{"id":262,"date":"2011-12-14T21:26:26","date_gmt":"2011-12-14T21:26:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/heraldofgrace.org\/biblicalexpositions\/articles1\/?p=262"},"modified":"2014-10-21T13:56:01","modified_gmt":"2014-10-21T13:56:01","slug":"lords-day-observance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/heraldofgrace.org\/biblicalexpositions\/lords-day-observance\/","title":{"rendered":"Lord’s Day Observance"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Gordon Cook<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you have a copy of the Scriptures with you, please turn with me to Mark\u2019s gospel, Mark, chapter 2. <\/p>\n

We\u2019re continuing our series on the subject of worship. We are focusing upon the question, When do we worship? and we have argued from Genesis to Revelation that there is a distinctive worship day; and no one had more to say about keeping a Sabbath day, or how to keep a Sabbath day, than the Lord Jesus Christ. <\/p>\n

Here in Mark, chapter 2, He has a controversy with the Pharisees; and we read in verse 23 of Mark, chapter 2, <\/p>\n

Now it happened that He went through the grain fields on the Sabbath; and, as they went, His disciples began to pluck the heads of grain; and the Pharisees said to Him, \u201cLook, why do they go do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?\u201d <\/p>\n

But He said to them, \u201cHave you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry (he and those with him)\u2014how he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the High Priest; and ate the showbread, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests; and also gave some to those were with him?\u201d <\/p>\n

And He said to them, \u201cThe Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord [\u03ba\u03cd\u03c1\u03b9\u03bf\u03c2 (kurios)] of the Sabbath.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The stock market has experienced a gigantic upheaval over the last year or so, especially in the last couple of weeks; and worship is often like the stock market in this sense\u2013up and down; but in recent years it has been on a downward trend; and here\u2019s some of the circumstantial evidence which I think could stand up in any court of law.
\nSermons are getting shorter and shorter. <\/p>\n

In many places, hymns\u2014the good hymns of the faith\u2014have actually disappeared. <\/p>\n

In many places, there is no longer a corporate prayer meeting. <\/p>\n

It all suggests (does it not?) that we are in trouble. <\/p>\n

What\u2019s the answer? <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Well, certainly we must begin where the Bible would tell us to begin. We begin with repentance. God dwells with those who are contrite and broken-hearted; but we need to go back to our Bibles (that\u2019s the only safe place) and say, what saith the Scriptures? <\/p>\n

And our worship\u2014if we are using the Scriptures to regulate our worship, it is to be Bible-based and Bible-saturated. That means that the songs we sing are to be full of the Bible, [as well as] the prayers we sing and the sermons we preach. <\/p>\n

Our worship is to be God-centered and Christ-centered. We worship God. We worship Christ. We don\u2019t worship ourselves. God is the main attraction; and so we get our eyes on Him, Jesus, but also the thrice-holy God. <\/p>\n

But a third thing\u2014so vital, I believe, and necessary to a biblically-ordered, biblically-based worship\u2014is maintaining and cultivating a day of worship.
\nWe need to spend time with God. <\/p>\n

You really can\u2019t expect your relationship with your wife to grow, do you, if you don\u2019t spend time with her? And can you expect your relationship with God to grow if you don\u2019t spend time with God?
\nAnd you\u2019re to spend time with God privately (Jesus speaks of the prayer closet several times in the Sermon on the Mount); and we are to spend time with God corporately. We are to come together as God\u2019s people; and God has given us a whole day for corporate worship; and I\u2019m personally convinced that one of the reasons why worship is on this downward trend is because the church in large measure, at least here in America, has lost a high view of the Lord\u2019s Day. <\/p>\n

In his excellent book, Celebrating the Sabbath, Bruce Ray writes, People just do not take Sunday seriously any more, as a day dedicated to holy uses. <\/p>\n

[There] used to be a day in this country where every church had two services to distinguish the day. There used to be a day when services were always on Sunday; but now people are opting for Friday night and Thursday nights. We just can\u2019t fit God into our schedules anymore. <\/p>\n

It appears God has become something of an inconvenience; and when something more interesting comes along, guess Who we reschedule? God. <\/p>\n

