²² On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much—two omers for each person—and the leaders of the community came and reported this to Moses. ²³ He said to them, “This is what the Lord commanded: ‘Tomorrow is to be a day of sabbath rest, a holy sabbath to the Lord. So bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil. Save whatever is left and keep it until morning.’”  ²⁴ So they saved it until morning, as Moses commanded, and it did not stink or get maggots in it. ²⁵ “Eat it today,” Moses said, “because today is a sabbath to the Lord. You will not find any of it on the ground today. ²⁶ Six days you are to gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will not be any.” (Exodus 16:22 – 26, New International Version)

Theme:  The Local Church

Context:

Today we turn our attention to the final Discipline, Sabbath. There is only one day for this discipline, so we will consider a few questions about the role of Sabbath in your local church and also consider a Bible passage. 

Like the discipline of Creation, the discipline of Sabbath can be controversial.  In this case the controversy results from different doctrinal beliefs.   40 days of Discipline is focused on a few important concepts.  First, the concept of taking regular breaks for rest and renewal.  Second, the concept of freedom versus legalism.  Third, the concept of trusting God enough to take breaks. 

Questions:

1. Does your local church clearly explain its position on the Sabbath?
2. Does your local church encourage dedicated time for rest and renewal?
3. Do your local church leaders demonstrate an appreciation for the need to take time away from day-to-day activities?

Bible Passage:

Our Bible passage is from Exodus 16:22 – 26 (presented above).  The passage makes the link between the sabbath and trusting God to supply our needs.

Your Feedback:

Based on your answers to the questions, and your reflections on the Bible passage, how do you believe local churches should relate to the idea of taking breaks for rest and renewal?