We could turn with me in your Bibles to Deuteronomy chapter 5. Deuteronomy chapter 5, working our way through the Ten Commandments. We're on the fourth commandment still. Last time we looked at a brief exposition of the commandment, and then we looked at the Sabbath in the Old Covenant. Tonight we'll look at the Sabbath in the New Covenant, but I do want to read the Decalogue prior to our Our study here, beginning in chapter 5 at verse 6, I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image, any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love me and keep my commandments. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain. Observe the Sabbath day to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your ox, nor your donkey, nor any of your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. And remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day. Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, that your days may be long and that it may be well with you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you. You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor, you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, and you shall not desire your neighbor's house, his field, his male servant, his female servant, his ox, his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's. These words the Lord spoke to all your assembly in the mountain, from the midst of the fire, the cloud and the thick darkness with a loud voice. And he added no more. And he wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me. Amen. Well, let us pray. Our Father, we thank You for Your Word, we thank You for these commandments, we thank You, Father, for the grace that You have given to us to be saved through faith in Jesus Christ, that in the language of the prophet Jeremiah, You've given us that forgiveness of sins, You've written Your law upon our hearts, You've given us a desire by the Spirit's presence and power in our lives to do what Your Word says. And God, help us in this, help us to understand this particular doctrine, this fourth commandment, and help us, God, to seek by grace to keep the Sabbath day holy, to observe it, to remember it, and to find it to be a great delight in our Christian life. Help us, God, not to look at it as drudgery. Help us not to look at it as a burden, but help us to see it as the gift that it is. As Jesus says in Mark 2, the Sabbath was made for the man and not man for the Sabbath. And may we keep that perspective, and may we understand that this is a gift and a mercy and a grace from our gracious God. Do forgive us now for our sins and our transgressions, and fill us with your Spirit. And we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Well, as I said, our focus tonight is on the fourth commandment, looking at the Sabbath, seeing that it is in fact perpetual in the new covenant, that it's binding upon the people of God today. It's not the case that we keep the Sabbath in order to be saved, but rather we're saved by grace through faith so that we can enjoy and delight in the good gift that our Father has given us. So as we look at the Sabbath and the New Covenant, I want to look at three things. First, the ministry of Jesus Christ. Secondly, the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And then thirdly, the teaching of the apostles of Jesus Christ. All with reference to this fourth commandment, this Sabbath. but turn first to Matthew chapter 5, as we consider the ministry of Jesus Christ. I want to look at his view of the law in a broader and in a more general sense, and then we'll look at his view concerning the Sabbath, specifically here in Matthew's Gospel. But with reference to the ministry of Jesus Christ, we need to see that he affirms that he upheld, that he confirmed the word, the law of the living God. Remember that Jesus, by the time we get to Matthew 5, is popular. His fame is spreading. People are interested. People are curious into who he is and what he's about. And so the Sermon on the Mount, he not only addresses to his disciples, but he addresses to great multitudes. And certainly one of the things that everybody would be concerned about is what was Christ's relationship to the Old Testament? Or how did Jesus view the law and the prophets? How did he view the written word of God that was before them, the Old Testament? And he sets that out in Matthew 5, verse 17. Notice he says, do not think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets. I did not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. So just a surface reading of this particular passage indicates or shows us that Christ has great regard for and great esteem for the law and the prophets. That's most likely a reference to the Old Testament as a whole. We also see that he says that the law of God is abiding. Until such time as everything is consummated, we enter into the eternal state, the law of God is perpetual, it is abiding. We see Christ's respect for that law of God in His work. With reference to the work of Christ, He fulfills all that is written in the law and the prophets concerning Him. With reference to His own obedience of the law, we see that that's one of the fundamental factors by which we are saved. We need His death on the cross, we need that blood to cleanse us from our sin, but we also need a righteousness that avails with God And so Christ shows his esteem for the entirety of the law of God by always doing what pleases the Father. He always fulfills every jot and tittle along the way what God had called him to in terms of obedience to the law. He does that for us men and for our salvation. As well, the ceremonies, the things that were prefigurements in the Old Testament. he fulfills those as well in the sacrifice of himself. Spurgeon says, he is himself the fulfillment and substance of the types and prophecies and commands of the law. So in terms of Christ's work, his relationship to the law, he certainly affirms it. He doesn't abrogate it, he doesn't destroy it, he doesn't take it away. As well though in his teaching, Christ esteems the law. Christ upholds the law. And in fact, what's going to happen beginning in verse 21 in chapter 5 all the way to verse 48 in chapter 5 is that Christ is going