Going to Church the same as keeping the Sabath day?

[John D.]

On my trek to understand myself and God I came to an interesting question. Is going to church the same as keeping the sabath day? What I mean is that a lot of people go to church but sometimes it seems they are there just for a social call then to actually worship God. I personally rather not go to a "church" persay just yet. I guess I am still gun shy about that (President Wilson knows what I mean). I actually bought a bible and have been reading it from the beginning of it. Does that mean I am keeping the Sabath day or no?

[RichW]

We are called as a body of believers to congregate toghether. The Bible is clear on this point. I don't know the scripture off the top of my head but there are several and I'll try and find them. But you are correct. There are people who go to Church but are no more a Christian than my truck. I could put on a tiara and go to buckingham palace and tell everyone I am the Queen of England but that wouldn't make it so.
It's great you are reading the word! I think that is a big part of it but also being with believers and worshipping in Gods house is part of it too.
Have you ever heard people say "I hate going to Church, there are so many hypocrites there"? Well, what better place for them to be? If a sick person wants to get well they need to go to the Dr. I tell people that and I also tell them that there are liars and thiefs and gossips and all matter of sinners there as well. That is what we all are without Jesus Christ. We need to be among believers for support and instruction. We need to go to the Dr's office!

[MaxC]

I don't see anywhere in the Bible where going to church (meeting with other believer's for worship, fellowship, teaching, communion, etc.) is equal keeping the Sabbath. I also do not see a requirement for keeping the Sabbath in the New Testament. That said, the Sabbath principle is rock solid and should be practiced in grace. My understanding of the Sabbath principle is to set aside time, typically, one day a week* for rest and engagement with God. The religious leaders of the time accused Christ of violating the Sabbath. Jesus told them the Sabbath is for man, not man for the Sabbath, meaning we need the rest and connection with God.

*Included in the Old Testament law on sabbath was a requirement of taking a one year sabbatical from work every seven years. I'd like to see that practiced today. /forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[President Wilson]

[ QUOTE ]
I actually bought a bible and have been reading it from the beginning of it.

[/ QUOTE ]

You are obviously well on the trigger! Keep reading his word, and stay in prayer. He will lead you to your next step.

[Venom]

[ QUOTE ]
President Wilson said:
[ QUOTE ]
I actually bought a bible and have been reading it from the beginning of it.

[/ QUOTE ]

You are obviously well on the trigger! Keep reading his word, and stay in prayer. He will lead you to your next step.

[/ QUOTE ]
Yeah, that is great to hear. /forum/images/graemlins/laugh.gif Keep it up John.

And the Sabbath and Church are two separate weapons. Both very helpful. /forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif As JW said, pray he guides your path and I will put a word in for you to. /forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[oes]

[ QUOTE ]
RichW said:
We are called as a body of believers to congregate toghether. The Bible is clear on this point.


[/ QUOTE ]

Amen, bro.

Heb. 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching


This is what Matthew Henry has to say about this verse...

Believers are to consider how they can be of service to each other, especially stirring up each other to the more vigorous and abundant exercise of love, and the practice of good works. The communion of saints is a great help and privilege, and a means of stedfastness and perseverance. We should observe the coming of times of trial, and be thereby quickened to greater diligence. There is a trying day coming on all men, the day of our death.


Like Rich said before, many people's excuse for not going to church is because of others who don't follow Christ in thier lives, when the real reason is because the Holy Spirit is speaking to them during the service and they don't want to respond.

But keep reading and praying my friend.

Post deleted by OldSchool

[oes]

Post deleted by OldSchool

[realjones]

-

[Adam Knowlden]

Gen. 2

<font color="red">1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.

2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made
</font>

This established the labor that deserved rest.

In Exodus 20 we see the principle of labor and the principle of rest established:

<font color="blue"> 9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:

10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work , thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:

11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
</font>

From the very moment Adam was created, he was created to work.

Gen. 2:15

<font color="green"> 15 And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.
</font>

The Lord demonstrated labor for us and rest.

There are so many parallels with creation week with our spiritual and physical lives its uncanny.

But the next question is, Why did God rest?

To answer that we need to establish a few concepts:

1. He was not tired.

Isaiah 40:28

<font color="red"> 28 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.
</font>

2. He did not have to catch up on sleep.

<font color="brown"> 4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
</font> Psalm 121:4

3. It was not because He ran out of ideas.

<font color="purple"> 20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
</font>

Eternal is infinite. He has infinte power, but chose to stop creating.

4. He was setting aside a day for us to rest an example for us to follow! /forum/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

<font color="#666666"> 2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made </font>

<font color="brown"> 9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:

10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work </font>

The parallel between the creation week and the work week is clearly established. On the seventh day God rested. On the Sabbath day the followers of the Law rested.

The word rest comes from the Hebrew word that gives us the word Sabbath, and it literally means "to cease".

The passover feast continues in the observance of the Lord's supper, and likewise the Sabbath continues in the Lord's day (Sunday).

Luke 6:4-5

<font color="purple">"How he went into the house of God, and did take and eat the shewbread, and gave also to them that were with him; which it is not lawful to eat but for the priests alone?

And he said unto them, That the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath." </font>

The disciples could work on the Sabbath in the cornfield because Christ as high Priest and Lord of the Sabbath fulfilled the law for them. He is the Sabbath wherein they would find rest from the works of the law.

Colossians 1:22

<font color="green">"In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:" </font>

The sign of the sabbath was that they should remember that it was the Lord that made them Holy, they were not Holy of themselves. Likewise in Deuteronomy God says the sign was so that they would remember God's work in bringing them out of the bondage of Egypt.

