The Sabbath Day

Minister:
Date: AM
Text: Mark 2; Lord's Day 38
Psalters: 225, 336, 408, 350
  1. Its permanence.
    1. First, that the Sabbath is permanent and universal is seen from its origin as found in Genesis 2:1-3.
    2. Second, the Sabbath's permanence and universality is also based on the fourth commandment.
    3. Third, the Sabbath is permanent and universal because of our Lord Jesus calls Himself the Lord of the Sabbath (Mark 2:28).
    4. N.B. that while Scripture declares the Sabbath's permanence, it did not identify it with any particular day of the week.
  2. Because the Sabbath was set apart by God's authority we "sanctify" it or "keep it holy."
    1. Consider Jesus' behavior on the Sabbath: Luke 4:16; Mark 3:4; 2:27).
    2. First, we sanctify it by cessation and rest, separating it from other common uses, from other days' activities.
    3. Secondly, positive sanctification consists of inner worship (meditation, self-examination, heart-prayer, sorrow and joy) and outward (vocal prayers and singing, reading the Bible and other books, hearing the preaching), secret or public.
    4. Thirdly, the Sabbath (the day of Christ's triumphant resurrection) celebrates His victory over sin and death.
    5. Then our weekly Sabbath is an anticipation of heaven, where the joy of permanent communion with God is identified as the eternal Sabbath.