Weekend Scripture Gold with Bibi: Why Church and Worship?

"I often visit newcomers in town and find them to be church shopping. They want to know what they can get out of church. Churches are one more consumer commodity. Worship services are not a place for us to serve God and neighbor, but a place where people expect to purchase the best: inspiring worship, good music, moving sermons, quality child care. As if we buy God and not vice versa."   -Arthur Boers in The Other Side, May/June, 1989 

Why does the Christian Church specifically gather for Worship on Sundays? How and why did this practice begin? 

These are questions often asked and very easy to answer. It is Jesus that started Sunday worship as that is the day that He rose from the dead and it is the "same day" that He began His church.

It is the glorious life-giving resurrection of Jesus, and the birth of His church that the church gathers to commemorate every Sunday as it gathers and worships Jesus. (Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:1-2) 

What is Worship? (Psalms 95:6)

The word worship literally means to acknowledge the source and sustaining of our life, the Christian acknowledges that life comes from God as God is the creator and sustainer of all life. The embodiment of life is the resurrection of Jesus; as it is now the resurrection life of Jesus that we, the Christian, live in and take part in having been rescued by Jesus from our own certain death through sin. Therefore it has been since the first Sunday and continues until this day that the church gathers to worship God on Sunday by acknowledging His life giving resurrection life.

What is the Church?

The Christian church is a unique gathering of people whose sins have been paid for in full by Jesus on the cross. The word Church means "out-gathering," or those that are taken out of this sinful world and gathered together into the sinless image of Jesus, by receiving His Holy Spirit. And having received the spirit of God, the Christian has now passed from death in sin into life in Jesus.

Why hasn't the Church always existed?

True Christianity is an intimate spiritual personal relationship with God. And a relationship with God is as old as creation. So it is accurate to say that Adam and Eve are the first Christians. But then sin separated mankind from an intimate spiritual relationship with God; and therefore postponed Christianity until after the redemption of mankind via the cross, and the resurrection of Jesus. Thus, providing for us a renewed intimate spiritual relationship.

The Church did not exist during the Old Testament times. In other words, Noah, Abraham, King David, Solomon, and even John the Baptist, although each was in a relationship with God, were not Christians and therefore not in the intimate spiritual relationship that the Church enjoys, and for a very good reason. Each of these people lived and died prior to the cross of Jesus. Before the cross of Jesus, the remedy for sin had not yet occurred. With sin, a "gathering of the sinless (in image)" was not yet available; as God's spirit is not intimately available with sin.

Once Jesus came into humanity in the virgin birth, and then died on the cross as full payment for all of the sins of the world; on His "Resurrection Day" the Church age could then begin. The Church could not be gathered prior to the cross; and without the resurrection there would not be the living leader.

Church/Christians are identified as those who have acknowledged the resurrection of Jesus and therefore have received the spirit of God. By receiving the spirit of God they are now in the sinless image of God our Father as the Christian is now a child of God. This event of Jesus giving the Spirit, and of individuals each receiving the spirit of God began on Sunday, the very day of the resurrection of Jesus. This continues on to this day as the resurrection of Jesus and His Holy Spirit are the lifeblood of Christianity.

Note: The verses and Biblical content of John 20:19-23 are dealing with a person becoming a Christian; with salvation; and with regeneration via the Holy Spirit. Forgiveness of sins (via the cross of Jesus); the imparting baptism of Jesus (via His Resurrection); and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit into a person are direct functions of the cross and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The knowledge of the removal of sin in the life of an individual person is referenced here in the Bible, on the day of the resurrection of Jesus; not on the day of Pentecost. Pentecost is referenced in the Bible in context with empowerment, and of a person being a witness of Jesus, but not in context of salvation; as the Resurrection Day is associated with salvation.

The phrase, "Whosoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whosoever sins ye retain, they are retained" (John 20:23) clearly demonstrates that the removal of sin had occurred at the cross. Also, the knowledge of sin, and the removal or the presence of sin in the life of an individual, can be discerned by a Christian in the following ways: with the baptism indwelling of the Holy Spirit since the day of the resurrection of Jesus; and of the giving of the Holy Spirit.

There are several examples in the Bible of people discerning the presence or removal of sin from the lives of individuals. All Christians, even today, can at times discern the spiritual state of another individual. How often has someone said that they are a Christian then deny Jesus and every tenant of Christianity; and live a life completely opposed to the biblical Christian precepts? In this case, we can often discern that the person, though outwardly professing Christianity, still retains their sins.

