The Sabbath is to remind us of the principle of grace and rest. Part 2.

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

ROM 9:4 the ones Who are Israelites, to whom is the adoption as sons and the glory [the Shekinah glory], and the unconditional covenants, and the deposit of the law [Mosaic Law], and the temple service or the service of God

The service of God refers to the worship of God = the modus operandi or the manner of operation of the Levitical priesthood, the Levitical offerings, the articles of furniture in the tabernacle, in the temple, the holy days, the feasts, etc.

You were made to live a life with definition, meaning, and purpose.

1. You were made to worship God for His pleasure.
ECC 12:13 After all this, there is only one thing to say: Have reverence for God, and obey his commands, because this is all that man was created for.
- TEV

2. Discipleship: You were created to become like Christ.

ROM 8:29 God knew what He was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love Him along the same lines as the life of His Son.

The Son stands first in the line of humanity He restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in Him.

3. Fellowship: You were formed for a family, the Royal family.
JAM 1:18 In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we might be, as it were, the first fruits among His creatures or the first children in His new family.

4. Ministry: You were created for serving God.

5. Evangelism: You were made for a mission,
MAT 28:19-20.

Five purposes:
1. Worship
2. Discipleship
3. Fellowship
4. Ministry
5. Evangelism

In giving the Law for His people, God set several appointed “feasts of the Lord” for Israel to observe at specific times during the year, Lev 23.

The first holy day God set aside is the Sabbath day, which was to be observed every week.
The Sabbath is the seventh day of the week or Saturday.

It reminded them that you could do nothing for salvation; you can do nothing for spirituality; you can do nothing to gain the approbation and the blessing of God.

Point 1. Introduction. Freedom demands rest and rest demands freedom.

There are two kinds of Sabbath: The temporal Sabbath is the faith-rest technique of the believer in HEB 3:11and the moment-by-moment Sabbath of HEB 4:1-7, and there is the eternal Sabbath of MAT 11:28.

Point 2. Salvation rest, MAT 11:28.
Point 3. Supergrace rest and test.

“Back up your promises with His name only or with His character.”

The commandment was a ritual.
It had to do with what you think.

They had animal sacrifices which portrayed grace.

ROM 10:14 - “How shall they hear without a preacher?”

The modern tendency of apostasy today stresses the works and production of the believer.

When God gets down to indicting you He does not mention your failure to do this or that, but He indicts you for your stupidity and ignorance concerning His plan.

Ignorance of doctrine means a breakdown of the spiritual Sabbath in your life which is in reality....faith-rest.

This rest is a state in which the believer has a relaxed mental attitude no matter what the situation may look like.

God knew billions and billions of years ago every problem you would ever face, and He made a provision for those problems.

No faith-rest is to say God is a liar.

Fear, worry, anxiety, stress, always takes away your rest.

Worry is also a sin,
ROM 14:23, and the cure for worry is the promises of God.

Unbelief or disobedience is a manifestation of N.V.T.D.

Faith is a technique that demands food; it must be constantly fed.

JOH 10:9-10 “I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy; I came that they might have life, and might have {it} abundantly.”

The Lord is constantly pouring out His grace on His people while His people are constantly pouring out complaints.

The prerequisite for entering into rest is being filled with the Spirit for the believer and mixing faith with what you hear.

1JO 1:9 is only the beginning of entering into rest, but it is not enough; we need the daily intake of doctrine.

If you have failed the sabbatical test, i.e., to enter into His rest, the only way to victory is to sit and learn under
EPH 5:18 and HEB 4:2.

Verse 6...rest was preached but they didn’t believe it.

Rest is a promise and the promise is only as good as the character of the One who promises.

“Rest” depends upon the faithfulness of God and not the faithfulness of man.
Faith is not blind; it is the greatest vision in the world.
Faith-rest requires understanding, especially understanding the finished work, the doctrine of the baptism of the Spirit, and the doctrine of eternal security.

Rest - sabbatismos = a blessed rest from toils and troubles.
- Joseph Thayer
Sabbatismos is used to illustrate the perpetual continual Sabbath rest to be enjoyed uninterruptedly by believers in fellowship with God. - Vines

Diligent - spoudazo = to study to make an effort or to be diligent in study.

2TI 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Refusal of entering into His rest results in double mindedness and instability.

HEB 4:12 For the word of God is alive and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a critic of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

This temporal Sabbath or this moment by moment Sabbath means that you depend day by day and rest entirely upon what God has provided.
The moment by moment Sabbath is doctrine in the soul.

Point 4. The origin of the Sabbath rest, GEN 2:2-3.