Our Sabbath Duties

By Rev Robert K McEvoy - Posted at The Salty Scrivener:

Text. 1 Corinthians 16:1-4
What is THE PURPOSE OF THE SABBATH. Let’s see three simple statements, with help from the teachings of Heidelberg Catechism, Q103

1. The Sabbath Involves our Christian Duty. Read 1 Cor. 16:1-4.

Paul is urging these Corinthian believers to give to help those who are in need, specifically he is collecting an offering to help the poor widows at Jerusalem. See when this Christian duty is to be performed… Upon the first day of the week! Why?

• The day for the Christians to meet. Now there is a reason why this collection was to be taken on the first day of the week. It was then that the church met. It was the day that Jesus rose from the dead, but even before the resurrection the disciples of the Lord were meeting on the first day of the week. John 20:19 The day that the Christians meet, is the day that the Christians give!

• The first day is the Christian Sabbath. The Sabbath is a CREATION ORDINANCE given not just to the Jews, but to all of mankind, for their blessing, their benefit and their wellbeing. To deny Christians the blessing of a Sabbath rest is to completely contradict God’s creative purpose, and to flout His will and purpose for man. But the first day of the week IS the CHRISTIAN SABBATH. Greek, κατα μιαν σαββατων literally, ‘on the first Sabbath.’- the Christian Sabbath, the first day of the week.

• Performing Our Duties before the Lord is WORSHIP. The giving of our offerings to the Lord is PART OF OUR WORSHIP!

On the Lord’s Day the church has gathered together in the name of the Lord, and we sing His praises, we read His Word, we pray to Him, we proclaim His Word and we bring our offerings unto the Lord. We perform our Christian obligations before the Lord.

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