1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:07,200 Today we are going to be continuing our study of Creation Week by looking at the 2 00:00:07,200 --> 00:00:11,920 seventh day. We have been studying through Creation Week. We've looked at 3 00:00:11,920 --> 00:00:16,720 the first six days of creation, what God did, and really creating everything that 4 00:00:16,720 --> 00:00:21,480 exists in the universe and everything in the universe. And so after looking at 5 00:00:21,480 --> 00:00:26,320 those six days, we learned some important things, right? We saw that God 6 00:00:26,320 --> 00:00:32,960 formed and filled the entire universe in those six days of creation. We learned 7 00:00:32,960 --> 00:00:37,440 that the focus was really on earth, right? He didn't have a whole lot to say 8 00:00:37,440 --> 00:00:41,440 about the billions, trillions, and millions of stars and galaxies out there, 9 00:00:41,440 --> 00:00:46,640 except that, yeah, I made those too. And then he focuses in on earth really with 10 00:00:46,640 --> 00:00:51,640 the plant life and the animal life and all that he did there in forming and 11 00:00:51,640 --> 00:00:57,920 filling the earth, and then concluding with the pinnacle of his creation, the 12 00:00:57,920 --> 00:01:05,840 crown of his creation, mankind created as man and woman made in his image. But 13 00:01:05,840 --> 00:01:09,800 then as we end chapter one and move into chapter two, it tells us that on the 14 00:01:09,800 --> 00:01:19,760 seventh day, God rested. God rested. You know, rest. Who doesn't love rest, right? 15 00:01:19,760 --> 00:01:25,040 I think most of us like rest in one way or another. And yeah, there's some 16 00:01:25,040 --> 00:01:28,680 weird people out there who can't seem to sit down, and they always 17 00:01:28,680 --> 00:01:32,760 need to be doing something, right? And even on their day off, they want projects 18 00:01:32,760 --> 00:01:36,480 and work and labor and all these things. But then there's other people like me 19 00:01:36,480 --> 00:01:42,960 who have the spiritual gift of sleeping. And we like to sleep, and we enjoy sleep, 20 00:01:42,960 --> 00:01:49,440 you know? And, you know, I just, yeah, I enjoy the gift of rest. I enjoy the gift 21 00:01:49,440 --> 00:01:53,760 of sleep. You know, most Sundays when I get home after church, it's usually in 22 00:01:53,760 --> 00:01:59,520 the middle of the afternoon. My body and mind is just like, go to sleep, go to, you 23 00:01:59,520 --> 00:02:03,600 know? And then I just take a nap. I looked up some statistics on naps. I don't know 24 00:02:03,600 --> 00:02:10,280 if you guys are interested in this, but 7% of adults take a nap every single day. 25 00:02:10,280 --> 00:02:16,680 81% of adults have taken a nap of 10 minutes or longer in the last three 26 00:02:16,680 --> 00:02:22,640 months. And the average of those naps is one hour long. And do we get the pic 27 00:02:22,640 --> 00:02:27,680 loaded up in my notes there? Okay. Look at that. That's how some of us wake up from 28 00:02:27,680 --> 00:02:33,320 naps, right? Really, when you have a good nap, it's like, you know, what day is it? 29 00:02:33,320 --> 00:02:36,800 Where am I? Right? We've all experienced that, or hopefully we have, because it's 30 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:44,400 wonderful. But is that what the Bible means when it says God rested? Was God 31 00:02:44,400 --> 00:02:51,600 worn out after the six days of creation? Was he fatigued? You know, man, right? Man, 32 00:02:51,600 --> 00:02:56,760 he just created man. Man, I need a break after that. You know, that was a lot. Well, 33 00:02:56,760 --> 00:03:00,080 this morning we're gonna answer that question. As we look at what it means 34 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:07,040 when it says God rested, we're gonna look at what that rest is, what it 35 00:03:07,040 --> 00:03:12,880 illustrates, what it points to, and really how it applies to us today. 36 00:03:12,880 --> 00:03:19,280 Because the Bible has a lot to say about us entering into his rest. And so we're 37 00:03:19,280 --> 00:03:22,480 gonna see what that all means by studying through just the first three 38 00:03:22,480 --> 00:03:27,000 verses of chapter two and looking at the seventh day of creation. But first, we're 39 00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:31,120 gonna spend some time worshiping God, praising his name. You know, as we have 40 00:03:31,120 --> 00:03:35,640 been doing, he is the creator of the entire universe. He is the creator of you 41 00:03:35,640 --> 00:03:41,080 and me, knitting us together in the womb, it says in his word. He is the creator of 42 00:03:41,080 --> 00:03:45,520 salvation and the one who made it possible for us to be completely washed 43 00:03:45,520 --> 00:03:51,200 clean of our sin, forgiven and reunited with him in fellowship. And he's the one 44 00:03:51,200 --> 00:03:55,960 that creates our future, the heaven we look forward to, the paradise that is 45 00:03:55,960 --> 00:03:59,800 promised to all who trust in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. And so I'm 46 00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:04,160 excited to dig in this with you guys and I'm excited to start it all by praising 47 00:04:04,160 --> 00:04:09,160 our creator and our Redeemer. Amen? Let's pray. Father, God, we love you so much. 48 00:04:09,160 --> 00:04:14,560 We're so grateful you sent your Son, Lord Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, who came 49 00:04:14,560 --> 00:04:20,520 down to this earth, clothed himself, it says, in frail humanity, and then lived a 50 00:04:20,520 --> 00:04:25,680 perfect life. A perfect life, Lord, that led him all the way to the end where 51 00:04:25,680 --> 00:04:30,000 he died for our sin. Not deserving that at all. We were the ones who deserved 52 00:04:30,000 --> 00:04:36,440 that, but Lord, when he died, it created the possibility for us to be reunited 53 00:04:36,440 --> 00:04:42,840 with you. It created the possibility for us to be saved and to be forgiven. Lord, 54 00:04:42,840 --> 00:04:48,400 it created the possibility for us to enter into your rest. And so God, I pray 55 00:04:48,400 --> 00:04:51,000 today as we're studying your word that you would speak to us about what that 56 00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:56,960 means, Lord. God, as we look at the example you set, Lord, you set the 57 00:04:56,960 --> 00:05:01,440 example. You gave us the precedent, Lord, of the work and rest rhythm. But God, it 58 00:05:01,440 --> 00:05:05,760 wasn't just about physically working and physically resting, Lord. There is a 59 00:05:05,760 --> 00:05:10,720 spiritual implication to this that is far bigger than what takes place just in the 60 00:05:10,720 --> 00:05:15,760 physical realm. And so God, encourage us. Encourage us what it means, Lord, why you 61 00:05:15,760 --> 00:05:20,680 rested on the seventh day, why you then commanded a Sabbath rest for Israel, and 62 00:05:20,680 --> 00:05:26,680 what that means to us spiritually as we have the opportunity to be forgiven and 63 00:05:26,680 --> 00:05:32,640 to rest in you. But first, Lord, we want to worship you. You are so awesome. You 64 00:05:32,640 --> 00:05:37,000 love us so much, and you are amazing. You are almighty and all-powerful. You 65 00:05:37,000 --> 00:05:43,200 created all things. You created us. And so, Lord, we want to praise you as the 66 00:05:43,200 --> 00:05:48,320 creator, but also praise you as our Redeemer. Thank you, Lord, for loving us 67 00:05:48,320 --> 00:05:53,000 so much that you died for us. Thank you for creating the opportunity, Lord, to be 68 00:05:53,000 --> 00:05:59,280 with you forever. We love you, Lord. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. So we are in 69 00:05:59,280 --> 00:06:03,000 Genesis chapter 2. We're going to be looking at the first three verses today, 70 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:08,120 but I want to start by giving a little bit of context of where we're at because 71 00:06:08,120 --> 00:06:13,600 really Genesis chapter 2 verse 1 and then the very last verse of chapter 1, so 72 00:06:13,600 --> 00:06:19,400 1 verse 31, chapter 2 verse 1, those kind of go together and give us the picture 73 00:06:19,400 --> 00:06:26,720 right before God takes his rest on the seventh day of God's absolute content 74 00:06:26,720 --> 00:06:32,600 satisfaction at his creation. And so what we see there starting in verse 31 of 75 00:06:32,600 --> 00:06:38,280 Genesis chapter 1, it tells us God saw all that he had made and it was very 76 00:06:38,280 --> 00:06:44,440 good indeed. Evening came and then morning, the sixth day. So the heavens and 77 00:06:44,440 --> 00:06:49,880 the earth and everything in them were completed. And so with those two verses 78 00:06:49,880 --> 00:06:55,800 we now have the complete picture of creation, the heavens and the earth. That 79 00:06:55,800 --> 00:07:01,800 is everything out there. Everything out there. Every star, every galaxy, every 80 00:07:01,800 --> 00:07:05,400 nebula, everything that we don't even know, all the dark matter that they can't 81 00:07:05,400 --> 00:07:10,200 find, all of it. God made it all, the heavens and then the earth and that's our 82 00:07:10,200 --> 00:07:16,740 planet, our very unique planet that exists like the heavens in perfect 83 00:07:16,740 --> 00:07:22,640 harmony and perfect balance and perfect precision, right? We've talked about some 84 00:07:22,640 --> 