NCF Sunday Worship

Jesus Christ transforms how we see and obey every one of the Ten Commandments. This is especially true when we come to the 4th Commandment. Christians move the Sabbath to the 1st day of the week honoring Jesus’ resurrection. We call it the Lord’s Day rather than Sabbath Day. Yet, both the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Heidelberg Catechism speak of a Christian Sabbath when we diligently attend the assembly of God’s people to learn what God’s word teaches, to participate in the sacraments, to pray to God publicly, and to bring Christian offerings for the poor. The Westminster Confession says the day is to be set aside from all “worldly employments and recreations. ”Additionally, the Heidelberg Catechism calls us to rest from our evil ways and let the Lord work in us through His Spirit and so begin in this life the eternal Sabbath. The key is it should be a day of rest and rejoicing for what God has done for us in Christ Jesus. For this reason, Jesus teaches us, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”