! You can't sleep well! You'll be irritable! You will be … You'll be going through grueling days.”

And let me say, “I think spiritually, you will suffer, you will really suffer, because no man can serve two masters.” You make your choice.

I say this to students as well. You know students, it's a kind of work and you and you feel like you've got to study every single day. You got to study from Monday to Sunday. You cannot … cannot let any minute go by without studying because you want to secure for yourself a good future, a good job.

I say, “Yes, if you … if that is the goal of your life, if that is the god of your life …” Then I say, “You got to work like a slave from Monday to Sunday in your studies.” But likewise, I believe you'll pierce yourself through with many sorrows.

At the end of the day, you've got to make a choice. Who are you living for? What are you living for? This is the way you're made, this is the way I am made, we can't escape this. From creation, from the very beginning, our God has determined to set Himself as an example. He didn't need to rest, but He wants to communicate it strongly across to His creation, that this is the rhythm of life. “Six days you shall labor and do all your work. And on the seventh day, you shall keep it holy unto the Lord.” [Exodus 20:13]

So, the first blessing of the Sabbath, if you were to trust God, is that you will have rest. And you can have rest on this blessed day of the week.
[2] Remember
But a second reason I want you to consider is the word, ‘remember’. Some people think that, “Oh Sabbath is so good, I can finally sleep the whole day! I can ‘nuah’ at home.” I said, “Nuwach”.” I didn't say, “Nuah”, alright. The what …? Nuah, in the Hokkien vernacular means to literally rot there.

Now, I don't think that God wants us to literally just do nothing on the whole Sabbath. That would be actually very stressful, very tiring to do nothing for one whole day. But you see, the Bible tells us not only is the Sabbath for necessary rest - shabbat, nuwach and naphash. The Bible tells us that the blessed day of the week is also for us to remember.

“To remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.” [Exodus 20:8-11] It's a Sabbath to the Lord your God. In other words, this Sabbath is a day for me to rest from all my work, that I've been doing from Monday to Saturday. And now be able to have this freed up space, mindshare, capacity to do what to remember the Lord, and to keep it holy unto Him, to dedicate this day for Him, to grow in Him, to enjoy Him, to serve Him.

And that's why, later on, Moses says, that this is what we remember God for, “We remember how He has made heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them.” [Exodus 20:8-11] The Sabbath is a good day for us to remember the greatness of God in His creation.

But besides that, Exodus or Deuteronomy, chapter 5, verse 15, tells us that, “This is also a day for us to remember His deliverance, not only His creation, but also for how He has delivered us.” Now in this case, it's specifically spoken to the Jews, that the Jewish people are to remember how God created and how God delivered them from Egypt, into the wilderness and subsequently into the Promised Land.

But similarly, I believe for the Christian, on this Sabbath we remember God. What do we remember Him by? We remember who He is, His attributes and His works, in the wonderful things He has done - in how He has created us, and how He has saved us from our sin, how He has made us His very own.

And again, Exodus 31, and verse 13, “Above all, you shall keep My Sabbath, for this as a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the Lord sanctify you.” So the Jews are supposed to keep the Sabbath, to remember how God has purchased the people of Israel for Himself. That they are God's peculiar people, and their God is their God.

So we are to remember the Lord. I think the Sabbath is a good time, even for Christians today, to focus on feeding on His Word, remembering God in the Bible. So the Sabbath is not just a holiday, in that you take a break from your work. I think it is also a holy day - a day you can dedicate to spiritual pursuits that you can't quite have, or you can't quite get to on Mondays to Saturdays because of the work that you have to perform in your life.

So remember God, that's the wonderful blessing God has given to you.

There's a story told of a man who just visited a mine … a mining field. And that's where the coals are being mined out from the ground. And in those days, they used animals like mules to mine and to transport all these coals up. So he saw a man that was leading a large group of mules, just walking nowhere, just walking in circles under the bright sun, in the pastures.

And so he asked, “Why is this man bringing the mules along this path in the pastures.” And the person beside him explained, “Well, these mules are working underground, in the … in the mines, six days a week. And one day a week, they are brought up out here, under the sun, so that they may see, so that their eyes wouldn't go blind. Because if they were to work continuously underground without light, they will eventually go blind.”

I thought, that's a wonderful example of you and I. If we are buried under a pile of work every day of our lives, and we don't get time to get out and to be under the sun, to be under the influence and teaching and learning of God's Word, eventually we get spiritually blind.

And I'm not surprised that there are brothers and sisters in Christ, who are already blinded today by the lures and lusts of this world because they have not taken time to be holy. They have not used God's Genesis rhythm for your life, for their own benefit - spiritual benefit.

