The Day Changed

Review of the Christian Sabbath Series and Introduction to the Day Change

0:06 The following message was preached Sunday, October 25, 1998, to Emanuel Reform Baptist Church of Sea-Tac, Washington. The speaker is Pastor Robert Martin. This message is the 17th in a series of 24 titled, The Christian Sabbath. Now we return this morning to our series on the subject of the Christian Sabbath, and by way of just a very brief review, to remind you that thus far in this series, we have considered together, I believe, all of the significant verses found in the Scripture

0:44 addressing the subject of the obligation of the people of God under the New Covenant to keep Sabbath one day in 70. We have seen in the teaching of the Old Testament not only the establishment of the Sabbath at creation, but the inclusion of the Sabbath duty in the law of God at Sinai, in terms of the Fourth Commandment. We have examined the teaching of the prophets, looking both back to the disobedience of Israel at this point, and looking forward to the Sabbath in the New Covenant. We have examined the teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1:26 We have examined the teaching of Him who is the Lord of the Sabbath, and saw that though He corrected abuses and misunderstandings of the Sabbath, He did not abolish the Sabbath day. But rather restored it to its original beauty and purpose. And then we have seen certain statements in the Apostles, including last time with an examination of Hebrews 4 and verse 9, there remains therefore a Sabbath day for the people of God. Now next time, God willing, we will take up by way of practical application, that is practical application of all that we've seen in this series,

2:08 thus far, we will take up the subject of the proper observance of the Christian Sabbath under the New Covenant. But today we're going to conclude our examination of the New Testament's teaching concerning the Christian Sabbath with a consideration of the move of the day from the seventh day of the week to the first day of the week. From what we've seen in the rest of this series, we know that we ought to observe a Sabbath day as a matter of conscience before God. Surely after all that we have seen

2:51 surely our judgment is carried that God obliges us to keep one day in seven as a Sabbath holy to the Lord. Now the question before us this morning is this under the terms of the new covenant which day of the week should Christians observe as the Sabbath day? Shall we continue to observe the seventh day Sabbath or shall we observe the first day of the week that is our Sunday

3:32 as the distinct new covenant day of rest and worship as the Christian Sabbath?

The Nature of the Change: Precedent vs. Positive Command

3:42 Well on this question there are some who think and there are some who say to us no command has been given which has changed the day from the seventh day which is what it was at creation which is what it was at Sinai no command can be found in the scripture changing the day from the seventh day to the first day of the week and therefore they say on this ground on this basis we ought regarding ourselves truly obliged to keep the Sabbath day we ought therefore to observe the seventh day that is to observe as our brethren did in every other age to observe the day

4:27 as it was from creation as it was from Sinai no command has been given they tell us that has changed the day from the seventh day to the first day of the week and in response to that type of thinking it is true that there is no positive command that has been given that point is consistent but that does not mean however that the day has not been changed you see some changes in the practice of the apostolic church as compared to old covenant Israel some changes are indeed due to a positive command for example the institution of the Lord's Supper

5:10 that is the result of a positive command the Lord Jesus said this do in remembrance of me likewise Christian baptism fundamental change from old covenant Israel to new covenant Israel well on what basis do we baptize disciples well we do it on the basis of positive command go therefore and make disciples Jesus said baptizing them into the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit and there are many things in the life of the new covenant people of God in the life of new covenant Israel different from old covenant Israel to be traced directly

5:52 to a positive command of Christ but there are other things other differences between the life of the church and the life of old covenant Israel that cannot be traced to a positive command and yet nevertheless exist other changes result from precedence precedence set either by Christ or by his apostles for example the altar the office of deacon prior to Acts 6 there is no office of deacon in the church of Jesus Christ and even in Acts 6 we have but the earliest rudiments of that office it is not until we come to the pastoral epistles

6:36 that we find laid out in detail the office of deacon and its qualifications well how did the office of deacon come to pass did it come to pass because Christ or the apostles said thou shalt make deacons in the church of Jesus Christ no that's not what happened no what happened was that the spirit of God working through the apostles established an office that had not heretofore existed and their precedent now has become the standard by which the church of Jesus Christ is to order itself some things are established by positive command other things established by apostolic precedent

7:20 and it's of the second nature that the church of Jesus Christ the second category apostolic precedent it's of this sort that is the change of the Sabbath from the seventh day to the first day of the week there is indeed no positive command changing the day but the precedent set in the apostolic church appears to me to be determinative Philip Schaaf in his History of the Christian Church says that quote the day was transferred from the Sabbath to the first day of the week not on the ground of a particular command but by the free spirit of the gospel and by the power

