SABBATH

God's Gift to Us

Sabbath - Sermons, Bible Studies, Articles, and Essays

God's Sabbath

Bible Study by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

The Sabbath is the pivot on which the others turn. This basic study treats the foundational truths about God's Sabbath day.


Did God Change the Sign From the Sabbath to the Holy Spirit?

Sermonette by David C. Grabbe

A common idea is that the Sabbath is the sign of the Old Covenant, but the Holy Spirit is the sign of the New. Yet the seventh day has been holy since creation.


The Sabbath: Creation

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

The Sabbath provides an opportunity for God's children to develop a relationship with Him, reflecting on the spiritual as well as the physical creation.


Sabbathkeeping (Part 4)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

We need to develop righteous judgment about what constitutes a genuine Sabbath emergency and what may be a deceptive rationalization of our human nature.


Sabbathkeeping (Part 2)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

It is from the proper use of the Sabbath—in fellowshipping with Him and getting to know Him—that we derive true spiritual rest and refreshment.


The Fourth Commandment (Part Two): Christ's Attitude Toward the Sabbath

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh

In the Gospels, questions about the Sabbath center on how to keep it, not whether it should be kept. The way Jesus approached the Sabbath gives us an example.


Sabbathkeeping (Part 3)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The biblical instructions for Sabbath keeping apply far more to the church than to the Israelites, who did not have the fullness of scriptural counsel.


Sabbathkeeping (Part 1)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

How and why a person keeps the Sabbath determines whether this test commandment is really a sign between God and His people or an act of futility.


The Lunar Sabbath or the Seventh-Day Sabbath: Which?

'Ready Answer' by Charles Whitaker (1944-2021)

The recent Lunar Sabbath phenomenon is unbiblical and unworkable. The weekly Sabbath, observed every seventh day, is correct and in line with God's Word.


Remember the Sabbath Day

Sermonette by Hunter D. Swanson

All of God's people have at times felt overwhelmed by grief and exhaustion, needing a genuine rehabilitative rest. The Sabbath restores spiritual strength.


Polluted Sabbath?

Sermon by Bill Onisick

Polluting and profaning God's Sabbath means to allow the distractions of the world to prevent us from calling the holy Sabbath a delight.


Are the Sabbath and Holy Days Done Away?

'Ready Answer' by Earl L. Henn (1934-1997)

In order to justify not keeping the Sabbath, many use Colossians 2:16-17 as proof that Paul did not command it. Here is what they are overlooking.


Remember the Sabbath Day

CGG Weekly by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

The command implies that if we remember the Sabbath day properly—that is, with godly understanding—then our only appropriate response is to keep it holy.


The Sabbath: Rest

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

The Sabbath is an antidote to the weariness we experience. It recalls God's pausing after completing His physical creation, focusing on the spiritual creation.


The Fourth Commandment

Bible Study by Martin G. Collins

The Sabbath is foundational to a healthy relationship with God. It is special, holy day of rest and time to reconnect with our Creator.


The Sabbath: Redemption

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

God has blessed us with the Sabbath, a period of holy time, when He redeems us from the clutches of our carnality and this evil world.


The Day God Rested

Sermonette by Ryan McClure

God gave the Sabbath as a blessing for man, which, if kept correctly, gives rejuvenating rest, a relief from stress, and a defense against illness.


Rome's Challenge (Part 1)

Article by Staff

The Catholic Church admits to changing the day of worship from Sabbath to Sunday. Protestants who keep Sunday are bowing to presumed Catholic authority.


Roman Catholic and Protestant Confessions About Sunday

Article by Staff

It is generally known and freely admitted that early Christians observed the seventh day as the Sabbath, and that mere men changed God's times and laws.


Rome's Challenge (Part 2)

Article by Staff

Protestantism recognizes no rule of faith except the Bible, yet the Bible nowhere gives Protestantism the authority to change the day of worship to Sunday.


Manna and the Preparation Day (Part Two)

CGG Weekly by David C. Grabbe

The Preparation Day is a day of 'gathering' what relates to eternity so that we can properly ingest the spiritual manna on the holy day without distraction.


