Connecting with God - Genesis 1-11

Connecting with God - Genesis 1-11 Lecture #6 Connecting With the God Who Calls Us to Rest Genesis 1:31-2:3; Exodus 20:8-11

Review

To be made in the image of God means we represent God; we are given responsibilities from God and we reflect God. It means that when people look at us they should be able to see what God is like in his moral character.

The idea of reflection is best illustrated with a mirror used to start a fire. The mirror must be pointing toward the sun and the kindling.

I. What Happened to Rest in our Culture?

i. We see rest as a waste of time. It is believed that productivity is the highest calling.

ii. We have a culture of busyness. Busyness is applauded.

iii. We have a culture of hurriedness. We are obsessed with efficiency and productivity.

II. Being Made in God’s Image Means That We Been Called to Rest

“By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.” Genesis 2:2-3

- “Sabbath” means to stop, to cease from work and activity.

What do we learn about the Sabbath from Genesis 2:2-3?

i. God practices the Sabbath to enjoy creation and be with Himself. “by the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.”

 Did God need a nap? No. (see Psalm 121:4). It means that God set aside a day to enjoy his creation  God set it apart to be with himself as an example to us.

February 24, 2013 Scarborough Chinese Baptist Church Page 1 of 3 ii. God blesses the day - “…God blessed the seventh day...”  To be blessed is to be fruitful.

iii. God makes it “holy”.  This is a day that is holy – which means that it is set apart for us to enjoy, it is a day for us to rest and depend on him to provide for us.

III. The Practical Implications

i. The Sabbath is a free gift.  Sometimes we think of the Sabbath not as a gift but an interruption. It is a gift for us to rest.

ii. The Sabbath is a day. “On the seventh day God rested from all his work.”  It is a day for physical rest.

iii. The Sabbath is an attitude. This means we take a rest from and a rest in.

 We take a rest from being god.

 We take a rest in God’s ability. We trust in his Sovereignty.

 We take a rest in God’s provision.

iv. The Sabbath is blessed with fruitfulness.

v. We know that we have a “Sabbath attitude” when we practice Sabbath days. We need to get control of our schedules.

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