I'm excited for today. We're continuing our series called Remain. Say "remain." We have a theme verse, John 15:5: "I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." It's a promise. You will bear much fruit.

I love that. I find that so often in my life I'm so bad at remaining. Anyone else? I'm so bad at remaining because I'm so distracted by all the activity that doesn't lead to productivity. I'm so distracted by everything the world tells me to be. But I love Jesus. Jesus comes with this counterintuitive thought, and what He says is that the secret to fruit, the secret to production, is not found in more. Isn't that weird? Not more work, more hustle, more 4 a.m., more burning the candle at both ends. No. The secret to fruitfulness is found in a Jesus-centered pause. He says, "You want to bear fruit? You don't have to do all the stuff the world says. All you have to do is remain in Me." That's the secret.

But that's not our culture. So often we're working more so that we can buy more, so that we can have more. And we're working so hard for the more we don't have that we don't even get to enjoy what we have right now. Next thing after next thing. I've got to get more. There is a spirit in this culture that is trying to drive us. The Bible actually names it: mammon. It's trying to tell you that you have to get all of these things to have a happy life. You dare not rest. You dare not take a day. Keep hustling. Keep driving.

When I went to Israel a couple of years ago, I got to see a shepherd leading his sheep the traditional way. And I noticed something. If you're ever in Israel and you see a bunch of sheep following a man, that is the shepherd. If you see a bunch of sheep running away from a man, that is not the shepherd. That is the butcher. "Bro, what are you trying to say?" I'm saying this: the Holy Spirit leads, but demons drive.

If you're here and you're feeling driven, if something is driving you, you have to stop and assess that, because often that's not the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit leads us. And while the world is saying you've got to do this and be this and do that, I'm praying for a church like Spirit Church that says, "While everyone else is freaking out, while everyone else is trying to do this and that, I'm not going to run their race. I'm going to run my race. I'm going to focus on what Jesus calls me to do. I don't want to do what you're called to do. I want to do what I'm called to do. I will not be driven. I will be led."

This entire series we've been talking about spiritual disciplines that help us remain. The first week we talked about remaining through a daily devotion with God. The second week we talked about remaining through prayer. We've tried to be really practical as we start this year. And today I want to talk about the antidote to our culture of hurry, the antidote to the restlessness we feel. I want to talk from this subject: a rhythm for rest. Father, I pray that You will come, Jesus, that You will speak, that You will do what only You can do. We love You, Lord. We praise You. In Jesus' name. Amen.

A rhythm for rest. Do me a favor. Turn to your neighbor and say, "Find your rhythm." Turn to your other neighbor, your second option. I'm not going to say why they were your second option. They just were. Turn to your second option and say, "Find your rhythm."

Why are we so tired?

If you're new here, and I know so many of you are, if we've never met before, my name is Brad. I talk a little funny. I do have an accent, and you'll hear it every now and then. I'm not from Chicago. I'm from the great country of South Africa.

When I moved here, I learned that South Africa and America are different. We say things differently. I remember when I first came here, I went to a restaurant, and they asked, "What can I get you?" And I was like, "I'll have some water." And they were like, "What?" And I was like, "Can I have a glass of water?" And they were like, "Oh, water. Yeah, sure." I say "pastor," and someone's like, "Pasta? Are you talking about spaghetti?" No, I'm not talking about spaghetti. I am not talking about macaroni. That is literally how I say pastor. It makes me really hungry now that we're on a fast.

Something I've noticed is that Americans are more specific than we are in South Africa. In South Africa, we have this thing called horse riding. In America, I learned, it's called horseback riding. What had to happen for it to go from horse riding to horseback riding? At what point was someone on the head of the horse, and everyone said, "Guys, we need to reinvent this. It will no longer be horse riding. It is now horseback riding"?

