The Gospel of Luke #23

WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:05.320 Enlighten it to us. And now, Oh God, we sing of your 2 00:00:05.400 --> 00:00:09.359 day. We gather on your day. And now we look at a portion 3 00:00:09.400 --> 00:00:15.599 of scripture the deals with keeping your day properly. And so Lord, as 4 00:00:15.640 --> 00:00:19.000 we do come to your word, we confess that we need your help. 5 00:00:19.879 --> 00:00:23.920 That Lord, your word is beyond us. Lord, such knowledge is indeed 6 00:00:23.920 --> 00:00:28.359 too wonderful for us. But Lord, we pray that you would help us 7 00:00:28.399 --> 00:00:32.320 to understand it, to know it, to be able to apply it to 8 00:00:32.359 --> 00:00:37.159 our lives. Lord, sending a searchlight of the Holy Spirit into our hearts, 9 00:00:37.799 --> 00:00:42.000 and let us check of ourselves, Lord, to see in the ways 10 00:00:42.039 --> 00:00:46.640 that we are properly doing what you command. But God, as we look 11 00:00:46.719 --> 00:00:51.600 today, I pray you would keep me safe in your word. Help the 12 00:00:51.640 --> 00:00:56.320 words that I speak be true words, keep me from error and heresy, 13 00:00:56.359 --> 00:01:00.079 And help me, Lord to preach to your people your word. May Christ 14 00:01:00.119 --> 00:01:06.159 be exalted, May the Gospel of Christ be made clear. And I asked 15 00:01:06.159 --> 00:01:11.879 these things in Jesus name. Amen, if you want to turn with me 16 00:01:11.920 --> 00:01:18.480 in your bibles to Luke chapter six. We've been going through on Sunday mornings 17 00:01:18.480 --> 00:01:22.760 the Gospel of Luke. And obviously I'm not going to make it through the 18 00:01:22.879 --> 00:01:26.760 end of luke Um. That would not even be possible in any kind of 19 00:01:26.840 --> 00:01:32.079 dream. But I want to read. Even though the text primarily is going 20 00:01:32.120 --> 00:01:34.519 to be the first five verses, I do want to read the two stories 21 00:01:34.599 --> 00:01:38.920 to both the story I'll deal with this morning and the story I'm going to 22 00:01:38.959 --> 00:01:42.239 deal with next Sunday morning, because they kind of go together, so I 23 00:01:42.319 --> 00:01:47.000 want to read them together. But I'll just be preaching on the first five 24 00:01:47.120 --> 00:01:51.640 verses. But here is God's word. An a sabbath, while he was 25 00:01:51.680 --> 00:01:55.439 going through the grain fields, his disciples plucked and ate some heads of grain, 26 00:01:56.120 --> 00:01:59.640 rubbing them in their hands. But some of the pharisees said, why 27 00:01:59.760 --> 00:02:04.439 you doing what's not lawful to do on the Sabbath, And Jesus answered them, 28 00:02:04.519 --> 00:02:07.599 have you not read what David did? When he was hungry? He 29 00:02:07.719 --> 00:02:10.080 and those who were with him, how he entered the House of God and 30 00:02:10.159 --> 00:02:14.840 took and ate the bread of the presence, which is not lawful for any 31 00:02:14.919 --> 00:02:19.319 but the priest to eat, and also gave it to those with him. 32 00:02:19.360 --> 00:02:22.439 And he said to them, the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath. 33 00:02:23.360 --> 00:02:25.360 On another Sabbath, he entered the synagogue and was teaching, and a 34 00:02:25.400 --> 00:02:30.199 man was there whose right hand was withered and describes. And the pharisees watched 35 00:02:30.240 --> 00:02:34.120 him to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath, so they might find 36 00:02:34.120 --> 00:02:37.759 a reason to accuse him. But he knew their thoughts, and he said 37 00:02:37.800 --> 00:02:40.599 to the man with the withered hand, come and stand here. And he 38 00:02:40.719 --> 00:02:44.759 rose and stood there. And Jesus said to them, I ask you, 39 00:02:45.400 --> 00:02:47.400 is it lawful and the Sabbath day to do good or to do harm, 40 00:02:49.120 --> 00:02:53.599 to save life or to destroy it. And after looking around at them all, 41 00:02:53.639 --> 00:02:57.080 he said to him, stretch out your hand, and he did so, 42 00:02:57.280 --> 00:03:00.680 and his hand was restored. But they were fear with fury and discussed 43 00:03:00.680 --> 00:03:06.280 with one another what they might do to Jesus. Thus ends the reading of 44 00:03:06.319 --> 00:03:15.840 God's word. Please be seated. So this morning we're going to look at 45 00:03:16.000 --> 00:03:20.919 Luke chapter six, and again I said that I think both stories that I 46 00:03:20.960 --> 00:03:23.639 read are related. But I have enough to say on the first one without 47 00:03:24.240 --> 00:03:28.680 going into the second one and keeping you here for over an hour. So 48 00:03:28.719 --> 00:03:30.919 I won't do that. But we canna start by looking at the first two 49 00:03:31.039 --> 00:03:35.719 verses. As we've been going through the Gospel of Luke, we've been noticing 50 00:03:35.879 --> 00:03:40.520 that Luke is stressing different things along the way that Jesus has authority over He 51 00:03:40.599 --> 00:03:46.240 has authority over Satan, he has authority over temptation, he has authority over 52 00:03:46.360 --> 00:03:53.719 demons, he has authority over disease, he has authority over man. And 53 00:03:53.800 --> 00:03:57.879 now we're gonna see something else in verse six that might be a little bit 54 00:03:57.919 --> 00:04:04.120 surprising that is going to be given to us that Jesus is has authority over, 55 00:04:04.840 --> 00:04:11.240 and that is the Sabbath. But also along with the motif of the 56 00:04:11.240 --> 00:04:15.919 authority of Christ over all of these things, there's another motif that's going on 57 00:04:15.040 --> 00:04:18.879 along with it, and that also is going to be highlighted in these two 58 00:04:18.959 --> 00:04:23.959 stories of Luke, and that is the motif of mercy. We see that 59 00:04:24.079 --> 00:04:28.279 Christ is merciful. The leper says, if you will, you can make 60 00:04:28.319 --> 00:04:32.680 me clean, Jesus says, I will be clean, and all the other 61 00:04:32.839 --> 00:04:38.319 healings in the book that we have encountered many healings we have seen, some 62 00:04:38.439 --> 00:04:43.800 specific and some end mass and in those we see that Christ is merciful. 