WHY DON'T CHRISTIANS WORSHIP ON THE SABBATH?
People often ask the question - "What is the Sabbath and why don't Christians worship on the Sabbath? VERY GOOD QUESTIONS and God's Word has the answers!
WHAT IS THE SABBATH?
We will begin our brief study by looking at Deuteronomy 5:15 - "And remember that you were a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought you out from there through a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the Sabbath Day."
Several things to note: ISRAEL was brought out from the land of Egypt through God's power . . . not through their own effort. The Sabbath Day was a day of complete rest so that the people of Israel would remember that they were delivered through no effort of their own. The Sabbath is a covenant between the people of Israel and the LORD . . . it is not a covenant between the Gentiles and God as we read in Exodus 31:17- "It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever . . ."
The Jewish Sabbath was a day of complete rest . . . not of public worship. Leviticus 23:3 declares - "Six day shall work be done; but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; you shall do no work therein; it is the sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings."
It should also be noted that there was no sabbath day of rest until Exodus chapter 16 when God began to provide manna for the people to eat in the wilderness. The day of rest and no labor was another reminder that the LORD provided food for His children through no effort of their own. Remembering God's work among us in redemption and provision is vitally important. We who are born-again must never forget that we were saved through NO EFFORT OF OUR OWN as we read in Ephesians 2:8-9 - "For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God - Not of works lest any man should boast."
WHY FIRST DAY WORSHIP INSTEAD OF THE SABBATH?
Born-again believers gather together on the first day of the week . . . NOT to remember deliverance from slavery in the land of Egypt . . . but to remember and celebrate the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Note the following:
John 20:19 - "Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said unto them, Peace be unto you." Jesus appeared unto His disciples after He was resurrected from the dead on the first day of the week.
Acts 20:7 - "And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them . . ." The disciples of Christ gathered together on the first day of the week to worship, fellowship, break bread, and be instructed in the Word of God.
The Apostle Paul even instructed the believers in Corinth to support the work of Christ when they came together on the first day of the week - "Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God has prospered him." 1 Corinthians 16:2
On the Isle of Patmos, the Apostle John was worshipping the Lord on the first day of the week as we read in Revelation 1:10 - "I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and that last . . ." NOTE: Every day should be a day of worship for those of us who know the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord . . . but it is interesting that the Lord Jesus Himself appeared to John on the first day of the week!
THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK SPEAKS OF GOD'S GIFT OF GRACE!
We need to remember the difference between the Old Testament economy and that of the New Testament - "For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." John 1:17
During the days of the Old Testament, believers would labor six days, and be rewarded with a day of rest . . . the Sabbath. Work first, then rest.
During these days of grace by faith, we are given the first day of the week as a day of worship, fellowship, and celebration. Then we are to go out and labor for the master out of love and devotion.
WE ALL NEED A DAY OF REST! We would be wise to "come apart before we come apart"! The first day of the week is NOT THE SABBATH as some Christians have mistakenly declared. Saturday is and will always be the Sabbath. If you want to observe the Sabbath, rest . . . stay home . . . don't work like you do on other days . . . make it a special family day at home . . . rest up so that you can gather with other believers of the first day of the week to worship and minister to one another!