Lord of the Sabbath

Have your Bibles with you, and I am to turn with if you would to the gospel of Mark. We will be looking first of all, in chapter 2, starting at verse 23 and will get into chapter 3 will be later one Sabbath he was going to the grain feels as they made their way his disciples begin to pluck heads of grain and the Pharisees were saying to him, look while they do and what is not lawful on the Sabbath and he said to them if you never read what David did when he was indeed he was hungry. He and those were withing how we enter the house of God in the time of the a bath are the high priest and ate the bread of the presence which he does not lawful for any but the priest to eat also gave it to those who were withing, and he said to them, the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath so the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath that with me as we got our Lord in prayer. Heavenly father, we come before you today with many burdens on our heart we pray heavenly father for the church in Ukraine and the people in Ukraine right now, Lord, that are suffering in and going through an unbelievably tough time. We pray for mercy on them. We pray for our friends the hunt suckers to lead an orphanage and Chris Sean and asked Lord that you be with them and comfort them and help them Lord and protect them. Heavenly father, we just also pray for so many that are sick and are in our church today. Pray for Nicole Lois she going to the doctor this Tuesday. I pray father the doctor that she is going to be able to ascertain exactly what she needs and what they can do for her to break this dizziness that she's had for so many months. Pray for my brother Dan Nicholas today suffering with vertigo and asked that you be with him. Pray for Doug Colwell is suffering with cancer. Pray for Nancy Lindley who is going to be operated on to have a bad heart valve replaced this week. Pray for Susan Gray and Gerald Green Lord that had ablation of current catheterizations done as father that you be with them and help them to heal completely.

Thank you Lord for Tom Huntley in the answered prayer with him as they have put two stints in the widow maker artery and we praise you and thank you for that heavenly father our church culture in America today is so devalued the Lord's day that we know your heart is grieved football and Super Bowl parties, Little League games and whatever else is crowded out the desire to make Sunday worship a priority.

Father, he commanded us to make the Sabbath a delight. Not a burden or duty or an obligation it to be our favorite day of the week will be the day that we set aside not only work but everything else that hinders worship of you, Lord, be honored with our worship today and give me the ability to preach faithfully and passionately with clarity what is the precious holy name of Jesus that we pray. Amen. You may be seated. Through the years many people have asked me this question Doug. What makes Grace Church so special my answers this Grace Church loves Jesus they love his word and I love his day but Sunday is special for Grace Church nephew don't believe that and I want you to come over to my house on a Saturday night when there's a possibility would have to cancel service on the next day on Sunday you come over and sit with me. My by telephone. It is not a fun time as people are calling to tell me.don't call off worship. Doug don't stop this, we will not we want to be there.

We want to celebrate the Lord now that then give you the right to blast the session every time we have to cancel service. Rest assured of this. If we cancel service session heights it just as much as you do with the frustration that we feel when a service has to be canceled is making a huge statement and that statement is this. We love Jesus and we love his day.

Make no mistake about it folks the Lord is honored when his people love his day. When I just want to be together corporately, lifting him up and worshiping him with.

I want to take the world and just put it put it to the side for 24 hours. Cindy and I have missed several services over the last several weeks because of the of coded and we had missed the services, but we got to watch the services online and limiting. We were immensely blessed by that. Eugene did a wonderful wonderful job but I want you know something. It's not the same. There is nothing like corporate worship now. I'll ask your question. What's the difference between the Old Testament Sabbath and the New Testament Lord's day.

Will there is a difference, and the Old Testament Sabbath was a time where God created the heavens and earth on in six days. On the seventh day he rested and he gave us the command to do that same thing later on Mount Sinai, God went up on Mount Sinai, met with Moses and wrote on the finger of God own two stone tablets. The 10 Commandments he gave those commandments tube to Moses and the fourth commandment says remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Now we in the New Testament worship the Lord on the first day of the week in acts chapter 20 verse seven. Luke tells us that Paul gathered his church together and they met together worship on the first day of the week.

The first day of the week is the Lord's day is the day that Jesus Christ came out of the time he was resurrected and all that day. We gathered together to worship the Lord to hear the word of God expounded to give tithes and offerings and oftentimes to celebrate the Lord's supper is a glorious time. My purposes morning is not to argue the difference between the Old Testament Sabbath and the New Testament day the Lord my purposes to praise God over the similarities knelt one of my favorite passages of Scripture that deals with the Sabbath day is a 58 chapter of Isaiah in the 58 chapter of Isaiah, God commands his people to delight them sales in the Sabbath. Let me read you what he says in verse 13 to 14 if you turn back your foot from the Sabbath from doing your pleasure. All my holy day and you call the Sabbath a delight in the holy day of the Lord Hon. if you honor it not going your own ways are seeking your own pleasure or talking idly, then you shall take delight in the Lord now will make you ride high on the heights of the earth. I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob. Your father for the mouth of the Lord has spoken make the Sabbath a delight. Not a burden, not a duty not to dread, not an obligation, but a joyful delight me ask you something is Sunday. Your favorite day of the week. If you're Christian it all ability is Sunday.

