100:00:00,880 –> 00:00:08,480For in six days God made the heaven and the earth and all that200:00:08,480 –> 00:00:12,240is in. Now, did you ever stop to ask the question,300:00:12,240 –> 00:00:16,799why in all the world would God make the heavens and the400:00:16,799 –> 00:00:21,120earth in six days when he could have made it in an500:00:21,120 –> 00:00:22,639instant?600:00:22,959 –> 00:00:25,680Welcome to Open the Bible with pastor Colin Smith, I’m David Pick,700:00:25,680 –> 00:00:29,040glad you could be with us today, and that’s a very good point Colin,800:00:29,040 –> 00:00:33,040why would God take six days when he could have just snapped his fingers?900:00:33,040 –> 00:00:36,400Well, so that he could enter into his rest on the seventh, I mean that’s1000:00:36,400 –> 00:00:40,320really the point that is made. And, as we look at this theme of the1100:00:40,320 –> 00:00:42,799sabbath day, I don’t know if there’s any of the1200:00:42,799 –> 00:00:46,959commandments that has been thought about more negatively by many people you know,1300:00:46,959 –> 00:00:48,959there’s old rules and the day where you can’t do1400:00:48,959 –> 00:00:53,759anything and all this kind of thing. The gift of the sabbath is a marvelous1500:00:53,759 –> 00:00:58,080gift to have a day to rest,1600:00:58,080 –> 00:01:02,880to have a day to be able to savor the eternal good things of God1700:01:02,880 –> 00:01:06,959to worship him. For anyone who really loves Christ1800:01:06,959 –> 00:01:10,959this is a great thing. Sunday is my favorite day of the week1900:01:10,959 –> 00:01:14,320to be with God’s people and to worship him.2000:01:14,320 –> 00:01:17,360That’s an anticipation of eternity. It’s a wonderful day.2100:01:17,360 –> 00:01:21,440Okay, so if Sunday’s your favorite day in the week as a pastor and2200:01:21,440 –> 00:01:25,360you work on that day right? Well it’s not my day off. I do have a day off on2300:01:25,919 –> 00:01:29,199But the gift of the day of worship together that we2400:01:29,199 –> 00:01:33,599celebrate on Sundays is a wonderful gift. It’s like a window2500:01:33,599 –> 00:01:37,360in time to strengthen our grasp on eternity2600:01:37,360 –> 00:01:41,519to come together with God’s people and to look to eternal things.2700:01:41,519 –> 00:01:45,599That’s marvelous and without wanting to get into a big debate about precisely2800:01:45,599 –> 00:01:49,680when this is to be done, the fact that it is to be done and that2900:01:49,680 –> 00:01:53,360God’s people come together that’s an anticipation of what it’s3000:01:54,000 –> 00:01:58,080presence of Jesus in eternity and I need to get my mind fixed on that.3100:01:58,080 –> 00:02:02,080Set your mind on things above. So this day of worship is a3200:02:02,080 –> 00:02:05,440wonderful gift. Help me in my Christian life and I think3300:02:05,440 –> 00:02:09,679it’s something to be embraced, to be savored, to be rejoiced3400:02:09,679 –> 00:02:11,839in. All of God’s commandments are good and3500:02:11,839 –> 00:02:15,839especially the fourth commandment. Well I do enjoy a day of rest these days but3600:02:15,839 –> 00:02:19,520when we were younger it just sounded incredibly boring.3700:02:19,520 –> 00:02:22,639Just a day to go to church and then go home and do nothing3800:02:22,639 –> 00:02:26,559but that’s not really what God intended is it? If defined by the days3900:02:26,559 –> 00:02:29,919the games you can’t play and and all this kind of thing.4000:02:29,919 –> 00:02:33,440Yes and of course when God is speaking to us about the blessings of the Sabbath4100:02:33,440 –> 00:02:37,360days, talking about the things that we are able to do, that we’re privileged to4200:02:37,360 –> 00:02:40,080do, which is to draw near to him in worship4300:02:40,080 –> 00:02:44,160and that is the greatest blessings of our life. That is an anticipation of4400:02:44,160 –> 00:02:46,960eternity. A person who isn’t interested in4500:02:46,960 –> 00:02:50,960worshiping