December 1, 2002 •  Pastor Randy Smith

If you were absent last week, you are finding us in the second of two fugitive messages that I have chosen to preach on the Sabbath. You will recall, as we have been studying the Gospel of John, that the opposition to Jesus occurred in chapter 5 when He healed a paralyzed man on the Sabbath.

Just as it was during the time of Jesus, there is much misunderstanding today surrounding the issue of the Sabbath. Therefore, through these two messages entitled: "Sunday, Sabbath or the Lord’s Day," I am seeking to bring biblical clarity and practical application to an often confusing topic for most Christians under the New Covenant.

Let’s begin in the first point with a review of last week’s message. What is our response as Christians to the Jewish Sabbath?

RESPONSE TO THE JEWISH SABBATH

The Sabbath was a command given specifically to Israel.

There is no record whatsoever of anybody keeping the Sabbath prior to Exodus 16 (Neh. 9:13-14). Even after they received the full-blown Sabbath command (Ex. 20:8-11), Israel who often condemned the sins of her pagan neighbors, never criticized their violation of the Sabbath.

The Sabbath was part of God’s ceremonial law and not part of God’s moral law.

The Sabbath was a ceremonial law given specifically to Israel, not grounded in God’s unchanging nature. Similar to the other ceremonial laws, and the Old Covenant in general, it has been fulfilled and brought to completion in Christ (Mt. 5:17). If David had a right to make an exception in the ceremonial law, Jesus had more (Mt. 12:1-8). Even Jesus said," The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath" (Mk. 2:27). Moreover, He called Himself the "Lord of the Sabbath" (Lk. 6:5).

The Sabbath was a sign of the Old Covenant (Ex. 31:16-17; Neh. 9:14; Eze. 20:12).

Because we are now under the New Covenant, we are no longer under obligation to keep the Old Covenant, particularly a sign of the Old Covenant. The writer to the Hebrews remarked, "When He said, ‘A new covenant,’ He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear" (Heb. 8:13).

The New Testament nowhere commands Christians to observe the Sabbath.

The church is warned of many sins in the New Testament, but breaking (or observing) the Sabbath is never mentioned. The book of Acts mentions the Sabbath nine times, never once as a day of worship for Christians. If anything, the Apostle Paul rebuked the Galatians for attempting to add the observance of days to the sufficiency of Christ’s work for salvation (Gal. 4:9-11). The church even changed their day of worship from Saturday (the Jewish Sabbath) to Sunday (the Lord’s Day) (Ac. 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:7) to show that a new order had been erected with the resurrection of Christ (Jn. 20:1, 19).

Jesus Christ through His redemptive work regained the Sabbath that Adam lost.

Jesus Christ came to complete a redemptive work (Jn. 4:34; 5:36) by restoring the rest that was forfeited in the Garden. In following the same pattern for the first creation, Jesus Christ began the work spoken of in Genesis 3:15 (c.f. Gen. 1:3). He completed the work on the cross (Jn. 17:4; 19:30; c.f. Gen. 1:5). The work was met with God’s satisfaction by the resurrection and ascension of Christ (Rom. 1:3-4; Gen. 1:4) leading again to divine rest (Heb. 10:11-12; c.f. Gen. 2:1-3).

The Sabbath was a sign that pointed to something greater.

Like much of the Old Testament, the Sabbath pointed to Jesus Christ. The Old Testament Sabbath preached the gospel when it called for faith and a cessation of work (Rom. 4:4-5). We dishonor our Savior when the signs still receive the preeminence that He alone deserves. Now that Jesus is here, the signs have become obsolete (Heb. 8:13). The Apostle Paul said, "Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day--things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ" (Col. 2:16-17). Jesus is the new Joshua that leads God’s children to a greater Promised Land of rest (Mt. 1:21). Jesus is the new Sabbatical Jubilee (Lev. 25:8-10) that provides a greater cancellation of debts (Lk. 4:18-19).

Jesus Christ has now become the Sabbath rest for Christians under the New Covenant.

