Practicing Sabbath
These are the notes for today’s message from Mitch Cherry!
“Heaven and Earth were finished, down to the last detail. 2-4 By the seventh day God had finished his work. On the seventh day he rested from all his work. God blessed the seventh day. He made it a Holy Day Because on that day he rested from his work, all the creating God had done.
This is the story of how it all started, of Heaven and Earth when they were created.”
Genesis 2v1-3 MSG
Sabbath- a day of religious observance and abstinence from work, kept by Jewish people from Fridayevening to Saturday evening, and by most Christians on Sunday.
Sabbath comes from Hebrew word Shabbat.
Shabbat comes from the root Shin-Beit-Tav and means “to cease, to end, to rest.”
It is the word used in our opening passage. I like TO STOP.
Shabbat is the most important holy day on the Jewish calendar and is observed every week.
“If the devil can’t make us bad, he’ll make us busy.”
Corrie ten Boom
We have a force combating our very nature. – The enemy’s (thief in above passage) attack goes so much deeper than just our hectic schedules
The attack might be a slow burn but through a busy life his goal is to steal our inner selves.
So how do we combat the norms of culture? How do we resist the world? How do we get back to the garden??
See, following the way of Jesus or apprenticing Jesus is doing the things He did.
Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came so that they would have life and have it abundantly.”
John 10v10
Back to opening passage:
In the very beginning Yahweh created the COSMOS, and then he stopped. He rested.
And what is crazy is how from page 1 we see the creator of the universe introduce us to the beautiful Rhythm. We see it through patterns in scripture. These patterns are harder to see in English.
The patterns of 7:
That # is so significant and is repeated over and over. This is not by accident. This is wonderfully designed by an intentional Father who longs for each of us to fall back into his blueprint for life. This repeated pattern of 7 concludes with Yahweh and humans resting together as partners for eternity.
Pre fall: man and woman worked with Yahweh, and it was good.
Post fall: work is a form of survival or task. Most of us hate it.
We have to work to live and to provide.
*****But here is the thing we celebrate Sabbath to acknowledge that He is the ultimate provider.
****
“Sabbath is a way of life (Hebrews 4v3, 9-11). It is simply “casting all your anxiety on Him, to find that in actual fact, He cares for you (1 Peter 5v7). It is using the keys to the kingdom to receive the resources for Abundant living and ministering.” -Dallas Willard
“Because we do not rest, we lose our way…poisoned by the hypnotic belief that good things come only through unceasing determination and tireless effort, we can never truly rest. And for want of restour lives are in Danger.” -Ruth Haley Barton
Sabbath is supposed to be inconvenient.
Loving God with your life is inconvenient, BUT He never said it would be easy.Now he did say this,
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. BUT take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16v33
Jesus is the ultimate Sabbath.
The Bible Project sums up Sabbath this way:
“Practicing Sabbath has always been about inconveniencing ourselves one day a week to remind us that our time is not our own. Observance of the Sabbath should reflect the core ideal that the ultimate reign and rule of God has already been launched. If God is at work renewing creation, what does that mean for us to participate with our entire lives? Marking out weekly rhythms—whatever those may be—remind us of the story we are all a part of. Sabbath is about creating a space forcommunity and hope.”
Church: please visit bibleproject.com to dive into the biblical patterns and go deeper into scripture.
So, what does observing Sabbath rest look like??
Here is my advice:
1. Do not go full throttle out the gate.
Let Yahweh lead you.
I went crazy Sabbath 1: Now this was easier because we were on lock down, But I told Jeny we can’t drive, I made the kids put their screens away for 24 hours, I checked off all the boxes in my head but in time became a little Pharisee and did not keep the focus on going deeper with God and my family.
Jesus said it to the Pharisees and religious leaders of his day: The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.
2. Like most things in our faith—it is personal between you and the spirit.
3. Day of week
I love the ancient rhythm. Work Mon – Fri. Friday night through Saturday night –Shabbat
But what day will allow you and your family to rest well??
What I mean by that – is observe a Sabbath weekly yes, but do not be so hard on yourself.
Remember He is full of grace.
Pray about it. PRAYER and more PRAYER
Together Ask Jesus what does this look like for our family?
We live in America chances are you cannot walk to church. Chances are you are going to have to drive
on that day, But the whole point is to take this to Jesus.
So ask yourself??
Is your focus on Him?
BUT I do know it should be a day full of:
1. Rest
Sabbath rest is a form of resistance.
“Rest provides fine-tuning for hearing God’s messages amidst the static of life.” -Shelly Miller
We resist the norm, and we tune our ears to the songs from heaven.
When we choose to live by this design it is like the most beautiful song ever played. You’re in rhythm and it is a knee slapper, a toe tapper, A great song that is stuck in your head. A song that you do not want to forget!
The song is so good that others get it stuck in their heads too, but they aren’t mad about it!
But if we continue to combat or ignore that longing that is inside each of us, the song, we find ourselves stuck in has no Rhythm. It is like we are living off beat!
So just go ahead and sleep in!
Take a nap! Lay outside on a hammock. Be still and know He is God!
2. Joy
Weekly party, a celebration, filled with things that Abba has created that bring you joy.
Reading, eating, spending time with your spouse, playing with your kids, writing, ect…
We start off as a family with a feast and for the next 24 hours that food stays ready & amp; we continue to feast. Food makes me happy. Made Jesus happy too!
3. Worship
Holy Day – called the Lord’s Day. Where the word holiday comes from.
Observing a Sabbath, a weekly day of worship, where we cultivate a spirit of worship for our LIVES….
I close, with one last scripture and really a call for the weary.
If you tired and long for the ultimate rest run into the arms of Jesus.
Jesus said this,
28-30 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll
recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I
do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep
company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
Matthew 11v28-30 MSG