Your favorite day of the week. Do you look forward to hearing the word of God expounded you look for the given ties and offering you look for just a worshiping Jesus together with your Christian friends corporately worshiping him from the heart. Today were looking at a passage organist see what the Sabbath was never intended to be. I got seven points own share with you .1 is the Sabbath incident. Look at verse 23, one Sabbath he was going to the grain feels as they made their way his disciples begin to pluck heads of grain on this particular Sabbath Jesus and the disciples where walking down the pathway on the side of the pathway. There was a farmer's field. And so there were these plants they are and as they're walking they reach over they pull some kernels of grain from the plant, and a puppet in their math and they swallow it down is nothing wrong with that grain on the pathway was open for any traveler and they could do that they weren't going into the field and stealing this poor farmers a barley or weed or whatever it was like was growing lately were doing that they were didn't bushel baskets of this stuff and taken away. I would just extinguishing a little of their hungry hunger pains as they were going along the way that God in Deuteronomy chapter 23 verse 25 said that's okay to do it. Listen to what he said if you going to your neighbor standing grain. You may pluck the ears with your hand but you shall not put a sickle to your neighbors standing grain to pluck a few grains of barley along the path was actually a provision that God gave to his people and so is nothing wrong with it folks as we have been going through the gospel of Mark. And as we continue to go through it. What you gonna say is criticism from the Pharisees and the religious leaders of Jesus over and over again. I want to ask you to do something every time you see and hear that criticism. I want you to remember that Jesus Christ cannot sin absolutely cannot sin, we need to remember that Hebrews chapter 4 says that Jesus Christ was tempted in all points even as we are, but yet was without sin. Second Corinthians 521 of the apostle Paul said, for God made him to be sin who knew no sin that we might become the righteousness of God in him. Jesus knew no sin in this situation of the grain be in pluck. Jesus was not sinning. He did not say that the disciples guys, this is probably not the right thing to do and that is just not a big deal. It is this is is not a big city and just have a little tiny sin that in that's okay for us to do is nothing like that going on. We must remember who Jesus is.

Jesus is God.

God cannot sin, if Jesus sin one time in his whole life. That would have disqualified him from being our Savior so the issue is this did Jesus sin and the answer is absolutely not right .2 the sarcastic indictment.

Look at verse 24 Pharisees were saying to him, look while they do and what is not lawful on the Sabbath. One of the rabbinic laws was that you cannot travel over 3000 feet on the Sabbath day that was called Sabbath day's journey is a little over 1/2 mile 1/2 miles 2640 feet is that you can't go over 3000. This is interesting to me because Jesus and the disciples were walking down this path for this for the Pharisees in these religious leaders to know what they were doing. They had to go and be with them. I'll guarantee you they had to walk a good way to get there. I'll guarantee you that they had to walk over a Sabbath day's journey, I guarantee you they brought this man-made ceremonial law. What tells me is this that they were concerned about what the law of God really said they would even concerned about with their own tradition, said they just wanted to get to Jesus books. It was these rabbinic laws that made the Sabbath burdensome and if the Sabbath is burdensome. It cannot be a delight. The Jews have a a book still used today call the town mood is filled with Old Testament regulations that the Pharisees and the and sages season and the religious leaders put together man-made rules and regulations.

In that book in the town mood.

If you pick one up.

Check it out. You'll find that there are 24 chapters that are written in that book on the subject of the Sabbath day 24 chapters with all these rules. All these regulations absolutely crazy. They call this the fence around the law.

I said we gotta put all these little man-made laws around the 10 Commandments we gotta do that. To be sure that if you keep the man-made laws, then you won't break God's law while John MacArthur did a masterful job in describing the foolishness of this listener what he said almost no area of life was spared from the fastidious Sabbath regulations of the rabbis which were designed to gain God's favor. There were laws about wine, honey, milk speeding, writing, getting dirt off close anything that might be contrived. His work was forbidden.

