What and where does the Bible say we should not do things like wash our cars or clean house on Sunday. Our pastor says we should not shop on Sunday either. What Bible passages would reflect this line of thinking?
Answer
If an elder (pastor) is telling you not to do these things on Sunday, perhaps you should ask him to show you where the Bible says so. I do not find anything in the Bible about what you can not do on Sunday.
Some people try to make Sunday out to be the “Christian Sabbath” and then tell people to keep Sunday like the Jews keep Sabbath. The only things the Bible says about Christians and Sunday are that they were to put money in the treasury of the church (1 Corinthians 16:1-2) and maybe that they ate the Lord’s Supper (Acts 20:7). It puts no restrictions similar to the Sabbath. In fact, to try to enforce keeping Sabbath laws on Sunday (or any other day) for non-Jews would be to go against everything Paul taught in the book of Galatians. Making such rules for others, and saying you can’t be saved unless you keep them, is what Paul calls having “fallen from grace.” (Galatians 5:4)
It is good that you question the practices of your elders or preacher. If it is common that they teach things, like not working on Sunday, that are not in the Bible, then you might want to start looking for a congregation that follows God’s word. It may be that this is the only example you can find of enforcing something without scriptural backing. If so, you may want to stay with that congregation, but should “teach the teacher” that they should back up their teachings with scripture.