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The Church and the Lord’s Day

Some time ago I was privileged to hear a prayer led by one of the young men in the church. It was in this particular prayer that I was very impressed to hear him pray, saying, “Oh Lord, we’re so thankful for the privilege of being a member of the church of Christ.” This is a very simple and plain statement but carries with it great worth, meaning, and great weight. This young man, even though he was young spiritually, recognized the great and wonderful privilege of being a member of the church.

We all ought to recognize the importance, power, and benefits of the church. We all ought to be thankful for the privilege of being a member of it. This young man, it seems to me, saw to the fullness of being a member of the body of Jesus Christ. Perhaps he is able to see some things that older members sometimes overlook.

The church was blood-purchased. It is a heaven-sanctioned organization. It has an eternal destiny. It is the greatest institution on earth. It is named ninety-nine times in the New Testament, perhaps more. Its importance is magnified by the number of times the pen of inspiration saw fit to record the word, “church”, and its worth.

But today, may I speak for a little while concerning the matter of the church and the Lord’s Day. The Lord’s Day is the first day of the week. We find the term ‘Lord’s Day’, occurring in Revelation 1:10, from the pen of the apostle John whenever the Bible says, “I was in the spirit on the Lord’s Day.” In Psalms 118:24, we remember the words of the prophet David when he projected into the future saying:

‘This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”

This day is inseparably connected with the church, and certainly there is no greater manifestation of a still existing church, than when the church assembles on the Lord’s Day for the purpose of magnifying Jesus Christ, and seeing to our worship to God.

If you could imagine for a little while, let your mind drift, as it were out into the vast space of the universe, and think for a little time about the Lord’s Day morning services. Think of every congregation that meets upon the face of the earth, of the beautiful praises that are wafted toward heaven and all of the wonderful words spoken in exhortation to one another and in praise to God. If you can think about the praises as they drift on the air waves, as it were, to make their way to the portals of heaven from the congregations that assemble, we can get somewhat of a picture, no doubt, of what it means to God, whenever the church comes together in the assembled capacity on the Lord’s Day. May we understand clearly that all church assemblies should mean, honor to God, but especially on the Lord’s Day. This day becomes a distinct day in that two things are to be performed that must not be performed upon any other day of the week. Thus we come to recognize how that the church assemblies magnify the greatness of the institution.

I would like to notice with you, in a few points, how the first day of the week, the Lord’s Day and the church are connected. In order for us to get the connection or relationship between the Lord’s Day and the church it will be necessary to get the connection between:

The Lord’s Day and Salvation.

Without salvation there is no church. The church is a result of people being called out of the world, the Lord adding them to the church. The church is a result of folks being delivered from the power of darkness and translated into the kingdom of Jesus Christ. And so then as the Lord’s Day relates to salvation, the Lord’s Day and the church will be related to one another. Salvation and the
church are inseparable. It is no accident that the church had its beginning upon the first day of the week.

The Bible says, in Isaiah 2:2 and 1st. Tim. 3:15, “the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established.” This Lord’s house is called the church according to Paul’s writing to Timothy. The church had its beginning on the first day of the week. It was a first day of the week, on the day of Pentecost. It was on this day that the gospel of Jesus Christ was preached. Now David said, (Pa. 118:24), ‘This is the day that the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”

Although the word “new” does not necessarily occur in that passage, I think it indicates the idea of a new day that’s going to come about, insomuch as the Sabbath was going to cease, and this day was going to be replaced with the day that is called the Lord’s day in Rev. 1:10. Concerning this new day that David prophesies about, we also want to notice with you that there is going to be also a reference to a new house which had its beginning on this new day. We want to notice also that this was the time that a new law was brought into existence under the preaching of that new law; there was a new house which resulted.
Pentecost Came On The First Day

Please notice Lev. 23:15,

“And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the Sabbath from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven Sabbaths shall be complete.”

We could engage, I’m sure, in great controversy over when, or upon what particular Sabbath they started counting these seven Sabbaths, but this is not the point at all. The point is this: The Bible says, “Even unto the morrow after the seventh Sabbath shall ye number fifty days; (Pentecost means fiftieth day). That fiftieth day is a result of having counted seven Sabbaths. Anytime you start with a given Sabbath regardless of how many Sabbaths you count, the day following will be a first day of the week. Since the Sabbath was the seventh day of the week, the morrow after the Sabbath, or the day following that Sabbath would have to be a first day.
The Church Began On Pentecost

In Acts 2:14, we read how the apostles were gathered together on the day of Pentecost. The Holy Ghost came and they were baptized therewith, according to the promise made them by Christ. Peter delivered a great discourse on this day. Folks were pricked in their heart and asked, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” Upon this question, Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, —” the scriptures tell us in verse 41, ‘Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about 3,000, souls.” Going on to verse 47, we read, “…And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.” The obedience of these people, on that day resulted in their salvation and the Lord adding them to the church.

