Genesis 2:1-3

God the original party animal

Most people have the wrong view of God.  They do not understand His nature or His character.  God is fun to be with.  He makes the rainy days to shine.  He brings light into the darkest of nights.  He has such a positive and upbeat attitude He can turn any situation into one of hope and confidence. 

1.  God likes to have fun and to see us have fun

     a. don’t you enjoy watching your children enjoy themselves

     b. God had fun in His work-creation , light before sun etc.

     c. everything He did was good

     d. look at the variety of things He made-mountains, turtles, platypus (picture)

2. on day 6 God created Adam caused him to sleep & made Eve

     a. Adam had the job of naming all the animals when Eve arrived he went WO-man and it stuck

3. 6 days of work are enough- so God decided to set aside day 7 as a day of rest.

    a. God established the week times of work and of rest

    b. God didn’t want to spend the 7^th day alone so He came up with the idea of having a party every week

    c. God said on day 7 stop working for worldly gain and come over to my house

    d. let’s have fun, let’s party Psalm 68:24-26 gather to sing to play music and those maidens w/tambourines- that is talking about dancers

     e. this is a party atmosphere every week giving praise to God

     f. Psalm 66:1 shout to the Lord, that means it can get a bit loud, Amen or Hallelujah

     g. It stirs the emotions and prepares you to receive the word of the Lord

4. stopping work on the 7^th day is a secondary purpose

    a. a day of rest is the positive idea of joyful rest & communion w/Jehovah

    b. it is to re: God’s goodness as creator and deliverer

    c. when God said this rest was for slaves, strangers etc. it is so they have the opportunity to come to the party at God’s house

5. Jesus always observed the Sabbath- His custom

   a. Luke 4:14-16 He read scripture and taught its meaning

   b. I Corinthians 14:24-25 God is really among you!

   c. Jesus rejected the ways of the teachers of the law who distorted the truth

   d. these are the type who if they ever smiled in church their face would crack

   e. they have the rituals down pat but miss the spiritual blessing that comes from being in presence of God

   f. we are to relax, to let go of the tension of the week and to bask in the presence of the glory of God

 6. God knows we are fragile and we need more than just 1 day a week with Him

   a. so he added the New Moon festivals as a time of celebrating w/Him

   b. 52 weeks plus 12 new moons =64 days a year  not enough yet

7.God added Passover, feast of weeks, feast of trumpets, feast of Tabernacles,  day of Atonement and The Sabbath Year and the year of Jubilee

  a. over 20% of the average year was to be set aside to be with God

  b. all of these have the goal of rest for us, spiritual nourishment for us, a reminder to us of God’s goodness and love to us, of what He has done and What is coming

c. Revelation 19:9 wedding supper of the lamb

d. a 7 year long celebration

God is the one who defined the word party.  He has shown us that it fun to be in His presence in His house.  Are you willing to let go of the rigid attitudes of religion and release yourself into the presence of Almighty God.  Don’t worry about what others are doing worship God His way.