” Sabbath Rest”

Rest For The Weary Series Lesson 2

Sermon Notes

January 14, 2024

I. In The Beginning and the Beginning of Sabbath…

A. Let’s not only think of Sabbath as a day, but also as a

or an orientation!

1. In the Old Testament, Sabbath was practiced on Saturday, or from sundown on Friday evening to sundown on Saturday evening.

2. The early Christians, influenced by Jesus’ resurrection and the resurrection narratives in the Gospels began to shift their communal worship and rest from the Jewish Sabbath to the first day of week, which is Sunday.

B. God grounds “Sabbath Rest” in the

. (Genesis 2:2-3)

1. Built into creation is a principle: Rest every
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   day! (Exodus 20:8-11)

C. The creation principle of “Sabbath Rest” is played out with the number

with Israel’s practices like the Sabbath Year and the Year of Jubilee.

1. If we insist on living against the grain of creation, we should not complain when we get splinters!

D. Jesus saw Sabbath as a

from a good God who wants his children to flourish!

E. Life Group Discussion Question: What is significant about remembering that “Sabbath Rest” is grounded in the creation? How has our society changed with regard to its views on Sabbath or Sunday during your lifetime or your parents’ lifetime?

II. Some Purposes of Sabbath…

A. Sabbath is a command to

! (Exodus 20:9-10)

1. Sabbath is built on the reality there is a God and you and I are not God! Think back to the original lie Satan told Eve.

2. On Sabbath, we hear the Spirit of God say, “Just

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   and focus on Me!”

3. Life Group Discussion Question: What are some intentional ways that you create space in your life to rest and focus on God? Why is rest important? What happens to us when we fail to set aside time for rest and focusing on God?
   

B . Sabbath is an opportunity to be

and replenished!

(Exodus 31:17)

1. Sabbath is a day for enjoying God’s gifts and blessings!

2. Sabbath is a day marked by

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   and gratitude for God’s gracious gifts! (Ecclesiastes 3:12-13)

3. Life Group Discussion Question: What are some of the “gifts of God” that refresh and replenish your soul? How do they bring joy to your heart?

C. Sabbath is also a time to

! (Exodus 20:8)

1. A primary function of Sabbath is to help us

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   that our souls need time and space to reorient our lives around what is most important!
   A forgetful soul is a
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   soul!

2. Sabbath was important to

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   ! (Luke 4:16)

3. Sabbath reminds us of our identity and our need to seek first the Kingdom of
   God!

4. Life Group Discussion Question: In what ways is “remembering” a primary function of Sabbath? What can or should Sabbath remind us of? In what ways is this type of “remembering” difficult during a busy and chaotic week? How does gathering for worship with other believers help us to “remember?”
   

D. Sabbath points us toward a greater spiritual

!

1. As Israel prepares to enter the Promised Land, Moses re-gives the

10 Commandments, but this time he grounds the Sabbath not in the creation,

but in

! (Deuteronomy 5:15)

2 . The physical rest of Genesis & Exodus are reinterpreted in the New

Testament as having fulfillment in a final “

Rest” that

can only be found in Jesus! (Hebrews 4:1-11)