But we can\u2019t do that, can we? Not if we take seriously our Bibles. God doesn\u2019t give that an option\u2014take any day you want. <\/p>\n

God is sovereign. He has scheduled time in a weekly cycle\u2013six days we need to work; but He has also earmarked one whole day for worship; and we have seen that this day is highly profiled from Genesis to Revelation and, in a course of (what?) six sermons (I think I\u2019m counting them right), we followed the biblical plot line from Creation, Fall and Redemption. <\/p>\n

We\u2019ve climbed several mountains to get a good profile of this day. You might recall the first great mountain we climbed was Genesis, chapter 2, the Creational Sabbath Day, a day given to man as man\u2014not man as a Jew, but man as man. <\/p>\n

The second mountain peak we climbed was Exodus, chapter 20, where the Sabbath is reinforced by way of a positive command; and it\u2019s clear that Moses did not invent the Sabbath day: the first word, remember, tells us that. (How could anyone remember the Sabbath Day, if the Sabbath day didn\u2019t exist?) <\/p>\n

The third great mountain that we climbed to show that God\u2019s people have always had a distinctive worship day was Isaiah 58. Although six of the prophets deal with the Sabbath day, Isaiah deals with it most definitively in three distinct places; but the most important is Isaiah 58; and there we see that God gives promises\u2014wonderful promises\u2014to those who keep the Sabbath: the promise of joy, the promise of triumph and the promise of feasting. You don\u2019t lose. It\u2019s a win-win situation if you keep the Sabbath day. <\/p>\n

And, then, we turned to the New Testament; and we saw, when we opened up the New Testament, that the distinctive worship day doesn\u2019t disappear. No\u2014in fact, it comes into higher definition. No one said more about the Sabbath than Jesus; and Jesus, very deliberately (at times, at least), enters into controversy with His religious critics, the Pharisees, on at least six occasions; and its clear from those controversies that Jesus in no way is seeking to abolish or rescind the Sabbath day; but, rather, He\u2019s seeking to regulate it, liberate it, and restore it to its original design and purpose. <\/p>\n

But when you read on in the New Testament, you do see a change. Something very significant takes place. Jesus dies; but Jesus rises from the grave; and from that point on there is a new worship day, a day to celebrate His victory over sin and over death. <\/p>\n

That day is still very much like the Old Testament Sabbath day in this sense: it\u2019s still a holy day; it\u2019s still a day in which we are to remember; but it\u2019s the first day of the week\u2014a new day, with a new focus. We focus upon Christ ( not exclusively, but certainly He becomes the main focus); and we focus upon His finished work of redemption; and there are new dynamics at work.
\nThe Holy Spirit comes on the day of Pentecost (which, by the way is the first day of the week); and so now there is both a filling and a fullness of the Spirit that makes the day all the better: more to rejoice in, more truth, more grace, more power\u2013the power of the Spirit and the power of the resurrection. <\/p>\n

The day only becomes better under the new covenant. To use the language of Hebrews 4, There remains a Sabbath day for the people of God. <\/p>\n

Now, tonight, what I want to do is have a final message on the subject of this distinctive day; and the matter here before us is the practical observance. <\/p>\n

Now, here is where most people want to start. They want to start with the how-to: tell me what I can do. <\/p>\n

Well, I don\u2019t have a hand-out. If I did, it might be too long. If I tried to pattern a how-to list after the Pharisee, you can imagine how many hand\u00acouts we\u2019d have: fifteen hundred rules that they used to regulate the day; but I\u2019m not going to do that tonight. I\u2019m not going to give you a detailed, itemized list. Sorry to disappoint you (if there are some who are disappointed). <\/p>\n

The reason I\u2019m not going to do that is the Bible doesn\u2019t; and I\u2019m not going to be an ethical guru for anyone, right? You have to think through issues yourself. <\/p>\n

But here are five simple things I trust will be helpful, five action words that I trust will help you and help me, as we seek to honor God on this day, the first day of the week, called the Lord\u2019s Day. <\/p>\n

Five little words\u2014notice how simple they are: one- or two-syllable words. <\/p>\n

