Sermon

The Lords Day - Frank Brancato 12-8-19

Church of Christ - Bakersfield, Ca

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  1. As always is the case, I do consider it to be an honor to

  2. speak concerning the word of God, I want to say something

  3. about our brothers prayer. I appreciate everything he said.

  4. And one of the things he said, as he prayed to God regarding

  5. our worship, after that, he said, and help us to give you

  6. all that. We are all that we have.

  7. Give our all for you on this day.

  8. You know, that's very significant not long ago.

  9. I preached on the subject of the Sabbath and that was because

  10. there was a number of questions that had come up in some private

  11. Bible studies on the significance of days.

  12. And are we under the Sabbath at all?

  13. Should we keep any aspect of the Sabbath and Jesus is attitude or

  14. his demeanor, or his behavior regarding the Sabbath.

  15. And we talked about how Jesus Mark the transition even during

  16. his life from the Sabbath. To the Lord's day or to himself.

  17. I want to talk about some of these things.

  18. Concerning the Lord's day, I want to talk about Sunday.

  19. When did Sunday become the the Lord's Day in Revelation,

    Revelation 1 chapter mention

  20. chapter 1, And beginning in verse 9.

  21. I John both your brother and companion in Tribulation and

  22. Kingdom. And patience of Jesus Christ was

  23. on the island. That is called Patmos for the

  24. word of God. And for the testimony of Jesus

  25. Christ, and then he said, I was in the spirit on the Lord's day.

  26. You know, I can remember in the not-so-distant past times when

  27. you would see this, when Sunday actually mattered in our

  28. country, I remember growing up. I'm not That old that I can't

  29. remember. But I remember businesses in the

  30. home town that I grew up in Ojai.

  31. I remember in Oak View, I remember that I perhaps told

  32. some of these things to you over the years but I remember one

  33. particular business as you came into Oakview, it was a rental

  34. place where you'd rent equipment and there was a great big wooden

  35. sign on a chain link fence. And it said this open Monday

  36. through Saturday, but closed on Sunday for church.

  37. I remember when Sunday mattered in our country, I remember when

  38. there were things that shut down on Sunday.

  39. I remember, when you got your shopping done on Sunday, your

  40. yard work done, or I'm sorry on Saturday, your yard work got

  41. done on Saturday. I remember when Sunday didn't

  42. have all of those things and by the way, you know, in Youth

  43. Sports, there was a time when people didn't get coaches,

  44. didn't have practices on Day. They didn't have games on

  45. Sunday. You know what else?

  46. They didn't even have them on Wednesday.

  47. You know why? Because people in their minds

  48. understood that those that profess Christianity, there were

  49. going to be in Services, there were going to be worshipping on

  50. those days. It actually mattered and then

  51. all of a sudden they started having other aspects or other

  52. activities and they scheduled them on Sundays.

  53. Now, there's something every Sunday.

  54. You know, even in college, I remember in college, there was

  55. nothing scheduled on Sunday back in the 80s.

  56. Now everything's on Sunday. You know why?

  57. Because in our world and our society, Sunday became just like

  58. any other day. Sunday is the Lord's day.

  59. Sunday matters Sunday is not to be like any other day.

  60. I think it's sometimes a day that's treated very, casual like

  61. a drop by deal leaving the rest of Sunday.

  62. For whatever one man said, though, like a sponge with water

  63. squeezed out, this is the problem, by the way, in our

  64. country. And may I just say this to

  65. preface my comment hear people talk about what's wrong.

  66. In America. And what do people do?

  67. They go right to politics, right?

  68. Oh, it's the Republicans, it's the Democrats.

  69. It's the Liberals. It's the conservatives.

  70. Oh, no, it's those radicals, we talk about this one.

  71. And that one, and all that, that's not the problem in

  72. America. You know what, the problem in

  73. the United States of America is today, because we are on a

  74. 50-year, as one man, said a 50-year experiment of living in

  75. a country without God, that's what's wrong.

  76. We forgot all about God, no prayer in school.

  77. No Ten Commandments, no, sermon at graduation.

  78. No respect for marriage and the home and this has contributed to

  79. many of the problems that exist today.

  80. That's what happens when God is removed from our life one

  81. teacher. For example, in an attempt to

  82. pull be politically correct, instructed her class to write an

  83. essay about the pilgrims on Thanksgiving as a assignment,

  84. her only requirements were these you can't mention anything about

  85. religion Ian, you can't say a thing about God and you cannot

  86. mention Church. This young girl taking a shot at

  87. being politically correct. Wrote The Following.

  88. I love this. The pilgrims came to these

  89. Shores seeking freedom of, you know what so that they can give

  90. thanks to, you know who so that we their descendants could

  91. worship each Sunday. You know where.