God has completed His work of the new creation. Christians are the first fruits of that creation (Mt. 5:17; Gal. 6:15). Our rest, as it was enjoyed by Adam everyday, has again been restored. During this life we still deal with some remnants of the curse, but we recognize our rest in Christ (from meritorious works) through faith and daily worship (Col. 3:17). Due to His redemptive work, He has become our Sabbath rest. Jesus said, "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light" (Mt. 11:28-30; c.f. Heb. 4:1-11).

The Christian’s ultimate Sabbath rest will be enjoyed in heaven (Rev. 14:13; c.f. 14:11).

Though we currently rest in Jesus Christ under the New Covenant, our supreme Sabbatical rest will be realized in heaven where we will enjoy the ultimate rest in the culmination of God’s new creation (Rev. 21:4; 22:1-2) away from the curse in the direct presence of the Lamb (Rev. 22:3).

Now that we have stated a theological framework regarding the Sabbath, we need to build on what we have learned pertaining to some practical application. Let’s begin by considering three questions that often arise regarding professing Christians who keep the Sabbath.

ONE What do I say to an individual who imposes the Sabbath as a necessary requirement for Salvation?

The Apostle Paul dealt with this exact issue when he evangelized the region of Galatia. After the successful response to the gospel, certain false teachers (identified as Judaizers) infiltrated the region and began enforcing the Mosaic requirements on the Christian converts. One of these impositions was circumcision. They adamantly argued, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved" (Ac. 15:1). Another imposition from the law was the observance of the ceremonial days, including the Sabbath.

How would Paul respond to such a situation? "However at that time, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those which by nature are no gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again? You observe days and months and seasons and years. I fear (a matter of eternal life and death) for you, that perhaps I have labored over you in vain" (Gal. 4:8-11).

The Judaizers called for Jesus Christ plus human efforts to achieve salvation. The problem with such legalistic demands is that they detracted from the supremacy of Jesus Christ and promoted a works-oriented gospel. Paul wanted his Galatian converts to know that they were saved solely on the basis of grace alone through faith alone by Christ alone. In chapter 2 verse 16 Paul argued, "Nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus (what the sign of the Sabbath pointed toward!), even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified." Five verses later he said, "I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly" (Gal. 2:21).

The gospel by which we are saved is simply faith in the Lord Jesus Christ who died as a substitute for our sin. The moment any works are added to that message, the sufficiency of Jesus Christ has been tainted. Such a message and its messenger must be rejected since both have defected from the purity of the gospel. I used the word "rejected;" the Apostle Paul was not as polite. Beginning in 1:6 the Apostle declared, "I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed (anathema-delivered over to the wrath of God)! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed" (Gal. 1:6-9).

TWO What do I say to an individual who insists that the Sabbath is necessary for on-going obedience to the Lord.

In other words, this person accepts in the sufficiency of Christ for salvation, but still believes that Christians should continue to observe the Sabbath command as it was delivered to Israel under the Old Covenant. Most Christian Sabbatarians find themselves in this camp. What would we say to such individuals?

First of all, these individuals need to realize that we are under the New Covenant. What would be the purpose of a New Covenant if all the requirements of the Old Covenant were still in force? The New Covenant is not added to the Old Covenant. Rather the New Covenant abolished the Old Covenant! That’s why the writer to the Hebrews remarked, "When He said, ‘A new covenant,’ He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear" (Heb. 8:13).

The old covenant served a purpose. Its purpose was to point to the apex of God’s revelation, Jesus Christ. But now that Christ has arrived, the signs are to disappear in order that Christ may receive all the attention and all the glory. This concurs with Paul’s comments in Colossians 2. "Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day--things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ" (Col. 2:16-17).

In addition to misunderstanding God’s plan of redemption, I believe current Sabbatarians also err by their inconsistencies and lack of uniformity. I had the opportunity this week to read a number of position papers from these churches, (solid churches committed to the Word of God) and I was overwhelmed by their lack of consistency. None of them came to any agreement as to how the Sabbath should be observed.

