This changes how you view the Sabbath

Many Christians want to honor the Sabbath, but they don't know how. What does it really mean to rest? What should you do and what should you avoid? Today, I'm going to walk you through exactly how to honor the Sabbath the way God intended. But, the Sabbath isn't about rules. It's about relationship. It's an invitation to stop, to rest, and to reconnect with our creator. But, here's the question. How do we actually keep the Sabbath in today's busy world? Let's find out. The first step is simple. Just stop working. The Bible tells us to work for 6 days and to rest on the 7th. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the 7th day is the Sabbath of Lord your God. In it you shall do no work. That means we intentionally cease from our regular work. This refers to our job and our regular chores. The Hebrew word for Sabbath is Shabbat and it literally means to cease. The Sabbath begins at sunset on the 6th day, which is Friday evening, and it ends at sunset on the 7th day, which is Saturday evening. This follows the biblical pattern found in Genesis where evening comes before morning. When you stop working, you're declaring with your actions, God, I trust you to provide for my needs even when I rest. Think about it. When you rest, you're actually exercising faith. The Sabbath isn't just about stopping your work. It's about trusting God to provide for you. We find this principle at work when God provided extra mana on the 6th day so that they didn't have to gather mana on the Sabbath. See, for the Lord has given you the Sabbath. Therefore, he gives you on the 6th day bread for 2 days. Let every man remain in his place. Let no man go out of his place on the 7th day. God provides for his people when they trust him and obey his commandments. The second way to keep the Sabbath holy is to worship God and reflect on his word. Isaiah 58:13-14 says, if we turn away from doing our own pleasure on the Sabbath and call it a delight, God will make us ride on the high hills of the earth. The Sabbath isn't a day for selfish entertainment or seeking pleasure for ourselves. It's a day set aside to delight in the Lord. Spend time in the word, pray, worship, fellowship, talk about God with your family and friends. It's not about doing nothing. It's about doing the right things. The things that restore your soul and glorify God. Ask yourself this question. What truly refreshes your spirit? That's what the Sabbath was made for. The third principle is to reconnect with God and with family. Deuteronomy 5 reminds us that we were all slaves in Egypt, but God brought us out with a mighty hand. This shows us the Sabbath is about freedom from slavery. And remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt and the Lord your God brought you out from there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm. Therefore, the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day. The Sabbath shows us that we aren't slaves to our jobs. We're free to worship God and to rest from our labor. But, it's not just about rest from physical work. It's about rest from spiritual striving as well. It's a weekly reminder that our worth doesn't come from what we do. It comes from who we belong to. So, turn off your phone, stop scrolling, and stop checking emails. Spend the day with God. Spend time with your family and your friends. Talk, laugh, sing, worship, pray, and remember God's goodness. That's how you make the Sabbath a delight by being fully present with the people you love and the God who loves you. Let me challenge you for a moment. Think about what it would look like if you made the Sabbath a priority. What would it be like to have family dinner on Friday night and no one is distracted by work or cell phones? How would that positively impact your family? Set apart time when you don't even check your email. Think about what a blessing that would be to your spirit. The final point is that the Sabbath is about holiness. It's about being set apart. Exodus 31 calls the Sabbath a sign between God and his people. Surely my Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you. When we honor the Sabbath, we're publicly declaring our covenant relationship with the God who created the world in 6 days and rested on the 7th. That's why we don't treat it like any other day. It's not a day for business or shopping or secular entertainment. It's a day for rest and worship and joy in the Lord. This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. Keeping it holy isn't about following a list of do's and don'ts. That's where the Pharisees got it wrong. The Sabbath is about spending time with our creator, casting our cares upon him, and entering into his rest. Yeshua said, the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath. That means God designed this day for you. The Sabbath was made for us as a blessing from God. It's a weekly gift of rest for God's people. So, how do you keep the Sabbath? Start by resting from work. And don't cause other people to work for you, which means no buying, no shopping, no eating out. Next, spend time in prayer and worship. The Sabbath is an appointment with God, so meet with him. You can also use the Sabbath to connect with your loved ones, spending dedicated time with family and friends. Finally, set the Sabbath apart as holy. Make it special. It shouldn't be just another day. So, I want to ask you, what is your favorite way to keep the Sabbath? Post your answer in the comments below. And now that you've learned how to keep the Sabbath, watch this next video to learn who really changed the Sabbath. Break me down, unlearn the lies. [Music]