Week 11 March 4, 2012 "Jesus for Everyone"

This week we did not show an on-location video from Israel. We showed the video "Strangers" which illustrates how each life lived for Jesus can effect countless others. We will return to our own video segments next week. The button below should allow you to play the ignite Video seen in service today.

Text: This week, we’re covering Luke 6:12-19, dealing with Jesus’ choosing of twelve apostles from the larger group of his disciples and how Jesus ministered to people from any and all backgrounds. We will also journey back to the healings in Ch. 5.

Other passages to read:  This week, we encourage you to read "horizontally" in these passages that are parallel to our text from Luke:

·         Choosing the Twelve: Matthew 10:1-4; Mark 3:13-19

·         Ministering to the diverse crowd: Matthew 4:23-25; Mark 3:7-8

·         Other verses: Genesis 12:1-3 (Promise to Abraham); 1 Samuel 17 (David & Goliath)

Other Resources: This week’s recommended resource is Luke, Volume 1: That You May Know the Truth (Preaching the Word Series), by R. Kent Hughes. The author was the pastor of College Church in Wheaton, IL, for many years. His solid expository preaching has been crafted into a very readable and inspirational commentary. He is one of my personal favorites.

Sermon Notes: "Jesus is for Everybody"

Read Luke 6:16-19 (esp. v. 18) and Luke 5:12-26

While Pastor Randy only got through the first point in his sermon, we are including his whole outline for you.

Lessons to learn:

• A Physical healing that illustrates spiritual truth:  Jesus makes filthy people clean.
• Jesus took care of other people…and He took care of Himself.
• People need Jesus, and it is our great privilege to bring them to him.  Remember, there is always going to be an obstacle.
• Avoid Religious ‘Separatism’ – quit treating others like lepers. 
• If you get to Jesus, He will fulfill you. If you fail Jesus, He will forgive you.

Points to ponder: In your study this week, you might want to think about one of these questions:

• Why (for what purpose) did Jesus choose the twelve?
• Why did he choose those particular twelve men? Can you think of at least two reasons this group would be a counterintuitive choice?
• Read the parallel passages in Matt. 4 and Mark 3 and locate on a map where the crowd listening to Jesus had come from. How far are you willing to go to hear Jesus?
• How could so many people from such diverse and even contentious backgrounds all gather together in one place?
• If we believe that physical healing is still available today, and we do, why are some people healed and some people not healed?

Questions to ask ourselves: The following questions are intended to help us move towards greater application of what we learn about Jesus…

• Is there anyone that seeks Jesus out whom he turns away? Are any disqualified from seeking Jesus and being saved by his grace?
• To what is Jesus calling each of us today?
• Is there something in your life that is keeping you from answering Jesus’ call to come, hear, and follow him?
• Are there things you desperately desire Jesus to heal in your life? Write them down. Take those issues to Jesus in prayer. Also, feel free to call the church for prayer as well.
• What is the key to being a congregation of people from diverse backgrounds who worship well together?

Previously on “Ponderables”:

• What is Jesus saying about David’s actions in 1 Samuel 21? How are the two situations parallel? Jesus is saying that the issue was human need over religious rules. That is the heart of the Sabbath. David, God’s anointed king, refused to take things into his own hands and rebel against Saul. He trusted God to elevate him to the throne in God’s own time. However, Saul had the priests killed for innocently helping David on his way. I think there could be a subtle allusion here to the actions of Saul and Doeg the Edomite and the future actions of  the Pharisees against him and his followers. Leon Morris writes, “It is the Son of David who is Lord. If David could override the law without blame, how much more could the much greater Son of David do so?” (Luke, 135)
• Is there some area where we have become “religious” that doesn’t foster our relationship with God? This is not really a question that I can answer for you. Hopefully, you spent time thinking about this. Our walk with Christ should not be primarily moralistic, but relational.  What is it that we treasure the most? Is it biblical? More questions…they just keep coming!
• Like last week, what details does Luke supply that are not found in Matthew or Mark? The disciples are described as having “rubbed the grain in their hands” (which violated rules about threshing), and in describing the Pharisees’ reaction to the healing of the man with the withered hand, Luke says they were “filled with fury”. However, both Matthew and Mark also add unique details to the story…did you notice? Remember, observation is important!
• What does the Sabbath mean to us today? How should we apply the principle in our lives? Sabbath is no longer a command to us, for it is fulfilled in Christ (Col. 2:16-17). However, the Sabbath principles are still very helpful to us today in being able to remain effective for the Lord (and our families) over the long haul. We need regular rest from our work and all the electronic accessories that go along with it! Pastor Randy did a great job unpacking that in his sermon.
• Read Hebrews chapters 3-4 and ask yourself, “What is the key to entering into God’s Sabbath rest?” The key is not working harder or being better; the key is our believing or trusting in Jesus! God in his love reaches down to us to bring us into true rest if we will only respond!