  92. Politically correctness, is the norm and the standard of today.

  93. But the question before us today is this is Sunday just an

  94. arbitrary day, filled with choices of whatever we wish or

  95. does Sunday matter. I want to submit to you that you

  96. Sunday does matter. And by way of review, we talked

  97. about some of these things when we dealt with the Sabbath.

  98. But let's just go to notice a couple of these things as we

  99. talk about the seventh day, observance, In Genesis chapter

    Genesis 2 chapter mention

  100. 2. And the reason that I put that

  101. there is because sabbatarians or people that believe that we keep

  102. the Sabbath today. Say we still have to keep the

  103. Sabbath even as Christians because the Sabbath has always

  104. existed. In fact, the argument is it

  105. existed all the way back in Genesis chapter 2?

    Genesis 2 chapter mention

  106. Well, let's notice in the creation, the Bible says that

  107. God looked upon everything God, created everything Oh, and he

  108. did. So in six days, then as it were,

  109. he looked upon everything that he created, and he said it was

  110. very good. And the Bible says that on the

  111. seventh day, he rested on the seventh day.

  112. Because he was tired. No he rested a rest of delight

  113. and satisfaction for all that he created.

  114. That's number one. And number two, he rested in

  115. that, he was finished and God sent back and rested on the

  116. seventh day. Do you know that he was the only

  117. one that rested that day. Man, didn't need to rest on that

  118. day, because man in the garden was living a life of rest.

  119. In fact, it was a Perpetual state of rest.

  120. Do you know why? Because there was no work, why

  121. was there? No work?

  122. Because there was no sin. And if there was no sin, there

  123. was no. Work.

  124. If there was no work, there was no Sabbath.

  125. And in Genesis chapter 2, God was the only one that rested.

    Genesis 2 chapter mention

  126. Somebody might say, no, wait a minute.

  127. God told them to tend the garden.

  128. Didn't that work it. No, there's a difference between

  129. a chore and maintaining something and working by the

  130. sweat of your face, in order to earn your living or each your

  131. Brig. So in Genesis, chapter 2, only

    Genesis 2 chapter mention

  132. God rested. Let's go further, though.

  133. We skip to Exodus chapter 20, and after man was delivered from

    Exodus 20 chapter mention

  134. Egyptian bondage, God gave man a system of Sabbath's they were

  135. weekly, they were Lee and they weren't yearly.

  136. God also gave man to General Commandments, he said Thou shalt

  137. love the Lord thy God with all your heart, with all your soul,

  138. with all your mind and with all your strength and your neighbor

  139. as yourself. So these are two general

  140. Commandments then he gave a tenfold explanation of those two

  141. Commandments and we call those The Ten Commandments today.

  142. There was also the manifold explanation of all of this and

  143. it's found in the first five books of the law in the Old

  144. Testament, Genesis Exodus, Leviticus Numbers and

  145. Deuteronomy but In the Ten Commandments, the fourth

  146. Commandment was, they had to keep the Sabbath.

  147. Now, why did they do that? What was the effect of that?

  148. Well, first of all, God commanded that, and that's

  149. enough. But here's what they did on that

  150. day, it was a day to reflect on their creator.

  151. It was a day to reflect on all of creation and how everything

  152. that God created was perfect. And that it was only marred when

  153. man sinned it was a day to reflect on your creator.

  154. It was a day to reflect on the creation.

  155. What else? It was also a day to reflect on

  156. God. As the lawgiver.

  157. So they were commanded and God hallowed this day or elevated

  158. this day. And the people, the children of

  159. Israel had to recognize that day, that being the Sabbath day.

  160. Now remember this to this is my last slide from our previous

  161. lesson, a couple of months ago. But Jesus was the transition

  162. from the old to the new it may I just say too.

  163. There were two things that they hated about Jesus.

  164. Two things, especially the Pharisees hated about Jesus.

  165. Number one, because he said I am the Son of God they hated that

  166. and number two because of the way that he handled the Sabbath

  167. but Jesus said I'm greater than the Sabbath.

  168. He said I'm Lord even of the Sabbath, that's what Jesus said.

  169. So Jesus even while living did anything he wanted to do on the

  170. Sabbath because he was the transition from the old to the

  171. new now, Those Jews believe that their reference point between

  172. them self and God was the Sabbath and Jesus would teach

  173. them that the reference point between them self and God had to

  174. be Jesus himself. So here it is.

  175. When Jesus died on the cross and shed his blood, the transition

  176. from the old to the new was complete.

  177. What did the Sabbath represent? It was a prophetic type, if you

  178. will of futurist being heaven, in other words, Sabbath rest is

  179. a picture of Eternal rest. You remember when I said that

  180. when Man was created in the garden before sin, he lived in a

  181. Perpetual state of rest, okay? That's what we're going to get

  182. when we finally get to heaven, a place of Perpetual rest for all

  183. eternity. All right.

