WEBVTT 00:00:00.959 --> 00:00:04.879 Hear the word of God recorded by Mark. 00:00:06.320 --> 00:00:17.039 One Sabbath, he, that is Jesus, was going through the grain fields, and as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. 00:00:17.280 --> 00:00:23.920 And the Pharisees were saying to him, Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath? 00:00:24.559 --> 00:00:32.880 And he said to them, Have you never read what David did when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him? 00:00:33.200 --> 00:00:43.039 How he entered the house of God in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the bread of the presence, which is not lawful for any but the priest to eat. 00:00:43.359 --> 00:00:45.840 And also gave it to those who were with him. 00:00:46.640 --> 00:00:56.560 And he said to them, The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath, so the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath. 00:00:58.079 --> 00:01:08.799 Again he entered a synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand, and they watched Jesus to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. 00:01:09.519 --> 00:01:12.959 And he said to the man with the withered hand, Come here. 00:01:13.840 --> 00:01:18.319 And he said to them, Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm? 00:01:18.560 --> 00:01:20.560 To save life or to kill? 00:01:21.359 --> 00:01:22.239 They were silent. 00:01:23.519 --> 00:01:31.359 And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, Stretch out your hand. 00:01:32.079 --> 00:01:35.439 He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. 00:01:35.680 --> 00:01:42.400 The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him how to destroy him. 00:01:43.200 --> 00:01:48.879 This is the reading of God's powerful, loving, majestic word. 00:01:49.599 --> 00:01:52.879 This asked the Spirit's work in us. 00:01:55.760 --> 00:01:58.560 Father, we thank you for these words of life. 00:01:59.040 --> 00:02:14.159 Spirit of God, would you give your life-giving power to us to understand, illuminate our minds, humble our hearts, that we can actually hear what you have to say to be fed. 00:02:14.800 --> 00:02:18.000 We want to be your people, we want to be your disciples. 00:02:18.719 --> 00:02:20.159 So please do your work. 00:02:20.319 --> 00:02:22.159 In Jesus' name, amen. 00:02:26.240 --> 00:02:29.199 Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath. 00:02:31.039 --> 00:02:32.400 Indeed, he is. 00:02:33.919 --> 00:02:36.800 We see all these stories in the Gospel of Mark. 00:02:36.879 --> 00:02:41.759 We're following in the footsteps of Jesus, just as his disciples did. 00:02:42.960 --> 00:02:45.919 We've talked about that recently in the sermon series. 00:02:46.159 --> 00:02:50.560 To be a disciple is to walk in the steps of your master. 00:02:51.599 --> 00:02:58.319 Said another way, you can't be a Christian if you're not walking after Jesus. 00:03:00.879 --> 00:03:11.360 A Christian is a person who walks in the steps of Jesus, follows Jesus, seeks to obey Jesus. 00:03:12.000 --> 00:03:17.680 And this is what we see in the Gospel of Mark, story after story. 00:03:18.240 --> 00:03:23.520 On this particular day, Jesus and his followers who were walking with him were hungry. 00:03:24.560 --> 00:03:26.560 They saw a grain field. 00:03:27.840 --> 00:03:32.719 And so they helped themselves to the grain on the stalks. 00:03:33.360 --> 00:03:41.280 I'm sure they didn't gorge themselves, but in order to satisfy their hunger, they ate. 00:03:52.080 --> 00:03:53.599 What are they doing? 00:03:54.400 --> 00:03:56.080 How dare they do this? 00:03:56.319 --> 00:03:58.560 How dare they break the Sabbath? 00:03:59.360 --> 00:04:02.159 And so that's the context of this story. 00:04:02.560 --> 00:04:04.800 Jesus has something to tell them. 00:04:05.120 --> 00:04:09.680 Have you never read what David, King David, did when he was in need and was hungry? 