Even the children can put these down on paper, because the Sabbath Day, or the Lord\u2019s Day, is not just for Mom and Dad, is it? It\u2019s for all of us. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s a whole day of no homework, children (that sounds great, doesn\u2019t it?); but it\u2019s not a day to be lazy. In fact, it should be, in one sense, the hardest day of the week, in terms of work: it\u2019s the work of worship that\u2019s required on this day. That\u2019s why you can be so exhausted on the Lord\u2019s Day. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s a day of work: spiritual work. <\/p>\n

But here are the five simple words. <\/p>\n

If you are to, I trust, understand how to live in light of what we\u2019ve already studied, the first word is think; the second word is focus; the third word is ask; the fourth word is plan; and the fifth word is watch or fight. <\/p>\n

Okay, five simple words that I trust will help us in our practical observance of the Lord\u2019s day. <\/p>\n

The first word is think. We have a lot in our Bibles that has something to say about thinking, using the mind. <\/p>\n

Turn, for example, to Proverbs, chapter 1. Here, the writer of Proverbs puts a great stress upon wisdom, upon understanding, upon instruction. He sets the whole framework for the book of Proverbs in these first seven or so verses. Notice the emphasis upon the use of the mind: <\/p>\n

Verse 2, To know wisdom and understanding. <\/p>\n

Again, verse 3, To receive instruction. <\/p>\n

He mentions judgment there in verse 3. <\/p>\n

Verse 4, To give prudence. <\/p>\n

Verse 4 again, knowledge and discretion.\u201d <\/p>\n

Verse 5, a man will hear and increase learning; and a man of understanding\u2026<\/p>\n

Verse 6, to understand. <\/p>\n

Verse 7, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge\u2014emphasis upon knowledge, emphasis upon instruction. <\/p>\n

We need to use our minds as Christians. Paul\u2014when he prays in the book of Ephesians 1, and again in Colossians 1, he prays for understanding. He prays for wisdom. <\/p>\n

Listen to these texts of Scripture: <\/p>\n

Philippians 4, verse 8. (You might even want to turn there and see for yourself.) Here Paul gives this exhortation to the church there in Philippi; but it\u2019s certainly a call to use their minds, to use their intellects. <\/p>\n

Finally, brethren (chapter 4, verse 8), whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there\u2019s any virtue, if there\u2019s anything praiseworthy, meditate (or, think) on these things. <\/p>\n

You can\u2019t be a Christian and not think. Romans 8. Those who live by the flesh set their minds (their intellects) upon the things of the flesh; but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds upon on the things of the Spirit.\u201d <\/p>\n

Colossians 3, verse 1. If you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is. Set your mind (your mind), on things above.
\nThe mind matters. It is the primary faculty, when we think of living the Christian life. Notice, I did not say the exclusive faculty; but it is the primary faculty.
\nGod wants us to think His thoughts after Him. He wants us to think through principles. He\u2019s given us His Holy Spirit. He\u2019s given us a sufficient guide, a verbal guide, in terms of our Bibles.
\nNow it would be a whole lot easier (wouldn\u2019t it?); and it might be a lot simpler; and people might feel a lot more comfortable, if someone came along and gave them an exhaustive list of do\u2019s and don\u2019ts. <\/p>\n

The Pharisees did that; but what did it create? It created a religion where people didn\u2019t think and God wants you and I [me] to think. He doesn\u2019t want someone to come along and tell you what you can do and can\u2019t do\u2014 not as a mature Christian. <\/p>\n

Jesus never did that. He wanted His disciples to think; and He sets out principles in His Word; and we could go all the way back to Exodus, chapter 20, or Deuteronomy, chapter 5, where we examine the Sabbath day under the Mosaic law. <\/p>\n

God sets forth, at least in terms of principles, that this is a day in which you are to rest\u2014cease from work; and a day in which you are to worship. <\/p>\n

You are to remember God, the God Who has made all things, the God Who redeems us; and notice: when Jesus, here in Mark, chapter 2, mentions this whole matter of Sabbath day keeping, He also sets forth a vital principle, the principle being\u2026. <\/p>\n