to expound the law. Christ is going to clear away the misinterpretation that scribes and Pharisees had inflicted upon the law of Moses. Christ is not anti-law. Christ is not antinomian, but rather Christ upholds the law in his work and in his doctrine or in his teaching. Spurgeon again says, our king honors his father's law. He took care to revise and reform the laws of men, but the law of God he established and confirmed. Our king has not come to abrogate the law, but to confirm and reassert it. So again, when we come to consider the Sabbath commandment, it is one of the Ten Commandments. It is one of those that are the reflection, or rather the revelation, of the perfection of God. We ask, what is God like? And the Ten Commandments describe Him for us. He is a God that is jealous for His own glory. He is a God that doesn't want us to misuse His name. He is a God that has carved out a particular day in the week so that His people can meet with Him. He is a God who wants us to be subordinate to governing authorities and to our parents. He's God who doesn't want us to murder, commit adultery, or lie, or steal, or covet. He is a God of order, and this law reveals Him. And when we look at Christ and His doctrine, He certainly confirms and affirms the Word of the Living God, Law and Prophets. Now, with reference to the Sabbath in particular, you can turn over to Matthew chapter 12. Matthew chapter 12, verses 1 to 14, is Christ and the Sabbath. And we see that Christ upholds the Sabbath in both of these instances. As well, when it comes to the doctrine of the Christian Sabbath, this first section indicates that works of necessity are authorized on the Sabbath day. Works of necessity are authorized on the Sabbath day. Specifically, in verses 1 to 8, the disciples were hungry, so they picked grain in order to eat. Well, of course, the Pharisees and the scribes and the religious leaders were upset about that, but Jesus indicates that it's not at odds with the Sabbath to take care of those physical necessities. So works of necessity are permitted on the Sabbath day, and then in the second section from verses 9 to 14, we see that works of mercy are permitted and authorized on the Sabbath day. Look specifically at verse 9 in chapter 12. Now when he had departed from there, he went into their synagogue, and behold, there was a man who had a withered hand. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, that they might accuse him? Then he said to them, What man is there among you who has one sheep? And if it falls into the pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out? Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep? Therefore, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath. Then he said to the man, stretch out your hand, and he stretched it out, and it was restored as whole as the other. Then the Pharisees went out and plotted against him how they might destroy him." Isn't that a beautiful thing in terms of Christ's ministry, and then a diabolical thing in terms of the response to that ministry. Christ heals a man, and then the Pharisees, the religious leaders, they go out and plot how they might kill him. That's just an indicator of the depravity and the absolute wickedness of man. Christ comes to do great and glorious things, and the opponents want to destroy Him. They ultimately deliver Him up to be crucified. But in this section, we see that Christ upholds the Sabbath. Christ maintains that works of necessity are not a violation of the Sabbath, neither are works of mercy a violation of the Sabbath. But as I said, the underlying point is that the abiding Sabbath is obvious. A man by the name of Gilfillan, James Gilfillan, says Christ was careful to clear it, the Sabbath, from Jewish corruptions. And if there was any priest that more particularly vindicated by him and honored than another, it was that requiring the Sabbath day to be kept holy. I love what he says at this place. He says, it is not the practice of a wise man to repair a house which he is about to pull down. It's not the practice of a wise man to repair a house that he's about to pull down. If you're going to pull it down, you don't fix it first. If you fix it, you clear away the problems, the Pharisaic misinterpretation, it's so that it can stand and be solid and robust and respected in the right and correct way. He wouldn't make it right in terms of its interpretation only to destroy it at his death. I think that is a very fundamental and a very key point with reference to Christ's view of the Sabbath. So that's the ministry of Christ, the general respect for the entirety of God's holy law, but as well, specific detail with reference to the Sabbath day. Now secondly, we need to appreciate the resurrection of Christ. Our confession of faith links Sunday Sabbath observance to the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, and there's reasons For that, as we proceed, hopefully we'll be clear. But our confession says concerning the Sabbath, which from the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ was the last day of the week. And from the resurrection of Christ was changed into the first day of the week, which is called the Lord's Day. And it is to be continued to the end of the world as the Christian Sabbath, the observation of the last day of the week, being abolished. So there's no more Saturday Sabbath for the people of God, but there is a Sunday Sabbath. It is the Christian Sabbath or the Lord's Day, and that's what our confession of faith is highlighting in that place. Now turn specifically to John chapter 20. Each of the gospel records indicate that Jesus rose from the dead on the first day of the week. But I just want to focus on a few statements in John's gospel. John chapter 20 at verse 1. Now the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early while it was still dark and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. And we know why the stone had been taken away from the tomb, because Christ had been raised from the dead. That's the emphasis and it happens on the first day of the week. Now drop down to verse 19, Jesus appears to his disciples on that first day of the week. Verse 19, Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst and said