00:07:26,840 of that but over the years there have been books written and documentaries 85 00:07:26,840 --> 00:07:33,520 filmed that really deal with how unique our earth is amongst the cosmos and 86 00:07:33,520 --> 00:07:38,360 really dig into things that that we understand or we think we understand 87 00:07:38,360 --> 00:07:43,120 about physics and cosmology and all these things and they really point to 88 00:07:43,120 --> 00:07:50,280 the fact that earth is a very uniquely created place, right? There's documentaries 89 00:07:50,280 --> 00:07:54,880 like The Privileged Planet. I encourage you guys to watch that if you've never 90 00:07:54,880 --> 00:07:59,880 had a chance. There was a book written called Rare Earth. I encourage you guys to 91 00:07:59,880 --> 00:08:04,120 look into that but both of these and many other things, they give modern 92 00:08:04,120 --> 00:08:10,320 scientific evidence of the real uniqueness of earth which points to the 93 00:08:10,320 --> 00:08:15,760 fact that it was designed, intentionally created, not an accident of gases just 94 00:08:15,760 --> 00:08:20,000 banging into each other in space. And I want to encourage you guys when you 95 00:08:20,000 --> 00:08:23,640 look into these things because sometimes people that dismiss the creation 96 00:08:23,640 --> 00:08:27,720 narrative, they just say it's unscientific and you know people who 97 00:08:27,720 --> 00:08:32,820 are educated don't believe in that. Well these things, The Privileged Planet and 98 00:08:32,820 --> 00:08:37,480 Rare Earth and other books, these are written and filmed by accomplished PhDs 99 00:08:37,480 --> 00:08:46,480 and professors in astronomy, philosophy, paleontology, astrobiology. These are not 100 00:08:46,480 --> 00:08:50,400 uneducated people who are looking at these things in their fields of specialized 101 00:08:50,400 --> 00:08:55,040 study and they go, it's impossible that it was just random. It was intentionally 102 00:08:55,040 --> 00:08:58,200 created and so just want to encourage you guys to get some of those resources 103 00:08:58,200 --> 00:09:04,240 but the idea here that we see in Genesis verse 131 into chapter 2 verse 1 is at 104 00:09:04,240 --> 00:09:10,880 the conclusion of creation, creation lacked nothing. That is the idea here. It 105 00:09:10,880 --> 00:09:17,560 lacked nothing. Right? God saw all that he had made and he said it was very good 106 00:09:17,560 --> 00:09:22,200 indeed. You guys remember after each day it was good. He created light, it was good. 107 00:09:22,200 --> 00:09:26,720 He created you know the the seas and the land and it was good and he created 108 00:09:26,720 --> 00:09:29,800 everything and then the animals. It was good, it was good, it was good and then at 109 00:09:29,800 --> 00:09:34,920 the end he looks at it all and he goes it was very good indeed. Right? It was 110 00:09:34,920 --> 00:09:39,240 worthy of praise. It was really a wonderfully beautiful creation that was 111 00:09:39,240 --> 00:09:44,160 crowned by his creation of you and me. Man and woman made in the image of God 112 00:09:44,160 --> 00:09:49,880 and so it's just really all those details right? The perfect spin of the 113 00:09:49,880 --> 00:09:55,280 earth, the perfect distance of the earth from the Sun. It's worthy of praise. Not 114 00:09:55,280 --> 00:09:58,880 praising the creation but praising the one who did it so perfectly. How 115 00:09:58,880 --> 00:10:04,120 everything's so balanced. It's all worthy of praise and so God said it's very very 116 00:10:04,120 --> 00:10:09,880 good and it tells us here in verse chapter 2 verse 1 that everything in them was 117 00:10:09,880 --> 00:10:14,200 completed. Alright? I just want to point out that word to you because that word 118 00:10:14,200 --> 00:10:22,880 completed means, ready? Hold your seats, to be finished. Right? Wow! You know that's 119 00:10:22,880 --> 00:10:28,400 some deep theology right there. No. Completed means it's done. Right? But the 120 00:10:28,400 --> 00:10:31,800 reason I'm pointing that out is what it's telling us is at the end of the six 121 00:10:31,800 --> 00:10:38,200 days of creation right before God rests that there was nothing else to be made. 122 00:10:38,200 --> 00:10:47,520 Alright? Nothing left to do as far as creation was concerned. God's purposes, 123 00:10:47,520 --> 00:10:55,520 God's intent, God's plan in creation was fulfilled. It was completed. Now sure 124 00:10:55,520 --> 00:11:01,040 there would be plants and animals and even celestial objects that would be 125 00:11:01,040 --> 00:11:05,480 born or that would be bloomed or you know we know that those stars are forming 126 00:11:05,480 --> 00:11:11,360 out in the galaxy but nothing new and unique and fully different from 127 00:11:11,360 --> 00:11:19,440 everything else would ever happen. Creation was done. All that was to be 128 00:11:19,440 --> 00:11:25,480 created was created. Right? We understand the laws of thermodynamics. Mass can 129 00:11:25,480 --> 00:11:31,520 never be created nor destroyed. Right? That doesn't apply to God because 130 00:11:31,520 --> 00:11:38,280 God created matter. But he made this universe and all the matter that exists 131 00:11:38,280 --> 00:11:45,200 it's there. There's nothing new to be created. And so what that means is that 132 00:11:45,200 --> 00:11:51,320 the work of creating everything from nothing was finished. I point that out 133 00:11:51,320 --> 00:11:56,800 because it just tells us biblically that there was no and there is no evolution. 134 00:11:56,800 --> 00:12:04,560 There is no development of creations that never previously existed. It wasn't 135 00:12:04,560 --> 00:12:09,720 this species becoming a completely different species but rather what the 136 00:12:09,720 --> 00:12:16,120 Bible tells us, kinds beginning after their own kinds. Dogs would have dogs, 137 00:12:16,120 --> 00:12:21,880 cats would have cats. Right? Sure things would get variations within the species 138 00:12:21,880 --> 00:12:26,080 and that's just a part of God's creative process but new things would not be 139 00:12:26,080 --> 00:12:33,200 created. Now so the word completed there also what I believe very strongly is it 140 00:12:33,200 --> 00:12:37,080 debunks the idea that God started the evolution process and then just let it 141 00:12:37,080 --> 00:12:44,440 go. Right? Some people adhere to that but it says here it was done and he said it 142 00:12:44,440 --> 00:12:49,040 was very good indeed and I believe the word of God. You know I don't look at 143 00:12:49,040 --> 00:12:53,880 science and go well gosh darn it I don't understand so maybe I have to force the 144 00:12:53,880 --> 00:13:01,440 Bible to fit science. No. It's the word of God is true and when we look at 145 00:13:01,440 --> 00:13:04,920 science and we're not sure how it reconciles with the word of God what that 146 00:13:04,920 --> 00:13:09,960 means is we don't understand the science yet. Not that the word of God is wrong. 147 00:13:09,960 --> 00:13:15,520 So it's done and then we get to verse 2 the seventh day it says on the seventh 148 00:13:15,520 --> 00:13:20,400 day God had completed his work that he had done and he rested on the seventh 149 00:13:20,400 --> 00:13:24,440 day from all his work that he had done and God blessed the seventh day and 150 00:13:24,440 --> 00:13:31,760 declared it holy for on it he rested from all his work of creation. So we've 151 00:13:31,760 --> 00:13:36,600 arrived we've gone through the six days of creation and we arrive at the seventh 152 00:13:36,600 --> 00:13:41,040 day of the creation week. Now there's much about this day that makes it 153 00:13:41,040 --> 00:13:46,600 special makes it unique uniquely different and set apart from the other 154 00:13:46,600 --> 00:13:51,360 six days. One on the seventh day there's no words of creation right? We don't read 155 00:13:51,360 --> 00:13:55,800 here that anything that and God said and it was so right? Again we've already 156 00:13:55,800 --> 00:14:00,620 touched on that because it wasn't required everything was done. There's no 157 00:14:00,620 --> 00:14:04,920 usual close on the seventh day. We don't read on the seventh day that evening 158 00:14:04,920 --> 00:14:08,680 came and then morning which was after each of the other days of creation to 159 00:14:08,680 --> 00:14:13,400 specifically note that the day was concluded and a new day was starting. The 160 00:14:13,400 --> 00:14:18,480 seventh day is the only day that is blessed. It's the only day that is 161 00:14:18,480 --> 00:14:24,040 declared holy by God. The seventh day isn't paired up like the other six days. 162 00:14:24,040 --> 00:14:29,120 You remember day one of creation was paired with day four right? God said 163 00:14:29,120 --> 00:14:32,600 there let there be light and then he created the luminaries. Day two was 164 00:14:32,600 --> 00:14:38,120 paired with day five and then day three was paired with day six right? They were 165 00:14:38,120 --> 00:14:42,440 they were all paired up but the seventh is unique and unlike the previous six 166 00:14:42,440 --> 00:14:48,560 days the seventh day is noted three times as the seventh day. There's 167 00:14:48,560 --> 00:14:54,200 something God is trying to tell us here by repetition and that's just a general 168 00:14:54,200 --> 00:14:59,400 Bible study principle when you see things repeated it should be a bell going 169 00:14:59,400 --> 00:15:03,600 off in your mind that says pay attention and so he repeats that the seventh day 170 00:15:03,600 --> 00:15:09,080 is