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the reading of the Scriptures, 
preaching and hearing the Word of God, teaching and admonishing 
one another in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, singing 
with grace in our hearts to the Lord, as also the administration 
of baptism in the Lord's Supper, are all parts of religious worship 
of God, to be performed in obedience to Him with understanding, faith, 
reverence and godly fear. Moreover, solemn humiliation 
with fastings and thanksgivings upon special occasions ought 
to be used in a holy and religious manner. Neither prayer nor any 
other part of religious worship is now under the gospel tied 
unto or made more acceptable by any place in which it is performed 
or towards which it is directed. But God is to be worshipped everywhere 
in spirit and in truth, as in private families daily and in 
secret, each one by himself. so more solemnly in the public 
assemblies, which are not carelessly nor willfully to be neglected 
or forsaken, when God by His word or providence calleth thereto. As it is the law of nature, that 
in general a proportion of time, by God's appointment, be set 
apart for the worship of God. So by His word, in a positive, 
moral, and perpetual commandment, binding all men in all ages, 
He hath particularly appointed one day in seven for a Sabbath 
to be kept holy unto him, which from the beginning of the world 
to the resurrection of Christ was the last day of the week, 
and from the resurrection of Christ was changed into the first 
day of the week, which is called the Lord's Day, and is to be 
continued to the end of the world as the Christian Sabbath, the 
observation of the last day of the week being abolished. The 
Sabbath is then kept holy unto the Lord, when men, after a due 
preparing of their hearts and ordering their common affairs 
aforehand, do not only observe and wholly rest all the day from 
their own works, words, and thoughts about their worldly employment 
and recreations, but also are taken up the whole time in the 
public and private exercises of His worship and in the duties 
of necessity and mercy. Amen. As I said, our focus this 
morning is continuing a biblical theology of the Christian Sabbath. Remember that the commandment 
is moral. There is certainly a A positive 
aspect, the positive aspect reflects the particular covenant that 
is in place at the time the command is observed. So in the old covenant, 
it was Saturday worship, Saturday Sabbath keeping. In the new covenant, 
it's Sunday. So the positive element differs 
from covenant to covenant, but the moral element abides, it 
remains. And as the confession says, it 
is binding all men in all ages, He is particularly appointed 
one day in seven for a Sabbath to be kept holy unto Him. So taking up the doctrine of 
the Christian Sabbath, specifically with reference to the change 
from the resurrection or the stipulation of the day being 
the first day of the week, based on the, from the resurrection 
to the consummation. We'll note first the ministry 
of Jesus Christ. You can turn to Matthew chapter 
five. Matthew, chapter 5, doesn't speak specifically to the doctrine 
of the Christian Sabbath, but it speaks to the law and how 
Christ deals with the law. and what ought to be our practice 
with reference to the law. Notice specifically in the Sermon 
on the Mount, Matthew 5, 17 to 20. Do not think that I came 
to destroy the law or the prophets. I did not come to destroy but 
to fulfill. For assuredly I say to you, till 
heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no 
means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore 
breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches men 
so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever 
does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom 
of heaven. For I say to you that unless your righteousness exceeds 
the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no 
means enter the kingdom of heaven. Now, remember in the particular 
context, Jesus has started his public ministry. Jesus has already 
caused a bit of controversy in terms of his popularity. The persons are all flocking 
in mass to hear him speak and to teach the truth. And certainly 
it was important for him to highlight his position relative to the 
law of God. And that's what 5.17-20 does. 
his hermeneutical approach to the law of God. He has not come 
to overthrow it. He has not come to abolish it. He has not come to abrogate it. 