to them, Peace be with you. So again, he rose again on the first day, he appears to them on the first day, and then dropping down to verse 26, it says, and after eight days. Now, inclusively, this would bring us back to the next Sunday. If we counted the first Sunday, eight days from that would be the following Sunday. And verse 26 indicates after eight days, his disciples were again inside and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut and stood in the midst and said, peace to you. So the resurrection of Christ from the dead is absolutely crucial with reference to the change of the day from Saturday to Sunday. And that brings us, thirdly, to the teaching of the apostles. You can turn to Hebrews chapter 4. Now I'm going to say something here at the outset. Hebrews 4, the reading that I'm going to give you, the interpretation I'm going to give you, I will admit it is not obvious when you just read through it in a cursory fashion. If you want more information about Hebrews 4 and the argument that I present tonight, please contact me. I can either A, send you my notes, Not that that will clear away any fog or confusion, but I can point you to good brothers who have written good treatments on Hebrews chapter 4, because this is the theological rationale for the change of the day. It used to be when I would present this material, I'd go to the main text. The main text where it indicates first day Sabbath observance. Paul at Troas in Acts 20, The Collection for the Saints in 1 Corinthians 16, and then John in the Spirit on the Lord's Day in Revelation 1. We'll look at those texts, but first we're going to do the theology of the change of the day. And I'm going to do a little bit different in terms of exposition, kind of just going to run through the passage and make appropriate comments as is necessary. Now notice in Hebrews chapter 4, The context is one of the apostles' encouragement to the people of God to persevere. If you look back in chapter 3 at verse 6, Christ is a son over his own house, whose house we are, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end. Now remember that this book was written prior to the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. The sacrificial system was still in play. The temple was still standing. The persons that the apostle is writing to are Jewish Christians. And these Jewish Christians are having pressure exerted upon them for them to renounce Christ and go back to the temple, go back to Moses, go back to the Levitical sacrifices, go backward in redemptive history. So a recurring emphasis in the book of Hebrews is on perseverance. It is on going forward. It is on being faithful to the Lord Christ. And that's the context that we find here. Notice in verse 14 of chapter 3. For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end while it is said. So we have this exhortation to press on and to persevere. We have a negative example of the wilderness generation in Israel. If you look at verse 15, while it is said, today, if you will hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion. For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses? Now with whom was he angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who did not obey? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. It's very pertinent information there that he said they would not enter into his rest. Remember last week when we looked at the Sabbath and the Old Covenant, the first passage we looked at was Genesis chapter 2, verses 1 to 3. At the end of the week of creation, He made all things by the word of His power in the space of six days, and all very good. And that seventh day was a day of rest. God the Father enters into His rest, and that then serves as the focus, the goal, the ultimate terminus for all of His people. The goal for each and every one of us is to enter into that eternal Sabbath, that eternal rest with God. He's enthroned, he's there, he's resting in terms of complacency and approbation over his creation. And the goal of redemptive history is that the blood-bought children of God are moving forward to that rest. And that's the focus in chapter 4. Rest is paramount. Notice in verses 3 and 4, he wants the people of God to persevere. Verse 3, chapter 4, for we who have believed do enter that rest, as he has said, so I swore in my wrath they shall not enter my rest, although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. And then notice in verse 4, he appeals to Genesis 2, 1 to 3. For he, God, has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way. And God rested on the seventh day from all his words. And again, in this place, they shall not enter my rest. So the argument is simply this. God at the creation enters into rest. The idea is that those who are saved by grace through faith in Christ will one day enter into that rest with Him. And so the author here in Hebrews 4 is exhorting us to perseverance. Don't be like that wilderness generation who, because of unbelief and disobedience, did not enter that rest. However, you need to have faith. You need to press on. You need to go forward so that you may enter that rest. And then notice what he goes on to do. In verse 6, it says, "...since therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience." Again, he designates a certain day saying, "...and David, today, after such a long time as it has been said, today if you will hear his voice, do not harden your hearts." There is this continual reminder of the wilderness generation and their failure, because of unbelief, to enter into the rest. Don't be like the wilderness generation. Don't be riddled with unbelief, but rather with faith, press on and go forward to that eternal rest that you will enjoy in the presence of God Almighty. And then notice, in verse 8, It says, if Joshua, that is Joshua, the man that led the conquest, the book of Joshua is named after, for if Joshua had given them rest, then he would not afterward have spoken of another day. Now the land of Canaan, the promised land, that land that God gives to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that was typological. It was a blessing and a provision and a gift given by God where the people of Israel could rest, where the people of Israel