Participants:
Series Code: PME
Program Code: PME241109S
|
00:02 ♪
00:22 ♪ 00:29 >> ♪ I heard 00:37 >> ♪ Come, weary one, 00:40 leave thy labors ♪ 00:44 ♪ Come lift thy head, 00:47 see thy Savior and Friend ♪ 00:54 ♪ His arms are opened wide 00:57 ♪ O soul, be satisfied 01:01 ♪ Come find His rest 01:08 ♪ Take His yoke upon thee 01:14 ♪ For He is gentle 01:18 and lowly in heart ♪ 01:23 ♪ So learn from Christ the Lord 01:27 thy portion and reward ♪ 01:31 ♪ Come find His rest 01:34 >> ♪ I heard the voice of 01:40 Jesus say ♪ 01:48 ♪ Come, weary one, 01:50 leave thy labors ♪ 01:52 >> ♪ Leave thy labors 01:55 >> ♪ Come lift thy head, 01:57 see thy Savior and Friend ♪ 02:03 ♪ His arms are opened wide 02:07 ♪ O soul, be satisfied 02:10 ♪ Come find His rest 02:16 ♪ Take His yoke upon thee 02:22 ♪ For He is gentle 02:25 and lowly in heart ♪ 02:31 ♪ So learn from Christ the Lord 02:34 thy portion and reward ♪ 02:38 ♪ Come find His rest 02:41 >> ♪ Come find His rest 02:49 >> ♪ I heard 02:50 >> ♪ Come, weary one 02:53 >> ♪ The voice 02:54 >> ♪ Come, weary one 02:56 >> ♪ Of Jesus say 02:58 >> ♪ Lift thy head 03:03 ♪ I heard the voice of 03:07 Jesus say ♪ 03:09 ♪ "Come unto me and rest 03:16 ♪ Lay down, o weary one 03:20 ♪ Lay down Your head upon my 03:26 breast" ♪ 03:28 ♪ I came to Jesus as I was 03:35 ♪ So weary, worn, and sad 03:41 ♪ I found in Him 03:44 a resting place ♪ 03:48 ♪ And He has made me glad 04:02 >> ♪ Take His yoke upon thee 04:09 ♪ For He is gentle 04:13 and lowly in heart ♪ 04:18 ♪ So learn from Christ the Lord 04:22 thy portion and reward ♪ 04:26 ♪ Come find His rest 04:29 >> ♪ Heard the voice 04:31 of Jesus say ♪ 04:35 >> ♪ "Come unto me and rest 04:41 >> ♪ Come find His rest 04:44 >> ♪ Come find His rest 04:46 >> ♪ Come unto me and rest 04:54 >> ♪ Come 04:59 >> ♪ Come 05:01 >> ♪ Come 05:07 >> ♪ Come 05:15 [ Cheers and applause ] 05:23 ♪ 05:25 ♪ 11:46 ♪ 11:48 ♪ 11:50 ♪ 11:52 ♪ 11:54 ♪ 11:56 ♪ 11:58 ♪ 12:00 ♪ 12:02 ♪ 12:04 ♪ 12:06 ♪ 12:07 ♪ 12:09 ♪ 12:11 ♪ 12:13 ♪ 12:15 ♪ 12:17 ♪ 12:19 ♪ 12:21 ♪ 12:23 ♪ 12:25 ♪ 12:27 ♪ 12:29 ♪ 12:31 ♪ 12:33 ♪ 12:35 ♪ 12:37 ♪ 12:39 ♪ 12:41 ♪ 12:43 ♪ 12:45 ♪ 12:47 ♪ 12:49 ♪ 12:51 ♪ 12:53 ♪ 12:55 ♪ 13:00 >> Welcome to the second 13:01 and final installment 13:02 of this brief series 13:04 entitled "The Cure 13:05 for the Chaotic Life." 13:08 In Part 1, 13:09 we began by asking the question, 13:10 how can we survive 13:13 the incredible stress 13:14 that life throws our way, 13:16 particularly given 13:16 that the Bible 13:17 says that stress is 13:18 actually probably going 13:19 to increase as we get closer 13:20 to the end of time? 13:21 What can be done? 13:22 And we found 13:23 that a major part 13:25 of the solution to 13:26 that problem is God's park 13:29 in time, the Sabbath. 13:31 The biblical 13:33 observation of the Sabbath 13:35 and the blessings that it brings 13:35 can go a long ways 13:37 towards dealing with the stress 13:39 that comes our way. 13:41 And we found that in order 13:43 for that blessing of the Sabbath 13:45 to -- We said 13:46 there's three purposes, 13:47 three blessings of the Sabbath, 13:48 and in order to receive 13:48 those blessings, 13:49 there is a condition. 13:51 Let me just remind 13:52 you what that was. 13:53 We need to stop working 13:55 and start resting. 13:57 This is the condition 13:58 upon which the rest 13:59 of the Sabbath blessing here 14:00 can take place in. 14:01 Stop working and start resting. 14:04 We noted, after looking at 14:06 some troubling health statistics 14:07 of how we kill ourselves off 14:08 through stress, 14:09 that, indeed, we need this. 14:12 And, yet, as good as the 14:15 physical rest is, it's not 14:18 the point of the Sabbath. 14:20 There's more to it. Much more. 14:22 In fact, these three purposes, 14:23 these three blessings, by far 14:25 and away, are better even than 14:27 the physical rest 14:28 that the Sabbath provides. 14:29 We looked at the first purpose, 14:30 the first blessing 14:31 of the Sabbath, 14:32 that we said that the purpose 14:33 of the Sabbath here, number one, 14:34 to remind us 14:36 that God is our creator. 14:38 You recall, if you were here, 14:39 this is the most important thing 14:41 we can know and say about God. 14:42 Everything 14:43 else about our relationship 14:44 to Him is predicated, 14:46 it is based on this 14:47 one foundational fact. 14:51 And without further delay, 14:53 let's get to purpose 14:54 number two. 14:56 If you have a Bible, 14:57 take a look, please, 14:57 at Genesis 1:11. 15:00 Genesis Chapter 1, 15:02 beginning with Verse 11. 15:03 It's on Page 1 15:05 in the red Bible 15:06 that's probably sitting 15:07 somewhere nearby you in the pew. 15:09 Page 1, Genesis 1. 15:11 Last week, we were 15:12 in Genesis 2. 15:14 In Genesis 1, we find, of 15:16 course, the story of creation. 15:17 The first six days of creation 15:19 are ensconced in Chapter 1. 15:21 We're going to look here 15:21 at day number three, 15:23 and this is 15:24 what we find happening. 15:26 Genesis 1:11. 15:27 "Then God said, 'Let the land 15:30 produce vegetation, 15:32 seed-bearing plants, and trees 15:34 on the land that bear fruit 15:35 with seed in it according 15:36 to their various kinds.' 15:38 And it was so. 15:40 The land produced vegetation, 15:41 plants bearing seeds according 15:43 to their kinds, and trees 15:44 bearing fruit with seed 15:45 in it according to their kinds. 15:47 And God saw that it was good. 15:50 And there was evening, and there 15:51 was morning the third day." 15:56 The second purpose 15:57 of the Sabbath is to remind us 16:00 that God is our sustainer. 16:03 God is our creator and, 16:05 secondly, God is our sustainer. 16:07 And some of you are scratching 16:07 your head, saying, 16:08 "Well, how'd you pull that 16:09 out of Genesis 1:11?" 16:11 Well, notice carefully what 16:12 God is doing there. 16:14 Some of those words 16:14 were particularly 16:15 important in that passage. 16:17 God is not merely creating 16:19 for a moment. 16:22 He is, instead, making provision 16:24 for ongoing life. 16:26 That's what 16:27 the seeds were all about. 16:28 You know, "Let them produce 16:30 things with seeds according to 16:31 their kind." 16:32 In other words, 16:33 God wasn't just simply saying, 16:34 "Let's make something once." 16:36 You know, eternal plants, 16:37 you know, eternal sunflower is 16:38 going to be there with no 16:39 seeds." 16:40 Okay? He didn't do that. 16:41 Instead, He makes provision 16:43 for there to be generation 16:45 after generation 16:46 after generation. 