ACCEPTABLE CORPORATE WORSHIP
Lesson 10
Sunday
was the first day in the Roman calendar week. It is not Sunday that is important. It is the LordÕs Day that is important
to Christians, and it just so happens that the first day of the week in the
Roman calendar was Sunday, and it was on this day that Christ rose from the
dead. Sunday was a pagan day and
it was dedicated to the worship of the sun. Christians apparently reinterpreted the heathen name
ÒSundayÓ as applying to the Òthe Son of RighteousnessÓ or ÒSonday,Ó referring
it to ChristÕs day. Early
Christians in Rome adapted their Christianity to their culture.
The
Biblical basis for a special day of worship is all through the Scriptures, both
in the Old and New Testaments. It
is the goal of this lesson to demonstrate that true believers have always had a
special day of worship and it is right to do so.
SABBATH – A CREATION
ORDINANCE
(Genesis 2:2-3)
ÒBy the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.Ó
The Seventh Day. God rested from His creative activity on the seventh day. He did not rest from physical labor
because He was tired, for deity cannot tire. This means God ceased from creation activity on the seventh
day. God blessed the seventh day
(Saturday) and set it apart as a special day from the very beginning. While the word ÒSabbathÓ is not in this
verse, the principle of men ceasing physical labor one day a week can certainly
be concluded from Genesis 2:1-3.
It is part of GodÕs moral law for one day in seven to be for rest from
physical labor.
The Sabbath Until Moses. In the Bible, there are no direct references to the Sabbath
observance from creation to Moses, and the first mention of the word
ÒSabbathÓis in Exodus 16:23 which is in relation to the nation of Israel. However, from Romans 2:14-15, we can
conclude the moral law existed before the Ten Commandments were ever written.
ÒIndeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the
law, do by nature things
required by the law, they are a law
for themselves, even though they
do not have the law, since they show that the requirements of the law are
written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their
thoughts now accusing, now even defending themÓ (Rom. 2:14-15).
In
ancient, secular Babylonian literature, we find traces of a week of seven to nine
days, with the rest day or sabbath, which fell on the
particular day. Perhaps this was
an ordinance by these unsaved Gentiles who had perverted the true religion as
given to Noah and his family. Whatever,
the idea of rest is in the creation ordinance and some may have practiced rest
before the Mosaic Law was enacted.
Israel
Received the Sabbath as a Sign.
The word ÒSabbathÓ means Òto ceaseÓ or Òto stopÓ with special reference
to physical labor. The Sabbath was
the seventh day of the week for the Jewish calendar and corresponds to our
Saturday. The Sabbath as written
law was officially instituted at Mount Sinai and was for the nation of Israel.
ÒThen the LORD said to Moses, ÒSay to the Israelites, ÔYou must observe my Sabbaths. This will be a sign between me and you for the generations to come, so you may know that I am the LORD, who makes you holy.
Observe the Sabbath, because it is holy to you. Anyone who desecrates it must be put to death; whoever does any work on that day must be cut off from his people. For six days work is to be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day must be put to death. The Israelites are to observe the Sabbath, celebrating it for the generations to come as a lasting covenant. It will be a sign between me and the Israelites forever, for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he abstained from work and rested.ÕÓ(Exo. 31:12-17)
The Sabbath was in integral part of the Mosaic Law
and it was the possession of that law which distinguished Israel from all the
other people of this earth. The
Sabbath was a sign, which identified Israel as GodÕs covenant nation.
Israel
was Commanded to Keep the Sabbath Holy and to Cease
from Labor.
ÒRemember the
Sabbath day be keeping it holy.
Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a
Sabbath to the LORD your God. On
it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your
son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the
alien within your gates. For in
six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in
them, but he rested on the seventh day.
Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holyÓ (Exo.
20:8-11).
Israel was Òto rememberÓ the Sabbath and not forget
it. They were to keep the Sabbath
holy in that they were to separate this day unto the Lord God. Israel was to rest from all physical
labor on the Sabbath, and it was apparently a day when public worship was
carried out at the temple and later the synagogue. The ceasing from labor was based upon the creation ordinance
of Genesis 2:1-3.
Israel Worshiped Their God on the Sabbath.
ÒThere are six days when you may work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, a day of sacred assembly. You are not to do any work; wherever you live, it is a Sabbath to the LORDÓ (Lev. 23:3).