He has come, rather, to uphold it, to fulfill it, to confirm 
it, to bring it to that place that was always intended by God. Now, with reference to his work, 
he fulfills the law by fulfilling all that was written of him in 
the prophets. Many have wondered what he means 
here when he says, I have not come, or I did not come to destroy, 
but to fulfill. What's he mean by fulfill? That's 
a big question in terms of dispensational theology, new covenant theology, 
and covenant theology. Well, he certainly fulfills it 
by his word. He obeys the moral law of God 
in order to indeed achieve a righteousness that will avail with God for 
us. Spurgeon said, he is himself 
the fulfillment and substance of the types and prophecies and 
commands of the law. So if we ask how does Jesus fulfill 
the law, certainly he fulfills it in his own obedience, in his 
own work, in his own faithfulness as our mediator, as our federal 
head, as our representative. But he also fulfills in his doctrine. Now, as I said, the emphasis 
here in this section is upon Jesus' relationship to the law 
in a doctrinal sense. Notice that from verse 21 and 
following, he intends to clarify the law. Now you need to appreciate 
what's happening in these antitheses. He is not saying, you have heard 
that it was said to those of old, you shall not murder, and 
then, but I say to you, if you do this, or you engage in evil 
thoughts, or you have call persons' names, then you have broken the 
law. The antithesis is not between the law of Moses and Jesus. The 
antithesis is not between the giving of the law at Sinai and 
the Lord Jesus. That's how New Covenant theology 
approaches this. They say that Jesus strengthens, 
He heightens, He adds dimensions that were not present to the 
law prior to His own teaching and ministry. I don't think that's 
what's in view. He is correcting Pharisaic misinterpretation 
of the law. You have heard that it was said 
to those of old, you shall not murder, and whoever murders will 
be in danger of the judgment. The old covenant law prohibited 
hating your brother in your heart. The old covenant law prohibited 
not only the externality, don't go out and cut someone's throat, 
but the internality of the law, you're not supposed to hate your 
brother. So the antitheses are not between 
Moses and Jesus, but between the Pharisaic misinterpretation 
and the Lord Jesus Christ. Notice in verse 20, unless your 
righteousness exceeds the righteousness, not of Moses, he's not heightening 
the law in some super spiritual way, but unless your righteousness 
exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you 
will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. For all of their promotion 
contrary, they were enemies of the law of God. Pharisaism and 
antinomianism have one common enemy. In fact, they are bedfellows 
with reference to their opposition to the law of God. Now they run 
in different extremes, but both parties despise the teaching 
of God's holy law. So Christ is here specifying 
his relationship with reference to the law. The Lord Jesus, as 
a teacher, did not come to invalidate the Old Testament. He did not 
come to abrogate the Old Testament. He did not come to destroy the 
Old Testament. He didn't come to annul it, but 
he came to affirm it as the authoritative word of the living and the true 
God. That's the point in Matthew 5, 
17 to 20. Spurgeon again says, our king 
honors his father's law. He took care to revise and reform 
the laws of men, but the law of God he established and confirmed. Our king has not come to abrogate 
the law, but to confirm and reassert it. So whatever else we may think, 
with reference to the Lord Jesus, He affirms the law given at Sinai. Remember that the law given at 
Sinai is simply a summary or codification of the law given 
by God to Adam in Paradise. It's the same perpetual, binding, 
moral law. And so it takes some hermeneutical 
maneuvers to try and disassociate our Lord Jesus Christ with Christian 
Sabbath keeping. You can't do it. He upholds the 
law. He maintains it. He confirms 
it. He fulfills it. Now, in terms of the evidence 
of this particular statement, we need to remember the covenantal 
context of all of Scripture. Remember last time that we considered 
the doctrine of the Sabbath in the Old Testament. Just to highlight 
a place where all of God's law is binding on all of God's people, 
we see Jeremiah 31, 31 to 34. Remember there, God says He makes 
a new covenant not like the one that he made before, that they 
broke, but this law that he makes, one of the features of it, one 
of the essential features of the new covenant, is that he 
will write the law of God on their hearts and their minds. 
Notice that when Jesus inaugurates the new covenant, The backdrop 
is that Jeremiah 31, 31 to 34 statement, so that when Jesus 
sheds His blood and He brings to fruition or fulfillment that 
new covenant, all of those essential features connected to the new 
covenant come to pass in the life of God's people. So we have 
the law written on our hearts. It is internalized. It is given 
to us in a most blessed way. And as I said, the specific evidence 
of his statement in verses 17 to 20 is the rest here of chapter 
5. Again, another commandment where 
we see that it's not a contrary or it's not an antithesis between 
Moses and Jesus is the seventh commandment. It's not the case 
that Moses says as long as you don't get engaged in the outward 
act of filthiness, you have fulfilled the law. The Old Testament prohibited 
lusting upon a woman in one's heart and mind as well. What 
does Job say in Job 31? I have made a covenant with my 
eyes that I will not look upon a young woman. What's the point? The point is that God's law has 
always been external and internal, and Christ is emphasizing this 
here, consistent with Moses, but contrary to the Pharisees. The Pharisees taught that as 
long as you didn't cut someone's throat, as long as you didn't 
lay with your neighbor's wife, as long as you didn't engage 
in the outward act, then you were compliant with the law. In fact, you've probably all 
heard of the Talmud. The Talmud is very anti-Christian, 
and it's an exercise in casuistry, which oftentimes legitimizes 
sinful practices. It is not something that Christians 
ought to say, wow, the Talmud, what a blessing. and a benefit 
for the people of God. Now there's certainly things 
to be gleaned and garnered concerning Jewish interpretation of texts 
and whatnot, but especially the Babylonian Talmud. There's all 
kinds of stuff in there legitimizing ungodly behavior, but yet subscribing 
to the letter of the law. So Christ's antithesis here is 
not between him and Moses, it is rather between him and the 
Pharisees and the scribes of his particular day. Now turn 
over to Matthew 12. That's Christ's general approach 
to the law. With reference to the Sabbath, 
we see these Sabbath wars. in Matthew chapter 12. On two 
occasions Jesus heals, or Jesus on the one feeds his disciples 
and on the other he heals on the Sabbath. And in both instances 
he is opposed by the religious leaders of his day. Again, thinking 
that we could only walk a certain number of steps thinking that 
the Sabbath is there and man was made in order to keep the 
Sabbath, they would oppose the practice of the Lord Jesus Christ. 
