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| > Sermon Archive > Sermons by Author > Rev. W.B. Slomp > The Lord God Gives us Time to Celebrate His Rest | Previous Next Print |
| Order Of Worship (Liturgy) Pre-Service Song: Psalm 116: 1, 4
Sing: Psalm 92: 1, 2, 3 (A Song for the Sabbath)
Profession of Faith: Hymn 1
Sing: Psalm 92:4, 5, 6, 7
Sing: Psalm 127:1, 2 (“Unless the Lord will build the house, its builders only toil in vain”)
Sing: Hymn 11: 1, 2, 5
Read: Psalm 92; 2 Thessalonians 3: 6-14
Text: Lord's Day 38 Sermon: The Lord God Gives Us Time to Celebrate His Rest. He gives us: 1. A weekly rest; 2. A spiritual rest; 3. An eternal rest.
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Beloved congregation of Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, brothers and sisters:
Today is a day of rest. In the original German version of the Heidelberg catechism it is called a feiertag, a feast day, a day of celebration. That is what God did after he created all things. On the seventh day, he celebrated as he observed his marvellous handiwork.
He also tells us to do the same, namely to have a day of rest wherein we celebrate what the Lord has done for us, celebrating especially that Jesus Christ rose from the dead.
Sunday is a day of celebration. The question is, is that also what it is for us? Does that show in the way we conduct ourselves on that day?
That’s usually not the case, is it? When we get up on a Sunday morning, we don’t have the same feeling as when it is our birthday or anniversary or graduation day, do we? Sunday usually doesn't start in anticipation of the joy of a celebratory day. For us and our kids, it is sometimes even hard to get out of bed in the morning.
And how do we celebrate? There are differences of opinion about what you can and cannot do on that day. So, we have to ask ourselves, what is this day all about? What does it mean to celebrate God’s rest on this special day? That's what I will preach to you about this afternoon. The theme for the sermon is as follows:
The Lord God Gives Us Time to Celebrate His Rest.
He gives us:
1. A weekly rest;
2. A spiritual rest;
3. An eternal rest.
We often think that the time that God gives us here on this earth is our own and that we can divide it up in the way we wish. During the week, we are busy with many things, so we need some time for ourselves. We need some time for relaxation. We also need time to spend with our children or wife or husband. And we need some time for a vacation. We also should set some time aside for worship.
But is that the way we should look at it? That worship is just a block of time set aside for God? But who gives us the time that you spend here on this earth? Isn't that the Lord your God? He gives us time here on earth. He gives us hours, days, months, and years to live our lives here on this earth. That is his free gift to you and me.
He gave that, first of all, to Adam and Eve. The Lord God created the earth in six days. It was evening and it was morning, another day. And so the days continued. They piled up. Day after day God makes the sun rise and set. When creation was complete, he gave Adam and Eve the time to cultivate the earth. To make it beautiful.
But what did Adam and Eve do with their time? Instead of thinking about how to please God through their work; instead of thinking about what he wants, they thought about themselves and about Satan. They used their time wrongly. They sinned.
At that time, God could've put an end to his creation. He could've put an end to the time that man would have here on earth. But instead, through his grace, he continues to give man time here on earth.
But now, our time on earth is more difficult. Listen to the prayer of Moses, Psalm 90. He says in verse 15, "Make us glad for as many days that you have afflicted us, and for as many years as we have seen evil." Our times are now full of troubles. There is hardship and pain. And there aren't enough hours in the day to make things right. To get things the way we want. We always want more, and we always want better.
When Adam and Eve fell into sin, they became slaves to time. They knew that they would have only so much time on this earth, and then they would die. They knew that their time was limited. That is the way it is for all of humanity.
And so, what do human beings do? Well, they try to pack as much time as they can into the time that they have. Some people become clock watchers. They can't wait until their day at work is over so they can have time to spend on themselves and their passions; so that they can do what they want with their time. Others become workaholics. They want to acquire as many possessions as they can and to be as successful as possible. They want to make a name for themselves.
But, brothers and sisters, the time that the Lord God gives us here on earth is not to spend on our own passions. God created us to worship him, not only on the Sunday but on every day of the week, for he gives us two things, both mentioned this commandment. He told us that we have six days to do our work, and one day to rest.
When we deal with the fourth commandment, we usually only think about that last part, the day of rest. But, this Lord's Day also gives us the command to work. It applies to “all the days of my life ….”
There are those people who do not like work. They would rather hang around a golf course all the time or a vacation resort or a beach. Or to laze around the house. This modern culture promotes early retirement as something to aim for. And the unions promote as short a workweek as possible with as little work as possible. Work is seen as an evil necessity.
