We have seen this week that Sabbath rest is something given by God at creation, and remains part of his continuing commands to Israel to celebrate their freedom in him.

Over time, however, the Sabbath became much more than what God had simply commanded – as people developed many more regulations defining what entailed work or rest. Surely their intentions were good, to maintain a healthy respect for God’s laws, but these regulations were able to eclipse the purpose and personality behind the law.

We’ll see next week how Jesus dealt with these regulations. This has major implications for Christians…as people have long sought to understand how Sabbath laws apply after Jesus. Should Christians rest on Saturday, Sunday, or simply a day a week? Can certain kinds of jobs be done on the day of rest? Can I cut the grass? Can I shop, even though it means someone else works? These are common questions, but even if we disagree, the basic premise remains – God has a rhythm to life, it’s his rhythm, and it’s meant for us as well.

But how many of us have honestly tried it, instead of simply arguing about it?

Our rhythm is usually not one day of rest every six, but comes in weeks – we work, work, work and then rest hard. This is why so many people get sick on vacation! Or we can work, work, work for decades, then retire and finally rest. There is a window of time after retirement that many men are known to get heart attacks, due to the major shock to their systems and lifestyles. The message in this way of life is that we are slaves to work, and can run away once in a while. Or earn our emancipation at retirement. This isn’t what we were made for.

We’ll see next week that our emancipation from slavery has been bought by someone else – we are not slaves to this world’s economy.

Challenge: Try and take a day of complete rest this week. Not your usual creative work (Tuesday) but either put your feet up, or do other kinds of work/play.

Ryan Sim - December 9, 2013

Monday - A New Idea - The Night That Changed the Powerful

The Night that Changed Everything

Last week we started a new series called, “The Night that Changed Everything.” We’re looking at the significance of Christmas, a night that changed much more than most of us imagine. We’ll see its impact on five segments of society: The Night That Changed the Religious The Night That Changed the Powerful The Night That Changed the Poor The Night That Changed You The Night That Changed the Wise This week we’re looking at how it changed the powerful. This one can be hard for us to see. In Western culture, we’re used to thinking that those who celebrate Christmas are far from powerless. They have long been the majority in Western countries, and the Christian church has been a dominant player in society. Christmas is a visible sign of that power – it’s become a huge part of even secular culture, even if that version is stripped of its truth. But what actually happened at Christmas was the birth of a baby boy - one of the most powerless things you can imagine. Human babies are so helpless and vulnerable, not powerful except in the emotional control they exert without knowing. As we saw last week, the baby named Jesus was identified early on as a king – given gifts from Magi, and so on. But unlike Prince George, he wasn’t born in a private hospital with attendants and staff looking after it all. He was born powerless, in a stable, laid in a feedtrough. And yet, he struck fear in the hearts of the powerful. We’ll look at that story this week. Question: What scares powerful people?

Related Topics: Christmas, Power | More Messages from Ryan Sim | Download Audio

From Series: "The Night that Changed Everything"

In preparation for Christmas, our Daily Challenges are going to explore the lifechanging significance of Jesus' birth so long ago. It's more than a sentimental story, or a time for generosity, Christmas celebrates The Night that Changed Everything. We'll explore the original Christmas story from the Bible, and its impact on five kinds of people.

Discuss

More Messages From Ryan Sim...

Powered by Series Engine