As always is the case, I do consider it to be an honor to
speak concerning the word of God, I want to say something
about our brothers prayer. I appreciate everything he said.
And one of the things he said, as he prayed to God regarding
our worship, after that, he said, and help us to give you
all that. We are all that we have.
Give our all for you on this day.
You know, that's very significant not long ago.
I preached on the subject of the Sabbath and that was because
there was a number of questions that had come up in some private
Bible studies on the significance of days.
And are we under the Sabbath at all?
Should we keep any aspect of the Sabbath and Jesus is attitude or
his demeanor, or his behavior regarding the Sabbath.
And we talked about how Jesus Mark the transition even during
his life from the Sabbath. To the Lord's day or to himself.
I want to talk about some of these things.
Concerning the Lord's day, I want to talk about Sunday.
When did Sunday become the the Lord's Day in Revelation,
chapter 1, And beginning in verse 9.
I John both your brother and companion in Tribulation and
Kingdom. And patience of Jesus Christ was
on the island. That is called Patmos for the
word of God. And for the testimony of Jesus
Christ, and then he said, I was in the spirit on the Lord's day.
You know, I can remember in the not-so-distant past times when
you would see this, when Sunday actually mattered in our
country, I remember growing up. I'm not That old that I can't
remember. But I remember businesses in the
home town that I grew up in Ojai.
I remember in Oak View, I remember that I perhaps told
some of these things to you over the years but I remember one
particular business as you came into Oakview, it was a rental
place where you'd rent equipment and there was a great big wooden
sign on a chain link fence. And it said this open Monday
through Saturday, but closed on Sunday for church.
I remember when Sunday mattered in our country, I remember when
there were things that shut down on Sunday.
I remember, when you got your shopping done on Sunday, your
yard work done, or I'm sorry on Saturday, your yard work got
done on Saturday. I remember when Sunday didn't
have all of those things and by the way, you know, in Youth
Sports, there was a time when people didn't get coaches,
didn't have practices on Day. They didn't have games on
Sunday. You know what else?
They didn't even have them on Wednesday.
You know why? Because people in their minds
understood that those that profess Christianity, there were
going to be in Services, there were going to be worshipping on
those days. It actually mattered and then
all of a sudden they started having other aspects or other
activities and they scheduled them on Sundays.
Now, there's something every Sunday.
You know, even in college, I remember in college, there was
nothing scheduled on Sunday back in the 80s.
Now everything's on Sunday. You know why?
Because in our world and our society, Sunday became just like
any other day. Sunday is the Lord's day.
Sunday matters Sunday is not to be like any other day.
I think it's sometimes a day that's treated very, casual like
a drop by deal leaving the rest of Sunday.
For whatever one man said, though, like a sponge with water
squeezed out, this is the problem, by the way, in our
country. And may I just say this to
preface my comment hear people talk about what's wrong.
In America. And what do people do?
They go right to politics, right?
Oh, it's the Republicans, it's the Democrats.
It's the Liberals. It's the conservatives.
Oh, no, it's those radicals, we talk about this one.
And that one, and all that, that's not the problem in
America. You know what, the problem in
the United States of America is today, because we are on a
50-year, as one man, said a 50-year experiment of living in
a country without God, that's what's wrong.
We forgot all about God, no prayer in school.
No Ten Commandments, no, sermon at graduation.
No respect for marriage and the home and this has contributed to
many of the problems that exist today.
That's what happens when God is removed from our life one
teacher. For example, in an attempt to
pull be politically correct, instructed her class to write an
essay about the pilgrims on Thanksgiving as a assignment,
her only requirements were these you can't mention anything about
religion Ian, you can't say a thing about God and you cannot
mention Church. This young girl taking a shot at
being politically correct. Wrote The Following.
I love this. The pilgrims came to these
Shores seeking freedom of, you know what so that they can give
thanks to, you know who so that we their descendants could
worship each Sunday. You know where.
Politically correctness, is the norm and the standard of today.
