Question about the Sabbath for those holding to the Westminster Standards

[Free Christian]

That wasn't all they ended up doing. They even eventually had "young peoples music worship nights" where a lot of the older members were not happy as they couldn't even understand the music and lyrics or join in. Thankfully I missed that one. I watched it go down hill fast. They never sang the Psalms but sang older hymns, but then wanted to and did eventually bring in the Praise Worship songs which were like singing a short chorus over and over. Happy clappy stuff! At a meeting I brought up singing the Psalms, I was told, "oh the Psalms were just old Jewish folk type songs" and "the young ones wont want to sing those". Near Christmas time they had the young ones draw pictures of the nativity scene and things like that and put them up on the wall in the coffee room. I commented to the preacher "why do you have those up, the wise men were not there at the birth?" (let alone the rest of the imagery) He replied "They weren't I know, but the children like it". I didn't go to the meeting when they did a Christmas play but heard the preacher say what a wonderful angel his niece played. They were not a reformed church but were tolerable, if you know what I mean, before the rapid decline. The speed at which they went downhill though would have left a NASCAR for dead. It was sad to see.
I am so glad that God kept me and my wife from being drawn into such things and gave us the strength of conviction to turn our backs on those things and see them for what they were. I often wonder why someone as pathetic as myself is shown so much mercy.
We have a wonderful Lord that's for sure.

 

[aadebayo]

These changes tend to be subtle and then the acceleration begins. We had to leave our previous church over a year ago. The church professed to be reformed, but worship (if it could be deemed as such) contained new songs and most of the old hymns have been murdered. Then the church participated in the passion for life in 2010 which was when the rapid decline began. They included supposed sermons of false teachers like Bill Hybels as "evangelistic tools". It was in 2013 that we finally left the church. I no longer trust churches that come from the grouping this church belonged.

 

[Kaj]

I've had conscious scruples with some of the conversations we have on the Sabbath. While I desire to esteem the day by steering clear of common talk concerning our affairs from the rest of the week, usually the after-service fellowship seems to go this way. People will discuss marriage, education, money, etc.

I've therefore wondered if to enjoy such 'fellowship' (for they are believers who's company I delight in) is appropriate for the Lord's Day, considering that this is the only day most of us get to meet together.

What would you brethren say about the sort of conversation we ought to have on the Lord's Day, and respond to my situation?

-Vincent.

 

[aadebayo]

It is true to say that you could be forgiven after visiting some professing evangelical churches and indeed some professing reformed churches that you have just visited a comedy show or a theater. When you try and discuss what has just been preached, people look at you as if you are from Mars. An elder in a professing reformed church gave me a look that I am taking Christianity too seriously when he was trying to discuss what he watched at the cinema with me, to which I replied that we do not go to the cinemas because we are concerned that God's name is blasphemed. He did not seem concerned (I doubt if he ever thought about it) about the possibility that God's name will be used in vain. This is what worldliness does to a congregation.

Kaj, your situation may be evidence of a wider problem at your fellowship. The question I will ask myself is how often are the doctrines of grace preached? Does the leadership of your fellowship encourage biblical separation (Separation from evil, the world and false teaching)? What about the lives of the congregation, both officers and members, is there any visible evidence that the same power that raised Christ from the dead operates in the lives of a majority of the congregation?

 

[Reformed Covenanter]

Paul tells us that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. If our employment of another keeps them from church (I have talked with some folks who tell me that they'd love to come to church sometime, but they have to work) then we are keeping them from hearing the gospel.

That is one reason why the magistrate must uphold the employee's right to a Sabbath day free from labour. And it also reminds me of the propriety of the magistrate enforcing church attendance as per the fourth commandment, which requires superiors in the commonwealth to ensure that all under their care keep the Sabbath holy.

 

[Bill The Baptist]

Paul tells us that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. If our employment of another keeps them from church (I have talked with some folks who tell me that they'd love to come to church sometime, but they have to work) then we are keeping them from hearing the gospel.

That is one reason why the magistrate must uphold the employee's right to a Sabbath day free from labour. And it also reminds me of the propriety of the magistrate enforcing church attendance as per the fourth commandment, which requires superiors in the commonwealth to ensure that all under their care keep the Sabbath holy.

Considering the direction we are heading, I would not count on any assistance from the magistrate. A better way to accomplish this would be for all professing Christians to keep the Sabbath themselves. Our economy works on the principle of supply and demand. If a significant number of people ceased to patronize businesses on Sunday, then these businesses would be much more likely to close down, or at least be more sympathetic to the requests of employees for the day off. In this sense, Sabbath keeping helps to fulfill the duties of the Great Commission by ensuring that more people will actually be able to hear the gospel being preached.

 

[Backwoods Presbyterian]

The fact we live under a wicked magistrate is ever more the reason to pray that God relieve us from His judgment and appoint a Godly ruler that would bow the knee to Christ and Kiss the Son so that the church of God would have a nursing mother and a foster father.

 

[Free Christian]

Some very good points being made here by many.
Just in the last 2 weeks my family, my wife, myself, mother and sister, have been reading from the Exposition of the Confession of Faith by Robert Shaw on the Sabbath. Something struck me from the words we were reading about Gods Judgements on societies and not keeping His day.
I often hear people in general, in the media and on the street etc, comment on how bad things seem these days. They hold rallies and the likes to "end street violence" "end domestic abuse" "combat drugs in society" along with countless others. But I cant help but feel that all they do is in vain without a society returning to the Lords Day recognition and keeping of it. The same society/population that are against those evils happily trade on Sundays, hold huge sports games, markets, you name it, all on the Lords Day. Sadly and sickeningly enough one of our politicians just the other day headed a huge street march in support of Gays, on the Lords Day. They seem now to want a return to a blessed society with the benefits of living in one, in fact a Christian society from which the goodness they once knew existed and from which that goodness came, but without the central light of it, God. (they want the benefits of living in an illuminated society without a light source) I think its a no brainer that the further our society gets from God and the more His day is swept aside and trampled upon the worse it will get regardless of all the rallies and meetings held to stop the tide of violence and evil. Though I know I am probably not saying anything here everyone doesn't know already.

 

[Free Christian]

When you try and discuss what has just been preached, people look at you as if you are from Mars. An elder in a professing reformed church gave me a look that I am taking Christianity too seriously when he was trying to discuss what he watched at the cinema with me,

Hi Ademola. My mum and sister would be able to relate to that. They once went to a church and my mum asked the Minister his thoughts on natural disasters and could some be from Gods judgment on the nation or people, she thought yes but wanted his opinion. He replied that he did not know and had never thought about it. My sister asked a question on some passage in the Bible and was told "I have never read that part of the Bible before, ill have to look it up". He commented to them another time "your questions make my job difficult".