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welcome to everyone it's good to be back in the house of our God you can turn with me in your Bibles to the prophet Isaiah Isaiah chapter 56 for our call to worship Isaiah chapter 56 I'll read verses 1 to 8 thus says the Lord keep justice and do righteousness for my salvation is about to come and my righteousness to be revealed blessed is the man who does this and the son of man who lays hold on it who keeps from defiling the Sabbath and keeps his hand from doing any evil do not let the son of the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord speak saying the Lord has utterly separated me from his people nor let the eunuchs say Here I am a dry tree for thus says the Lord to the eunuchs who keep my Sabbath's and choose what pleases me and hold fast my covenant even to them I will give in my house and within my walls a place and a name better than that of sons and daughters I will give them an everlasting name that name or that shall not be cut off also the sons of the foreigner who joined themselves to the Lord to serve him and to love the name of the Lord to be his servants everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath and holds fast my covenant even then I will bring to my holy mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayer their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations the Lord God who gathers the outcasts of Israel says yet I will gather to him others besides those who are gathered to him amen will please take your hem books and open to number 286 hymn number 286 will stand as we sing together [Music] [Music] well let us pray our blessed God and Father we gather again on the Sabbath evening to call upon you to come to the Father through the son in the power of the Holy Spirit we acknowledge your glory and your majesty and your excellence and power we say with the prophet and with the seer and the book of Revelation who would not fear you O king of the nations for indeed it is your due but we know because of sin because of wickedness and rebellion no man ever has feared you aright and how we praise you that in light of that you took the matter under hand and you sent the son of your love into this world to save us to redeem us to bring us unto you and to put the fear of God in our hearts and Lord we rejoice in your goodness and in your mercy and in your grace we rejoice in this wonderful salvation the forgiveness of sins in the righteousness of Christ given freely to us and received by faith alone a faith that you supply God I pray that as we gather together tonight our hearts would be drawn out to worship to love and to adoration of our great God that you would send forth your Holy Spirit and aid and assist us in this as Jesus said we are to worship God in spirit and in truth and to that end father please supply what is lacking in our own hearts and in our own lives as we gather before you we are mindful of your holiness of your righteousness and of your justice we are mindful as well of our own sin and rebellion and so we confess that to you knowing that if we confess you are faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness we rejoice Lord God that as far as the east is from the west so you have removed our transgressions and iniquity and our Father we pray for any and all tonight who still are in their sins that you would be gracious to them that you would convict them of sin and show them the glory of Christ and the the beauty of Redemption by grace alone through faith alone in him alone and God help us as we worship to worship with reverence and with great joy and great Thanksgiving as we sing tonight and as we pray and as we look to Holy Scripture may our hearts rejoice for God you are good you have given us these things for our well-being for our growth and grace and in the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ you've given us Christian Fellowship and corporate worship and the blessed reality that together we get to approach the throne of God's grace we get to come before you as a body as the Church of the Lord Jesus and we pray that you would bless and strengthen and encourage each one of our hearts for God as we enter into this place we do so from a from a world where there is much discouragement where there is much challenge to our Christian faith where there is our own remaining corruption and and the various things that we battle with we have illness and affliction and so many sorrows and yet father you call us out of the world into this place so god encouraged and strengthened each of your Saints cause us to to know the nearness and the presence of God as our good and may these things truly draw from us worship to you our God we ask that you would look with favor upon this congregation that you would help each and every one of us to endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace help us Lord God to value and to prize that the means of grace that you have given and help us Lord God to worship you together as well father for those who are struggling physically those who have various challenges and their their health we just commit them to you and to the word of your grace we know father that you look only or not after only the inner man but you take care of us externally as well so for our brothers and sisters that are battling and struggling we pray that you would encourage them and that father you would be their God of comfort and their God of grace and strength we also pray that you would bless other churches in our community we thank you for them we pray that you would bless and prosper each one we ask God that you would in the midst of this community use the church's proclamation of truth to bring help and hope and comfort and salvation ultimately to those who are downcast and trodden we pray for those father in this community that have great need and we pray that they find Jesus Christ and the preaching of the gospel by your grace and for your glory we also pray for the governing authorities we live in a land there where there is much wickedness there is much lawlessness and father we pray that you put the fear of God in the hearts of those in high places that you would humble them under your mighty hand and that you would cause them to reflect upon the great responsibility that they bear and that to do so in a manner that is this contrary to the God of heaven and earth is is a great offence a great transgression as the day as King David said to the nations around Israel that they would serve the the kings and the judges would kiss the Sun and serve him and bow down to him less he be angry and they perish in his way when his wrath is kindled but a little be merciful to those in government both at the local and federal level and God we do long for the day and age where we see the sorts of sins that are so rampant it's so commonplace now we see sexual perversion and abortion and euthanasia and the sorts of things that the Scriptures so clearly condemned openly promoted father we pray that in your wrath you would remember mercy and do bless the preaching of the gospel for the salvation of sinners we also pray for the persecuted Church God our hearts go out to those in China that are suffering under great oppression but we are encouraged that they continue to press on they continue to persevere by grace and for your glory we thank you for the Brethren that we know and love and support for these many years we pray that you would continue to grant wisdom to them grant grace to them that they may serve and glorify you and help those that they come into contact with and Lord bless the word as it goes forth all over the earth we pray that many many people from every tribe tongue people a nation would be called out of darkness into marvelous light that they would come to you and know the joy of being found in Jesus Christ our Lord continue with us now we pray in his most blessed name amen we'll turn with me again in your hymnbooks to number 154 number 154 will stand as we sing together [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] amen we could turn with me in your Bibles to Genesis chapter 23 Genesis chapter 23 for our scripture reading this evening as we move through the Old Testament in our evening worship Genesis chapter 23 I'll begin reading in verse 1 Sara lived 127 years these were the years of the life of Sara so Sara died in pure Jeff Arba that is Hebron in the land of Canaan and Abraham came to mourn for Sara and to weep for her then Abraham stood up from before his dead and spoke to the sons of Heth saying I am a foreigner and a visitor among you give me property for a burial place among you that I may bury my dead out of my sight and the sons of Heth answer to Abraham saying to him hear us my lord you are a mighty Prince among us bury your dead in the choicest of our burial places none of us will withhold from you his burial place that you may bury your dead then Abraham stood up and bowed himself to the people of the land the sons of Heth and he spoke with them saying if it is your wish that I bury my dead out of my sight hear me and meet with Ephron the son of Zohar for me that