16:47 And notice carefully -- 16:48 this continuance of life 16:50 over time for generation 16:52 after generation 16:53 is not self-sustaining, but is 16:58 rather -- listen carefully -- 16:59 constantly fueled, moment 17:02 by moment, by God Himself. 17:07 You say, "How do you know?" 17:08 Well, my Bible tells me so. 17:09 Acts 17. 17:10 Let me put it up here 17:11 on the screen for you. 17:11 Verses 24, 25, and 28. 17:13 Paul is preaching here 17:15 to, essentially, a group 17:16 of non-believers 17:16 there on Mars Hill. 17:17 He says, "The God 17:19 who made the world --" So 17:20 referring back, Genesis 1, 17:22 just like we talked about -- 17:23 "and everything in it 17:24 is the Lord of heaven and earth 17:26 and does not live 17:27 in temples made by human hands. 17:28 And He is not served 17:29 by human hands, 17:30 as if he needed anything. 17:32 Rather, He Himself 17:35 gives everyone life and breath 17:38 and everything else." 17:40 And then Verse 28 -- "For in him 17:42 we live and move and have 17:44 our --" What's that last word? 17:46 Being. 17:47 Do you see what that means? 17:48 Do you see what that means? 17:50 The Greek here, 17:51 the word that's translated 17:52 in English as "gives" -- 17:53 it's a participle. 17:55 In other words, 17:55 it indicates ongoing action, 17:57 continuous action. 17:58 God himself gives life, breath, 18:02 everything continuously, 18:04 in an ongoing display. 18:05 In other words, God didn't make 18:08 sunflowers and then made 18:10 them self-sustaining. 18:11 God didn't breathe life 18:13 into Adam and Eve and then make 18:14 them self-sustaining. 18:16 No. Instead, the only reason 18:18 anything lives in this universe 18:20 is because God is. 18:23 I say again, 18:24 the only reason anything 18:27 lives is because, moment 18:28 by moment, God makes it so. 18:31 He is our sustainer. 18:34 Now let that sink in. 18:35 What that means is, 18:36 your heart beating right now. 18:38 Da-dum... 18:38 da-dum... 18:39 da-dum. 18:40 Or those of you that haven't 18:41 been working out enough 18:42 recently -- da-da-da-da-da-da. 18:44 Right? 18:45 Those that are really excited 18:46 about the sermon 18:47 I'm preaching right now -- 18:47 dadadadadada. 18:48 Alright? The only reason 18:50 it takes the next beat is 18:51 because God is. 18:53 The only reason that you can... 18:55 [ Breathes deeply ] 18:56 ...take a breath and exhale, 18:57 take another breath is 18:58 because God allows it to be so. 19:00 He is the source of life. 19:02 He is the source of power. 19:03 This is impossible, but if God 19:05 were to cease to exist, 19:06 everything else would, too, 19:08 because He is the source. 19:11 He is the sustainer. 19:13 G.K. Chesterton, 19:14 the famous English journalist, 19:16 was onto something 19:17 when he said, essentially, 19:18 the only reason that the sun 19:20 gets up each morning is 19:21 because God looks and says, 19:22 "Okay, do it again." 19:26 This connectedness of God to us. 19:30 He is our sustainer. 19:33 And the Sabbath is there 19:34 to remind us of that fact. 19:35 And isn't it interesting? 19:37 Most of the time, 19:39 most of the world believes 19:41 that the reason why there is 19:43 bread on the table and gas 19:45 in the tank and clothes 19:46 on their back is 19:48 because they earned it 19:49 and they themselves alone. 19:52 But my Bible tells me 19:53 that all the gold and 19:54 all the silver belong to God. 19:55 Everything that we have is His. 19:57 We're just stewarding it 19:58 for a time. 20:00 And so every seventh day, 20:01 Friday sundown 20:02 to Saturday sundown, 20:03 we stop working 20:06 and we recognize the fact 20:07 that God is our sustainer 20:09 and we prove it, as well, 20:11 because when the sun goes down 20:12 on Saturday night, 20:14 we've still got clothes 20:15 on our back and food on the 20:16 table and gas in the tank, 20:19 because God is our sustainer. 20:24 Purpose number three. 20:26 We actually mentioned this 20:27 very briefly in Part 1, 20:29 and we did it in probably one 20:30 of the most obvious texts 20:31 that illustrates 20:32 this point in the Bible. 20:32 Let me just remind you. 20:33 Psalm 51:10. 20:42 The third purpose of the Sabbath 20:44 is to remind us 20:45 that God is our redeemer. 20:46 The Sabbath reminds us 20:48 that God is our creator, 20:49 that He is our sustainer, 20:51 and that He is our redeemer. 20:53 You'll remember, 20:53 as we said in Part 1, 20:55 salvation is an act of creation. 20:56 Only the creator 20:58 can be our redeemer. 20:59 And, furthermore, 21:00 the seventh-day Sabbath is 21:02 a reminder that, as our 21:04 redeemer, God, much as He did 21:05 with the seeds in Genesis 1, 21:07 does not merely save us 21:08 for a moment and then walk 21:10 away saying, "Good luck. 21:11 Hope you make it." 21:12 But, rather, through 21:13 His redemptive work, 21:14 He continually 21:15 strives to transform us. 21:17 The Bible tells us this. 21:18 Maybe you've seen this. 21:18 Ezekiel 20:12. 21:20 God is speaking. 21:20 He says... 21:30 In other words, 21:32 That's not 21:32 what redemption is about. 21:34 It's the whole package deal. 21:35 He transforms us from within 21:37 that we might become more 21:38 and more like Him, 21:39 that we might know Him 21:40 better and better. 21:42 You know, it's funny. 21:43 Sometimes, Seventh-Day 21:44 Adventists are accused of 21:45 being legalists 21:46 because they keep 21:47 the seventh-day Sabbath. 21:48 They say, "Oh, you guys 21:49 are trying to earn your way 21:50 into the kingdom, right?" 21:52 And, in fact, the Bible says 21:53 exactly the opposite. 21:55 The Bible declares 21:56 that if you genuinely keep 21:57 the Sabbath holy, 21:58 you are recognizing 21:59 that it is a sign 22:00 between you and God 22:01 that you cannot save yourself, 22:03 that only God can save you. 22:06 I mean, it's the ultimate 22:06 anti-legalist exercise to 22:08 observe the seventh-day Sabbath, 22:10 because that's what it means. 22:11 God is the one who sanctifies us 22:13 and not we ourselves. 22:16 Now let's just pause 22:19 and bask for a moment here 22:20 in these three purposes. 22:22 The Sabbath reminds us 22:23 that God is our creator 22:24 and our sustainer 22:26 and our redeemer. 22:28 And I want you to ponder again, 22:30 how would the world be different 22:33 if everyone freely chose 22:36 to observe the Sabbath? 22:39 I mean, think about that. 22:40 What difference 22:41 would it make today? 22:42 How would the news cycle be 22:44 different if everybody did this? 22:46 What content would be 22:47 in the news cycle 22:48 that's not there now? 22:49 I mean, it's extraordinary. 