､
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､
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>> ､ I heard
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>> ､ Come, weary one,
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leave thy labors ､
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､ Come lift thy head,
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see thy Savior and Friend ､
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､ His arms are opened wide
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､ O soul, be satisfied
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､ Come find His rest
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､ Take His yoke upon thee
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､ For He is gentle
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and lowly in heart ､
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､ So learn from Christ the Lord
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thy portion and reward ､
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､ Come find His rest
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>> ､ I heard the voice of
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Jesus say ､
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､ Come, weary one,
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leave thy labors ､
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>> ､ Leave thy labors
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>> ､ Come lift thy head,
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see thy Savior and Friend ､
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､ His arms are opened wide
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､ O soul, be satisfied
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､ Come find His rest
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､ Take His yoke upon thee
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､ For He is gentle
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and lowly in heart ､
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､ So learn from Christ the Lord
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thy portion and reward ､
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､ Come find His rest
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>> ､ Come find His rest
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>> ､ I heard
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>> ､ Come, weary one
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>> ､ The voice
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>> ､ Come, weary one
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>> ､ Of Jesus say
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>> ､ Lift thy head
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､ I heard the voice of
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Jesus say ､
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､ "Come unto me and rest
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､ Lay down, o weary one
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､ Lay down Your head upon my
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breast" ､
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､ I came to Jesus as I was
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､ So weary, worn, and sad
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､ I found in Him
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a resting place ､
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､ And He has made me glad
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>> ､ Take His yoke upon thee
00:04:02.24\00:04:09.28
､ For He is gentle
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and lowly in heart ､
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､ So learn from Christ the Lord
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thy portion and reward ､
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､ Come find His rest
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>> ､ Heard the voice
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of Jesus say ､
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>> ､ "Come unto me and rest
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>> ､ Come find His rest
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>> ､ Come find His rest
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>> ､ Come unto me and rest
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>> ､ Come
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>> ､ Come
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>> ､ Come
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>> ､ Come
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[ Cheers and applause ]
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､
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､
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､
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､
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､
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､
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､
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､
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､
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､
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､
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､
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､
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､
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､
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､
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､
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､
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､
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､
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､
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､
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､
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､
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､
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､
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､
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､
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､
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､
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､
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､
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､
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､
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､
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､
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､
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､
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>> Welcome to the second
00:13:00.68\00:13:01.71
and final installment
00:13:01.81\00:13:02.84
of this brief series
00:13:02.94\00:13:04.15
entitled "The Cure
00:13:04.25\00:13:05.85
for the Chaotic Life."
00:13:05.95\00:13:08.52
In Part 1,
00:13:08.62\00:13:09.58
we began by asking the question,
00:13:09.68\00:13:10.75
how can we survive
00:13:10.85\00:13:12.95
the incredible stress
00:13:13.05\00:13:14.46
that life throws our way,
00:13:14.56\00:13:16.06
particularly given
00:13:16.16\00:13:16.83
that the Bible
00:13:16.93\00:13:17.33
says that stress is
00:13:17.43\00:13:18.23
actually probably going
00:13:18.33\00:13:19.13
to increase as we get closer
00:13:19.23\00:13:20.30
to the end of time?
00:13:20.40\00:13:21.20
What can be done?
00:13:21.30\00:13:22.60
And we found
00:13:22.70\00:13:23.70
that a major part
00:13:23.80\00:13:25.47
of the solution to
00:13:25.57\00:13:26.60
that problem is God's park
00:13:26.70\00:13:29.30
in time, the Sabbath.
00:13:29.40\00:13:31.87
The biblical
00:13:31.97\00:13:33.64
observation of the Sabbath
00:13:33.74\00:13:34.98
and the blessings that it brings
00:13:35.08\00:13:35.84
can go a long ways
00:13:35.94\00:13:37.21
towards dealing with the stress
00:13:37.31\00:13:38.98
that comes our way.
00:13:39.08\00:13:41.05
And we found that in order
00:13:41.15\00:13:43.55
for that blessing of the Sabbath
00:13:43.65\00:13:45.45
to -- We said
00:13:45.55\00:13:46.15
there's three purposes,
00:13:46.25\00:13:47.12
three blessings of the Sabbath,
00:13:47.22\00:13:48.06
and in order to receive
00:13:48.16\00:13:48.72
those blessings,
00:13:48.82\00:13:49.46
there is a condition.
00:13:49.56\00:13:51.16
Let me just remind
00:13:51.26\00:13:51.93
you what that was.
00:13:52.03\00:13:53.06
We need to stop working
00:13:53.16\00:13:55.03
and start resting.
00:13:55.13\00:13:57.03
This is the condition
00:13:57.13\00:13:57.97
upon which the rest
00:13:58.07\00:13:59.17
of the Sabbath blessing here
00:13:59.27\00:14:00.07
can take place in.
00:14:00.17\00:14:01.40
Stop working and start resting.
00:14:01.50\00:14:04.41
We noted, after looking at
00:14:04.51\00:14:05.94
some troubling health statistics
00:14:06.04\00:14:07.51
of how we kill ourselves off
00:14:07.61\00:14:08.74
through stress,
00:14:08.84\00:14:09.78
that, indeed, we need this.
00:14:09.88\00:14:12.81
And, yet, as good as the
00:14:12.91\00:14:15.15
physical rest is, it's not
00:14:15.25\00:14:18.62
the point of the Sabbath.
00:14:18.72\00:14:20.72
There's more to it. Much more.
00:14:20.82\00:14:22.56
In fact, these three purposes,
00:14:22.66\00:14:23.86
these three blessings, by far
00:14:23.96\00:14:25.83
and away, are better even than
00:14:25.93\00:14:27.20
the physical rest
00:14:27.30\00:14:28.06
that the Sabbath provides.
00:14:28.16\00:14:29.13
We looked at the first purpose,
00:14:29.23\00:14:30.77
the first blessing
00:14:30.87\00:14:31.60
of the Sabbath,
00:14:31.70\00:14:32.60
that we said that the purpose
00:14:32.70\00:14:33.84
of the Sabbath here, number one,
00:14:33.94\00:14:34.54
to remind us
00:14:34.64\00:14:35.90
that God is our creator.
00:14:36.00\00:14:38.27
You recall, if you were here,
00:14:38.37\00:14:39.51
this is the most important thing
00:14:39.61\00:14:41.08
we can know and say about God.
00:14:41.18\00:14:42.58
Everything
00:14:42.68\00:14:43.45
else about our relationship
00:14:43.55\00:14:44.65
to Him is predicated,
00:14:44.75\00:14:45.91
it is based on this
00:14:46.01\00:14:47.58
one foundational fact.
00:14:47.68\00:14:50.95
And without further delay,
00:14:51.05\00:14:53.02
let's get to purpose
00:14:53.12\00:14:54.82
number two.
00:14:54.92\00:14:56.39
If you have a Bible,
00:14:56.49\00:14:57.36
take a look, please,
00:14:57.46\00:14:57.79
at Genesis 1:11.
00:14:57.89\00:15:00.50
Genesis Chapter 1,
00:15:00.60\00:15:02.23
beginning with Verse 11.
00:15:02.33\00:15:03.73
It's on Page 1
00:15:03.83\00:15:05.03
in the red Bible
00:15:05.13\00:15:06.70
that's probably sitting
00:15:06.80\00:15:07.74
somewhere nearby you in the pew.
00:15:07.84\00:15:09.80
Page 1, Genesis 1.
00:15:09.90\00:15:11.87
Last week, we were
00:15:11.97\00:15:12.71
in Genesis 2.
00:15:12.81\00:15:14.31
In Genesis 1, we find, of
00:15:14.41\00:15:16.08
course, the story of creation.
00:15:16.18\00:15:17.58
The first six days of creation
00:15:17.68\00:15:19.45
are ensconced in Chapter 1.
00:15:19.55\00:15:21.08
We're going to look here
00:15:21.18\00:15:21.85
at day number three,
00:15:21.95\00:15:23.55
and this is
00:15:23.65\00:15:24.55
what we find happening.
00:15:24.65\00:15:26.12
Genesis 1:11.
00:15:26.22\00:15:27.72
"Then God said, 'Let the land
00:15:27.82\00:15:30.23
produce vegetation,
00:15:30.33\00:15:31.96
seed-bearing plants, and trees
00:15:32.06\00:15:34.20
on the land that bear fruit
00:15:34.30\00:15:35.56
with seed in it according
00:15:35.66\00:15:36.87
to their various kinds.'
00:15:36.97\00:15:38.10
And it was so.
00:15:38.20\00:15:40.24
The land produced vegetation,
00:15:40.34\00:15:41.70
plants bearing seeds according
00:15:41.80\00:15:43.10
to their kinds, and trees
00:15:43.20\00:15:44.11
bearing fruit with seed
00:15:44.21\00:15:45.44
in it according to their kinds.
00:15:45.54\00:15:47.08
And God saw that it was good.
00:15:47.18\00:15:50.35
And there was evening, and there
00:15:50.45\00:15:51.48
was morning the third day."
00:15:51.58\00:15:56.32
The second purpose
00:15:56.42\00:15:57.72
of the Sabbath is to remind us
00:15:57.82\00:16:00.56
that God is our sustainer.
00:16:00.66\00:16:03.43
God is our creator and,
00:16:03.53\00:16:05.76
secondly, God is our sustainer.
00:16:05.86\00:16:06.90
And some of you are scratching
00:16:07.00\00:16:07.86
your head, saying,
00:16:07.96\00:16:08.70
"Well, how'd you pull that
00:16:08.80\00:16:09.66
out of Genesis 1:11?"
00:16:09.76\00:16:11.30
Well, notice carefully what
00:16:11.40\00:16:12.80
God is doing there.
00:16:12.90\00:16:14.04
Some of those words
00:16:14.14\00:16:14.67
were particularly
00:16:14.77\00:16:15.57
important in that passage.
00:16:15.67\00:16:17.21
God is not merely creating
00:16:17.31\00:16:19.37
for a moment.
00:16:19.47\00:16:21.98
He is, instead, making provision
00:16:22.08\00:16:24.21
for ongoing life.
00:16:24.31\00:16:26.61
That's what
00:16:26.72\00:16:27.52
the seeds were all about.
00:16:27.62\00:16:28.78
You know, "Let them produce
00:16:28.88\00:16:30.12
things with seeds according to
00:16:30.22\00:16:31.25
their kind."
00:16:31.35\00:16:32.02
In other words,
00:16:32.12\00:16:33.09
God wasn't just simply saying,
00:16:33.19\00:16:34.46
"Let's make something once."
00:16:34.56\00:16:36.22
You know, eternal plants,
00:16:36.32\00:16:37.73
you know, eternal sunflower is
00:16:37.83\00:16:38.89
going to be there with no
00:16:38.99\00:16:39.66
seeds."
00:16:39.76\00:16:40.73
Okay? He didn't do that.
00:16:40.83\00:16:41.83
Instead, He makes provision
00:16:41.93\00:16:43.53
for there to be generation
00:16:43.63\00:16:44.90
after generation
00:16:45.00\00:16:46.00
after generation.
00:16:46.10\00:16:47.07
And notice carefully --
00:16:47.17\00:16:48.24
this continuance of life
00:16:48.34\00:16:50.61
over time for generation
00:16:50.71\00:16:52.64
after generation
00:16:52.74\00:16:53.84
is not self-sustaining, but is
00:16:53.94\00:16:58.35
rather -- listen carefully --
00:16:58.45\00:16:59.78
constantly fueled, moment
00:16:59.88\00:17:02.42
by moment, by God Himself.
00:17:02.52\00:17:07.19
You say, "How do you know?"
00:17:07.29\00:17:08.06
Well, my Bible tells me so.
00:17:08.16\00:17:09.22
Acts 17.
00:17:09.32\00:17:10.39
Let me put it up here
00:17:10.49\00:17:10.93
on the screen for you.
00:17:11.03\00:17:11.63
Verses 24, 25, and 28.
00:17:11.73\00:17:13.66
Paul is preaching here
00:17:13.76\00:17:15.20
to, essentially, a group
00:17:15.30\00:17:16.06
of non-believers
00:17:16.16\00:17:16.87
there on Mars Hill.
00:17:16.97\00:17:17.87
He says, "The God
00:17:17.97\00:17:19.30
who made the world --" So
00:17:19.40\00:17:20.84
referring back, Genesis 1,
00:17:20.94\00:17:22.17
just like we talked about --
00:17:22.27\00:17:23.47
"and everything in it
00:17:23.57\00:17:24.74
is the Lord of heaven and earth
00:17:24.84\00:17:25.97
and does not live
00:17:26.07\00:17:27.31
in temples made by human hands.
00:17:27.41\00:17:28.81
And He is not served
00:17:28.91\00:17:29.84
by human hands,
00:17:29.94\00:17:30.75
as if he needed anything.
00:17:30.85\00:17:32.15
Rather, He Himself
00:17:32.25\00:17:35.15
gives everyone life and breath
00:17:35.25\00:17:38.35
and everything else."
00:17:38.45\00:17:40.32
And then Verse 28 -- "For in him
00:17:40.42\00:17:42.32
we live and move and have
00:17:42.42\00:17:44.39
our --" What's that last word?
