The Principle of Rest

Welcome to Worship in the Word with Pastor Robert Morris.

Today, Pastor Robert is continuing a series titled Relationship with a message about the fourth of the Ten Commandments and how the principle behind it is rest. Thanks for joining us. I'm your host, Janae, and I'm here with my co-host, Patrick.

Hey, Janae. It is just so great to be here. I'm excited about today's message because it's about the fourth commandment, which is remember the Sabbath day and to keep it holy. This is one that we often forget or skip over, and I feel like Pastor Robert does a great job of explaining why we're only hurting ourselves when we don't abide by it. You know those home buying shows where the prospective homeowners go through their must-have list and their nice-to-have list in their new house? Well, I feel like we sometimes do that with the Ten Commandments, like we really shouldn't lie, murder, commit adultery or steal.

So those are on the must-have list. But somehow this commandment often falls into the nice-to-have list. You are so right. You know, if we have nothing planned, then we rest and we have a Sabbath day. But if we're swamped, there's things going on at work, then we have no problem skipping it. I don't know if many people have a Sabbath day on their must-have list.

I bet you're right. Well, today's message is going to be a great wake-up call for some and a relief for others. So let's join Pastor Robert. So we're in this series talking about God's top ten list, the Ten Commandments. But I want to remind you that I think there's a principle behind each commandment that will enhance our relationship with God and others.

So this week, I believe it's the principle of rest. And we're talking about the Fourth Commandment. Exodus 20, verse 8. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy or to keep it set apart, to keep it separate from the other six days. Six days you shall labor and do all your emails. Just bringing it up to modern day language here. All your work.

Notice the word all. But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work.

You, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For, in other words, this is the reason, in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it or called it holy, called it set apart. So we don't keep the Ten Commandments to be saved. We're saved by grace through Jesus. But there are blessings if we keep the Ten Commandments and there are consequences if we don't.

So here's number one. There are reasons God said to rest. There are reasons.

Now I'm going to have two sub-points under point one and then I'll have point two and point three. All right. There are reasons God said to rest.

Here's the first reason. It gives God the opportunity to provide for us supernaturally. It gives God the opportunity when we don't work seven days a week to provide for us supernaturally. If you want to flip back you can in just a few chapters. Chapter 16. This is when he provided the manna in the wilderness. Exodus 16 verse 23. Then he said to them, this is what the Lord has said. So this is Moses talking to the people. Tomorrow is a Sabbath rest. A holy Sabbath to the Lord. Bake what you will bake today and boil what you will boil and lay up for yourselves all that remains to be kept until morning. So they laid it up till morning as Moses commanded and it did not stink nor were there any worms in it. Stop just for a moment.

Let me say this. If you remember when they started doing the manna he said, only gather what you need for one day. But the people didn't believe that it would be there the next day so they kept more but what they kept more than they needed, think about this, when they kept more than they needed it began to stink the next day and it had worms in it. See they weren't trusting God still for provision. So then he said on the sixth day you gathered in enough for two days and the next day it didn't stink, didn't have any worms.

God did something, a supernatural provision. Look at verse 25 now. Then Moses said, eat that today for today is a Sabbath to the Lord.

Today, watch this, you will not find it in the field. Six days you shall gather it but on the seventh day the Sabbath, watch this, there will be none. Now it happened that some of the people went out on the seventh day to send emails together but they found no provision from God for working on that day. And the Lord said to Moses, how long do you refuse to keep my commandments and my laws? See for the Lord has given you, this is a gift from God to get a day off, the Sabbath. Therefore he gives you on the sixth day bread for two days. Let every man remain in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day so the people rested on the seventh day.

No provision. Now this is Exodus 20, we read it but remember I told you the 10 commandments are also in Deuteronomy 5. Exodus 20 uses the word remember, Deuteronomy 5 uses the word observe. Jewish people remember and observe the Sabbath day. But in Deuteronomy 5 he adds something. He says you don't need to work on this day because you used to be slaves and I redeemed you. So let me explain something to us. Slaves don't get a day off.

