Sermon Archives (September 22, 2000):

The Reward of the Sabbath

Good evening.  Please turn to Exodus 20.  Let me again thank Pastor Golden for the opportunity of speaking to you.  The title for tonight’s sermon is “The Reward of the Sabbath Day.”   Would you please rise for the reading of God’s word.

(Exodus 20:8)  "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.”

You here tonight are keeping the 4^th Commandment, “to remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” Yet among Christians, few keep the Sabbath day, opting instead for the tradition of Sunday worship.  Will the Blood of Christ wash us clean those who have set aside the Sabbath day?   Most certainly, for mortal man can not perfectly keep God’s Law, even one law.   Then what is the point?   If Christianity is forgiven and under grace, why then should we continue to keep the Sabbath day?

In a word, faithfulness.   Say it with me, “faithfulness”.  Faithfulness to God’s word has its reward both in this world and the hereafter.  (1 John 3:22) “Whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.”   Therefore, if you wish to be blessed in this life keep the Sabbath day.

Belief in Christ brings you salvation, but Godly behavior brings rank in the hereafter:  (2 Corinthians 5:9-10)  “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”

For keeping God’s commandments we also receive blessings in the hereafter:  (Matthew 5:19) “Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven.”  The first penalty in the hereafter for not keeping the Sabbath day, is that those who do not keep the Sabbath will be called the “least in the kingdom.”

Can we find from the words of Christ a specific reward to Christians in the hereafter that keep the Sabbath day during their lifetime?   Yes, but to do so we must exit the Bible, and go to Book of Thomas. I’ve brought each of you tonight a translation of the Book of Thomas which I think you will all enjoy. This Book written by the Apostle Thomas did not make it into our Sunday keeping Bible, and you are about to see why.   Within this collection of Christ’s sayings, many of which are found within the Bible today, we find on page 6, verse 27, one that is not.   Christ said,  (in verse 27) “If you do not keep the Sabbath as Sabbath, you will not see the Father.”

When we die, our spirit returns to Christ and we who are saved are forever with him.   But the promise of eternal life with Jesus does not contain a promise to be with or “see the Father.”   This privilege is according to these words of Christ reserved to those who keep the Sabbath as Sabbath.  This verse does not imply that Sabbath keeping is necessary for salvation, or for continuing fellowship with Jesus Christ in the hereafter but rather that among God’s risen spiritual children only those who kept the Sabbath day during their physical life time will be given the extraordinary privilege of direct access to God the Father.

There is considerable precedent within the scriptures for such distinctive privileges and ranks of status for the faithful.  For example, old Israel and the Church through its priests are (in Hebrews 8:4) “shadows of heavenly things.”    Before Christianity, all Israel was privileged to come into the outer courtyard of the temple, but only the priestly Levi were permitted access to the inner sanctuary, and then only the high priest was privileged to enter the Holy of Holies once a year to be brought into the presence of God.   Given the priesthood as a “shadow” of the heavenly yet to come, no Christian should be surprised if access to the Father will be limited as a privilege to those who were faithful to all of God’s commandments, including the keeping of the Sabbath day.