Brothers and sisters, the Lord God gives each and every one of us work to do. He commands us to work six days a week. Work is a blessing from him. It is not something to avoid. No, it is something to seek.
That is also what Paul says to those lazy Thessalonians who are hanging around because they are waiting for the day of the Lord. They quit their jobs and even. No, says Paul, that's not right. You have to work. You're not allowed to be idle. If you don't need to work for yourself because you have enough money, then you work to serve others. Ultimately work is something you do in the service of the Lord your God.
That doesn't mean that during the week, you cannot have times for pleasure or that you cannot have any time for vacation. Not at all. But it does mean that we have to see our responsibility toward God and others. God wants us to have a proper balance.
Work is a very important part of our life. Even once you are retired. It is through your work that God will bless you. If you take this commandment seriously, the Lord will also bless you materially. He will give you the means to be able to be a blessing to others. For a Christian, work is something different than it is for an unbeliever.
Oh sure, because of sin, there is pain involved in work. As the Lord God said in Genesis after Adam fell into sin, "By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food." Work is not easy. But that does not mean we should now avoid it or do as little of it as possible. No, the Lord commands us to work.
It is even so that he will not bless you if you do not work. That is what he says to the Thessalonians as well. He writes to the Thessalonians in chapter 3:10, “If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.” (ESV)
When you work, you serve him. God made it so that through work, he also gives you a sense of accomplishment, especially if you do it because you love God and your neighbour.
But he also gives time for physical rest. Since we are finite, fragile human beings, we need rest. We are weak, and our bodies need to be recharged. For that reason, he gives us a day of rest every week. What a blessing!
In the Old Testament, it was on the seventh day of the week, on the Saturday. It followed the order of creation. But now, in the New Testament we celebrate re-creation. We celebrate the fact that the Lord Jesus rose from the dead on the first day of the week. If the Sabbath was a celebration in the Old Testament, it certainly is so now. We celebrate the gift of life, eternal life through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Look at how the author of Psalm 92, which is a song for the Sabbath day, describes the Old Testament celebration. In that Psalm, we confess that we celebrate, not our work in the first place, but God's work. He says, “For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy. How great are your works, O Lord!” (Psalm 92:4–5, ESV)
On the first day of the week we come together, not in the first place to celebrate the work that we have done, but to celebrate the work that God has done. He has created this world with everything in it. And he gave human beings a task in this world. He gave each of us talents to be busy with a certain aspect of his creation. That's God's doing.
Oh sure, the farmer has to plant the seed, and he has to hoe and weed and harvest the crop. But who is the one who makes the crop to grow? Who made the seed in the first place? Who makes the sun to shine? Who gives the rain? It is all God's doing.
The same thing is true of every aspect of our work-related activities. It is only because God made it possible that we are able to work. And on a day of rest we celebrate the wonderful miracles that he performs every day in his creation. In Psalm 92, God stands in the center.
That is why the people of Israel went up to the Temple. There, they give glory to God's name. They also had their celebratory gatherings on the Sabbath in the synagogues.
The Lord Jesus also took part in such weekly celebrations. We read in Luke 4:16 that he went into the synagogue on the seventh day, "as was his custom." The worship in the synagogue was not much different than our worship today. Although it was an Old Testament celebration, the liturgy had many of the same elements as we have today.
But, in those days, they were still looking forward to the coming of the Messiah. And they read the Scriptures to point to his coming. That's also what the Lord Jesus did when he read in the synagogue of his hometown of Nazareth. He showed that the Scriptures point to himself. But now our celebration is what the Lord God has done through his Son Jesus Christ. Through him, we are given rest. And that rest is a spiritual rest. We come to the second point.
2. The catechism says that I must rest all the days of my life from my evil works. After Sunday comes Monday, and the other days of the week. As we saw, the fourth commandment does not just have to do with the first day of the week. No, it has to do with all the days of the week.
What happens on a Sunday continues to make its effect felt on the other days of the week. Today, the first day of the week, the Lord's day, has become more and more just another normal day of the week. Most stores are now open, and factories continue to produce their goods. If businesses are not open on a Sunday, it is not done in the service of God but in the service of human beings.
That is why we especially need a day of worship: to remind us why God has created us, to remind us what our daily work is about, and to give us focus during the week. And so, the Sunday works as yeast in the dough. It permeates every aspect of our daily lives.
When you are under the regular preaching of the Word of God, you are repeatedly reminded what it means to be in a relationship with the Lord your God, the Maker of heaven and earth. Also, the children of the congregation are reminded of this, and the older they get, the more they understand so that in due time, they may make promises of their own at their Public Profession of Faith.
