August 31, 2014
Morning Service

Acts 20:1-7

 

            Last Sunday we looked at chapter 18, in the morning, where we saw the 8^th example of people becoming Christians, and in the evening Greg brought to us the 9^th example.  They heard the message concerning Jesus of Nazareth, they believed it, received it, and was baptized. 

When coming to Ephesus, and meeting some who had already believed on Jesus, but knew only the baptism of John, Paul ask them if they had received the Holy Ghost, and they said we don’t know about this.  Then Paul ask them unto what then were you baptized?  You see, the one Christian baptism ( Eph. 4:5 ) is to wash away your sins, cleaning you up, to receive the Holy Ghost.  This is by faith.  Eph 3:17  That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love.  Paul spent a lot of time in Ephesus teaching, and strengthening their faith.  Lord willing we will soon study this letter to the Ephesians. 

However, this morning we are going to look at why we worship on the first day of the week, the Lord’s Day, and not the seventh day of the week, which is the Sabbath of the Jews.

 

Act 20:1-7  And after the uproar was ceased, Paul called unto him the disciples, and embraced them, and departed for to go into Macedonia. 

·         Now the uproar came from Demetrius, the silver smith, that made statues of their goddess Diana. 

·         Now Paul is saying goodbye to the disciples, and going back through Macedonia.  We remember that it was in this region that Lydia, and the Philippian jailer were converted.  

(2)  And when he had gone over those parts, and had given them much exhortation, he came into Greece, 

·         Now Macedonia was the area north of Greece.  Now in Athens Greece is where the Apostle preached his message of the Unknown God.

(3)  And there abode three months. And when the Jews laid wait for him, as he was about to sail into Syria, he purposed to return through Macedonia. 

·         Now Syria is where his home church is located, Antioch, Syria.  This is where he began his missionary work.  We are now winding down his third trip through this part of the world.

·         He was going to sail, but decided to go back through Macedonia, to avoid the Jews.

(4)  And there accompanied him into Asia Sopater of Berea; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timotheus; and of Asia, Tychicus and Trophimus.  (5)  These going before tarried for us at Troas. 

·         Now Troas is on the west coastline of Turkey, right on the Aegean Sea

(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. 

·         It doesn’t say it clearly but it appears that Paul, and his group was keeping the days of unleavened bread that is part of the Passover feast.

·         He is going to stay here seven days, and this next scripture is the one we want to examine this morning.

(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.

·         This scripture along with a couple of other scriptures would indicate that the early Christians came together on the first day of the week, which they will eventually call it the Lord’s Day.  This is the day the Lord arose from the grave, and ascended into heaven.

The other scriptures are:

·         1Co 16:2  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.

And, Rev 1:10  I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet.

Now Paul has already made the comment, that the Jews have rejected the gospel message, and that he would be taking it to the gentiles.  He is refraining from his early practices of going into the Jewish Synagogue, an telling them about Christ.  The Christians are not welcome in the Synagogues, so they began meeting on the first day of the week, in which they refer to as the Lord’s Day.

 

Now when I was growing up, living a half a block from the Nazarene church, they had already chosen Sunday, or the first day of the week, as their day of worship.  If I had of lived next to a church that met on the seventh day of the week, or the Jewish Sabbath, I would probably be keeping that day. 

 

Does it make a difference in what day you keep as your day of worship?  Let’s see what the Scriptures teach us.  Remembering what the Apostle Paul said, 1Co 14:37  If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.

To the great church in Rome Paul writes in the 14^th chapter concerning what we eat, and the day we keep holy to God.

Rom 14:4-6  Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.  (5)  One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.  (6)  He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it.

You should take time, while studying your scriptures, to study this whole chapter.  Actually the whole letter.  Martin Luther said this was the book that set him free from the legalism of the Catholic Church.

And another Scripture:

Col 2:8-17  Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.  (9)  For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.  (10)  And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:  (11)  In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:  (12)  Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.  (13)  And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;  (14)  Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;  (15)  And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.  (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.

·         As we can see, we are not to judge another man’s servant.  We belong to God, and no one is to judge another.

·         Jesus said, “you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.”

·         These scriptures release me from the bondage of having to keep any certain day, or any food that I choose to eat.

We choose to worship on the Lord’s Day, the first day of the week, and we do not judge those who keep the seventh day of the week.   

 

Lord God Almighty thank you for these Scriptures that sets us free from judging, and being judged.  Thank you for showing us that we are complete in Jesus.