Here in Mark, chapter 2, is the principle of necessity. Here in Mark, chapter 2, He defends His disciples (the plucking of heads of grain); and He uses an Old Testament illustration.
\nHe draws from the Old Testament (verse 25): But He said to them, \u201cHave you not read what David did, when he was in need and hungry?\u201d <\/p>\n

What did David do? Well, David ate food. It\u2019s a deed of necessity. <\/p>\n

That\u2019s a principle that we need to get ahold of. When we think of the Lord\u2019s Day, and what are activities or things that we can do, certainly the principle of necessity applies to the Day. <\/p>\n

Turn to Matthew, chapter 12. Again, in a more lengthy discourse and controversy with the Pharisees, Jesus sets forth some more principles here that ought to regulate our thinking when it comes to the keeping of the Lord\u2019s day; and, again, Jesus draws from Old Testament illustrations or examples, to buttress His points, here in Matthew chapter 12, verse 12. <\/p>\n

Notice what He says here (sorry, not verse 12\u2014back in verse 5): Have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are blameless? <\/p>\n

He\u2019s justifying what the priests did. Not only did they eat food, but they also performed sacrifices. They also did work. These were works of piety. <\/p>\n

Later on in this chapter, notice verse 12. He deals with another matter of principle here that needs to regulate our thinking. It could be called the principle of compassion, the principle of mercy or the principle of pity. <\/p>\n

Then He said to them, what man is there among you who has one sheep, and, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out? <\/p>\n

And then He goes on to say, Are you not much more value than a sheep?\u201d In other words, helping people, showing compassion, Jesus did a lot of His healing miracles on the Sabbath, illustrating the principle of mercy and compassion. <\/p>\n

Think through the principle, the principle of rest. There\u2019s a principle of refreshment. There\u2019s a principle of necessity, the principle of piety, the principle of compassion. <\/p>\n

Pastor Walt Chantry makes a good point here when he makes mention of a situation where one might stand off and judge a brother and say, Oh, he can\u2019t do that: you can\u2019t be doing that on the Sabbath day; and here\u2019s a brother who\u2019s jogging down the street. <\/p>\n

Listen to what he says about the man who jogs down the street on the Sabbath. <\/p>\n

A Christian friend might be very much motivated by a desire to spend a Sunday afternoon in reading and praying. You see, he understands it\u2019s a day of worship. However, he has a job which requires him to sit at a desk all week long; and, as he attempts his Sunday afternoon reading, he may nod off to sleep and have no devotions. Next time, he will run half a mile to keep his blood moving, so that more time can be given to spiritual communion with God when he finishes. <\/p>\n

Has he kept the Sabbath day? \u2019Course he has. He\u2019s understood the principle, the principle of worship: seeking to do all I can so that I can worship God on His day.
\nWhat about our children and our teenagers? How can we help them give higher degree of concentration in the worship service? Are there practical ways? <\/p>\n

All I\u2019m saying, brethren, is think. Think out the principle\u2013and that requires work. It\u2019s easy to have a list. It\u2019s easy to adopt a Pharisaical approach that makes it all seem so simple; but that\u2019s not the approach that God gives us for all of life, and not for keeping a distinctive worship day; and, brethren, I believe that we are going to face more and more challenges to how we practically keep the Sabbath, because we are living in a culture where more and more pressure is being put upon us to get rid of a Lord\u2019s day. <\/p>\n

Some of the men in this church face challenges today that they didn\u2019t face ten years ago when it comes to the Lord\u2019s Day. They were never asked by their employer to be at a certain place on Monday morning. Now they do \u2014are asked to do. So, what do they do? Do they get on a plane? Do they quit their jobs? <\/p>\n

You see, it\u2019s not always so simple. Things can become rather complex; but we need to have our minds honed to the Word of God and think through principle.
\nThat\u2019s the first word, think. The second word is focus. <\/p>\n

Here\u2019s where we, too, can get ourselves into trouble, brethren: we can lose focus. That\u2019s what happened to the Pharisees. They lost focus. They began to focus upon rules and regulations; and they lost focus of God; and they lost focus of people. They lost sight of the two great commandments: to love God and love my neighbor. <\/p>\n