8:03 of certain great facts that lie at the foundation of the Christian church it was transferred from the seventh to the first day Schaaf says not on the ground of a particular command there is no command found anywhere in the New Testament that says you shall keep the Sabbath on the first day of the week but yet there is he says a transfer on the basis and here I direct your attention to these words to the power of certain great facts that lie at the foundation of the Christian church but now what are these great facts what is Schaaf speaking of

Foundational Facts Warranting the Change: Christ's Resurrection

8:48 when he speaks of great facts that lie at the foundation of the Christian church which warrant the change of the observation of the Sabbath from the seventh day to the first day of the week and furthermore what evidence is there that indeed the apostolic church observed the first day of the week as its distinctive day of rest and worship well these are the two questions we'll take up today first of all what are the great facts what is Schaaf speaking of when he speaks of great facts that lie at the foundation of the church of Jesus Christ upon which the church of Jesus Christ

9:32 has been built by the head of that church and indeed what is there in those facts that warrant the change of the day from the seventh day of the week to the first day of the week well last week in our examination of Hebrews 4 if you will recall we've already anticipated the first great fact or the first event commemorated by a first day Sabbath and that is the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and here I invite you to turn with me please to Luke chapter 23 there are a number of parallels to this passage found in

10:17 Mark 16 in John 20 and in Matthew 28 but in the interest of time we will consider together the closing verses of chapter 23 of Luke's gospel and the opening seven verses of chapter 24 I don't believe there's anything in the other gospels that adds anything different than what is found in this particular passage the context picks up in Luke 23 52 with the coming of Joseph of Arimathea to claim the body of Jesus Christ after his crucifixion and death this man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus and he took it down

11:01 and wrapped it in a linen cloth and laid him in a tomb that was hewn in stone where never man had yet lain and it was the day of the preparation that is the day that Joseph of Arimathea did this was what the Jews called the day of the preparation which was the day before the Sabbath day so the day of preparation was Friday the Sabbath day was the seventh day Saturday so on that sixth day the day of preparation Joseph comes and takes the body of Christ and buries it it was the day of the preparation and the Sabbath drew on or perhaps more accurately

11:46 began to dawn and the women who had come with him out of Galilee that is who had come with Christ out of Galilee followed after and beheld the tomb and how his body was laid and they returned and prepared spices and ointments and on the Sabbath that is the seventh day they rested according to the commandment but on the first day of the week now that is the next day what is to us Sunday at early dawn they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared and they found the stone rolled away from the tomb and they entered in and found not the body

12:30 of the Lord Jesus and it came to pass while they were perplexed thereabout behold two men stood by them in dazzling apparel and as they were afraid and bowed down their faces to the earth they said to them why are you seeking the living among the dead he is not here but is risen remember how he spoke to you when he was yet in Galilee saying that the son of man must be delivered up into the hands of sinners and be crucified and the third day rise again now there is no question whatsoever that Jesus rose from the dead on the first day of the week

13:14 on the sixth day Friday his body was placed in the tomb on that day of preparation for the Jewish seventh day Sabbath on the seventh day on the Jewish Sabbath on Saturday he remained in the tomb the women who had come to prepare his body for its ongoing interment they rested on that day and then on the seventh day on the eighth day excuse me the first day rather on Sunday on the third day from his burial the first day Friday the second Saturday the third Sunday on that third day as Luke says he rose again no question

13:59 as to which day of the week on which Christ arose he arose on the first day of the week on Sunday and as we saw last week in our study of Hebrews 4 on the first day of the week by his resurrection from the dead Christ finished his work of redeeming his people from their sins his work was finished then and when he finished that work he entered into his rest and as a reminder of the finished work of Christ which was at the foundation of the new covenant church his sin

14:44 bearing death his resurrection from the dead that was the foundation of the church the new covenant church of Jesus Christ as a reminder of that finished work and as a pledge of our entering into his rest the day of rest is now changed to the first day of the week in other words the first great fact the first great foundational event commemorated by the first day sabbath is the finished work of Christ which culminated in his resurrection on the first day now I can't go back and work our way through Hebrews chapter 4 again but that's what

15:28 we saw last week that when Christ finished his work he entered into his rest that rest remains to be entered into by all of his people that rest has a day which is a memorial of what Christ had done which is a pledge of our entering into his rest well the first great fact the first great event that warrants the changing of the day you wouldn't change the day for some inconsequential event or fact it's not a minor issue you would not look to some minor small thing and say well this justifies changing the day of the sabbath but the resurrection

Foundational Facts Warranting the Change: The Advent of the Spirit

16:13 of Jesus Christ from the dead was not a minor event it along with the death of our Lord culminating in his very own resurrection was the foundation of his church it was by this means that he redeemed his people from their sins but now the resurrection of Christ is not the only event warranting the change of the day the second great fact the second great event commemorated by a first day sabbath is the coming of the spirit of God and the day at Pentecost Luke records that the exact day of the advent of the spirit was the day of Pentecost Acts 2

