THE LIVING WORD TRANSCRIPTS

Program Air Date – 4-25-10

LESSON TITLE: “THIS IS THE DAY THAT THE LORD HAS MADE: THE LORD’S DAY”

WELCOME

In Ecclesiastes 12:13, the wise man Solomon said, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man's all.” Today, it is my hope and prayer that we have all come together, before the throne of God as complete servants. Which means we are all those who fear God and keep His commandments.

How glorious it is to assemble this morning, and to come before such a mighty and awesome God, to worship and praise His name, as He has commanded. So thank you for joining us and for doing your part as we offer these sacrifices to our God.

At this time, let’s approach our Father’s throne in prayer:

(PRAYER)

Our first song of the day reminds us of the opportunity we have as Christians to see and know a God who can truly accomplish all things as promised. So at this time, let me encourage us all to join together in this song of praise, the name of the hymn, “I Stand Amazed!”

(SONG # 1)

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS

Isn’t that a beautiful song? And what an encouragement it should be to each of us to do what God commands of us! And not only because we have a great opportunity and privilege to do what God says, but because we are commanded to do so as a duty of those who obey the will of God. Think about those two concepts for a moment, commands and duty - what comes to your mind? The sad reality is, people don’t like these types of ideas today, do they? In a world of “don’t tell me what to do,” and “mind your own business,” people tend to get really upset and defensive, when we say that we are commanded to do something or that we have a duty to fulfill as children of God.

Well, brethren and friends like it or not, we are commanded of God to labor according to His will. We are given a duty to fulfill if we are to be found pleasing in His sight. And why would we have a problem with that, have we forgotten what our God has done, is doing, and has promised to do for us? Have we forgotten the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross? We all need to get that chip off our shoulder, humble ourselves and submit completely to the will of our almighty God.

So I ask you today, what type of commitment are you willing to make to your God? How much are you willing to submit? The facts are, we only are doing enough when we are doing our best, and giving our all to the Creator. Choose today to humble yourself in the sight of the Lord, determine to do all that He commands, and God will lift you up - as well as give you a final and eternal reward!

In just a few minutes it will be time to begin our main study of the day. Our topic of study will again focus on, “This Is the Day That the Lord Has Made.” Our specific lesson of the morning is entitled, “The Lord’s Day.” So please stay with us for this study from God’s Word, and I will be leading our thoughts at the appropriate time. Now let’s join together in our next song of the morning. The name of this hymn, “Soldiers of Christ Arise.”

(SONG # 2)

LESSON

By Ray Sullins

We’re so glad you’ve continued with us today as we go to God’s Word and dig in just a little bit deeper in relationship to the days that God has made. Certainly because God has made every day, it is a wondrous and special day, but specifically as we think about these days that the Bible refers to, we are able to look just a little bit closer and understand how they apply to each and every one of us.

We’ve looked together so far at the concept of day and looked at the ideas of creation and the fact there of the seven days of creation including the six of the creating and the seventh of resting and how those were 24 hour periods.

We’ve looked together also at the concept of the seventh day of rest and how that idea of seven and the seventh day really continue to perpetuate throughout all of the scriptures even unto and through the book of Revelation. Not only the number seven but a concept of a rest offered by God has always been available for the faithful.

Last week, we began to look at the concept of “The Sabbath Day.” We backed up to the times of Moses. In fact specifically with the people of God, Israel, and how that even there to the people of God, Israel, God gave the Law that included that day that was sanctified, that seventh day, that beautiful day there in Geneses 2 and verse 3, but a day that is confirmed for us in Exodus chapter 16 beginning all the way up into Exodus chapter 20 where the Ten Commandments are given that was a day to be called the Sabbath, a day of no work, but a day of rest. In fact, it was a day that would specifically be given to God and to the rest and spiritual growth of the man. So that’s what we need in life, isn’t it? The ability that not only we feed our physical bodies and grow, but that we also feed our spiritual bodies and grow. Well today that leads us to our next discussion because today some are also confused in the fact that you are still to worship on the seventh day or the Sabbath Day.

I want you to turn with me to the book of Revelation, there in chapter 1. It is interesting a day that John refers to, of course this is God speaking with and through His spirit into John. I want you to notice what he says he was in in verse 10 of chapter 1 and then what day it was. Verse 10 says, “I was in the spirit on the Lord’s Day.” Certainly it goes on to talk about many other great and wondrous things, but he makes a reference to the Lord’s Day. Now how interesting that is because when we back up all the way to the Patriarchal Period or even the Mosaical Period that encompassed the Ten Commandments, notice the Lord or Jesus really had not yet been revealed. And so we never see this concept of it being referred to as “The Day of Christ or Christ’s Day or the Messiah’s Day” because really Israel worshipped God, and they really didn’t make the distinctions of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit as we have been well given to us in the mysteries as they have been given to us in the New Testament. And so therefore, what is this Lord’s Day? Is it the Sabbath? Is it some other day? How is it that we understand this day that John in New Testament times says, “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day.”