00:04:09.919 --> 00:04:11.840 He and those who were with him? 00:04:12.639 --> 00:04:15.759 Well, what did David do? 00:04:16.079 --> 00:04:18.319 What did David and his hungry men do? 00:04:18.560 --> 00:04:31.040 They ate something that normally was forbidden to them because this was the show bread in the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle. 00:04:31.360 --> 00:04:35.199 This was normally reserved only for the priest to eat. 00:04:35.839 --> 00:04:45.600 But because they were hungry, it was permissible to take that bread and eat that bread. 00:04:45.920 --> 00:04:48.800 Jesus is saying, they didn't break the Sabbath. 00:04:49.279 --> 00:04:53.199 We're going to explore that more in a few minutes. 00:04:53.920 --> 00:05:07.600 See, the Pharisees were experts in making burdens for people, making laws that weren't in the Bible, extra-biblical laws, we find in the Mishnah. 00:05:07.839 --> 00:05:16.879 They made up a list of 39 principal works in six different categories, which clearly, in their minds, define violations of the Sabbath. 00:05:17.279 --> 00:05:24.639 Things such as on the Sabbath day, you could walk 800 meters, but not 801. 00:05:25.759 --> 00:05:26.879 Can you imagine? 00:05:27.199 --> 00:05:28.720 Counting your steps? 00:05:29.519 --> 00:05:29.839 Okay. 00:05:31.600 --> 00:05:37.519 You know, they didn't have their iPhones, they didn't have their fitness trackers. 00:05:37.680 --> 00:05:41.519 You know, you had to really pay attention to each step. 00:05:41.920 --> 00:05:43.519 How ridiculous. 00:05:45.839 --> 00:05:48.160 And then he had other rules. 00:05:48.800 --> 00:05:52.720 You could untie a knot if you could do it with one hand. 00:05:54.000 --> 00:05:57.920 But if it required two hands, you broke the Sabbath. 00:05:58.399 --> 00:06:03.839 Evidently there was too much strenuous effort using that other hand. 00:06:04.959 --> 00:06:06.399 How silly. 00:06:07.040 --> 00:06:12.879 If a building fell down on the Sabbath, enough debris could be removed to see if there were survivors. 00:06:13.120 --> 00:06:14.399 And you could pull them out. 00:06:14.480 --> 00:06:16.720 You could exert yourself to pull them out. 00:06:17.439 --> 00:06:24.240 But if you found people who had perished, they could not be rescued on the Sabbath. 00:06:24.639 --> 00:06:27.120 You had to wait until the next day. 00:06:27.600 --> 00:06:29.279 How ridiculous. 00:06:30.480 --> 00:06:34.560 Jesus corrects these Pharisees by appealing again to David himself. 00:06:34.720 --> 00:06:49.680 If it was okay for David and his men to eat the consecrated bread in the tabernacle out of need, it was certainly appropriate for Jesus and his disciples to pick the grain to satisfy their hunger that day. 00:06:50.560 --> 00:06:55.199 And then Jesus says something to them that really got their attention. 00:06:56.079 --> 00:07:00.879 The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 00:07:01.439 --> 00:07:06.560 So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath. 00:07:07.279 --> 00:07:09.600 That is quite a statement to make. 00:07:10.000 --> 00:07:11.839 You know what he was saying. 00:07:13.120 --> 00:07:14.079 I'm God. 00:07:15.120 --> 00:07:20.160 If he wasn't God, he could not have forgiven the sins of the paralytic we saw a couple weeks ago. 00:07:20.800 --> 00:07:21.439 Right? 00:07:23.360 --> 00:07:25.279 Only God can forgive sins. 00:07:25.519 --> 00:07:27.600 Once again we see his deity. 00:07:28.560 --> 00:07:30.160 I forgive you your sins. 00:07:30.399 --> 00:07:31.839 Here we see his deity. 00:07:32.000 --> 00:07:33.920 I'm the Lord of the Sabbath. 00:07:34.480 --> 00:07:36.959 I know what the Sabbath is all about. 00:07:39.600 --> 00:07:47.360 The Sabbath was not made to be a burden to us, but rather to be restorative, healing. 00:07:47.920 --> 00:07:53.839 The Pharisees had made these self-imposed rules that could quickly drain the life from anybody. 