Therefore, we can correctly state that a new institution had its beginning on the first day of the week. A new institution on a new day, the day which David said the Lord hath made, the day John called the Lord’s Day. Paul called this new institution the church, the pillar and ground of the truth according to 1st. Tim. 3:15.
The Gospel Was First Preached On Pentecost

We can see that a new house, a spiritual house, see (1st. Peter 2:5-9), had been established. Its establishment came as a result of the preaching of the gospel, which first began to be preached on the first day of the week. Therefore let us now discuss the matter of the “new law” as compared to the old.

However, before we move directly into that point, allow me to point out that what occurred on Pentecost with reference to the receiving of the word, seems to be another fulfillment of
David’s prophecy. Note in Acts two, the Bible says “they that “gladly” received his word were baptized. David says of the day that the Lord would make, that we will rejoice and be “glad” in it. The Bible says they were pricked in their heart, full of remorse over the sins that they had committed, but then the gospel was preached and they gladly received that which was preached.

Now, in reference to the new law, The Bible tells us plainly of the old and the new, of the first and the second. Notice, Heb. 8:13, “In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.” Again, Heb. 8:7, “For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.” Again, Heb. 10:9, “—He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.”
Notice Eph. 2:15, “—Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; —” Also in Colossians 2:14, “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; —”

Going on to verse 16, we find the writer saying, “Let no man, therefore, (i.e. for this reason) judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days: “—What reason are you speaking of Paul? — Due to the fact that Christ, he says, has blotted out the handwriting of ordinances that were against us! By this we can see that the new law took the place of the eating of meats, of drinks, of the feasts of the new moon as well as the Sabbaths.

A New Spiritual System

So far we have discussed a new law, a new building or a new spiritual house. Allow me to make another reference on this in your Bible from Heb. 9:11:

“But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building.”

Under the Law of Moses was a tabernacle. Under the new arrangement is the church. It is Gods house today. God could have had you and me to have been born under the Law of Moses. If so we would have had to offer animal sacrifices on an altar. You and I can be thankful that we were not born bound under a system of bloody and inconvenient sacrifices, but have been blessed with the privilege of being a spiritual people that can offer up spiritual sacrifices as members of a spiritual house. How can one dare to stand in the face of all the great benefits of the church and say that the church does not really matter, that it’s unimportant?
A New Sin-Offering

Under the new system there is a new sin offering. This has some connection with the first day as we will see later. On this point let me read 1st. Cor. 15:14,

“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.”

Notice in particular, “he died for OUR SINS, “-Here is our new sin-offering. Each first day of the week the church assembles for the purpose of simply showing forth the Lord’s death till He comes again.
May we recognize that in communion we do show forth the Lord’s death, 1st. Cor. 10:16:

‘the cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ?”

We do not worship the Lord who is dead and will never live again, but we worship a resurrected Lord. The communion primarily shows forth His death, however, it also entails our confidence in his resurrection as we believe he was raised from the dead, placing the blossom of immortality on every grave. It is significant that Jesus came forth from the grave on the first day of the week, and thereby once again distinguished this new day as David said that he would. When we come together on the first day of the week for the purpose of communion, Acts 20:7, 1st. Cor. 10:16, it is to show forth our recognition of the new sin-offering made for us. Not an animal sacrifice, for with such sacrifices God is not well pleased, but as he said, “A body thou hast prepared me,” Heb. 10:5-6.

Proof Jesus Was Raised On the First Day

Since there is mix-up by some in religion regarding the day which Jesus was raised from the grave, please allow me to deal with the question just briefly. The most unmistakable proof of the first day resurrection is in the twenty-fourth chapter of Luke. Notice this sequence of events:

Luke 24:1, “Now UPON THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulcher—”
Luke 24:13, “And, behold, two of them went that SAME DAY to a village called Emmaus—”

Please continue reading from verse thirteen and you will find that it was on this trip that two disciples were discussing the things which had come to pass. Jesus appeared walking with them, but their eyes were holden that they should not know him. Jesus questioned them concerning their conversation. They told him how Jesus had been delivered up, condemned and crucified. Then notice in verse 21,

“But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, TODAY IS THE THIRD day since these things were done.”