But the question before us today is this is Sunday just an
arbitrary day, filled with choices of whatever we wish or
does Sunday matter. I want to submit to you that you
Sunday does matter. And by way of review, we talked
about some of these things when we dealt with the Sabbath.
But let's just go to notice a couple of these things as we
talk about the seventh day, observance, In Genesis chapter
2. And the reason that I put that
there is because sabbatarians or people that believe that we keep
the Sabbath today. Say we still have to keep the
Sabbath even as Christians because the Sabbath has always
existed. In fact, the argument is it
existed all the way back in Genesis chapter 2?
Well, let's notice in the creation, the Bible says that
God looked upon everything God, created everything Oh, and he
did. So in six days, then as it were,
he looked upon everything that he created, and he said it was
very good. And the Bible says that on the
seventh day, he rested on the seventh day.
Because he was tired. No he rested a rest of delight
and satisfaction for all that he created.
That's number one. And number two, he rested in
that, he was finished and God sent back and rested on the
seventh day. Do you know that he was the only
one that rested that day. Man, didn't need to rest on that
day, because man in the garden was living a life of rest.
In fact, it was a Perpetual state of rest.
Do you know why? Because there was no work, why
was there? No work?
Because there was no sin. And if there was no sin, there
was no. Work.
If there was no work, there was no Sabbath.
And in Genesis chapter 2, God was the only one that rested.
Somebody might say, no, wait a minute.
God told them to tend the garden.
Didn't that work it. No, there's a difference between
a chore and maintaining something and working by the
sweat of your face, in order to earn your living or each your
Brig. So in Genesis, chapter 2, only
God rested. Let's go further, though.
We skip to Exodus chapter 20, and after man was delivered from
Egyptian bondage, God gave man a system of Sabbath's they were
weekly, they were Lee and they weren't yearly.
God also gave man to General Commandments, he said Thou shalt
love the Lord thy God with all your heart, with all your soul,
with all your mind and with all your strength and your neighbor
as yourself. So these are two general
Commandments then he gave a tenfold explanation of those two
Commandments and we call those The Ten Commandments today.
There was also the manifold explanation of all of this and
it's found in the first five books of the law in the Old
Testament, Genesis Exodus, Leviticus Numbers and
Deuteronomy but In the Ten Commandments, the fourth
Commandment was, they had to keep the Sabbath.
Now, why did they do that? What was the effect of that?
Well, first of all, God commanded that, and that's
enough. But here's what they did on that
day, it was a day to reflect on their creator.
It was a day to reflect on all of creation and how everything
that God created was perfect. And that it was only marred when
man sinned it was a day to reflect on your creator.
It was a day to reflect on the creation.
What else? It was also a day to reflect on
God. As the lawgiver.
So they were commanded and God hallowed this day or elevated
this day. And the people, the children of
Israel had to recognize that day, that being the Sabbath day.
Now remember this to this is my last slide from our previous
lesson, a couple of months ago. But Jesus was the transition
from the old to the new it may I just say too.
There were two things that they hated about Jesus.
Two things, especially the Pharisees hated about Jesus.
Number one, because he said I am the Son of God they hated that
and number two because of the way that he handled the Sabbath
but Jesus said I'm greater than the Sabbath.
He said I'm Lord even of the Sabbath, that's what Jesus said.
So Jesus even while living did anything he wanted to do on the
Sabbath because he was the transition from the old to the
new now, Those Jews believe that their reference point between
them self and God was the Sabbath and Jesus would teach
them that the reference point between them self and God had to
be Jesus himself. So here it is.
When Jesus died on the cross and shed his blood, the transition
from the old to the new was complete.
What did the Sabbath represent? It was a prophetic type, if you
will of futurist being heaven, in other words, Sabbath rest is
a picture of Eternal rest. You remember when I said that
when Man was created in the garden before sin, he lived in a
Perpetual state of rest, okay? That's what we're going to get
when we finally get to heaven, a place of Perpetual rest for all
eternity. All right.