00:07:55.600 --> 00:08:01.759 We're going to address this aspect a little bit more, but this is not the main point that I have this morning. 00:08:03.040 --> 00:08:06.720 I don't think that's our particular problem in our culture today. 00:08:06.959 --> 00:08:14.319 I don't think most Christians are in danger of these pharisaical rules. 00:08:15.920 --> 00:08:18.079 I grew up with some of those. 00:08:19.279 --> 00:08:22.720 Perhaps it was my generation, perhaps it was my family tradition. 00:08:22.800 --> 00:08:24.560 It was probably all mixed in there. 00:08:24.959 --> 00:08:29.759 We were, when we played on Sunday, we were supposed to play quietly. 00:08:33.120 --> 00:08:42.559 It was okay to, you know, shout out whatever we were doing otherwise, but on Sunday you had to keep your voice very low. 00:08:42.879 --> 00:08:44.559 I never understood that. 00:08:55.039 --> 00:09:00.320 And in his house, it was forbidden to read the comics on Sunday. 00:09:00.639 --> 00:09:02.960 Now, where do you get that in the Bible? 00:09:06.799 --> 00:09:10.720 I don't think that's our problem, most of us. 00:09:12.240 --> 00:09:16.240 There's two principles I want to give you this morning, and it's going to be a little bit different. 00:09:16.320 --> 00:09:20.159 I'm going to just weave them together, but I'll tell you up front what these two principles are. 00:09:20.480 --> 00:09:24.480 We must avoid the burdens that rob us of soul rest. 00:09:25.279 --> 00:09:26.480 That's clear. 00:09:26.720 --> 00:09:30.720 What are the burdens in life that would rob us of soul rest? 00:09:31.759 --> 00:09:41.200 But the second point is we need to look to the burden bearer who offers us true soul rest. 00:09:42.000 --> 00:09:43.279 And who is that? 00:09:43.919 --> 00:09:44.879 Jesus. 00:09:45.679 --> 00:09:47.679 This is what this sermon is about. 00:09:48.080 --> 00:09:50.799 Sabbath rest is not idleness. 00:09:50.960 --> 00:09:53.039 It doesn't mean no activity. 00:09:53.679 --> 00:09:56.639 Rather, it means a change of activity. 00:09:57.200 --> 00:09:58.559 Just like God did. 00:09:59.039 --> 00:10:04.320 Genesis tells us that God created the heavens and the earth in six days and he made everything good. 00:10:06.240 --> 00:10:07.679 He said, This is good. 00:10:08.159 --> 00:10:10.159 I am finished creating. 00:10:10.399 --> 00:10:13.360 Now I'm going to rest from creation. 00:10:13.840 --> 00:10:17.200 But Jesus tells us in John chapter 5, verse 17. 00:10:17.600 --> 00:10:20.240 He said, My Father yet is at work. 00:10:21.360 --> 00:10:23.679 Well, what was the change of activity for the Father? 00:10:23.759 --> 00:10:26.480 What do we see in this creation ordinance? 00:10:27.200 --> 00:10:32.879 We see that the Father no longer creates, but now he governs his world. 00:10:33.120 --> 00:10:35.120 It's the acts of providence. 00:10:35.519 --> 00:10:36.799 And Jesus said the same thing. 00:10:38.240 --> 00:10:40.320 It's a change of activity. 00:10:43.759 --> 00:10:45.440 What does that mean? 00:10:45.919 --> 00:10:50.320 The burden bearer who offers us true soul rest. 00:10:51.039 --> 00:10:54.720 The word Sabbath points us to a deep rest. 00:10:55.279 --> 00:11:01.039 When Jesus said, I am the Lord of the Sabbath, what he's saying is, I am your Sabbath. 00:11:01.840 --> 00:11:04.240 You don't find rest in a day. 00:11:04.399 --> 00:11:09.360 I mean, you in a secondary sense, but you don't find your rest in a certain day. 00:11:09.600 --> 00:11:14.879 Paul addresses the Colossians in his epistle along those lines. 00:11:16.000 --> 00:11:23.360 Don't elevate any particular day or activity above the Lord Jesus Himself. 00:11:25.519 --> 00:11:28.399 And so, we think about that. 00:11:28.799 --> 00:11:35.759 Jesus, we find this promise in Hebrews in the New Testament, chapter 4, verse 9. 00:11:36.080 --> 00:11:40.080 So then there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. 00:11:40.399 --> 00:11:41.679 Let me just pause for a moment. 