16:57 and verse 1 now when was the day of Pentecost well the day of Pentecost occurred 50 days after Passover that is beginning from the sabbath of the Passover with which the Passover began and ending with the day after the seventh sabbath Pentecost Pentecost fell on the first day of the week 50 days after the beginning of Passover which began on a sabbath on a seventh day sabbath the day after the seventh sabbath from that day was the day of Pentecost 50 days falling on the first

17:42 day of the week John Owen says when the Lord Christ intended conspicuously to build his church on the foundation of his works and rest you see he had promised I will build my church but when Owen says he conspicuously began to build that church upon the foundation of his works and rest by sending the Holy Spirit with his miraculous gifts upon the apostles he did it on this day he did it on the first day of the week and therefore when we look to the first day sabbath we are commemorating not merely the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead we are commemorating we are remembering

18:27 the giving of the spirit taken together the finished work of Christ and the advent of the spirit are the two great pillars upon which the new covenant church stands if you want proof of that examine Jeremiah 31 verses 31-34 Jeremiah's prophecy of the new covenant and the things that he says are the peculiar blessings of the new covenant are things that rest on the one hand on the other finished work of Christ and on the other hand on the advent or the coming the work of the Holy Spirit the finished work of Christ the advent of the spirit these are the two great pillars upon which the new covenant church stands

19:10 and seeing that that is so that these are not inconsequential things these are not minor things the resurrection of our Lord from the dead the coming of the spirit on the day of Pentecost seeing that these are major items in the history of redemption these are epic making events that changed old covenant to new covenant is it then unreasonable to think that the day of rest would change to reflect these great facts to reflect these great events Christopher Wordsworth gives poetic expression to the point I'm trying to make when he speaks speaking of the Lord's day in his hymn he says on thee at the creation the light first had its birth he's speaking

19:55 of the first day of creation the first day of that creation week when God said let there be light on thee at the creation the light first had its birth on thee for our salvation Christ rose from depths of earth on thee our Lord victorious the spirit sent from heaven and thus on thee most glorious a triple light was given Wordsworth has laid hold on the very truth I'm trying to make today and that is that there is more than sufficient warrant to account for the change of the day from the seventh day unto the first day of the week the great fact upon which this day stands the resurrection of Jesus Christ

Apostolic Practice: Christ's Post-Resurrection Appearances

20:40 and the advent the coming of the Holy Spirit but now it's one thing to say well yes we can see certain great facts and we can say well that would certainly warrant the change of the day but is it true that the new covenant church looked to the first day of the week as its distinctive day of rest and worship and that brings us to our second question what evidence leads us to believe that the apostolic church observed the first day of the week as its distinctive day of rest and worship is there anything in the scripture that points us in this direction well indeed there is now on this point

21:25 let's consider first of all the activity of the day of our Lord Jesus Christ after his resurrection we know and I'll simply give you the references we'll not look at them but we know that it was on the day of his resurrection the very same first day of the week that he rose from the dead that he appeared to Mary Magdalene John chapter 20 it was on this same day that he appeared to two disciples on the road to Emmaus Luke chapter 24 and he appeared to Mary Magdalene and he appeared to Mary Magdalene and he appeared to Mary Magdalene and he appeared to Mary Magdalene and he appeared it's on this day this very same day the first day of the week that he rose from the dead it's on this day that he appeared to the eleven Luke 24

22:10 and John 20 give the account of that and it was on this occasion that the scripture tells us that Thomas was absent and Thomas later confesses he will not believe the report of Jesus' resurrection except he says I shall see in his hands the print of the nails and put my hand into his side it was on that first Lord's day that first day of the week on which Christ arose from the dead he appeared to Mary Magdalene appeared to the disciples on the way to Emmaus appeared to the eleven gathered together and in that meeting Thomas is absent and Thomas

22:54 says I will not believe till I see the print in his hands till I see the wound in his and I'll put my hand in the wound of his side now when did Jesus relieve Thomas' doubts here I ask that you turn with me to John chapter 20 John chapter 20 when was it that Jesus looked with special pity upon Thomas to relieve the doubts of one of his apostles we find the answer in John 20 verses 26 to 28 and as after eight days again his disciples

23:39 were within that is were gathered together inside and Thomas with them Jesus comes the door being shut and stood in the midst and said peace be to you then he says to Thomas reach here your finger and see my hand and reach here your hand and put it into my side and be not faithless but believing Thomas answered and said to him my Lord and my God now note what is said in verse 26 and after eight days again his disciples were within and Thomas with them

24:22 the reference to after eight days by the Jewish method of reckoning time places this appearance of Christ again on the first day of the week when the Jews reckoned time from one day to another they always included the day upon which or the present day from which they were counting so they would have included that first Lord's day that first first day gathering that they had all the intervening days of the week and the next first day upon which Jesus appeared eight days but it included first day of the week to first day of the week on this day the disciples

