If you haven't read the previous post, "Thinking About the Lord's Day," you should read that before reading this, as I'm picking up here where I left off there.
I've been doing a lot of thinking about the Lord's Day lately, especially considering the "buzz" over starting a Saturday night service. The funny thing is, the question I posed to the Community Groups on that subject had nothing to do with any intention on my part to launch such a service! But since many churches have gone that direction, I thought I'd throw that scenario out there in light of our study of the Sabbath, its fulfillment in Christ, and the resulting implications for believers today, both individually and corporately.
In thinking further on this whole issue of a Saturday night service, I'm mindful of what my friend, Dr. Timothy Tennent, declared at the September convocation at Asbury Theological Seminary: "Only a sustained theological reflection is able to penetrate and unmask the pragmatic, market driven assumptions which largely go unchecked in today's evangelical churches." Tennent then goes on to cite just a couple of examples that, in his opinion, lead us into the very heart of the issue. I've highlighted what I consider to be particularly striking statements.
Somewhere in America at some church meeting a decision was reached to change the name of the place they worshipped from the word "sanctuary" to "worship center" or "celebration center." Furthermore, they decided to build a space which could be used as a gymnasium during the week and a place of worship on Sunday. Having a dedicated space only for worship seemed like a shocking waste of money. Indeed, they had at least 5 reasons for doing this. What concerns me is that they probably never stopped to reflect theologically that there just might be 6 reasons not to do it. Of course, maybe there were only four and the "celebration center" in the gym would have carried the day. The point is, that reflection never happened.
Somewhere in America on some Sunday morning the first man or woman walked into a worship service with a baseball cap and a cup of coffee in their hand. It is now quite common. The pastor would surely offer three or four impressive reasons why this was the "missional" way to go, but I can assure you that when the decision was made, serious theological concerns were not invited to participate.
These examples all seem so small and insignificant. Yet, that's how all drift happens. You see, liberal Protestants never woke up on morning and said to themselves, "Hey, let's adopt an Arian Christology, shall we?" No one said, "Wouldn't it be just wonderful if we could devote the next 50 years to undermining the apostolic faith." No! I've read their writings. They were deeply concerned, as we are, to make the gospel relevant to modern people. Evangelicals have not openly abandoned apostolic Christianity. No one sets out to cheapen the gospel, diminish God's holiness or downplay the cost of discipleship. It's just happening. A baseball cap here, omitting the word "wretch" from Amazing Grace there. The pressure to bring in new members made it best to just drop the required confirmation class for membership. Besides, people are just too busy to attend a new members class and it might hurt our annual membership goals. The call to career missions slowly became short term missions which slowly became vacations with a purpose. It all happened so seamlessly. We brought in a new youth director. He doesn't have any biblical or theological training, but, oh, how the youth love him. You should see the new worship leader we have! He doesn't know any theology, but he's just picking the choruses each week, and he can really play the guitar! You see, it happens in ten thousand small skirmishes, rarely in any big. bloody battle.
Note: I think Tennent's whole article is outstanding and well worth the time it takes to read. To see the whole convocation address, click here.)
Now, you might think by reading this, that I'm opposed to Saturday night worship gatherings. Not necessarily. The issue for me is that we give ourselves first to biblical and theological reflection before pragmatic considerations.
For instance, have you ever considered why the first day of the week is so significant, from a theological standpoint? O. Palmer Robertson has. In an article entitled Why Worship on Sunday?, Palmer invites us to "consider carefully the following evidence that the redemption accomplished through Christ's resurrection determined the day for Christian worship":
1. Jesus Christ arose on the first day of the week (Matt. 28:1). He entered into his rest from labor, not on Saturday (the seventh day), but on Sunday (the first day of the week). As Jesus entered into his rest on the first day, so he encourages us to begin the week by resting in the confidence that he will provide for all our needs for seven days with only six days of labor.
2. Jesus Christ appeared to his assembled disciples on the first day of the week, as well as to Mary and to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus (John 20:10; Luke 24:13). By these appearances on the first day of the week, the resurrected Lord set a pattern for meeting with his disciples. They began expecting to meet with him on the day of his resurrection, which is the first day of the week.
3. Jesus appeared to the assembled disciples one week later on the first day of the week, with doubting Thomas present this time (John 20:26). Already a new pattern of assembly for worship was emerging. God's new covenant people were making it a habit to assemble together on the first day of the week, the day of Christ's resurrection. Jesus honored these assemblies by appearing to the disciples at this time, and encouraged their faith in him as the resurrected Lord.
4. The resurrected Christ poured out his Spirit on the assembled disciples exactly fifty days after the Sabbath of the Jewish Passover, which was the first day of the week (Acts 2:1; cf. Lev. 23:15-16). The word Pentecost means "fifty," referring to the fifty days after the Sabbath of the Passover. Forty-nine days would span seven Jewish Sabbaths or Saturdays, and the fiftieth day would then fall on a Sunday, the first day of the week. So it would appear that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit came on the first day of the week, when God's new covenant people were assembled for worship. So the pattern would be established more firmly. Both the resurrection of Christ and the outpouring of the Spirit occurred on the first day of the week.
5. As Paul spread the gospel of Christ among Jews and Gentiles throughout the world, the first day of the week was used as the time for Christians to assemble for worship. In Greece, Paul and Luke assembled with the people of God to break bread and to hear the preaching of God's word on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7). This was the day that the people of the new covenant assembled to hear God's word.