Deuteronomy 5:15

<font color="red"> "And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the Sabbath day." </font>

All this is related to the finished work of Christ on the cross, which the seventh day Sabbath prefigured. The deliverance from bondage to sin that we are set free from the law of works in the Rest of Christ.

Here in Acts 20:

<font color="purple"> 6 And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, and came unto them to Troas in five days; where we abode seven days.

7 And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.
</font>

Paul stayed seven days with them so that he could be there Sunday for Church when the disciples came together, had communion in breaking bread, and heard the gospel preached.

<font color="blue"> 16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:

17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
</font>

The Sabbath was just a shadow of the things to come.

Here God tells us very plainly and 'without ambiguity' that the old testament Sabbath was a shadow that pointed to a greater Sabbath to come. The Old Testament Sabbath would have it's substance, efficacy, and fulfillment in the person of Jesus Christ.


A key principle is established here with the Sabbath. Labor is to be followed by leisure.

With the New testament this principle was reversed!!!! /forum/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

We are now to rest, then labor! Sunday is the first day of the week! Not the week end. Under the New Covenant we are now to rest, then work.

We see this new principle established:

<font color="red"> 28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
</font>

So now we are to rest, then go back to labour!

Jesus worked and then He rested so that we can rest and then work.

Hebrews 4, put this principle in stone:

<font color="blue">1Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it.

2For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith

3Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said, "So I declared on oath in my anger, They shall never enter my rest."

4And yet his work has been finished since the creation of the world. For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: "And on the seventh day God rested from all his work."

5And again in the passage above he says, "They shall never enter my rest."

6It still remains that some will enter that rest, and those who formerly had the gospel preached to them did not go in, because of their disobedience.

7Therefore God again set a certain day, calling it Today, when a long time later he spoke through David, as was said before: "Today, if you hear his voice,do not harden your hearts."

8For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day.

9There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God;

10for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his.

11Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience.

</font>

The term rest in the New Testament refers to the salvation that we enjoy in the Lord Jesus. We do not work for our salvation and then rest after we earn it. We rest in our salvation and work because we have it. We are not saved by working, we are saved by resting through Jesus' promise.

<font color="green"> 28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
</font>

We are not saved by trying, we are saved by trusting.

But the new testament principle is that we start the week in rest, then labor! /forum/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

The concept is that we have entered Christ's rest.

However, if you have a job that does not allow you to be off on Sunday, God understands. The main difference is that you have to have one day that is seperate from the rest of the week. Now, I'm not saying you have to sit in your room all day praying. But do take extra time to be with the Lord. Also, take it easy.

Rest replenishes the spirit, refreshes the soul, and rejuvenates the body!

We were made to rest. God set it up that way! So enter His rest, then go about your week! /forum/images/graemlins/cool.gif

1 Corinthians 16:1-2

<font color="blue">1 Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye.

2 Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come
</font>

Everything in scripture points to the resurrection of Christ on Sunday as the first of the Sabbaths, the Lord's Day. He is risen, He is Lord of the Sabbath, risen from the dead (and we together with Him) our works finished that we might enter into Rest. Paul requested the collection offering for the believers on Sunday because this was the usual day that believers gathered together (churched).

[realjones]

old school: while im sure your post is very good, im not going to bother reading it because I changed my mind and deleted what I had wrote. I decided it didnt really make any sense and so i deleted it. You must have already begun replying to it when i deleted it. sorry for the wasted time and effort you put into that long post. /forum/images/graemlins/frown.gif

[Adam Knowlden]

Actually 90% of it was pertaining to the Sabbath!

I edited the response I made to you! /forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[oes]

Excellent post OS, our rest with Christ is divine, and God's word makes it clear that we are to come together to fellowship and draw strength from each other as well, to be nourished from His word.

Again, thanks for your post, you have certainly been 'studying to show thyself approved' my friend.

[President Wilson]

Outstanding Post Old School! There are many aspects of creation week, that The Lord used to give us examples in our own lives.

[Adam Knowlden]

Yes the entire concept of salvation is in there!

We could get into to detail here, but here's a brief look:

<font color="red"> 2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. </font>

We are born void of God. But God's spirit moved on us.

<font color="blue"> And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
</font>

I love my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! /forum/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

[oes]

First you say this-

[ QUOTE ]
Satan_is_Buff said:
"If going to church makes you a christian then does going to the garage make you a car?"

When are people going to wake up from the fantasy world and realize that the Bible and the church are a joke? God died 2000 years ago, and Satan is is king. Stop following the herd and lead the way...

[/ QUOTE ]

Then this-

I love my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!


Help me out here. These two posts are like from one extreme to the other. My prayer is that you really do love Jesus Christ, but if this is true, how can you say that Satan is king???

[Thrawn]

Don't worry about him, he's just trying to stir people up. I used to do the same thing in chatrooms when I was a kid...

By the way OldSchool, I love it how you'll take a small question and write a 10 page answer. You're detail is astounding!

[oes]

[ QUOTE ]
Thrawn said:
Don't worry about him, he's just trying to stir people up. I used to do the same thing in chatrooms when I was a kid...

By the way OldSchool, I love it how you'll take a small question and write a 10 page answer. You're detail is astounding!

[/ QUOTE ]

Hey I think your may be right Thrawn, and I love your sig.

Oldschool does present God's word in a wide detail, so keep reading it, you won't be sorry.

BTW, WELCOME to ABC my friend!!

[Adam Knowlden]

Its simple oes, everyone will admit Jesus is Lord, I his case, I just helped speed up the process! /forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif