Learning a new rhythm

Pastor Max Lyons opens with his Idaho roots before telling how he moved to Seattle for college without knowing what an Americano was and, after many awkward cafe visits, became a self-professed coffee nerd. Following Jesus is similar: we start out not knowing how to pray or read the Bible, and over time we learn new rhythms. Jesus did not command the practices; He invited His followers to do what He did.

Burnout is the new normal

Most Christians struggle with the practices because low-grade burnout has become normal. Sleep has fallen to just over six hours a night, work follows us home through our phones, and Americans work 200 more hours a year than the Japanese, who coined a word for death by overwork. Our homes are three times larger than in the 1950s, yet happiness has declined. We work more and have more than ever and are unhappier than ever. If only God had created something to break the cycle and silence the lie that our work is our worth. He did: the spiritual practice of Sabbath.

What Sabbath is

Sabbath is a 24-hour period in which we stop all work and set aside a whole day to rest, delight, and worship God, once every seven days on a calendar set by God. Revolutionary France tried a ten-day week; Napoleon abolished it within twelve years because of exhaustion, illness, and suicides. His refrain for the message: "If you do not rest on God's terms, you will burn out on yours." He also names what John Mark Comer calls Sabbath-ish: a Sunday of groceries, football, chores, and emails that pretends to be rest. The goal is to finish the work in six days so one can be devoted to God.

Sabbath points to Jesus

Genesis 2 says God finished His work and shabbat, ceased, on the seventh day, then blessed it, a word meaning to make happy. Humans were created on day six, so our first full day of existence was a Sabbath: we were designed to work from rest, not for rest. Israel also kept Sabbath years and the Year of Jubilee, when debts were cancelled and slaves freed. When Jesus read Isaiah 61 and declared it fulfilled, He was announcing Himself as the Jubilee. Mark 2:28 calls Him Lord of the Sabbath, so neglecting Sabbath means missing a huge part of following Jesus.

Four purposes of Sabbath

First, Sabbath was made for you, a gift, the Shepherd of Psalm 23 making us lie down so He can restore our souls. It is weekly identity formation: being with God matters more than working for God. Those who chase the Great Commission while neglecting the Great Commandment outwork God's mission but fail to reflect His character, and Pastor Max adds that every pastor he knew who mocked the need for a day off is no longer serving at the same level. Second, Sabbath was made for freedom. Deuteronomy 5 ties Sabbath to deliverance from Egypt, because slaves work seven days a week. Sabbath reminds us that God carries the weight, not us.

Delight and worship

Third, Sabbath was made for delight. Isaiah 58 promises that those who call the Sabbath a delight will find joy in the Lord, and Dan Allender calls it the best day of the week. Pastor Max compares it to a childhood snow day, an entire day handed back to enjoy, and God gives us one every seven days. Fourth, Sabbath was made for worship. Worship is reorienting your whole life around Jesus, not just singing on Sunday; Sabbath is the day we stop climbing ladders and start building altars. Pointing to Jesus' invitation to the weary in Matthew 11, he reminds the church that true rest is found in Jesus. Israel skipped seventy Sabbath years and spent seventy years in exile, while a denomination strict about Sabbath lives on average eleven years longer.

Making it practical

For most, Sunday is the best Sabbath day, though Pastors Max and Juliet take Mondays because of weekend ministry. Sabbath is as much about stopping as starting; he tells of his son leaving a sink running until water poured through the basement ceiling, a picture of lives too full to hold more. Say no to work, phone slavery, and draining tasks. Say yes to rest, gathering with the church, extended prayer and Scripture, and life-giving activities. Then tell a spouse, roommate, or Group member and lock arms for accountability. Following Jesus is a marathon, not a sprint, and the goal is to finish well.