God should seriously ask the question why4600:02:50,960 –> 00:02:53,919would i think that i will be in heaven, where that’s what all the people are4700:02:53,919 –> 00:02:57,600doing. If i don’t have a heart for this why would i think i’ll be there.4800:02:57,600 –> 00:03:00,960One of the marks of a true christian is that he or she4900:03:00,960 –> 00:03:04,559loves to worship God because he or she loves God and therefore it’s a5000:03:04,559 –> 00:03:07,919privilege to join with his people. So we’ll spend some more time looking at5100:03:07,919 –> 00:03:12,479the question of how we spend time. So, join us if you can in Exodus chapter5200:03:12,479 –> 00:03:15,52020 as we continue the message your struggle5300:03:15,520 –> 00:03:18,720with time. Here’s Colin. The fourth commandment shows us the5400:03:18,800 –> 00:03:22,080dignity of work as an expression of the image of God.5500:03:22,080 –> 00:03:26,479It’s very important for us to grasp this.5600:03:26,479 –> 00:03:30,240Now, of course, this may sound marvelous but the reality is that many of us feel5700:03:30,240 –> 00:03:34,880overwhelmed by our work, don’t we. And God gives us two insights right5800:03:34,880 –> 00:03:38,479here in the fourth commandment that i think are very powerful and5900:03:38,479 –> 00:03:42,479very very practical. The first is about this whole issue of6000:03:42,479 –> 00:03:48,960dividing your work. Six days, verse 8, you shall labor,6100:03:48,960 –> 00:03:55,520six days, and notice again in verse 11. The reason is for in six days6200:03:55,520 –> 00:03:58,479God made the heaven and the earth and all6300:03:58,479 –> 00:04:01,759that is in them. Now, did you ever stop to ask the6400:04:01,759 –> 00:04:06,559question why in all the world would God make the heavens and the earth6500:04:06,559 –> 00:04:10,399in six days when He could have made it in an6600:04:10,399 –> 00:04:15,199instant? He could have, couldn’t he? So6700:04:15,199 –> 00:04:19,440why six days?6800:04:19,920 –> 00:04:24,160Surely the answer is that God was modeling a pattern6900:04:24,160 –> 00:04:30,720for dividing our work. God is teaching us how we should work by7000:04:30,720 –> 00:04:35,920the example of how He works. He is mentoring us in what effective7100:04:35,920 –> 00:04:41,920work looks like. God has divided time for a reason.7200:04:41,920 –> 00:04:46,239He has given us in the very order of creation a day,7300:04:46,239 –> 00:04:53,920a week, a month, seasons of a year, and in the creation7400:04:53,920 –> 00:04:59,279itself God models a pattern of work that has7500:04:59,279 –> 00:05:06,160rhythm to it, rhythms of rest and of work and the very7600:05:06,160 –> 00:05:09,440order of God’s work in creation of course shows the importance of7700:05:09,440 –> 00:05:13,279structure within our work. Sometimes of course7800:05:13,279 –> 00:05:17,359your work seems like an overwhelming mountain. You look at it, you say7900:05:17,359 –> 00:05:22,480how am i going to do all this. And of course when you feel8000:05:22,480 –> 00:05:28,160overwhelmed by your work, you lose your ability to function.8100:05:28,160 –> 00:05:32,959Now the successful worker will be one who copies the example of God8200:05:32,959 –> 00:05:38,720and learns the ability to divide work and to establish priorities. These are8300:05:38,720 –> 00:05:41,839the two things that we see in the account of creation.8400:05:41,839 –> 00:05:46,079I tell you I find this one of my own biggest struggles and I’m sure many of8500:05:46,079 –> 00:05:50,559us would say the same thing. I’ve to ask the question what do I need8600:05:50,559 –> 00:05:55,359to do today, what do I need to do this week,8700:05:55,359 –> 00:05:59,200what has to be done within the frame of a month and then it’s very important for8800:05:59,200 –> 00:06:03,600me to ask the question what should I be seeking to achieve in a year8900:06:03,600 –> 00:06:10,320and then to develop a plan and I’m not just talking