63 00:04:44.399 --> 00:04:47.759 And now in these first two stories in Luke again we're going to show Christ 64 00:04:47.920 --> 00:04:54.240 is having mercy again and again and we're reminded of that wonderful verse that I 65 00:04:54.319 --> 00:04:57.839 keep running into. It seems like in my life over and over again. 66 00:04:57.920 --> 00:05:01.480 Micah six eight. He has shown the old man what is good and what 67 00:05:01.519 --> 00:05:08.319 does the Lord require of you but to do mercy, to do justly, 68 00:05:08.439 --> 00:05:14.000 and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. So in 69 00:05:14.040 --> 00:05:17.399 first one we have the disciples going to the grain fields with the Lord, 70 00:05:18.000 --> 00:05:23.959 and as they do, they're taking the grain from the plants, and they 71 00:05:23.959 --> 00:05:27.560 are eating it. Well. The first thing you might think about is, 72 00:05:28.120 --> 00:05:31.839 wait a minute, that's stealing. They shouldn't be doing that. But the 73 00:05:31.920 --> 00:05:36.120 answer to that is, actually, it is not stealing. According to the 74 00:05:36.240 --> 00:05:42.040 law. The law was very specific on this in Due around twenty three Versus 75 00:05:42.079 --> 00:05:46.120 two. If you go into your neighbor's vineyard, you may eat your fill 76 00:05:46.160 --> 00:05:50.560 of grapes as many as you wish, but you shall not put any into 77 00:05:50.639 --> 00:05:56.000 your bag. If you go into your neighbors standing grain, you may pluck 78 00:05:56.079 --> 00:06:00.360 the ears with your hand, but you shall not put a sickle to your 79 00:06:00.399 --> 00:06:05.800 neighbors standing grains. It's perfectly permissible to go through people's vineyards and through their 80 00:06:05.959 --> 00:06:11.600 fields and to pluck food in order to eat that. I don't think the 81 00:06:11.639 --> 00:06:15.639 people that had the apple orchards when I was a kid understood that quite so 82 00:06:15.680 --> 00:06:19.160 well. But uh, but nonetheless they are doing that. But it is 83 00:06:19.279 --> 00:06:26.240 legal to do this. But if this is legal according to the law, 84 00:06:26.399 --> 00:06:30.199 then what is the problem that the scribes and the Pharisees have. You See, 85 00:06:30.240 --> 00:06:35.079 the problem isn't what they're doing. The problem is when they're doing it. 86 00:06:35.600 --> 00:06:40.199 That is what the problem is. They're doing it on the Sabbath. 87 00:06:40.680 --> 00:06:45.600 Now, the Texas receptors uh manuscript has kind of a strange reading here that 88 00:06:45.720 --> 00:06:50.120 King James translates it on the second Sabbath after the first. In the Greek 89 00:06:50.240 --> 00:06:56.720 the term is dudal proton second first. And it might be that Lucas saying 90 00:06:56.959 --> 00:07:00.800 this is the second Sabbath that I'm telling you about, or you can just 91 00:07:00.839 --> 00:07:04.959 take the more simple reading of other manuscripts that says it was a particular Sabbath. 92 00:07:05.639 --> 00:07:10.519 And so Luke is going to now tell us two stories that relate together 93 00:07:10.600 --> 00:07:15.000 because they both happened on the Sabbath, different sabbath, but they boatht have 94 00:07:15.279 --> 00:07:18.680 both happened on the Sabbath. There is a third story as well that probably 95 00:07:18.720 --> 00:07:23.800 belongs to these, but Luke does not relate it. Only John relates that. 96 00:07:23.800 --> 00:07:27.759 That is the healing of the man at the Pool of Bethesda. And 97 00:07:27.800 --> 00:07:31.040 again only John relates that. But that also was a problem with healing on 98 00:07:31.079 --> 00:07:34.480 the Sabbath. Not so much with the healing there, although that could have 99 00:07:34.519 --> 00:07:39.439 been a big problem, but the fact that Jesus commanded the man to take 100 00:07:39.560 --> 00:07:44.879 up his bed and walk, which they looked at as a violation of the 101 00:07:44.879 --> 00:07:48.720 Sabbath, and doing that, and so in verse sixteen, Actually if John 102 00:07:48.720 --> 00:07:54.079 five and the stories found it interesting because John says, and this was why 103 00:07:54.120 --> 00:07:59.560 the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath. 104 00:07:59.680 --> 00:08:03.600 Will just told them one thing. So why does he say these things? 105 00:08:03.639 --> 00:08:07.439 He's probably relating back to the things that Mark and Luke had had said 106 00:08:07.480 --> 00:08:11.560 together. So those are probably the stories he had in mind. So the 107 00:08:11.680 --> 00:08:20.120 question that is found here relates concerning the question what is classified as work, 108 00:08:20.800 --> 00:08:26.120 in particular, what is work in regards to the Sabbath. Now you may 109 00:08:26.120 --> 00:08:30.920 be aware, as I read it this morning, that the fourth commandment concerning 110 00:08:30.920 --> 00:08:37.039 the Sabbath is the longest commandment of the ten and so therefore, of course 111 00:08:37.080 --> 00:08:41.799 it had great importance to the Jews, and the Sabbath in the Bible. 112 00:08:41.879 --> 00:08:46.960 To the Jews was even spoken of has a covenant in Exodus sixteen. Therefore, 113 00:08:48.000 --> 00:08:52.679 the people of Israel show keep the Sabbath, observing the Sabbath throughout their 114 00:08:52.720 --> 00:08:58.759 generations as a covenant forever. So the longest commandment, it's a commandment that 115 00:08:58.840 --> 00:09:05.720 specifically spoke enough has a covenant. So again very important, and in at 116 00:09:05.799 --> 00:09:11.440 least one instance in the Bible, the case of someone breaking the Sabbath by 117 00:09:11.480 --> 00:09:16.840 in that case picking up sticks actually brought the penalty of death, and Jehovah 118 00:09:16.840 --> 00:09:20.960 said to Moses in numbers fifteen, the man shall surely be put to death. 