Q&A about Sabbath

As part of our 10 Commandments series at https://www.cgcc.org.au/, we had a question-and-answer time regarding the commandments surrounding the Sabbath from:
Exodus 20:8–11, which says:
[8] “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. [9] Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, [10] but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. [11] For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. (ESV)
Mark and Shebu sat down together to address these questions. You can hear Mark's entire sermon on the topic of the Sabbath here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMKQ27x2Tqg&t=4s
Thanks for listening.

Want to know more about CGCC? Just head to our website: https://www.cgcc.org.au/

Transcript

G'day everyone. My name is Shebu. I have the great joy of serving at Canterbury Gardens Community Church. If you are listening to this for the very first time, we're a church in the outer east of Melbourne.

We desire to love Jesus and love others and live for his kingdom in this world. And perhaps you are wondering why are we doing this? This is our first go at answering some questions based on a teaching series at our church going through the 10 commandments.  And perhaps you've stumbled across this by mistake thinking this is a gardening show.

So I apologize for that because it does say Canterbury Gardens Community Church.  But we're not a gardening center, but we are a local church.  now I'm here with Mark. Hi Mark. How are you? Morning, Shubs. Good. That's good.  Mark had the great joy of serving and teaching at Canterbury, recently for our Ten Commandments series, and he spoke on the topic of Sabbath.

So mate, do you want to start with perhaps telling us the word Sabbath? What does that mean? And maybe giving a little bit summary on your talk. What was the focus and heart? Yeah, sure. So Sabbath, means to stop work and to rest, and it's no small topic. We talked about it because the Ten Commandments has the fourth command, which says,  to remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.

Six days do all your work, but the seventh is a Sabbath to the Lord your God, and you shall do no work and don't let anyone in your community do your work. That was a command to the people of Israel. But as I covered in the talk, it's pointing to a much bigger picture and concept of rest that God made a world that he wanted people to be able to rest in, in relationship with him.

And that even though the world is broken now and work is frustrating and it's hard to find rest. God has continued to work through Jesus to recreate that world and to make a place where we can be. in relationship with him and find satisfaction that is so hard to find. Mate, that's a great, good summary.

And, and if you're maybe listening for the first time, we would encourage you to head to our YouTube channel, which has the full sermon. You can check out. so during that time we, Encourage people to send some questions regarding this particular topic. And so what we're going to do is just go through these questions.

We may answer some of them, we may answer not some of them, but the point is we'll have a bit of a discussion around it to start off with the first question that came in is if the Sabbath command is given as a gift and a sign. How do we reconcile, let me try that again, reconcile slash interpret the command in Exodus to put to death anyone who works on the Sabbath, man, that's a pretty good question to ask.

What were your thoughts on it? Yeah, it is a really good question and it's, um, it's quite confronting there. Hey everybody, take a day off. Don't overwork anybody. And if you do, you'll be put to death. You see that in Exodus 31. I think what it really highlights is just how seriously God takes this command that it has such a penalty attached to it.

One, I think one really good way to remember how important this is to God is that when he was bringing the people into the promised land in Numbers 14, they were right on the edge of the land and he wanted to bring them in. They were too scared. They said, the giants are in there. It's too hard. They said, we want to go back to Egypt.

God's penalty for those people not trusting him and the, and for disobeying him was you will not enter my rest. You will not enter my promised land. If you don't want the gift that I'm giving you. So, so serious it was that they wandered in the desert and didn't enter. And I would say that's the same thing as with Adam and Eve.

If you don't want to live in my rest, my way, then be outside. And so the Sabbath day is a serious sign that we trust in you, God, and we want to live and rest your way. But if you don't want to do that, there has to be consequences. Otherwise you're stuffing up God's world. Hmm. And I think it's like the reflection for me has been about that is that.

The Sabbath command and the, the rhythm of God's creation of it didn't start after Exodus, as in like God talked about it at the very start of creation. Um, and I think it's a reminder to me that reminder of who God is, is holy and what he commands and this, like you said, the seriousness of it for the people of God.