22:50 What would happen to chaotic 22:52 lives the world over 22:53 if everyone freely chose, 22:54 on every Sabbath day, 22:56 to stop working and stop resting 22:58 so they could be reminded afresh 23:00 of the profound love and power 23:01 and safety there is in knowing 23:03 that God is our creator 23:04 and our sustainer 23:05 and our redeemer? 23:07 The difference 23:07 would be astonishing. 23:11 In fact, Ellen White sums it up 23:11 like this. 23:12 This is "Life Sketches," 23:13 Page 96. 23:14 She says... 23:27 Wow! 23:34 Ladies and gentlemen, 23:35 that is astonishing. 23:37 And, in essence, 23:38 what she is saying -- 23:39 and the Scriptures 23:40 that we looked at so far 23:40 are saying -- 23:42 is that the Sabbath experience 23:44 is one of the keys 23:46 to a meaningful, deep 23:48 relationship with Jesus Christ. 23:51 You know, 23:52 sometimes, people get -- they 23:54 get all caught up 23:55 and they think the point is 23:56 the day and the specifics 23:59 of the day. 24:00 Those things are very important, 24:01 but it's not the point. 24:02 The main point of the day 24:04 at this time in history for us 24:06 is that, through it, 24:07 we might know Jesus Christ. 24:09 John 17:3, Jesus said it. 24:11 "And this is eternal life, 24:13 that they may know you --" 24:14 He points to His Father 24:15 in heaven -- "and Jesus Christ, 24:16 whom you have sent." 24:17 Salvation is a relationship 24:18 with Jesus Christ. 24:20 And the Sabbath 24:21 specializes in this, 24:22 because, you see, the Sabbath is 24:24 Jesus' calling card. 24:25 Every seven days, he presents 24:27 to you his qualifications 24:28 to be the best friend you've 24:29 ever had and your savior. 24:31 He is your creator. 24:32 In other words, 24:33 life has purpose. 24:34 You were created for a reason. 24:35 You're not 24:36 a product of evolution. 24:37 You're not meaningless, you 24:38 know, going around doing nothing 24:39 for no purpose. 24:40 God made you. 24:41 He knows you. 24:42 He has plans for your life. 24:43 God is your sustainer. 24:45 You don't have to sweat. 24:46 "How in the world -- Are my 24:47 bread and water 24:47 going to be sure?" 24:48 Yes, they will be, 24:49 because God is 24:50 your sustainer and God is 24:52 your redeemer, as well. 24:53 You don't have to be a slave 24:55 to sin any longer. 24:56 Jesus Christ died to set you 24:58 free, and the Sabbath 25:00 encapsulates all of this. 25:05 What an awesome blessing 25:06 God has given to us. 25:11 Which naturally brings up 25:13 the question, 25:15 how can we be sure that 25:18 we will receive this blessing? 25:21 How can we be sure that these 25:23 three purposes, these three 25:25 blessings of the Sabbath 25:26 will, indeed, be ours, 25:28 that we might know Jesus better 25:29 and better and better? 25:31 Well, as it turns out, to fully 25:34 receive these blessings... 25:39 How can I put this? 25:40 I wish I could skip 25:43 the next part of this sermon. 25:45 I do. 25:47 Not because it's bad, 25:49 but, simply, I don't like 25:50 the reasons it's necessary. 25:50 It is necessary 25:52 because, unfortunately, 25:53 the devil reads his Bible, too. 25:56 Oh, that Satan were illiterate 25:57 are not able to read. 25:58 That would be marvelous. 26:00 But he can. 26:01 And he reads well. 26:02 And he knows 26:03 that the Sabbath is one 26:05 of the greatest gifts 26:06 that God has given to humankind. 26:08 And so if you were the devil 26:09 and you knew that 26:10 from the beginning, 26:11 what would you spend 26:12 the last 6,000 years doing? 26:14 Trying to defeat 26:16 the blessing of the Sabbath. 26:17 Make it inaccessible. 26:18 If people recognize it, make the 26:20 experience terrible, right? 26:22 And the devil's been 26:23 at it for a long time. 26:24 So I do need to say a couple 26:25 of things here about 26:26 how it is that we can be sure 26:28 that we will receive 26:29 the Sabbath blessing, 26:30 because, as it turns out, 26:31 there are some things 26:33 that we need to avoid doing 26:35 and there are some things 26:36 that we need to start doing. 26:39 For instance, 26:41 three things to avoid. 26:43 Number one... 26:48 And some of you are thinking, 26:49 "Well, Pastor Shane, 26:50 we've already talked about that. 26:52 Why are we going back to this?" 26:53 Because we need to go 26:54 a little bit deeper 26:55 in this understanding of work -- 26:56 not because I say so, 26:58 but because the Bible does. 27:00 You see, the devil, along the 27:01 way -- actually, fairly early on 27:03 in the salvation history of 27:04 God's people began to stray in 27:07 ways as the devil led them to 27:08 stray, and so God 27:09 had to help bring them back. 27:10 So understand, the command 27:12 in Exodus 20, 27:13 when it says, "In it --" 27:14 in the Sabbath day -- 27:15 "thou shalt not do any work," 27:17 that obviously 27:18 includes our professions, 27:19 or if you're a student, 27:20 it includes studentia, you know, 27:22 being student-like, right? 27:24 Okay? We get that. 27:25 But it also goes 27:26 a little further. 27:28 For instance, 27:29 the Bible gives examples 27:31 of the requirement to avoid 27:33 unnecessary work in general 27:36 on the Sabbath, 27:38 not just as connected to one's 27:41 specific occupation. 27:42 Do you understand 27:43 the distinction 27:44 that I'm making here? 27:46 For instance, 27:48 if you were to look at places 27:49 like Numbers 15, Jeremiah 17, 27:50 to some extent, Nehemiah 13, 27:52 as well, you will find there 27:54 this deeper understanding 27:56 of the work that we ought 27:57 not to be doing on the Sabbath. 27:59 So, on Sabbath, let's be clear, 28:01 we are, indeed, to cease 28:03 our usual occupations, our jobs, 28:05 or if we're students, 28:05 stop studenting. 28:07 And we also may need to avoid 28:10 things like unnecessary home 28:12 repairs, 28:14 either for ourselves or others, 28:16 unnecessary yard work, again, 28:17 either for ourselves or others, 28:19 unnecessary auto repair 28:20 or cleaning or cooking 28:21 or homework, et cetera. 28:22 And as we hinted at in Part 1, 28:25 the reason God asked us to stop 28:27 these things is not 28:28 because these things are evil 28:29 in general to do. 28:30 No, no. 28:31 The reason 28:32 He wants us to stop these 28:33 is to create the space 28:34 in our lives that is necessary 28:37 to receive the three 28:38 main blessings of the Sabbath, 28:40 that we might know Jesus better. 28:41 In other words, 28:42 this is not a burden. 28:43 This is a blessing. 