00:11:41.840 --> 00:11:42.799 Do you know that? 00:11:43.039 --> 00:11:46.320 The Sabbath is not done with. 00:11:46.960 --> 00:11:49.200 It's one of the Ten Commandments, right? 00:11:49.519 --> 00:11:51.279 It's one of the Ten Commandments. 00:11:51.919 --> 00:11:58.559 The Sabbath has not been abrogated because we're in the New Testament, although you wouldn't know that today from many. 00:11:59.919 --> 00:12:01.440 There's still a Sabbath. 00:12:02.159 --> 00:12:12.559 There remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. 00:12:51.600 --> 00:12:56.639 Everything necessary for your salvation has been done. 00:12:57.279 --> 00:12:59.440 Jesus says, I've done it all. 00:12:59.679 --> 00:13:09.039 There's nothing more for you to do except to believe and repent, and you shall be saved. 00:13:09.440 --> 00:13:10.799 This is the gospel. 00:13:11.200 --> 00:13:12.399 It's finished. 00:13:12.639 --> 00:13:20.559 So we go back and we look at Genesis chapter 2, the first three verses, it says, God rested from all of his works that he had done in creation. 00:13:21.120 --> 00:13:24.720 So we see here that the Sabbath is there. 00:13:25.120 --> 00:13:28.639 So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy. 00:13:30.240 --> 00:13:36.399 You see, the Sabbath day did not start on Mount Sinai with Moses as one of the commandments. 00:13:36.720 --> 00:13:49.039 The Sabbath started from the very beginning of creation, where God blessed that day, set that day apart, made it holy. 00:13:49.519 --> 00:13:51.519 Do you know what the word holy means? 00:13:51.840 --> 00:13:53.039 Set apart. 00:13:53.919 --> 00:14:00.639 Christian, you have been set apart to God from this world. 00:14:03.120 --> 00:14:06.639 So God blessed the day and he made it holy. 00:14:06.960 --> 00:14:14.799 So what we're saying is, yes, the Sabbath is a creation ordinance instituted at creation, not Mount Sinai. 00:14:15.039 --> 00:14:18.159 And so God rested from his work of creation. 00:14:19.440 --> 00:14:23.679 Jesus on the cross rested from his work of salvation. 00:14:24.799 --> 00:14:26.480 There was nothing more to do. 00:14:26.639 --> 00:14:28.399 There was nothing more to add. 00:14:30.639 --> 00:14:36.159 You know, just like God looked at his work at creation and said, This is good. 00:14:37.200 --> 00:14:38.960 I'm finished with this work. 00:14:39.360 --> 00:14:44.879 Jesus on the cross looked at all of his work for salvation. 00:14:45.200 --> 00:14:46.639 He said, This is good. 00:14:47.120 --> 00:14:48.399 I am finished. 00:14:48.639 --> 00:14:54.000 I've done all that's necessary for you to enter into real rest. 00:14:56.879 --> 00:14:58.320 It's finished. 00:14:59.279 --> 00:15:08.240 Theologian Wayne Muller put it like this: forgetting the Sabbath is like forgetting to unwrap the most beautiful gifts under your Christmas tree. 00:15:08.559 --> 00:15:09.840 I like that. 00:15:12.080 --> 00:15:19.360 Christians who have not discovered the real meaning of the Sabbath have not opened up some of the best gifts under the tree. 00:15:20.720 --> 00:15:21.360 Why? 00:15:21.840 --> 00:15:26.399 Why is the Sabbath such a beautiful gift for us? 00:15:27.759 --> 00:15:34.639 Because our creator knows what we need: body, soul, and emotions. 00:15:35.120 --> 00:15:49.679 Our creator, our designer who designed us, knows how important it is that we don't run on empty, that we don't run on fumes, that we take a break. 00:15:50.000 --> 00:15:52.799 He knows this is his world that he created. 00:15:53.120 --> 00:15:58.720 He said, My people need a day of rest, one day out of seven. 00:15:59.279 --> 00:15:59.919 Right? 00:16:01.120 --> 00:16:04.879 He said, My people need rest. 00:16:05.759 --> 00:16:08.000 And all that they have needs rest. 00:16:08.480 --> 00:16:10.879 The land itself needs rest. 00:16:11.120 --> 00:16:14.639 Don't work your fields seven days a week. 00:16:15.679 --> 00:16:17.279 You're gonna pay for that. 00:16:18.960 --> 00:16:20.240 We need rest. 00:16:21.840 --> 00:16:29.120 We need weekly rest and we need we need eternal rest, which we talked about in Hebrews chapter 4. 