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Where Is God’s Church Today?
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Jesus said, “I will build My Church…†There is a single organization that teaches the entire truth of the Bible, and is called to live by “every word of God.†Do you know how to find it? Christ said it would:

  • Teach “all things†He commanded
  • Have called out members set apart by truth
  • Be a “little flockâ€

The Sabbath Command

by Brian K. Jackson

Few teenagers do exactly what you do every week! Out of millions of youth around the world, you have the opportunity to experience something God, the Creator of the universe, made special—the Sabbath day.

This puts you in a unique category among your peers. Vast numbers observe the first day of the week, Sunday, as a day of worship. Most will not experience the benefits of the Sabbath—or even be aware of it until after the millennial reign of Jesus Christ—over 1,000 years from now!

After a long week at school or a hectic work schedule, we should all look forward to the Sabbath. It is a day of rest and recharging we can count on. Whether born into the truth or plucked out of world, you share the common bond with others in the Church of learning a new way of life, including what the Sabbath command entails.

Awareness of this day’s meaning provides a special opportunity. It has been said that if you keep the Sabbath it will keep you. Observing it according to biblical standards not only allows you to be refreshed mentally and physically, but it also gives you the chance to cultivate a relationship with God—the most important relationship one could ever have in this life.

Keeping the Sabbath is not without its challenges. Trials and tests can stand in the way of obeying God. Often, sporting events and dances are held on Friday nights or Saturday prior to sunset. While these are not necessarily bad in and of themselves, they are held during a time considered holy or separate by God.

How do you feel about keeping the Sabbath on a weekly basis? Do you sometimes find yourself upset that you cannot participate in activities that conflict with it? Have you wondered exactly why God commands we keep it or had trouble explaining it to those who ask why you keep it?

If you answered yes to any or all of these questions, you are not alone. They are also on the minds of fellow teenagers in God’s Church.

There is a way to ensure you avoid seeing the Sabbath day as an inconvenience—and to answer those who ask why you observe it each week. It starts with understanding what God says about it.

Make sure you have your Bible, pen and notebook ready to copy down each verse mentioned. This will help you better grasp why you should keep the Sabbath.

(1) When was the Sabbath day created? Who created it? Genesis 2:1-2.

The Sabbath day was created at the end of the Creation week as described in Genesis. It was set apart by God as a culmination of Him doing the work of preparing the Earth to be inhabited by plants, animals and mankind.

Note: This proves that the Sabbath originated with God and was in place from the beginning.

(2) What did God do on the seventh day? What purpose did it serve? Exodus 20:8-10.

God rested on the seventh day. Though He does not grow tired or weary (Psa. 121:3-4), He set the example by resting from all His labor of the previous six days. He expects mankind, who does get tired, to do the same.

We are to labor or work for six days (Ex. 20:9), and rest on the seventh day. This day is known as the Sabbath, which means intermission or pause, because it is a day of rest. The “Sabbath†day referred to in Exodus refers to the “seventh day†event in Genesis, which ties the two passages together.

Along with providing much needed rest, keeping the Sabbath serves as a reminder of the God who created the day in the first place.

(3) How does God view the Sabbath day? Genesis 2:3; Exodus 20:11.

The Sabbath is special to God. Upon creating it, He referred to it as “blessed,†which means to praise or salute. He also “sanctified it,†meaning He set it apart as sacred or holy.

A good way to relate to this is to consider things in our lives that are special to us. We have no problem “praising†(telling everyone about them) or going to great lengths at times to care for them. Remembering how we view what is special to us can help us relate to how God views the Sabbath—a day that is special to Him.

(4) How does God expect man to view this day? Mark 2:27-28; I John 5:3.

Just as God sees the Sabbath as a special day, mankind should do the same. We must first realize that the day belongs to God (Mark 2:28). It is His to do with it as He sees fit. An all-wise God chose to give the Sabbath day to His Creation as a gift. The day was made for man, not the other way around. Because God created human beings and animals—which are both required to rest on this day—He knows exactly what is needed for them to function at their best.

As with all of God’s commands, the Sabbath is for our benefit and should not be seen as grievous or burdensome.