The New Covenant, though, Jesus brought in the New Covenant day
and that is the first day of the week, and let me show you how it
ought. Jesus makes the transition in
Matthew chapter 28, and we begin there to her little flow here in
verse 1. It says, after the Sabbath, It
says, after the Sabbath the first day of the week began to
Dawn, Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary came to see the tomb
and we know what happened. There was the morning of the
Resurrection. Now in verse number 9, it says,
and as they went to tell the disciples behold, Jesus met them
saying Rejoice. So they came and they held him
by the feet and they worshipped him.
Now, interestingly, it was early on Sunday morning.
We're going to find that out to. We look at Luke 24 in Luke's
account. So the Sabbath was over and
those precious women went back to the Sepulchre, they went back
to the tomb, more on that in a minute, they went to the tomb
and all of a sudden the stone was rolled away.
And they did evidence that Jesus is not there, Jesus is not in
the Tomb. So the Bible says, as they went
to tell the disciples that he had risen, Jesus met with them
and said, rejoice and they came and they held Him by the feet
and worshipped him. Just a little side note here.
This is absolutely brilliant. God did all that, you know, who
the first hand eyewitness testimony of the Resurrection,
was it wasn't one of the Apostles.
It was those precious women. It was the women that had no
agenda, they had no agenda at all.
They had nothing like that. It wasn't like one of the
apostles who could be blamed for lying about it saying that he
was risen and really they're just his followers.
Therefore, they said that. No, it was these women, they
were first hand eyewitness testimony to the resurrection,
and when they saw Jesus, they fell down at his feet and they
worshipped him. Yeah, there's a couple things
that have to happen. In Prophecy, we have to
understand two things have to happen.
First of all, number one, when Jesus gave the prophecy as found
in John chapter 12. And when Jesus gave that those
words, when Jesus said, those words as Jonah was three days
and I'm Excuse me, Matthew chapter 12, as Jonah was three
days and three nights in the whales belly, that's the King
James. The new King James says, in the
belly of a great fish, so shall the son of man be also three
days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
Now notice what has to happen, he has to be dead three days.
He has to be buried, all three days.
He has to be raised on the third day and we find from the
scriptures that third day was the first day of the week or it
was Sunday had to happen. He had to die on the day of
preparation. He had to be buried, still that
day. He had to still be in the Tomb
on the Sabbath day and he had to be raised on the first day of
the week, that is the third day. You know, we find also in Luke
chapter 23, We find that in verse 56.
This is what they were doing. Then they returned and prepared
spices and fragrant oils and they rested on the Sabbath
according to commandment. Now, there was a reason that
they didn't go on the Sabbath. They didn't go on the Sabbath
because they kept the Commandment.
They didn't know that the Sabbath day or the old Covenant
day was nailed to the cross. They didn't know that at all.
So they didn't go to the tomb on the Sabbath day, they rested on
the Sabbath day as God said that they would do, and they did.
So. According To the commandant now
spices and fragrant oils. And we know that back then they
didn't embalm bodies. In fact, as we know in The Story
of Lazarus, he was buried the same day that he died and by the
fourth day and it was hot there obviously.
And by the fourth day when Jesus arrives, he says, take away the
stone Martha. They're saying really but
Master, it's been 4 days. The King James says he already
stinketh. Or he already is decaying the
decomposition process had already happens been four days.
You know why they didn't embalm what they did though, they had
fragrant oils and spices that they prepared the body and when
they bear in Jesus, Remember, John's account says that.
Nicodemus, brought 100 pounds and wrap the body of Jesus.
When he was buried, we know that.
We also know this to and by way of History, the only time they
used a hundred pounds to bury somebody of those spices.
The only time is when they buried a King, Jesus died
between those two thieves, like prophecy said, he would, but he
was buried, like, the king that he is king of kings and Lord of
lords. But on the first day of the week
here, come these women, and they're coming with fragrant
spices and so forth for the body of Jesus continuing there.