00:16:30.639 --> 00:16:34.399 That's the rhythm that God wants us to live in. 00:16:35.600 --> 00:16:36.559 For our good. 00:16:38.000 --> 00:16:43.519 In the Chinese language, there are there's a pictograph expressed by two characters. 00:16:43.840 --> 00:16:47.519 One of those characters is the word for heart. 00:16:48.080 --> 00:16:51.679 The other character is the word for killing. 00:16:52.799 --> 00:16:57.440 It's the word busy in the Chinese language. 00:16:58.399 --> 00:17:06.400 When we are so busy and we're not taking rest, it kills the heart. 00:17:08.079 --> 00:17:09.680 Some of us know that. 00:17:11.759 --> 00:17:16.720 I remember a time in my ministry many years ago where I needed rest. 00:17:18.240 --> 00:17:20.799 I guess I was the last one to know it. 00:17:21.039 --> 00:17:22.720 Anyone else like that? 00:17:25.359 --> 00:17:29.759 And my elders told me just to get away for however long I needed. 00:17:30.880 --> 00:17:34.000 So I figured I was gonna go to Phoenix to see my sister. 00:17:34.079 --> 00:17:36.240 I'd never been to Arizona before. 00:17:36.720 --> 00:17:40.480 And I fell asleep in Houston at the layover. 00:17:41.680 --> 00:17:44.160 I missed my flight to Phoenix. 00:17:45.440 --> 00:17:47.200 And I got anxious. 00:17:47.519 --> 00:17:49.279 I missed my flight. 00:17:51.599 --> 00:17:54.400 Well, what's the big deal if I'm going to Phoenix to rest? 00:17:54.799 --> 00:17:58.000 It's not like I'm going to some big business meeting. 00:17:59.279 --> 00:18:04.319 I got in this conversation with a businessman. 00:18:05.680 --> 00:18:07.519 We were waiting in line. 00:18:07.839 --> 00:18:08.720 What do you call that? 00:18:09.200 --> 00:18:19.599 Sumita, the uh when you're waiting to get the next flight, that we got yeah, yeah, rebook. 00:18:19.920 --> 00:18:21.599 I just want to get the next flight. 00:18:21.759 --> 00:18:34.480 And we're standing in line with about 20 people, and I'm I'm facing the help desk, and there's this business guy, and we're starting to get to know each other because we're waiting in line. 00:18:37.839 --> 00:18:39.839 And it was probably a 20-minute wait. 00:18:39.920 --> 00:18:41.599 We got we got to know each other. 00:18:42.400 --> 00:18:43.599 He says, Yeah. 00:18:44.079 --> 00:18:46.559 I tell him, he says, Why are you going to Phoenix? 00:18:46.799 --> 00:18:48.559 I said, Well, I'm going to rest. 00:18:51.440 --> 00:18:52.799 He says, Oh, really? 00:18:53.680 --> 00:19:02.559 And then he he calls me out, my new friend calls me out because he sees that I'm really not listening to him as he talks. 00:19:02.640 --> 00:19:04.480 I'm looking at that help desk. 00:19:04.720 --> 00:19:07.119 I want to see where I am in line for standby. 00:19:07.279 --> 00:19:07.920 Standby. 00:19:08.240 --> 00:19:10.400 I'm looking in line for standby. 00:19:11.759 --> 00:19:13.839 This is this is funny but sad. 00:19:14.799 --> 00:19:23.119 Now he gets my drift, and he literally grabs me by the shoulders, he looks me in the eye, says, he says, Tom, give it up. 00:19:27.200 --> 00:19:30.720 He says, I've had I've had five heart attacks. 00:19:31.920 --> 00:19:34.160 I've had five heart attacks. 00:19:35.039 --> 00:19:37.279 Because I just didn't learn how to stop. 00:19:39.519 --> 00:19:41.359 He was preaching to the preacher. 00:19:43.680 --> 00:19:45.440 Anyone identify with that? 00:19:48.720 --> 00:19:49.920 The pictograph. 00:19:50.799 --> 00:19:52.640 Heart killing. 00:19:53.039 --> 00:19:57.839 When we don't know how to slow down, we don't know how to stop. 00:20:00.160 --> 00:20:00.799 Yeah. 00:20:02.319 --> 00:20:07.839 Can we find rest in the finished work of Christ? 00:20:08.400 --> 00:20:13.680 Or do we carry our own burdens from restless hearts? 00:20:14.480 --> 00:20:16.559 God rested from his heart. 