This day is not about rules. It\u2019s about loving God and loving people. Jesus gives focus (does He not?) to God. <\/p>\n

He made sure He had time for God; but He also made sure that He took time to help people. <\/p>\n

Isaiah 58. What\u2019s the focus? God. We are to delight in God. <\/p>\n

Exodus, chapter 20. What\u2019s the focus? To remember Him, our Creator. <\/p>\n

Deuteronomy 5, to remember our Redeemer. It\u2019s a day to remember Jesus. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s interesting: the first Resurrection Sabbath day, or the first Resurrection Day (Matthew 28)\u2014notice what the disciples are doing on this day. <\/p>\n

This is the first day of the week (verse 1 of Matthew 28), after the Sabbath as the first day of the week began; and what are they doing on this day? <\/p>\n

Well, you read on into that chapter. They meet Jesus on this day; and notice verse 17: when they saw Him. <\/p>\n

They saw Jesus on this first Resurrection Day. What are they doing? They\u2019re worshipping Him. <\/p>\n

What is John doing in Revelation 1 on this day, which is defined here as the Lord\u2019s Day (the Lordly Day\u2014he uses an adjective to describe the Day)? <\/p>\n

But what is John doing on this day? Notice what John sees on this day (Revelation 1, verse 12): Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. <\/p>\n

Who[m] does he see? Verse 13. One like the Son of Man. He sees Christ. <\/p>\n

That\u2019s the focus of the day: cherishing, treasuring, being satisfied with, our blessed Savior. Use the day to get close to God. Use the day to get close to Jesus. Nearer, nearer to thee.
\nCatch up on your Bible reading. Spend more time in prayer. Maybe you take opportunities to instruct your children about what they heard on Sunday. <\/p>\n

And if we take Jesus as our model, brethren, we can\u2019t forget people on this day. He made it a day of compassion. It was on this day that He healed that man who had that shriveled hand. It was on this day that He healed that crippled woman. It was on this day that He went beside that pool of water and that man with that infirmity of thirty-eight years. It was on this day that He healed a blind man. <\/p>\n

Think through principles; focus on God, on Christ, and people. Third action word that I trust will be helpful as we think through how to observe the Lord\u2019s day\u2014ask questions. Ask questions when it comes to what you do on the Lord\u2019s Day. Let me give a sampling of some questions you might ask. These are not exhaustive, by any means; here\u2019s a sampling. <\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a good question: is what I do conducive to holiness? Is what I do going to help me on my way to heaven? Is what I do going to make me a better Christian? <\/p>\n

Here\u2019s another question: is what I do necessary? Are there things that I do today that could be avoided and could\u2019ve been done yesterday, on Saturday, or on Monday? <\/p>\n

Don\u2019t clutter the day with unnecessary activities. If you had a friend, one of your best friends, who was coming to visit with you next week, you would want to spend time with that person, wouldn\u2019t you? And you would seek to clear away all of the potential distractions (right?), so you could give full attention to that relationship. And that\u2019s what God wants. He wants us to give attention to Him on His day. <\/p>\n

Here\u2019s another question, under this head of asking: does what I do serve, promote, or enhance the cause of the Gospel; or hinder it? <\/p>\n

The Gospel of Christ calls us to self-denial (doesn\u2019t it?), not to self-indulgence; and Jesus sets before us the cross as a figure or a symbol of discipleship. Six times in the Gospel He lets us know that discipleship is going to be a costly affair. Personal comforts and pleasures will have to be denied. We don\u2019t live for self, but for Him; and that appears to be what Isaiah 58 has in mind. You might recall what the prophet Isaiah says in chapter 58. He calls us to delight in God. God is to be the greatest of our pleasures; but Isaiah sees some competition here\u2014an adversary, if you will: competing pleasures. <\/p>\n

Isaiah 58, verse 13. If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on My day\u2026. <\/p>\n