he may give me the Cave of Machpelah which he has which is at the end of his field let him give it to me at the full price as property for a burial place among you now Ephron dwelt among the sons of Heth and ephron the hittite answered Abraham in the presence of the sons of Heth all who entered at the gate of his City saying no my lord hear me I give you the field and the cave that is in it I give it to you in the presence of the sons of the P of my people I give it to you bury your dead then Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land and he spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land saying if you will give it pray please hear me I will give you money for the field take it from me and I will bury my dead there and Efron answered he Abraham saying to him my lord listen to me the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver what is that between you and me so bury your dead and Abraham listen to Efron and Abraham wait out the silver for Efron which he had named in the hearing of the sons of Heth four hundred shekels of silver currency of the merchants so the field of Ephron which was in Mack Fela which was before Mamre the field and the cave which was in it and all the trees that were in the field which were within all the surrounding borders were deeded to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the sons of Heth before all who went in at the gate of his City and after this Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field Mac Fila before Mamre that is Hebron in the land of Canaan so the field in the cave that is in it were deeded to Abraham by the sons of Heth as property for a burial place Amen well we know that Sarah was in fact a faithful woman Hebrews 11 recorded her exploits her service unto the Lord God she was a good wife to Abraham obviously not perfect people but saved by grace through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and in terms of this particular transaction it has great significance remember that already back in Genesis chapter 12 God made a promise to Abraham that he would inherit the land he was giving him a land according to the promise and grace and gift of God and here we see that transaction furthering that particular promise Abraham doesn't want to just receive it rather he wants to purchase it he wants to own it because this is an expression of his faith in God that the land would ultimately be given to the nation of Israel so the the promise of God is advanced a bit here in this acquisition of land and the text is conspicuous it highlights in several at least a couple of places that it was in fact the land of Canaan that land of promise given by God that would ultimately be conquered by the children of Israel in Joshua so the Lord is faithful his promises are good and certainly that's something we have been reflecting upon in the Wednesday night Bible study as we work our way through the book of Genesis well let us pray our Father we do thank you for your faithfulness and that the promise of God or yeah and amen in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ how we thank you Lord God that he is the one the focus of the book of Genesis that the seed promise is ultimately realized in the coming of the Son of Man into this world how we thank you that he came to save us from our sins how we thank you that he came to bring glory to the Father how we thank you for the gospel of our salvation and again father help us as we sing as we pray as we read as we look to Scripture as we worship you may it be with great joy and with great Thanksgiving to you and we ask in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ amen well you can turn in your hymn books to Psalm 138 B as in Bravo Psalm 138 B and we'll stand together [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] we could turn in your Bibles to Deuteronomy chapter 5 Deuteronomy chapter 5 we're considering the fourth commandment remember the Sabbath day or observed the Sabbath day to keep it holy we've looked at the Sabbath in the Old Covenant the Sabbath in the New Covenant and tonight we're gonna look at the alleged anti sabbatarian New Testament texts again the anti sabbatarian New Testament texts those tax three of them were persons say that these texts indicate there is no abiding Sabbath for the people of God so that will be the focus but I do want to read the ten commandments to get it in front of us so beginning in chapter five at verse six I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt out of the house of bondage you shall have no other gods before me you shall not make for yourself a carved image any likeness of anything that is in heaven above or that is in the earth beneath or that is in the water under the earth you shall not bow down to them nor serve them for I the Lord your God am a jealous God visiting the iniquity of the father's upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate me but showing mercy to thousands to those who love me and keep my Commandments you shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain observe the Sabbath day to keep it holy as the Lord your God commanded you six days you shall labor and do all your work but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God in it you shall do no work you nor your son nor your daughter you know your male servant nor your female servant nor your ox nor your donkey nor any of your cattle nor your stranger who is within your gates that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you and remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt and the Lord your God brought you out from there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day honor your father and your mother as the Lord your God has commanded you that your days may be long and that it may be well with you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you you shall not murder you shall not commit adultery you shall not steal you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor you shall not covet your neighbor's wife and you shall not desire your neighbor's house his field his male servant his female servant his ox his donkey or anything that is your neighbors these words the Lord spoke to all your assembly in the mountain from the midst of the fire the cloud and the thick darkness with a loud voice and he added no more and he wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me a man will let us pray father thank you for your written word thank you for the law of God help us to use it lawfully to use it correctly to use it the way it's specified in Holy Scripture and grant us grace and aid now as we consider this fourth commandment help us to call the Sabbath a delight help us to see it as a as the best of the days and help us to rejoice in it the the privilege that is ours to gather in together and to worship our great God and to take up the day and in reading and prayer and fellowship and those things that that are so blessed by the Lord do forgive us now for our sin and our transgression and again fill us with your Holy Spirit as we move through your word and we ask in Jesus name Amen well as I said we did a brief exposition of the commandment in its original setting and then we did a biblical theology of the Sabbath and basically in the Old Testament we looked at Genesis chapter 2 verses 1 to 3 it is an creation ordinance God Sabbath and as he Sabbath he gave example for his creatures to follow we saw Cain and Abel worship at the end of days in the process of time ultimately we identified that as the one day out of the 7 in which they were to bring sacrifice before the Lord we saw in Exodus 16 there was a Sabbath for the people of Israel even prior to the giving of the law in Exodus 20 we did see Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5 the giving of the law at Sinai codification of that moral law that God wrote on the heart of Adam we then moved to the prophet Isaiah in chapter 56 the passage that I read at the outset of worship where we see that new covenant blessing including the the eunuchs into the very house of God is also accompanied by Sabbath and the Gentiles coming into the house of the Lord we saw the abuse of sabbatarian ISM in Isaiah 58 and at the end we see that exhortation to call the sabbath of delight and then we looked at Jeremiah 31:31 234 which is basically God's promise that in the new covenant era he would write the law of God on the hearts of his people new covenant Saints are forgiven of their sins they know the Lord and they have the law of God written in their hearts wherein they want to do what the Lord has commanded that we then moved into the new testament and from there we saw the Ministry of Jesus Christ specifically with reference to his view of the law Matthew 5:17 to 20 and then his view of the Sabbath Matthew chapter 12 verses 1 to 14 from there we saw the resurrection of Christ it was on the first day of the week and that is significant in redemptive history we then moved to the teaching of the Apostles where we considered the change of the day in Hebrews chapter 4 where we see that there is a Sabbath rest that remains for the people of God the