25:06 again are assembled together there is no indication to indicate to indicate or to show us that they have gathered together in this fashion in the intervening week in fact we are left with a distinct impression that they have not gathered together in this way John says and after eight days again the disciples were within the implication is that was not true up to that point Matthew Poole suggests that they were assembled on this day in hope that Christ might manifest his presence again among them and indeed Jesus appears on this occasion as he did the previous first day and on this occasion he relieves Thomas'

25:51 doubts John Owen Berry judiciously observes he says hence Christ left Thomas under his doubts a whole week before he gave him his gracious conviction that he might do it in the assembly of his disciples on the first day of the week why did Christ wait an entire week to manifest himself to Thomas to dispel to relieve his doubts why did he not come immediately why did he not come on the Monday the Tuesday the Wednesday the Thursday the Friday even the next Saturday the Jewish Sabbath and relieve the doubts of Thomas

Apostolic Practice: Church Gatherings in Acts

26:35 no he waits until the first day of the week till his disciples are all gathered assembled together and then he appears and he relieves the doubts of his apostles now we know that after Christ's ascension Jesus' disciples gathered in distinctive Christian assemblies from the very beginning we read in Acts chapter 1 we read in Acts chapter 2 further along throughout the book of Acts from the very beginning as soon as Christ is ascended to heaven his disciples do not cease to meet but they meet together in distinctive Christian assemblies from the very beginning on the day of

27:19 Pentecost for example the first day of the week we read Acts 2 and verse 1 they were all together in one place and that as we've already seen was again the first day of the week and later on in the book of Acts we will read that Paul addressed the church at Troel and very specific reference is made to the first day of the week when Luke says we were gathered together to break bread and the right reference there is likely to their corporate I ask that you turn to Acts chapter 20 we're not told of every gathering of the church that would have required Luke to write a book twice the length of the one that

28:04 he did periodically he gives certain references he certainly shows the church gathering in their distinctive assemblies from the first on the day of Pentecost they are gathered together in just such an assembly and when we come to Acts chapter 20 to Paul's visit to Troas in the province of Asia we again find one of those notes where the spirit of God underscores the day on which the church of Jesus Christ Christ gathered Acts 20 and verse 6 and we that is Luke Paul and their companions sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread and came unto them to Troas in five days and where we tarried

28:49 seven days and upon the first day of the week when we were gathered together to break bread Paul discoursed with them intending to depart on the morrow and prolonged his speech until midnight on the first day of the week he says he was there seven days but on the first day of the week when we were gathered together to break bread Paul discoursed with them intending to depart on the morrow prolonged his speech until midnight now the reference here to breaking of bread appears elsewhere in the book of Acts we find it in Acts 2 and verse 42

29:34 and they continue to steadfastly Luke says in the apostles teaching and in fellowship in the breaking of bread and the prayers and Luke's words here as he refers to the breaking of bread have been understood in a couple of ways either as referring to ordinary meals shared by the disciples or to the Lord's table or the Lord's supper on the one hand those who say well these are the ordinary meals of the disciples that have shared together they point to the remarkable generosity of the early disciples what we find recorded in Acts 2 and in Acts 4 and they say that amongst the things that they shared amongst the possessions they shared they shared of course their food

30:18 and we also know that in the custom of the day that ordinary meals were begun by the breaking of bread in fact down to this very day we still invite people to break bread with us and so they say this is an ordinary meal and that's what's referred to in Acts 20 as well but others say no the reference to breaking of bread has reference to the Lord's table and they point to the fact that Jesus used the breaking of bread to inaugurate the Lord's supper Matthew 26 and verse 26 and that association of the breaking of bread with the Lord's supper has led many to say that Luke in Acts 2 and in

31:03 Acts 20 is referring to the distinctive ordinance of the Lord's table which was very much a part of apostolic worship now some writers propose a combination of these ideas and I find myself in their company that is of a communal meal associated with the observance of the Lord's table and that's likely what Jude is referring to when Jude makes mention of the agape or the love feast we find Jude in Jude 12 2 Peter 2 and verse 13 making reference to a peculiar feast that was observed in the early church the love feast and we also know that these occasions if indeed that is what Acts 20 is about would have

31:48 fallen on the first day of the week and that's what we would expect we would expect the church is distinctive feast their distinctive feast would take place on the church's distinctive day but we also know that abuses eventually led the church to abandon the common meal as the venue for observing the Lord's table they didn't abandon the Lord's table but you'll remember what Paul has to say in 1 Corinthians 11 of the abuses the gross abuses that were taking place at that common meal well there was no ordinance of Christ that established the common meal there was an ordinance that established the Lord's table of the Lord's supper so they were at perfect liberty to abandon the common

