Sabbath-keeping is not a matter
of indifference, as are many things about our lives in this
world. Lindsay, this past Lord's Day,
dealt plainly in Romans 14 as to how we are to deal with one
another with regard to things that are indifferent, matters
of meat and drink and so on. The kingdom of God is not in
those things, but in righteousness, peace, and in joy in the Holy
Ghost. And therefore, we must never
We must never attempt to govern one another's lives and rule
one another's lives with our own prejudices and our own thoughts
about what's right and what's wrong. We simply submit to the
word of God and leave God's people to walk before Christ in uprightness
and faith according to his word. We do not make, we dare not make,
it is not our right, we ought not want to make, rules and regulations
for folks to live by beyond the plain statements of holy scripture.
But with regard to this matter of sabbath keeping, it is not
at all a matter of indifference. It's not one of those areas about
which the scriptures give no specific plain instruction. In fact, the instructions given
in the Word of God about Sabbath keeping are so plain, so specific,
so clear, that it is impossible to find any justifiable reason
for misunderstanding the teachings of Scripture in this regard.
Like circumcision, the Passover, and all other aspects of the
legal ceremonial worship of the Old Testament, The legal Sabbath
day was established by our God to be a sign, a picture, a type
of grace and salvation in Christ. Now I want you to turn to Exodus
31 and see that. The legal Sabbath day was designed,
it was established, it was given by God to be a sign, a picture,
a type of grace and salvation in Jesus Christ. This is not
a matter of speculation. This is exactly what God says
in Exodus 31 and verse 13. Speak thou also unto the children
of Israel, saying, Verily my Sabbaths you shall keep. Look
at it now, for it is a sign. It is a sign. I don't see how
language can be much plainer than that, do you? It is a sign
between me and you throughout your generations. And here's
the purpose of the sign. The reason the Sabbath was given
so that when you understand the Sabbath and you understand the
meaning of the sign, then you may know that I am the Lord which
doth sanctify you. I am the Lord your God. I am
the one who makes you righteous. I am the one who makes you holy. I am the one who has separated
you unto myself and will bring you to myself. That's what the
Sabbath is a sign of. Now, because the Sabbath, the
Sabbath keeping was a legal type of our salvation in Christ during
the age of ceremonial ordinances, like the Passover, like circumcision,
once Christ Jesus came and fulfilled the outward sign, then the outward
ordinance ceased forever. Let me show you again in the
scriptures. In the New Testament, we are
strictly forbidden, directly prohibited from keeping any of
those carnal ordinances that were set forth in the Old Testament
to be a sign and a picture and a type of salvation and grace
in Jesus Christ. We are plainly told that those
who attempt to worship God on the grounds of legal ordinances,
on the grounds of outward carnal ceremonies, are yet under the
curse of God's law and understand nothing of the gospel of God's
grace. Now, we won't turn there, but
I urge you to jot these scripture references down. And I want to
get to our subject in just a little bit. But number one, circumcision
is absolutely forbidden as an ordinance of God. You can read
it in Galatians chapter five, just as plain as it can be. Whosoever
of you are justified by the law, you've fallen from grace. If
you be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. Circumcision
was that Old Testament ceremonial by which the infants of God's
covenant people, Israel, were brought into the covenant of
God's grace with an outward token, the cutting away of the foreskin
of the flesh. Now that circumcision was a representation,
a type, a picture of the regenerating work and grace and power of God
the Holy Spirit in that circumcision made without hands in the hearts
of chosen sinners. But there are many who today
would continue to try to practice circumcision. They call it baptism. They bring their babies to their
father, to the priest or to a preacher, and they would have some water
sprinkled on the baby's face and thereby seal that baby into
the covenant of grace, into the church and kingdom of God, into
the family of God by an outward visible sign that they say has
replaced circumcision. Nothing could be further from
the truth. by sprinkling water on that baby's face and declaring
that that child is now sealed into the covenant of grace, that
that child is now a child of promise and a child of grace.
The act of the sprinkling denies in totality the gospel of God's
free grace in Jesus Christ. The Passover, there are many
who suggest that we still keep the Passover when we come together
at the Lord's table. Others say this is keeping the
Passover. This is celebrating a fresh crucifixion of Jesus
Christ. Those who continue to offer up
in the bread and wine of the Lord's table, or in any other
manner, who continue to offer up sacrifices to God, by which
they hope to make atonement for their sins, by which they hope
to do penance, by which they hope to gain God's favor or to
ward off God's wrath. In doing that, they declare that
the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, our Passover, who is sacrificed
for us, is null and void. His blood was shed for nothing.
His obedience means nothing. He accomplished nothing in his
death. If there's anything that needs to be added to it by me
or you. You understand that? Now, look at this matter of the
Sabbath day. Turn to Colossians chapter 2.