theology of Sabbath there is clearly articulated by the Apostle verse 10 is what I tried to argue that that is the day change or the text that legitimizes the day change Christ entered into his rest the way the Father did at the beginning in the creation of the world and we looked at the worship at Troas in acts 20 verse 7 on the first day of the week the collection for the Saints and first Corinthians 16 one and two and then John in the spirit on the Lord's Day in Revelation chapter 1 verse 10 and as I said there are alleged an anti sabbatarian New Testament tax and that's what's going to occupy us tonight Romans chapter 14 Galatians 4 and Colossians 2 so we'll turn first of all to Roman's 14 the argument being that these three passages show that there is no special day among the people of God every day is the day of worship every day is a day given unto God every day ought to be special in the lives of God's people well the faulty Ness of that argument is that effort if everything is special then nothing is date night is wonderful because not every night is date night God has given us a particular day from or in which we get to gather together in the presence of God and we get to Sabbath we get to rest in him we get to call it a delight we get to know his blessing and his sanctifying power in our lives through the means of grace but some as I said want to relegate the this doctrine of the Christian Sabbath as a Puritan invention or as a act of legalism or as a means whereby persons are binding the conscience --is of others without biblical warrant well hopefully the data that we have surveyed indicates that that's not the case and hopefully as we look at these particular passages we will see that's not the case the Christian Sabbath abides the Christian Sabbath is blessed of God and the Christian Sabbath must be practiced by the people of God again not as a means for our justification or salvation but as a fruit of us having been justified freely by grace the people of God freed from the bondage of the law by the redemptive work of Jesus Christ are then pointed by Jesus Christ back to the law not as a form of bondage but as a pattern of sanctification as an instruction on how to live before God in a manner that is consistent with who he is and what he requires from men but in Romans chapter 14 notice specifically what we've got going on it's a discussion by the Apostle Paul on matters concerning Christian Liberty verse one tells us receive one who is weak in the faith but not to disputes over doubtful things for one believes he may eat all things but he who is weak eats only vegetables let not him who eats despise him who does not eat and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats for God has received him who are you to judge another servant to his own master he stands or falls indeed he will be made to stand for God is able to make him stand the context has to do with Christian Liberty Paul wants the the Apostle Paul wants the people of God whether they're weak or whether they're strong to be able to live in harmony he gives the particular temptations or tendencies involved with being either we your brother or a stronger brother with reference to not living in peace notice verse two one believes he may eat all things but he who is weak eats only vegetables so the stronger brother thinks and believes that he can eat meat the weaker brother thinks he can only eat vegetables and I don't think this is first and foremost matters of nutrition and value in terms of nutrient count I think it has to do with Jewish food lots and that with the coming of Jesus Christ those food Jewish food laws are abrogated because what they stood for the typological significance are fulfilled by Jesus Christ but coming into this new covenant era a man who had never eaten bacon a man who had never eaten shrimp perhaps doesn't want to eat bacon or shrimp perhaps his conscience is still affected in the sense that it's wrong for him to do so he's identified there as a weaker brother because he hasn't appreciated fully the reality that Christ has come and freed him from those particular demands well the stronger brother has understood and so the stronger brother does eat bacon he does eat shrimp he enjoys these particular things so Paul highlights the particular temptations that are there with reference to the weaker and the stronger notice in verse 3 let not him who eats despise him who does not eat though it's the stronger brother is not to look down upon the weaker brother he's not to invite him over on a particular occasion where he's having bacon and where he's having shrimp and he's passing it in front of that weak brother and he's sort of despising he's putting him down he's he's looking down upon him and suggesting you know you need to embrace your liberty and you need to you need to suck it up and you need to enjoy the good gifts that God is given don't do that if you're a stronger brother and you're going to offend a weaker brother don't do it that's how the chapter ends don't exercise your Liberty at the expense of the conscience of a weaker brother but it's not just the strong that has a tendency or a temptation to do something wrong or contra peace with reference to the weaker brother notice what he says in 3b and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats so that's the tendency on the part of the weaker brother the weaker brother supposes that this allegedly strong brother is in sin he's in rebellion he shouldn't eat those particular things if he knew better he wouldn't do that Paul's point is that he wants peace and he wants harmony and he wants unity among the people of God he doesn't want there to be factions the strong brethren they meet at one table and they mow down on meat and the weak brethren they gather together at the we at the at the weak table and they just eat vegetables whatever floats your boat in terms of what you want to eat that's up to you ultimately we are not to judge one another and we are not to despise persons he goes on from meats and drinks to dates notice in verse five one person esteems one day above another another esteems every day alike let each be fully convinced in his own mind he who observes the day observes it to the Lord and he who does not observe the day to the Lord he does not observe it he he who eats eats to the Lord and for he gives God thanks and he who does not eat to the Lord he does not eat and give God gives God thanks essentially what I think is happening here is that if it is the case that we can do something that is a Jewish calendar practice without sort of putting a theological spin on it then it's okay to do that there were several feast days within the nation of Israel Jewish calendar had more than just the weekly Sabbath in fact that's not what's in Velia at all it is those feast days so Paul says if some want to observe those particular days but again they don't attach theological significance to it in the sense that God is now in going to accept me because I kept this particular feast no there's culture there's practice there's ethnicity there's an instance where the Apostle Paul takes Timothy and has him circumcised because they're going to go into Jewish regions we know that circumcision doesn't matter in terms of religion in the new covenant era but it would have been an offense to the Jewish audience Paul has Timothy circumcised that was not a matter of obeying the law of Moses in order to be accepted by God it was a matter of trying to keep peace with Jews with reference to young Timothy so if we can do these things without attaching significance to them in terms of our acceptance with God then if some want to observe these particular days that's up to them if others don't want to observe those particular days that's up to them as well we are not to bind consciences we're not to go beyond the scripture but as well we're not supposed to bind the other way and say well just because Jesus came doesn't mean we're no longer obligated to keep these fair ceremonies and feasts well of course it means that Christ fulfilled all that the ceremonies typify he is the anti-type so we're not to be brought back under that but if somebody from an ethnic or a cultural point of view wants to celebrate that day Paul says that's okay go right ahead but then he moves his discussion back solely to eating and to drinking and again dropping down at the very end of the chapter he lays down that most important principle that if your Liberty offends a brother for whom Jesus died then don't exercise that Liberty don't parade it in front of them don't make them uncomfortable or squeamish but rather show respect show love and try to endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace the Christian Sabbath is not in view in this particular passage it's not the Jewish or the Christian Lord's Day rather Jewish feast days observe for ethnic or cultural reasons the Apostles concern and it ought to be our concern as well is that observers of these days don't bind the consciences of those who don't observe them William Ames makes this comment he says the Apostle in Romans 14 expressly speaks of the judgment about