Questions I recieved via text on 1.16.10

Question One: Are things like TV and the Internet OK on the Sabbath?

Answer: I think God wants us to think and to think we need to look at the principles he has given us, not the mechanisms. First, are you keeping the principles of the Sabbath (rest, blessed, and set apart)…in this case, set apart. The Sabbath is not for you, but building your relationship with God and others. Can that happen through the TV or internet? Sure? But, I am going to guess that it depends on what you are watching or doing on the web. I think if you focus on the principles of Philippians 4:8, you will be on the right track.

Question Two: Why did the change the Sabbath?

Answer: The short answer is the change happened gradually as “new” Christians I nRome began to keep Sunday (resurrection day) as the Sabbath. Constantine, the emperor of Rome added to this practice to help Christians avoid persecution that occasionally broke against Christians in this pagan (Greek Gods) Rome. Later, Papal Rome (which became the Catholic church validated this change by saying it had the authority to change the day to commemorate Jesus’ resurrection from the dead.

Question Three: Do Sunday worshippers keep the “Lord’s Day” from sundown to sundown?

Answer: The short answer is “No. Not typically.”

Question Four: How do we spread this “new” understanding of the Sabbath?

Answer: It is actually quite old. God gave clear instructions and purpose for the Sabbath at creation (Genesis 2:2, 3). The best way to spread it is to invite people to read what the Bible has to say about the Sabbath. Those that really want to know will read every text in the Bible on the subject.

Question Five: Why not just a day in seven? Some say any day in seven will do?

Answer: This is a common argument. As I read the Bible, THE 7th day is the only day God blessed and set apart, not a day every seven days.

Question Six: What about celebrating the Lord’s Day, i.e. the day of resurrection?

Answer: I am all for celebrating the resurrection of Jesus, but that is not the day God blessed or set aside, the seventh day is (Genesis 2:2, 3). It is not the day God commanded us to keep holy (Exodus 20:8-11).

Thoughts on Sabbath

This week’s sermon topic is the Sabbath, so I thought I would share some thoughts regarding the Sabbath and the seven day cycle. One thing I have noticed is that as Seventh-day Adventist we tend to put our focus on keeping the Sabbath legally, but we tend to abuse it emotionally and physically. Not good.

Did you know, we were made in such a way that requires us to stop and rest every seven days? Studies have shown that a weekday of rest is just as important as eight hours a sleep at night. As human beings, we are dependent on rhythms. Life is rhythmic. The most known are the biological rhythms tied to the earth’s movement around the sun. Things like: Body temperature, which reaches its maximum on the afternoons; the heartbeat, which accelerates during the day and slows considerably after four hours of nightly rest; the kidneys and liver which reduce their activity at night, etc... Experts have discovered that we have this internal body clock. One notable rhythm of this internal mechanism is the circaseptan rhythm. It represents a seven day cycle. Why a seven day cycle? Nobody seems to know why? Hmmm. This makes even those who do not believe in God wonder.

The reality is we were created with the need to stop, rest, and rejuvenate every seven days. The physical arrival of darkness every 24 hours reminds us of our need for daily rest, but there is no natural phenomenon that reminds us of the arrival of our weekly rest. I think this is why our Creator said to “Remember. Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.” And, he did so from the beginning (Genesis 2:2, 3).

Oh, well does it matter which day we rest? According to God, “Yes”. According to God, everyday is not the same. There is an ideal day to rest, the seventh-day. He specifically blessed that day. He did not bless the third day, Tuesday. He did not bless the fifth day, Thursday. He did not bless the first day, Sunday. He blessed the seventh day. (Genesis 2:2, 3) And, he set it apart to not only be refreshed physically, but to have time to be refreshed emotionally and spiritually in worship and relationship building.

I am so glad we have a God who loves us and gave us a way to stay healthy physically and emotionally, and connected to him.