  184. The New Covenant, though, Jesus brought in the New Covenant day

  185. and that is the first day of the week, and let me show you how it

  186. ought. Jesus makes the transition in

  187. Matthew chapter 28, and we begin there to her little flow here in

    Matthew 28 chapter mention

  188. verse 1. It says, after the Sabbath, It

  189. says, after the Sabbath the first day of the week began to

  190. Dawn, Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary came to see the tomb

  191. and we know what happened. There was the morning of the

  192. Resurrection. Now in verse number 9, it says,

  193. and as they went to tell the disciples behold, Jesus met them

  194. saying Rejoice. So they came and they held him

  195. by the feet and they worshipped him.

  196. Now, interestingly, it was early on Sunday morning.

  197. We're going to find that out to. We look at Luke 24 in Luke's

  198. account. So the Sabbath was over and

  199. those precious women went back to the Sepulchre, they went back

  200. to the tomb, more on that in a minute, they went to the tomb

  201. and all of a sudden the stone was rolled away.

  202. And they did evidence that Jesus is not there, Jesus is not in

  203. the Tomb. So the Bible says, as they went

  204. to tell the disciples that he had risen, Jesus met with them

  205. and said, rejoice and they came and they held Him by the feet

  206. and worshipped him. Just a little side note here.

  207. This is absolutely brilliant. God did all that, you know, who

  208. the first hand eyewitness testimony of the Resurrection,

  209. was it wasn't one of the Apostles.

  210. It was those precious women. It was the women that had no

  211. agenda, they had no agenda at all.

  212. They had nothing like that. It wasn't like one of the

  213. apostles who could be blamed for lying about it saying that he

  214. was risen and really they're just his followers.

  215. Therefore, they said that. No, it was these women, they

  216. were first hand eyewitness testimony to the resurrection,

  217. and when they saw Jesus, they fell down at his feet and they

  218. worshipped him. Yeah, there's a couple things

  219. that have to happen. In Prophecy, we have to

  220. understand two things have to happen.

  221. First of all, number one, when Jesus gave the prophecy as found

  222. in John chapter 12. And when Jesus gave that those

    John 12 chapter mention

  223. words, when Jesus said, those words as Jonah was three days

  224. and I'm Excuse me, Matthew chapter 12, as Jonah was three

    Matthew 12 chapter mention

  225. days and three nights in the whales belly, that's the King

  226. James. The new King James says, in the

  227. belly of a great fish, so shall the son of man be also three

  228. days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

  229. Now notice what has to happen, he has to be dead three days.

  230. He has to be buried, all three days.

  231. He has to be raised on the third day and we find from the

  232. scriptures that third day was the first day of the week or it

  233. was Sunday had to happen. He had to die on the day of

  234. preparation. He had to be buried, still that

  235. day. He had to still be in the Tomb

  236. on the Sabbath day and he had to be raised on the first day of

  237. the week, that is the third day. You know, we find also in Luke

    Luke 23 chapter mention

  238. chapter 23, We find that in verse 56.

  239. This is what they were doing. Then they returned and prepared

  240. spices and fragrant oils and they rested on the Sabbath

  241. according to commandment. Now, there was a reason that

  242. they didn't go on the Sabbath. They didn't go on the Sabbath

  243. because they kept the Commandment.

  244. They didn't know that the Sabbath day or the old Covenant

  245. day was nailed to the cross. They didn't know that at all.

  246. So they didn't go to the tomb on the Sabbath day, they rested on

  247. the Sabbath day as God said that they would do, and they did.

  248. So. According To the commandant now

  249. spices and fragrant oils. And we know that back then they

  250. didn't embalm bodies. In fact, as we know in The Story

  251. of Lazarus, he was buried the same day that he died and by the

  252. fourth day and it was hot there obviously.

  253. And by the fourth day when Jesus arrives, he says, take away the

  254. stone Martha. They're saying really but

  255. Master, it's been 4 days. The King James says he already

  256. stinketh. Or he already is decaying the

  257. decomposition process had already happens been four days.

  258. You know why they didn't embalm what they did though, they had

  259. fragrant oils and spices that they prepared the body and when

  260. they bear in Jesus, Remember, John's account says that.

  261. Nicodemus, brought 100 pounds and wrap the body of Jesus.

  262. When he was buried, we know that.

  263. We also know this to and by way of History, the only time they

  264. used a hundred pounds to bury somebody of those spices.

  265. The only time is when they buried a King, Jesus died

  266. between those two thieves, like prophecy said, he would, but he

  267. was buried, like, the king that he is king of kings and Lord of

  268. lords. But on the first day of the week

  269. here, come these women, and they're coming with fragrant

  270. spices and so forth for the body of Jesus continuing there.

