
Sermon Title: We can Stop
Scripture: Deuteronomy 5:12-15 NIV
I. A Sabbath Shift
At Sinai, the Sabbath is an art form. It’s about tapping into the rhythm of creation.
In Deuteronomy, the Sabbath is an act of defiance against Pharaoh and his slave drivers.
At Sinai it’s a way of saying yes to God and his world;
In Deuteronomy it’s a way of saying no to Egypt and its system.
At Sinai it’s an invitation to join God in his delight;
In Deuteronomy it’s a warning to stay away from Egypt’s way of life.
II. Here’s the point of Sabbath: It’s about leaving Egypt behind.
Both underwork and overwork rob us of the capacity to enjoy God and his world. They make us less human.
We work more than ever before and we have more than ever before. And we’ve never been so unhappy.
“There is happiness in the love of labor, there is misery in the love of gain.” (Rabbi Abraham Heschel - The Sabbath: Its Meaning for the Modern Man )
III. Sabbath is a way to say ENOUGH!
IV. The Sabbath IS Good News
Sabbath is an act of alignment with YHWH, the God of Israel. God is not a workaholic. He’s a Sabbath-keeping, Sabbath-giving, Sabbath-commanding God. A God who works, and a God who rests.
Additional Notes:
Deuteronomy 5:12-15 NIV
Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the Lord your God has commanded you. 13 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 14 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns, so that your male and female servants may rest, as you do. 15 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day.