Eating-Out on Sunday??

[MRCoon]

Has any one ever been taught abotu this issue of 'eating-out' on Sundays? I had a Pastor who never ate out on Sundays...he never preached about it but it was a personal conviction for him. I asked him about it once and he said that it was a testimony thing. He never wanted to invite a person to work and for them to give the excuse, "I can't go just because I work on Sunday at the restaurant you attend, Pastor." I never really thought of this and enjoy eating out especially on Sunday afternoon with family and friends after Church.

So I'd be curious as to ya'lls opinion. Thanks in advance!!

 

[billreber]

I have thought about this a lot over the years. I still eat out on Sundays, and use it as a witnessing opportunity. In my years of observation, people do not seem to care if a Christian eats out on Sundays (contrary to what we might think). Instead, they seem to care more about how we tip them. Historically, those who are known to be Christians tend to tip less than do known non-Christians. I therefore try to tip BETTER than non-Christians, and also try to witness to the workers. This seems to work, too!

I have also had jobs that required me to work on Sundays. I learned a lot then about NOT letting "the Sabbath" rule me. When I had to work on Sundays, I deliberately set aside another day of the week to spend in rest and worship of God.

Please note that God never said for His people to worship on a set calendar day ("Sabbath" or "Sunday"). He simply said to "rest on the seventh day" (in fact, that is what "Sabbath" really means). He even allowed for those who HAD to work on the scheduled "worship date" to worship Him on a different schedule. (Have you ever noticed that sacrifices were offered to God in the Tabernacle and Temple seven days a week?) It has always been people who have established a calendar day to worship God.

Eat out on Sundays more often, tip generously, and tell the workers about Jesus!

In Christ,

Bill

 

[Gina B]

That seems like a double standard MrCoon, if he's getting paid to preach on Sundays.

 

[MRCoon]

Thanks for your reply but that doesn't answer my question(s). Please stay on topic as much as possible. I'm not judging this Pastor or any others for their personal convictions and hope no one else here is as well.

 

[bgoc bryan]

I used to be a restraunt manager and had to work many Sundays. Before that I was a server and some of my coworkers would complain about Christians not tipping well. I remember one saying "I guess the men of God gave all their money to the lord and did not have any left for me." That realy made me think about how the world looks at us. I have tried to tip well because I have lived on tips and know hard it can be at times. Now I tip well because I want to show thanks for the servers hard work and let them know this christian does care about them and Jesus cares more. When I had to work Sundays as a manager I tried to get in early so I would be ahead of schedule so I could spend time with the lord. As much as I wanted to at Church the Lord blessed me with some great personal times with him. One of my biggest prayers was to have Sundays off and the Lord granted me that. I try not to spent money on Sunday. I would not call it a hard fast rule, but I try to not make others work on Sunday. I also try to support businesses that close on Sunday.

 

[AresMan]

What about hospitals that have to work on Sundays?

What about eating out on Saturdays (i.e. Sabbath)? That was the Law, right?

 

[Tom Butler]

I don't see anything wrong with eating out on Sunday, or any other kind of activity, for that matter. I grew up in a pretty legalistic Baptist culture, where anything fun was verboten as a violation of the Sabbath. My family began to loosen up as I got older, when a pastor pointed out that Sunday is not the Sabbath. And Colossians 2:15: Paul said don't let anybody pass judgment on you about what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, New Moon celebration or a Sabbath Day.

Tom B.

 

[Helen]

MrCoon, I appreciate your pastor's convictions and the way he lived them. That is far more important than anything else. If he was to go against what he believed right, then that would be sin for him, the Bible says.

My Dad used to be a radio announcer in the fifties when there were no computers in the stations. He drew Sunday duty for eight years.

Did you know ski lifts are almost empty on Tuesdays and Wednesdays? LOL...it wasn't bad at all.

 

[bgoc bryan]

I don't think the issue of the law ever came up. We all know many have to work on Sunday. I know I did not demand to be off on Sunday. I just told my boss I had a desire to be off Sundays and after a short period of time and after a lot of prayer it happened. I don't think anyone made this a sin issue. I think the biggest issue is to represent Christ everyday. I think every man should decide this through prayer and listen to what the Lord has to say. For me it is a personal issue. I don't like to work on Sunday I try to not make others it is that simple for me.