  271. So it would retard. And the decomposition process

  272. and Luke, 24 and verse 1. It's a different day.

  273. Now, on the first day of the week, Now I'm the Sabbath they

  274. didn't, but on the first day of the week, very early in the

  275. morning they in certain other women with them came to the

  276. tomb, bringing the spices which they had prepared.

  277. Again, this was New Covenant day.

  278. It was the first day of the week.

  279. Notice this please. This New Covenant day, he was

  280. dead on Saturday. Okay New Covenant days.

  281. The first day of the week very significant he's dead on

  282. Saturday. Therefore the Sabbath also died

  283. on Saturday when Jesus was dead when he died on the cross.

  284. On the day of preparation on Friday.

  285. Still, what else? He's alive on Sunday.

  286. The first day of the week. So what do we know when Jesus

  287. died the Sabbath? It died but also when Jesus rose

  288. from the dead, he brought in the New Covenant day.

  289. That's not a day of tradition. We didn't just one day say, you

  290. know what we'll do, I'll tell you what, we'll do.

  291. We'll just go ahead and have church on Sunday.

  292. It's not tradition. We're going to find out this is

  293. mandated by God, but none of us is by accident.

  294. It All Began on the first day, or Sunday.

  295. The first day of the week notice also they travel that morning,

  296. there was a disciple by the name of cleopas and another disciple

  297. that we don't know who it was some Scholars.

  298. Think it might have been Luke because Luke wrote Luke.

  299. Therefore he didn't include his name, we don't know.

  300. It doesn't matter. Play a piss.

  301. There is going along with another disciple and they're

  302. leaving. I'm going on a trip of about 7

  303. miles and it's from Jerusalem to a little village called Emmaus.

  304. And they're walking along and they're talking about all these

  305. things. They're talking about the things

  306. that had happened. And the Bible says this as

  307. they're going along, they're speaking about the things that

  308. had happened on that journey and notice Jesus appears and after

  309. he said the words, he said, what manner of communications are

  310. these that you speak of and are sad and they said, oh, you must

  311. be a visitor around here and don't know what we're talking

  312. about and Jesus said what things And they said, well about Jesus

  313. of Nazareth how we thought he was a prophet.

  314. In fact, we thought he was going to restore Israel, we thought

  315. he's going to set up a kingdom and it's the third day and we

  316. don't even have the body of Jesus.

  317. So all of a sudden after Jesus allowed them to unburden their

  318. aching Hearts, it says this and beginning at Moses and all the

  319. prophets he expounded to them in.

  320. All the scriptures the things concerning himself.

  321. Did you get that? What happened on this day?

  322. It began with worship now, it's the first Sunday.

  323. Jesus is resurrected from the dead, okay?

  324. That morning began with worship those precious women, fell at

  325. the feet of Jesus and worshiped him.

  326. Little later that day, though, by the way, on this very

  327. significant day, it's about afternoon, no doubt time.

  328. Jesus shows up and he gives the first expository sermon,

  329. preached about himself, from the Old Testament scriptures on the

  330. same day. What a it day.

  331. Big day, New Covenant Day, first day of the week, very first,

  332. expository sermon being preached.

  333. It is a day of significance. May I also say to the greatest

  334. kind of preaching there is, is expository preaching.

  335. Use the holy spirit's outline, take the word of God and teach

  336. the word of God and expound upon it and explain the word of God.

  337. That's what Jesus did. What a great example, the

  338. greatest preacher, the world ever knew the greatest man that

  339. ever lived. He begins with Moses and all the

  340. prophets and he expounded to them in all the scriptures, the

  341. things concerning himself. Do you know what I think about

  342. sometimes? People are looking for an

  343. experience. Sometimes people are looking for

  344. some kind of special experience. Now picture in your mind's eye,

  345. you got two disciples Jesus appears before them and they

  346. don't know it's him. He preaches from the Old

  347. Testament, the things concerning himself.

  348. They come near to the little village.

  349. The Bible says he acts as though, he's going to keep going

  350. by and they compelled him to join them in the house.

  351. There's a picture there. There's a picture there.

  352. Jesus will never force himself on somebody.

  353. You have to invite him in. You have to want him and he

  354. standing at the door knocking, but the doorknob or the latch is

  355. on your side. They compel Jesus to join them.

  356. They still don't know which Jesus, they sit down in the

  357. Bible says they begin to eat and he reveals himself to them in

  358. the breaking of bread, sis. And then he was gone.

  359. Pretty good experience, right? Impressive.

  360. Let me talk about what was really impressive.

  361. This is what they said. They said this.

  362. And they said to one another did not our heart burn within us

  363. while he talked with us on the road.

  364. And while he opened the scriptures to us, Of all the

  365. things they could have been impressed by and impressed with.