about paid work9000:06:10,320 –> 00:06:13,760I’m talking about whatever work God has given you to do9100:06:13,760 –> 00:06:17,519to bring structure into your life in fulfilling9200:06:17,519 –> 00:06:21,279what you have identified as your God-given responsibility.9300:06:21,279 –> 00:06:27,760I mean suppose you are a homemaker how do you avoid the subtle temptation9400:06:27,760 –> 00:06:32,720for some, of sliding into a routine that’s around9500:06:32,720 –> 00:06:37,920daytime television and then hating yourself for it?9600:06:38,160 –> 00:06:42,559The answer is you have to work out what this job is9700:06:42,559 –> 00:06:51,119an unsupervised job. Write it down. If I am to do a great job9800:06:51,119 –> 00:06:55,760in this high calling what would that look like?9900:06:55,760 –> 00:06:59,600List it all. What would I have to do in a year?10000:06:59,600 –> 00:07:03,040Then break it down. What would I have to do in a month? What would I have to do in10100:07:03,040 –> 00:07:07,440a week? What should I begin to do today? Break10200:07:07,440 –> 00:07:10,079your work whatever it is paid or unpaid into10300:07:10,079 –> 00:07:13,679bite-sized chunks that’s the pattern that we’re learning here from the Bible10400:07:13,679 –> 00:07:16,799for nothing is more paralyzing than to sit10500:07:16,880 –> 00:07:20,559in front of a massive task that has never been broken down into10600:07:20,559 –> 00:07:26,640ordered steps and then see a day as a unit of work10700:07:26,640 –> 00:07:30,160tackle what needs to be done today and then rest10800:07:30,160 –> 00:07:34,799that’s God’s pattern, that’s why he gave you night10900:07:34,799 –> 00:07:39,119learn to see six days as another unit of work11000:07:39,119 –> 00:07:44,239and then take a day of rest that’s why God gave to us the sabbath11100:07:44,239 –> 00:07:48,640look at the seasons that God has planned in the order of creation11200:07:48,640 –> 00:07:55,679plan times of vacation, holiday weekends, work within whatever budget you have11300:07:55,679 –> 00:08:01,040but plan so that there are breaks in the seasons of your year11400:08:01,040 –> 00:08:04,559you find this actually written right into the Old Testament if you study the11500:08:04,559 –> 00:08:07,440Old Testament Festivals after the harvest11600:08:07,440 –> 00:08:11,040and so forth you find through the year that there are seasonal breaks11700:08:11,040 –> 00:08:16,000that God builds into the pattern of the life of his people11800:08:16,000 –> 00:08:20,720and plan your vacation in advance you see the seasons did that there was an11900:08:20,720 –> 00:08:23,040ordered thing just like we know when Christmas comes and12000:08:23,040 –> 00:08:27,040Easter comes, in the Old Testament year there was this pattern of festivals12100:08:27,040 –> 00:08:30,000there were the breaks that could be planned in12200:08:30,000 –> 00:08:35,760advance because half the joy is the anticipation of knowing that12300:08:35,760 –> 00:08:41,039it’s coming. This is awfully practical stuff isn’t it12400:08:41,039 –> 00:08:44,799but it’s all in the Fourth Commandment and12500:08:44,799 –> 00:08:51,679it is powerfully relevant and desperately needed12600:08:51,679 –> 00:08:59,200in our increasingly frazzled society today. Divide your work12700:08:59,200 –> 00:09:06,239as God does bringing structure into it and you will find this great payoff12800:09:06,239 –> 00:09:12,320that you have the blessing of enjoying completed work. You’ll also be far more12900:09:12,320 –> 00:09:15,039effective because you won’t be paralyzed in13000:09:15,039 –> 00:09:18,799front of this unbroken mountain.13100:09:19,200 –> 00:09:24,960At the end of each day God paused and saw that it was good. Isn’t that13200:09:24,960 –> 00:09:30,400beautiful? He surveyed what he had done and he13300:09:30,400 –> 00:09:35,280enjoyed it. He didn’t say,13400:09:35,280 –> 00:09:38,400well I’ve made the moon and the stars but boy13500:09:38,400 –> 