Memorial OPC Adult Sunday School - Westminster Shorter Catechism – 2011-2012

 

Q59: Which day of the seven has God appointed to be the weekly Sabbath?

A59: From the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ, God appointed the seventh day of the week to be the weekly Sabbath; and the first day of the week ever since, to continue to the end of the world, which is the Christian Sabbath.

 

I. The Sabbath is an ENDURING MORAL COMMAND for us.

II. The Sabbath is a command that is NOT REPEALED in the New Testament.

 

Q58: What is required in the fourth commandment?

A58: The fourth commandment requires the keeping holy to God such set times as he appointed in his Word; expressly one whole day in seven to be a holy Sabbath to himself.

Q60: How is the Sabbath to be sanctified?

A60: The Sabbath is to be sanctified by a holy resting all that day, even from such worldly employments and recreations as are lawful on other days; and spending the whole time in the public and private exercises of God's worship, except so much as is to be taken up in the works of necessity and mercy.

Q61: What is forbidden in the fourth commandment?

A61: The fourth commandment forbids the omission or careless performance of the duties required, and the profaning the day by idleness, or doing that which is in itself sinful, or by unnecessary thoughts, words, or works, about our worldly employments or recreations.

Q62: What are the reasons annexed to the fourth commandment?

A62: The reasons annexed to the fourth commandment are, God's allowing us six days of the week for our own employments, his challenging a special propriety in the seventh, his own example, and his blessing the Sabbath day.

 

III. Your Observance of the Sabbath Day.

 

1. Where you must start

 

      Romans 7:14

      Romans 8:4

      Revelation 1:10

 

2. The guiding principle

 

      A C                       from one kind of work in order to E                         in another kind of work.

 

      The Sabbath day is not a day of I                        . It is a day of different A                   . It is a H                    day, that is, S             A                    , from one thing for another.

 

3. What or who is the pattern?

 

            Genesis 2:2-3                                                  John 20:26

            Exodus 20:11                                                  Acts 2:1

            Exodus 31:17                                                  Acts 20:7

            Deuteronomy 5:15                                          1 Corinthians 16:1-2

            Luke 4:16 (Lev. 23:3)

            Luke 14:1-6

            John 7:21-24

 

4. Trying to make it practical

 

      Not first and foremost a list of things you can N                        do. Rather, a day set aside to focus on God and what He has done.

 

      If the Lord’s day is a day of worship and communion with God without distraction…

 

A. P                 for it – “remember;” consider the manna (Ex. 16:29); the fire (Ex. 35:3).

 

            B. Is this a direct exercise of worship and communion with God?

 

                        Public, Family, Private (descending priority)

                        Public ordinances

                        Bible reading; prayer; meditation; Sabbath reading; godly discourse

 

            C. Is this helping someone else to worship and commune with God?

 

                        Healing                                               Restoration

 

            D. Is this hindering someone else from worshipping and communing with God?

 

                        Employing others to work for me

                        Walking in self-righteousness with a judgmental spirit

 

            E. Is this contributing to the worship of God?

 

                        Food                                                    Moderate rest/nap

                        Fellowship with God’s people           Moderate physical activity

 

            F. Is this a work of necessity?

 

                        Helping someone in need                   Basics of life

                        Emergencies

 

Anything that is not “feeding” the day as a day of worship and communion with God is a           D                                 and is ultimately robbing you of God’s blessing on His day. These distractions come from W                 , and sometimes they work their way out.

 

The moral law à

      exposes the law of sin and death which reigns over me à

            the law of sin and death shows me my need for the work of Jesus Christ à

the work of Jesus Christ procures: (1) no condemnation for me, and (2) the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus ruling in me (this is the new governing principle of grace which replaces the ruling and reigning of the law of sin and death) à

the reigning law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus sets me free to now obey the moral law and fulfill righteousness as defined by the moral law à

but this new reigning principle is not some impersonal “thing.” Rather, the blessed Holy Spirit Himself takes up residency in me and enables me to walk according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh.

 

Don’t settle for something less…

Isaiah 58:13 “If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, From doing your pleasure on My holy day, And call the Sabbath a delight, The holy day of the LORD honorable, And shall honor Him, not doing your own ways, Nor finding your own pleasure, Nor speaking your own words, 14 Then you shall delight yourself in the LORD; And I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth, And feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father. The mouth of the LORD has spoken.”