certain days which then produce defense among Christians but the observance of the Lord's Day which the Apostle himself teaches had already taken place in all the churches remember 1st Corinthians 16 one and two it's already binding that's already in play that's already in place so he would not teach I want you to lay up collection on the on the first day of the week simply to come along and say well there's no real significance to the first day of the week well what do you mean Paul you've already told us that were to gather together and want to bring up bring those collections in fact he goes on Eames does to say this it is most probable that the Apostle in this passage is treating of a dispute about the choosing of days to eat or refuse certain meats this point is is that days isn't the issue at all in Romans chapter 4 and if that's the case it's certainly not the Christian Sabbath but it's these days upon which persons would eat these particular meats or not he says for the question is put in Romans 14 to about meats only and in verses 5 and 6 the related problem of Duty is discussed and in the remainder of the chapter he considers only meats making no mention of days so what we have in Romans 14 is the reality that there was a transition period and we're going to meet that in our study in the book of Acts when we get to Acts chapter 15 there is an overarching concern that affects the church that they have to deal with and that overarching concern that affects the church that they have to deal with is Gentile inclusion in the promises of Almighty God so these Gentiles have now come in and the Jews are saying wait a minute we all had to be circumcised we all had to abstain from certain things we all had to obey a certain calendar observance with reference to our life as Israelites the Gentiles have to as well well no that's not how they ruled there at acts 15 in the Jerusalem Council but you see this tension continued even all the way up to chapter 21 when Paul returns to Jerusalem with money to give to Pastor James sort of the leader of the church in Jerusalem James says persons out there are being shaken because they think you're teaching no obedience to the law of Moses and so what James see just is that Paul obey a particular calendar observance and Paul complies Paul does not comply for religious reasons in the sense of acceptance with God Paul complies to make sure there's unity among Jews and Gentiles so when we get to Roman's 14 the argument isn't every day special we don't need a Sunday Sabbath because every day is alike that's not the point the point is is that some were still holding whether culturally or ethnically to these particular observances and if they did that then Paul said leave them alone as long as they don't judge of other people and with reference to meats and and drinks and those sorts of things again the principle is the strong mustn't despise the weak and the weak must not judge the strong and I just want to read the last section before we move to the next tax because I think it is most important notice in verse 14 I know it I'm convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing well prior to that Paul's point basically is we stand before the Lord I think this is a great place for us to stand we're not going to ultimately be judged by each other we're gonna be judged by the Lord if a man has a clear conscience before God most high and he is willing and able to engage in a particular activity asking the Lord's blessing then it is not up to you to deter him or stop him we're not supposed to be legalistic we're not supposed to be pharisaic we are not supposed to impose our preferences upon others we are to respect the reality that each of us will stand before the Lord God now again that's in things in different those are in things that are that are matters of Christian Liberty not with reference to the moral law of God if somebody is committing adultery reproof that rebuked them but if somebody eats bacon leave them alone is what Paul is saying in this section now verse 14 I know it I'm convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself but to him who considers anything to be unclean to him it is unclean and herein lies the problem at least to some degree you need to educate yourself you need to understand your conscience needs to be informed not by preference not by the prevailing winds around us but by God's holy word that's what's supposed to shape and frame and dictate what our conscience allows us to do there are those who have this mindset that something is unclean Paul's point is well then don't put it in front of their face but I think Paul would want them to move from the place to adopt the position that he himself has just said verse 14 I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself that's the goal that's maturation that's strength in the Christian life and that's what the Apostle wants for the people of God verse 15 yet if your brother is greed because of your food you are no longer walking in love do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking but righteousness and peace and joy in the holy spirit for he observes Christ in these things is it acceptable to God and approved by men therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another no respective of our studies in the Decalogue irrespective of our studies with reference to the fourth commandment president these are foundational principles for church life if we cannot get along together on this side of heaven if we can't jive with one another even in spite of some legitimate differences in spite of some legitimate preferences then we are wrong we've got problems the Church of Jesus Christ is supposed to be a body of people according to Ephesians 4 that endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace why do you think that emphasis because Paul knew good and well that problems in the body affect the proclamation of the truth problems in the body of fact the bringing of glory to God problems in the body ought to be dealt with we ought to deal with one another in such a way that when we go to God it's not the case that we've got all this baggage the apostle lays down principles for us as God's people to be able to get along with one another verse 20 do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food all things indeed are pure but it is evil for the man who eats with offense it is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak do you have faith have it - you have it to yourself before God happy is he who does not condemn himself and what he approves but he who doubts is condemned if he eats because he does not eat from faith for whatever is not from faith is sin you see what you're doing if you're a strong brother and you've got the weak brother over and you're serving bacon and you say just go ahead just eat it just eat it just eat it well for him it's sin because it's not a faith he thinks it's wrong now we might say well he needs to be smarter he needs to grow he needs to get mature but he's not right now so don't offend him and don't cause him to stumble by putting him into a situation that for him is sin now Paul doesn't just confine his comments here he takes them all all the way into Corinth in chapters 8 to 10 and first Corinthians there it's meat offered up to idols when you go to somebody's house don't ask questions if it's going to bug you that the thought that this meat was offered up to idols don't ask don't ask because if they tell you yeah it was offered up to idols then you're going to be a problematic and you're not going to eat Paul has rules guiding us in 1st Corinthians 8 10 8 to 10 along the same line but ultimately his argument is grounded in that same principle we are not - cause brethren to stumble in matters of Christian Liberty caused them to stumble if they are transgressing the moral law of God caused them to stumble if they are questioning the doctrine of justification by faith alone caught and I don't mean push them I mean caused them a little bit of uncomfort with reference to the doctor to Trinity if they are questioning that or doubting that oh by all means offend them with the truth as it is in Jesus but when it comes matters of indifference leave people alone I know that's tough I've seen it for 22 years that it's tough I have seen it manifested in myself and not anybody here particularly so don't think is he after me no but the bottom line is that Charles Hodge was absolutely positively right every man has a Pope in his own bosom that is the tendency to judge others we need to guard against that Romans 14 is about that not about the abrogation of the DECA logical Sabbath the Deuteronomy 5 Exodus 20 Sabbath that we have spent time looking at in the Old Testament and in the New Testament that's not the point of the passage the point of the passage is love one another be kind to one another and promote peace within the context of the church now turn over to galatians 4 galatians chapter 4 after highlighting the glory of the gospel of our lord jesus christ in chapter 4 verses 1 to 7 he then comes to reprove those persons in the churches of Galatia that have