I’ve habitually been breaking one of the Ten Commandments.
Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Exodus 20:8
Am I the only one who treats this commandment like it’s a suggestion? Like it doesn’t mean nearly as much as the others?
How to Keep the Sabbath According to the Bible
I don’t know whether it’s Satan or culture or flesh or some combination of all three, but I’m starting to believe there’s a systematic and subtle (but major) attack on the idea of Sabbath. And if that’s the case, there must be something about Sabbath that is very dear to God and very good for God’s people, or else I don’t think it would be such a struggle. (And I don’t think it’s coincidental that we often don’t even realize it’s a struggle.)
The interesting thing to me as I’ve been pondering this is that from all appearances, I honor the Sabbath just fine. I’ve been worshipping faithfully with my local church, although I’ve come to realize that even that has become more duty than delight, if I’m being painfully honest. (*cringe*)
And any work that I do on Sunday afternoons is the sit-on-the-couch-and-work-on-the-computer kind of work. I’ve been telling myself that it’s restful because it’s not really laborious, but it turns out that I’ve been telling myself a lie.
I don’t know about you, but I suspect it’s time that I give some serious consideration to how to keep the Sabbath according to the Bible.
First, let me speak briefly about just a couple of the reasons why God initiated a Sabbath in the first place. This isn’t an exhaustive list, but these reasons have been especially pertinent to my own situation.
Why God Created the Sabbath Day
1.)To remind us of our limitations. God is utterly self-sufficient, with no needs whatsoever, least of all the need for food, water, or rest. I am not self-sufficient in the slightest, needing food, water, and rest. I need to press pause on my life and redirect my gaze upward and remember that He is God and I am not. Observing a Sabbath reminds me that I am limited, which is a very good thing because it compels me to worship my God who is limitless.
2.)To put us in our place. God is supremely sovereign, and apart from Him, nothing in existence would ever see the light of day. He is utterly essential to everything that is and was and is to come. I am utterly non-essential by comparison. Observing a Sabbath reminds me that He is the center of THE universe, and He belongs at the center of MY universe.
What Are We Supposed to Do on the Sabbath Day?
One thing I don’t want to do is advocate legalism about what Christians are or are not allowed to do on the Sabbath. While the principles are universal, the specifics I’m sharing with you are only for you to consider whether there may be parts of it that apply to your situation.
But maybe your situation is very different from mine. It could be that you need to observe Sabbath differently, whether that be honoring it on a different day or in a different manner. The way you honor the Sabbath is between you and God, but here are a couple of helpful principles from Matthew 12:
1.)Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath.
2.)It is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.
The second one is especially meaningful for me as someone who is very active in my local church. It’s not unusual for me to serve in the nursery, play in the orchestra, and teach the kids’ choir all on the same Sunday.
Which brings me to my next question.
How Should We Keep the Sabbath If We’re Involved in Ministry?
This is a question that has plagued me for years, and I’ve finally sensed the Lord leading me toward some guidelines I am establishing for myself based on these questions.
1)Is my ministry work, or is it worship? If it’s worship, it’s part of Sabbath.
Now I think ministry is often both work and worship, and this is especially true for church leadership and staff. It’s not wrong for ministry to be work, but this means you would benefit from having a Sabbath that is separate from a day of ministry.
I’m not on church staff, so as a layperson involved in ministry on a volunteer basis, I believe my service in the church should lean more toward worship than work, and if that’s the reality of my ministry, it is still part of a holy Sabbath.
2)Is my ministry prideful and self-driven, or humble and others-driven? If it’s humble and others-driven, it’s part of Sabbath.
It’s pretty simple, really. Ministry should always be about God first, and then others. It shouldn’t be about me at all. Since that’s what Sabbath is about, too, ministry on the Sabbath doesn’t have to be an oxymoron.
3)Does my ministry compel me toward self-sufficiency, or thrust me to God for His provision? If it thrusts me to God for His provision, it’s part of Sabbath.
This is a big one for me. If Sabbath is intended to remind us of our utter dependence on God (and it is), then any act of service I perform that is divorced from His provision is also divorced from His gospel and divorced from Sabbath. Ministry should thrust me to God for His provision every single day, not only on the Sabbath. And ministry conducted out of His provision and not my own can be Sabbath ministry.
Practical Changes to Honor the Sabbath
Here are some practical changes I’m making to better honor the Sabbath in my own life:
- Start the Sabbath properly by preparing my heart for it the night before.
- Maintain a posture of worship, humility, love, and trust in ministry.
- Cast off a mindset of striving, pride, and self-sufficiency in ministry.