Only the wealthy, the elite or royalty got days off. We are children of the king. I mean it's all through scripture where God's saying I'm trying to give you a day off. This is like tithing to me. God can do more with 90% than you can do with 100%. Okay listen to me, God can do more in six days than you can in seven. If you don't know how much he can do in six days, look around you. He can create the galaxy, the universe in six days.

He can do it. You're listening to Worship in the Word with Pastor Robert Morris. If you're just tuning in, we're in a series called Relationship where Pastor Robert is breaking down the 10 commandments and how they're actually principles that enhance our relationship with God and others. Today's message is about the fourth commandment, remember the Sabbath day. You know Janae, it's really amazing how we don't often see the fourth commandment as a must keep commandment.

And yet it's for us and for our good. Six days a week we are slaves to our schedules, our commitments, our emails, our work, yada yada yada. But one day a week, God says if you give this day to me, if you trust me to stop working for one day, I'll make up the difference and then some. And I love what Pastor Robert said right at the end there and I think it's worth repeating.

God can do so much more with six days than we can working our hardest in seven. It makes me think of Chick-fil-A actually. You know I actually think about Chick-fil-A pretty often. Their food is amazing.

I'm thinking of it in a different sense, although now I'm hungry. But Chick-fil-A takes Sundays off. They close their restaurant. Most fast food places are open seven days a week and some even 24 hours a day, but not Chick-fil-A. They explicitly say that Sundays off is to give our employees a day of rest and worship. Yet I looked up some industry averages and Chick-fil-A income is four times more than the restaurants that are open seven days a week.

Four times more? That is unbelievable. Right? Well, what a cool testimony of how God provides if we just trust Him and rest. Well, I can't wait to hear more of what Pastor Robert has to say about rest.

So let's jump back in. So it gives God an opportunity to provide for a supernatural. Here's the second reason why under point one here, a sub point. It gives us the opportunity to rest and be refreshed.

It gives us an opportunity to rest and be refreshed. Exodus 31 verses 14 through 17. You shall keep the Sabbath, therefore, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people. Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest. Holy to the Lord, whoever does any work on the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. Therefore, the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath.

Remember, we've been grafted into the nation of Israel to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations. Watch as a perpetual covenant. How long is perpetual? Forever.

Thank you. It is a sign between me and the children of Israel forever. There it is. For in six days, the Lord made the heavens and the earth. And on the seventh day, he rested and was refreshed. You got to understand too that the Sabbath was the greatest sign to the world. He said, it's a sign. So it was the greatest sign to the world for thousands of years because no other nation before Israel rested one day a week. So it's all through Scripture that it's a sign. Now, there's a word here that I have to explain. It says God rested, God rested and was refreshed. Now, that is tough for a theologian to read that. How could an omnipotent, all-powerful God be refreshed?

And I want you to think about it. A God who never gets tired, never sleeps. He says, I never get tired, never sleep. How could God be refreshed?

Well, obviously, you always try to go the original language. In the Hebrew, this word refreshed means took breath and God breathed in. What did he been doing for six days?

He'd been creating, but how does God create? He speaks. What do you do when you speak? You breathe out. Let there be light. And he breathed into man and man became a living soul.

You remember this? So for six days he'd been breathing out. On the seventh day, he breathed in. And he was refreshed. I have a real simple question for you. If God refreshes himself, why don't you? I read this from a Jewish person about an average Shabbat Sabbath. So there are other things that could have been a lot longer, so I condensed it to the gist of it, okay? Because there are prayers that are spoken and things like that.

But let me just read this to you. Shabbat begins at sunset because in the story of creation it says, and there was evening and there was morning one day. Shabbat candles are lit and a blessing is recited no later than 18 minutes before sunset. Two candles are lit, representing the two commandments. In other words, the fourth commandment recorded in both places. Exodus 20 says to remember.

Deuteronomy 5 says to observe. The family then attends a brief evening service. After services, the family comes home for a festive, leisurely dinner.

By the time all this is completed, it may be 9 p.m. or later. The family has an hour or two to talk, study Torah and then go to sleep. The next morning, Shabbat services begin around 9 and can attend you until about noon. After services, the family, by the way, our services are shorter than that, so you can thank God. All right, so after services, the family has another leisurely, festive meal. Then the family studies Torah for a while, talks, takes an afternoon walk, plays some checkers or engages in other leisure activities.