given here to the Judaizers remember that as we consider verses 9 and 10 in this reference to days it's still in the context of the book of Galatians what's the overarching concern of the Apostle in the book of Galatians it's Judaizers those who came to the churches of southern Galatia on the heels of the Apostle Paul and they said faith in Jesus is good but you must also be circumcised Paul condemns that in chapter 5 at verse 2 but as well they said not only circumcision but the Jewish calendar you have to abide by that again what's in view in verses 9 and 10 isn't the Christian Sabbath at all but rather it is an attempt on the part of man to supplement his faith in Christ with certain aspects of Jewish law in order to commend himself to God Almighty can I just say that if you have a proper biblical understanding of the Christian Sabbath and you think that abiding by that Sabbath and keeping that day holy somehow makes you fit for heaven then that deserves the same reproof in other words we don't keep the Sabbath day in order to be justified we keep the Sabbath day because we have been justified this is the context in Galatians it is circumcision and it is the Jewish calendar and that's what Paul is condemning notice in verse 8 but then indeed when you did not know God you serve those which by nature are not gods but now after you have known God or rather are known by God how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements to which you desire again to be in bondage if we understand the Christian Sabbath we can't for a moment entertain that that's what he's thinking the the picture presented of God's Sabbath in the enthronement of our Lord on Genesis chapter 2 is that bondage we get to Cain and Abel at the end of days on that on that day of worship bringing their sacrifice to God is that bondage we get to Exodus chapter 16 and the people of God the people of the the old covenant community obeying Sabbath Kim come in and is that bondage we get to Exodus chapter 20 what is Sabbath represented of in Exodus chapter 20 it's representative or word it's grounded in the creative power of God in Deuteronomy chapter 5 it's it's rooted in the redemptive power of God that's not bondage we get to the prophet Isaiah chapter 56 and Sabbath keep a is connected with eunuchs entering in to the New Covenant to the house of God Almighty that's not bondage Isaiah 58 call the Sabbath day a bondage no it's a it's a day of delight Matthew chapter 12 does our Lord Jesus treat the Sabbath as a day of bondage no that's not it at all so whatever Paul is speaking about he is not speaking about a good command of God as being a bad thing John the Apostle tells us the commandments of God are not Grievous they're not burdensome they're not something that we go oh man I can't believe God actually wants me to resk God actually wants me to be happy God actually wants me to be joyful how dare God ever do such a thing like that unfortunately that's the attitude at times we express with reference to commandment-keeping and again I want to qualify it we don't commandment keep in order to be saved we commandment keep as an aspect of our sanctification for us having been justified freely by His grace or consider Jesus in mark chapter 2 what does he say that the Sabbath was made for man not Israel not the Jew certainly Israel in the Jew included in that but he's speaking most likely about Adam the Sabbath was made for the man or or mankind in general it's not the case that it's bad it's the case that it's most excellent and God has given it to his people for their well-being and then verse 10 you observe days and months and seasons and years I am afraid for you lest I have labored for you in vain now the problem Paul is addressing is the judy icing of believers in christ the point in verses 8 to 10 is that we cannot look to days of observance as a means of acceptance with God turn over to Galatians 5:2 Galatians 5 well first one stand there stand fast therefore in the Liberty by which Christ has made us free and do not be entangled again with the yoke of bondage indeed I Paul say to you that if you become circumcised Christ will profit you nothing again there's a fundamental difference between what he's stating here and what he does with Timothy in acts 16 he has Timothy circumcise either Paul is absolutely contradictory or in the one case he's not circumcising Timothy with any religious attached religious significance attached but with reference to this condemnation he is saying telling them that if you get circumcised as a means by which God will accept you then Christ will profit you nothing why because of Galatians 2:20 1 I do not set aside the grace of God if righteousness comes through the law then Christ died in vain notice what he says if you choose law keeping this goes with that Fisher quote that I read this morning if you choose law keeping look what it obligates you to in verse 3 and I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law see there's one of two approaches to God either you and your perfection or Christ and his perfection the book of Galatians condemns the attempt to try and mingle the two because when we try and mingle the two we take away from the glory of Jesus Christ we are Judy isay we are adding works we are suggesting that what Christ wrought out for us in our salvation wasn't complete and we need to supplement it in many respects Galatians is a book basically telling you no supplements whatsoever with reference to the Christian faith so back to Galatians 4 verse 10 likely again it's the Jewish calendar and it's not the Christian Sabbath at all Eames says in the Galatians passage the discussion relates only to the observance of days months and years as an aspect of bondage too weak and beggarly elements but it was far from the Apostles mind and altogether strange to Christian faith to consider any commandment of the Decalogue any one of the Ten Commandments or any ordinance of Christ in such a vain he would never treat those Commandments as if it was bondage none of us ever say oh man that six commandment what bondage I just really want to go out and kill people that that would make me happy it's bondage that God says or prohibits me from kill no we wouldn't do that well the same is true or obtains with reference to the fourth commandment it's not an act of bondage the Apostle condemns this particular practice because like circumcision they attach religious significance to it and suppose that it brought them acceptance by God another commentator said the issue that is not the observance of religious usages as such but the basis of the justification before God the legalistic approach advocated by the Galatian agitators and the gospel of free grace proclaimed by Paul our Eirik irreconcilably opposed to each other and I'll say it again if you as somebody who's heard the doctrine of the Christian Sabbath and appreciates what we see beginning in Genesis chapter 2 that moves all the way to Revelation chapter 1 verse 10 you say yeah I see it I see that biblical theology of the Christian Sabbath I see that it's binding I see that it's perpetual I see that it's moral and I'm going to keep it so that God will save me if that's your disposition you are absolutely positively wrong in your approach to the Christian Sabbath that's what Paul is doing but not with the Christian Sabbath with the Jewish calendar just like circumcision was a sort of identified entity national identity with reference to life in Israel let's move to the third and final passage in Colossians 2 Colossians chapter 2 now the sort of thing that was facing the church in Colossae excuse me was a bit judy icing but it was also a bit honor - it was a sort of mint and a mingling together a mixing of of angels and Judaism and Christ and the Apostle Paul doesn't want them to go down that road the Apostle Paul wants people to be consumed and obsessed with Christ not with angels and not with Judaism and not with the sorts of things that men want to put you into bondage with and with reference to Colossians chapter 2 in this particular area he is issuing cautions and warnings notice in verse 8 he says beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit now before you say I can't ever study philosophy that's not what Paul's talking about that's not what Paul is saying Paul is saying something that is secular istic or humanistic or is contrary to Jesus Christ ought to be shunned now there might be a time and a season an occasion where you should study that if you're an apologist if you're gonna debate somebody that holds a particular philosophical view Paul is not a against you reading up on it so that you can clean that man's clock and debate the idea is is don't be led astray to God hating rebellious philosophy that's the issue philosophy simply means lover of wisdom every one of us should be a philosopher Paul tells us that in Christ all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are HID Christians ought to be the best philosophers because we have the very object of philosophy our Lord Jesus but it's a prohibition against God hating rebellious philosophy so beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit according to the tradition of men according to the basic principles of the world and not according to Christ for in him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily and you are complete in him who is the head of all principality and power and then notice in verse 16 he issues another caution he says so let no one judge you in food or in drink or regarding a festival or a new moon or Sabbath's which are a shadow of things to come but the substances of Christ so verse 16 is sort of the overarching concern of the Apostle in this section he does not want persons to judge you by that he means don't fall prey to their pressure don't fall prey to their bullying don't fall prey to their attempt at manipulation and then he gives two concrete examples of what these persons will do in this immediate section he's dealing with what's called mystical legalism mystical legalism there's a mysticism wrapped up in it but it's legalistic in essence you need to do the Jewish calendar in order to be accepted by God similar to what we see there in Galatians chapter 4 and then in verses 20 and following he condemns an emphasis on what's called asceticism and asceticism is simply a withdrawal from society in the sense that we don't eat we don't taste we don't touch we don't handle well that ultimately or essentially reduces to we'll worship and so in 2:16 and following there are cautions against mist mystical legalism and then this asceticism again those things on their face are bad if somebody came in here and said oh I'm gonna preach and I want to tell all of you that you need to obey the Jewish calendar and you can't eat bacon we would know that's bad we would know that's wrong I hope we would yea Khajiit y'all give me a nod we would know that's bad right and if somebody said you can't touch you can't taste you can't see you have to be an ascetic monk Ori is the way to heaven we would know that's wrong that is not not the case Paul attaches that abstinence from marriage and abstinence from from meat to the doctrine of demons in 1st Timothy chapter 4 it's not right so on the very surface of it we know that something is up he's dealing with heretics he's dealing with disorders of truth he is dealing with persons who want to try to bind the consciences of these professing Christians in Colossae and add to them things on top of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ so you see food and days that's the emphasis in verse 16 let no one judge you in food or in drink or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbath and then verse 17 gives the rationale which are a shadow of things to come but the substance is of Christ the Jewish calendar and the Jewish food laws served TIPA logically for the people of Israel when Jesus comes he is the anti-type so there's no more food laws and there is no more Jewish calendar but again he's not dealing with the Christian Sabbath he's already established that persons gathered together first Corinthians 16 take up collection on that day acts 20 verse 7 his own pattern showed that where he was preaching remember he continued to sermon late into the night and that young man Eutychus fell and died and was revived the apostle paul already was observing the first day john was in the spirit on the lord's day if you accept Pauline authorship of the book of Hebrews he was the architect of the theology of the day change there in Hebrew Chapter four now to go one step further we know that this is ceremonial law or aspect to positive law specifically for the old covenant people there are a few instances in the Old Testament where there are Sabbath's connected to new moons and festivals these were not necessarily even on the seventh day if you look at the Book of Leviticus chapter 23 there are occasional Sabbath's that wouldn't necessarily even fall on the seventh day in Israel's calendar and again at several points in Old Testament scripture these three terms are put together in fact let's go ahead and turn there just so you can see he's not dealing with Exodus 20 he's not dealing with Deuteronomy 5 he is not dealing with the DECA logical Sabbath at all he is not dealing with the Christian Lord's Day he is dealing with these occasional Sabbath's that were adhered to in conjunction with these festivals and these New Moon's so let's look at the several places where these three terms are used to show that this is not the Christian Sabbath that Paul is saying let no one judge you concerning in Colossians 2 the first text is found in 1st chronicles 23 first chronicles 23 and in each of these contexts it's conspicuously ceremonial law that's in view positive law attached to the Old Covenant in terms of their regulation and if those terms confuse you you can talk to me later about ceremonial and positive but in 1st chronicles chapter 23 verse 31 and at every presentation of a burnt offering to the Lord on the Sabbath's and on the new moons and on the set feasts by number according to the ordinance governing them regularly before the Lord turn to 2nd chronicles 2:3 second chronicles 2:3 no detailed exegesis in each of these passages because I just want to show that these three terms are used frequently in the Old Testament in conjunction and it's separate from the weekly Sabbath it's separate from the Deuteronomy 5 Exodus 20 Lord's Day were the people of God it came in from out of the world entered into the very presence of God and worshiped and rested and were sanctified and blessed in 2/3 and second Chronicles we see Solomon sent to Hiram king of Tyre saying as you have dealt with David my father and sent him Cedars to build himself a house to dwell in so deal with me behold I am building a temple for the name of the Lord my God to dedicate it to him to burn before him sweet incense for the continual show bread for the burnt offerings morning and evening on the Sabbath on the new moons and on the set feasts of the Lord our God this is an ordinance forever to Israel when it says forever I know that makes people think well that must mean it still for us now there are contexts in the Old Testament where forever doesn't mean forever it doesn't mean forever extending into our future it meant forever as long as the Jewish polity was still extant as long as the Old Covenant people were still together it was forever it was regulatory for them but when that theocracy is dissolved by the Babylonians in the sixth century BC and especially at 80 70 they are entering into the rank and file of all the other nations they're no longer set apart as a special people of God that doesn't mean we treat them poorly it doesn't mean we promote anti-semitism it doesn't mean we bomb delis or anything like that it simply means that at one point they were the very apple of God's eye they violated the terms of the Covenant God brought judgment to bear upon them and at 80 70 they entered into the rank and file of every other nation so don't let that word necessarily throw you and caused you to think that we are still under the positive law attached to Old Covenant religion second Chronicles 31 3 second Chronicles 31 3 and Hezekiah verse 2 appointed the divisions of the priests and the Levites according to their divisions again you see the ceremonial aspect guess what we don't have today we don't have divisions of Levites we don't have priests we don't have all that stuff associated with Old Covenant worship Old Covenant worship is abrogated through the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ I think I've shared with you that the church is more modeled after synagogue worship than temple worship synagogue worship didn't have sacrifice didn't have incense didn't have all that sort of thing but that's what Mark told covenant worship in the tabernacle and then temple but those things were tip illogical they were for a period of time until the time of reformation when Christ came not when Calvin came but when Christ came and at that point that positive law that aspect is fulfilled by Jesus and therefore abrogated verse three Hezekiah I'm sorry verse two Hezekiah appointed the divisions of the priests and the Levites according to their divisions each man according to his service the priests and Levites for burnt offerings and peace offerings to serve to give thanks and to praise and the gates of the camp of the Lord the King also appointed a portion of his possessions for the burnt offerings for the morning and evening burnt offerings the burnt offerings for the Sabbath's and the new moons and the set feast as it is written in the law of war you see those three terms you think that's what Paul is speaking about in Colossians 2 you think that's might be the case with the error ists were bringing they were bringing the Jewish calendar this fascination with angels and they said to these Saints in Colossae you need to be mystical you need to just let go and let Jesus but as well you need to obey the Jewish calendar that's what's in view that's what Paul is saying let no one judge you regarding positive or ceremonial law from the Old Testament it's again referenced in Ezekiel 45 but one other text I'm not trying to blow past the Ezekiel