32:33 meal but they retained the ordinance of Christ the Lord's supper but at the time that Paul visits Troas it is still very early in the history of the church and it may still have been the practice in Troas to have this common meal with the Lord's supper but I believe we ought to when we read Acts 2 we ought to when we read Acts 20 to see a reference to the church gathering to observe the ordinance of Christ the Lord's table and the implication of this reference is that this incident took place on the day that the church ordinarily ordinarily gathered for her worship the way that Luke

33:17 includes a reference here to the church meeting on the first day of the week he introduces it with no further explanation he does not explain for the sake of his readers why the church is gathering on the first day of the week he simply introduces the fact as though his readers will understand what he is referring to as Owen says there is no further explanation indicating that this is that which was in common observance among the disciples of Jesus Christ and here I would like to read just a very brief comment by Owen on this point he says I doubt not but in the seven days that the apostle abode there remember in the preceding verse verse 6 says he was

34:02 there seven days Owen says I doubt not but in the seven days that the apostle abode there he taught and preached as he had occasion in the houses of the believers but it was the first day of the week when they used according to their duty to assemble the whole body of them for the celebration of the solemn observances or ordinances of the church on the first day of the week though he was there seven days they gathered together to observe the Lord's table now that the first day of the week was the distinctive day of worship in the apostolic church is certainly hinted at in Acts 20 but I think it's even more clearly established when we

Apostolic Practice: Paul's Instructions for Collections

34:47 turn to one of his letters to 1 Corinthians chapter 16 and here turn with me to that portion of God's word we're again asking the question what evidence is there that if there was a change of the day that the apostolic church observed the first day of the week and did not continue as the distinctive day of the people of God the distinctive Lord's day with the seventh day well we see in 1 Corinthians 16 again one of those references that the spirit gives us to point very clearly in this direction Paul writing to the brethren in Corinth says now concerning the collection for the saints as I gave order to the churches of Galatia so also do ye

35:32 upon the first day of the week let each one of you lay by him in store as he may prosper that no collections be made when I come and when I arrive whomsoever you shall approve them will I send with letters to carry your bounty to Jerusalem and if it be meet for me to go also they shall go with me now the context here is the collection of a relief offering for the poor saints in Jerusalem a relief offering being gathered not only at Corinth but from all the churches that lay on Paul's route as he's making his way back to Jerusalem

36:16 and he makes reference here to orders already given to the churches of Galatia which lay to the east of where Paul was situated at that point he's riding to Corinth he's going to come through Corinth he's going to make his way through by the churches of Galatia eventually back to Jerusalem and he has ordered that a collection be made and laid aside for the poor saints of Jerusalem now in my mind this text is one of the most conclusive passages in favor of the change of the day here Paul directs the Corinthians to do also what he has charged

37:01 the brethren in Galatia to do in the matter of the collection for the poor saints in Jerusalem which he will carry eventually to Jerusalem they are to place their contributions in a common treasury so that there will be no need for Paul to make a collection as he passes through from Macedonia on his way to Jerusalem there's not to be he says I don't want to have to make a collection when I come I want you to deposit your contributions in a common treasury so that it's ready when I come to carry on to Jerusalem this is what I've commanded in the churches of Galatia this is what I'm

37:46 commanding you there in Corinth as well and to this end that all will be in readiness when he comes he says to them verse two upon the first day of the week let each one of you lay by him in store as he may prosper that no collections be made when I come now Paul is not saying that each one ought to lay aside his contributions at home for then brethren any day of the week would do as well as any other if all he is saying is lay your contributions each one of you lay by himself

38:30 at home then why I reference to the first day of the week what difference could it conceivably make what day that you made your contribution into your private pile or into your private envelope for the poor saints in Jerusalem no that's not the point you see in specifying the first day of the week he makes it clear that he is speaking of an activity which is to take place at the same time on the same day in fact he is speaking of an activity to take place at the time of the public assembly which he assumes will take place on the same day as the churches of Galatia that is on the first

39:15 day of the week this is what he said to the brethren in Galatia on the first day of the week each one of you lay by him as the Lord prospers that no collection be made when

39:33 a paragraph out of Owen as he deals with this issue he says the constant day of the church's solemn assemblies being fixed he here takes it for granted and directs them to the observance of a special duty on that day he assumes that the first day of the week is going to be a day when they can make their contributions to a common treasury Owen says that the constant day of the church's solemn assemblies being fixed Paul here takes it for granted and directs them to the observance of a special duty on that day what some accept that is that there is no mention of any such assembly in the text but only that everyone on that day should lay

40:18 by himself what he would give which everyone might do at home or where they please that exception he says is exceeding weak and unsuitable to the mind of the apostle for to what end should they be limited to a day and that the first day of the week for the doing of that which might be as well to as good purpose and advantage before did any other time or any other day of the week whatsoever and you can read commentary after commentary after commentary and even those who