A short afternoon nap is not uncommon. It is traditional to have a third meal before Shabbat is over. Shabbat ends at nightfall when there are three stars visible, approximately 40 minutes after sunset. At the conclusion of Shabbat, a blessing is recited regarding the division between the sacred and the secular, between Shabbat and the working days. As you can see, Shabbat is a full day when it is properly observed and very relaxing.

You really don't miss being unable to turn on the TV, drive a car or go shopping. Sounds like a relaxing day, doesn't it? I mean, it sounds like just sitting around and eating a lot. Sounds like Thanksgiving to me once a week.

What's wrong with that? What is wrong with resting one day a week? If you're just tuning in, you're listening to Worship in the Word with Pastor Robert Morris.

If you missed the start of this relationship series, be sure to check it out at pastorrobert.com or call 833-933-WORD to get a copy. You know, I'm just loving today's message about rest. I keep thinking if God took a breath and rested, then how much more do I need that time on a weekly basis?

Well, in a world where everyone works nonstop and we're available by phone at all hours of the day and night, it's difficult to say no and to just breathe. But I love that God has given us not just permission, but a mandate to unplug. There are days when I know I need the rest, but I feel guilty taking it because I have so much to do. Now, I know that's really the enemy trying to get me overworked and overextended, which leads to exhaustion and lack of strength to resist temptation.

But God is saying with this commandment, there is no guilt in resting. I also think that sometimes people don't know what to do with our day of rest. So I love that Pastor Robert's description was of a typical Jewish Shabbat day. That sounds incredible.

It really does. But I also know that everyone's seasons are different and what refreshes them is different. I remember when I was going through a really tough season at work and my Sabbath looked a little different. During that season, I spent a lot of time by myself in the Word and reading and even gardening. That's what was refreshing. Now, I still spend time in the Word, but sometimes I'm catching a meal with friends or family or I'm just going on a run.

That's such a good example. And the main point is that no matter what it looks like, you're resting and taking time to hear from God. Well, let's continue with Pastor Robert as he shares more about rest. So, number one, are there reasons God said to rest? Here's number two. There are consequences when we don't rest.

There are consequences when we don't rest. Numbers 15, verse 32. Now while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man, now watch what they found him do, gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. They found a man gathering sticks, not murdering someone, gathering sticks. And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron and all the congregation.

Now, this is kind of funny to me. They put him under guard. Well, of course, he was a stick gatherer. Better hold a gun on him so he doesn't gather any more sticks because it had not been explained what should be done to him. Then the Lord said to Moses, the man must surely be put to death and all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp. So as the Lord commanded Moses, all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him with stones and he died.

That's pretty severe for gathering sticks. And the Lord said it. Four, and I've heard five according to ceremonial things, but four main things required death, caused the death penalty in the Old Testament. Murder, not keeping the Sabbath. Adultery, and here's one, rebellious children.

I'm telling you, the next time you just tell them, listen, you'd be dead, pal, if we were in the Old Testament. Murder, adultery, not keeping Sabbath, and rebellious children. But why would not keeping the Sabbath be up there with murder and adultery and a continued rebellion?

Remember, there's a principle behind each commandment. So let me just ask you something. Are you putting yourself to death by not working, by not resting one day a week?

Are you killing yourself? God gives you a gift a day off. This is not a bad gift.

It's a good gift. And here's the third thing I want to tell you about the principle of rest. There are blessings when you rest. There are blessings.

I want to show you a principle here. Mark chapter 2 verse 23. It happened that he, Jesus, went through the grain fields on the Sabbath. And as they went, his disciples began to pluck the heads of grain. And the Pharisees said to him, look, why do they do what is not lawful on the Sabbath? But he said to them, have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry, he and those with him?

How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar, the high priest, and ate the showbread which is not lawful to eat except for the priest, and also gave some to those who are with him? And he, Jesus, said to them, the Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore, the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath. Okay, so why don't I read that to you? Because I'm trying to tell you this isn't legalistic with God. Here's Jesus.

