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What is rest? Why does God speak so evidently about it? Do we have an accurate understanding of what God has instructed for our Sabbath day to be? These questions can and have been easily overlooked when it comes to the busyness of our everyday lives. Rest has become a term used for people to just get away from responsibilities and work, doing what you want and not having obligations. But what does the Bible say about rest, and more specifically, our Sabbath day?
What does a Sabbath look like?
Genesis 2:1-2 is the first point in Scripture related to rest, it tells of how God worked on creation for 6 days, and on the 7th He rested. He declared the Sabbath to be holy and a day that instead of working as we do for the 6 other days, to rest.
In Mark 2:27-28, Jesus says that the Sabbath was made to meet the needs of the people, not people meeting the requirements of the Sabbath, and additionally in Mark 3:4-5, Jesus asks the Pharisees if the law permits good deeds on the Sabbath; a day to save life or destroy. From these verses we can conclude that the Sabbath is a day that is necessary, that meets our needs, and where we refill after a week of pouring out.
Transition: With the schedules many people outside of ministry have, Sunday may already work as a Sabbath day for them, but for those who have obligated work on Sundays and have to prepare for ministry, it’s instead a day of pouring out, where they aren’t finding biblical rest. So what do we do to find a day that we can be filled rather than never finding rest?
Defining a personal Sabbath and Community Sabbath.
Sunday for Christians looks different to the world, which allows us to stand out and show the importance of having a day dedicated to God. So as a community, many Christians practice not buying or selling, having all work done before the Sunday, and dedicating a larger amount of time to seek God in devotion, sermons, worship, prayer, etc., using it as a day to recharge and prepare themselves for the next week.
For many ministers that have responsibilities on Sunday such as preaching, teaching, worshiping, etc. they have to put in work to produce their ministry requirements, and then execute those requirements on Sundays. They still have the opportunity to participate with the community of believers in reflecting on a holy day for God, but it's also important for them to have a day where they are being poured into instead of pouring out.
What we can do as people in ministry that have responsibilities on Sunday, is set aside a different day for a personal Sabbath where we can be filled. This day can fulfill our needs through finding time to fill ourselves spiritually, spending time with friends and family, finding time for physical rest, and setting aside work responsibilities in order to find a refill or recharge that sets ourselves up for the rest of the week.
How we can relate this to KMBC, is taking the weekend for example: we have people on Sunday’s working on dishes and cooking, and many who have field ministry which involves pouring out spiritually and sometimes physically. If we allow them a day such as Saturday where they do not have work responsibilities, or classes, they can use that day as a personal Sabbath to rejuvenate, while still participating in a community Sabbath to set an example that glorifies God and honors His holiness. And for those who have no dishes or cooking to do on Sundays, and have free Saturdays; giving them responsibilities on Saturday allows them to cover and provide for those who work on Sundays. In this way, everyone can have a personal day set aside for rest, whether that be on Sunday or a weekday, and as a community we can support each other so that those who need their Sabbath to refill can be refilled.
Conclusion: We need to recognize the importance of finding a day that is seperate from the others, a day for being filled, a day that we can seek uninterrupted time with God and fellowship with friends and family. God designed us for this! If we schedule a day for our personal Sabbath and participate in the community Sabbath on Sunday, then we can benefit in our relationship with God by being filled through Him, and still represent holiness on a day that shows the world the importance of keeping a day holy for God and for us.