That's precisely what we find in Matthew 12, verses 1 to 8, 
and then Matthew 12, verses 9 to 14. Essentially, at the one or 
on the one hand, his disciples plucked the heads of grain on 
the Sabbath day, and they eat. And Jesus appeals to David, the 
example of David, when he went into the tabernacle and he ate 
the showbread, which was not lawful for him to eat. And then 
he goes on in verses 9 to 14, after healing a particular individual, 
he gives them that statement concerning their own practice. If you have an animal and it 
falls into a pit on the Sabbath day, do you not fetch it out? 
So Christ is upholding the validity of the fourth commandment. He 
is highlighting the fact that it is in play, it is in in effect, 
he has not abolished it, he has not disregarded it. If ever there 
was a place for Jesus to suspend Sabbath observance, this to me 
seems like one of them. If the opponents come along and 
say, you know, your disciples are doing this on the Sabbath, 
and you've healed on the Sabbath, Wouldn't this be a great time 
for Jesus to say, well, you know, the Sabbath isn't going to continue 
anymore. It's going to be fulfilled by me at the cross. And as a 
result, now your disciples can go to Tim Hortons and they can, 
you know, do whatever it is they want to do because there's no 
more stipulation attaching to the fourth commandment as a result 
of my ministry. Now, some would say that oversimplifies 
and that, you know, minimizes and that doesn't take into consideration 
the fact that he hasn't gone to the cross. But it is a strange 
practice for a man to clarify observance to a particular law 
if he's only going to do away with that law. He's going to 
explain the significance of it, explain how disciples eating 
on the Sabbath there, picking these heads of grain, are not 
violating the Sabbath, and how healing is not violating on the 
Sabbath. He takes pains to correct their 
misunderstanding of Sabbath observance, which seems foolish, in light 
of the reality that he's just going to do away with it, that 
he's just going to reduce the Sabbath command to some ceremonial 
type or shadow that no longer has any binding power upon the 
people of God in all ages, that he clarifies, indicates something 
concerning his attention to it. Gil Fillon, a man who wrote a 
book on the Lord's Day or the Christian Sabbath, he says, was 
careful to clear it from Jewish corruptions, and if there was 
any precept more particularly vindicated by him and honored 
than another, it was that requiring the Sabbath day to be kept holy. 
It is not the practice of a wise man to repair a house, which 
he is about to pull down. It just doesn't make sense. And 
again, over and over again, you see these things, not only here 
in Matthew's gospel, but in the parallel accounts in Mark and 
in Luke. Sabbath wars were something that 
continually plagued the Lord Jesus Christ. He was often opposed 
as a result of his so-called, at least perceived by his enemies, 
Sabbath breaking. But he upholds the reality, moral, 
abiding, principle, worship God, adore and serve God, corporate 
worship, but works of necessity, like gathering food on the Sabbath 
day so you don't die, and works of mercy, like healing somebody, 
are okay in light of the commandment. It was never the case that God 
gave the commandment so that persons could starve to death. 