Quotes & Commentary:

R. Kent Hughes on the four friends digging through the roof:

 “The four then proceeded to tear a hole in the roof! The typical roof of that day  consisted of timbers laid parallel to each other about two or three feet apart. Sticks were closely laid crosswise upon the timbers, and the structure was padded with reeds, thistles, and twigs. The whole thing was overlaid with about a foot of earth [crushed limestone], which was packed down to minimize leakage. All told the roof was about two feet thick. During the spring grass flourished on these primitive roofs. So the paralytic’s friends had their work cut out for them—they were performing a mini-excavation.” (R. Kent Hughes, Luke Vol. 1, That You May Know the Truth, Crossway, Wheaton, 1998, 174.)

Since our message this morning did not spend time teaching about the choosing of the twelve apostles (6:12-16), we will take a more extended look at that section here with this excerpt again from Do You See Him? Expository Studies from the New Testament, by Greg K. Dueker.

Jesus Appointed Twelve Apostles  

A) Who Were They?

When we talk about apostles, what do we mean?  As we have seen, Jesus called many with Him to the mountain, but of these, He chose only a few, twelve to be exact, to a special relationship with Him.  These twelve men Jesus designated as apostles, which involved more than being a student or disciple; it meant "one who is sent out with a commission, having the authority of the sender."  To put it simply, these men were called "missionaries," or "ambassadors" by our Lord.  As it is written,

Mark 3:13-19 "Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him.  He appointed twelve‑‑designating them apostles‑‑that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons.  These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means Sons of Thunder); Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him."

Luke 6:12-16 "One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.  When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles: Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot, Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor."

In addition to these lists of the names of the apostles, there are two other lists of the apostles that may be found in Matthew 10:1-4 and Acts 1:13.  There have been some questions over the years concerning these lists of names because of apparent differences.  However, there are really no unreconcilable problems with the lists.  Most of the problems come because of the use of one or the other of an individual's names, making it look like they refer to two separate people.  Actually, there is great similarity between these lists, put forth in three groups of four.  In all the lists, Simon Peter, Philip, James the son of Alphaeus, and Judas Iscariot always hold the same positions.

These are the twelve men that Jesus designated as apostles:

1) Simon: Jesus surnamed him "Peter," which means "Rock."

2) Andrew: Peter's brother; led Peter to Jesus; a former disciple of the Baptist.

3) James: John's brother, a son of Zebedee, surnamed with John "Boanerges," which was a Hebrew expression for "Sons of thunder or tumult." 

4) John: Referred to himself as "the disciple whom Jesus loved," a former disciple of the Baptist.  James and John are believed to be cousins of Christ, as their mother, Salome, may be the Salome who was the sister of Mary.

5) Philip: A Greek name that was not uncommon in Galilee; he led Nathanael to Christ.

6) Bartholomew: Also known as Nathanael; most likely he was "Nathanael Bar Tholomew" for Bartholomew is a patronymic meaning "Son of Tolmai".

7) Matthew: His name meant "a gift of God"; also called "Levi, the son of Alphaeus".  He was a former tax collector.

