Embracing Sabbath: A Journey to Delight and Joy
Summary
Welcome to this sacred gathering as we continue our exploration of the ancient and life-giving practice of Sabbath. Today, we delve into the theme of delight, a concept that has profoundly transformed my life and my family's. Sabbath is not merely a day of rest but a divine invitation to stop, rest, delight, and worship. It is a time to cease our endless striving and to embrace the holistic well-being that God offers. This practice is not about self-care alone; it is about reorienting our lives under God's wisdom and grace.
For many years, I struggled with an unhealthy relationship with work, driven by fear of failure and rejection. The practice of Sabbath became a lifeline, helping me step off the hamster wheel of exhaustion and into a space where I could truly enjoy life. Sabbath invites us to silence the inner Pharaoh that demands more and more, and instead, to rest in God's sufficiency. It is a day to enjoy the beauty of creation, the company of loved ones, and the presence of God.
Delight, as part of Sabbath, requires us to be soft and pliable, open to receiving God's gifts. It challenges our pride and our need to be needed, reminding us that we are cherished by God, not defined by our achievements. In a world of distraction, Sabbath calls us to intentionality, to resist the cultural forces that pull us away from God and each other. It is a practice of humility, acknowledging that God is in control, not us.
Our picture of God greatly influences our ability to enter Sabbath delight. God is not a taskmaster but a joyful being who delights in us. Jesus, the exact representation of God, was outrageously joyful, and his presence was a cause for celebration. Sabbath is a foretaste of the eternal joy we will experience in the new heavens and the new earth. It is a weekly reminder that joy is a fruit of the Spirit, cultivated not by striving but by abiding in God's presence.
As we practice Sabbath, we create space for joy and delight, for ourselves and our families. It is a time to appreciate beauty, to engage in meaningful activities, and to rest in God's love. Let us embrace this gift of Sabbath, allowing it to transform our lives and draw us closer to our joyful God.
Key Takeaways:
1. Sabbath as a Divine Invitation: Sabbath is not just a day of rest but a divine invitation to stop, rest, delight, and worship. It is a time to cease our endless striving and embrace the holistic well-being that God offers. This practice reorients our lives under God's wisdom and grace, reminding us that we are cherished by God, not defined by our achievements. [51:17]
2. The Challenge of Delight: Delight requires us to be soft and pliable, open to receiving God's gifts. It challenges our pride and our need to be needed, reminding us that we are cherished by God, not defined by our achievements. In a world of distraction, Sabbath calls us to intentionality, to resist the cultural forces that pull us away from God and each other. [56:10]
3. God's Joyful Nature: Our picture of God greatly influences our ability to enter Sabbath delight. God is not a taskmaster but a joyful being who delights in us. Jesus, the exact representation of God, was outrageously joyful, and his presence was a cause for celebration. Sabbath is a foretaste of the eternal joy we will experience in the new heavens and the new earth. [01:05:03]
4. Joy as a Spiritual Fruit: Joy is a fruit of the Spirit, cultivated not by striving but by abiding in God's presence. Sabbath is a weekly reminder that joy is a gift to be received, not forced. By creating space for joy and delight, we align ourselves with God's joyful nature and experience the fullness of life he offers. [01:11:41]
5. Practicing Sabbath with Intentionality: Practicing Sabbath requires intentionality, community, and trust in God. It is a time to appreciate beauty, engage in meaningful activities, and rest in God's love. By embracing this gift of Sabbath, we allow it to transform our lives and draw us closer to our joyful God. [01:15:49]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:01:30] - Introduction to Sabbath Series
- [00:03:45] - The Meaning of Shabbat Shalom
- [00:06:10] - Four Movements of Sabbath
- [00:08:25] - Personal Journey with Sabbath
- [00:12:00] - The Inner Pharaoh: Never Enough
- [00:15:30] - The Impact of COVID-19 on Sabbath Practice
- [00:18:45] - The Role of Spiritual Disciplines
- [00:22:10] - Understanding Delight in Sabbath
- [00:26:00] - The Mellowing of the Soul
- [00:30:15] - Barriers to Sabbath Delight
- [00:34:00] - The Joyful Nature of God
- [00:38:20] - Jesus as the Embodiment of Joy
- [00:42:00] - Practicing Sabbath with Family
- [00:46:30] - Invitation to Embrace Sabbath Delight
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide: Embracing Sabbath Delight
Bible Reading:
1. Exodus 20:8-11 - "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy..."
2. James 1:17 - "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights..."
3. Hebrews 1:3 - "The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being..."
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Observation Questions:
1. According to the sermon, what are the four movements of Sabbath, and how do they contribute to the practice of Sabbath? [00:06:10]
2. How does the speaker describe their personal struggle with work and the impact of Sabbath on their life? [51:17]
3. What does the Hebrew word for delight, "anog," convey about the nature of delight in the context of Sabbath? [56:10]
4. How does the speaker describe the cultural forces that distract us from practicing Sabbath? [01:01:21]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the speaker's description of God as a joyful being challenge common perceptions of God as a taskmaster? [01:05:03]
2. In what ways does the practice of Sabbath serve as a reminder of our identity in God, rather than our achievements? [59:11]
3. How does the concept of Sabbath as a "foretaste of eternal joy" influence the way we view our weekly practice of rest and delight? [01:08:28]
4. What role does community play in the practice of Sabbath, according to the sermon? [01:01:21]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your current relationship with work. Are there aspects of your work life that resemble the "inner Pharaoh" described in the sermon? How can you begin to silence that voice during your Sabbath? [51:17]
2. The sermon mentions the importance of being "soft and pliable" to receive God's gifts. What practical steps can you take to cultivate this attitude in your life? [56:10]
3. Consider the distractions in your life that prevent you from fully engaging in Sabbath. What is one specific distraction you can minimize this week to create space for rest and delight? [01:01:21]
4. How does your current picture of God influence your ability to enter into Sabbath delight? What changes might you need to make in your understanding of God to embrace this practice more fully? [01:05:03]
5. The sermon emphasizes the importance of intentionality in practicing Sabbath. What is one intentional action you can take this week to prioritize Sabbath in your life? [01:01:21]
6. Reflect on the idea of Sabbath as a time to appreciate beauty and engage in meaningful activities. What is one activity you can plan for your next Sabbath that aligns with this idea? [01:15:49]
7. How can you involve your family or community in your Sabbath practice to enhance the experience of joy and delight for everyone involved? [01:15:49]
Devotional
Day 1: Embrace the Divine Invitation of Sabbath
Sabbath is more than a day of rest; it is a divine invitation to stop, rest, delight, and worship. It calls us to cease our endless striving and embrace the holistic well-being that God offers. This practice reorients our lives under God's wisdom and grace, reminding us that we are cherished by God, not defined by our achievements. By accepting this invitation, we allow ourselves to step away from the pressures of daily life and enter a space where we can truly enjoy the presence of God and the beauty of His creation. [51:17]
"For thus said the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, 'In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.' But you were unwilling." (Isaiah 30:15, ESV)
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you feel the pressure to constantly achieve? How can you intentionally set aside time this week to rest and delight in God's presence, trusting in His sufficiency?
Day 2: The Challenge of Delight
Delight requires us to be soft and pliable, open to receiving God's gifts. It challenges our pride and our need to be needed, reminding us that we are cherished by God, not defined by our achievements. In a world of distraction, Sabbath calls us to intentionality, to resist the cultural forces that pull us away from God and each other. By embracing delight, we learn to appreciate the simple joys of life and the beauty of God's creation, fostering a deeper connection with Him and those around us. [56:10]
"Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act." (Psalm 37:4-5, ESV)
Reflection: What is one simple joy or gift from God that you often overlook? How can you intentionally make space to delight in this gift today, acknowledging it as a reflection of God's love for you?
