Originally posted by poimen
My thoughts exactly. Well stated...
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Originally posted by poimen
My thoughts exactly. Well stated...
Originally posted by Batman
What about "working" in the sense that you're serving your neighbor in some way...helping him move, paint, tear down a fence, etc? Do we say "no" to "working" on Sundays even when it means serving our non-believing friends? How about inviting them over to watch a football game at your house? Or a BBQ? Some of us work on Saturdays, and Sundays are our only day to hang out and celebrate life with our friends.
Originally posted by Robin
In an effort to make this thread somewhat useful....
Here is one of the best sermons I ever heard about "Entering God's Sabbath Rest" by Michael Horton:
http://www.christreformed.org/resources/sermons_lectures/00000057.shtml?main
May it edify...
Robin
Originally posted by webmaster
I'm not sure the answer was adequately given yet.
We eat at home, and use electricity to use the stove, microwave, slow cooking pot, by the electricity, and use electricity for refrigeration.
Now really, this is an act of convenience because of the time period in which we live. 200 years ago and previous there was no "refrigeration in every home, or electricity.
Should we then shut off the breakers on Saturday night? (That would be horrible for people living in Florida without air conditioning!)
How much of the commandment do you think applies to that situation?
Are we begging the question based on convenience?
Remember, I'm definitely not tossing the 4th command as you all probably know. Just making us think through it a bit more.
Originally posted by Matthew French
These conversations always degenerate into, "Well, what about doing this on Sunday?" The electric and gas companies are always dragged into them as well. Rather than wrangle over how far of an extreme we should take things to, why don't we rather do what's easy: Don't work and don't personally ask other people to work for you.
If it is wrong for you to work on Sunday then how on earth can you sit in a restaurant and ask a nice young lady who wasn't at church at 11:30 a.m. to bring you another cup of coffee at 12:30 p.m.?
My antenna goes up whenever I hear people dismiss anything because it's difficult to deal with the extreme circumstances. The homeless, for instance, is an extreme example. Using electricity is an extreme example. Soliciting the personal services of someone who should not be working on the Lord's day is putting a stumbling block right in front of him. Without forgiveness from God, he WILL be be held guilty for the work that you requested he do. That's an easy one, to my mind.
By the way, regarding the "restaurants are going to be open anyway" argument... Restaurants are packed to the gills with people coming from church. If all the Christians took this commandment seriously you would see restaurants closing left and right on Sundays.
Regarding the "my wife needs rest, too" argument. Good point, maybe you could help her.
Using electricity is an extreme example.
Don't work and don't personally ask other people to work for you.
Originally posted by crhoades
Without getting into all of the ins and outs of this discussion so far as to the levels one will actually do something on the sabbath...
A very practical suggestion for people who are trying to keep it:
Slow cookers/crock pots...Put a roast in the night before. Cook chili in it. soups...We have a great cook book with a ton of slow cooker recipes. Come home from church and a hot meal is already waiting. It also makes it easy to have people over after church.
Also...use paper plates and styrofoam cups too for less clean-up hassles.
[Edited on 5-27-2005 by crhoades]
Originally posted by VirginiaHuguenot
I believe utility services such as electricity, telephone, gas, water, cable, internet all fall under "works of necessity." Yes, it is true that none of these services existed 200 years ago. People can survive without any of them.
However, the purpose of the Sabbath is not to bring man back to the level of the Stone Age. With the telephone I can have a godly conversation with a long-distance friend or family member; with electricity I can use light to read my Bible, cook a meal for my wife, and not worry about extremes in heat or cold for my family; with cable I can check the Weather Channel when I see potential funnel clouds outside; with the internet I can engage in godly conversation with my Puritan Board brethren. With a modern, gas-filled car I can drive to church instead of walking.
Does these things count as unncessary works because they were not available to generations before? Certainly temptations exist with respect to some or fall of these services to use them in ways that go beyond works of mercy or necessity. However, true Sabbath-keeping is not about an Amish-style withdrawal from the world. Just as the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath, so likewise the things of this world may be used to promote Sabbath-keeping rather than be an occasion of stumbling blocks.
[Edited on 5-28-2005 by VirginiaHuguenot]