While
Israel did go to the temple or the synagogue, the primary worship was at home
with the family. The Sabbath was a
day on which God expected families to enjoy a leisure time and to contemplate
their relationship with God. The
object of cessation from labor and coming together as families was to give man
an opportunity to engage in such meaningful spiritual exercises as would
quicken the soul and strengthen the spiritual life. This is apparently what the Lord meant when He said the
Sabbath was made for man.
ÒThen he said
to them, ÔThe Sabbath was made for man, not man for the SabbathÕÓ (Mk. 2:27).
Man
was not made to be a slave to the Sabbath, but the Sabbath was made to benefit
man.
Israel
was to be Blessed for Keeping the Sabbath.
ÒIf you keep
your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy
day, if you call the Sabbath a delight
. . .Ó (Isa. 58:13-14).
The keeping of the Sabbath was to be a delight and
honorable to the Lord, and for keeping the Sabbath God would bless individual
Israelites and the nation as a whole.
In Israel there was great blessings for those who kept the Sabbath and
severe penalties for those who did not.
There was even death for those who did not repent of their sin of
breaking the Sabbath. Jews were
allowed to do works of piety, necessity and mercy on the Sabbath. Piety had to do with work connected
with worship in the sanctuary by the priests (Matt. 12:5). Necessity had to do with works
necessary for existence beyond the regular law (Matt. 12:2-4). Mercy had to do with special acts of
kindness (Matt. 12:3-4).
THE SABBATH AND CHRIST
Christ Kept the Sabbath. Jesus Christ was a Jew and lived and died under the Mosaic
Law. Christ kept the Sabbath and
all the rule of the Law perfectly to the letter. Jesus Christ was a Sabbath keeper. However, He had a right
understanding of the Mosaic Law.
By the time Christ came into the world, the Jews had hundreds of years
of religious tradition behind them.
Their legalistic traditions were man-made rules and not part of the
Mosaic Law at all. There were at
least five hundred of those legalistic traditions in relation to the
Sabbath. For instance, the Old
Testament says a Jew could not carry a heavy load on the Sabbath or take a
trip. The Jewish legalist said if
a person had too many nails in his shoe he was carrying an excessive load and
was a Sabbath breaker.
Another example of the ridiculous rule was a person
could only travel a certain distance in his own house on the Sabbath and even
the number of steps a person could take were
limited. The Lord Jesus opposed
these traditions, which men added to the Law, but our Lord Himself kept the
Sabbath. One of the frequent
charges brought against the Lord Jesus by the Pharisees was that He was a
Sabbath breaker. This charge was
leveled against Him because He healed people on the Sabbath (act of mercy) and
shucked corn on the Sabbath to feed His disciples (act of necessity).
Christ
Fulfilled the Sabbath. Christ
came not to abolish the Mosaic Law but to fulfill it.
ÒDo not think
that I have come to abolish the Law or he Prophets; I have not come to abolish
them but to fulfill them. I tell
you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not
the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until
everything is accomplished. Anyone
who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the
same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and
teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heavenÓ (Matt.
5:17-18).
He kept the Law perfectly and He fulfilled all the
types and shadows of the ceremonial aspects of the Law. The moral law is embodied in the Ten
Commandments and the moral law is binding in every age. This includes the command to keep the
Sabbath holy. However, there were
many ceremonial aspects of the Sabbath, which were types and shadows and were
fulfilled in ChristÕs death.
ÒThe law is
only a shadow of the good things that are coming – not the realities
themselvesÓ(Heb. 10:1).
The Jews in the Old Testament could not pick up sticks,
light a fire, or recreate in any way on the Sabbath because these, being
ceremonial, were designed to be a type or shadow of the completed work of
Christ on the cross. It is assumed
that Christ set aside the death penalty for Sabbath breaking based on the fact
that in other instances, such as the woman of adultery in John 4, Christ did
not recommend death for this womanÕs sin.
The JewÕs physical rest was completed in ChristÕs spiritual rest. Christ in His death has fulfilled the
type or shadow of the earthly Sabbath rest by bringing His people the spiritual
rest of salvation.
ÒFor somewhere
he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: ÔAnd on the seventh day God
rested from all his work.Õ . . . There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the
people of God; for anyone who enters GodÕs rest also rests from his own work,
just as God did from hisÓ (Heb. 4:4, 9-10).
Christ
is Lord of the Sabbath. Mark
2:28 says, ÒSo the Son of Man is Lord even of the
Sabbath.Ó As Lord of the Sabbath,
Christ could and did change the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday in the new age
of the completed church. Christ
did not change the fact of a Sabbath but He did change the day and the emphasis
of the Sabbath. In His death and
resurrection, Christ positionally changed the day of worship from Saturday to
Sunday, but it took the church time to make the complete transition from
Judaism to full blown Christianity.