Referring back to verse seven of the same chapter and also to verse forty-six, the scriptures teach, “The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the THIRD DAY rise again.”

The conclusion is that Christ was to rise the third day. On the first day of the week the women went to the tomb. On that same day, (i.e. the first day), the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, said today is the third day, since all these things came to pass. Therefore if Christ was to rise the third day, he rose on the first day of the week for the first of the week was the third day since he had been delivered condemned and crucified. Little wonder Mark 16:9, says, “when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, —”. This is the Lord’s Day. This is the day the Lord hath made.

In conclusion the church and the Lord’s Day are inseparable. The gospel was first preached on the first day of the week. Therefore, the new law had its beginning on the first day of the week. By this preaching of the new law, folks were saved, the Lord added them to the church and a new house had its beginning on the first day of the week. This begun a new spiritual system, paid for by a new sin offering, Christ Jesus. Christ, though he died, yet he lives evermore, because he came forth from the grave on the first day of the week. The church is to assemble according to example, (Acts 20:7), on the first day of the week, to break bread in memory of our Lord.

The First day of the week, the Lord’s Day and all that it incorporates magnifies the church and its importance. Every time that God’s people comes together to worship Him on the first day of the week in spirit and in truth, simply tells the world, ‘The Church, Still It Stands.”

–By Evangelist Irvin Barnes, ~1972

The History of Individual Cups in the Lord’s Supper

Ronny Wade – The History of Individual Communion Cups

(by Ronny Wade)

A Prophet for Profit

(by Jerry Dickinson)

McGarvey on Fellowship

That J.W. McGarvey, the little giant of the Restoration Movement, was opposed to instrumental music in worship, is a fact too well known to be disputed. While in Lexington, KY some years ago, my wife and I visited the Broadway Christian Church, where McGarvey preached and held membership for many years. We were met by Marshall Leggett, who was then the personable minister of that church. He proudly pointed to a large picture of McGarvey hanging on the wall and remarked. “He left when they put in the instrument.” Leroy Garrett, writing in One Body, recently acknowledged that McGarvey “objected to the instrument as much as anyone in our history.” Garrett then quoted McGarvey as saying, “I have never proposed to withdraw fellowship from brethren simply because of their use of instrumental music in worship.”

However, I have read a quote several times in different papers which was attributed to McGarvey which indicates that he felt that he had made a mistake in his approach to fellowship and the use of the instrument in worship. The latest version appears in Firm Foundation, April 8, 1986. It is an account of an exchange between McGarvey and Jesse P. Sewell in which McGarvey reportedly said, “Brother Sewell, I want to say something to you, if you’ll accept it in the spirit in which I mean it.” Sewell told him he’d appreciate anything he had to say to him, and Sewell gave this account of his statement: “You are on the right road, and whatever you do, don’t let anybody persuade you that you can successfully combat error by fellowshipping it and going along with it. I have tried. I believed at the start that was the only way to do it. I’ve never held membership in a congregation that uses instrumental music. I have, however, accepted invitations to preach without distinction between churches that used it and churches that didn’t. I’ve gone along with their papers and magazines and things of that sort. During all these years I have taught the truth as the New Testament teaches it to every young preacher who has passed through the College of the Bible. Yet, I do not know of more than six of those men who are preaching the truth today. It won’t work.” This was about ten years before McGarvey’s death in 1912.

I would like to point out to my brethren that McGarvey was also opposed to individual communion cups. Can we learn a lesson from McGarvey as he viewed the scene at the twilight of his illustrious career? Does his statement tell us anything about the folly of lending influence and encouragement to something that is wrong? No doubt, McGarvey thought he was doing the right thing, but if this quote is accurate, he came to see the inconsistency of his course. McGarvey believed the instrument in worship and individual cups were fads that would pass away with the passing of the years, but perhaps he came to see that “Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone” (Hos 4:19).

If I know my own heart, I can say that I have nothing but the kindliest feelings for brethren who have embraced Sunday School, individual cups in the communion, and instrumental music in worship. I am concerned about them and I pray that they may come to a knowledge of the truth. I sincerely and fervently hope that the day may come when we can lock arms and fight the evils of sin and division together, but I am convinced that I will never bring them to a knowledge of the truth by joining in with them in their error.

