November 23, 2020

I'm going to pull a fast one on you this week...

For those of you that listened last week - I made zero reference to the fact that it was part one of a two part series... That's because I had no plan to do a second episode on the topic. However, when I looked back on the way I ended it, I realized I basically opened a can or worms and then walked away...

So I decided to do a follow up episode to tie up some loose ends, answer some questions and hopefully make a better case for the importance of the Sabbath.

Also - I'm not going to lie here - the past two episodes have been a little "churchy," for lack of a better term.

We tend to talk about topics that are a little more general, and more geared toward psychology or self help concepts. But there is something about this concept of Sabbath, and taking time to rest that I felt needed to be said. So bear with us - we'll get back to our regularly scheduled program here soon 🙂

Today’s Topic: Transcending Time (Part 2)

In this episode:

1. Truth Persists

2. A Dollar for Your Time?

3. Make the Sabbath Great Again

// 1. TRUTH PERSISTS

So like I said at the top of the show - this is a follow up episode to the one from last week. And as I thought through it - I realized I might need to start from the beginning - the very beginning - as in the Adam and Eve beginning...

Back when God created humankind.

Why so far back? Because we need to talk about this concept of Absolute Truth.

To keep things moving we'll just define Absolute Truth as "truth that is absolute." Not helpful, I know...

• But in essence - that's what it is

• It's truth that is NOT impacted by the time it exists in, the people who hear it or the cultural environment in which it exists

• Gravity, for example, is a scientific constant that illustrates this idea of absolute truth:

  • It doesn't care who you are, where you live, or when in time you exist

  • If you jump off a cliff - you're going to fall - possibly to your death...

And this idea that there is Absolute Truth out there is important, because it means there are things we can hang our hat on. There are truths out there that we can hold onto in order to remain grounded, and keep from being blown around every time culture changes what it believes about things.

This is exactly what the Bible means when it says, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." in Hebrews 13:8

Along with God being the same, is this idea that His truth remains constant as well. That what He stands for, and what He asks of us will remain the same.

And this is good news!

Any clinician worth his or her salt will tell you that this is an important concept when parenting our own kids:

• Consistency and stability are key elements

• Kids need to grow up knowing the what the boundaries are and that they won't change at a moments notice

• As they grow up in this environment they learn that the parents can be trusted - that they say what they mean and do what they say

• Without this, kids grow up never knowing where they stand

• Life is less stable

• They often experience fear and anxiety as they navigate life

And so it is with us! When we understand Absolute Truth - it grounds us and allows us to grow on a firm foundation - not a shaky one.

So a quick history lesson about Absolute Truth and we'll move on:

• Absolute Truth has always existed - even though God's chosen people group has changed over time

• In the beginning, God explained truth to Adam and Eve

• They passed this truth or truths down to their children who passed it to their children

• Over time, the people carrying these truths became a group of people - finding common ground because of the beliefs they carried

• This was the age of the Patriarchs and ended with people like Abraham and Isaac and their families

• Next, God chose Jacob and his family specifically - to become a great nation that would carry His truth

• This people group became known as the Israelites (or Jewish people) and carried God's truth until Jesus came to Earth

• After the death of Jesus, His small group of followers began to grow into a movement called The Way

• And this group carried God's truth for a while - greatly expanding the footprint of truth on the Earth

• Then, another movement started and grew into a massive organization known as the Catholic Church

• During these years, The Way and many others who adhered to the truths passed down directly from God were viewed as heretics, and were hunted down, imprisoned, or killed

• The Catholic Church called itself The Christian Church - and wanted there to be no other churches but them. And yet, many believed there was something wrong. They were concerned that Absolute Truth was beginning to be viewed as less than absolute. In fact, many truths were thrown out all together, and new truths created that contradicted things God set up as Absolute Truth

• Then, in the 1500s, these reformers couldn't stand by any longer. One by one they began to push back and eventually moved away from the Catholic Church

• This was known as the Protestant Reformation and led to the formation of many of the Protestant churches that make up modern Christianity today

• So right now, at this point and time, God's truth is carried within these churches

• Even with there being so many flavors, and not all agreeing on the details, this is where God's truth lives

• But it won't always be this way

• In fact - the Bible describes what it will be like in the Last Days

• It refers to a final church - a Remnant Church

• The Book of Revelation (14:12) explains a little bit about the people group who will be able to stand at the End of Time:

  • “Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.”

  • So forget about the churches, denominations, ethnicities, etc.

  • In the Last Days there will only be two things defining the people of God:

    • First - they will understand Absolute Truth - and won't be afraid to stand up for it

    • And second - they will understand that Jesus is the answer - the only way to obtaining eternal life

So... if this is true - if Absolute Truth has always existed, and is simply passed from one group of people to another based on their willingness to embrace it and protect it. What does that mean for us today?

• First, it means our religious affiliation means very little. We're not getting into heaven because we are Jewish, or Catholic, or Southern Baptist...

• Second, it means we might want to be on the search for Absolute Truth - so we are prepared to be the Remnant Church no matter what church we're currently part of

// 2. A DOLLAR FOR YOUR TIME?

Next up is the idea that Absolute Truth has an important, but sometimes confusing sibling.

And while I'm sure people smarter than me have an official term for it - I'm just going to refer to it as Substitutional Truth.

So what's the difference?

• Absolute Truth: Never changes - was true at the beginning of time and will be true to the end of time

• Substitutional Truth: Truth that existed for a season, based on the knowledge the people had at the time. This truth typically pointed to or illustrated an Absolute Truth that hadn't been fulfilled yet

Or, a more simple way of explaining it:

• Absolute Truth: Has always existed

• Substitutional Truths: Most were in place before the life and death of Jesus

So why is this important? Well, for two reasons:

1. People today often confuse the two. Lumping in some substitutional truth into their understand of absolute truth - and vice versa...