8) Thomas: Called "Didymus," meaning "the twin," was ready to die with the Lord but is more famous for doubting the news of the resurrection, though when he did see Christ, he made the wonderful confession, "My Lord and my God!"  Thomas has not been treated fairly.

9) James, son of Alphaeus: Perhaps the brother of Matthew (Levi), but because Alphaeus was a common name, we cannot be sure; also called "James the younger." 

10) Simon, who was called the Zealot: This title may have referred to his personality as being zealous for God, but most likely refers to his former membership in the political party of the Zealots. 

11) Judas son of James (a.k.a.  Lebbaeus, or Thaddaeus): James was also called "Lebbaeus," meaning "big-hearted" and "Thaddaeus," which has its origin in the word meaning "praise."  So his real name would have been Judas Lebbaeus and his surname Thaddaeus.  It is believed by some that Judas was the brother of James, not the son of James; further, they would say that, based upon the testimony of the ancient historians, that James, Judas, and Simon were brothers and "cousins" of Christ on Joseph's side.  We cannot be sure.

12) Judas Iscariot: Iscariot may mean "man from the town of Kerioth," a town in Judea, in which case he was the only non-Galilean of the group.  One commentator suggests that the name "Iscariot" is equally likely to have meant "dagger man" (like today's "gunman").

B) How Did Jesus Approach This Very Important Decision? 

When Jesus came to the place in His ministry when He began to switch His emphasis from teaching the crowds to preparing a select group to establish the church after His own death, He approached the decision of whom to choose very carefully.  The choice of whom we are going to invest our lives in is very important.  The text teaches that Jesus spent the whole night in solitude and prayer, to make sure that He had the Father's heart on the matter.  He did not want to be influenced by the thinking of the crowd.

After praying all night long, Jesus chose the apostles by exercising His divine will (in full submission to the Father), making a sovereign choice.  As it is written, "Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him." (Mark 3:13)

In considering the "How?" of Jesus' selection of apostles, we must understand that He was exercising sovereign choice, doing the will of the Father, establishing His "cabinet" for the Kingdom of God as represented in the Church.  Yet whenever one talks of sovereign choice at this point, the question of Judas Iscariot comes up.  Did Jesus make a mistake?  Did He somehow miss God's will in choosing the last of the apostles?  After all, eleven out of twelve is a pretty good batting average (.917 for you baseball fans).  Of course, we would see that this is wrong thinking.  Jesus chose Judas Iscariot, in love, seeing his potential, yet knowing that Scripture must be fulfilled and that it would be through the actions of Judas Iscariot that prophecy would be fulfilled.  As it is written, 

Zechariah 11:12-13 "I told them, 'If you think it best, give me my pay; but if not, keep it.'  So they paid me thirty pieces of silver.  And the Lord said to me, "Throw it to the potter"‑‑the handsome price at which they priced me!  So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the Lord to the potter."

There can be no other basis for the selection of the apostles other than sovereign choice, for Jesus later said to the apostles, "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last."  (John 15:16a)

C) What Kind of Men Did He Choose? 

Jesus did not generally choose the rich and powerful to be His apostles, but rather, He chose simple, common, average people, men who were teachable and who, after spending time with Him, might be able to teach others also.  They were not perfect men, but men in whom and through whom God saw fit to work out His plan.  It has been said, and rightly so, that "The apostolic character, in short, must combine freedom of conscience, enlargement of heart, enlightenment of mind, and all to the superlative degree."  ^[1]

Yet Jesus did not choose them mainly for some quality which they had, nor for what they were at the time, but for what they might become upon spending time with Him.  For example, Jesus' statement to Simon (Peter) in John 1:42 shows that Jesus was looking at their potential.  They must have appeared to Jesus to be sincere and teachable (except for Judas) and all, except Matthew (Levi) in the beginning and Judas in the end, seemed to have been fairly religious as well as morally respectable.  However, as Lockyer wrote,

"The transformation of the twelve was not the least, it was almost the greatest of Christ's miracles…The application for our hearts in all this is that it is not what we are, in ourselves, when we hear and respond to Christ's call, but what by His grace and power He can make us as we company with Him."^[2]

There are no self-made Apostles and no self-made Christians in the kingdom of God--we owe all to His wonderful grace.  The encouraging thing is that what God did in the lives of these simple Galileans, He also desires to do in our lives today, if we will only "follow Him."