28:45 The things that we get to stop 28:47 doing on the Sabbath -- 28:48 praise the Lord -- 28:49 that's a blessing. 28:52 One tip on this. 28:54 If you're going to achieve 28:55 the goal of avoiding 28:57 unnecessary work on the Sabbath, 28:58 might I suggest 29:00 that you plan ahead? 29:02 You need to plan ahead. 29:05 You know, Luke 23:52-54, 29:07 it gives 29:09 It calls it -- 29:10 What kind of day is it? 29:12 Preparation day. 29:13 I mean, again, that's the 29:14 Bible's verbiage there -- 29:15 preparation day. 29:16 Even 2,000 years ago 29:17 and probably long 29:18 before, the Jews understood 29:20 that they were to plan ahead 29:22 in order to not do 29:23 unnecessary work on Sabbath. 29:25 So, what might that mean? 29:26 Well, you might 29:27 need to clean your dorm room. 29:32 Well, not a single "Amen." 29:33 That's interesting. 29:33 Yes, that's... 29:34 [ Laughter ] 29:36 For some of you, 29:37 that might take 29:37 longer than others. 29:38 We understand. Right? 29:39 And God 29:40 won't love you any better 29:41 if you clean your room, right? 29:42 It's not going to make Sabbath 29:43 any more holy. 29:44 But funny thing, 29:45 it's easier to appreciate 29:48 and see the blessings 29:48 of the Sabbath 29:49 when you're not tripping 29:50 over your own laundry. 29:52 Right? I mean, it's just 29:53 part of the deal. 29:54 Clean your dorm room, 29:55 clean your house, right? 29:57 Set your clothes out 29:58 for the next day, 29:59 you know, for Sabbath day. 30:00 Do your ironing on Friday 30:02 rather than on Sabbath. 30:04 Do as much food prep as you 30:05 can prior to sundown on Friday. 30:07 Again, not as a burden, 30:08 but because you're freeing 30:10 up space for the great blessing 30:11 that's to come. 30:14 So, first thing to avoid -- 30:16 doing unnecessary work on 30:18 Sabbath. 30:18 Now, notice this. 30:19 The second thing to avoid 30:20 is avoid causing 30:23 unnecessary work on the Sabbath. 30:26 Hmm. Avoid causing 30:28 unnecessary work on the Sabbath. 30:29 Now, this is 30:31 actually quite explicit 30:32 in the command, is it not? 30:33 You know, Exodus 20:8-11 there. 30:35 You know, it says, "In it, 30:36 thou shalt not do 30:37 any work, thou nor --" 30:39 and then comes the list -- 30:40 "Thou, nor thy son, 30:41 nor their daughter, 30:42 nor thy servants." 30:43 It even goes down to your 30:44 animals. 30:45 You know, everybody gets a break 30:46 that is under your purview 30:48 there. 30:49 So, what does this mean? 30:50 Well, let me just give you 30:51 some examples here. 30:53 This probably means avoiding 30:55 doing unnecessary business on 30:56 Sabbath. 30:58 This includes shopping, 30:59 purchasing items 31:00 that could be purchased 31:01 on another day, et cetera, 31:03 because there's somebody else -- 31:04 right? -- that is going to 31:05 be working for you in some way. 31:07 It probably also means 31:08 that you need to avoid going out 31:09 to restaurants on Sabbath. 31:12 Yeah, I heard you. 31:13 [ Laughter ] 31:15 Say, "Preacher, you've gone 31:16 from preaching to meddling now." 31:20 Let's just be honest. 31:21 There are large swaths 31:22 of Adventism 31:23 that go out to eat after church. 31:26 Many of them have not really 31:27 given it a second thought. 31:29 For many of them, 31:30 it's an innocent mistake. 31:31 But I do believe it is a 31:32 mistake. 31:33 I think that the Bible is 31:34 quite clear on this, 31:35 and let me just tell you why. 31:37 While it is conceivable 31:38 that there might be 31:38 some exceptions 31:39 to this particular prohibition, 31:41 I think they're few and far 31:42 between. 31:43 And the reason why, as a general 31:46 rule, avoid going to 31:46 restaurants, 31:47 there's a number of reasons. 31:48 One, the atmosphere. 31:50 You walk in there, some 31:51 restaurants are quite noisy. 31:52 The conversations happening 31:53 at the next table probably are 31:55 not Sabbath-oriented, 31:56 about God being creator, 31:57 sustainer, redeemer. 31:58 The music that's being played, 32:00 you know, probably isn't 32:01 conducive to the Sabbath. 32:03 And notice this. 32:05 What do they call the person 32:07 that comes to your table 32:09 to take your order? 32:12 Okay, the general term is 32:13 "server." 32:14 "Your server will be 32:15 with you shortly," right? 32:16 That's the phrase 32:17 that gets said, right? 32:19 The commandment says, 32:21 "Six days shalt thou labor 32:22 and do all thy work, but 32:23 the seventh day is the Sabbath 32:24 of the Lord thy God. 32:25 In it, thou shall not do any 32:26 work, thou nor thy son, nor 32:27 thy daughter, nor thy servant." 32:32 You see, 32:33 when you go out to eat 32:34 on Sabbath at a restaurant 32:35 there and this person comes 32:36 to your table, 32:36 they are your servant. 32:37 You are paying them, 32:38 at that moment, 32:39 to be your servant. 32:40 And the commandment 32:40 explicitly prohibits that. 32:43 Now, I've had some people 32:44 come back and say, "Well, 32:45 now, Pastor Shane, 32:45 they'd be working there 32:46 whether I was, you know, 32:47 at that table or not." 32:49 I would say absolutely. 32:49 That's true. 32:50 But they wouldn't 32:51 be working for you. 32:53 The commandment doesn't say 32:54 anything about other people's 32:56 servants. 32:56 It only talks about your 32:57 servants, okay? 32:58 That's what 32:59 you're responsible for. 33:00 And get this. 33:01 What if that server got 33:04 wind of the Sabbath? 33:06 What if Pastor Shane 33:07 decided to go out 33:08 to Olive Garden after church? 33:10 You know, it is -- 33:12 It's an odd thing about 33:13 about this job here 33:15 at Berrien Springs. 33:16 I see people that I don't know. 33:18 Okay? 33:19 And I considered a restaurant, 33:21 and what if the server, 33:21 they said, "Oh, hey, 33:23 I really enjoyed your series 33:24 about the Sabbath. 33:25 In fact, 33:27 I've been feeling convicted 33:28 that I need to start keeping 33:30 the Sabbath and not working. 33:33 Could you give me 33:33 some tips on that, Pastor?" 33:38 Maybe not the tip I had intended 33:39 to leave, you know? 33:44 We need to make space 33:44 for other people 33:45 to have rest, as well. 33:48 And that's 33:48 specifically in the command. 33:53 And right here, I know what some 33:56 of you are thinking. 33:57 I do. 33:59 It's not a superpower, 34:01 but I know what some 34:02 of you are thinking. 34:03 And some of you have been 34:04 thinking it since Part 1, 34:06 and many of you have been hoping 34:09 or seething about 34:11 this particular topic. 34:13 So let me just get right to it, 34:14 and we'll talk about 34:14 the elephant in the room. 34:17 Some of you have been thinking 34:18 since last week, 34:19 "But, Pastor Shane, 34:20 don't you know? 34:22 Don't you know 34:24 that we are on, currently, 34:25 an institutional campus? 34:28 Don't you know 34:29 that we have faculty and staff 34:30 and students here? 34:31 And, for that matter, 34:31 there's hundreds of other 34:32 Adventist campuses 34:33 around the world 34:34 that have the same situation. 34:35 And these faculty, staff, and 34:36 students are often asked 34:37 to work on Sabbath 34:39 for one reason or another. 34:41 And what about doctors and 34:42 nurses 34:43 and other medical workers? 34:44 They can work on Sabbath, 34:45 and nobody raises an eyebrow. 34:47 And, Pastor Shane, 34:48 what about you? 34:50 [ Laughter ] 34:53 You're working on Sabbath. 34:55 In fact, 34:56 you're working right now. 34:59 How do you expect us to take 35:01 Sabbath seriously 35:02 if even you're not doing it?" 35:05 Mm-hmm. 35:09 Should we stand 35:10 for the benediction? 35:11 [ Laughter ] 35:14 Stop working right now. 35:15 That's right. 35:17 It may surprise you to know 35:18 that I believe these are 35:19 extremely important questions, 35:20 and I wish we 35:21 asked them more often. 35:24 This is important stuff, right? 35:26 Really important. 35:27 And while I am 35:29 not, today, going to attempt 35:30 to adjudicate specific issues 35:32 on this or any other campus, 35:33 I would nonetheless 35:34 offer the following. 35:36 As for me, working on Sabbath, 35:38 yes, it is true, 35:41 and I will continue to do so. 35:45 You say, "Why?" 35:48 Because of Jesus. 35:51 In fact, let me just show 35:52 you what he said. 35:54 Matthew 12:5. 35:55 Jesus here 35:56 is speaking about the Sabbath 35:57 basically to His enemies. 35:58 The Pharisees are 35:59 there accusing Him. 36:00 He said, "Or have you not read 36:02 in the law that on the Sabbath, 36:04 the priests in the temple 36:05 profane the Sabbath, and are --" 36:07 What's the last word there? 36:08 "Guiltless." 36:10 In other words, 36:11 those that are actively 36:13 and necessarily leading out 36:15 in the work of God are forgiven 36:17 for breaking the Sabbath. 36:20 Ellen White summed it up 36:21 like this. 36:21 "Desire of Ages," Page 285. 36:23 Talking about the very same 36:24 passage there in Matthew, 36:24 by the way. 36:25 She says... 37:04 My emphasis now. 37:16 And, obviously, this could 37:17 include more than pastors, can't 37:19 it? 37:20 Yeah. In fact, 37:22 right now, we have people 37:23 that are paid to work in media 37:25 right now as I'm speaking, 37:27 and it is appropriate that they 37:28 do so because this is part 37:30 of the work of redemption. 37:33 It could also include 37:35 support staff, for instance, 37:36 you know, General Conference 37:37 session, for instance, 37:38 coming up next summer in there. 37:39 There will be support staff 37:40 setting up and taking down 37:41 and doing things on Sabbath 37:43 because it's appropriate 37:44 to do so to further 37:45 the redemptive work 37:46 of the church in the world. 37:47 This kind of work is, indeed, 37:49 acceptable to do on the Sabbath. 37:53 And what about medical workers? 37:55 Are they really allowed 37:56 to work on the Sabbath? 37:58 Well, the evidence is 37:58 pretty strong 37:59 that the answer is "yes." 38:00 Again, let's go back to Jesus. 38:02 Matthew 12:9-13. 38:36 These and similar stories 38:37 of physical healing 38:38 on the Sabbath are, indeed, 38:39 the scriptural basis for 38:40 why medical workers can 38:41 rightly provide essential 38:43 medical services on the Sabbath. 38:45 Adventism, from the beginning, 38:46 has seen medical work 38:48 as part and parcel 38:49 of the work of redemption. 38:51 Should it ever cease to be 38:53 that, the exemption for working 38:54 on Sabbath goes away. 39:01 That all said... 39:07 may I offer five brief points 39:10 for you to consider? 39:12 Number one... 39:31 In other words, 39:31 I've had some people -- 39:32 not very many, 39:33 but I've had some that say, 39:34 "Oh, you pastors are so lucky. 39:36 You doctors are so lucky. 39:37 You get to work on Sabbath." 39:41 What? No. This is not the ideal. 39:46 This is a concession. 39:48 This is God's concession 39:49 to a sinful world. 39:50 The Gospel must go forth, 39:52 and that's going to mean 39:53 that sometimes on the Sabbath, 39:54 people are going to have 39:55 to work, but it's not the ideal. 39:59 Number two, the Sabbath work 40:02 clearance is necessary 40:04 and profoundly dangerous. 40:07 I'm not saying it's 40:07 the wrong answer. 40:08 God made this decision, so, 40:09 obviously, it's the right thing 40:10 to give this concession, 40:11 but it is dangerous. 40:13 Many a pastor, faculty, and 40:14 staff member, and medical worker 40:16 have lost their experience 40:17 of the Sabbath 40:17 and even their relationship 40:19 with God entirely 40:20 because they worked too much 40:22 or in the wrong way on Sabbath. 40:23 Just because 40:24 you can work on Sabbath 40:26 doesn't always mean you should. 40:29 This can be particularly 40:30 challenging for those in the 40:31 medical profession, because 40:32 there's a regular rotation, 40:33 right? 40:34 And it's easy 40:34 for doctors and nurses. 40:35 "Well, you know, I can, so sure, 40:37 put me down again," right? 40:38 And after a while, you've lost 40:40 the experience of the Sabbath. 40:42 That's dangerous territory. 40:43 Be careful. 40:46 Number three... 41:02 I say this because sometimes, 41:04 when workers request to not work 41:07 on Sabbath, they are accused 41:08 back and say, "Oh, 41:09 you're just a legalist. 41:10 You're just some legalistic 41:12 Sabbath observance. 41:12 Loosen up." 41:15 You know, it's true that some 41:16 people have turned the Sabbath 41:17 into a legalistic observance, 41:19 but the Sabbath still stands. 41:21 It is still a profound gift. 41:23 What a blessing God has given 41:24 to us, and it deserves 41:26 our respect and stewardship. 41:28 So... 41:35 Think carefully. 41:38 And note this. 41:51 Leaders will be judged 41:53 more strictly 41:54 than their followers. 41:56 Make sure you have 41:57 the Lord's blessing. 42:00 Number four... 42:09 Now, I'm going to get 42:10 real practical here. 42:11 We got a bunch of pastors here, 42:12 pastors in the making. 42:13 You know, seminary's right next 42:14 door. 42:14 There's a lot of you 42:15 listening right now. 42:16 May I just offer this? 42:18 If you're a pastor, 42:19 do your best to not have 42:21 things scheduled completely 42:23 all the way through the Sabbath. 