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Jun 16, 2019

Come To Jesus

Come To Jesus

Speaker: Dennis Gallaher

Series: Sabbath

Category: Sunday Morning

Sabbath is a gift that bids us and welcomes us to come to Jesus.

“Sabbathing” is simple: rest your body, recharge your emotions, involve yourself in meaningful relationships, refocus your relationship with God. It’s not about doing nothing. It’s about doing the right things instead.

Go back to the beginning, to Genesis, and look at the days of creation. Day 1: God turns on the lights; Day 2: God created the heavens (to turn our gaze upwards to Him); Day 3: God created the plants and especially the seed (to multiply His creation and His gifts); Day 4: God created the sun, moon, and stars (to look up and keep a childlike wonder); Day 5: the birds and fish of the sea (to keep us thinking about the creative God we serve); Day 6: God creates animals and man (creating man according to His own image). What is God’s image? It’s relational. It rules everything. It is creative. God created us to be relational and to rule over what He gave us, to live life with joy and gusto.

Then Day 7: Genesis 2:2-3 By the seventh day, God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.

Sabbath begins in Genesis - On Day 7, God gave Adam a day of Sabbath. This day has no record of ending; rest is given as a perpetual relationship with God. God completed His work and He rested. Yet, He still created on the 7th - He created rest. He unchained from labor on that day. He made it special. Sabbath was not a law that was established later - it was God creating rest on Day 7.

In Matthew 12, Jesus and His disciples walked through the field on the Sabbath and picked grain to eat as they were hungry. The Pharisees were close by trying to catch them breaking the Sabbath. Like this story, God desires to give you a day of rest but the devil wants to rob the very first gift that God gave to man, the gift of rest, and gift of being able to freely relate to God and to relate to others for the rest of your life. If he can’t steal it, he will mess it up, or he will kill.

John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. Abundant life is life in Jesus Christ. Yet, some live lives that are not restful or abundant. Abundant is not about having more stuff than others. Abundant life is about having enough so that I can rest from my labor with God and others.
Jesus calls us to rest - to Sabbath. Matthew 11:28-29 Come to Me all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.

Jesus wants us to come to Him if we’ve worked ourselves into exhaustion, if we are full of turmoil and desire peace. Jesus says Come. The promise that then comes: I will give you what the devil stole from you at creation when he took away the Sabbath from you.
The rich young ruler obeyed all the commandments and law and asked what more He needed. Jesus replied with give up everything (Come to Me, submit to Me) and I will (a promise) give you (a gift) Sabbath (rest). It’s the very best gift that we need and we can only find it in Jesus.

Matthew 11:29 learn from Me. There is a learning process of sharing the burden with the one who is gentle and humble and the result is rest for your soul - an inner satisfaction that my God will supply all my needs! Philippians 4:19

Matthew 12:9-13 Departing from there, He went into their synagogue. And a man was there whose hand was withered. And they questioned Jesus, asking, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—so that they might accuse Him. And He said to them, “What man is there among you who has a sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will he not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable then is a man than a sheep! So then, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” Then He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand!” He stretched it out, and it was restored to normal, like the other. By this healing, Jesus is declaring value on the Sabbath. It is lawful to do good on the Sabbath. God wants to do good in my life.

Sabbath not just a day of the week, but the very first gift that God gave to mankind and it’s ours if we give up our burden, take His burden, give up trying harder, rest with Him. Jesus claimed to be the Lord of rest, the giver of rest, a companion. In giving us Jesus, God returned Sabbath to His creation.

Hebrews 4:9 So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. Sabbath is not a day, or attitude or discipline. It’s a gift. It remains unopened for too many - so start unwrapping yours today. We can’t earn favor with God. Come to Jesus and stop working on getting to Him, exchange your burden, and listen.

Just As I Am
Just as I am, without one plea
That thy blood was shed for me
And that though bid’st me come to thee
O Lamb of God, I come.

Just as I am, and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark blot
To thee whose blood can cleanse each spot
O Lamb of God, I come.

Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind
Sight, riches, healing of the mind
Yeah, all I need, in Thee to find
O Lamb of God, I come.

Just as I am, Thy love unknown
Has broken every barrier down
Now to be Thine, yea, Thine alone
O Lamb of God, I come.

Just as I am, that free love
Breathe, length, depth, height
To prove, here for a season and above
O Lamb of God, I come.

Come, Step out! Ask God for a gift of rest. Allow Jesus to put me in His yoke – that’s easy and light and to bring me to a new place. Come, take His rest. Allow Him to give me that gift and set my feet on a path that is free and filled with rest. Walk in the rest of the Sabbath of God.

What new insights do you gain from this message on Sabbath?
What burden can you give to Him and accept His rest?
What new goal will you make for this season of Sabbath at FFC?