00:20:16.720 --> 00:20:17.599 What does that mean? 00:20:17.920 --> 00:20:19.519 Does God get tired? 00:20:20.319 --> 00:20:27.039 Did God exhaust himself with the six days of creation and say, oh, I just need a break? 00:20:27.359 --> 00:20:27.680 No. 00:20:28.880 --> 00:20:33.440 God did not get tired, worn out from creation. 00:20:34.319 --> 00:20:35.599 He was done with it. 00:20:35.920 --> 00:20:37.359 He could put it down. 00:20:38.559 --> 00:20:40.720 You see there where this is going, right? 00:20:42.160 --> 00:20:43.920 Can you put your work down? 00:20:45.680 --> 00:20:50.240 Maybe it's not your work, but can you put your family down? 00:20:52.480 --> 00:20:54.319 What are you carrying? 00:20:55.519 --> 00:21:00.880 That just is heavy and it's heavy and it's heavy, and you're not stopping. 00:21:02.640 --> 00:21:06.400 Jesus says, I want to tell you what the Sabbath is for. 00:21:07.119 --> 00:21:09.680 The Sabbath is to stop. 00:21:11.519 --> 00:21:13.359 Let your body rest. 00:21:16.640 --> 00:21:18.799 Let your soul rest. 00:21:19.279 --> 00:21:20.799 Is this good news? 00:21:21.200 --> 00:21:22.480 I think so. 00:21:22.799 --> 00:21:24.400 Do we need to hear this? 00:21:25.279 --> 00:21:26.880 Yeah, I think so. 00:21:27.759 --> 00:21:29.920 Especially in Washington, D.C. 00:21:31.200 --> 00:21:33.440 Why can we put down our work? 00:21:34.160 --> 00:21:37.200 Because we're not living for the approval of our boss. 00:21:38.400 --> 00:21:40.319 Why can we put down our work? 00:21:40.559 --> 00:21:42.960 We're not living for the approval of anyone else. 00:21:43.119 --> 00:21:46.000 We have received that approval from God Himself. 00:21:46.319 --> 00:21:53.519 When you came to Jesus, Jesus said, I have done all the work for you. 00:21:54.319 --> 00:21:59.680 I am inviting you into a season, a life of rest. 00:22:00.000 --> 00:22:01.200 Now work six days. 00:22:01.440 --> 00:22:04.480 Incidentally, the Bible doesn't say work five days. 00:22:04.880 --> 00:22:12.799 I'm not saying you have to work at work six days, but it does say you shall do your work in six days, and the seventh day you shall rest. 00:22:13.519 --> 00:22:15.200 That's what it says. 00:22:18.480 --> 00:22:20.000 How do I put down? 00:22:21.680 --> 00:22:27.519 How do you put down the things that are burdens in our lives? 00:22:28.400 --> 00:22:32.640 Where we just get off the hamster wheel. 00:22:34.160 --> 00:22:35.440 We just get off. 00:22:37.599 --> 00:22:40.400 And we say, Lord, I do need rest. 00:22:41.519 --> 00:22:46.160 If I were to ask you this morning, what is it that you need rest from? 00:22:46.960 --> 00:22:48.319 What would you say? 00:22:50.640 --> 00:22:54.240 I don't expect that you would necessarily have an answer right now. 00:22:55.200 --> 00:22:57.279 But it might be worth thinking about. 00:22:58.240 --> 00:23:03.920 It might be worth getting alone with God and saying, you know, Lord, I heard the sermon tonight. 00:23:04.640 --> 00:23:05.839 I'm serious. 00:23:06.160 --> 00:23:07.920 Lord, I heard the sermon. 00:23:09.440 --> 00:23:11.440 What would you have to say to me? 00:23:13.039 --> 00:23:18.559 What is it that you want me to put down so that I'm not driven? 00:23:19.680 --> 00:23:21.599 And why are we driven? 00:23:23.039 --> 00:23:24.960 Isn't it for approval? 00:23:26.240 --> 00:23:28.640 Isn't it for somebody to bless us? 00:23:30.079 --> 00:23:31.039 A boss? 00:23:33.359 --> 00:23:34.319 A spouse? 00:23:36.559 --> 00:23:38.480 It could be anything. 00:23:40.720 --> 00:23:42.559 Jesus says, put it down. 00:23:45.039 --> 00:23:47.839 It's really taking a toll on you. 00:23:48.160 --> 00:23:50.079 And it's not good for you. 00:23:50.400 --> 00:23:53.200 And I love you, and I want to call you into my rest. 00:23:53.359 --> 00:23:55.920 I'm not calling you away from working hard. 00:23:57.039 --> 00:23:58.160 We work hard. 00:23:58.400 --> 00:23:59.920 We should work hard. 00:24:01.119 --> 00:24:03.279 But not for approval. 