THE } SABBATH . Lesso nII . Mar k2:23-30;3:l-5 . Apri l 1 4 ti TH EWOR DSABBATH .
a n d c l o g g ed t h e s p o n t a n e i ty o f i t sw o r - ship, b y i n n u m e r a b le a n dm i n u te r e s t r i c- t i o ns a n d r e q u i r e m e n ts t h a t r e n d e r ed i t impossible f o r m e n i n o r d i n a ry c i r c um- s t a n c es t o k e ep it . F a i l u re t o d o s o deep- ened t h esense o f guilt, save i n t h e P h a r i- saic conscience steeped i n hypocrisy, a n d s a b b a t ic f e l l ow s h ip w i th t h eLord w a s n o t possible. VI . JESUS 'SABBATH . 1. Jesn s ignore dth e Rabbini ctradi - dltlons . H i sv i e ws a n du s eo f t h e S a b b a t h, offended, a n g e r e d, e mb i t t e r ed t h em. T h ey d o g g ed H i ss t e ps (Mat. 12:1 , 2) ;t h ey spied on H i s a c t i o ns (Mr k . 3 : 2 ) ;t h ey would h a ve killed H i m o n t h is a c c o u nt ( J n o . 5:16). 2 . H ew r o u g ht o n e - f i f th o f H i sr e - corded m i r a c l es o n t h a t d a y( Lk .4:33-36; 4:38-40; 6:6-11; 13:10-17; 14:1-6; J n . 5:1-6; J n. 9) . 2 . J e s us t a u g h t t h a t "th eSabbat h wa s mad efo rman " (Mk. 2:27) n o tm a nf o r it. Ma n 's need a n d good a r e a b o ve S a b b a t h L a w—n ot c o n t r a ry t o it . I t i s f o r physical rest, m e n t al r e l a x a t i o n, social i n - t e r c o u r s e, divine worship, a n dl o v i ng m i n - i s t ry t o m a n ,a n d f o r God's glory. "Go d wil l hav emercy ,an d no t sacrifice " (Mat , 12:12) b y a n d o n H i s holy d a y . A m a n m i g ht s a ve h i sp r o p e r ty f r om d e s t r u c t i on (Mat. 12:11) ; lead h i s c a t t le t o w a t e r (Lk. 13:15); heal t h e sick (Ma t .12:10). In a w o rd i t w a s "lawfu lt o d o wel l ("good") Ma t . 12:12; Mk .3:4) . H es e tt h e e x amp le b y "goin g abou t doin g good " (Act. 10:38). VI . TH ECHRISTIA N SABBATH . 1. I t i s p r o p er t o spea"k o f t h e "Chris- t i an S a b b a t h ." T o t h e believer i t i s a l - r e a dy t r ue t h a t " S a b b a t hs never end." B u t t h e Church h a si t s r e st d a y ,a n d a l w a ys h a s h a d ." S a b b a t h" i s n o t Seventh , b u t Res t d a y . T h at o f t h e C h r i s t i an i s t h e F i r s t d a y , t h eL o r d 's d a y , a s i t h a s a l w a ys been called f r om t h e first, t h o u gh some c o n t r a d i c t. I t s o b s e r v a n ce i s n o tc om - ma n d e d, b u t p e r m i t t e d. I t w a sn o ti m - posed b u tembraced. I t i s Apostolic ( J n . 28:19, 26 ;Ac .20:7 ; I Cor .16:2); a n da p - proved b yt h eSpirit (Rev. 1:10). T h ey a t e t he Lord' sSupper , o n t h e Lord' sDay," - a n d t h e y said "Thi sI s th e da ywhic hth e Lor d hat h made ;w e wil lrejoic ean d b e gla dIn It " ( P s a . 118:24), f o rs o t h eSpirit h a dp r e - dicted, a n ds o t h eC h u r ch sang, a n d does still. 3 . Sevent hda y keeper s a r e f a l l en f r o m g r a ce (Gal . 5:4) . T h ey k e ep (? )t h e Seventh b e c a u se c omm a n d ed (?) .W e k e ep t h e F i r s t b e c a u se p e r m i t t e d; t h ey b e c a u se t h e y h a ve ( ? )to ,w e b e c a u se w ew a n t to . No Gentile nee d k e ep t h eSeventh d a yS a b - bath, f o r h e w a s n e v er c o mm a n d e d; n o Gentile ca n k e ep it ,f o ri t b e l o n gs t o I s r a el a n d t o sacrificial w o r s h i p; n oma nca n kee p it b y l aw ,f o rl a w i s w o r k s, a n d S a b b a th is rest. I t i s o f g r a ce b y f a i t h. (Se e"Sev - ent h Da y Keepers, " i n t h is n u m b e r ). VII . TH E SPIRITUA LSABBATH . 3. T h e re i s f a rs t r o n g er r e a s on w h y t h e C h r i s t i an should h a l l ow t h e L o r d 's d a y , t h a n t h eJ e w t h e S e v e n th d a y . T h eo n e w a s l a w ,t h e o t h er love. On ew a sl a w t h e o t h er i s life. T h em a nw h odoes n o t h a l l ow t h ed a yJ e s us rose a n d sanctified, a n d w h i ch H i sBride h a sa l w a ys .kept a s H is memorial, a n down ed t o b e p e c u l i a r ly H i s is—well h a r d ly a Christian. 2 . Wha t ar e w e provilege dt o d o o n thi s day ? J e s us exemplified it . (1 ) W e m a y w a l k w i th t h eL o rd o n t h eS a b b a th (Mt .12:11); in t h e open a n dt h r o u gh t h efields (Mr k . 2:23). (2 ) Ma y p r e p a re o u rfood a n de a t
1. "Sabbath " i s f r om S a b b a t h, t o rest, a n d m e a ns r e st d a y . 2 . I t sfirst m e n t i on c o n n e c ts w i th t h em a n n a ( Ex .16:23, 29) . W h e n Go ddenies t h ed a y 's labor H es u p - plies t h ed a y 's need. W h ow o r k f o rH i m H e p a y s; w h or e st w i th H i mH e feeds. II . TH EMOSAI CSABBATH . 1. "Th e La w Wa s Give n b y Moses. "
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