could enjoy the blessings and benefits of God Almighty. But the argument is that it was in fact typical. That wasn't the end all. Canaan doesn't exhaust the promise of God, and that's the emphasis in verse 8. For if Joshua had given them rest, then he would not afterward have spoken of another day. And then that brings us to a very important passage in the New Testament concerning Sabbath. Verse 9 tells us unequivocally, now you need to pay attention because again, we read through this stuff, we don't think through theology, we don't think in terms of the connections, the verse for reality that God the Father created and entered into His rest. The people of God, because of unbelief, didn't enter into that rest, and now the exhortation is upon us to faithfully persevere and to enter that rest. There's something beyond the land of Canaan. There's something that is heavenward, and that's the emphasis. But notice, with reference to verse 9, it says, there remains, therefore, a Sabbath for the people of God. Now, the New King James translates it rest, but it's literally Sabbath. You could call it Sabbath rest. In fact, I didn't have time to look at the ESV or the NIV. They may render it as Sabbath. But that is an intriguing choice of words for the author, because he's used the word rest over and over and over and over again, except in this instance, he uses the term Sabbath rest. And notice why. Verse 9 says, there remains therefore a rest for the people of God. So the wilderness generation, actually the second generation, who did enter into Canaan, who did occupy the promised land, who did dispossess the land of the Canaanites and they took up life in the land, they had a rest. But it was typological of heaven to come. And the weekly Sabbath pointed them forward to that heaven to come, to that eternal rest. And since the author says, therefore, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, it indicates that since we haven't entered into that eternal rest, there is still a weekly Sabbath that functions in a way of preparation, in a way of encouragement, in a way of helping us along the way so that we will long for that eternal rest in which we will fully enjoy God. So it's not an argument against Sabbatarianism, but rather it is an argument for Sabbatarianism when he says, there remains therefore a Sabbath rest for the people of God. The use of rest and Sabbath rest is done with a specific theological purpose. As I said, the one word for rest that's used consistently in the passage changes at verse 9. The author tells us, therefore, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. The verbal form of this particular word is used in the Greek translation of the Old Testament to indicate Sabbath keeping. The Sabbath rest typifies the eternal rest that is to come. That's the apostle's point. There remains, therefore, a Sabbath rest for the people of God. Until we enter into that eternal rest, there are these weekly down payments vis-à-vis the Sabbath day wherein we are encouraged, wherein we are revitalized, wherein we are helped along the way so that we can persevere and not be riddled with unbelief, but go forward into that rest. G.K. Beal describes it this way, and I'm going to define the terms. He says, if the eschatological reality... Now, eschatology means the study of or the doctrine of last things. Eschatological reality, kids, simply means the blessings that God has for us in the future. The kids are saying, why didn't you just say the blessings that God has for us for the future? I did. It's called the eschatological reality. I'm going to ask kids on the way out tonight, what's an eschatological? No, I'm not going to do that. They're going to run around me and not want to see me at all. But this idea of if the eschatological reality of final Sabbath rest has not consummately come, and it hasn't, brethren, As good as communion with God is on this earth and in this church, we are not in the eternal state. We are not in that consummated rest. We haven't entered into the very presence of God Most High. So Beal says, if the eschatological reality of final Sabbath rest has not consummately come, then it is unlikely that the typological sign pointing to that ultimate rest has ceased. Let me just parse that out. If we have not yet entered in, and the sign, the Sabbath, pointed forward, since we have not entered in, then likely that means that this is still active, this is still abiding, this is still present. If this is the way God helped and encouraged the old covenant saints, this is the way God helps and encourages the new covenant saints. We often look at Sabbath as a long list of don'ts, don'ts, don'ts. We look at Sabbath as this burden. We look at Sabbath as a time where we can't go do this or we can't go do that. We need to look at Sabbath as what it is. God gave this gift for man. God set it apart for sanctification and blessing. God set it apart for communion with us. God set it apart as a means for our benefit so that when we taste these earthly Sabbath days, we have this longing for heaven. The very type that we engage in on a regular basis wets our whistle for that consummate reality that lay in our future. That's what Beal is saying. He goes on to say, that is, if the weekly Sabbath included the function of pointing forward to consummate rest, and that rest has not yet come, then that weekly Sabbath should continue. That's Paul's point in Hebrews 4.9. There are persons that will tell you, there's no Sabbath command in the New Testament. There is nothing in the New Testament that tells us there is this Christian Sabbath or there's this Lord's day. This is not what he says, verse four or verse nine says, there remains therefore a Sabbath rest for the people of God. Listen to AWP. He says, here then is a plain, positive, unequivocal declaration by the Spirit of God. There remaineth therefore a Sabbath keeping. He says nothing could be simpler, nothing less ambiguous. The striking thing is that this statement occurs in the very epistle whose theme is the superiority of Christianity over Judaism. If ever there was a time to stop Sabbatarianism, it would be in the book of Hebrews. All the author would have to do is say, well, Sabbath was attached to the civil polity. Now