All About GOD - Growing Relationships with Jesus and Others
Foundations for Christian Freedom - Appendix
Appendix A: Why Do Most Christians Worship On Sunday Instead Of The Sabbath?
The answer to this common question makes more sense after people have studied Galatians.
Word: Read Hebrews Chapter 4.
1. ‘Sabbath’ means ‘ceasation’ or ‘a stopping’. God commanded the Israelites to have a Sabbath, or to stop working for one entire day, at the end of every week. The Hebrew Sabbath begins at sundown on Friday and continues until sundown on Saturday. What does the Sabbath mean to the Israelites? (See Exodus 31:12-17).
2. What does the Sabbath symbolize for the Christian believer? (See Hebrews 4:9-11).
3. How does one enter that rest? (See Ephesians 2:8-9; Hebrews 4:3).
4. How many nations received, made a binding legal agreement to live by, confirmed, and were required to obey the Old Testament Law? (See Exodus 20:1-2 and 24:1-11).
5. Can anyone be acceptable to God by keeping the Old Testament Law? (See Romans 3:19-20; Galatians 2:16).
6. Are believers in Christ required to obey the Ten Commandments or any part of the Old Testament Law? (See Acts 15:5-11, 19-20; Romans 7:1-6).
7. Is one day more important or more holy than another? (See Galatians 4:9-11; Colossians 2:16-17, 20-23).
8. Does it matter which day Christians use for rest and worship? (See Colossians 2:16-17, 20-23; Romans 14:4-13).
9. What happened on the 1st day of the week after Jesus was crucified? (See Mark 16:1-6).
10. What did the early Christians call the 1st day of the week? (See Revelation 1:10).
11. Why do you think the early Jewish believers worshipped both on the first day of the week and on the Sabbath?
12. When Christianity spread among the Gentiles, on what day did the Gentile believers worship God? (See Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:1-4).
13. Pretend you are living among a group of people who believe that godly people worship on Tuesdays. Suppose they also consider people to be ungodly if they do not worship on Tuesdays. On what day of the week would you worship God? Why?
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NOTES:
-- According to Hebrews 4:3-11, the Sabbath rest is a symbol of the believer’s rest in heaven. It is also a symbol of the believer’s rest from works on earth. When someone trusts that Jesus’ sacrifice was sufficient to save us and make us acceptable to God, he or she rests from working to earn salvation and God’s acceptance. This means that the Sabbath is also a symbol of salvation.
-- According to Ephesians 2:8-9 and Hebrews 4:3-11, people must believe in and rely only on what Jesus did to save us and make us acceptable to God. Those who believe this are already resting from trying to earn salvation. Those who believe and rest will enter God’s eternal promised land of heaven.
-- Some additional references are: Acts 15:5-29; Romans 7:1-6; Galatians 3:25-27; 4:21-5:6.
-- Being sensitive to cultural expectations can make a difference when trying to communicate the Gospel to unbelievers.
The answer to this common question makes more sense after people have studied Galatians.
Word: Read Hebrews Chapter 4.
1. ‘Sabbath’ means ‘ceasation’ or ‘a stopping’. God commanded the Israelites to have a Sabbath, or to stop working for one entire day, at the end of every week. The Hebrew Sabbath begins at sundown on Friday and continues until sundown on Saturday. What does the Sabbath mean to the Israelites? (See Exodus 31:12-17).
2. What does the Sabbath symbolize for the Christian believer? (See Hebrews 4:9-11).
3. How does one enter that rest? (See Ephesians 2:8-9; Hebrews 4:3).
4. How many nations received, made a binding legal agreement to live by, confirmed, and were required to obey the Old Testament Law? (See Exodus 20:1-2 and 24:1-11).
5. Can anyone be acceptable to God by keeping the Old Testament Law? (See Romans 3:19-20; Galatians 2:16).
6. Are believers in Christ required to obey the Ten Commandments or any part of the Old Testament Law? (See Acts 15:5-11, 19-20; Romans 7:1-6).
7. Is one day more important or more holy than another? (See Galatians 4:9-11; Colossians 2:16-17, 20-23).
8. Does it matter which day Christians use for rest and worship? (See Colossians 2:16-17, 20-23; Romans 14:4-13).
9. What happened on the 1st day of the week after Jesus was crucified? (See Mark 16:1-6).
10. What did the early Christians call the 1st day of the week? (See Revelation 1:10).
11. Why do you think the early Jewish believers worshipped both on the first day of the week and on the Sabbath?
12. When Christianity spread among the Gentiles, on what day did the Gentile believers worship God? (See Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:1-4).
13. Pretend you are living among a group of people who believe that godly people worship on Tuesdays. Suppose they also consider people to be ungodly if they do not worship on Tuesdays. On what day of the week would you worship God? Why?
===============
NOTES:
-- According to Hebrews 4:3-11, the Sabbath rest is a symbol of the believer’s rest in heaven. It is also a symbol of the believer’s rest from works on earth. When someone trusts that Jesus’ sacrifice was sufficient to save us and make us acceptable to God, he or she rests from working to earn salvation and God’s acceptance. This means that the Sabbath is also a symbol of salvation.
-- According to Ephesians 2:8-9 and Hebrews 4:3-11, people must believe in and rely only on what Jesus did to save us and make us acceptable to God. Those who believe this are already resting from trying to earn salvation. Those who believe and rest will enter God’s eternal promised land of heaven.
-- Some additional references are: Acts 15:5-29; Romans 7:1-6; Galatians 3:25-27; 4:21-5:6.
-- Being sensitive to cultural expectations can make a difference when trying to communicate the Gospel to unbelievers.
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