Whatever Happened to the Sabbath? (Exodus 20:8) Sermons from the Baptist Faith and Message

Written by Lucien Coleman

Sermon #11 of 19 Sermons on The Baptist Faith and Message.

The Baptist Faith and Message sets forth "certain definite doctrines that Baptists believe, cherish, and with which they have been and are now closely identified." You may read The Baptist Faith and Message on SBC.net. This sermon series by Lucien Coleman originally appeared in Proclaim! magazine.

Introduction: Though we still resist the worldly trend toward the secularization of Christmas and Easter, contemporary Christians seem to have grown less sensitive to the desecration of another holy day that is profaned 52 times a year. I’m speaking of the Lord’s Day, the Christian Sabbath.

What Is the Sabbath?

The basic meaning of Sabbath is “rest,” “cessation,” as when the factory whistle blows at quitting time. A Sabbath is downtime, an interlude for recycling physical and spiritual energies.

The principle of the Sabbath, as a time of rest, is as ancient as the creation of the world (Gen. 2:3). For Christians, the Lord’s Day is Sunday, the resurrection day of Christ (Rev. 1:10); but it still is our Sabbath. The Jewish Sabbath celebrated the completion of God’s work of creation; the Christian Sabbath celebrates the completion of His work of recreation.

Why Is the Sabbath Needed?

The need for rest is deeply imbedded in God’s created order. Modern agricultural science confirms what the ancient Hebrew knew—land will become exhausted if it does not lie fallow periodically (Ex. 23:10–11). The health of animals will deteriorate if they are not allowed to rest. Even machines must rest. (A mechanic told me it would prolong the life of a tractor if I allowed it to cool down from time to time.)

Human beings are not exempt from the need for sabbath rest. According to the Manufacturer’s operating manual, the human organism was made to work for six days, with an interval of rest every seventh day (Ex. 20:9–10). To ignore this is to defy the laws of nature at the risk of self-destruction. Jesus said, “The sabbath was made for man” (Mark 2:27), because He knew our wellbeing depends on it.

The Sabbath protects those whose time belongs to others—slaves, servants, employees. In earlier times, Sunday was the only day slaves were free from their labors. They sang, “Every day will be Sunday by-and-by.” The greatest losers in today’s hyper-commercialized Lord’s Day are those who are compelled to run the businesses.

We also need a time for worship. Without worship, life degenerates into a frantic struggle to satisfy wants and needs. The Sabbath is a quiet rest area where we can heed the words, “Be still and know that I am God.” A key word in the third commandment is “remember.” The Sabbath is a day for remembering the One who sustains us through all our days.

A store-owner graciously allowed a church to use his parking lot 51 Sundays a year, but one Sunday each year was a “no parking” Sunday. He said, “For 51 Sundays I’ll make no charge, but one day a year I want you to remember who gave it to you.” (John M. McBain, The Ten Commandments in the New Testament. 41–42).

About Professor Coleman

Professor Lucien Coleman retired in 1993 after twenty-seven years of teaching Religious Eductation at Southern Seminary and Adult Education at Southwestern Seminary. Before teaching served as a pastor in Kentucky. He holds degrees from Southern Seminary and the University of Kentucky. He and his wife, Bobbie, live in Parker County, Texas. They have three children, fifteen grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.