Sermon-05-15-10

Presque Isle Seventh Day Adventist Church

Sermon - 5/15/2010

"Stop" as presented by Sidney Whiting

When I was about 10 years old (just a few years ago), the husband of my 4th grade teacher took me on a camping trip. This man was originally from Switzerland and had had previous experience hiking in the Swiss Alps. I admired him because he seemed to know everything about camping and hiking. When he invited me to join him and a group of other boys about my age on an expedition to climb Mt. Whitney, I was excited!

Knowing that at nearly 15,000 feet above sea level, Mt. Whitney was the tallest mountain in the US outside of Alaska, I was glad we could rely on his expertise to get us safely to the top. And so, on the appointed day, we set out. With the vigor of youth, we made good time hiking up to the highest campsite along the trail before the summit. I was looking forward to reaching the top the next day. But to my disappointment, our leader said we had to stop and rest all the next day. Stop and rest?!! Why did we need to do that? I wanted to go, go, go. I didn’t want to stop. It was hard to yield to the decision of our leader. Was his one way the best way?

As a starting point for our study today, I’ve asked Mike Pelletier to read a very familiar passage – Exodus 20:8-11. (Does this passage apply to us today? How do you apply it in your life?) Now some of you may be thinking, “We know all about the Sabbath. Why are we talking about it again today?”

I’m reminded in this regard of a comment made by Mark Twain. He said, “It ain’t those part of the Bible that I can’t understand that bother me, it is the parts that I do understand.” The Hebrew root of the word Sabbath is “shabat” meaning “to cease, desist, rest” – to stop. As in our childrens’ story, sometimes, it is very important to cease what we’re doing, to stop.

Remember… remember… The fact that God prefaced this commandment with the word “remember” makes me think He knew that it might be forgotten some day. As humans, it seems that we are very prone to forget things. Perhaps it is a protective mechanism brought on by sin that causes us to move on – to bury the past by the activities of the present.

Today, it is considered healthy not to constantly dwell on the past. But God apparently knew that there were some very important things we needed to keep forever in our minds. In the passage Mike just read, God asks us to remember the Sabbath day as a memorial of His creative power. “For in six days, the Lord made heaven and earth… wherefore [for this reason] the Lord blessed the Sabbath day…”

Just think how much better our world would be if everyone paused in their weekly routine to remember God as Creator. The theory of materialistic Evolution would not exist. Without the theory of Evolution, Adolph Hitler would not have had a foundation for his ideas about the so-called superior Aryan race. Millions of Jews would still be alive today. Without the evolutionary concept of the “survival of the fittest”, Karl Marx would not have had a foundation for his theory of communism.

Many of the wars in this century would never have been fought. If only mankind had stopped to remember the Creator.

Deuteronomy 5:15 gives us another reason to remember the Sabbath: “And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.” As the Israelites were to remember their great rescue from Egypt, God wants us to remember our great rescue from the slavery of sin. Pride is banished when we keep in mind that we were hopeless, miserable servants of Satan before Jesus entered our lives. And knowing where we came from helps point us to where we are going.

So how did Jesus remember the Sabbath when He was here on this earth? I find it interesting that through His miracles, Jesus seemed to focus on rescuing people on the Sabbath day. Through each recorded miracle of healing that He performed on the Sabbath, it seems that He was trying to remind us that the Sabbath is a special day for remembering how we were personally saved from the bondage of sin by the One who created us in the first place.

In Luke 14, Jesus read from Isaiah 61 and claimed that it He had been sent to “preach deliverance to the captives” and “to set at liberty them that are bruised”. In Matthew 12, Jesus healed a man with a withered hand. When the Pharisees questioned Him about it, He compared the healing to the rescue of a sheep that had fallen into a pit. In Luke 14, Jesus healed a man with “dropsy”.

Explaining His actions to the religious leaders, Jesus compared the healing to the deliverance of an ox or an ass fallen into a pit. In Mark chapter 1, Jesus freed a man enslaved by an “unclean spirit”. In John 5, Jesus liberated a man who had been trapped by the Pool of Bethesda for 38 years due to illness. In John chapter 9, Jesus delivered a man from the disgrace of somehow sinning in his mother’s womb so that he was born blind.

The clearest picture of Jesus’ motive for healing on the Sabbath is found in Luke 13. Here, Jesus healed a woman who had been crippled and bent over for 18 years. Let’s read starting in verse 12: “And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.

And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day. The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering? And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?”

“OK”, you may say, “I need to remember that God is Creator and that Jesus delivered me from being a slave to sin. But what about the ‘keeping it holy’ stuff? I’m not a holy person so how can I keep anything holy – let alone 24 hours of time!”

Myron has a text to read that can help us with this. Ezekiel 20:12 & 20. (How is the Sabbath a sign? etc.) The Hebrew word translated “holy” in Exodus 20 is the same word translated “sanctify” in Ezekiel 20. It means “to set apart for a sacred purpose”. The grammar used with the word “sanctify” in Ezekiel 20 indicates an intentional, repeated action involving the past, present, and future. God’s work in our lives is to continue as long as we have breath. It is not a one time event.