Yeah, very serious. The writer to the Hebrews is really clear to remind people when he says, it was, we come at it as Christian readers. We think, well, that was a bit harsh back there, but the writer to the Hebrews says everything that Jesus has accomplished is greater. And he, the rest that he offers is greater.

But remember this, if you miss out on the rest, the consequence is greater. So where we worry about a command saying, put someone to death. There, the consequence of missing out on God's rest in Christ is eternal restlessness, and that's a far more significant penalty or consequence. Yeah. That's a great, that's a great reminder.

And I think the thing is that we need to face that tension, that language of reconciling. It is challenging. We need to be confronted by who God is, I think. , because we live on this side of the empty tomb and the cross, sometimes we, God is still holy. Um, and yeah, he still judges. Yeah. And so I think that's right.

What you said. Yeah. Hmm. Well, mate, the next, next one was, , if I'm to find my spiritual rest in relationship with Jesus, why am I, why am I still commanded to uphold, keep God's law of keeping the Sabbath holy? Amen. Or set apart. Your answer to that was my answer today is you are not, yeah. Uh, you're not still commanded to keep the Sabbath day holy and set apart.

Yeah. Why do you say that? What, what? Oh, do I have to explain myself? Yeah, explain, explain itself a little bit, you know? Yeah. And, and that's a, that's answering a, a sort of black and white question in a black and white way. Yeah. But if you, the follow up question would be, um, well then what's different for the Christian Right.

And what do we do with that command? Yeah. Um, um.

Someone asked, didn't they? How is it different in the New Testament world? Yes, that's right. And is it just an Old Testament command? So one way to think about it is this, for Israel, this is something of their constitution and their law. This is when God brought them out of Egypt and made a relation and said, let's put something in writing, which confirms and defines our relationship.

We have a relationship because I've rescued you. You're my people. We have that relationship, but let's define it. Here is the legal code that you're to live by. So the important thing to remember is that was for Israel, and that is not the legal code that we're assessed by. Um, so what we do or don't do in relation to the Old Testament.

Commandments is not the thing that passes or fails us in God's eyes. I don't know if that helps. No, that's good. Um, and I probably add to that is probably, um, anytime we read these commands, not just the Sabbath commands. I think that my reflection has been to ask the question, does Jesus talk about this?

Does Jesus specifically talk about this particular command in any way in the Gospels? Because I think that kind of gives us a bit of a lens into what that looks like with Jesus being not only our rest in particular context, but also the one who fulfilled the law, uh, and then. Comments and statements like I'm the Lord of the Sabbath, because he constantly got in trouble for working on the Sabbath.

Um, and I think that helps us kind of find that grace dynamic perhaps of not feeling like I must do this because it was in the past as a command, I should keep doing it. Like we're not obligated to keep this, like you mentioned. Yeah. I think at the base level, we're not obligated to keep us, keep it because it doesn't pass or fail us.

Hmm. At the same time, I think we need to do what the old covenant people were supposed to do, which is to say, what was it supposed to be teaching about God? What was it supposed to be teaching? And then when we ask, what does Jesus say about it? Jesus says, come to me, you who are heavy laden and burdened from all your work, and you will find rest for your souls.

So he's saying that it, that there is a greater rest and that I provide that rest. Now, even that sounds a little bit. Um, airy fairy, but he's pointing towards that and that's what Jesus wants us to find. So that might be a follow up question. What does that rest look like? Yeah, that's right. But the day in itself was never the, the most important thing.

The day for Israel to keep holy was always to remind them that they were living in a place that God had given them resting. Remember that I brought you out of Egypt where work was so hard. I want you to stop and remember, look around where you are and see the gift that God has given you. Hmm. Or. Look back further to the world that God made for you and gave you to rest in and enjoy.

And then when you see that this world isn't the way it's supposed to be, look forward and say, only God can work to restore this world. And that's why I need to stop. So we can sort of keep that principle But the strict requirement to keep a particular day is not the same. Yeah, that's right. And I, and you mentioned like, I think coming back, we'll come back to the rest thing.