D) Why Did Jesus Choose the Twelve? 

Jesus did not just choose the twelve so that He might have something to do or feel like He was important.  Rather, Jesus chose the apostles for reasons that are obvious from the texts listed at the beginning of this section.  It is appropriate for us to relate this to the parable of the grain of wheat, that unless it dies it cannot yield a crop.  Jesus chose the twelve, into whom He sowed His life, that after He was gone and the Holy Spirit came upon them, they would yield an eternal crop of redeemed souls.  Jesus was preparing twelve men to teach others about Him.  Jesus was doing as the apostle Paul admonishes us to do, as it is written, "And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others." (2 Timothy 2:2)

The purpose of the Lord was foreshadowed by His use of the phrase "fishers of men" in the calling of the four fishermen--though at the time, I'm sure that they did not fully understand His meaning.

1) To be with Him.  The foremost reason that Christ had appointed them apostles was that they might be with Him.  This special calling would eventually send them forth, but first they must spend time with Him, learning at His feet.  They were called to a special relationship with their Savior above all else.

2) To be sent out.  Secondly, they were to learn and grow so that they might be sent out as missionaries and ambassadors of Christ, ministers of the Gospel (good news).  When Christ commissioned them and sent them out two by two, they had two main functions: to preach and to minister to people's needs (e.g., to cast out demons).

a) To preach.  The message that they preached was, until after the Resurrection, for the Jews only, giving the children of Israel first chance to repent and believe that the Kingdom of God was at hand.  That repentance was possible and that the spiritual Kingdom of God (where God could reign in their hearts) was good news indeed and many believed.

b) To have authority to minister to people's needs.  Their preaching was to be accompanied by the supernatural and very practical casting out of demons that were afflicting people.  This also included healing the sick.  They were designated apostles, given a message and given power to verify the message by ministering to the people's desperate needs.

3)Twelve is the number of governmental perfection.  Many teachers might have had two or three disciples; some would have had more, but to have twelve would have been quite a statement. It seems obvious enough to our study that their number was symbolic of the twelve tribes of Israel. Perhaps this implied that Jesus was laying claim to the whole nation. Perhaps it was a statement as to the "new Israel" that would be established by the Messiah; certainly, it established a parallel between the Church and the chosen nation Israel. Later, Jesus told them that they would rule over the twelve tribes when all things are made new.  As it is written,

"Jesus said to them, 'I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.'" (Matthew 19:28)

4) They were representative of mankind.  Although there was not one from all the various nations nor even from many various towns, they were somehow representative of the human race.  They were not a group that you would have found together apart from Christ.  Not only were their occupations, educations, and goals quite different, but they were of differing personalities.  Lockyer comments,

"For instance, Peter is forward and self-assertive, but Andrew, his brother, keeps in the background and is never obtrusive.  James is like a volcano, but Nathanael is like a quiet summer pool.  Philip always looked before he leaped, but Peter leaped before he looked.  Some of the band were born to lead, others were content to be led . . . " ^[3] 

For a more in-depth character study on the apostles, Lockyer's book entitled All the Apostles of the Bible would be an excellent place to start.  Although I do not agree with all that has been assumed or hypothesized about the personalities of the various apostles, this book contains much interesting information.

---

[1]   A.B. Bruce, The Training of the Twelve, Eerdmans, 1894, 1971,1988, 14.
[2]   Herbert Lockyer, All the Apostles of the Bible, Zondervan, 1972, 11.
[3]   Herbert Lockyer, All the Apostles of the Bible, Zondervan, 1972, 16.

Week 10 February 26, 2012 "Sabbath"

Text: This week, we’re covering Luke 6:1-16, dealing with Jesus’ teaching about and healing on the Sabbath and the increasing conflict with the Pharisees over this issue.