In exactly the same way, Those who attempt to sanctify themselves
by keeping a carnal Sabbath deny that Jesus Christ is enough to
give us perfect, everlasting acceptance with God. Now, Paul
puts it this way in verse 23. To make an outward show of spirituality
and wisdom in the keeping of the Sabbath is all just will
worship. a pretense of humility and nothing
but the satisfying of the flesh. Not only that, but the whole
matter of Sabbath keeping is strictly forbidden up in verse
16. Now the Holy Spirit here tells
us plainly that since Jesus Christ the Lord, in his death for our
sins, as our substitute at Calvary, has taken the handwriting of
the ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us,
and has nailed it to his cross, since he has fulfilled every
requirement of the law, every jot and tittle of the law, every
ordinance required of God, and every demand of God's justice,
then Jesus Christ has finished it, and we have nothing else
to do with it. Look at verse 16. Let no man
therefore, on the basis of what? On the basis of the fact that
Christ has nailed the handwriting of ordinances to his cross. Let
no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect
of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of Sabbaths, which are
a shadow of things to come, but the body is of Christ. I've said all that because I
want you to understand that all carnal Sabbath keeping, any form
of it, is strictly forbidden. Forbidden on the basis of the
fact that Jesus Christ has fulfilled the law and we are no longer
under the law and must no longer worship God according to the
carnal ordinances of the Old Testament law. Yet the New Testament
does speak of a Sabbath that remains. I want you to turn to
Hebrews chapter 4, and let's stay there for the remaining
part of the message. The title of my message this
evening is The Sabbath That Remains. The Sabbath That Remains. The
children of Israel perished in the wilderness. You remember,
God brought them out, about 4 million Jews at one time out of Egypt.
And he calls them to walk through the desert. To them it was wandering,
but God was leading them in a direct path to accomplish his purpose.
And in those 40 years of wandering, the children of Israel perished.
Just one after the other. Sometimes thousands at a time,
under the judgment of God. You know how many people went
into the land of promise? Who came out of Egypt, who were
more than 20 years old? Just two. Just two. All the rest of them perished
in the wilderness because they didn't believe the Word of God. They didn't believe what God
said. Now look what we're told here in Hebrews chapter 4, verse
1. Let us therefore fear. Let's
not be too cocksure about stuff. Let us therefore fear. Lest a
promise being left us of entering into his rest." Notice the words,
his rest, his rest. Any of you should seem to come
short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached
as well as unto them. But the word preached did not
profit them. Some of you sitting here thus
far, the word preached has never profited you. How come? Same
reason it didn't them. Not being mixed with faith. in
them that heard it. Verse 3, for we which have believed
do enter into rest, as he said, as I have sworn in my wrath,
if they shall enter into my rest, although the works were finished
from the foundation of the world. For he spoke in a certain place
of the seventh day on this wise. God did rest the seventh day
from all his works. Verse 5, And in this place again,
if they shall enter into my rest. Now stop just a second. Though
the unbelieving generation perished in the wilderness, perished in
unbelief, the purpose of God was not nullified. The purpose
of God was in no way hindered. The purpose of God was not in
any way thwarted or halted because those folks did not believe.
But rather, there was an exact purpose of God that these should
enter into his rest who actually did enter into it. There is an
elect multitude who must and shall enter into his rest. Look at verse 6. Seeing therefore
it remaineth that some must Some must. He didn't say some might.
He said some must. He didn't say some will if they
pretty please want to. He said some must. Some must
enter therein. And they to whom it was first
preached entered not in because of unbelief. Now, he had that
typical rest which was given by Joshua to the children of
Israel when he brought them into the land of Canaan. Moses could
never bring them into that land. He could never bring them into
the land of rest because Moses represented law and curse, curse
upon our best works. And Moses perished because Moses
could not bring the children into rest. But Joshua, whose
name is Jesus, that's what the New Testament equivalent of Joshua
is. Joshua typifies the Lord Jesus Christ. He brings the children
of Israel into the land of Canaan, and there they possess the rest,
which typifies our salvation. And that's exactly what Paul
is talking about here in Hebrews 4. Look at verse 7. Again, he
limiteth a certain day, saying in David, today, after so long
a time. As it is said, today, if you
will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. For if Jesus, that
is Joshua, had given them rest, then would he not afterward have
spoken of another day. In other words, Joshua himself
said, now I'm talking to you about another day. And then in
verse nine, we read this. There remaineth therefore a rest. unto the people of God. For he
that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his
own works, as God did from his. Let us therefore labor to enter
into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of
unbelief. Now, notice the word rest. How many times is it used? Seven
or eight times in those verses we've read. If you include chapter
3, it's used more than a dozen times. And the word rest that's
used is over and over and over again used to speak of a repose. It means to repose backward. It means to be at home. It means
to be at peace. It means to cease from work. But there is one word, the word
found in verse 9 that is translated rest, is altogether different.
