God's Holy Day
This is just a recap of the sermon at Pasay Adventist Church (PAC) last Sabbath entitled "Reasons for Joy and Thanksgiving (The Adventist Advantage)". I really enjoyed and learned a lot from God's message through His chosen servant, Pastor Ephraim Parulan. He began the sermon by saying, "This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it." The focus of the message is found in Psalm 100 and its relation with Exodus 20:8-11.
"Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord He is God: it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endureth to all generations." Psalm 100.
"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it." Exodus 20:8-11.
3 Excellent Reasons for Joy and Thanksgiving:
1. God is our Creator
Psalm 100:3 says, "Know ye that the Lord He is God..." We are God's workmanship. There is an ongoing war - Science vs. Religion; Creation vs. Evolution. Scientists have long been trying to find "The Missing Link" to the Theory of Evolution. They even said that Lucy is the key to that missing link but until now, they are still looking for it. But as Christians, we know where the missing link is found. It is written in Genesis 1:1, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." and Genesis 1:26,27, "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them." We are created in God's image - and that's enough reason to be joyful.
2. God is our Owner
"…We are His people…" Psalm 100:3.
We are His by CREATION. God recognizes that we are His people.
"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is." 1 John 3:1-2.
We are His by REDEMPTION.
""And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot…" 1 Peter 1: 17-19. Jesus Christ died for our sins so that we might be saved.
Why do Adventists greet themselves the way they do? They often say, "Happy Sabbath!" Other Christian believers (e.g. Catholics, Baptists) worship on a Sunday. Muslims on a Friday. But do you often hear them say, "Happy Sunday" or "Happy Friday"? Ezekiel 20:12 says, "Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them." It is also stated in Ezekiel 20:20, "And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God."
A lot of people has asked me why do I keep the Sabbath and why do I do the things that I do (e.g. go to church the whole day) or why don't I do some things (e.g. studying) on Sabbath. I think Ezekiel 20: 12, 20 answers that question. The Sabbath is a sign between God and man. It is God's commandment, as stated in Exodus 20:8-11, to keep His Sabbath holy. God created everything in 6 days but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, He rested and hallowed it. Even God rested on the Sabbath day! Saturday is the Sabbath day, the seventh day of the week. From Friday sunset until Saturday sunset, we consider it as the Sabbath day, God's holy day. The first day of the week is Sunday and the week ends on Saturday, which is the Sabbath day. When you think of it, you should only greet someone "Enjoy your weekend" if it is Friday or a Saturday. Not on a Sunday because it is not the end of the week but the beginning of it. It is actually written in Matthew 28:1, "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 sepulchre." It is on a Sunday, the first day of the week, that Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see Jesus' tomb and found that it was empty. Therefore, the day before the first day of the week is Saturday, which is the Sabbath day. We keep Saturday, the seventh day of the week, as the Lord's Sabbath day because it is His commandment as written in Exodus 20:8-11.
I have never felt keeping the Sabbath as a burden or a hindrance. Since I was a born, I have been used to going to church every Saturday. It has been a part of my system. And just like the title of the sermon, I consider the Sabbath as an advantage. It is an Adventist advantage. I get to rest from all my weekly toil and just spend time with God to thank Him for all His goodness. It is my way of showing my love for Him because He loved me first. And it is not a burden for me because I do it out of love. I may lack knowledge when I don't study on Saturdays but I believe that I still have the wisdom because I choose to rely on God and His word, the Holy Bible. And I have faith that He would continue to bless and guide me all the days of my life.
"…and the sheep of His pasture." Psalm 100:3. We are the sheep of His pasture. This gives us the picture of our relationship with God. Sheep = gentle. A sheep is a symbol of meekness, lowliness, and humility. But by heart, a sheep is weak. Even if they are hungry, they will not eat if there are sharp stones, weeds, and thorns in the grassland. That is why the shepherd rises early in the morning to remove the sharp stones, weeds, and thorns in the pasture then he opens the gate so the flock can be fed. In the river, the shepherd will put big boulders to block the current then he will lead his flock to drink.
"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters." Psalm 23: 1,2.
3. God is our Provider
God created the heavens and earth in 6 days. God created man on the 6th day. Prior to creating man, He already created everything that man will need.
Pastor Parulan asked the congregation if they feel that their income is sufficient for their needs. Most of the people responded that they feel that it is not enough. Pastor Parulan mentioned that he also often feels that way. But when the Sabbath comes, he just prays and tells God that what he has is not enough for him and his family's needs, but he believes that God will fill whatever it is that he lacks. That is faith. The Sabbath is God's assurance that whatever we need God will surely provide.