That's all Sabbath scribes cannot carry their opinions tailors their needles or students their books to do so I might tempt them to work on the Sabbath, for that matter carrying anything heavier than a dried fig was forbidden. His object in question had been picked up in a public place can only be set down in a private place. If the object were tossed into the air and had to be called with the same hand to catch it with the other hand, would constitute work and therefore be a violation of the Sabbath. No insects could be killed. A candle or flame could be later extinguished. I heard about Orthodox Jewish rabbis is true story. The ease up in New York City and every week right before the Sabbath day. He reminds his people to unscrew the lightbulb in the refrigerator right before the Sabbath. He said because you might go and and mistakenly open up the refrigerator on the Sabbath, and if you do that lightbulb flashes all in God that might consider that start the fire while Mark Mark MacArthur continues, nothing could be bought or sold. No bathing was a layout since water might spill onto the floor and accidentally wash it.

No furniture could be moved inside the house since it might create ruts in the dirt floor and thereby constitute plowing and could not be bold even if even if all 1 Did Was Pl. it in the hot desert sand or radish could not be left in salt, because it would become a pickle and pickling constituted work sick people were only allowed enough treatment to keep them alive any medical treatment and improve their condition was considered work and prohibited it was not even permissible for women to look in the mirror since they might be tempted to pull out any gray hairs they spotted, nor are they allowed to wear jewelry since jewelry weighs more than a dried food folks. If a person toward garment on the Sabbath day they were layout one stitch and that was it had weight to the next day to finish ditching the whole thing. Legalism leads to absurdity. Legalism leads to absurdity. So if you're a Christian, how can you be faithful to God. How can you be a fire of sin, and yet not be legalistic.

Lee absurd how we really seek diligently diligently for holiness without being self-righteous, prideful and legalistic answer this put Jesus Christ first in everything. If Jesus Christ said that he desires for us to fight lust with all of our heart, then it's not legalistic for you to put a filter on your computer. To be sure that you don't go to pornographic websites or some other website. This collision damage to your heart is not legalistic for you to get into an accountability group for you to stand or sit before some men or some women of God.

Each week in organist look you right in the face and ask you where your eyes have been not legalistic for you to cut out the movie channels on your TV. If you are an alcoholic you have a problem with alcohol is not legalistic for you to say I meant to be a teetotaler. I'm just not touch it anymore because it's not right for me to start bringing God any glory is not legalistic for you as a former alcoholic to say I'm not going to that restaurant. I'm not going to that bar because it might be a temptation. Books were not talking here about legalistic duty were talking about about joy. We're talking about absolute joyful obedience. Jesus said if you love me than keep my commandments that joyful to follow Jesus to obey him to please him. Delight yourself in the Sabbath is one of the ways to obey the Lord and to bring him glory, and to bring you joy like .3 is the Savior's illustration. Look at verse 25 to 26 and he said to them if you never read what David did when he was in need was hungry. He and those were withing how you enter the house of God in the time of the bath are the high priest and a the bread of the presence which is not lawful, but any for any but the priest to eat and also gave it to those who were withing without any apology. Jesus responded to these religious leaders. He responded to them by challenging their authority and by exposing their scriptural ignorance. He did that on purpose. It was like he was saying guys. Have you ever read the Bible, do you not know the Bible says what's wrong with you supposed to be the spiritual leaders here, and then Jesus went on to explain to a something that happened in the life of David David and his men were running from Saul. They were being hunted down and as they they were running the running they got hungry, they were starving and went to the house of God, and there in the house of God.

There was a table of showbread on that table. Of showbread there were 12 stale loaves of bread and those were usually just given to the priest that was the tradition that's what they were supposed to do with a high priest all David his men starving so he weighed the tradition and he said here you take this bread and you eat it so that you won't starve to death.

The Pharisees knew the story they had no idea as to what the story really meant to. Jesus said if you never read you guys are supposed to be the spiritual leaders of Israel. You don't even understand what the Bible says here's a high priest, a man of God to solve the human need here any minute that human needy wave. The man-made tradition in order that he might keep David and his men from from perishing starving to death. Since sin no does not violate the word of God. Absolutely not that anyone can complain about it David Sarandon complain about it David, the man God didn't complain about it. The priest were supposed to get the food didn't complain about it. One man complained about, and that was Saul. Saul. By this time he rejected God and rejected God's word. He would really concerned about the law being broken.