00:17:44.49\00:17:45.96
Being.
00:17:46.06\00:17:47.03
Do you see what that means?
00:17:47.13\00:17:48.76
Do you see what that means?
00:17:48.86\00:17:50.37
The Greek here,
00:17:50.47\00:17:51.40
the word that's translated
00:17:51.50\00:17:52.50
in English as "gives" --
00:17:52.60\00:17:53.80
it's a participle.
00:17:53.90\00:17:54.90
In other words,
00:17:55.00\00:17:55.54
it indicates ongoing action,
00:17:55.64\00:17:57.21
continuous action.
00:17:57.31\00:17:58.77
God himself gives life, breath,
00:17:58.87\00:18:02.28
everything continuously,
00:18:02.38\00:18:03.91
in an ongoing display.
00:18:04.01\00:18:05.88
In other words, God didn't make
00:18:05.98\00:18:08.15
sunflowers and then made
00:18:08.25\00:18:10.15
them self-sustaining.
00:18:10.25\00:18:11.79
God didn't breathe life
00:18:11.89\00:18:13.76
into Adam and Eve and then make
00:18:13.86\00:18:14.89
them self-sustaining.
00:18:14.99\00:18:15.96
No. Instead, the only reason
00:18:16.06\00:18:18.19
anything lives in this universe
00:18:18.29\00:18:20.00
is because God is.
00:18:20.10\00:18:23.26
I say again,
00:18:23.37\00:18:24.83
the only reason anything
00:18:24.93\00:18:27.07
lives is because, moment
00:18:27.17\00:18:28.84
by moment, God makes it so.
00:18:28.94\00:18:31.54
He is our sustainer.
00:18:31.64\00:18:33.94
Now let that sink in.
00:18:34.04\00:18:34.94
What that means is,
00:18:35.04\00:18:36.51
your heart beating right now.
00:18:36.61\00:18:37.95
Da-dum...
00:18:38.05\00:18:38.55
da-dum...
00:18:38.65\00:18:39.08
da-dum.
00:18:39.18\00:18:39.98
Or those of you that haven't
00:18:40.08\00:18:41.42
been working out enough
00:18:41.52\00:18:42.82
recently -- da-da-da-da-da-da.
00:18:42.92\00:18:44.02
Right?
00:18:44.12\00:18:45.35
Those that are really excited
00:18:45.45\00:18:46.25
about the sermon
00:18:46.35\00:18:47.02
I'm preaching right now --
00:18:47.12\00:18:47.52
dadadadadada.
00:18:47.62\00:18:48.59
Alright? The only reason
00:18:48.69\00:18:50.46
it takes the next beat is
00:18:50.56\00:18:51.49
because God is.
00:18:51.59\00:18:53.76
The only reason that you can...
00:18:53.86\00:18:54.93
[ Breathes deeply ]
00:18:55.03\00:18:56.00
...take a breath and exhale,
00:18:56.10\00:18:57.20
take another breath is
00:18:57.30\00:18:58.43
because God allows it to be so.
00:18:58.53\00:19:00.57
He is the source of life.
00:19:00.67\00:19:01.94
He is the source of power.
00:19:02.04\00:19:03.61
This is impossible, but if God
00:19:03.71\00:19:05.31
were to cease to exist,
00:19:05.41\00:19:06.68
everything else would, too,
00:19:06.78\00:19:08.84
because He is the source.
00:19:08.94\00:19:11.81
He is the sustainer.
00:19:11.91\00:19:13.15
G.K. Chesterton,
00:19:13.25\00:19:14.48
the famous English journalist,
00:19:14.58\00:19:15.98
was onto something
00:19:16.08\00:19:17.22
when he said, essentially,
00:19:17.32\00:19:18.52
the only reason that the sun
00:19:18.62\00:19:19.99
gets up each morning is
00:19:20.09\00:19:21.32
because God looks and says,
00:19:21.42\00:19:22.79
"Okay, do it again."
00:19:22.89\00:19:26.83
This connectedness of God to us.
00:19:26.93\00:19:30.57
He is our sustainer.
00:19:30.67\00:19:33.30
And the Sabbath is there
00:19:33.40\00:19:34.57
to remind us of that fact.
00:19:34.67\00:19:35.87
And isn't it interesting?
00:19:35.97\00:19:37.71
Most of the time,
00:19:37.81\00:19:39.51
most of the world believes
00:19:39.61\00:19:41.68
that the reason why there is
00:19:41.78\00:19:43.48
bread on the table and gas
00:19:43.58\00:19:45.65
in the tank and clothes
00:19:45.75\00:19:46.85
on their back is
00:19:46.95\00:19:48.45
because they earned it
00:19:48.55\00:19:49.88
and they themselves alone.
00:19:49.98\00:19:52.09
But my Bible tells me
00:19:52.19\00:19:53.42
that all the gold and
00:19:53.52\00:19:54.29
all the silver belong to God.
00:19:54.39\00:19:55.72
Everything that we have is His.
00:19:55.82\00:19:57.69
We're just stewarding it
00:19:57.79\00:19:58.66
for a time.
00:19:58.76\00:20:00.10
And so every seventh day,
00:20:00.20\00:20:01.63
Friday sundown
00:20:01.73\00:20:02.53
to Saturday sundown,
00:20:02.63\00:20:03.47
we stop working
00:20:03.57\00:20:06.00
and we recognize the fact
00:20:06.10\00:20:07.77
that God is our sustainer
00:20:07.87\00:20:09.07
and we prove it, as well,
00:20:09.17\00:20:11.11
because when the sun goes down
00:20:11.21\00:20:12.61
on Saturday night,
00:20:12.71\00:20:13.94
we've still got clothes
00:20:14.04\00:20:15.18
on our back and food on the
00:20:15.28\00:20:16.54
table and gas in the tank,
00:20:16.64\00:20:19.11
because God is our sustainer.
00:20:19.21\00:20:21.65
Purpose number three.
00:20:24.85\00:20:26.72
We actually mentioned this
00:20:26.82\00:20:27.52
very briefly in Part 1,
00:20:27.62\00:20:28.96
and we did it in probably one
00:20:29.06\00:20:30.16
of the most obvious texts
00:20:30.26\00:20:31.13
that illustrates
00:20:31.23\00:20:31.96
this point in the Bible.
00:20:32.06\00:20:32.89
Let me just remind you.
00:20:32.99\00:20:33.56
Psalm 51:10.
00:20:33.66\00:20:35.13
The third purpose of the Sabbath
00:20:42.54\00:20:43.91
is to remind us
00:20:44.01\00:20:44.91
that God is our redeemer.
00:20:45.01\00:20:46.84
The Sabbath reminds us
00:20:46.94\00:20:48.01
that God is our creator,
00:20:48.11\00:20:49.44
that He is our sustainer,
00:20:49.54\00:20:50.98
and that He is our redeemer.
00:20:51.08\00:20:52.98
You'll remember,
00:20:53.08\00:20:53.85
as we said in Part 1,
00:20:53.95\00:20:55.02
salvation is an act of creation.
00:20:55.12\00:20:56.85
Only the creator
00:20:56.95\00:20:57.95
can be our redeemer.
00:20:58.05\00:20:59.39
And, furthermore,
00:20:59.49\00:21:00.79
the seventh-day Sabbath is
00:21:00.89\00:21:02.49
a reminder that, as our
00:21:02.59\00:21:04.23
redeemer, God, much as He did
00:21:04.33\00:21:05.83
with the seeds in Genesis 1,
00:21:05.93\00:21:07.36
does not merely save us
00:21:07.46\00:21:08.73
for a moment and then walk
00:21:08.83\00:21:10.00
away saying, "Good luck.
00:21:10.10\00:21:11.00
Hope you make it."
00:21:11.10\00:21:12.20
But, rather, through
00:21:12.30\00:21:13.20
His redemptive work,
00:21:13.30\00:21:14.14
He continually
00:21:14.24\00:21:15.20
strives to transform us.
00:21:15.30\00:21:17.34
The Bible tells us this.
00:21:17.44\00:21:18.31
Maybe you've seen this.
00:21:18.41\00:21:18.71
Ezekiel 20:12.
00:21:18.81\00:21:20.08
God is speaking.
00:21:20.18\00:21:20.84
He says...
00:21:20.94\00:21:22.04
In other words,
00:21:30.25\00:21:30.89
That's not
00:21:32.02\00:21:32.75
what redemption is about.
00:21:32.85\00:21:33.96
It's the whole package deal.
00:21:34.06\00:21:35.69
He transforms us from within
00:21:35.79\00:21:37.49
that we might become more
00:21:37.59\00:21:38.53
and more like Him,
00:21:38.63\00:21:39.36
that we might know Him
00:21:39.46\00:21:40.36
better and better.
00:21:40.46\00:21:42.23
You know, it's funny.
00:21:42.33\00:21:43.73
Sometimes, Seventh-Day
00:21:43.83\00:21:44.80
Adventists are accused of
00:21:44.90\00:21:45.60
being legalists
00:21:45.70\00:21:46.50
because they keep
00:21:46.60\00:21:47.37
the seventh-day Sabbath.
00:21:47.47\00:21:48.40
They say, "Oh, you guys
00:21:48.50\00:21:49.44
are trying to earn your way
00:21:49.54\00:21:50.54
into the kingdom, right?"
00:21:50.64\00:21:51.97
And, in fact, the Bible says
00:21:52.07\00:21:53.31
exactly the opposite.
00:21:53.41\00:21:55.01
The Bible declares
00:21:55.11\00:21:56.18
that if you genuinely keep
00:21:56.28\00:21:57.28
the Sabbath holy,
00:21:57.38\00:21:58.08
you are recognizing
00:21:58.18\00:21:59.15
that it is a sign
00:21:59.25\00:22:00.52
between you and God
00:22:00.62\00:22:01.55
that you cannot save yourself,
00:22:01.65\00:22:03.59
that only God can save you.
00:22:03.69\00:22:05.92
I mean, it's the ultimate
00:22:06.02\00:22:06.79
anti-legalist exercise to
00:22:06.89\00:22:08.59
observe the seventh-day Sabbath,
00:22:08.69\00:22:10.09
because that's what it means.
00:22:10.19\00:22:11.43
God is the one who sanctifies us
00:22:11.53\00:22:13.13
and not we ourselves.
00:22:13.23\00:22:16.83
Now let's just pause
00:22:16.93\00:22:19.27
and bask for a moment here
00:22:19.37\00:22:20.34
in these three purposes.
00:22:20.44\00:22:22.27
The Sabbath reminds us
00:22:22.37\00:22:23.47
that God is our creator
00:22:23.57\00:22:24.81
and our sustainer
00:22:24.91\00:22:26.21
and our redeemer.
00:22:26.31\00:22:28.14
And I want you to ponder again,
00:22:28.24\00:22:30.45
how would the world be different
00:22:30.55\00:22:33.45
if everyone freely chose
00:22:33.55\00:22:36.18
to observe the Sabbath?
00:22:36.28\00:22:39.42
I mean, think about that.
00:22:39.52\00:22:40.36
What difference
00:22:40.46\00:22:41.29
would it make today?
00:22:41.39\00:22:42.26
How would the news cycle be
00:22:42.36\00:22:44.06
different if everybody did this?
00:22:44.16\00:22:46.26
What content would be
00:22:46.36\00:22:47.30
in the news cycle
00:22:47.40\00:22:48.06
that's not there now?
00:22:48.16\00:22:48.93
I mean, it's extraordinary.
00:22:49.03\00:22:50.57
What would happen to chaotic
00:22:50.67\00:22:52.13
lives the world over
00:22:52.23\00:22:53.50
if everyone freely chose,
00:22:53.60\00:22:54.87
on every Sabbath day,
00:22:54.97\00:22:56.10
to stop working and stop resting
00:22:56.20\00:22:58.41
so they could be reminded afresh
00:22:58.51\00:23:00.04
of the profound love and power
00:23:00.14\00:23:01.61
and safety there is in knowing
00:23:01.71\00:23:03.24
that God is our creator
00:23:03.35\00:23:04.28
and our sustainer
00:23:04.38\00:23:05.08
and our redeemer?
00:23:05.18\00:23:07.15
The difference
00:23:07.25\00:23:07.85
would be astonishing.
00:23:07.95\00:23:10.99
In fact, Ellen White sums it up
00:23:11.09\00:23:11.75
like this.
00:23:11.85\00:23:12.49
This is "Life Sketches,"
00:23:12.59\00:23:12.99
Page 96.
00:23:13.09\00:23:14.06
She says...
00:23:14.16\00:23:15.36
Wow!
00:23:27.14\00:23:28.44
Ladies and gentlemen,
00:23:34.31\00:23:34.91
that is astonishing.
00:23:35.01\00:23:37.51
And, in essence,
00:23:37.61\00:23:38.48
what she is saying --
00:23:38.58\00:23:39.25
and the Scriptures
00:23:39.35\00:23:40.18
that we looked at so far
00:23:40.28\00:23:40.85
are saying --
00:23:40.95\00:23:42.25
is that the Sabbath experience
00:23:42.35\00:23:44.29
is one of the keys
00:23:44.39\00:23:46.82
to a meaningful, deep
00:23:46.92\00:23:48.76
relationship with Jesus Christ.