119 00:09:22.440 --> 00:09:26.720 All the congregation shall stone him with stones without the command without without the 120 00:09:26.759 --> 00:09:31.480 camp So you can see the commandment's pretty important. I mean, all these 121 00:09:31.519 --> 00:09:35.759 things kind of lead into that how important it is. And since in this 122 00:09:35.879 --> 00:09:39.600 commandment they're specifically told it is a Sabbath and they should not do any work, 123 00:09:41.440 --> 00:09:43.480 well, it becomes important then to define, well what is work? 124 00:09:43.919 --> 00:09:46.960 I mean, we want to make sure we're keeping this thing right, so 125 00:09:48.039 --> 00:09:54.279 we need to decide what work is. It's not really easy to define work, 126 00:09:56.320 --> 00:10:00.039 and I'll come back to that in the application this morning. But what 127 00:10:00.159 --> 00:10:07.600 they did was they divided the categories of work into thirty nine different categories, 128 00:10:07.600 --> 00:10:11.159 same as the number of books in our Old Testament, but it's not the 129 00:10:11.200 --> 00:10:16.000 same number as in the Hebrew Old Testament, as they combined several uh several 130 00:10:16.039 --> 00:10:22.440 books together. Um. But again they divided into thirty nine categories, and 131 00:10:22.480 --> 00:10:28.000 then those thirty nine they further divide into six other minor categories. Now, 132 00:10:28.480 --> 00:10:33.879 some things that were prohibited that they considered work would be where if you were 133 00:10:33.919 --> 00:10:37.799 to write a particular letter on the paper, on the paper, that was 134 00:10:37.879 --> 00:10:41.399 okay. But if you happen to write a second letter to tell about a 135 00:10:41.440 --> 00:10:48.039 literary alphabet, a second letter, that's worked because you could have actually made 136 00:10:48.120 --> 00:10:52.399 a Hebrew word if you put two letters together, So that would be classified. 137 00:10:52.399 --> 00:10:54.600 Of course, as you I'm sure you knew that of of work, 138 00:10:56.120 --> 00:10:58.679 and of course you couldn't and and this makes perfect sense. I'm sure you 139 00:10:58.720 --> 00:11:05.600 could loosen and not on the Sabbath. So if your shoes shoelaces happen to 140 00:11:05.639 --> 00:11:09.679 have a knowledge you're coming to church this morning, and you decided to unloose 141 00:11:09.759 --> 00:11:15.120 that knot you were working, okay, and so that was something you weren't 142 00:11:15.159 --> 00:11:18.759 supposed to do, and you certainly couldn't sew more than one stitch. Now, 143 00:11:18.799 --> 00:11:24.080 three of the categories that the Pharisees had and that they had put together 144 00:11:24.240 --> 00:11:31.840 were actually these three reaping, threshing, and winnowing those three categories. And 145 00:11:31.879 --> 00:11:37.879 in our story, the disciples hit the trifecta. They do all of them, 146 00:11:37.360 --> 00:11:41.720 and so they are breaking three different categories, and in fact, maybe 147 00:11:41.840 --> 00:11:48.120 even one more because it also forbid has work the preparation of food on the 148 00:11:48.159 --> 00:11:52.480 Sabbath. So of course you could not do that as well. So the 149 00:11:52.559 --> 00:11:58.799 Pharisees figure they pretty much have Christ. Now they've they've actually caught him and 150 00:11:58.919 --> 00:12:03.039 his disciple, at least disciples, and he's not rebuking them in doing what 151 00:12:03.120 --> 00:12:09.159 they knew was work. Now, again, you have to remember there was 152 00:12:09.200 --> 00:12:15.879 no Old Testament law anywhere that forbid what the disciples were doing, so they 153 00:12:15.919 --> 00:12:20.639 had broken no law of God. But in verse two they say, why 154 00:12:20.679 --> 00:12:26.679 are you doing that which is not lawful to do on the Sabbath? And 155 00:12:26.720 --> 00:12:31.399 they're asking the Lord that Kent Hughes says, they had no hint of the 156 00:12:31.440 --> 00:12:35.679 double slam dunk that was coming. It is never wise to go one on 157 00:12:35.679 --> 00:12:39.879 one with Jesus. I'm not sure why he makes it in the basketball, 158 00:12:39.919 --> 00:12:43.799 but that that's what he did. So so in verse three, Jesus begins 159 00:12:43.840 --> 00:12:48.080 to respond. And I have to confess, as often as the case when 160 00:12:48.080 --> 00:12:52.600 I read these stories about the Lord, he answers using a story I would 161 00:12:52.600 --> 00:12:56.519 have never chosen. It wouldn't have been the story I would have picked in 162 00:12:56.639 --> 00:13:01.480 order to defend the disciples here. Uh it's it's the same way when when 163 00:13:01.480 --> 00:13:05.159 the sadducis come to Jesus about the resurrection because they didn't believe in it, 164 00:13:05.200 --> 00:13:09.600 and they gave that made up story about a man that had a wife and 165 00:13:09.639 --> 00:13:13.279 died, leaving her childless, and so all the brothers, six other brothers 166 00:13:13.639 --> 00:13:16.200 you know, then took her to wife and none of them had children. 167 00:13:16.279 --> 00:13:20.759 And so at the end they said, in the resurrection, uh, you 168 00:13:20.799 --> 00:13:24.159 know, whose wife shall she be? And I would have, you know, 169 00:13:24.200 --> 00:13:26.960 picked something out of job or something out of out of Daniel. Perhaps, 170 00:13:28.000 --> 00:13:30.799 I mean those at the thoughts that come to me. But Jesus picks 171 00:13:30.879 --> 00:13:35.919 us, uh one. He picks us basically as a saying that his whole 172 00:13:35.000 --> 00:13:39.879 argument depends upon one letter. One letter is that is what he hinges his 173 00:13:39.960 --> 00:13:43.600 whole argument on when he says, God says I am the God of Abraham, 174 00:13:43.720 --> 00:13:48.679 Isaac and Jacob, and on that Jesus proved the resurrection. Again, 175 00:13:48.759 --> 00:13:52.600 I would have never ever thought of that on that way. And here is 176 00:13:52.639 --> 00:13:58.080 the same thing. Who would ever thinking in defending the disciples conduct on the 177 00:13:58.080 --> 00:14:01.639 Sabbath, who would ever have thought of a story of David and the Bread. 