So it would retard. And the decomposition process
and Luke, 24 and verse 1. It's a different day.
Now, on the first day of the week, Now I'm the Sabbath they
didn't, but on the first day of the week, very early in the
morning they in certain other women with them came to the
tomb, bringing the spices which they had prepared.
Again, this was New Covenant day.
It was the first day of the week.
Notice this please. This New Covenant day, he was
dead on Saturday. Okay New Covenant days.
The first day of the week very significant he's dead on
Saturday. Therefore the Sabbath also died
on Saturday when Jesus was dead when he died on the cross.
On the day of preparation on Friday.
Still, what else? He's alive on Sunday.
The first day of the week. So what do we know when Jesus
died the Sabbath? It died but also when Jesus rose
from the dead, he brought in the New Covenant day.
That's not a day of tradition. We didn't just one day say, you
know what we'll do, I'll tell you what, we'll do.
We'll just go ahead and have church on Sunday.
It's not tradition. We're going to find out this is
mandated by God, but none of us is by accident.
It All Began on the first day, or Sunday.
The first day of the week notice also they travel that morning,
there was a disciple by the name of cleopas and another disciple
that we don't know who it was some Scholars.
Think it might have been Luke because Luke wrote Luke.
Therefore he didn't include his name, we don't know.
It doesn't matter. Play a piss.
There is going along with another disciple and they're
leaving. I'm going on a trip of about 7
miles and it's from Jerusalem to a little village called Emmaus.
And they're walking along and they're talking about all these
things. They're talking about the things
that had happened. And the Bible says this as
they're going along, they're speaking about the things that
had happened on that journey and notice Jesus appears and after
he said the words, he said, what manner of communications are
these that you speak of and are sad and they said, oh, you must
be a visitor around here and don't know what we're talking
about and Jesus said what things And they said, well about Jesus
of Nazareth how we thought he was a prophet.
In fact, we thought he was going to restore Israel, we thought
he's going to set up a kingdom and it's the third day and we
don't even have the body of Jesus.
So all of a sudden after Jesus allowed them to unburden their
aching Hearts, it says this and beginning at Moses and all the
prophets he expounded to them in.
All the scriptures the things concerning himself.
Did you get that? What happened on this day?
It began with worship now, it's the first Sunday.
Jesus is resurrected from the dead, okay?
That morning began with worship those precious women, fell at
the feet of Jesus and worshiped him.
Little later that day, though, by the way, on this very
significant day, it's about afternoon, no doubt time.
Jesus shows up and he gives the first expository sermon,
preached about himself, from the Old Testament scriptures on the
same day. What a it day.
Big day, New Covenant Day, first day of the week, very first,
expository sermon being preached.
It is a day of significance. May I also say to the greatest
kind of preaching there is, is expository preaching.
Use the holy spirit's outline, take the word of God and teach
the word of God and expound upon it and explain the word of God.
That's what Jesus did. What a great example, the
greatest preacher, the world ever knew the greatest man that
ever lived. He begins with Moses and all the
prophets and he expounded to them in all the scriptures, the
things concerning himself. Do you know what I think about
sometimes? People are looking for an
experience. Sometimes people are looking for
some kind of special experience. Now picture in your mind's eye,
you got two disciples Jesus appears before them and they
don't know it's him. He preaches from the Old
Testament, the things concerning himself.
They come near to the little village.
The Bible says he acts as though, he's going to keep going
by and they compelled him to join them in the house.
There's a picture there. There's a picture there.
Jesus will never force himself on somebody.
You have to invite him in. You have to want him and he
standing at the door knocking, but the doorknob or the latch is
on your side. They compel Jesus to join them.
They still don't know which Jesus, they sit down in the
Bible says they begin to eat and he reveals himself to them in
the breaking of bread, sis. And then he was gone.
Pretty good experience, right? Impressive.
Let me talk about what was really impressive.
This is what they said. They said this.
And they said to one another did not our heart burn within us
while he talked with us on the road.