It's Not Our Time

Article by David C. Grabbe

We live in a society that is increasingly concerned about ownership. Yet who owns the Sabbath? How does the answer to this question affect our keeping of it?


Did Christ's Resurrection Change the Day of Worship? (Part One)

CGG Weekly by David C. Grabbe

Protestants will not concede Papal authority. Instead, they justify Sunday-worship by saying they are honoring the day on which Christ rose from the dead.


Has Time Been Lost?

Herbert W. Armstrong Booklet

How can we know which day is the true seventh day God blessed and made holy? Has time been lost? Were not ten days dropped out of it at one time?


Is It Salvational? (Part One)

CGG Weekly by David C. Grabbe

Whether a matter is salvational is the wrong question. There is a better question and another approach to evaluating matters that will put us on better footing.


The Fourth Commandment (Part One) (1997)

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh

Most people think the fourth commandment is least important, but it may be one of the most important! It is a major facet of our relationship with God.


The Signs of God (Part Two)

CGG Weekly by David C. Grabbe

Correct actions become a sign—a witness—even without any preaching, which is why God's words are symbolically bound to the hand rather than the tongue.


The Commandments (Part Six)

Sermon/Bible Study by John W. Ritenbaugh

God gave the Sabbath to His people so they can know Him intimately. Idolatry, scattering, and captivity are the natural consequences of Sabbath-breaking.


Skipping Services? Consider Carefully

CGG Weekly by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

God's word marks the Sabbath as a time of His calling His people together for worship, so attending church services is a vital part of the Christian Sabbath.


The Fourth Commandment (Part 2)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The Sabbath reminds us that God is Creator and that we were once in slavery to sin. The Sabbath is a time of blessing, deliverance, liberty, and redemption.


The Fourth Commandment

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh

At creation, God sanctified only one day, the seventh, as a day of rest. At Sinai, He again sanctified it as a holy day, tying it to creation and freedom.


The Fourth Commandment (Part 1)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The Sabbath is a special creation, a very specific period of holy time given to all of mankind, reminding us that God created and is continuing to create.


The Commandments (Part Seven)

Sermon/Bible Study by John W. Ritenbaugh

The work required on the Sabbath is to prepare for the Kingdom of God, fellowshipping with our brethren, serving where possible, and relieving burdens.


The Commandments (Part Five)

Sermon/Bible Study by John W. Ritenbaugh

The Sabbath is a period of time God purposefully sanctified and set apart for the benefit of mankind, a time dedicated to God's spiritual creation.


The Fourth Commandment: Idolatry

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

God, not man, created, sanctified and memorialized the seventh day Sabbath from the time of creation, intending that man use this holy time to worship God.


Did Christ's Resurrection Change the Day of Worship? (Part Two)

CGG Weekly by David C. Grabbe

The timing of Jesus Christ's resurrection has nothing to do with establishing which day God made holy, and everything to do with whether He is the Messiah.


Leadership and Covenants (Part Five)

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh

Universal in scope, the Edenic Covenant introduces God to mankind as his Creator and establishes the way human beings are to relate to Him and the creation.


My Parents Won't Let Me!

Article by Clyde Finklea

Here is the story of a young man's momentous choice regarding his keeping of the Sabbath, a decision he had to make all on his own.


Searching for Israel (Part Twelve): The Sign

Article by Charles Whitaker (1944-2021)

Most Israelites are blind to their origins, thinking that only Jews are Israelites. Here is why Israel has forgotten its identity.


The Fourth Commandment (Part 3)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Jesus magnified the Sabbath, giving principles by which to judge our activities. Each time Jesus taught about the Sabbath, He emphasized some form of redemption.


Disbelief

CGG Weekly by David C. Grabbe

Can anything be more paradoxical than professing Christians not following the words of the One they claim as their Savior? In works they deny Him.


The Fourth Commandment (Part 4)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Focusing on material and temporal things undermines faith. The Sabbath is holy time, created for building faith, energizing our minds for fellowship with God.


Rome's Challenge (Part 3)

Article by Staff

Jesus never deviated from observing the 7th-day Sabbath, nor ever hinted at moving its holiness or sanctification to the first day of the week.