178 00:14:01.759 --> 00:14:05.879 I would never have come to that, except that our Lord did. 179 00:14:05.879 --> 00:14:11.799 And the story is found in first seven one, and it concerns the bread 180 00:14:11.879 --> 00:14:16.519 that they called the bread of the Presents. And these were twelve loaves of 181 00:14:16.519 --> 00:14:20.200 bread that were put on the table of shee Bread, or the table of 182 00:14:20.240 --> 00:14:24.519 the Bread of the Presents, that represented the twelve different tribes of Israel. 183 00:14:26.080 --> 00:14:30.399 And every week those loaves would be traded out, and new ones we put 184 00:14:30.440 --> 00:14:33.759 in, and the old ones were to be eaten, but only by the 185 00:14:33.840 --> 00:14:37.360 priest. And so levitic Is twenty four eight and nine says, every Sabbath 186 00:14:37.440 --> 00:14:43.159 day aaron shall arrange it before the Lord regularly. It is from the people 187 00:14:43.159 --> 00:14:46.840 of Israel's a covenant forever, and it shall be for Aaron and his sons, 188 00:14:46.960 --> 00:14:50.120 and they shall eat it in a holy place, since it is for 189 00:14:50.240 --> 00:14:56.320 him a most holy portion out of the Lord's food offerings, a perpetual do 190 00:14:56.639 --> 00:15:01.399 so, the Lord said that that bread was supposed to be for the priest 191 00:15:01.600 --> 00:15:07.240 and the priest alone. So here's the story our Lord is referring to in 192 00:15:07.320 --> 00:15:11.639 first seven one. Now, then, what do you have on hand? 193 00:15:11.840 --> 00:15:16.440 Give me five wolves of bread or whatever is here. And the priest answered, 194 00:15:16.519 --> 00:15:20.759 David, I have no common bread on hand, but there is holy 195 00:15:20.799 --> 00:15:26.799 bread. If the young men have kept themselves from women. And David answered 196 00:15:26.799 --> 00:15:30.080 the priest, truly, women have been kept from us. As always when 197 00:15:30.080 --> 00:15:33.000 I go in an expedition, the vessels of the young men are holy, 198 00:15:33.519 --> 00:15:39.000 even when it is an ordinary journey. How much more today would their vessels 199 00:15:39.000 --> 00:15:43.120 be holy? So the priest gave him the holy bread, for there was 200 00:15:43.159 --> 00:15:46.360 no bread there but the bread of the presence, which is removed from before 201 00:15:46.399 --> 00:15:50.279 the Lord, to be replaced by hot bread on the day it is taken 202 00:15:50.639 --> 00:15:58.720 away. That's the story Jesus is referring to. And it's interesting how Jesus 203 00:15:58.759 --> 00:16:02.480 says it to the Pharisee is here, he says. I think the E. 204 00:16:02.720 --> 00:16:04.200 S. V. Kind of softens it by saying, have you not 205 00:16:04.320 --> 00:16:11.279 read what David did? The contemporary English version puts it you surely have read. 206 00:16:11.759 --> 00:16:15.519 The literal standard version says did you not read even this? But I, 207 00:16:15.559 --> 00:16:19.600 like the King James, have you not read so much as this? 208 00:16:21.320 --> 00:16:23.840 It would be like me say to you, haven't you ever read the twenty 209 00:16:23.879 --> 00:16:27.639 three psalm? Uh? That that's what the kind of the statement that he's 210 00:16:27.679 --> 00:16:33.000 making here? Haven't you even read this story? Now? I have a 211 00:16:33.039 --> 00:16:37.279 theory, it's my own theory about this story about David. And it's one 212 00:16:37.399 --> 00:16:41.159 I'm sure that somebody else has it, because there's nothing new under the sun. 213 00:16:41.240 --> 00:16:44.279 I've just never come across it. But I'm sure there's somebody that has 214 00:16:44.320 --> 00:16:48.559 it. And and here is the thought, because there are times in the 215 00:16:48.600 --> 00:16:55.600 Bible where it appears that God either sanctions or even commands a breaking of one 216 00:16:55.639 --> 00:17:00.600 of his commandments. For example, rehab the art is looked at in Hebrews 217 00:17:00.639 --> 00:17:03.880 eleven as one of the heroes of the faith. And what did she do? 218 00:17:04.880 --> 00:17:11.000 She broke the commandment? She lied, She lied about where those spies 219 00:17:11.000 --> 00:17:15.279 were. In first Samuel sixteen one and two. The Lord said to Samuel, 220 00:17:15.319 --> 00:17:18.480 how long will you grieve over Saw since I've rejected him from being king 221 00:17:18.519 --> 00:17:22.759 over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go, and I will send 222 00:17:22.759 --> 00:17:26.400 you to Jesse to Beoutamite, for I have provided for myself a king among 223 00:17:26.440 --> 00:17:30.599 his sons. And Samuel says, how shall I go? If Saul here's 224 00:17:30.640 --> 00:17:34.839 it, he'll kill me. And the Lord said, take a heifer with 225 00:17:34.920 --> 00:17:40.039 you and say I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Now you may 226 00:17:40.079 --> 00:17:42.720 not count that as a lie. I don't know by saying that, but 227 00:17:42.799 --> 00:17:48.359 it is certainly an avoidance of the truth. It is certainly that that is 228 00:17:48.400 --> 00:17:53.400 not the main reason that Samuel is going. And so my theory, and 229 00:17:53.440 --> 00:17:56.880 again it's just my theory, so you don't have to take it. My 230 00:17:56.000 --> 00:18:00.559 theory is that there are greater and lesser commandments. And I'm not referring to 231 00:18:00.640 --> 00:18:04.759 the two commandments that our Lord gave, But in the commandments there are greater 232 00:18:04.839 --> 00:18:08.480 and lesser commandments. And I think I could illustrate that by the punishment. 