For starters, few churches insist on keeping all of the law. They elevate the Sabbath, but fail to observe the other rituals and ceremonies commanded to Israel such as other festivals, animal sacrifices and worship in the temple. Some churches demand that the Sabbath is more important since it is contained in the 10 Commandments, but then indirectly contradict their own words by their actions. For instance many of these churches would prohibit an unrepentant adulterer into membership, but have no problem admitting someone who is not a strict Sabbatarian. Many of these churches would discipline an unrepentant thief, but fail to discipline someone in their flock who plays Frisbee with his kid on Sunday. Since when did one of God’s 10 Commandments receive greater lenience? Moses had a man stoned for picking up sticks on the Sabbath (Num. 15:32-36)!

Sabbatarians disagree among themselves as to exactly how the day should be observed. Some say it is strictly a day of rest, but in the same breath say naps are to be avoided. Some say the day is to be devoted to family activities, but then prohibit anything that involves recreation with the family since that could be construed as work. Other churches forbid watching football, yard work, shopping or helping your child with their homework. One church even went as far to say that it is sinful to take a family vacation on a Sunday. I quote, "There is a growing practice of missing the worship services, now and then, because they interfere with our pleasures, our vacations…There is the strange notion in the Church that the Fourth Commandment may be broken occasionally. Men suppose that, if they remember the Lord’s Day 51 weeks of the year, they are warranted in forgetting it one week" (David Engesma).

At least this church was consistent with the remainder of the Old Testament. They said, "When the Israelite worked on the Sabbath (Nu. 15:31ff)…he despised the spiritual rest of God. He revealed himself to be a worldly man. This deserved, and still does deserve, the death penalty." I find it hard to believe that this church is executing Sabbath offenders! I don’t mean to be combative, but if you wish to keep the Sabbath, you must keep it exactly as God delivered it to Israel!

THREE What do I say to an individual who does not impose his beliefs but still wants to observe one day as different than the others?

For a variety of reasons, possibly out of convenience or culture or tradition, some people choose to place special significance on one particular day. They see greater spirituality in certain days of the week or certain days of the year. How should we respond to such individuals?

Paul addressed this exact situation in his letter to the Romans. "Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions…One person regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord… But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God…So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God. Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this-- not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother's way." (Rom. 14:1, 5-6a, 10, 12-13).

In dealing with the issue of observing certain days, Paul’s desire was not to settle the argument. Rather he promoted mutual respect and harmony between two parties. If someone sees special significance in a day providing they do not impose their convictions on others, leave him alone! We are not to judge a fellow brother or sister in such matters of Christian liberty. However, Paul does side with the one who "regards every day alike" as the mature believer.

At this point I have responded to the issue of the Jewish Sabbath. I have developed somewhat of an apologetic based on three levels for those who place priorities on certain days. However, one large stone has still been left unturned. What are we to make of Sunday, our day of corporate worship, the day we commonly refer to as the "Lord’s Day?" Allow me to make a few remarks regarding the Lord’s Day prior to our time of Communion.

First of all, the Christian Lord’s Day is not the Jewish Sabbath in a new package. The Sabbath has not been moved from Saturday night to Sunday morning because the Old Covenant Sabbath has been abolished. Therefore the requirements that applied to the Sabbath are not binding on the Christian. They are not to be transferred over and be celebrated on the Lord’s Day. Israel’s Sabbath was fulfilled in Christ.

Jesus observed the Sabbath because He was under the law (Gal. 4:4). The early church went into the synagogues on the Sabbath primarily for evangelistic purposes (Ac. 17:2; 18:4). But not a single New Testament passage equates the meeting of the church for worship with the Sabbath. When we compare the Sabbath and the Lord’s Day we are comparing apples and oranges.

This leads us to the second point. Why did Christians begin meeting for worship on Sundays? It appears that every event of significance in the New Testament fell on Sunday, the first day of the week. Obviously we are familiar with the most important, the resurrection of our Lord (Mt. 28:1; Mk. 16:1-2, 9; Lk. 24:1; Jn. 20:1, 19). But also did you know that many resurrection appearances, the Ascension and even the coming of the Holy Spirit all took place on Sunday? Even the Apostle John while on the island of Patmos received his revelation on the first day of the week or what he refers to as the "Lord’s Day" (Rev. 1:10). Therefore many in the early church chose Sunday as the most appropriate day for corporate worship.