The Commandments (Part Nine)

Sermon/Bible Study by John W. Ritenbaugh

Benign neglect of the Sabbath covenant can incrementally lead us into idolatry. We must treat this holy time as different from the other days of the week.


The Commandments (Part Eight)

Sermon/Bible Study by John W. Ritenbaugh

In our hectic culture, we commit far too little time to God, depriving ourselves of the Holy Spirit and attenuating the faith required to draw close to God.


The Signs of God

Sermonette by David C. Grabbe

Jesus Christ is not against signs; the book of John is structured around eight signs. The Old Testament is full of signs that the Pharisees missed.


The Fourth Commandment (Part 5)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The reason for refraining from many activities on the Sabbath is not labor or energy, but the overall motivation. Certain works are perfect for the Sabbath.


Why So Many Religions? (Part One)

CGG Weekly by John W. Ritenbaugh

There are over 1,200 Christian denominations in the United States! Why has God not intervened to remove the confusion and set things straight?


God's Holy Days - Our Shared Vision Of Hope

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Mark Schindler

From Passover to Pentecost to Trumpets to Atonement to the Feast of Tabernacles, these days should solidify our vision of he Father, Jesus, and one another.


Does Doctrine Really Matter? (Part Fourteen)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

God has sanctified no day other than the Sabbath. Sunday worship is a pagan deviation, perpetuated by Gnosticism, a movement that despises God's laws.


Acts (Part Twenty-One)

Sermon/Bible Study by John W. Ritenbaugh

The phrase 'first day of the week' is used 8 times in scripture, but none does away with the Sabbath nor establishes Sunday as the 'Lords Day.'


Rome's Challenge (Part 4)

Article by Staff

'The day of the Lord' or 'the Lord's day' is not a reference to the fist day of the week (Sunday) but to the time of Jesus Christ's judgment at His return.


God's Rest and the Millennium

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

The Millennium or God's rest will be an exceedingly busy time, a time when all of humanity will be converted, a time everybody will be on the same trek.


How Does Faith Establish the Law?

Sermonette by David C. Grabbe

The book of Romans is like a song in which some lyrics are popular but others are unfamiliar and hummed through, obscuring the overall message.


Appointments

Sermon by Clyde Finklea

God established the weekly Sabbath on the seventh day of Creation; He established His Holy Days (moedim) on the fourth day. These are His appointments.


Psalms: Book Four (Part Two)

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

The focus of Psalms Book IV and the Summary Psalm 149 is on the work of the glorified saints in serving as mediating priests under Christ.


A Search For Christmas Truth?

Sermonette by John W. Ritenbaugh

Rejecting the Sabbath or embracing Christmas requires rejecting fundamental biblical truths. If we do not do what Christ did, we cannot claim to follow Christ.


Satan's Lies About the Law

Sermon by Charles Whitaker (1944-2021)

Contrary to the assertions of Satanically-inspired men, the consequence for all sin is death. God's law applies to everyone, not just the Israelites.


Our Part in the Sanctification Process (Part Four): Cultivating Peace

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by David F. Maas

Here are biblical strategies to cultivate the fruit of peace, including controlling our thoughts and emotions, submitting to God's will, and embracing His law.


God's Rest (Part 1)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The Sabbath rest depicts the miracle of conversion, in which the transformation of mankind into God's image brings about a rest in which God takes pleasure.


One Nation Under God (Part Two)

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Martin G. Collins

We need to follow Nehemiah's example in submitting to God, focusing on the right goals, having wisdom in handling complex situations, and having courage.


Belief with Obedience

Sermon by John O. Reid

Catholics and Protestants, because of lack of belief, do not find the Bible a sufficient guide to salvation. They claim to believe Christ, yet disobey.


The Christian and the World (Part Two)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

There is a clear demarcation in God's mind regarding which is the true way and which is not. We were formerly children of Satan until God rescued us.


The Covenants, Grace, and Law (Part Twenty-Nine)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

A summary of the Covenants, Grace, and Law series, reiterating the differences in the Covenants and the respective places of grace and law in God's purpose.


'After Three Days'

Booklet by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

A scriptural explanation of the time of Christ's death, burial and resurrection, showing that He died on a Wednesday and rose from the dead on the Sabbath.