00:24:04.400 --> 00:24:06.480 Not for somebody's blessing. 00:24:06.799 --> 00:24:13.920 And when you know how much God loves you and you know how much Jesus has done to save you, you can put it down. 00:24:14.400 --> 00:24:16.319 That's why we need this weekly rest. 00:24:16.400 --> 00:24:18.400 That's why we need this eternal rest. 00:24:18.640 --> 00:24:22.160 We need these two truths that come together. 00:24:25.839 --> 00:24:29.839 Oh, friends, I can assure you that I have struggled with this. 00:24:30.160 --> 00:24:34.480 As I mentioned, I know how hard this can be. 00:24:38.400 --> 00:24:40.960 I think God has been teaching me over the years. 00:24:43.519 --> 00:24:45.119 It could be your studies. 00:24:46.720 --> 00:24:49.920 You know, there's such a thing as studying too hard. 00:24:54.079 --> 00:25:02.160 Do your study, do your work, and put it down one day out of seven. 00:25:02.720 --> 00:25:03.839 Put it down. 00:25:04.720 --> 00:25:07.039 And say it's good enough. 00:25:08.319 --> 00:25:10.880 That could be very liberating for us. 00:25:12.079 --> 00:25:13.839 So that we can actually rest. 00:25:14.880 --> 00:25:16.559 Six days, pick it up. 00:25:16.720 --> 00:25:18.400 One day, put it down. 00:25:19.200 --> 00:25:24.480 Again, this change of activity, it's not to be idle on Sunday. 00:25:24.880 --> 00:25:30.000 He wants us to be active in worship, in rest for our bodies. 00:25:30.480 --> 00:25:34.480 As I close, let me just mention a couple things on this day of activity. 00:25:35.359 --> 00:25:41.119 As one commentator put it, three things, very simple, but maybe helpful, to make us more holy. 00:25:41.440 --> 00:25:45.119 We have more time to give ourselves to God. 00:25:46.160 --> 00:25:50.000 Worship, preaching, teaching, fellowship. 00:25:50.319 --> 00:25:52.400 Secondly, to keep us healthy. 00:25:53.599 --> 00:25:57.920 Let the fields rest on Sunday. 00:25:58.319 --> 00:26:01.279 Let your body, let your soul rest. 00:26:03.039 --> 00:26:13.519 I think the way God designed it is when you leave worship, when I leave preaching, I should feel more rested. 00:26:15.279 --> 00:26:17.039 I'm putting stuff down. 00:26:17.359 --> 00:26:25.440 I'm not only putting down my work, I'm putting down my fears, I'm putting down my unbelief, I'm putting down my internal struggles. 00:26:25.519 --> 00:26:27.359 That's what worship is for. 00:26:30.640 --> 00:26:36.240 Keep us holy, make us holy, keep us healthy, and thirdly, make us more helpful to other people. 00:26:36.960 --> 00:26:38.559 This Sunday. 00:26:39.839 --> 00:26:47.599 Another category, people that like categories, the three works, the three works that God approves of. 00:26:47.920 --> 00:26:52.480 Works of necessity for the good of life, preserving life. 00:26:52.799 --> 00:26:57.519 Many occupations would be this. 00:26:58.880 --> 00:27:01.680 Works of necessity, satisfying hunger. 00:27:02.319 --> 00:27:07.039 Secondly, works of mercy, like Jesus did with the healing of the man with the withered hand. 00:27:08.960 --> 00:27:11.440 Pharisee said, No, unless he's dying, you can't heal him. 00:27:11.599 --> 00:27:12.799 Jesus says, What are you talking about? 00:27:12.880 --> 00:27:14.160 I'm the Lord of the Sabbath. 00:27:14.720 --> 00:27:15.680 This is good. 00:27:16.000 --> 00:27:18.079 I'm going to heal this man's hand. 00:27:19.920 --> 00:27:21.759 Works of mercy. 00:27:24.559 --> 00:27:27.039 Like our deacons and deaconesses do. 00:27:28.480 --> 00:27:29.920 Works of mercy. 00:27:30.240 --> 00:27:34.640 It's good to work on Sunday in many ways. 00:27:35.920 --> 00:27:41.359 If I could just stop and think about all the ways that people have worked in this building already this day. 00:27:47.200 --> 00:27:53.680 Sometimes I take walks early Sunday morning, early Sunday morning, and I see people opening this building up and it's all dark. 00:27:53.920 --> 00:27:56.880 There's people that are working to prepare it for you. 00:27:57.839 --> 00:28:03.839 There's fellowship teams that are working, making coffee and food and setting up tables. 