5/24/2009 The Ten Commandments 5 - That Fierce Stillness : KEEP THE SABBATH

Sermon Scripture References:
    The Fourth Commandment: Deuteronomy 5:12-15
    God as the God of rest:  Mathew 11:28-30
    Jesus and the Sabbath: Mark 2:23-28
    Meditation on the Sabbath Rest: Psalm 62

   POSSIBLE QUESTIONS:  (Not in any particular order !  Choose and Arrange to make a flow that makes sense to you!)
1.  Was there anything in our time together this Sunday - a song we sang, a point from the sermon, a prayer, a station activity - that really stuck out to you?  If so, why?

2.  How does Jesus transform the Sabbath ?  What is his authority ? 

3.  What does Hebrews 4:1-11 teach us about entering God's Sabbath rest ?

4.  On Sunday we talked about making the Sabbath different (set asside) from other days by choosing to fast from something (refuse to do something draining or addictive) and choosing to feast (add something life afirming).  What things would you choose to fast from and feast to ?

5.  Reflect on waht the Lord's Day means in your life.  How could you make the day the Lord's ?  What changes could you make that would make this day more to his gloryr ?

6.  What relation do you see between the Old Testament Sabbath and the New Testament Lord's Day?

7.  Practically speaking, what is involved in giving all our time to God, making everyday the Lord's day?

8.  How do you feel about your schedule right now -How is the pace of life for you right now ?

9.  When you are feeling stressed and under pressure do you tend to spend more or less time with the Lord in prayer and study?

10.  When you look at Deuteronomy 5:12-15 what do you think it teaches us ?    [ Who God is and is like, the need for social justice, the need to take care of the environment, the need for personal rest ]

11.  Which of the following would you like to build more into your Sunday :   Worship of God,  Hanging out with others, Playing and Resting, Remembering the big picture?  What is a practical step  you could take to do this?

USEFUL QUOTES:
Horton: "The reason they did not enter the rest of the Promised Land was not that ey were not sufficiently obeidient, nor that they did not offe enough sacrfices or perferom enought cermonies. They were barred from God's rest becaues of unbelief. They refused to locate their rest in God alone. They refused to declare their salvation was entirely in His hands and refused to believe that they were at God's mercy and that God would graciously provide. They took matters into their own hands and decided to save themselves. When they could not do this they complained about God... they failed to enter into the promise not because they failed to do or achieve something, but because they would not stop trying to enter the land by their own efforts and scheming.

Talmud:"Whoever keeps the Sabbath holy is protected against temptation to sin.

Anselem "Come now little man! Flee for a while from your tasks, hide yourself for a little space from the turmoil of your thoughts. For a littel while give your time to God and rest in him a little"

Barclay :Instead of being a day desginated to protect the rigths and the health and the welfare of the working man, it became a day of prohibitions, with thlist of things which migh not be done stretching out into an alsomes endless series of rules and regulations.
No work/carry a burden/carry a child but not if child has stone in hand/ what is a stone?