that they've been destroyed or cut off by God, then the Sabbath is cut off with them. No, that's not what happens. He says in the midst of this epistle, there remains, therefore, a Sabbath rest for the people of God. He goes on to say, written to those addressed as holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling. He says, therefore, it cannot be gainsaid, it cannot be opposed that Hebrews 4.9 refers directly to the Christian Sabbath. Hence, we solemnly and emphatically declare that any man who says there is no Christian Sabbath takes direct issue with the New Testament scriptures. So we have the statement that a Sabbath rest remains. We have a context where we are exhorted to not be like that wilderness generation, but by faith persevere, enjoy the weekly down payment, enjoy the Sabbath that God gives, but looking forward to that consummate, that eternal rest wherein we enter into the presence of God. Now, when we ask the question, what day do we do that? Verse 10 answers. Now, perhaps we'd like verse 10 to say, okay, for Christians, that means you worship on Sunday. It actually does say that, and I'm going to try and show you how it says that. The reference in verse 10 is the answer to the question, when is this Sabbath to be observed? Remember I said, when we looked at the Sabbath and the Old Covenant, in the book of Exodus, the reason for Sabbath-keeping is based on creation. In the book of Deuteronomy, the reason for Sabbath-keeping is based on redemption. Those twin themes come out in this particular section as well, which shows us the cohesiveness between the covenants concerning Sabbatarianism. Now notice in verse 10, it says, for he who has entered his rest has himself also seized from his works as God did from his. Now the typical interpretation takes that as an application to the believer. That's not what he's saying. The person in verse 10 is Jesus. In fact, I take my pencil and I made those little H's into big H's, not really big H's because I still want to be able to read it. It's Christ in verse 10. It's Jesus who has entered his rest. Notice in verse 4, for God has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way. God rested on the seventh day from all his works. So Saturday, Sabbatarianism obtained in the Old Covenant. Jesus enters into His rest at the Resurrection. The first day of the week is the day that New Covenant believers gather together for worship. Now, if it's not obvious that verse 10 refers to Jesus, consider these few thoughts. First, the comparison in verse 10. It's not the Christian's works and rest compared to God's, but it's Christ's works and rest compared to the Father. As well, the change of pronoun. All throughout the context, he's using a plural pronoun. We, us. Here it's singular, the one who has entered his rest. And then verse 11 is decisive. Verse 11 indicates that for you and I, there is still a rest that we need to persevere and obtain. Christ entered into his rest. on that first day. Having successfully completed the work of salvation, he is the author of new creation and redemption. So those twin concepts from Exodus and Deuteronomy justifying a Saturday Sabbatarianism based on the rest of God when he had finished his works and he ceased. Well, Jesus finished his works according to the scripture at the resurrection from the dead. And so now, instead of observing the Saturday Sabbath, we observe a Sunday Sabbath based on the work of Christ, the author of a new creation, the author of redemption. William Ames says, the reason for the change by the consent of all is the resurrection of Christ, which is itself a confirmation. On this day, the creation of a new world or of a world to come, wherein all things are made new, was completed. That's what Scripture says. Behold, I make all things new. If any man be in Christ Jesus, he is a new creature. All the old is passed away and all is new for him. He says, and God in Christ's rising from the dead ceased and rested from His greatest work. Just as in the beginning God rested from His work and blessed and hallowed the day wherein He rested, so also it is right that the very day wherein He rested, so also it is right that the very day wherein Christ rested from His labors should be hallowed. So verse 4 indicates the reason for Saturday Sabbatarianism in the Old Covenant, based on the Creator's rest And then verse 10 indicates the day upon which that Sabbath rest for the people of God continues. It is Sunday, and that is what we are commanded. The activity of obeying the Saturday Sabbath, you meet that sometime. There's these seventh-day Baptists. They're wrong. I'm sorry, Seventh-day Adventism. They say it's the mark of the beast to engage in Sunday worship. It's the mark of the beast to engage in Sunday worship. For those of you who do not know, we used to rent the Seventh-day Adventist facility. And I always was intrigued. As far as they were concerned, we engaged in the mark of the beast with reference to Sunday worship, but they had no problem taking our checks. whatsoever. That beastly money certainly spent just like every other bit of money. It seemed to be an inconsistency as far as I could tell. But Saturday Sabbatarianism is consistent in Old Covenant. Sunday Sabbatarianism is consistent in New Covenant. Because after all, according to the Apostle in verse 9, there remains therefore a Sabbath rest for the people of God. That Sabbath rest is to take place on the day given to us in verse 10. For Christ, who has entered his rest, has himself also ceased from his words, as God, the Father, did from his. It is a theological framework, and we see upheld throughout scripture the concepts of creation and redemption intertwined in the idea of Sabbath keeping. Now, based on that theology, turn to Acts chapter 20. just to see the apostolic practice, the apostolic precedence. When the apostles do something, even if it's devoid of a particular command, that is binding upon us. Just like in Genesis chapter 2, 1 to 3, God doesn't say, okay, every creature that I create from here on out must Sabbath, they must rest. No, God's activity in the garden indicates what is normative for his people. here on earth. Now certainly later revelation tells us specifically to Sabbath, but we see in the New Testament more example and precedent and pattern on the part of the disciples. Notice in chapter 20 at verse 7. Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight. There were many lamps in the upper room where they were gathered together, and in a window sat a certain young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep." That's pretty encouraging for pastors on this side of Paul. People don't just sleep for us, they slept for Paul as well. But it was getting late into the night. So he was overcome by sleep, and as Paul continued speaking, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead. But Paul went down, fell on him, and embracing him, said, Do not trouble yourselves, for his life is in him. Now when he had come up, had broken bread and eaten, and talked a long while, even till daybreak he departed. and they brought the young man in alive, and they were not a little comforted. But verse seven is very, very indicative of what we've been saying. Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight. Now notice in verse six, we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, and in five days joined them at Troas, where we stayed seven days. So they were in Troas seven days. That means they were in Troas on a Saturday, but that's not when they come together. When they come together to break bread, which most likely refers to the supper of the Lord, when they come together is the first day of the week. Why is that? Because that's the new covenant Sabbath, because it rehearses or reflects upon what Jesus does in terms of his life, death, and resurrection. F.F. Bruce says, the reference to the meeting for the breaking of bread on the first day of the week is the earliest text we have from which it may be inferred with reasonable certainty that Christians regularly came together for worship on that day. Now notice in 1 Corinthians chapter 16. 1 Corinthians chapter 16. Hopefully looking at the theology of the day change in Hebrews chapter four is helpful now to sort of process this information as to why they met on the first day. Well, Christ rose from the dead on that day. It was the day that he entered into his rest. Paul gives us the theology behind rest in Hebrews chapter four, telling us there is a Sabbath rest that remains for the people of God. And lo and behold, when we look at the practice and the example of the apostolic church, They met on the first day, 1 Corinthians 16, 1. Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also. On the first day of the week, let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come. And when I come, whomever you approve by your letters, I will send to bear your gift to Jerusalem. But if it is fitting that I go also, they will go with me." So notice that the apostle orders this. This isn't a suggestion. This isn't a recommendation. This is an order from the apostle Paul. Remember, one of the aspects of his apostolic ministry was to collect funds from Gentile churches to help the suffering saints in Judah. And that's the emphasis here. I want you to take this money on the first day of the week. I want you to set it aside. I want you to give it to the messengers. And I want it to be delivered where it's supposed to go. The order assumes a meeting on the first day of the week by those in Corinth. It's obvious. They are called that when they gather together on that first day, they are to bring their money. And then the order is not for the church in Corinth only, but for the churches of Galatia also. Notice in verse 1, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also. On the first day of the week, let each one of you lay something aside. That is indicative of the fact that they were meeting on the first day. Now notice in Revelation chapter 1, Revelation chapter one. Beginning in verse nine, I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. I was in the spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice as of a trumpet saying, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, and what you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches, which are in Asia, to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea. Verse 10 is our focal point. I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day. Now, the form of the word that is utilized here is used only one other time in the New Testament. And I'd like you to turn there, 1 Corinthians 11. 1 Corinthians chapter 11. The Greek word is kouriaké. It's found in Revelation 1.10 and it's found in 1 Corinthians 11 verse 20. Notice in 1 Corinthians 11 at verse 20, Therefore, when you come together in one place, it is not to eat. Notice the Lord's Supper. In Revelation 1.10, you have the Lord's Day, and in 1 Corinthians 11.20, you have the Lord's Supper. Kuriake, that's the Greek word. It's where our word kirk comes from. But the word kuriake means this. It is something that belongs to the Lord. It is the Lord's. So the argument is simple. God owns every supper that you ever eat. God owns any day that you ever breathe. But there is a supper and a day that are peculiarly God's. There is the Lord's Supper, and then there is the Lord's Day. Again, the fact that this word is used twice in the New Testament for the specific supper owned by God, given to His people for their encouragement and their benefit. And then the Lord's Day, the day owned by God, given by Him to His people for their well-being, for their encouragement, and for their overall health. It is a blessed reality that we have in this Lord's Day. Going back to Revelation 1 at verse 10, this is not the eschatological day of the Lord. John is not in the Spirit on the last day. John is not in the Spirit on that day of the Lord. It's not the case that this is the consummation of the age. It is rather the Lord's Day, Sunday, the Christian Sabbath. James Durham in his commentary on the book of Revelation, he says, as the Lord's Supper is for the remembrance of his death till he come again, so is this day for remembering the work of redemption and his resurrection till he come again. It's a beautiful thing that God has done, something that pertains or belongs specifically to Him, this idea of koreake, there is a supper that He owns and He gives it to His people for