Things mean different things in South Africa. When we got married, my wife was like, "Brad, can you take out the trash?" And I was like, "I'll do it now." And she was like, "Why aren't you moving? You said you would do it now." And then I realized, "Oh, love, I'm so sorry. South Africa is different. In South Africa, 'now' means later." A week later, she was like, "Can you do it?" And I was like, "I'll do it now now." She was like, "What is 'now now'? If 'now' is immediate, then 'now now' is like your feet are already moving." I was like, "No, babe. In South Africa, 'now' means later. 'Now now' means much later. Probably never." So if you're ever talking to a South African and they say, "We should get coffee now now," they're trying to blow you off. If you need a South African to actually do something, you need to get them to say "right now." "Right now" means I'm actually moving.

When I first moved to America, I drove on the wrong side of the road so many times. True story. I remember once in Charlotte, North Carolina, I pulled out, and as I'm driving, this car is coming toward me, and I'm like, "You're trying to play chicken? I know my assignment. I will stand in my lane, says the Lord. I will be steadfast." And then I realized, "Oh shoot, I'm in America." Eventually I figured it out.

But something like that happened again in 2020. The world shut down. COVID was upon us. I was working at a church, and we were trying to take the entire church online. We were working 120 hours. I was burning the candle at both ends. Back when I used to do creative things, I edited the sermon file one night and drove it over to our production director. I dropped it off at his house at 4:00 a.m. I'd been up the entire night. I was driving home, and I fell asleep at the wheel. That had never happened to me before. I woke up, and there was a car right in front of me. By the grace of God, I was able to swerve.

But I want you to see this. Because I was working so hard, because I was trying to do all the things, because I was trying to be all things to all people, because I was trying to please everyone around me, I almost sacrificed my life. I almost sacrificed my calling. I almost sacrificed everything God had given me, because I would not rest.

Some of y'all are in this place, and you're not resting. You never even take a day to chill, to rejuvenate. Let me say this: if you never rest, I can prophesy right now that there is a crash in your future. It may not be physical. It may be emotional. It may be marital. It may be in your family. It may be in your workplace. Give it enough time. If we don't rest, something is going to give. We have to rest. Say "rest."

And we need to rest well, because even when we're resting, we do it badly. "I'm going to rest." What are we going to do? Watch Netflix. And then you're like, "Oh my gosh, I'm so behind. I have to catch up on these 10 episodes." And now you're stressed about your rest. We're spending all our time trying to keep up with Keeping Up with the Kardashians. We're not even resting well.

The CEO of Netflix said this about Netflix: "Our competition isn't Hulu. Our competition isn't HBO. Our real competition is sleep." So we're trying to rest, but we're not rested. We're actually more exhausted, because those things weren't designed to give you rest. They were designed to keep your attention. The longer they can keep your attention and keep you up at night, the more successful they are. And what hangs in the balance is your health. We have to get a rhythm of rest, or we'll fall asleep at the wheel of our lives. Like I said, there is a crash in our future.

Let me show you some studies. A recent study showed that 52% of workers feel burned out. Half of us. 80% of college students feel overwhelmed, with 40% reporting it difficult to function. And if that's not bad enough, since social media, anxiety is up 134%, depression is up 106%, ADHD is up 72%, and bipolar is up 57%. Aren't you glad you came to church?

There is something about our culture that isn't working. Something about the lives our culture is trying to get us to live isn't conducive to human flourishing. But the good news is that God has a better way, and His solution is rest.

Jesus says this in Matthew 11:28: "Come to me, all you who are weary." Come to Me, every single one of you who is weak, who is tired right now, who is sick and tired of being sick and tired, who is anxious, who is stressed. "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

What is a yoke? In the Bible, a yoke represented a teacher's teachings, their way of life. And Jesus is saying, "I am gentle. I'm not going to drive you. I am humble. I'm not going to act like you have to have it all together, trying to do everything by yourself." Jesus had a plan for rest. He had a rhythm for rest. And He had a name for rest, and that name was Sabbath. Say "Sabbath."

What is the Sabbath?