I remember when I was studying medicine, it was really tough. I don't really study hard before that. But once I got into medicine, I really studied hard. I realized I had no choice. I would study when I'm in a canteen. I would study when I'm having my lunch and dinner. I would study when I'm in a toilet. Every moment is used to study. It's really that bad! I mean, I'm not the brightest of persons, I suppose. I need to spend a lot of time to read and reread and relearn, and so it was real hard!

But you know, one thing that I really appreciated during my student days in medicine, is the Sabbath, is the Lord's Day, is that blessed day of the week. Because I know, when it's about Saturday night, I can stop all my studies. I can shabbat. I can nuwach. I can naphash. And from Saturday onwards to … to Sunday midnight, I know that, that whole day can be dedicated to God. And I love the fact that I can trust God in it.

Every week, every time I could exercise faith in my … in my God, [sic: in seeing through,] seeing me through, what I think he wants me to go through. And that is studies in medicine, and not have to fear the consequences. And it is in those shabbat days, those blessed days of the week that I could dedicate myself to worshiping Him in church, being with my brothers and sisters in Christ, serving in evangelism, going back to study my Bible again, praying.

I really, really enjoyed, I would say, “My blessed day of the week.” Every single week and up to today, my fondest memories, my greatest joy is not the grades I got for medicine, but the fact that God has proven Himself, so faithful and so near, and so dear. I'm thankful for that because otherwise I would have gone blind. I would admittedly tell you, “If not for this means of grace, I will be far worse, spiritually speaking.”

And so even after I graduated, when I was working, in the hospitals and so on, I wanted to ensure as best as I can, that I'll keep my Lord's day free for the Lord. And I want to gather in church to worship together with my brothers and sisters in Christ.

Now, as young doctors, we all have to do our shift duties. And so, I would regularly, if I'm given a Sunday work duty, I would swap it with someone who has a Saturday duty, so that I could work on Saturday and finish my work as fast as I can, and get to church on Sunday.

Now, actually, that's not a very clever idea humanly speaking because when you work on a Saturday, you don't get a day off the next day, because Sunday is a day off anyway. If you work on Sunday, it's not that bad, because Monday you get a day off. That's the trade-off we get when we do night duties.
So anyone would be so happy to swap with me their Saturday for my Sunday. But to me, it is so important to keep my eyes open to spiritual things. There's nothing that is more worthy than that.

Would you do that for yourself? Do you value your walk and your relationship with God in such a way that you would keep this blessed of the day of the week, holy unto the Lord? It's your choice! It really is! Because God has already given us this command and this example, you can trust Him to provide. And you should I believe, make the best use of this blessing, so that spiritually you're healthy and vibrant.

[3] Relieve
Alright, I think enough of that, I just want to end off with the third and last benefit of this Lord's day. It is first: to rest. It is second: to remember God. The third, it is a great day to do relief, or to provide relief for others, to relief others.

You see, this is a story that we are told in a New Testament account. “There was a man with a withered hand …” [Matt 12:10] And the Pharisees, the religious leaders, wanted to trap Jesus. They knew that, in Israel, it was not permitted for people to do any work on the Sabbath. But on this Sabbath day, when there was a man with a withered hand, they tested Jesus. “… They asked Him, “Hah, is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”

If Jesus said, “No,” then they will say, “Hah, You're so hard hearted.” But if Jesus said, “Yes, they would say, “You go against Moses.” So it was a deliberate trap, so that they might accuse Him. But look at the way our Lord responded, He said to them, “Now, let me bring it close to home, which one of you, who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out?” [Matt 12:11]

“Now you guys, if it was your own sheep .. sheep, you would not hesitate to save your sheep, right? And you will justify it to say, “Oh, I'm saving this and so on and so forth.” Now, let me ask you, “Of how much more value is a man than a sheep?” [Matt 12:12] “If you can help your sheep, why won't you help a man?” “So Jesus then says, “It is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”’ [Matt 12:12]

So the problem with the Jews in the times of Jesus is that they were so fixated about the letter of the law, that they totally missed the spirit of the law. To the Jews, the Sabbath is a list of do's and don'ts. It's a list of prohibitions.

Now I read about how they go quite extreme. For example, they say that, “If a flea bites you, you're not to beat that flea, you're not to swop it away. You're not to do anything to it.” Because if you kill the flea, they say that, “You're guilty of hunting, doing work.” I say, “That's really ridiculous!” They say, “You cannot spit on the floor and then step on it because that will be like farming.”

Wow! They really go to such an extreme. So to the Jews, the Sabbath is merely a list of prohibitions, to prove how controlled you are, to prove how spiritual you are. But Jesus says, “You totally miss the spirit of the law! The Sabbath is not a list of prohibitions. The Sabbath is for you to do good, you see.” “That it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” [Matt 12:?]