indeed the seventh day. He repeats it three times. In fact in the original 171 00:15:09,080 --> 00:15:13,400 Hebrew and you look at the original Hebrew language of these verses 172 00:15:13,400 --> 00:15:19,840 here it's actually four parallel or four lines of almost poetic Hebrew and the 173 00:15:19,840 --> 00:15:24,720 first three lines are parallel indicating again there's an importance 174 00:15:24,720 --> 00:15:30,440 here. It reads this way in the original Hebrew. It says so God finished by the 175 00:15:30,440 --> 00:15:36,120 seventh day his work which he did and he rested on the seventh day from all his 176 00:15:36,120 --> 00:15:42,040 work which he did and God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it and then 177 00:15:42,040 --> 00:15:45,960 the fourth line because on it he rested from all his work that God created to do. 178 00:15:45,960 --> 00:15:51,040 So it reads somewhat poetically in the Hebrew but there's a very significant 179 00:15:51,040 --> 00:15:55,840 theological point to that. You see in the Hebrew what we see is from the very 180 00:15:55,840 --> 00:16:04,200 beginning of creation the seventh day was central to everything. It was central to 181 00:16:04,200 --> 00:16:08,800 creation. It was central to the destiny of God's people right because that's how 182 00:16:08,800 --> 00:16:12,240 it was written in the Hebrew. There was this God finished by in the 183 00:16:12,240 --> 00:16:17,760 middle seventh day. In the Hebrew each one of those has seven exact words right 184 00:16:17,760 --> 00:16:21,280 it is like how many things does God need to do to get us to pay attention to this 185 00:16:21,280 --> 00:16:29,320 idea of seven. Now it just tells us that the seventh day stands apart in singular 186 00:16:29,320 --> 00:16:37,640 magnificence as a pinnacle of the six days of creation. We know that was was 187 00:16:37,640 --> 00:16:42,240 created in the earth mankind was the pinnacle but as far as the chronology of 188 00:16:42,240 --> 00:16:46,320 it the seventh day had importance. Importance above even the creation itself. 189 00:16:46,320 --> 00:16:50,920 Now some cast doubt on the biblical creation narrative because they say well 190 00:16:50,920 --> 00:16:55,480 the the Genesis account is just very similar to the Babylonian creation 191 00:16:55,480 --> 00:16:59,400 account and so therefore you know it can't be true. You know some people will 192 00:16:59,400 --> 00:17:05,120 try and say that the Bible simply stole its creation story from other ancient 193 00:17:05,120 --> 00:17:09,480 accounts. They say the same thing with the flood you know blah blah blah you 194 00:17:09,480 --> 00:17:13,140 know oh the the flood in Genesis well all these other cultures have flood 195 00:17:13,140 --> 00:17:19,720 stories so Genesis must have stolen it and I'm like well maybe all the ancient 196 00:17:19,720 --> 00:17:27,420 sources have a flood account because it happened. Perhaps right maybe yes we'll 197 00:17:27,420 --> 00:17:32,520 get to that in Genesis 7 and 8 but again some people say the Babylonian idea of 198 00:17:32,520 --> 00:17:36,640 the creation of the universe is very similar to the biblical account and and 199 00:17:36,640 --> 00:17:40,320 yeah there are a lot of similarities and so they say Genesis just stole it from 200 00:17:40,320 --> 00:17:43,800 the Babylonians and therefore it's all myth it's all superstition it never 201 00:17:43,800 --> 00:17:51,320 happened. But again I would look at it this way that perhaps the the the the 202 00:17:51,320 --> 00:17:56,520 imprint of God's creation was was so fresh on all cultures at that time 203 00:17:56,520 --> 00:18:03,040 because we were relatively close to the event that happened still right in the 204 00:18:03,040 --> 00:18:07,440 in the early days before the flood the the lifespan of mankind was was upwards 205 00:18:07,440 --> 00:18:13,440 of a thousand years and and and that's that that's a lot of babies over a 206 00:18:13,440 --> 00:18:18,400 thousand years right and later on when we get to the the genealogy starting 207 00:18:18,400 --> 00:18:25,520 from Adam all the way to the flood what we're gonna see is that that Abraham was 208 00:18:25,520 --> 00:18:31,680 probably born in in earlier days of the of the patriarchs like there's this idea 209 00:18:31,680 --> 00:18:36,960 not Abraham I'm sorry Noah there's this idea that that Adam was still alive while 210 00:18:36,960 --> 00:18:41,120 these other patriarchs were here and can you imagine as the cultures are 211 00:18:41,120 --> 00:18:47,240 developing kids are going hey grandpa Adam can you tell us what it was like 212 00:18:47,240 --> 00:18:52,080 when you walked with God in the garden and from a firsthand account Adams like 213 00:18:52,080 --> 00:18:56,640 oh yeah let me tell you all about it what was creation like I mean it was 214 00:18:56,640 --> 00:19:01,360 just an amazing thing to consider but I say this to all those other accounts like 215 00:19:01,360 --> 00:19:05,560 perhaps the perhaps the imprint of God's creation was so fresh and all creatures 216 00:19:05,560 --> 00:19:10,000 at all times that that is why some type of creative account that is similar to 217 00:19:10,000 --> 00:19:16,320 the true event shows up in all these ancient accounts the idea is that yeah 218 00:19:16,320 --> 00:19:19,920 if the real event happened and then you had people telling that story you would 219 00:19:19,920 --> 00:19:26,200 expect similarities in the account you would also expect differences and 220 00:19:26,200 --> 00:19:30,520 deviations to appear as time went on and people started to deviate from the truth 221 00:19:30,520 --> 00:19:33,520 and add things and change things you know when you if you have the 222 00:19:33,520 --> 00:19:36,640 opportunity to look at the Babylonian creation story and then kind of line it 223 00:19:36,640 --> 00:19:40,000 up with the Genesis creation story and that's and then other cultures as well 224 00:19:40,000 --> 00:19:44,320 there are massive differences between the two which just says they're not a 225 00:19:44,320 --> 00:19:50,120 copy of each other and that's what skeptics say but the idea is this that 226 00:19:50,120 --> 00:19:55,520 perhaps the event did indeed happen and then you had one culture of people who 227 00:19:55,520 --> 00:19:58,840 were saying we follow God and they're telling the story of creation as 228 00:19:58,840 --> 00:20:02,200 generations go on and then you had another culture of people which we're 229 00:20:02,200 --> 00:20:05,560 gonna read about that said we're denying God we don't believe in him and so 230 00:20:05,560 --> 00:20:09,120 they're gonna start to change the creation account to say God didn't do it 231 00:20:09,120 --> 00:20:11,920 and they're gonna start to change where the universe came from because they 232 00:20:11,920 --> 00:20:16,600 want to deny God it's very possible and very likely I believe that that is 233 00:20:16,600 --> 00:20:21,160 exactly what happened and so the cultures that wanted to deny deny God 234 00:20:21,160 --> 00:20:25,520 their creation accounts started to deviate and get really weird and you 235 00:20:25,520 --> 00:20:29,880 know for example the the Babylonian and Egyptian cultures which go way way way 236 00:20:29,880 --> 00:20:35,440 back they worshiped the Sun and the moon instead of worshiping the one who 237 00:20:35,440 --> 00:20:40,840 created the Sun and the moon right they want to worship creation instead of the 238 00:20:40,840 --> 00:20:45,920 Creator they said that the Sun and the moon and the stars is what ruled life 239 00:20:45,920 --> 00:20:50,280 the Sun and the moon and the stars is what determined your destiny and your 240 00:20:50,280 --> 00:20:54,120 life you know here on earth and you guess guess what came from that 241 00:20:54,120 --> 00:21:00,600 astrology right there are still people today and some Christians who go like 242 00:21:00,600 --> 00:21:04,840 I'll go look at my horoscope because somehow the stars are gonna dictate my 243 00:21:04,840 --> 00:21:10,600 life that's foolishness and it's pagan so if you're mixed up in that that's 244 00:21:10,600 --> 00:21:15,880 some bad juju get away from that okay another example of the difference is is 245 00:21:15,880 --> 00:21:19,720 in the Babylonian culture the seventh day of the week was considered unlucky 246 00:21:19,720 --> 00:21:24,920 right if you're trying to say something that God said is good is not good well 247 00:21:24,920 --> 00:21:28,080 they said the seventh day of the week was unlucky they also considered 248 00:21:28,080 --> 00:21:32,360 multiples of seven unlucky so the 14th day the 21st day the 28th day they're 249 00:21:32,360 --> 00:21:37,760 unlucky it's a bad day but in the biblical account God has no such 250 00:21:37,760 --> 00:21:42,360 superstition about the seventh day rather God blessed it he made it holy he 251 00:21:42,360 --> 00:21:46,280 set it apart he made it special and this day was made special by the God of 252 00:21:46,280 --> 00:21:52,840 creation and so then on this day we read that God rested from all his work that 253 00:21:52,840 --> 00:22:01,320 he had done that word rested it means to cease from right it doesn't mean what we 254 00:22:01,320 --> 00:22:07,840 think when we think of the term rest we think relax we think recoup because 255 00:22:07,840 --> 00:22:12,640 we're tired but that's not what the word means it simply means to cease from what 256 00:22:12,640 --> 00:22:18,840 it's saying here in Genesis when it says God rested