00:23:48.86\00:23:51.76
You know,
00:23:51.86\00:23:52.66
sometimes, people get -- they
00:23:52.76\00:23:54.36
get all caught up
00:23:54.46\00:23:55.13
and they think the point is
00:23:55.23\00:23:56.63
the day and the specifics
00:23:56.73\00:23:59.07
of the day.
00:23:59.17\00:24:00.44
Those things are very important,
00:24:00.54\00:24:01.64
but it's not the point.
00:24:01.74\00:24:02.57
The main point of the day
00:24:02.67\00:24:04.24
at this time in history for us
00:24:04.34\00:24:05.91
is that, through it,
00:24:06.01\00:24:07.04
we might know Jesus Christ.
00:24:07.14\00:24:09.44
John 17:3, Jesus said it.
00:24:09.54\00:24:11.25
"And this is eternal life,
00:24:11.35\00:24:13.05
that they may know you --"
00:24:13.15\00:24:14.05
He points to His Father
00:24:14.15\00:24:15.08
in heaven -- "and Jesus Christ,
00:24:15.18\00:24:16.32
whom you have sent."
00:24:16.42\00:24:17.22
Salvation is a relationship
00:24:17.32\00:24:18.72
with Jesus Christ.
00:24:18.82\00:24:20.56
And the Sabbath
00:24:20.66\00:24:21.42
specializes in this,
00:24:21.52\00:24:22.66
because, you see, the Sabbath is
00:24:22.76\00:24:24.16
Jesus' calling card.
00:24:24.26\00:24:25.46
Every seven days, he presents
00:24:25.56\00:24:26.96
to you his qualifications
00:24:27.03\00:24:28.63
to be the best friend you've
00:24:28.73\00:24:29.63
ever had and your savior.
00:24:29.73\00:24:31.13
He is your creator.
00:24:31.23\00:24:32.67
In other words,
00:24:32.77\00:24:33.27
life has purpose.
00:24:33.37\00:24:34.50
You were created for a reason.
00:24:34.60\00:24:35.44
You're not
00:24:35.54\00:24:36.24
a product of evolution.
00:24:36.34\00:24:37.31
You're not meaningless, you
00:24:37.41\00:24:38.57
know, going around doing nothing
00:24:38.67\00:24:39.64
for no purpose.
00:24:39.74\00:24:40.34
God made you.
00:24:40.44\00:24:41.34
He knows you.
00:24:41.44\00:24:42.11
He has plans for your life.
00:24:42.21\00:24:43.61
God is your sustainer.
00:24:43.71\00:24:45.11
You don't have to sweat.
00:24:45.21\00:24:46.15
"How in the world -- Are my
00:24:46.25\00:24:47.02
bread and water
00:24:47.12\00:24:47.75
going to be sure?"
00:24:47.85\00:24:48.52
Yes, they will be,
00:24:48.62\00:24:49.22
because God is
00:24:49.32\00:24:50.05
your sustainer and God is
00:24:50.15\00:24:52.39
your redeemer, as well.
00:24:52.49\00:24:53.72
You don't have to be a slave
00:24:53.82\00:24:55.46
to sin any longer.
00:24:55.56\00:24:56.76
Jesus Christ died to set you
00:24:56.86\00:24:58.19
free, and the Sabbath
00:24:58.29\00:25:00.70
encapsulates all of this.
00:25:00.80\00:25:04.90
What an awesome blessing
00:25:05.00\00:25:06.23
God has given to us.
00:25:06.33\00:25:07.70
Which naturally brings up
00:25:11.14\00:25:13.34
the question,
00:25:13.44\00:25:15.71
how can we be sure that
00:25:15.81\00:25:18.45
we will receive this blessing?
00:25:18.55\00:25:21.28
How can we be sure that these
00:25:21.38\00:25:23.72
three purposes, these three
00:25:23.82\00:25:25.39
blessings of the Sabbath
00:25:25.49\00:25:26.45
will, indeed, be ours,
00:25:26.55\00:25:27.96
that we might know Jesus better
00:25:28.06\00:25:29.22
and better and better?
00:25:29.32\00:25:30.99
Well, as it turns out, to fully
00:25:31.09\00:25:33.96
receive these blessings...
00:25:34.03\00:25:35.70
How can I put this?
00:25:39.97\00:25:40.80
I wish I could skip
00:25:40.90\00:25:43.81
the next part of this sermon.
00:25:43.91\00:25:45.71
I do.
00:25:45.81\00:25:47.18
Not because it's bad,
00:25:47.28\00:25:48.98
but, simply, I don't like
00:25:49.08\00:25:50.01
the reasons it's necessary.
00:25:50.11\00:25:50.81
It is necessary
00:25:50.91\00:25:52.31
because, unfortunately,
00:25:52.41\00:25:53.52
the devil reads his Bible, too.
00:25:53.62\00:25:56.32
Oh, that Satan were illiterate
00:25:56.42\00:25:57.85
are not able to read.
00:25:57.95\00:25:58.85
That would be marvelous.
00:25:58.95\00:26:00.19
But he can.
00:26:00.29\00:26:01.42
And he reads well.
00:26:01.52\00:26:02.52
And he knows
00:26:02.62\00:26:03.73
that the Sabbath is one
00:26:03.83\00:26:04.93
of the greatest gifts
00:26:05.03\00:26:05.93
that God has given to humankind.
00:26:06.03\00:26:08.30
And so if you were the devil
00:26:08.40\00:26:09.66
and you knew that
00:26:09.76\00:26:10.47
from the beginning,
00:26:10.57\00:26:11.13
what would you spend
00:26:11.23\00:26:12.03
the last 6,000 years doing?
00:26:12.13\00:26:14.77
Trying to defeat
00:26:14.87\00:26:15.94
the blessing of the Sabbath.
00:26:16.04\00:26:17.17
Make it inaccessible.
00:26:17.27\00:26:18.54
If people recognize it, make the
00:26:18.64\00:26:20.18
experience terrible, right?
00:26:20.28\00:26:22.41
And the devil's been
00:26:22.51\00:26:23.24
at it for a long time.
00:26:23.35\00:26:24.45
So I do need to say a couple
00:26:24.55\00:26:25.75
of things here about
00:26:25.85\00:26:26.68
how it is that we can be sure
00:26:26.78\00:26:27.98
that we will receive
00:26:28.08\00:26:29.25
the Sabbath blessing,
00:26:29.35\00:26:30.32
because, as it turns out,
00:26:30.42\00:26:31.39
there are some things
00:26:31.49\00:26:33.19
that we need to avoid doing
00:26:33.29\00:26:35.46
and there are some things
00:26:35.56\00:26:36.59
that we need to start doing.
00:26:36.69\00:26:39.79
For instance,
00:26:39.89\00:26:41.20
three things to avoid.
00:26:41.30\00:26:43.70
Number one...
00:26:43.80\00:26:48.67
And some of you are thinking,
00:26:48.77\00:26:49.57
"Well, Pastor Shane,
00:26:49.67\00:26:50.61
we've already talked about that.
00:26:50.71\00:26:52.11
Why are we going back to this?"
00:26:52.21\00:26:53.11
Because we need to go
00:26:53.21\00:26:54.34
a little bit deeper
00:26:54.44\00:26:55.41
in this understanding of work --
00:26:55.51\00:26:56.85
not because I say so,
00:26:56.95\00:26:58.05
but because the Bible does.
00:26:58.15\00:27:00.08
You see, the devil, along the
00:27:00.18\00:27:01.42
way -- actually, fairly early on
00:27:01.52\00:27:02.95
in the salvation history of
00:27:03.05\00:27:04.89
God's people began to stray in
00:27:04.99\00:27:07.29
ways as the devil led them to
00:27:07.39\00:27:08.49
stray, and so God
00:27:08.59\00:27:09.56
had to help bring them back.
00:27:09.66\00:27:10.53
So understand, the command
00:27:10.63\00:27:12.26
in Exodus 20,
00:27:12.36\00:27:13.26
when it says, "In it --"
00:27:13.36\00:27:14.20
in the Sabbath day --
00:27:14.30\00:27:15.23
"thou shalt not do any work,"
00:27:15.33\00:27:17.10
that obviously
00:27:17.20\00:27:18.27
includes our professions,
00:27:18.37\00:27:19.57
or if you're a student,
00:27:19.67\00:27:20.50
it includes studentia, you know,
00:27:20.60\00:27:22.80
being student-like, right?
00:27:22.90\00:27:23.91
Okay? We get that.
00:27:24.01\00:27:25.34
But it also goes
00:27:25.44\00:27:26.74
a little further.
00:27:26.84\00:27:27.98
For instance,
00:27:28.08\00:27:29.41
the Bible gives examples
00:27:29.51\00:27:31.55
of the requirement to avoid
00:27:31.65\00:27:33.68
unnecessary work in general
00:27:33.78\00:27:36.48
on the Sabbath,
00:27:36.58\00:27:38.35
not just as connected to one's
00:27:38.45\00:27:41.46
specific occupation.
00:27:41.56\00:27:42.59
Do you understand
00:27:42.69\00:27:43.56
the distinction
00:27:43.66\00:27:44.59
that I'm making here?
00:27:44.69\00:27:46.86
For instance,
00:27:46.96\00:27:47.96
if you were to look at places
00:27:48.03\00:27:48.90
like Numbers 15, Jeremiah 17,
00:27:49.00\00:27:50.83
to some extent, Nehemiah 13,
00:27:50.93\00:27:52.37
as well, you will find there
00:27:52.47\00:27:54.64
this deeper understanding
00:27:54.74\00:27:56.10
of the work that we ought
00:27:56.20\00:27:57.24
not to be doing on the Sabbath.
00:27:57.34\00:27:59.01
So, on Sabbath, let's be clear,
00:27:59.11\00:28:01.08
we are, indeed, to cease
00:28:01.18\00:28:03.24
our usual occupations, our jobs,
00:28:03.35\00:28:04.91
or if we're students,
00:28:05.01\00:28:05.48
stop studenting.
00:28:05.58\00:28:07.68
And we also may need to avoid
00:28:07.78\00:28:10.49
things like unnecessary home
00:28:10.59\00:28:12.72
repairs,
00:28:12.82\00:28:14.32
either for ourselves or others,
00:28:14.42\00:28:16.06
unnecessary yard work, again,
00:28:16.16\00:28:17.76
either for ourselves or others,
00:28:17.86\00:28:19.23
unnecessary auto repair
00:28:19.33\00:28:20.63
or cleaning or cooking
00:28:20.73\00:28:21.56
or homework, et cetera.
00:28:21.66\00:28:22.76
And as we hinted at in Part 1,
00:28:22.86\00:28:24.93
the reason God asked us to stop
00:28:25.03\00:28:26.97
these things is not
00:28:27.07\00:28:28.34
because these things are evil
00:28:28.44\00:28:29.44
in general to do.
00:28:29.54\00:28:29.94
No, no.
00:28:30.04\00:28:31.07
The reason
00:28:31.17\00:28:32.14
He wants us to stop these
00:28:32.24\00:28:33.24
is to create the space
00:28:33.34\00:28:34.84
in our lives that is necessary
00:28:34.94\00:28:37.01
to receive the three
00:28:37.11\00:28:38.68
main blessings of the Sabbath,
00:28:38.78\00:28:39.98
that we might know Jesus better.
00:28:40.08\00:28:41.58
In other words,
00:28:41.68\00:28:42.78
this is not a burden.
00:28:42.88\00:28:43.79
This is a blessing.
00:28:43.89\00:28:45.42
The things that we get to stop
00:28:45.52\00:28:47.12
doing on the Sabbath --
00:28:47.22\00:28:48.12
praise the Lord --
00:28:48.22\00:28:49.09
that's a blessing.
00:28:49.19\00:28:52.66
One tip on this.
00:28:52.76\00:28:54.83
If you're going to achieve
00:28:54.93\00:28:55.80
the goal of avoiding
00:28:55.90\00:28:57.23
unnecessary work on the Sabbath,
00:28:57.33\00:28:58.80
might I suggest
00:28:58.90\00:28:59.87
that you plan ahead?
00:29:00.04\00:29:02.77
You need to plan ahead.
00:29:02.87\00:29:05.57
You know, Luke 23:52-54,
00:29:05.67\00:29:07.71
it gives
00:29:07.81\00:29:08.34
It calls it --
00:29:09.94\00:29:10.71
What kind of day is it?
00:29:10.81\00:29:12.58
Preparation day.
00:29:12.68\00:29:13.52
I mean, again, that's the
00:29:13.62\00:29:14.55
Bible's verbiage there --
00:29:14.65\00:29:15.22
preparation day.
00:29:15.32\00:29:16.22
Even 2,000 years ago
00:29:16.32\00:29:17.39
and probably long
00:29:17.49\00:29:18.19
before, the Jews understood
00:29:18.29\00:29:20.62
that they were to plan ahead
00:29:20.72\00:29:22.42
in order to not do
00:29:22.52\00:29:23.83
unnecessary work on Sabbath.
00:29:23.93\00:29:25.53
So, what might that mean?
00:29:25.63\00:29:26.73
Well, you might
00:29:26.83\00:29:27.66
need to clean your dorm room.
