Robert Morris - Take the Day Off

Pastor Robert explains the commandment, pattern and necessity of rest. God gave us the Sabbath to enjoy. He commands us to rest because He cares about us.

Sabbath is a principle that has very serious consequences if we don’t follow it and tremendous blessings if we do. Here are five truths about Sabbath.

Sabbath is a commandment. The fourth of the Ten Commandments says: “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8–11). Obeying God in this will not save us, but there are blessings when we do obey.

Sabbath is a witness. As we rest one day a week, we show our dependence on God. It displays our belief in our Creator and our trust that He will provide for us (Exodus 31:14–17). When we work six days and rest on the Sabbath, we’re trusting God to provide extra for the day we don’t work (Exodus 16:23–30).

God is serious about Sabbath. In the Old Testament, death was the penalty for not observing the Sabbath (Numbers 15:32–36). In today’s world, there are consequences when we don’t rest: we become tired, our health suffers and we die sooner from stress-related illnesses. Stress from lack of rest also harms our relationships.

God is serious about Sabbath because He cares about us.

Unobserved Sabbaths accumulate. God kept track of how many years Israel had ignored honoring the Sabbath for the land. He took the Israelites into captivity in another country so the land could rest (2 Chronicles 36:20–21). In the same way, just because we don’t have immediate consequences when we ignore the Sabbath, we aren’t “getting away” with anything. We reap what we sow. Ignoring the Sabbath will catch up with us.

God made the Sabbath for our benefit (Mark 2:27). When we rest, our mental, emotional, spiritual and physical tanks get refilled. Sabbath is a gift, not a legalistic requirement