- Put aside non-essential tasks.
I know God still has so much to teach me about the Sabbath, but I’m thankful for these fresh insights He has granted, and for the way I can trust Him to keep leading me like the patient Shepherd He is. He is Lord of the Sabbath after all, and He’s never unwilling for the earnestly seeking heart to draw nearer.
May you and I and all of His people honor the Sabbath, and honor the Lord of the Sabbath always.
If your ministry is all about Holy God and you worship a Holy God then how do you separate the two? If your ministry is to provide teachings of the Lord then wouldn’t that certainly include worshipping the Lord? Surely the combination would be well received by God on His Sabbath.
Hi, Gregory, and thanks for your thoughtful comment. Your questions represent part of my own thought process as I’ve pondered with this issue. They may seem to have obvious answers in theory, but my personal experience has been that the “work” aspect of ministry–the labor, effort, energy, and time invested–can at times overshadow the “worship” aspect. It ought not be so, but none of us is perfect yet, and so we do well to keep the heart attitude behind our ministry ever at the forefront of our minds.
Thank you for this article. I do have a question: Why do you think Sunday is the Sabbath? The 4th commandment says that it’s the seventh day. I wonder if God began that commandment with the word “remember” because he knew many would forget and choose a different day. Some people might argue that the day doesn’t matter, but it clearly does since God mentioned a specific day of the week. Just food for thought.
Hi, Carrie, and thank you for your thoughtful comment. Within Christianity, there are different perspectives on when to observe the Sabbath. Historically, Christians have set aside the first day of the week for worship, at times referring to it as “the Lord’s Day” because that’s the day of the week when Jesus rose from the dead. In fact, it seems likely that this happened from the time of the apostles (Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:2). For believers under the New Covenant (as all believers are today), it’s the principles behind Sabbath that should take priority over any particular day of the week. I observe Sabbath on Sunday, but Christians whose schedules require them to work on Sundays may choose an alternate day, and of course Christians whose conscience compels them to observe a Saturday Sabbath should do so.
Thinking about your answer, and my understanding of it:
By your answer it seems humans, then, clearly changed the 4th commandement and aren’t obeying/keeping it properly. If it should be the seventh day, then it’s clear we need to go over and beyond to keep that day even if it is not what Christian history preaches. The Bible/God is our preacher. My schedule should revolve around God’s principles, not my own. That is worship!
As well as teaching about God is worship to Him. Worship is not solely bowing down in praise, but spreading his goodness.
Thanks for sharing your perspective, Carol!
The Sabbath was not apart of the original covenant it was proclaimed from the time of creation in genesis. It was given the lengthiest portion of the 10 commandments in which it says remember and keep holy along with which day ot is on a what will happen if you dont honor it (Leviticus). It was observed by Jesus and he said to do as he did. It was observed by Paul and so on until 3rd century. Even the Catholics acknowledge that Sunday is in fact NOT the Sabbath. If you through out man made traditions and read the Bible as it is you would worship and rest on Saturday. Man made traditions and self imposed laws is what Jesus was talking about to the pharisees.
Hello there, and thanks for your comment. You might find these Scriptures helpful:
“And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in Him. Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.”
Colossians 2:13-17
But God specifically said Saturday? To worship on Sunday is to worship a man-made time chanhe of the Sabbath, given to us by Roman Emperor Constantine I. What is sad is I remember reading in scripture somewhere Jesus speaking of time being altered. Representing the mark of the beast. God’s seal is resting on the seventh day. Not the first. We have to remember His word is absolute and just because man changed the laws around to better suit your life, doesn’t mean we should oblige and just ignore scriptures that contradict ourselves. I apologize, but Sunday worship as The Holy Day doesn’t seem to be the right thing to do. I know I’m not wrong about it. But I also know many of you will disagree, simply because it contradicts. Have a blessed one. All of you. I’m learning to keep the Sabbath, hence why I am here. Saturday.. He said the seventh day.. So keep the Sabbath on the seventh day. I love you all.
Hello there, and thanks for your comment. You might find these Scriptures helpful:
“And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in Him. Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.”
Colossians 2:13-17
Hi. Love the topic. The Bible is very clear when it talks about the sabbath, being the 7th day of the week. It’s clear from the creation on. To God, it does matter what day you make your sabbath to be because he made it clear in his word. Just thought I would share that with you.
Hi, Mayra, and thanks for reading and sharing your perspective. God gave us wonderfully kind principles to observe through the Sabbath, but in Christ, we aren’t condemned under the Law. Thanks be to God!
“And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in Him. Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.”
Colossians 2:13-17