Now, I don\u2019t believe that we are to understand by this that we have to wear frowns on Sunday, or that we can\u2019t do anything that would bring us pleasure. It\u2019s a day of gladness, isn\u2019t it? A day of rejoicing? But I believe the point he\u2019s making is: don\u2019t put your pleasures in the driver\u2019s seat. Don\u2019t be stubborn and manifest a willful selfishness. It\u2019s not your day, it\u2019s God\u2019s day.
\nGod comes first. What pleases Him takes precedence over what pleases me. So that means we put all our pleasures under the shadow of the cross. The activities we engage on this day ought to bring us closer to God and not pull us away from God. The activities we engage in ought to facilitate worship, not hinder worship. <\/p>\n

Here\u2019s another question we can ask: will the activity I engage in be a stumbling block to my brethren? We have a wonderful doctrine in our Bible called the doctrine of Christian liberty (1st Corinthians 8); but he gives a warning, doesn\u2019t he? Beware, he says, that this liberty of yours doesn\u2019t become a stumbling block for those who are weak. <\/p>\n

Yes, it\u2019s a wonderful freedom of conscience we have in Christ. There\u2019s only one Lord of my conscience, one Master, and that\u2019s Jesus Christ; and there\u2019s only one Lord of the Sabbath\u2014it wasn\u2019t the Pharisees, it\u2019s Jesus; but, when it comes to the practical applications of the principles of keeping a Lord\u2019s day, not everyone of us is going to be on the same page (right?); and I\u2019m simply saying, brethren, be sensitive to those brethren who might differ from you. <\/p>\n

For example, you might have some of the brethren over for hospitality on a Sunday; and it might be wise to ask them before they come over, I want to be sensitive to the convictions you have with regard to this day: can you please tell me? Don\u2019t assume they think just like you think, or they take the principles and apply them exactly the way you do. <\/p>\n

I remember, years ago, visiting a sister church. It was after a Sunday night service at a particular home; and the brother wanted his family and my family to engage in a certain kind of activity that I at that point couldn\u2019t with good conscience engage in; and I told him so; and I said, Sir, I don\u2019t want to judge you; I don\u2019t want to condemn you. You have your conviction; I have mine; but this is my conviction; and he respected that. <\/p>\n

Now, I\u2019ve been on the other side, where I had a man come up to me (years ago, when I was in the academy); and I was doing something in his living room that he didn\u2019t particularly appreciate. I was reading a newspaper\u2014sports page, catching up on my Toronto Maple Leafs (they used to win back in those days). I remember him walking to the window; and he\u2019s looking out the window; and I said, Okay, he\u2019s going to say something soon; and sure enough, he did. Very gracious, he said, Gord, we are good friends. At the time I was living in their home. He said, Gord, this is my conviction: I prefer not to have the newspaper read on the Lord\u2019s Day in front of my children. He said, If you want to go up to your bedroom and read it, go ahead. I took the newspaper upstairs; but I didn\u2019t read it. He made me think. Do I need to read it today? Is this the best use of my time? My perspective from that day changed with regard to the newspaper. That\u2019s my conviction. <\/p>\n

A fifth question\u2014and this question, or this perspective, is gleaned from Elizabeth George, in a book, A Woman After God\u2019s Own Heart. She illustrates it in a different way in terms of application; but it\u2019s a principle. She states it this way with regard to the activity: there are good things we can do; there are better things we can do; and then there is the best; and, as Christians, we want to make the best choices, don\u2019t we? So the question is, what\u2019s best for my soul? What\u2019s most conducive? And she illustrates it this way. She talks about going to the park and taking advantage of listening to classical music. One could certainly apply that, on the Lord\u2019s Day, you go to the park: you want to enjoy God\u2019s creation, remember the Creator. You listen to classical music; you come back refreshed. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s been good; but, as you pray and think about the time you spent in the park, you say, Could there be a better use of my time? Instead of listening to classical music, you now listen to hymns; and you get the truth. It comes not only through the eye gate, but through the ear gate; and you come back after a series of Lord\u2019s days and you find greater profit to your soul. It\u2019s been a better choice. You made a good choice; now you\u2019ve made a better choice; and then there\u2019s the best choice. Now you go for walks; and, after a few weeks, this is what you do: you go for a walk; you memorize Scripture. You\u2014you take those little cards; and you go over them in your mind and heart; and you learn a good portion of your Bible; and, after three or four months, you find out: this is the best choice. <\/p>\n