And while he opened the scriptures to us, Of all the
things they could have been impressed by and impressed with.
It wasn't the experience Jesus appeared before them and the
first thing they said is didn't our hearts burn within us.
When he showed us the scriptures along the way, But now it was
time though. Is time to go to the upper room,
we find and these disciples, by the way, they traveled seven
miles to Emmaus. And I don't know about you, but
I don't walk 14 miles a day. Back then no doubt.
That's exactly how they got around.
You know, if you're going to go 14 miles or seven miles in each
Direction, you're getting in the car and you're firing it up and
you're driving, you might ride a bike, I doubt you'd ride a
skateboard and really you're probably not going to walk.
They were so impressed with what Jesus had said to them.
They couldn't wait. They had to leave Emmaus and go
back to Jerusalem and go back to the upper room and tell them
what they saw. And all of a sudden as they said
these things, as they told the others Jesus himself stood in
their midst and said peace to you.
You know the Bible says also there That they were afraid
because they thought they saw a ghost.
They thought they saw a spirit and they were afraid.
First of all, when Jesus says, peace to you, he wasn't wishing
them a good day. He was giving them peace, he is
the Prince of Peace. Therefore, he is the author of
Peace. So the author of Peace was
giving peace to them and they were afraid And they were scared
because I thought wait a minute, there's a ghost Among Us and
Jesus says get this is very important for another passage
later on. He said, hey, you said handle
me, touch me. He said, because the spirit
doesn't have flesh and Bone. What he's saying is this, I'm
here in the flesh. My body has been resurrected,
and here I am. Look at my hands feel my hands
handle me. And if I was a ghost, I wouldn't
have bones. I wouldn't have flesh.
Now then this is what happens, he said to them these words, he
said these are the words that I spoke to you while I was still
with you. That in all things must be
fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses and the
prophets and the Psalms concerning me.
And he opened their understanding that, they might
comprehend the scriptures. What a great first Sunday.
It began with worship later on there was an expository sermon
about Jesus Christ from the Old Testament preached by the master
of the greatest one that ever lived.
We're still not done, it's still Sunday.
It's Sunday night time and you know what the Lord is going to
do. He appears before them and by
the way, he erased, all doubt, when he said you have anything
to eat and they gave him fish and honeycomb and he ate that.
So obviously they were not afraid anymore.
Then he says these words and he uses the law.
Of Moses, the prophets and the Psalms the three distinct
categories of the Old Testament. and he says concerning me, he
opened up their understanding that they might comprehend the
scriptures, what a great Sunday, What a great Sunday it was, but
there's more then he says this. Then he said to them, thus it is
written and thus, it was necessary for Christ to suffer
and to rise from the dead. The third day, and that
repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name,
to All Nations, beginning at Jerusalem and you are witnesses
of these things. Behold I send the promise of my
father upon you but Terry in the city of Jerusalem until you be
endued with power from on high. So he said this is exactly what
I've said to you before its time now.
Now and you're going to preach repentance and remission of
sins, you're going to do that. No one else you're going to get
the baptism of the Holy Spirit, you're going to get the power of
the Holy Spirit. I'm going to imagine.
They went from scared to encouraged.
This is quite a Sunday, launching New Covenant day.
It's repeated over and over the phrase first day of the week
over and over, because the first day of the week has great
significance. Now notice also in John chapter
20 in John chapter 20, this is John's account of the very same
thing. And we want to talk about this
because I don't want, I don't want us to think that there's a
contradiction, okay? Jesus told them to handle me in
one, passage in this passage. Jesus said, do not cling to me.
Now is there a contradiction? No, first of all.
He said do not cling to me for I have not yet ascended to my
father. Now we know what that can't be.
We know that that cannot be that he's talking about his Ascension
and Acts chapter 1, his Ascension to his father in Acts
chapter 1, 40 days later. We know it can't be that.
Why? Because in between there, he
told his disciples handle me. Me later and we'll get to that.
