This Week\’s Sunday School Lesson, \”Making God Special In Our Lives\”, 12/3/2015

MAKING GOD SPECIAL IN OUR LIVES

 

Exodus 20:8-11, 31:12-16

 

 

GOD\’S DAY

V:8 \”Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.\”

1. In Genesis Chapter 1, God gave us the order in which He made the

Heavens and the earth.

1. In six days or six time periods, God completed His creative process.
2. On the seventh day, He rested.
3. Prior to the giving of the commandment to Israel, they were slaves.
4. God gave His commands to free people.
5. The commands were design to teach Israel how to live as free people.
6. I suggest, that God gave Israel His commands to keep them free.
7. God\’s commands are an obligation not an option.
8. They were commanded to keep the seventh day holy.
9. The word \”holy\” is from the Hebrew word \”qadesh\” which means to set apart,

separate, or to be sacred.

1. The seventh day was a day to set apart or to be different from the other six days.
2. The day of rest was set apart from the days of labor.

 

LABOR DAYS

V:9-10. \” Six days you shall labor and do all your work,

10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates.\”

1. Any man or animal that works, need a time to rest and to recuperate.
2. The Hebrew word \”Sabbath\” means intermission, cease or desist.
3. God set aside the seventh day as a day for us to reflect on Him.
4. It is only by keeping our focus on the Lord\’s commands that we can continue to

be free:

1. Free from worry.
2. Free from the sins of the world
3. Free from the evil desires of the flesh.
4. When we take time to look back at our previous labors we can see the works of God

in our lives.

1. We are commanded to give those in our charge time to rest.
2. Without rest, we will work ourselves in to the grave.
3. When we focus on God, not only is our body getting rest but also our minds.
4. The seventh day is a day of peaceful obedience.
5. It is a day of restful obedience.
6. It is a day of joyful obedience.
7. It is a day of profitable obedience.
8. It is a day of thankful obedience.
9. It is a day of grateful obedience.
10. It is a day to focus on God\’s love for us.

 

GOD\’S CREATIVE ORDER

V:11. \” For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.\”

1. God set the example for us to follow.
2. Not that God needed any rest, but perhaps He want us see in Him the right way of

operating in this world.

1. There is nothing but holiness in the Lord.
2. We being in the flesh have to learn holiness.
3. We being in the flesh have to learn the importance of being holy.
4. The Lord blessed the Sabbath day.
5. All of our blessing comes from the Lord.
6. All of our labors are blessings to us from the Lord.
7. The Sabbath day is a day of blessing without any labor.
8. God set the Sabbath day aside for us to reflect on His righteousness and His goodness.
9. 1/7 equals 14.3%.
10. God demands that we devote 14.3% of our time to Him.
11. Give God a day of total obedience and He promises to bless the other six days.

 

THE SABBATH AN EVERLASTING COVENANT WITH GOD

Exodus 31:12-16

V:12-13. \” Then the Lord said to Moses,

13 \”Say to the Israelites, \’You must observe my Sabbaths. This will be a sign between me and you for the generations to come, so you may know that I am the Lord, who makes you holy.\”

1. The design of the observance of the Sabbath is for us to know that it is God who

has set us aside for Himself.

1. The Israelites under the Law devoted the last day of the week as the Lord\’s day.
2. Christians under Grace devote the first day of the week as the Lord\’s day.
3. Jesus resurrection on the First day of the week set Sunday as the day

to devote to the Lord.

1. Notice, God did not set everybody aside.
2. God set those aside that He chose to believe in Him.
3. All believer are adopted into the family of God by our faith in Jesus Christ.
4. To each is given a measure of faith.
5. Therefore, even the faith we have is a gift from God.
6. We have been given the faith to believe in the Word of God.
7. Devoting a day of our time to God is a sign to the world that He has set us aside

for His own purpose.

1. Devoting a day of the week to God is a sign to the world that we have been

chosen by God.

1. No one can come to Jesus unless he is drawn by the Father.

 

 

THE CURSE OF NOT KEEPING THE SABBATH

V:14 \”\’Observe the Sabbath, because it is holy to you. Anyone who desecrates it must be put to death; whoever does any work on that day must be cut off from his people.\”

1. The Israelites were given this command to keep the Sabbath with a promise of

blessings.

1. Disobeying this command was certain death.
2. To disobey God is sin.
3. All unrighteousness is sin.
4. The wages of sin is death.
5. The law was given to the Israelites not to save them, but to show their need for a

redeemer.

 

1. Obedience to the God commands was a sign of their faith in the Word.
2. God commands are design to show our dependence on Him.
3. In the flesh, man cannot keep all of God\’s commands.
4. But we can do all things through Christ who strengthen us.
5. Without faith in Jesus, eternal death is certain.

 

 

RESTING IN THE LORD

V:15. \” For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day must be put to death.\”

1. The Sabbath is a type of our eternal rest with God.
2. We labor all the days of our lives.
3. At the end of our labor on earth, God has set aside a heavenly rest.
4. Observing God commands while we yet live provides eternal rest in heaven.
5. Disobeying God commands while we yet live provides eternal death.
6. The Israelites, by not observing the Sabbath were eternally separated from God

by death.

1. We enter into God\’s Sabbath day by our faith in Jesus Christ.
2. It is faith in Jesus that sets us aside for God final Sabbath day.

 

 

V:16.  The Israelites are to observe the Sabbath, celebrating it for the generations to come as a lasting covenant.

1. Obedience to God Word is the everlasting covenant.
2. Jesus said, If you love me keep my commandments.
3. By observing God\’s Sabbath, the Israelites were able to keep their focus

on the righteousness of God.

1. By Grace, Jesus established a new covenant in His Blood.
2. Our faith in the Word of God is an everlasting sign to the world of our election

by Christ.

1. Jesus was resurrected on the first day of the week.
2. Jesus death on the cross fulfilled all the requirements of the Law.
3. Jesus resurrection on the first day of the week ended the requirement for

recognizing the Sabbath.

1. Jesus resurrection on first day of the week, set Sunday as the new holy day of

observance.

1. Everyday is a day that the Lord has made, and we should rejoice and be glad in it.
2. Everyday is the Lord\’s day that we should observe.
3. God made us special by choosing us for eternal life.
4. We should make God special by giving God a day of devotion.

 

DEVOTING OURSELVES TO GOD IS TRAINING FOR HEAVEN

 

Rev. M. Mitchell

Asst Pastor  of Greater Macedonia Baptist Church

5510 West Sam Houston Parkway

Houston, Texas