233 00:18:08.880 --> 00:18:14.799 The punishment for breaking the sixth Commandment is death. That is not the punishment 234 00:18:14.839 --> 00:18:18.759 for line generally, nor does the punishment for stealing. Generally, it's not 235 00:18:19.079 --> 00:18:23.759 that is the punishment. So I think the greater punishment speaks to it being 236 00:18:23.880 --> 00:18:30.279 a greater commandment. And so in both of the stories that I have referred 237 00:18:30.279 --> 00:18:33.799 to, and particularly the one the Lord refers to David's men, lives are 238 00:18:33.880 --> 00:18:41.599 spared, men don't die, men are given things to sustain their life. 239 00:18:41.279 --> 00:18:45.519 And to me, that is a greater commandment. That is done. That's 240 00:18:45.599 --> 00:18:48.680 my theory. You can do with it what you like. So what is 241 00:18:48.880 --> 00:18:55.319 Jesus used this story for? Hendrickson sums it this way. If David had 242 00:18:55.319 --> 00:19:00.680 a right to ignore a divinely ordained ceremonial provision when NECESSI demanded this, then 243 00:19:00.720 --> 00:19:07.000 would not David's exalted anti type, namely Jesus, God's anointed, in a 244 00:19:07.039 --> 00:19:11.359 far more eminent sense, have right under similar conditions of need to set aside 245 00:19:11.440 --> 00:19:19.039 a totally unwarranted man made Sabbath regulation uh Sabbath regulation. Nowhere in the Bible 246 00:19:19.119 --> 00:19:23.640 is there any condemnation of David and his men for what they did in eating 247 00:19:23.680 --> 00:19:30.680 that bread. And we should know Matthew in the Gospel actually gives one further 248 00:19:30.799 --> 00:19:34.359 illustration that Luke does not record here but the Matthew says, Jesus gave this 249 00:19:34.480 --> 00:19:38.000 illustration as well. He said, in Matthew twelve five, have you not 250 00:19:38.119 --> 00:19:42.519 read in the law that on the Sabbath day the priest in the tempo profane 251 00:19:42.839 --> 00:19:49.160 the Sabbath and are guiltless. So, pastors, do we profane the Sabbath 252 00:19:49.599 --> 00:19:55.039 every Lord's day by working, by getting up in front of you and proclaiming 253 00:19:55.039 --> 00:19:59.359 God's word and doing those things. Are are we profaning the Sabbath? Jesus 254 00:19:59.359 --> 00:20:03.240 said, no, the priests do not profane the Sabbath day when they do 255 00:20:03.319 --> 00:20:07.160 that. And then he gives another statement in Matthew it is important, I 256 00:20:07.200 --> 00:20:11.559 think in the story, he said, and if you had known what this 257 00:20:11.680 --> 00:20:17.359 means, I desire mercy and not sacrifice, you would not have condemned the 258 00:20:17.400 --> 00:20:21.640 guiltless. And I think that's important. And here we return again to the 259 00:20:21.640 --> 00:20:25.519 theme of mercy that our Lord often speaks about. One of the purposes of 260 00:20:25.559 --> 00:20:30.319 Sabbath is to show mercy, and we're gonna see that really clearly in the 261 00:20:30.359 --> 00:20:34.440 next story as well. But it gives us opportunity to perform merciful things. 262 00:20:34.960 --> 00:20:40.720 So Christ is saying to the Pharisees by your accusation. You are condemning the 263 00:20:40.759 --> 00:20:45.440 guiltless. The disciples haven't even broken the law. And I'll give you the 264 00:20:45.480 --> 00:20:48.079 illustration of David and that proves you it's not. It's not that way. 265 00:20:48.720 --> 00:20:55.039 And so he's saying the Sabbath in a peculiar way is fulfilled by actually being 266 00:20:55.400 --> 00:21:00.039 merciful. And so, uh, these examples of our Lord lead us of 267 00:21:00.119 --> 00:21:04.119 the principles that our standards have in the Westminster standards of allowing on the Sabbath 268 00:21:04.200 --> 00:21:10.759 day works of piety, works of mercy, and works of necessity. And 269 00:21:10.799 --> 00:21:14.279 if you try to define those works too narrowly, you're gonna end up in 270 00:21:14.319 --> 00:21:18.799 thirty nine categories again, So so be careful with that. Verse five then 271 00:21:18.880 --> 00:21:25.000 gives us one of those powerful verses that sometimes we don't even note how powerful 272 00:21:25.039 --> 00:21:29.720 it is. It's an amazing statement in some ways. To me, it's 273 00:21:29.759 --> 00:21:33.640 almost the most amazing statement we've come across the Luke. It's it's it's just 274 00:21:33.839 --> 00:21:40.720 profound. He Jesus says that he is that you might know that he is 275 00:21:41.480 --> 00:21:47.400 the Lord of the Sabbath. Now let me ask you a question. Who's 276 00:21:47.480 --> 00:21:52.119 authorized to be Lord of the Sabbath. Well, only one, the person 277 00:21:52.160 --> 00:21:59.680 who created it, that is who is lawful, the person who actually instituted 278 00:21:59.720 --> 00:22:03.000 it. That is the only one that can be the lord of the stay. 279 00:22:03.000 --> 00:22:06.079 If I stand up here and say, hey, everybody, I'm the 280 00:22:06.119 --> 00:22:07.640 Lord of the Sabbath, you know you're gonna pick up stones. And I 281 00:22:07.720 --> 00:22:15.680 understand that because only one can be the Lord of the Sabbath, who instituted 282 00:22:15.720 --> 00:22:18.519 in Genesis too too. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy 283 00:22:18.599 --> 00:22:22.759 because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation. 284 00:22:23.160 --> 00:22:27.319 God blessed it. God said it apart, or we can go to 285 00:22:27.440 --> 00:22:30.839 the law again. It is a seventh day as a sabbath to the Lord 286 00:22:30.880 --> 00:22:37.599 your God. So then think about how that would have affected the Pharisees. 