  366. It wasn't the experience Jesus appeared before them and the

  367. first thing they said is didn't our hearts burn within us.

  368. When he showed us the scriptures along the way, But now it was

  369. time though. Is time to go to the upper room,

  370. we find and these disciples, by the way, they traveled seven

  371. miles to Emmaus. And I don't know about you, but

  372. I don't walk 14 miles a day. Back then no doubt.

  373. That's exactly how they got around.

  374. You know, if you're going to go 14 miles or seven miles in each

  375. Direction, you're getting in the car and you're firing it up and

  376. you're driving, you might ride a bike, I doubt you'd ride a

  377. skateboard and really you're probably not going to walk.

  378. They were so impressed with what Jesus had said to them.

  379. They couldn't wait. They had to leave Emmaus and go

  380. back to Jerusalem and go back to the upper room and tell them

  381. what they saw. And all of a sudden as they said

  382. these things, as they told the others Jesus himself stood in

  383. their midst and said peace to you.

  384. You know the Bible says also there That they were afraid

  385. because they thought they saw a ghost.

  386. They thought they saw a spirit and they were afraid.

  387. First of all, when Jesus says, peace to you, he wasn't wishing

  388. them a good day. He was giving them peace, he is

  389. the Prince of Peace. Therefore, he is the author of

  390. Peace. So the author of Peace was

  391. giving peace to them and they were afraid And they were scared

  392. because I thought wait a minute, there's a ghost Among Us and

  393. Jesus says get this is very important for another passage

  394. later on. He said, hey, you said handle

  395. me, touch me. He said, because the spirit

  396. doesn't have flesh and Bone. What he's saying is this, I'm

  397. here in the flesh. My body has been resurrected,

  398. and here I am. Look at my hands feel my hands

  399. handle me. And if I was a ghost, I wouldn't

  400. have bones. I wouldn't have flesh.

  401. Now then this is what happens, he said to them these words, he

  402. said these are the words that I spoke to you while I was still

  403. with you. That in all things must be

  404. fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses and the

  405. prophets and the Psalms concerning me.

  406. And he opened their understanding that, they might

  407. comprehend the scriptures. What a great first Sunday.

  408. It began with worship later on there was an expository sermon

  409. about Jesus Christ from the Old Testament preached by the master

  410. of the greatest one that ever lived.

  411. We're still not done, it's still Sunday.

  412. It's Sunday night time and you know what the Lord is going to

  413. do. He appears before them and by

  414. the way, he erased, all doubt, when he said you have anything

  415. to eat and they gave him fish and honeycomb and he ate that.

  416. So obviously they were not afraid anymore.

  417. Then he says these words and he uses the law.

  418. Of Moses, the prophets and the Psalms the three distinct

  419. categories of the Old Testament. and he says concerning me, he

  420. opened up their understanding that they might comprehend the

  421. scriptures, what a great Sunday, What a great Sunday it was, but

  422. there's more then he says this. Then he said to them, thus it is

  423. written and thus, it was necessary for Christ to suffer

  424. and to rise from the dead. The third day, and that

  425. repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name,

  426. to All Nations, beginning at Jerusalem and you are witnesses

  427. of these things. Behold I send the promise of my

  428. father upon you but Terry in the city of Jerusalem until you be

  429. endued with power from on high. So he said this is exactly what

  430. I've said to you before its time now.

  431. Now and you're going to preach repentance and remission of

  432. sins, you're going to do that. No one else you're going to get

  433. the baptism of the Holy Spirit, you're going to get the power of

  434. the Holy Spirit. I'm going to imagine.

  435. They went from scared to encouraged.

  436. This is quite a Sunday, launching New Covenant day.

  437. It's repeated over and over the phrase first day of the week

  438. over and over, because the first day of the week has great

  439. significance. Now notice also in John chapter

    John 20 chapter mention

  440. 20 in John chapter 20, this is John's account of the very same

    John 20 chapter mention

  441. thing. And we want to talk about this

  442. because I don't want, I don't want us to think that there's a

  443. contradiction, okay? Jesus told them to handle me in

  444. one, passage in this passage. Jesus said, do not cling to me.

  445. Now is there a contradiction? No, first of all.

  446. He said do not cling to me for I have not yet ascended to my

  447. father. Now we know what that can't be.

  448. We know that that cannot be that he's talking about his Ascension

  449. and Acts chapter 1, his Ascension to his father in Acts

    Acts 1 chapter mention Acts 1 chapter mention

  450. chapter 1, 40 days later. We know it can't be that.

  451. Why? Because in between there, he

  452. told his disciples handle me. Me later and we'll get to that.

  453. He told Thomas put your hands in my hands.

  454. Touch me. So we know it can't be that.

  455. And I'll tell you, you can read all kinds of commentaries and

  456. they'll tell you all kinds of things about this.

