Church Navigation: God's Traditions and Conclusive Directions

Introduction

We get to our earthly destinations with tools: GPS, signs, maps, landmarks, etc. Without them we have no real direction. Likewise the church needs to be navigated spiritually—in belief, purpose, and practice. We need navigation as individuals and collectively. Today we will focus on the collective nature of the church’s work. In this sermon, we will consider two specific tools God has given us to navigate the church: tradition and conclusive direction. Let’s start with the tool of God’s traditions.

The Tool of God’s Traditions

2 Thessalonians 2:15 NASB95

So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us.

Tradition here means “a specific practice handed down from respected authorities.” In the case of the NT, we are talking about Jesus (Matthew 28:18-20) and His apostles (1 Corinthians 14:37-38).

Tradition is equated here to truth. We must “stand firm” in it, meaning maintain the position in contrast to error. We must also “hold to,” or adhere the truth. In laymen’s terms, we must believe and obey the truth delivered in the form of traditions handed down from Jesus and the apostles.

There is no need today for extra-biblical revelations to guide the church in belief, purpose, and practice. Scripture alone is our guide. Because Jesus promised His apostles He would “guide...[them]...into all the truth” (John 16:13).

The Tool of Conclusive Direction

In Acts 16:6-10, Paul and company were seeking a place to spread the gospel in his second missionary journey. The question was not to go, for Paul was commissioned at his conversion (Acts 9:15-16; Matthew 28:19). The question was where to go. After being redirected from Asia and Bithynia to Macedonia (Acts 16:9-10), they concluded where to go, they were not commanded where to go.

God forbids Paul and his fellow missionaries to preach in Asia and Bithynia.

But God does not have to forbid a practice for it to be prohibited. In this case God only did it twice, and upon specifying to go to Macedonia, they understood that eliminated other possibilities.

What about the purpose and practice of the church today? Does God ever direct us with a command like Paul and company, but draw conclusions with more information to know how to exactly carry it out? Sometimes God navigates us also with direction based on authoritative or approved examples, and conclusive information as facts and evidence. In the first century, the Bereans’ question was “Is Jesus the Christ?” They went to the Old Testament to get their answer. Therefore, when we have questions about the purpose and practice of the church, we need to examine the NT Scriptures, look at the details to draw proper conclusions about God’s direction for her (Acts 17:10-12).

The Lord’s Supper is a perfect example of what is commanded to be done as God’s tradition, but we must also use conclusive direction to determine how often it should be administered. Let’s take a close look at the details.

God’s Tradition of the Lord’s Supper—Who, What, Why, How, and When (1 Corinthians 11:2, 23-26)

Most Bible believers do not question that Christians should practice the Lord’s Supper as God’s tradition. However, they do have questions. For example, “How often should one take it?” Let’s use the tools of God’s tradition and conclusive direction to answer that and questions we may have.

The Tool of God’s Traditions—Who, What, Why, and How

Who should partake? Saints (1 Corinthians 1:2, 11:23).

What does the Lord’s Supper comprise? Prayer, unleavened bread and the fruit of the vine (1 Corinthians 5:6-8; 11:24-26; Matthew 26:29). What is it? A memorial of the life and death of Jesus (1 Corinthians 11:24-25).

Why should we partake? To remember the life and death of Jesus (1 Corinthians 11:24-25), and proclaim the gospel’s atoning benefits (1 Corinthians 11:26).

How should one partake? With gratitude, anticipation, reverence, and unity (1 Corinthians 11:26-33).

The Tool of Conclusive Direction—When

I cannot give you an answer as to why God has not commanded when. But remember that Paul was commanded to preach the gospel, but then had to conclude where in Acts 16:6-10. No one has seen God either, but we believe and can prove He exists (Romans 1:20). Do we not teach God exists with conviction as if it is a command we should believe He does in fact exist? Of course we do. Therefore, it naturally follows there are other convictions we should teach as God’s will, even though those convictions are not presented in the form of a command. In reverence to God, we need to gather the facts and evidence to obtain a conclusive direction for the church in this matter.

Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper on the night of his betrayal. But when did He first start the tradition of keeping it? He did so with his disciples on the road to Emmaus on “the first day of the week” (Luke 24:1, 28-35).

The apostles taught to take the Lord’s Supper regularly (Acts 2:42) and we have an example of the church breaking bread on “the first day of the week” (Acts 20:7).

These examples teach us we should partake on the first day of the week, when Jesus raised from the dead.

How often should we partake? Acts 2:42; 1 Corinthians 11:26

Part of our answer is found in the Lord’s Day. While Christianity is not Judaism, Christianity has a Jewishness to it. The first-century Jews, including Jesus, meet every Sabbath in a synagogue, although the keeping of the Sabbath was not qualified by the word “every” (Exodus 20:8; Acts 13:27, 15:21, 18:4; Luke 4:16). It would have been natural for the Jews who became Christians to think the same way about “the Lord’s Day” (Revelation 1:10) also know as “the first day of the week” (Acts 20:7). We should not doubt that Sunday is the appointed day by God to celebrate the Lord’s resurrection (Psalm 118:22-24; Mark 2:27). Would God have lowered the bar in the weekly cycle of worship when He transitioned the Jews from the old covenant to the new covenant? If God did lower the bar, how does that accord with the Christians in Acts 2:42 “continually devoting themselves to the apostle’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer”? More could be said, but a weekly cycle of worship and all the evidence we have points to Sunday being an every-week occurence.

If it is true that the first-century Christians met every Sunday, what exception did Paul give in 1 Corinthians 11:33 for eating the Lord’s Supper? They were to “wait for another” when they came “together to eat.” When did they come together to eat? Every Lord’s Day (Acts 20:7). Therefore, we should conclude they administered the Lord’s Supper in the assembly every first day of the week (1 Corinthians 16:2).

Conclusion

Jesus and the apostles started the tradition of taking the Lord’s Supper on the first day of the week. And by conclusive direction, we can understand that God wants Christians to take the Lord’s Supper every time they meet on the first day of the week. But questions surrounding the Lord’s Supper will not be all that we have. Use the tools of tradition and conclusive direction to help answer any question you or someone else may have. Be like the Bereans, and examine the Scriptures, looking for every detail necessary to arrive at the destination of God’s will for the purpose and practice of the church.