We are told in Luke 22:20 that Christ established the New Covenant which
obviously takes the place of the Mosaic Covenant (Old Covenant).
ÒIn the same
way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, ÔThis cup is the new covenant in
my blood, which is poured out for youÕÓ (Luke 22:20).
Now the civil, dietary and ceremonial aspects of the
Mosaic Law have been done away with for the believer under the New
Covenant. However, the moral law
as contained in the Ten Commandments still is binding on Christians. ÒRemember the Sabbath day by keeping
it holyÓ (Exo. 20:8). However,
the Ten Commandments must be filtered through the New Covenant for a new
age. The fact of a Sabbath day is
still blinding for Christians but this day has taken on New Covenant dimensions
designed for a whole new age.
Christ
Has a New Law. The New
Covenant includes the Ten Commandments of the Old Testament, which is a
reflection of the moral law of God.
However, the Christian is not under the Mosaic Law (Old Covenant) as a
way of life but is under the New Covenant. Christians are now under the Law of Christ, not the Law of
Moses, and the Law of Christ is a higher and more liberating law.
ÒTo the Jews I
became like a Jew, to win the Jews.
To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself
am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became
like one not having the law (though I am not free from GodÕs law but am under
ChristÕs law), so as to win those not having the lawÓ (I Cor. 9:20-21).
ChristÕs Law Has a New Sabbath. All the Ten Commandments are repeated in the New Testament
except the command to keep the Sabbath.
Dispensationalists assume this means there is no Sabbath for the church,
but to do this one would have to say the Ten Commandments do not contain the
essence of the moral law. This is
contrary to the New Testament (Rom. 3:31; 7:12-13,16,22, 13-8-10).
ÒDo we, then,
nullify the law by this faith? Not
at all! Rather, we uphold the lawÓ
(Rom. 3:3l).
ÒSo then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and
goodÓ (Rom. 7:12).
ÒFor in my inner being I delight in GodÕs lawÓ (Rom. 7:22).
ÒLet no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one
another, for he who loves is fellowman has fulfilled the law. The commandments,
ÔDo not commit adultery,Õ ÔDo not murder,Õ ÔDo not steal,Õ ÔDo not covet,Õ and whatever other commandment
there may be, are summed up in this one rule: ÔLove your neighbor as yourself.Õ Love does no harm to its
neighbor. Therefore love is the
fulfillment of the lawÓ (Rom. 13:8-10).
Those in the Reformed camp believe the absence of any mention of the
Sabbath in the New Testament may imply a Sabbath was an assumed fact. It is best to say that Christians in
the Gospel Age have a new Sabbath day with a new emphasis for a new age based
on a new covenant. The Christian
Sabbath is New Covenant controlled and not Old Covenant controlled. The Sabbath in the New Covenant is a
special day; it is the first day of the week, the day Christ rose from the dead
and it has a special thrust for this age.
The principle of one day in seven for rest from physical labor is still
binding on Christians today.
THE LORDÕS DAY
AND THE CHURCH
Sabbath in the Book of Acts. In the Book of Acts, we have no mention of Christians
observing the Old Covenant Sabbath.
We read of Paul and others who went into the synagogue on the Sabbath to
preach the gospel to the Jews but they did not worship on that day. At the Jerusalem Council no mention is
made that Gentiles had to keep the Old Covenant Sabbath as it was designed for
the completed church to function in every nation of the world. It would have been impossible for
Gentiles to observe the Sabbath, as did the Jews because religious political
and civic activities were structured in Israel so the Jewish nation could keep
the Old Covenant Sabbath. Gentile
believers could not keep the Old Covenant Sabbath but they could keep the new
Sabbath New Covenant style. The
Book of Acts tells of Christians getting together on the LordÕs Day, the day
Christ rose from the dead, the first day of the week.
ÒOn the first
day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people . . .Ó (Acts 20:7).
Sabbath in the Epistles. In the Epistles, we are never told Christians met on the Old
Covenant Sabbath (Saturday). We
find Christians meeting on the LordÕs Day, the first day of the week.
ÒNow about the
collection for GodÕs people: Do what I told the Galatians churches to do. On the first day of every week, each
one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving
it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be madeÓ (1 Cor.
16:1-2).
What we do find in the Epistles is the Apostle Paul
exhorting Christians about getting all tied up in Jewish legalism when it comes
to understanding the Sabbath.