40:54 if any day would have done if any place would have done and Owen points to the weakness of saying that well there's no reference to their assembling here Owen goes on to say besides it was to be such a laying aside such a treasuring of it in a common stock as that there should be no need of any collection when the apostle came but if this was done only privately it would not of itself come together at his coming so it wasn't going to gather itself but must be collected if this is something that happened everyone lay by himself at home

41:39 then still a collection had to be made and Paul's instructions was that there be no collection when he came it seems to me the sober interpretation of these texts must come to the point of saying that the first day of the week was the day established in the apostolic churches and when Paul gave charge to the Galatians when he gave charge to the Corinthians they knew exactly when and in what setting he was charging them to make this collection for the poor saints of Jerusalem but now lastly Revelation 1 verses 9 and 10 Revelation

Apostolic Practice: The Lord's Day in Revelation

42:24 chapter 1 verses 9 and 10 in this text we find a term that we've not seen elsewhere in the New Testament and that term is the Lord's Day we've seen allusions to this type of language in the Old Testament where the Sabbath Day was called God's Day but this is the first time in the New Testament we found this language the Lord's Day Revelation 1 verse 9 I John your brother and partaker with you in the tribulation and kingdom and patience which are in Jesus

43:08 was in the isle that is called Patmos for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus I was in the spirit on the Lord's Day and I heard behind me a great voice as of a trumpet John tells us that it was on what he calls the Lord's Day that he was brought into this state that he describes as being in the spirit and on that occasion the voice of the risen Christ spoke to him now John writes near the end of the first century

43:51 at the time that the book of Revelation was written the best judgment of the most confident scholars is that it's approximately the year 90 A.D.

44:05 it has been approximately 60 years or 55 years so to speak from the resurrection of Jesus Christ and by this time the ministry of all the apostles except John is concluded Peter has been martyred Paul has been martyred all the rest of the apostles are off the scene John alone remains and he is in exile on the isle of Patmos by this time the practice of the apostolic church which he as an apostle had helped to establish that practice of is fixed

44:49 this is the last portion of scripture being written the practice the order of the new covenant church has been established and in writing now to the seven churches of Asia Minor or to seven churches in Asia Minor he is writing to churches likely established as the result of Paul's Ephesian ministry the church in Ephesus was the first church established in the province of Asia and the best we can tell it was by the labors not only of Paul but of others like Epaphras going

45:30 geographically these churches are situated between the Galatian churches just to the east and the Corinthian church to the west geographically close to both of these concentrations of Christians founded by the labors of the same apostle the churches in Galatia the church at

46:00 in Asia it seems to me given their geographical proximity given the fact that they were established through the ministry of the same apostle the apostle Paul it seems to me it would be incredible if these churches did not have the same general order and indeed including the same day of public worship it would seem to me incredible that these churches in Asia to which John now writes it would seem to unthinkable that they would have a different day as their distinctive day of rest and worship from the brethren in Corinth and the brethren in Galatia now as

46:45 we've already seen in Acts 20 at least one church in the province of Asia at Troas Troas is located in the same province as these seven churches mentioned in the book of Revelation we already know that at least one church in Asia met for public worship on the first day of the week and we know from what we read in 1 Corinthians 16 this was also the practice in Galatia and in Corinth well if this is the case if this is the day that is recognized in the province of Galatia if this is the day that is recognized in the province of Achaia where Corinth is found

47:30 if this is

47:35 then surely this is the day of public worship observed in all of the apostolic churches there's no indication of any apostolic church in this period meeting on any other occasion now when John writes to the churches of Asia he doesn't explain what he means by the phrase the Lord's day he simply uses the term in the same way that Luke uses the reference there in Acts 20 just in the same way that Paul uses the reference in 1st Corinthians 16 2 to the first day of the week there's no explanation there's no word attending to say now let me tell you

48:20 why this day is important no when John writes he doesn't explain what he means by the Lord's day but surely brethren it is right to assume that the brethren in Asia knew what day he was

48:39 to what he meant as Owen again says he did not surprise the churches John did not surprise the churches with a new name that is a new name for a holy day but denoted to them the time of his visions by the name of the day which was well known to them he wants them to know what day it was that these visions came to him they came to him he says on the Lord's day well what day is the Lord's day what day at this point is the Lord's day

49:23 why is it called the Lord's day well it is called the Lord's day because it belongs to Jesus Christ or because it has some special reference to him otherwise it wouldn't be called the Lord's day the reference to the Lord at this point is to the Lord Jesus Christ and this day is called the Lord's day not simply for no reason but either because it belongs to him it is the Lord's day or it has some special reference to him well even as the Lord's supper has special reference its name is a memorial to the Lord's death