God bless everyone!
"Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord He is God: it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endureth to all generations." Psalm 100.
"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it." Exodus 20:8-11.
3 Excellent Reasons for Joy and Thanksgiving:
1. God is our Creator
Psalm 100:3 says, "Know ye that the Lord He is God..." We are God's workmanship. There is an ongoing war - Science vs. Religion; Creation vs. Evolution. Scientists have long been trying to find "The Missing Link" to the Theory of Evolution. They even said that Lucy is the key to that missing link but until now, they are still looking for it. But as Christians, we know where the missing link is found. It is written in Genesis 1:1, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." and Genesis 1:26,27, "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them." We are created in God's image - and that's enough reason to be joyful.
2. God is our Owner
"…We are His people…" Psalm 100:3.
We are His by CREATION. God recognizes that we are His people.
"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is." 1 John 3:1-2.
We are His by REDEMPTION.
""And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot…" 1 Peter 1: 17-19. Jesus Christ died for our sins so that we might be saved.
Why do Adventists greet themselves the way they do? They often say, "Happy Sabbath!" Other Christian believers (e.g. Catholics, Baptists) worship on a Sunday. Muslims on a Friday. But do you often hear them say, "Happy Sunday" or "Happy Friday"? Ezekiel 20:12 says, "Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them." It is also stated in Ezekiel 20:20, "And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God."
A lot of people has asked me why do I keep the Sabbath and why do I do the things that I do (e.g. go to church the whole day) or why don't I do some things (e.g. studying) on Sabbath. I think Ezekiel 20: 12, 20 answers that question. The Sabbath is a sign between God and man. It is God's commandment, as stated in Exodus 20:8-11, to keep His Sabbath holy. God created everything in 6 days but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, He rested and hallowed it. Even God rested on the Sabbath day! Saturday is the Sabbath day, the seventh day of the week. From Friday sunset until Saturday sunset, we consider it as the Sabbath day, God's holy day. The first day of the week is Sunday and the week ends on Saturday, which is the Sabbath day. When you think of it, you should only greet someone "Enjoy your weekend" if it is Friday or a Saturday. Not on a Sunday because it is not the end of the week but the beginning of it. It is actually written in Matthew 28:1, "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 sepulchre." It is on a Sunday, the first day of the week, that Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see Jesus' tomb and found that it was empty. Therefore, the day before the first day of the week is Saturday, which is the Sabbath day. We keep Saturday, the seventh day of the week, as the Lord's Sabbath day because it is His commandment as written in Exodus 20:8-11.
I have never felt keeping the Sabbath as a burden or a hindrance. Since I was a born, I have been used to going to church every Saturday. It has been a part of my system. And just like the title of the sermon, I consider the Sabbath as an advantage. It is an Adventist advantage. I get to rest from all my weekly toil and just spend time with God to thank Him for all His goodness. It is my way of showing my love for Him because He loved me first. And it is not a burden for me because I do it out of love. I may lack knowledge when I don't study on Saturdays but I believe that I still have the wisdom because I choose to rely on God and His word, the Holy Bible. And I have faith that He would continue to bless and guide me all the days of my life.
"…and the sheep of His pasture." Psalm 100:3. We are the sheep of His pasture. This gives us the picture of our relationship with God. Sheep = gentle. A sheep is a symbol of meekness, lowliness, and humility. But by heart, a sheep is weak. Even if they are hungry, they will not eat if there are sharp stones, weeds, and thorns in the grassland. That is why the shepherd rises early in the morning to remove the sharp stones, weeds, and thorns in the pasture then he opens the gate so the flock can be fed. In the river, the shepherd will put big boulders to block the current then he will lead his flock to drink.
"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters." Psalm 23: 1,2.
3. God is our Provider
God created the heavens and earth in 6 days. God created man on the 6th day. Prior to creating man, He already created everything that man will need.
Pastor Parulan asked the congregation if they feel that their income is sufficient for their needs. Most of the people responded that they feel that it is not enough. Pastor Parulan mentioned that he also often feels that way. But when the Sabbath comes, he just prays and tells God that what he has is not enough for him and his family's needs, but he believes that God will fill whatever it is that he lacks. That is faith. The Sabbath is God's assurance that whatever we need God will surely provide.
God bless everyone!
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posted by Sweet @ 2:30 PM
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