I want to talk to you about something that is very rarely talked about in church, but I believe it's a principle for remaining, and it's the Sabbath. If you will Sabbath, it will change everything about you and everything about the way you rest. When I started doing this in my walk with Jesus, it changed everything. And my one goal today is to convince you to take one. My entire goal today is to convince you to take a moment to rest.

A lot of people hear "Sabbath" and don't really know what it means, so let me set the foundation. Sabbath comes from the Hebrew word Shabbat. Say "Shabbat." Great job. You all speak Hebrew. It was a 24-hour period when the people of God would stop working. It literally means to rest, to stop, or to cease. During that time there was no work. What you would do on your Sabbath was rest and worship. And not only was it a time for rest and worship, it was also a time for delight and celebration.

So when you're taking a Sabbath, here's a good filter: if it doesn't belong in rest, worship, celebration, or delight, don't do it. Laundry does not fit into delight. Cutting your grass, if you have some, does not fall into delight. We are to rest, worship, delight, and celebrate.

Before this, the people of God were under Pharaoh, and Pharaoh was driving them, much like our culture does. They were working every single day, seven days a week. It was Groundhog Day. There was no difference between Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday and Friday and Saturday and Sunday. It was the same thing over and over. So when God said, "You should rest," they didn't see it as a duty. They saw it as a delight, because it was something they couldn't do before.

Psalm 19 says the law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. It's life-giving. It's more precious than gold and sweeter than honey. And keeping it comes with an incredible promise. Isaiah 58:13: "If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the Lord's holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in the Lord."

So many of us are looking for joy, but we're looking for it in all the wrong places. And God is saying, "You can actually find joy right here."

This is not only an Old Testament discipline. It is a Jesus discipline. It was His spiritual practice. Luke 4:16: "He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom." He went to church, as was His custom. You see this pattern? He preaches, He heals, He retreats, He rests. And if that's Jesus' pattern, why wouldn't it be ours? We're just trying to crush it every single day.

Spiritual disciplines are prescriptions

You need to know something about the spiritual disciplines: they are prescriptions. The same way a doctor writes a prescription for something physical, a spiritual discipline is something we can prescribe for something internal.

Someone comes up to me and says, "Brad, I struggle with lust. I can't figure it out. What should I do?" I'm like, "Great, fast." Why? Because fasting kills your flesh. If you can fast from something you need, like food, then you can fast from something you don't need, like lust. There's a spiritual discipline that breaks you free from that thing.

If you're struggling with greed or control or the illusion of self-sufficiency or materialism, the spiritual discipline is generosity. If it's pride, self-centeredness, or fear, you should pray, to recognize your dependence on God. If it's distraction, restlessness, or anger, the best thing you can do is silence and solitude. It's a scary thing to do, but it's the best thing you can do. If it's self-doubt or the lies of the enemy, get into the Word of God, so you can replace the lies of the enemy with the truth of God's Word. If you're struggling with selfishness, greed, or apathy, then you should serve.

If you're struggling with guilt, shame, or broken relationships, confession and community are some of the best things you can do. That's where you can say to people, "This is who I really am." That's why I'm so excited for the groups we're launching, because you're going to find community. Whether you're doing a Bible study or you're part of a running group like mine, if I choose to run, there need to be moments where you can take off the mask and say, "This is who I really am," and be surrounded by people who say, "Man, me too."

There are spiritual disciplines for everything we go through. And if it's anxiety, stress, worry, or overwork, the spiritual discipline is Sabbath. If you're anxious, if you're worried, if you're overworked, if you're tired, the best thing you can do is Sabbath.

What does the Bible say about the Sabbath?

Let me set this up, and then I'll show us how we can apply it today. Here's the story so far. God created the earth in seven days, and on the seventh day God rested. So He built it into the foundation of the earth. Then there's sin, and then there's the lineage of God's people and the lineage of those who aren't God's people. Eventually God's people end up enslaved by the others. God frees them from Egypt. They come through the Red Sea. Moses goes up Mount Sinai, and he receives what are called the Ten Commandments. Sabbath is the fourth one.