And here's what he's saying. He's saying, listen, we didn't make man for the Sabbath. We didn't make you to serve the Sabbath. We made the Sabbath to serve you. Do you realize that God could have had a six-day week? He's the one that came up with a seven-day week, and one of them as a day of rest. So the Sabbath is a gift to you. Here's an old Jewish saying I love, more than Israel has kept Shabbat, Shabbat has kept Israel.

Just resting one day a week. Now, for me, Sabbath is on a Saturday, and it may not, again, I think it's a principle, so it may not be the same day for you, which is the end of your week. For me, you may not notice, I work on Saturdays. So there's another, praise God. So there's another day that I rest. Now, here's the number one question that I get asked when I teach people on Sabbath, and I teach pastors at pastors' conferences all the time.

Number one question, what do you do on your day off, or what do you do on your Sabbath? And this is what I say, that's the wrong question. The question is not, what do I do? The question is, what do I not do? I don't do anything associated with work. I don't write messages. I don't write books.

I don't answer emails. So I learned this the hard way. Years ago, I was going real strongly. I wasn't understanding this principle. I'd just gotten back from a trip for life outreach, where I'm visiting children that are starving to death.

I'm looking into a camera, communicating, so people will help feed them and drill water wells and things like that. I got back, I was absolutely exhausted. I'd had about a month of that, things like just very busy. And I took a shower. I was going to get dressed to go to the office.

I walked in, and I'm just telling you what happened. I opened my underwear drawer. There was one pair of underwear left. And I thought, what am I going to wear tomorrow? I'm not going to have any underwear tomorrow. Pastors should wear underwear. And I could not think I can wash. My mind was so tired.

I can go to Walmart and get 14 pair for $1.97. I could not think. I was so tired. I was so exhausted.

Anybody ever been there? I was just exhausted. Put the underwear on, opened the sock drawer, had no socks. I sat down on the floor in my underwear and started crying. And now while I was crying, I had this thought, you're losing it. You're losing your mind.

You're crying over socks. So I went to lunch that day with Pastor Tom Lane. And I told him, Pastor Tom, I'm losing my mind. So I told him what happened.

He said, you're not losing your mind. You're exhausted. Anyone would feel this way if they kept your schedule. So I started talking to the elders and praying. We started getting very rigid about my time off, scheduling time off. And that's when we came up with our sabbatical policy, where all of our pastors get a sabbatical every five to seven years.

So that was my fifth year. So Debbie and I went on sabbatical. The elders gave us eight weeks sabbatical. Because it's not just your body needs rest.

When you're creating content that goes in books and things, your mind has to rest. All of us have to rest. So I took this time.

Now eight times seven is 56 days. I'm telling you that because something happened. On the 53rd day, I was sitting there thinking, I woke up feeling normal again. I felt normal. And I said, Lord, I feel normal again. I haven't felt normal in five years since I started the church.

That was our five-year time. I said, I haven't felt normal. I feel normal. And the Lord said to me, what day is it? And because I like numbers, I said, it's a 53rd day.

Out of 56, I knew I only had a few days left, you know? I said, it's a 53rd day. And just like that, He said to me, you owed one year of Sabbath. You owed 52 days. And I said, Lord, you mean I owed you 52 days? And the Lord said, no, no, no, no. You didn't owe me 52 days.

You owe you 52 days. And He said, don't ever go in debt again with your time and with your energy. Listen, God gives you a day off. If you don't take it, the root is because you don't trust Him.

That's the only reason you would work seven days a week. I love that final story Pastor Robert told. And I love that God said to him that he owed himself 52 days. That truly shows that God gave us this commandment as a gift. Sometimes we can have such a hard time accepting gifts.

But with this one, if we don't accept it, we may think we're being good workers or good stewards. But in actuality, it's a sign that we don't trust God. Well, we encourage you to take a moment to think about what Pastor Robert shared today and really listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying to you. And to get a copy of this message or any of the upcoming messages in this relationship series, visit pastorrobert.com or call 833-933-WORD. You can get the complete 10-part series for yourself or to share with a friend or family member. So be sure to visit pastorrobert.com or call 833-933-WORD. You can also follow Pastor Robert on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. Next time, Pastor Robert will be sharing about how the fifth commandment is God's principle of honor. You don't want to miss it. Have a great week.