2. And also because some of this jumbled up truth has been thrown out all together - like throwing out the baby with the bath water...

   • This typically happens when a bunch of truths are placed on the shoulders of a specific people group - or religion

   • So for example: Christians throwing out all of the truths that the Israelites (Jewish people) hold to be true - simply because we are Christian and they are Jewish

   • The only problem with this logic is that the Jewish people are still God's people! And they were entrusted with absolute truth just as we have been as Christians today!

   • So the important thing is to determine which truths were Substitutional and which were Absolute before we just throw them all out...

So let's get specific:

Here is an example of a Substitutional Truth: It was called the sacrificial system. And it involved sacrificing animals in order to be right with God:

• This truth was given by God - to the earliest of Earth's inhabitants

• It was also part of the Israelite or Jewish belief system

• However - it wasn't meant to be absolute

• It was a substitutional truth for something greater - an absolute truth that would manifest itself in the future life of Jesus

• However, this substitutional truth was still important - and at that time was the only way you could be right with God

• This sacrificial system helped people understand that in order for their sins to be forgiven - innocent blood had to be shed

• A young lamb without blemish stood in as an illustration of the way Jesus would shed his blood for us one day

• And when Jesus came, lived a perfect life and died on the cross - this sacrificial system ended

• No longer a truth for those who believed in Jesus

So this is an example of a Substitutional Truth that was eventually fulfilled and no longer required of us.

However, there are Absolute Truths that started the same way:

• God put them into place at the dawn of time

• And He expected His people to continue to follow them moving forward

• The Israelite people followed them

• And groups of people today still follow them

Here are two important examples:

• Tithing

• Observing the Sabbath Day

Both of these are Absolute Truths for the following reasons:

1. They were given to us as humans - not to a specific religion or people group

2. They were in no way Substitutional

3. Each was put in place for a specific reason and neither one finds fulfillment in something else in the future

4. Each is valuable in the form it was given in and will be until the End of Time

I've heard so many compelling messages on the correlation between these elements:

• How spending a lot of time with someone makes it easier to spend money on them and your heart will be endeared to them

• How spending a lot of money on someone typically comes with a desire to spend time with them and that your heart probably has to be involved as well

• And how loving someone (them having your heart) actually frees you up to give them your time and money 

They're all tied up together.

// 3. MAKE THE SABBATH GREAT AGAIN

So we just talked through a couple truths that Transcend Human suggests are absolute.

But we're really here to talk about time. And the whole Sabbath thing...

So if this is true - that observing the Sabbath Day is an Absolute Truth - and part of God's eternal plan for each of us - what should we do about it?

Well, the obvious answer is to start observing it! However, for many of us this is the hardest part. It isn't easy to incorporate something like this into your life. It seems so foreign to give up a day each week for things NOT on our to do list...

So here are some suggestions if you're interested in taking your next step in this way:

1. Make sure you understand it:

   • For me growing up the Sabbath was a chore

   • It meant getting up early

   • Going to church

   • It meant rules - lots of rules

   • Basically not doing anything you wanted to do during the hours of the Sabbath

   • Which for us meant from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday

   • However - that was my view through the eyes of a selfish child

   • As I grew older it started to dawn on me

   • The Sabbath wasn't meant to be a chore

   • It was time set aside to stop, rest and get away from the stress that inevitably comes with adulting

   • It was time spent with God to make sure that relationship was good

   • And time spent with family and friends to keep your other relationships strong

   • Looking back I can totally see my parents attempts to make it fun for us

   • We had our favorite meals on Friday evenings and Saturday mornings

   • We often headed out to the mountains after church to go hiking, 4 wheeling, fishing. etc.

   • Some our my best memories from my childhood were because of these trips

2. Create a plan of attack:

   • It always works better if you have a plan

   • Don't wait until the weekend and then say, "What should we do?"

   • Chat with your family and be transparent about it

   • Have your spouse and kids weigh in with ideas for making it fun

   • Then plan how you will execute it and make it happen 

3. Pass it on:

   • And finally - pass it on to your kids

   • If God truly meant for us to be doing this until the end of time - you don't want your kids to break the cycle

   • Teach them the importance of the Sabbath, and model how you've incorporate it into your life

   • Then make it a consistent part of your life - and they won't forget that

   • They may not always continue to observe it the way you did - but at least you showed them the way and they have the tools they need to do the same

Let’s Land the Plane:

I'm not going to sugar coat this - observing the Sabbath is a BIG deal. I mean it is a BIG undertaking. And not for the faint of heart. We just don't t live this way - at least most of us. Life is crazy busy - and most of the time we would say, "There aren't enough days in my week!"

But maybe that's the problem...

Maybe we're just trying to do too much. Trying to keep up with this vision of success that has us all trapped in constant busyness...

And maybe for some of us - the idea of Sabbath is exactly what we need to help take us down a notch. To level us out. To allow us to decompress so our stress levels don't redline.

This week ask yourself the following questions:

1. How could the Sabbath benefit you and your family?

2. Is this something you could do?

3. If so, what are some simple things you could start doing?

4. What are some family outings you could plan to kick things off?

My prayer for each of you this week is that you will take a step in this direction. And that you will immediately see the benefits of it.

Thanks again for being here with us - and until next time - keep Transcending Human!

———————————————

References:

• https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/29/cybercrime-ramps-up-amid-coronavirus-chaos-costing-companies-billions.html