When God revealed his glory to Moses, he did it by speaking. He said ‘The Lord, the Lord; the compassionate and gracious God’ (Ex 34:6). The second thing God revealed is that he is defined by grace. Over the past month we’ve been discussing how God continues to pour out his grace today, which theologians call ‘the means of grace’.
This week we’re looking at the Sunday gathering. In the book of Acts we’re told the believers started to meet on the Lord’s Day (Sunday), as opposed to the Sabbath (Saturday). So although the early Christians no longer kept the Sabbath, they still had a weekly ‘day of rest’; in line with the ‘spirit’ (as opposed to the ‘letter’) of Commandment 4. Yet it is important to understand what God means by rest. While it includes taking a break from one’s weekly occupation, it does NOT necessarily mean sleeping in, lazing around on the couch, spending time with the family, or partaking of our favourite hobbies (e.g. sailing). The main purpose behind the OT Sabbath, and therefore the NT ‘Lord’s Day’, IS rest; but it is rest ‘in God’. The Bible teaches that the best way to rest and be rejuvenated during our weekly day off is to spend (at least part of) it worshipping God; in particular with the community of believers.
Sadly too many Christians don’t see church as rest. They see it as yet another duty to perform. Yet the NT is clear that the church is first and foremost one of God’s blessings unto His people. Worshipping the Lord alongside one’s Christian brothers and sisters is the best way to rest. As such, if we skip church, we’re in effect skipping the best and most rejuvenating rest on offer that week. May we stop resisting God’s grace, and make church our number 1 priority each week.
Brendan McLaughlin