00:09:42,000I’ve still got the fish and the animals to go13600:09:42,000 –> 00:09:46,320and I haven’t even started with the man.13700:09:46,400 –> 00:09:50,159You don’t find that in the account of creation.13800:09:50,159 –> 00:09:54,640No, he enjoyed his completed work at the end of13900:09:54,640 –> 00:10:01,599each day. I tell you I’ve found that one of my greatest struggles,14000:10:01,599 –> 00:10:06,400to worry more about what I’ve still to do tomorrow14100:10:06,400 –> 00:10:11,840and therefore to lose the joy of what God enabled me to do today,14200:10:11,840 –> 00:10:15,039and that’s where we break down.14300:10:15,440 –> 00:10:19,679God’s pattern is that every day and every week14400:10:19,679 –> 00:10:26,640we who love him should savour the joy of completed work14500:10:26,640 –> 00:10:34,000every day, every week, every season, every year.14600:10:34,000 –> 00:10:37,919You’re listening to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith and a message called14700:10:37,919 –> 00:10:42,479Your Struggle With Time. Part of our series, The 10 Greatest Struggles Of Your14800:10:42,479 –> 00:10:44,640Life, all about The Ten Commandments and if14900:10:44,640 –> 00:10:47,919you’ve missed any of the series, don’t forget you can always come online15000:10:48,000 –> 00:10:52,320to our website, Openthebible.org.uk, and there you’ll find all the15100:10:52,320 –> 00:10:54,640messages which have already gone out on air15200:10:54,640 –> 00:10:58,559and they’re also available as a podcast on your favorite podcast site,15300:10:58,559 –> 00:11:02,799search for Open the Bible U.K. Back to the message now. We’re in15400:11:02,799 –> 00:11:07,599Exodus chapter 20. Here’s Colin. Here’s The Blessing of Rest.15500:11:08,719 –> 00:11:15,679God rested on the seventh day… verse 11… and therefore he blessed the Sabbath day15600:11:15,679 –> 00:11:19,919and made it holy. Now rest, if you want a simple definition…15700:11:19,919 –> 00:11:23,039rest is simply the enjoyment of completed work.15800:11:23,039 –> 00:11:25,520That’s why we’ve spent so much time talking about work,15900:11:25,520 –> 00:11:30,000because you can’t enjoy rest if you don’t divide and therefore complete work.16000:11:31,200 –> 00:11:34,719That’s what God did on the 7th day. He finished his work of creation,16100:11:34,719 –> 00:11:38,239which isn’t of course, all his work. God is working still, but he finished16200:11:38,239 –> 00:11:42,159that work of these days and he enjoyed… he rested.16300:11:42,280 –> 00:11:46,400Because it was complete, he enjoyed the completed work.16400:11:46,400 –> 00:11:49,599And God calls us to follow this pattern, particularly16500:11:49,599 –> 00:11:53,119not only on a daily basis as we’ve seen, but on a weekly basis16600:11:53,119 –> 00:11:56,719by keeping the Sabbath holy. And of course we’ve seen many times16700:11:56,719 –> 00:11:59,840in different places where we’ve come across this important Bible word16800:11:59,840 –> 00:12:03,760that holy means different, it just means different, it means separate,16900:12:03,760 –> 00:12:06,640it means not bound up with the rest of the stuff.17000:12:07,559 –> 00:12:10,919So, what it means to keep the Sabbath day holy will in17100:12:10,919 –> 00:12:14,840some degree depend on what you normally do.17200:12:14,840 –> 00:12:18,280For a student, there should be one day when you don’t study.17300:12:18,280 –> 00:12:23,159For the manual worker there should be one day when you put down your hammer.17400:12:23,159 –> 00:12:26,200For the executive worker there should be one day when you stop17500:12:26,200 –> 00:12:30,200pushing your pen. You’re to break from what God has given17600:12:30,200 –> 00:12:34,200you as your major. So that you may focus on something17700:12:34,200 –> 00:12:36,280else, something different. Remember the Sabbath day by keeping17800:12:36,440 –> 00:12:41,239it holy, that’s what that means. That leads to some obvious17900:12:41,239 –> 