The Hebrew word for Sabbath means “stop” or “cease.” Many people believe that Sabbath means
church day, the weekend, a vacation, a day off, leisure time, or simply not
being at work. Yet all of those
things can still be busy, stressful, overloaded, and taxing on our lives.
ICEBREAKERS:
-What would the perfect day of Sabbath rest look like for
you? If you had to plan it, what
would it include?
-Do any of your have a weekly Sabbath? If not, why? If so, why do you choose
to do that and what’s your routine to keep it holy?
-Why do you think our culture doesn’t value Sabbath?
-We oftentimes pay a terrible price for our busy lives.
How has skipping the Sabbath taken a toll on you personally,
emotionally, physically, relationally, or spiritually in the past?
Please share! Your past struggle could help someone in the
group from making the same mistake in their life.
Let’s look at 3 texts as we unpack the commandments around
the Sabbath.
1. Exodus 20:8-11
a. God commands a day of rest. Why do Christians openly
flaunt our disobedience of this?
We don’t even TRY to hide it!
Give the group an example of how you have actually bragged about
breaking this law in the past.
b. God doesn’t just tell us to have a “stop” day, but He
calls us to keep it “Holy.” How
can you make sure Sabbath is focused on God and not just a day off of work
where you sit at home and do nothing?
c. What are the
excuses we give ourselves for breaking the Sabbath law? (don’t want to be lazy,
don’t need to rest, will rest later, obligation to my boss/clients, trying to
get ahead, worried about money). Aren’t these excuses an indicator of a lack of
trust in God?
2. Mark 2:23-27
a. Jesus says that the Sabbath is actually a gift for
mankind. How is Sabbath actually a
gift to us and not just a burden of rules or an inconvenient command from God?
b. Some people miss the purpose of the Sabbath because they
are militant about the rules around it (no shopping, no fun, no work,
etc). Others miss the purpose of
the Sabbath because we are carefree or cavalier about the idea of it (I don’t
need it, too much to do, I’m too driven and motivated and successful to do
that). Which category do you fall
into?
Why are they both harmful to us and in contrast to the
design of the Sabbath by God?
Mark 6:30-34
a. Our version of “21st Century American Jesus”
would have told those disciples to work nights and weekends to get as many
results accomplished as possible.
But that’s not what Jesus told them. Why did Jesus want the disciples to
pull away? What is the advantage
for us to pull away as well?
(Connect with God, and connect with other Christians for encouragement,
challenging, and fellowship together).
b. Can you share a story from the last time you pulled away
in Sabbath? What did God teach you? Why did you do it?
4 Tips for a successful Sabbath
1. Unplug. Put away whatever you are plugged in to (phone,
email, social media)
2. Engage with God. Spend time reading God’s Word, praying,
and being alone with Him. Remember Sabbath is not a rest FROM God, but a rest
LED BY God.
3. Be Intentional. Plan it, put it on your calendar, guard
it like you would a meeting. It won’t happen by accident.
4. No Guilt! Don’t feel bad about unplugging, winding down,
or resting. Trust that God knows
what He’s doing when he designed our lives to have 24-hours of Sabbath.
BONUS Fun Question to Close Down the Discussion…
-Is doing Strike Force breaking the Sabbath (hard, physical
labor)? Is serving in the kids’
ministry disobeying God because we are doing things on Sunday? Is volunteering in any capacity at a
local church on the weekends in direct disobedience to God’s 4th
command?
(When God gives us a Sabbath day, we believe that it
actually honors God when people choose to spend some of that Sabbath serving
Him and honoring Him through the service of others. So the next time you pick up your kids from rWorld or see a
Guest Services member in the parking lot, remember that they are using some of
their Sabbath to honor God and serve you.
So THANK THEM and JOIN THE PARTY!)
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