The Delight of the Sabbath (Part 1 of 2)

The you considered your responsibility or duty to keep the Sabbath holy or do you regard the Lord's day as a gift from God how you answer that question will determine how you prepare for the day and the way you begin each week on Truth for Life weekend. Alistair Begg is considering how Christians should approach the fourth commandment, make the list to me oh Lord, show me yourself within your word. Show me myself and show me my Savior and make the book lifted me. Please be seated. And I invite you to take your Bibles and turn to six chapter of the Gospel of Luke, because we are essentially continuing our studies in Luke's gospel, and as you will recall last Sunday morning we find ourselves in the opening 11 versus confronted by these two Sabbath day incidents in which Jesus both declared and demonstrated that he was not another than the Lord of the Sabbath he who had been present in creation. When along with the father and the spirit. The triune God had rested from the work of creation now in his incarnation, he declares himself to be the very Lord of the Sabbath and in those incidents. We noted, not that Jesus was canceling the use of the Sabbath by this declaration, but rather that he was correcting the abuse of the Sabbath which was represented in the perspective of the Pharisees. Now, as a result of delving into that passage. We opened up the larger and wider question, namely how does the Christian comply with the fourth commandment and having raised it. We need now to tackle it. This incidentally is a matter of perennial interest and perennial concern and it has in many cases been a matter of bitter wrangling Dutch theologian of an earlier era by the name of a band sounds reckoned that on average in the Netherlands alone there were 10,000 families consistently affected by serious quarreling concerning what was and what was not permissible on a Sunday so by his calculations that made for half a million cornrows a year and there is no doubt that that often accompanies the consideration of this issue and certainly our study of last Lord's day morning has raised a tremendous amount of discussion. I trust that it is produced as yet no quarterly.

If I am fairly certain that it is produced very little quarreling on the part of the vast majority for the simple reason it never crossed your mind that this question should be the basis of strife or disagreement.

The reason is that we have never ever seriously considered the matter but rather to this point in our Christian life. We have been living with the assumption that somehow or another the question of the Sabbath principle of the Lord's day has everything to do with then and then is a long way back and has little or nothing to do with now in terms of our immediate experience. Consequently, you have never thought of approaching. Sunday is a different day. You have never given consideration to the possibility that this day is a gift from God to be experienced as a delight and the joy a day that shapes and frames your life creates purpose and structure, order and cohesion. It is not unusual to hear people, not least of all Christian people announcing the fact that they feel virtually overwhelmed by their calendars, their programs and their responsibilities and they justify their testimony can't seem to find a way to alleviate the burden while I'm going to suggest to you that here in the word of God in the very rhythm of life in the cycle of God's plan for time in the issue of the Lord's day. There is one key and crucial antidote to this prevailing sense of chaos and I hope that as we study together, it will become apparent to us all. The Lord is more interested in enjoyment of his blessings through obedience, then he is in our self-imposed deprivations is more interested in is being able to enter joyfully into the blessings which come through obedience, then he is concerned for us to impose upon ourselves arbitrary forms of deprivation. In short, can I ask you, have you ever considered the possibility that the Christian comply is with the fourth commandment by entering into the delight, which emerges from the design of God in the gift of the Sabbath principle in the Lord's day, as I see you don't have to go far to discover that there has been a very different perspective on this. In previous times. I constantly am asking Christians of an older vintage as I move around the country to tell me about Sunday's in their youth are in their childhood and I am discovering that almost without exception, the description that they give all that time in the 1940s or 30s or 50s is markedly different than the expressions and expedience of the Lord's day, which is a contemporary part of Christendom.

Now, of course, it raises the question as to why that was and why this is, in the late 19 century a southern theologian here in the states.

A man by the name of Dabney expressed in quaint graphic terms what he saw as the implications of failing to take seriously the fact that God does not intend for us to be like the Energizer Bunny. In other words, to get wound up and then just to continue going without any breaker tall just constantly going going going going going God never planned that it should be that way. And when men and women engage their lights in that cycle. Then there are inevitable implications. Now it's almost humorous the way in which Dabney describes it, but perhaps he is as far from the mark as his somewhat archaic language may tend us to believe is what he says if you try and work seven days straight or if you try and please yourself seven days straight or if you try a combination of working like a crazy person and pleasing yourself like a like a deaf person all the time and lay aside the notion of the priority of the Lord's day and he says attempting to do so brings upon the body. Lassitude course as you know is what fatigue I this is a southern theologian in America is not a British guy, this is your word lassitude. I had to look it up.

Don't feel bad. I looked it up this morning about 8 o'clock. It brings upon the body. Fatigue, nervous excitability disease and premature old age and often sudden death and on the mind. Morbid excitement in patients righteousness blindness of judgment and not seldom lunacy.