passage it says exactly the same thing but one other passage that's instructive in this vein is Hosea 2:11 the Prophet Hosea 2:11 and this one is most intriguing because it is a pronouncement of God's judgment upon Israel it's a pronouncement of God's judgment upon them for their having transgressed the terms of the Covenant this is God's law with reference to them that he is going to suspend privilege he never suspends don't commit adultery he never suspends don't murder he never suspends don't covet he never suspends remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy he never suspends have no other gods before me he never suspends you must not make for yourself an idol he never suspends or abrogates you must not commit blasphemy this is not the moral law of God relative to the one date Sabbath that we see in Scripture notice in 2:11 well verse 9 therefore I will return and take away my grain in its time and my new wine in its season and will take back my wool in my linen given to cover her nakedness now I will uncover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers and no one shall deliver her from my hand I will also cause all mirth all her mirth to seize her feast days her new moons her Sabbath's all her appointed feasts see what he says I will cause these things to cease God never causes moral law to cease God never says it's okay now to disobey your parents it's ok now to commit theft it's ok now to commit perversion he doesn't do that this is ceremonial a law that was designed ultimately for obsolescence the Lord God Most High had designed it that way so when we go to Colossians chapter 2 and Paul says in verse 16 so let no one judge you in food or in drink or regarding a festival or a new moon or Sabbath which are a shadow of things to come but the substances of Christ his meaning not to be obvious to all of us these were types under Old Covenant worship and now that the anti-type Christ has come there is no longer a need for the type when you have the substance you don't need the shadow I think I've shared the illustration before sometimes my my kids will come over and they'll they'll bring the grandkids and I'm looking at the grandkids doing their grandkid Italy things just you know loving on them and watching them toddle or crawl or now they're getting a little bigger and watching them get you know whatever they're doing and then one of the kids will say oh look at this picture no I get to look at her right there I you can text me the picture later I don't need the shadow I've got the substance see that's what Paul is saying in this context he's not saying there's no longer a Sabbath rest for the people of God he says absolutely opposite in Hebrews four nine there remains therefore a Sabbath rest for the people of God it's not typical of Jesus and is coming it's typical of us and Turing in to the fullness of that consummated rest and glory it's a good thing it's not bondage so Paul's argument here is that the Jewish diet and the Jewish calendar were a shadow now that the substance has come to be preoccupied with the shadow is to miss the substance and that's not what you're supposed to do you're supposed to be a lover of Jesus Eames again says in Colossians two the Sabbath's mentioned are specifically and expressly described as New Moon's and ceremonial shadows of things to come in Christ but the Sabbath commanded in the Decalogue of our Lord and our Lord's Day are of another nature entirely it's an apples and oranges thing weren't worse than apples and oranges apples and oranges have more similarity because they're both round but the moral law of the Living God is unchangeable like the Living God but the ceremonial law or positive law attached to the Old Covenant people of God functioned as a tight functioned as a shadow when the antitype comes the substances present we no longer go back to that diet and we no longer go back to that calendar Gilfillan says while moreover his words discard the days of Judaism they touch not the authority of the ancient statue of paradise and in undermining ceremonial rites leave unshaken the moral foundation on which rests the prescription remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy that's why Paul's preoccupation with and Paul's emphasis upon Jesus Christ in the book of Colossians if persons come to the church and they say Jewish diet Jewish calendar Plus Jesus for salvation no we just preached Jesus you see it's by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone you are justified but from all things which you could not be by the law of Moses and yet these men had come to the church prescribing this act of obedience in conjunction with faith in Christ in order to be justified it's not the Christian Sabbath at all well in summary or in conclusion the Sabbath was instituted at creation declared to Israel at Sinai prophesied as having New Covenant application in the prophet Isaiah and in Jeremiah 31 it is enforced by the lord of sabbath practiced by the apostolic church on the first day of the week according to the theology of the day change in Hebrews 4 as a result of or founded or grounded upon christ's resurrection on the first day of the week our confession says as it is the law of nature that in general a proportion of time by God's appointment be set apart for the worship of God so by his word in a positive moral and perpetual commandment binding all men in all ages he has particularly appointed one day in seven for a Sabbath to be kept holy unto him which from the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ was the last day of the week and from the resurrection of Christ was changed into the first day of the week which is called the Lord's Day and is to be continued to the end of the world as the Christian Sabbath the observation of the last day of the week being abolished I think that is a great summary statement and that's what I've attempted to try and demonstrate in terms of the theology of the Sabbath in the Old Covenant and in the New Covenant dealing with these tacks that are allegedly utilized or not allegedly they are utilized as being alleged passages that a contra New Testament sabbatarian is now with reference to obedience on the fourth commandment there's something called casuistry I'll give you the dictionary.com definition of to astray it is the application of general ethical principles to particular cases of conscience or conduct so we get this doctrine of the fourth commandment down and then we say can I go to Tim Hortons can I do this can I do that can I go here can I go there well let me just encourage you that we ought to look at sabbath-keeping first and foremost as a positive blessing and gift from God in other words we are given privilege by our Lord to cease from our earthly Labor's to come in from out of the world into the house of God to fellowship with fellow Saints in Zion to the praise and the glory and the honor of God we get a day to cease from our ordinary regular labors so that we can be occupied in and with the things of God Almighty instead of looking at it with all the negatives well I can't and I can't and I can't and I can't and I can't and I can't look at all the positives we get to go to church three times at our church if you go to the prayer meeting confession study and morning and evening we get to have people over we get to talk about the Lord we get to encourage people in the things of God most high we get to listen to sermons these are privileges and blessings that obtained as a result of sabbath-keeping now in terms of casuistry we need to be careful that we don't fall prey to Pharisee ism or to legalism in my experience and take this for what it's worth oftentimes the people of God adopt a particular posture for their lord's day and if others don't adopt that particular posture for their lord's day then they are somehow wretched or they are somehow not as sanctified as we'd like for them to be there's an example in a book written on the Sabbath it's called call the Sabbath a delight and the fellow gives an instance of casuistry how do we apply the general overarching concern or demand of the fourth word with reference to specific cases of conscience you have one family and the boy says daddy can we ride our bikes today the father says no it's the Sabbath day we're not gonna ride our bikes so they sit on the couch and lo and behold a family from the church rides their bikes right out in front of their bay window and of course that cause is a great deal of concern among the family that has been prohibited from riding bikes well what we don't know from that little tidbit and what family a sitting and watching and perhaps judging at this point does not know is that they're writing to the part so they can sit under a tree and read catechism or read Calvin or read John Gill to their three year olds you don't know what is happening in that particular instance when it comes to Sabbath keeping the multiplication of particular preferences is what really happened with reference to Pharisee ISM so I'm not suggesting license I am NOT suggesting any sort of a loosey-goosey response to the Sabbath but I am suggesting get the