Whenever you look at the commandments, you see God, because the commandments are actually a picture of who God is. And they go like this. The first command: "I am, therefore you shall not." I am, therefore you shall have no other gods. The second: "You shall not, because I am." You shall not make an idol, because I am God. The third: "You shall not, because the Lord will not." You shall not take the Lord's name in vain, because the Lord will not. And the fourth command: "You shall, because the Lord did." You shall Sabbath. Why? Because the Lord did.

Exodus 20:8. Is it okay if I teach you this? I want us to understand this more than anything. "Remember," say "remember," "the Sabbath day by keeping it holy." What does it mean to remember? It's not just a mental thing. Remembering is, "I'm going to practice this in my present so that I can carry it into the future." He's saying, "Remember the Sabbath. Actually do the Sabbath by keeping it holy."

What does "holy" mean? Set apart. God is holy. I am not. God is all-knowing. I am not. God is all-present. Sadly, I am not. God is all-good. I am not. Why? He's holy. He's different from me. And He says that whenever you take that day, your Sabbath should be holy. It should be set apart. So here's the clue: if your Sabbath looks like every other day, it's not set apart. Whether it's a Sunday or a Saturday for you, if you do the same things you do every other day, it's actually not set apart. We are to keep it holy. That's the entire point.

"Six days you shall labor and do all your work." I think that's a great framework. Most of us work a five-day week. Great. Work five days for your employer. Work one day for yourself. What do I mean? Do your errands. Do your laundry. If you have grass, cut your grass. Clean the house. And then give one day to the Lord. If you do that in a marriage, it's beautiful. You decide, "This is the day we work for ourselves, and then we're going to Sabbath together. I'm not going to do the laundry. We're going to set it apart." All the husbands, can I get a good amen? All the wives, can I get a good amen?

It tells us something about our work. So often in our lives we start to idolize our work. We worship our work. The problem with an idol is that anything you worship will eventually demand a sacrifice. Idols demand sacrifices of your time and of your family. Sabbath is a rhythm every week where we break up with that idol and say, "No, I don't trust in my work. I trust in God. I'm taking a break, and I'm trusting that while I'm resting, God is working." In that way, it's actually a step of faith.

"Six days you shall labor" talks about our work, but it also talks about our leisure, because some of y'all love leisure a little too much. Leisure is important, but we don't do leisure the entire week. We work, and then we have moments for that.

"But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work." You can't work, but that doesn't mean you can't have activity. You don't have to lie in bed the entire day thinking, "I'm not allowed to do anything." "On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns."

In that way, this was actually one of the most beautiful things the Israelites could do, because it was an evangelism tool. When everyone else was hustling, people would stay with families in Israel, and they'd say, "No, we're just going to rest." "Why are you resting?" "Because I trust God." And as Christians, we're not doing so great at that. We're as desperate as the world is, refusing to rest. And it shows that somehow our trust is in our work and not in God. If you start doing this for the very first time, it can be tough. But stepping into it can change everything.

"For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy."

What's the idea? God has a rhythm for rest, and we should follow His rhythm. He has a recipe for rest, and we should follow His recipe. As image bearers, we should pattern our lives after the Image Giver, because this is what Jesus did. John 5:19: "Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing." What does that mean? When you see Jesus resting, it's because He sees His Father resting. And if that's the pattern of our God, it should be our pattern too.

Do Christians still have to keep the Sabbath?

It raises a lot of questions. Every time we talk about Sabbath, people say, "I've got a bunch of questions." So I polled people. I said, "Give me all of your questions," and we're going to fly through them. Here's the question I'm asked most often: "Does it apply today, Brad? Sabbath is an Old Testament thing. Is it something we still have to do today?"

