Of course, we aren't to forsake the assembly of ourselves together (Heb 10:25), and I love the passion of the nascent Church that met together every day (Acts 2:43), but what should Christians believe about a weekly day for worship and rest, which some commonly call either the Lord's Day, Sunday, or the Sabbath? Though the concepts found in Perspectives on the Sabbath: Four Views will stretch the normal Christian, I encourage every pastor, if they haven't wrestled through this issue: 1) To read this or a similar book; 2) To take the topic seriously; 3) To lead those you serve into the rest of the Lord (Heb 4:1-11). Mark Buchanan put this topic within the thoughts of every believer, albeit with a conclusion similar to what is laid out below, when he wrote The Rest of God: Restoring Your Soul by Restoring Sabbath. Besides its editor, Perspectives on the Sabbath has four contributors. I learned a few things from my two brothers (Pipa and MacCarty), who are Sabbatarians, but I don't agree with them that every Christian must take either Saturday (the Sabbath Day for MacCarty) or Sunday (the LORD's Day for Pipa) as a day of worship and rest.
Ezra sought to learn, teach, and practice God's ways laid out for his community of faith. As a follower of Jesus and husband, I've attempted to do the same and briefly lay out below my personal thoughts on a weekly day of worship and rest, as it applies to my family and myself. Those in authority at the local church and denomination level, of course, impact how these things play out in these two communities.
A Disputed Matter: During the church's first 300 years, the communities that expected their people to observe a Sabbath day established that day as either Saturday or Sunday. Sunday as the primary mandated day of worship and rest became a reality for more and more Western Christians, chiefly through three religious movements: the efforts of Constantine, the Reformation, and the life of American Puritans. However, Paul fiercely attacked anything that raised its head in judgment against someone, because of their observance or nonobservance of practices that weren't central to the gospel (Gal 1-6). I believe that "there remains a Sabbath-rest for the people of God" and that every Christian must "make every effort to enter that rest" (Heb 4:9-11; cf., Psa 62:1, 5).
However, if we're all honest, we must admit: 1) The Bible recognizes that there will be different conclusion about an actual day of rest and worship and that no one should pass judgment on this `disputable matter' (Rom 14:4-6; 22-23; Gal 4:10-15; Col 2:16-17). 2) The personal lenses used by sincere, God-fearing Christians to study this issue can bring about different conclusions. At times, even a person's calling, temperament, and traditions or their spiritual maturity level, current age and family dynamics can tint these glasses. For the nascent church, this was especially true, as it contained both Jewish and Gentile Christians, coming from different heritages but united by their common faith in Christ Jesus (Gal 3:26-28).
Regardless of what someone thinks about an actual day of rest (viz., Saturday, Sunday, any one day out of seven, or no special day or sequence) without Jesus there is no rest or renewal or reconnection or corporate worship, even if someone habitually observes a particular day for religious purposes. Further, though the NT's special mention of the Lord's Day (e.g., John 20:27; Acts 20:7; 1 Cor 16:1-2; Rev 1:10) may encourage Sunday as a day of worship and rest, nowhere does it mandate it. The NT singles out and reinforces from the Law nine of the Ten Commandments, but not the Fourth Commandment. Instead, Paul declares the observance of a Sabbath a disputable matter and challenges us, regardless of our belief on this topic to accept one another and make every effort to do what leads to peace and mutual edification.
Jesus: Jesus never violated or did away with the Jewish Sabbath that was established by the Mosaic Law. He did, however: 1) Fiercely attack the many Jewish traditions that had attached themselves to this particular day; 2) Boldly assert his authority and unique position as God's earthly Law-Interpreter; 3) Repeatedly demonstrate that "the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath" (Matt 12:1-14; Mark 2:27); 4) Unashamedly proclaim a 24-7 rest to whoever would come to him (Matt 11:28-30).