Other passages to read: This week, we encourage you to read "horizontally" in these passages that are parallel to our text from Luke:

• Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath: Matthew 12:1-8; Mark 2:23-28
• Man with a withered hand: Matthew 12:9-14; Mark 3:1-6
• Old Testament background verses: Exodus 20:8-11; Deut. 23:25; 1 Samuel 21:1-6

Other Resources: This week’s recommended resource is The Expositor’s Bible Commentary Vol. 8 (Matthew, Mark, Luke), edited by Frank E. Gæbelein. The author of the section on Luke is Walter L. Liefeld. This multi-volume series, based on the original NIV text (1973-1984), is a great, conservative, well-balanced resource. It is a set that we have used often in Bible classes over the years.

Sermon Notes: "On Guard and At Rest"

Read Text of Luke 6:1-11

1. Understanding the nature of the problem: Legalism

• Unbiblical  (v. 3-5)
• Unloving (v. 6-10)
• Unsafe  (v. 11)

2. Understanding the nature of the promise: Rest

• External Rest – an act of liberation(Deuteronomy 5:12-15)
• Internal Rest – an act of trust (Hebrews 4:1-11)

Points to ponder: In your study this week, you might want to think about one of these questions:

• What is Jesus saying about David’s actions in 1 Samuel 21? How are the two situations parallel?
• Is there some area where we have become “religious” that doesn’t foster our relationship with God?
• Like last week, what details does Luke supply that are not found in Matthew or Mark?
• What does the Sabbath mean to us today? How should we apply the principle in our lives?
• Read Hebrews chapters 3-4 and ask yourself, “What is the key to entering into God’s Sabbath rest?”

Questions to ask ourselves: The following questions are intended to help us move towards greater application of what we learn about Jesus…

• Like the passage where Jesus was rejected in Nazareth, is there something Jesus says in his Word that makes us mad? Why?
• Have we entered God’s rest (Hebrews 4:9)? What does that mean for my life?
• Do I trust God’s love enough to stop trying to approach him according to my system of works?
• How is my love for Christ reflected in the way I spend my time? If we do with our time exactly what we want to do, what does this reveal about our relationship with Jesus?

Quotes & Commentary: The religious leaders of Jesus’ day not only put rules over human needs, but they put laws ahead of the Law-giver. A man with one withered hand was healed on the Sabbath, and ironically, the physically whole Pharisees were withered spiritually by rejecting a relationship with both God and man.

Here is a quote from this week's featured resource:

The uneasy tension between Jesus and the Pharisees described in chapter 5 hardens into controversy over one of the main institutions of Judaism, the Sabbath. The Gospels list three Sabbath controversies. Two occur in the Synoptics and one in John 5. In each instance Jesus allows or even stimulates the controversy, providing several types of response:

• (1) the Sabbath is for man's benefit (Mark 2:27); 
• (2) the Son of Man is "Lord of the Sabbath" (v. 5); 
• (3) the Sabbath is for helpful deeds, the omission of which would be evil (v. 9); and 
• (4) the Father works even on the Sabbath and so may the Son John 5:17). (Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 8, p. 886)

 Erickson, in his classic work, Christian Theology, writes,

“God had established the sacredness of the Sabbath (Exodus 20:8-11). Only God could abrogate or modify this regulation… [In Luke 6 we see that Jesus] was clearly claiming the right to redefine the status of the Sabbath, a right that belongs only to someone virtually equal to God.” (p. 702)

One of the ways that I try to process and express theological truth is through poetry. I take all the study and thinking and try to express the synthesis of ideas as briefly and as powerfully as possible. This week’s topic of “Sabbath” has produced two poems: Sabbath Roots and Sabbath Rest. I include them here in this post as personal commentary on this topic. I hope you find them meaningful and helpful in your understanding of the rest we have in Christ!

                Sabbath Roots

Six days God worked creating

Three forming the framework—sky, water, land

Three filling it with teeming life—birds, fish, animals, man

One day he rested, it was all very good,

For our benefit not his.