50:07 so the Lord's day derives its name from the fact that it is the memorial of the Lord's resurrection is this not then the first day Sabbath the Lord's supper when we go looking in the New Testament and say is there any phrase like this is there anything new that is attributed to the Lord well the Lord's table 1 Corinthians 11 20 that language is used the Lord's supper rather it has that name because it is a memorial it is to be traced to the Lord's death this do in remembrance of me it is his ordinance it is a memorial of his death well the Lord's day

50:52 likewise derives its name from the fact that it is a memorial not of the Lord's death but of the Lord's resurrection in a word the Lord's day of which John speaks is the first day of the week it is the distinctive day of public worship observed in

Confirmation from Early Church Fathers

51:16 pastor that all sounds very good is there anything else that as it were kind of nails the whole thing down well there is you see though we do not give evidence from the church fathers from the early second century fathers the same way that we do scripture we don't regard their writings as inspired yet on the other hand we don't simply turn away from them as though they have nothing of value to say to us and we find in the writings of the church fathers in the next generation after the apostles we do find reference to the distinctive day of worship of the new covenant church philip shop arguably the greatest church historian of the

52:00 19th century said and here i quote the universal and uncontradicted sunday observance in the second century can only be explained by the fact that it had its roots in apostolic practice here is this great church historian who has done his homework this is no novice he is arguably the greatest church historian of the last century and he says the universal and uncontradicted sunday observance that is first day of the week observance in the next century that is the second century can only be explained by the fact that it had its roots in apostolic practice

52:44 now i'm not competent to evaluate shop's accuracy when he speaks using the language universal and uncontradicted sunday observance in the second century i'm not that kind of a church historian but there are a couple of sources that i can point you to that i think have great relevance to the issue at hand and here i would like to first of all read to you a section from a letter by a church father named ignatius ignatius lived from 30 a.d to 107 a.d he died approximately 15 to 20 years after the death of the apostle john born in 30

53:28 a.d the approximate time of the death of our lord jesus christ so here is a man who grew up in that apostolic generation he is not an apostle he does not write by inspiration he writes in the next century he is included with the second century fathers but here what he has to say in an epistle he wrote and this is the reference he says the observance of the sabbath that is in accord with the observance of the sabbath let every friend of christ keep the lord's day as a festival the resurrection day the queen and chief of all

54:13 the days of the week here is a man who wrote no later than 117 a.d no later than approximately 20 years after the death of the apostle john and he says in accord with the observance of the sabbath let every friend of christ keep the lord's day as a festival and what is that day ignatius the resurrection day the queen and chief of all the days of the week on which our life both sprang up again and the victory over death was obtained in christ whom the children of perdition the enemies of the savior deny whose god is their belly who mind earthly things who are

55:00 god having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof first day of the week resurrection day ignatius says is the lord's day likewise justin martyr justin martyr born in 110 dies in 165 again in that second generation of christian writers and in what is called his first apology where he's defending christianity against the judaism of his day justin says and on the day called sunday all who live in cities or in the country gather together to one place and the

55:45 memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read as long as time permits then when the reader has ceased the president verbally instructs and exhorts to the imitation of these good things then we all rise together and pray and as we before said when our prayer is ended bread and wine and water are brought and the president in like manner offers prayers and thanksgivings according to his ability and the people as sent saying amen and there is a distribution to each and a participation of that over which thanks have been given and to those who are absent a portion is sent by the deacons but sunday

56:30 is the day on which we all 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 christ our savior on the same day rose from the dead for he was crucified on the day before that of saturn that is on the day before saturday and on the day after that of saturn which is the day of the sun

57:03 disciples he taught them these things which we have submitted to you also for your consideration but sunday he says is the day on which we all hold our common assembly 165 a.d.

57:24 and then eusebius of caesarea the great church historian who wrote about 325 a.d. in commenting on psalm 92 which is entitled in the hebrew bible a psalm for the sabbath day eusebius says the word that is christ by the new covenant translated and transferred the feast of the sabbath to the morning light and gave us the symbol of the true rest the saving lord's day the first of life in which the savior gained the victory over death all things which it was the duty to do on the sabbath these we have transferred to the lord's day as more appropriately belonging to it because

58:09 it has the precedence and is first in rank and more honorable than the jewish sabbath you can already see in eusebius statement there is the creeping in of other things that are not apostolic calling the lord's day the saving lord's day be that as it may he is drawing our attention to the fact that in these early centuries of the christian church there

Conclusion and Call to Observe the Lord's Day

58:36 was a distinctive day of christian rest and worship it was the first day of the week now from what we've seen today is it not sufficiently clear can we not say with reasonable confidence though we do not have a positive command is it not reasonably clear that the first day of the week is the christian sabbath it is the lord's day it is a day that belongs to him it is a memorial of his resurrection it is in addition a memorial of the giving of the spirit our lord's appearances on this day invested it with special sanctity

