Are We Remembering or Forgetting the Sabbath?

There has been much debate as to what day of the week is considered the Sabbath and why one group of people observe the Sabbath on one day while others will observe the Sabbath on a different day.

This is not a debate regarding who is right and who is wrong. That is for the individual Christian to make that determination between him or herself and the Lord. What I hope to bring to our attention is the need for the Sabbath and its purpose.

What Is the Purpose of the Sabbath?

Scripture does not tell us the names of the days of the week. Time as we know it began when God created night and day. That was the first day. On the second day, God created the firmament and the waters. On the third day, God created the land, grass, herb, and trees.

On the fourth day, God created the stars, the sun, and the moon. On the fifth day, God created the sea creatures and the fowl of the air. On the sixth day, God created the creatures of the land and mankind.

Finally, on the seventh day, God ended his work, blessed the seventh day, sanctified it, and he rested. As we look at our passage of Scripture, the days are given numbers one — seven.

In the Book of Exodus, sometime after Moses led the Israelites through the Red Sea, much complaining had begun.

In Exodus 16:21-23, we find that the Lord was providing sustenance for the people of Israel. Every morning they were to gather what they needed for the day, but on the sixth day, they were to gather enough to carry them through the seventh day as well.

On the Sabbath, the Israelites were forbidden to work or even prepare food. What is going on? That does not seem right.

But God was aware that the people's busy lives would keep them from worshiping Him. It is so simple to let work, family obligations and leisure activities take up too much of our time that we neglect to make time for God. We ought to protect our time with God.

We should see a trend here. Back then, the Sabbath served two functions. It was a time of relaxation and a time of reflection on God’s work. But is that the same case in our society today? For those who go to church on Saturday and worship the Sabbath, it is just another day.

For those who show up at church on a Sunday for worship services, it is like any other day of the week. We can take a drive just about anywhere and see a plethora of domesticated services open for business, but then some of those businesses will be closed on a Monday so they can have a day off.

We, humans, require rest. Life loses its meaning if you do not take time to unwind from the hustle and bustle.

Taking time off is hard in our day, as it was in Moses' time, but God reminds us that if we do not have a Sabbath, we will lose the equilibrium necessary for a faithful life and forget what all the activity is for.

We ought to make sure that our Sabbath day includes time for both refueling and remembering God (Exodus 31:12-17).

We could go into detail about the days and weeks of the calendar, but that is not our intention. Whether you worship on Saturday or whether you worship on Sunday is a personal decision.

Some people want to commence with arguments regarding who is right and who is wrong about what is the day of worship. That should not be happening amongst Christians.

The Julian calendar, and later the Gregorian calendar, have Sunday as the first day of the week. So what? Does it truly matter what day of the week that has been set aside for worship and a day of rest? I do not think so.

How Do We Apply the Sabbath to Our Everyday Lives?

The main point is, are we at least setting aside one day of the week for our worship services and for our day of rest? If not, why not? If God said to work six days of the week and set aside one day for rest and worship, then we Christians should be doing that.

Yes, it can be confusing for a majority of “weekenders” to determine what day is for worship. We should be focused on the actual doing of the day of rest and performing a worship service on that day, whatever day it is that we choose.

But let us not forget to worship the Lord throughout the week because going seven days without acknowledging, praying, and worshipping the Lord makes one weak.

We could also get into why Sunday evenings and Wednesday evenings are important for some and not so much for others. 

Christianity has had a Sunday night service for quite some time, but each church denomination approaches it differently. For a variety of reasons, many, if not most, churches have gradually discontinued their Sunday night service.

Many Sunday night services have seen a decline in attendance as more entertainment options have become available, and today’s culture has become busier and more worldly.

The lack of interest in Sunday evening services has indicated to many churches that maybe it is time to shift their efforts elsewhere.

Several churches continue to hold services on Sunday nights. Some keep going because some church members are accustomed to Sunday evening services and want them to continue.

There is no biblical requirement for a church to hold services at specific times or in sufficient numbers. The spirituality of a church does not depend on whether it holds a Sunday evening service.

To have the greatest impact on the congregation as well as the community, each church must determine the services and programs that will be offered as well as the times they will be offered.

We believe that every Christian ought to be a part of a local church, and if that church has a Sunday night service, we encourage all members to attend on a regular basis so that they can fully participate in its activities.

As far as Wednesday evening services, it is unclear as to their origin. In the beginning, Wednesday night services were just a prayer meeting. Over time, they evolved into a church services like Sunday morning services, sometimes with a sermon, music, and an offering.

As a means of “refueling” in between Sunday services, Wednesday night services typically offer a more intimate setting than Sunday morning worship due to their lower attendance.

Requests for personal prayer can be shared, in-depth Bible study can be pursued, and individual inquiries can be freely addressed. The Wednesday night service is a necessary component of spiritual discipline for many.

Along with the traditional Sunday evening service, Wednesday night services are becoming less common in modern times. Many congregations have almost eliminated Wednesday night services due to a lack of commitment, and other occurrences are becoming more important.

On the other hand, a lot of churches have switched from weekly services to small groups that meet in homes. Like the Wednesday evening services, these small groups function on a compact scale and encourage more individual participation.

Therefore, even though formal church services on Wednesday nights are no longer common, they may be in the process of being replaced and modernized rather than removed.

Even though a requirement for Wednesday night prayer meetings is not noted in the Bible, its collapse may be indicative of the current generation’s spiritual state.

According to Acts 2:46, believers first met daily to pray, worship, and study the Bible. Many Christians today only meet once per week.

It is possible that the true church will once again recognize the necessity of holding more meetings on a regular basis in order to maintain its strength in the face of opposition as persecution rises and Christianity loses popularity.

Why Does This Matter?

Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy (Exodus 20:8).

If we look over at Exodus 20:8-11, the Sabbath day was a day given to us to worship the Lord and rest. Because we require uninterrupted time for worship and rest each week, God established the Sabbath.

It is indeed wonderful that God cares enough to give us a day off each week to rest. In this fast-paced world, having regular times of rest and worship demonstrates the significance of God in our lives, and it also helps to refresh our spirits.

For further reading:

How Do We Remember the Sabbath Day to Keep It Holy?

How Is Jesus Our Sabbath Rest?

What Is the Sabbath Day and Year? Bible Meaning and Purpose

Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Evrymmnt

Chris Swanson answered the call into the ministry over 20 years ago. He has served as a Sunday School teacher, a youth director along with his wife, a music director, an associate pastor, and an interim pastor. He is a retired Navy Chief Hospital Corpsman with over 30 years of combined active and reserve service. You can check out his work here.

This article originally appeared on Christianity.com. For more faith-building resources, visit Christianity.com.