September 11, 2022; Sunday School

Order of Service

• Lesson — The Christian Sabbath: Application
• Prayer of Closing

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Sermon Title: Applying the Christian Sabbath

Scripture: Mark 2:27-28

I. Review of the Sabbath as a Continued Command

A. The Sabbath is grounded in creation and redemption

1. Found in Genesis 2
2. Repeated in the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5
3. Affirmed by Christ in Mark 2:27-28: the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath

B. The Westminster Larger Catechism Q&A 117 defines how the Sabbath is to be sanctified

1. Holy resting all the day from worldly employments and recreations
2. Spending the time in public and private exercises of God's worship
3. Preparing hearts and dispatching worldly business beforehand so as to be free for the duties of the day

II. The Two Goals of the Sabbath

A. To secure rest

1. You are a creature with limitations; God has given a day for rest
2. The rest gives the mind a break from the cares of the other six days so that higher interests may occupy the thoughts

B. That God should be properly worshipped

1. Charles Hodge: the Sabbath arrests the current of worldly life so that opportunity is afforded for other and higher interests
2. God's Word is to be duly studied and taught; the soul is to be brought under the influence of things unseen and eternal

III. The Framework for Application: The Puzzle Picture

A. Rather than a simple list of do's and don'ts, keep the goal — the puzzle picture — in view

1. Ask of any activity: does this serve holy rest and proper worship?
2. The goal is delight and joy in the day, not legalistic rule-keeping

B. A gospel reminder grounds all application

1. Ephesians 2:8-10: saved by grace through faith, not by works
2. We are saved for obedience, not by obedience — avoid a works-righteousness approach to Sabbath-keeping

IV. The Recreation Clause: A Case Study in Application

A. Historical background of the recreation clause in the Westminster Standards

1. King James's Book of Sports prescribed organized recreational activities for the Sabbath day
2. The Westminster Divines observed that the Book of Sports caused church attendance to drop as people pursued organized activities instead of worship
3. The recreation clause was aimed specifically at organized sporting events and activities that displace worship

B. Applying the recreation clause today

1. The question is not whether any outdoor or physical activity is forbidden, but whether the activity serves or undermines the goals of rest and worship
2. Example: a father throwing a ball with young children may help them expend energy so they can worship more attentively — this may serve the purposes of the day
3. A walk with a friend where spiritual matters are discussed may also fit within the spirit of the day
4. Organized activities — such as youth sports leagues scheduled on Sundays — pull people away from worship and are more clearly contrary to the intent of the day

C. Practical self-examination

1. Does an activity help or hinder holy rest?
2. Does it help or hinder worship and attention to God?
3. Honest reflection may step on toes and reveal habits that, while not explicitly forbidden, do not serve the purpose of the day

V. Practical Encouragements

A. Sunday evening worship as a bookend to the Lord's Day

1. The full day is framed by gathered worship, morning and evening
2. Evening worship is often received with greater restedness and readiness to receive the Word

B. Trusting God with the other six days

1. Personal testimony: doing schoolwork on Sundays produced continual exhaustion; observing the Sabbath transformed productivity and rest across the whole week
2. Keeping the Sabbath requires trusting God to enable completion of necessary work in six days

C. The Sabbath is a gift

1. Mark 2:27: the Sabbath was made for man — it is a gracious gift from the Lord
2. The aim is to delight in the day and to make it a joy for ourselves and our families