Work: A Divine Command
Minister: |
Rev. Ronald Van Overloop |
Date: |
10/23/2011 PM
|
Text:
|
Exodus 20:9
|
Psalters: |
279, 247, 108, 38 |
- The fourth commandment.
- The law, in general, reveals God and His character.
- The fourth commandment specifically addresses man’s duty to work from three angles.
- It shows that a way to keep the Sabbath is by working the other six.
- Further, God spoke specifically to the other six days and did so in the form of a command: “shalt thou labor.”
- The reason given in the fourth for keeping the Sabbath holy speaks to the six days of work.
- This identifies the attitude of those who “would not” (unwilling) work on the six days as a violation of God’s law.
- As with all other violations of God’s law, this is rooted in the ugliness of the natural hatred of man’s heart.
- Thus the church is called to deal with those who perpetually violate this command to work.
- Notice how the language of II Thess. 3 concerning one who refuses to work parallels that of I Cor. 5.
- We must not provide for one who declines to work.
- This sin shows our need for Jesus Christ.
- The applications when we take this Word of God seriously.
- There may be no freeloaders in the Christian household.
- My problems are because I am not obeying God’s will, including His will concerning work.
- Consider the opportunity we have to give witness to God’s grace in our lives by the way we work (Phil. 2:14,15).