He was not tired, but knew we would be.

He did not need to recharge his creative Spirit,

But saw that we would need to stop, to

Pause the naming, tilling, tending,

Subduing, producing, ruling,

Just for a day

To rest, to remember the Maker

To trust that we are not God.

After our fall from sinless

Unbroken relationship, mercifully

God did not remove the gift of Sabbath, yet

We looked at things differently now,

East of Eden,

Struggling against the thorns of a world,

A will, in rebellion.

We forgot it, buried it, under a pile of

Clay-tablet to-do lists, bricks without straw

Yet finally overwhelmed by our circumstances,

Labor to the point of despair, God heard us crying and…

     Brought us out to be free,

      Took us aside to be restored,

         Set us apart to be different,

Then wrote it down in stone.

Sabbath roots of

God-given grace, not man-made entitlement,

Mandatory not optional, we are

Surprised by rest not added work, in

Weekend renunciation of toil’s curse to produce bread.

A people

Forced to trust

God to provide, make up the difference…

Not in vain.

                                        © Greg K. Dueker

This second poem uses a type of literary template we have previously discussed as being heavily used in the Gospel of Luke. It is a good idea to keep our eyes open for this inverted parallel structure as we study through Luke.

Sabbath Rest

Sabbath…

Rest in harmony with creation, Creator’s example

          Trust in Yahweh’s revealed plan for our good,

            Both neglected, misplaced, by people led to exilic slavery.

                      While land rested in obedience,

                      Until chastened people returned, rebuilt

            Resolved never to lose what God restored, but
            Rules too numerous replaced trust, produced crushing

Burdens with which neither law, nor leader, cared to help.

                                 Until…Jesus declared,

              “The Son of man is lord of the Sabbath” (Luke 6:5)

                                            Now, our…

Burdens borne and sorrows carried by Sabbath’s Lord,

Rules’ record of our debt, its demands, nailed to the cross (Col. 2:14)

                      Jesus returned issue to the heart-land, celebrated

that Sabbath was to do good, not bad,

to heal not harm, to bless not curse…people

            Resolved in gratefulness to remember, to care, to

Trust in his work, not ours, allowing our entrance into perfect

Rest as it was intended…our salvation. Sabbath rests forever fulfilled.

                                  © Greg K. Dueker

The following question was posted and addressed on our Bible Answers blog several years ago.

"Question: “How does the commandment to "remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy" apply today?”

"This has been asked many times over the years, and is kind of a trick question as it applies to a far larger set of commandments than just the ones about the Sabbath. I think that we need to consider three separate biblical issues regarding the Sabbath: Commandments, Purpose, and Principles. There were many prohibitions established in the Old Testament (OT) that applied to ancient Israel, but no longer apply today as commands, yet are still part of God’s Word and are useful for instruction on many levels. Those commands were part of God’s covenant (contract) with Israel. Today, if we are Christians, we are not under any obligation to the requirements of the old covenant; instead, we are part of the new covenant. Interestingly, all the moral commands of the OT are repeated in the NT, but the ceremonial, dietary, public worship, public health, and anti-idolatry laws are not renewed. Don’t misunderstand me, the NT is very strong in its stand against idolatry and other sinful lifestyles, but does not contain commands to enforce physical punishment upon those choosing to live in rebellion to God’s plan, like the OT does. So to answer your question about the command to "remember the Sabbath and keep it holy", I would say that we no longer have the weight of such a command upon us, just like we no longer need to travel to Jerusalem three times a year to worship God in Israel’s great national festivals.

Now, let’s consider what the purpose of the Sabbath was. Jesus said on more than one occasion that the Sabbath was created for man and not man for the Sabbath. Jesus also said that he was the Lord of the Sabbath and that it was lawful to do good on the Sabbath. Jesus provoked considerable anger against himself from the religious leaders of his day by violating their legalistic Sabbath commandments. What did Jesus do on the Sabbath? He taught in the synagogues, healed the sick, delivered the oppressed, taught his disciples, and went about his Father’s business. Here are a few passages from the life of Christ that are a helpful study—Matthew 12:1-12; Mark 2:23-28; Luke 6:1-11; Luke 13:10-16; Mark 3:1-6; Luke 14:1-6; John 5:1-15; John 7:21-24; John 9.