Day 3: Understanding God's Joyful Nature
Our picture of God greatly influences our ability to enter Sabbath delight. God is not a taskmaster but a joyful being who delights in us. Jesus, the exact representation of God, was outrageously joyful, and his presence was a cause for celebration. Sabbath is a foretaste of the eternal joy we will experience in the new heavens and the new earth. By understanding God's joyful nature, we can better align ourselves with His joy and experience the fullness of life He offers. [01:05:03]
"The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing." (Zephaniah 3:17, ESV)
Reflection: How do you perceive God's nature in your life? What steps can you take to align your understanding of God with His joyful nature, allowing His joy to influence your daily interactions and decisions?
Day 4: Joy as a Spiritual Fruit
Joy is a fruit of the Spirit, cultivated not by striving but by abiding in God's presence. Sabbath is a weekly reminder that joy is a gift to be received, not forced. By creating space for joy and delight, we align ourselves with God's joyful nature and experience the fullness of life He offers. This practice encourages us to slow down, appreciate the beauty around us, and find contentment in God's love and provision. [01:11:41]
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." (Galatians 5:22-23, ESV)
Reflection: In what ways do you strive for joy in your life? How can you shift your focus from striving to abiding in God's presence, allowing His Spirit to cultivate genuine joy within you?
Day 5: Practicing Sabbath with Intentionality
Practicing Sabbath requires intentionality, community, and trust in God. It is a time to appreciate beauty, engage in meaningful activities, and rest in God's love. By embracing this gift of Sabbath, we allow it to transform our lives and draw us closer to our joyful God. This intentional practice helps us resist the cultural forces that pull us away from God and each other, fostering a deeper sense of connection and purpose. [01:15:49]
"Thus says the LORD: 'Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls. But they said, 'We will not walk in it.'" (Jeremiah 6:16, ESV)
Reflection: What is one practical step you can take to practice Sabbath with intentionality this week? How can you involve your community or family in this practice, fostering a shared experience of rest and delight in God's presence?
Quotes
"Sabbath is a day to stop. It's a day to stop our working. It's a day to stop our striving and our endless wanting. We want stuff all the time, don't we? Never enough. Never enough. It's a day to rest. A day to let our souls catch up with our bodies. To receive God's presence. It's a day to delight, to place yourself in the path of beauty and enjoy the good gifts, enjoy good friends, enjoy good food, enjoy God, and it is a day to worship. Sabbath is not self-care only, and it is not about us, actually, primarily, it's about reordering and reorienting our lives under God's wisdom." [00:47:53]
"I've shared parts of this before from the front of the church, but for a lot of my adult life, I have had a major struggle. I've struggled with a very, very unhealthy relationship with work, not just busy, but a kind of obsession that meant I could never stop and I could never rest. It was always kind of pushing and striving. And really underlying that is also a sense it was never enough. It didn't matter how much I did or how much I worked, it was never enough. But there was a sense also I wasn't enough. I was pushing and pushing. I don't know, maybe try to prove something. And the real issue wasn't really work, but it was fear. So fear of failure. Fear of rejection." [00:50:06]
"Workaholics are terrible at delight. For people who never stop, delight is nearly impossible. If you don't ever stop, right, you never truly enjoy anything. That's one of the significant things about the Genesis story is God is not a workaholic, clearly, right? He enjoys. He enjoys. And he wants his people to enjoy. I remember first hearing about delight as part of Sabbath and being like, what would that even... What even is that? What would that look like? I was numb to it. Busyness and exhaustion and drivenness and striving make you very, very numb to joy. So I sort of had to relearn it." [00:54:29]
"So the word is anog. And it is... I just... It struck me so much this week, right? It's a word that conveys a softness and a pliableness and a delicacy. And I thought, wow, right? We need to be soft enough and rested enough to receive the gift of delight. It's the opposite of being brittle and controlling and driven and never stopping, right? Ronald Rollheiser describes the journey of... Deeper Christian discipleship as the mellowing of the soul. I remember when I read that, I thought, yes, I could do with a wee bit of that. The mellowing of the soul. And Sabbath and scripture and silence and prayer and community and worship and all these amazing disciplines create the space for our souls to soften, to become more pliable in the hands of the potter and be able to receive the gift of delight, right?" [00:55:08]