287 00:22:37.759 --> 00:22:41.799 He that you might know I am Lord of the Sabbath, and the Pharisees 288 00:22:41.839 --> 00:22:45.240 were lord of a sabbath. That's blasphemy. He can't be lord of the 289 00:22:45.279 --> 00:22:52.279 sabbath. Only God is lord of the Sabbath. And so we see what 290 00:22:52.400 --> 00:22:57.319 a powerful statement that is. Just like when Jesus said, thy sins are 291 00:22:57.400 --> 00:23:00.960 forgiven the end of ears, he said, who can who can forget sins? 292 00:23:02.000 --> 00:23:07.799 But God alone? And so they are left here as they think about 293 00:23:07.799 --> 00:23:11.400 that statement, thy sins are forgiven thee that he said, and I am 294 00:23:11.440 --> 00:23:14.720 the Lord of the Sabbath, they're left with the famous three choices that have 295 00:23:14.799 --> 00:23:19.720 been written about in various places. Either Jesus is a lunatic, or is 296 00:23:19.759 --> 00:23:26.720 a liar? Or is God? These statements leave us no other choice as 297 00:23:26.759 --> 00:23:33.319 to who he is. But what about the Sabbath? How do we keep 298 00:23:33.680 --> 00:23:38.039 the Sabbath? As believers? Like the people in the days of Christ, 299 00:23:38.119 --> 00:23:42.400 we would probably find it very convenient if somebody would explain it to us very 300 00:23:42.440 --> 00:23:45.400 clearly. And if you want me to give you a list of rules and 301 00:23:45.440 --> 00:23:51.319 regulations this morning, I'm not going to do it, because it's really hard 302 00:23:51.400 --> 00:23:56.000 to define certain things. For example, as I mentioned, how do we 303 00:23:56.079 --> 00:24:00.160 define what work is. Let me give you an illustration they came across years 304 00:24:00.160 --> 00:24:06.480 ago that I think really is good. Say this morning or this afternoon, 305 00:24:06.559 --> 00:24:11.119 you're you go home from church and you go to your home and maybe just 306 00:24:11.359 --> 00:24:14.799 this probably doesn't work into son because you don't really have trees, but but 307 00:24:14.839 --> 00:24:18.640 anyway, pretend you have trees and you come home and uh, you you 308 00:24:18.640 --> 00:24:22.839 you're on your sidewalk. If you have a sidewalk and there's a little leaf 309 00:24:22.880 --> 00:24:26.400 on the sidewalk, and you take your foot and you just brush the leaf 310 00:24:26.480 --> 00:24:33.799 off the sidewalk. Have you worked well? As you're figuring that one out, 311 00:24:33.079 --> 00:24:37.079 Imagine instead that you come home and instead of leaf, you find a 312 00:24:37.160 --> 00:24:41.759 leaf, but there's a little twig attached to the lake to the leaf, 313 00:24:42.759 --> 00:24:47.000 so you you kind of take your foot again and you brush it off. 314 00:24:47.759 --> 00:24:52.480 What have you worked now? Well, now you come home and attached to 315 00:24:52.559 --> 00:24:56.920 the twig is a little branch that's there. It's big enough you can actually 316 00:24:56.960 --> 00:25:00.680 pick it up, but you could also still kind of rush it with your 317 00:25:00.680 --> 00:25:06.519 foot, so you do. So is that work in doing that? Now, 318 00:25:06.559 --> 00:25:10.720 let's see an entire limb of the tree. I'm talking about big trees. 319 00:25:10.759 --> 00:25:12.680 Now, an entire limb has come down on your side. You have 320 00:25:12.759 --> 00:25:18.200 to step over this limb in order to get into your door. And you 321 00:25:18.279 --> 00:25:21.480 go and get your neighbor and four other guys and you come together and you 322 00:25:21.559 --> 00:25:25.319 lift that limb up and get it off your sidewalk. Is that work? 323 00:25:26.599 --> 00:25:27.960 Well? What if it's a tree. What if it's a whole tree and 324 00:25:29.039 --> 00:25:32.359 all trees down there and you go in your garage and you get your chainsaw, 325 00:25:32.640 --> 00:25:34.519 and you start cutting the tree apart, and you cut it into different 326 00:25:34.559 --> 00:25:37.759 sections that you can burn it in your fireplace. And you do all these 327 00:25:37.759 --> 00:25:42.440 things and you stack the wood. Is that work? Well? I would 328 00:25:42.519 --> 00:25:47.000 guess that all of us might agree that the first one is not really work, 329 00:25:47.079 --> 00:25:51.160 and the last one was definitely work. But where do we stop? 330 00:25:51.240 --> 00:25:55.440 Where do we find that point to which it now becomes work and it's no 331 00:25:55.519 --> 00:26:00.599 longer not work. You might not have to deal with the question that we 332 00:26:00.640 --> 00:26:04.680 deal with UH in the Midwest, because I don't think many of you have 333 00:26:04.720 --> 00:26:08.079 to do this, if any of you, But can you mow your lawn 334 00:26:08.839 --> 00:26:12.640 on the Sabbath day? Is that? Is that right? UH? Can 335 00:26:12.680 --> 00:26:17.200 I do that? Maybe you have to ask what could I sweep my sidewalk 336 00:26:17.200 --> 00:26:19.920 of all the pods that have fallen off? And and maybe that's the question 337 00:26:19.960 --> 00:26:23.359 you have to deal with. I had a lady when I was pastoring a 338 00:26:23.559 --> 00:26:27.559 UH in a church in Havn, and she emailed me, dear lady, 339 00:26:27.960 --> 00:26:32.640 and said to me, UM, I need you to tell me how long 340 00:26:32.720 --> 00:26:37.880 a nap it's permissible to take on the Sabbath day. I wrote back as 341 00:26:37.920 --> 00:26:42.119 it. I'm not going to be legislating naps. That's not my job. 342 00:26:42.160 --> 00:26:47.000 I'm not going to do that. But but sometimes you know, people say, 343 00:26:47.119 --> 00:26:51.079 well they think Presbyterians, you know, we work. We're pharasitical in 344 00:26:51.119 --> 00:26:53.000 the way we look at things and how we deal with things all the time. 345 00:26:53.519 --> 00:26:56.039 I was speaking to my sister once. It was a very godly woman, 346 00:26:56.519 --> 00:26:59.880 and I was talking to her, and she tends a Baptist church, 347 00:26:59.880 --> 00:27:03.079 and and I forget what the issue was we're talking about, and I said, 348 00:27:03.319 --> 00:27:04.880 well, I said, I just could never do that. I don't 349 00:27:04.920 --> 00:27:07.359 think that would be right. And she looked at me and she said, 350 00:27:07.359 --> 00:27:12.079 oh, that's right, your Presbyterian. You've got all those rules. I 351 00:27:12.119 --> 00:27:18.680 said, well, we've we've got ten of them. Uh. Well, 352 00:27:18.200 --> 00:27:23.119 all these questions about the Sabbath can be difficult. And I would guess if 353 00:27:23.119 --> 00:27:27.279 I went through the congregation this morning and started interviewing you on your views on 354 00:27:27.319 --> 00:27:30.119 the Sabbath and what you allow and don't allow on the Sabbath, and if 355 00:27:30.160 --> 00:27:33.559 I had a list of survey questions, that none of the surveys would be 356 00:27:33.599 --> 00:27:38.519 identical, that we would all have different answers