  457. I'm going to tell you, I agree with what the old-time preachers

  458. used to preach. I think this is right in the

  459. words of my father-in-law of us is free, okay?

  460. But I think, I think the old-time preachers were right

  461. about this. I remember Linwood used to

  462. preach about this, what he was talking about is and that phrase

  463. right there, literally means stop clinging to me in the

  464. original, What it means. It didn't mean don't touch me.

  465. It meant they were touching him and he says, stop clinging to

  466. me. Now, the phrase, therefore I

  467. have not yet ascended to my father.

  468. I think this is the phrase, I agree with this.

  469. You remember under the law of Moses, the high priest took the

  470. blood of the sacrifice, to the holy of holies, that the Ark of

  471. the Covenant, in the presence of God and brought the blood,

  472. sacrifice for the sins of the people.

  473. Into the place where God was or God's presence was, if that is

  474. the prophetic type, then the Fulfillment of that prophetic

  475. type is Jesus ascending to his father as our high priest and

  476. bringing the blood sacrifice to the presence of God.

  477. All that's free. But it makes sense.

  478. It makes sense. It is the antitype of what has

  479. been done under the Old Law. No contradiction just simply

  480. means stop clinging to me. Now, another interesting thing

  481. is found in John chapter 20, When they came to the Sepulchre,

    John 20 chapter mention

  482. they came to the to the grave and they went in there and they

  483. found the handkerchief. some translations, say napkin and the

  484. handkerchief was placed over his face and when they got in there

  485. and his body was gone and they found the Linens in one place,

  486. it says that the handkerchief or the napkin was placed in another

  487. place and it was folded Now I'll just tell you what, I read about

  488. that, I read that. There is a tradition says, I

  489. guess, you might say, but very customary back then when

  490. somebody would sit at the table and eat when they were finished

  491. eating, but they had to get up from the table, they would take

  492. their napkin and their handkerchief, whatever it was

  493. and they would throw it down with all of the other Linens,

  494. all kind of piled there and it was basically, to say I'm done,

  495. I won't be a back. But then I had read by way of

  496. custom Jewish custom, what they did is when they were going to

  497. get up from the table. But they were going to return.

  498. They folded the napkin. They kept it separate from the

  499. other Linens and it was a sign saying I'm not finished.

  500. I'm coming back. When they got in there and they

  501. open it looked into the grave and found that the body of Jesus

  502. was gone. They saw the Linens but

  503. separate. Folded was the handkerchief

  504. saying I'll be back. I will return.

  505. Jesus is one day going to come back.

  506. I want to notice something in verse 24, please.

  507. Thomas called the twin one of the twelve was not with them

  508. when Jesus came my whole life. I've heard doubting Thomas

  509. doubting Thomas, doubting Thomas and yeah I guess he doubted.

  510. But you know Thomas did not get the information that the others

  511. got. The others were afraid and Jesus

  512. proved that it was him. Maybe in his mind he reflected

  513. back and he thought about what Jesus had told them.

  514. When he walked on the face of the Earth, beware of those that

  515. come and say they're me, beware of those that would come those

  516. false teachers, just maybe. So on this particular occasion,

  517. guess what? Thomas was not there.

  518. He didn't see that he missed out. you know, I thought of this

  519. this morning, I thought about this day, this great day.

  520. And Thomas missed out. You know, I think that's kind of

  521. what happens when we miss services.

  522. We miss out. We just miss out.

  523. He missed out on here in the Lord.

  524. Preached a sermon and teach the word of God.

  525. He missed out on seeing Jesus. That was presented before them.

  526. He missed that too. He missed all of that.

  527. He wasn't there. Think that's sometimes what

  528. happens to us, but that's not all in John chapter 20 verse 26.

    John 20:26

  529. After eight days, his disciples were again inside and Thomas

  530. with them. Jesus came and the doors being

  531. shut and stood in the midst and said, peace to you.

  532. Now, what day was that? Now remember we're talking about

  533. the significant of days, significance of days.

  534. We're talking about that, we're talking about, it's the Lord's

  535. day is the first day of the week.

  536. We're talking about this first Sunday.

  537. Okay. And Thomas is not there, but

  538. then it says this after 8 days. What day was that?

  539. Eight days later. Would have been the first day of

  540. the week. Also, it would have been Sunday,

  541. you know why? Because that's exactly how the

  542. Jews. Counted the days.

  543. You count the day you're on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday,

  544. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, after eight

  545. days. The Lord could have done

  546. anything that he wanted to do. He could have appeared before

  547. Thomas any other day. He waits till win.

  548. Eight days later. First day of the week Sunday.

  549. Pretty significant. Could have done anything you

  550. wanted to, I think that's pretty significant.