I would say is this, if you ignore what God has laid down as a fundamental aspect of humanity and as a gift to his creation and is a privilege to his redeemed, then you actually go nuts as a contemporary explanation and you don't have to look very far around to find people living on the edge of craziness driving Heather and yawn fulfilling obligation 12345. Assuming that this has to be this way. I must engage in this I must do that I must go there and hardly anybody seems to take a moment to stop and say why in the world.

I do all this and just because everybody else in my neighborhood does all this does this mandate need to do it or is there any distinction in the Christian life when it comes to the issue of Jesus being the Lord of time for an essentially saying that he is Lord of the Sabbath he is indicating that he is Lord over time. He just designates one particular period of time now clearly from." This was not a matter of marginal interest for Mr. Dabney, one of crucial importance and we dare not dismiss this issue as being a matter of personal preference. Some of you are already sitting there saying, well, you know, this is simply a matter of personal preference. I really don't need to be concerned or alarmed or really pay very much attention to whatever is about to say because he just going to simply share his preferences with his and that doesn't matter at all. This is not a matter of personal in the first instance. What is it what it is many things, and I must be selective, not exhaustive, so I'm going to say that this issue is this number one. It is a doctrinal issue number two. It is a biblical issue number three there is a personal issue number four. It is a practical issue. First of all, and it is a doctrinal issue. What we mean by that we mean simply this, that our system of belief will be apparent in the way in which we handle this matter. I don't want to delay on this.

Let me observe for that all of us possess a system of belief either wittingly or unwittingly, some of us may be familiar with the phraseology systematic theology and so that we understand the Bible holds together by a certain framework of understanding we must always be very careful lest we impose our system upon the Bible rather than making our system subservient to the clear instruction of the Bible, but nevertheless all of us, either in the front of our minds or somewhere in our minds possess a system of believing about things which will become apparent when certain issues are raised in some issues more than others reveal where we're coming from and you can see the fact that it does when in raising this matter all of the Lord's day under the place of the law of God, you find it vast chunks of contemporary Christendom say I am there. But we're gonna but I didn't think that we had any do this at all.

I thought I was all alone stuff I did with it. You know God is regarded in the Old Testament is doing a new way the present time and is another way in will operate in a completely different ski many of you that's easily what you believe and that's why when the issue of the Lord's day comes up is what this is not for us.

This was a different time.

Eunice was over here. It's going to be over there but it isn't right here and the thing that I in contrast, unknown dispensational theology affirms the abiding place of the law. In other words unknown dispensational theology does not take the law of God and move it to another time either past or future audited affirms the fact that the 10 Commandments enshrined the internal law of God and of the principles that they contain are of permanent validity. That's why we become insane. We have to wrestle with this. Such individuals also recognize that alongside the moral law of God. There were there was a large body of additional law, which was added to it which is no longer binding upon the Christian. So for example when we read Deuteronomy 6 what is the message. The messages bring your children up in the nurture and instruction of the Lord. What was the cultural mosaic attachment to it at the time it was they should tie these pieces of the law around her wrists and around your foreheads. Why do we not tie them around our wrists and our four eggs now because were not supposed to because we don't need to because Christ has come out. This is a matter of some urgency because the fact is that people use this as a very argument to justify setting aside the fourth commandment and let me just illustrate it for your you one of a clue what I'm on about turn for a moment. Exodus chapter 35 Exodus chapter 35 and versus three and five. Do not light a fire in any of your dwellings on the Sabbath day and then into the following section of materials for the tabernacle, but are we then forbidden from lighting fires today. The answer is no.

Exodus 2117. Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death. Do we choke do we kill children for this today. Are we supposed to know well than does the absence of the punishment make the abiding significance of the command and elects and it was because the application of the punishment is no longer applicable is the command veto.

No, the command remains what is gone is the death penalty for cursing your dad you go to the question I want turn you to another below the seven commandment the question of adultery. What is the punishment for adultery.

It is debt our people put to death for adultery. To date, no does than the absence of the penalty remove the seven command from the Decalogue. In other words, we no longer left to uphold the issue of fidelity in marriage. Clearly not so this the people argue. They say what you see when you go to the fourth commandment if you didn't obey the fourth commandment, you could be put to death for that. But since you're not you. You don't get to do that for that anymore and they used to think about. You could light fires before and since you can light fires now you know the put to death before. Therefore, the fourth amendment is no longer applicable Tortuous line of reasoning doesn't work by that same line of reasoning. None of the commandments would have any abiding significance so because the penalty has been removed in light of the mercy and grace of God in the sacrifice of his son, the abiding significance of the command is not this is a doctrinal issue and I can tell by your eyes glazing over there said more about that than I should. Secondly, it is a biblical issue is a biblical issue. In other words, it is a method of biblical interpretation.

Again, I can delay on this. But let me give you a taste of what I mean, turn to Galatians chapter 4 if you would Galatians chapter 4 and verse 10.

