1. Chain the Catechism:A topical study through the Lutheran confessions The 3rdCommandment: Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Memorization Verses: Exodus 35:2 Six days work … Acts 2:42 And they devoted… Luke 10:16 “The one who hears… Colossians 3:16 Let the word… Galatians 4:4-5 But when the fullness… Matthew 7:12 “So whatever you wish…
2. Church art was used to Biblically educate the illiterate. If your life were a Bible story, what scenes would be used? How would your greatest trials, tests, hardships, miracles, blessings, and reasons for worship be depicted to tell your story? How can your stained glass story teach of Christ’s love? Stained Glass Gospel
4. C|FFAgf|G.ab|CbaBA|G. 1. I love your kingdom, Lord, The place of your abode; The Church our blest Redeemer saved With his own precious blood. 2. I love your Church, O God! Its walls before you stand, Dear as the apple of your eye And graven on your hand. 3. Beyond my highest joy I prize its heavenly ways, Its sweet communion, solemn vows, Its hymns of love and praise. 4. Sure as your truth shall last, To Zion shall be given The brightest glories earth can yield And brighter bliss of heaven.
6. In the research teams, after discussing your verses and notes for the week: Create a 5 line mosaic (poem) summarizing the section Draw a picture in your notes of each line. 2nd Commandment Mosaic
7. Research Teams: The 2nd CommandmentRemember the Sabbath day by keeping it holyWhat does this mean?We should fear and love God so that we do not despise preaching and His Word, but hold it sacred and gladly hear and learn it. Questions: What is the Sabbath day? Does God require us to observe the Sabbath? Does God require worship on a specific day? When do we sin against the 3rd? How? What is required? What are the 10 commands about again? Teams: SS: Remembering the Sabbath M: Specific Days T: Breaking the 3rd W: 3rd Requirements Th: Tables of the Law Review
8. SS. What is the Sabbath day? Does God require us to observe the Sabbath and other holy days of the Old Testament? We believe: In the OT God set aside the 7th day as a required day of rest (sabbath) and worship). The Sabbath was a sign pointing to Jesus, who is our rest. Since Jesus has come as our Savior and Lord, God no longer requires us to observe the Sabbath day and other holy days of the Old Testament. Ex. 35:2 For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day shall be your holy day, a Sabbath of rest to the Lord. The Sabbath was a sign pointing to Jesus, who is our rest. Since Jesus has come as our Savior and Lord, God no longer requires us to observe the Sabbath day and other holy days of the Old Testament. Lev. 23:3 There are six days when you may work, but the seventh day is a holy day, a Sabbath of rest, a day of sacred assembly. Matt. 11:28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.“ Matt. 12:8 "The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.“ Col.2:16-17 Do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. Heb. 4:9-10 There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from His.
9. Pray: O Lord our God, bestow on us Your rest and peace all the days of this life, that all the inhabitants of the earth may know You, that You are the only true God the Father, and You did send our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son and Your beloved. He Himself our Lord and God came and taught us all purity and holiness. Make us remember…all the sons of the church who have been signed with the sign of life—Holy Baptism. Amen. (Liturgy of Addai and mari, c. 200). Lord God, Heavenly Father, rule and guide me by Your Holy Spirit so that with all my heart I may hear and receive Your Word and truly sanctify the Sabbath day. Then by Your Word I, too, may be sanctified, place all my trust and hope in Jesus Christ, Your Son, and also correct my life in conformity with Your Word, guiding against every offense, until by Your grace in Christ I shall receive eternal life. Amen (C.M. Zorn 1846-1928). SS. What is the Sabbath day? Does God require us to observe the Sabbath and other holy days of the Old Testament?
10. M. Does God require the church to worship together on any specific days? We believe: God requires Christians to worship together; he has not specified any particular day. We worship especially on Sunday because Christ rose from the dead on Sunday. Acts2:42,46 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.... Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts. Heb. 10:25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Rom. 14:5-6 One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. Gal. 4:10-11 You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! I fear for you, that some how I have wasted my efforts on you. Luke 24:1-2 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb. Acts 20:7 On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight. Bible narrative: Jesus appeared to His disciples (John 20:19-31).