"Sabbath is a weekly reminder that I'm not what I do. I'm not defined by what I do. I'm not defined by what I achieve, hallelujah, or what I don't achieve, my successes and my failures. And I am not what other people think about me. It's really important to remember that. I am, and you are, a person cherished by God. You're cherished by God." [00:57:44]
"Barry and Shelley both kind of touched on this in various different ways in the past couple of weeks, but it's actually easier, more comfortable in some ways, to earn something than it is to receive a gift. Sometimes a gift can be quite, I don't know, it takes a level of humility to receive a gift. We live in a world of quid pro quo, earning and deserving and kind of results or failure and punishment. And in some ways, we're more familiar with that world. But God's grace doesn't work in that economy. It's not how it works. And there's a pride in never stopping, right? If we think, if we observe ourselves, all our excuses for why we can't Sabbath, the things that go through our heads, right? So many people need me. I can never afford to be unavailable. People need me, right? I'm the provider. I need to work those extra hours. I'm the provider. I'm too important at work not to check my emails at the weekend." [00:58:12]
"Sabbath, right from those days, thousands of years ago, Sabbath has required intentionality. I'm not going to lie to you. Sabbath is not easy. Like, it takes a huge amount of intentionality to Sabbath. Community. It takes community. It takes community to Sabbath. And trust in God. Really fundamentally. There are external factors which are going against us. Lots of them, by the way. And there's internal factors that go against us Sabbathing. So it takes a huge amount of intentionality, community, and trust in God." [01:00:26]
"Sabbath delight is an invitation to enter this different world. It's an invitation to enter this different world. It's an invitation to enter this different kind of time. It's not a time that's frittered. See when we're doing all social media stuff and even TV, endless TV, right? It's kind of time sort of fritters away, doesn't it? We know that feeling. But Sabbath is time where time is gathered and treasured. Sacred time. So beautiful. Abraham Joshua Heschel, this is a book I highly recommend. He's the Jewish guy, right? Wrote a beautiful book called The Sabbath and I love this quote. It says, Sabbath is not an occasion for diversion or frivolity, not a day to shoot fireworks or turn somersaults, but an opportunity to mend our tattered lives. An opportunity to mend our tattered lives. Gentle time, soft and pliable." [01:02:51]
"Scripture tells us, this is so beautiful, I really want you to hear this, church, right? The Lord your God is with you. The mighty warrior who saves, he will take great delight in you. In his love, he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing. We have a singing God, a delighting God, a rejoicing God. Dallas Willard describes God as the happiest, most joyful being in the universe and beyond the universe. We don't often necessarily, is that our picture of God? He's so joyful. He's so happy. He is this overflow of joy." [01:04:47]
"Jesus' very presence on earth was a cause for joy. And Sabbath is our weekly practice of delight. We have to actually practice celebration and practice joy, because it's a foretaste of the eternal celebration. That we will experience in the new heavens and the new earth at the wedding feast of the Lamb. It is a weekly foretaste of when heaven meets earth. Every Sabbath is a preview of the great Sabbath feast at the end of time." [01:09:37]
"Dallas Willard once said, One of the outstanding features of Jesus' personality was precisely his abundance of joy. Jesus was joyful, and he left this as an inheritance. He left this as an inheritance of joy. He left this as an inheritance of joy. He left this as an inheritance to his students, that their joy might be full. So joy should also mark the people of God, right? The Father is joyful, Jesus is joyful, and his followers are to be marked by joy." [01:10:10]
"But joy is second on that list. And joy isn't forced. It's a fruit. And fruit doesn't grow by striving. You can't actually force fruit to grow. It grows by abiding. Fruit grows by abiding. We can't force joy, but we can create space to receive the gift, can't we? We can slow down. We can stop trying to control everything. That doesn't help joy. Trust me. And we can open our lives to the gift of delight. Sabbath is how we practice making room for joy. Sabbath is how we worship our joyful God. By enjoying his holy day with him and with each other." [01:11:57]
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