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What if God “took the day off”?

"for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets

have said, 'For we are also His offspring.‘

Acts 17:28


Introduction:1. I can remember when we were boys and our parents would take on vacation to the south from up north and that we never went anywhere without communion items in case we did not find a place to worship. When we asked dad why we did this on vacation, he would say “we are the ones on vacation not God, and just because we took some time off from the farm that did not mean that God took time off from caring for us and therefore He still deserved our worship of Him.”2. God doesn’t take time off for vacation or days off, just think where that would leave us all, but what if He did?


A good Christian friend posted on Face Book these questions to the Sermon Title Question –

1. Would the world continue to exist if God took the day off?

2. Would mankind have the hope of salvation through the blood of Christ Jesus if God took the day off.

3. My answer to both of these thoughts is no! Interesting thoughts to say the least.


Now the problem with this kind of lesson is that it must have a major prefacing done in order to make the real point clear.

We seem to have an issue with really following Paul’s charge to Timothy - “Study”(KJV) – “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” II Timothy 2:15 (NKJV)

So we will do that first and then move to the real point of the lesson.


I. Has God ever taken a day off in the very true sense as we might understand and do?

A. Perhaps the following passage tells us something other than that which we take at face value and that one would argue about concerning this lesson.

1. Notice the wording - keeping mind who and what are being referred to in the passage.a. The Almighty and Powerful God of all

the Universe.


B. Genesis 2:1-3 “Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished.Gen 2:2 And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.Gen 2:3 Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made. 1. It was completed, nothing more to be done, not that He was tired, He is God.


RESTED - HEBREW - chanah - pronounced - khä·nä' pitch, encamp, camp, pitch ... tent, abide, dwelt, lie, RESTED, grows to an end.

The Creation was finished, the work involved came to an end.

Not God being tired and just taking the day off –

The “Day of rest” is given to man – the Sabbath was for man’s rest and worship to God.


The Sabbath was made for mankind to rest, remember and praise God for what He has done – Created us and gave us life.

Our “sabbath” today is Sunday. Acts 20:7"It [is] a Sabbath of solemn rest for you,

and you shall afflict your souls. [It is] a statute forever.” Leviticus.16:31

“Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day [is] a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work [on it]; it [is] the Sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings.” Leviticus. 23:3


Sabbath is a weekly day of rest or related occasion, derived from Biblical Sabbath (Hebrew: ש��ב��ת, shabbâth, Hebrew word #7676 in Strong's, meaning intensive "repose").

Biblical Sabbath observance, i.e., resting from hard labors on the seventh biblical day from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset,

1) Sabbath observance, sabbatisma) of weekly sabbathb) day of atonementc) sabbatical yeard) of Feast of Trumpetse) of the 1st and last days of the Feast of Tabernacles

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leisure

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biblical_Sabbath

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hebrew_language

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%D7%A9%D6%B7%D7%81%D7%91%D6%B8%D6%BC%D7%AA

http://www.biblestudytools.net/Lexicons/Hebrew/heb.cgi?number=7676&version=kjv

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strong's_Concordance


It is interesting to note that in Genesis 2:1-3 it is not referred to as the “Sabbath” as in the remaining passages and discussion of the OT.


B. So God rested His efforts, completed His Work - His Creativity on that 7th day – but He did not “take the Day off”

As in He went off fishing for the day and forgot about everything --------- but what if He had?


II. So what if He did “take the day off” and just went off fishing somewhere?

A. One might say that’s a silly question, thought, premise, etc. 1. But think about it - if God did us the way that we sometimes do regarding the work of the Church…….. 2. Would we be able to survive for even a

minute?


B. How Do I (we) know that He doesn’t take a day off…….

1. Because He is so observant of every thing about His creation.

a. "Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. "But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” Luke 12:6,7


b. "Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.” Matthew 6:8

1. With ALL there are of us – it does NOT seem possible that He would take one day off of His observance of our needs.


C. Why? – We would die without Him – EVERY DAY of our lives!

1. Because - "for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, 'For we are also His offspring.‘ Acts 17:28


D. Because – “The LORD [is] good, A stronghold in the day of trouble; And He knows those who trust in Him.” 1. He knows when we are experiencing

trouble and He is always near, always ready to help and we can live without fear.

2. “So we may boldly say: "The LORD [is] my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?" Hebrews 13:6


3. He knows how we live our lives on a daily basis – keeping track of us daily – “The LORD knows the days of the upright, And their inheritance shall be forever.” Psalms 37:18

4. He blesses us on a Daily basis – “Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.” Psalms 68:19


5. We would ask of Him as the Hebrew writer quotes from Psalms 8:4 in Hebrews 2:4 “But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man that thou visitest him?

6. We are His creation, His Children -“The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: Romans 8:16


III. He would not think of such a thing as “taking a day off”…..

A. So how can we think of doing such in our Christian service for and to Him?

Considering this – “So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.” Luke 17:10


B. Have we done “those things which are commanded you,” or ---

“have We taken the day off?”Failed to use that which God has given us to use?

“And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 25:30


Conclusion: So What if God “took the day off”?1. God would not do that…….2. He may complete (rested from) a project –

Creation3. But is continually observing – watching us4. Continually blessing us5. It is in Him that we have our “very being”6. What makes us think that we could owe Him

less?

What MUST You Do to Be Saved?

Hear The Word Of God Romans 10:17

Believe His Word Mark 16:16, John 8:24

Repent of your sins Luke 13:3, Acts 2:38

Confess your belief Romans 10:10, Acts 8:37

Be Baptized Mark 16:16, Acts 2:38 For the Remission of Your Sins Acts 22:16

Galatians 3:26, 27Live Faithfully Titus

2:11-14

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