42:25 You know, 42:25 sometimes, it's unavoidable. 42:26 You have to do it. 42:27 But try to carve out some hours 42:29 for you and your family 42:30 to appreciate quietly 42:31 the blessings of the Sabbath. 42:33 Now, have your sermon done prior 42:35 to Friday night sundown. 42:39 Remember, can you prepare 42:40 after sundown on Friday? 42:42 Yeah, you can. It's Gospel work. 42:43 But remember, 42:44 just because you can 42:45 doesn't always mean you should. 42:46 I've seen many pastors -- if 42:48 there's five Sabbaths in a 42:49 month, they'll take the fifth 42:51 Sabbath off completely. 42:52 They and their family will go 42:53 somewhere and they'll enjoy 42:54 the blessings of the Sabbath. 42:55 You need to preserve 42:56 the Sabbath experience 42:58 to the best of your ability. 43:00 Medical workers -- And, 43:01 honestly, what we say about 43:02 medical workers 43:03 could easily apply to 43:04 other support staff, et cetera, 43:06 and various things 43:07 that sometimes 43:08 need to work on Sabbath. 43:10 Do things like this. 43:11 Postpone all nonessential 43:13 procedures to other days. 43:14 Just schedule them later. 43:15 If you have the authority, 43:17 shut down all non-essential 43:19 entities that day. 43:21 Purchase Sabbath scrubs. 43:25 You know what 43:26 Sabbath scrubs are, right? 43:28 They glow in the dark 43:29 and they have a special hold-- 43:30 No, that's not true. 43:31 They're just like 43:32 every other scrub, 43:33 but they're different. 43:34 Maybe it's a different color. 43:35 Maybe there's some design on it 43:36 or whatnot. 43:37 And it doesn't make 43:38 the Sabbath holy. 43:39 You're not a better person 43:39 if you do it. 43:41 you pick them up in the morning 43:43 or whenever it is you start 43:44 your shift, may just remind you, 43:45 "Hey, today, special time. 43:47 This is holy time. 43:48 This is God's time." 43:50 If you have the ability, 43:52 make sure that the music 43:53 where you work -- You know, 43:53 if you're a surgeon, 43:54 make sure the music in 43:55 the operating room is 43:56 Sabbath-appropriate to remind 43:58 you of the holiness of the day. 43:59 If possible, 44:01 adjust your schedule on Sabbath 44:02 so you can spend more time 44:04 with patients, you know, 44:05 talking with them, praying with 44:06 them, if they're willing to do 44:07 that. 44:08 I've even known some medical 44:10 workers that have donated all 44:12 the money they earn 44:13 on the Sabbath to charity. 44:17 Now, again, God doesn't love 44:18 them better if they do that. 44:19 It doesn't make the Sabbath 44:20 holy. 44:21 But it is a recognition 44:22 that this is holy time. 44:23 They say to themselves, 44:24 "I'm not promoting me. 44:26 I am promoting God." 44:29 Strangely enough, 44:29 it's also a motivation 44:30 to not schedule themselves 44:31 willy-nilly 44:32 on the Sabbath hours, okay? 44:33 Right? 44:36 And finally, number five. 44:38 And this -- What I'm going to 44:40 say next goes for anyone, 44:41 not merely those that work 44:42 at our institutions, 44:43 but anyone who is faced 44:44 with the prospect of doing 44:46 inappropriate work on Sabbath. 45:05 You know, maybe this means 45:07 meeting with your supervisor. 45:08 Maybe, if your company has some 45:09 sort of a process by which 45:11 this can be taken care of, 45:12 prayerfully, respectfully, 45:13 use it. 45:15 You know, I have seen a number 45:16 of situations over the years 45:17 that seemed impossible. 45:19 "Oh, they're never going to 45:19 accommodate me in 45:20 this Sabbath concern." 45:21 If you approach it prayerfully 45:22 and respectfully 45:23 and you work the process, 45:25 amazing things have happened, 45:27 and the Sabbath has been honored 45:28 by those workers. 45:30 But let's be honest. 45:32 Sometimes, no solution is found. 45:36 And in those situations, 45:38 please follow your conscience 45:41 and make whatever employment 45:43 decisions need to be made. 45:46 Retaining the blessing of God 45:48 is more important 45:50 than anything else. 45:55 So avoid doing unnecessary work, 45:57 avoid causing unnecessary work. 45:59 And one last thing 46:00 to avoid here. 46:06 Purposes of the Sabbath -- 46:07 remind us that God is 46:07 our creator and our redeemer 46:08 and our sustainer. 46:09 If it doesn't remind you of 46:11 those things and help you to 46:12 live out those things, you 46:13 probably ought not to be doing 46:14 it. 46:14 Very briefly, some examples. 46:16 Avoid playing organized sports. 46:18 Keep them disorganized. 46:23 You know, if you want to throw a 46:24 football back and forth, 46:25 you're probably fine. 46:26 But as soon as you start 46:27 to keep score... 46:29 Those of you that are athletes, 46:30 you know what I'm talking about, 46:30 right? 46:31 It's not that those things are 46:33 evil, but on the Sabbath, 46:34 that's not the purpose. 46:35 That's not 46:35 the purpose of the day. 46:38 Avoid preparation on Sabbath 46:40 for events that will happen 46:41 after the Sabbath. 46:43 So if there's something going on 46:44 that's not related to 46:45 the Sabbath after sundown 46:46 on Saturday night, 46:47 don't be preparing for it 46:48 on Sabbath afternoon. 46:50 God needs that time. 46:51 He wants to be with you, okay? 46:53 You know, I'm so pleased 46:54 with our Andrews sports program 46:56 here, because we are not loading 46:57 up buses on Sabbath afternoon 46:59 so that we can go to a game 47:00 on Saturday night. 47:01 You know, praise the Lord. 47:02 That's exactly 47:02 what needs to happen. 47:05 Avoid watching 47:05 secular entertainment 47:07 and avoid unnecessary travel. 47:11 You know, Jesus himself said, 47:13 "Pray that your flight will 47:14 not be on the Sabbath." 47:19 [ Laughs ] 47:22 Some of you are still thinking 47:23 that one through, aren't you? 47:24 Yes. Yeah, yeah, yeah. 47:26 He said, 47:27 "Pray that your flight will 47:28 not be on the Sabbath." 47:28 And if he said 47:29 that in a time of war, 47:31 because it was referring to 47:32 the destruction of Jerusalem, 47:33 how much more applicable is it 47:34 during times of peace, 47:35 when we have all kinds 47:36 of leeway compared 47:37 to what they had at that time? 47:42 So, three things to avoid, 47:43 and now let's get to 47:44 the other side of things. 47:45 What are some things 47:46 that we ought 47:48 the blessing of the Sabbath? 47:48 This is great. 47:49 The first one is my favorite. 47:57 That's a piece of cake. 47:58 This is the filter. 