00:12:43,479questions, by the way that are very important.18000:12:43,479 –> 00:12:48,520How do we give Sabbath for carers?18100:12:48,840 –> 00:12:53,000How do we give Sabbath to parents of special need18200:12:53,000 –> 00:12:59,960children or stay-at-home mums. It takes a community18300:12:59,960 –> 00:13:06,840to do that, it takes a family to do that.18400:13:07,080 –> 00:13:10,679And I thank God, I have to tell you for many wonderful examples in the life of18500:13:10,679 –> 00:13:14,599this community. Where we’re seeing increasingly that18600:13:14,599 –> 00:13:19,880kind of ministry effectively offered. Helping another18700:13:19,880 –> 00:13:22,679person to find Sabbath is a wonderful way for you to18800:13:22,679 –> 00:13:25,880keep the fourth commandment.18900:13:26,119 –> 00:13:29,320God’s pattern for your life includes a day when you enjoy19000:13:29,320 –> 00:13:33,960resting from what you normally do. Now notice that we are to enjoy19100:13:33,960 –> 00:13:39,320this rest. Verse 11. We are to enjoy this rest, God blessed the19200:13:39,320 –> 00:13:42,679Sabbath day and He made it holy. This day of rest is19300:13:42,679 –> 00:13:46,200a gift and it’s a blessing from God. It is to19400:13:46,200 –> 00:13:49,719be enjoyed. Now obviously the Sabbath is the19500:13:49,719 –> 00:13:52,840seventh day. And I’ve found some great help from19600:13:52,840 –> 00:13:55,479Jewish writers especially Abraham Heschel19700:13:55,479 –> 00:13:59,799talking about the significance of the seventh day. I should say that19800:13:59,799 –> 00:14:03,320in just a moment, I’m going to make a comment about the significance of the19900:14:03,320 –> 00:14:06,440first day. Today Sunday in which we are20000:14:06,440 –> 00:14:10,520worshipping as Christian believers. But I want us to hear some Jewish wisdom20100:14:10,520 –> 00:14:14,520first about the relevance of the seventh day.20200:14:14,520 –> 00:14:17,960The seventh day, says Heschel, reminds us that rest comes when we’ve20300:14:17,960 –> 00:14:21,960completed our work. It’s not that we rest so that we can20400:14:21,960 –> 00:14:25,159work. He says it is that we work so that we can enter20500:14:25,159 –> 00:14:28,359into rest. Hence the seventh day. The Sabbath he20600:14:28,359 –> 00:14:32,520says is not for the sake of the weekdays. The weekdays are for the sake of the20700:14:32,520 –> 00:14:35,239Sabbath. You see the work leads into the rest.20800:14:35,239 –> 00:14:38,919We work so that having completed our work, we enter into rest.20900:14:38,919 –> 00:14:42,840This therefore he says, is the climax of living.21000:14:42,840 –> 00:14:48,520That’s beautiful. And then he goes on to describe how it is in anticipation of21100:14:48,659 –> 00:14:54,119the day when all our work will be over. You see the pattern of a week working21200:14:54,119 –> 00:14:56,840for six days and then entering into rest for one.21300:14:56,840 –> 00:15:00,039You blow that up large you have a picture of your whole life.21400:15:00,039 –> 00:15:04,520You work and you fulfill all your God response given responsibilities and then21500:15:04,520 –> 00:15:08,119you will enter into rest. Where you will gather with all God’s people. You will21600:15:08,119 –> 00:15:11,640sing His praises. You will enter his rest. You will enjoy21700:15:11,640 –> 00:15:16,039his presence forever. Every week is to be a snapshot of the21800:15:16,039 –> 00:15:18,359big picture of what your life is all about.21900:15:18,359 –> 00:15:22,679That’s beautiful it’s very powerful.22000:15:22,679 –> 00:15:29,799Enjoy your rest. It’s the climax of living.22100:15:30,039 –> 00:15:34,840Notice the commandment says we’re to share our rest.22200:15:34,840 –> 00:15:41,719Verse 10 we’re to share this rest with everyone within our sphere of influence.22300:15:41,719 –> 00:15:45,799Notice your son your daughter the folks who work for you22400:15:45,799 –> 00:15:50,520the alien and even the animals. This