00:28:04.160 --> 00:28:05.279 That's good work. 00:28:06.240 --> 00:28:08.480 There are people serving our children. 00:28:08.960 --> 00:28:11.200 A lot of children downstairs. 00:28:11.440 --> 00:28:12.960 That's good work. 00:28:14.559 --> 00:28:16.400 You expect me to work, right? 00:28:17.599 --> 00:28:19.279 Okay, that's fair. 00:28:19.759 --> 00:28:22.400 I work a lot getting ready for Sunday. 00:28:22.720 --> 00:28:23.680 I should. 00:28:24.160 --> 00:28:36.640 There's a lot of good work, and then the deacons and deaconesses spend hours with people who have tangible needs, who need the love of Jesus expressed in very practical ways. 00:28:36.799 --> 00:28:38.079 That's good work. 00:28:40.720 --> 00:28:46.160 By claiming authority over the Sabbath, Jesus was again making a claim to his own deity. 00:28:46.480 --> 00:28:48.720 He is the Sabbath's Lord. 00:28:49.759 --> 00:28:51.599 Who is the Lord of the Sabbath? 00:28:52.000 --> 00:28:52.880 Only God. 00:28:53.920 --> 00:28:56.079 That's this claim to deity. 00:28:56.640 --> 00:28:59.359 Jesus is saying, I am God. 00:29:00.240 --> 00:29:01.759 This is my day. 00:29:02.079 --> 00:29:06.240 This is how I want you to use my day. 00:29:07.119 --> 00:29:12.559 By the way, it's called the Sabbath day, not the Sabbath hour. 00:29:13.599 --> 00:29:14.559 Alright? 00:29:15.440 --> 00:29:16.799 The Bible says. 00:29:17.759 --> 00:29:19.680 This is what the Bible says. 00:29:20.240 --> 00:29:22.160 Don't give me one hour. 00:29:22.960 --> 00:29:26.160 Don't give me one hour and say, I checked that box. 00:29:27.119 --> 00:29:29.279 He says, I want you to give me the day. 00:29:29.920 --> 00:29:31.920 What does that look like in your life? 00:29:32.160 --> 00:29:34.400 What does that look like in my life? 00:29:34.880 --> 00:29:39.200 To receive, to unwrap that gift under the tree. 00:29:40.079 --> 00:29:43.200 I can testify to how that has blessed me. 00:29:43.599 --> 00:29:45.519 Unwrapping that gift. 00:29:46.480 --> 00:29:48.880 It's been a blessing to my life. 00:29:49.119 --> 00:29:51.440 It's been a blessing to my family. 00:29:51.759 --> 00:29:54.640 It's been a blessing to my body. 00:29:55.680 --> 00:29:57.119 It'll bless you. 00:29:57.680 --> 00:29:59.200 Open that gift. 00:30:01.279 --> 00:30:11.519 On the Sabbath, we not only give ourselves to the Lord, but again, we give ourselves to one another in worship, in service, in fellowship. 00:30:13.759 --> 00:30:15.039 So here we are. 00:30:16.559 --> 00:30:19.599 Jesus has given us something to think about, hasn't he? 00:30:20.880 --> 00:30:34.559 Jesus, show us what you're asking us to put down so that we may pick up the very things that will restore us, refresh us, and renew us. 00:30:36.559 --> 00:30:38.160 Just a moment, we're going to sing. 00:30:38.400 --> 00:30:42.240 Jesus, I am resting, resting in the joy of what thou art. 00:30:42.799 --> 00:30:47.759 I am finding out the greatness of thy loving heart. 00:30:48.559 --> 00:30:50.559 I can't wait to sing that again. 00:30:50.799 --> 00:30:52.880 I sang it in the first service. 00:30:54.000 --> 00:30:57.200 It was a beautiful gift. 00:30:58.079 --> 00:31:00.000 I'm ready to sing it again. 00:31:00.319 --> 00:31:01.359 Let's pray. 00:31:04.160 --> 00:31:09.519 Father, you know the burdens that are weighing us down. 00:31:10.559 --> 00:31:14.000 And we know that you're not calling us to pile on more. 00:31:15.359 --> 00:31:24.720 Would you show us, Lord, each of us individually, what it is that you're asking us to put down on your holy day. 00:31:25.519 --> 00:31:29.680 Thank you that we can because we don't have to live for anybody else's approval. 00:31:29.920 --> 00:31:32.079 We have received your approval. 00:31:33.599 --> 00:31:35.359 We are forgiven people. 00:31:36.000 --> 00:31:37.599