Jesus is our Sabbath Rest

The Sabbath

God created the universe and everything in it and on the seventh day He rested because He had finished His work.  He called it the Sabbath.   He blessed it and sanctified this day.  This command is the fourth of the Ten Commandments found in Exodus 20:1-17.  God said to remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.  It is one of the most important commandments relating to our relationship with and our worship of God. 

We are to remember this day, meaning we should not forget to take a day off.  We are to keep it holy, meaning to set it aside from all other days as a special day.  It is to be a day for the Lord.  It should be God-centered rest.  We can keep it holy by focusing on our holy God.  It should be one day out of seven.  You work six, rest one.  The Sabbath actually means ‘rest’ not seventh.  The Bible doesn’t say it has to be the last day or the first day of the week.  There is no mention of weeks here.

The seventh day comes from Genesis 2:2-3.  It’s the day God rested after creating the universe.  When God finished His work, He blessed it and made it holy.  Your attention should be on Him and not others things as in the other six days that are spent on secular affairs and professional advancement.

The Sabbath is not a day of dos and don’ts.  So don’t be legalistic about it.  Don’t look at what you can’t do.  Its original intention was to be good news.  The Sabbath command is a command to experience joy.  God’s purpose for us is that we have a joyful experience.  It’s a gracious gift given to us by God.

Matthew 12 tells us what Jesus thought about the Sabbath.  He used it as a day for showing mercy and for doing good.  It’s a day to focus on the Lord.  Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath.

What about Saturday evening church services?  Some use Saturday as their Sabbath and others use Sunday.  We could view it as the Jews do.  Their week begins at 6:00 pm on Saturday.  We could view it as lengthening of the Sunday Sabbath.   We could also think of it as an extra service in the week.  We need to remember the Sabbath was made for man not man for the Sabbath.  “One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike.  Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.” – Romans 14:4. 

Principle:  Accept the gift of one day’s rest each week devoting this day and focus on God keeping it holy.

How are you keeping the Sabbath?

Do you fall into legalism when keeping the Sabbath?

God’s Ultimate Rest

One day we will experience God’s ultimate rest in heaven.  It won’t be just one day of rest.  It will be continual rest.  God calls us into His rest (Heb 4).  We don’t have to wait until we get to heaven to experience this rest today.  Jesus offers us rest and peace now in an unburdened life.

You’ve probably heard the saying “No rest for wicked”.  It comes from Isaiah 57:21 – “There is no peace, says my God, for the wicked.”  Well that is true.  Wickedness is a synonym for evil or sinfulness.  Evil is to be in opposition to God.  It is the absence of good.  God didn’t create evil, but he does allow it.  He gave us free will and from that we make the choice to do good or to do evil.

Rest in the Bible means to relax in peace.  God’s rest is a place where God rules.  It is free from chaos and disorder brought about by sin and rebellion.  God’s rest was disturbed by the fall of man.  The Sabbath is God restoring rest for a time. 

 There are levels to God’s rest.  One level is the Sabbath taking time to stop doing our usual work.  Another level is to be in fellowship with God leaving chaos of the world behind and looking forward to heaven.  Another is God’s final rest we will receive in heaven forever.  We can have God’s rest right now.  We call this salvation.  Those who believe in and accept Jesus can have peace and rest knowing one day they will be in heaven and live in God’s ultimate rest.  “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” – Matthew 11:28.

We enter God’s rest daily by understanding our inability to enter on our own.  We enter by our total faith and belief in the sacrifice of Christ and complete obedience to God and His will.  So live by grace and enjoy His rest.  When you find yourself frustrated or feeling overwhelmed, remember to get your focus back on Him and enter into His rest once again.  Then you can rest in the storms of life.

Principle:  Enter God’s Rest through faith and belief in Jesus Christ.

Signs you are missing God’s Rest:

You’re making unwise choices

You lack self-control

You are easily angered

You can’t control your emotions

You’re sick a lot

You’re tired all the time

You don’t get enough sleep

You often have negative thoughts

You’ve lost your hunger for God’s Word

You have no desire to serve

You’re anxious most of the time

You’re depressed

Hindrances to Entering God’s Rest:

Lack of faith

Lack of knowledge to His Word

Sinning

Immorality

Pride

Depending on your own wisdom

Thinking you know more than God

Excess worrying

Not accepting His grace

Rejection

Unbelief

Stubbornness

Unrepentant heart

How can we enter into God’s Rest?

