Sabbath keeping in Christian preaching emphasizes resting from worldly labors to honor God's command and remember His creation and redemption (Exodus 20:8-11). It is portrayed as a divine appointment for spiritual renewal and joy amid life's hardships, symbolizing eternal rest and fellowship with God. Illustrations often use images of light, rest, and universal recognition to convey its sacred and restorative nature.
Breaking the Sabbath shows forgetfulness of God's command and disobedience.
A minister described a boy with a short memory, and explained that he, by breaking the sabbath, showed that he did not remember the fourth commandment.
Sabbaths provide joyful spiritual refreshment amid life's trials, leading to eternal glory.
Through the week, we go down into the valleys of care and shadow. Our sabbaths should be hills of light and joy in God's presence; and so, as time rolls by, we shall go on from mountain-top to mountain-top, till at last we catch the glory of the gate, and enter in to go no more out forever. Beecher.
The Sabbath's sanctity is universal, recognized even by a child's innocent question.
A woman forgot to send home some work on Saturday. Sunday morning, she told a little girl who lived with her to put on her things, and take the bundle under her shawl to the lady's house. "Nobody will see it," she said. "But is it not Sunday under my shawl, aunty?" asked the child.
Even criminals showed reverence for the Sabbath, illustrating respect for God's commands.
Concerning whistling on Sunday in Scotland, two men, who had done a house-breaking job on Saturday night, went on Sunday morning into a wood to divide the plunder. One of them began to whistle over the sharing out when his companion said, with horror: “Hoot, mon, I would no have come out wi’ ye if I had known you would whustle on the Sawbath.” (Text.)
Pressure to open stores on Sunday shows compromise in observing God's day of rest.
Many years ago in Kyoto, Japan, the question was asked me, “Are there many Christians in America?” You can imagine how pathetic it was. I said, “Why do you ask that question?” My questioner was a fine, handsome, educated man, one of the finest of the Japanese type. He said, “Some years ago I became a Christian. I kept the finest store in Kyoto, as the tourists thought. I had gathered a great quantity of old relics from the temples and the homes that are so scarce now in Japan. I always used to keep my store closed on Sunday, but many Americans and Englishmen and Germans came through here and said, ‘If you can not open your store for us on Sunday, we will not trade with you, as we have to leave on Monday.’ By and by I had to keep my store open.” He has kept it open ever since, and he added, “My neighbor, the shoemaker, is a Christian, and keeps his store shut all the time on Sunday.” I suppose the reason was that there was not a large demand for Japanese shoes on the part of American and English travelers. That is a genuine touch of human nature.--EDWARD B. STURGES, “Student Volunteer Movement,” 1906.
Respecting Sunday as God's special day honors Him and prepares us for spiritual communion.
See SABBATH, OBSERVING THE.
SUNDAY NEWSPAPERS
When Dr. Charles J. Young, pastor of the Church of the Puritans, New York, was waited upon by a lady reporter of a secular journal, for a snappy article on the subject of Sunday newspapers, this is what she got:
“As a matter of fact,” said Dr. Young, “I actually believe in the Ten Commandments as divine enactments, and this is how I feel about it: Suppose you invite me as a friend to dine at your house and I accept. You would make special preparation for my coming. It is woman’s way to give her best where she gives her confidence and friendship. So there you have a rich repast all ready against my coming. Now imagine my stopping at a street corner on the way to your home and gorging myself from the peanut-stand of the noble Roman who deals out his wares to all who come without a care of the consequences; I ask this common-sense question: What condition would I be in to enjoy your luscious viands, and what kind of courtesy or appreciation would this be for all your kindness in preparing for me? Well, my friend, you see the application of this without my making it. There across the street stands the house of the dearest Friend I have ever had. One day out of seven He invites me there to meet with Him and to commune with Him and to receive from Him such supply as He has especially provided and adapted to my hungry, needy, immortal soul. I ask again, is it consistent with a spiritual worship, is it conducive to a devotional mind, is it either courteous to God or just to myself, if on the morning of that sacred day I fill my thoughts with the secularities, the commercialisms, the gossips, the scandal, the general excrescences of every-day rough-and-tumble life in this mammon-loving age?
“My interviewer was silent for a surprizing length of time. Maybe I was wrong, but I fancied she looked up from the floor with a moistened eye and said in a quivering voice: ‘I have never thought of this view of the matter before, and I confess I am able now to see but one fair answer to your question: It can not be.’”--_Sunday-school Illustrator._
A chieftainess faithfully counted days to honor the Sabbath, showing commitment to God.