as to what we can and 357 00:27:38.599 --> 00:27:42.759 what we can't do, and we all wonder what is the proper way to 358 00:27:42.880 --> 00:27:48.119 keep the Sabbath. Then we can come up with reasons to excuse us for 359 00:27:48.240 --> 00:27:52.119 doing certain things that maybe we think we shouldn't do. And we may even 360 00:27:52.119 --> 00:27:56.319 take it the other tact and exalt ourselves, thinking we are much more strict 361 00:27:56.319 --> 00:28:02.799 than our brothers and sisters. And how we observe the Sabbath. We have 362 00:28:02.839 --> 00:28:07.279 our problem with our deceitful hearts, and that hinders us from knowing how to 363 00:28:07.400 --> 00:28:14.319 do things rightly. There's a story told about a farmer in England who made 364 00:28:14.400 --> 00:28:18.640 use of the sabbath for getting his hay. And there was a godly man 365 00:28:18.759 --> 00:28:22.440 that he hired. It was very simple and educated, and he went to 366 00:28:22.480 --> 00:28:26.960 work for this farmer and went for the time for getting hay and came. 367 00:28:26.039 --> 00:28:30.839 The farmer told his new worker on a Saturday, he said, we have 368 00:28:30.920 --> 00:28:36.799 to get this hay up tomorrow. The worker replied, I can't come tomorrow, 369 00:28:36.839 --> 00:28:41.480 it's Sunday. The farmer responded to him and said, but this is 370 00:28:41.519 --> 00:28:45.480 the work of necessity and must be done. The master said that if your 371 00:28:45.680 --> 00:28:49.319 ass or an ox falls into a pit on the Sabbath. You must get 372 00:28:49.359 --> 00:28:53.960 it out on the Sabbath. And the man replied, true, but not 373 00:28:55.119 --> 00:28:59.440 if you put it into the pit on on Saturday night. So that was 374 00:28:59.440 --> 00:29:03.480 a good answer. Are there so doing that? And we might apply that 375 00:29:03.559 --> 00:29:07.400 to our lives again. But let me give you just some principles. I'm 376 00:29:07.400 --> 00:29:08.640 not going to give you laws. I'm gonna give you to some principles that 377 00:29:08.720 --> 00:29:12.839 I think are important. One thing I would say, is it since Jesus 378 00:29:12.920 --> 00:29:18.880 was found in the synagogue on the Sabbath again and again, we can certainly 379 00:29:18.279 --> 00:29:23.079 imitate him by using the Sabbath as the time to meet together with God's people. 380 00:29:23.759 --> 00:29:27.279 I think that is clear. I'd say, I love the fact that 381 00:29:27.400 --> 00:29:32.000 you have both morning and evening service here. I think it's great to think 382 00:29:32.039 --> 00:29:36.119 the Lord's day and to have a morning and evening sacrifice to offer to him. 383 00:29:36.119 --> 00:29:37.559 I think it'd be hard for anyone to say, well, that's not 384 00:29:37.599 --> 00:29:41.759 a proper keeping it the Sabbath, going to church in the morning and evening. 385 00:29:41.519 --> 00:29:45.519 I think we could all admit that that would be proper. Secondly, 386 00:29:47.759 --> 00:29:52.240 we need to recognize that the Sabbath is different than other days, and it's 387 00:29:52.279 --> 00:30:00.400 specifically referred to as the Lord's day in Revelation one, and we take our 388 00:30:00.480 --> 00:30:04.599 decision based on that this is the Lord's day. I'm going to keep that 389 00:30:04.720 --> 00:30:10.640 in my mind. We still may end up with different views on things, 390 00:30:10.680 --> 00:30:15.319 but we're both going to keep in mind that it is the Lord's day. 391 00:30:15.599 --> 00:30:19.119 Richard Cecil makes the point on Revelation one ten, which John says, I 392 00:30:19.200 --> 00:30:23.440 was in the spirit on the Lord's Day. Cecil says this verse seems to 393 00:30:23.519 --> 00:30:30.200 be the soul of the Christian Sabbath. In this view, a thousand frivolous 394 00:30:30.319 --> 00:30:37.079 questions concerning its observants are answered, this being the spirit on the Lord's day, 395 00:30:37.279 --> 00:30:41.960 being the spirit on the Lord's day, and you don't need a set 396 00:30:41.000 --> 00:30:48.920 of laws. We also learn in these stories that God gave his law not 397 00:30:49.119 --> 00:30:53.880 to be a burden to us, but to be a blessing. In the 398 00:30:55.000 --> 00:30:59.359 days of Jesus, the tendency the people was to make the Sabbath such a 399 00:30:59.440 --> 00:31:03.480 drudgery, such a horrid day, that nobody looked forward to it. Everybody 400 00:31:03.559 --> 00:31:07.200 hated it. That's that's what the day was like. It would be foolish 401 00:31:07.200 --> 00:31:11.319 for us to say that's the same issue we find in our society today. 402 00:31:11.359 --> 00:31:15.160 Of course it is not. We tend to go the other way. People 403 00:31:15.240 --> 00:31:21.480 inclined to make the Sabbath more a day of recreation. Why did churches have 404 00:31:21.640 --> 00:31:26.599 services on Saturday nights for many, not all, but some so people don't 405 00:31:26.640 --> 00:31:32.240 have to go to church and lose their Sunday, which I've heard people say. 406 00:31:32.680 --> 00:31:34.319 I had a man roughing my house one time, and he was a 407 00:31:34.359 --> 00:31:37.440 professed believer, and he talking about the church he goes to. He says, 408 00:31:37.480 --> 00:31:40.920 I love it, because he says, I go in my water shoes 409 00:31:40.960 --> 00:31:44.319 and my swim trunks. Nobody says a word. And as soon as amen, 410 00:31:44.440 --> 00:31:47.640 I'm out the door and I'm in my boat. And I thought, 411 00:31:47.640 --> 00:31:51.000 well, I don't I don't know if that's exactly what the Lord intended uh 412 00:31:51.160 --> 00:31:57.200 for for this day. But again, if we make the Sabbath the way 413 00:31:57.359 --> 00:32:02.599 the Lord intends it, it should be a blessing to us. And Isaiah 414 00:32:02.680 --> 00:32:07.000 fifty eight, verses thirteen and fourteen. If you turn back your foot from 415 00:32:07.039 --> 00:32:10.960 the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day, and call the 416 00:32:12.000 --> 00:32:15.079 Sabbath of the Light and the Holy Day of the Lord honorable, if you 417 00:32:15.160 --> 00:32:19.799 honor it, not going your own ways or seeking your own pleasure or talking 418 00:32:19.880 --> 00:32:23.039 idly. Then you shall take the light in the Lord, and I will 419 00:32:23.079 --> 00:32:27.480 make you ride on the heights of the earth. I will feed you with 420 00:32:27.559 --> 00:32:30.279 the heritage of Jacob, your father. For the mouth of the Lord has 421 00:32:30.359 --> 00:32:34.319 spoken, I don't know about you. That sounds pretty good to me. 422 00:32:34.960 --> 00:32:38.039 That sounds like a pretty good blessing. And let me also say this and 423 00:32:38.119 --> 00:32:42.000 again, I've given you principles, and I know they're not, you know, 424 00:32:42.279 --> 00:32:46.480 really definitive and going to help you. But let me say the Christ 425 00:32:46.799 --> 00:32:52.160 is not only the Lord of the Sabbath. He is indeed the true Sabbath. 