The concept of entering into God’s rest is found in Hebrews 3-4.  Hebrews 3 warns against falling away.  Hebrews 4 talks about God’s rest for His people.  “It still remains that some will enter that rest, and those who formerly had the gospel preached to them did not go in, because of their disobedience…if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.” – Hebrews 4:7.  Faith is the key to entering God’s rest.  We are not to be disobedient and distrusting like the Israelites.  We are to rest on God’s promises.  The promise of salvation through God’s provision, Jesus Christ provides eternal rest.  He alone provides rest through His blood that He shed on the cross. 

Jesus is our Sabbath Rest.  Matthew 12:8 – “For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”  He is our Sabbath rest in the flesh.  Only in Him can we find rest and peace.  We don’t have to work to achieve our salvation.  He is our rest from works.

When we possess rest in Jesus, our daily pain doesn’t seem so bad.  We are refreshed and our minds and bodies are relaxed.  We are able to operate our lives in peace and achieve our goals.  Our minds are calm and restful.  We are not as rattled by things that happen in our lives, because we have His rest and peace.  We know and trust that Jesus is by our side in all circumstances.  We are confident and assured of eternal life with God..

Join me here next time. -- I encourage you to trust in and have faith in Jesus.

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Who is God and Why Should He Be Worshiped?

 

There are many descriptions and names for God in Scripture.  There are even references to God by the term, “Name”. 

Abraham called on the Name of the Lord.  The Lord proclaimed His own Name before Moses.  Israel was warned against profaning the Name of the Lord.  The Name of the Lord was not to be taken in vain.  The Name of God is called “wonderful”.  To call on the Name of the Lord was to worship Him as God.

Some other names for God/Jesus used in Scripture are:

A Chief Cornerstone            A living Stone                     Friend

Father of Lights                   The Great High Priest        A Hiding Place

Father of Israel                    A Consuming Fire               My Fortress

A Man of Sorrows                A Man of War                      Deliverer

Savior                                     A Sanctuary                          Refuge

A Shelter                               A stumbling block               Shield

A Strong Tower                    A star out of Jacob              Strong Rock

A Sure Foundation               Almighty God                      Shepherd

Alpha and Omega                Ancient of days                    Redeemer

Author of Peace                   Author of salvation             Judge

Ancient of Days                    Wonderful Counselor         Lord

Creator                                  Faithful and True                Prince of Peace

Everlasting King                  King of Kings                       Son of Man

Holy Spirit                            Holy One of Israel               Son of God

Holy Ghost                           Hope of Israel                       Son of David

Jesus Christ                          Jehovah                                 The Bridegroom

There are many, many other names used for God, too numerous for this post.  But who is He really?

God is our Creator.

We first learn about Him in the book of Genesis.  He spoke the earth, sky, sea and sea creatures, plant and human life into existence.  He is the creator and sustainer of the universe.  “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” – Genesis 1:1

God is Sovereign. 

He is omnipotent, which means all-powerful.  He is omnipresent, which means He is everywhere at the same time.  He has always existed.  “Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.” – Psalm 115:3.  “The heart of man plans his steps, but the Lord determines his steps.” – Proverbs 16:9

God is Holy.

He is pure and cannot look upon sin.  He is perfect.  Sin separates us from Him. “His eyes are too pure to look upon evil” – Hab. 1:13

God is Trinity.

You won’t find the word “Trinity” in Scripture, but there are many verses that refer to all three members of the Trinity.  He is three persons in one.  He is God the Father, God the Son (Jesus) and God the Holy Spirit.  Think of it as the nature of time.  Time is past, present and future.  None of time is the same, but they are all time.

God is Love. 

He loves us so much that He sent part of Himself, His Son Jesus to earth to live and die which opened the door for us to be reconciled to Him.  He did this while we were still sinners – before we believed in and accepted Jesus as our Savior.  “Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” – 1 John 4:8 

God is Faithful.

The Bible is full of promises made to and for individuals.  Even though His people turned away and sought other gods and their own desires, He remained faithful by giving them chance after chance to repent and return to Him.  He does the same for us.  “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promises is faithful.” – Hebrews 10:23 

God is Knowable.

In this life we will never fully comprehend who or what God is, but we know things about Him and they are absolutely true.  He has provided knowledge of himself that is personal, relational, and sufficient for faithful, godly living.   He is not hidden from us.  He wants us to know Him personally.  We do that by talking with Him in prayer and by reading and studying the Bible, which is God speaking to us.  “Now this is eternal life; that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, who you have sent.” – John 17:3 

God is Merciful.

He continues to forgive us even when we don’t deserve it.   He is truthful, compassionate.    James 5:11 – “…The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.”  “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning, great is your faithfulness.” – Lamentations 3:22-23.

