The Lord of the Sabbath
“…Don’t let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new-moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. For these rules were only shadows of the real thing, Christ himself” (Colossians 2:16,17, NLT).
“Our premise for taking up this study is to better understand (and hopefully enter into) the true spirit of the Sabbath day, which is, a celebration – not of a certain day of the week, but a certain Person Who is Lord of All, in Whom and through Whom we find the reason for the Sabbath day, and the substance of all that the Sabbath day meant.
“What does the Sabbath day mean, after all? Well, Christians take it to be something very literal. Most of them have not advanced very far at all in the things of the Spirit. They read about the Sabbath day and with little or no understanding they bring this spiritual principle down to earth. I remember the teaching very well, as I had been part of Organized Religion most of my life. I remember going to a mall with a group from our church. It was late on a Sunday afternoon and we were going to pass out tracts and witness to the teenagers and people who were at the shopping center. Many of the small towns in our area still have places where the teenagers go and hang out because there is nothing else for them to do, and we were going to go witness to them.
“I remember getting out of the car with my Bible in hand and tracts in my pocket and looking out across that huge parking lot at all the people laughing and smoking and drinking and playing their music. And God forgive me – I did not just think this, I actually said it out loud, if you can believe it. What a Pharisee I was! I actually spoke out loud and said, “Look at all those people, desecrating the Sabbath!” And I really believed it, because that is the way I had been taught.
“The spiritual principle is what God wants us to observe – not the outward ceremony. Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath. Jesus is the Master of the Sabbath. Jesus is the Point of the Sabbath. Jesus is the Goal of the Sabbath. In the New Covenant God wants us to celebrate a Person, not a Day. He want us to observe and hear and obey His Son, not observe some external commandment or tradition of men.
“Always remember that Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath. And always remember that apart from Him, you can do nothing. This is the beginning of spiritual life. It is the beginning of fruitfulness. It is the beginning of any great work. Not with activity, but with rest. Confident assurance. Quiet remembrance. And this, my friends, like everything else God wishes to teach us, has nothing to do with what we do or do not do on a particular day of the week. It has to do with a heart-attitude, a spiritual perception, a spiritual entering-into Christ, trusting in Him to do in me, and through me, what I cannot do myself…”
Just like our teaching on tithing, The Lord of the Sabbath will offend the religious sensibilities of many, but will bring freedom to those seeking deliverance from the Sunday-go-to-meeting lifestyle.
There are four messages in this teaching, including:
The Lord of the Sabbath – 1
The Lord of the Sabbath – 2
The Lord of the Sabbath – 3
The Lord of the Sabbath – 4
Such a timely article Entering His Rest was for me today! You wrote, “When you feel something more is needed, and you start looking outside of Him, then you become rest-LESS.” Well, this sure is my story- in spite of the fact that I keep recycling back to where I know better. Religion is so deeply ingrained, poison to the soul. A big thank you today to TSOC for helping us in the process of renewing our minds!
Many years ago, after leaving a Christian “sect” and going my own way for 21 years, I came to a place of such dark despair I cried for weeks to the LORD to save me, and to show me His love. He touched me deeply one day, and began to restore my soul. I can’t express the joy and peace I felt as, for 7 sweet years, He took me on a journey through His Word and into His Presence that completely changed my life. Alone with Him. No other “men” to input or give their spin on what I should or should not do…..only Jesus. After SO many years of hungering and thirsting for Him I found HIM, and He BECAME my Rest. I needed no religious “days” or “ceremonies” or “rituals” to bring me into the Eternal Presence, I was there, and am there every moment of the remainder of my life. He TRULY IS my Rest, and I have entered in, today, tomorrow, I can’t worship or praise or love Him any more than at this moment. I have no need for anything else. He is my Life, my All…..Lord of my Sabbath Rest.
I am finding that the more I come to know Him–the more I am enlightened with the revelation of His preeminence in all things–the less I am having to say. Only now do I realize how much of “Self” spoke as the voice of God. I am experiencing that rest. I did not realize how “my plans, ideas, opionions, etc” created such a chaotic state inside my mind and spirit. The awe of His beauty and splendor has captivated me like never before. He reveals my true heart motives and intentions while revealing His holiness and magnificence. Who is this Christ that I am coming to truly know for the first time in my 15 years as a Christian? Even His corrections and chastisement is bathed in His love. Chip, these teachings have been so insightful and humbling. Thank you for being a faithful servant of our most High King.
I just read the intro to the four part series ” The Lord of the Sabbath ” and had to smile reading about Chips early years of sabbath keeping . I felt the same (just different circumstances)
Much of what the institutional churches teaches, is to form us into little pharisees .But, Praise God for “continuing” to reveal himself ( truth ) to us .
Looking back to those legalistic times and how they had even effected my views of home church , reminded me Of all He has brought us forward from and how much He still has to reveal to us in the future ! …
“There is so much to celebrate in Christ our Lord !!”