On occasion some people are in deep despair, fearing that they can no longer be reconciled to God. Why? Because they have offended God too much, or have blasphemed the Holy Spirit; and now conclude that they are eternally damned. Yet a Christian can often discern that God has not given up on them. He or she knows that actually their sins are remitted and that they should seek after God because they will find God. (Acts 8:20-23; Acts 17:22; Acts 26:27-28)

The biblical reference also demonstrates that Christian salvation (the forgiveness of sins; and entering into a relationship with the Holy God by becoming a child of God, through receiving His spirit indwelling in us) is an actual event. It is an event predicated on an individual's faith and confession. Christianity is unique in that an individual can become a Christian at any moment and in any place, regardless of time or circumstances.

Since the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ, a person does not need another external event. He needs not a Pentecost or any event; not a certain moon phase or any celestial - comet occurrence; and certainly not a ritual, a feast or a festival to become a Christian. But with just a simple faith in the living Savior Jesus, and a desire to be united to God, a person will become a new creation; a 'born again' Christian.

Did the Church actually start at Pentecost?

Sometimes people think that the church did not start until fifty days after the resurrection of Jesus during a feast called "Pentecost" (Acts 2:1-4). However, remember it is the cross and resurrection of Jesus that paved the way for the church allowing for the individual receiving of the Holy Spirit of God; and not the waiting of fifty days by the disciples that paved the way for the Church.

There is a Feast of Pentecost every year, but there is only one cross and resurrection of Jesus. There is not a fifty day gap between the resurrection and the start of the church. The same people that gathered together(empowered) in Acts 2:1-4 had already received the Holy Spirit back in John 20:19-23. They would again be filled (empowered) in Acts 4:31, and at other times as the Holy Spirit is leading.

Is Sunday now also the Sabbath Day of the Church?

It is also important to note that Sunday is not a Sabbath Day and therefore the church is not resting on Sunday when it gathers to worship God but is rejoicing in the living, loving, Jesus.

Saturday is still the Sabbath day proscribed by God for the Jewish people to physically follow by physically resting. For the church, however, our rest is spiritual. We rest in complete faith of the accomplished, completed work of Jesus, His cross and His resurrection. (Exodus 20:10; Luke 24:1)

In establishing a time for the Resurrection, the disciples arrive at the tomb at about sunrise, or just prior, so we know that Jesus did not resurrect later than sunrise. Now, some might wonder if He rose earlier than sunrise, but the biblical answer is no! As it is exactly at sunrise that Jesus is revealing Himself to be alive.

Also many of the Bible's names, references, types, and prophecies all reveal that He is the "Sunrise from on High." For example, Jesus physically entered into the world in His virgin birth at night (into the darkness of this world); representing that Jesus is the light that shined and came into the dark world.

Subsequently, Jesus (the Light of the world) resurrected at sunrise; as His resurrection is the new dawn of everlasting life. (Luke 1:78; Isaiah 60:1; 2 Corinthians 4:3,4; 2 Corinthians 4:6; Romans 13:12)

Could the Church have stopped for a while and then restarted?

It is the cross and resurrection of Jesus, and only the cross and resurrection of Jesus, that paved the way for the Christian church. The Christian church has continued and will continue until Jesus receives His Christian church unto Himself in heaven where He is.

In order for the church to have started and stopped, and started again, it would require that the Holy Spirit would no longer be available to mankind. Then, Jesus would have to be re-crucified and the Holy Spirit re-given. These are events that could never happen again, and would never happen again, as the one crucifixion of Jesus is sufficient for all sins for all time. The one resurrection of Jesus is sufficient for all life for all time. (Romans 6:9-11; Hebrews 10:10) 

It really is a common Christian tenant that the Christian church began with Jesus, the eternal leader and founder, giving His Spirit to His followers on the day of His Resurrection Sunday. The church has continued, and will continue, until Jesus Himself receives His Christian church up into Heaven where He is currently at;  and we will forever be with Him in His glorious fellowship.   -Special thanks to David Anson Brown

Now, let's pray...

O Father, give us the humility which realizes its ignorance, admits its mistakes, recognizes its need, welcomes advice, accepts rebuke. Help us always to praise rather than to criticize, to sympathize rather than to discourage, to build rather than to destroy, and to think of people at their best rather than at their worst. This we ask for in thy name's sake. Amen

Until next time...

Have a blessed week!

Bibi