  551. You know, that's really not hard for us to grasp either.

  552. Because you might say, hey, Frank.

  553. What are you doing? I held an AA meeting eight days.

  554. Yeah, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday,

  555. Saturday, Sunday. Same thing.

  556. What happened? His disciples were again inside

  557. and Thomas with them. Jesus came and the doors being

  558. shut stood in the midst and said, peace to you.

  559. What else the church was born on this day on the day of Pentecost

  560. and a passage taken in The Book of Leviticus chapter 23, what's

    Leviticus 23 chapter mention

  561. Pentecost Leviticus chapter, 23, verses, 15 and 16?

  562. And you shall count for yourselves from the day after

  563. the Sabbath from the day that you brought the Sheaf of a wave

  564. offering. Seven.

  565. Sabbaths shall be completed count, 50 days to the day after

  566. the seventh Sabbath, then you shall offer a new grain offering

  567. to the Lord. So notice Seven sabbaths would

  568. be complete seven times. Seven is forty-nine, there would

  569. be a Passover. Jesus died on Passover Sabbath.

  570. He spends 40 days with his disciples. 10 days later was

  571. Pentecost day and that was the first day of the week that was

  572. Sunday and at 9 a.m. the great event begins.

  573. What else did they do? Gospel sermon is being preached

  574. churches, established. They worshipped and they

  575. continued steadfastly in the apostles Doctrine and fellowship

  576. and in Breaking of bread and in prayers.

  577. Again, this is the Lord ordaining this day.

  578. The first day of the week is very significant and really in a

  579. conversation in a Bible study not long ago.

  580. Somebody asked, well, what was the acts that show us in the

  581. Bible that the first day of the week is significant?

  582. Why is that? What were showing is we're

  583. showing everything is happening on the first day of the week, he

  584. was raised from the dead. The first day of the week.

  585. He was worshipped the first day of the week.

  586. He preached an expository sermon on the first day of the week, he

  587. expounded from the Old Testament scriptures and explain them that

  588. night on the first day of the week.

  589. Eight days later, he waste to the first day of the week and

  590. appears before his Disciples and Thomas is present.

  591. Then he ascends to Heaven 10 days later.

  592. Pentecost day and the church was established.

  593. The gospel was preached. The Holy Spirit came and they

  594. continued and they worshipped on this day and Hebrews chapter 10

    Hebrews 10 chapter mention

  595. and verse 25. Now, understanding these were

  596. Hebrew Christians. That were greatly being

  597. persecuted for their faith. And by the way, historically,

  598. many of the Hebrew Christians, because of the great

  599. persecutions that were happening in their life because they were

  600. Christians, you know what they did?

  601. They turn their back and go back to the ways of Moses.

  602. In fact, that's why they did that.

  603. They thought, wait a minute. It's a lot easier that we'll

  604. just go back to the law of Moses.

  605. So, the writer of Hebrews writes, this inspired by the

  606. Holy Spirit. He said, wait a minute, not

  607. forsaking the assembling of ourselves.

  608. Of us together, don't do it. He said, as the manner of some

  609. is, Very significant day, very significant day of worship.

  610. Assembling ourselves together. But exhorting, one another and

  611. so much the more as you see the day approaching.

  612. Now, there are various schools of thought about what the day is

  613. of the day. Approaching some say, the day is

  614. the first day of the week. Some say, the day is the end of

  615. time. I happen to believe,

  616. contextually the day approaching happens to be the destruction of

  617. Jerusalem, so just a few short years before ad 70.

  618. When this letter was written, it was to encourage Hebrew.

  619. Has to keep the faith and continue to worship and don't

  620. turn your back on worship as you see that day approaching.

  621. But either way, guess what, that day is still the first day of

  622. the week Acts 20 and 7. Now, on the first day of the

  623. week, when the disciples came together, to break bread, Paul

  624. ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his

  625. message until midnight. Can you imagine if one of us

  626. start doing that till midnight? I'm going to tell you something.

  627. Nobody has ever said to me, okay?

  628. You know, I like tearing your Frankfort, man.

  629. You don't talk long enough. I don't think I've ever heard

  630. that. I've heard a little bit of the

  631. flipside man Frank's getting a little long-winded these days.

  632. Oh man. Yeah kind of long never do.

  633. Have I ever heard somebody say what you really need to do is

  634. just preach way longer. In fact, take us to midnight,

  635. absolutely not. What I'm saying is it was the

  636. first day of the week. It wasn't the day or the hour

  637. for the Lord. It was the day for the Lord and

  638. in this we don't know what time they started or they assembled.

  639. Originally we just know it was the first day of the week.

  640. It was on Sunday. It was the time of the bread

  641. breaking service and incidentally little side note.

  642. If the Lord Wills Don King and I will leave for the Philippines

  643. in January again. Okay and customarily.