is22500:15:50,520 –> 00:15:56,359radically different from our world. See we work on the assumption that22600:15:56,359 –> 00:16:00,840rest is the privilege of those who can afford it.22700:16:00,840 –> 00:16:05,640The executive whose company runs so well that he’s now able to spend22800:16:05,640 –> 00:16:11,559three days a week at his country club. But for the minimum wage worker from22900:16:11,559 –> 00:16:16,520across the border, hey, he’s got to work 24 seven just to23000:16:16,520 –> 00:16:21,400scratch a living. Now that’s how it is in the world.23100:16:21,400 –> 00:16:24,119But God says to his people, I want you to be a23200:16:24,119 –> 00:16:28,919community with a different set of values. I want you to make sure that everyone23300:16:28,919 –> 00:16:34,039within your sphere of influence is able to enjoy this day of rest. Make23400:16:34,039 –> 00:16:38,039sure that your lowest paid worker can get by on what he23500:16:38,119 –> 00:16:42,919earns in 60s and doesn’t need to work for the seventh.23600:16:42,919 –> 00:16:46,119Remember as God’s people, you were slaves in Egypt.23700:16:46,119 –> 00:16:50,039Your work there was unrelenting. I have delivered you from that.23800:16:50,039 –> 00:16:53,239I want you to share that deliverance with everyone within your sphere of23900:16:53,239 –> 00:16:57,000influence. Then you will reflect in your community24000:16:57,000 –> 00:17:00,679something of my glory. Then all the nations will look at you24100:17:00,679 –> 00:17:03,799and they’ll say, my, amongst these people.24200:17:03,919 –> 00:17:08,119Even the animals get a day off.24300:17:08,359 –> 00:17:12,199And you’ll be able to say yes, because God has given us24400:17:12,199 –> 00:17:16,520work to do. But he’s made us for more than work. He’s made us for eternity24500:17:16,520 –> 00:17:20,280and one day in every seven. We take a day to remind ourselves of that24600:17:20,280 –> 00:17:24,760and to strengthen our grip on that reality.24700:17:24,760 –> 00:17:28,760Now here’s the very last thing. Someone may be saying well, that’s all24800:17:28,760 –> 00:17:32,920very well for the seventh day, but this is Sunday, the first day of the week.24900:17:32,920 –> 00:17:36,920And Christians have worshipped on Sunday since the earliest times when25000:17:36,920 –> 00:17:41,479Jesus rose from the dead. Well believers hold different opinions25100:17:41,479 –> 00:17:44,040about whether Sunday should be regarded as a new25200:17:44,040 –> 00:17:47,800Sabbath or not. Some say Sunday is the Christian Sabbath.25300:17:47,800 –> 00:17:51,319It’s just moved days. Others say that the day of rest25400:17:51,319 –> 00:17:55,400and the day of worship are two different things and they’re not necessarily tied25500:17:55,400 –> 00:17:58,599together. It’s certainly true that the earliest25600:17:58,599 –> 00:18:02,439Christians worshipped on the first day of the week before sunrise, before a25700:18:02,439 –> 00:18:05,000working day, or else they met in the evening25800:18:05,000 –> 00:18:09,000after a working day. They didn’t have Sunday off, they just chose to meet25900:18:09,000 –> 00:18:13,959then. Perhaps by the way that’s one reason why Eutychus26000:18:13,959 –> 00:18:17,959fell asleep when Paul was preaching an exceptionally26100:18:17,959 –> 00:18:22,760long sermon and fell out the window. You can read about that in Acts in chapter26200:18:22,760 –> 00:18:26,04020, but I want to suggest to you that there26300:18:26,040 –> 00:18:28,839is special significance for us to lay hold of26400:18:28,839 –> 00:18:33,719in this first day of the week. See as Abraham Heschel26500:18:33,719 –> 00:18:40,599has reminded us, in the Old Testament the law about the seventh day said26600:18:40,599 –> 00:18:42,920finish your work in order that you enter26700:18:42,920 –> 00:18:47,160your rest. And that principle still holds true for26800:18:47,160 –> 00:18:52,680us with regards our work, that’s a life principle for