Some years ago a man said to me. “If I were to ever begin preaching, I would start in the beer joints and taverns.” At the time, I thought there might be some validity in his statement. But in the light of clearer thinking, I realize that many of those who are in those places are there by choice and may even be there because they know they are in a place which is void of anything resembling gospel preaching. What influence would I have if I walked in and made myself comfortable in their midst?

I say that McGarvey gave good advice. In the quest for that unity which the psalmist David declared to be both good and pleasant, (Psalm 133:1), let us never be tempted to stray into the paths of error. Remember, our light may be the only one those in error will ever see. – Johnny Elmore

Questions About the Lord’s Supper Answered

Dear Interested Reader,
I write this article to help you in your quest for simple, New Testament Christianity, an essential part of which is scriptural, God-pleasing worship!
The Cup –
What I would first encourage you to do is look through the scriptures where we are told how to commune. It is always cup, never cups. There was no sign of individual cups until 1898 when Rev. J. G. Thomas invented the first set. G. C. Brewer in his autobiography, “40 Years on the Firing Line,” makes this admission: “I think I was the first preacher (Church of Christ) to advocate the use of the individual communion cups, and the first church in the state of Tennessee that adopted it was the church for which I was preaching, the Central Church of Christ, Chattanooga Tennessee.” This occurred in 1914; how can something so recent be called apostolic? I know of people alive today who witnessed the first time individual cups were ever used by the Lord’s Church in the observance of communion. How are they different from instrumental music? One innovation is just as sinful as the other.
Q. Does it make any difference how we observe the communion?
A. Jesus says yes. “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. Vain worship means useless worship, good for nothing.
A. The Apostle Paul says yes. In 1 Corinthians 11 the Bible says that the churches of Corinth had perverted the communion by turning it into a common meal, no discerning the Lord’s Body. Because they did this it was no longer the Lord’s Supper that they were partaking of (1 Cor. 11:20) Christ said, “This do in remembrance of me.” When we change it, it can no longer be called the Lord’s Supper.
A. Logic and common sense say yes. The word communion means “joint participation.” We are communing or participating jointly, eating and drinking with one another and with Christ. Individual cups and loaves destroy that concept of joint participation.
Q. Is the word “Cup” making reference only to the contents?
A. Experts of the Greek Language say no. Thayer, Bullinger, Vine, Ardnt and Gingrich and others all agree that the word poterion, translated cup, means a “drinking vessel”.
A. Jesus says no, “Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you’.” (Luke 22:20) Now earlier Jesus said that the fruit of the vine (grape juice) represented the Blood. He then says that the Cup containing the grape juice represents the New Testament. The Apostle Paul said the same thing in 1 Corinthians 11:25.
Q. Jesus said in Luke 22:17, “Take this (the Cup) and divide it among yourselves…” doesn’t this give the authority to divide it into individual cups?
A. Jesus explains what He meant.
He Commands them to divide it – Luke 22:17, “Take this (the Cup) and divide it among yourselves…”
He tells them How to divide it – Matthew 26:27, “Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it (the Cup), all of you.” (NKJV)
They do as they were told – Mark 14:23, “And He took the cup, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them: and they all drank of it (the Cup).”
The Loaf –
The initial reasoning for why we ought to use one loaf is the same as with the cup. Jesus only used one, it is clear from the text, so we should use one in order to comply with his command to “do this.” Like the individual cups it was not until recent years that men, particularly the Lord’s Church ever started using individual loaves.
There are a number of problems with individual loaves-
1. The bread must be unleavened, just as the grape juice must be unfermented, as the supper was being observed during the Feast of Unleavened Bread all leaven, in or out of food or drink, would have been purged from the house. Are the crackers often used as “individual loaves” unleavened?
2. The word translated bread or loaf in the Gospel and Pauline accounts means specifically one loaf. Artos is the Greek word meaning a loaf, if it were referring to more than one it would be an entirely different word.
3. It destroys the entire picture symbolized in the bread. Jesus said “this is my body.” The loaf represents the Body, the body is the Church: One Church , one body, one loaf. In the Old Testament there were twelve loaves, one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel , that were on the showbread table in the temple. (Lev. 24:4-6) Today we are one tribe represented by one loaf. “The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? We being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.” (1 Cor. 10:16-17)