6. Paul wrote to the Christians in Corinth to establish the pattern for their presenting of offerings for the service of the Lord. He ordered the Christians in Corinth to follow the pattern that had already been set with the churches in Galatia (1 Cor. 16:1). On the first day of every week they were to consecrate their offerings to the Lord (1 Cor. 16:2). This schedule for honoring the Lord had become the pattern for God's people throughout the churches. The churches were not to present their offerings any time they wished. Rather, on the first day of each week, all the Corinthian Christians were to follow the pattern that had already been set among the Galatian churches. The first day of the week was the designated time for the presentation of offerings to the Lord.
7. The apostle John, now aged and perhaps the only living member of the original twelve apostles, had been banished to the island of Patmos. In this circumstance, he could not assemble for worship with the people of God. But the apostle informs us that "on the Lord's Day" he was "in the Spirit" (Rev. 1:10). The significance of his being "in the Spirit" seems quite clear. He had entered into the presence of the Lord by the power of the Holy Spirit, and was offering his adoration to him.
But what is the meaning of the phrase "on the Lord's Day"? In one sense, it may be said that every day of the week belongs to the Lord, and so might be called the "Lord's day." But John is referring to something more specific. He does not speak merely of "a" day that has been consecrated to the Lord. Instead he speaks of "the" Lord's Day.
That one day that may be called "the Lord's Day" was the day in which he proved to the world that he was Lord. On one particular day, Jesus made the universe understand that he was Lord of all. That day was the day of his resurrection. On that day, he conquered the last of the sinner's enemies, which is death. On the first day of the week, he showed that his power could overcome all enemies, even death itself. That day is "the Lord's Day."
So by the end of the lifetime of the first apostles, Christians knew about one day of the week that was called "the Lord's Day." On that day, they celebrated the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. That day became the time for their assembly as they rejoiced in the resurrection of Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit.
So it is the same today. The original commandment to honor God by worship one day in seven still holds, since this requirement was a part of the Ten Words laying down the moral standards of God for men. One day in seven must be consecrated for worship and service to him. Both creation and redemption show that God must be honored in this way.
From the creation of the world until the coming of Christ, that day was the last day of the week. People in the days of the Old Testament were looking forward to the rest that the Savior would bring.
But now Christ has come. He has risen victoriously over all his enemies. This victory he won on the first day of the week. On this day he meets with his disciples as they assemble to commune with him.
So we are to celebrate the rest he has won for us. We are to taste and anticipate his rest by offering our worship on the first day of the week. For it is the only pattern demonstrated in the Scriptures of the new covenant for the worship of God's people today.
Those sound like pretty good arguments to me as far as making a case for the church to meet on Sundays for corporate worship. But on the other hand, arguments could be made for meeting on some other day for worship:
- Worship for the Christian is to be a way of life (1 Cor. 10:31); therefore, we are to worship the Lord individually--and can do so corporately--any day of the week.
- Saturday evening services may be implemented for evangelistic purposes. So long as he didn't compromise Scripture, Paul accommodated his ministry to those he was trying to reach, so that he might "with more of them" (1 Cor. 9:19). Paul's custom was to attend the Sabbath synagogue service to reason with the Jews from Scripture (Acts 17:2). Many Catholics in our day are used to attending Saturday night mass. So perhaps an evangelical might be more successful in inviting a Catholic friend to church on Saturday evening than on Sunday morning.
- God commands Christians not to forsake the assembling of themselves together (Heb. 10:24-25). But some Christians, by nature of their jobs, have to work on Sundays. A Saturday night service actually affords them the opportunity to obey the Lord in this area and to enjoy the blessings that result from being an active part of the church body.
More arguments could be stated, probably on both sides. Here's how I come down on the whole issue personally:
- I think it's fine to host a service on Saturday (or any other day of the week for that matter), so long as such a service is in addition to and not in lieu of Sunday worship.
- Motive matters. If a church launches a Saturday night service for the sake of evangelism or to accommodate those with unavoidable conflicts on Sunday, then so be it. But if it is simply to satisfy our idolatrous priorities, then may it never be!
This second point is one of crucial importance. I believe it grieves the heart of God when Christians make little of him and make much of themselves ... when the Lord takes a back seat to the real loves of people's lives. A Saturday night service for many people is a means of getting worship out of the way and freeing up all of Sunday to do what they most desire: sleeping in, playing sports, going to the beach, watching TV, etc.. The sin is not in these activities themselves but counting them as more important than expressing our love and adoration to the God who has created us and redeemed us.
Imagine if you had a child who spent as little time with you as possible, let's say an hour or so a week, and that hour was spent at a time that was least intrusive to the things they really wanted to do. You took a back seat to everything else, and you always sensed they came to spend time with you not because they really wanted to, but because they felt they had to. How would you feel? How do you think God feels about our worship habits as His children?
I want God to know that He is my first love, has first dibs on my schedule, has first place in my affections. I want this to be true of me personally and of us as a church corporately. Motive matters. Worship matters. "Great is the Lord; He is most worthy of praise! No one can measure His greatness" (Psalm 145:3).
you know, January 22 was Sanctity Of Human Life (SOHL) Sunday. I preached on this theme from several texts in Scripture. As a follow-up, I'd like to share two helpful links that would be good to check out the next time you're surfing the Web.