He told Thomas put your hands in my hands.
Touch me. So we know it can't be that.
And I'll tell you, you can read all kinds of commentaries and
they'll tell you all kinds of things about this.
I'm going to tell you, I agree with what the old-time preachers
used to preach. I think this is right in the
words of my father-in-law of us is free, okay?
But I think, I think the old-time preachers were right
about this. I remember Linwood used to
preach about this, what he was talking about is and that phrase
right there, literally means stop clinging to me in the
original, What it means. It didn't mean don't touch me.
It meant they were touching him and he says, stop clinging to
me. Now, the phrase, therefore I
have not yet ascended to my father.
I think this is the phrase, I agree with this.
You remember under the law of Moses, the high priest took the
blood of the sacrifice, to the holy of holies, that the Ark of
the Covenant, in the presence of God and brought the blood,
sacrifice for the sins of the people.
Into the place where God was or God's presence was, if that is
the prophetic type, then the Fulfillment of that prophetic
type is Jesus ascending to his father as our high priest and
bringing the blood sacrifice to the presence of God.
All that's free. But it makes sense.
It makes sense. It is the antitype of what has
been done under the Old Law. No contradiction just simply
means stop clinging to me. Now, another interesting thing
is found in John chapter 20, When they came to the Sepulchre,
they came to the to the grave and they went in there and they
found the handkerchief. some translations, say napkin and the
handkerchief was placed over his face and when they got in there
and his body was gone and they found the Linens in one place,
it says that the handkerchief or the napkin was placed in another
place and it was folded Now I'll just tell you what, I read about
that, I read that. There is a tradition says, I
guess, you might say, but very customary back then when
somebody would sit at the table and eat when they were finished
eating, but they had to get up from the table, they would take
their napkin and their handkerchief, whatever it was
and they would throw it down with all of the other Linens,
all kind of piled there and it was basically, to say I'm done,
I won't be a back. But then I had read by way of
custom Jewish custom, what they did is when they were going to
get up from the table. But they were going to return.
They folded the napkin. They kept it separate from the
other Linens and it was a sign saying I'm not finished.
I'm coming back. When they got in there and they
open it looked into the grave and found that the body of Jesus
was gone. They saw the Linens but
separate. Folded was the handkerchief
saying I'll be back. I will return.
Jesus is one day going to come back.
I want to notice something in verse 24, please.
Thomas called the twin one of the twelve was not with them
when Jesus came my whole life. I've heard doubting Thomas
doubting Thomas, doubting Thomas and yeah I guess he doubted.
But you know Thomas did not get the information that the others
got. The others were afraid and Jesus
proved that it was him. Maybe in his mind he reflected
back and he thought about what Jesus had told them.
When he walked on the face of the Earth, beware of those that
come and say they're me, beware of those that would come those
false teachers, just maybe. So on this particular occasion,
guess what? Thomas was not there.
He didn't see that he missed out. you know, I thought of this
this morning, I thought about this day, this great day.
And Thomas missed out. You know, I think that's kind of
what happens when we miss services.
We miss out. We just miss out.
He missed out on here in the Lord.
Preached a sermon and teach the word of God.
He missed out on seeing Jesus. That was presented before them.
He missed that too. He missed all of that.
He wasn't there. Think that's sometimes what
happens to us, but that's not all in John chapter 20 verse 26.
After eight days, his disciples were again inside and Thomas
with them. Jesus came and the doors being
shut and stood in the midst and said, peace to you.
Now, what day was that? Now remember we're talking about
the significant of days, significance of days.
We're talking about that, we're talking about, it's the Lord's
day is the first day of the week.
We're talking about this first Sunday.
Okay. And Thomas is not there, but
then it says this after 8 days. What day was that?
Eight days later. Would have been the first day of
the week. Also, it would have been Sunday,
you know why? Because that's exactly how the
Jews. Counted the days.
You count the day you're on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday,
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, after eight
days. The Lord could have done
anything that he wanted to do. He could have appeared before
Thomas any other day. He waits till win.
