The Church and Sabbath

Today, I would like to take a look at the act of worship that church can be apart of in their observance of the Sabbath rule.

Sabbath

Rest, relaxation, and refocus are very critical to the health and ministry of God’s children. God commands in Exodus (16:23) that the Sabbath must be observed and it is part of the 10 Commandments (Exodus 20:8-11). God even gives an example of this on the 7^th day of creation when He rest from His labor and creation act. Any servant of God must observe this Sabbath too. A life of work to provide for a family or daily needs, a life of service and fulfilling God’s call to serve Him in the church, and a life of love, support, and care for those close in our lives can all be very challenging, tiring, and stressful. Every member of the family of God needs some time off to recharge the battery and also to recharge the soul. A Sabbath rest period in the life of an individual is a set period of time, preferably a day of the week like Sunday’s, that can be set aside to first focus on God, second, times for rest and relaxation, and third, for set times of fellowship and community activities with the faith family. The Sabbath day in the life of a believer is set up so that a child of God can find time away from the busy stressful times to focus on God and find rest in Him.

The Sabbath principle in the life of the church is set there so the church family can gather together as the early church did and break bread, pray, read God’s word, and spends time in fellowship and love with one another. In most cases the Sabbath as a faith family will take place on Sunday’s (Acts 20:7) when the faith communities gather to worship God in study, prayer, and fellowship together. Other activities can be included in this Sabbath time like, fellowship meals, community picnics, small groups, and or Bible studies throughout the day. The Sabbath as observed as a faith community is a set time to love one another and more importantly love God the Father by setting time aside for Him. The Sabbath at it base principle is an act of worship whether it is individual or corporately finding rest and renewal in God and all that He has provided for us. Observing the Sabbath is also an act of stewardship as the observance gives rest and helps recharge the soul for more times of service and work for God, while also enjoying God while the rest takes place.