(5) Why do we assemble and worship God on this day? Exodus 20:8; Leviticus 23:3.

Keeping the Fourth Commandment to observe the Sabbath day is a requirement from God. It is a demonstration, along with the first three commandments, of our love toward our Creator. After God labored six days while recreating the Earth, He paused from His labor to reflect on all He had done. The result of His work was special to Him, so much so that He referred to it as “very good†(Gen. 1:31).

We also must take time on a weekly basis to pause and reflect on all God has done, both directly in our lives and all around us. We are to have a “holy convocation†or special meeting with like-minded people to reflect on these things. Keeping the true Sabbath, not Sunday, helps all God’s people stay connected to the true God, and not get caught up with the false gods of this world.

(6) What does keeping the Sabbath command, as God instructed, mean to those who do? Isaiah 58:13-14.

By avoiding the temptation to fulfill our own pleasure and desires on the Sabbath day, we instead honor God and set ourselves up to receive tremendous blessings. The Sabbath is a “delight†and a day we can focus on all God does for us. This should be evident by our conduct as well as our words. The entire day should be different from the other six days of the week. We should not engage in activities that detract from the meaning of the day. We should also make sure to keep our conversations about uplifting and encouraging topics.

(7) Does the Sabbath day help to identify God’s people? Is it considered a test command? Was it “done away†with over time? Exodus 31:13-17, 16:4; Hebrews 4:4, 9.

Observing the Sabbath command is an identifiable difference between true Christians who obey God’s non-negotiable laws and those who do not. Not only does keeping this day help God’s people know who they are, it also helps those in the world identify them.

The Sabbath is to be kept forever, meaning it applies as much today as it did in ancient times.

Keeping the Sabbath law became a test or a way to prove who was willing to obey God despite the temptation to do otherwise. Because keeping the Sabbath is a perpetual covenant, it was meant to be kept forever.

As with all Ten Commandments, the Sabbath is still binding on Christians. We go to Church services on Saturday because it is the true Sabbath day. In contrast, God never ordained Sunday as a holy day—and none of the Ten Commandments reference Sunday as being special in any way.

(8) Is the Sabbath only to be observed by parents in the Church or are children included? Exodus 20:8-11.

God directly commands the entire family to “remember†the Sabbath day. He specifically mentions that neither a son or a daughter, a servant, or even animals are to work this day. Though God does not intend to convert animals, they are forced to rest because their owners do. In addition, they physically benefit from the rest.

Keeping God’s Law beginning as a youth teaches the fundamentals of obeying Him and lays a foundation to understand what He expects as you grow into an adult. Remember, God is offering you the same reward He is offering your parents—a chance to inherit the kingdom of God.

(9) As a teen in the Church, there are many pressures to engage in activities on the Sabbath. How can you avoid the temptation of being pulled into these activities? Matthew 4:4; II Timothy 2:15; James 1:12; Proverbs 16:7, 22:3.

A great way to help fight the temptation to break the Sabbath, as with all sin, is to focus on the benefits that come with obedience. We have established that God promises blessings for those who obey Him.

The key to obedience is to first understand what God expects and follow it. Understanding God’s Law comes from studying His words in the Bible. They are words that bring life. When we overcome temptations and the trials and tests that come with being different, we build character. True character is created in us when we are willing to do what God says despite it being unpopular with the vast majority in society.

But it is not all negative. God promises that when our ways please Him, we will have peace.

We still have our part to play, however. We should avoid putting ourselves in predicaments that could cause us to break the Sabbath in the first place. By being proactive, we can often avoid this temptation.

We have seen that the Sabbath originated from God. This day is a memorial of Creation, a sign between God and His people. It is a period of physical and spiritual rejuvenation, which pictures the soon-coming 1,000-year millennial rest in God’s kingdom.

The seventh-day Sabbath is the day God commands true Christians to keep. Millions—even billions—have been deceived into keeping the wrong day by the god of this world (Rev. 12:9). While they may be sincere, they are sincerely wrong.

Keeping the Sabbath day, the true day of rest that is sanctified by God, is right! It is a sign that we trust God to keep us “throughout [our] generations†and “forever†(Ex. 31:13, 16-17).