While verse nine he says you know you used to be slaves to those who by nature are not gods but now that you know God are rather known by God.

He says now that you've been redeemed justified. How is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles and notice that phrase is very important Paul speaking very scathingly about what these Galatians were doing. What are these weak and miserable principles. He says you want to be enslaved by them all over again, and he reiterates them. Verse 10 you are observing special days and months and seasons and years and then in verse 11 we haven't kind of shaking his head in disgust. He says you not fear that some I've wasted my efforts on you. I came here and I proclaim to you the grace of God. He says I told you that you could not gain acceptance with God by climbing up this latter, but rather that the law of God confronted you with your need of a Savior and that if you trusted in Christ you would discover that he justifies the ungodly wind and Eve going back to these weak and miserable principles but where they knew they were seeking by means of observing special days and months and seasons and years to build their hope of acceptance with God. And Paul says this is a superstitious futility and it must not be as an attorney to this because this is one of the phrases and passages that people use for saying you see that the fourth amendment and the Sabbath in the Lord's day is either that or they're not around anymore. After all, look at what Paul says in Galatians 4 your sensible people and you must judge do you want to conclude on the strength of what you have learned so far of the Bible and what you understand. Do you want to conclude that Paul is referring to the moral law of God as we and miserable principles. You can't not if you know the book of Romans.

You can so many did. Colossians chapter 2 same kind of approach, verses 16 and 17.

Since Paul says don't let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to religious festival, a new Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. People say there you go were not supposed to be concerned about this matter of the Sabbath day of the Colossian heresy was simply this, the false teachers were suggesting that faith in Christ was not enough to provide fullness of knowledge and wisdom and power and salvation, and so these false teachers came around and said you know you cannot know God in the fullest sense by simply trusting in Christ alone. You need to make sure that you are observing these dietary laws that you are observing the religious festivals that you're watching these new Moon celebration that you're attending to all of these various special Sabbath days that have been instituted on the sick anybody come to you and give you that garbage is as you know your Bibles well enough you know that isn't the case. But I ask you again to think seriously you think of what he saying here in Colossians 2 is the Sabbath day is the fourth commandment which is being detoured from the Decalogue or lastly in Romans chapter 14 when it comes to classic head. Romans 14 519 considers one day more sacred than another.

Another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind he regards, one day is special does so to the Lord. Hewitt's needs, each to the Lord for he gives thanks to God and he who abstains does so to the Lord gives thanks to God and so long you notice the beginning of the chapter that this has to do with the issue of disputable matters because in verse two he says one man's faith allows them to eat everything but another man whose faith is weak. Each only vegetables okay so the guy who is weak is the guy who says you can do this, the chap who is strong says you can do it if you want. We tend to think of it the other way around.

We tend to cast the strongmen as the manner says you can do this and the week man is the manner says I can do what I like several other way around, looking verse three. The man who eats everything must not be guilty of contempt must not look down on him who does not, and the man does not heed everything must not be guilty of condemnation of the man who does for God has accepted him. Who are you to judge someone else's servant to his own master that is to the Lord. He stands or falls.

And he will stand for the Lord is unable to make them stand was then a 9.6 that even under the matter of the day, the same question, do you think the end of the data which he repairs the forthcoming. Do you think that he is referring now to what is being this day of resurrection. This amazing discovery of the fullness of the spirit. This, that is being sanctified by the arrival of Christ and has taken on such a perspective these early believers. Do you think that what Paul is doing here is saying don't let anybody stand up as your pastor and tell you that the Christian has to comply with the fourth commandment is when he saying, of course, if you conclude yes then you can just plainly disregard all that I've said so far know that I'm about to say by we have food God has designed the Sabbath to be liberating, not legalistic to give rest to be enjoyed listing to Alistair Begg on Truth for Life weekend the month of October is pastor appreciation month and a Truth for Life.

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All four modules in the corresponding on one study guides are accessible for free when you visit Truth for Life.org search for the basics of pastoral ministry and pastors are not the only ones we appreciate upholding many pastors is often an essential partner pastor's wife and today we want to recommend a book written just for her. It's called partners in the gospel 50 meditations for pastors and elders wives, the author of the book is a pastor's wife. She understands the many blessings and burdens that accompany this unique role. She wrote this book to encourage women who serve alongside their husbands, whether their ministry is still fresh or it feels like old news by now. Visit Truth for Life.org to find out more about the book partners in the gospel and Bob Lapine. Thanks for joining us this weekend next weekend will conclude today's message will learn how to take the Sabbath seriously without becoming either legalistic or self-righteous.

Let me take just a minute to wish all of our Canadian blisters are very blessed and happy Thanksgiving that you gather with friends and family to celebrate on Monday. The Bible teaching of Alistair Begg is furnished by Truth for Life for the Learning is for Living