it's that God ceased from 257 00:22:18,840 --> 00:22:26,040 creating he ceased from his creative work why because he was done creating 258 00:22:26,040 --> 00:22:31,880 everything was created as we said in the beginning he didn't rest because he was 259 00:22:31,880 --> 00:22:40,720 tired right omnipotence needs no rest think about it omnipotent almighty no 260 00:22:40,720 --> 00:22:46,600 matter how much power goes out from God he is not decreased in power by any 261 00:22:46,600 --> 00:22:54,920 amount right we work and our energy level goes down and then we want to rest 262 00:22:54,920 --> 00:23:04,600 and sleep God works and always has unlimited energy unlimited whatever to 263 00:23:04,600 --> 00:23:08,480 get the job done his omnipotent creating power is infinite 264 00:23:08,480 --> 00:23:15,000 inexhaustible so God didn't need a break because he was tired and then you know 265 00:23:15,000 --> 00:23:19,280 the Bible tells us that although God ceased his creating activity on the 266 00:23:19,280 --> 00:23:26,120 seventh day that he still worked right in John chapter 5 verse 17 it tells us 267 00:23:26,120 --> 00:23:32,240 Jesus responded to them and he said my father is still working and I am working 268 00:23:32,240 --> 00:23:40,880 also and God is still working today right he's not creating he ceased from 269 00:23:40,880 --> 00:23:45,440 creating on the seventh day because it was done he completed that but he is 270 00:23:45,440 --> 00:23:52,120 still working in the lives of his children working in his church the New 271 00:23:52,120 --> 00:23:55,600 Testament tells us that the Holy Spirit is working in the world to convict the 272 00:23:55,600 --> 00:24:00,720 world of sin righteousness and judgment to come the Bible also tells us that 273 00:24:00,720 --> 00:24:05,080 that Jesus is still working in sustaining the world in the universe by 274 00:24:05,080 --> 00:24:10,920 his power right in Colossians chapter 1 verse 17 speaking of Jesus it says he is 275 00:24:10,920 --> 00:24:20,800 before all things and by him all things hold together that word before means 276 00:24:20,800 --> 00:24:30,560 that that he is he precedes all things both in importance and in existence 277 00:24:30,560 --> 00:24:36,920 he is before Jesus existed before all of creation why because Jesus is God he's a 278 00:24:36,920 --> 00:24:41,000 part of the Godhead we've talked about that in previous studies but then it 279 00:24:41,000 --> 00:24:47,360 says by him all things hold together what that means is if God stopped his 280 00:24:47,360 --> 00:24:52,040 work of sustaining all of creation the entire universe would dissolve into 281 00:24:52,040 --> 00:24:58,080 nothing which is incidentally what the Bible tells us will happen at the end 282 00:24:58,080 --> 00:25:03,000 right in Revelation chapter 21 1 after God does indeed stop his work of 283 00:25:03,000 --> 00:25:07,320 sustaining this creation this is what we read then I saw a new heaven and a new 284 00:25:07,320 --> 00:25:12,560 earth for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away that word passed 285 00:25:12,560 --> 00:25:18,720 away in the original language means ceased to exist or you could say it 286 00:25:18,720 --> 00:25:25,360 dissolved into nothing because God let it go so when it tells us that God rested 287 00:25:25,360 --> 00:25:31,200 on the seventh day from all his work he had done and then it told us at the end 288 00:25:31,200 --> 00:25:34,880 of the sixth day he stood back and looked and said it was very good indeed 289 00:25:34,880 --> 00:25:42,200 it means that that God stood back admiring the complete lacking nothing 290 00:25:42,200 --> 00:25:49,360 perfect creation that he had made with deep pleasure it's very good indeed with 291 00:25:49,360 --> 00:25:56,520 with satisfaction and contentment and joy and peace at the fruit of his labor 292 00:25:56,520 --> 00:26:04,520 and all that he had done he was able to look at it and go it all exists exactly 293 00:26:04,520 --> 00:26:09,840 precisely intentionally how it was meant to be and how it was meant to function 294 00:26:09,840 --> 00:26:17,520 all is good everything is in place everything is right that's what it means 295 00:26:17,520 --> 00:26:27,880 when God rested now incidentally this rest this I'm good everything's right I 296 00:26:27,880 --> 00:26:32,160 have no worries no anxiety nothing's wrong nothing's bad nothing's out of 297 00:26:32,160 --> 00:26:40,800 place everything is exactly as it should be this rest was the beginning of the 298 00:26:40,800 --> 00:26:47,120 type of rest that God intended us to dwell with him in it was the rest that 299 00:26:47,120 --> 00:26:53,540 Adam and Eve enjoyed in just really blessed peace with their creator in the 300 00:26:53,540 --> 00:27:00,360 garden it was the rest this rest that was lost at the fall as sin entered in 301 00:27:00,360 --> 00:27:06,680 and separated man from God but this is also the rest that is restored through 302 00:27:06,680 --> 00:27:11,280 our redemption when we put our faith in Jesus Christ and receive his sacrifice 303 00:27:11,280 --> 00:27:17,160 on our behalf his payment his atonement for our sin it restores that rest it 304 00:27:17,160 --> 00:27:21,960 brings us back to that place and it will be fully restored when we're in heaven 305 00:27:21,960 --> 00:27:27,960 the new heaven and the new earth with God in paradise forever now God was so 306 00:27:27,960 --> 00:27:32,520 pleased with the seventh day and all it represented it tells us here that he he 307 00:27:32,520 --> 00:27:37,240 blessed it he blessed it you know that's one of those Christian words that we say 308 00:27:37,240 --> 00:27:41,320 that that as a believer you're like blessed all right people go what does 309 00:27:41,320 --> 00:27:45,160 that mean and you're kind of like it means blessed right it's just a part of 310 00:27:45,160 --> 00:27:48,160 our vocabulary but how many of us before you were saved you'd hear a Christian 311 00:27:48,160 --> 00:27:51,080 Christian go well I'm so blessed and you're like what does that even mean 312 00:27:51,080 --> 00:27:56,680 right that was me before I was a Christian I'm blessed I used to be like 313 00:27:56,680 --> 00:27:59,880 why do you just intentionally want to use spiritually words because you're so 314 00:27:59,880 --> 00:28:05,080 spiritual right what does that mean well there's meaning in the Bible to it but 315 00:28:05,080 --> 00:28:08,920 here specifically I want to tell you what God meant when he said it's blessed 316 00:28:08,920 --> 00:28:15,760 he blessed it it means he made it spiritually fruitful it's a slightly 317 00:28:15,760 --> 00:28:20,920 different application of the word than than his two times that he is already 318 00:28:20,920 --> 00:28:24,920 blessed right we've read about that God had blessed his creative process twice 319 00:28:24,920 --> 00:28:30,760 already first on the living creatures he blessed them and then on Adam and Eve he 320 00:28:30,760 --> 00:28:36,760 blessed them and in both of those cases his blessing bestowed fertility right he 321 00:28:36,760 --> 00:28:45,040 told them be fruitful and multiply right or in modern language go have babies 322 00:28:45,040 --> 00:28:51,560 right populate the earth that was the blessing now the idea here when it says 323 00:28:51,560 --> 00:28:55,760 God blessed the seventh day right you're like well he blessed animals and he 324 00:28:55,760 --> 00:29:00,320 blessed humans to physically procreate you know a day how do you have a day you 325 00:29:00,320 --> 00:29:03,240 know procreate it's a weird kind of concept well the word here in the 326 00:29:03,240 --> 00:29:09,400 language it's it's it's made spiritually fruitful the idea here is 327 00:29:09,400 --> 00:29:14,400 essentially the same meaning as as how he blessed the animals in man but it but 328 00:29:14,400 --> 00:29:19,080 it means spiritually or in the spiritual realm God's blessing the seventh day was 329 00:29:19,080 --> 00:29:23,840 him pronouncing favor on this day and whatever happens on this day wherein it 330 00:29:23,840 --> 00:29:30,440 would be spiritually fruitful for humanity when they observed it makes it 331 00:29:30,440 --> 00:29:37,000 that make sense okay good so on this seventh day what we're gonna see is that 332 00:29:37,000 --> 00:29:45,320 man would then cease from work or rest and then be focused on their spiritual 333 00:29:45,320 --> 00:29:50,960 lives that their spiritual life would be fruitful and multiply that the 334 00:29:50,960 --> 00:29:56,000 relationship with their creator would be fruitful and multiply that their 335 00:29:56,000 --> 00:30:02,320 spiritual health would be fruitful and multiply that's the idea here and so he 336 00:30:02,320 --> 00:30:06,920 blessed it and then it tells us that he declared it holy we know what that word 337 00:30:06,920 --> 00:30:13,960 means holy it's the concept of being set apart set apart separated for a special 338 00:30:13,960 --> 00:30:18,120 purpose a special reason right the seventh day was the very first thing in 339 00:30:18,120 --> 00:30:23,760 God's Word to be declared holy the very first thing in God's Word was the seventh 340 00:30:23,760 --> 00:30:27,000 day he declared it holy and so it was therefore lifted up above all the other 341 00:30:27,000 --> 00:30:32,720 days the other six days of creation yeah miracles happen right he created all 342 00:30:32,720 --> 00:30:36,640 this stuff out of nothing but the seventh day was was holy it was set apart 343 00:30:36,640 --> 