AdAgrA 2021: Hidden Treasure

<p>Free sharing permitted under the Creative Commons <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">BY-NC-ND 3.0 (US)</a> license.</p>

AdAgrA: Adventist Agriculture Association

Morning Devotionals

Darryl Hosford

Sodom

Alan Seiler

The Sabbath

OK, I'm going to leave my mask on this morning, at least for a bit, because I'm going to ask for a volunteer to help me out.

So just be ready, because I might pick on 1 of you.

Don't get nervous, but anyways, it'll be good.

So in our sabbatical class, we don't go over a quarterly or a pre-programmed way to do things.

We actually meet as a group once a week every Tuesday and say, okay, we actually kind of work up every week and come up with our custom classes because we're like, you know, we want to talk about things that are relevant, that are practical, and that we really find will resonate with our class members.

And sometimes that's not always easily found in a book.

It's definitely the harder path, but it's been a real blessing.

And a few months ago I was going to teach and I wanted to talk about some fundamental Adventist doctrines, but maybe in a way that we hadn't talked about them before.

And I wanted to ask kind of 3 basic questions in the study of any of these topics.

The next 1 was like, oh, why does it matter?

Because we say, oh, we believe in the, let's say, a particular viewpoint of the state of the dead.

And then, does it make a difference in my practical experience?

And does it make a difference in my own personal life?

And then, hopefully, by the end of that study, we would really come up and really have dug deep into any particular, you know, belief that we were studying at that point.

And so we decided to, I decided to go over the Sabbath, and I feel like it's really appropriate because obviously this is the Sabbath morning devotional.

So it's like, oh the Sabbath, I've heard about the Sabbath, you know, what different could I know about the Sabbath?

Maybe you already have had these thoughts, but I want to share kind of what we got from our study, and maybe it will make a practical difference for you.

Anyone, it doesn't matter if you'll just raise your hand or I'll call on you.

So The analogy that I want to start with this morning is the idea of a cornerstone.

From a, okay, either of the learneds, it doesn't matter.

The main stone that's at the corner of a building that gives the support.

So let's corner, so a lot of obviously, you know, in the United States we build a lot out of wood, so obviously we don't do a ton of cornerstone.

This is more of a probably something like in Mexico or South America or other countries that do a lot more masonry work.

The idea is that it's the first stone laid in a foundation and that does 2 things.

So Isaac's going to be my cornerstone this morning.

Okay, so Isaac, what I want you to do is I want you to hold your hand out like this.

I want you to hold your hand out like this, like at a 90 degree angle, because you're in the corner, right?

So Isaac's here at the corner of the building and structure that's going to be built.

I have a 90 degree, well maybe a little more like this Isaac.

Okay 90 degrees this way so I know how this wall is going to line up and 90 degrees this way because I know how this wall is going to line up.

So it sets my orientation as far as north southwest.

Isaac, this is, I'm leaning up against Isaac here on this wall because, you know, so I don't fall over because then that wall comes and intersects on Isaac over here.

So it gives me a reference point for the building and it's also where the walls will intersect Each other and so the greatest pressure is on the corner and obviously since he's the bottom stone he bears the the weight of the entire structure and bears the weight of 2 intersecting walls, also giving orientation to the building.

Because if this wall here is 90, if this is 90 degrees off of this wall, then it will determine not necessarily where this wall comes in, but the reference point of these 2 walls to each other, because they have to intersect with the walls that Isaac's connecting with.

That's what I wanted you for, a visual there, right?

So I want us to think here, and I'll just read this again.

First, stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation, which all other stones will be set in reference to, thus determining the position of the entire structure.

So, number 1, a cornerstone is a reference point.

Number 2, a cornerstone bears the intersection of 2 walls, and a cornerstone bears the weight of the stones on top of it, since it's the foundation stone.

And I want to give you the analogy to think of the cornerstone, the Sabbath, as the cornerstone in many ways of life and of the Christian experience.

So, number 1, it gives us a reference point.

The Sabbath reminds us of the 3 fundamental questions of life, and that is, who am I, why am I here, and what's the purpose?

To be in a loving relationship with God and with others.

The purpose is to continually grow in a knowledge of God and in a relationship with Him and others?

And the Sabbath answers all 3 of those questions.

But the other important thing, and this is really what we delve down to in Sabbath school, is that it reminds us who is our creator and who is our sustainer.

Adam and Eve, they're created not on the first or second or third day, but on the last day of the week, right?

And so God comes to them and He's like, all this work's been done that they haven't had any part in, right?

And God comes to Adam and Eve and basically says, okay, let's rest, right?

You're to rest in the work that I've done for you.

So the Sabbath, the Sabbath is a commemoration of the work that God had done for them.

So the Sabbath isn't about what you do for God, it's about what God has done for you.

And this is really interesting because, and I'll just read these other things here, don't work is basically what he's saying, don't work because I have.

And I've thought it interesting because in many ways, the Sabbath is the only commandment of the 10 that specifically addresses what righteousness by faith is actually at, right?

Our job is to rest in the work that He has done.

So in keeping the Sabbath, where's the weight of the responsibility?

Or is basically God saying, no, it lies on me.

And the Sabbath is a weekly reminder of the rest that we are to rest in what God has done for us.

We're to enter into that rest, which it's interesting because people are like, Oh, Adventists, they keep the Sabbath.

It's very, you know, that's legalistic or whatnot.

And it's like, wait a minute, it's the only 1 in the 10 that actually is the most un-legalistic 1 because God's saying, enter into my rest, right?

So I just wanna go over this just to underscore this idea.

If you have your Bibles you can turn here.

If not, I'm going to read it out anyways.

Back to Menu

Series

Morning Devotionals

The Sabbath

Transcript

Parent Series

Parent Conference

Sponsor

Recorded

Health Evangelism- A Teamwork In Action and How To Start

1h 17m

Breakout Session 3

Weed Management

1h

Home Gardening

5- Organic Weed Management

46m

Plenary

Free Clinics: Willing Service Inspires Willing Changes

38m

Country Living

Food Grows where Water Flows

53m

No Longer Alone

45m

Promises

36m

Hebrews 11- Faith

09 The Faith of Joseph Part 1

38m

Medical and Dental - Brainstorming for practical application

24m

Joy Born at Bethlehem

46m

Mantra Meditation is Self Hypnosis

5m

Sound Doctrine