Read Acts 20:7, 1 Corinthians 16:2
There is much debate about the Sabbath principle in the early church and many argue that the early church changed or corrupted the day of church worship from Saturday (the true Sabbath) to Sonday. It did change but not as many would postulate.
There is much historical evidence to show Sonday worship was a general practice of all the church’s outside the holy land by the beginning of the 2nd century. Arguments that Sunday is named after the sun god and entices Christians to idolatry need to be rejected because Saturday (ie the Sabbath) is also named after the Roman god Saturn. The name of the day is largely irrelevant for our discussion because every day in our current week is named after some god or hero.
Philip Schaff, a noted historian, states that in the early church Ignatius, Barnabas and Justin Martyr observed the first day of the week. Also Dionysius, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian of Africa and numerous others attest to Sonday as the day of worship from the beginning of the church. He states, ‘Sunday… was adopted by the early Christians as a day of worship... Sunday was emphatically the weekly feast of the resurrection of Christ, as the Jewish Sabbath was the feast of creation. It was called the Lord’s day, and upon it the primitive church assembled to break bread. No regulations for its observance are laid down in the New Testament nor, indeed, is its observance even enjoined. Yet Christian feeling led to the universal adoption of the day, in imitation of the apostolic precedence. In the second century its observance was universal." Quoted from Schaff- Herzog Encyclopedia of religious knowledge 1891 Ed., vol.4 Article on Sunday
Ignatius in 110 A.D. wrote in his epistle to the Magnesians "If they who were concerned in old things, arrived at a newness of hope, no longer observing the Sabbath, but living according to the Lord’s day, by which our life sprung from Him and by His death (whom certain persons deny)…we have been made His disciples, let us live according to Christianity."
Barnabas in 120 A.D. wrote, "Wherefore, also, we keep the eighth day with joyfulness, the day, also, on which Jesus rose again from the dead". Justin Martyr in 140 A.D. wrote, "Sunday 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, made the world; and Jesus Christ our Saviour, on the same day rose from the dead."
The Didache in 80-90 A.D states "And on the day of our Lord’s resurrection, which is the Lord’s day meet more diligently."
The pattern of history, even from the early church appears to be that the church gathered on Sonday to worship because on this day the Lord rose eternally from the dead.
Prayer:
Using today’s Bible reading and notes spend time praying.
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
à Ask the Lord God Almighty to bring peace and harmony between the churches across your city. Pray that Jesus would be the centre of each church and that He would be worshipped as Lord and Saviour by all.
à Pray that different denominations across the board would stand united around Christ. Pray that the world would see that unity and be challenged about worshipping Christ.
Is the Lord’s day a day for us to fix, mend, clean, mow and so on. Or is it a day for us to rest in the Lord and to grow in relationship with Him.
What we do on the Lord’s Day shows what we think about it.
1. If a church worships on a Sonday, how should the Sabbath principle be applied?
2. Is it acceptable in the Lord’s eyes to give God 1 hour of Lord’s day and to keep the rest for yourself? Can you postulate a more biblical approach to the Lord’s day?
3. Describe your ideal Lord’s Day in detail?
Intro: Going to church isn’t a priority for many people and many often make the decision to go or not go depending on how they feel on Sonday morning. God would prefer that we committed to going every Sonday to bless and edify others.
Discuss a time when you didn’t want to go to church. What did you do? Why did you make the decisions you made?
Read Acts 20:7
When did the church meet?
What did they do?
How long did they meet for? See v8.
Pray together that God would give you a heart that loves to serve at church.
Intro: There are so many exciting things that we could do on Sondays. Can you list 10 things? Yet even so, God would prefer that we committed to going to Church every Sonday to bless and edify others. God wants us to make His family gathering a priority.
Discuss a time when you didn’t want to go to church. What did you do? Why did you make the decisions you made?
Read Acts 20:7
When did the church meet?
What did they do?
How long did they meet for? See v8.
Pray together that God would give you a heart that loves to serve at church.
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