But one of the questions was if we're called to work for God and not man, how should our work look different on the Sabbath compared to other days? Yeah. Yeah, if, if we're supposed to work for God and not man, I think that's sort of saying, well, we're supposed to be working for God every day of the week.

That's right. How should our work look different on the Sabbath compared to other days? And in a sense, the question answers its own, uh, answers itself, um, that one of the real dangers is that we look at the Sabbath command and say, okay, six days work. One day we'll keep it holy for God, I can do what I want for six days, as long as I go to church.

It's a really common sort of approach too. And then if you water it down, it becomes, well, if, as long as I go to church at Christmas and Easter, I'll make God happy enough. But the question I realize is that we are supposed to be working for God. Endeavoring for God every day. That's right. And that if we're doing that with a free heart, because he's freed us and it's his spirit that empowers us, then it's not really a burden.

Then it's a joy to get up and say, God, what do you have in store for me? What good works have you prepared for me today? Yeah. Yeah. But that doesn't disqualify taking time to stop and rest. But if the question is about how does work look different? I say it doesn't look any different. If I'm. living rightly, I'll wake up every morning and say, how can I work for you today?

And that would include any day of the week. That's right. And I think we, we shared this when we did our series, um, Dr. Tim Keller was very helpful in one of his books that he talked about these ideas of the idols and different aspects of idolatry. And I think when work particularly becomes ultimately an idol, that is, it calls for your affections, your thoughts, your, And so, you know, using Christian language, your worship that you controlled by it, then there is a real issue.

Yes. And, uh, so can Sabbath, right? Like the other flip side is you could create Sabbath to become like we see in the New Testament where the Pharisees of the law and others were wanting to do the best that they could, but it eventually became, This idol almost of, if you do this, you're breaking this. It was higher than ultimately loving God and loving others.

And I think even in our context, if work is becoming this thing that is not a place or a tool to be a witness for Jesus, using the resources that come out of it to provide for your family and for God's kingdom, then perhaps you need to step back and go and Do I need to rest from my work and what might that look like in your life and in your season?

And if I'm not able to rest from that work, what does that mean? What is it pointing towards? Yeah. That's right. Yeah. And this, I like the Sabbath rest as an idol as well. Is this something that I'm doing? And now I say, here, God, let me give this to you. Yeah, that's right. Um, rather than saying, this is what you've given to me.

Yeah, that's right. Well, um, just sort of moving on from the other questions. Um, I like this one because I think I resonate with the question, which is how should we overcome the feeling, uh, feeling guilty or feeling guilty in rest, the feeling that there's always more to do, or we haven't done enough to deserve rest.

Yeah, it is a really good question, isn't it? Yeah. That's, it's where the challenge lies for a lot of people. And it's a versatile question too. How should we overcome the feeling of guilt in rest? But someone else might say, well, I don't feel guilty, but someone else might feel anxious in rest. Um, so someone might feel guilty, but someone might feel like, well.

I'm anxious because I'm feeling insecure because I haven't done enough work to set myself up to provide for my family or someone might feel guilty saying, well, maybe God wanted me to put more effort in or do more this week or do something more useful. So that is the challenge. Um, and I think the solution is to put it all through.

This is where the rubber hits the road is saying, is Jesus, is rest in Jesus really the solution? And how can it be the solution? Do I trust enough that even if I haven't worked for God as much as I should have during the week, do I trust enough that even if, you know, I, I did drop the ball and I was living for myself and I was chasing false gods or I was sinning, do I trust that he can forgive me, that his grace is sufficient, that his death on the cross pays for my sins and my false work?

So that's, I think how. Um, we overcome the feeling of guilt. by coming back to Christ. Or if we think that, um, we really need to provide for our family and we need to get the business going and we just can't stop and we feel insecure in resting, do I trust enough that in the end it's God who is providing, that he cares for the sparrows, he cares for me.