59:21 from the beginning his disciples were gathered in their distinctive assemblies on this day the apostles the church fathers beginning with ignatius with justin and others who passed away just a few years after the last of the apostles they know of

59:41 worship for the church of jesus christ except the first day of the week as to the proportion of time recognized as belonging especially to the lord on his day it is the same as in every preceding age one day of sacred rest after six days of labor and it is still a blessed day to all who keep that day holy of this day the lord's day our sunday therefore we may rightly say with the psalmist psalm 118 24 this is the day that the lord has made let us rejoice and be glad in it

60:25 it is not without warrant that we gather in this building on a sunday morning the lord's day the first day of the week this is the day set by apostolic precedent this is the day that has been recognized by those who followed the apostles this is the lord's day the christian sabbath now next time by way of practical application of all that we've seen we're going to take up the subject of the proper observance of the lord's day how ought we to keep the sabbath holy what principles are to guide us what is

61:09 legitimate what is illegitimate we'll begin to take that up next time but in closing this morning i want to read for you one further quote from owen i hope you'll bear with me and i hope that what owen says in this statement is going to ring true with all who love the lord's day owen is speaking at this point towards the end of his treatment of the subject of the sabbath and he is speaking in terms of his own observations in his own generation he says for my part i must not only say but plead while i live in this world and leave this testimony to the present and future ages if these papers see the light and do survive

61:53 i must say that if i have ever seen anything in the ways and worship of god in which the power of religion or godliness has been expressed anything that has been or that has represented the holiness of the gospel and its author anything that has looked like a foretaste unto the everlasting sabbath and rest with god which we aim through grace to come into if there is anything of this owen says that i have seen it has been there and with them where and amongst whom the lord's day hath been had in the highest esteem

62:38 and a strict observation of it attended unto as an ordinance of our lord jesus christ now owen was a very astute observer of his day and a very good student of the history of the church and as he looked about himself in that puritan age and owen lived long enough to see many changes take place in great britain he longed to see the sabbath again come into vogue in christ church and he lived to see it go out of vogue in christ church and owen says if i have seen anything in which the power of religion or godliness has been expressed anything that has represented

63:23 the holiness of the gospel and its author anything that has represented anything that has looked like a foretaste of that everlasting sabbath and rest with god which we aim through grace to come into it has been there and with them where and among whom the lord's day has been had in highest esteem and a strict observation of it attended unto as an ordinance of our lord jesus christ the remembrance he says of their ministry their walking and behavior their faith and love who in this nation have most zealously pleaded for and have been in their persons families and churches the most strict observers of this day will be

64:08 precious with them that fear the lord while the sun and moon and year their doctrine in this matter with the blessing that attended it was that which multitudes now at rest do bless god for and many that are yet alive do greatly rejoice in let these things be despised by those otherwise minded to me they are of great weight and importance owen is saying if i have ever seen a beautiful age of the church it's where the sabbath is going to be if i've ever seen anything that looks like a taste of heaven it's been the lord's days amongst his people if i have ever seen more blessing more indication of the glory and holiness of the

64:53 gospel and of its author it has been amongst whom there where this day is observed now my purpose in reading this statement is not to forewarn you that i intend to press for the strictest imaginable sabbath observance in the messages that lie ahead that's not reality i'm not going to come with a list of sabbath rules that would put the pharisees to shame i do not intend to come to you with a list of regulations a list of applications i do not intend to come to you with every decision made i do not intend to come with the

65:38 consider as we come to this final segment of our stay i do ask you to consider whether a careful observance of the lord's day such as owen here describes is not in fact in this generation a matter of great weight and importance is this a small thing if we are to stand as lights in this world if we are to be salt and light in a crooked and perverse generation if we are to stand for reformation in a declining church is this a small thing to return to the lord's day

66:22 and to give it the honor which indeed it deserves as the lord's day indeed is it not a matter in which there will be in our generation as well a foretaste of that heavenly rest is that not something to be greatly desired and to be diligently pursued to keep the sabbath holy and by that appointed means have something rather of a foretaste may god be pleased when we come again

67:07 and take up how do we keep god's day how do we keep the lord's day rightly may god be pleased to come to bring us together with the attitude yes it is worthy of desiring such a day it is worthy of diligently pursuing such a day it is our lord's day let us pray our father as we draw near again we do ask your blessing upon us we thank you for this day we thank you for the lord's day that you have made we rejoice so lord and are glad in it

67:51 and pray that you will bless us that throughout this day we might by your grace honor you in all things and find in it that foretaste of heaven that pledge of eternal rest lord we do thank you and praise you for your kindness in making the sabbath for man we ask these things in jesus name