11. M. Is a specific day required? Pray: Dear Lord, You teach me that the Sabbath was not instituted for laziness or fleshly lusts, but that it shall be kept holy by us. It is not kept by our works and our actions, which are unholy, but through the Word of God, which alone is completely pure and holy and sanctifies all that comes in contact with it: time, place, person, work, or rest. Through Your word all our works become holy, as Paul says in 1 Tim 4:5: “Every creature is sanctified by the Word of God and prayer.” So I learn in the 3rdCommandthat on the Sabbath I shall first of all hear and consider the Word of God, be thankful in it, praise God for all His blessings, and pray for myself and all the world. I thank You for Your great and precious grace and for the blessings which You have given us in Your Word and preaching. This is a treasure no human heart can fully appreciate. You have especially commanded us to use these blessings on the Sabbath. For Your Word is the only light in the darkness of this world. It is a Word of life, comfort and every blessing. Where this beloved and healing Word is not found, we daily see that there are dreadful and horrible darkness, error, strife, death, every misfortune, and the devil’s own tyranny. I admit and confess my great sin and my shameful ingratitude. I have spent the Sabbaths so wickedly throughout my life. I have woefully neglected Your precious Word and have been lazy, unwilling, and hated to hear it. I have not eagerly desired it nor ever given proper thanks for it. My dear God, I have often allowed You to preach in vain to me. I have allowed this precious treasure to slip away from me, and I have trodden it under foot. With pure and divine goodness You have tolerated all this and have never stopped on account of this to preach and call for my soul’s salvation with all fatherly divine love and faithfulness. I am sorry for this and I pray for grace and forgiveness. Amen. (Luther)
12. T. When and How do we sin against the 3rd Commandment? We believe: We sin against the 3rd Commandment when we despite preaching and the Word of God when we don’t attend public worship, when we do not use the Word of God and the Sacraments, when we use the Word of God and the Sacraments negligently or carelessly. John 8:47 He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God. Luke 10:16 He who listens to you listens to Me; he who rejects you rejects Me; but he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me. The scribes and the Pharisees despised Baptism (Luke 7:30). Saul rejected the Word of God (1 Sam. 15:10-23). Pray: I pray for myself and all the world: keep us steadfast in Your holy Word, and do not take it from us because of our sin, laziness, and ungratefulness. Preserve us from divisive spirits and false teachers. Send us true and right workers in Your harvest, who will be devout pastors and preachers. Give us all grace that we may humbly hear, receive, and honor their Word as Your own, and heartily praise and thank You for it. Amen. (Luther).
13. W. What does God require of us in the 3rd Command? We believe: We should hold preaching and the Word of God sacred: gladly hear it, learn it, and meditate on it, and support its preaching and teaching, diligently spreading it to all the world. Is. 66:2 This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at My word. 1 Thess. 2:13 When you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe. Joshua 1:8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Ps. 26:8 1 love the house where You live, 0 Lord, the place where Your glory dwells. Luke 11:28 Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it. Acts 2:42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Col. 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. Jesus gladly heard and learned the Word of God (Luke 2:41-52). Mary sat at the feet of Jesus and learned His Word (Luke 10:39). Mary kept and pondered the Word of God in her heart (Luke 2:19). The Bereans searched the Scriptures daily (Acts 17:11). Gal. 6:6-7 Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor. Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The poor widow gave money for the upkeep of the temple and for the support of the priests (Mark 12:41-44). Mark 16:15 He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.”
14. W. What does God require of us in the 3rd Command? Pray: Strengthen, O Lord, the hands which are stretched out to receive the Holy Things. Grant that they may daily bring forth fruit to Your Divinity, that they may be worth of all things which they have sung to Your praise within Your sanctuary, and may ever praise You. Grant also My Lord, that the ears which have heard the voice of Your songs, may never hear the voices of clamor and dispute. Grant that the eyes which have seen Y our great love, may also behold Your blessed hope, that the tongues which have sung “Holy, holy, holy” may speak the truth. Grant that the feat which have walked in the church may walk in the region of light, that the bodies which have tasted Your living Body may be restored in newness of life. (Liturgy of Malabar, India, c. 7th cent.). O Lord, we are men of flickering faith; we do not have the courage to put You to the test, to take You at Your word, to give You what is Yours, that You may open the windows of heaven and pour down on us Your overflowing blessing. We doubt that Your heart is as great and good as Your strong Word would make us believe, that the riches of Your glory in Christ Jesus will supply our every need. O Lord, we are men of half faith, of cloven faith, half given to You, half saved up for ourselves, to entrench us in our ways, to serve our ends, to gives us greater greatness than You have given us when You made us songs of God. Forgive us, Lord. Teach us, O Lord. Let Your Spirit blow and make our faith burn steady and clear, a flame upon Your altar. Let Your Spirit make our believing whole and wholly sane. Teach us to walk as Your Song walked on the earth through ministry to death, through death to life and glory at Your right hand. Thorough Him we pray. Amen (Martin Franzmann, 1907-1976).