It was never the case that God gave the commandment so that 
oxen could stay in pits all day. It was never the case that God 
gave the commandment so that some poor slob couldn't come 
and get healed on the Sabbath day to the synagogue. It was 
never the intention of God to use the Sabbath as a plague against 
mankind. It's a good thing, it's a blessed 
thing, and we ought to appreciate that in light of His redemptive 
work. And then as well, with reference 
to Christ's relationship to the Sabbath, briefly, because I know 
that we've covered this before, Mark chapter 2, just to remind 
ourselves, another Sabbath war context. Just that emphasis in 
verse 27, He said to them, The Sabbath was made for man, and 
not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also 
Lord of the Sabbath. We need to keep that priority 
structure in place. The Sabbath was made for man, 
and not man for the Sabbath. That was the Pharisees. God made 
the Sabbath, and then He made man to obey the Sabbath. That's 
not the priority. God made man, and then God, in 
His goodness and kindness and graciousness, gave him the gift 
of Sabbath. And notice that he says the Sabbath 
was made for man. Probably particularly Adam, but 
man represented by, or man essentially, or man in his humanity in terms 
of Adam. He doesn't say the Sabbath was 
made for Israel. That is a dispensational idea 
that has no basis in the text of scripture. We never argue 
and we never oppose the reality that God gave the law at Sinai. Certainly the Ten Commandments 
were published and given to Israel. But, as we see in our confession, 
I think the rest of the Bible shows us or demonstrates that 
law codified and given to Israel was that which was given to Adam. It is pertaining to man. The 
moral law of God is specific to man. The ceremonies, the types, 
the shadows, the prefigurement of Christ, those were all particular 
and unique to the nation of Israel. But Sabbath was made for man 
and not man for the Sabbath, therefore the Son of Man is also 
Lord of the Sabbath." Now that would have been a revolutionary 
statement in his day. I mean, that's just, you know, 
the Sabbath, obviously they were zealous for its keeping. There are texts in the Old Testament 
where Sabbath functions as a sign between Yahweh and Israel. So 
for Jesus to say the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath. You can see why his opponents 
didn't much like him and why they plotted to destroy him because 
he made these sorts of statements asserting equivalent authority 
with Yahweh of Israel. So we see the ministry of the 
Lord Jesus Christ. The second fundamental reason 
for the Christian Sabbath day to be observed on the first day 
of the week is because of the resurrection. It's the resurrection 
of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is the first day. It is, you 
know, riddled with, you know, significance as a result of the 
fact that He rose on that day. It's the day of the Lord, and 
we will see later how the apostles refer to that particular situation. But several passages in the Gospel 
records indicate a first day of the week resurrection. Matthew 
28. Mark chapter 16, Luke 24, John 
20. In several places we see this 
first day of the week. In fact, turn to John chapter 
20. John chapter 20. Verse 1, now the first day of 
the week, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early while it was 
still dark and saw that the stone had been taken away from the 
tomb. And then notice in John 20 verse 
19. Then the same day at evening, 
being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut, where 
the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, Jesus came 
and stood in the midst and said to them, peace be with you. So it's interesting, the apostles 
are assembled on the first day of the week and Jesus comes and 
communes with them. The same pattern is seen in Matthew, 
or I'm sorry, John 20 and verse 26. And after eight days, by 
the reckoning used here, that's again the first day of the week, 
And after eight days, his disciples were again inside, and Thomas 
with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, 
excuse me, and stood in the midst and said, Peace to you. So this 
first day of the week has significance as the day of which or upon which 
our Lord Jesus Christ was raised from the dead. He shows himself 
to his disciples who are assembling together, and he therein underscores 
the significance. And then the teaching of the 
apostles. Remember last time, we noticed that the Sabbath, 
along with marriage and labor, are what's called creation ordinances. And some say, well, God never 
commanded Sabbath observance in Genesis chapter 2 and 3. Well, he doesn't command marriage 
either. We learn by pattern. We learn by example. You know, 
your dad may have commanded you to go out and mow the lawn. And 
that's certainly a way to function. But he also may have demonstrated 
by pattern. He goes out and mows the lawn 
every Saturday morning at 10 o'clock. And then he, lo and 
behold, dies, and the next Saturday it's 10 o'clock. What's that 
pattern inform you of? Well, it informs you that you 
should go out at 10 o'clock on that Saturday and fulfill what 
he had instituted. Fulfill what he had put in place. 
It was the pattern that bears imperativel, or command, command 
nature with reference to the present conduct of the individual. And so when we see disciples 
gathering on the first day of the week, when we see disciples 
worshiping on the first day of the week, we would be fools not 
to see the significance of the first day of the week. Again, 
underscored by the resurrection of the Lord, His appearance to 
His disciples on that first day, and then in the context of Christ 
teaching on the you know, the entirety of God's law, the moral 
law of God, in the larger context of the Bible and what it says 
about Sabbath-keeping. This idea that it's a Puritan 
invention, that these men just came along and developed this 
doctrine out of, you know, pulled it out of a hat the way a magician 
pulls a rabbit out of the hat, simply discounts the emphasis 
on Sabbath that the entirety of the Bible presents to us. 
