Pastor Chris Hahn of the Kentucky megachurch Southland Christian Church started his new sermon series called "Plus Seven" over the weekend and explained why the number seven is given much significance in the Bible.
The number seven appears 735 times in the Bible. It is mentioned more than 50 times in the book of Revelations alone, according to The Christian Post.
Hahn said the number seven is so important because it "always represents completeness, wholeness, and perfection" in the Bible.
This is evident in the wholeness of time, wherein God stresses the holy balance between work and rest. In Genesis 1-2, God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh.
This "cycle of work and rest is whole. It's a perfect rhythm," Hahn said. "My walk as a follower of Jesus is healthy when my rhythm of work and Sabbath is consistent."
But even though God called on His people to rest on the Sabbath, not everybody does so. When people neglect God's gift of rest, they tend to go off rhythm and Hahn said this causes them to be "overworked [and] under-rested people."
At the same time, the Sabbath serves as a "block of time during the week to steer yourself toward God." Christians should make it a point to pursue hobbies and interests that would allow them to reflect on their relationship with God, such as reading and gardening.
"The point of Sabbath is not restriction, but rather refreshment," the pastor explained. "Good work and good rest lead to a good walk with God."
It might seem easy to adhere to God's commandment about the Sabbath, but Hahn said that observing the seventh day of the weak actually takes discipline and dedication. When people finally achieve this, they will "begin to discover what it feels like to live in wholeness."