00:29:27.76\00:29:29.23
Well, not a single "Amen."
00:29:32.03\00:29:32.93
That's interesting.
00:29:33.03\00:29:33.67
Yes, that's...
00:29:33.77\00:29:34.30
[ Laughter ]
00:29:34.40\00:29:36.17
For some of you,
00:29:36.27\00:29:36.91
that might take
00:29:37.01\00:29:37.57
longer than others.
00:29:37.67\00:29:38.51
We understand. Right?
00:29:38.61\00:29:39.57
And God
00:29:39.67\00:29:40.71
won't love you any better
00:29:40.81\00:29:41.74
if you clean your room, right?
00:29:41.84\00:29:42.88
It's not going to make Sabbath
00:29:42.98\00:29:43.58
any more holy.
00:29:43.68\00:29:44.51
But funny thing,
00:29:44.61\00:29:45.78
it's easier to appreciate
00:29:45.88\00:29:47.95
and see the blessings
00:29:48.05\00:29:48.82
of the Sabbath
00:29:48.92\00:29:49.58
when you're not tripping
00:29:49.68\00:29:50.32
over your own laundry.
00:29:50.42\00:29:52.35
Right? I mean, it's just
00:29:52.45\00:29:53.86
part of the deal.
00:29:53.96\00:29:54.56
Clean your dorm room,
00:29:54.66\00:29:55.62
clean your house, right?
00:29:55.72\00:29:57.29
Set your clothes out
00:29:57.39\00:29:58.73
for the next day,
00:29:58.83\00:29:59.86
you know, for Sabbath day.
00:29:59.96\00:30:00.60
Do your ironing on Friday
00:30:00.70\00:30:02.30
rather than on Sabbath.
00:30:02.40\00:30:03.93
Do as much food prep as you
00:30:04.03\00:30:05.77
can prior to sundown on Friday.
00:30:05.87\00:30:07.44
Again, not as a burden,
00:30:07.54\00:30:08.84
but because you're freeing
00:30:08.94\00:30:09.90
up space for the great blessing
00:30:10.01\00:30:11.11
that's to come.
00:30:11.21\00:30:14.54
So, first thing to avoid --
00:30:14.64\00:30:16.61
doing unnecessary work on
00:30:16.71\00:30:18.11
Sabbath.
00:30:18.21\00:30:18.71
Now, notice this.
00:30:18.81\00:30:19.58
The second thing to avoid
00:30:19.68\00:30:20.88
is avoid causing
00:30:20.98\00:30:23.55
unnecessary work on the Sabbath.
00:30:23.65\00:30:26.52
Hmm. Avoid causing
00:30:26.62\00:30:28.42
unnecessary work on the Sabbath.
00:30:28.52\00:30:29.56
Now, this is
00:30:29.66\00:30:31.43
actually quite explicit
00:30:31.53\00:30:32.49
in the command, is it not?
00:30:32.59\00:30:33.56
You know, Exodus 20:8-11 there.
00:30:33.66\00:30:35.43
You know, it says, "In it,
00:30:35.53\00:30:36.33
thou shalt not do
00:30:36.43\00:30:37.23
any work, thou nor --"
00:30:37.33\00:30:39.53
and then comes the list --
00:30:39.63\00:30:40.60
"Thou, nor thy son,
00:30:40.70\00:30:41.37
nor their daughter,
00:30:41.47\00:30:42.70
nor thy servants."
00:30:42.80\00:30:43.71
It even goes down to your
00:30:43.81\00:30:44.54
animals.
00:30:44.64\00:30:45.44
You know, everybody gets a break
00:30:45.54\00:30:46.74
that is under your purview
00:30:46.84\00:30:48.51
there.
00:30:48.61\00:30:49.21
So, what does this mean?
00:30:49.31\00:30:50.55
Well, let me just give you
00:30:50.65\00:30:51.31
some examples here.
00:30:51.41\00:30:53.35
This probably means avoiding
00:30:53.45\00:30:55.22
doing unnecessary business on
00:30:55.32\00:30:56.62
Sabbath.
00:30:56.72\00:30:58.59
This includes shopping,
00:30:58.69\00:30:59.75
purchasing items
00:30:59.85\00:31:00.79
that could be purchased
00:31:00.89\00:31:01.69
on another day, et cetera,
00:31:01.79\00:31:03.06
because there's somebody else --
00:31:03.16\00:31:04.03
right? -- that is going to
00:31:04.13\00:31:05.26
be working for you in some way.
00:31:05.36\00:31:07.13
It probably also means
00:31:07.23\00:31:08.56
that you need to avoid going out
00:31:08.66\00:31:09.76
to restaurants on Sabbath.
00:31:09.86\00:31:12.80
Yeah, I heard you.
00:31:12.90\00:31:13.70
[ Laughter ]
00:31:13.80\00:31:15.14
Say, "Preacher, you've gone
00:31:15.24\00:31:16.67
from preaching to meddling now."
00:31:16.77\00:31:20.01
Let's just be honest.
00:31:20.11\00:31:21.11
There are large swaths
00:31:21.21\00:31:22.28
of Adventism
00:31:22.38\00:31:23.78
that go out to eat after church.
00:31:23.88\00:31:26.48
Many of them have not really
00:31:26.58\00:31:27.82
given it a second thought.
00:31:27.92\00:31:28.95
For many of them,
00:31:29.05\00:31:29.98
it's an innocent mistake.
00:31:30.09\00:31:31.62
But I do believe it is a
00:31:31.72\00:31:32.39
mistake.
00:31:32.49\00:31:33.22
I think that the Bible is
00:31:33.32\00:31:34.29
quite clear on this,
00:31:34.39\00:31:35.26
and let me just tell you why.
00:31:35.36\00:31:37.03
While it is conceivable
00:31:37.13\00:31:38.19
that there might be
00:31:38.29\00:31:38.76
some exceptions
00:31:38.86\00:31:39.83
to this particular prohibition,
00:31:39.93\00:31:41.53
I think they're few and far
00:31:41.63\00:31:42.33
between.
00:31:42.43\00:31:43.43
And the reason why, as a general
00:31:43.53\00:31:45.93
rule, avoid going to
00:31:46.03\00:31:46.77
restaurants,
00:31:46.87\00:31:47.67
there's a number of reasons.
00:31:47.77\00:31:48.47
One, the atmosphere.
00:31:48.57\00:31:50.81
You walk in there, some
00:31:50.91\00:31:51.67
restaurants are quite noisy.
00:31:51.77\00:31:52.84
The conversations happening
00:31:52.94\00:31:53.88
at the next table probably are
00:31:53.98\00:31:54.94
not Sabbath-oriented,
00:31:55.04\00:31:56.21
about God being creator,
00:31:56.31\00:31:57.18
sustainer, redeemer.
00:31:57.28\00:31:58.65
The music that's being played,
00:31:58.75\00:32:00.05
you know, probably isn't
00:32:00.15\00:32:01.25
conducive to the Sabbath.
00:32:01.35\00:32:03.02
And notice this.
00:32:03.12\00:32:05.19
What do they call the person
00:32:05.29\00:32:07.49
that comes to your table
00:32:07.59\00:32:09.06
to take your order?
00:32:09.16\00:32:12.39
Okay, the general term is
00:32:12.49\00:32:13.40
"server."
00:32:13.50\00:32:14.83
"Your server will be
00:32:14.93\00:32:15.86
with you shortly," right?
00:32:15.96\00:32:16.73
That's the phrase
00:32:16.83\00:32:17.53
that gets said, right?
00:32:17.63\00:32:19.67
The commandment says,
00:32:19.77\00:32:21.47
"Six days shalt thou labor
00:32:21.57\00:32:22.77
and do all thy work, but
00:32:22.87\00:32:23.67
the seventh day is the Sabbath
00:32:23.77\00:32:24.61
of the Lord thy God.
00:32:24.71\00:32:25.57
In it, thou shall not do any
00:32:25.67\00:32:26.68
work, thou nor thy son, nor
00:32:26.78\00:32:27.81
thy daughter, nor thy servant."
00:32:27.91\00:32:32.55
You see,
00:32:32.65\00:32:33.28
when you go out to eat
00:32:33.38\00:32:34.35
on Sabbath at a restaurant
00:32:34.45\00:32:35.52
there and this person comes
00:32:35.62\00:32:36.22
to your table,
00:32:36.32\00:32:36.85
they are your servant.
00:32:36.95\00:32:37.72
You are paying them,
00:32:37.82\00:32:38.49
at that moment,
00:32:38.59\00:32:39.22
to be your servant.
00:32:39.32\00:32:40.12
And the commandment
00:32:40.22\00:32:40.89
explicitly prohibits that.
00:32:40.99\00:32:43.56
Now, I've had some people
00:32:43.66\00:32:44.43
come back and say, "Well,
00:32:44.53\00:32:45.13
now, Pastor Shane,
00:32:45.23\00:32:45.89
they'd be working there
00:32:45.99\00:32:46.70
whether I was, you know,
00:32:46.80\00:32:47.76
at that table or not."
00:32:47.86\00:32:49.20
I would say absolutely.
00:32:49.30\00:32:49.76
That's true.
00:32:49.86\00:32:50.47
But they wouldn't
00:32:50.57\00:32:51.07
be working for you.
00:32:51.17\00:32:53.54
The commandment doesn't say
00:32:53.64\00:32:54.64
anything about other people's
00:32:54.74\00:32:56.04
servants.
00:32:56.14\00:32:56.71
It only talks about your
00:32:56.81\00:32:57.47
servants, okay?
00:32:57.57\00:32:58.47
That's what
00:32:58.57\00:32:59.21
you're responsible for.
00:32:59.31\00:33:00.74
And get this.
00:33:00.84\00:33:01.78
What if that server got
00:33:01.88\00:33:04.41
wind of the Sabbath?
00:33:04.51\00:33:06.21
What if Pastor Shane
00:33:06.31\00:33:07.38
decided to go out
00:33:07.48\00:33:08.42
to Olive Garden after church?
00:33:08.52\00:33:10.42
You know, it is --
00:33:10.52\00:33:11.99
It's an odd thing about
00:33:12.09\00:33:13.42
about this job here
00:33:13.52\00:33:15.12
at Berrien Springs.
00:33:15.22\00:33:16.39
I see people that I don't know.
00:33:16.49\00:33:18.56
Okay?
00:33:18.66\00:33:19.63
And I considered a restaurant,
00:33:19.73\00:33:21.00
and what if the server,
00:33:21.10\00:33:21.83
they said, "Oh, hey,
00:33:21.93\00:33:23.37
I really enjoyed your series
00:33:23.47\00:33:24.87
about the Sabbath.
00:33:24.97\00:33:25.87
In fact,
00:33:25.97\00:33:26.97
I've been feeling convicted
00:33:27.07\00:33:28.34
that I need to start keeping
00:33:28.44\00:33:29.94
the Sabbath and not working.
00:33:30.04\00:33:33.01
Could you give me
00:33:33.11\00:33:33.64
some tips on that, Pastor?"
00:33:33.74\00:33:38.01
Maybe not the tip I had intended
00:33:38.11\00:33:39.21
to leave, you know?
00:33:39.31\00:33:43.92
We need to make space
00:33:44.02\00:33:44.89
for other people
00:33:44.99\00:33:45.65
to have rest, as well.
00:33:45.75\00:33:48.12
And that's
00:33:48.22\00:33:48.86
specifically in the command.
00:33:48.96\00:33:50.26
And right here, I know what some
00:33:53.96\00:33:56.67
of you are thinking.
00:33:56.77\00:33:57.63
I do.
00:33:57.73\00:33:59.50
It's not a superpower,
00:33:59.60\00:34:01.04
but I know what some
00:34:01.14\00:34:02.04
of you are thinking.
00:34:02.14\00:34:03.07
And some of you have been
00:34:03.17\00:34:03.94
thinking it since Part 1,
00:34:04.04\00:34:06.54
and many of you have been hoping
00:34:06.64\00:34:09.31
or seething about
00:34:09.41\00:34:11.61
this particular topic.
00:34:11.71\00:34:13.15
So let me just get right to it,
00:34:13.25\00:34:14.28
and we'll talk about
00:34:14.38\00:34:14.88
the elephant in the room.
00:34:14.98\00:34:17.69
Some of you have been thinking
00:34:17.79\00:34:18.59
since last week,
00:34:18.69\00:34:19.45
"But, Pastor Shane,
00:34:19.55\00:34:20.52
don't you know?
00:34:20.62\00:34:22.09
Don't you know
00:34:22.19\00:34:24.19
that we are on, currently,
00:34:24.29\00:34:25.73
an institutional campus?
00:34:25.83\00:34:27.93
Don't you know
00:34:28.00\00:34:28.90
that we have faculty and staff
00:34:29.00\00:34:30.23
and students here?
00:34:30.33\00:34:31.07
And, for that matter,
00:34:31.17\00:34:31.77
there's hundreds of other
00:34:31.87\00:34:32.40
Adventist campuses
00:34:32.50\00:34:33.17
around the world
00:34:33.27\00:34:33.97
that have the same situation.