It really is not the case that the Puritans developed it out 
of a few texts in order to support a practice because they were 
opposed to anybody having any fun on Sunday. Or they were opposed 
to lawn bowling. Or they were opposed to, there's 
a big issue, to John Calvin. Lawn Bowl on Sundays, you know, 
there's a big, you know, there's a difference between the Puritans 
or the British divines and the continental reform It's just 
a lot of stuff that would take us far afield But I think the 
text that we have looked at in this brief survey both last time 
and this time shows that there is a recurring emphasis on this 
idea of Sabbath and And as I mentioned last time, there's probably a 
whole lot more to Sabbath than you and I have even begun to 
think about. It is far more significant than 
you can't go to Tim Hortons on a Sunday. It's about the enthronement 
of God the Lord. It's about His purpose and plan 
to bring His people through the redemptive work of Jesus Christ 
to that rest, that eternal rest, wherein He is our God, and we 
are His people, and it's a time of blissful, consummated, glorious 
time. Let's look at the teaching of 
the apostles, or the pattern, rather, of the apostles. Notice 
in Acts chapter 20. getting to the particular proof 
text that our confession of faith holds forth. Confession sets 
forth with reference to the change of the day to the first day of 
the week, Acts 20, 1 Corinthians 16, and Revelation 1. But notice 
in Acts 20 at verse 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. Now, go back for just a moment 
to verse 6. Verse 6, it says, But we sailed 
away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, and 
in five days joined them at Troas, where we stayed seven days. Now, 
on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together. 
So how long did they stay in Troas? They stayed for seven 
days. So I'm not a math major, but 
I reckon that if they wanted to choose to meet on a Saturday, 
they could have met on Saturday. Right. That makes sense. It necessarily follows in terms 
of the days of a week. But they didn't choose Saturday. 
They chose the first day. They chose the first day. Now, 
on the first day of the week, and then the language that's 
employed is the language of corporate worship. When the disciples came 
together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, 
spoke to them and continued his message until midnight. There 
were many lamps in the upper room where they were gathered 
together, and in a window sat a certain young man named Eutychus 
who was sinking into a deep sleep. It always amuses me or at least 
gives me a little bit of hope. Even Paul had people fall asleep 
on him while he was preaching. I think that's every preacher's 
experience. Not happy that Eutychus did this, but it is every preacher's 
experience. You know, prepare all week and 
do the best you can and then see people like that. There's 
something a bit debilitating about that, a little bit demoralizing. You know, if you were a chef 
and you spent 12 hours preparing a meal and you sat it on the 
table and the person were like that, you'd probably think, man, 
why did I go through all this to feed them good stuff and they're 
snoozing. Paul had the same experience. 
In a window sat a certain young man named Eutychus who was sinking 
into a deep sleep. He was overcome by sleep, and 
as Paul continued speaking, he fell down from the third story 
and was taken up dead. That's a good lesson for you. Never fall asleep in church. 
We're going to get moralistic here. Never, ever. But Paul went 
down, fell on him, and embracing him, said, do not trouble yourselves, 
for his life is in him." What a genuinely blessed spirit Paul 
was. He doesn't say, well, it serves 
him right. He shouldn't have fell asleep while I was preaching. 
I guess that's a lesson to the rest of you. Never fall asleep. 
No, he doesn't do that. Do not trouble yourselves, for 
his life is in him. Now when he had come up, had 
broken bread and eaten, and talked a long while, even till daybreak, 
he departed. And they brought the young man 
in alive, and they were not a little comforted." Now, F.F. Bruce has 
a commentary on the Book of Acts, and as far as I know, F.F. Bruce 
was not a confessional guy. I mean, Church of England, maybe? 
So maybe a 39 articles? guy, but not a Westminster Confession 
guy, not a Second London Baptist Confession, not a Savoy Declaration 
guy, but a textual guy, a commentator, a New Testament scholar. And 
this is his comment here on the Acts 20 passage. The reference 
to the meeting for the breaking of bread on the first day of 
the week is the earliest text we have from which it may be 
inferred with reasonable certainty that Christians regularly came 
together for worship on that day." Again, he doesn't say, 
and this therefore is the Christian Sabbath, but we're putting it 
into that larger context of Sabbath that we have seen over the last 
couple of weeks. It's not the case that we are 
to interpret these things disassociated with the rest of what the Bible 
says about Sabbath. You know, if you did that and 
you thought through these three texts that the Confession highlights 
alone, you might think that the significance or rather the ground 
upon which Sabbath is constructed is a bit shaky. But you've got 
the theology of the Sabbath in the Old Testament. You've got 
the significance of the resurrection of Christ. And then later we'll 
see you've got specific texts that comment on the day change 
itself. Notice in 1 Corinthians 16. 1 
Corinthians 16. Now concerning the collection 
for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, 
so you must do also. So it's not just something confined 