You see the point? What\u2019s the best choice? How can you maximize your Lord\u2019s day? How can you come up with better ways, or best ways, to use your Lord\u2019s day? We\u2019re all on a learning curve; but let\u2019s seek, brethren, to find the best ways to profit my soul on the best day of the week. And here\u2019s a fourth\u2014or, (sorry): that\u2019s the third perspective with regard to the Lord\u2019s Day, the third operative word. Think, focus, ask\u2014but, fourthly, in terms of another helpful way for us, brethren, to give practical observance to this Lord\u2019s Day and make the most of this distinctive worship day: Plan.
\nToo often people come into God\u2019s presence unprepared; and it can show itself in all sorts of ways: coming to church late, falling asleep under the Word regularly, being distracted while you sit under the preaching regularly; and sometimes the problem is simple as this: you didn\u2019t plan. We need to plan. <\/p>\n

Get prepared for the day; and that principle of preparation runs through our Bibles. Exodus 19\u2014before God manifests Himself from Mount Sinai, the people consecrated themselves and washed their clothes, Exodus 19. They were prepared to meet the thrice holy God. Under the Old Covenant there was all of this legislation for elaborate preparation, when it came to bringing sacrifices. You had to bring this sacrifice\u2014this offering and that offering; the burnt offering and the animal offering; and there was an elaborate protocol. God was letting them know: prepare to meet Me. <\/p>\n

Notice in Luke chapter 22 how our Lord prepares His disciples for worship. As He begins to prepare Himself for that awful sacrifice on Calvary, He will institute this wonderful ordinance of bread and wine, the Lord\u2019s supper; but, notice how He gets His disciples prepared to worship there in that upper room. Luke 22, verse 7 (verse 7, is that what it is?) Okay, verse 7. Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the Passover must be killed; and He sent Peter and John, saying, \u201cGo prepare the Passover.\u201d Verse 9. So they said to Him, \u201cwhere do you want us to be prepare\u201d\u2014or, \u201cto prepare?\u201d And then He tells them. He gives specifics as to what He wants them to do; and, again they go and they find this upper room. Notice (verse 12): Then he will show you a large furnished upper room; there make ready. <\/p>\n

Get prepared. Get ready for worship. And there are two great ways to prepare for worship. There\u2019s an outward preparing; and a thousand and one things could be said. Get to bed early, brethren. You think you\u2019re going to worship God, when you spend time in front of your television to the wee hours in the morning? You\u2019re kidding yourself. Make sure you get up early enough. You have an alarm clock? Some people find it helpful to get Sunday clothes in order the night before. Maybe it means getting coffee\u2014a coffee pot\u2014ready before they get to bed, or setting the table.
\nMake sure you have enough gas in the car. Prepare physically; and then prepare spiritually. Amos 4, verse 12. Prepare to meet God. Job 11, verse 13. Prepare your hearts and stretch your hands before Him. <\/p>\n

The night before, you can begin to prepare, can\u2019t you, by praying? Get up early in the morning and begin to prepare by praying. Sometimes it will demand that we prepare by dealing with our own personal sin, confessing our sin. God won\u2019t hear our prayers, according to Psalm 36, if we regard iniquity in our hearts. What about that brother or that sister you offended? Well, Jesus tells us in Matthew 5, when you are bringing a gift to the altar to worship, if you remember that there\u2019s a brother who has aught against you, don\u2019t ignore it: get reconciled. Prepare; and, husbands and wives\u2014they shouldn\u2019t be sitting in church disgruntled with one another. If that means you\u2019re going to be late for church, be late for church; but get it worked out. Maybe you have to sit in the parking lot for an extra fifteen minutes, but come with hearts prepared. Get ready to meet God. <\/p>\n

