1. Where would we be without weekends?
The fact that we have them is a product of the Bible.
Although misunderstood and misapplied, the Bible is responsible for the fact that most of us have time off every week.

2. The Sabbath The Sabbath Introduction:
The Sabbath observance is a very misunderstood concept today.  Many, no doubt sincere, people worship God in vain because of their confusion over this word.
Body:

3. Origins To Whom Given Its End The Christian Sabbath?
The Sabbath
Origins
To Whom Given
Its End
The Christian Sabbath?
The Sabbath
Introduction:
The Sabbath observance is a very misunderstood concept today.  Many, no doubt sincere, people worship God in vain because of their confusion over this word.
Body:

4. The Sabbath - Origins “To cease or rest”
Gen 2:2-3 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. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.
I.  Hebrew Word
The "root" word means "to cease or rest."  God rested on the seventh day from all His work.  Genesis 2:2

5. The Sabbath - Origins
First observance mentioned… Exo 16:4-5 Then the Lord said to Moses, "Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you. And the people shall go out and gather a certain quota every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in My law or not. And it shall be on the sixth day that they shall prepare what they bring in, and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily."
There is no record of any Patriarch observing the Sabbath.  There is no record of anyone observing the Sabbath until the time of Moses.  This is very important.
First mention of it’s observance is in connection with the manna. Exodus 16

6. The Sabbath - Origins
First observance mentioned… Exo 16:22-23 And so it was, on the sixth day, that they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for each one. And all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses. Then he said to them, "This is what the Lord has said: 'Tomorrow is a Sabbath rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord. Bake what you will bake today, and boil what you will boil; and lay up for yourselves all that remains, to be kept until morning.‘”
It is introduced as something new to the people of Israel, Ex

7. The Sabbath – To Whom Given?
Part of Covenant with Israel… Exo 20:8-11 Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.
II. Sabbath Law - To Whom Given
God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses on Mt. Sinai.  These laws were not given to everyone!  They were meant only for Israel  Exodus 20:8-11
This was observed from sundown on Friday afternoon until sundown on Saturday…”evening and morning” of Genesis 1.

8. The Sabbath – To Whom Given?
Moses said it was only with Israel… Deu 5:2-3 The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. The Lord did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, those who are here today, all of us who are alive.
Moses' words, "It was not with our fathers that the Lord made this covenant, but with us, with all of us who are alive here today."  Deuteronomy 5:1-3, 12-15

9. The Sabbath – To Whom Given?
It was given as a sign of their deliverance… Ezk 20:10-12 "Therefore I made them go out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness. And I gave them My statutes and showed them My judgments, 'which, if a man does, he shall live by them. ' Moreover I also gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between them and Me, that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them.”
God gave Israel a sign between them because He brought them out of Egypt.   Ezekiel 20:10-12

10. The Sabbath – To Whom Given?
It was made known by Moses… Neh 9:14 You made known to them Your holy Sabbath, And commanded them precepts, statutes and laws, By the hand of Moses Your servant.
God made known to Israel His laws through Moses.  This included the Sabbath.  Nehemiah 9:12-14
Therefore, we conclude that the Sabbath observance, which was a part of the Law of Moses, was only given to Israel.  It was never given to any other people.
Conclusion: Sabbath observance was part of Law of Moses only, and only given to Israel, never given to other people.

11. End of the Sabbath Law
Eph 2:11-15 Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh — who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands — that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace,
III. The End of the Sabbath Law
What law of commandments separated Jews from Gentiles?  The Law of Moses!  One of those commandments was to observe the Sabbath.  Ephesians 2:11-15

12. End of the Sabbath Law
In Christ we are dead to the Law… Rom 7:4-7 Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ…What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, "You shall not covet."
Today we are dead to the Law of Moses.  That is the same law that said, 'You shall not covet' and also said, 'Remember the Sabbath day; to keep it holy.'  The entire Law of Moses was nailed to the cross.  Romans 7:4-7
The only reason that we are not to covet today is because the Law of Christ commands us!  Romans 13:9, Hebrews 10:1, 9

13. End of the Sabbath Law
Those who appeal to the old Law make themselves debtors to do ALL OF IT, and have fallen from grace… Gal 5:3-4 And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.
Those who appeal to the old law make themselves a debtor to do the whole old law.  Galatians 5:2-3

14. A Christian Sabbath?
Christians are to assemble on the first day of the week (Sunday), not the 7th (Sabbath)… Act 20:7 Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight. 1Co 16:2 On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come.
Sunday is never called “the Christian Sabbath” nor is it declared a day of rest in the New Testament
IV. What about the Christian Sabbath?
Christians are to worship together, not on Saturday (the Sabbath), but on Sunday, the first day of the week.   Acts 20:7, I Corinthians 16:2
Sunday is never called "the Christian Sabbath" in the New Testament.
Today there is neither Jew nor Greek.  Galatians 3:23-28

15. Origins To Whom Given Its End The Christian Sabbath?
The Sabbath
Origins
To Whom Given
Its End
The Christian Sabbath?
There is a "rest" coming for the faithful Christian. Heb 4:1, 4-11
Conclusion:     Let us all strive to enter that eternal rest! [Bobby Stafford March 6, 2011 (with some changes and additions, RDL)]