to the church in Corinth. It's not only, you know, them 
alone. It's to the churches of Galatia 
also. On the first day of the week, 
let each one of you lay something aside, storing up, as he may 
prosper, that there be no collections when I come. Again, it's not, 
you know, 16.1 and 2 says, thou must gather on the Sunday Sabbath, 
which is the Christian Sabbath, and when gathering thus, thou 
lay aside it. No, but it's set in the context 
of all these other passages and all this other theology that 
we have seen. And it is intriguing to me, I 
didn't have a lot of time to check the other resources in 
terms of the connection, but in the prophet Isaiah in 58, 
one of the things he upbraids the people of Israel for in their 
Sabbath keeping is that they're not ministering to the needs 
of others. Now again, I don't know if Paul 
has that specifically in mind, but it is the case that the Sunday 
Sabbath is the time that we lay up for the needs of the poor 
among us. That's a function, that's an 
aspect of Christian worship. Maybe we lose sight of that aspect 
of Christian worship in the way that we conduct giving in our 
church. I'm not for the passing of the 
hat. I'm not necessarily for all that. But it is, in the context 
of public worship, an act of worship. Just as much as it is 
when you go to the back and you drop your giving or your offering 
in that box at the back of the church. This worship, giving 
is worship. And this is, you know, the language 
of giving and worship and the specific timeframe involved is 
on the first day of the week. And then in Revelation chapter 
one, Revelation chapter one. Verse 9, I, John, both your brother 
and companion in the 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. I was in the 
spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice 
as of a trumpet saying. Now, the particular word that 
is used here is the word from whence we derive the word church. Scottish kirk. The word church 
and kirk aren't directly tied to ecclesia, but rather kuriake, 
which means of the Lord, or belonging to the Lord, or pertaining to 
the Lord. There's only one other place 
in the New Testament where this particular word is found, and 
that word is in, or that place is in 1 Corinthians 11, 20. There 
it modifies supper, here it modifies day. You see, we have the Lord's 
Supper. Now God obviously gives us all 
our food. There is not a scrap or a morsel 
that we eat that hasn't come from God. Even if it came through 
the mediation of a Costco or a Superstore or a Walmart, it 
has come from God. So in a sense, all the meals 
that we have are the Lord's meals. But there's that one particular 
meal that has the significance of being the time when we remember 
in a peculiar way the death of our Lord Jesus Christ on our 
behalf. So 1 Corinthians 11.20, that's the Lord's Supper. Now, 
God owns all our time. Monday's not gonna happen tomorrow 
for us, unless God. God owns and is sovereign over 
every day of the week, every hour, every minute. You know, 
the clock moving back last night, all that's of God. But there's 
one particular day of the week that He calls His own. There's 
one particular day of the week that pertains to Him, that is 
of Him, belongs to or pertains to Him. John is not speaking 
about the eschatological day of the Lord in Revelation 1.10. No, that's not what he's talking 
about. He's in the Spirit on the Lord's 
day. He is dealing with that day that 
particularly belongs to the Lord Himself. So as the supper the 
church observes belongs to the Lord, so the day the church observes 
belongs to the Lord. In his commentary on the Book 
of Revelation, James Durham makes this observation. As the Lord's 
Supper is for the remembrance of His death till He come again, 
so is this day for remembering the work of redemption and His 
resurrection till He come again. See, these are twin gifts given 
by God to the church for her good and for her perpetual remembrance 
of the Lord and His doings and dealings on our behalf. It is 
the Lord's Supper. It is the Lord's Day. It's a 
blessed use of these two particular terms with reference to the church. And then one final text our confession 
doesn't cite, a text that's a bit difficult to get your mind wrapped 
around. I'm just going to sketch it quickly. Hebrews chapter 4. Hebrews chapter 4, I should say 
here there's a great little book, I think probably the best that 
I've read in terms of a popular presentation of the Christian 
doctrine of the Sabbath. It's called The Lord's Day by 
Joseph Piper, not Piper, Piper, P-I-P-E-R. And that book starts 
in the beginning, you know, does sort of a biblical theology. 
You'll see where, you know, some of what I have said here is reflective 
of that particular work. But it's just a very readable, 
very, very readable book. Now, there's other big works. 
This Gilfillan book, the most recent is Nicholas Bound, The 
True Doctrine of the Sabbath. I don't think there's anything 
that he doesn't deal with. However, he doesn't deal with 
Hebrews 4. Piper does. John Owen does. That would be the place to go 
for detailed, detailed detailed, exegetical work on Hebrews 4. John Owen has a defense and a 
vindication of the Christian Sabbath. He would be the go-to 
guy in terms of, you know, if you have more than 20 minutes, 
John Owen, on matters pertaining to Sabbath. But Hebrews 3 and 
4, specifically, deal with rest and perseverance and those sorts 
of things in the context of verses 3 and 4. Specifically, I'm sorry, in chapters 
3 and 4, we have perseverance and this whole idea of rest in 
the presence of God. Notice in verses 3 and 4 of chapter 
4, For we who have believed do enter that rest, as he has said. 
