Why Should We Practice Family Worship?
Family Worship: Part 2
Two things are readily recognized by Christians today:
First, we all must seek private devotion, prayer time, and worship with God. Our souls need dedicated time in worship to our God in private one-on-one time with God.
Second, we all must regularly attend the public (corporate) worship together in fellowship with God’s people, singing and praising our God together, praying together, and hearing God’s Word read and taught from the pulpit.
While you can almost always find some critic for just about everything, these two types of worship are widely recognized by modern Christendom as necessary and legitimate.
Yet there is one form of worship that, while perhaps would be seen as legitimate by many, it far from universally recognized as necessary.
This is time for the semi-corporate, semi-private worship of the single family unit.
I’m currently preaching through the 10 Commandments, and in the 5th Commandment I am reminded of the primacy of the family. Your family are your first neighbors. It is within the relations of your family that the Christian is first able to practice loving their neighbor as themselves.
As John says in 1 John 4,
“If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.”
The family unit is the basic element of society. It is our practice room for all things public.
We learn to honor and obey God through first honoring and obeying our parents.
We learn to love and care for our neighbors by first loving and caring for our siblings.
Do not steal. Do not lie. Do not covet.
These are all learned first as children in the home.
So too are forgiveness and mercy first learned in the home.
The fundamental practices of the Christian faith are of great importance, and so we should not be lazy or unprepared in teaching these things to our children. These things should be purposefully taught in the home.
Here are some passages that help us underline the importance of family worship in the home:
The Creation Mandate and Worship
In Genesis 1:27-28, God commands humanity to "be fruitful and multiply," a command that goes beyond mere population growth. This mandate calls for filling the earth with worshipers who reflect God's image and glory. By embracing family worship, parents live into this divine command, nurturing their children to become faithful followers of Christ. This practice helps cultivate a generation that honors God in all aspects of life, thereby fulfilling the Creation Mandate by spreading His worship throughout the world.
So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
The Shema and Parental Responsibility
The Shema, found in Deuteronomy 6:4-9, emphasizes the importance of teaching children about God and His commandments daily. Parents are instructed to impress these teachings on their children, discussing them at home, on the road, when lying down, and when getting up. This daily, intentional practice ensures that the knowledge and love of God permeate every aspect of a child's life. By making spiritual instruction a natural part of daily routines, parents foster a deep, enduring faith in their children.
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”
Joshua's Commitment to Family Worship
In Joshua 24:15, Joshua declares, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord," demonstrating his dedication to family worship. This statement underscores the importance of leading one's household in serving and worshiping God. By committing to family worship, parents set a powerful example and establish a spiritual foundation for their household. This practice not only unites the family in their faith journey but also strengthens their collective relationship with God.
And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
The Role of Fathers in Spiritual Leadership
Ephesians 6:4 highlights the crucial role fathers play in the spiritual upbringing of their children, instructing them to bring up their children "in the discipline and instruction of the Lord." Fathers are called to be spiritual leaders in their homes, guiding their families with wisdom and compassion. This responsibility involves more than just teaching; it includes modeling a Christ-centered life and fostering a nurturing environment where faith can grow. By actively engaging in their children's spiritual education, fathers help build a strong, faith-filled family.
Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
Teaching the Next Generation
Psalm 78:1-7 calls believers to recount God's deeds to the next generation, ensuring that they set their hope in God. This passage highlights the importance of passing down the stories of God's faithfulness and commandments to children. By sharing these accounts, parents and grandparents help to instill a sense of trust and reliance on God in their descendants. Teaching the next generation about God's works encourages them to continue the legacy of faith and obedience.
Give ear, O my people, to my teaching;
incline your ears to the words of my mouth!
2 I will open my mouth in a parable;
I will utter dark sayings from of old,
3 things that we have heard and known,
that our fathers have told us.
4 We will not hide them from their children,
but tell to the coming generation
the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might,
and the wonders that he has done.5 He established a testimony in Jacob
and appointed a law in Israel,
which he commanded our fathers
to teach to their children,
6 that the next generation might know them,
the children yet unborn,
and arise and tell them to their children,
7 so that they should set their hope in God
and not forget the works of God,
but keep his commandments;
The Example of Job’s Family Worship
Job 1:5 shows Job regularly offering sacrifices on behalf of his children, illustrating early family worship practices. Job's dedication to interceding for his family spiritually underscores the importance of parents taking an active role in their children's spiritual lives. By incorporating regular family worship, parents can follow Job's example, consistently praying for and with their children, and guiding them in their faith journey.
And when the days of the feast had run their course, Job would send and consecrate them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my children have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did continually.
Timothy's Faith Heritage
In 2 Timothy 1:5, Paul references Timothy's sincere faith, which was passed down from his grandmother Lois and mother Eunice. This example highlights the powerful impact of generational faith transmission within families. Timothy's strong spiritual foundation was nurtured by the faithful teachings and examples of his family members. This underscores the importance of parents and grandparents actively sharing their faith and encouraging spiritual growth in their children and grandchildren.
I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.
Household Baptisms in the New Testament
Acts 16:31-34 describes the conversion and baptism of the Philippian jailer and his entire household, illustrating family unity in faith. This account shows that faith and worship were communal activities, involving the entire family. Household baptisms reflect the New Testament practice of families coming to faith together, emphasizing the importance of family worship and collective commitment to Christ.
“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. 34 Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.
Daily Family Worship in Early Christian Practice
Acts 2:46-47 depicts early Christians meeting daily in their homes, sharing meals, and worshiping together. This practice illustrates the communal and familial aspect of worship in the early church. By integrating daily worship into family life, parents can foster a strong sense of community and spiritual discipline. This routine helps families grow together in their faith and supports the development of a vibrant Christian household.
And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
Biblical Festivals as Family Worship
Exodus 12:24-27 instructs families to observe the Passover celebration, teaching children the significance of God's deliverance. These biblical festivals provided structured opportunities for families to worship together and remember God's mighty acts. By observing such traditions, families can create meaningful worship experiences that teach important spiritual lessons and reinforce their faith. Celebrating biblical festivals as a family helps to instill a sense of history, continuity, and shared belief.
You shall observe this rite as a statute for you and for your sons forever. 25 And when you come to the land that the Lord will give you, as he has promised, you shall keep this service. 26 And when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’ 27 you shall say, ‘It is the sacrifice of the Lord's Passover
Family worship is an excellent experience for living out the ideas of these passages.
Worshiping together as a family - every day - brings the practice and the teaching of worship to life for those who cherish what you do more than anyone else! It creates the space for innumerable impromptu teachings, and sets a habit and expectation that will linger within the members of your family for a long time to come.
Soon we’ll think about some different styles of family worship, as well as anticipate and troubleshoot some of the things that get in the way of worshiping together as a family.