To answer that, you need to understand covenants. We've talked about this before. There was the old covenant in the Old Testament, with 613 laws. Praise God, we're not under that anymore. Let me explain the difference between a contract and a covenant. A contract says, "This is my side, this is your side, and we each need to do these things. If we do it together, the contract is valid. But if anyone breaks any part of the agreement, the contract is void." A covenant is different. It says, "These are the things I want you to do. And if you break it, I will still uphold my side." That's what God did. He said, "Here's what I want you to do." And did they do it? No. They were terrible at it. But He remained. Why? Because He made a covenant.

Then Jesus comes and says, "I didn't come to abolish the Law. I came to fulfill it." He fulfilled the terms of the covenant. We are no longer under the old covenant. We are under the new covenant. Anything that is reaffirmed in the New Testament is what we are to do, and Jesus sums it up like this: we are to love God and love people.

Some people will say, "Yes, you still need to keep a Sabbath, because it's pre-law. God did it." Most theologians would say the Sabbath is not required in the new covenant, because it was fulfilled in Christ. So Sabbath moves from law to life. It's not something you have to do. It's something you get to do. It's a principle. It almost moves into the category of wisdom literature, like Proverbs: principles that we keep.

There are some pretty good principles in life, like saving. You don't have to save. I think it's a good idea. You can sleep three hours a night. We won't excommunicate you from the church because you sleep three hours. But do it long enough, and eventually it's going to break something. "Brad, what are you trying to say?" Sabbath is a principle, and if you break it long enough, it will eventually break you. It's a principle God wants us to follow.

Mark 2:27: "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath." And that is good news. It means that if you can't do it one week, you are not in sin. But it's still a great principle for us to follow. So is it law? No. Is it still wisdom? Yes.

What day should the Sabbath be?

Next question: "When should I Sabbath?" People fight about this one. "It's Sunday." "No, it's Saturday." "No, it's Friday." In ancient times, the Sabbath ran from Friday night to Saturday night. Here we think the day starts in the morning. For Jewish people, the day doesn't start in the morning. It starts at night. Why? Genesis 1:5: "God called the light 'day,' and the darkness he called 'night.' And there was evening, and there was morning, the first day." The day actually starts at night. I don't know about y'all, but that actually helps me, because so often we think the day starts in the morning, and then we make bad decisions at night, like watching Netflix, and that messes up our actual day.

So they would keep it from Friday night to Saturday night. And then Jesus came and messed the whole thing up in the best way. Jesus dies on a Friday, He's in the grave on Saturday, the Sabbath, and He's risen from the dead on Sunday. The church loved that, so they started meeting on Sunday. About 300 years later, Rome institutionalized Christianity and declared Sunday the Sabbath, which is why we're here on a Sunday and not on a Saturday.

"So, Brad, should it be Saturday or Sunday?" It doesn't matter. Just pick one. Paul actually talks about this in Romans 14: "In the same way, some think one day is more holy than another day, while others think every day is alike. You should each be fully convinced that whichever day you choose is acceptable. Those who worship the Lord on a special day do it to honor him... If we live, it's to honor the Lord. And if we die, it's to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord." The issue is not when you worship. It's that you worship. So pick a Saturday or pick a Sunday, but pick a day and say, "On this day, we are going to Sabbath."

Why do we keep the Sabbath?

The final question is this: why do we Sabbath? I want to give you a few quick reasons.

1. To rest and remember

The first is that we keep the Sabbath to rest and remember. The purpose of the Sabbath is to take a moment to spend time with God and remember His work on the cross. We get to stop our work and remember the work Jesus did. Like I said, that's why it's such an incredible act of faith. When we rest, we're saying, "While I'm resting, I'm trusting that God is working." Religion says you need to work to be saved. But the Sabbath says Jesus worked so that you can rest.

2. To enjoy life

The second is that we keep the Sabbath to enjoy life. How many of you know Jesus was fun? Jesus was a great guy. How do I know that? Because all the unsaved people wanted to hang out with Him. The religious people were like, "No, stay away." Everyone else was like, "Jesus, my man. Come on."