00:30:43,600 to be enjoyed to be rested in as he led by example and then really for us to be 344 00:30:43,600 --> 00:30:54,200 with God and nothing else focused on him now generations later you got after the 345 00:30:54,200 --> 00:30:59,520 flood and after the Tower of Babel and excuse me after the time of the 346 00:30:59,520 --> 00:31:05,960 patriarchs and the captivity in Egypt and in the Exodus after all of that the 347 00:31:05,960 --> 00:31:12,400 seventh day of the week was given a very special place in Israel in the fourth 348 00:31:12,400 --> 00:31:18,080 commandment now what I want you to notice here in Genesis is Adam and Eve 349 00:31:18,080 --> 00:31:24,440 aren't commanded to rest on the seventh day I'll tie that back later but after 350 00:31:24,440 --> 00:31:30,400 all this time God God gives Moses the law and in the law it's the covenant 351 00:31:30,400 --> 00:31:35,080 that God made with the Jewish people his special chosen people he commanded them 352 00:31:35,080 --> 00:31:40,000 to observe the seventh day it reads like this in Exodus chapter 20 verse 8 says 353 00:31:40,000 --> 00:31:43,560 remember the Sabbath is one of the ten commandments remember the Sabbath to 354 00:31:43,560 --> 00:31:48,120 keep it holy you were to labor six days and do all your work but the seventh day 355 00:31:48,120 --> 00:31:53,640 is a Sabbath Sabbath to the Lord your God you must not do any work you your 356 00:31:53,640 --> 00:31:57,620 son or daughter your male or female servants your livestock or the resident 357 00:31:57,620 --> 00:32:01,800 alien who's with you in your city gates why for the Lord made the heavens and 358 00:32:01,800 --> 00:32:05,440 the earth and the sea and everything in them in six days then he rested on the 359 00:32:05,440 --> 00:32:13,000 seventh therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and declared it holy so here 360 00:32:13,000 --> 00:32:20,360 in the law of Moses we're seeing the the the work rest rhythm of Genesis we see 361 00:32:20,360 --> 00:32:24,920 that being codified and we see it being commanded as law for the people of 362 00:32:24,920 --> 00:32:29,720 Israel and really I think there was a couple reasons for this one because God 363 00:32:29,720 --> 00:32:35,960 wanted his people to be blessed by the blessing of rest physical rest observe 364 00:32:35,960 --> 00:32:40,520 this day right we all know that there's been studies done you work seven days a 365 00:32:40,520 --> 00:32:46,040 week you never take a rest you burn out right that's really hard for for like 366 00:32:46,040 --> 00:32:50,480 people like myself in ministry because our idea is like anytime you need me 367 00:32:50,480 --> 00:32:54,160 anytime the body needs me and you'll call me in the middle of the night and 368 00:32:54,160 --> 00:32:57,480 I'll be there and in the eye you know that's my heart right that's the heart 369 00:32:57,480 --> 00:33:01,320 of a pastor and then one of the things pastors are always told is hey if you're 370 00:33:01,320 --> 00:33:07,000 not taking a Sabbath you're gonna flame out real fast you got a rest and so 371 00:33:07,000 --> 00:33:12,240 there's a physical aspect to this but God blessing the weekly Sabbath as he's 372 00:33:12,240 --> 00:33:16,840 commanding Israel here I believe it's it's God saying look the observation of 373 00:33:16,840 --> 00:33:19,920 the seventh day by God's people is not just good for you physically but it's 374 00:33:19,920 --> 00:33:24,520 essential to your spiritual health and growth it was meant to be a day where 375 00:33:24,520 --> 00:33:29,520 where God's people would stop working for themselves right creating for 376 00:33:29,520 --> 00:33:35,640 themselves and stop and celebrate God and everything he had worked and created 377 00:33:35,640 --> 00:33:40,920 for them there was this idea of of celebrating what God has had done 378 00:33:40,920 --> 00:33:45,800 celebrating his creation celebrate God gave us all of this God causes the food 379 00:33:45,800 --> 00:33:51,120 to grow out of the ground just God I'm so thankful and to celebrate him but it 380 00:33:51,120 --> 00:33:55,880 was also a day where they remembered that no matter how hard they worked they 381 00:33:55,880 --> 00:34:01,480 couldn't save themselves and so they didn't work and they reflected on how 382 00:34:01,480 --> 00:34:05,800 God was the one to save them when they couldn't save themselves in Deuteronomy 383 00:34:05,800 --> 00:34:10,960 chapter 5 verse 15 we kind of have an expanded telling of the Ten Commandments 384 00:34:10,960 --> 00:34:15,200 and it says remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt and the Lord 385 00:34:15,200 --> 00:34:18,400 your God brought you out of there with a strong hand and an outstretched armed 386 00:34:18,400 --> 00:34:23,560 that is why the Lord your God has commanded you to keep the Sabbath day so 387 00:34:23,560 --> 00:34:29,200 when God saved them from Egypt and set them free they were then to they they 388 00:34:29,200 --> 00:34:33,560 were then allowed to enter into a rest that they hadn't had for hundreds of 389 00:34:33,560 --> 00:34:38,120 years right as slaves in Egypt they were working all the time you guys remember 390 00:34:38,120 --> 00:34:43,080 the stories that they then had to make bricks without straw and and and they 391 00:34:43,080 --> 00:34:48,320 were just they were enslaved in Egypt we know biblically is a picture of sin 392 00:34:48,320 --> 00:34:54,160 where the sin nature in us it wants to drive us to do things that are bad for 393 00:34:54,160 --> 00:34:59,680 us and harmful for us and oppressive for us and then the picture of Israel being 394 00:34:59,680 --> 00:35:04,360 set free is that picture of God setting us free from our sins so the physical 395 00:35:04,360 --> 00:35:08,120 reality that we see here in the seventh day in the Sabbath was was a reflection 396 00:35:08,120 --> 00:35:13,400 of the spiritual reality that God offered to them that look you're never 397 00:35:13,400 --> 00:35:19,040 to forget that yes you're to work I've called you to work but you know that's a 398 00:35:19,040 --> 00:35:22,600 whole nother Bible study where work is meant to be a blessing you know Adam 399 00:35:22,600 --> 00:35:25,800 worked in the garden he didn't just chill and watch Netflix all day long he 400 00:35:25,800 --> 00:35:33,200 worked right but it became a burden because of the curse and then 401 00:35:33,200 --> 00:35:36,440 spiritually the idea is that we're separated from God and we got to work 402 00:35:36,440 --> 00:35:41,440 our way back God said to Israel I want you to observe the seventh day so you 403 00:35:41,440 --> 00:35:47,640 never forget that you cannot save yourself you cannot set yourselves free 404 00:35:47,640 --> 00:35:52,480 from the control of sin in the world that was the point of them observing 405 00:35:52,480 --> 00:35:57,400 this and so collectively the seventh day of rest was a celebration of God as 406 00:35:57,400 --> 00:36:03,600 creator and God as Redeemer it was meant to just be a blessing to them after 407 00:36:03,600 --> 00:36:07,680 ceasing from six days of work following God's example which would like I said be 408 00:36:07,680 --> 00:36:12,000 refreshing for them and then to bless them spiritually and they had to be 409 00:36:12,000 --> 00:36:17,680 commanded cease from work so you could focus on God and thankfully celebrate 410 00:36:17,680 --> 00:36:22,520 him and his work of creation recognizing gosh I'm working so hard but really God 411 00:36:22,520 --> 00:36:27,360 has given me everything right that's one of those ideas we talked about when we 412 00:36:27,360 --> 00:36:31,640 went through our generosity series God says hey I want you to be a generous 413 00:36:31,640 --> 00:36:35,000 person and you know you give to your church and you give to charities and you 414 00:36:35,000 --> 00:36:38,480 give to help people out and one of the things about the stewardship there is is 415 00:36:38,480 --> 00:36:43,640 God wants us to never forget look a hundred percent of what you have I gave 416 00:36:43,640 --> 00:36:48,760 you and sometimes in our giving we get we get a little tripped up on that don't 417 00:36:48,760 --> 00:36:54,880 we I'm the one going to work I'm the one doing the thing and God's like who gave 418 00:36:54,880 --> 00:37:00,560 you the brain to do the thing who gave you the hands to do the thing 419 00:37:00,560 --> 00:37:04,840 hmm God says I just want you to understand that I've given you everything 420 00:37:04,840 --> 00:37:09,360 including life right and so the seventh day was a reminder for them to do that 421 00:37:09,360 --> 00:37:14,200 and so the seventh day became one of if not the biggest sign of God's covenant 422 00:37:14,200 --> 00:37:19,080 with Israel as they were to meditate on on him his promises to provide and to 423 00:37:19,080 --> 00:37:24,360 redeem and to bless his people and we see this in Exodus 31 17 speaking of the 424 00:37:24,360 --> 00:37:30,240 Sabbath it says it is a sign forever between me and the Israelites for in six 425 00:37:30,240 --> 00:37:34,320 days the Lord made the heavens and the earth but on the seventh day he rested 426 00:37:34,320 --> 00:37:40,000 and was refreshed and the idea in ancient times is nobody else had this 427 00:37:40,000 --> 00:37:44,800 there was no other culture that had this Sabbath this this the seventh day that 428 00:37:44,800 --> 00:37:48,640 was blessed and made holy you know it was meant to be a grace for Israel it 429 00:37:48,640 --> 00:37:52,320 