Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy




Exodus 20:8~11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. (11)




♬ Hymn for scheduled worship: Korean/English Hymnal #435 Thou, My Everlasting Portion (#492 in previous version)




 What do people absolutely need and what is most important for them? There may be several things, but one of them is rest. People need rest in their hearts and minds in order to be physically comfortable. More important than physical comfort, however, is spiritual rest. Many people look for this rest in philosophy or religion, but those things cannot give people true rest or comfort. The emptiness in one’s soul can only be filled by God alone. Yet most people try to attain rest from the wrong sources. Relying on other people is of no use. Then what does it mean to remember the Sabbath and keep it holy?





1. Receive the rest that comes from God!
 There is a being that brings suffering to people without being noticed. There are problems that continue to come even though people work hard to solve them. The spiritual problems that modern science cannot resolve become worse when people become successful. We must be able to hear God’s voice in the midst of these problems. The Bible tells us that Jesus took the cross upon Himself to take care of our spiritual problems, scars and diseases (Matthew 8:17, 11:28-30, Isaiah 43:1-6). The power of the cross is the grace of life that solves one’s spiritual problems and curses, as well as the disasters of this age. When this power fills us we can enjoy true rest. We must work hard during six days of the week and set aside one day to worship God, listen to His Word, praise Him and enjoy fellowship with other believers. Rest and comfort comes from God alone.






2. How can we receive this?
 We can seek God’s rest and comfort through prayer. God knows our problems. If we pray with the mystery of Immanuel - the fact that God is with us - we will be able to enjoy the answers and peace He gives us (Jeremiah 33:1-3). When Jesus Christ becomes the answer to our lives and Christ becomes our true Christ and Lord (1Peter 2:9), spiritual prayer that overcomes Satan’s authority will take place in our lives. If we can hold onto God’s plan as our vision, we will be able to pray in a concrete manner. Doing scheduled and continuous prayer with a vision of the future in mind will lead to the blessing of receiving answers.






● Forum Topic - The rest you receive from God through prayer gives you strength and leisure. Are you enjoying this in your life? Examine whether you are receiving this answer through worship.





Immanuel Church Sunday Worship 1st Service / 2009.8.9