their encouragement and refreshment. Well, He owns the Lord's day as well and He gives it to His people for their encouragement and for their help and for their ability to persevere. the Lord's supper, the Lord's day. We see first day Sabbath observance on the part of the church based on the theology that we have there in Hebrews chapter four. So those are some New Testament passages. I don't wanna keep going. I think that's a lot of information. And I hope that you'll ponder these things. I hope that you'll reflect upon these things. And I hope that you'll feel the weight of Hebrews four, nine, because ultimately the case is founded upon that reality There remains therefore a Sabbath rest for the people of God. Now I should tell you that most people try to take that and put it into the eschaton, but that's not what the context indicates. The context does not indicate there remains simply in terms of the future, but rather the fact that there are these weekly Sabbath observances. They help us to persevere to that eternal rest, to that eternal Sabbath, wherein we enter into the presence of God Almighty. So in conclusion, just a few thoughts with reference to our confession of faith. I think that's a great place to start in terms of Sabbatarianism. If you want a good overarching statement concerning the Christian Sabbath, Chapter 22, paragraph 7, is most helpful in our confession of faith. It teaches that the Sabbath is consistent with natural law. As we saw this morning, there's a lot of ways to define what natural law means. In the confession, at least in chapter 19, and then again in chapter 22, natural law is God's writing the law of God on Adam's heart. That's natural law. That self-same law is delivered to Israel at Sinai, codified in the Ten Commandments, but it's present within Adam's own heart. As well, the Sabbath is revealed by God in the Word of God. There is clarity with God with reference to Sabbatarianism. It's not the mysterious thought or the idea that some sort of speculate. There is definitive evidence in the New Covenant of the Christian Church worshiping on Sunday with a robust theology of Sabbatarianism and a command, or a statement rather, that there does remain a Sabbath rest for the people of God. Now, the Sabbath of the Ten Commandments is the one that has a mixture. There is elements of positive law and moral law. I wish everybody here would have been here at 930. You would save me about five minutes of explanation. Positive law is something that is temporary. Positive law is something that is conditioned by the covenant in which positive law is given. I'll give you an example of positive law. Genesis chapter 2. God forbids Adam from eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. That's not a moral law. It's not wicked, bad, wrong, or evil to eat fruit off of a tree. But rather, with reference to Adam's probationary state, God enacts positive law and prohibits Adam from participating in that tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Positive law is something like ceremonial law that you see in the Old Testament. The ceremonial law is fulfilled by Jesus Christ. There's no more ceremonial law for us. That's why our worship service looks so much different than temple worship. Temple worship had incense. Temple worship had instruments. Temple worship had sacrifice. Temple worship was in that particular vein. That's not the way we function. That is not the way that we conduct ourselves. That was positive law. Once Christ comes, once Christ dies, once Christ is risen from the dead, that ceremonial law no longer exists for the people of God. So it's a form of positive law. It's temporary, and it gets its sort of marching orders from the covenant that it finds itself in. So the positive element with reference to Sabbath is the particular day. In the old covenant, positive law dictated that the Sabbath was on Saturday. In the new covenant, positive law dictates that the Sabbath is on Sunday. But that's also moral law. And the moral law, the principle behind it is one day in seven is to be set apart by the creature for the worship of the creator. That is the moral principle that is embedded in the Fourth Commandment. God is concerned not only for His glory, Commandments 1 and 2, and His name, Commandment 3, but also for His worship. And He specifies, He carves out a day for that. So the moral principle behind Sabbatarianism is one day out of the seven, devoted specifically to the worship of God, to rest in God, to sanctify the day, and to find that blessing that the prophet Isaiah tells us in Isaiah 58. So the Sabbath commandment has both positive and moral law, because sometimes you'll hear people rightly say, well, the Sabbath was a sign between God and Israel. And it was according to Exodus 31 and Ezekiel chapter 20. It was in fact a sign between God and the people of Israel. But it was more than that. It functioned positively in that context as a sign between Yahweh and Israel. But there is the moral abiding validity of it wherein one day out of the seven is to be set apart so that we may worship and glorify God. Secondly, with reference to the Sabbath in the New Testament, the positive element is still seen. There's a change of the day. We'll deal with, God willing, those texts next week, where persons think that this is undoing the Sabbath. Romans 14, Galatians 4, and Colossians 2. Those are the biggies where people try and say, well, there's no more Sabbath for the people of God. But that's not what Paul says in Hebrews 4. There remains, therefore, a Sabbath rest for the people of God. You better have very good warrant to make the argument or very good case to make the argument that is absolutely contrary to Hebrews 4.9. Imagine, many within the context of the professing church have no abiding sort of Sabbath in their lives. It's only the reformed, as far as I know, that give the nod to the fourth commandment. It's only the reformed that I know of that actually say that, yes, Sabbatarianism is for us today. Well, to take a statement like Hebrews 4 and 9 and say, well, that's not what it means. It means something exactly opposite is really a specious way to argue. But the positive element is present, and so is the moral element. One day in