Christians according to Paul are not to get entangled in rituals,
traditions and ceremonies of the Old Covenant, Jewish Sabbath worship.
ÒTherefore do
not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a
religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that
were to come; the reality, however, is found in ChristÓ (Col. 2:16-17).
ÒBut now that
you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are
turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? You are observing special days and
months and seasons and years! I
fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my effortsÓ(Gal. 4:9-10).
Sabbath
and the LordÕs Day. When we
come to the New Testament, we find Christians worshiping on the first day of
the week, Sunday according to our calendar. This is the day of worship for the Christian.
ÒOn
the LordÕs Day I was in the Spirit . . .Ó (Rev. 1:10).
This was a significant day because Christ rose from
the dead on that day (John 20:1).
Christians, after the Day of Pentecost (which also fell on the first day
of the week) that marked the beginning of the New Covenant church, met on
Sunday rather than Saturday. The
LordÕs Day is the New Covenant Sabbath.
It is called the LordÕs Day marking a new age in the history of the
church. The LordÕs Day has a new
thrust, a new emphasis, and a new dimension. Christians are to remember the New Covenant Sabbath and keep
it holy (separate) but now the thrust is different. We know that Jewish Christians at first continued to worship
in the temple and went to the synagogue services on the Old Covenant Sabbath
(Saturday), but at a very early date, the day of worship for Christians
switched to Sunday from Saturday.
This probably occurred when Christians were officially declared a Jewish
cult and thrown out of the synagogues and the temple.
The early Jewish Christians at first observed the
seventh day (Saturday) and the first day (Sunday), but the Gentile Christians
kept only the LordÕs Day, the Christian Sabbath. The Jewish Christians, because of persecution and later the
destruction of the temple in 70 A.D., gave up any
worship on the Old Covenant Sabbath.
In the beginning this caused some trouble among Christians. Some wanted to observe the Old Covenant
Sabbath and others the LordÕs Day, the New Covenant Sabbath, so Paul wrote to
tell them of their Christian liberty in this area.
ÒWho are you
to judge someone elseÕs servant?
To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him
stand. One man considers one day
more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in
his own mindÓ (Rom. 14:4-5).
Early church history
indicates that there was no keeping of the Old Covenant Sabbath after 200 A.D.
ÒThose who walked in the
ancient practices attain unto newness of hope no longer observing Sabbaths, but
fashioning their lives after the LordÕs Day, on which our life also rose
through Him, that we may be found disciples of Jesus Christ, our only teacher .
. . . No longer keeping the Sabbath, but living
according to the LordÕs Day, on which also our Light aroseÓ (Ignatius, Bishop
of Antioch – 110 A.D.)
ÒSunday is the day on which
we hold our common assembly, because it is the first day on which God having
wrought a change in the darkness and matter made the world, and Jesus our
Savior, on the same day, rose from the dead (Justin Martyr – 135 A.D.)
ÒThe old Sabbath day has
become nothing more than a working day (to Christians)Ó (Clement of Alexandria
–194 A.D.).
Some
have accused Christians of arbitrarily changing the Sabbath from Saturday to
Sunday. They say this was done in
the fourth century under Constantine when he made Christianity the religion of
Rome. However, it must be noted
that the Old Covenant Sabbath day has never been changed from Saturday to
Sunday. Saturday is still
Saturday. Actually a New Covenant
Sabbath day has been substituted for the Old Covenant Sabbath day. It is not that the Sabbath day has
changed (it is still Saturday) but the Christian has been changed because of
his new position in Christ. The
New Covenant Christian is operating under a new economy with a new Sabbath day
for a new age. The day is called
the LordÕs Day (Sunday).
Commanded. In the New Covenant, which includes the
Ten Commandments (moral law), the Christian is commanded to keep the Christian
Sabbath. The Christian is
commanded to meet on the LordÕs Day for corporate worship with GodÕs people in
the church.
ÒAnd let us consider how w may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approachingÓ (Heb. 10:24-25).
Christians
are also to cease from labor whenever possible (Exo. 20:8-11). The
slaves in New Testament times had to work on the LordÕs Day and this is most
likely the reason Gentile Christians met on Sunday nights.
When
the Christian has performed his duty for public worship on the LordÕs Day, then
he is to rest. Whatever else rest
may mean to some, it most certainly means we are to cease from the physical
labors we do on the job the other five or six days. Once we have met our responsibility to worship, how we
interpret rest is a matter of individual conscience.