We are reminded to love the Lord our God with everything that is in us, for we are made to think about the great works that he has done, especially the great works that he has done through his Son Jesus Christ. That is why we all belong here in church, also our children. We must hear God’s word regularly.
For it is on the Lord’s Day that you are also told about the forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ. If there's anything that gives you rest, it is that knowledge, for you know that your daily work is permeated with sin. It is full of frustration. It is full of anxiety because of the great struggles that you have each day to live a godly life. It is on Sunday that you are reminded that Jesus Christ has restored peace. Through him, you are made righteous.
Psalm 92 says, “The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They are planted in the house of the Lord; they flourish in the courts of our God. They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green.” (vss. 12–14, ESV)
Palm trees can become 200 years old or more. And they are always green. Even when the tree is old, it can still bring forth an abundance of fruit. Some palm trees produce some 600 pounds of fruit per year.
And the Cedars of Lebanon? These trees are the most renowned natural monuments in the Near East. They are majestic. The tree had an imposing trunk with a diameter of 9 feet that could support a height of 120 feet. The tree also had many uses. For example, Moses ordered the priests to use the peel of the Lebanese Cedar in circumcision and treatment of leprosy. The Egyptians used its resin to mummify their dead and thus called it the "life of death." The wood was used to build ships, and the wood was used in David's and Solomon's Palaces. It was also used in the temple.
The Cedar symbolizes healing, power, strength, and endurance. Well, that is what the righteous are like, says the psalmist. They grow strong. They have many uses. And they receive their strength from God. It is on Sunday, primarily through your churchgoing, that you receive such strength. That you receive such a lasting power. You become like a fruit-bearing palm tree and like a mighty Lebanese Cedar.
So, that puts a totally different light on the worship on the first day of the week. Without that, you could not become strong and fruitful. Without it, you are a withering plant.
If you realize the wonderful works of the Lord and what he does for you, then you will also want to worship him. Then, it is not a block of time that you reluctantly set aside for the Lord. No, then you realize that all your time belongs to the Lord. And that he especially gives you a time in the week to be charged spiritually. To be told over and over how much he loves those who believe in him. To be reminded that you can only be strong in the Lord.
Brothers and sisters, parents, how do you prepare for the Sunday? If you prepare properly, you will create a desire to worship him on the day. Then, you will also create the desire in your children. If your whole week is dedicated to the Lord your God, then it is only natural for you to be here on a Sunday, twice if you are able. You would not want to stay away.
Oh sure, there may be times that you are not able. We may not be legalistic. There may be circumstances that prevent you. But then, as much as possible, you still worship him. And then you will not have endless discussions about what you may and may not do. No, you want to go to church. You want to worship him. The Lord God sets a special day aside for you to do that. That is his gift to you. That distinguishes you from the world, which is busy laying up treasures for itself here on earth. That's not what you and I are about. We are laying out for ourselves heavenly treasures. And we are looking forward to our eternal rest. That’s the third point.
3. The catechism says that we must "let the Lord work in me through his Holy Spirit, and so begin in this life the eternal Sabbath." Every Lord’s Day is a step on the way to the eternal rest. Every Sunday points to the final rest we will have in the life hereafter. It is a step to a life where there is no more sin. No more anxiety. No more pain. The author of Psalm 92 says in verse 11, “My eyes have seen the downfall of my enemies; my ears have heard the doom of my evil assailants.” (ESV)
The enemies of God are going to taste their final defeat when Christ comes again. The Israelites knew that already, and now we do too. We especially know that the Lord Jesus has already defeated sin and evil. He has already slain the dragon, namely Satan. He has already conquered death, for he rose from the grave. And he is now seated at the right hand of God. And there he is gathering his people around him. And he will continue to gather all his believers until the number of the believers is complete. Then Satan and his army will taste the final defeat.
Can you imagine the kind of rest that God is going to give you? Sin is no longer going to disturb you. Death will no longer make you afraid. You will be with your Lord and Saviour always.
Brothers and sisters, what a wonderful gift God has given us. He has given us a party, a feast. Do you want to be part of his festivities? Do you want to have eternal rest? Well, that has to show now already. It has to show in your attitude towards the Sunday. He gives you a foretaste of his rest already here on this earth. He shows you that rest, especially on the first day of the week.
Take part. Serve God. Keep his commandments, also the fourth commandment. And God will make you strong so that you can serve him into eternity. Amen
* As a matter of courtesy please advise Rev. W.B. Slomp, if you plan to use this sermon in a worship service. Thank-you.
The source for this sermon was: www.edmontonimmanuel.ca
(c) Copyright 2009, Rev. W.B. Slomp
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