Well to understand this, we certainly need to begin by understanding the difference in these periods. You know God has revealed Himself in different ways under different periods. Probably the best place we could go to understand that is in the book called Hebrews chapter 1. There in verse 1 he says, “God who at various times and in various ways spoke in times past to the fathers by the prophets.” Verse 2 says, “Has in these last days spoken to us by His Son.” What does that tell us? It tells us that God has dealt differently in every age with man. In the beginning, what did we find? He dealt specifically with Adam. He dealt specifically and directly with Noah and men like Abraham. But then when Moses came, guess what. He no longer dealt with each man or head of the family. He actually dealt with Moses and then Moses, His prophet or His agent, did what? Spoke to the people, revealed the Will of God, the commandments of God to the people. No doubt that’s why the Law was given in a written form to Moses that he might not only speak it, but that then they might then read the Law of God. So we see a difference in how God dealt with them. But when Jesus came, guess who became our mediator. Guess who became the only perfect mediator. Guess who the Hebrew writer says became the High Priest. Guess who the Hebrew writer says became the seal of a better covenant. Guess who the Hebrew writer confirmed for us was the one who brought about a new covenant therefore making the old covenant of no need.

Well in Jeremiah chapter 31 these things were already revealed beginning in verse 31. And the same quote is given in Hebrews chapter 8. There in Hebrews chapter 8 that someday soon, what would happen? Well, this first covenant (verse 7) that had been found with fault, not because of the covenant itself, but because it says that “man would not keep the covenant,” that it would be replaced with a better covenant, a new covenant. Then I want you to notice what he specifically states there in verse 13. “In that day a New Covenant,” it says, “will mean that the first has become obsolete, and now what is obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.”

What does that tell me? It tells me that I am not an Israelite. It tells me that I am not under the Old Law. It tells me that I serve a higher covenant because it was sealed with better blood. That’s what chapter 9 of Hebrews says. It wasn’t sealed with the animal blood of the Old Covenant, but it was sealed with the blood of Jesus Christ Himself making it perfect, making it complete, making the Old Covenant (Galatians 3) a schoolmaster or tutor to bring us to the Law of Christ based on faith in Him, a Christ that really had not been fully made known or revealed in the Old Law. He had been a picture given or a glimpse or a reference, but not complete for the death had not yet taken place. So today, we share in a new name, a new religion, a new covenant, a new law, a new mediator, a new way of life, a new King, a new Priest, a new sacrifice, a new royal priesthood, a new way to be a child of God. How blessed we are because of it. For now as we even read there in Hebrews chapter 8 not only are our sins pushed forward as under the Old Law, but He says, “I forgive them and I remember them no more.” (Verse 12) You see, we are under a greater and more perfect covenant. So what does that tell me? It tells me that I am under what Christ says, and certainly if Christ confirms the things that are found in the Old, those things that are here under His law, but when He does not, then we are not under that law.

I want you to notice with me something that was spoken of even by Paul to the Colossian church in chapter 2. Just after verse 14 he says that the Old Covenant was nailed to the cross making way for what? The New Covenant! Notice what he says there in verse 16. He says, “Let no one judge you in food or drink.” Do you remember how the Jews had certain things they could or could not eat? But Peter says, “All things through the name of Jesus and with thanksgiving are for our consumption.” He then says, “Nor regarding festivals or new moon.” Guess where festivals were or feasts and the new moon was. Under the Law of the Jews. Then he says, “Let no one judge you by Sabbaths that were (where?) under the Old Law.” There was something changing and why? Because Christ was better.

Now to understand this even more clearly I want you to back up to the gospel accounts with me and begin to see with me what it is that they state as a new day, a new time that was even greater. What was that moment? What was its significance?

For instance let’s look at Mark 16. Mark 16 and verse 1 it says, “And when the Sabbath was passed (after the Sabbath) Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of Jesus, and Salome brought spices that they might come and anoint Him very early in the morning on the first day of the week, and when they came to the tomb when the sun had risen, they did not find Jesus.” What? What happened on the first day of the week? The resurrection of Christ! Well just recently we had many that celebrate a certain or specific day as they refer to it as Easter. What was it about? The resurrection. Well as a Christian, the first day of the week, the Lord’s Day, is something that I celebrate this Passover of the Lord every Sunday of every day and week of the year. And so as we look at that, what do we find here? We find that it was the day of resurrection.