The Jewish Sabbath celebrated a finished creation. It involved mandatory resting from one’s normal work to trust God for provision. The Sabbath was a revolutionary concept in the ancient world... a six-day work week; because God loved us, he gave us a day of rest.

So what is the Sabbath principle? Regular weekly sabbath rest is a good thing for us:

• Physically—to rest. Our bodies need a break, and if we don’t take one, they will.
• Economically—to trust God, not our own efforts, to provide. Can God make up for the time we take to rest from the insidious intrusion of worldly cares, or do we live like we have to handle it all ourselves?
• Socially— to gather in community with family and fellow believers to remember what the Lord has done for us and to encourage each other –Heb. 10:25.
• Spiritually— to take time to serve someone besides ourselves, to worship God, and to quiet the other noises and demands of life to listen for the Shepherd’s voice.

Your original question begs another question... that of worshipping on the Jewish Sabbath (sundown Friday to sundown Saturday) or on “the Lord’s Day” (Sunday). The early church began meeting after the resurrection on Sunday (usually in the evening), which they called “the Lord’s Day” to celebrate and remember Jesus’ resurrection, which signaled a finished redemption. Whereas in the OT, believers kept a Sabbath day, we are now called to live a Sabbath life! We don’t set aside one day a week to worship and six days to do our own thing. We no longer have to work to earn salvation but have received it by grace. We are now called to rest from our own efforts to procure that which we never could, and instead to live all days in the rest, joy, and peace of right relationship with our Lord. Every day is a day of worship, a day of seeking God’s best for others, a day of trusting God for our salvation! Saturday? Yes! ... Sunday? Yes! ... Today? Yes!

“Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.” (Colossians 2:16-17 ESV)"

Actual link to this answer is: http://b4answers.blogspot.com/2009/09/how-does-commandment-to-remember.html"

Previously on "Ponderables":

• Why doesn’t Luke include the content of the Sermon from the Boat? At this point Luke is more concerned with the calling of Peter. If we look at the Prophetic Rhetorical Template contained in v. 1-11 it becomes clear.
• How can we reconcile verses 1-11 with Matt. 4:18-22 & Mark 1:16-20? Pastor Randy’s message spoke to this clearly. It can be done two ways. Randy talked about Matthew & Mark presenting an abbreviated version of the calling.
• Why does Simon ask Jesus to depart from him? Does he really mean it? It seems very similar to Isaiah’s experience in Isaiah 6. He was overwhelmed by his sin
• What is the real "miraculous catch" in this passage the one by Peter or the one by Jesus? The one by Jesus! He “caught” Peter, Andrew, James, and John!
• Why did Jesus want the healed leper to go to the priests? What two ways did the man’s disobedience cause problems for Jesus? Jesus wanted him to go as a testimony to the priests. It seems he was concerned that they might see the kingdom’s effects in a non-threatening way…within the context of their appointed duties. How often had the priests had to declare some a leper? And perhaps never to have seen one cured? As to the problems caused…they were two-fold. The unwanted publicity prevented Jesus from entering population centers and also stirred up the opposition of the priests and religious leaders against him.
• What does the 6-fold structure of 4:42-5:39 tell us about the message of this passage? Were you able to see the structure? Using Kenneth Bailey’s rhetorical template I see the calling of Peter in 5:1-11 as just one piece of the larger narrative presentation.

                     A  Missional Authority (4:42-44)
                          B  Simon/Peter Called (5:1-11)
                               C  Leper Cleansed (5:12-16)
                               C’ Paralytic Healed (5:17-26)
                          B’ Levi/Matthew Called (5:27-32)
                     A’  Missional Freedom/ New Wineskins (5:33-39)