Sabbath, for a Sabbath to be kept holy unto God. The Sabbath is perpetual, as seen in the ministry of Jesus Christ. He upholds the Sabbath. He clears away sort of the misinterpretation regarding the Sabbath. His overarching concern with reference to the law of God is, do not think that I came to abolish the law and the prophets. I didn't come to abolish, but rather to fulfill. He came to do that which is most pleasing to His Father. As well, the Sabbath in the Old Covenant demonstrated creation and redemption. The Sabbath in the New Covenant demonstrates new creation and redemption by Jesus Christ. So, Old Testament, the book of Exodus, keep the Sabbath because God created us in six days and then Sabbath. In the book of Deuteronomy, keep the Sabbath because you were in bondage in Egypt and God redeemed you. So, those twin concepts still are operative in the New Covenant. It's the new creation in terms of Christ making all things new. and in terms of redemption by Jesus Christ our Lord. Now thirdly, there is some qualification that needs to be given. With reference to the actual practice of Sabbatarianism, God willing we'll get into that in some detail, but it won't be in exhaustive detail. Brethren, it's simply not the case that everybody has everything figured out with reference to the application of this command. I cannot be your guide on every jot and tittle of the Sabbath. We can lay out some principles, we can see some clear violations, we can see some things that we ought not to do and some things that we ought to do, but in terms of the practicality, we need to remember that the Lord Jesus does specify that works of necessity and mercy are authorized. In other words, the Sabbath, or man wasn't made for the Sabbath. It's not the case that God made man simply to obey Sabbath. Sabbath was made for the man. And if somebody needs to eat and pick grain on the Sabbath day, they are free and it's a legitimate exercise to do so. But so are works of mercy. Somebody that is in a position of caregiver or mercy given to someone, that is authorized, that is lawful, that is legit. A second qualification is that the believer must avoid the abuse of the legalist. Now, legalism is a broad term. It has many definitions. The basic definition is teaching salvation by law. I don't mean that. I mean being obnoxious as God's people. I mean being judgmental. I mean being insufferable. I mean setting yourself up as the paragon and paradigm of Sabbath-keeping. And if somebody doesn't do it the way you do, you're gonna let them know, brethren, that is not godly, it is not righteous, it is not holy. Now, obviously, if somebody is in flagrant violation of a particular command, we have a Christian duty and responsibility to try to correct that. But there are some differences in terms of application. And I would suggest that legalism with reference to the application of the Sabbath is one of the best arguments as to why people want nothing to do with the Sabbath. It is for us to display and to exemplify and to demonstrate the beauty of the day, the excellence of the day, the positivity involved in the day, and not be legalists. But as well, the believer must avoid the abuse of antinomianism. See, God's law always has two enemies. Legalism wants to sort of throw extra upon the law as if God himself couldn't get it right. And then antinomianism essentially wants to strip the law and say it has no abiding validity in the lives of God's people. I would suggest, again, outside of the reform faith, it is most often the case that there is an antinomianism, at least doctrinally, with reference to this idea of Sabbath. And then, in terms of another qualification, the believer must see the blessing involved in Sabbath-keeping. I quoted Voss two weeks ago. I'll quote him again. The Sabbath has faithfully accompanied the people of God on their march through the ages. It's a beautiful thing. It's not something we go, oh man, it's Sunday, oh, how terrible. And brethren, as parents, we need to make sure that we don't just yell at our kids with a list of don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't. We get to read, we get to pray, we get to go to church, we get to worship the triune God, we get to participate in that blessed and wonderful privilege that the Lord has given to his creatures. And then the final thought before we close is that the Sabbath commandment is like the other nine. Yes, we're called to obey, but do we obey it perfectly? We don't. And so when we see that broken Sabbath in our own practice, we ought to be thankful for the chief Sabbatarian, for the one who never violated the Sabbath, who never broke the Sabbath. much to the chagrin of the Pharisees and the scribes, they thought they had him, didn't they? They thought they had him because he healed on the Sabbath and because his disciples picked grain on the Sabbath. Jesus knew the Sabbath much better than they did. Jesus always kept the Sabbath along with the other nine commandments, and we can praise God that that act of obedience of Jesus is imputed to us and received by faith alone. Now, that's not to say, therefore, go out and sin and break the Sabbath because you'll just get forgiven. No, but we ought to appreciate with any study, with reference to the law of God, how far short we come and how blessed and wonderful the Lord Jesus is for having rescued us, for having saved us, and for having secured a righteousness that avails with the Father and gives it unto us. That is a reason for great gratitude on the part of God's people. Well, let us pray. Our Father, we thank You for Your Word, we thank You for its clarity concerning the commandments of God, and I pray that You would help us to take these things to heart, help us to pray them in, and help us, by Your grace, to obey and to do those things that are pleasing in your sight. Thank you for the Sabbath. Thank you for this day of rest. Thank you that we get to come out of the world and we get to gather together, one with another, but ultimately one with our God. We give you praise and glory that you give us good gifts. And we pray now that you would go with us, that you would watch over us in this coming week. And we ask through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.