By: Mike Kelly
Bryan, Ohio
You don’t have to be a Jew or a Christian to have heard about the Sabbath. But I’ll admit that we don’t all agree on what it means. In general, it is a day dedicated to the Lord, a day “made Holy.”
But from there, confusion and disagreement reign. Some say Sunday is the day. Others Saturday. Others, any day works if Sunday doesn’t. Having been a pastor, I worked on Sundays.
I directed services, often preached two sermons, and taught Sunday School on Sunday mornings. That’s work by anyone’s definition.
So, Sunday while focused on the Lord was not a day of rest for me. Same for those who work in hospitals, police, restaurants, retail, and cattlemen.
And what does “a day of rest” mean? A day off from what we do for a living? Partly, but the intent of the day is a day focused on God.
It started with God creating the earth and taking the seventh day to rest and enjoy what he had created. God wasn’t tired from all his labors but he wanted a time to appreciate all he had done.
Gen. 2:2-3 “By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.”
God ultimately made it a command in the 10 Commandments: Ex. 20:8-10 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God.”
He even severely punished Israel when they failed to keep it set apart. Neh. 13:17-18 “…What is this evil thing that you are doing, profaning the Sabbath day?
Did not your fathers act in this way, and did not our God bring all this disaster on us and on this city? Now you are bringing more wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath.”
So, God takes this day set apart to him seriously. Why? Because he wants a relationship with us and in the midst of our busyness we easily forget about him. God spent every day with Adam and Eve in the garden.
That closeness seems to have ended after sin, because man’s punishment was to leave the garden and to labor for survival rather than to simply tend it. Adam and Eve had to make a living. That limited their time with God. Just like today.
Work fills our time and most of us allow our time with God to slide so we can work more and even play more. Work and play are not bad things, but allowing them to replace our relationship with God is.
God’s desire is to have our attention seven days a week, not just one, but for right now, on this earth, he is willing to take one good day set aside for him.
So, what can we do on this one day, this Sabbath? Three things seem to be where he has directed us. First, of course, is worship, study and fellowship with him. Second, is to have time with the community of believers to encourage and strengthen each other. Third, is to do ministry.
The first two are done easily on Sunday mornings in church. The third, ministry, is a little more undefined and unnoticed. It is recorded that Jesus healed on the Sabbath multiple times, each breaking the Pharisees’ definition of work. I wonder how we, in 21st century America, can do ministry on our Sabbath?
I have taught for many years that going to church involves more than fellowship, worship, study, and prayer. It involves a mindset of doing ministry.
And, coincidentally, it is the reason we cannot stay home from church on Sundays. We are to be looking for those divine appointments God has for us every Sabbath.
Someone needs a hug and we are to be there to provide it. Someone else needs a smile or a word of encouragement. Another needs a word of praise or perhaps, a word of wisdom. Maybe another needs to just be acknowledged. Each of these is ministry. Healing ministry. Life changing ministry.
Sabbath is about God, you, and others. And staying home doesn’t fulfill one of those three, meaning you are falling short of his design for his Sabbath.
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Mike Kelly is the founding pastor of Bryan’s Grace Community Church (retired) and Board Chairman of Bryan’s Sanctuary Homeless Shelter and Williams County’s Compassion (free) Medical Clinic.