48:00 Some people say, "Oh, I'm not 48:00 sure if this is good or not." 48:01 Well, check it out. 48:02 Does it help you remember 48:03 and live out the fact 48:04 that God is our creator, 48:05 sustainer, and redeemer? 48:06 If it does, praise the Lord, 48:07 do it with all your heart. 48:10 That's what the Sabbath is there 48:11 for -- this blessed experience. 48:13 Number two, 48:14 go to Sabbath school and church. 48:15 You knew I was going to say 48:16 that, didn't you? 48:19 You need to. You need to go. 48:20 You need to go to 48:21 Sabbath school, right? 48:22 Sabbath school is not just 48:22 for kids. 48:23 If you're an adult, 48:24 if you're a college student, 48:25 university, you need to go to 48:26 Sabbath school, 48:27 because it's on Sabbath, 48:28 in Sabbath school 48:29 that iron sharpens iron. 48:31 You need to hear more about 48:32 how other people are learning 48:34 to know God as their creator 48:35 and their sustainer 48:36 and their Redeemer, 48:37 and they need to hear 48:38 your testimony, as well. 48:39 That's what 48:39 Sabbath School is for. 48:40 You need to be there. 48:42 And you need to come to church, 48:43 like you're doing right now. 48:44 What a great way 48:44 to celebrate the Sabbath -- 48:45 by acknowledging God, 48:47 through song and word, 48:48 that He is our creator and 48:49 sustainer and redeemer. 48:51 And then keep going. 48:52 Number three -- spend time 48:54 with other Sabbath keepers. 48:55 This is a great thing to do. 48:56 Go to somebody else's house 48:58 for Sabbath lunch. 48:59 Invite yourself over. 49:00 Just tell them, "Hey, 49:02 I'll be there 49:03 This will inspire them 49:05 to clean up on Friday, right? 49:06 Okay? And you can have 49:08 fellowship together. 49:09 You can be together. 49:09 What a great way to 49:11 spend time in the body 49:13 of Christ -- with other people 49:14 that are also acknowledging 49:15 God as their creator and 49:16 sustainer and redeemer. 49:18 Number four -- get outside, 49:20 be in God's creation. 49:22 You know, here in Michigan, we 49:23 live in a beautiful place, 49:26 right? 49:27 They'll start to move here en 49:27 masse. 49:28 like Southern California. 49:29 We won't be able to get out of 49:30 our driveways 49:31 because traffic will be so bad. 49:32 So it's just our little secret, 49:32 okay? 49:33 It is beautiful here. 49:35 We've had a beautiful fall, 49:35 have we not? 49:36 And even in... 49:39 January and February -- 49:41 even in those months, 49:43 when it seems bleak and dry, 49:45 at night, if it's a clear sky, 49:46 look up. 49:49 Hard to beat Michigan skies 49:51 in the wintertime. 49:53 Beautiful, amazing reminders 49:54 that God is our creator 49:56 and our sustainer 49:57 and our redeemer. 49:59 Number five -- mark the coming 50:00 and going of the Sabbath. 50:02 This is easy to do. 50:03 I mean, you can gather with 50:03 others. 50:04 You can read the Bible together, 50:06 sing together, pray together. 50:07 You know, 50:07 we're working on fixing 50:08 the bells here at Pioneer 50:10 so that we can mark the coming 50:11 and the going of the Sabbath 50:12 Friday night, Saturday night. 50:14 If any of you would like 50:15 to donate to the cause -- No, 50:16 anyway, it may not be 50:17 cheap, but we're going to see 50:19 if we can get it done, okay? 50:20 Marking this holy time -- 50:22 it's really important. 50:23 This is God's gift to us. 50:24 Every seven days, 50:25 let's mark its coming 50:26 and let's mark its going, 50:27 because it is the Sabbath. 50:31 And number six. 50:33 And this one's 50:33 really important. 50:35 Plan special Sabbath 50:36 traditions and activities 50:37 for children and youth. 50:40 Should I add university 50:40 students? 50:41 Would that help? 50:42 Maybe. Okay. 50:42 I see some nodding heads. 50:44 Right? This is really important. 50:45 You know what? 50:46 If we cannot have the Sabbath 50:47 as a positive experience 50:49 when our children are young, 50:51 it's unlikely that they will 50:53 have a positive experience 50:54 when they're older. 50:55 It's hard to do that. 50:56 I mean, some do. 50:57 I mean, not denying it can 50:58 happen, but it's much more 50:59 difficult. 51:00 Let me just tell you 51:01 very briefly here what my wife 51:02 and I did with our girls 51:03 as they were growing up. 51:04 We're not perfect parents. 51:06 We made plenty of mistakes. 51:07 But let 51:07 me just tell you what we did. 51:08 My wife and I both 51:09 grew up with a fairly 51:10 positive experience 51:11 of the Sabbath, and we wanted to 51:13 pass that on to our girls, 51:14 particularly because 51:15 they were going to be PKs. 51:16 If you don't know what a PK is, 51:17 just nod to somebody next to 51:18 you, they'll tell you what it 51:19 is. 51:20 sometimes means 51:22 that Sabbath is a drudgery. 51:23 We've seen it happen. 51:24 And so we thought, 51:25 "What can we do? 51:25 What can we do to 51:26 do our best to ensure 51:27 this isn't going to happen?" 51:29 So here's what we did. 51:30 When they got old enough 51:32 to do this, 51:33 we asked them to clean up 51:34 their room prior to sundown. 51:36 I confess this was not always 51:38 a joyous occasion, okay? 51:41 But the girls knew 51:43 that their torture would end 51:45 when Sabbath began. 51:47 Hmm. Interesting. Okay? 51:49 So we tried to clean the place 51:50 up, you know, we'd get things 51:51 ready, and then, as the sun was 51:52 hitting the horizon... 51:53 [ Sniffs ] 51:54 you'd probably smell something. 51:55 My wife is a great cook, 51:56 and she would make -- On 51:58 Sabbath, she makes raisin bread 51:59 or Craisin bread, whatever 52:00 happens to be there on the 52:01 shelf. 52:01 And you can smell it. 52:02 [ Sniffs ] 52:03 Mmm! Smells like Sabbath. 52:04 It doesn't make it Sabbath. 52:05 Doesn't make it any more holy. 52:06 But it reminds us, 52:07 "Ah, okay, special time, 52:08 your special day." 52:09 As we'd come down there, 52:10 we'd gather together. 52:11 And music has always been 52:12 important in our household, 52:14 and so we would sing a lot 52:15 for family worship. 52:16 And the girls 52:17 got to choose songs. 52:18 They would choose fun ones, 52:19 action songs, you know, 52:20 get to be Goliath falling down 52:21 off the couch, you know, 52:22 and our dogs running 52:23 in circles around there. 52:25 Sometimes, you had to work hard 52:26 to kind of keep things focused. 52:27 But they loved it. 52:28 They love to sing. 52:30 We would always finish Friday 52:32 sundown worship with 52:33 "Day is Dying in the West." 52:35 It's kind of a traditional 52:37 Adventist song. 52:38 Lots of people do it. 52:39 And we sing that song 52:40 and then we kneel down 52:41 and we hold hands. 