00:34:34.07\00:34:35.17
And these faculty, staff, and
00:34:35.27\00:34:36.74
students are often asked
00:34:36.84\00:34:37.64
to work on Sabbath
00:34:37.74\00:34:38.97
for one reason or another.
00:34:39.07\00:34:41.88
And what about doctors and
00:34:41.98\00:34:42.68
nurses
00:34:42.78\00:34:43.28
and other medical workers?
00:34:43.38\00:34:44.31
They can work on Sabbath,
00:34:44.41\00:34:45.48
and nobody raises an eyebrow.
00:34:45.58\00:34:46.95
And, Pastor Shane,
00:34:47.05\00:34:48.32
what about you?
00:34:48.42\00:34:50.49
[ Laughter ]
00:34:50.59\00:34:53.19
You're working on Sabbath.
00:34:53.29\00:34:55.59
In fact,
00:34:55.69\00:34:56.29
you're working right now.
00:34:56.39\00:34:58.96
How do you expect us to take
00:34:59.06\00:35:01.00
Sabbath seriously
00:35:01.10\00:35:02.40
if even you're not doing it?"
00:35:02.50\00:35:05.37
Mm-hmm.
00:35:05.47\00:35:06.40
Should we stand
00:35:09.74\00:35:10.27
for the benediction?
00:35:10.37\00:35:11.44
[ Laughter ]
00:35:11.54\00:35:14.21
Stop working right now.
00:35:14.31\00:35:15.14
That's right.
00:35:15.24\00:35:17.01
It may surprise you to know
00:35:17.11\00:35:18.51
that I believe these are
00:35:18.61\00:35:19.51
extremely important questions,
00:35:19.61\00:35:20.65
and I wish we
00:35:20.75\00:35:21.52
asked them more often.
00:35:21.62\00:35:24.09
This is important stuff, right?
00:35:24.19\00:35:26.15
Really important.
00:35:26.25\00:35:27.42
And while I am
00:35:27.52\00:35:29.06
not, today, going to attempt
00:35:29.16\00:35:30.56
to adjudicate specific issues
00:35:30.66\00:35:32.03
on this or any other campus,
00:35:32.13\00:35:33.13
I would nonetheless
00:35:33.23\00:35:33.96
offer the following.
00:35:34.03\00:35:36.10
As for me, working on Sabbath,
00:35:36.20\00:35:38.77
yes, it is true,
00:35:38.87\00:35:41.40
and I will continue to do so.
00:35:41.50\00:35:43.37
You say, "Why?"
00:35:45.94\00:35:48.28
Because of Jesus.
00:35:48.38\00:35:51.28
In fact, let me just show
00:35:51.38\00:35:52.51
you what he said.
00:35:52.61\00:35:54.28
Matthew 12:5.
00:35:54.38\00:35:55.22
Jesus here
00:35:55.32\00:35:56.38
is speaking about the Sabbath
00:35:56.48\00:35:57.75
basically to His enemies.
00:35:57.85\00:35:58.65
The Pharisees are
00:35:58.75\00:35:59.25
there accusing Him.
00:35:59.35\00:36:00.39
He said, "Or have you not read
00:36:00.49\00:36:02.19
in the law that on the Sabbath,
00:36:02.29\00:36:03.96
the priests in the temple
00:36:04.06\00:36:05.29
profane the Sabbath, and are --"
00:36:05.39\00:36:07.03
What's the last word there?
00:36:07.13\00:36:08.33
"Guiltless."
00:36:08.43\00:36:09.93
In other words,
00:36:10.03\00:36:11.47
those that are actively
00:36:11.57\00:36:13.07
and necessarily leading out
00:36:13.17\00:36:15.14
in the work of God are forgiven
00:36:15.24\00:36:17.04
for breaking the Sabbath.
00:36:17.14\00:36:20.51
Ellen White summed it up
00:36:20.61\00:36:21.14
like this.
00:36:21.24\00:36:21.78
"Desire of Ages," Page 285.
00:36:21.88\00:36:23.24
Talking about the very same
00:36:23.35\00:36:24.11
passage there in Matthew,
00:36:24.21\00:36:24.81
by the way.
00:36:24.91\00:36:25.68
She says...
00:36:25.78\00:36:26.68
My emphasis now.
00:37:04.22\00:37:05.62
And, obviously, this could
00:37:16.50\00:37:17.70
include more than pastors, can't
00:37:17.80\00:37:19.20
it?
00:37:19.30\00:37:20.77
Yeah. In fact,
00:37:20.87\00:37:22.34
right now, we have people
00:37:22.44\00:37:23.57
that are paid to work in media
00:37:23.67\00:37:25.17
right now as I'm speaking,
00:37:25.27\00:37:27.21
and it is appropriate that they
00:37:27.31\00:37:28.78
do so because this is part
00:37:28.88\00:37:30.65
of the work of redemption.
00:37:30.75\00:37:33.75
It could also include
00:37:33.85\00:37:35.18
support staff, for instance,
00:37:35.28\00:37:36.58
you know, General Conference
00:37:36.69\00:37:37.25
session, for instance,
00:37:37.35\00:37:38.32
coming up next summer in there.
00:37:38.42\00:37:39.29
There will be support staff
00:37:39.39\00:37:40.36
setting up and taking down
00:37:40.46\00:37:41.66
and doing things on Sabbath
00:37:41.76\00:37:43.29
because it's appropriate
00:37:43.39\00:37:44.29
to do so to further
00:37:44.39\00:37:45.29
the redemptive work
00:37:45.39\00:37:46.36
of the church in the world.
00:37:46.46\00:37:47.76
This kind of work is, indeed,
00:37:47.86\00:37:49.63
acceptable to do on the Sabbath.
00:37:49.73\00:37:53.23
And what about medical workers?
00:37:53.34\00:37:55.17
Are they really allowed
00:37:55.27\00:37:56.37
to work on the Sabbath?
00:37:56.47\00:37:57.94
Well, the evidence is
00:37:58.04\00:37:58.77
pretty strong
00:37:58.87\00:37:59.54
that the answer is "yes."
00:37:59.64\00:38:00.84
Again, let's go back to Jesus.
00:38:00.94\00:38:02.14
Matthew 12:9-13.
00:38:02.24\00:38:04.71
These and similar stories
00:38:36.08\00:38:37.21
of physical healing
00:38:37.31\00:38:38.21
on the Sabbath are, indeed,
00:38:38.31\00:38:39.28
the scriptural basis for
00:38:39.38\00:38:40.38
why medical workers can
00:38:40.48\00:38:41.52
rightly provide essential
00:38:41.62\00:38:42.92
medical services on the Sabbath.
00:38:43.02\00:38:45.29
Adventism, from the beginning,
00:38:45.39\00:38:46.52
has seen medical work
00:38:46.62\00:38:48.39
as part and parcel
00:38:48.49\00:38:49.52
of the work of redemption.
00:38:49.62\00:38:51.39
Should it ever cease to be
00:38:51.49\00:38:53.09
that, the exemption for working
00:38:53.19\00:38:54.60
on Sabbath goes away.
00:38:54.73\00:38:56.43
That all said...
00:39:01.00\00:39:04.34
may I offer five brief points
00:39:07.71\00:39:10.01
for you to consider?
00:39:10.11\00:39:12.31
Number one...
00:39:12.41\00:39:13.45
In other words,
00:39:31.33\00:39:31.80
I've had some people --
00:39:31.90\00:39:32.73
not very many,
00:39:32.83\00:39:33.80
but I've had some that say,
00:39:33.90\00:39:34.74
"Oh, you pastors are so lucky.
00:39:34.84\00:39:36.20
You doctors are so lucky.
00:39:36.30\00:39:37.41
You get to work on Sabbath."
00:39:37.51\00:39:41.71
What? No. This is not the ideal.
00:39:41.81\00:39:46.45
This is a concession.
00:39:46.55\00:39:48.12
This is God's concession
00:39:48.22\00:39:49.42
to a sinful world.
00:39:49.52\00:39:50.82
The Gospel must go forth,
00:39:50.92\00:39:52.52
and that's going to mean
00:39:52.62\00:39:53.46
that sometimes on the Sabbath,
00:39:53.56\00:39:54.79
people are going to have
00:39:54.89\00:39:55.66
to work, but it's not the ideal.
00:39:55.76\00:39:59.86
Number two, the Sabbath work
00:39:59.96\00:40:02.36
clearance is necessary
00:40:02.46\00:40:04.37
and profoundly dangerous.
00:40:04.47\00:40:06.94
I'm not saying it's
00:40:07.04\00:40:07.60
the wrong answer.
00:40:07.70\00:40:08.44
God made this decision, so,
00:40:08.54\00:40:09.54
obviously, it's the right thing
00:40:09.64\00:40:10.61
to give this concession,
00:40:10.71\00:40:11.47
but it is dangerous.
00:40:11.57\00:40:13.01
Many a pastor, faculty, and
00:40:13.11\00:40:14.54
staff member, and medical worker
00:40:14.64\00:40:15.91
have lost their experience
00:40:16.01\00:40:16.91
of the Sabbath
00:40:17.01\00:40:17.81
and even their relationship
00:40:17.91\00:40:19.05
with God entirely
00:40:19.15\00:40:20.52
because they worked too much
00:40:20.62\00:40:22.02
or in the wrong way on Sabbath.
00:40:22.12\00:40:23.49
Just because
00:40:23.59\00:40:24.52
you can work on Sabbath
00:40:24.62\00:40:26.05
doesn't always mean you should.
00:40:26.15\00:40:29.36
This can be particularly
00:40:29.46\00:40:30.43
challenging for those in the
00:40:30.53\00:40:31.56
medical profession, because
00:40:31.66\00:40:32.66
there's a regular rotation,
00:40:32.76\00:40:33.40
right?
00:40:33.50\00:40:33.90
And it's easy
00:40:34.00\00:40:34.66
for doctors and nurses.
00:40:34.76\00:40:35.70
"Well, you know, I can, so sure,
00:40:35.80\00:40:37.23
put me down again," right?
00:40:37.33\00:40:38.47
And after a while, you've lost
00:40:38.57\00:40:40.27
the experience of the Sabbath.
00:40:40.37\00:40:41.90
That's dangerous territory.
00:40:42.00\00:40:43.14
Be careful.
00:40:43.24\00:40:46.78
Number three...
00:40:46.88\00:40:47.94
I say this because sometimes,
00:41:02.62\00:41:04.69
when workers request to not work
00:41:04.79\00:41:07.03
on Sabbath, they are accused
00:41:07.13\00:41:08.30
back and say, "Oh,
00:41:08.40\00:41:09.30
you're just a legalist.
00:41:09.40\00:41:10.63
You're just some legalistic
00:41:10.73\00:41:11.90
Sabbath observance.
00:41:12.00\00:41:12.63
Loosen up."
00:41:12.73\00:41:15.44
You know, it's true that some
00:41:15.54\00:41:16.64
people have turned the Sabbath
00:41:16.74\00:41:17.71
into a legalistic observance,
00:41:17.81\00:41:18.94
but the Sabbath still stands.
00:41:19.04\00:41:21.44
It is still a profound gift.
00:41:21.54\00:41:23.45
What a blessing God has given
00:41:23.55\00:41:24.71
to us, and it deserves
00:41:24.81\00:41:26.15
our respect and stewardship.
00:41:26.25\00:41:28.22
So...
00:41:28.32\00:41:29.52
Think carefully.
00:41:35.86\00:41:38.79
And note this.
00:41:38.89\00:41:40.13
Leaders will be judged
00:41:51.71\00:41:53.27
more strictly
00:41:53.38\00:41:54.51
than their followers.
00:41:54.61\00:41:56.81
Make sure you have
00:41:56.91\00:41:57.65
the Lord's blessing.
00:41:57.75\00:42:00.42
Number four...
00:42:00.52\00:42:01.58
Now, I'm going to get
00:42:09.36\00:42:09.92
real practical here.
00:42:10.03\00:42:11.03
We got a bunch of pastors here,
00:42:11.13\00:42:12.19
pastors in the making.
00:42:12.29\00:42:13.33
You know, seminary's right next
00:42:13.43\00:42:14.20
door.
00:42:14.30\00:42:14.76
There's a lot of you
00:42:14.86\00:42:15.70
listening right now.
00:42:15.80\00:42:16.63
May I just offer this?
00:42:16.73\00:42:18.23
If you're a pastor,
00:42:18.33\00:42:19.83
do your best to not have
00:42:19.93\00:42:21.87
things scheduled completely
00:42:21.97\00:42:23.57
all the way through the Sabbath.
00:42:23.67\00:42:24.97
You know,
00:42:25.07\00:42:25.74
sometimes, it's unavoidable.
00:42:25.84\00:42:26.71
You have to do it.
00:42:26.81\00:42:27.78
But try to carve out some hours
00:42:27.88\00:42:29.11
for you and your family
00:42:29.21\00:42:30.28
to appreciate quietly
00:42:30.38\00:42:31.71
the blessings of the Sabbath.
00:42:31.81\00:42:33.15
Now, have your sermon done prior
00:42:33.25\00:42:35.65
to Friday night sundown.
00:42:35.75\00:42:38.92
Remember, can you prepare
00:42:39.02\00:42:40.66
after sundown on Friday?
00:42:40.76\00:42:42.02
Yeah, you can. It's Gospel work.
00:42:42.12\00:42:43.32
But remember,
00:42:43.43\00:42:43.99
just because you can
00:42:44.09\00:42:45.29
doesn't always mean you should.
00:42:45.39\00:42:46.76
I've seen many pastors -- if
00:42:46.86\00:42:48.13
there's five Sabbaths in a
00:42:48.23\00:42:49.53
month, they'll take the fifth
00:42:49.63\00:42:50.90
Sabbath off completely.
00:42:51.00\00:42:52.73
They and their family will go
00:42:52.83\00:42:53.70
somewhere and they'll enjoy
00:42:53.80\00:42:54.50
the blessings of the Sabbath.
00:42:54.60\00:42:55.30
You need to preserve
00:42:55.40\00:42:56.81
the Sabbath experience
00:42:56.91\00:42:58.01
to the best of your ability.
00:42:58.11\00:43:00.31
Medical workers -- And,
00:43:00.41\00:43:01.51
honestly, what we say about
00:43:01.61\00:43:02.58
medical workers
00:43:02.68\00:43:03.31
could easily apply to
00:43:03.41\00:43:04.41
other support staff, et cetera,
00:43:04.51\00:43:05.91
and various things
00:43:06.01\00:43:06.98
that sometimes
00:43:07.08\00:43:08.25
need to work on Sabbath.
00:43:08.35\00:43:09.92
Do things like this.
00:43:10.02\00:43:11.15
Postpone all nonessential
00:43:11.25\00:43:13.02
procedures to other days.
00:43:13.12\00:43:14.66
Just schedule them later.
00:43:14.76\00:43:15.72
If you have the authority,
00:43:15.82\00:43:17.13
shut down all non-essential
00:43:17.23\00:43:19.03
entities that day.
00:43:19.13\00:43:21.33
Purchase Sabbath scrubs.
00:43:21.43\00:43:25.37
You know what
00:43:25.47\00:43:26.37
Sabbath scrubs are, right?
00:43:26.47\00:43:27.94
They glow in the dark
00:43:28.04\00:43:29.10
and they have a special hold--
00:43:29.20\00:43:29.94
No, that's not true.
00:43:30.04\00:43:31.01
They're just like
00:43:31.11\00:43:32.54
every other scrub,
00:43:32.64\00:43:33.41
but they're different.
00:43:33.51\00:43:34.54
Maybe it's a different color.
00:43:34.64\00:43:35.58
Maybe there's some design on it
00:43:35.68\00:43:36.41
or whatnot.
00:43:36.51\00:43:37.01
And it doesn't make
00:43:37.11\00:43:38.08
the Sabbath holy.
00:43:38.18\00:43:39.08
You're not a better person
00:43:39.18\00:43:39.78
if you do it.
00:43:39.88\00:43:40.48
you pick them up in the morning
00:43:41.85\00:43:42.95
or whenever it is you start
00:43:43.05\00:43:44.12
your shift, may just remind you,
00:43:44.22\00:43:45.32
"Hey, today, special time.
00:43:45.42\00:43:47.16
This is holy time.
00:43:47.26\00:43:48.36
This is God's time."
00:43:48.46\00:43:50.66
If you have the ability,
00:43:50.76\00:43:51.96
make sure that the music
00:43:52.06\00:43:53.13
where you work -- You know,
00:43:53.23\00:43:53.63
if you're a surgeon,
00:43:53.73\00:43:54.56
make sure the music in
00:43:54.63\00:43:55.40
the operating room is
00:43:55.50\00:43:56.40
Sabbath-appropriate to remind
00:43:56.50\00:43:58.17
you of the holiness of the day.
00:43:58.27\00:43:59.57
If possible,
00:43:59.67\00:44:01.04
adjust your schedule on Sabbath
00:44:01.14\00:44:02.60
so you can spend more time
00:44:02.70\00:44:04.07
with patients, you know,
00:44:04.17\00:44:05.14
talking with them, praying with
00:44:05.24\00:44:06.31
them, if they're willing to do
00:44:06.41\00:44:07.04
that.
00:44:07.14\00:44:08.11
I've even known some medical
00:44:08.21\00:44:10.45
workers that have donated all
00:44:10.55\00:44:12.65
the money they earn
00:44:12.75\00:44:13.65
on the Sabbath to charity.
00:44:13.75\00:44:17.09
Now, again, God doesn't love
00:44:17.19\00:44:18.65
them better if they do that.
00:44:18.75\00:44:19.82
It doesn't make the Sabbath
00:44:19.92\00:44:20.79
holy.
00:44:20.89\00:44:21.52
But it is a recognition
00:44:21.62\00:44:22.69
that this is holy time.
00:44:22.79\00:44:23.89
They say to themselves,
00:44:23.99\00:44:24.76
"I'm not promoting me.
00:44:24.86\00:44:25.99
I am promoting God."
00:44:26.09\00:44:29.06
Strangely enough,
00:44:29.16\00:44:29.83
it's also a motivation
00:44:29.93\00:44:30.87
to not schedule themselves
00:44:30.97\00:44:31.70
willy-nilly
00:44:31.80\00:44:32.50
on the Sabbath hours, okay?
00:44:32.60\00:44:33.67
Right?
00:44:33.77\00:44:36.67
And finally, number five.
00:44:36.77\00:44:38.84
And this -- What I'm going to
00:44:38.94\00:44:40.08
say next goes for anyone,
00:44:40.18\00:44:41.44
not merely those that work
00:44:41.54\00:44:42.34
at our institutions,
00:44:42.44\00:44:43.41
but anyone who is faced
00:44:43.51\00:44:44.75
with the prospect of doing
00:44:44.85\00:44:45.98
inappropriate work on Sabbath.
00:44:46.08\00:44:47.82
You know, maybe this means
00:45:05.93\00:45:07.10
meeting with your supervisor.
00:45:07.20\00:45:08.47
Maybe, if your company has some
00:45:08.57\00:45:09.77
sort of a process by which
00:45:09.87\00:45:10.97
this can be taken care of,
00:45:11.07\00:45:12.17
prayerfully, respectfully,
00:45:12.27\00:45:13.84
use it.
00:45:13.94\00:45:15.61
You know, I have seen a number
00:45:15.71\00:45:16.71
of situations over the years
00:45:16.81\00:45:17.78
that seemed impossible.
00:45:17.88\00:45:18.95
"Oh, they're never going to
00:45:19.05\00:45:19.55
accommodate me in
00:45:19.65\00:45:20.32
this Sabbath concern."
00:45:20.42\00:45:21.45
If you approach it prayerfully
00:45:21.55\00:45:22.82
and respectfully
00:45:22.92\00:45:23.82
and you work the process,
00:45:23.92\00:45:25.89
amazing things have happened,
00:45:25.99\00:45:27.16
and the Sabbath has been honored
00:45:27.26\00:45:28.36
by those workers.
00:45:28.46\00:45:30.76
But let's be honest.
00:45:30.86\00:45:32.46
Sometimes, no solution is found.
00:45:32.56\00:45:36.23
And in those situations,
00:45:36.33\00:45:38.73
please follow your conscience
00:45:38.83\00:45:41.74
and make whatever employment
00:45:41.84\00:45:43.41
decisions need to be made.
00:45:43.51\00:45:45.94
Retaining the blessing of God
00:45:46.04\00:45:48.51
is more important
00:45:48.61\00:45:50.01
than anything else.
00:45:50.11\00:45:51.15
So avoid doing unnecessary work,
00:45:55.15\00:45:57.79
avoid causing unnecessary work.
00:45:57.89\00:45:59.82
And one last thing
00:45:59.92\00:46:00.66
to avoid here.
00:46:00.76\00:46:01.69
Purposes of the Sabbath --
00:46:06.23\00:46:07.03
remind us that God is
00:46:07.13\00:46:07.86
our creator and our redeemer
00:46:07.96\00:46:08.70
and our sustainer.
00:46:08.80\00:46:09.80
If it doesn't remind you of
00:46:09.90\00:46:10.97
those things and help you to
00:46:11.07\00:46:12.10
live out those things, you
00:46:12.20\00:46:13.30
probably ought not to be doing
00:46:13.40\00:46:14.10
it.
00:46:14.20\00:46:14.74
Very briefly, some examples.
00:46:14.84\00:46:16.17
Avoid playing organized sports.
00:46:16.27\00:46:18.37
Keep them disorganized.
00:46:18.47\00:46:20.14
You know, if you want to throw a
00:46:23.48\00:46:24.28
football back and forth,
00:46:24.38\00:46:25.05
you're probably fine.
00:46:25.15\00:46:26.08
But as soon as you start
00:46:26.18\00:46:27.05
to keep score...
00:46:27.15\00:46:29.02
Those of you that are athletes,
00:46:29.12\00:46:30.05
you know what I'm talking about,
00:46:30.15\00:46:30.69
right?
00:46:30.79\00:46:31.89
It's not that those things are
00:46:31.99\00:46:33.05
evil, but on the Sabbath,
00:46:33.15\00:46:34.12
that's not the purpose.
00:46:34.22\00:46:34.92
That's not
00:46:35.02\00:46:35.72
the purpose of the day.
00:46:35.82\00:46:37.99
Avoid preparation on Sabbath
00:46:38.09\00:46:40.26
for events that will happen
00:46:40.36\00:46:41.30
after the Sabbath.
00:46:41.40\00:46:43.43
So if there's something going on
00:46:43.53\00:46:44.77
that's not related to
00:46:44.87\00:46:45.60
the Sabbath after sundown
00:46:45.70\00:46:46.60
on Saturday night,
00:46:46.70\00:46:47.57
don't be preparing for it
00:46:47.67\00:46:48.80
on Sabbath afternoon.
00:46:48.90\00:46:50.61
God needs that time.
00:46:50.71\00:46:51.87
He wants to be with you, okay?
00:46:51.97\00:46:53.44
You know, I'm so pleased
00:46:53.54\00:46:54.71
with our Andrews sports program
00:46:54.81\00:46:56.01
here, because we are not loading
00:46:56.11\00:46:57.61
up buses on Sabbath afternoon
00:46:57.71\00:46:59.08
so that we can go to a game
00:46:59.18\00:46:59.95
on Saturday night.
00:47:00.12\00:47:01.55
You know, praise the Lord.
00:47:01.65\00:47:02.18
That's exactly
00:47:02.28\00:47:02.88
what needs to happen.
00:47:02.98\00:47:04.92
Avoid watching
00:47:05.02\00:47:05.72
secular entertainment
00:47:05.82\00:47:07.39
and avoid unnecessary travel.
00:47:07.49\00:47:11.49
You know, Jesus himself said,
00:47:11.59\00:47:12.96
"Pray that your flight will
00:47:13.06\00:47:14.03
not be on the Sabbath."
00:47:14.13\00:47:15.06
[ Laughs ]
00:47:19.70\00:47:22.44
Some of you are still thinking
00:47:22.54\00:47:23.64
that one through, aren't you?
00:47:23.74\00:47:24.47
Yes. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:47:24.57\00:47:26.37
He said,
00:47:26.47\00:47:27.11
"Pray that your flight will
00:47:27.21\00:47:27.91
not be on the Sabbath."
00:47:28.01\00:47:28.74
And if he said
00:47:28.84\00:47:29.81
that in a time of war,
00:47:29.91\00:47:31.21
because it was referring to
00:47:31.31\00:47:32.11
the destruction of Jerusalem,
00:47:32.21\00:47:33.18
how much more applicable is it
00:47:33.28\00:47:34.52
during times of peace,
00:47:34.62\00:47:35.62
when we have all kinds
00:47:35.72\00:47:36.42
of leeway compared
00:47:36.52\00:47:37.42
to what they had at that time?
00:47:37.52\00:47:42.22
So, three things to avoid,
00:47:42.32\00:47:43.63
and now let's get to
00:47:43.73\00:47:44.73
the other side of things.
00:47:44.83\00:47:45.53
What are some things
00:47:45.63\00:47:46.16
that we ought
00:47:46.26\00:47:46.80
the blessing of the Sabbath?
00:47:48.06\00:47:48.56
This is great.
00:47:48.66\00:47:49.60
The first one is my favorite.
00:47:49.70\00:47:50.93
That's a piece of cake.
00:47:57.51\00:47:58.34
This is the filter.
00:47:58.44\00:47:59.94
Some people say, "Oh, I'm not
00:48:00.11\00:48:00.78
sure if this is good or not."
00:48:00.88\00:48:01.51
Well, check it out.
00:48:01.61\00:48:02.54
Does it help you remember
00:48:02.64\00:48:03.45
and live out the fact
00:48:03.55\00:48:04.21
that God is our creator,
00:48:04.31\00:48:05.15
sustainer, and redeemer?
00:48:05.25\00:48:06.11
If it does, praise the Lord,
00:48:06.21\00:48:07.58
do it with all your heart.
00:48:07.68\00:48:09.92
That's what the Sabbath is there
00:48:10.02\00:48:11.05
for -- this blessed experience.
00:48:11.15\00:48:13.36
Number two,
00:48:13.46\00:48:14.42
go to Sabbath school and church.
00:48:14.52\00:48:15.86
You knew I was going to say
00:48:15.96\00:48:16.52
that, didn't you?