However, the religious interpreters of the law in Jesus' day believed that Jesus' Sabbath-keeping looked more like Sabbath-breaking. What an irony: those who knew little about rest, found fault with Jesus' Sabbath perspective, whose every action and word came from rest and was meant to draw others back into the restful arms of the Father. As Jesus went about making this happen, he broke manmade, religious rules, which included putting back into the Jewish Sabbath the rule of love and life. For God's Mosaic Sabbath was always intended to serve God's people and weekly bring goodness and life and perspective into their lives. Unfortunately, the Sabbath of Jesus' day actually ended up demanding from God's people and draining them. Let's remember that Jesus' promise of rest was given to the multitude, whose religious system had left them weary, carrying heavy burdens, and minus rest.
A Personal Belief and Practice: Jesus offers everyone a life of rest! In order to walk in this rest, I've found it helpful to habitually, but not legalistically, take a `day' per week to more fully engage with my LORD, who gives me perspective and life. This particular day, for me, is a time to rest and commune with God's people, my family, and especially with the LORD, my Creator and Redeemer. On this day, I more fully commune with my Abba and am refreshed by him - his Word, his presence, Christ in others - so that my entire life may better rest in and live from his finished work. Further, though this day may involve being available to `do good for the sheep that falls into a pit (Matt 12:11-12), which can easily happen for this pastor, it typically includes stopping the many obligations and duties that scream for my attention during the other six days. After starting my day with a wonderful time of personal worship, prayerful reading of the Word, then community worship and the hearing of the Word, I look forward to seeing how things unfold from there. It could involve a nap, or a walk, or watching grandkids, or ...
My Sabbath conviction stands both as a regular reminder to me that my efforts are not the primary reason why `things get done' and in stark contrast to my culture, which values unending activity and a perspective that `God helps them who help themselves'. God's work is first done by `shouts of grace' to the temple builders (Zech 4) and `handfuls of plenty' thrown out in front of the harvesters (Ruth 2:16). My labors are an important but lagging part of this dynamic.
I also usually take a segment of each day and an extended period per year with the same `Sabbath-day' goals in mind. Each of these three `times of rest' uniquely function as an oasis in the midst of life - a time that involves rest, retreat, remembering, refocusing, renewing, and reconnecting. God uses these three repetitive, time specific but not legalistically maintained periods in my life to replenish and strengthen my continual relationship with him, my wife, my family, and my community of faith. They help me daily walk in the Sabbath-rest promised to me.
Currently, I find it helpful to take Friday as a personal Sabbath. When my family was younger and I was pastoring a small church without Sunday night commitments, Sunday worked better as a day of rest and worship. I know some pastors of young families, who take Saturday as a family day of rest and worship. Many Christians, who aren't employed by the church, still see the Lord's Day (Sunday), as a day of rest and worship within the setting of their local church.
My scriptural reasons for this spiritual discipline, which are many, are primarily based on: 1) God's pre-Mosaic Creation pattern of one day of rest with seven days of work (Gen 2:2-3); 2) This pattern subsequently given as a command to God's representative community of faith, the nation of Israel (Exo 20:8-11; Deut 5:12-15). But they also take root from the lives of many giants of the faith, who've practiced and benefited from this discipline over the years. Eugene Peterson, in his book Working the Angles, describes the Sabbath this way: "Uncluttered time and space to distance ourselves from the frenzy of our own activities so we can see what God has been and is doing. If we do not regularly quit work for one day a week we take ourselves far too seriously. The moral sweat pouring off our brows blinds us to the primal action of God in and around us."
Have you thought about how these things might apply to your life? Don't follow my pattern, minus your own personal conviction! Let's remember: "whatever is not of faith is sin." Do you want to pass judgment on person, with respect to this disputable matter, a person God has accepted? Let's remember: "Make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification ... Accept one another." (Rom 14:19-15:7)
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Simon
Really great book. What I love about the Perspectives series ...
Reviewed in Australia on December 26, 2016
Mr. Richard A. Scholes
Challenging and differing views
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 25, 2013