So I swore in my wrath, they shall not enter my rest, although 
the works were finished from the foundation of the world. 
For he has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this 
way, and God rested on the seventh day from all his works, and again 
in this place they shall not enter my rest." So the author 
is telling us we need to pursue the rest that is envisaged in 
the Bible. God established this rest in 
the creation account, specifically on the seventh day. Notice in 
verse 4, God rested on the seventh day from all His works. And that 
rest that we are to pursue points back to that rest of God in Genesis 
chapter 2. Notice in verses 6 and 7, it 
indicates that there is a rest beyond Canaan that the people 
of God were to enjoy. Now, I know some say, well, that's 
in Christ, and this is only pointing us to the Lord Jesus Christ. Of course, there was a rest that 
was beyond Canaan for the people of God, and that rest has now 
been fulfilled by the Lord Jesus Christ. And as a result, There's 
no more weekly Sabbath, but rather we have rest in Jesus. But let's 
just follow the progress of the text. Verse 6, Since therefore 
it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was 
first preached did not enter because of disobedience, again 
he designates a certain day, saying in David, Today, after 
such a long time, as it has been said, Today, if you will hear 
his voice, do not harden your hearts. In other words, the people 
of God in the Old Covenant were to be a persevering people to 
find that rest in the land of Canaan. Verse 8, for if Joshua 
had given them rest, then he would not afterward have spoken 
of another day. In other words, if there was 
the fulfillment, the consummation, the achievement of that rest, 
we wouldn't be having this particular discussion now. The rest that 
was promised by God was not fulfilled in the land of Canaan. And again, 
I realize, persons will say, well it of course points to the 
Lord Jesus, and because of Jesus, there's no longer a weekly Sabbath. But that's intriguing based on 
verse 9. Notice what he says, there remains 
therefore a rest for the people of God. There remains, therefore, 
a rest for the people of God. Yes, we rest in Jesus, but aren't 
we looking forward to something else or something further? Aren't we looking forward to 
the consummation? You see, that whole idea in Genesis 2 of God's 
enthronement and Sabbath rest, that's where we're headed. Certainly 
Christ is saved, Christ is redeemed, Christ is bought, Christ is purchased, 
but he hasn't consummated everything yet. He hasn't brought it all 
to that place that we find in 1 Corinthians 15, 20-28. After he puts to death, death 
itself, he offers up the kingdom and then God is all in all. And 
it is intriguing because everywhere else in this section, the author 
uses a particular word for rest, and it's a pretty common word. 
He changes things up here in verse 9 and uses the word sabbatismos. It means Sabbath rest. In fact, if your version has 
Sabbath rest, that's a great way to treat this particular 
verse. So rest, rest, rest, rest, rest, 
rest, Sabbath rest. And note, verse 9, there remains 
therefore a rest for the people of God. G.K. Beals says, if the 
eschatological reality of final Sabbath rest has not consummately 
come, and none of us would say that it has, certainly we have 
rest in Jesus. Certainly we have all the blessings 
and benefits given to us by God, every spiritual blessing. But 
we're not in heaven, are we? If we are, this is a pretty pathetic 
state. I mean, if this is heaven, why 
are there red lights? If this is heaven, why are there, 
you know, axe murderers? If this is... We're not at the 
consummation. Listen to Beal's thought. If 
the eschatological or end times reality of final Sabbath rest 
has not consummately come, then it is unlikely that the typological 
sign pointing to that ultimate rest has ceased. In other words, 
if Sabbath functioned in the Old Covenant to point to rest, 
and the author tells us in verse 9, there remains therefore a 
Sabbath rest for the people of God, we haven't come to the consummation, 
doesn't it then follow that the typological or weekly Sabbath 
still continues? We haven't fully received all 
the benefits of God, so why not expect that there be this typological 
down payment on a weekly basis, what the Puritans referred to 
as the market day of the soul. Beal says, that is, if the weekly 
Sabbath included the function of pointing forward to consummate 
rest, and that rest has not yet come, then that weekly Sabbath 
should continue. Does that make sense at a basic 
fundamental level? You should read Pink on Hebrews 
4 and 9. He goes nuts on anybody who would 
ever suggest that there's no place for Christian Sabbath. 