was meant to be an identifier that they were God's people and so as they 430 00:37:52,320 --> 00:37:57,040 observed this rest this ceasing from work they would reflect on eternal 431 00:37:57,040 --> 00:38:03,160 things and eternal truths right at night they would realize that that that God 432 00:38:03,160 --> 00:38:08,400 was creator and all of this they were remembering and making sure every week 433 00:38:08,400 --> 00:38:13,520 they pounded it into their brain that life was more than work life is more 434 00:38:13,520 --> 00:38:17,840 than just earthly accomplishments life is more than getting the next paycheck 435 00:38:17,840 --> 00:38:21,960 life is more than the bigger house and life is more than the nice car and life 436 00:38:21,960 --> 00:38:28,120 is more than the the ridiculously priced purse yeah and life is more than then 437 00:38:28,120 --> 00:38:33,440 you know life is more than all of that because this life is trend is is 438 00:38:33,440 --> 00:38:38,040 temporary and King Solomon wrote a whole book called Ecclesiastes about that you 439 00:38:38,040 --> 00:38:42,120 can go read it on your own but on the Sabbath day as they were ceasing from 440 00:38:42,120 --> 00:38:46,240 work their minds would be drawn towards the initial rest that God had after 441 00:38:46,240 --> 00:38:49,800 creation right remember we're doing this because God rested on the seventh day 442 00:38:49,800 --> 00:38:52,760 and then they would look up at the stars and they would see his invisible 443 00:38:52,760 --> 00:38:57,800 attributes as Romans tells us they would see his eternal power and his divine 444 00:38:57,800 --> 00:39:04,200 nature and just realize oh my gosh our God is amazing he's just ah and then it 445 00:39:04,200 --> 00:39:10,680 would be a time for them to go what am I worried about why am I stressing out my 446 00:39:10,680 --> 00:39:19,160 God did all of this why am I worried right that was the idea here so and yeah 447 00:39:19,160 --> 00:39:22,360 as they rested they were remember that they were redeemed from slavery 448 00:39:22,360 --> 00:39:27,400 something they can never do on their own but it was also a type this actual 449 00:39:27,400 --> 00:39:31,120 physical day was a type symbolic of something to come just like the 450 00:39:31,120 --> 00:39:34,160 tabernacle that they had in the wilderness was was a symbol as a 451 00:39:34,160 --> 00:39:37,280 representation of God's throne room in heaven we talked about that in 452 00:39:37,280 --> 00:39:43,320 Revelation and so it has both practical ramifications and spiritual ramifications 453 00:39:43,320 --> 00:39:46,880 so as again we've already mentioned right it's it's good to rest it's 454 00:39:46,880 --> 00:39:51,320 physically refreshing you know to to just focus on God and stop worrying 455 00:39:51,320 --> 00:39:54,880 about work and stop worrying about that and that's kind of why the church comes 456 00:39:54,880 --> 00:39:59,040 together on Sundays we make this time to come together and study his word and go 457 00:39:59,040 --> 00:40:06,360 put everything else out just right now just God I just love you so much speak 458 00:40:06,360 --> 00:40:12,000 to me teach me right that's what we do here in church but spiritually 459 00:40:12,000 --> 00:40:16,600 spiritually it's it's that idea of yeah I'm not doing work I'm not thinking 460 00:40:16,600 --> 00:40:21,600 about work but then we're spiritually refreshed we take a day not for the 461 00:40:21,600 --> 00:40:26,160 football game and not for us and not for my own projects or anything else but for 462 00:40:26,160 --> 00:40:31,320 God to give him our attention to give him our focus to give him our time and 463 00:40:31,320 --> 00:40:37,440 it's healthy for our spirit to do that and so Israel had and observed this law 464 00:40:37,440 --> 00:40:42,120 of the Sabbath and they did it through their whole culture right but again it 465 00:40:42,120 --> 00:40:45,320 was a type it all pointed towards something and then one day when their 466 00:40:45,320 --> 00:40:51,200 long-awaited Messiah arrived Jesus Christ who is the creator and the 467 00:40:51,200 --> 00:40:59,080 Redeemer he came onto the scene and he had a great work to do and he went to 468 00:40:59,080 --> 00:41:05,520 the cross and when he completed that work John 1930 says that he cried out 469 00:41:05,520 --> 00:41:12,900 and says it is finished it is finished and he gave up his spirit what did he do 470 00:41:12,900 --> 00:41:21,060 on the cross he paid for sin he paid for sin he paid for your sin he paid for my 471 00:41:21,060 --> 00:41:28,000 sin talk about a work what did God want Israel to remember on the seventh day 472 00:41:28,000 --> 00:41:35,080 you can't save yourself only God can and then when Jesus came he did that work 473 00:41:35,080 --> 00:41:40,000 and it was only when he rested from that great work that he said it is finished 474 00:41:40,000 --> 00:41:44,880 and then what did he do there it was his work on the cross that created 475 00:41:44,880 --> 00:41:50,520 salvation permanent salvation not temporary as they had in the covenant 476 00:41:50,520 --> 00:41:56,520 again the covenant pointed towards Jesus but Jesus created salvation he created 477 00:41:56,520 --> 00:42:02,800 the possibility of entering into his rest the Bible tells us sin was no 478 00:42:02,800 --> 00:42:06,800 longer simply covered through faith in Christ it would be fully completely 479 00:42:06,800 --> 00:42:14,280 washed away so what does it mean when we enter into his rest what did it mean 480 00:42:14,280 --> 00:42:18,800 when Israel was commanded to rest on the seventh day after the example of God 481 00:42:18,800 --> 00:42:22,520 resting on the seventh day what does it mean when we look at what it means God 482 00:42:22,520 --> 00:42:29,320 rested it wasn't oh I'm so tired it was everything's okay everything's perfect 483 00:42:29,320 --> 00:42:36,200 everything's as exactly as it should be the rest that Christ offers us the rest 484 00:42:36,200 --> 00:42:42,320 that God took on the seventh day the rest that the Sabbath the law pointed to 485 00:42:42,320 --> 00:42:49,400 it's eternal it has no end it's not about one physical day the whole thing 486 00:42:49,400 --> 00:42:54,440 was about something that God was offering something we lost in the garden 487 00:42:54,440 --> 00:43:00,900 something God did all the work that we could reclaim you'll notice as I 488 00:43:00,900 --> 00:43:05,240 mentioned that there's no conclusion to the seventh day here in Genesis there's 489 00:43:05,240 --> 00:43:10,800 no evening in the morning and it was the seventh day now some people believe that 490 00:43:10,800 --> 00:43:15,680 that's a literal thing that God's rest is is is forever right and they use that 491 00:43:15,680 --> 00:43:18,880 to say so the six days of creation couldn't have been 24-hour days because 492 00:43:18,880 --> 00:43:23,280 the seventh day never ends that's a possibility in some people's 493 00:43:23,280 --> 00:43:28,760 interpretations but just because it doesn't say it didn't end the Sun 24-hour 494 00:43:28,760 --> 00:43:32,720 day didn't end doesn't mean it didn't but there is a spiritual application to 495 00:43:32,720 --> 00:43:38,280 the seventh day not having a conclusion it means that God's rest that started on 496 00:43:38,280 --> 00:43:43,560 the seventh day of creation has been available to mankind through all time it 497 00:43:43,560 --> 00:43:47,320 means it's available to us today it has always been available and it will be 498 00:43:47,320 --> 00:43:56,200 eternal meaning that it's not over it's not closed it's not done the rest isn't 499 00:43:56,200 --> 00:44:02,380 done what was done his creative purpose it is very good what was the work of 500 00:44:02,380 --> 00:44:05,400 Christ on the cross that we're always trying to do in our own lives to pay 501 00:44:05,400 --> 00:44:11,680 for sin Christ said stop I did it for you it is finished and then what do we 502 00:44:11,680 --> 00:44:18,440 enter into through our faith in him rest God's rest that is available to all of 503 00:44:18,440 --> 00:44:23,880 us and it will never cease again in the Old Testament Israel God's people were 504 00:44:23,880 --> 00:44:29,000 commanded to observe the Sabbath rest in the law of Moses because God just 505 00:44:29,000 --> 00:44:33,600 wanted them to never forget what his rest is what he offers to them eternally 506 00:44:33,600 --> 00:44:38,600 what he offers to those that trust in him for everything and then the New 507 00:44:38,600 --> 00:44:46,200 Testament comes along and interprets the Sabbath in the context of Jesus that he 508 00:44:46,200 --> 00:44:50,360 it's in him we get the rest and the Bible tells us that Jesus is one greater 509 00:44:50,360 --> 00:44:56,240 than Moses he was the point he's the thing that the law pointed to and in 510 00:44:56,240 --> 00:44:59,880 Hebrews chapter 4 we were told that everything the Sabbath was meant to 511 00:44:59,880 --> 00:45:04,000 illustrate everything the Sabbath the seventh day on the calendar observing 512 00:45:04,000 --> 00:45:10,080 that was meant to teach Israel was meant to teach us all of that everything about 513 00:45:10,080 --> 00:45:15,960 taking that day a week to focus on God as creator and God is Redeemer to enter 514 00:45:15,960 --> 00:45:20,800 into that rest which is the joy the peace the refreshment the contentment 515 00:45:20,800 --> 00:45:26,320 the knowledge that all is well because I trust in God and his promises all of 516 00:45:26,320 --> 00:45:33,760 that is what God offers you and me now and forever that is what it said in 517 00:45:33,760 --> 00:45:42,720 Hebrews chapter 4 verse 7 that said the Sabbath is today it's today today is the 518 00:45:42,720 --> 00:45:55,920 day of salvation today is the day you can enter into God's rest why that as 519 00:45:55,920 --> 00:46:00,640 God did on the seventh day after creation we would enjoy deep pleasure and 520 00:46:00,640 --> 00:46:08,720 satisfaction and contentment and joy and peace from the fruit of his labor new 521 00:46:08,720 --> 00:46:14,040 life existing exactly precisely and intentionally how we were meant to be 522 00:46:14,040 --> 00:46:20,240 from the very beginning the life that God intended us to dwell with him in in 523 00:46:20,240 --> 00:46:26,640 the garden in the very beginning that we messed up with sin the rest that Adam 524 00:46:26,640 --> 00:46:30,240 and Eve enjoyed in blessed peace with their Creator in the garden the rest 525 00:46:30,240 --> 00:46:38,240 that was lost at the fall as sin separated man from God the rest that can 526 00:46:38,240 --> 00:46:42,520 be restored to us now and forever through our redemption our salvation 527 00:46:42,520 --> 00:46:48,840 that comes through the faith in the work of Jesus Christ now mere intellectual 528 00:46:48,840 --> 00:46:56,000 belief really doesn't bring rest to any soul right if you just intellectually 529 00:46:56,000 --> 00:46:58,880 come to a place where you say well I acknowledge that Jesus is the Son of God 530 00:46:58,880 --> 00:47:06,080 and the Savior of the world that won't do it without that acknowledgement being 531 00:47:06,080 --> 00:47:12,920 mixed with your trust your reliance your dependence on him for everything that is 532 00:47:12,920 --> 00:47:19,960 what salvation is God I don't just intellectually assent to the fact that 533 00:47:19,960 --> 00:47:25,480 you're God no I placed myself in your hands I'm trusting you with everything 534 00:47:25,480 --> 00:47:30,440 and when we do that it's born out in a changed life right we see a life that has 535 00:47:30,440 --> 00:47:33,920 changed to say God I want to live obedient to your word and God I want to 536 00:47:33,920 --> 00:47:37,560 trust in your promises and God I just want to know that that no matter what 537 00:47:37,560 --> 00:47:46,200 happens in my life I'm good because you have saved me you have forgiven me 538 00:47:46,200 --> 00:47:53,960 you've done the work I could never do and because of that truth I rest I'm at 539 00:47:53,960 --> 00:47:59,960 peace and that is what truly brings rest because when you trust in Jesus Christ 540 00:47:59,960 --> 00:48:05,520 as your Lord and Savior rest really comes because the burden of your sins 541 00:48:05,520 --> 00:48:11,720 your guilt it's lifted it's wiped away forever you rest from your works of 542 00:48:11,720 --> 00:48:16,680 trying to be a good person on your own and because of Christ you enter into the 543 00:48:16,680 --> 00:48:21,720 Sabbath rest of God as the Bible talks about safe in the arms of your Creator 544 00:48:21,720 --> 00:48:27,360 and your Redeemer forever everyone that has truly come to Christ has 545 00:48:27,360 --> 00:48:33,800 experienced this rest we wrestle with it for sure because the devil never stops 546 00:48:33,800 --> 00:48:39,000 working as we're gonna see in the garden he never stops trying to come to you and 547 00:48:39,000 --> 00:48:43,120 say no no no you're not okay you have to do this you have to do that and then 548 00:48:43,120 --> 00:48:48,560 when we fail he goes shame on you you're a terrible Christian and what does Satan 549 00:48:48,560 --> 00:48:53,360 do in our whole Christian walk he does what he did in the garden did God really 550 00:48:53,360 --> 00:49:00,800 say that I think you should question God and we struggle it's because of our sin 551 00:49:00,800 --> 00:49:05,120 nature we struggle with it but when we've truly come to Christ and experience 552 00:49:05,120 --> 00:49:09,400 that rest we we've come to that place of understanding that that that impossible 553 00:49:09,400 --> 00:49:14,640 striving to earn salvation or to be good enough it's over we are made righteous 554 00:49:14,640 --> 00:49:22,280 by Christ we rest in Christ's effective atoning work not our ineffective own 555 00:49:22,280 --> 00:49:27,680 works and so for the believer today for us today as the church if you know Jesus 556 00:49:27,680 --> 00:49:32,840 Christ is your Lord and Savior the principle is this after you've been 557 00:49:32,840 --> 00:49:38,640 saved and you've entered into that rest there's a process now we're gonna get 558 00:49:38,640 --> 00:49:44,000 fulfilled rest in the end here but during this life here why we still dwell 559 00:49:44,000 --> 00:49:47,480 with our sinful nature and Paul talked about talked about that all through 560 00:49:47,480 --> 00:49:54,680 Romans the principle is this the more you trust in Jesus the more you depend 561 00:49:54,680 --> 00:49:59,320 on him the more you internalize he did the work it is finished I don't have to 562 00:49:59,320 --> 00:50:04,200 strive anymore God I'm just gonna yield to you the more you do that the more 563 00:50:04,200 --> 00:50:10,360 rest you will have in this life the more peace you will have in this life the more 564 00:50:10,360 --> 00:50:18,600 joy contentment satisfaction you will have in this life because it's not about 565 00:50:18,600 --> 00:50:25,360 observing one day over another I'm sorry Seventh-day Adventists but it's not about 566 00:50:25,360 --> 00:50:32,920 we have to worship on Saturday Paul dealt with that in Romans right it's 567 00:50:32,920 --> 00:50:40,000 about entering into and observing what Christ did receiving what Christ did 568 00:50:40,000 --> 00:50:47,440 and entering into the rest that Christ offers it's the rest that God entered 569 00:50:47,440 --> 00:50:51,680 into at the end of his creation of the universe it's the rest he offers you 570 00:50:51,680 --> 00:50:57,520 today and it's not just any rest it's his the absolute contented satisfaction 571 00:50:57,520 --> 00:51:05,240 that is in God is what he offers you it's his rest it's his ceasing from work 572 00:51:05,240 --> 00:51:10,160 because it is finished he did the work already he created creation and he put 573 00:51:10,160 --> 00:51:15,920 Adam and Eve there and he said enjoy it he didn't bring Adam and Eve on the 574 00:51:15,920 --> 00:51:18,680 third day and he's like all right dude I created the sky and everything make 575 00:51:18,680 --> 00:51:28,200 animals that's not what he did he said I did it enjoy and we had that before the 576 00:51:28,200 --> 00:51:34,360 fall it's God's rest and it's blessed and it's holy it's full of joy and 577 00:51:34,360 --> 00:51:37,880 eternal satisfaction and just that knowledge that your sins are forgiven 578 00:51:37,880 --> 00:51:44,080 past present and future you're going to heaven it's secured you can't lose it 579 00:51:44,080 --> 00:51:48,800 because you didn't work for it God gave it because he loved you that is the rest 580 00:51:48,800 --> 00:51:55,120 we can have now in Christ peace in our souls I've been reconciled with my 581 00:51:55,120 --> 00:52:02,120 creator oops I messed up God says talk to me about it I already paid the price 582 00:52:02,120 --> 00:52:09,040 let's get up and keep moving beautiful but there's also a future rest to come 583 00:52:09,040 --> 00:52:13,160 as I mentioned in the new heaven and the new earth paradise forever where it will 584 00:52:13,160 --> 00:52:18,960 be permanent forever joy permanent forever satisfaction permanent forever 585 00:52:18,960 --> 00:52:23,540 peace and so my question this morning as we close is are you resting are you 586 00:52:23,540 --> 00:52:31,480 resting in the peace and the joy and the satisfaction of Christ today are you at 587 00:52:31,480 --> 00:52:37,920 peace because you know you have been forgiven of your sins or are you still 588 00:52:37,920 --> 00:52:44,080 trying to work for it earn it labor after it I'm a good person why do I keep 589 00:52:44,080 --> 00:52:47,040 sinning right you're going through that routine over and over and over again and 590 00:52:47,040 --> 00:52:51,840 so to make yourself feel better you go well I'm better than that person God 591 00:52:51,840 --> 00:52:55,320 didn't say that person was the standard God said I am the standard compare 592 00:52:55,320 --> 00:53:02,080 yourself to him are you still a good person probably not definitely not 593 00:53:02,080 --> 00:53:06,600 Jesus the creator the sustainer the goal of everything the Redeemer he said this 594 00:53:06,600 --> 00:53:12,280 in Matthew 11 verse 28 come to me all of you who are weary and burdened and I 595 00:53:12,280 --> 00:53:17,240 will give you rest take my yoke upon you and learn from me because I am lowly and 596 00:53:17,240 --> 00:53:22,840 humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls for my yoke is easy and 597 00:53:22,840 --> 00:53:28,920 my burden is light and so I ask you again are you resting in the peace and 598 00:53:28,920 --> 00:53:35,400 the joy and the satisfaction of Christ are you resting in who he is and what he 599 00:53:35,400 --> 00:53:41,600 did for you is when you come to Christ in faith trusting him what he just said 600 00:53:41,600 --> 00:53:46,400 here is you will find that Sabbath rest for your soul the same rest that he's 601 00:53:46,400 --> 00:53:51,160 enjoyed from the beginning the same rest he has offered from the beginning and he 602 