16. Witnessing to the Sabbath Truth

PREFACE
With Apologies to Ambrose

As a young priest in Milan, Italy, Augustine had a problem. It seemed that he was going to spend the weekend in Rome. His problem was that in Rome it was customary to celebrate the Sabbath on Sunday, while in Milan the Sabbath was celebrated on the seventh day of the week (Saturday). Augustine was not certain as to which was the appropriate day. So he went to his bishop, Ambrose, for advice. And Ambrose gave him the now infamous recommendation, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do." Sorry Ambrose, you blew that call.

"Go against the flow!"
Not only in our Sabbath keeping, but in nearly every aspect of our Christian lives we are called not to be conformed to the customs and patterns of this world, but to "be transformed" (Romans 12:2), to be "steadfast and immovable" (1 Corinthians 15:58), to keep our lives pure and untainted by the wrong influences of this world's fleeting trends. A Christian is a peculiar person, noticeably unique and distinct in character because he seeks to obey God rather than follow fads and fit in with the crowd. He is an individual.

This is particularly true as it applies to our Sabbath keeping. We are a people who seek to obey the Word of God, not the tradition of man. We place the commandment above our own convenience. And in so doing, it places us in disagreement with the majority of our peers, not the least of whom are faithful believers in Christ.

Yet we believe that true Sabbath keeping is not simply a matter of preference, neither is it a yielding to legalism, but is a principle to which God has called us and therefore is not to be set aside or rescheduled to suit our personal needs. The will of God, as expressed in the Word of God is not subject to revision, even by the people of God.

And so we find ourselves at odds with our neighbors, both Christian and 'non'. We are seen as different (if we have polite neighbors) or strange (if they are not so sensitive!). But again, isn't that one of the hallmarks of a true believer? He is the one who is willing to leave home, leave family, leave treasures and security, indeed he is the one who leaves everything behind in order to follow the Savior. He considers all these things worth less - worthless! - "compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:8). Everything, even the dearest relationships, he willingly sacrifices to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. This the cost of discipleship (see Matthew 10:37-39).

And we consider keeping the Sabbath holy an integral part of that discipleship. True Sabbath keeping is radical obedience. It will make demands of us to "go against the flow." That is what we will explore in this book. The how's and why's of Sabbath keeping, especially attempting to bring the discussion down to a practical level of application.

Not a defense of seventh day
What you won't see much of in this study is a defense or explanation of why we are to keep the Sabbath and why it ought to be kept on the seventh day of the week (Saturday). There are several excellent and persuasive treatments of those questions available. I refer you the bibliography for further exploration. We will not seek to prove that point, but use it as our starting point: That God has created and sanctified the seventh day as the Sabbath and wants all of his people to observe it is a given; it is understood from the beginning as what God intends for us to do. God's will is that we keep the Sabbath holy*.

What does it mean to keep the Sabbath holy?
Our goal will be to see what we can learn and better understand about what it means to keep the Sabbath holy. What does it mean to cease from our labor? How do we specifically and practically apply the biblical admonitions regarding our business dealings on the Sabbath? How can we best fulfill what God intends for us in worship and celebration on Sabbath? With the closest possible guidance from the Scriptures, can we arrive at some 20th century applications in Sabbath keeping?

We will also discuss some exciting and enriching new concepts that true Sabbath keeping offers to the believer. We will hear testimonies and study specific cases, we will be challenged and blessed in our study of 20th century Sabbath keeping.

Let us pursue from as biblical and as practical a standpoint as we can, "What does it mean to be a Sabbath keeper?"

For the Seeker
If you are not a Sabbath keeper, or are fairly new in your Sabbath convictions, this book will provide you with some very practical guidance in the daily (or weekly, as it were) application of this biblical truth. You will learn from the Scriptures just what God intends for us to do and not to do on the Sabbath. We will discuss some specific ways that this applies to your life, regarding your work, your leisure time, your worship, and your spiritual life. Our focus will be practical answers to "real-life" questions, based on Scriptural principles and examples.

For the Seasoned
If you already keep the Sabbath, this book will help you to examine, evaluate, and to reassess your present practices and customs. It will help to answer some of the questions that you face in choosing appropriate activities on the Sabbath day, but better yet, it can help you to think about and pray about what Sabbath keeping really means in your life as a Christian. You will discover more than a list of do's and don'ts (although we do venture into these dangerous waters!), you will find insight and direction based on the principles of Scripture that can deepen your understanding of how to keep the Sabbath holy.

For the Student
As I prepared this manuscript, I enlisted the help of two study groups to review and critique the contents. To facilitate that process, I prepared review questions for each chapter. These questions are included as an aid for groups or individuals in discussing the topics covered.

Growing Means Changing!
But I would warn you to proceed cautiously and thoughtfully! Serious challenges await you. Any time we approach God's Word with an open mind, it inevitably leads to changes in our thinking and in our behavior. Without a doubt, you will uncover some practices and habits in your Sabbath keeping that will need to be revised. You will discover some things that may make you uncomfortable and could require you to make some hard choices. And even for mature Christians, this is one of the most difficult things for us to accomplish. As the saying goes, the only person who likes a change is a baby with a wet diaper!

But God does not intend for us to simply continue on, doing things the way we have always done them. Personal growth means change. When God grants us a new insight, we are then responsible to do something with it. We are to use that new understanding of truth to grow in maturity. So I challenge you as you read these chapters to do more than just contemplate, but to commit yourself to better Sabbath keeping. To seek God's direction in your spiritual growth, specifically responding to His call to you: How can you grow stronger in your Sabbath keeping? How can you improve your consistency? How can you more conscientiously fulfill God's will in keeping the Sabbath holy?

Finally, I challenge you to radical obedience in your Sabbath keeping. You have heard it said, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do," but I challenge you to "Go against the flow!" Do not be conformed to this world, but be true to your God and therefore true to the Sabbath!

Questions For Review

1. As Sabbath keepers, we "go against the flow." What does this mean to you? How does this way of thinking affect your day to day life?

2. What do your Christian friends think of your Sabbath keeping? How does it affect your other relationships? Do you sometimes experience tensions with others Christians who are not Sabbath keepers because of your Sabbath observance? Can you think of some examples?

3. The true Christian, "is the one who is willing to leave home, leave family, leave treasures and security, indeed he is the one who leaves everything behind in order to follow the Savior
. . . Everything, even the dearest relationships he willingly sacrifices to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
This is the cost of discipleship."
Comment on this quotation (from p. 1 of the preface).
Read Matthew 10:37-39 for further insight.
How does this challenge relate to Sabbath keeping?

4. Growing means changing. As you look at the table of contents, can you think of areas in your own Sabbath keeping practices which may be subject to change? Regarding the keeping of the Sabbath, are there things which you now engage in, just because other around you do them ("When in Rome . . .")?

Your comments, suggestions, etc. are welcome.

This Book is being published by:
The American Sabbath Tract and Communication Council
Seventh Day Baptist Center
3120 Kennedy Road
P.O. Box 1678
Janesville, WI 53547-1678

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