You are unlawfully disobeying and rebelling against God because 
Scripture says the Sabbath rest remains for the people of God. Now, when we ask the day, I believe 
verse 10 answers it for us. Verse 10 legitimizes Christian 
Sabbatarianism on the first day of the week. For he who has entered 
his rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from 
his. Now, it's typical to see us in 
verse 10, but try seeing Jesus in verse 10. For he, Christ, who has entered 
his rest, has himself, Christ, also seized from his works, Christ, 
as God did from his. When does God cease from His 
works? Well, verse 4 tells us. For He 
has spoken in a certain place on the seventh day in this way. God rested on the seventh day 
from all His works. When we ask the question of verse 
10, when does Jesus cease from His works? He ceases on the first 
day of the week. So for those who say there's 
no evidence whatsoever that there's Sabbath-keeping to be done on 
the first day of the week, the theology of Hebrews 4 certainly 
demands it. If the Father rests on the seventh 
day, and the Son is Lord of the new creation, when is the new 
creation instituted, or inaugurated, or begun? It's begun when Christ 
bolts from the grave. Remember that one of the emphases 
throughout the Old Covenant in terms of Sabbath observance. 
In the book of Exodus, it's upon creation. In the book of Deuteronomy, 
it's upon redemption. Those twin themes are present 
in New Covenant Sabbatarianism. Christ is the creator of a new 
creation. Christ is the Redeemer of those 
in that new creation. It's intriguing as well, throughout 
this particular section, plural words are used to refer to us 
and our and our rest. Here it's singular. It's he who 
has ceased, entered his rest, he who has entered his rest has 
himself also ceased from his works as God did from his. And then notice in verse 11, 
we shift back to a plural, and it's a demand upon us to pursue 
that rest. Let us therefore be diligent 
to enter that rest. Verse 10 is not telling us that 
we have entered into our rest in Christ and therefore there's 
no more a Sabbath. No, there is a Sabbath rest that 
remains for the people of God and the people of God in this 
new covenant era are to observe it based on the one who has entered 
his rest, who has himself also seized from his words, As God 
did from His, He did it on the first day of the week. As the Father rested from His 
work on the seventh day, so Christ rested from His work on the first 
day. So the Sabbath is to be kept 
by all men in all ages. And again, Owen for the detail, 
Piper for a bit of a more popular exposition, but essentially this 
is the point in Hebrews 4. You're to press on. You're to 
enter into that rest. There's a rest that transcended 
Canaan. There's a rest that Christ grabs 
us for in terms of His redemptive work, but will bring us into 
in a consummated way. And until such time, there remains 
a Sabbath rest for the people of God, and it is to be identified 
with the day that our Savior rested from His works. William 
Ames says, ìThe reason for the change by the consent of all 
is the resurrection of Christ, which is itself a confirmation. 
On this day the creation of a new world or of a world to come, 
wherein all things are made new, was completed. And God in Christís 
rising from the dead ceased and rested from His greatest work. 
Just as in the beginning God rested from His work and blessed 
and hallowed the day wherein He rested, so also it is right 
that the very day wherein He rested, so also it is right that 
the very day wherein Christ rested from His labors should be hallowed. So the theology holds up the 
father in the old creation, the son in the new creation. And 
it's based on seventh day in the old, first day in the new, 
respecting the day that the father rested, respecting the day that 
the son rested. add to that all of the positive 
examples or patterns of actual Sabbath keeping on the Sunday 
or first day of the week, put in the larger context of Christ's 
view of the law, put in the larger context of the law itself, put 
in the larger context all the way back to Sabbath principle 
in Genesis chapter 2, it is not a Puritan invention. It's not 
something that, you know, reform people do because they want to 
rain on everybody's parade. They want to hurt local businesses 
so that Christians don't go eat chicken on Saturday or Sunday 
afternoon after church. That's not it. Brethren, the 
Scriptures demand, in fact, 4 and 9 tells us, there remains, therefore, 
a Sabbath rest for the people of God. And everybody said, well, 
yeah, that's in the future. Of course it is. And God in his 
goodness has given us a weekly gift to remind us of that future 
benefit. The market day of the soul. We 
ought not to resist it, we ought not to forsake it, we ought not 
to abrogate it. Really quick, because I think 
this is it for me, right? 5th, what is it? 12th, 19th. Am I doing this on the 19th? 
Maybe I am. Maybe I'll save these. All right, 
we'll stop. We'll deal with the texts that 
allegedly oppose or contradict Christian Sabbath keeping, vis-a-vis 
Romans 14, Galatians 4, and Colossians chapter 2. Well, let's close 
in a word of prayer. Our Father, we thank You for 
this doctrine. God, I pray that You'd help us 
to receive it with thanksgiving as the gift that it is to us. 
Help us to spend the day with You. Help us to frame our hearts 
and our minds and our thoughts aright according to the Scripture. according to what our Confession 
says and many, many good points concerning Sabbath observance. 
Do bless our corporate worship now. We pray that the Holy Spirit 
would come, that the Word of God would come, that we would 
make much of the Lord Jesus, that we would see Him on that 
cross, dying for the sins of His people. Go with us, we pray, 
through Christ the Lord. Amen.