Are you a match or a lighter?
What is the difference between a match and a lighter? They both can create fire, and both are hot to the touch. But the match has a very short shelf life, only burning for seconds, while a lighter can be refueled to burn on and on.
The other day I wrote a column entitled “What is a Church.” (What is a Church blog). Today I would like to examine the sabbath day itself, more in-depth. (April Gilford, the previous writer of this column, wrote a blog on this topic in March… I encourage you to read it: The Sabbath Debate
If you remember, the scripture is plain that the PEOPLE are the church, not a building or organization. WE ARE THE CHURCH!
But other questions remain.
First, why do some observe the Sabbath on Saturday, and others on Sunday? Saturday is the seventh day of the week, the day that is recorded in Genesis as the day God rested. The first day of the week is Sunday. It is also recorded as the day of the week that Christ rose (John 20:1), and the day that the Lord first appeared to all the disciples (except Thomas) (John 20:19).
So who is right and who is wrong? When IS the Sabbath Day, so that we may keep it holy (The 4th Commandment, Exodus 20:8)?
Colossians 2:16-17 says, “Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath Day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.” (New International Version)
In other words, any day can be the Sabbath, as long as you acknowledge it and spend it in the manner which God intended.
This was driven home for my by my former pastor more than 10 years ago. He pointed out that our traditional Sabbath was his work day. I had never thought of that! For him, our worship service was work, his day filled with the business of the Lord. So he took Monday and made it his Sabbath.
We shouldn’t be legalistic, as the Pharisees of the Lord’s day were. Remember how they tried to catch Jesus in the sin of working on the Sabbath? (Matthew 12:1-2)
So if we establish that the Sabbath can be on any day, are there specific ways that we must behave, things we must do to honor God on the Sabbath?
Of course!
We should celebrate with song (Col. 3:16), with preaching (1 Timothy 4:13), and in service (1 Peter 4:10). In short, we should be mindful of God, diverting from our normal “busyness” to God’s “business.”
And what should we expect from this day of rest, of honoring our God? We will focus not on ourselves, but on our God, reminding ourselves of what is truly important. Our faith will be renewed and rebuilt, and we will become more effective in the ways we serve Him… after all, serving our Lord is not a spectator sport!
And then we will no longer be a match, burning brightly for a few seconds before turning to ash, we will be lighters that can burn for hours, be refilled with the fuel of the Lord, and return to burning brightly for all to see.
The Sabbath, and all that it entails, is that fuel.
TOMORROW: What is our role in the body of Christ?
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