It's altogether a totally different word. The word there means sabbatism. It means a keeping of the Sabbath. And it's not put in there by
accident, it's put in there by inspiration. What the Holy Spirit
is telling us is this. to enter into His rest, to repose,
be at peace, and be at home in Jesus Christ, the Son of God,
by faith, is to keep the Sabbath day. That's what it is. It is this remaining Sabbath
rest that I want to try to explain to you this evening, if God will
enable me. First, I want you to see that the Lord Jesus Christ
has himself entered into his rest and his rest is glorious
because he has finished his work. Turn to Isaiah chapter 11. Let's start there. Isaiah chapter
11. And verse 10, this is a prophecy
concerning the son of God. I think I mentioned it Sunday
evening or Sunday morning, one Isaiah 1110. And in that day
there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign
of the people. To it, to the Lord Jesus Christ,
our banner, shall the Gentiles seek. Now look at the last sentence.
And his rest shall be glorious. If you have a marginal translation,
the marginal translation reads like this. His rest shall be
glory. Our Savior's rest, then, is his
glory. His ceasing from his work is
his glory. As God the Father rested on the
seventh day from all his work because all his work of creation
was finished, so God the Son, our Redeemer, the God-man, entered
into his rest in the seventh day of time. In this, the last
time, he entered into his rest because he has finished all the
work of making the new creation for his people as we stand before
God in perfection of righteousness and holiness. Look in Romans
chapter 8. Let me show you. Romans chapter
8. I want you to look at three scriptures
in this regard. Verse 34. The Apostle Paul raises this
bold challenge of faith, looking to Jesus Christ alone as the
Lord, our righteousness, trusting his blood and his righteousness
alone for our acceptance with God. He says, who is he that
condemneth? Now, here I stand before you,
a man full of sin. A man by nature guilty, as guilty
as you are of any crime. A man by nature who has no ability
to do anything but sin, just like you. And yet I stand before
God himself and say, who is he that condemns? On what basis
can you dare say such a thing? Look at what he says. It is Christ
that died. That's how he says it. Christ
died for me. Yea rather, that is risen again. who is even at the right hand
of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Look at Hebrews 10. The
writer here in Hebrews 10 explains it in a little greater detail.
He's giving an illustration of the Old Testament priesthood,
and he's constantly throughout the book of Hebrews telling us
how much greater Christ is than those of the Old Testament. He's
greater than Moses. He's greater than the angels. He's greater
than Aaron. He's greater than Melchizedek. He's greater than
all the priests of the Old Testament. And look what he says in verse
11. And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering
oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.
A friend of mine who was a missionary for years in Italy told me of
a Roman Catholic priest who was unlike most Roman Catholic priests
in that he did a good bit of preaching. And one day he was
standing at one of their holy days, you know, unholy, but holy
days, they call it. And they were celebrating a great
mass right outside of the Vatican. And this man was reading from
this passage of scripture. And this very popular preaching
Roman priest dropped his bread and dropped his wine and fled
off the platform. He was convinced immediately
of the guilt of his crime as acting as a priest. Every priest
standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same
sacrifices which can never take away sin. to pretend to do so
as utter blasphemy. But now read the next line. But
this man, here's another man. This is the man of whom all those
Old Testament priests spoke. This is that man of whom Aaron
was just a type. This is that man of whom Melchizedek
was the picture. This man, the Lord Jesus Christ,
after he had offered, get it now, one sacrifice for all the
sins of all his people forever, sat down. How come he sat down? because it didn't have anything
else to do. Nothing else to do. There was never any article of
furniture in the Holy of Holies except the Ark of the Covenant.
No seat for a priest to sit down because that priest must go in
and offer and come out and go in and offer and come out. But
now Christ with his own blood entered in once into the holy
place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. And he sat
down at the right hand of the majesty on high. Look what he
says, verse 14, for by one offering, He hath perfected forever them
that are sanctified. Now, let's look back at Matthew
chapter 28. Brother Larry, in his last message
to you folks, preached on Sunday evening, I believe it was, and
was referring to this passage. I listened to it driving down
the road, and as soon as he read this passage, my heart just began
to jump up and down. And I've had it on my mind ever
since. Look what it says. I wish that every one of you
could read this in the original language. The women have come
to the tomb now. We read in verse 28, in the end
of the Sabbath. Matthew 28, verse one, I'm sorry.