So, I therefore say to you, “The Sabbath is not just a day for rest or remembrance, but it's a day for relieving.” “So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” [Matt 12:12] and likewise, in verse 7, “I desire mercy and not sacrifice.” It's not just the rituals of what I say, but it is the heart and intent behind it all.

I say to you, “The Sabbath, the Lord's day, the blessed day of the week, is a great day for you to serve God. Is a great day for you to be about good works. It's a great day for you to evangelize, to disciple. It's a great day for you to help the poor, to provide a listening ear to those who need counseling. It's a great day for you to serve your family. It's a great day to do good.”

It's not a day to ‘nuah’ only. Yes, you need to ‘nuah’. You need to sleep. You need to rest. That's fine! That's part of God's desire for you. But it's also there for you to read the Bible, to hear the preaching of God's Word, to remember God in His creation, in his salvation, in all His promises. And it's a great day for you to serve people around, to exercise mercy. That's why God gives us this blessed day of the week.

So, let me remind you, there's a special blessing here. Genesis 2:3, “So God blessed the seventh day …” [Gen 2:3] “Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day …” [Exo 20:11] “And the Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.” [Mark 2:27]

In other words, the Sabbath is not a restrictive, straight jacket that you put on, it's not chains around your legs. But the Sabbath is a wonderful, liberating reality, a liberating, rhythm. A liberating promise from God, that you can devote yourself, to … to rest, to remember, to relieve. And to be able to shabbat, to nuwach, and to naphash. What a blessing!

The Sabbath is not for you to earn favor with God, because favor with God is given to us through the finished work of Jesus Christ. But the Sabbath is for you to enter experientially day by day, week by week into the wonderful blessings of God.

Henry Ward Beecher, a preacher, he says, “A world without the Sabbath, would be like a man without a smile, like a summer without flowers, and like a homestead without a garden. It is the joyous day of the week.”

Is there no color in your life? Is there no life in you? Are you burned out, exhausted, stressed, irritable? Are you destroying yourself? Maybe it's because your world is without a Sabbath.

Voltaire, an enemy of the Gospel, he says, “I can never hope to destroy Christianity, until I first destroyed the Christian Sabbath.” And it is sad that in a sense, many in the church has lost their understanding of the Christian Sabbath, and therefore their spiritual lives are anemic, at best. The Sabbath commandment is the longest in the 10 commandments, but I'm afraid it's also probably the most neglected one. I pray that you will be restored in your life.

And then William Gladstone, “Tell me what the young men of England are doing on Sunday and I will tell you what the future of England will be.” You know, that's a very, if I may say, prophetic thought. It's … it's rather accurate. Tell me what you do on your Sunday and I'll tell you what your future will be.

Look at what Gospel Light is doing on Sunday, and I'll tell you what our future will be. Why? Because if we are wise, and we would reorganize our lives, and we would be able to trust God in this Genesis rhythm, we would rest well, remember well, relieve well, and we will be doing well in our spiritual lives.

But if you're not, then you'll be struggling, you'll be burned out, you'll be under this grueling rhythm for the rest of your life. I pray today this is a message that would not just inform you, but you will think deeply about God's Word. Is this what God's will is for your life? And then maybe you would sit down, prayerfully consider how you can reorganize your life.

Please, this is not to say, “Oh, I work less and God will give more!” No! I say, “You have to work hard.” Work well for the rest of the six days, but if you could have this discipline, this joyous grace, motivated discipline of honoring God on the Sabbath, I think you will do much better in your life.

Maybe you have to reorganize your children's tuition, classes, trainings, whatever that may be. So that as a family, you can have this time, this day to honor God with. So please think through, pray through, I hope this will be a real, practical message for you.

And let me end with an encouragement again from the Bible. “If you turn your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on My holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, and the Holy Day of the Lord honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly; then you shall take delight in the Lord, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” [Isa 58:13-14]

Clearly, this is applied primarily to the Jews, but it tells me the high regard God has for this Genesis rhythm of this holy day. And I think as followers of Jesus Christ, as worshipers of this True and Living God, we will do well to trust God and to obey Him, in keeping the Sabbath holy unto Him.

I pray you will enjoy this. You will … you will enter into this obedience and find the same joy I have enjoyed, for much of my Christian life. May God bless you as we obey Him. Let's bow for a word of prayer together.

Father, we want to thank You today for Your Word. Please give us a humble, teachable heart that we might not just listen to this and toss it aside, but we may by Your Spirit's encouragement and strengthening, obey You. And take that step of faith to keep our Sabbath, our Lord's day, our blessed day of the week holy unto You.

May Your people then flourish spiritually and in all areas of their life as well. So thank You for speaking to us, change our lives. And may the future of Gospel Light be bright, because we trust and worship You. We thank You and pray all this in Jesus’ Name. Amen. God bless.

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