 

[AresMan]

It's good if possible to get off Sunday because that just happens to be the common day when most believers assemble together out of tradition. We can't be Pharisaic about that because according to the law, the seventh day of the week was the Sabbath, and you can't really even conclude from the New Testament that churches gathered on Sundays. It is good per principle in the Bible to find one day of rest each week, and it seems that in many churches today Sundays do not become the "day of rest" that they claim them to be.

 

[MRCoon]

Again I'm grateful for all of your remarks and input. I'm not focusing on working on Sunday out of neccesity but I'm talking about choosing to go do something that someone may throw back into your face in the process of witnessing to them. I'm a Marine and often have to work on Sunday and when deployed we have "church" whenever we can get together. So I'm talking more about a personal conviction and our testimony to the lost or backslidden. Any more input on this topic as it relates to this post or the OP?

 

[tinytim]

Ok, I used to be a grill cook at a family restaurant here in WV.. I love to cook, but that's another issue... Wife and I fight over who gets to cook!

I could ask for any day off ahead of time, except Sunday... No staff could ever request off on Sunday... Why? Because of Christians eating out. It was the busiest day.

I actually worked at the same restaurant two different periods in my life, about 6 years apart.

The first time, I was a Christian, but not a firm one, so I didn't really think about it.. I was supporting my family.

The Second time was actually 2 yrs after I was called into the ministry. I was filling pulpits in the evening, and on other days, but could never get off to go on Sunday morning.

At first it bothered me. Then I had a thought, I feel came from God... I could complain, or I could serve God where I was. I started seeing it as a ministry. Because the restaurant was there, other Christians could spend their Sundays with family, and rest. I was actually serving a purpose. The mother didn't have to work so hard that day preparing meals, and doing dishes.

I along with some other Christians there, started doing devotions during break, which came early to beat the noon rush. We started noticing morale going up... Before, we dreaded the time between 12:00 and 2:00 pm. But then we started singing while working.

It was actually fun.. The adrenaline rush you get from having 25 dinners to prepare, while tickets were still being punched in! I still miss it..
It also helped that I am ADD... I have learned to multi-task... sorta came easy to me.

Anyway, Back on subject.... If you feel it is a sin, then don't. But if you are caught in a situation where you have to work, make the best of it.... use your imagination, and find a way to serve God... He will bless you for it...

To finish the story... I worked there about a yr, and got a better job. Sunday's off.
I also learned to appreciate the Christians that work on Sunday to make others lives easier, and possible. Oh, Tip Big!!

 

[gb93433]

I wonder what some would say if I asked them if they ever drank milk? I worked 7 days a week for years when my parents had a dairy farm.

 

[gb93433]

I wonder what some would say if I asked them if they ever drank milk. I worked 7 days a week for years when my parents had a dairy farm.

 

[MRCoon]

I would say that I do indeed drink milk but only from 1% cows...and I'd say this twice

 

[tinytim]

Wouldn't that make it 2%?

1+1=2

 

[rjprince]

Why do post-cross Gentile believers try to apply Jewish Sabbath law that has been nailed to the cross to church-age saints? The Sabbath was not a day of assembly for worship. It was a day of rest for the Jews! The Law was never given to the Gentiles (Rom 9:4) particularly the Sabbath command (Exo 31:13-17)!

 

[EdSutton]

Originally posted by rjprince:
Why do post-cross Gentile believers try to apply Jewish Sabbath law that has been nailed to the cross to church-age saints? The Sabbath was not a day of assembly for worship. It was a day of rest for the Jews! The Law was never given to the Gentiles (Rom 9:4) particularly the Sabbath command (Exo 31:13-17)!

A M E N !!!

Ed

 

[rjprince]

Thanks Bro Ed.

 

[MRCoon]

We are missing the object of this thread!!!

I'm NOT talking about working on Sunday...I'm talking about a testimony that could interfere with our witnessing. And specifically a testimony where we go out to eat on Sunday and how this could be an interference with our witness to the wait staff or whomever. PLEASE REFER TO MY INITIAL POST {Caps for emphasis not yelling

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