He was just concerned that he get David so that he could killing in Matthew chapter 12 verse five and six. Matthew gives a saloon more detail than Mark does. And let me read you what he said Jesus added. These are words that Jesus said or have you not read in the law on the Sabbath the priest in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless I say something greater than the temple is here Jesus also pointed them to the example that they could see right there in front of them. Something that happened every week and that is that the priest would have to go and start a fire on the altar of God. And then they would go out they would kill animals were sacrificed and they brought it back and they did that every Sabbath, they did that and what did the Pharisees and the religious leaders say about all this. They exonerated them is all that's fine you that's what's got to be done to you just go in and do it. What did Jesus know he knew that the complaint from the Pharisees had nothing to do with her man-made traditions or regulations. It really had to do with their hatred for Jesus point for the sovereign interpreter. Look at verse 27 to 28 and he said to them, the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath so the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath. God never intended ceremony, ritual and tradition to stand in the way of mercy, kindness and goodness to others. So Jesus made a statement this the Sabbath is made for man and not man for the Sabbath have so God gave us the Sabbath so that men would understand their need to get weekly physical rest and present sisters as tremendously important, but not only that, it also motivates God's people to put God first that in their worship there might not be a hindrance. There might not be distractions there might be just looking to the Lord with everything else out of their heart and mind but salute like Isaiah said is God's will for us to make the Sabbath delight in God desires for us to worship him and to enjoy it. He desires for us to fellowship with him and enjoy it. I can't tell you how many times of heard preachers, especially on Saturday. Make this statement. Man, I preach a sermon tomorrow whether they mean by that they mean that they have the responsibility of getting up in the pulpit, opening up the word of God and preaching to the people of God that are under their care. They got to do that but if they had their way about it. If they really got to do what their heart wanted to do and be doing a million other things other than that now. Yes, preaching is a God-given responsibility.

It takes work. It takes time. It takes study and sometimes it's hard but it preaching ever gets to the point where a preacher can do it and not experience joy. He needs to quit. He needs to quit or repent member here in Adrian Rogers talking about two pastors that he saw as he was just walking to a hospital one day and they were talking.

He overheard him one preacher said you know he said Doug only said tomorrow is Super Bowl Sunday. He said about half of our people won't even show up in the other preacher said will 40 don't do bad is on those who were thinking about just canceling services as Adrian just broke out in song Faith of our fathers. Holy faith we will be true to lead till death except on Super Bowl Sunday. Folks the Lord wants the Sabbath to be a delight, not a duty or burden. Then Jesus made a statement that blew the Pharisees away since of the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath without apology or explanation. Jesus said he was the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath present sisters.

I believe this is one of the greatest Christological statements in the Bible Jesus is saying to that group. I want you to understand that I am God. I want you to understand that I am the one who gave the Sabbath commandment.

I am the creator of heaven and earth.

I created the heavens and the earth in six days. On the seventh day. I rested. I am the one who gave Moses the 10 Commandments and the fourth commandment says remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. I am the one who spoke in Isaiah 58 and says make the Sabbath a delight.

What Jesus is saying that these religious leaders is the us do not question my understanding of the Sabbath. I am the one who gave the command if anybody understands the Sabbath and what should be done and what should not be done in all of the me, for I am God is what he said.

John MacArthur said is God in you as God in human flesh. He condemned their self-righteous attempts to please God. He was characterized by grace. They prided themselves on their works. He demonstrated mercy and compassion to people they cared only about protecting their petty customs. He exemplified the true purpose of the Sabbath, they twisted a divine blessing to a dismal day of drudgery to get into chapter 3 will see the righteous anger of Christ. The Pharisees in this Sadducees, and in all them had been preaching for a long time about the promised Messiah that was coming then uses the Scriptures they they knew the signs that they knew the prophecies that you all of that they knew what was being fulfilled even by Jesus updated on talk about that they wanted to get away from that. But what he Jesus done to fulfill Scripture Jesus a given site to the blind. He given hearing to the day of the given speech to the meat. Given mobility to the paralyzed. Raise people from the dead he took five loaves of bread and two fish and fed 5000 people.

He turned water into wine.

Jesus did all of that.

Those were undeniable and they were indisputable miracles maybe say so what here's what here's what Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath and the Lord of the Sabbath is God. Last week Amelia Turner sent Leah sermon that was that was preached by Buddy Baucom and knows a great sermon on the Sabbath, but he said something that just really running my bail. He said he said this, the seven day week is a revelation from God. If God did not reveal to us what a week was then we could never have known it. He said no that's different with the day or month or year. He said day of the month or year.

You can see them and you could piece it together through nature, you have a general revelation there that would teach you that example you could put a man have on a desert island and after a while he stayed there good while he would come to realize that every 24 hours. Sun goes out in the sun goes down and and there's evening and morning today, he would see what today is. And then he would also take a look at the month you notice that approximately every 30 days, you'd see the moon go through all all the way through its phases and then for the year. These there long enough he would see that the every 365 days approximately there there there comes a a spring summer fall and winter. Those things can be known through nature folks a week can't be known through nature. The only way we would ever have none. What a week was and how important it is, is that God revealed it to us in his holy word that God sent us.

