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The Purpose of the Sabbath

Sermonette by Craig Sablich

The Sabbath enables us to learn spiritual principles rather than a set of rules, and to exercise righteous judgment, aligning our actions with God's purpose.

Remember the Sabbath Day

Sermonette by Hunter D. Swanson

All of God's people have at times felt overwhelmed by grief and exhaustion, needing a genuine rehabilitative rest. The Sabbath restores spiritual strength.

Polluted Sabbath?

Sermon by Bill Onisick

God commands us to keep His Sabbath by doing no physical work and by making it a holy convocation, a commanded day of assembly where He, the holy God, desires to be with His future holy people. To honor this command, we must gather together with God and His people, focusing solely on our purpose of becoming like our holy God. The Sabbath is a day dedicated to qadash activity, activity that purifies us and makes us Godlike, set apart by God for recreation and cleansing, distinct from the other six days due to the distractions of the world. The Sabbath is holy because God made it holy with His presence, and profaning or polluting it by engaging in personal work or activities not aligned with God's qadash purpose carries severe consequences. Following Christ's example, we must assemble on the Sabbath, as it was His habit to be in the synagogue as part of a holy convocation. His ministry began and ended on the Sabbath, emphasizing its significance in the plan of salvation, where He spiritually heals and cleanses His chosen people. Jesus demonstrated how to keep the Sabbath through acts of mercy and good works, such as healing on the Sabbath and addressing needs with minimal physical effort, as seen with His disciples plucking grain. He highlighted the importance of mercy and spiritual work on this day, showing that the Sabbath is not a day of idleness but of great work—God's work of healing, cleansing, and demonstrating lovingkindness. As priests in training, our Sabbath work must be motivated by the right purpose, never self-focused, as such actions pollute God's holy time. We must guard against polluting the Sabbath with thoughts or conversations distracted by worldly matters, ensuring our focus remains on building faith and aiding God's sanctification process. Even in assembly, allowing our minds to wander to personal concerns defiles this holy time, as God is present with us. Our conversations and activities on the Sabbath should differ from the other six days, aligning with qadash activity to unite us with God's purpose. God has provided the Preparation Day to eliminate normal physical work and distractions from His holy Sabbath, encouraging us to prepare in advance to dedicate this time to Him. There are warnings against half-hearted observance or longing for the Sabbath to end, as such attitudes fail to delight in God's holy day and pollute it through distraction or neglect. As priests in training, we must use this special day, as Jesus did, for extending mercy, healing, cleansing, and doing good, never forsaking the commanded assembly to worship God and remove pollutants from our lives.

The Sabbath: Rest

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

The Sabbath is an antidote to the weariness we experience. It recalls God's pausing after completing His physical creation, focusing on the spiritual creation.

Eating Out on the Sabbath

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

In the gray areas of applying God's Law, extending mercy and easing of burdens trumps legalism and hairsplitting.

The Commandments (Part Seven)

Sermon/Bible Study by John W. Ritenbaugh

The work required on the Sabbath is to prepare for the Kingdom of God, fellowshipping with our brethren, serving where possible, and relieving burdens.

Skipping Services? Consider Carefully

CGG Weekly by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

God's word marks the Sabbath as a time of His calling His people together for worship, so attending church services is a vital part of the Christian Sabbath.

The Commandments (Part Six)

Sermon/Bible Study by John W. Ritenbaugh

God gave the Sabbath to His people so they can know Him intimately. Idolatry, scattering, and captivity are the natural consequences of Sabbath-breaking.

The Fourth Commandment (Part 5)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The reason for refraining from many activities on the Sabbath is not labor or energy, but the overall motivation. Certain works are perfect for the Sabbath.

The Fourth Commandment (Part 2)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The Sabbath reminds us that God is Creator and that we were once in slavery to sin. The Sabbath is a time of blessing, deliverance, liberty, and redemption.

The Fourth Commandment (Part 4)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Focusing on material and temporal things undermines faith. The Sabbath is holy time, created for building faith, energizing our minds for fellowship with God.

The Fourth Commandment (Part 3)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Jesus magnified the Sabbath, giving principles by which to judge our activities. Each time Jesus taught about the Sabbath, He emphasized some form of redemption.

The Commandments (Part Eight)

Sermon/Bible Study by John W. Ritenbaugh

In our hectic culture, we commit far too little time to God, depriving ourselves of the Holy Spirit and attenuating the faith required to draw close to God.

Carefully Tending and Keeping God's Extraordinary Blessings

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Mark Schindler

God's Sabbaths are inestimable blessings which should not be squandered; we must tend and keep these blessings, avoiding the careless use of hallowed time.

God's Rest and the Millennium

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

The Millennium or God's rest will be an exceedingly busy time, a time when all of humanity will be converted, a time everybody will be on the same trek.

God's Rest (Part 1)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The Sabbath rest depicts the miracle of conversion, in which the transformation of mankind into God's image brings about a rest in which God takes pleasure.

John (Part Nine)

Sermon/Bible Study by John W. Ritenbaugh

Jesus teaches the difference between works that cause burdens (work that profanes the Sabbath) and works that relieve burdens. The Father and Son never stop working.