God is Judge.

Judgment ultimately belongs to Him alone, which Scripture tells us time and again.  He is the one who will judge the righteous and the wicked.  On that final day, He will judge all people.  Some He will let into His eternal kingdom and some He will not.  “For the Lord is our judge; the Lord is our lawgiver; the Lord is our king; he will save us.” – Isaiah 33:22. “But it is God who judges, he brings one down, he exalts another.” – Psalm 75:7.  “But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.” – 1 Peter 4:4

God is Unchanging.

He is immutable.  It’s impossible for His character to mutate.  His power cannot be diminished.  He cannot be anything but holy.  We can always trust in His holiness, justice, goodness, love, and every other attribute of His being.   “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” – Hebrews 13:8

God is Truth.

Jesus said Himself that He was truth.  That is part of His divine nature.  We can trust anything He reveals in Scripture.  Scripture says it is impossible for Him to lie.  “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.” – John 14:6.  “A faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time.” – Titus 1:2

God is Invisible.

The Bible doesn’t tell us what God looks like, because He is a spiritual being (no body, face or any physical form).  He is far greater than anything we can imagine.  Scripture says that Jesus is “the image of the invisible God” – Colossians 1:15.  We discover what God is really like in the pages of the Bible. “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever.  Amen.” – 1 Timothy 1:17

God is Spirit.

He is not a more complex physical being.  He is not restricted to seeing, hearing, or being in a single location.  Although we were made in His image doesn’t mean we have some physical resemblance to Him, but we do share his moral and rational nature.  He is immaterial, immortal, invisible, intelligent, a willing and an active being.  He differs from other spirits because He is an infinite spirit and an eternal spirit that has on beginning or end.  “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” – John 4:24

God is Eternal.

He is everlasting and has no beginning and no end.  “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” – Revelation 22:13 

God is the One True God.

He is distinguished from all the false gods that have deluded mankind.  He is the only one who is the sovereign, self-existent Creator of the universe.  He is eternal, personal, possesses knowledge of all things, present in all places and the same time, and is unchanging.  No other god possesses the attributes.  “I am the Lord, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God.” – Isaiah 45:5

So now do you know who God is?  He is the Creator and the Redeemer of all mankind.  He is omnipotent (all-powerful), omniscient (all-knowing), and omnipresent (all-present).  He made everything and sustains everything.  He wants a personal relationship with us.  He invites us to talk with Him and bring our concerns to Him.  He is faithful and trustworthy.  What He says, He means.  He never changes.  His wisdom is unlimited.  He has a plan and for us and our world and no one can stop Him.  He is powerful and unstoppable.  Nothing is impossible for God!

Join me here next time. -- I encourage you to trust in and have faith in Jesus.

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Reasons to Look Up

Are you ever discouraged?  Are you ever depressed?  It’s time to take a little Spiritual inventory.  If you have truly been born again through faith in Jesus Christ, you have lots of things to look forward to so look up.  “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.” – 1 Cor. 2:9.

Remember:

You will receive a new body - “in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.  For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.” – 1 Cor. 15:52

You will get a new custom house.  He prepares a perfect home for you – “In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so I would have told you.  I am going there to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also by be where I am.” – John 14:2-3.

You will be like Christ – “… But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.” – 1 John 3:2.

We will meet Old Testament Saints – “I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.” – Matt. 8:11.

You will see and speak to loved ones who have died in their faith – “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.  After that we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.  And so we will be with the Lord forever.” – 1 Thess. 4:16-17.

You will never suffer again – “Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst.  The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat.  For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living.  And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” – Rev. 7:16-17.

You will live in a perfect world – “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away…..” – Rev. 21.

You will fall for the final time, not falling short, but will fall on your knees in praise – “As surely as I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.” – Rom. 14:11; Is. 45:23.

You will participate in awesome worship – “After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude….and they cried out in a loud voice: ‘Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb’.  All the angels were standing around the throne….They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: ‘Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever.  Amen!” – Rev. 7:9-12.

You will see God! – “…in my flesh I will see God.” – Job 19:26.  “…we shall see him as he is” – 1 John 3:2.

So in times of doubt and discouragement, remember whose you are.  Remember God’s faithfulness.  Ask God to strengthen your faith as you go through life’s struggles.  Our faith is strengthened when we know God’s Word and when we are patient and obedient to Him.  We must know God’s character and that He keeps His promises.  We must trust God.  As you persevere through life, remember who holds your hand and what He has promised.

Join me here next time.  --  I encourage you to trust in and have faith in Jesus.

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