us.26900:18:52,920 –> 00:18:56,920But the New Testament speaks about another kind of rest that we enter on an27000:18:56,920 –> 00:19:01,400entirely different basis. And you see, this is incredibly27100:19:01,400 –> 00:19:04,280important as we go through the Ten Commandments because if I look at27200:19:04,280 –> 00:19:06,359everything that God has called me to do27300:19:06,359 –> 00:19:09,400in the Ten Commandments I have to conclude27400:19:09,400 –> 00:19:15,959I haven’t finished the work. I’ve not finished and which of us has,27500:19:15,959 –> 00:19:18,599we’ve looked at the first four commandments which of us27600:19:18,599 –> 00:19:22,359is really in the position of saying I have so wholly and unconditionally given27700:19:22,359 –> 00:19:26,520myself to God. I have shed every sense of trying to27800:19:26,520 –> 00:19:29,880bring him into my agenda I am worshiping him as he is27900:19:29,880 –> 00:19:34,119in totality. Everything I do is honoring his name.28000:19:34,119 –> 00:19:39,000No we have to say we’ve not finished the work.28100:19:39,079 –> 00:19:42,119And as I look at the calling of God to you and to me28200:19:42,119 –> 00:19:46,680in the Ten Commandments and we have to admit we’ve not finished this work28300:19:46,680 –> 00:19:52,280the question is how will we ever enter God’s rest.28400:19:52,520 –> 00:19:56,280The longer I live the more I study these Ten Commandments, the more convinced I28500:19:56,280 –> 00:20:00,760am I will never finish this work. I will not on the day I die28600:20:00,760 –> 00:20:05,160be able to say lord I finally finished the Ten Commandments28700:20:05,160 –> 00:20:11,319I know that I’m not going to get there and neither is any one of us in this28800:20:11,319 –> 00:20:16,839sanctuary. So Jesus says to us28900:20:16,839 –> 00:20:24,359come to me and I will give you rest I will29000:20:24,359 –> 00:20:31,000give you rest. Think of that when he died on the cross29100:20:31,000 –> 00:20:34,839he took on himself all my unfinished business before the law29200:20:34,839 –> 00:20:37,319of God29300:20:37,640 –> 00:20:40,760and in his body as he bore it he then cried out it29400:20:41,640 –> 00:20:45,719Is finished,29500:20:45,719 –> 00:20:50,280it’s finished my work29600:20:50,280 –> 00:20:54,199is not finished but his work is complete that is my29700:20:54,199 –> 00:21:00,839rest come to me and I will give you rest29800:21:00,839 –> 00:21:04,199you’ve not finished, Jesus would say to you and to me29900:21:04,199 –> 00:21:08,280you’ve not finished what God’s called you to do but I have30000:21:09,239 –> 00:21:13,000you can never achieve it by your own works, let me give you30100:21:13,000 –> 00:21:17,160rest for your soul. And I love the fact that Christians30200:21:17,160 –> 00:21:20,119worship on the first day of the week. because it reminds us30300:21:20,119 –> 00:21:24,280every time we gather that we are going out into another week30400:21:24,280 –> 00:21:28,040in which God has called us to do many things, but we’re not30500:21:28,040 –> 00:21:34,579doing them in order to gain access to his rest. We’re doing30600:21:35,199 –> 00:21:39,859Because we have been given his rest in Jesus. I’m not doing30700:21:39,859 –> 00:21:45,380what I do in order to earn my salvation. I’m seeking to live30800:21:45,380 –> 00:21:48,819a life for his glory out of gratitude because he’s given30900:21:48,819 –> 00:21:56,420me what I could never earn and that makes your work an31000:21:56,420 –> 00:22:03,459offering of love, a gift of gratitude in regard to a debt31100:22:03,459 –> 00:22:07,780that can never be repaid. You’ve been listening to Open the Bible31200:22:07,780 –> 00:22:10,420with Pastor Colin Smith and a message called31300:22:10,420 –> 00:22:13,780Your Struggle With Time part of our series31400:22:13,780 –> 00:22:17,859The Ten Greatest Struggles Of Your Life and if you’ve missed any of the series31500:22:17,859 –> 00:22:19,780or if you want to go back and