What are we supposed to do on the Sabbath? Go have fun. We're so prone to work. If I'm not careful, I can be my own Pharaoh. I drive myself harder than anyone else will drive me. And if you're leading people, you'll drive them harder than God wants you to. We need to know how to work, but we also need to know how to play. I love a to-do list, but the only thing I love more than a to-do list is a to-not-do list. I love not having to do anything, and Sabbath is the day I get to do that. It's a delight. I don't have to cut any grass or clean any house.

Some people's idea of Sabbath is running. I'll pray for you right after the service. I'm joking. If that's how you rest, do it. Everyone does it differently, but we're supposed to enjoy it. If it feels like work, don't do it. If it feels like delight and worship, do it. People ask, "What should be in my Sabbath?" Whatever is delight.

3. To mirror God's rhythm

The third is that we keep the Sabbath to mirror God's rhythm. Genesis 2:2: "By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work." God rested. Do y'all hear that? God, the Creator of the universe, who does not grow weary, rested. "But Brad, I'm just really busy." God rested. "But I'm doing the Lord's work." The Lord rested. And if He can rest, so can you.

Here's the crazy thing about a week. Do you know where we get a week from? Have you ever thought about that? A day is one rotation of the earth on its axis. A month is roughly one orbit of the moon around the earth. A year is one orbit of the earth around the sun. But how do you get a week? There's nothing in the stars or the skies that gives you a week. Why? It is a rhythm instituted by God. I love that, because there are people who say, "I don't even believe in God." Okay, but you're walking in His rhythm every single week. You're living in His gift every single week. You're mirroring His rhythm and you don't even know it. It's one of the most beautiful gifts He has given us.

4. To align with Jesus and connect with others

Number four: we keep the Sabbath to align with Jesus and connect with others. People ask, "Can I serve on the Sabbath?" Of course. Old Testament priests served on the Sabbath. That's why Jesus healed on the Sabbath, and why He said the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. He said if a sheep falls into a pit on the Sabbath, you're going to pull it out. You can serve. You can do the things God has called you to do on your Sabbath.

I'll be honest with y'all: Sunday is not a Sabbath for me. Why? I'm up at 2:30 a.m. I'm in my notes. I'm here at load-in. We'll load out after this and get everything ready for the week. Sunday is an 18- to 20-hour day for us. So I Sabbath on Monday. If you try to text me on a Monday, you won't hear from me until Tuesday. My team knows. I don't even have my phone on me. I'm going to spend time with God, align my life with Jesus, and connect with others, spending time with friends.

5. To internalize eternity's rest

Number five: we keep the Sabbath to internalize eternity's rest. Heaven is an eternal Sabbath. Now, there's work in heaven. Does anyone love work? I love work. When I first heard about heaven as a kid, I thought it was a never-ending worship service. And it is worship, but work is worship. If you read Revelation, there is work in heaven. There is innovation in heaven. We will have dominion in heaven. But it's not work like this kind of work. It's like work in the Garden of Eden, where it's not hard. We're not struggling. We're not fighting. We're not just trying to maintain things. And we're supposed to practice and internalize eternity's rest in all that we do.

6. To nurture our energy

The sixth reason is that we keep the Sabbath to nurture our energy. Where are my introverts at? There was one introvert who was like, "Oh no." My introverts, I knew you'd be quiet. Where are my extroverts at? There we go. Every time. Extroverts are always just looking for a party.

I'm an introvert. People are like, "No, Brad, you're not." Yes, I am. It's how I replenish my energy. I spend time by myself. My wife is not an introvert. She's an extrovert. The funny thing about introverts and extroverts is that they always marry each other, and then you're always trying to figure out what to do on your Sabbath. One wants to hang out. One wants to read a book.

Here's what I'm saying: pick what works best for you. But don't make people do things they hate on their Sabbath. That's not kind. We talked about this a few weeks ago: the fruit of the Spirit. We've got to be kind. We Sabbath to nurture our energy, so do what replenishes you, and don't be offended if people don't want to do what you want to do, because they Sabbath differently than you.