Unregulated. Christians are commanded to worship and
rest on the LordÕs Day, but the Bible nowhere sets down any regulations
regarding personal conduct on the LordÕs Day. Christians should be very careful about setting up Sunday
rules and regulations for fellow believers, telling them what they can do and
cannot do on Sunday. After one has
worshiped and is ceasing from labor, how one keeps the LordÕs Day is strictly a
matter between him and God. No
other person has a right to impose rules and regulations upon him, or judge his
godliness by he way he conducts himself on the LordÕs Day. We must be so careful not to be
Pharisees, forcing legalistic rules on Christians to somehow prove
spirituality.
The
Westminster Confession says, ÒThe Christian Sabbath is to be kept separate and
uniquely the LordÕs
With a careful preparation of priorities, providing for our
common affairs beforehand, a holy rest is observed all day from works, words
and thoughts of employment and recreationÓ 21:8). The Westminster Fathers based
their understanding on Isaiah 58:13-14.
ÒIf you keep
your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy
day, if our call the Sabbath a delight and the LORDÕs holy day honorable and if
you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking
idle words, then you will find your joy in the LORD, and will cause you to ride
on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father
JacobÓ (Isa. 58:13-14).
They
stressed the words Òfrom doing as you please on my holy day.Ó It seems as though this was ceremonial
law fulfilled in Christ to teach us about our spiritual rest in Christ. Many Reformers, including John Calvin,
did not give a strict interpretation to Òdoing as you please.Ó It is quite probable that the
Westminster Fathers were victims of their culture and overstated the Sabbath
question as to recreation on the LordÕs Day.
It
is very easy to be legalistic over what one can and cannot do on the LordÕs
Day. Ultimately it comes down to
oneÕs individual conscience, and we are not to judge another brother or sister
no matter what our position may be.
The
LordÕs Day is a Special Day of Rest.
God wants us to take a break from our other six days of labor. We are to break the cycle of work. If we do business six days a week, we
should not do it on the LordÕs Day.
If we are a student, we should try not to study on the LordÕs Day. For health reasons, God wants us to
break our routine. Christians may
choose to take a nap on the LordÕs Day, or take a hike, or go on a picnic with
the family, spend time with family and friends, play a ball game or whatever if
that is really rest.
The
LordÕs Day is a Special Day of Worship. Sunday is primarily a day given over to the corporate and
private worship of Christ. After
the Christian attends the services of the church, what he does the remainder of
the day is between him and the Lord.
However, the Christian must remember it is the LordÕs Day. It belongs to Him.
The
LordÕs Day is a Special Day of Spiritual Activity. The LordÕs Day may be used effectively
to serve Jesus Christ by serving others in need – visiting the sick,
relieving the poor, teaching the Bible, performing duties of piety, love and
mercy.
The LordÕs Day is a Special Day to Learn of Christ. We learn about Christ every day but the LordÕs Day is a
special day to learn GodÕs Word and encounter Christ through corporate worship
and the preaching and teaching of the Word of God.
The
LordÕs Day is a Special Day with the Family. The Old Covenant Sabbath was a day when the family worshiped
together in the privacy of the home, so the LordÕs Day should be a time when
the family does things together in worship to God, service for Christ and
general recreation together.
The
LordÕs Day is a Special Day of Joy.
Because of the resurrection of Christ and the New Covenant, the emphasis
upon the LordÕs Day is one of joy.
There are some Christians who see the Christian Sabbath through the Old
Covenant rather than the New Covenant.
The result is that Sunday becomes a spiritually somber, gloomy, solemn
day where nothing can be done that smacks of joy or pleasure. Yet, the New Covenant Christian Sabbath
is one of joy, delight and gladness because of the resurrection of Christ from
the dead. The LordÕs Day is
literally a celebration so the Christian can shout, ÒThis is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in itÓ
(Psa. 118:24).
Since
the Bible teaches the LordÕs Day is a special day of the week set aside to
worship the living God, it becomes an issue as to whether it is Scriptural to
have official public worship other days of the week. Many Òseeker friendlyÓ churches today are offering official
corporate worship on Saturday and Monday nights. The Regulative Principle would not allow official worship on
Monday. However, Saturday night
worship may be allowable since the Old Testament Sabbath went from Friday at
dark to Saturday at dark, although this might be stretching the point. Obviously if Christians are
providentially hindered from worshipping on Sunday, then they should try to take
their Sabbath some other day of the week to worship and rest. Ordinarily the day of official
corporate worship for the church is the LordÕs Day, and Christians should do
everything possible to worship on Sunday.