So again, it comes to trust. Yep. So the writer to the Hebrews in Hebrews three and four uses the Psalm and says, remember the Psalm, it says today, if you hear his voice. Don't harden your hearts, but enter into rest. So it's a daily challenge. How do we overcome guilt? It's a daily challenge. Will I today enter into rest and trust in him, whether it's for forgiveness, whether it's for provision, um, or peace.

And I think it's that reminder, this side of eternity, you, we will always feel like this isn't particularly for some people, perhaps, um, you This is never ending list of things to do. Um, and that's, that's the thing. And I think that the. story that comes to mind is in the Gospels, uh, about Mary and Martha.

Yes. And where you have a sister who wants to serve the Lord and loves the Lord and is busy and hurrying, doing the things that she does to serve Jesus. She wasn't sinning. She was doing what was, uh, wanting to serve Jesus. And then her sister is doing the opposite. And the comment is not about your ones doing the wrong thing.

It's about the tender words that Jesus says, you're worried and about much. Mm hmm. Your sister's chosen the better thing like that is to sit at the feet of Jesus to, and I think for us in our context, perhaps just to ask the question, what does that look like for us from our to do list that we might have, there's always going to be to do list.

There's always going to be things to do. Where is that moment where we have to actually choose the better thing. Um, which is to sit at the feet of Jesus in some way, shape, or form in your season of life. Um, because we're all different seasons. If you're in a retired season, that looks very different. You can actually literally sit somewhere and pause.

If you're a young mom trying to figure out, you know, what next to do, it might just be in the middle of, as you hold your little one and care for them. So it's depending on what season of life you're in. And that's the grace that we have in Christ, right? Yeah. Yeah. That's right. Um, now, so just sort of moving on from there, uh, let's have a look here.

How does the principle of work in a state of rest and rest in a state of work interact with the idea of specific Sabbath day of the week being set aside? I think we've answered that you would think, uh, is there anything else you want to say on that one? Well, I think partly that's how we overcome the feeling of guilty and rest as well, is to say that.

You know what? As much as I'm working today, God, it's you who works through me. And as much as I fail to work today, God, it's you who can have mercy on me. So there's that feeling of rest. And Tim Keller talks about the work underneath the work. Yeah, really. We're looking here at the surface level of what activities I'm doing today, but underneath our hearts at work saying, Am I making the world the way it should be?

Am I fixing the world properly? Am I doing enough for God to make him happy? That's the work underneath the work. But I think I like the question is it's saying, but what about a specific day of the week being set aside? And I just want to acknowledge that there's tremendous wisdom and value in, in carving out time for yourself and stopping in a practical and physical way where physical beings, we, we need physical rest.

Um, Um, I think that any time we pause and rest, that's valuable doing it one day, the week is great when we do that. I think it's really important to look at the world that God has gifted us, good things he's given us and the grace that he's given us and meeting with God's people helps us to remember that.

So yeah, there's value in having a day. It can be practical, but it could be two days, um, or it could be whatever you need. Um, Um, And Paul is really sympathetic to some people think that one day is more special than another. We shouldn't judge them. No. Um, but whatever we do, whether we set aside one day or two or however we do it, we do it to God.

Yep. Yep. That's right. Uh, this one, I, I personally struggle with this question because I was trying to get where it was going at, but I think you've might've had a bit of a thought about it, which is, Yeah. Uh, can you explain the idea of rest being equal to ruling example, a person gets elected and then the president enters his rest and rules.

Yeah we can take that as a statement rather than a question. I think it's suggesting you can talk about rest as being equal to ruling. And I think that what was happening there is thinking the same thing as what I suggested about Adam in the garden without sin and without work being cursed was active.

So in a sense, working. But he was in the place that God made for him to rest in. So he was working in a state of rest. He was working without that burden and that frustration, right? So there's rest even while being active. And this also points to that idea of work, even while being active. So this is the idea of when we say Christ finished his work at the cross, it is finished.

The sins are paid for, the suffering is done. That's the work I came to do. to be resurrected and to be a new creation, to bring new creation to the world. So he sits on his father's throne and rests. But that position of resting, of having finished that key new creation work, actually doesn't mean he's inactive.

