It may be that you have no use for the Dallas Cowboys or football in general; in fact, you may not like sports at all, but whatever it is that you like to do, let us say you are doing it on Sunday morning. It happened to me on Sunday, November 9, 2014. Yes, there I was at home unable to be with my brothers and sisters as they worshiped God “in spirit and in truth” on the Lord’s Day! Then, for some reason, unknown to me, as I am no computer wiz, I was unable to “take part” by watching and listening by means of Skype.
Is it a big deal or not? It depends on the person doesn’t it? To me it was big deal! I confess, my mind was not very alert, I was not even able to enjoy the football game and the Cowboys were winning! I tried this and that, but nothing worked. With a really bad headache and ringing in my ears, it was hard to think and getting up and doing anything was totally out of the question. But, not being in worship was a big deal! Even if it was not the first time, it is still a big deal. I remember reading some years ago where G. K. Wallace never missed a first day of the week worship for over forty years. I forget the exact number of years. Due to bad health most of my adult life, I have been forced to miss way too many Sundays. One is too many!
You may be asking, what is the big deal about missing one Sunday? One thing, the local church is my spiritual family and I love talking with them. I love just being with them, seeing them and knowing how they are doing, and I get to do this on Sunday. In this day and time, when we live miles apart, our lives filled with so many activities, we just don’t spent time together as in years gone by; so Sundays are even more important, family-wise.
Then, in the words of the Psalm: “Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the LORD: (20) This gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter. (21) I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation. (22) The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. (23) This is the LORD’S doing; it is marvellous in our eyes. (24) This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psa. 118:19-24). The “day” of verse twenty-four is without doubt the Lord’s Day as the entire context is Messianic. It is the Lord’s Day in that it is the day of the Lord’s resurrection, the day when souls were first saved by his gospel, and the day of the birth of his church. It is the day when the Lord’s death is remembered in the Lord’s Supper. So, is it a big deal, yes, it is a big deal to every child of God! One of the last things I want to do is miss it!
Then, there is the overall worship of God. Worship is when I, with my brothers and sisters in Christ get to approach the throne of God through Christ. As Peter put it: “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 2:5). We as a “holy priesthood” are privileged “to offer up spiritual sacrifices” to God through Christ. These “spiritual sacrifices” are the acts of worship: singing, giving, teaching/preaching, praying, and the Lord’s Supper. No place else are all five of these acts done, but in the assemblies of worship on the Lord’s Day. It is a big deal to miss this worship!
In this worship, the worshipper is expressing gratitude to God for his love, as Paul put it: “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8). We cannot express our love to God for his love, except as he directs. John stated it: “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous” (1 John 5:3). This means, not only must we live as God commands, but we must worship him as he commands.
Yes, it is a big deal for me to miss worshiping God on the first day of the week! Even if I get to watch the Dallas Cowboys! The fact that I could not enjoy the game has nothing to do with it, I missed worshiping God with the saints on the Lord’s Day and this is a big deal!! Is it a big deal to you?
— Frank R. Williams