As sinners, we will have ups and downs. But the way we keep the Sabbath holy is by allowing Jesus to work in our lives all week setting us apart for His sacred purposes. When we come together on Sabbath, the joy in our hearts of having been with Jesus all week is a sign of this holy process and can be an encouragement to others.

One of my most memorable Sabbaths was spent in Turkey. As the only Sabbath-keeper for miles around, I had no church to attend. On Friday, I purchased a bus ticket from Ankara to Cappadocia.

The next morning, while riding in the bus, I enjoyed reading in the Bible about the apostle Paul’s experiences as he traveled in Turkey. Arriving in Cappadocia, I went through the underground churches carved long ago in the soft volcanic rock found in that area. It was so inspiring to see where the early Christians had worshipped while hiding from their enemies. I imagined listening to Paul preaching underground from one of the stone pulpits there - delivering words of challenge and encouragement to the believers. It was a day I will never forget. I really enjoyed it.

But was it right for me to enjoy the Sabbath so much? Michael Smith has a text to share with us in this regard. Isaiah 58:13-14. (Does this text mean that we are not to “find pleasure” on the Sabbath? How do you apply this text in your life?)

Isaiah 58 does indeed speak about not “finding thine own pleasure” on the Sabbath.

The text Michael read makes it very clear that WE are not the boss on Sabbath. Someone else is in charge. We don’t own the day. Putting one’s foot on the Sabbath is a Hebrew idiom for taking possession. But in the same passage, Isaiah says we are to call the Sabbath “a delight”. The Hebrew word for “delight” in verse 13 is a masculine noun that means “exquisite delight, daintiness, pleasantness”. And in verse 14, a different Hebrew word is translated “delight”. This word is a feminine verb meaning “to be soft, be dainty, be pampered, take exquisite delight”. One would almost think a romance was going on here. Could it be that Jesus looks forward to the Sabbath as a lover looks forward to a special date with His beloved?

In April, Linda reached an important milestone in her life. She celebrated her 50th birthday. In honor of this occasion, her children and I decided to plan a surprise birthday party for her to take place when we went down to Tennessee for a visit. All month, we secretly contacted old friends and relatives inviting them to help us surprise Linda. We arranged for a delicious Thai meal to be served in a beautiful church fellowship hall and asked various people to share their memories of Linda during various phases of her life.

As the appointed day approached, it was hard not to show my excitement. And the party was a success – it was lots of fun being with so many friends and relatives. But what if Linda had taken charge when she walked into the room? What if she had rearranged the tables, told different people to speak, and ordered pizza to replace the Thai cuisine? Would the event have been as much a delight? I know this is a very bad illustration, but I hope it helps make the point. We are not in charge on Sabbath – Jesus is. Come to think of it, are we ever really in charge of our lives?!!

How did Jesus delight in the Sabbath when He lived on earth (since He is our example)? In Luke 4:16 we read, “And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up for to read.” Here we see that Jesus was in the habit of worshipping God with other believers and reading the Scriptures on Sabbath. Notice that He wasn’t a passive member of the congregation – He accepted a part in the service. And verses 15 & 44 confirm that He didn’t just attend synagogue when He came home to visit – He taught in synagogues all throughout Galilee.

In Matthew 12 and John 5, it appears that Jesus liked to take the scenic route on His way to synagogue. Matthew 12 tells us about the time He and his disciples walked through grain fields. John 5 tells the story of how Jesus met a crippled man by the Pool of Bethesda on His way to worship services.

In our Scripture reading today (Mark 1), we heard how Jesus taught & preached on the Sabbath, cast out demons from a man disrupting the worship service, went home with friends to have lunch, and brought healing to the mother-in-law of His host who had been ill with a fever. In Luke 14, we learn that Jesus accepted an invitation to a feast put on by a chief Pharisee one Sabbath. While at the feast, He healed a man with dropsy, had lively discussions with his host, and told challenging stories to the guests. Wouldn’t you have enjoyed being with Jesus on all these Sabbath occasions?

It is possible to get so carried away with delight that we again forget who the Lord of the Sabbath is. Opal has a story to read in this regard. Nehemiah 13:15-21. (Do you think this story has any applications for us today? Etc.)

Karen has our final Scripture text. Matthew 12:11-12. (What does it mean to do "well" (or "good") on the Sabbath? Is working at a "good" job lawful on Sabbath? What about doctors and nurses or policeman and border patrol agents or construction workers and boilermen or accountants and store owners...? Did you make the right decision to quit your job rather than continue working on Sabbath?)

The 4th Commandment clearly states that we are not to “do any work” on Sabbath. Yet, Jesus said it is “lawful to do well” on the Sabbath. How do we reconcile these two positions? Based on what we have seen so far, it seems obvious that our activities on Sabbath should be different that our activities on other days of the week. As Hebrews 4:10 says, “anyone who enters God’s rest [the Sabbath] also rests from his own work, just as God did from his”. For 6 days, God’s good work was creating “the heavens and the earth”. But on the seventh day, He rested “from all His work” in order to spend quality time with us. Shouldn’t we do the same for Him?