Think, focus, ask, prepare; and then, finally, brethren, the fifth operative word to help us regulate, observe our Lord\u2019s Day: watch or fight. Guard your heart, says the writer of Proverbs. Out of the heart comes the issues of life. He uses language that a soldier would use to protect himself from weapons; and there are great battles that are raging, brethren, when it comes to worship; and you and I have to fight to keep a rest day. We have to fight our own remaining sin and corruption. There\u2019s a propensity to idol worship\u2014idols of comfort and idols of convenience and idols of entertainment. Sin resists God\u2019s commandments, every one of them, including the fourth commandment; and, brethren, there are titanic pressures and tsunami-like winds and waves that are seeking to pull you and I [me] from worshipping the true and living God. The devil doesn\u2019t want you here. The world will tell us all kinds of ways in which we can somehow circumvent the Lord\u2019s day. There are so many more wonderful, exciting things out there that you can do. Why go to church? Why spend time in your Bible? Why pray? <\/p>\n

If you and I are not fighting, brethren, and resisting the enemy within and the enemies without, we will be swept away. Christian, you need\u2014you hear that? You need a worship day. It\u2019s a means of grace. The church needs a worship day. The Puritans fought for religious freedom; but they also fought for a distinctive worship day. Dr. Packer describes the Puritans this way; listen to what he says about the Puritans: They were great visionaries, great doers, great sufferers; and I am convinced that in no small measure their greatness can be attributed to the fact that they had a high view of the Lord\u2019s Day. <\/p>\n

Listen to what the Puritans said about the Lord\u2019s Day: <\/p>\n

Thomas Watson:
\nChrist wrought most of His miracles upon the Sabbath, so He still does. Dead souls are raised and hearts of stone are made flesh. How highly should we esteem and reverence this day! <\/p>\n

Jonathan Edwards:
\nOn this day Christ does indeed love to distribute His gifts and blessings in joy and happiness, and will delight to do the same to the end of the world. Oh, therefore, how well it is worth our while to improve this day and to call upon God and seek Jesus Christ! <\/p>\n

Our spiritual survival as a church in large measure will depend upon sanctifying the day. Hold fast, brethren. One of the greatest privileges, greatest blessings, greatest gifts, God has given to mankind is a distinctive worship day. So much to lose, so much to gain\u2014fight for the day. Fight to keep your eyes on Christ. That\u2019s what makes it so special and so wonderful: it\u2019s the day of worshipping Christ. It\u2019s the day where He promises His special presence. It is promised on this special day when we gather together. You have a whole day to express your love to Jesus Christ. Use it well. Make better use, brethren. May it become more profitable, more delightful; and may you find more soul-satisfaction in worshipping God and your Savior. <\/p>\n

We could ask the question, are you a Christian? Here\u2019s the question: do you enjoy the day? It\u2019s the best day of the week; is it for you? Here\u2019s a powerful evidence, a sign if you will, that you are a Christian. Do you love His Day? Do you love His Day? Do you prepare to meet with God on His Day? And, brethren, it\u2019s a day to prepare us to meet Jesus face to face for that eternal Sabbath day, when we will see Him and dwell with Him forever. Get prepared to meet Jesus by keeping this Day. <\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Gordon Cook If you have a copy of the Scriptures with you, please turn with me to Mark\u2019s gospel, Mark, chapter 2. We\u2019re continuing our series on the subject of worship. We are focusing upon the question, When do we worship? and we have argued from Genesis to Revelation that there is a distinctive worship … Continue reading Lord’s Day Observance<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[24],"class_list":["post-262","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-lords-day","tag-gordon-cook"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/heraldofgrace.org\/biblicalexpositions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/262","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/heraldofgrace.org\/biblicalexpositions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/heraldofgrace.org\/biblicalexpositions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/heraldofgrace.org\/biblicalexpositions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/heraldofgrace.org\/biblicalexpositions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=262"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/heraldofgrace.org\/biblicalexpositions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/262\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":579,"href":"https:\/\/heraldofgrace.org\/biblicalexpositions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/262\/revisions\/579"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/heraldofgrace.org\/biblicalexpositions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=262"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/heraldofgrace.org\/biblicalexpositions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=262"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/heraldofgrace.org\/biblicalexpositions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=262"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}