Sermon Tone Analysis

Tim Elmore in the book Generation Z Unfiltered writes about kids being empowered without wisdom.

He says

Over the last decade, I’ve read too man unbelievable stories of people-usually young people under twenty-five (but not always)-who became consumed with their portable devices, to their own demise.

I’ve read about young people who drove their vehicles into a lake or river because their GPSs told them to do so.

In 2018, “a driver in Vermont steered his car right into Lake Champlain… The driver says he was using the navigation app Waze, which apparently insisted that driving into the lake was the right way to go,” according to the New York Magazine.

That year, “a guy drove into a lake in Massachusetts and blamed his GPS.”

The fact is people have been doing this regularly since 2012 when GPS became the norm for drivers.

Elmore says,

Believe it or not, in 2015 there were eight shark-related deaths, but twelve selfie-related deaths in our world.

By 2018, we progressed to five shark-related deaths - but twenty five selfie related deaths.

Despite the overwhelming amount of research and data available on the hazards of smart technology and video games for kids, we still don’t seem to get it.

Psychologists have published the damaging effects of too many hours on the screen, be it video games or social media, but kids do it anyway because it’s jus too addictive.

It’s as if when our technology became smart, many of us stopped using our smarts or thinking for ourselves.

As technology became common, too frequently, we lost or common sense.

Unplug

We all long for 7th day rest!

The beginning of the story in the book of Genesis tells the end of the story about an eternal 7th day rest.

The 7th day is the day of fullness or completeness.

Creation is filled with God’s presence and power.

Creation produces abundance.

Humanity can rest and rule in God’s presence and trust that everything is going to be ok.

In Genesis 1 we see God bringing life and order out of darkness.

On the 7th day God blesses the 7th day and makes it Holy.

His presence comes dwell or settle in with Humanity.

Last week, if you recall we talked about trusting that God’s provision on the 6th day is enough to provide for Sabbath rest.

Sabbath becomes a time where we can trust that God’s provision is enough.

I want to draw your attention to something in scripture for just a second.

After God finishes each day, it ends with this statement

Genesis 1:25 (HCSB)

25 So God made the wildlife of the earth according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and creatures that crawl on the ground according to their kinds.

And God saw that it was good.

God says of days 1-5 he saw all that he had made and it was good.

Now look at day 6

Day 6 God saw all that He had made and it was VERY good.

Scholars have focused on this word VERY as God providing enough on the 6th day for the 7th day.

We saw God’s provision for the Israelites before the 10 commandments is given.

The Israelites are freed from the bondage of Slavery and they cross the Red Sea on dry ground.

After God does this amazing act, God’s people begin to complain about Him.

They need water to drink.

We saw last week that God gives them the instruction that in the Wilderness or desert that they are to gather every day the bread God provides from the sky but on the 6th day they are to gather enough for the 6th day and the 7th day.

This became a trust issue that God would provide enough on the 6th day for the 7th day as well.

Moses is given instructions to build the Tabernacle.

I would once again encourage those who want to learn more to check out the Bible project podcast.

In episode 5, they lay out a detailed description of the building the Tabernacle.

Guess what pattern this scripture follows?

It follows a pattern of 7. Moses goes up to meet with God and waits 6 days and then meets with God on day 7. Moses meets with God 7 times.

The description of the building of the tabernacle is laid out in 7s as well.

It is fascinating and will grow your love for the Word of God.

So he completes the Tabernacle then this happens.

This is a tent of meeting and God’s presence has created a problem.

What’s the problem?

Moses is unable to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud rested on it and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.

Moses can’t go in.

God’s presence has created a problem for rebellious people.

For people to experience the Eden ideal then God’s people must be transformed.

This is what the book of Leviticus is all about.

Let’s talk about the land

The word work is the same Hebrew word for Slave.

When you are working the ground, you are making it serve you.

You are subduing the land.

You make the land serve your will.

verse 11 during the 7th year you are to let the land rest and leave it uncultivated, So that the poor among your people may eat from it and the wild animals may consume what they leave.

Eden ideal in year 7.

The land rest and it works for you.

6 days do your work but

Sabbath (שַׁבָּת, shabbath):

It means that you STOP or to cease from

Nuakh:

Rested or settled in

Nephesh (Refresh):

Life, mind, heart.

To be alive or have life.

God has given us the land to serve our needs.

The Land is not ours.

The land is the Lord’s and it is on loan to us.

God will stroll among them.

What if they don’t