Honoring the Sabbath
In Session 3, you will learn more about the fourth commandment: Honor the Sabbath day and keep it holy.
We will do this by seeing three important principles:
God Created Us to Work
God Calls us to Rest
How We Are to Honor the Sabbath
Part 1
God Created Us to Work
Key Points from Part 1
Work Before the Fall
Work was always fulfilling, life-giving, and enjoyable.
Work had not been placed under the curse of sin.
Adam imaged God in the way he worked.
Work After the Fall
Work becomes difficult.
People become lazy.
People become “workaholics.”
God created us to work, but because of sin, our work is cursed.
Review Questions
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Work was perfect and fulfilling.
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The Fall made work difficult. It also changed our demeanor toward work, causing us to have proclivities to both over-work and not work enough.
Key Points from Part 2
The Sabbath Mirrors the Pattern God Set in Creation
Keeping the Sabbath holy means setting the Sabbath day apart from the others; recognizing the Sabbath as a special day in our weeks.
For six days we image God in our work, and then on the seventh day we image Him in our rest. God is pleased with our rest as much as our work.
We Sabbath to Show God that We Trust in His Providence
Refusal to rest from our work demonstrates a lack of trust that the Lord will provide for us.
Rest from Work so We Can Rest in Worship
The command to Sabbath is still relevant today.
Martyn Lloyd-Jones: “Sabbath observance is a part of the moral law. Not ceremonial. The moral law, the Ten Commandments in particular, has been laid down for all time… The moral law has never been revoked and is to be perpetually observed."
The Sabbath is a day set aside for the worship of God.
Review Questions
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Yes. God rested from His work in creation on the seventh day (Genesis 2:2). Also, the Lord Jesus observed the Sabbath as well (Matthew 5:17).
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Yes. God commands us to rest for one day of the week from our work, and obeying this is part of honoring God with our lives (Exodus 20:8). Additionally, honoring the Sabbath shows that we trust God to provide even when we stop working.
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Yes, the Fourth Commandment is part of God’s unchanging moral law, which means that it is still applied to all people today.
Key Points from Lesson 3:
The Christian Sabbath should generally be on Sunday
The Apostle John refers to Sunday as the “Lord’s Day” (Revelation 1:10).
Sunday is the day when the Church assembles to worship.
We must rest from our work on Sunday
Rest from your vocation, school, and housework (if possible).
Organize your week to get work done on the other 6 days.
Christ is our Sabbath Rest
Remember the work that Christ accomplished for your salvation.
Take one day to specifically rest in the finished work of Christ on your behalf.
Review Questions
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On Sunday. This is the day Christ rose from the dead, the day John identifies as the “Lord’s Day,” and the day when the Church gathers to worship.
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In an exceptional circumstance, if a Christian is unable to observe the Sabbath on a Sunday, he or she may rest from their work on a different day of the week.
Questions for Further Discussion
In 1-2 sentences, describe the meaning of the fourth commandment.
If God created us to work, why do we sometimes find work unfulfilling? Is it a problem with the work or ourselves? Where do you see this in your own life?
How is resting from work connected to our worship of God? How does a refusal to rest rob God of our worship?
What are valid reasons to miss Church on Sunday? How can I still honor God on the sabbath if I’m unable to attend the gathering?
Do you tend toward overwork or laziness? How does God’s command to work (Six days you shall labor) and His command to rest (the seventh day is a Sabbath) challenge you here?