01.08.23 - The Sabbath Part 1 - Genesis 2:1-3

Open your Bibles to Genesis 2:1-3.  •That’s where we’ll be starting today.  •This morning we begin a six-week study of the doctrine of the Christian Sabbath.  Now, before we dive in, let’s start with a definition: What is the Sabbath? •The Sabbath is one day in seven, that God chooses, to be wholly dedicated to His worship.  •One day in seven where we set aside all ordinary labors (works of necessity and mercy excepted), and set aside all worldly recreations, IN ORDER TO devote the whole day to worshipping God.  •One day in seven, we are to cease from our worldly thoughts, words, works, pleasures, and employments, though legitimate on other days of the week, SO THAT we can give ourselves over to worshipping God in public and private the whole day. •That day from the beginning of creation until the resurrection of Christ was the seventh day of the week. But from the resurrection of Christ to the end of the world has been changed to the first day of the week.  Now, that sounds like nonsense in the ears of most modern Christians.  •I know it did to me until a few years ago.  •But the more I read our forefathers in the Faith, and the more I searched the Scriptures they were commenting on, the more I realized that this doctrine was nothing to mock because it is indeed biblical.  •And I hope to show that to you in the coming weeks.  Now, a six-week study on the doctrine of the Christian Sabbath probably, to some, seems to be a bit lengthy.  •And that’s because this doctrine is one that many are unfamiliar with.  •So, allow me to give a defense for this series. As an Elder over this congregation, my job is to shepherd the flock of God that makes up this church.  •And a huge part of that job is to TEACH the sheep.  •In fact, the Apostle Paul tells Elders that we are to “give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.” (Titus 1:9) •So, I am to teach sound doctrine. And I am to rebuke, or refute, or convince those who contradict sound doctrine.  •That is, part of my job is to help those who are in error to come to see, understand, and gladly embrace what God has revealed in His Word.  •And that job extends to both Christians and unbelievers.  •And I mean this with all warmth and affection for each one of you: There are many in this congregation who are in error about the doctrine of the Christian Sabbath.  It’s no secret that only a little less than a quarter of the members of this church currently embrace our Confession’s teaching on the Sabbath.  •This was known by the Elders when you all voted to receive the 1689 Confession as the teaching standard of this congregation.  •And we told you that we would make it one of our goals to patiently, gently, and consistently teach and guide you all to embrace this doctrine.  •And you all agreed to be taught this doctrine and have private conversations about it with a good disposition toward your Elders. •And now, we’ve decided that it’s appropriate to take an extended bit of time to flesh out the biblical doctrine of the Christian Sabbath. •In keeping with the mandate given to Elders, my goal is to teach sound doctrine about the Sabbath and convince you all to embrace it and obey it.  I believe that Sabbath-keeping is one of the big areas of our church’s life that needs tending to.  •When I think of this church, I think of many, many great things. And I’m grateful to pastor such a good body of brothers and sisters.  •But when I think of things that need changed, things that need further reformation in the life of this church, the first thing that often comes to mind is that most do not view the Fourth Commandment as binding on Christians.  •And that is evidenced in how many of you spend you the Lord’s Day after church service: Going to restaurants. Doing business. Watching sports. Things like that.  •And that’s a pretty big error. In fact, it’s sin. Spending the day in such things is not keeping the Sabbath holy.    •And so, I plan to prove to you over the next six weeks that the Lord’s Day is to be kept as the Christian Sabbath.  Now, let me be clear: My intention isn’t to berate or belittle or do any such thing with this series.  •Rather, my intention is to educate you in the Word of God, reveal the sin of Sabbath-breaking, and graciously call you to repent and keep the Lord’s Day holy.  This doctrine has fallen on hard times.  •Most Christians have no idea that there is an entire day each week that is to be dedicated to the Lord.  •Because of Dispensationalism and other errors that have crept into the church in the last 150 years, the doctrine of the Christian Sabbath is all but gone in Evangelicalism.  •But it didn’t used to be that way.  •All major Protestant groups (Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, Anglicans, Episcopalians, etc.) used to believe that there is a Sabbath day for Christians.  •But today, through ignorance, hardly anyone keeps the Lord’s Day holy, aside from going to church for a few hours.  •And so, I hope to remedy ignorance among this congregation, and instruct you, so that you will understand your duty to God more clearly with regard to the Lord’s Day.  But this also must be said: For some, not keeping the Lord’s Day holy is a matter of ignorance. But for others, it is a matter of prejudice.  •Brothers and sisters, beware your own prejudices! •Many simply won’t accept this doctrine because they understand that it has implications for how they must live.  •For many Christians, rejecting the Christian Sabbath isn’t a matter of biblical methods of interpretation or a system of doctrine. For many it isn’t doctrinal or intellectual.  •For many, it is a heart issue. They don’t want to accept this doctrine because they want to treat the Lord’s Day as an extra Saturday.  •Many reject this doctrine because they simply don’t want to give God a whole day, but think a few hours is more than enough for the Lord.  •I’m not saying that is everybody in this room. But it is many Christians that I have interacted with on this issue. •For many, it is less an issue of doctrine and more an issue of simply not wanting to keep a day holy to the Lord. •Many people bristle at the idea that God would tell them to lay down their worldly pleasures for a whole day and give themselves over to worship, simply because they’d rather spend the day in work or recreation. •So, again, beware your own prejudices!  But today, we will begin at the beginning.  •We will consider that God instituted the Sabbath at creation on the first Seventh Day of the week.  •We will begin at the beginning to see that the Sabbath is a Creation Ordinance.  Now, why is that important for us to do? •Well, many claim that the Sabbath was given only to the Jews at Sinai under the Mosaic Covenant.  •And, if that is true, then the Sabbath command was tied only to the Jews and the Mosaic Covenant.  •And, if that is true, then the Sabbath Command ceased to be binding the moment that the Mosaic Covenant ceased to be binding. That is, when Jesus instituted the New Covenant at His death.  •Therefore, if the Sabbath was given under the Mosaic Covenant, then it is no longer binding on Christians living under the New Covenant.  •BUT, if the Sabbath existed and was given PRIOR to the Mosaic Covenant, if it was given at creation, then the Sabbath is not tied to any particular covenant but is binding on all men at all times. •If the Sabbath was given at creation, then it is for all mankind to observe, and not just for the Jews under the Mosaic Covenant.  •The principle of one day in seven, of God’s choosing, to be devoted totally to Him, is binding on all men, if it began at creation.  So then, my dear brothers and sisters, know that this sermon is very important for all of us.  •If the Sabbath began at creation, then everyone is obligated to keep the Sabbath holy.  •Now, the day change from the seventh to the first day of the week will still have to be proven. BUT, nevertheless, the Sabbath as a principle and command will be proven to be binding on all of us.  •If the Sabbath began at creation, you must keep the Sabbath.  •And I plan to prove today from the Word of God that the Sabbath was instituted at creation. •May God bless the preaching of His Word.  If you would, and are able, please stand with me now for the reading of the inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word of God.  Genesis 2:1-3 [1] Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.  [2] And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done.  [3] So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation. (PRAY) Our Heavenly Father,  Thank you for your Word. It is a treasure to your People.  We listen to it in order to hear from you.  And so, we ask now that, by your Holy Spirit, you would teach us your Word.  Make us receptive to it. Remove our prejudices. Make us teachable. Help us to receive the truth.  Teach us to obey you out of love and holy reverence.  Help us to submit to your Word out of gratitude for what you have done in Jesus Christ to save us from Hell.  Make us teachable this morning. And glorify yourself in us as we humble ourselves before your Word.  We ask these things in Jesus’ Name and for His sake.  Amen.  1.) The verses we just read come at the end of the creation account.  •In Genesis 1, we read about how God created the world and everything in it in six days.  •And then in Genesis 2:1-3, we read about what God did on the seventh day.  •We’re told in v2 that God, having finished all His work of creation, “rested on the seventh day from all His work that He had done.” •The word there for “rested” is the Hebrew word from which we get the word “Sabbath.” So, we read that God “sabbathed” on the seventh day.  •And then, having ceased/sabbathed from His work of creation, we read in v3, “So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God had rested from all His work that He had done in creation.” Brothers and sisters, this passage is almost self-evident.  •The most plain and natural way to read it is to understand that on the seventh day of the world’s existence, God ceased from His work of creation and blessed and sanctified that day.  •In other words, on the seventh day, God sabbathed and created the Sabbath day.  I don’t want to insult your intelligence, but I want to go through this slowly: •When did God do this? At what point in history did God take a day and bless it and make it holy? •Our text answers with ridiculous clarity and simplicity: On the seventh day.  •On the seventh day of the world’s existence, as God’s final creative act, having made the world and everything in it, God rested and made the day that He rested a special day. (A HOLY day.) •If it wasn’t for anti-sabbatarian sentiment, nobody would even think to argue that the text teaches otherwise.  •To dispute that God created the Sabbath day on the seventh day of the world is to make this passage unintelligible.  But let’s flesh out what God did on the seventh day: •V3 says that God BLESSED the day. He tied a blessing to the day. He put His favor upon it in some way.  •Now, when God blesses something, He gives it some kind of benefit or enables it to do some kind of good. •Now, for whom did God put a blessing on the day? Surely, it was not for the day. A day is a concept and, therefore, cannot benefit from anything.  •And, surely, it was not for Himself. For God needs nothing. He needs no benefit or blessing. •No, God put blessing on the day, as we will see our Lord Jesus affirm, for His creatures, for man.  •So here in v3 we read that God has tied to this day blessing for human beings. Then we read that God “made it holy.” •God made the day HOLY. Or, to put it another way, God SANCTIFIED the day.  •Now this is incredibly important. In nearly every use of the word “sanctify” or “make holy” in the OT, God is sovereignly setting apart a person, place, or thing for special use TO HIM.  •Specifically, when God sanctifies something, He sets it apart to be used FOR HIS WORSHIP.  •We read that God sanctified priests, the tabernacle, the temple, the altars, the incense, days of worship, and many other things in the OT.  •And time and time again, that means that God had set apart those people and things for His worship.  •God makes things holy so that they are then devoted completely to Him and worshipping Him.  •And here we read that, on the seventh day of the world, God made the day HOLY.  •So, we should understand that God set apart the day for Himself and for His worship.  All days belong to God in a generic sense because He is the Lord of time and Creator of all days. •But, in another sense, God has declared one day in seven to belong to Him in a special way. •And when God does something like that in the Bible, God sets it apart for worship.  •I think we can already see how the doctrine of the Sabbath is taking shape.  •God has put His special blessing on a day that He has set aside and reserved for His worship.  •And, again, He did this at creation.  Lastly, we see by implication that God gave an example to mankind in our text.  •Having worked six days, God rested/sabbathed from His work of creation on the seventh.  •Do you see that God created the WEEK here?  •There is no eighth day. There were six days of work followed by a seventh day of rest.  •Our God, by His own example, created the week as we know it. (Fun fact: Apart from this example, there is no reason for us to have a seven day week. This is the only reason that we divide time into weeks.) •So, by His actions, God set an example for man.  And I say that God did this as an example for man, because there is no other explanation for why God created the way that He did.  •We know that God could’ve spoken all things into existence in one moment. But He didn’t do that.  •Instead, He took six days to do ALL HIS WORK of creation, and then RESTED on the seventh.  •Now, you tell me, why else did God do this other than to give mankind an example to imitate? •Again, God did not have to take six days to create.  •And since God does not grow weary, He did not have to “rest” like human beings do.  •But, nevertheless, God had it recorded in Scripture for His People that He worked six days and then rested one.  •It was not for His benefit that He had His actions recorded. He knows what He did.  •Rather, it was for the sake of man that it has been revealed that God did these things.  •It was to set us an example and show us the rhythm for life: Work six days and then devote one day to the Lord. So we see already in Genesis 2:1-3 that: •God chose a day and put a blessing on it.  •God set that same day apart for His worship.  •God set an example for man for how our time is to be used and divided.  •And God did all of these things on the seventh day of the world’s existence.  •In other words, brothers and sisters, God created the Sabbath day AT CREATION.  •And, therefore, the Sabbath day is not tied to the Jews or the Mosaic Covenant because it was instituted before there were any Jews or any covenants with man AT ALL.  2.) Now, it’s at this point that some will say,  •“But where is the COMMAND to keep the day in Genesis 2? If God made the Sabbath at creation, then where is the commandment for mankind to keep it?” •People ask that question because, they argue, if there is no command to keep the Sabbath, then the was no Sabbath keeping truly instituted at creation.  •That’s a fair question. And there are multiple answers: 1. God’s example implies a command.  •Man is made in the image of God. And being made in God’s image means, among other things, that we have been created to BE LIKE HIM in whatever ways we can as finite, created beings.  •God created us to image forth to the world what He is like and what is important to Him.  •So then, whatever we see God doing, we are to do likewise, as much as we can.  •And we see here in Genesis 2 that God Himself worked six days and then ceased from His work on the seventh.  Now, surely, God did not give us an example for no reason.  •And He didn’t do this to benefit Himself.  •As I’ve said already, God worked and rested in order to set an example for man. And, as His image bearers, we are to imitate Him.  And you already know this, don’t you? •Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:43-48 that we are to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us.  •And why should we do that? Because God “makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and unjust.” •Jesus tells us that we are to imitate our God who does good to even the wicked.  In Ephesians 4:32, the Apostle Paul tells us that we must “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another…” •And why is that, Paul? “…forgiving one another, AS GOD IN CHRIST FORGAVE YOU.” •Again, as Image Bearers, and especially as God’s redeemed People, we are to imitate God.  So then, if we see God working six days and then resting the seventh, we are obligated to imitate Him.  •And that is exactly what we see in Genesis 2:1-3. •God’s example to His image bearers carries the weight and force of an explicit command.  •Just as a father who gives an example to his son expects his son to do likewise, so also God expects His image bearers to imitate Him. You may ask, “But how did Adam know?” •The Bible doesn’t tell us exactly. But it’s not unreasonable to believe that God may have verbally told him. (Many old theologians thought this.)  •But let’s not discount the fact that Adam was made on day six and God made the sabbath on day seven.  •Considering the intimate and immediate fellowship God had with Adam prior to the Fall, Adam would’ve known what God’s actions were on that day.  •And, with that knowledge, and without a sin nature to cloud His thinking and heart, Adam would’ve known to imitate God, his Father.  2. A second way we can see that God commanded the Sabbath to be kept in Genesis 2 is in the fact that God SANCTIFIED the day.  •If God makes something holy, then man MUST keep it holy. Man must use that holy thing as God would have him. Period.  •Man is never permitted to profane that which God has made holy, unless it is somehow later rendered common by God. •So, by sanctifying the day, a command is functionally given to men to keep the day holy. When God sanctified the day, He set it apart for Himself.  •And, setting it apart for Himself, He commands Adam and all mankind to do likewise. (To keep it holy.) 3. Third, we actually have another example in Genesis 2 of a command being given with a record of a verbal command being issued.  •In Genesis 2:22-25, God instituted marriage by giving Eve to Adam.  •And, in doing so, a commandment came into force by implication of the institution of marriage.  •What commandment was that? The commandment for monogamous, heterosexual, lifelong marriage.  •And how do we know that the commandment for marriage came into being when marriage was created? Because Jesus said so (and so did Moses).  In Matthew 19:4-6, Jesus says,  •“Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” •Jesus says that when God gave marriage, the command to not separate was given.  •Likewise, when God gave one woman to one man, the command for monogamy was set. (TWO become one.) •Likewise, when God put a MAN and WOMAN together and made them one, the command for heterosexuality was set.  These things are supposed by Jesus Himself. And yet, not one command is explicitly given in Genesis 2:22-25.  •So then, we see that when God institutes something, commands are implied.  •So when God instituted and created the Sabbath, the command to keep it was also put in force, even without a record of an explicit verbal command.  3.) Keeping on track with the goal of seeing that the Sabbath was created at Creation, we turn now to Exodus 20:8-11.  •We turn now the Fourth Commandment itself. And there we will see that the Commandment itself teaches that God created the Sabbath at creation.  Exodus 20:8-11 [8] “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. [9] 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, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. [11] For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. The Fourth Commandment, as it was given at Mt. Sinai, is explicitly rooted, not in the Exodus from Egypt, but in what God did at creation.  •Where do we see that here?  •Consider v11 again. There, after giving the command to keep the Sabbath holy, God Himself gives the reason we should do so. •V11 begins with the word “FOR.” That is an explanatory word. It means “BECAUSE.” •So the reason for the commandment to keep the Sabbath holy is, “For (because) in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore, the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” Brothers and sisters, God Himself tells us that we should keep the Sabbath because of what He did back in Genesis 2.  •God tells us that we are to keep the day holy because of what God did at creation. Namely, that AT CREATION God sabbathed and made the Sabbath Day.  •The commandment doesn’t look back to the Exodus. It looks back to creation.  •And the commandment DOES NOT SAY that at Sinai God was THEN making the Sabbath Day.  •It doesn’t say that. It says that God made the Sabbath on the seventh day of the world’s existence.  This is all in past-tense language: •“…the Lord MADE” •He “RESTED on the seventh day.” •He “BLESSED the Sabbath day and MADE it holy.” •The text DOES NOT say that God was making or blessing the Sabbath that day in Exodus 20.  •Rather, the command is rooted in what God did PRIOR to Sinai and the Exodus from Egypt.  •And it’s because of what God did BACK AT CREATION that we are to keep the Sabbath.  Again, brothers and sisters, God made the Sabbath at creation.  •The creation account itself says this.  •The Fourth Commandment itself says this.  •God Himself tells us that the Fourth Commandment is not tied to the Mosaic Covenant, but has existed from creation.  4.) And Jesus Himself affirms this. Jesus Himself affirms that the Sabbath has existed since creation.  •In Mark 2:27-28, our Lord is talking with the Pharisees about whether or not it’s right to heal on the Sabbath.  •You see, the Pharisees had all kinds of manmade rules about Sabbath keeping. And they sucked all the joy and blessing out of the day.  •They made the day so much of a burden that our Lord often had to correct their teaching on the day.  •And in Mark 2:27-28 we read Jesus’ own words about the Sabbath. There He says, •“The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” Here Jesus is talking about the institution and purpose of the Sabbath day. So this is relevant to our topic this morning.  •And here Jesus says that “The Sabbath was made…” •He’s talking about the creation of the Sabbath.  •And right after that is a reference to the making of man: “…not man for the Sabbath.” That is, man was not MADE for the Sabbath.  •It’s interesting to note that the language used here is also used in the Greek translation of the OT in Genesis 2.  •Jesus seems to be pointing us back to the beginning of mankind and the beginning of the Sabbath in order to clarify the purpose of the Sabbath.  •In other words, when Jesus wants to talk about the Sabbath and why it exists, Jesus points us back to CREATION.  And Jesus tells us that, “The Sabbath was made FOR MAN…” •The Sabbath was made for the benefit of man. It was created to be a blessing for man.  •The Sabbath Day was never made to be a burden for man. And it is not a burden for man.  •The manmade rules of the Pharisees were a horrible burden on people. They made the Sabbath a day of suffering and joylessness for those who obeyed them.  •But that was not God’s intention when He created the Sabbath. God made it for the good of man. God made it to be a blessing for man.  •God made it to be a day where men could rest their bodies from their ordinary work and spend the day with HIM being spiritually blessed and nourished as they worshipped and fellowship with God.  Brothers and sisters, the Sabbath was made for man’s good and blessing.  •Properly observed, laying aside manmade rules and regulations, a day devoted to rest and worship is one of the greatest blessings God gave to man.  •The Sabbath was made to be a blessing. And that fits well with what we read in Genesis 2:3, doesn’t it? •Remember, God BLESSED THE DAY.  •And when did He do that? AT CREATION.  •The Pharisees had made the day horrible. But Jesus says that, from creation, God made it to be a blessing to man.  And it’s interesting to note the Greek in v27.  •Literally, it says, “The Sabbath was made for THE man.” •The definite article is present there.  •And in Genesis 1-2, it is ADAM who is called “THE man.” •And THE man, Adam, is the father of all mankind, for we all come from him.  •So, if the Sabbath was made for THE man, Adam, then it was given to MAN in general (mankind).  •And that fits well with the Sabbath as a creation ordinance: It was made FOR MAN, not just for the Jews. It was made to be a blessing for MANKIND.  And how does Jesus know that the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath? •How does He expect His listeners to understand that? •Because of the ORDER OF CREATION.  •Man was made on Day Six. The Sabbath was made on Day Seven.  •Therefore, the Sabbath was made for man and not the other way around.  •The Sabbath was made to be a gift to man. The man was given to the Sabbath. The Sabbath was given to the man. It is a gift and blessing. And Jesus was restoring it’s original use and intent.  •Jesus declares that He is the Lord of the Sabbath. And that means that He is here to clear away the nonsense of the Pharisees and restore the Sabbath to God’s original purpose from creation.  This way of reading the text makes the most sense.  •And that means that Jesus was saying that the Sabbath was instituted at creation, given to mankind, and was given as gift and blessing for each one of us.  5.) Now, please, PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT COMES NEXT.  •This next part of the sermon will tie everything together and show you why it matters for you: •Why is it so important that we understand that the Sabbath was first instituted and given at creation? •Why is it crucial for us to understand that the Sabbath is a creation ordinance and not something given to the Jews alone though Moses? •Answer: Because the NT argues from creation ordinances to establish principles and commands that Christians must accept and obey.  Allow me to now give some examples of this: 1. The first example: MARRIAGE. •As we have seen already in Jesus’ words in Matthew 19, marriage is to be lifelong, heterosexual, and monogamous.  •Our Lord argued for this from what GOD DID AT CREATION when He gave Eve to Adam as a wife.  God instituted marriage at creation.  •And because He did that, lifelong, heterosexual, monogamous marriage was given to MANKIND. •Nobody believes that marriage was only for the Jews. That is nonsense.  •God instituted marriage at creation. God gave marriage before there were any covenants He made with man.  •Marriage is, therefore, not tied to any particular covenant but was given to MANKIND.  •So then, what is given or instituted at creation is normative and binding for ALL PEOPLE.  2. A second example: LABOR.  •The principle that men are to work exists for all people. It exists for Christians as well as Jews.  •There are commands in the NT that tell us we are to each work and provide for our families. We are to work as if working for the Lord. And the man that will not work shall not eat.  But why are we expected to work?  •We’re expected to work because instituted labor AT CREATION.  •In Genesis 2:15 we read, “The LORD God took to the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” •God gave labor to Adam. He gave work to the man.  •And God did this PRIOR to the Fall of Man into sin.  •Work/labor is a creation ordinance. God made man to work and be active and to DO THINGS.  And none of us would argue that only the Jews under the Old Covenant had to work, would we? •Clearly not. And why is that? Because God gave work, God gave vocation to Adam IN THE BEGINNING.  •So, again, we see another creation ordinance (labor) being normative and binding on all men.  3. A third example: MALE HEADSHIP IN THE CHURCH. •In 1 Timothy 2:12 we read, “I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather she is to remain quiet.” •This is one of the texts that we turn to in order to establish the principle that only men are permitted to hold office in the church. •The Apostle Paul says that he did not allow women to teach or hold authority over men. And so, we follow the teaching of the Apostle.  But have you ever considered why Paul said that? •Well, you don’t have to wonder long because Paul tells us in the next verse WHY: •“For Adam was formed first, then Eve;” •One of the the Apostle’s that he gives for the command against women having church authority is ROOTED IN CREATION.  •It’s actually rooted in the ORDER of creation: God made Adam and THEN God made Eve. So then, Adam is before Eve.  •And Paul takes that principle to say that since Adam is before Eve, men are not to be under the authority of women. Rather, women are to be under the authority of men.  Once again, we see what God did at creation coming to bear on Christian ethics and practice.  •God instituted male headship at creation. And so, male headship in the Church must continue.  •Once again, a creation ordinance is normative and binding on Christians.  And what have we seen throughout this sermon? •We’ve seen that the Sabbath, like marriage, labor, and male headship was given AT CREATION.  •So then, to be consistent with how the NT argues from creation ordinances, we must admit that if the Sabbath was instituted at creation, then it hasn’t gone away.  •And, brothers and sisters, the Sabbath was instituted at creation. And so, the Sabbath remains binding on every one of us today.  Now, the change of day from Saturday to Sunday is a separate matter for another sermon.  •But know this: The principle we see at creation is that we are to work six days and then devote one day to God.  •And that simply has not gone away.  •To say that something instituted at creation is now irrelevant to us is to deny the argumentation of the divinely inspired Apostles.  •And we cannot do that.  •So then, my dear brothers and sisters, you must accept that there is still a Sabbath for Christians.  6.) So, in summary, we’ve seen: 1. Genesis 2:1-3 is a history telling us that God made the Sabbath at creation.  2. The Fourth Commandment asserts that the Sabbath began at creation.  3. The Lord Jesus Christ affirms that the Sabbath was given to mankind at creation and is for our blessing.  4. The NT teaches that those things instituted at creation are binding on Christians and all men.  5. Therefore, the Sabbath continues for Christians today.  •After six days of labor and doing all our own work and pleasure, a whole seventh day, of God’s choosing, belongs to Him for worship.  Robert P. Martin wrote this: “Before there was an Israel or a Moses or tablets of stone at Sinai, God established the Sabbath at creation. He did the same with the ordinances of marriage and procreation and labor. We rightly assume the perpetuity of these ordinances. Should we not assume the perpetuity of the Sabbath, since it rests on the same creation foundation?” •The answer is “Yes. We should.” Brothers and sisters, before we end our time considering the Sabbath this morning, let me call you to action: 1. Imitate your God.  •Your God has left you an example to imitate.  •He worked six days and then rested from all His work of creation.  •Though the day has changed to the First Day of the week because of the resurrection of Christ, the obligation remains the same.  You are duty bound as an Image Bearer to do what your God did.  •You are duty bound to imitate His example.  •You were created to be like Him as much as you can.  •So then, BE LIKE HIM. Do as He did in the begging, and keep the day holy to Him.  •Rest from your work and your worldly recreations and give the day to Him.  •Be like God and keep the Sabbath holy. This is what you were made to do.  •Fulfill your purpose and imitate God.  2. Brothers and sisters, the Sabbath is God’s gift to you. So keep it.  •Genesis 2 says that God blessed the day.  •Our Lord Jesus tells us that the Sabbath was made FOR US. It was made to be a gift for you.  •So take the blessing God offers you and keep the day holy.  One day to spend with God, unhindered by work or worldly pleasures is a great thing.  •It’s more of a blessing than any of us realize.  •God will make you delight more and more in Him the more you spend the day with Him.  •The Lord will feed your soul with Himself.  •The Lord will use the day to strengthen you for the week ahead if you will use the day properly.  •Take the blessing that He offers you.  And, please consider this:  •Jesus Christ is the Lord of the Sabbath. He has told you that the day was made for you.  •Surely, the Lord Jesus would never give you an example or commandment that is not good for you.  •He loves you too much to do that.  •He would never call you to keep the Sabbath unless it was for your good.  •He would never lie and tell you that something was made to bless you if it wasn’t.  The Lord of the Sabbath, Jesus Christ, loves you.  •He died for your sins.  •He suffered the wrath of God on your behalf.  •He rose from the dead for your justification.  •He has saved your soul and promises you an eternal Sabbath with Him.  •He loves you.   Trust Him. •You trust Him your eternal soul.  •You trust Him with your salvation.  •Trust Him with the Sabbath.  •He would never lie to you or call you to do something that isn’t for your good.  •Trust Him and be blessed as you keep His day holy.  May God help us all to see the goodness of God to give us the Sabbath.  •And seeing, may we gladly keep it and obey the Lord of the Sabbath, the Lover of our Souls, Jesus Christ.  •Amen.