Eight days later. First day of the week Sunday.
Pretty significant. Could have done anything you
wanted to, I think that's pretty significant.
You know, that's really not hard for us to grasp either.
Because you might say, hey, Frank.
What are you doing? I held an AA meeting eight days.
Yeah, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday,
Saturday, Sunday. Same thing.
What happened? His disciples were again inside
and Thomas with them. Jesus came and the doors being
shut stood in the midst and said, peace to you.
What else the church was born on this day on the day of Pentecost
and a passage taken in The Book of Leviticus chapter 23, what's
Pentecost Leviticus chapter, 23, verses, 15 and 16?
And you shall count for yourselves from the day after
the Sabbath from the day that you brought the Sheaf of a wave
offering. Seven.
Sabbaths shall be completed count, 50 days to the day after
the seventh Sabbath, then you shall offer a new grain offering
to the Lord. So notice Seven sabbaths would
be complete seven times. Seven is forty-nine, there would
be a Passover. Jesus died on Passover Sabbath.
He spends 40 days with his disciples. 10 days later was
Pentecost day and that was the first day of the week that was
Sunday and at 9 a.m. the great event begins.
What else did they do? Gospel sermon is being preached
churches, established. They worshipped and they
continued steadfastly in the apostles Doctrine and fellowship
and in Breaking of bread and in prayers.
Again, this is the Lord ordaining this day.
The first day of the week is very significant and really in a
conversation in a Bible study not long ago.
Somebody asked, well, what was the acts that show us in the
Bible that the first day of the week is significant?
Why is that? What were showing is we're
showing everything is happening on the first day of the week, he
was raised from the dead. The first day of the week.
He was worshipped the first day of the week.
He preached an expository sermon on the first day of the week, he
expounded from the Old Testament scriptures and explain them that
night on the first day of the week.
Eight days later, he waste to the first day of the week and
appears before his Disciples and Thomas is present.
Then he ascends to Heaven 10 days later.
Pentecost day and the church was established.
The gospel was preached. The Holy Spirit came and they
continued and they worshipped on this day and Hebrews chapter 10
and verse 25. Now, understanding these were
Hebrew Christians. That were greatly being
persecuted for their faith. And by the way, historically,
many of the Hebrew Christians, because of the great
persecutions that were happening in their life because they were
Christians, you know what they did?
They turn their back and go back to the ways of Moses.
In fact, that's why they did that.
They thought, wait a minute. It's a lot easier that we'll
just go back to the law of Moses.
So, the writer of Hebrews writes, this inspired by the
Holy Spirit. He said, wait a minute, not
forsaking the assembling of ourselves.
Of us together, don't do it. He said, as the manner of some
is, Very significant day, very significant day of worship.
Assembling ourselves together. But exhorting, one another and
so much the more as you see the day approaching.
Now, there are various schools of thought about what the day is
of the day. Approaching some say, the day is
the first day of the week. Some say, the day is the end of
time. I happen to believe,
contextually the day approaching happens to be the destruction of
Jerusalem, so just a few short years before ad 70.
When this letter was written, it was to encourage Hebrew.
Has to keep the faith and continue to worship and don't
turn your back on worship as you see that day approaching.
But either way, guess what, that day is still the first day of
the week Acts 20 and 7. Now, on the first day of the
week, when the disciples came together, to break bread, Paul
ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his
message until midnight. Can you imagine if one of us
start doing that till midnight? I'm going to tell you something.
Nobody has ever said to me, okay?
You know, I like tearing your Frankfort, man.
You don't talk long enough. I don't think I've ever heard
that. I've heard a little bit of the
flipside man Frank's getting a little long-winded these days.
Oh man. Yeah kind of long never do.
Have I ever heard somebody say what you really need to do is
just preach way longer. In fact, take us to midnight,
absolutely not. What I'm saying is it was the
first day of the week. It wasn't the day or the hour
for the Lord. It was the day for the Lord and
in this we don't know what time they started or they assembled.