He's ruling, he's still providing, he's still caring, and he's still in some ways restoring. So there's that beautiful tension there between as he rests, he works, and as he works, he rests. I think of Psalm 110, the Lord says to the King, sit at my right hand. I'm pleased with you, so sit at my right hand, be the ruler and I'll make your enemies a footstool for your feet.

So even as you rest as ruler, sort of God is making the world under him to be the way it should be, but he is the active ruler at the same time. That's good. That's good. And, and so that. We build on that and we hope for that to say that one day our work too, in Christ, looking after the world, that we will one day rule the world, that we will one day get to care for this creation, but without the frustration of the curse, without that frustration that when I put wheat in the ground, weeds come up.

What that looks like, who knows, but it's something to hope for. Yeah, that's right. Yeah, that's right. Um, The other question was, how can we better at, so how can we be better at making it holy? Uh, I feel seeking holiness is not something we understand or seek in our culture. Yeah. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.

Six days shall you labor and do a work, but the seventh is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. Look, I'd like to ask the person what they mean by holy. Cause I think a lot of people mean different things by holiness. Mm hmm. In its purest sense, in the most basic sense, how do we remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy?

We remember it by stopping work. So in this context, holiness means not working. It's, it's being different, but in the most, it's being different by not working. That's the simplest explanation, but in a general sense, holiness means, it's almost like the adjective for God, for godliness, doing something God's way.

doing something holy means doing it God's way. And in this sense for Israel, it meant not working and not putting a burden on others. That's a really important thing to remember. We haven't talked about that a lot, but the, um, The command is to not just take your day off, but don't let anyone in your house work.

That means you're going to have to provide for them and your servants. You're going to have to keep providing food for them, even though they're not working for you. That's so counter cultural, but that's keeping it holy. That's being God like. Why is it being God like? Because that's exactly what God did at creation.

He worked and made a whole world and we didn't lift a finger and contribute to it. And he gave it to us as a gift. So being holy then means. How are we helping people to rest? How are we helping people to flourish and be satisfied in the world? Yeah. Yeah, man, I don't think I've got much more to add to that.

And it's great. That's a wonderful way of articulating it. Uh, the final question that we have here is how do we balance working hard and long enough to glorify God and what he has called us to, to do example, university, career, et cetera, and finding time to rest. How much is too much? This is more of a practical, pastoral one, perhaps, people are wrestling with.

Yeah. How do we balance working hard and long enough to glorify God in what he's called us to do, uh, and also finding time to rest? Yeah. It's one of those beautiful questions that, as you said, um, it's sort of pastoral. It's something that's between you and God. Mm-Hmm. , one of the dangers, I think is putting that division between six days work and one day rest.

Yeah. And, and interpreting that as six days for me, one day for God. But this question isn't doing that. That's saying, well, should I do six days for God and one day for me, I am personally not a big fan of the phrase me time. Mm-Hmm. , right? Mm-Hmm. agree. I think that's really dangerous. Yep. Me time. Um, if you're a Christian, if you're in Christ, the only time you have is Christ time, whether that's active and fatiguing physically, or whether that's passive and enjoying and whatever.

Yeah. But, but there's some way in which we should be actively enjoying and passively enjoying the world. So you look at the way, look at the way Christians work, look at the way Paul works and pours himself out as a drink offering. Yep. That was between him and Christ. Yep. Yep. He's, he's. his concept of what was required of him was to pour himself out as a drink offering on the altar.

Like it just completely poured out and evaporated, but it's okay because I depart to be with Christ. That's between him and God. How you work is up to you and God and how he empowers you. Remember the parable of the talents. He looks at people, he knows they have different capacities. He doesn't expect them to all achieve the same thing.

Yeah. He just wants them to do. What they came with, what he has given them. And he wants them to be doing that for Christ. Yeah. So I would say there is no God time and me time. It's all Christ time. How does he want you to use it? And I think there's this sort of, um, perhaps it's probably more in the Western culture where we are constantly looking for balance.