426 00:32:53.039 --> 00:32:59.240 He is the fulfillment. What is the sabbath. It's a rest from 427 00:32:59.279 --> 00:33:04.799 the labors of the week. It is a day of peace Hebrews four nine. 428 00:33:04.799 --> 00:33:07.880 Intent. So then there remains a sabbath rest for the people of God. 429 00:33:08.440 --> 00:33:14.640 For whoever has entered God's rest has rested from his works, as God 430 00:33:14.680 --> 00:33:20.519 did from his. Jesus is our sabbath. Jesus is our rest. He 431 00:33:20.599 --> 00:33:22.680 said, Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, 432 00:33:23.119 --> 00:33:29.319 and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from 433 00:33:29.319 --> 00:33:31.559 me, for I am quite gentle and lowly in heart, and you will 434 00:33:31.599 --> 00:33:36.839 find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is 435 00:33:36.960 --> 00:33:39.640 light. The Sabbath is meant to be a day of peace for us, 436 00:33:39.720 --> 00:33:45.079 and Jesus is our peace Ephesians two fourteen. For he himself is our peace, 437 00:33:45.599 --> 00:33:51.440 who has made both one and is broken down the dividing wall of hostility. 438 00:33:51.599 --> 00:33:54.359 And the last thing I'll say to you this morning is the Sabbath. 439 00:33:54.440 --> 00:34:00.559 Teaches us that salvation is not in works, but in rest and tied us 440 00:34:00.599 --> 00:34:06.000 three five. Paul says he saved us not because of works done by us 441 00:34:06.000 --> 00:34:10.400 and righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration 442 00:34:12.000 --> 00:34:15.960 and renewal of the Holy Spirit, not because of works of righteousness done by 443 00:34:16.079 --> 00:34:20.760 us. Secontivity one nine. Who saved us and called us in a holy 444 00:34:20.840 --> 00:34:24.000 calling, not because of our works, but because of his own purpose and 445 00:34:24.079 --> 00:34:30.719 grace which he gave us in Christ, Jesus before the ages begin Ephesians to 446 00:34:30.800 --> 00:34:34.280 aid in nine. We know this one, for by grace you've been saved 447 00:34:34.280 --> 00:34:37.039 through faith, and this is not your own doing. It is a gift 448 00:34:37.079 --> 00:34:42.280 of God, not a result of works. So that no man may boast 449 00:34:43.480 --> 00:34:46.719 we will never earn our salvation by works, and that's one of the things 450 00:34:46.719 --> 00:34:52.119 that Sabbath is meant to teach us. Why don't we work because the Sabbath 451 00:34:52.159 --> 00:34:55.400 represents our salvation, the rest that has been prepared for us. And so 452 00:34:55.480 --> 00:34:59.920 therefore we don't want to do works because this is the day of rest. 453 00:35:00.519 --> 00:35:02.800 This is the day we can rejoice in the Lord, because it's the day 454 00:35:02.840 --> 00:35:08.239 he has made. This is His day, and there is coming. This 455 00:35:08.360 --> 00:35:14.519 day tells us this is a in a sense, a rest for us. 456 00:35:14.559 --> 00:35:17.719 But the scriptures are telling us there's another rest. Yes, Christ is our 457 00:35:17.760 --> 00:35:22.079 Sabbath. Yes, our salvation is our Sabbath. Yes, this day is 458 00:35:22.119 --> 00:35:25.679 our Sabbath. But there is coming for us who believe in Christ and eternal 459 00:35:25.760 --> 00:35:30.679 Sabbath and Revelation fourteen thirteen says I heard a voice from heavens saying, right 460 00:35:30.840 --> 00:35:34.920 this, Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. 461 00:35:35.440 --> 00:35:39.639 Blessed indeed, says the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors for 462 00:35:39.719 --> 00:35:45.440 their deeds follow them. Are you looking forward to that rest when we shall 463 00:35:45.480 --> 00:35:51.960 go to forever be with the Lord and rest with him. Let's pray, 464 00:35:52.760 --> 00:35:58.159 Lord, we thank you that Jesus Christ is our rest. That he has 465 00:35:58.280 --> 00:36:04.800 died on the cross, that he has shed his blood, that everyone who 466 00:36:04.880 --> 00:36:09.159 is thirsty can come to him and find rest. And if they can just 467 00:36:09.400 --> 00:36:16.079 come to the cross and trust in that cross has the means for their salvation 468 00:36:16.199 --> 00:36:22.159 and leave behind all works. If they can do that, there is a 469 00:36:22.239 --> 00:36:28.679 rest for them. There is a sabbath made for them. And Lord, 470 00:36:28.719 --> 00:36:32.360 may we see our salvation. And if there are those who do not indeed 471 00:36:32.519 --> 00:36:37.719 know that they have been saved, may they take this time to rest in 472 00:36:37.840 --> 00:36:43.440 You and in your atonement. What is the only means for our salvation. 473 00:36:44.400 --> 00:36:47.920 We thank you for it, Lord, And that would be the greatest fulfillment 474 00:36:49.000 --> 00:36:52.760 of this day that we could have were one child to be borne into the 475 00:36:52.840 --> 00:36:58.519 Kingdom of God. Lord, thank you for the rest you've given to us, 476 00:36:58.760 --> 00:37:02.800 both on this day but in our lives and in the coming rest that 477 00:37:02.880 --> 00:37:08.519 shall come. We praise you for all of these things in Christ's name. Amen.