
The ruthless elimination of hurry: The stopping day.
Introduction:
What if hurry, busyness, and resulting distraction are the biggest challenges facing our spiritual lives today? That is the question John Mark Comer addresses in his book The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry. The title comes from a quote by Dallas Willard. Willard once said, “Hurry is our day’s great enemy of spiritual life. You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life.”
Something To Talk About:
The Sabbath is 24 hours to stop, rest, delight, and worship. God designed us with an innate need to stop. Today’s message will help us remove the mystery of what it means to Sabbath and challenge us to step into the command God gave us.
- The Sabbath is a non-negotiable command from God: What is the Sabbath? It’s one of the ten commands God gave “His people” (the Israelites) when He taught them the kind of culture He wanted for them. It’s something God modeled Himself when He created the world. It’s taking one day out of seven entirely off—no work. One day free of obligation and duty. Where enjoyment and ease are the precedents. A day to be deeply refreshed. To pause the chaos and hustle of daily life to reconnect with God. To feel our souls, laugh, play, be inspired, and remember that the world doesn’t depend on us, connect with people we love, and embrace that we’re loved human beings apart from anything we do or contribute to the world. In an insanely burned-out culture, it’s a desperately needed practice. I think that’s why God put such an emphasis on it. He knew we couldn’t thrive without it. Not only does the Sabbath powerfully reset your life and lighten your stress, but you will all be more refreshed for your week. When we consistently honor God’s command to take a Sabbath once a week, we will begin each new week with new strength, refocused priorities, and revived passion.
- The Sabbath is blessed: Exodus 20:11 says, “For in six days the LORD made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.” Sabbath keeping has to be intentional. Don’t use your Sabbath day as a “day off.” Keep the Sabbath day holy by spending your time in scripture, prayer, and worship. This isn’t a day to catch up on activities, work, or errands. Make an intentional effort to have an awareness of God’s constant presence. God wanted to teach us that work is not an end in and of itself. Observing the Sabbath will change the way we view our work. Do what you can to slow down and restore your mind and body. Do things that help you relax and connect with the Father: reading, being outdoors, or spending time with loved ones. The Bible tells us that God notices and blesses those who honor Him in joyfully keep the Sabbath.
- The Sabbath is holy: “Keep the Sabbath day holy. Don’t pursue your own interests on that day, but enjoy the Sabbath and speak of it with delight as the Lord’s holy day. Honor the Sabbath in everything you do on that day, and don’t follow your own desires or talk idly. Then the Lord will be your delight.I will give you great honor and satisfy you with the inheritance I promised to your ancestor Jacob. I, the Lord, have spoken” Isaiah 58:13-14). The Sabbath, a day of rest and worship, is a sacred time to connect with God and reflect on His goodness. As believers, we are called to keep the Sabbath holy, remembering its significance and dedicating ourselves to honoring God on this special day. What a beautiful gift our Father gives us on the Sabbath. A chance to rest. An opportunity to trust. An invitation to experience His faithfulness. The Sabbath is a holy gift we should embrace every week.
Discussion Questions:
- What comes into your mind when you think of the word, Sabbath?
- How do you think Sabbath could help fill your soul back up with life?
- What would it look like for you to start getting intentional about practicing Sabbath?
- Do you view Sabbath as a command or an invitation? How do these views differ and influence your observation of the Sabbath?
- Do you view the Sabbath as holy? Why or why not?
- Do you practice the Sabbath? If so, do you have any boundaries to what you do and don’t do on that day? What are some of the challenges you’ve faced when practicing it?
- What are some things you’d like to do on the Sabbath?
- Do you believe there are blessings to be received from obeying the command to Sabbath?
- What was one thing you found particularly interesting, insightful, helpful, or challenging to understand from this sermon?
Take one thing home with you:
“Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him” (Psalm 62:1, NIV).
Some people don’t seem to see taking a break as an option. Whether because of limited time, guilt over not doing anything, or conflicting priorities, it can seem that taking a break is a misuse of time and an inappropriate choice.
Even Jesus, who was fully God and fully man, embraced rest. And just as our Savior welcomed rest, we need it to recharge and reinforce our well-being. In Mark 6, Jesus sent His disciples out on a ministry assignment. After completing this assignment, preaching, healing people, and spreading the gospel, the disciples returned home. Jesus, the ultimate source of rest, said: “…“Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.” He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat.” (Mark 6:31).
The Sabbath ought to be treasured for what it is: a gift of a day on which we enjoy, uninterrupted by leisure commitments or (if at all possible) by employment, the privilege of God’s presence, the study of God’s word, and the fellowship of God’s people. Seen like that, this command becomes an invitation: not only something we should do but something we will love to do.