So a balanced life, a balanced this, a balanced that. And I just sometimes wonder, that's just not realistic. Um, because depending on the season of life you're in, so even using the apostle Paul, for example, as far as, as we can tell from history, he's most likely was a single guy and on mission. Uh, you know, he didn't necessarily have responsibility like some of us might have with family and grandparents and so on, as far as we know from what we can tell by the new Testament.

So his season of life is different, but the posture that he had was everything that he does is for Jesus. Yep. And so whether if he's, um, you know, in prison or whether if he's visiting churches or whether if he's, you know, in house arrest, he's content in the season God has us in. And that's, I think something we need to grow in is perhaps Colossians 1 talks about this towards the end where Paul says, after he describes Jesus in this beautiful, glorious way, then he talks about, um, proclaiming Christ, admonishing people, um, with basically who Christ is in the gospel.

And then he makes this little statement says with all of his energy. And I think for the follower of Jesus, um, Holy Spirit, the helper is in us. Yeah. He's the one who empowers us to, to do the work of Christ. And I think working hard is good. Um, You know, you do it all for the glory of God. You should do the working of hard work, as they say.

So if you're called to be at uni in the season or whatever career, what does that look like working for God's glory? Yeah. But I think also the flip side to that is my reflection has been that if We're going to bear witness to the people around us who constantly feeling that, you know, most Aussies, if you talk to them, how are you?

The first comment they say is I'm busy. Yeah, it's become this Position of who they and how they feel and I wonder there's a witness that we can have of where we have rest Because of Christ and the gospel it bears witness to people to go Oh, why aren't you necessarily climbing the corporate ladder like everybody else?

So you might make a call to actually be home and to care for your family in this season. Yeah. Almost like there's an expectation that we should be dissatisfied if we're working. Yes. That's right. And that it would be a bit counter cultural to say I'm content at the moment. That's exactly right.

Contentment. That's right. And it might also mean that, um, yeah, like. There'll be moments where you'll have seasons. Like if you're talking to someone who's starting a business, most conversations I've had with these, um, friends of ours, like there's going to be seasons where it's just hectic. Like you just have to work hard.

And, but the point is, are they carving out time to be still before God? If they have a family, what does that look like to ensure that family time is not compromised? It might be a season. So it's conversational, it's filled with grace. Yeah. Um, and. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. On that note, I can add that if you look further into the old.

Um, covenant law that the own, that the seventh day wasn't the only Sabbath rest, but that that rest happened periodically through the year. And there were other times when people got together and stopped work for their holy gatherings three times a year specifically. And that then there's the seven yearly cycle where they would stop plowing on the seventh year.

And then the 50 year cycle where there would be release of prisoners and slaves. So that acknowledges that yeah, life can get hectic. The classic example is the young kids phase where you're just constantly sleep deprived. So when you do get the chance to have the other rest times and more significant extended periods, or we talk about taking sabbaticals in the academic world, or not we, but people in the academic world talk about sabbaticals, or we have long service leave.

These are sort of Christian ideals that have been brought into our culture, that it's actually good to have a longer rest. rest. So, yeah, so they're important things to think about and God did consider those things and he is aware. One phrase that I thought was that as Christians, what we don't want to say is the solution is more regular rest.

Like I have to have the perfect weekly rest, but it's more complete rest, more complete rest in Christ. If I'm working and it's just not satisfying. Am I working for the right reasons? Those sorts of things. It opens up a big topic, doesn't it? Because it covers the whole of life, all of work and rest.

That's all of life. Yeah. Yeah. And all of our relationship with Christ can be termed Sabbath rest. So we could branch off. Yeah. And I think that second half of the question, how much is too much? I think if the rest is ultimately really, like you said, me time. And if the rest is really more about. Just selfish, uh, in the sense of it becomes leading to laziness.

That's not the kind of rest that God is talking about here, uh, in the context of Sabbath. Yeah. Um, it's, it, I think we need to be careful that we don't, a day off is a day off. When we're talking about the language of Sabbath, that's different. And it's not just a day off. Um, yeah, also I will put in this caveat, I, I don't like when, sometimes when I'm, We'd like to show that we're different from other people.

