Sunday Sermons
The Christmas Controversy
Keep Christ in…
Sunday
This year, as happens about every six years, what is known as Christmas Day falls on a Sunday. One might have thought that with Sunday and Christmas converging this would have been a big year for denominational Christmas celebrations, yet many larger denominational churches across the country are actually canceling all services on Sunday this year. In this lesson I want to examine the various arguments that are being presented for the cancellation of services.
Saturday night is technically the first day of the week
In recent years a casual Saturday evening service has become increasing popular among various denominations. This year it is argued that meeting on Saturday night is technically still the first day of the week, seeing that the custom of the Jews in Jesus’ day was to start days beginning at sunset.
· Yet to argue such a supposed technically looks like a person is being less than honest, especially when such a person does not observe Jewish time in any other aspect of their lives.
· The same people who make this argument would probably equally argue that Sunday night is still the first day of the week, based on Roman or modern time reckoning. Thus, we have a first day of the week that is actually around 31 hours long.
· When I examine the gospels and the use of the expression “the first day of the week”, I do not find it used of Saturday evening. “Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week” (Matthew 28:1). “Very early on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had arisen” (Mark 16:2). Notice that “early” on the first day of the week, is Sunday morning, and not Saturday night at sunset. “But on the first day of the week, at early dawn” (Luke 24:1).
December 25th is not the birth of Christ
One “pastor” said, “Christmas began as a pagan holiday to the Roman gods, and if we were to really celebrate the historical birth of Jesus, it would either be in January or mid-April. I’m only pointing out the historical technicalities not out of intellectual arrogance, but again because of the illogical, ill-informed and even hypocritical arguments that were aimed at me personally this last week”
· First the writer is correct that December 25th is not the birth of Christ.
· Yet the writer seems to forget that this year December 25th is the first day of the week, and Christians are commanded to assemble (Hebrews 10:24-25), and the day on which they assemble is the first day of the week (Acts 20:7).
There is no command to assemble on Sunday
Some are arguing, “There is no biblical mandate that we meet on Sunday, only that we meet”. This completely ignores the example we have in Acts 20:7, and various necessary inferences, one being that Christians are commanded to meet together and partake of the Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 11:20), and the only day on which we find the Lord’s Supper being served is the first day of the week. The writer continues and says, “This is clearly a nonessential issue. Nobody’s orthodoxy stands or falls on having a Sunday service. Nobody’s salvation depends on having a Sunday service”. I am always taken back when men confidently ignore a pattern in Scripture or a verse and proclaim that such will not negatively impact upon one’s salvation.
Worship is not about going to church
A common attitude expressed by some is, “The way I greet my family when I go home from work is an act of worship. The way I talk to my co-workers. The dedication I give to my employer. The passion and inspiration I find in teaching or writing or editing or reading or mowing the lawn or ironing my shirts”. Someone else said, “What is the church? It’s not a location, not a building. It is people whose hearts are invoked by the spirit of God…Our church will be worshipping in about 4,000 locations all over the city”.
· First, it is true that loving one’s family is an act of obedience to the will of God (Ephesians 5:22-6:4), and so is being a good employer or employee (Ephesians 6:5-9). Yet this does not make up for failing to meet together with Christians (Hebrews 10:24), and remembering the death of Christ on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7).
· The above comments I find revealing, because it looks as if many people, especially men, seem to think that as long as they get up on Sunday morning, greet the kids, kiss their wife, make the family waffles or pancakes, take the kids for a hike or bike ride and fix something around the house or mow the lawn that they have completely fulfilled their obligations to God. Yet Jesus noted that even unbelievers do all these things, “For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?” (Matthew 5:46).
· I know that Romans 12:1-2 teaches that “worship” includes presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice, but saying that mowing the law or ironing a shirt is as important as honoring the death of Christ on the first day of the week trivializes not only the term worship, but the death of Christ as well.
· One poster said, “True worship is about much more than just singing or attending a church service”. Yes, that is partly true, but people tend to forget that it is in such a service that that death of Jesus is proclaimed (1 Corinthians 11:18 “When ye come together as a church”; 11:20 “When you meet together”).
· Of course, such arguments may come back to haunt the denominational world, for if the leaders of the group are arguing that we can fulfill the command to worship and serve God without coming to a gathering of the church, then why do we ever need to come? In fact, why do we even need to be a member of any church?
In fact, one writer said, “Let’s all just focus on God this Sunday. He’s a big Guy. I’m sure those who look for him will find him—even if they don’t set foot in a church building”. Yet the issue is not whether God can be found, but how God desires to be worshipped.
The attendance will be smaller
A common justification for canceling all Sunday services is that attendance on Christmas Day, whether it falls on Sunday or not, is lower and may not justify the staff hours a Christmas service entails.
· First, there is no command that we put on a special service on Christmas or any other day.
· Such a comment reveals that the services held by many modern denominations are more of a production and entertainment than worship, and that the size of the crowd is more important than God.
· Read the Bible and one will find that there is no extra “staff” needed to worship God on any first day of the week.
Being with family is more important
Another argument that is being aired is that churches are giving their members a chance to be with family on Sunday this year, and after all, being with family is what Christianity is all about.
· Being with family is important, but Jesus noted that He is to come first, even before our families, “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:26). Remember, meeting together on the first day of the week and remembering His death is an obligation that we have toward Him (1 Corinthians 11:23-25; Acts 20:7).
· I am not impressed by the family argument because most people who would be with family outside of services, would equally be with their families in services as well. In addition, there is plenty of time both before Sunday and after Sunday services to be with family.
Too much happening in one day
Even Christians can fall into the trap of thinking that worshipping on “Christmas Day” is a burden. We have to get up early, open the presents, get the kids ready, go to services, hurry back and fix a big meal, and so on. Yet God is only wanting a couple hours on Sunday; is that too much to ask? And who has made the day into such a busy time? We need to realize that we are the people who make holidays busy, not God. We try to fit so much into one day—that we are tempted to push God aside. The only thing preventing us from opening presents the night before, in the afternoon, or shifting our big meal and other events, is human tradition. In the current debate, many denominations are contending that worshipping on Sunday is a human tradition that is false (Acts 20:7). Rather, all the festivities on Christmas Day are the human traditions. When people let that tradition take precedence over meeting together and remembering the Lord’s death, then one is guilty of being bound to tradition, just like the Pharisees. Remember what Jesus said, “But in vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men” (Matthew 15:9).
Some speak up
One writer noted, “I think the issue centers on canceling worship on a day that is supposed to be centered on Christ. Too many times the church accuses the world of taking Christ out of Christmas but now the church is the one changing things because a day centered on Christ conflicts with schedules. What kind of message does it send to those who we have condemned in the past?” Let me add, the issue is not taking Christ out of Christmas, because there is no command to celebrate His birth and no one knows the day on which He was born, rather the issue is not taking Christ out of the first day of the week! I do think that the writer is correct is saying that the real issue here is that many modern denominations have become churches of convenience rather than of conviction. Let’s put God first in our hearts and our schedules every day.
Mark Dunagan/Beaverton Church of Christ/503-644-9017
www.beavertonchurchofchrist.net/mdunagan@easystreet.com