  644. They don't they don't have what we have.

  645. In terms of we have Sunday morning services at 10:30 and

  646. that's our bread, breaking service.

  647. And then later on at 5:00 here plans road, we have another

  648. service but it's not a bread breaking service.

  649. Some people have 2 o'clock, 3 o'clock Services, 130 Services,

  650. whatever it is in the afternoon on Sunday, okay?

  651. That's kind of our custom of doing that.

  652. In the Philippines. They don't have that on the

  653. Lord's day, whatever time that they decide to meet it, is their

  654. bread breaking service. So, whatever time it was here,

  655. no doubt. They only met once.

  656. But the only time that or the time that it was here, whatever.

  657. That was, it was the first day of the week for the purpose of

  658. breaking bread and Paul went on and preach to midnight and we're

  659. so thankful when eutychus fell out of the window dead, we're

  660. lucky. He got brought back to life.

  661. But that's what happened on that particular day.

  662. It's the first day of the week. It's the day of worship.

  663. Now, I'm not saying this. I'm not saying that you can't

  664. enjoy other things on this day. And there are no real.

  665. There are no restrictions. In the New Testament concerning,

  666. what you are not allowed to do on the first day of the week.

  667. You can go to work if you if you if your boss schedules you and

  668. you say listen I have to be there to assemble with the

  669. church at 10:30 but by 12:30 or so, by the time we're done, I

  670. can drive over there. I'll go to work.

  671. There's nothing wrong with that. There's no restrictions

  672. regarding that. But the question is this, if you

  673. had your druthers, if you have the choice, what choice would

  674. you make? And I know this, I know this, I

  675. understand this, sometimes things happen that are beyond

  676. our control and sometimes we're doing.

  677. Absolutely all that we can I'm not talking about that, I'm not

  678. talking about extenuating circumstances and I'm not

  679. talking about when you're just you're traveling and you're on a

  680. trip somewhere. I'm talking about your daily

  681. life. There's a difference between

  682. can't and won't. Aunt.

  683. Big difference. Just apply it as you can but the

  684. Lord knows whether you can or whether you want.

  685. Are we giving him as our brother parade?

  686. Everything we have on this day. Let's go back to our

  687. introductory text and I'm just about finished.

  688. Here it is. John said, I John both your

  689. brother and companion in Tribulation and Kingdom.

  690. And patience of Jesus Christ was on the island.

  691. That is called Patmos for the word of God, for the testimony

  692. of Jesus Christ. I was in the spirit on the

  693. Lord's day, okay? That's our introductory text, by

  694. the way, this day has a name, it's the Lord's Day.

  695. It's the Lord's day. Something else.

  696. Very significant happened in the same Revelation letter on the

  697. same day. I thought it was kind of

  698. interesting. I'll pass it along.

  699. It's found right here in verse 20.

  700. The Mystery of the Seven Stars, which you saw in my right hand

  701. and the Seven, golden cat, lampstands the Seven Stars are

  702. the Angels of the seven churches and the Seven lampstands which

  703. you saw are the seven churches, isn't it?

  704. It interesting. that the One Vision about the church

  705. happened, On the Lord's Day. New Covenant day.

  706. It. So it's a significant day.

  707. It's not the Lord's hour. It's the Lord's Day.

  708. Is your heart centered on worship on this day.

  709. Is your heart centered today on the remembrance of our savior

  710. does worship. Means something to you.

  711. Would you rather be somewhere else?

  712. I have a friend of mine that was as an outdoors person.

  713. He doesn't profess to be anything religiously and I'm

  714. saying this in closing. But I remember he wrote

  715. something in a little book and it said, and you probably heard

  716. this phrase. He said, it's better to be in

  717. the mountains, thinking about God.

  718. Then it is to be in church. Thinking about the mountains.

  719. And while that may be true. It's not good to be here,

  720. thinking, of something else. I'm going to tell you.

  721. There's nothing more important than our being here to worship

  722. God. And it's not about me and it's

  723. not about you. It's not about us.

  724. It's about God. We are here for God today.

  725. On his day, are you here today? You're not a Christian.

  726. If you're not a child of God, you need to be one.

  727. We can assist you in that. Come believing in Jesus.

  728. Repent of your sins confess, his name as the Son of God and be

  729. baptized in water for the remission of your sins and added

  730. to the body of Christ today. We thank you for listening to

  731. our podcast, put on by the Church of Christ at 22:15 plans.

  732. Road in Bakersfield, if you would like any additional

  733. information or you would like to receive a free Bible

  734. correspondence, course by mail. Please email us at info at

  735. search of Christ. Bakersfield.com, our service

  736. times are on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. and Wednesdays

  737. at 7:30 p.m. Please make plans to join us.

  738. We would love for you to be our honored guest.