Originally we just know it was the first day of the week.
It was on Sunday. It was the time of the bread
breaking service and incidentally little side note.
If the Lord Wills Don King and I will leave for the Philippines
in January again. Okay and customarily.
They don't they don't have what we have.
In terms of we have Sunday morning services at 10:30 and
that's our bread, breaking service.
And then later on at 5:00 here plans road, we have another
service but it's not a bread breaking service.
Some people have 2 o'clock, 3 o'clock Services, 130 Services,
whatever it is in the afternoon on Sunday, okay?
That's kind of our custom of doing that.
In the Philippines. They don't have that on the
Lord's day, whatever time that they decide to meet it, is their
bread breaking service. So, whatever time it was here,
no doubt. They only met once.
But the only time that or the time that it was here, whatever.
That was, it was the first day of the week for the purpose of
breaking bread and Paul went on and preach to midnight and we're
so thankful when eutychus fell out of the window dead, we're
lucky. He got brought back to life.
But that's what happened on that particular day.
It's the first day of the week. It's the day of worship.
Now, I'm not saying this. I'm not saying that you can't
enjoy other things on this day. And there are no real.
There are no restrictions. In the New Testament concerning,
what you are not allowed to do on the first day of the week.
You can go to work if you if you if your boss schedules you and
you say listen I have to be there to assemble with the
church at 10:30 but by 12:30 or so, by the time we're done, I
can drive over there. I'll go to work.
There's nothing wrong with that. There's no restrictions
regarding that. But the question is this, if you
had your druthers, if you have the choice, what choice would
you make? And I know this, I know this, I
understand this, sometimes things happen that are beyond
our control and sometimes we're doing.
Absolutely all that we can I'm not talking about that, I'm not
talking about extenuating circumstances and I'm not
talking about when you're just you're traveling and you're on a
trip somewhere. I'm talking about your daily
life. There's a difference between
can't and won't. Aunt.
Big difference. Just apply it as you can but the
Lord knows whether you can or whether you want.
Are we giving him as our brother parade?
Everything we have on this day. Let's go back to our
introductory text and I'm just about finished.
Here it is. John said, I John both your
brother and companion in Tribulation and Kingdom.
And patience of Jesus Christ was on the island.
That is called Patmos for the word of God, for the testimony
of Jesus Christ. I was in the spirit on the
Lord's day, okay? That's our introductory text, by
the way, this day has a name, it's the Lord's Day.
It's the Lord's day. Something else.
Very significant happened in the same Revelation letter on the
same day. I thought it was kind of
interesting. I'll pass it along.
It's found right here in verse 20.
The Mystery of the Seven Stars, which you saw in my right hand
and the Seven, golden cat, lampstands the Seven Stars are
the Angels of the seven churches and the Seven lampstands which
you saw are the seven churches, isn't it?
It interesting. that the One Vision about the church
happened, On the Lord's Day. New Covenant day.
It. So it's a significant day.
It's not the Lord's hour. It's the Lord's Day.
Is your heart centered on worship on this day.
Is your heart centered today on the remembrance of our savior
does worship. Means something to you.
Would you rather be somewhere else?
I have a friend of mine that was as an outdoors person.
He doesn't profess to be anything religiously and I'm
saying this in closing. But I remember he wrote
something in a little book and it said, and you probably heard
this phrase. He said, it's better to be in
the mountains, thinking about God.
Then it is to be in church. Thinking about the mountains.
And while that may be true. It's not good to be here,
thinking, of something else. I'm going to tell you.
There's nothing more important than our being here to worship
God. And it's not about me and it's
not about you. It's not about us.
It's about God. We are here for God today.
On his day, are you here today? You're not a Christian.
If you're not a child of God, you need to be one.
We can assist you in that. Come believing in Jesus.
Repent of your sins confess, his name as the Son of God and be
baptized in water for the remission of your sins and added
to the body of Christ today. We thank you for listening to
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