00:53:51,160 --> 00:53:57,760 is offering it to you now will you come in faith believing in him and trusting 603 00:53:57,760 --> 00:54:09,040 in him today let's pray father we thank you for your word we thank you God for 604 00:54:09,040 --> 00:54:15,280 this account Lord Genesis the beginning we thank you Lord that you've given us a 605 00:54:15,280 --> 00:54:23,960 glimpse into what you truly and originally intended Lord as you did a 606 00:54:23,960 --> 00:54:30,840 work to create a paradise that you then put man and woman in and said just enjoy 607 00:54:30,840 --> 00:54:39,400 it Lord that was what you intended for us to just be in joyous fellowship with 608 00:54:39,400 --> 00:54:46,240 you forever to just walk with you and to talk with you and to be in your presence 609 00:54:46,240 --> 00:54:55,000 and to be a complete peace and joy because it is perfect and yet God when 610 00:54:55,000 --> 00:55:02,720 sin entered the world when Adam and Eve sinned it broke that fellowship with you 611 00:55:02,720 --> 00:55:08,480 it separated us from the peace and the joy and the satisfaction and contentment 612 00:55:08,480 --> 00:55:16,520 that is in you and mankind ever since has been trying to find a way to 613 00:55:16,520 --> 00:55:25,400 satisfy the longing in their soul that is the separation from their creator and 614 00:55:25,400 --> 00:55:29,520 God we inherited that sin nature from Adam and Eve it just came down through 615 00:55:29,520 --> 00:55:34,600 genetics and all of that Lord your word tells us that there is none righteous no 616 00:55:34,600 --> 00:55:43,400 not one that were marred by sin but God you came to this earth you did a work 617 00:55:43,400 --> 00:55:53,200 that we couldn't do that you would offer us a rest we can never attain to give us 618 00:55:53,200 --> 00:55:59,280 peace in our soul joy in our soul contentment in our souls Lord that we 619 00:55:59,280 --> 00:56:07,160 could have that now and here and now and then God we could have the hope of heaven 620 00:56:07,160 --> 00:56:16,680 in the future so God we thank you for your rest we thank you that you rested 621 00:56:16,680 --> 00:56:24,200 we thank you for the picture of what you want for us in your rest and God we 622 00:56:24,200 --> 00:56:29,000 believe and trust you Jesus as you came to this earth lived and died for our 623 00:56:29,000 --> 00:56:37,160 sin that God when we come to you weary and burdened that you will give us rest 624 00:56:37,160 --> 00:56:42,280 so while we're praying right now that's about an eyes closed if you're a 625 00:56:42,280 --> 00:56:45,440 Christian just pray just be praying right now for those that don't know him 626 00:56:45,440 --> 00:56:49,080 I want to give an opportunity for anybody here in this room or those of 627 00:56:49,080 --> 00:56:55,360 you watching online that if you are being spoken to and I believe you are 628 00:56:55,360 --> 00:57:01,120 the Holy Spirit God is speaking into your heart right now and he's saying you 629 00:57:01,120 --> 00:57:08,360 don't have a relationship with me you are not at rest God is telling you right 630 00:57:08,360 --> 00:57:13,440 now I see the turmoil in your soul I see the turmoil in your heart I see the 631 00:57:13,440 --> 00:57:19,720 guilt and I see the shame and I and I see the regret I see all of it and God 632 00:57:19,720 --> 00:57:24,640 has been speaking to you about a rest he wants to give you to set you free from 633 00:57:24,640 --> 00:57:32,560 all of that and he's telling you now that it comes through faith in me that's 634 00:57:32,560 --> 00:57:37,920 what Jesus is saying to you right now if God is speaking that in your life and 635 00:57:37,920 --> 00:57:42,600 you're in this room I just want you to raise your hand say I want to receive 636 00:57:42,600 --> 00:57:49,560 that rest you want to be saved you want to be forgiven you want to be set free 637 00:57:49,560 --> 00:57:57,480 from guilt and shame you want to be restored you want to be at peace God 638 00:57:57,480 --> 00:58:02,880 promises that to you and he promises that if you call out to him in faith you 639 00:58:02,880 --> 00:58:07,500 will be saved and you will have that rest anybody in this room God is speaking 640 00:58:07,500 --> 00:58:12,360 to you right now I will tell you that there's no more important decision you 641 00:58:12,360 --> 00:58:16,680 will ever make than the decision you make to receive Christ if you're 642 00:58:16,680 --> 00:58:21,400 watching us online obviously I can't see you but if God is speaking to you and 643 00:58:21,400 --> 00:58:27,520 you realize that you need rest and you believe as God is speaking in your heart 644 00:58:27,520 --> 00:58:30,880 right now that that rest comes in a relationship with Jesus Christ as you 645 00:58:30,880 --> 00:58:36,720 are forgiven for sin and forgiven for guilt and instead given salvation and 646 00:58:36,720 --> 00:58:42,240 forgiveness and grace and mercy and you want to receive that today just type 647 00:58:42,240 --> 00:58:46,680 into the chat on whatever platform you're on I would like to receive Jesus 648 00:58:46,680 --> 00:58:53,160 today our moderators will get your information but as you're typing that in 649 00:58:53,160 --> 00:58:56,000 or anybody in this room you need you know you need Jesus I want you to pray 650 00:58:56,000 --> 00:59:05,800 this prayer with me just in your heart say Jesus I believe in you my heart is 651 00:59:05,800 --> 00:59:14,920 not at rest my soul is not at rest I am in turmoil I've been trying to create 652 00:59:14,920 --> 00:59:24,480 salvation on my own I've been making excuses for my sin comparing myself to 653 00:59:24,480 --> 00:59:33,640 other people and I realize now that you are the only one that I can be compared 654 00:59:33,640 --> 00:59:43,080 to I should be compared to and when I do I'm lacking God please forgive me 655 00:59:43,080 --> 00:59:52,640 forgive me of all my sin past present and future come into my life give me 656 00:59:52,640 --> 01:00:01,840 rest give me peace give me joy give me contentment and satisfaction in my soul 657 01:00:01,840 --> 01:00:09,720 knowing that you are my Lord you are my Savior and that I will be with you one 658 01:00:09,720 --> 01:00:19,160 day in heaven thank you for loving me so much that you died for me thank you for 659 01:00:19,160 --> 01:00:26,600 loving me so much that you rose from the dead that I would be granted new life 660 01:00:26,600 --> 01:00:34,800 teach me how to live for you teach me how to trust you it's in Jesus name I 661 01:00:34,800 --> 01:00:42,440 pray amen amen well if you prayed that prayer today even if you didn't raise 662 01:00:42,440 --> 01:00:46,840 your hand I want to tell you a couple things one of the entire hosts of heaven 663 01:00:46,840 --> 01:00:51,560 is celebrating right now the Bible tells us when someone's soul is saved all the 664 01:00:51,560 --> 01:00:57,240 angels celebrate and I want to tell you that you started a relationship with 665 01:00:57,240 --> 01:01:01,440 Jesus Christ right whether you come to church here go to church someone else 666 01:01:01,440 --> 01:01:05,000 this is a body of believers this is a family that that is here for you to 667 01:01:05,000 --> 01:01:08,600 plug into that you would be discipled and that you would grow and that you would 668 01:01:08,600 --> 01:01:12,520 learn how to move forward in this relationship and so if you received 669 01:01:12,520 --> 01:01:15,960 Christ today I'd love for you to either come forward after service or as you 670 01:01:15,960 --> 01:01:20,120 leave out the back and ask for a new believers packet it just has a bunch of 671 01:01:20,120 --> 01:01:25,400 information with you that that will help encourage you and to start living and 672 01:01:25,400 --> 01:01:28,920 walking in this commitment you've made to Jesus Christ if you're online and you 673 01:01:28,920 --> 01:01:33,280 receive the Lord let us know in chat our moderators will get all your 674 01:01:33,280 --> 01:01:38,120 information so that we can mail you one of these new believers packets or just 675 01:01:38,120 --> 01:01:41,800 go to our website contact us let us know you received Christ and we'd love to 676 01:01:41,800 --> 01:01:45,840 send you one of these new believer packs for the rest of us you know we know the 677 01:01:45,840 --> 01:01:53,080 Lord we have his rest we need to rest in his rest more I would say but there are 678 01:01:53,080 --> 01:01:56,480 thousands that that don't have that rest and we have so many opportunities 679 01:01:56,480 --> 01:02:00,080 coming up that they would hear the gospel of Jesus Christ I pray that the 680 01:02:00,080 --> 01:02:04,440 Holy Spirit would overflow out of your lives with the gifts that God has 681 01:02:04,440 --> 01:02:09,040 created you to have to serve him to serve his kingdom to be a beacon of the 682 01:02:09,040 --> 01:02:12,560 light of the gospel of Jesus Christ and that you would all have the opportunity 683 01:02:12,560 --> 01:02:18,520 to lead someone to that rest to be a part of that blessed and holy moment 684 01:02:18,520 --> 01:02:26,160 when someone says I want to be saved you can all do it God lives in you he can 685 01:02:26,160 --> 01:02:30,520 work through you trust him and move forward in his rest knowing that we're 686 01:02:30,520 --> 01:02:35,080 at peace we're saved we got nothing to worry about in this life and look 687 01:02:35,080 --> 01:02:39,160 forward to the next one with eager joy and anticipation amen God bless you 688 01:02:39,160 --> 01:02:44,360 guys