Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight. Acts 20:7

As we saw last time, meeting on the first day of the week (the Lord’s Day) for corporate worship is what Christians did early on—and continue to do to this day. The London Baptist confession clarifies this issue well (as do most historic confessions):

LBCF Chapter 22, Paragraph 7: It is the law of nature that in general a portion of time specified by God should be set apart for the worship of God. So by His Word, in a positive-moral and perpetual commandment that obligates everyone in every age, He has specifically appointed one day in seven for a sabbath to be kept holy to Him. (Exodus 20:8) From the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ the appointed day was the last day of the week. After the resurrection of Christ it was changed to the first day of the week, which is called the Lord’s Day. (1 Corinthians 16:1, 2; Acts 20:7; Revelation 1:10) This day is to be kept to the end of the age as the Christian Sabbath, since the observance of the last day of the week has been abolished.

There is a continuity and a change in the Sabbath. In the Old Testament (OT), the Sabbath was the seventh day. It was a day of rest from six days of labor to worship God. In the New Testament (NT), the Sabbath became the first day of the week to worship God, followed by six days of labor.

Do you see how grace is emphasized in the NT Sabbath, rather that works as in the OT Sabbath? The OT way of thinking was: Work, then salvation. The NT way of thinking is: Grace, then work.

Praise the Lord for the Lord’s Day on which we can celebrate God’s free grace, followed by working out our salvation with fear and trembling! (Philippians 2:12-13)

More on the basics of “Remembering the Sabbath Day” from the fourth commandment next time.