Rev. Egerton R. Young tells of a big Indian chieftainess who came to see him one day. Her people lived a fortnight’s journey away, but she had heard of the paleface and his wife, who, with their wonderful Book, had come to live down among the Saulteaux. She did not believe what she heard but she came to find out. Her curiosity and her desire to learn were both insatiable. She would talk morning, noon and night. At last she was returning, satisfied that what the paleface said was true and determining to go back to pray to the true God. Mr. Young said to her, “Now, if you are going back to live as a Christian, you must keep one day in seven as God’s day. Do not attend to worldly matters on that day, but worship God.” He gave her a sheet of paper and told her each day to make a mark so | until there were six of them | | | | | |, and then to make a big heavy mark =|=, and when that day came, to leave the gun and the rifle quiet in the wigwam. He told her to work hard on Saturday, to get enough food for Sunday, so she could be free to think about the Great Spirit and pray to the living Father.
Five months later Mr. Young made his first visit to the tribe of this great chieftainess, and she drew from her bosom a soiled, greasy paper, on which was the record of the days as he had bidden her to keep them, and she knew just how many days more must be counted before the next “praying day” should come. (Text.)
Stopping Sunday work led to increased profits and safety, showing blessing for obedience.
Over four years ago the Chicago and Northwestern Railway Company decided to carry no more Sunday excursions; to run only such Sunday freight trains as were necessary to carry live stock and certain perishable goods; and to stop all Sunday work in freight-yards and sheds for twelve hours every Sunday.
There was great opposition to this action. A boycott was threatened by brewers and other shippers, while the adverse criticisms were abundant and scathing.
The last annual report of this railway gives striking endorsement as to the success of this policy of reduction of Sunday business. We are informed that the financial profits of the roads have increased 100 per cent during these four years; also, that last year not one life was lost on the whole line covering several thousand miles, with its many fast express, mail and freight trains; and there are practically no complaints from shippers and receivers of freight as to delays for cars, or delivery of goods.--_The Christian Statesman._
Sunlight's strength extinguishes starlight, illustrating Christ's superior glory and power.
See SABBATH, OBSERVING THE.
SUNLIGHT AND STARLIGHT
There is a Sun of Righteousness, before whose shining all the lesser human lights are dimmed, as starlight by the sunshine.
The extinction of “starlight” in the daylight is not due to the vapors of the atmosphere, but to the stronger vibrations of sunlight, which prevent our eyes perceiving the weaker vibrations of the starlight, exactly as a stronger sound, say a cannon-shot, prevents us from hearing a smaller noise, say a mouse piping; or, as is well known, a larger disturbance in water extinguishes a smaller one. The smaller noise, the smaller sound waves, and the smaller light vibrations are not perceived by our senses when the greater impressions or disturbances occupy them. (Text.)
A plaque inside Chick-Fil-A headquarters reads: "Our corporate purpose is to glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us." For a successful businessman driven less by the dollar than his faith, the motto could apply to all areas of S. Truett Cathy's life.
"I've never seen a conflict between biblical principles and good business practice," Cathy, founder and CEO of Chick-Fil-A restaurants, said in a recent address to student athletes in Alabama.
Echoing life lessons illustrated in his book "It's Easier to Succeed Than to Fail," Cathy challenged nearly 300 members of Auburn University's chapter of Fellowship of Christian Athletes to value a good reputation over personal success.
"A good name is more desirable than great riches," Cathy said, quoting Proverbs 22:1.
Cathy is an advocate of "old-time religion." Not quite 81, this staunch Southern Baptist has taught eighth-graders in Sunday school for 47 years and remains a lucid, unwavering reminder that "it's easier to build boys and girls than to mend men and women."
In fact, the only thing unorthodox about Cathy is the way he runs his business. Along with an empire of successful restaurants, he has built a reputation for impeccable business ethics.
"I think the Bible spells out how we should treat our employees and how we should treat our customers," he said
Elaborating on his philosophy, Cathy said: "A lot of people eat out when they're not even hungry; they're just looking for a pleasant experience, and we provide for their emotional needs and sometimes even their spiritual needs."
"I think there's a reason so many of Christ's dynamic experiences took place around the dining table," he said.
Cathy, who opened his first restaurant nearly 60 years ago, said he is fascinated by changes he has witnessed in the restaurant industry.
"Fast food is now a way of life," said Cathy.
Responding to a question about his controversial policy of closing his restaurants on Sundays, Cathy said unflinchingly: "That's the best business decision I've ever made. I think the Lord has blessed us because of the fact that we're closed on Sunday."
While critics cite as much as a 20 percent loss in sales resulting from the Sunday closing practice, Chick-Fil-A's employee turnaround was about 4 percent in 2000, a remarkably low figure in the fast-food industry. Cathy credits this to his observance of the Sabbath. "It's certainly helped to attract the caliber of people as employees who appreciate having Sundays off," he said.
One such person who appreciates Cathy's decision is Andrew Barnes, owner and operator of two Chick-Fil-A stores in the Auburn area. Barnes, who started working at Chick-Fil-A when he was 14, is planning to open a third store in Opelika.
In addition to offering scholarships to the many student employees of Chick Fil-A, Cathy started a foster home system for children until they reach college age. There are 11 WinShape homes located in Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama, and one in Brazil. Cathy's daughter, Trudy, and her husband John, were International Mission Board missionaries in Brazil for 10 years.
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