52:43 And, you know, 52:44 the dog would be there. 52:45 Did you know that Boston 52:46 terriers are atheists? 52:48 Did you know that? 52:49 They don't pray. 52:50 They never pray. 52:51 They never stop long enough 52:52 to fold their paws or anything. 52:53 So, Boston terriers...like this. 52:54 You know, we're trying -- 52:55 "Oh, we're having prayer now. 52:56 You know, sit, sit," 52:57 you know, kind of thing. 52:58 We would pray. 52:58 I would lead out in prayer. 52:59 And then, at the end of that 53:01 prayer, we would all do 53:02 the Lord's Prayer. 53:03 Now, you can sing 53:04 the Lord's -- Excuse me. 53:05 "Sing." You can sing it, too. 53:06 You can say the Lord's Prayer 53:07 anytime you want, but for us 53:08 particularly, we'll say it 53:09 at Friday sundown worship 53:11 and at Saturday evening, 53:12 Sabbath evening, 53:13 sundown worship. 53:14 Just reminded, you know, 53:15 this is special time. 53:16 And we'll say the Lord's Prayer. 53:17 We say amen. 53:18 On Friday night, 53:20 we say "Happy Sabbath," right? 53:20 You know, give each other a hug 53:21 and a kiss, whatnot. 53:23 If supper was then to be had, 53:24 we have, you know, 53:25 special food for supper. 53:26 Usually, my wife, you know, 53:27 particularly in wintertime -- 53:28 again, great chef -- 53:29 she would make these soups, 53:30 you know, cornbread in there. 53:31 Girls loved it. 53:32 You know, honey and butter, 53:32 this kind of thing. 53:34 Next day, we get up. 53:35 We go to Sabbath school. 53:36 We wanted our kids, our 53:37 children to learn very early on, 53:39 Sabbath school is 53:40 just what you do. 53:41 This is just normal stuff, 53:41 right? 53:42 And so we took him 53:43 to Sabbath school. 53:44 We'd go to church in there. 53:45 Sabbath afternoon -- 53:46 Now, Sabbath afternoon, 53:47 I confess, we did take 53:49 a nap on occasion. 53:51 It's true. Right? 53:53 But we had to be very careful 53:55 that we did not exceed the 53:57 threshold with our girls, okay? 53:58 We can press them a little bit, 54:00 but we wanted Sabbath to 54:01 not just be something 54:02 where they're bored, 54:03 mom and dad to wake up, okay? 54:04 So we would try -- 54:05 Many, many times, we would plan 54:07 to have their friends over 54:08 to our house 54:09 or we would go over to some of 54:10 their friends' house on Sabbath, 54:11 fellow Sabbath keepers. 54:12 We'd go on hikes together. 54:13 We'd go, you know, 54:14 do all kinds of things. 54:14 They could be active. 54:15 They could be 54:16 outside, running about. 54:17 If the weather was bad, 54:18 they'd be inside. 54:18 We have some appropriate 54:19 Sabbath games for them to play. 54:20 Let kids be 54:21 active on the Sabbath. 54:23 They've got to do this. 54:24 They've got to get their energy 54:24 out there. 54:25 Focus it as best you can towards 54:27 the creator and sustainer 54:28 and redeemer that we serve. 54:30 Come Saturday night sundown, 54:31 we would gather again. 54:33 We would sing "Day is Dying." 54:35 We'd have the Lord's Prayer. 54:36 And as we finished the 54:37 Lord's Prayer that time, 54:38 we would say, "One Sabbath 54:40 closer. 54:42 One Sabbath closer. 54:44 One Sabbath closer 54:45 to the Second Coming of Jesus." 54:46 Right? 54:47 In other words, 54:47 the Sabbath is a reminder of 54:49 the great things that God has 54:50 in store for us, too. 54:52 And, you know, then after that, 54:55 we would have the S.A.S. -- 55:00 the Standard Adventist Supper. 55:02 What do Adventists tend 55:04 to eat on Saturday night 55:05 for supper? 55:05 >> Popcorn. 55:06 >> Popcorn and... 55:08 some fruit in there, fruit 55:09 salad. 55:09 Exactly. Right? 55:10 It's the Adventist way, okay? 55:11 We do this. 55:12 We would sometimes 55:13 throw in fruit smoothies, 55:14 as well, right? 55:16 In other words, a sweet ending 55:18 to a very sweet day. 55:20 And, you know, just last night, 55:21 we were on the phone 55:22 with my youngest daughter. 55:23 She's serving as 55:25 a student missionary in Bolivia. 55:26 And I thought, "Well, I better 55:28 make sure that we're still 55:28 on the same page. 55:29 And, so, sweetie, do 55:31 you still like the Sabbath?" 55:34 And she said, "Oh, 55:36 daddy, I love the Sabbath. 55:38 I love the Sabbath." 55:40 And my oldest daughter does, 55:41 too. 55:43 You know, there's no guarantees 55:44 that, when we do these things, 55:45 that our children will grow up 55:47 to love the Sabbath, 55:48 but your odds go way up 55:50 if you do these things. 55:52 And, again, my wife 55:53 and I aren't perfect in this, 55:54 but I highly recommend doing 55:55 things like this. 55:57 Make Sabbath the most joyous day 56:00 of the week, 56:03 because the Sabbath -- 56:05 it is more than a siesta. 56:08 It is quite literally 56:09 an invitation to life, because 56:13 it's an invitation to Jesus. 56:17 And when we honor the Sabbath, 56:18 when we keep 56:19 that Sabbath day holy, 56:20 we are in the arms 56:22 of our creator and our sustainer 56:24 and our redeemer, Jesus Christ, 56:26 and it is there that we 56:28 can truly find the cure 56:31 for the chaotic life. 56:34 May the Lord richly bless us 56:36 as we embrace 56:37 his gift of the Sabbath. 56:40 >> Amen. 56:42 [ Applause ] 56:50 >> Thank you for taking the time 56:51 to join us in worship today. 56:53 I'd like to spend 56:54 just another moment with you 56:55 here at the end of our program 56:57 to share a word of hope. 56:59 In fact, that's what this little 57:01 book is all about. 57:03 In these uncertain times -- 57:05 and, let's face it, they're 57:06 uncertain all over the planet -- 57:07 this book, 57:08 entitled "The Great Hope," 57:10 will help you understand 57:11 not just what God 57:13 has planned for your future, 57:14 but for the future 57:15 of the entire human race. 57:18 You know, light keeps shining 57:19 on this dark old world, 57:21 and new truths, 57:22 long forgotten, are 57:23 being constantly rediscovered. 57:25 If you need a fresh dose of hope 57:27 in your life these days 57:29 or if you know somebody 57:30 else who could sure use 57:30 that gift of hope, 57:32 then I'd like to invite you 57:33 to grab your phone and dial 57:34 our toll-free number -- 57:36 877-the two words "His Will." 57:39 That's 877-HIS-WILL. 57:42 And at no charge to you, 57:44 we'll get a copy in the mail 57:45 to you right away. 57:47 Till the next time we meet, 57:48 may the peace and hope 57:50 of the Lord Jesus Christ 57:51 be with you always. 57:59 ♪ |
Revised 2024-11-18