00:48:16.62\00:48:18.99
You need to. You need to go.
00:48:19.09\00:48:20.70
You need to go to
00:48:20.80\00:48:21.33
Sabbath school, right?
00:48:21.43\00:48:22.20
Sabbath school is not just
00:48:22.30\00:48:22.86
for kids.
00:48:22.96\00:48:23.47
If you're an adult,
00:48:23.57\00:48:24.30
if you're a college student,
00:48:24.40\00:48:25.33
university, you need to go to
00:48:25.43\00:48:26.60
Sabbath school,
00:48:26.70\00:48:27.40
because it's on Sabbath,
00:48:27.50\00:48:28.57
in Sabbath school
00:48:28.67\00:48:29.50
that iron sharpens iron.
00:48:29.60\00:48:31.17
You need to hear more about
00:48:31.27\00:48:32.61
how other people are learning
00:48:32.71\00:48:34.14
to know God as their creator
00:48:34.24\00:48:35.28
and their sustainer
00:48:35.38\00:48:36.18
and their Redeemer,
00:48:36.28\00:48:37.11
and they need to hear
00:48:37.21\00:48:38.15
your testimony, as well.
00:48:38.25\00:48:39.05
That's what
00:48:39.15\00:48:39.85
Sabbath School is for.
00:48:39.95\00:48:40.85
You need to be there.
00:48:40.95\00:48:42.02
And you need to come to church,
00:48:42.12\00:48:43.08
like you're doing right now.
00:48:43.18\00:48:43.95
What a great way
00:48:44.05\00:48:44.82
to celebrate the Sabbath --
00:48:44.92\00:48:45.79
by acknowledging God,
00:48:45.89\00:48:46.99
through song and word,
00:48:47.09\00:48:48.19
that He is our creator and
00:48:48.29\00:48:49.66
sustainer and redeemer.
00:48:49.76\00:48:51.23
And then keep going.
00:48:51.33\00:48:52.69
Number three -- spend time
00:48:52.79\00:48:53.96
with other Sabbath keepers.
00:48:54.03\00:48:55.00
This is a great thing to do.
00:48:55.10\00:48:56.56
Go to somebody else's house
00:48:56.67\00:48:58.17
for Sabbath lunch.
00:48:58.27\00:48:59.73
Invite yourself over.
00:48:59.83\00:49:00.87
Just tell them, "Hey,
00:49:00.97\00:49:01.47
I'll be there
00:49:02.14\00:49:02.64
This will inspire them
00:49:03.77\00:49:04.91
to clean up on Friday, right?
00:49:05.01\00:49:06.47
Okay? And you can have
00:49:06.57\00:49:08.14
fellowship together.
00:49:08.24\00:49:08.98
You can be together.
00:49:09.08\00:49:09.88
What a great way to
00:49:09.98\00:49:11.38
spend time in the body
00:49:11.48\00:49:12.95
of Christ -- with other people
00:49:13.05\00:49:14.18
that are also acknowledging
00:49:14.28\00:49:15.68
God as their creator and
00:49:15.78\00:49:16.79
sustainer and redeemer.
00:49:16.89\00:49:18.62
Number four -- get outside,
00:49:18.72\00:49:20.49
be in God's creation.
00:49:20.59\00:49:22.69
You know, here in Michigan, we
00:49:22.79\00:49:23.86
live in a beautiful place,
00:49:23.96\00:49:26.03
right?
00:49:26.13\00:49:26.53
They'll start to move here en
00:49:27.46\00:49:27.86
masse.
00:49:27.96\00:49:28.20
like Southern California.
00:49:28.96\00:49:29.76
We won't be able to get out of
00:49:29.86\00:49:30.47
our driveways
00:49:30.57\00:49:31.27
because traffic will be so bad.
00:49:31.37\00:49:32.23
So it's just our little secret,
00:49:32.33\00:49:32.80
okay?
00:49:32.90\00:49:33.57
It is beautiful here.
00:49:33.67\00:49:34.97
We've had a beautiful fall,
00:49:35.07\00:49:35.67
have we not?
00:49:35.77\00:49:36.50
And even in...
00:49:36.60\00:49:39.67
January and February --
00:49:39.77\00:49:41.44
even in those months,
00:49:41.54\00:49:43.31
when it seems bleak and dry,
00:49:43.41\00:49:45.18
at night, if it's a clear sky,
00:49:45.28\00:49:46.85
look up.
00:49:46.95\00:49:49.58
Hard to beat Michigan skies
00:49:49.68\00:49:51.35
in the wintertime.
00:49:51.45\00:49:53.05
Beautiful, amazing reminders
00:49:53.15\00:49:54.89
that God is our creator
00:49:54.99\00:49:56.19
and our sustainer
00:49:56.29\00:49:57.19
and our redeemer.
00:49:57.29\00:49:59.03
Number five -- mark the coming
00:49:59.13\00:50:00.70
and going of the Sabbath.
00:50:00.80\00:50:02.10
This is easy to do.
00:50:02.20\00:50:03.06
I mean, you can gather with
00:50:03.16\00:50:03.87
others.
00:50:03.97\00:50:04.67
You can read the Bible together,
00:50:04.77\00:50:05.93
sing together, pray together.
00:50:06.03\00:50:06.94
You know,
00:50:07.04\00:50:07.74
we're working on fixing
00:50:07.84\00:50:08.87
the bells here at Pioneer
00:50:08.97\00:50:10.14
so that we can mark the coming
00:50:10.24\00:50:11.54
and the going of the Sabbath
00:50:11.64\00:50:12.47
Friday night, Saturday night.
00:50:12.57\00:50:14.14
If any of you would like
00:50:14.24\00:50:14.98
to donate to the cause -- No,
00:50:15.08\00:50:16.18
anyway, it may not be
00:50:16.28\00:50:17.51
cheap, but we're going to see
00:50:17.61\00:50:19.05
if we can get it done, okay?
00:50:19.15\00:50:20.55
Marking this holy time --
00:50:20.65\00:50:22.05
it's really important.
00:50:22.15\00:50:22.98
This is God's gift to us.
00:50:23.08\00:50:24.12
Every seven days,
00:50:24.22\00:50:25.15
let's mark its coming
00:50:25.25\00:50:26.42
and let's mark its going,
00:50:26.52\00:50:27.56
because it is the Sabbath.
00:50:27.66\00:50:31.63
And number six.
00:50:31.73\00:50:33.06
And this one's
00:50:33.16\00:50:33.63
really important.
00:50:33.73\00:50:35.00
Plan special Sabbath
00:50:35.10\00:50:36.70
traditions and activities
00:50:36.80\00:50:37.77
for children and youth.
00:50:37.87\00:50:40.04
Should I add university
00:50:40.14\00:50:40.77
students?
00:50:40.87\00:50:41.37
Would that help?
00:50:41.47\00:50:42.04
Maybe. Okay.
00:50:42.14\00:50:42.87
I see some nodding heads.
00:50:42.97\00:50:44.01
Right? This is really important.
00:50:44.11\00:50:45.24
You know what?
00:50:45.34\00:50:46.31
If we cannot have the Sabbath
00:50:46.41\00:50:47.61
as a positive experience
00:50:47.71\00:50:49.38
when our children are young,
00:50:49.48\00:50:51.58
it's unlikely that they will
00:50:51.68\00:50:53.48
have a positive experience
00:50:53.58\00:50:54.82
when they're older.
00:50:54.92\00:50:55.68
It's hard to do that.
00:50:55.78\00:50:56.48
I mean, some do.
00:50:56.58\00:50:57.39
I mean, not denying it can
00:50:57.49\00:50:58.45
happen, but it's much more
00:50:58.55\00:50:59.25
difficult.
00:50:59.35\00:51:00.12
Let me just tell you
00:51:00.22\00:51:01.36
very briefly here what my wife
00:51:01.46\00:51:02.86
and I did with our girls
00:51:02.96\00:51:03.76
as they were growing up.
00:51:03.86\00:51:04.86
We're not perfect parents.
00:51:04.96\00:51:06.06
We made plenty of mistakes.
00:51:06.16\00:51:06.93
But let
00:51:07.03\00:51:07.73
me just tell you what we did.
00:51:07.83\00:51:08.76
My wife and I both
00:51:08.86\00:51:09.70
grew up with a fairly
00:51:09.80\00:51:10.63
positive experience
00:51:10.73\00:51:11.73
of the Sabbath, and we wanted to
00:51:11.83\00:51:13.07
pass that on to our girls,
00:51:13.17\00:51:14.10
particularly because
00:51:14.20\00:51:15.04
they were going to be PKs.
00:51:15.14\00:51:16.24
If you don't know what a PK is,
00:51:16.34\00:51:17.44
just nod to somebody next to
00:51:17.54\00:51:18.67
you, they'll tell you what it
00:51:18.77\00:51:19.44
is.
00:51:19.54\00:51:19.97
sometimes means
00:51:20.91\00:51:22.08
that Sabbath is a drudgery.
00:51:22.18\00:51:23.21
We've seen it happen.
00:51:23.31\00:51:24.15
And so we thought,
00:51:24.25\00:51:24.98
"What can we do?
00:51:25.08\00:51:25.85
What can we do to
00:51:25.95\00:51:26.75
do our best to ensure
00:51:26.85\00:51:27.85
this isn't going to happen?"
00:51:27.95\00:51:29.02
So here's what we did.
00:51:29.12\00:51:30.69
When they got old enough
00:51:30.79\00:51:32.22
to do this,
00:51:32.32\00:51:33.42
we asked them to clean up
00:51:33.52\00:51:34.72
their room prior to sundown.
00:51:34.82\00:51:36.36
I confess this was not always
00:51:36.46\00:51:38.43
a joyous occasion, okay?
00:51:38.53\00:51:41.23
But the girls knew
00:51:41.33\00:51:42.90
that their torture would end
00:51:43.00\00:51:45.17
when Sabbath began.
00:51:45.27\00:51:47.60
Hmm. Interesting. Okay?
00:51:47.70\00:51:49.67
So we tried to clean the place
00:51:49.77\00:51:50.64
up, you know, we'd get things
00:51:50.74\00:51:51.74
ready, and then, as the sun was
00:51:51.84\00:51:52.64
hitting the horizon...
00:51:52.74\00:51:53.31
[ Sniffs ]
00:51:53.41\00:51:54.14
you'd probably smell something.
00:51:54.24\00:51:55.14
My wife is a great cook,
00:51:55.24\00:51:56.21
and she would make -- On
00:51:56.31\00:51:57.98
Sabbath, she makes raisin bread
00:51:58.08\00:51:59.11
or Craisin bread, whatever
00:51:59.21\00:52:00.25
happens to be there on the
00:52:00.35\00:52:00.98
shelf.
00:52:01.08\00:52:01.62
And you can smell it.
00:52:01.72\00:52:02.32
[ Sniffs ]
00:52:02.42\00:52:03.08
Mmm! Smells like Sabbath.
00:52:03.18\00:52:04.35
It doesn't make it Sabbath.
00:52:04.45\00:52:05.45
Doesn't make it any more holy.
00:52:05.55\00:52:06.12
But it reminds us,
00:52:06.22\00:52:07.19
"Ah, okay, special time,
00:52:07.29\00:52:08.19
your special day."
00:52:08.29\00:52:09.62
As we'd come down there,
00:52:09.72\00:52:10.76
we'd gather together.
00:52:10.86\00:52:11.66
And music has always been
00:52:11.76\00:52:12.89
important in our household,
00:52:12.99\00:52:13.90
and so we would sing a lot
00:52:14.00\00:52:15.56
for family worship.
00:52:15.66\00:52:16.46
And the girls
00:52:16.56\00:52:17.13
got to choose songs.
00:52:17.23\00:52:18.10
They would choose fun ones,
00:52:18.20\00:52:19.00
action songs, you know,
00:52:19.10\00:52:20.47
get to be Goliath falling down
00:52:20.57\00:52:21.84
off the couch, you know,
00:52:21.94\00:52:22.84
and our dogs running
00:52:22.94\00:52:23.74
in circles around there.
00:52:23.84\00:52:24.97
Sometimes, you had to work hard
00:52:25.07\00:52:26.47
to kind of keep things focused.
00:52:26.57\00:52:27.34
But they loved it.
00:52:27.44\00:52:28.68
They love to sing.
00:52:28.78\00:52:29.98
We would always finish Friday
00:52:30.08\00:52:32.75
sundown worship with
00:52:32.85\00:52:33.78
"Day is Dying in the West."
00:52:33.88\00:52:35.85
It's kind of a traditional
00:52:35.95\00:52:37.12
Adventist song.
00:52:37.22\00:52:38.49
Lots of people do it.
00:52:38.59\00:52:39.42
And we sing that song
00:52:39.52\00:52:40.72
and then we kneel down
00:52:40.82\00:52:41.62
and we hold hands.
00:52:41.72\00:52:43.36
And, you know,
00:52:43.46\00:52:44.06
the dog would be there.
00:52:44.16\00:52:45.36
Did you know that Boston
00:52:45.46\00:52:46.33
terriers are atheists?
00:52:46.43\00:52:48.33
Did you know that?