Two Biblical principles, I believe, are involved when one has to do unavoidable “good work” on Sabbath. #1: In obedience to the 4th Commandment “all work to gain a livelihood should cease on the Sabbath day.” Just as we are to cease from trying to earn our salvation, so we are to cease from trying to earn a living on Sabbath.

How does this work in practical terms? Wayne, what do you do with the money you get from helping with emergency surgeries on Sabbath? I do the same as do many others in this congregation. This money does not go to benefit me or my family – it does not support our living.

Principal #2: In II Kings 11, the story is told of how Johoiada the priest put Joash on the throne of Judah and overthrew the wicked queen Athaliah. To do so, he asked the temple guards to do extra duty. During this time of lawlessness, the temple had to be guarded 24-7 (including on the Sabbath).

Apparently, the guards were divided into 3 groups so they took turns pulling a shift on the Sabbath. The point here is should be pretty obvious - to observe the Sabbath as a special day with God, one should not do even “necessary” work every Sabbath. As with the temple guards, a rotating schedule should be set up. Trading shifts with non-Sabbath keepers could also be done. If you wanted to spend time with your special sweetheart, wouldn’t you do these things and more?

The bottom line, as so nicely presented by Pastor Mark last week, is our motivation. In the 4th Commandment, God asks us to spend 24 hours each week devoted to sacred time with Him – and He gets to plan the activities. In John 14:15, Jesus says, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” The motivation here should be love. The text almost could add, “If you don’t love me, don’t bother… I’d rather spend my day with those who are in love with me.” Do you love Jesus? He most certainly loves you and wants to have special quality time with you each week.

On our climb up Mt. Whitney, our leader made us stop for a day at the last campsite before the summit. As energetic kids, we didn’t want to stop. However, because we loved and trusted our leader, we didn’t fight his order. And we had a delightful day casually exploring the area around the campsite, playing in the nearby mountain stream, and resting in our tents.

The next morning as we got up before sunrise to climb to the summit, the reason for our leader’s decision became clear. A couple of us got a little nauseated from altitude sickness. Had we not spent the entire previous day acclimating to the higher altitude, more of us might have gotten sick and this sickness could have been severe enough to keep us all from making the summit. But what a view we had on top! The hike was well worth the effort.

Many years ago, the Father of our race started us on a journey called life. As the Creator of all, He knew everything about living on this earth. And, he too, gave us an order to stop our journey for a whole day. Each week, we have the privilege of setting aside our daily routine and spending a delightful day with Him. Do we love and trust in His leadership enough to obey His command?

Children's Story

"Signs"

Does anyone know what this means? (Hold up 55 mph sign) Why does the government put up this sign?

What about this one? (Hold up route 161 sign) Does this mean we should go 161 mph? Why is this sign put beside the road?

Who knows what this sign means? (Hold up One Way sign) What might happen if you didn’t obey the sign?

And how about this one? (Hold up yellow Yield sign) Can you tell what it means by the color? Many yellow signs (like railroad crossing, school children crossing,etc.) mean be careful, slow down.

This sign has a very bright color too. What does it mean? (Hold up Stop sign) What might happen if you didn’t obey this sign?

Today, I want to tell you a story about a boy who had to stop very quickly. Many years ago, Elliott and his father went hiking up a mountain. This mountain was like Mt. Katahdin because it was very steep. However, it was different from Mt. Katahdin because it had a lot of loose rocks on the side – kind of like Mt. Shasta in California.

Anyway, Elliott and his Dad had a great time on the hike. The sun was shining brightly and the weather was not too cold and not too hot. Along the trail, they saw pretty birds in the trees and even saw a few deer in a meadow. When they reached the top, they rested in the shade of some big rocks and ate their lunch while they looked at the beautiful view of the valley below.

On the way down, Elliott somehow got way behind his Dad on the trail. I think he wanted to try a shortcut between switchbacks and ended up getting stuck in some thick brush.

Anyway, his father was quite a ways ahead of him when he got to the place where the loose rock was. Seeing his father down below, he decided to take a short cut down the mountain over the loose rock. But once he got started, it was very hard to stop. The loose rock kept him sliding down the mountain – so he got going faster and faster.

Elliott’s Dad looked up and saw him coming down the mountain very fast. Elliott’s Dad saw some trouble ahead so he yelled, “Stop!” Elliott yelled back, “I can’t!” But his Dad yelled again, “Stop now! Fall down!” Because he had learned to love and trust his father, Elliott obeyed. He fell down and slid down the mountain on the loose rocks to where his Dad could catch him.

Elliott got bruises and cuts when he fell on the rocks in obedience to his Dad. But he was glad he obeyed. Do you want to know why? Just past the place where his Dad was standing on the trail, was a steep cliff. If Elliott had not stopped when he did, he would have run off the cliff and been killed. Do you think he was glad his Dad yelled “Stop!”? Yes, I do too. Sometimes God tells us to stop. Should we listen and obey God like Elliott obeyed his Dad?

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