I read a question the other day asking who changed the Sabbath? I really don't know the answer to that question. However, that question got my mind to wondering if worshiping on Sunday is wrong and whether or not God is pleased or displeased with Sunday worship.
I honestly don't know when we, Christians, went from worshiping on Saturday to worshiping on Sunday, but I've been reading about Jewish law and came to the conclusion that no, God is not displeased with Sunday worship. Here is why I think this...
There were/are two types of Jewish law. Moral and ceremonial.
If it is RIGHT or WRONG and is the law written on the heart and conscience of man, then it's considered moral law.
If it's an arbitrary matter without being RIGHT nor WRONG, but a good object lesson on a ceremony, then it's considered ceremonial law.
In Exodus 20, "Thou shalt not steal" is something written on the heart and conscience of man. However, the part about the Sabbath and the kind of altar to be used for sacrifice is ceremonial.
You can't go by just the Old Testament. You have to rightly divide the Scripture, Old Testament and New Testament alike. In the New Testament, there are commandments represented from the Old Testament. These are the ones that are written on our hearts and minds and these are the moral Law. These are the law that God expects us to still adhere to today.
Most people will take for granted that the ten commandments are all moral law. We've taken them out of their original context and memorized them in church settings, such as Sunday school, but the truth is, the ten commandments are a summary of the Mosaic law, both ceremonial and moral. Truth be told, the Bible does not tell us that the ten commandments are any more inspired than any rest of the Old Testament. The entire Bible is the WORD of God and is equally inspired from Genesis to Revelation. To use something someone else pointed out, "The rest of Exodus 20 is as much the Word of God as that part of the chapter which states the ten commandments."
The ceremonial laws had spiritual meaning. They were given to help Jews separate from other people. They had important symbolism, but were given as arbitrary command.
Romans 2:1-16 says that God will judge the heathen who have never heard the Gospel, on the basis of their own consciousness of sin against the moral law, their own conscience bearing witness. They won't know or have a conscience about not observing the Sabbath or eating pork, or circumcising their sons. But the moral law of not killing, stealing, honoring their parents, etc, are written on their hearts and conscience and deep inside of them they'll know they are doing wrong if they do those things.
Those laws that are equally enforced in the New Testament as they are enforced in the Old Testament are moral law and God's morals never change. When you see in the NT where they list all these sins mentioned in the OT also, the sabbath is never mentioned. Why? Because it was ceremonial law, not moral law. God wanted us to take a day out of the week and put everything else aside to do nothing but worship Him. He said to remember it. Too many times we forget the things of God and what brought us to where we are today. We allow life in general to get in the way of a day set apart to just worship Him. Even some modern churches have shut down their evening services for more "family time." The day set apart to God is HIS time. We should be serving Him through that day as a family. That's the best family time there is.
I prefer the Sunday worship, myself. It's what I've always known and there's nothing wrong with that. The majority of Christian churches will have their services on Sunday and I feel better being in His house with His people at my designated time and place.
Another reason I know God is not displeased with Sunday worship is because I worship on Sunday and He is there in a very real and very powerful way. I have felt His Holy Spirit move in our services and have seen Him convict and win lost souls. If Sunday worship were wrong, I don't think He would bother showing up to meet us there.
Colossians 2:16-23 "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath day. Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God. Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, (Touch not; taste not; handle not; Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men? Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom, in will, worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body: not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh."