I created heavens and earth in six days and on the seventh day. I rested and this is the pattern for you. This is what you are to do. How important is that it lets us know that the week is holy is the weakest different. It lets us know that we are to make the Sabbath a delight. Talking to Eugene about this. He told me some I didn't know hey said that during the French Revolution of the French decided that they were going change the number of days in the week and so they said let's have a 10 day week instead of the seven day week at that worked out form and was nothing but confusion and absolute chaos, but you'd almost think that God knew what he was doing and he does what Texas do .5 the context look with me. In chapter 3 verses one into again. He entered the synagogue and a man was there with her hand and I watched Jesus to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath so that they might accuse him. Jesus was teaching in the synagogue. He was teaching on subjects that hit the heart and in his teaching. He explained to people how to live out biblical principles. He was preaching on subjects like repentance and faith and and humility. When Jesus preached people walked away from.

They are feeling convicted, but challenged, comforted and hopeful. But when the Pharisees preached the religious leaders.

People walked away, condemned, and hopefully this was Jesus preached he saw he saw a man who had a withered hand. This man's hand was neurologically lifeless. Had that happen to me was he born that way will, there's a tradition that can't really be verified since this man was a stonemason and that he was in a accident that stones fell on his hand and it caused him to be have a have a hand. It was neurologically lifeless.

We don't know is true or not, but whatever. Jesus all the man's withered hand and he walked over to doing.

And you know he could've very easily said to this guy.

I like he heal you today, but today's that the Sabbath and if I do the. As always, but will be fussing at me slowly, all these questions about it. Which is why good morning you come on back and I'll heal you tomorrow. He did not say that he went right to this man knowing that he should heal him right there on that day on the Sabbath. The Pharisees were like a bunch of hungry wolves, ready to pounce on the Lamb.

We tell you something they didn't give a hoot for this man. I didn't care about him. They were concerned about him. Luke chapter 6 verse eight is the same passage and in that verse, we are told that Jesus knew what they were thinking they were trying to set a trap Jesus knew what they were thinking. He knew exactly what they were trying to do and you know what he didn't avoid it. In fact, he sought it out is a list get on with it .6 the confrontation verse 335 and he said to the man's a withered hand come here and he said to them, is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or do harm to save life or to kill. They were silent. He looked around at them with anger grieved at the hardness of their heart said to the man stretch out your hand.

He stretched it out, his hand was restored man's a withered hand, did not ask to be healed. If that were never told the man actually said any word at all. Jesus looks over the religious leaders and he said asked them a question, he said on the Sabbath day is it right to do good to do evil to heal or to kill Scripture says I kept silent. I knew better than their mouth because it would've shown their heartlessness. They wanted everybody else to think they were really really good people. Their hearts were wicked. Scripture says that Jesus looked at them and he was grieved at the hardness of their heart was your heart is your heart hard toward God.

Is it is it easy to give over to sin. Jesus is grieved over the hardness of heart's to cause the man over man comes over to them. Jesus is stretch out your hand and he reaches over and heals him on the spot like .7 is the conspiracy. Verse six the Pharisees went out and immediately helped Kelso with Moravians against team how to destroy him. This is a great picture of the true condition of the human heart. Here's a man who Jesus has just healed given him ability to use this hand again. How glorious is that they can go back to work. We can provide income for his family. He can be productive in society we can enjoy life again. It would seem like everybody would've been excited and joyful and just getting pumped up about that Pharisees and care about you in anything that was going on with this man except there's a really use it as a trap for Jesus. They were going to use it if they might send Jesus to the cross, Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath. That means that Jesus is God's Jesus is God, he can stop those Pharisees right there on the spot. If Jesus was God.

They can said oh no you're not sending me to the cross. I'm not going. I will not go because I don't want to go and I'm God. He could have done that. He didn't do that will not because he knew that it was the father's will for him to go to the cross brothers and sisters. What does that say to us. I think it says this, that the Lord of the Sabbath loves us more than we could ever begin to imagine a man a man is pray.

Heavenly father in the passage that we study today. We saw one of the greatest Christological statements in the Bible, Jesus said he was the Lord of the Sabbath he was claiming deity. Tell the Pharisees to forget their burdensome man-made traditions and follow his lead.

He was letting them know that he is the one he rested on the seventh day of creation. He is the one who gave to Moses.

The fourth commandment to keep the Sabbath holy Lord, let us rejoice in that truth. Jesus said he's a Lord of the Sabbath is the one is called called his people to make the Sabbath a delight. Let us be faithful and joyful worshipers. May the Lord's day be our favorite day for us in Jesus name we pray, man