The Christian Sabbath

By: M. Allen

 

FILING INFORMATION:

2000039

Subject: SDA’s Worship

Preached Originally: 07/09/00 – Rapid City, SD

 

Introduction:

A.    Sunday is God’s appointed day of worship – the Lord’s day.

1.    The worship of God on this day dates back to the apostles, and it’s validity is attested by the inspired word of the New Testament.

2.    many historical documents, uninspired by God, that collaborate the Biblical account.

B.    Some religionists today insist that Sunday = the man/made substitute for the divinely instituted Sabbath.

1.    SDA’s teach that the Sabbath designed by God to be ONLY on the 7th day of the week.

2.    Claim that the pope changed the Sabbath day from the 7th day to the 1st day.

C.   Before we go farther, several points of agreement should be understood.

1.    Bible teaches that the Sabbath to be observed on the 7th day of the week.

2.    The bible nowhere refers to Sunday as the Christian Sabbath.

3.    The Pope has no authority to change any god given day.

D.   In Heb. 4:1-11 “rest” refers to that which is for the faithful Christian.

1.    but tonight we want to learn from the context that the rest here is a:

2.    heavenly, eternal rest and not

3.    a weekly day of worship to be observed.

 

I.  The Sabbath in the Old Testament.

A.    The Sabbath is not mentioned by name until Moses!

1.    Gen. 2:1-3 – states that God blessed the 7th day.

2.    but – if Adam, Noah, Abraham, & the other ancients were commanded to keep 7thday holy – bible silent about it.

B.    facts about the giving of the Sabbath.

1.    When?  Ex. 16:23-30 – first mentioned after Israel left Egypt.

2.    Where? Ex. 20:8-11; Neh. 9:13-14 – given on Mt. Sinai

3.    To Whom? Ex. 31:16; Deut. 5:1-3 – to Israel

4.    Why? Ex. 31:13,17; Ezek. 20:10-12 – as a sign between God & Israel – to remind them of God’s deliverance.

C.   Note how the Sabbath was to be observed:

1.    Ex. 35:3 – no fires could be built.

2.    Ex. 16:23 – no cooking

3.    Ex. 16:29; 20:10 – no work

4.    Lev. 23:32 – sunset to sunset

5.    Num. 28:9-10 – two lambs must be offered.

6.    Ex. 31:14-15; Num 15:32-36 – violate this – stoned.

 

II. The Sabbath in the NT.

A.    Jesus obeyed the law of Moses.

1.    The law of the Lord & the law of Moses are the same.  There are a number of passages that bear this out.

a)    2 Chron. 34:13; 31:3

b)    Neh. 8:1-8; Mt. 7:20; Lk. 2:22-24

2.    Since Jesus was a Jew – He perfectly kept the law of the Lord (the law of Moses) including:

a)    Lk. 4:16 – Sabbath

b)    Lk. 2:21 – circumcision

c)    Mt. 26:17-25 – Passover feast

d)    And ALL of the other commandments.

3.    One can be assured that Christ knew the purpose of the Sabbath & never violated it.

a)    Mk. 2:27-28 – He = the Lord of the Sabbath.

b)    Never violated it even though falsely accused of doing such.

4.    Jesus kept the Sabbath b/c the covenant w/Israel still in effect during his lifetime.

5.    Notice something?  Gentiles were never commanded to keep it.

B.    Christ gave us a new covenant.

1.    Mt. 5:17-18 – Christ fulfilled the law.

a)    he = the fulfillment of everything to which the law pointed.

b)    McGarvey: Jesus came to fulfill all of the types of the law & all the unfulfilled predictions of the prophets; Jesus and His kingdom, with all that pertains to them, constitute the object & fulfillment of all the prophets.

c)    Since He fulfilled it – the work of the law was completed.

2.    Christ is the mediator of the new covenant.  Heb. 8:8-13; 9:15-17

a)    gal. 3:23-25 – law served as a tutor to bring us to Christ.

b)    Gal. 2:21; 5:4 – those who continue to serve the law fall from grace.

c)    If the Sabbath is binding on Christians, then either the covenant in which it was given has never been abolished and is now binding on all men;

d)    Or the Sabbath has been adopted into the new law that superseded the old law.

C.   The law of Moses – including the 10 commandments is no longer binding.

1.    2 Cor. 3:7 – that which was written and engraved in stones (10 commandments):

a)    was to be done away – 2 Cor. 3:7

b)    is done away – v. 11

c)    is abolished – v. 13

d)    is done away in Christ – v. 14

2.    Rom. 7:4 – by His death – we have become dead to the law.

a)    7:6 – delivered from the law.

b)    “law” includes the 10 commandments.  Thou shalt not covet” is an example of what is included – 7:7

3.    Col. 2:14-17 – law nailed to the Cross.

a)    “:Sabbath” appears 60 times in NT.  SDA’s admit that 59 of those times it refers to the weekly Sabbath.  They say Col. 2:16 refers to the special yearly and monthly Sabbath.

b)    However, the term “Sabbath” in the Greek is identically the same form in which is found in Ex. 20:8.

c)    Obviously, Col. 2:16 refers to the weekly Sabbath.  One should not bind an observance which God has loosed.

4.    nine of the ten commandments are incorporated into the gospel.  Only the Sabbath is not commanded of Christians (1 Cor. 8:4; 10:14; Eph. 4:29; 6:1-3; Rom. 13:9)

D.   Why do Christians Worship on the FD of the week?

1.    Mk. 16:9; Lk. 24:1, 7, 13, 21 – Lord arose on FD of wk.

2.    Acts 2:1-4 – Holy spirit fell on apostles on that day.

3.    Acts 20:7 – Christians partake of LS on FD of the wk.

4.    1 Cor. 16:2 – regular assembling on this day is indicated.

 

III.  Heb. 4:1-11 – The Christian’s Sabbath.

A.    A promise is left us of entering God’s rest – 4:1-4

1.     3:12-14 – context warning against departing from God through unbelief. 

a)    reader just been reminded b/c of unbelief (3:15-19) – parallel drawn to Christians lest they also come short of God’s promise (4:1-2, 11)

b)    difficulty in understanding is caused by KJV xlation in both v. 3 and v. 5.  These should be xlated as was done in 3:11 since all three are a direct quote from Psa. 95:11.

B.    4:5-8 – The Children of Israel did not enter that rest.

1.     “Sabbath” literally means “cessation, rest.”  Though God did ordain that the Jews keep a rest on the 7th day, this context obviously has a reference to a different rest.

2.     possession of Canaan is the “rest” which Israel was forbidden to enter.

a)    Canaan was a type of that better “rest” God has promised to His faithful

b)    3:19; 4:2 – children of Israel failed to enter because of unbelief.

3.     Since apostate Jews did not enter, there remains a “rest” to be entered.  Lest one argue that Joshua led the Jews into that rest, the quote from David in Psa. 95:7-11 refutes such a claim.

C.   4:9-11 – Christians should labor to enter that rest which remains.

1.     Christian continues to work for the Lord while on earth.  Must be on guard less unbelief settles in.

2.     rev. 14:13; 2 Tim. 4:6-8 – we must finish the course of earth, then all who remain will rest from their labors.

 

Conclusion

A.    Christians worship God on FD of wk.

B.    Hope this been a good lesson for you.

C.   Are you committed to finishing your labor on the earth?

D.   I N V I T A T I O N