00:52:48.43\00:52:49.33
They don't pray.
00:52:49.43\00:52:50.10
They never pray.
00:52:50.20\00:52:51.03
They never stop long enough
00:52:51.13\00:52:52.20
to fold their paws or anything.
00:52:52.30\00:52:53.34
So, Boston terriers...like this.
00:52:53.44\00:52:54.40
You know, we're trying --
00:52:54.50\00:52:55.40
"Oh, we're having prayer now.
00:52:55.50\00:52:56.30
You know, sit, sit,"
00:52:56.40\00:52:57.17
you know, kind of thing.
00:52:57.27\00:52:57.91
We would pray.
00:52:58.01\00:52:58.74
I would lead out in prayer.
00:52:58.84\00:52:59.74
And then, at the end of that
00:52:59.84\00:53:01.28
prayer, we would all do
00:53:01.38\00:53:02.18
the Lord's Prayer.
00:53:02.28\00:53:03.01
Now, you can sing
00:53:03.11\00:53:03.91
the Lord's -- Excuse me.
00:53:04.01\00:53:04.98
"Sing." You can sing it, too.
00:53:05.08\00:53:06.08
You can say the Lord's Prayer
00:53:06.18\00:53:07.32
anytime you want, but for us
00:53:07.42\00:53:08.82
particularly, we'll say it
00:53:08.92\00:53:09.85
at Friday sundown worship
00:53:09.95\00:53:11.19
and at Saturday evening,
00:53:11.29\00:53:12.75
Sabbath evening,
00:53:12.85\00:53:13.39
sundown worship.
00:53:13.49\00:53:14.29
Just reminded, you know,
00:53:14.39\00:53:15.29
this is special time.
00:53:15.39\00:53:16.79
And we'll say the Lord's Prayer.
00:53:16.89\00:53:17.53
We say amen.
00:53:17.63\00:53:18.53
On Friday night,
00:53:18.63\00:53:19.89
we say "Happy Sabbath," right?
00:53:20.00\00:53:20.90
You know, give each other a hug
00:53:20.96\00:53:21.66
and a kiss, whatnot.
00:53:21.76\00:53:23.40
If supper was then to be had,
00:53:23.50\00:53:24.20
we have, you know,
00:53:24.30\00:53:25.00
special food for supper.
00:53:25.10\00:53:26.13
Usually, my wife, you know,
00:53:26.23\00:53:27.00
particularly in wintertime --
00:53:27.10\00:53:28.14
again, great chef --
00:53:28.24\00:53:29.30
she would make these soups,
00:53:29.40\00:53:30.31
you know, cornbread in there.
00:53:30.41\00:53:31.11
Girls loved it.
00:53:31.21\00:53:31.94
You know, honey and butter,
00:53:32.04\00:53:32.64
this kind of thing.
00:53:32.74\00:53:33.98
Next day, we get up.
00:53:34.08\00:53:35.48
We go to Sabbath school.
00:53:35.58\00:53:36.61
We wanted our kids, our
00:53:36.71\00:53:37.71
children to learn very early on,
00:53:37.81\00:53:39.38
Sabbath school is
00:53:39.48\00:53:40.02
just what you do.
00:53:40.12\00:53:40.98
This is just normal stuff,
00:53:41.08\00:53:41.72
right?
00:53:41.82\00:53:42.35
And so we took him
00:53:42.45\00:53:43.42
to Sabbath school.
00:53:43.52\00:53:44.69
We'd go to church in there.
00:53:44.79\00:53:45.45
Sabbath afternoon --
00:53:45.55\00:53:46.69
Now, Sabbath afternoon,
00:53:46.79\00:53:47.82
I confess, we did take
00:53:47.92\00:53:49.66
a nap on occasion.
00:53:49.76\00:53:51.79
It's true. Right?
00:53:51.89\00:53:53.63
But we had to be very careful
00:53:53.73\00:53:55.66
that we did not exceed the
00:53:55.76\00:53:57.00
threshold with our girls, okay?
00:53:57.10\00:53:58.67
We can press them a little bit,
00:53:58.77\00:53:59.93
but we wanted Sabbath to
00:54:00.10\00:54:01.40
not just be something
00:54:01.50\00:54:02.07
where they're bored,
00:54:02.17\00:54:02.70
mom and dad to wake up, okay?
00:54:03.67\00:54:04.74
So we would try --
00:54:04.84\00:54:05.81
Many, many times, we would plan
00:54:05.91\00:54:07.31
to have their friends over
00:54:07.41\00:54:08.01
to our house
00:54:08.11\00:54:08.98
or we would go over to some of
00:54:09.08\00:54:10.25
their friends' house on Sabbath,
00:54:10.35\00:54:11.25
fellow Sabbath keepers.
00:54:11.35\00:54:12.31
We'd go on hikes together.
00:54:12.41\00:54:13.15
We'd go, you know,
00:54:13.25\00:54:13.95
do all kinds of things.
00:54:14.05\00:54:14.78
They could be active.
00:54:14.88\00:54:15.45
They could be
00:54:15.55\00:54:16.18
outside, running about.
00:54:16.28\00:54:17.09
If the weather was bad,
00:54:17.19\00:54:17.92
they'd be inside.
00:54:18.02\00:54:18.75
We have some appropriate
00:54:18.85\00:54:19.82
Sabbath games for them to play.
00:54:19.92\00:54:20.76
Let kids be
00:54:20.86\00:54:21.89
active on the Sabbath.
00:54:21.99\00:54:23.02
They've got to do this.
00:54:23.12\00:54:24.13
They've got to get their energy
00:54:24.23\00:54:24.73
out there.
00:54:24.83\00:54:25.56
Focus it as best you can towards
00:54:25.66\00:54:27.46
the creator and sustainer
00:54:27.56\00:54:28.60
and redeemer that we serve.
00:54:28.70\00:54:30.03
Come Saturday night sundown,
00:54:30.13\00:54:31.63
we would gather again.
00:54:31.73\00:54:32.90
We would sing "Day is Dying."
00:54:33.00\00:54:35.17
We'd have the Lord's Prayer.
00:54:35.27\00:54:36.20
And as we finished the
00:54:36.30\00:54:37.17
Lord's Prayer that time,
00:54:37.27\00:54:38.54
we would say, "One Sabbath
00:54:38.64\00:54:40.54
closer.
00:54:40.64\00:54:42.74
One Sabbath closer.
00:54:42.84\00:54:43.95
One Sabbath closer
00:54:44.05\00:54:45.05
to the Second Coming of Jesus."
00:54:45.15\00:54:45.95
Right?
00:54:46.05\00:54:47.15
In other words,
00:54:47.25\00:54:47.88
the Sabbath is a reminder of
00:54:47.98\00:54:49.08
the great things that God has
00:54:49.18\00:54:50.09
in store for us, too.
00:54:50.19\00:54:52.59
And, you know, then after that,
00:54:52.69\00:54:54.96
we would have the S.A.S. --
00:54:55.06\00:54:59.96
the Standard Adventist Supper.
00:55:00.13\00:55:02.73
What do Adventists tend
00:55:02.83\00:55:04.03
to eat on Saturday night
00:55:04.13\00:55:05.13
for supper?
00:55:05.23\00:55:05.87
>> Popcorn.
00:55:05.97\00:55:06.74
>> Popcorn and...
00:55:06.84\00:55:08.34
some fruit in there, fruit
00:55:08.44\00:55:09.17
salad.
00:55:09.27\00:55:09.74
Exactly. Right?
00:55:09.84\00:55:10.67
It's the Adventist way, okay?
00:55:10.77\00:55:11.47
We do this.
00:55:11.57\00:55:12.87
We would sometimes
00:55:12.97\00:55:13.81
throw in fruit smoothies,
00:55:13.91\00:55:14.88
as well, right?
00:55:14.98\00:55:15.91
In other words, a sweet ending
00:55:16.01\00:55:18.01
to a very sweet day.
00:55:18.11\00:55:20.72
And, you know, just last night,
00:55:20.82\00:55:21.75
we were on the phone
00:55:21.85\00:55:22.72
with my youngest daughter.
00:55:22.82\00:55:23.85
She's serving as
00:55:23.95\00:55:24.99
a student missionary in Bolivia.
00:55:25.09\00:55:26.25
And I thought, "Well, I better
00:55:26.35\00:55:27.99
make sure that we're still
00:55:28.09\00:55:28.56
on the same page.
00:55:28.66\00:55:29.22
And, so, sweetie, do
00:55:29.32\00:55:31.46
you still like the Sabbath?"
00:55:31.56\00:55:34.76
And she said, "Oh,
00:55:34.86\00:55:36.00
daddy, I love the Sabbath.
00:55:36.10\00:55:38.27
I love the Sabbath."
00:55:38.37\00:55:40.60
And my oldest daughter does,
00:55:40.70\00:55:41.14
too.
00:55:41.24\00:55:43.37
You know, there's no guarantees
00:55:43.47\00:55:44.51
that, when we do these things,
00:55:44.61\00:55:45.57
that our children will grow up
00:55:45.67\00:55:47.11
to love the Sabbath,
00:55:47.21\00:55:48.41
but your odds go way up
00:55:48.51\00:55:50.58
if you do these things.
00:55:50.68\00:55:52.78
And, again, my wife
00:55:52.88\00:55:53.72
and I aren't perfect in this,
00:55:53.82\00:55:54.52
but I highly recommend doing
00:55:54.62\00:55:55.82
things like this.
00:55:55.92\00:55:57.05
Make Sabbath the most joyous day
00:55:57.15\00:56:00.42
of the week,
00:56:00.52\00:56:03.02
because the Sabbath --
00:56:03.12\00:56:05.56
it is more than a siesta.
00:56:05.66\00:56:08.23
It is quite literally
00:56:08.33\00:56:09.86
an invitation to life, because
00:56:09.96\00:56:13.40
it's an invitation to Jesus.
00:56:13.50\00:56:16.94
And when we honor the Sabbath,
00:56:17.04\00:56:18.67
when we keep
00:56:18.77\00:56:19.64
that Sabbath day holy,
00:56:19.74\00:56:20.78
we are in the arms
00:56:20.88\00:56:22.64
of our creator and our sustainer
00:56:22.74\00:56:24.71
and our redeemer, Jesus Christ,
00:56:24.81\00:56:26.48
and it is there that we
00:56:26.58\00:56:28.15
can truly find the cure
00:56:28.25\00:56:31.29
for the chaotic life.
00:56:31.39\00:56:34.02
May the Lord richly bless us
00:56:34.12\00:56:36.36
as we embrace
00:56:36.46\00:56:37.66
his gift of the Sabbath.
00:56:37.76\00:56:40.53
>> Amen.
00:56:40.63\00:56:42.50
[ Applause ]
00:56:42.60\00:56:44.13
>> Thank you for taking the time
00:56:50.77\00:56:51.57
to join us in worship today.
00:56:51.67\00:56:53.27
I'd like to spend
00:56:53.38\00:56:54.28
just another moment with you
00:56:54.38\00:56:55.48
here at the end of our program
00:56:55.58\00:56:57.01
to share a word of hope.
00:56:57.11\00:56:59.65
In fact, that's what this little
00:56:59.75\00:57:01.08
book is all about.
00:57:01.18\00:57:03.18
In these uncertain times --
00:57:03.28\00:57:05.09
and, let's face it, they're
00:57:05.19\00:57:06.12
uncertain all over the planet --
00:57:06.22\00:57:07.69
this book,
00:57:07.79\00:57:08.72
entitled "The Great Hope,"
00:57:08.82\00:57:10.39
will help you understand
00:57:10.49\00:57:11.79
not just what God
00:57:11.89\00:57:12.96
has planned for your future,
00:57:13.06\00:57:14.50
but for the future
00:57:14.60\00:57:15.53
of the entire human race.
00:57:15.63\00:57:17.90
You know, light keeps shining
00:57:18.00\00:57:19.63
on this dark old world,
00:57:19.73\00:57:20.94
and new truths,
00:57:21.04\00:57:22.00
long forgotten, are
00:57:22.10\00:57:23.64
being constantly rediscovered.
00:57:23.74\00:57:25.71
If you need a fresh dose of hope
00:57:25.81\00:57:27.61
in your life these days
00:57:27.71\00:57:28.98
or if you know somebody
00:57:29.08\00:57:29.91
else who could sure use
00:57:30.01\00:57:30.68
that gift of hope,
00:57:30.78\00:57:32.05
then I'd like to invite you
00:57:32.15\00:57:33.38
to grab your phone and dial
00:57:33.48\00:57:34.85
our toll-free number --
00:57:34.95\00:57:36.25
877-the two words "His Will."
00:57:36.35\00:57:39.55
That's 877-HIS-WILL.
00:57:39.65\00:57:42.29
And at no charge to you,
00:57:42.39\00:57:44.03
we'll get a copy in the mail
00:57:44.13\00:57:45.06
to you right away.
00:57:45.16\00:57:47.23
Till the next time we meet,
00:57:47.36\00:57:48.53
may the peace and hope
00:57:48.63\00:57:50.40
of the Lord Jesus Christ
00:57:50.50\00:57:51.73
be with you always.
00:57:51.83\00:57:52.83
､
00:57:59.87\00:58:01.64