15. Th . What do the first 3 commands (1st Table) show us about ourselves? Who alone has kept the Law of God perfectly? How does this benefit us? Besides showing us our sin, what else does God's Law do for us? What is the summary of commands 4-10 (2ndTable)? Who is our neighbor? How should we love our neighbor? We believe: That we have sinned and deserve God's condemnation.Only Jesus Christ, the God-man ,has kept the law perfectly. Since Christ was our substitute before God, our Savior's perfect keeping of the Law is part of His saving work for us, and because of Him we are considered righteous before God. In the Commandments God shows us what His will is. Christians, by the power of the Holy Spirit, are eager to do God's will. We should love our neighbor (all people) as ourselves and show this love by keeping the commandments 4-10. Rm. 3:22-23 There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Jn8:46 "Can any of you prove Me guilty of sin?“ Heb. 4:15 We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we areyet without sin. Gal. 4:4-5 When the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. 1 Thess. 4:3 It is God's will that you should be sanctified. Gl. 6:10 As we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. Mt. 5:44 Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. The good Samaritan showed mercy to his neighbor (Lu 10:25-37). Mt. 7:12 In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
16. Th. Summary Jesus, I know that I cannot stand before Your divine Law. I am not as I should be; I fail to do what I should; I do not refrain from those things which You have forbidden in Your Law. Free and rid me, I beg You, from the load of my sin, and declare unto Your Father that You have rendered satisfaction for me. But also grant me holy courage and endure me with strength of Your Spirit, that I may earnestly and successfully resist sin and serve You in accordance with Your Law. (C.M. Zorn 1846-1928). Jesus, the second and new Adam, clothe me with Yourself; so that I put away all evil desires and lusts, and crucify and slay in me the dominion of the flesh. Be unto me a strong garment against the icy coldness of this world so that I may be preserved and warmed by You. Without You, all things droop, decay and die; but in You we live safe, strong, and mighty. As now I cover my body with these garments, so , O Lord, cover and clothe me with Yourself; especially my soul. For You are the garment of my salvation and the cloak of my righteousness. And unto You be glory and honor and praise, together with the Father and the holy Spirit, world without end. Amen (J.K.W. Loehe 1808-1872). God, You have taught us to keep all Your heavenly commandments by loving You and our neighbor. Grant us the spirit of peace and grace, that we may be both devoted to You with our whole heart, and united to each other with a pure will; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen (Leonine Sacramentary, c5th cent). Lord, I fail, because You give Yourself so richly and abundantly to me, and I cannot do the same to my neighbor. I regret this before You and ask You to let me become so rich and strong that I can do good to my neighbor as You do to me. Dear God, I have been wronged. Why? I do not deserve it from this person. But I must remember and consider how I stand with You. Here I find a long complaint against me, which convinces me that I am ten times worse and have sinned a thousand times more again You than my neighbor again t me. Therefore I must agree with Your wish by sincerely praying: O Lord, forgive, and I will also forgive. Amen. (Luther).
17. Conclusion Questions: What is the Sabbath day? Does God require us to observe the Sabbath? Does God require worship on a specific day? When do we sin against the 3rd? How? What is required? What are the 10 commands about again? Answers In the OT God set aside the 7th day as required for rest (“Sabbath”) and worship. Jesus is now our rest. God requires Christians worship. We choose Sunday because of the resurrection. We despise preaching and the Word when we don’t attend public worship, when we do not use the Word and Sacraments, or use them negligently or carelessly. We should hold preaching and the Word sacred, gladly hear it, learn it, and meditate on it, honor and support its preaching and teaching, and diligently spread the Word. Tables of the Law Review 1-3: We have sinned and deserve God’s condemnation. Only Christ, the God-man can keep the law perfectly: our substitute keeps the law to save us; now we are righteous before God. The Law shows us His will and we’re eager by the HS. 4-10 = Love your neighbor (all people) as yourself. Keep the commands!