One classic historical way we show that we're different is we keep the Sabbath on Sunday. That's a classic historical way of saying we're different from everyone else. Cause we keep Sabbath on Sunday. Why aren't you doing it? Another way is the little phrases we use. So if I say, I don't like the term me time and people go out there and say, yeah, we don't use the term me time at Canterbury gardens.

I just want to acknowledge what you mean by it. You could mean it in a quite a positive way. If you mean, I just need a break from what I've been doing to spend some time living in God's world, appreciating it. What I, when I'm concerned about it, I'm concerned it's when we say, I want to shut out the world and God and just do what is pleasurable to me.

And I don't think too many people mean it like that, but it can mean that. And if we find that that's what we want, like that, that both the world and God are in the too hard basket. That's what we want to search our hearts and say, how do I. rest in Christ better. Yep. Yep. That's good. And, and I think, yeah, that's a, that's a good clarification.

And, you know, at the end of the day, it's, it's in God's kindness that he, what he's given us limits. Yep. Um, and perhaps maybe if you're someone who's thinking you're working too hard or long hours and all those kinds of things, maybe perhaps God's already prompting you. Uh, to say you're going too hard, too, too fast or too, too much.

And in his kindness, he's given you limits, how many days and hours we have the need for sleep. Uh, all these things are God's kindness to provide for us, to remind us that we're not him. The God of the universe who does not sleep or slumber. Yes. And so it's a moment of recognizing, and I think doing an intentional thing, whatever that looks like, whether it's literally a day off for you, whether if it's a weekend, whether if it's a morning.

Um, there's a lot of, um, grace in that, but I think there is an intentionality. I think there is a deliberate discipline to some extent, um, where we need to go, okay, tools down. Yeah. Um, and what that looks like depends on the season of life you're in. Seek the counsel of others. If you call Canterbury home in particular, talk to other people in our church who are ahead of you in a few seasons to ask, what did you do?

What does that look like? Yep. Yeah. So there's so much that we haven't discussed. That's a really good point. And then there's the flip side of what if you're the person that just can't abide doing any work at all? Maybe it needs to be tools up for you. Yeah, that's right. Get a bit more active. Yeah. Um, Um, to sum it up, I might just read it from this Psalm, I think will sum it up well.

And just to remember that the ultimate rest isn't a period of inactivity. The ultimate rest isn't a day off a week. The ultimate rest is being in the place that God gave us in relationship with him. So when I spoke, you'll hear if you listen to it, just like when the disciples are walking with Jesus.

Eating the grain as he's with them. That's the best place in the world for them to be with the Lord. And he makes that happen. So Psalm 127 talks about God building the temple. Why is it important that God builds a temple? Cause that's the place where he can meet with his people. So the Psalm says, Psalm 127, unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain, their work is futile.

Unless the Lord watches over the city. Um, the watchman stand guard in vain. They can't really protect the city. Only God can. It's in vain that you get up early and stay up late toiling for food to eat. It's God that gives sleep to those he loves. Whatever we're doing, unless God is behind it, unless God is empowering it, it's futile.

And if God is the one who's at work in us and through Christ, then we can rest and he can give us sleep. Yeah. Well, I think that's a good, good, uh, way to finish, uh, this one. Uh, so thanks for joining us, uh, and I pray that it's been, we pray that it's been of great encouragement to you, uh, as you live for Jesus and to live for his purposes in this world, that you will grow to know him and love him more.

And as the commandments keep pushing us into, which is ultimately to love God. and to love others, and to live in this world for that sake. Any last words, Mark, before we wrap up? Oh, I'm really thankful that you made the effort to send in the questions because it,  not only does it show that you're listening, that's not really that important.

What it shows to me is that this is relevant, that this is meaningful, and that it is hard to say everything in a short space of time. So it's nice to know that, you know, that people's mental juices are flowing and they really want to know how do we rest in the world. And it gave us this chance to talk.

So thanks. No worries. Well, bless you everyone. Catch you soon.