Matthew 28, one. In the end of the Sabbath, as
it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene
and the other Mary to see the sepulcher. The verse quite literally
reads this way. I hope you've got room to write
it out somewhere. In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to
dawn toward the Sabbath. You fellas who got a concordance,
go and look it up. Check me out. In the end of the Sabbath, as
it began to dawn toward the Sabbath. What's that mean? What on earth
does that mean? This is exactly what it means.
When the Lord Jesus Christ died at Calvary and rose from the
dead, that was the end of the Sabbath, ceremonially, typically,
and legally. And it had begun now to dawn.
in the beginning of the Sabbath. A whole new Sabbath has begun. It's called the Sabbath of rest,
the Sabbath of faith in Jesus Christ the Lord. Our Lord Jesus
Christ finished his work and he entered into his rest. He
put an end to the Old Testament Sabbath and he brought in an
everlasting spiritual Sabbath by finishing his work. Now here's
the second thing. Look in Hebrews 4 verse 3. I
want you to see from the scriptures that every sinner who believes
on the Lord Jesus Christ keeps the Sabbath by faith, by entering
into rest. For we which have believed do
enter into rest. Isn't that a remarkable word? We which have believed do enter
into rest. As he said, as I have sworn in
my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest. Although the works
were finished from the foundation of the world. Now that last sentence
makes it obvious. He's not just talking about the
carnal Old Testament legal Sabbath. He's talking about something
else. Works being finished before the foundation of the world upon
the basis of which we now enter into rest experimentally. Look
in verse 9. There remaineth therefore a rest
to the people of God. There remaineth therefore a Sabbath-keeping
to the people of God. For he that is entered into his
rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from
his. How do we keep the Sabbath of
faith? How do we keep a spiritual Sabbath? Not a carnal one. Now understand, I'm not talking
about worshiping one day in Sabbath. No, no, no. I'm talking about
a lifelong rest. We enter this rest by believing
on the Son of God. And this believing on the Son
of God is a perpetual lifelong Sabbath keeping. Now, none of
us has perfectly entered into the rest. None of us. Because our best faith is full
of unbelief. And our best faith, looked at
by itself, must be concluded as unbelief. And we could cry
like the apostle, Lord, I believe, help thou mine unbelief. But
our best faith is unbelief. We don't keep the Sabbath perfectly.
We don't believe Christ perfectly. But sincerely looking to Christ
alone, ever coming to Christ alone, for all our acceptance
with God, that's what it is to rest. That's what it is to keep
the Sabbath. Our Lord Jesus said in the passage
we looked at last week, come unto me, all ye that labor and
are heavy laden, and I'll give you rest. The hymn writer said,
I heard the voice of Jesus say, come unto me and rest. Lay down,
thou weary one, lay down thy head upon my breast. I came to
Jesus as I was, weary and worn and sad. I found in him a resting
place and he has made me glad. Oh would to God you might now
come to him and rest. The Lord Jesus Christ has given
and continually gives to this sinner the rest of complete pardon. He put away all my sins forever
and there's no rest in the universe like that. He has given and continually
gives to this sinner the rest of perfect reconciliation. I
used to think to myself, Don, what a blessing it would be if
you could just start over. If you could just wipe the slate
clean. Oh, my. I ruined my life and
tried to ruin everybody else's. And it brought me nothing but
misery. And I thought if I could just, oh, I'd give anything.
I'd give anything. if I could just wipe the slate
clean and start over. And one day I found out that
the son of God, my substitute, had wiped the slate clean. And
I get to start all over. If any man be in Christ, what
does the book say? He's a new creature. All things
are passed away and behold, all things are become new. That's
what it is to enter into his rest. The rest of perfect reconciliation
and the rest of absolute security. You reckon it's going to last?
Sure it will. Because it is God who worketh in you both to will
and to do of his good pleasure. And I'll give you something else.
He gives us perpetually the blessed rest of his sweet special providence. We learn to know. We just learn
to know. Every believer does. Paul says
we know and we certainly do, but we're learning to know. We're
just, we're kind of, like David said, he said, my soul is as
a weaned child. Well, I can say my soul is as
a weaning child. When Paul says I know, I can
honestly say I'm learning to know that all things, all things,
work together for good, to them that love God, to them who are
thee called according to his purpose. Pastor, how could I have that
rest? How can I obtain this blessed Sabbath rest? Rest, just rest. Quit trying to do anything. Would
to God I could get everybody to hear my voice. Quit trying
to make up with God. You can't do it. You can't do
it. Quit trying to offer sacrifices
to God. He won't take them. Quit trying to turn over a new
leaf and be better. It won't do your soul any good.
Won't do you any good. Now, once you come to rest, you'll
rest in him and work your heart out for him. But you gotta rest
in him. Look here. This is what it means. Just rest. Just rest. Come unto me, all you that labor
a heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Amen.