listen again31600:22:19,780 –> 00:22:23,140you can do that by coming online to our website31700:22:23,140 –> 00:22:28,180openthebible.org.uk or by going to your favourite podcast site31800:22:28,339 –> 00:22:32,020Search for Open the Bible UK and subscribe if you want to receive31900:22:32,020 –> 00:22:36,660regular reminders. Don’t forget you can also find Pastor Colin Smith’s teaching32000:22:36,660 –> 00:22:40,260in the form of Open the Bible Daily, a series of short32100:22:40,260 –> 00:22:44,099two to three minute daily reflections based on his teaching32200:22:44,099 –> 00:22:48,260and read in the UK by Sue McLeish Open the Bible32300:22:48,260 –> 00:22:52,900is supported entirely financially by our listeners and we’re extremely grateful32400:22:52,900 –> 00:22:53,780for the support32500:22:53,780 –> 00:22:58,079that you give us. If you’ve been thinking about supporting us in that way32600:22:58,160 –> 00:22:59,839and you’d like to begin a new direct32700:22:59,839 –> 00:23:02,560debit to the work of Open the Bible this month32800:23:02,560 –> 00:23:05,680in the amount of five pounds per month or more or32900:23:05,680 –> 00:23:08,420a one-off gift of fifty pounds or more33000:23:08,420 –> 00:23:11,900we’d love to thank you by sending you a copy of a book33100:23:11,920 –> 00:23:16,000by Colin called Drive Through the Bible. It’s a 30 day33200:23:16,000 –> 00:23:20,319journey through the Bible here’s Open the Bible’s Amanda Cunningham to tell33300:23:20,319 –> 00:23:22,060you about it.33400:23:22,060 –> 00:23:24,959Hi David, thanks for having me yes in May we are33500:23:24,959 –> 00:23:27,920really excited to be giving away a brand new book33600:23:27,920 –> 00:23:31,839by Colin Smith called Drive through the Bible.33700:23:31,839 –> 00:23:36,079Some of your listeners might already be familiar with Fly Through the Bible33800:23:36,079 –> 00:23:41,119our book and video course which was 15 chapters taking you through the bible33900:23:41,119 –> 00:23:44,560narrative well Drive Through the Bible follows34000:23:44,560 –> 00:23:48,479on from that it’s a 30 day journey of just five34100:23:48,479 –> 00:23:52,479minutes per day exploring the landscape of the entire34200:23:52,479 –> 00:23:55,839bible story. It brings you into the valleys of the34300:23:55,979 –> 00:23:58,959Old Testament with chapters such as Curse,34400:23:58,959 –> 00:24:04,160Covenant and Chaos. It then moves on to the peaks of the glory of Jesus34500:24:04,160 –> 00:24:08,239as we look at how he suffered, rose and is now waiting34600:24:08,239 –> 00:24:11,520and finally the ups and downs of the Christian life34700:24:11,520 –> 00:24:15,280with chapters such as conflict, joy and death.34800:24:15,280 –> 00:24:18,479It also includes a short study guide at the back of the book34900:24:18,479 –> 00:24:21,599to help you apply the truths that you’ve learned.35000:24:21,599 –> 00:24:25,520You can use the questions on your own or as part of a study group35100:24:25,520 –> 00:24:30,400sharing the 30-day journey together. We are giving you this book for free35200:24:30,400 –> 00:24:34,959in May when you set up a new direct debit of at least £535300:24:34,959 –> 00:24:38,479or give a one-off gift of at least £50.35400:24:38,479 –> 00:24:43,040Thanks Amanda, so Drive Through the Bible is our gift to you for setting up35500:24:43,040 –> 00:24:47,040a new direct debit this month to the work of Open the Bible!35600:24:47,040 –> 00:24:51,520Full terms and conditions are on our website and you can give online.35700:24:51,520 –> 00:24:55,359For Open the Bible and Pastor Colin Smith I’m David Pick and I hope you’ll35800:24:55,359 –> 00:25:02,880join us again next time!35900:25:06,800 –> 00:25:11,280The fifth commandment would be easy if it said honour your father and mother36000:25:11,280 –> 00:25:15,199if they are honourable! But it doesn’t actually say that.36100:25:15,199 –> 00:25:19,199Find out why next time on Open the Bible