The Principles And Practices Of Family Worship Series

Scripture

Two years ago, I started a series of sermons on Sunday evenings that I called “Worship Matters.” I preached two messages. Then COVID-19 hit and we stopped our Sunday Seconds services for almost two years. We are now resuming our Sunday Seconds services, and so I am continuing my series on “Worship Matters.”

Previously, I set a foundation for worship in a message titled, “All to the Glory of God.” Then I preached a message titled, “The Principles and Practices of Personal Worship.” Tonight I would like to preach a message titled, “The Principles and Practices of Family Worship.”

Our text for this series is 1 Corinthians 10:31:

31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31)

Introduction

“It’s time for oceans!”

That is what I heard my son-in-law say after supper. My grandson jumped to his feet and ran to the living room, juice in one hand and gummy vitamin in the other hand.

I discovered that “oceans” was my two-year old grandson’s way of saying “devotions.” My wife and I were happy to sit down and join in family “oceans,” also known as “family devotions,” or “family worship.”

Family worship, as the term suggests, is the joint worship given to God by all the members of one household.

Lesson

In this lesson, I want to briefly examine the principles and practices of family worship.

I. The Principles of Family Worship

First, let’s examine the principles of family worship.

The family is the oldest institution in society. It was not invented by human beings. It was created by God. And though our modern culture may seek to redefine the family, the fact is that God has designed and created the family.

The principle of family worship is seen in history.

First, family worship was practiced during the time of Noah. The entire human family was on the ark with Noah, along with his wife, his three sons, and each of their wives. They were the only ones saved from among all the families on earth. After the waters subsided, “Noah built an altar to the Lord” (Genesis 8:20) and his entire family worshiped God.

Second, family worship was practiced by the patriarchs. As soon Abraham arrived in the Promised Land, we find him building an altar in the plain of Moreh (Genesis 12:7). The same thing occurred in the valley between Ai and Bethel. Isaac not only renewed the fountains which his father had opened, but kept up his devotions, building an altar at Beersheba (Genesis 26:25). Jacob’s altar at Bethel was a family monument and he “said to his household and to all who were with him, ‘Put away the foreign gods that are among you and purify yourselves and change your garments.’ ” (Genesis 35:2). The altar was named El-Bethel. This continuation of family worship was in response to God’s declaration that family worship should carry on in Abraham’s house (Genesis 18:19). The service of Job on behalf of his children was a perpetual service: he “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” (Job 1:5). The book of Deuteronomy is also full of family worship.

Third, family worship was practiced in the New Testament. In the book of Acts, we read about “a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort, a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms generously to the people, and prayed continually to God” (Acts 10:1-2). If Cornelius was worshiping with his family prior to his conversion, he certainly continued to do so after his conversion to Christ. And there were other instances of households coming to faith and likely worshiping together as families.

And fourth, family worship was practiced in the early centuries following the New Testament. A German church historian, Johann Neander, writes the following: “When a Christian from abroad, after brotherly reception and hospitality in the house of a brother Christian, took his leave, he was dismissed from the Christian family with prayer, ‘Because,’ said they, ‘In your brother you have seen your Lord.’ For every affair of ordinary life they made preparation by prayer.”

Much more could be said. But I will leave it at that.

II. The Practices of Family Worship

And second, let’s look at the practices of family worship.

Joel Beeke has written extensively on family worship. I am borrowing heavily from an article he wrote for the Free Grace Broadcaster titled, “Implementing Family Worship.”

Here are some of his suggestions for the practice of family worship.