doctrine down understand what God's Word says if you have some questions about any of the sermons that have been preached email me I will send you the notes you can reflect upon the text yourself but once the doctrine is down I think that goes a long way to helping in terms of the concrete application in terms of the what can we what should we and what are we not supposed to do so there's my casuistry and certainly some of you are gonna say but can we go to Tim Hortons in terms of some questions for anti Sabbatarians I had mentioned I wanted to just set this forth it's typical and as I said it's only in the Reformed churches that there is a Sabbath it's only in the Reformed churches that we affirm the perpetuity of the fight I guess outside of the Reformed churches there might be that person that duck out there but for the most part it's reformed and reason why is because we have a view of covenant theology and because we have a view of covenant theology that yields a particular position on the law of God and having that view of the law of God we see the integrity and the utility of all 10 commandments not 9 of the 10 commandments but all 10 of the commandments notice at the end of the reading in Deuteronomy chapter 5 he wrote these words or the words were written by the finger of God ceremonial law is never said to be that way in the Old Testament the Decalogue of the moral law of God is the only body or division of the law that has ever said to be written by the finger of God that doesn't mean that ceremonial and judicial was patched in the mind of Moses I'm not suggesting that it was given by revelation of God through Moses but the significance of the moral law is underscored by the reality that it was written by the finger of God and it's at this point that it's the sabbatarian or the person that affirms the perpetuity the fourth commandment that's always put on the defensive that's always put on the position well well you got to defend yourself and you know I've sought to give a defense of it but I think non Sabbatarians have some work to do as well why does God establish a six in one pattern why does the creation week reflect specifically what the Sabbath is concerned with why does Sabbath observance predate Sinai in other words it's not only God's Sabbath in Genesis 2 one two three but it's Cain and Abel in Genesis four and it's Israel in Exodus 16 prior to the giving of the law in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy five well Exodus 20 specifically why does God at Sinai tell them to remember the Sabbath isn't that an odd one in our text in Deuteronomy 5 it comes out as observe the Sabbath day to keep it holy but in the exodus parallel let's remember the Sabbath day doesn't that argue for a pre Sinai appointment of the Sabbath day for Israel why does God refer to both creation and redemption in the giving of the Sabbath law in Exodus 20 Deuteronomy 5 and then those twin concepts emerge again in Hebrews 4 when he argues with reference to the theology of the date why does Isaiah speak of sabbath-keeping during the messianic age Isaiah 56 is a prophecy concerning the New Covenant Church it is demonstrable from acts 8 and the the the baptism the conversion of the baptism of the Ethiopian eunuch why does Jesus claim lordship of the Sabbath in mark chapter 2 again all of this stuff doesn't necessarily say that everything I've said is absolutely positively true but what I am suggesting is that persons who neglect this persons who suggest it's no longer perpetual persons who say it's no longer binding have an essence adopted antinomianism antinomianism is bad - if they can bandy about the term legalism for those of us who see a perpetual sabbath-keeping then we can certainly apply antinomianism to them when they take one of the Ten Commandments and say it's not for us today I don't think that's a legitimate step in a hermeneutical hermeneutical trajectory why does Jesus say that the Sabbath was made for man again that's either Adam specifically or mankind generically instead of saying it was made for Israel it wasn't made for Israel it was but it was made for man and Israel receives it at Sinai why would Jesus clear away the Jewish corruptions only to destroy it not long after why does the early church worship on the first day of the week the day Christ rose from the dead why does the integrity of the Ten Commandments suffer in the New Covenant in other words how do we justify hermeneutic like that excision of one of the Ten Commandments if that's the case then why not the other nine now I know that people do do that I know there's a class of people out there that say that the Ten Commandments have no abiding influence for any Christian whatsoever that's genuine antinomianism which by the way means antique law ism and then why does the author of Hebrews emphatically assert that a Sabbath rest remain for the people of God now again it does not do to put it into the eschaton because on the heels of the day change tat in Hebrews 4:10 we then are exhorted in verse 11 to let us strive to enter that rest God in His grace and goodness gave us the Christian Sabbath or the Lord's Day as the Puritans described it as the market day of the soul it is a time for the people of God to worship and fellowship together as the people of God to sing the songs of Zion to our great Lord and bask in the reality that Christ in the gospel has saved us from our sins that he set apart that first day marking it out by his own resurrection from the dead we see the Apostles abide by that we see John call it the Lord's Day and the early church early on toed that line they saw the first day of the week as the Lord's Day as that time peculiarly set apart by God for the worship of God and then finally know this that the Sabbath is like all the other nine commandments the Sabbath is like all the other nine Commandments do you always not covet you don't even need to nod your head or say yeah me no the covet command gets us all I don't care how holy you think you are I don't care how righteous you think you are one of those other nine finds you out the point is brethren when you read our confession of faith on sabbath-keeping it's a very high standard if you ask those Divine's do you think that person's 24 hours think nothing else than God they'd say oh no we got remaining corruption there's galatians 5 and in romans 7 but when they propound the means of sabbath-keeping they they aim high you never write a comment on the seventh commandment and say well you know just have adultery once or twice a week no never ever commit it my point is is that with sabbatarian ISM there is still going to be said it's in this that we rejoice and the savior for sinners we rejoice in the reality that Christ is our substitutionary Sabbath keeper now we don't say well therefore I don't have to keep the Sabbath which is employed by some no but we thank God Most High that when it comes to the law of God and improper use is to seek justification from our God justification comes by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone we certainly aim high in our sabbatarian ISM but after the day and we reflect upon it and we see that for eight minutes we didn't think God's thoughts after him we ask the Lord to forgive us and to cleanse us in the precious blood of Jesus Christ knowing that Christ and the gospel has brought redemption for even persons that do not perfectly keep and obey the Sabbath again I'm not saying or suggesting license bill do whatever it is you want to do but brethren it is one of the tenth and with reference to all ten we stumble we have issues we have problems we are prone to wander prone to leave the god that we love the flesh lusts against the spirit the spirit against the flesh these two are contrary to one another so that you don't do the things that you wish according to Galatians 5:17 Paul in Romans chapter seven the good that I want to do I don't do and the evil I don't want to do I find myself doing so my encouragement is to keep the Sabbath obey the Sabbath observe the Sabbath keep it holy when we do sin confess your sins and trust in that mercy of God most high to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness well let's close in a word of Prayer father thank you for your grace and thank you for this gift of Sabbath you are a God who gives us commands us to rest a God who commands us to come in from out of the world and to enjoy the special presence of our great God we see that in Ephesians chapter two that we have access to the Father through the son and the power of the Holy Spirit and we know this takes place in a in a special way when we gather together as the people of God on the Lord's Day may we see this as special and we relish it may we cherish it may we say with David and Psalm 122 I was glad when they said unto me let us go to the house of the of the Lord we thank you for your word we thank you for your gospel we thank you for it your law and help us to use it lawfully and help us to bring glory to you go with us now and watch over us in this coming week grant us grace to glorify and to honor you and we pray through Jesus Christ the Lord amen you