My sermon notes for Sunday morning, Sept. 27^th as we walk through the book of Deuteronomy. Remember, these are my personal study notes and not a manuscript of the sermon.  They are provided to help you follow the sermon as you listen each week. The church provides a live stream of the service each Sunday at 10:45 on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/firstbaptistavonpark/  We also provide the services through our website by Sunday afternoon at www.fbcap.net

Deuteronomy 5:12–15 “Rest, Remember, and Respond”

THE COMMANDMENT STATED

(To God’s Chosen People of the Old Covenant)

¹²Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the LORD your God commanded you.

Exodus 20:11 – [8] “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. [9] Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, [10] but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. [11] For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. (ESV)

Exodus 31:16–17 – [16] Therefore the people of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, observing the Sabbath throughout their generations, as a covenant forever. [17] It is a sign forever between me and the people of Israel that in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.’” (ESV)

The Sabbath was a sign of the Mosaic Covenant to the Nation of Israel

• Rest from work
• Remember who God is and what He has done.

God is God.  They can trust Him as His Covenant people.

• If they listen
• Trust and Obey
• God will protect, guide, and provide (bless them)

REST

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, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant, or your ox or your donkey or any of your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you.

REMEMBER

¹⁵ You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the LORD your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day. (ESV)

From the NT to Today

(God’s Chosen People of the New Covenant)

Augustine – In the OT the NT is concealed.  In the NT the OT is revealed.

• Reveals the promised Messiah

Galatians 4:9–11 – [9] But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? [10] You observe days and months and seasons and years! [11] I am afraid I may have labored over you in vain. (ESV)

Colossians 2:16–17 – [16] Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. [17] These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. (ESV)

The Law reached its end and goal in Jesus Christ.

Luke 24:44–45 (Jesus to the disciples before His ascension)

[44] Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” [45] Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, (ESV)

CHRIST IS A FULFILLMENT OF THE SABBATH

• Romans 10:4 – For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. (ESV)

TO REST FROM WORK AND ENTER HIS REST (Spiritual Work and Spiritual Rest)

• Hebrews 4:9–13 – [9] So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, [10] for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.  [11] Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. [12] For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. [13] And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. (ESV)

SOME OBSERVATIONS.

• In the NT the disciples gathered and worshiped on Sunday The Lord’s Day (Resurrection Sunday)
• Early church followed the same pattern
• NO WHERE IN THE NT do we see the 4^th commandment mentioned.
• NO WHERE IN PAUL’S WRITINGS do we see not observing the Sabbath as an issue.  He frequently listed sins within the church.

• In the OT they were to
  • WORK then REST

• In the NT we are to
  • Rest then Work

Spiritually we enter into the rest of Jesus Christ, so that we can live as His workmanship. – Ephesians 2:10 – For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (ESV)

If not obligated, what then?

CONCLUSION

REST AND REMEMBER AND RESPOND

The creation story reminds us that rest is important.

• Physical – Work hard then trust in God to meet your needs.
• Spiritual – The 7th day…God was finished.  Rest in His completion.

Make “The Lord’s Day” a personal and family priority.

• Hebrews 10:19–25 – [19] Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, [20] by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, [21] and since we have a great priest over the house of God, [22] let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. [23] Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. [24] And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, [25] not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (ESV)

• Because of the assurance of our faith
• We hold fast in our hope…not wavering
• Considering each other in love and good works
• NOT NEGLECTING THE MEETING TOGETHER
• But, encourage one another…as we see the Day drawing near.

Respond to Him

WE GATHER TO REST FROM THE WEARINESS OF A BUSY WEEK, TO REMEMBER WHO WE ARE IN CHRIST, AND RESPOND TO THE WORD AS WE GATHER TO WORSHIP HIM!

WE SAY – God, Please give me rest. I need a break.

God SAYS – I ALREADY HAVE. HIS NAME IS JESUS.

Revelation 21:5 –7 – [5] And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” [6] And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. [7] The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. (ESV)