Why would that be so significant? Because Luke also mentions and confirms the same truth in Luke chapter 24 verse 1. “On the first day of the week early in the morning, these certain women came with spices and they found the stone rolled away from the tomb,” verse 3 says, “and they went in and did not find the body of Jesus.”

What about the book of John in John chapter 20? Another great man and follower of Jesus Christ, there in the text he again confirms the same concept to us that it was (in verse 19), “the same day at evening, the beginning of the first day of the week when these things transpired, and (guess what) the tomb was found empty.”

You know when we think about what we now focus on as Christians, the death, burial and the resurrection of Jesus are the center of all things. In fact, you might look with me in 1 Corinthians chapter 15, Paul in verse 1 says, “I proclaim to you, I declare the gospel.” And what is the gospel, Paul? Drop down to verse 3. He says, “I delivered it to you first of all that which I also received that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures (verse 3), He was buried (because of our sins,) and He rose again (guess what) the third day.” What does that mean to us? It means with us that we should glory and (inaudible) Galatians 6. Jesus Christ and the cross of Christ!

I don’t celebrate the Old Law of Moses or the things that took place in Egypt or what these old Sabbaths pertain to. I celebrate a new, greater, more holy and beautiful day of rest, the Lord’s Day, the day that Jesus Christ came forth from the grave that I might have the hope of eternal life and the opportunity to be called “a child of God.” Not just a child of Israel, but a child of God Almighty in Heaven, no longer answering through a man like Moses or a covenant like the Law of Moses, a very difficult covenant, but answering directly to God Himself only through Jesus Christ, our one Lord, Mediator and High Priest.

And so we see in Matthew 26 the betrayal that took place. We see revealed to us in Luke 23 that Jesus was crucified, that He died and was buried and put in the tomb and then we find on the third day that He rose from the grave as we have seen. Up from the grave He arose that He might do what? Redeem us! That He might overcome what? Death! The same concept all the way back in Genesis chapter 3 verse 15, that He might crush the head of the serpent and overcome even death, He was victorious.

So what do we find even today in reference to the example of the early church? Did they meet on the Sabbath Day? No they didn’t. It says for instance in 1 Corinthians chapter 16, “Now concerning the collection of the saints as I have given over to the churches of Galatia so do you.” Verse 2 says, “On the first day of the week, let each one of you lay by in store.”

1 Corinthians 11 also talks about the Lord’s Supper as it was being partaken of. We have many references of this coming together on the first day of the week, but perhaps one of the best as is given in example form is in Acts chapter 20. Here Paul actually was as we read in this area or region in Troaz waiting. It tells us specifically that “he waited for five days, many days in order that he might join them,” hear this, and do what? Look at verse 7, chapter 20 of Acts. “Now to on the first day of the week be with the disciples for they were coming together to (do what?) break bread.”

Back in Acts chapter 2 we see the physical rewards of being in the church, but we also see the spiritual continuing of the apostle’s doctrines and the breaking of bread and the worship of God and here again we hear of that breaking of bread. When was Paul going to assemble with the church to break bread in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ that symbolized the great sacrifice that He made to save them as well as to save us? The first day of the week! Not the seventh day, the Sabbath Day that sealed all those things and reminded the Hebrew nation of something, but a greater law that is for all men of all races, of all places, of all backgrounds and nationalities, a law that is for you and me that is based on the great gospel sacrifice, and when Jesus rose from the grave that we might then worship Him and follow and obey His commandments.

So I encourage us then to look to God’s Word and to understand what He gives us, to simply accept the truth and to realize that we cannot serve two masters.

The book of Galatians as well as others of Paul’s writings, often speaks about this very problem of those who would have the New Law and the Old Law, those who want to keep those things they like of the Old Law and they want to keep the things of the New Law and they want to pick and choose. You have got to serve one master, one covenant, one God, and that one that will save today is only the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 4 and verse 12).

So the question might be: Will you submit to Christ? Maybe you’re too stuck in Moses or in the things of Moses. But will you give yourself to God? For there is no other way to find salvation and there is no other way to have eternal life.

(SONG # 3 - “The Glory Land Way!”)

CLOSING COMMENTS

Let me thank you again for choosing to be with us today. I hope our time together has been an encouragement and blessing to us all. We invite you to join us every First day of the week, at 7:30, as we commit ourselves to this time of Worship before God!

But for now, let me ask if you have any questions or comments about today’s lesson? Maybe, you would like a free transcript or a cassette tape of this program? Possibly, we could assist you with free Bible materials or correspondence courses? No matter what your need is, please contact us at the following address:

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We thank God for His Word which clarified for us the importance of every first day of the week. Do you worship God as commanded on the Lord’s Day? Do you give yourself fully to Him in all things?



(Program closing)