For example, in Acts 20 we read, "On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul began talking to them, intending to leave the next day, and he prolonged his message until midnight" (Ac. 20:7). On the first day of the week, Sunday, this church in Troas gathered to celebrate Communion and hear the Word of God proclaimed. In 1 Corinthians Paul said, "On the first day of every week each one of you is to put aside and save, as he may prosper, so that no collections be made when I come" (1 Cor. 16:2). Paul called for financial collections to be received for the Lord’s work. He specifically asked that the money be received on the first day of the week, presumably the day when the church met.

By the beginning of the second century, the early church writers made it very clear that the first day of the week had been recognized for public, congregational worship. Justin Martyr (110-190 AD) identified the Lord’s Day as "Sunday…the first day…and Jesus Christ our Savior on that same day rose from the dead." He further says on this day the saints assemble for worship. Clement (153-217 AD) said we are to "keep the Lord’s Day" and thus "glorify the Lord’s resurrection." The Constitution of the Holy Apostles said that on this day we are to "meet more diligently…assembling ourselves together, without fail." Even Ignatius (a disciple of the apostle John) described Jewish Christians with these words, "They have come to the possession of a new hope, no longer observing the Sabbath, but living in observance of the Lord’s Day, on which also our life has sprung up again by Him."

Third, though Sunday has taken on a special significance from the time in the early church until this day for public worship, we must remember that we are not commanded to worship on Sunday mornings. We have chosen Sunday mornings because of tradition, culture and personal availability, but we must be careful not to elevate one day as more important than the others. We must be careful when we say the Sabbath has been abolished not to import Sabbatical principles into the Lord’s Day.

Under the New Covenant, our rest occurs every day as we rest in Jesus Christ from our righteous works and abide in Him through faith. Also under the New Covenant, our worship is not confined to one day of the week. We don’t just worship God on Sunday mornings; we worship Him every day of the week (when we praise Him, confess our sin, learn His Word, engage in fellowship, etc.). In a similar vein, we celebrate our Savior’s birth every day, not just on December 25^th. We celebrate His resurrection every day, not just on Easter morning. Every day is alike. There is no division between the sacred and the secular. Every day should be equally devoted to glorifying God (1 Cor. 10:31) as we "do all in the name of the Lord Jesus" (Col. 3:17). If we choose to be technical, we call it the Lord’s Day because He rose from the grave on Sunday, but if we choose to be biblical, every day is the "Lord’s Day!"

John Calvin once said, "When certain days are represented as holy in themselves, when one day is distinguished from another on religious grounds, when holy days are reckoned a part of divine worship, then days are improperly observed…When we, in the present age, make a distinction of days, we do not represent them as necessary, and thus lay a snare for the conscience; we do not reckon one day to be more holy than another; we do not make days to be the same thing with religion and the worship of God; but merely attend to the preservation of order and harmony. The observance of days among us is a free service, and void of all superstition."

Finally, based on all we have mentioned, Sunday is the day that we have set aside to corporately worship the Lord. We have chosen this day in the tradition of the early church, not because we wish to continue the Sabbath observance, but rather because we need a day to fulfill the requirements of the New Testament which call for the public observance of Communion (Ac. 2:42; 1 Cor. 11:20, 25-26), baptisms (Ac. 2:38, 41), prayer (Ac. 2:42), fellowship (Ac. 2:42; Heb. 10:25) singing (Eph. 5:19), preaching (Ac. 2:42; 20:7) and the collection of the offertory (1 Cor. 16:2).

Every Christian should prioritize the public gathering of the saints over the other activities that call for our attention (sleep, youth activities, recreation, etc). Sunday is a day that should be set aside for public worship. It is a day that should continue and culminate our worship for the week. It is a day when we should be most prepared and most alert for worship. And by way of suggestion, the remainder of the day should be devoted to Christian fellowship and family worship centered on a discussion of the sermon. However, no New Testament command is given that requires us to observe Sunday any different than the other days of the week that we likewise seek to glorify God.

Beloved, it simply comes down to this. Jesus Christ demands total submission. He doesn’t want part of your heart; He wants all of your heart! He doesn’t want your worship one day; He wants your worship every day! Public worship is something we should enjoy and something we should not forsake, but the worship of our Savior by faith must extend beyond the Sabbath and beyond the Lord’s Day to every day of the week.