So why do we Sabbath? To rest and remember, to enjoy life, to mirror God's rhythm, to align with Jesus, to internalize eternity's rest, and to nurture our energy. There's an acronym to help you remember: we Sabbath so that we can remain. It helps us remain in Him. It's one of the best practices you can have.

How do you practice Sabbath rest?

Let me give you a few tips, and then we'll pray.

1. Have a plan

The first one is just have a plan. I feel like sometimes people wake up with no plan for their Sabbath, they end up on the couch, and then they feel like they're not rested. Just have a plan. If you work with your mind, maybe rest with your hands. If you work with your hands, maybe rest with your mind. If you work outdoors, do something indoors. If you work indoors, do something outdoors. See what replenishes you. For some people, it's golf. For some people, it's running. For some people, it may be watching TV. Sure, go for it. The question is, at the end, did I delight? Was there celebration? Did I rest? Did I remember? Spend time with Jesus on your Sabbath. Go to the patio, grab some coffee when we're not fasting (I can't wait for coffee), and actually spend time with Him.

2. Don't get religious about it

The second thing is don't get religious about it. Don't get weird. The Pharisees got weird. They said, "Okay, you're not supposed to walk," and they created a whole bunch of rules about what counted as resting. And the law that was supposed to bring life became a burden. "Ah, you walked over 100 steps." Don't be weird about it. If you need to respond to a text, do it. Go for it. But still fight to keep it.

Sabbath is a gift. You don't structure a gift. You play with it. When I give a gift to Saint, he's not trying to structure it. He's trying to play with it. Some people's Sabbaths are like, "At 8:02 we're doing this, and at 8:03 I have reservations, and at 8:04..." Those are minutes apart. Don't overly structure it.

3. Rest for the work, not from the work

The third thing is this: rest for the work, not from the work. When I rest tomorrow, I'm not resting from today. I'm resting for the week that's coming. That's a shift in perspective for me. I'm giving the first day of my week to God. I'm resting and saying, "God, I'm resting for what's coming, not because of what's behind me."

4. Choose to start this week

The final thing: choose to start this week. Just pick a day. You're not going to get it perfect. You're going to get frustrated. You're going to mess something up. But find something that replenishes you. Do it as a family. The other stuff you're always trying to do, try to do it on a different day. Even if it's only a couple of hours.

Find your rhythm of rest

Will you all do me a favor? Will you try to get rest into your rhythm? Because let me tell you, if you do, it will change everything about how we remain in Jesus.

Let me pray for you. God, I want to thank You for every single person here. God, we thank You that You are a God of rest. You're not a God who just demands that we work. You're a God who invites us to enter into Your rest. Lord, I want to pray for every single person here. God, I don't know their situations. Lord, I don't know how everyone's going to be able to apply this, but Lord, we thank You that because this is a principle in Your Word, it's something we can do. And I pray, Lord, that You'll give wisdom right now. In Jesus' name.

With every head still bowed and every eye closed: we never want to end a service without giving people an opportunity to meet Jesus. You might be here hearing about this God who loves you, who you can spend eternity with, and you might be a million miles away from God, because you've never actually accepted Jesus as Lord of your life. If that's you, we always want to end by giving you an opportunity to do that.

The gospel is simple. It says we've all messed up. We've fallen short of God's glory. But God sent His Son to pay the price we could not pay, and because of that, we can have eternal life. If we declare that Jesus is Lord and believe that God raised Him from the dead, we can have life. If you're here and you're a million miles away from God, and you're saying, "I want to make Him my Lord. I want to come home," just repeat this prayer after me:

"Dear Jesus, I believe that You're the Son of God and the Savior of the world. I believe You came to this earth, You died on a cross, and You were raised so that I can have life. And right now I make You my Lord. I make You my Savior. In Jesus' name."